Non-scale victory of the week!

Continuing to set new PRs with my weightlifting. Also got my second dose of the COVID vaccine, so that’ll make it a lot safer to go back to the gym.

What do you feel you could have done better this week?

As my calories go up, I’ve been filling it ever so slightly more with junk food, sugary cereals in particular. I should really rein that in if I want the best results.

How many days did you exercise last week?

6

How would you rate your diet last week?

5

What are your goals for the upcoming week?

Keep on keepin’ on. Work out almost every day, eat 2,800 calories, get a decent amount of sleep.

Non-scale victory of the week!

I’m setting new weightlifting PRs each week. If I want to keep working out at home I’m going to have to get creative because I’m deadlifting my whole stack of weights for 3 sets of 10.

What do you feel you could have done better this week?

My steps have been way down the past couple of weeks. Working from home has tanked my avergar steps, and I haven’t been that good about taking short breaks for movement during the day.

How many days did you exercise last week?

5

How would you rate your diet last week?

4

What are your goals for the upcoming week?

The usual: Maintenance calories (2,600ish), 3x weights, 2x cardio, 1-2x recovery. Biggest thing beyond that is taking those walking breaks.

Non-scale victory of the week!

Took a week off from working out. Normally I’d get anxious about losing progress and sneak in a few sweat sessions, but this time I didn’t, and I think that’s been good for my stress level. On a similar note, I bumped my calories up to maintenance and didn’t try to short them or immediately go back to fat loss. Again, good for mental well-being, relationships with food, and all that.

What do you feel you could have done better this week?

My diet was still 90% clean, I guess I could have eased up and had more fun. But there’s still Christmas ahead, I don’t want to go on a multi-week slide, even if I do plan on bulking next year.

How many days did you exercise last week?

5

How would you rate your diet last week?

5

What are your goals for the upcoming week?

Get back to weight lifting, 10K steps and maybe a casual bike ride but keep the sweaty cardio to 1-2 sessions.

Non-scale victory of the week!

Had a bit of a surprise diet-wise on Friday, but instead of stressing out or denying myself a good time I rolled with it and adjusted the rest of my week accordingly.

What do you feel you could have done better this week?

I think I’m done losing weight for now. I could afford to cut another 10-20 lbs, but it’s getting to be stressful. I think it’s time for maintenance or even a lean bulk.

How many days did you exercise last week?

6

How would you rate your diet last week?

4

What are your goals for the upcoming week?

I finished my latest training block, the MetRx 180 home workout. I liked it, but I’m ready for a break. For at least one week, and potentially as long as the rest of the month, I’m going to lay off the weights in favor of yoga and light-to-moderate cardio. When I’m ready, I plan to use the Master’s Hammer & Chisel program for my next block. It has a hardcore air about it, but it’s exactly what newbies need, a few fundamental movements 2-3 times a week plus a bit of lighter functional work (agility, balance, etc.)

Non-scale victory of the week!

Got back onto a deficit after a one-week break, felt crummy for a while and wondered if it was a mistake, but got over the hump and now I’m feeling great again. Also this is going to be the last week of my current training program, so I’m kinda psyched about that. It’s a good program, but there’s a certain sense of accomplishment to having an end date and then reaching that date.

What do you feel you could have done better this week?

As i mentioned, the first couple of days back on a deficit were pretty rough. I could have eased back into it or at least planned to not hit the workouts quite so hard.

How many days did you exercise last week?

6

How would you rate your diet last week?

5

What are your goals for the upcoming week?

Stay on my deficit, finish my workout program (Sunday), and then for the rest of the year focus on recovery (yoga, light cardio, if I lift stick to half my normal weight.) Then when I’m ready to hit the weights again I can start intentionally gaining weight, which is going to be a trip.

Non-scale victory of the week!

Took a week at maintenance calories. Tried to talk myself out of it at first, but then I came to enjoy it. It’s an opportunity to see what life after the diet will be like, to keep up the fitness habit and enjoy some bigger portions of my already pretty-healthy diet.

What do you feel you could have done better this week?

