Day 2 went very well! But doesn’t that usually happen in the beginning, when you’re trying to lose weight? Ha!

An interesting thing happened yesterday. A couple of hours after supper, I was surprised to find that I had only eaten 1400 calories and I wasn’t hungry at all. I checked and re-checked to make sure I hadn’t forgotten to log anything into my tracker.

But then 9:30 PM came around and… *grumble grumble* I was feeling hungry! Now, “they” always say don’t eat after 7:00 PM or you’re going to gain weight, right? But what “they” forget to tell you is that they mean overeating and snacking on unhealthy, calorie-laden food. If you’re hungry in the evening — and I mean hungry; none of this “Oh, I feel like nibbling” kind of thing — then you need to eat. Your body is telling you it hasn’t had enough. If you go to bed hungry, what’s going to happen is you’re going to wake up in the middle of the night, VERY hungry, unable to sleep — and chances are you’re going to head for something unhealthy. You’ll most likely be tired and grumpy the next day, which usually triggers cravings (especially for processed carbs).

Listen to your body…

Here’s what I ate yesterday and details on the cardio workout I did.

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Week 1 – Day 1 Stats

Things went pretty well! I stuck to my calorie goal of 1700 calories but went on the high side of protein and fat. Not a big deal for me, but if my carbs get too low I get cranky. (And you don’t want to see me cranky! Ha!)

I worked out in the morning, using a workout from The New Rules of Lifting. I like these workouts because they’re pretty short but involve all the muscles. It was a bit weird doing it that way, but I had previously started these workouts and saw improved strength.

I forgot to re-read my goals and affirmations! Need to set up a reminder for that or print them out and put them on my desk. (Um, note to self: clean desk first!) I did drink 6 8oz glasses of water. I’m not a huge fan of the 8 glasses of water a day thing, but I was surprised I got that much in.

So, here are the numbers
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There are as many meal plans as there are people in the world. No two people are going to like the exact same foods or be following the same diet (or way of eating, if you prefer). I’m going to show you a few ways to adapt your own eating habits, going from simple things to do all the way up to more complicated. It all depends on how much effort you can put into it. Some people just don’t like dealing with numbers, so calorie counting is not for them. That’s fine! You need to find what works for you.

You can even combine some of the methods/tips to create something unique for you that will help you lose the fat!

The goal here is to end up with at the very least several meals and snacks that you can pick and choose from or, if you really get into the groove, a full 7 day plan of what you’re going to eat. What you don’t want happening is you get hungry, don’t know what to eat and end up having something unhealthy because it’s quick and easy. That will just kill any fat loss goals you have and leave you open to cravings!

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Tomorrow (Monday) I’m starting my 12 week program/challenge/cycle, so today I weighed and measured myself. I’m going to use those measurements to set goals and to track my progress.

Weight: 138.8lbs
Thighs: 22 1/2″
Hips: 38 1/2″
Waist: 30 1/4″
Body Fat %: 22.30% (10mm) (using Accu-Measure – you can use my body fat percentage calculator)

Note on the body fat percentage: Personally, I feel I’m actually at a higher percentage. But unless you’ve got a real good reason, the actual number doesn’t matter as long as you use the same method each time to measure your body fat. This way, it will still track any progress you’ve made.

Also, notice that I haven’t set a weight goal.
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Hey there! Thanks for joining me on this little journey! I’m going to share with you everything that I go through when I set to mind to losing a bit of fat and get more in shape.

I’ve never been athletic and I love eating — not a very good combination, obviously. I’ve weighed as much as 165lbs and as low as 120lbs through adulthood. My most perfect weight — where I was lean and strong and full of energy — was when I first got into weight training. I was a lean 135lbs and I loved it. Much better than being 120lbs and flabby!

But I’m not perfect. Life (excuses) get in the way: too tired, too busy, too stressed, got things to do, need to work instead of exercising. Believe me, the irony is not lost on me that running a weight loss website has caused me to gain some weight because I’m sitting down all the time. Like a lot of people, I know what to do but I don’t always do it.

And then I get fed up — and I get real serious. This is one of those times. I set a date and then get ready…
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