So What If I Made a New Post

And what if I started back on the Core Plan, even though Weight Watchers no longer supports that plan (who needs them anyway?).

New Podcast: Healthy Groove Journal

Hey Core Groove readers! I've just posted the first episode of my brand-new podcast, Jonathan's Healthy Groove Journal. In this first installment, I'm talking mostly about my recent completion of 100 days on the Weight Watchers Core Plan--which you've already read about here--but I hope you'll follow the link, subscribe, and join me on my continuing adventures in diet, exercise, and other healthy stuff.

...by the way, my first week post-challenge has gone well. I stuck to my Points Allowance and weighed in at 156 again but saw a drop in body fat to 13.3% which is exactly what I want! I still have fat to lose, just a few lbs of it, but I'd like to replace it with muscle as I go. So a steady weight is not a bad thing at all.

Day 100 - Celebrating and Reflecting

Well, here I am: Day 100 of my challenge! July 10th seemed far away, back when I started at the beginning of April, but after the initial learning curve, time flew by pretty quickly. And I have changed SO MUCH over the course of these three months, not just physically but in terms of my attitudes and habits.

But first, let's look at the physical numbers:

Day 1 - 183 lbs, 22.5% body fat
Day 99 - 156 lbs, 13.7% body fat

This transformation, as I've said before, has exceeded my most optimistic expectations for this 100 Days plan. I lost weight so consistently, almost always 2 lbs per week, that it really astounded me! At this point I feel like I have a new body. Sure, there are still things I would like to reduce or increase, but I am now clearly at a healthy weight and I’ve just come to the point recently (the past few weeks) where I’m realizing I like my body. I got some new clothes as a birthday gift last week and they fit perfectly! I tried them on and looked in the mirror, checking out the clothes on their own merit rather than feeling unworthy of nice clothes. I’ve also been swimming the past few days and feeling less self-conscious about my body than I have in a long time. This is such a new feeling, I’m not sure I’ve even fully incorporated it into my life...but it is definitely encouraging.

I could go on about this, but I won't because this challenge wasn't about the physical transformation. I hoped it would happen, but my focus was on the habits it would take, one day at a time, to get me there. I wanted to put my faith in the Weight Watchers Core Plan, just for 100 days, to see where it would take me. I joined on impulse, actually, in a moment when I was frustrated with my inability to lose weight on my own, despite many weeks of regular exercise. I felt good about establishing an exercise habit, but the diet issues were much more difficult and I decided I needed "training wheels."

At first, I thought I should follow the WW Flex Plan because it seemed like that was the more popular choice. I was quickly discouraged, though, realizing how much daily counting that would require. Then I took a look at the Core Plan (which I had initially dismissed) and boy am I glad, because that changed everything! This plan is a hybrid, combining the concept of intuitive eating from an approved foods list with the limits of counting Points for foods not on the Core list. For me, this hybrid combination really clicked and it was an approach I wouldn't have thought to consider if I hadn't joined Weight Watchers. That revelation alone made my trial membership worthwhile.

Calorie counting drives me crazy because it's precise and yet imperfect, especially when it comes to homemade dishes. And it takes a mental toll to be constantly thinking about counting every single thing I put in my mouth. I needed a simpler method that still put boundaries around my eating habits, and the Core Plan has a great mixture of freedom and boundaries. I feel free when I'm eating off the Core list, free to eat when I'm hungry and confident that I'll eat only as much as I need to satisfy that hunger. This intuitive eating came naturally, without my having to think much about it. I did not use the WW "Comfort Zone" scale to rate my hunger and satiety before and after every meal--the foods lent themselves to intuitive eating, because Core Foods aren't the foods I tend to overeat in the first place. So I have no idea how many calories I've been eating throughout this plan, but I know it's been just the right amount, because the results have been so ideal.

I've never lost weight this rapidly before, and yet it felt more healthy and natural than the times when I've counted and restricted calories! Perhaps my body felt "starved" during those times and therefore held onto the extra weight with greater tenacity. The Core Plan has allowed me to have any and all foods I might crave, without feeling guilty, because I have a good idea of when I've had enough (thanks to the Points system). Within the plan, there are allowances for treats here and there, so I know I can indulge occasionally and yet not blow it out of proportion in my mind, thinking “I’ve ruined everything,” or constantly questioning whether I’m doing the right thing with my diet. THAT has been a huge weight off my shoulders.