Maybe not stress so much about taking a week off. It’s taken me almost two years to get where I am, and before that it took ten years to put the weight on. A week or a month isn’t going to ruin everything, provided I’m still eating well and not just going ham and indulging every craving.

How many days did you exercise last week?

6

How would you rate your diet last week?

5

What are your goals for the upcoming week?

Back to weight loss: 2,000 kcal/day, 4 days lifting, 2+ of cardio, 1+ stretch. Also enjoy my time off and get some sleep. (Pictured: our resident sleep expert. Her name is Shine and she’s about 8 weeks old.)

Non-scale victory of the week!

Did all of my usual workouts, plus some flexibility work. I’m definitely more mobile than a few months ago. But also, can we take a moment to appreciate that I’m at my goal weight? That’s what I set my sights on nearly two years ago, 185 pounds. For the first time in my life I’m in the Healthy Weight range.

What do you feel you could have done better this week?

Nothing really, but longer term that’s kind of the thing. I’ll need to be less rigid about my diet if I’m going to make it long-term.

How many days did you exercise last week?

6

How would you rate your diet last week?

5

What are your goals for the upcoming week?

Eat at maintenance (taking a 1-week break from the diet), my usual workouts (4xlifting, 2-3x cardio, 1-2x stretch) plus 7,000 steps a day. Keyword here is “relax”; I’ve hit my long-term goal weight, but rather than rebound I’m going to take a week at maintenance , see how that feels, and then either go back to a light deficit or settle into maintenance for the winter.

Non-scale victory of the week!

Bumped my calories up again as I move toward longterm maintenance. This week that took the form of an additional high-calorie day. I think I handled it well, ate more but stuck to nutritious food mostly.

What do you feel you could have done better this week?

With that additional higher-cal day comes some weight fluctuation. If I eat an additional 100g of carbs, that’s about a pound of water retention. I could have been better prepared for that, because I kinda freaked a little and thought about changing back. But I didn’t, I stuck to the plan.

How many days did you exercise last week?

5

How would you rate your diet last week?

5

What are your goals for the upcoming week?

More of the same: 4 weight training workouts, 2-3 days of cardio and mobility, eat right, get plenty of sleep. Long as I don’t do anything crazy I have this first DietBet in the bag, and my longer-term goal weight is just a couple of weeks away. (That said, I think the week after this 4% bet ends will be a diet break.)

Non-scale victory of the week!

Enjoyed my Halloween with a bit of candy & ice cream, didn’t fret about it, didn’t go overboard.

What do you feel you could have done better this week?

I guess I could have been *more* laid back about the holiday (I’m still very much pacing myself on the candy), but I have a 5-month maintenance period planned for this winter, so I’m fine with buckling down for a bit longer.

How many days did you exercise last week?

6

How would you rate your diet last week?

5

What are your goals for the upcoming week?

Deload week: lots of Yoga & mobility work, lifting @ 50% of my usual weight, and generally giving my joints a rest before the final month of this cycle. Diet, hydration, sleep, etc. continue unchanged.

Non-scale victory of the week!

Last week was pretty challenging. We had to let our 16-year-old cat go, and in the ensuing commiseration I had a few pastries (nothing crazy, but some) and bloated up by five pounds overnight. A very similar scenario five years ago is how I fell off the wagon and reversed a 40-lb weight loss that I’d spent the whole summer achieving. This time though I kept it contained and got back to business. The bloat came off and now it’s like it never happened.

What do you feel you could have done better this week?

Working from home as most of us are, I sometimes find it hard to get my steps in. Dedicated exercise is important of course, but five minutes an hour of walking also adds up.

How many days did you exercise last week?

6

How would you rate your diet last week?

5

What are your goals for the upcoming week?

Keep on keeping on. If I lose more than 1 lb this week, I’ll bump my intake up another 100 kcal (to 2,200). I’m close to my 3-month goal already and I’m five pounds away from the Healthy Weight bracket, so there’s no need to push hard. Longer-term, I’d like to settle in somewhere around 2,300-2,500 for the winter and gradually lose weight or recomp, while also letting go of the macros and food tracking a bit more, ever so slightly inching toward true maintenance.