Week 9 Challenge – Wait To Weigh Week!

 

I know, I know – this weeks challenge seems a little “basic” on first thought… the fact is, it is all but basic. This weeks challenge isn’t about just waiting to step on that scale (although this can be a challenge enough for those of you who are obsessed with it ;)), it’s about losing weight and realizing that weighing yourself multiple times a day or even daily can be a waste of time – not to mention very discouraging!

So with that, welcome to Week 9 – Wait to Weigh Week!

If you’re one of those who weigh yourself every day or even several times a day, then you’re in for a kicker here – you’re wasting your time.

Your body weight fluctuates during the day, up to 5 lbs., depending on what you’re eating and how much you’re drinking. For someone who’s paying attention to the scale daily or multiple times daily, this can cause some discouraging thoughts. The best way to weigh yourself is once weekly, in the morning, before eating and after going potty. 🙂

Weighing yourself this way will produce more consistent, measurable numbers on the scale… and if you can measure anything better, you can improve on it.

This week is a special week, because there is a hidden challenge within this challenge –

To lose 2 pounds in 1 week!

Pretty conservative number, huh? Although 2 pounds may not be a number you’ll want to go running home with, it is generally known as the most effective number to aim for when losing weight in a healthy way.

Losing weight in a healthy way means that you’re balancing your macro nutrients, consuming enough micro nutrients, you’re exercising more often, you’re resting/sleeping enough, you’re lowering your stress levels, and last but certainly not least: you’re losing the weight FOR GOOD.

It has been shown in study after study that most people who lose weight too quickly (usually by crash dieting), gain it all back PLUS some. This is because they are not changing their lifestyle, they’re merely “going on a diet.” If you’ve been with me on Facebook, you know that dieting is something that I’m no big fan of. It is usually signified with “temporary” or “quick-fix” or “time-sensitive.”

By this I mean:

  • “Dieting” doesn’t last long enough to sustain a new and improved, healthy lifestyle
  • “Dieting” is usually something that people relate to as “fast weight loss” (unhealthy)
  • “Dieting” is usually due to some time-sensitive event such as a date, wedding, season (summer), or vacation

So let’s go ahead and ban the word “diet” from any weight loss goal from here on out. I’m pretty sure that you don’t want to temporarily lose weight or temporarily become stronger and more fit. 😉

To lose 2 pounds in a week, we must focus on doing so in the most healthy manner. And that’s through permanently improving both our diet (what we eat AND drink) and exercise activity.

Just 1 pound of fat is 3,500 calories. <— Read that again.

So, in order to burn 2 pounds in 1 week, we need to lose around 7,000 calories during the course of our week. We’ll do this through both eating healthier and exercising more often.

Consuming 500 less calories a day and burning an extra 500 calories more than we normally burn will net us a total deficit of 7,000 calories by the end of our week.

As you are probably thinking, this is going to require some dedication. If you’ve been following my other weekly challenges, then you have all of the tools and information you need to do this successfully without a hitch.

The following list will serve as a reminder in recapping each week up to this point, and will link to their respective page:

So, drink plenty of water, read your food labels and eat healthier, add in some ab workouts for extra calorie burn, stop eating late night snacks, take the stairs and park far from store entrances when shopping, exchange some indoor time for some outdoor exercise, eat more green, leafy vegetables, and keep track of what you consume – EVERY DAY! Take a moment to read those if you’ve not participated in the challenges or need a little refresher! 🙂

As for exercise, here are some basic daily routines that can be supplemented into your day to help you burn those extra 500 calories daily. Please be mindful of your weight and its effect on how many calories your body will burn with exercise. To find out your personalized number, visit my BMR Calculator page.

  • High Impact Aerobics for 3o minutes: 550 Calories (Fitness Dancing, High Interval Training DVD courses such as Insanity, Bootcamps)
  • Moderate Bike Ride for 60 minutes: 500 Calories
  • Jump Roping for 50 minutes: 500 Calories (split this up with breaks)
  • Swimming for 60 minutes at moderate speed: 500 Calories
  • Light Jog for 60 minutes: 500 Calories

Last but not least, here are some general practices to help you consume less calories:

  • Don’t eat and watch T.V. (saves 288 calories according to a study by the University of Massachusetts)
  • Limit salad toppings such as cheese, bacon, croutons and dressings
  • Use smaller plates – use blue colored plates if you have them whenever eating
  • Don’t eat from the bag or container
  • Don’t go for seconds
  • Avoid adding creamers and sugar to coffee/tea
  • Drink less alcohol and substitute sodas for tonic water, club soda, citrus squeezes, or even order liquor on the rocks
  • Cut out soda, or substitute for a diet once in a while for a treat
  • Cut out sugary drinks such as sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit juices, etc.
  • Eat out less, cook at home more often

If you do these things, then by the time you step on that scale next week (in the morning, before eating, after going potty ;)), you’re going to be thrilled with your new number between those feet of yours.

There’s one more thing to do after accomplishing this weeks challenge: Share with us how many pounds you lost on my Facebook page for everyone to see!! My hope is always the same with every challenge – that you challenge yourself daily to become better, healthier, and happier in life. I am here to support you, and always open to questions on Facebook or email: christina@christinasfitness.com.

Talk soon! 🙂