FatSwatter's Journal, 18 Aug 15

Good afternoon beautiful people of FS!

I hope everyone is doing well and continuing to stay focused on your goals despite the craziness life throws at us. Today was a win - I told myself what I was going to do and by golly, I was going to do it no matter what! I'm pretty proud of myself for not giving in to temptations when trust me, they are everywhere! The smell of food, for example, is all over campus and when I do my walk during lunch it's all I can do to say no. I decided not to carry cash or my wallet with me so then I couldn't buy anything anyways! This has really helped me.

Also, I've noticed several people frustrated when they do weigh-ins, particularly daily weigh-ins. I just posted something similar to the challenge group I'm running and thought I'd post it in my journal in case someone can gain some insight from it.

Weight Fluctuations - 101
I want to mention a note about weight in general that I think may help some of you. It takes 3500 calories to gain (or lose) a pound. A piece of cake or that chocolate bar won’t make you gain a pound or more overnight unless you were over calories by 3500 calories or more. Instead, the most likely culprit is sodium and water intake, but there are truly a ton of reasons for weight fluctuations. Please don’t concern yourself with these weight changes.

If you’ve noticed your weight is consistently going up and you’ve been under calories, here are some guidelines that may help you get back on track:

1. Are you drinking enough water? If your body senses you are dehydrated, it will hang on to every little bit it can causing you to seem like you are gaining weight but you really aren’t.
   
2. Is your sodium too high? Sodium retains water adding to water weight as well so if you have a high sodium diet, you will need to compensate by drinking even more water.
   
3. Ladies, is it that time of the month? Hormonal fluctuations can definitely change weight.
   
4. Are you weight training? Muscle mass takes up less space than fat so if you are weight training and building muscle, you could be the same weight or slightly heavier but yet fit in smaller clothes. This is why it’s important to also measure your arms, hips, waist, thighs, and bust periodically so you can see changes the scale won’t tell you.
   
5. Are you stressed? Too high level of stress can make our bodies go haywire including our weight fluctuations. If you are overly stressed, perhaps practicing meditation through stretching/yoga or even running will help. You can also practice deep breathing techniques to help you feel better and be able to cope more effectively.
   
6. Are you eating enough? Remember, your body needs a certain amount of calories just to breathe, keep your heart beating, and function during the day if you do absolutely nothing. If you are eating below the number of calories you need to sustain your body, your body thinks it’s in starvation mode. Therefore, you must eat enough to not just sustain your body but keep it running efficiently. Many people think eating 1200 calories a day will help them lose weight, but each person is different and most likely, 1200 is way too low for the average person. There are many BMR calculators out there to figure out how many minimum calories you should have and they all vary depending on the formula used, but for the most part, the results are usually within 200-300 calories. Here’s one I use: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator
   
7. Are you on medication? Certain medications like steroids or anti-depressants (and even some birth control pills) are known for causing weight fluctuations.
   

While this is not an exhaustive list, I just wanted to point out that weight can change by a multitude of factors and every day will most likely not show a decrease. I just wanted you all to know that the scale is not the only thing that matters here. I realize some people have a hard time seeing a number every day which is why I implore you to look at the number from a different angle. It IS after all, just a number. A number does not define who you are, how awesome you are, what great things you are doing to push yourself to a healthy lifestyle, or how good of a person you are for staying focused on your goals.

Instead, focus on the things the scale doesn’t tell you. These are called NSVs or Non-Scale Victories. What positive things have happened to you since you began your weight loss journey? Have you lost a pant size? Have you received compliments? Have you turned down something you normally can’t resist? How can you use those NVSs as extra motivation to help you push yourself when that scale doesn’t budge?

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1614 kcal

Fat: 49.65g | Prot: 96.00g | Carbs: 204.31g.   Breakfast: Friendly Farms All Natural Greek Plain Yogurt, GNC Amplified Ripped, So Delicious Coconut Milk Unsweetened, Nature's Place Organic Honey, Dole Frozen Strawberries, Flavorite Frozen Sliced Peaches. Lunch: Blueberries , Del Monte Pineapple Tidbits in 100% Pineapple Juice, Briannas Poppyseed Dressing, Strawberries , Kroger Premium Chicken Breast Chunk in Water, Kroger Walnut Halves & Pieces, Great Value Romaine Lettuce, Dole Mandarin Oranges in 100% Fruit Juice, Baby Spinach, Private Selection Organic Baby Spring Mix, Fuji Apples. Dinner: Private Selection Organic Baby Spring Mix, Great Value Romaine Lettuce, Avocados , Cilantro, Specially Selected All Natural Mild Mango Peach Salsa, Gardein Seven Grain Crispy Tenders, Happy Farms Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese, Bell Peppers, Yellow Sweet Corn (Kernels Cut Off Cob, Frozen) , Dakota's Pride Black Beans, Baby Spinach, Onions . Snacks/Other: Dannon Oikos Triple Zero - Mixed Berry, Pearson's Candy Company Mint Patties. more...

2990 kcal

Exercise: FitBit Tracker - 24 hours. more...