Week 7 End

THON 2016

A great end to week 7. I was able to get out on the bike yesterday (Sat 2/20) and visit with some kids fighting cancer at the annual THON event at Penn State in State College, PA. We presented a check for $5000 to representatives from THON/4 Diamonds Fund. The money was raised by my Motorcycle Club, the Guardian Knights in their annual C1000 Iron Butt Run, in which they ride 1000 miles in under 24 hours. We were then wish granters for some of the kids. They got to look at and sit on the bikes, and we even were privileged to take some on a ride around the campus and past the Bryce Jordan Center where the THON event was happening.

What does this have to do with my weight loss journey? Well... this journey is about a lifestyle change and this is part of my life. I was initially concerned about our lunch arrangements for the day. I didn't know where we would be going and wanted to maintain the progress that I have been making. I'm pleased to say I did just that. We went to Hoss's for lunch (that a local steak house in our region). I had the "light" version of grilled chicken breast (basically 1 fillet instead of two) with rice pilaf for a side and a big green salad with light dressing and a cup of french onion soup. I was very full and satisfied and didn't even break into my snack bag of apple slices and grapes I had packed for the day. We returned home too late to go to the gym, but frankly, after several hours in the saddle for the first time in many months, I don't think I would have been up to it anyway. I will hit it again starting today. My wife and I finished the day with a nice sandwich at a local place.

I would like to say I know how many calories under I was for the day again, but unfortunately, my fitbit charge apparently thinks that riding a motorcycle is exercise, and attributed something like 17,000 steps and 188 floors climbed to my activity for the day. While there is a certain physical component to riding, it's certainly not that much. I did however chart my calories, and based on my normal daily intake, I am comfortable that I stayed well within my allowance for the day. Next time I'll leave the fitbit home.

Now to the important thing, my weekly weigh in. I am pleased to say that I am down another 2.2 lbs. for a total of 27 lbs. in 7 weeks. The easy quick loss is past and now begins the grind. It's simple math really.

WARNING: DIET THEORY TO FOLLOW: It takes a calorie deficit of 3500 to lose 1 lb.. That means that I need a 1000 calorie deficit per day to lose 2 lbs a week. How do we calculate the deficit? We first need to know how many calories we burn each day. That is basically controlled by our activity. We burn a certain amount just by being alive... breathing, circulating our blood etc.. Then there is actual movement. To maintain our weight we must take in an amount of calories equal to the amount we burn. The bigger we are, the more we burn even at rest. Right now I burn about 4000 calories a day with my gym activity. So, currently if I want to maintain my weight, I should eat 4000 calories a day. Of course my goal is to lose weight. To come up with a calorie deficit of 1000/day I would eat 3000 calories. That would net me a 2 lb a week loss (1000x7=7000, 7000/3500=2). If I stay consistent with that, then where do the plateaus come from that everyone laments? The formula assumes a constant calorie burn, but our bodies are not quite so simple. Our metabolism can fluctuate and if we don't eat enough can actually drop. That's why it's important to constantly feed your body when you're trying to lose weight. I know that sounds counter-intuitive, but it's true. Our bodies have a survival instinct built in. If it perceives that we are starving, it will slow the metabolism to try and conserve resources. It will also then try to store everything we eat as fat for future starvation crisis. That's why it is always better to take a slow and steady approach to diet. It's a balancing act really. Feed the body and exercise to kick your metabolism but don't feed it enough to store. Understand that as you lose weight, your body will keep resetting itself. Sometimes that results in an interruption of your weight loss. But, push through and it will return.