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Losing Fat
May. 15th, 2008 07:48 pmSo I recently learned that I had gained back the weight I'd lost last Fall. I was doing really well there for about 4 weeks; I was active, I was eating well, and I got down to about 278 pounds. Unfortunately, right near the end of the thing, I got the flu and dropped down to 270 in about two weeks, and I think that wrecked everything for me... that and the holidays. My body crashed, and then I just ate like a nut at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
In the beginning of April, I started using the treadmill at the office every day. I started off slowly and built up, and I'm now *almost* actually JOGGING at about 4mph. This is a very new thing for me. I'm doing a vigorous, sweaty half hour of treadmill and stairmaster every day during the week.
I'm currently at 298 with clothes on (so I figure I'm 295), according to the scale at my office. I know I've gained weight, but lately I feel like I've lost fat and gained muscle. I KNOW I gained muscle, because now that I've been on the treadmill for the last three weeks I'm walking faster and taking stairs more quickly and I can feel the muscles in my legs are more defined. So I don't entirely feel bad about a couple pounds of muscle, but I clearly need to keep on with the activity to get leaner.
Today I worked with the nutritionist at the office and used this device called a Body Gem to measure my base metabolic rate. I fasted for about half a day (no food or drink) and it measured the ketones in my breath. I topped out at 2950 calories! I was fully expecting to be about 2400, but I have a feeling that I've knocked my metabolism up a few notches with all the exercise I've been doing.
So now the nutritionist is going to get back to me with some ideas based on other numbers I sent her way. I have a feeling I know what she's going to say:
1) Sleep more
2) Drink more water
3) Increase the activity
4) Eat no more than 2300 calories a day (I'll lose a little over a pound a week that way)
Honestly, 2300 is a lot of calories. I'm pretty sure I only had 2100 calories today, and I don't feel hungry right now. And my revised exercise plan is to do the treadmill and stairs thing at the office three days a week, and then do strength training at my gym two days a week. My goals are to reduce the body fat percentage, generally increase my health and feel stronger, and that's all I care about.
In the beginning of April, I started using the treadmill at the office every day. I started off slowly and built up, and I'm now *almost* actually JOGGING at about 4mph. This is a very new thing for me. I'm doing a vigorous, sweaty half hour of treadmill and stairmaster every day during the week.
I'm currently at 298 with clothes on (so I figure I'm 295), according to the scale at my office. I know I've gained weight, but lately I feel like I've lost fat and gained muscle. I KNOW I gained muscle, because now that I've been on the treadmill for the last three weeks I'm walking faster and taking stairs more quickly and I can feel the muscles in my legs are more defined. So I don't entirely feel bad about a couple pounds of muscle, but I clearly need to keep on with the activity to get leaner.
Today I worked with the nutritionist at the office and used this device called a Body Gem to measure my base metabolic rate. I fasted for about half a day (no food or drink) and it measured the ketones in my breath. I topped out at 2950 calories! I was fully expecting to be about 2400, but I have a feeling that I've knocked my metabolism up a few notches with all the exercise I've been doing.
So now the nutritionist is going to get back to me with some ideas based on other numbers I sent her way. I have a feeling I know what she's going to say:
1) Sleep more
2) Drink more water
3) Increase the activity
4) Eat no more than 2300 calories a day (I'll lose a little over a pound a week that way)
Honestly, 2300 is a lot of calories. I'm pretty sure I only had 2100 calories today, and I don't feel hungry right now. And my revised exercise plan is to do the treadmill and stairs thing at the office three days a week, and then do strength training at my gym two days a week. My goals are to reduce the body fat percentage, generally increase my health and feel stronger, and that's all I care about.