Well, 3 1/2 weeks later and I'm still 169. I'm working out in the gym like a beast! My diet is about 85% dialed in. I've had a few slips here and there. I would only give myself a C average for cardio. That being said, over the last week as I watch the scale just sit at 169... I start to think, well maybe if I just drink protein shakes for a week to jump start the downward motion... or maybe I should just do HCG to get that 20lbs off in 30 days! Ughhhh! I battle just like many of you! Even though I know better! After I get the reaffirmation from my trainer that there are no shortcuts and after I re-read highlighted chapters in my nutrition library... I sit back take a deep breath... shed a few tears and remind myself that this is hard! Then comes the pep talk... "Amber, anything worth having is worth working hard for!" That is why I feel the need to share the information that we already know but occasionally must be reminded of! The reason 95% of traditional diets fail is simple. When you go on a low-calorie diet, your body thinks you are starving and actually becomes more efficient at storing fat by slowing down your metabolism. When you stop the unrealistic eating plan, your metabolism is still slow and inefficient and you gain weight back even faster even though you may still be eating less. In addition, you lose both muscle and fat in equal amounts but when you gain the weight back, it is all fat and no muscle causing your metabolism to slow down even more. Take the frustration, guilt, and depravation out of weight management and allow yourself to adopt gradual, realistic changes into your life that will make healthy eating and physical activity a permanent pleasure. You will soon discover what your body is capable of and begin to look, act, and feel your best!
So, with those words of wisdom, I am going to keep plugging away at what I know is proven to be tried and true! I am going to do a body fat analysis in the next few weeks to substantiate the physical changes in muscle tone that I can see in my upper body. I am right on track and have to gently remind myself to be patient! I am simply refining my lifestyle choices and am looking forward to lifelong success!