One indispensable tool has been my Binder O' Trusted Recipes, which is still very much a work in progress. The Core Plan has given me a framework for determining which recipes get priority. I'd much rather cook a Core meal and eat freely, than have to think about spending Points on something. So it's Core recipes to the front of the line! The binder is a lifesaver when I get that glazed-over look in my eyes, standing in the kitchen not knowing what to feed myself. I'm really not that picky when it comes to food, so I've been happy to repeat the same few trusted recipes several times over the course of this challenge. And leftovers are another indispensable secret of my success. It's so handy to have food in the fridge, ready for a quick heat-up when hunger strikes. During the first two weeks, I had trouble with hunger, not knowing how to pace myself and not confident in my selection of Core options, but with time and practice, I've gotten to the point where I always have something on hand or quickly accessible.

I should also recognize and celebrate the fact that I have kept up my exercise habit throughout the entire 100 days. I really believe that the pounds dropped off so consistently and rapidly because my body was prepared, revved up from three months of regular exercise prior to the start of this WW challenge. The particulars of my routine have evolved, but the habit of doing something 5 or 6 days a week has not changed. Lately, I'm emphasizing resistance work and cutting back on the long cardio sessions. I expect to keep changing my routine periodically for the rest of my life, always trying something new to keep it interesting and to keep my body "on its toes." I've noted this before, but it bears repeating: when I'm exercising, I feel more compelled to eat right; and when I'm eating right, I feel more compelled to exercise. They feed each other.

Now that I've completed this 100 days challenge, I really want to take the time, not just today but in the coming weeks, to recognize and appreciate how far I've come. I do feel good about myself, and good about my body, and that's a new feeling that could almost be described as "foreign" to me at this point. Now I want to work on nurturing it, maintaining it, and continuing to work on incremental improvements in various areas of my fitness endeavors. I think I have to work to keep it dynamic and interesting, so I don’t become bored (or boring!) with my new, more disciplined self.

I've lost weight before, but I never stayed at the goal weight for very long. Now, as I've discussed in this blog, the very concept of goal weight has shifted for me, as I focus more on body composition and building lean mass. The challenge now will be to work on that while maintaining good nutrition, and I think the Core Plan provides a very usable framework for long-term maintenance. So I will continue following it, and for now I am also continuing my membership in Weight Watchers Online. I expect I will want to go solo at some point, but I'm a little superstitious about jinxing myself so I will keep using it for a little while--and I still have all those new recipes to explore.

It will be a challenge to keep my motivation up for the long haul, because the big drama of weight loss has pretty much come to an end, and the changes will be more subtle from week to week now. I have a few extra pounds of fat to lose (and hopefully muscle to gain), but it's not a lot and it may take some fine-tuning to figure out what I need to do to achieve that. More important is my goal of simply continuing, staying on track by watching what I eat and exercising regularly. This is where I have to get used to the idea of putting in the effort for the sake of the healthy habits themselves, and being content to see little or no change on the scale (or other measurements) from week to week. Just to maintain at a healthy weight is truly an accomplishment, but my progress-oriented mind might balk a little bit.

There will also be life challenges, many of them unknown as of this moment, that may put a strain on my discipline and threaten these new habits. I'm already bracing myself for a rough time as my mom goes back into chemotherapy (starting tomorrow, coincidentally), but I remind myself that I started this challenge under similarly trying circumstances. Things have been better the past two months, but they're likely to get tough again and I should draw confidence from the fact that I've made it this far. The benefits of maintaining my fitness are worth the effort, even in terms of helping me to be strong enough to handle stressful circumstances and difficult emotions.

Today I paused to reflect on the success of this challenge, but also to re-focus on the future with a bit of a warrior mindset, because I am determined to stay in this "Core Groove." I intend to keep posting here at least once a week with updates, just to stay connected. If you've read this far, thank you for following along on this journey with me, and I hope to continue and see you again soon!

**Update**
The journey continues at Jonathan's Healthy Groove Journal
http://healthygroove.blogspot.com

Day 99 - Weigh-in

Okay, time for my last weigh-in of this 100-day challenge, and thank goodness it was the best checkpoint yet! The scale read 156 lbs this morning, and my body fat dropped to a new low of 13.7%. I couldn't be happier with those results, especially considering my adventures in junk food this past week! (Looking back, they weren't THAT bad, just pushing the boundaries a little).

...I may keep checking in here weekly, as I move beyond the 100 Days. I certainly intend to continue following the Core Plan, and this "trial period" has been a great success. I want to continue sharing the journey.

