Like Losing Fish In A Barrel

Since my highest, I'm down 27.8 pounds! Thirteen of those were lost the past month(ish)! According to life's notebook, losing 25 pounds is like giving birth to a giant fish. Gross, but it's a really encouraging visual! I'd much rather have that fish NOT on my body, thanks.

I call him "Mini T"

I think the most shocking part is that 27.2 pounds is about 20% of my total weight loss goal. WHAT? I'm almost a quarter done?! Granted, I still have an INSANE amount of calories yet to burn to get the other 80% (366,800 to be exact). I'm pumped to keep this momentum!

Credit where credit is due, My Fitness Pal has made the process of food logging simple and sustainable.  I know that I need to keep a food journal as it holds me accountable and helps me remember what I've done during the day.  Having the system I use be painless is necessary for me to actually keep doing it.  Any resistance is an excuse for me so I'm truly thankful that I was referred to it! While I appreciate the accuracy of measurement that a BodyBugg offers, their food database and interface leaves much to be desired and often discouraged me from logging meals.

My 30 day challenge is still going strong! While I haven't followed it to the exact letter, in most cases I've actually done better/more. I am going to be folding in workouts with Mr. Husband in my next habit challenge starting April 5th!

I realized that I pretty much dump information which is hard to make conversation with; I am genuinely interested in your journey, too! 

Have you started your 30 day challenge? How do you keep track of your nutrition/calories?

What Makes Team Awesome So Very Awesome?

I'm pretty stoked that I can say I haven't been updating because I've been too busy being healthy and active. Megan and I have been hitting the gym like it owes us money! Although sore from the TRX workout yesterday, we were on the elliptical by 6:30 am this morning and pushing ourselves as hard as we could.  Our momentum had me thinking about why Team Awesome works. Is it just that Megan and I are fitness soul mates? Is there something... SCIENCEY at work? There is (There always is; science is the business)!

I read a recent study that looked into how performance was affected by competition and by teaming up towards a common goal.  Participants were advised to workout for just as long as they wanted.  In the next leg of the study participants were given the impression they were to compete with another person. That drove the average time of workout up by 90%! Encouraged, the study then moved to cooperative goals. Participants initially did not perform significantly better than they had while competing but, over time, the average time of workout grew to nearly 200%  that of those who worked out alone. 

When one isn't paired with a virtual partner in a study, working out with a buddy has some serious benefits to kicking rear.

• No-Brainer Exercising
• Working out alone gives you the opportunity to wake up and say, "I don't wanna" and talk yourself out of whatever activity you planned. With a partner, your less likely to cancel because your actions affect someone else.
  
•  Time Flies When You're Having Fun
• Working out can be monotonous and boring for someone who is doing so alone.  The mind can wander into the other things you want to get done leading you to cutting workouts short. Chatting with a pal can make the time go by more quickly and reduce the discomfort you feel from the activity.

•  No Two Snowflakes Are Alike
• A partner may have different experiences or interests that open doors into new experiences with exercise.  As an anecdotal example, I would never have considered TRX were it not for Megan's interest in it and it was one of the best workouts I've ever experienced. 
  
•  Treasure Is Most Enjoyed When Shared
• Sharing the reward after a particularly intense workout or after a milestone in your goals is even more satisfying than enjoying it alone.  Not only are you enjoying the company of  someone you care about - you're both reinforcing the positive habits you're building together!

The Most Wonderful Time To Eat Lunch

In case you were wondering, TRX is amazing and awful and terrible and awesome all at once.  For 25 minutes, all I could think was "KEEP GOING." My body is definitely not in the shape needed to go at my normal break-neck effort without petering out! I started very strong but by the end, I was doing my best just to not barf/pass out/what have you.  I made it to the end of the class, though! I got the DOMS bad, man; I've been so sore for two days straight! Despite the serious abuse, the soreness only makes me want to go harder.  I can't wait to hit the next class I can!

TRUE FACT: Clocks are jerks.

I also had a really big lesson this week in meal timing. There were a few days where I really struggled with my calorie goals because I'd be so hungry. This wasn't "I want to eat because it is an activity I enjoy" hunger, it was my body telling me I needed more nourishment.  I reflected on the days I struggled by reviewing my entries in MyFitnessPal and realized I'd been hungry for a long time before eating on those days.  I also had eaten when I wasn't really hungry but had time to do so.

For the past few days, I tried something different.  Instead of worrying about when I should be eating, I simply ate a small meal or snack when I was actually hungry. I also made sure that I was eating protein and fiber in each sitting (which can be tricky if you don't eat red or white meat!). The results are like a light switch! Suddenly, my calorie goals made sense and were easily achievable. I felt kind of silly because it is such a simple solution but I'm very glad for the epiphane.  Especially since I'm totally a jerk when I'm hungry (sorry, Mr. Husband!).

I did some Google-Fu and found that there really isn't a sciencey reason to eat small meals.  There are pros and cons for it that are all based on individual preference.  Eating small meals throughout the day doesn't speed metabolism, encourage weight loss in any way, or reduce insulin spikes.  For people who struggle with portion control it can actually encourage over-eating. For people who are not mindful of micronutrients, it can lead to poor decisions. 

Truly, the advice all boils down to what works for you.  Eat when you're hungry.  If you're not sure if you're hungry, drink a little water then wait 20 minutes.  Eat something packed with protein or fiber to increase the satiety you feel from your meal.  If you end up eating 6 meals that add up to your daily calorie goal, so be it!  If three scheduled meals works best for you, excellent! Just listen to that awesome bod of yours!