As I wrote yesterday, the "Shrink for Good" challenge is ON! We weighed in on Sunday, and the starting number was 188.8. My weight earlier in the week was 182.8, and it's so weird to see how wildly it fluctuated this past week. It went from the flukesome low of 182.8 last Tuesday to 188.8 by Sunday, and then today it was back to 183.2! (Which is actually up .4 week-to-week.)
WTH??? How does anyone go up and back 6 pounds in less than a week? No, it's not that time of the month...which would have been my first guess, too. Probably by not being as careful about how much I was eating. Pizza toppings (I strip off the toppings and eat a little of the end crust for fewer carbs) and hot wings--I mean, salt and not-so-good-for-me fats--played their role. I suspect some portion-creep, since I don't consistently weigh and measure over the weekends. Sluggish, um, *constitution* may also have had something to do with it. Possibly also the change in routine was throwing me for a loop. Well, whatever the reason, the new challenge is at least helping me be more mindful of my food choices. And now, it's the hard part: maintaining that good start, so that I can keep adding to the stack, not (gulp!) taking away.
And it's definitely to the benefit of Second Harvest Food Bank! I liked Christie O's idea of showing a picture, so here's my 5.6 pounds:
Question: How do you eat after you exercise?
Does anyone else feel ravenous after exercising? I wish I wasn't so darn hungry afterward, because the intake I WANT would in no way be less than the output, calorie-wise. I think my hunger mechanism must be totally screwed up, because I'm getting plenty of calories, but I still get the physical hunger sensation quite a lot (as opposed to just wanting to munch on something, or craving something). Do I need to try something different? I usually go for peanuts, because they're readily available here at work and they are salty. Ideas with less than 15 grams carbohydrate?
Review: HydroFit Class
I usually lap swim, preparing for the triathlon, but I got curious about the HydroFit class on the other side of the pool. The women over there always seem like they're having a nice time, and I thought it might be fun to get some strength exercise in the water instead of on land. So this past Monday, I gave it a try.
I felt a little awkward through the class, you can tell that everyone there is a regular (albeit friendly regulars) and knows the routine. It felt a little more intimidating than a gym class, where people come & go more often and newbies don't stand out as much. Except the yoga class, and HydroFit's social vibe was very much like the yoga class I tried at the gym. Several also recognized me as one of those lap swimmers, and joked about me defecting to the dark side. Muuuuah-hah-haaa!
I picked the foam barbell with the most resistance--hey, I'm a BodyPump regular, right? Well, that was pride before the plunge: next time, I will go a little lower, because I think my form suffered a bit. I also felt a little comical. Unlike my graceful, serene classmates, who chatted comfortably, I churned and bobbed around and contorted as I shoved the large chunks of foam around under the water. When it was time to jog across the pool while working the hand weights, I couldn't get traction and sort of whirled in place. I didn't run into anyone, but I did come close a few times. Like most fitness endeavors, it will take a little time and patience to feel comfortable.
Overall, I'd have to say it was a terrific upper body workout, moderate lower-body work out, but not so much for the abs. Not so sure about the cardio effect, water can be misleading that way. I wasn't as sore as after BodyPump, but I could definitely feel the fatigue in my arms. If the gals don't mind a once-a-week attendee, I could see myself adding this to my routine.
A Case Study: Type 2 Diabetes and Trying a New Food
I like trying new foods, and I'm always on the lookout for treats that are diabetes friendly. I was hoping that the new low fat chocolate pudding I found at Whole Foods this morning would be a good food choice for me: Potter Family Organics low fat chocolate pudding. It has 12 grams of carb (6 sugar, 2 fiber) and is sweetened with agave syrup, which is supposed to be nice & low-glycemic. It was really tasty, sweet but not sickly or artificially so, good chocolatey flavor, and only 70 calories. If you have a fully functional pancreas, or if you test it and don't react in a spike-ful way, I'd highly recommend it.
Didn't work for me, though. When I ate it with my lunch (2 oz. pork and approx. 2 cups of steamed brussel sprouts--which was 24 gm. carb, 8 of those being fiber, so 34 carbs at lunch all together), my 1 hour post-meal reading was 179. 179??? (Yes, that's high for me--I aim for 140 or less at 1 hour post-meal.) I tested again, to make sure I hadn't gotten a bad strip, and the next one said 177. Crikey! 2 hours later, and I'm back down to 106, which is a fine 2-hour post-meal number. Wow. I never would have known about that 1-hour spike if I hadn't tested at both intervals. Looks like I'll have to pass on this one. *sigh*
Progress last week
7-day blood glucose average: 120 (did not met goal of less than 120)
7-day fasting blood glucose average: 107 (met goal of less than 120)
I'm trying to not freak out about this trend, but my morning fasting numbers are running 10-15 points higher than normal. I'm wondering if it could be variations in the test strips? I'm due for an a1c later this month, so that will let me know whether it's a fluke or a real trend. And if it's a real trend, I've got to figure out what it means and what I need to do. The 7-day average had a few higher readings, thanks to an extra bite of donut on Sunday (drove to the donut shop instead of rode bike, too) and yesterday's experiment.
Weight goal: +.4 on the week-to-week, -5.6 since the start of the challenge.