Day 98 - Almost There

I'm kind of running out of things to say daily here...which is okay, because I'm just about finished with this 100 days challenge! It must have served its purpose. I'll be doing some reflecting as I reach day 100--wow, that's a big chunk of time! And I've seen a ton of progress. Tomorrow I weigh in once again...

Day 97 - All That and a Hot Dog Too

I hate to do this for a third time this week, but I have to report that I ate a hot dog for dinner tonight. It was 8 Points (including bun), but I made sure the rest of the meal was Core (corn on the cob, green beans, smoothie). Once again, I was influenced by others. My family was having another pool day and thought it was a good idea to grill some hot dogs. I could have refused: there were other leftover options in the fridge for me, but this week has turned into an experiment in just how much junk food I can get away with. I'm not even a huge fan of hot dogs, but the minute I feel like I'm denied a particular food, I want it. So this was a way of reinforcing for myself that I don't have to feel deprived. I went easy on the Points otherwise today, making use of vegetable soup, smoothies, and shredded wheat.

And yes, I'm still within my Points allowance for the week (just 5 left!)

Day 96 - Best Behavior

So today I've been on my best behavior, trying to minimize the number of non-Core foods, to stretch my budget. It's okay, but not as nice as having a bigger cushion of extra Points to spend. If I hadn't chosen fast food and pizza earlier, I might have some more extra right now.

I'm curious to find out, however, if I will continue losing weight on 30 extra Points per week. That's supposed to be my maintenance level, but I seem to keep losing. So maybe I will eventually be able to add even more than 30 extra Points per week? It's possible, but I'll play it by ear, week by week. I like that about the Core Plan, because I can dial that number up or down as needed, which makes for a good long-term system.

Day 95 - Training Wheels and Moderation

I'm not trying on purpose to be naughty lately, but tonight I had two pieces of pizza for dinner. It was kind of a special family night and I actually could have overdone it, if I had chosen to partake in the buttery, cheesy bread, or to eat an extra piece of pizza. But as it turned out, two pieces was just right, and this is where my Core Plan "training" has taught me to be a better intuitive eater. I stopped after two pieces and waited for the fullness signals to catch up, which they did several minutes later.

I'm still within my Points Allowance for the week, with 20 Points to spare over the next three days (plus any Activity Points), so that pretty much erases any guilt I might have had about another "junk food" dinner. It's an illustration of the power of moderation. If I had eaten an extra piece (or two!) plus cheese bread, I could have blown through all my Points and then I would feel bad. But the "training wheels" of my Core Plan guidelines have once again saved me from falling over entirely.

Day 94 - Fast Food Again

I'm not exactly proud to report this, but in the interest of full disclosure: I stopped by Jack-in-the-Box this evening after running another errand downtown. The justification? I'm not even sure...it's the Fourth of July? Yeah, that's kinda flimsy. My sister is again the culprit for suggesting it, but I'm the one who made the decision to actually go (she wasn't even with me at the time).

On the plus side: I chose a diet soda, only ate about half the fries, and threw away nearly half of the bun and mayo. It took a 15-Point bite out of my budget, but that's okay because at least I feel accountable for the choice I made. Maybe not the best choice, but a conscious one. I've got lots of vegetable soup waiting in the fridge to help me stretch my remaining Points.

(Notice how I didn't beat myself up for choosing fast food? Progress!)

Day 93 - Learning as I Go

I spent some time crunching the numbers again today, with the new data from the past two weigh-ins. Now that my weight is down to 157, yet my body fat is still 14.5% (same as two weeks ago), I put that data into my informal formula for determining goal weight, and come up with 149! It's frustrating that my body fat percentage has not been dropping in step with my weight. The data would suggest that I've been losing most of my weight in lean mass these past few weeks.

...or have I? I also have to consider the inaccuracy of my measurement methods. It actually seems like I've been losing fat and holding onto muscle, in terms of how my body looks and feels. I may need to experiment with measuring body fat at different times of day, or just accept that the number is a ballpark figure at best. Accordingly, I shouldn't place too much emphasis on any calculations which depend the body fat recordings. So I still don't know what my goal weight should be, but I'm just going to take it week by week, observing the numbers and watching my body. I can still pinch an inch so maybe that body fat number isn't so far off after all.

Finally, I want to remind myself that I'm not doing this to reach a particular number. I'm doing this to build a healthy, sustainable habit. It doesn't serve me to become attached to some idealized "end state, " so I'm hoping to keep these goals in perspective. A goal weight or body composition is something to aim for, but it has to be open to re-evaluation because I'm still learning as I go (and probably always will be).

