So, as I wrote yesterday, I logged over 800 calories of exercise yesterday and I did a pretty good job of following the diet until I got to my daughter's birthday party. We had pizza for the party for the kids and we over ordered. The party was total chaos (imagine 25 six year olds running around) and the place where we held it didn't keep the party moving at all. I felt like I had to do a bunch of work that I was paying other people to do. So yeah, not pleased. Plus, our daughter was acting like, well, a six-year old girl. When it was over, my wife shuttled her off to take her track pictures (very important to get a picture of your kindergarten track team, apparently) and I took home the presents, cake, and leftover pizza. I was frazzled and a little hungry, so I had some pizza and some more pizza. Long drive home. Pizza as therapy.
Even still, I don't think I was way overboard on it and I didn't have any cake because OMG I have had plenty of cake this week. Got on the scale this morning and I was at 217.1, up 0.2. So, whatever, I guess. I'm not worried about 2.5 ounces or whatever that is. What I am worried about is stemming the tide. I feel almost helpless as my weight goes upward. The best plan, I think, is to stay as close to the diet as I can and workout. If I need to eat more earlier in the day to avoid binges, maybe that's what it will take. But, I felt good about myself yesterday, the half hour in the car with a pizza notwithstanding.
We talked a little about set points yesterday and I wonder if the set point my body is used to is 1800 calories. I'd be shocked if I ate more than about 2600 calories yesterday, so that's not the end of the world, plus, you know, the 800 calories of exercise. It's quite possible that my body has learned, after eight months, to function on 1800 calories and anything over that is stored as fat. I don't know if that's a thing, but it might be. I'm actually okay with going forward at about 1800 calories, if that's what the reset is. Okay, 2200 calories would be better. (I.e. the net of consumption less calories burned working out.)
In summary, the whole maintenance thing is going to be more challenging than actually losing the weight, I think. But, that's the whole lifestyle change that I want. I know I can't be 200 or so pounds and live like I was. That doesn't work. So, the struggle continues.
Heh. Yesterday was a good day for me too (2 mile run + lifting), ate well during the day, played with kids... until the kids went to bed and we put in a frozen pizza. I ate half of it. Which was about 750 calories. I was still probably at about 2000 calories for the day, and everything else I ate was good for me - lots of fiber, veggies, etc. - so I'm not beating myself up too much.
Today is shaping up as a bad day for working out, given some of the stuff I've got going on, but we'll see if I can squeeze in 15 minutes here or there.
Lunch today is Double Mushroom Barley soup, at something like 90 calories per 1.25 cups. Only we only have one type of mushroom, so it's not really double. And I'll add some bread for a side. It's not a good enough soup to warrant touting on a Nation Has Hunger subject, but it's serviceable enough to mention in the fitness page. Recipe isn't in front of my now, but I can put it up later.
It is part of the "set point" thing. Not only does your body change your mental state to try to get you to consume more calories, it also slows down your metabolism so you do burn fewer calories per day. That's why so many people fail to keep the weight off when they lose it. The good news is that eventually it does rebalance itself. It could take awhile though.