eek

Ok, after fasting 12+ hours so I could have blood drawn for a cholesterol test today, I decided today would be a cheat day.  Starbucks used up almost half my calories for the day, for a mid-morning breakfast.  For lunch, I hadn't packed anything, and since I was 10 minutes late I took only a 20 minute lunch and therefore grabbed the easy but not great fried special--grilled ham & swiss on rye, and french fries.  I didn't finish either, omg the grease & unhealthiness.  Gut Bomb.  I shouldn't have eaten when I got home after work, but I did.  And tomorrow will probably be a scary scale pic.  You've been warned. :P

Net Calories

My Fitness Pal (MFP) has a unique way of calculating daily caloric needs.  Sparkpeople will give you a calorie range to shoot for, exercising is beyond that.  You can find in the reports section what your daily (or weekly, etc) calorie deficit is, but it's not readily viewable on any main page.  MFP gives you a minimum calorie goal, anytime you enter exercise it adds that into the calculation.  Take today for example, my calorie goal is 1300, I exercised a total of 478 calories, making a total of 1778 calories right? I ate 1769 calories, leaving me with 9 left.

Now, I'd always viewed that as I wanted to stay around or even under that total calorie goal.  Under meaning possibly 200 or more calories at times.  I was looking at it as, "I ate 1700 calories today! UGH! I should be eating only 1300."  However, I was missing something.  That was Net Calories.  MFP takes your calories eaten minus your exercise.  In doing so, that gives me net calories of 1291.  In reality I'm right where I need to be.

I had this revelation over the weekend, and then promptly looked at a history report of my net calories and saw there were many times I was getting 1000 or less calories a day.  Essentially my body said, "You are not eating enough and I'm going to hang onto whatever I can."  And thus the scale did not move.  I'd read on the MFP boards how people said they need to eat their exercise calories because if they didn't they'd stall/plateau.  I get that now!

I've not been very good about tracking the last couple days, with the holiday season--all the goodies, the feelings of just celebrate and not think about what you ingest--I blew it off over the weekend.  But today was back at it.  And I will continue to do so until probably next weekend when we do the big xmas thing.  And I think that's ok, as long as I remember moderation, and promptly get back to tracking on Monday.

Plowing through

There are times like this morning that while "dieting" are easy to become discouraged by.  After what I felt was increased/better exercise and eating bettter I went through my morning ritual of taking every ounce of clothing off (cuz we can't have that affecting the number shown!) and stepping on the scale, hoping to see a lower number.  But I didn't.  And I was sad. 

I had thoughts of hell with it, just eat what I want.  But utlimately I can't do it.  It's not about "dieting" and staying on track, its about changes in my eating habits.  I don't WANT to eat a bunch of crap.  I don't WANT to gain pounds back from eating junk food.  It's not worth it to me! It's SO easy to pig out on junk food that has little nutritional value, it packs on a couple pounds in a matter of 2 days...but it takes 2 weeks to get rid of.  So not worth it.  Not to mention my body throws a protest intestinally and via skin issues, and the afternoon slump that hits from eating too many carbs.  

I'm proud of myself that I AM changing my eating habits.  And that gives me hope to keep plowing through this plateau.  I know I can lose more weight, my body will show that as long as I don't give up.