Weigh In (Week 13) & Beach Challenge Results

I CHANGED DECADES!  I wanted it SOOOOO badly for this week!  Starting May in the 150's...bye-bye 160's foreverrrrrrrr!  As for the Beach Challenge, I began at 163.4 and now I weigh 159.8 so I didn't lose the 10 anticipated pounds.  And that is OK...I still had a great month with a 3.6 lb weight loss.  And I really did give it my all - I kicked up my exercise and worked out almost everyday (except the few sick ones I had), I drank a TON of water, cut back on my sodium, found some new workouts, and stuck to my diet plan much more consistently.  So with that said...I can't be disappointed in myself!

One thing that pisses me off is I don't think my scale is 100% accurate.  I think its close, but if I get on it 10 times in a row...it will give me 10 different numbers.  I do think I weigh 159.8 because yesterday morning I weighed the same.  But...maybe I will start weighing myself at the gym in the same clothes each time....I haven't decided yet.  And maybe it isn't that big of a deal.  I mean the scale isn't WAY off - I just wish it were more consistent.

So now for this weeks reflections...I realized that my body does not lose weight easily.  I mean I worked out 14 of the last 16 days, drank nothing but water (at least 8 glasses every single day) and STILL didn't lose as much as a person who follows my plan would.  I finally recognized that I was having too many "cheat" meals & snacks mainly because I was combining the FSD with calorie counting - which for many MANY people would probably work, but not me!  I had to buckle down and stick to my plan much more closely than I had been doing - although I still had some cheat days.  Actually on Tuesday I had a double cheeseburger meal from McDonald's - my first fast food meal since 2009.  I planned on having Subway, but ended up not finishing my day until after 9 p.m. - all the Subways were closed and I was hungry enough to gnaw off my left hand.  I know that it is imperative that I do not allow myself to become that hungry, and for the most part I have prevented it from happening.  But even despite that meal - I had a great weight loss this week (for me).  So I am thinking that cutting back on salt may have been the reason for my big number.

For example, yesterday I grilled fresh chicken tenders on the George Foreman instead of having my usual Butterball processed chicken strips from the grocery store.  I seasoned them only with pepper, garlic & onion powder and left out the Seasoned Salt which would have been the first thing I added before.  They tasted so good and I stayed wayyyyyyyy under my sodium consumption for the day.  Instead of having Progresso's Lentil Soup (canned) I made my own.  Rather than having lunch meat I had a Morning Start Black Bean Burger - still a convenience item, but it had much less sodium.  It was difficult at first but I feel I am starting to find my stride with the salt reduction.  Thank God for MyDailyPlate.com though because I would not be tracking the sodium on my own!  LOL.

I loved reading your comments on yesterday's blog.  Clearly I was in "I'm going to take over the world" mode...but I meant every word!  Thanks!

Sodium Cutback...I'm doing it!

Okay when I first realized how much sodium I consume, I was appalled.  I knew I had a salt problem, but seeing the actual numbers was jarring.  So I set out to cut back...and after a couple of weeks of trying to cutback...I finally accepted that it isn't just added salt & seasoning that I use in my cooking - its the actual ingredients themselves.  I rely heavily on canned, frozen and processed items to make cooking quick and easy.  So it didn't matter that I was more aware of added salt because my sodium consumption was still through the roof!

In this month's issue of Shape magazine (with Ellen D. on the cover) there was an article that talked about the dangers of consuming too much salt.  Among them are increased blood pressure and increased LDL.  Also I am at risk for renal failure due to a strong family history of polycystic kidney disease - which is another reason I really want to cut back on salt.  The Shape article suggests staying below 2,000 mg of sodium per day*.  Today my total was 2056 mg!  Not as low as I would like it to be, but I am progressing.  I wonder if it will make a difference in this week's weigh in.

My day:

• Bfast:  Hard boiled egg, yogurt & water
• Morning snack:  Apple
• Lunch:  Casear salad (homemade with LF dressing and no croutons)
• Dinner:  Large Black Bean Soup (from Panera)
• After dinner snack:  Sugar-free Jell-O cup
• All I've had to drink today is water.
• 50 minutes of cardio

Now...I know the calories are really LOW.  But I am full and as you know from my last post I am truly trying to stick by the FSD.  So we will see how I do this week.

*Correction:  The article says "Experts recommend limiting sodium to 2,300 mg and saturated fat to roughly 18 grams per day."  I went back to check after Tammy's comment.  Thanks!