Tuesday, April 26, 2011

My Top 4 Weight Gain Culprits: What's Yours?

K - time to announce something unpleasant. My weight is up and i'm not thrilled about it. While my favorite weight is 115 (when I go lower I feel I look gaunt; when I weigh above 120 I feel "puffy"), I had been teetering around 117 - 120. No biggie. It's all good. Well, on Monday, April 11, I hopped on the scale and it said 125. Yes, ONE TWENTY FIVE. Why? Oh, I know why. I can work out, eat healthified food, wear my HRM, etc., but it will only prolong the inevitable weight gain if I keep giving into the culprits. Everyone has theirs, here are my top 4:

1. Beer. And not just any beer, gourmet beer, which has twice as many calories as my stand by Miller Lite. Must go back to vodka and a couple of beers, instead of beer.... and more beer.2. My work break room. I mean really, Monday it's filled with Mellow Mushroom pizza, Tuesday cakes from vendors, Wednesday candy and cookies and so on and so forth. And no, i'm not even exaggerating. My glass cube faces this glass fat factory. It's not going away so I MUST change my reaction to it. (My reaction being a free for all, it doesn't count, etc. LOL).
3. Events. Now I love a get together, baby shower, wedding, bachelorette party, bridal shower, engagement party, birthday, etc. as much as the next one, but I don't make good choices when I'm at these. I've tried "the tricks," eating beforehand, bringing your own healthy dish, having a bit in moderation, etc. but have been giving in. a. lot.
4. Not getting in my 8 hours of sleep. It bugs me that my body requires this much sleep. I've actually cried before at how frustrating it is to lose what could otherwise be time spent with my family, reading, cooking, working, working out, chilling, etc. But alas, my not giving myself the 8 hours just leads to carb town and makes it easier for me to succumb to my aforementioned work break room/fat factory. Also - i'm LOVING the early workouts - but think I need to adjust my sleep schedule for the whole week, not just the days I get up early. :)
Now there are others, including late night snacking/eating when I'm really just tired, not bringing healthy snacks when I travel and having treats instead, etc. Mostly, i'm just like OMG, I've GOT to start tracking again. I used to track every day and the weight came off. I stopped for various reasons, one being that maintenance was going well! Well, it's time to switch it up. I know it's not the meals (those are still weighed and i'm having 3/day) and I know it's not the workouts (those are going well - cardio and ST - and the HRM is helping me ensure I'm getting a lot out of my workouts). SO, it's definitely the mindless snacking, the extra calories at work and at events, the extra calories in alcohol and the lack of required sleep. Time to nip this in the bud!

My Plan: I started tracking weight again on Monday, April 11, after the scale read 125. Since then, I've had readings ranging from 122 - 124 (no more 125's yet). Today it was 122.5. I'm also going to track calories - still working out how many. I used to do 1,200-1,550 calories, but I think this needs to be upped some, at least to 1,400 - 1,650. Again, still working on this number! Mostly, I'm just going to really zero in on those four things above. They say awareness is the first step - well my eyes are open and I'm going to watch it!

Q: What's your weight gain culprit?

Q: Do you track calories? If so, do you find that it helps you stay on target and/or make better choices?

Q: What's your #1 weight loss/maintenance tip?

Please note: I do not think i'm fat. I also don't think 125 is a "bad" or high weight, nor do I live and die by the number on the scale. I just know my body and frame, I know my 5'2-5'3" self, and I know how my clothes fit and how they should fit. I just know that I haven't seen this weight since around fall 2008, and i'd rather get back into my comfort zone (below 120) and keep it in check, rather than teeter toward my start weight, get discouraged and not fit in to my clothes again!

And P.S. Thank you for your sweet comments on our easter pictures, and on the new deviled eggs recipe! :) So funny how many of you are freaked out about deviled eggs! I always was too - but my first one was YUMMY!

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