Day 92 - Weigh-in

I'm down another pound this week, to 157, with 14.5% body fat. I certainly expect things to slow down now that I'm close to my goal (in terms of weight if not in terms of body fat percentage). Now it's a matter of hanging in there, watching results, and tweaking things. For the time being, I think I'll stick with my extra 30 Points per week and see if the weight loss continues, and whether that loss comes in the form of fat or lean mass. Then, maybe some adjustment will be needed, but in the meantime the Core Plan allows for enough intuitive eating that some of those adjustments may happen automatically, by listening to my cravings and hunger signals.

Day 91 - Smoothies Every Day

I haven't mentioned smoothies lately, yet I've been drinking them every day. There isn't really a specific recipe, I just throw everything into a Vita-Mix (big, powerful blender machine) and make about four servings at a time, and then drink it over the next 48 hours or so. It's just a great thing to have on hand as a stop-gap when I need some nutrition fast, without having to prepare a meal. Here's a rough guideline for how I throw it together:

1. Fruit (grapes, apples, oranges, banana, berries...)
2. Vegetables (broccoli, carrots, baby spinach leaves...)
3. Yogurt (nonfat plain)
4. Peanut butter (2 TBS keeps it from frothing too much)
5. Protein powder (2 scoops of Simply Whey)
6. Fiber One cereal (or other high fiber, low sugar cereal)

I only count Points for the peanut butter, so that makes my smoothies about 1 Point per serving. That may or may not be technically correct by Weight Watchers rules (I wonder about the protein powder, but the Fiber One is technically zero points because of all the fiber!). It doesn't matter, though, because it's obviously working for me and that's my ultimate "rulebook."

Day 90 - Turkey Chili AGAIN

I think it works to my advantage that I'm not much of a "foodie." I'm not too picky or discriminating about what I eat, in terms of exotic or elaborate presentations, or even variety for that matter. Today I made another big pot of Too Good to be Turkey Chili, same as I made on Day 3 of this challenge, and a few times in between as well! It's just such a great food--hearty and full of flavor, yet completely Core-friendly so I don't even have to count it. How can you beat that?

But I really do want to try some new recipes...it's the main reason I re-upped my WW membership, and yet I continue to shine it on. It's irrational, but at least I'm still on the plan and making tons of progress. As long as the same old food isn't boring me, I'll stick with it until I'm ready to branch out and try something new. Perhaps that will be part of my "challenge" after these 100 days are up. I haven't thought about what happens then...except that I absolutely want to continue eating this way.

Day 89 - Junk Food Aftermath

Well, I didn't have any major problems digesting that fast food meal, though it did seem to keep me full for longer than most of my meals do lately. I think it affected my sleep, however, because I felt warm all night, even though the room temperature was normal. Maybe I was burning off the excess calories? I can only hope. So I didn't get great sleep, and the food didn't taste good enough to warrant paying even that price. It was an interesting experiment, though.

Today I ate pretty clean, fresh fruit and vegetable smoothies helping to erase the stain of greasy fast food from my body! ;-)

Day 88 - Junk Food Meal

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I drove through a fast food restaurant today and got a burger, fries, root beer, and even shared some onion rings. It's all my sister's fault because it was her idea, her craving, and I just kind of went along with it (okay, so that makes it actually my fault, heh). I haven't had food like that in at least three months, so I was curious to see what it would be like. I won't lie, I enjoyed it, but it wasn't like oh-my-gosh-I-love-you-and-miss-you-so-much either. It feels kinda heavy and not so easily digested in my stomach right now.

That meal alone amounted to 20 Points, so it didn't ruin my week but it means I have to be on better behavior for the next three days if I want to stay on budget. Ultimately, the meal probably isn't worth the expense, but I also did not want to be that guy who is so uptight about being perfect that he can never indulge in the occasional once-in-a-blue-moon junk food meal.

Day 87 - Wisdom from the Dalai Lama

At a time when people are so conscious of maintaining their physical health by controlling their diets, exercising and so forth, it makes sense to try to cultivate the corresponding positive mental attitudes too.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama, 1963

I want to take this advice as I move forward with my diet and exercise. So far this year, I've established a good solid exercise habit, and now in these past three months I feel more control over my diet than I have in a long time. But it's an ongoing cultivation, not an end state, so I want to look at ways to support my mental health as well. This will be increasingly important in the months to come, as I work to settle into a long-term attitude about diet and exercise, now that the excitement of losing those extra pounds is mostly behind me.

