When is it time to reassess?

Pure sugar baby, pure sugar!

One definition of insanity: doing the same thing the same way and expecting different results.

In my opinion the complication in tracking weight loss is found when I am not able to do the same things the same way for an extended period of time and then when I am doing the same things the same way and producing different results. 

My body and the way it functions never fails to amaze and confuse me.  I have been on a low fat high protein meal plan for six months however during this time I have not been able to put a full uninterrupted 30 days of consistent behavior together.

During the last half year I have continued to see positive and negative change.  With each set back I have assumed it was due to the interruption in gym time.   One critical observation about this new program was,  the fact that weight never came off with the same consistency as prior to the high protein meal plan; some weeks 200 grams and other weeks as much as 3kg.  Mentally, I could accept the inconsistency as long as the drops continued even if it there was yo-yoing along the way. 

Measuring my 15 body points every month showed an overall reduction in size or a push 95% of the time. This added to my confusion regarding weight gain; was it increased muscle mass or fat? 

 I had my doubts and considered changing my food to a more vegetarian style menu but I continued with my high protein meals and time passed.  This week I did my weigh in and I was up 2.5kg a more bothersome number than a push but not as worrisome as the realization that I have been yo-yoing for the last 6 months.  I am not dropping weight and keeping it off.

Home gym

My program has made me insane; I have been doing the same things the same way and been expecting different results!  It is time to reassess my routine and meal plan.

When I re-examine a work in progress I look at the hard facts broken into average total minutes spent in the gym and my food intake:

·         per month

·         per week

·         per day

·         Total weight dropped per month.

Gym time

Since June, I averaged 2,348 minutes of gym time per month, 542 minutes per week, and 77 minutes per day.  Keep in mind this includes the time I spent traveling in the USA and other road trips.  IMO one hour per day of gym time is a reasonable target number that anyone should be able to fit into their daily schedule and fitness routine.  One hour per day has proven to be an ideal weight maintenance number. 

 Time in the gym is directly related to my weight control, in June and July I averaged 99 minutes per day of gym time and dropped 7kg/15.4lb, while in October and November I averaged 55minutes per day and gained 6kg/13.2lb.

Food Intake for the past six months: 1,782 calories per day (<813>) BMR 2,595

                                                                                Target

·         Carbohydrates  47%         Carbohydrates  45%,  

·         Proteins            25%          Proteins            30%,  

·         Fat                    28%          Fats                    25%

During October I visited the Pritikins wellness centre in Florida and was given a Pritikin Eating Plan.   This is a rough outline of the system:

Eat

·         5 servings of unrefined complex carbohydrates per day

·         5 vegetable per day

·         4 fruits per day minimum

·         2 calcium rich foods per day

·         1 animal protein per day Maximum

·         1 to 2 tables spoons of fresh herbs daily

In Moderation

·         1 to 2 egg whites per day

·         Artificial sweeteners 3 to 6 packets per day

·         3 cups of caffeinated drinks per day maximum

Not Recommended

·         Alcoholic beverages

·         Refined or Concentrated sweeteners

·         Salt and high-sodium foods and condiments

·         Refined grains

Avoid

·         Animal fats, tropical oil, and processed refined oil

·         Meats

·         Whole and low-fat dairy

·         Coconuts

·         Potassium chloride

·         Egg yolk, deep fried foods, non dairy whipped toppings, rich desserts and pastries and salty snack foods.

This list may need a bit of explaining, use Google search engine if you are not sure about something the information is there to be found. 

I can see my current program has been relying too much on burning calories and not enough on smart food choices.  My issue is not in how much I eat but what I am eating.  This new  adjustment to the Pritikin like plan should prove interesting and I am looking forward to reporting the positive results, stay tuned for the updates.

Go have some fun,

Geo