Month 3 Results - It's true!!!!!!

Well, it's true what they say...
1. Muscle weighs more than fat, weight may stay flat or go up
2. When gaining muscle, inches show progress not pounds
3. Being fit is a lifestyle change not a diet

At month three (the end of December) I weighed in at 155 lbs. Only 3 pounds from my starting weight of 158 pounds. Needless to say, I was frustrated beyond words. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?

If you recall, I ballooned up during Thanksgiving week weighing in at a whopping 165 pounds. Now that might not seem like much considering my height, (5ft 11in) but I normally require several weeks of poor eating or a pregnancy to get into the 160's. So I'm a bit frightened. I know that the average person gains 5-7 pounds during Thanksgiving…. But I only ate badly for TWO DAYS!!!!! And I can guarantee you that I didn’t eat 28,000 extra calories which is what I would have needed to gain 8 pounds. Granted, some of the weight was water, but it is clear that my body is reacting differently to sugar and fat since I’ve taken on this challenge.

So for better or for worse, there's no turning back now.

On the upside, if we count the Holiday binge, (don't judge me) my GROSS loss is actually 10 pounds!!! At this juncture, I’ll take any positives I can find. :)

I also have seen incredible changes in my body. I’m nowhere near bodybuilder status, but can see and feel the muscle taking shape. Over the holidays, I was wrapping gifts with my sister Heather and in mid-sentence I stopped talking. Why?…I noticed cuts in my arm and shoulder. I stopped to marvel at the newly formed muscle and rubbed my hand over it. For the first time, I could see and feel the ridges in my solid shoulders and arm. Nice!!!! You should have seen her face! Priceless. Lol!

It may seem vain, but I understand why bodybuilders spend so much time in the mirror. They are literally marveling at their work. You eat clean, exercise with intense weight lifting and cardio and BAM!!!….the body is sculpted. It’s amazing. Now when I stop increasing muscle and the fat comes off…..oh boy…! That will be something to see.

I must add however, that my husband and kids are tired of being invited to the show. It goes a little something like this…

“Hey, you guys want to go to a show?”

“What show?”

I pull back my shirt, flex my arms…

“The GUN SHOW!!!!! FIRE POWER!!!!”

Lol!! I think it’s hilarious. But obviously I’ve had to get more creative. My new entries are….

“I know what we can do today. Let’s go to the GUN SHOW!!!”
“Are you bored? We can go to the GUN SHOW!!!”
“What’s for dinner? Why don’t we eat at the GUN SHOW!!!

I’ve got a million of ‘em…

I should probably take a moment to share that I have not missed any workouts and have been diligent about my cardio. I most often double the required time which may be a problem. (45 minutes to 90 minutes) Lanell is concerned that when it comes time to lean out for the figure competition (drop fat) my body won’t be able to release without 3+ hours of cardio per day. Now I finally understand why I end up needing so much cardio before a pageant. My body is immune to it. I LOVE cardio. Step Classes, elliptical machine, you name it. I can run up to 2 hours at a time with no problem then come back for more in the evening.

Lanell has reduced me to 30 minutes of interval cardio every other day. That’s a warm up in my world!!!! My interval sessions = alternating high speed and/or resistance for 1 minute, low speed and/or resistance 2 minutes. This month, I reversed the segments by performing intensely for 2 minutes alternating 1 minute low cardio.

I don’t know how I’m going to deal. All of my coping mechanisms have been restricted. No wine, no sugar, no comfort food AND now little to no cardio?!!?? Watch out!!! You won’t want to be around me for long. :) I suppose I still have my weight training and Bikram yoga which burns 600 + calories per session and leaves me with a sense of calm that only heavy cardio or meditation can bring. We shall see.

Stats below.

So to summarize, I've lost 3 pounds, 3.2 inches and 2.4% body fat. I'm losing fat and building muscle.

I wonder what I would have weighed had I not had the Thanksgiving setback? Sigh…. Oh well.

Woops, almost forgot my new years resolution to be kind to myself. :)

I ROCK!!! Lol!! And so does my Trainer!!! Bring on the competition!!!