November 10, 2010

Well, I've been at it for two weeks now and am very pleased with my progress. The most important thing is that I feel better about myself and my body.

I feel the effects of walking in my body. My lower half feels firmer and stronger. I have noticed that when I walk a lot in a given day, my sleep is much better.

Yesterday wasn't the greatest in terms of meeting the Thanksgiving Challenge goals, so I'll report right away. Calorie deficit = 498. Steps taken = 7877. Water = 32 ounces. (Luvin' my new ginormous water mug!)

Since it's my two week "anniversary," I thought I'd make use of BodyMedia's super graphs and charts and report my two week numbers. Mind, you, this isn't everything it shows you, just the things I'm most concerned with.

Daily two week averages:

Moderate Physical Activity = 53 minutes
Steps = 8653
Sleep = 5 hours 47 minutes

Calories consumed = 2011
Calorie deficit = 579
Calories burned = 2590

Sodium = 3701 mg
Fat 80 g 38%
Protein = 122 g 25%
Carbs = 175 g 37%

As I reflect on the past two weeks, I find that I have not really learned any new information. I've known for years that physical activity reduces depression. (I feel MUCH better about myself and my body.) I've known for years that if you consume few calories than you burn, you lose weight. I've known for years that the more I exercise, the better I sleep.

So why do I love the BodyMedia armband and site so much? It's because I see all those facts about weight loss personalized. It's me. It's real. It simply reinforces in a very graphic, non-judgemental way.

I feel more positive about this latest attempt to control my weight than any of the others I've tried. (Please read an older post to learn more about my trials and tribulations.) I'm doing well. I rarely get anxious or upset when I "can't" eat. If I need a boost I just go plug in my armband and check my numbers.

This blog has really helped, too. (Thanks, Tracy!!!!!) I don't know if anyone is reading it. Sometimes I wish people would, but it really doesn't matter. It's my forum, even if I'm the only one listening.

I have noticed 3 things that I plan to address. First, my body seems to be very sensitive to sodium. When my sodium intake is above 5,000 mg, my weight goes up and stays up for a couple days. The pitting edema on my legs and feet is affected by sodium (according to to my observations, web medical info, and my doc). I've never thought much about sodium, but will from now on. Second, planning my meals in the morning for the whole day really helps me stay on track. Sure, I show a calorie surplus for the majority of the day, but it helps me to see what will happen if I don't stay the course (weight gain trend!!!!!!). Lastly, 10,000 steps seem to be the key to improved sleeping and enough of a calorie burn to allow me to eat enough to keep me satisfied and not grumpy.