Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Losing Energy

I just got back from the gym today and really struggled. I felt like I was losing steam. I did an hour of focusing on my lower body with weights and I felt myself losing steam within fifteen minutes of my workout. I thought maybe it was stress and realized I didn't eat much last night. I stopped eating at about 6pm and even though I was still extremely hungry I didn't want to use my activity points and so I went to bed hungry. And I had a bowl of cereal and a fiber bar for breakfast this morning. That's all I ate before I worked out.

I work out in the mornings and in the evenings with my husband and son, so that averages about 4 hours a day of working out. I need to eat more! I'm starting to get into that stinking thinking that I need to lose weight quickly. I weighed in yesterday and gained one pound. That shouldn't have devastated me because I have lost inches and I should have expected that since I started to incorporate weights into my workout, but I still felt a little bummed out. How many times have I read other people's blogs about not letting the scale have power over our attitudes?

I can't get into that mind set. It's still important to weigh myself every week, but the loss at the weight scale shouldn't be the only measurement of success. It's being able to run farther than the previous week, it's being able to lift more than the previous day, it's feeling stronger and better after a grueling workout and most importantly it's being able to wear clothes that aren't so snug anymore. I'm on my fourth week of Weight Watchers and I feel better than I did the first week of starting.

What I need to remember is that losing weight is not a sprint and to celebrate every success, big or small. So, what will I celebrate today? Last week I last only half an hour training my lower body, I did not have the strength, stamina, or energy to go on. This week I trained for a solid hour, that's big progress!


Food for Thought: “Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.”
Confucius

8 comments:

Jill Knapp said...

Yes eat more! The weight will actually come off faster if you are eating enough. If you don't it comes off slower. If I don't eat well 2 days in I feel horrible. The day's I get my 6 small meals in 2nd day in I feel wonderful happy, good mood, dealing with stresses better.

Journal your food so you can see what and when you are eating.
Keep up the good work and good for you for working out 2 x a day.
:-) Jill

Unknown said...

If you are working out 4 hours a day (that's amazing!) then you def need to eat more!!! Your energy would definitely suffer if you're not eating enough.
Take it one day at a time - you already know that this is a lifelong journey toward healthy living. Trust the process and you WILL get to your goal.

Heather said...

Good job with the workouts - and definitely be sure to eat enough so your body has energy for them. I bought a tape measure this week and began taking measurements - since I'm about to start the 30 Day Shred, I'd like to know where I'm starting so I'll be able to track my progress. I think inches are a much more accurate reflection than pounds... so don't get discouraged!

kaseybobasey said...

HK...let me tell you something...YOU NEED TO EAT! I work out hard for about 2 hours a day and I HAVE to put at least 1200 calories in my body to lose any weight! I wasn't eating enough at first either...and let me tell you, when I bumped those calories up, the weight FELL off!! It will actually come off faster if you eat more!! Make smart decisions on your eating but MAKE SURE you hit that 1200 calorie mark EVERY day! :) Great job!

Patty said...

You're right...if you are losing inches, the number on the scale really shouldn't matter.

Do you eat fish? Supposedly it is a great energy food beause of omega3s and B12.

Cammy@TippyToeDiet said...

Using measures other than the scale was somewhat difficult to get my mind around, but once I did, I never looked back! Good for you for taking the "big picture" approach!

Wendy said...

sounds like you are working out a good amount and you are going to need to replace some of those extra calories. try eating just half of your exercise points at least. i know i eat mine most of the time!

Big Girl said...

4 hours! Holy moly... at that rate you probably do need to eat more. And you are so right, don't let the number on the scale be your only measure of success. There's so much more than that. Look at all the good you are doing yourself, that's a major success.