Food goals:
- Got in 4 meatless meals and one fish meals.
- Getting there with fiber; at least 4/7 days were over 30.
Exercise goals: I'm pleased with this week's workouts. I need to get in a longer run during the upcoming week, though.
- Tuesday: 68 minutes, spin class + treadmill run.
- Wednesday: 60 minutes - BodyPump class.
- Thursday: Nothing
- Friday: 50 minutes - 16 minutes run, 4 minutes strength, 30 minutes swim
- Saturday: Nothing
- Sunday: 50 minutes - 20 with dog (slow), 30 alone (moderate).
- Monday: 70 - 10 minutes run and 60 minutes HydroFit (great resistance exercise!)
- Tuesday: 55 minutes spin class <-I'm proud of this one. I was planning on going to the lunchtime class, but I got distracted and when I looked at the clock, 12:01. Drat! But there was another class at 5 p.m., and I made it.
Misc. goals: If you count the hours, I'm meeting the sleep goal. But I'm still getting used to the earlier wake-up. Dreams have greatly improved, though!
Goals for this week
7-day blood glucose average goal and fasting numbers: below 120.
Weight goal: Maintain or make progress toward goal.
Food goals:
- Keep tracking.
- 4 or more meatless, low-fat meals and 2 or more fish meals.
- Track fiber. Minimum 30 grams fiber/day. (Include both insoluble and soluble sources.)
Exercise goals:
Minimum of 30 minutes of workout 5 days/week, with 1 spin class, 1 BodyPump class, 1 swim, and 1 run.
Misc. goals:
- 7 or more hours sleep/night.
9 comments:
Vicky was explaining to me about glycogen storage, and how it can lead to water retention, which makes those wild weight fluctuations, but I didn't really understand everything she was saying. I thought it was interesting thought, and maybe you could google glycogen and find something.
So far I don't feel ravenous after exercising at the gym, but I am pretty careful to eat pretty well before I go. And I have a snack ready for afterwards, but it is usually eaten as a reward, not because I am really hungry! Vicky says you need complex carbs after a workout, and Refuse to Regain had a very interesting article about muscles and protein...
That is weird about the pudding. Don't you want to try one more time to see if it was a fluke?
I had almost exactly the same experience at the water aerobics class I took! I wouldn't mind going back, but I really like weights and machines at the gym, and I like the pool for peacefulness (swimming laps.)
Good post, Pubsgal!
I have had gains of 6 pounds in a week that was not hormonally related. I think it is really a sodium/water retention issue. Eating a few more carbs will cause water retention from the extra glycogen storage, plus water held from sodium.
I think 1 molecule of glycogen will store 3 molecules of water, if I remember right, so any extra glycogen will store 3 x as much water. That's why people who do low-carb diets lose so much in the first week or so - from water loss with glycogen loss.
And yes - ravenous after exercise?? That is me. Especially when I was training for the tri - I would snack ahead of a workout, but be ready to gnaw my own arm off afterwards. I played a lot with finding a filling preworkout snack (bagel and nut butter or Zone bars pretty much were the best.)
you're a busy girl! i'd be like you, not sure what to make of the fluctation. hmmm. but it sounds like you have a great grip on your diet and exercise!! :)
Our body weights fluctuate from day to day, so I'm not surprised to see that much of a gain/loss in a week. That's the reason that trainers encourage people to only weigh once a week. It's the only way to get a true measurement of how much weight your body has lost in a week!
I'm usually hungry after an intense work out, and it's good to fuel your body in the first hour or so after your work out!
You are doing great! Thanks so much for joining us this!
I LOVE what all those cans look and feel like! sweet!
you know, one week, i went up to 148. i had been at 142 for a few weeks and bam. 148. it was the weirdest thing ever. i wish it would go the other way when something flukey happens! lol
anyhoo, that's quite a workout schedule! i am superhappy about this challenge!! ps. i tried the avocado chicken on the shrinking jeans website, (without olive oil it's 5 points) it was amazing! anyway, thanks for the idea about the soup and the broth, i think that'll make me a little fuller throughout the day. oh, post workout, i usually have a bowl of cereal or a glass of chocolate milk, i know it sounds silly but i read it on some tri-website that it has some good healing proteins and is low calorie. here's to the next week!
How frustrating about the pudding! It seems hard enough to find food designed to be diabetic-friendly, it must be dissapointing to find one that's supposed to be that isn't.
Ok wacky weight numbers! This is why I only weigh in once a week. I'd drive myself crazy otherwise.
Bummer about the pudding. Maybe it is worth another try?
So glad to hear the dreams are better these days!!!
I'm happy to report I lost 3 lbs this week (although that is just getting me back to my normal plateau number - I took a little post reunion eating vacation!). I think a lot of it can be attributed to reading The End of Overeating. It's an interesting read (or listen like I did).
Wow, AMAZING!! Love the food photo!
hum...I've had months/weeks where i fluctuate 7lbs and i found it was water retention from my salt intake or something like that. weird. I don't look at the scale anymore...at least not every month.
I think I'll keep my water exercise to cardio and leave the weights for the gym..if i get there. I played volley ball instead. Which was totally awesome and no regrets. Thanks for sharing.
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