3 lbs. a week

As much as I love the holidays, I also seriously hate them! My family LOVES going out to eat (especially Italian food) so we went to NYC to a cute little italian place, but then Olive Garden today! Needless to say, this all stops tomorrow.

After being intrigued by my friend Ellen and her fast that she undertook, I decided to research how to lose 3 lbs a week.

After being de-railed for the latter half of June, I want to make some serious strides! Losing weight seems to be (at the basic level) a numbers game, and I wanted to see what it would look like for me to lose 3 lbs in a week.

I found this article that describes what you need to do, and after plugging in the values for my age, height and weight, it came down to this:

Step One: Calculate your resting metabolic rate (determined by your age, height, weight, and activity level. I usually put moderate activity, because while I try to workout everyday, I don't really think it's "high intensity" at all). Mine is 2,550 calories a day.

Step Two: Subtract 600 calories from this number, as the number of calories you're going to eat in a day. 2,550-600 = 1,950. While this number seemed a bit high to me, just wait until you see what's next. It all made sense after that.

Step Three: Burn NINE HUNDRED CALORIES A DAY.  This brings my daily caloric intake to 1,050 after subtracting exercise.

I know that this all won't make sense unless you read the article, so before you begin to think that I'm insane, just read the article on caloric deficits that I linked above.

Thought: I suppose you could reverse this and cut out 900 calories a day and burn 600. To me, this seems a bit more reasonable. At the end of the day, you're going to have a 1,500 calorie deficit each day.


I know it seems like a tall order, but I'm going to try this out because, well, what have I got to lose?!

I'll be reporting each day on my caloric intake and exercise to keep track.

Balance

As I write this post, I am heavily procrastinating studying for a test. So I find it oddly ironic that I'm preaching balance, when really, I hardly have any in my life. I feel like I go from one extreme to the next, causing tidal waves whichever I way I go.

I started work last week. It was hard for me to adjust to the schedule of working full time two days a week and part time for one, and on those days have to come home and workout. It's so much easier to just grab a to-go meal and lay in bed.


.....but we all know what the result of that was. I gained two pounds last week!

This week, I'd like to see the number 245 on the scale. I've been reaching for that number, standing on my tippy-toes but not quiteeeee making it.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day, but I am determined to not let it get to me and to have everything under control.

Some things I've learned from working in an office 20 hours a week:

1. Constantly sitting is really boring, and surprisingly tiring.
2. It's important to have healthy snacks with you at all times or you WILL succumb to your neighboring vending machine. 
3. It's not weird to bring lemons and some knives to work to help spice up your water. 
4. It's so much easier to put on your workout clothes at work and just exercise at the staff gym. I have to drive home to get to the gym, and I always mange to convince myself that I'll just 'rest for a bit at home' and then come back. 
5. I'm going to bring in green tea bags to have something to sip on besides water.
6. OFFICES ARE VERY BORING PLACES.

Tomorrow I'm going to have to use my lunch break to workout because I have to dash somewhere after work. I plan on doing a quick-but-vigorous 45 minute workout (30 minutes treadmill, 15 elliptical). Hopefully I can put myself back together enough to last the rest of the day. I don't wanna look a mess my second week at work!