By Julie
At the risk of being flip, I have to say this week was really easy. Early in the week I met with Marissa (the RD) for my weigh-in and although I wasn't thrilled with just a two pound weight loss, it's a loss nonetheless. That makes 10 pounds total, nothing to be unhappy about! What really made me happy were my monthly measurements, which showed significant results—several inches gone! I guess when they say you are gaining muscle it must be true, right? And what was really apparent this week was that even with the schedule change and having longer days, my energy levels are MUCH higher. Is that due to more muscle mass? I'm not certain, but I'll take it!
Both Marissa and Justo (my trainer) are in agreement that after three months on the program, I'm plateauing. They both say I shouldn't be discouraged because I am doing really well and feeling really good. I just have to keep with it, making tweaks to both snacks/meals and workouts. I scaled back on running while my back was out of commission but I'm feeling confident I can resume things now. And with the new job I am getting up much earlier (can you say 6 a.m. workouts?) and therefore feeling hungrier, especially in the first half of the day. Marissa's suggestion is that I have a small carb-and-protein pre-workout snack and a heartier breakfast to take the edge off. I'm doing pretty well with lunch and dinner, and if I feel the need for an afternoon snack I'll make it something light (fruit or yogurt). And when we discussed my evening cookie urges she actually told me it was OK to succumb sometimes, but try to keep it to 3-4 nights a week and skip evening snacks on the other days. That I think I can do.
The downside to a longer day is not being able to have dinner with my family during the week. I'm having to really plan ahead for weeknight meals, and am struggling to find the time to do so. But I know myself well enough that if there isn't something quick (and healthy) at my fingertips when I get home, I'm likely to graze and overeat. That is the challenge I need to tackle in the coming weeks, especially as my work project load increases and stress eating becomes more of a danger.