My change from last week –
Change in weight (4/21/20 –4/27/20): +2.4 LBS
This weigh-in is a wake-up call. I have gotten fairly complacent and have taken for granted the relative consistency of my weight decrease. I really thought I had stayed around the same or lost a little weight before I stepped on the scale. I was wrong. I guess you can pull multiple things from that. On one hand it must be good that I am feeling that positive about myself, but on the other hand, it shows that I didn’t really have a good handle on my week if I had a 2-3 pound discrepancy between what I thought and what is actually.
I could write some excuses here and reason out the recent weight gain. The more I think about it, the more I understand where it comes from. My activity, though my walking still needs to increase, is fine. I need to dial in and control my intake. I am eating too much and am eating too much crap. There is too much takeout, too much over eating, too much eating for comfort, and too much eating to manage stress. I could blame the fact that we are in the midst of some home projects, so it is torn apart and cooking is harder. I could blame working full time and taking care of a toddler. I could blame a host of things, but ultimately it comes down to how much I want this and how much I am willing to discipline myself. I need to do better. I need to expect more from myself because I am capable of far better.
Looking back at the week, I did not quite attain the full level of activity I planned, but still did pretty well. I was 1 full body workout short and did not get my 45 minute ride in, but did have some really successful rides this week, with two PRs. I also got out for a hike yesterday, which felt great. It was a real beauty on the South Shore.
I did better about stretching this week too, though I still did not do all I planned… and I did find some quiet time. My mental state this morning is definitely improved from prior weeks. I also have been pounding water lately. I can be super bad about this so I am proud of myself for working to stay hydrated.
I am going to leave my plan for next week the same. I would like to hit it and check off all points. I would like to do a better job about checking in daily on how I am progressing with my weekly plans as I have not been very good at that. I am not writing a super long post this morning because I am annoyed and a bit bummed. I do not want this setback to hamper my motivation and progress, but I definitely am upset today. I would love some encouragement and some reminders to stop being so dramatic.
Anyway, how much do I want this? Do I want it more than the inconvenience of pushing myself, yes. Okay, now I have to do it.
Check out the lists below for the full breakdown and let me know if you have any suggestions, feedback, inspiration, or thoughts. Stay safe out there and stay home if you can! I am thankful for all of you.
How did I do on last weeks action plan?:
- 6 workouts. 1 45 min ride, 1 HIIT Ride, 2 full body strength (Wednesday evening and Saturday evening), 1 low impact ride, and 1 other of my choice. Partially attained. 4 rides and 1 full body
- Plan out my meals, stick to them, and portion snacks. Not attained
- 2 additional outdoor activities. This can include walks with my daughter, disc golfing, skiing, etc. Attained
- 3 dedicated stretch sessions. 2 10-min lower body and 1 10 min full body (Monday/Wed/Fri). Partially Attained. 2 Stretches
- 20-30 minute midday walk on work days. Partially Attained
- Track every bite. Not Attained
- Drink 10 glasses of water per day. Attained
- Find some quiet time to calm my thoughts and mind. 2 5-10 minute sessions. Attained
Action Plan
- 6 workouts. 1 45 min ride, 1 HIIT Ride, 2 full body strength (Wednesday evening and Saturday evening), 1 low impact ride, and 1 other of my choice
- Plan out my meals, stick to them, and portion snacks
- 2 additional outdoor activities. This can include walks with my daughter, disc golfing, skiing, etc
- 3 dedicated stretch sessions. 2 10-min lower body and 1 10 min full body (Monday/Wed/Fri)
- 20-30 minute midday walk on work days
- Track every bite
- Drink 10 glasses of water per day
- Find some quiet time to calm my thoughts and mind. 2 5-10 minute sessions
Please stay tuned for more updates. If you have been enjoying this, please become an email follower or a wordpress follower. Having this public audience has been a positive motivation for me to continue working towards my goals and so I really am thankful for all of you!
| Date | Change in Weight |
| 12/1* | – |
| 12/2* | -5.4 lbs |
| 12/9 | -5.4 lbs |
| 12/16 | -3.4 lbs |
| 12/23 | +2.8 lbs |
| 12/29 | -1.2 lbs |
| 1/6 | -1.4 lbs |
| 1/13 | -1.6 lbs |
| 1/20 | -1.4 lbs |
| 1/27 | +0.4 lbs |
| 2/3 | -1.2 lbs |
| 2/10 | -4.6 lbs |
| 2/17 | +0.4 lbs |
| 2/24 | -1.6 lbs |
| 3/2 | -3.2 lbs |
| 3/9 | +1.8 lbs |
| 3/16 | -3.2 lbs |
| 3/23 | -0.6 lbs |
| 3/30 | +0.4 lbs |
| 4/6 | -1.6 lbs |
| 4/13 | +0.8 lbs |
| 4/20 | -1.8 lbs |
| 4/27 | 0 lbs (no change) |
| 5/4 | +2.4 lbs |
* I first weighed myself on a Sunday night and began the regular weigh-ins the following morning
-Ben
a better ben 
Yo BEN! Don’t be discouraged. The biggest takeaway from this post is that until you stepped on the scale, you were feeling mentally wonderful! That’s huge. A week of complacency, followed by a reality check, and boom you’re ready to get back into it. That’s as much as we can all hope for even during the BEST of times (in which we are certainly not). You’ll get back on the horse. Also- not sure how this factors in but if you’re been drinking tons of water, is it possible some of it is water weight? That makes a huge difference. Also…what if you’re building muscle?
Cheerio!
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Thank you, Sara. I appreciate the optimism. I think you are correct and every minute since I wrote this I am feeling a bit better and more optimistic. I have been feeling better and overall good. That speaks volumes.
I really do feel I needed a wake-up cal to get me truly back and focused on my goals. I already got my 30-min Ally Love ride in today ;-). I would also love if all that weight gain is water and muscle… let’s just say it is 🙂
Thanks again! I hope your bike is treating you well!!!
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