Day 86 - Re-Upped

Today my Weight Watchers membership renewed automatically, which means I get to pay $16.95 for access to the website resources for another month. I originally considered the possibility of canceling before it renewed, but I wasn't feeling ready to cut the cord just yet. I'm sure WW wouldn't mind if I remained a member for life, paying a monthly fee for years to come, but that doesn't feel right to me. I barely use the site as it is, just tracking my non-Core foods. I appreciate the value of having learned the Core Plan system, but I think the $60 I paid for a 3-month membership means that I've paid for the privilege of being clued into the "secrets of the Core Plan." Still, I'd like to try some new Core recipes, and I've just been putting it off and putting it off...so I'll pay for another month, maybe two or three. We'll see. In a way, it's almost like a superstition at this point: I'm so pleased with my results thus far that I don't want to risk jinxing it by suspending my membership!

Day 85 - 25 lbs in 12 weeks

I've been on the Core Plan for 12 full weeks now, and I just earned my 25-lb weight loss "star" on the Weight Watchers website. Pretty cool, that's quite a milestone. I'm down two pounds from last week, to 158, and my bodyfat came in at 14.8%. That's not exactly what I wanted to see from the bodyfat number, because it went up slightly which would suggest that I lost 2 lbs of lean mass and not fat at all. However, it's just one week's measurement, one moment in time using an imperfect measuring device, so I'm not going to sweat it. This is why I average an entire month's readings in my spreadsheets to get a more steady idea of how things are going. I just have a sort of magnifying glass focused on things lately because I've been seeing such changes from week to week since starting the Core Plan.

If I kept getting that same reading week after week, or if they were trending in the wrong direction over time, then I'd know something needs to be tweaked. But right now I think I'm doing what I need to be doing. It's interesting, though, that I've lost another two pounds (regardless of whether it was fat or muscle) despite the fact that I've been allowing myself 30 extra Points per week, which is supposed to indicate a maintenance phase. I've been doing that for three weeks now, and have continued to lose weight anyway! Maybe I'm underreporting Activity Points or something. Doesn't really matter, because I'm learning how to tailor the Points to my particular needs, listening to my body and watching my results. The simplification of the Points system is a handy tool for that, and I also have the safety net of Core foods which I can eat as much as I need, again listening to my body's signals.

Day 84 - Binge Aborted

I was tempted to binge tonight. Today wasn't a particularly stressful day or anything, but it is the end of my WW week and I was thinking about how many points I have left. First, I treated myself to 3 squares of caramel-filled chocolate, still within my weekly allowance. But then, almost without thinking, I poured myself a large bowl of non-Core cereal and started to eat it.

I quickly realized full well that it would put me over my weekly allowance (and this is considering my extra 30 pts allowance for weight maintenance). So I stopped and thought: "how is this going to make me feel?" Although it tasted good, I realized the diminishing returns of a binge were already setting in. Rather than continue, I decided to "waste" the food by throwing out the rest of the cereal. I know it would have overstuffed me, so really, whether I ate it or not, it was going to waste. At least I avoided the discomfort (mental and physical) of overeating.

It was a close call, and thankfully this sort of thing has been quite rare throughout these 84 days of being on the Core Plan. It's bound to happen again, though...moments of weakness and temptation. I'm glad, though, that I had the presence of mind to stop mid-course and change, rather than just giving in.

Day 83 - Dieting a Year Ago

Today I listened to one of my old podcast episodes from just about exactly one year ago, and the difference between my tone then and my attitude now is pretty striking. I was floundering, not knowing what to do about my diet. I had tried twice to make the Fat Smash Diet work for me, but felt like a failure. I had just purchased The 3-Hour Diet book, hoping that it would "do the trick" and finally help me get my eating under control. As it turned out, that book didn't do much for me, or I didn't apply myself much to it. I even mentioned Weight Watchers in passing a couple of times, as though it were some far-off concept that I would never actually consider for myself.

The Core Plan could easily be put into a book, and I could have looked it up online without even having to pay for the membership, but it never occurred to me to look at it. Even when I first joined Weight Watchers, I chose the Flex Plan first because the Core Plan didn't sound like what I was expecting from Weight Watchers. But as it turned out, the Core Plan has really been a revelation, a compromise between intuitive eating and calorie counting that really is unique, and has worked so well for me! What's better, it seems like the kind of thing that I'll be able to continue well beyond this 100-day "trial period."

Day 82 - Oreo Smash

Last night, after posting here, I gave in to a temptation for sweets. Three Oreo cookies mashed into a half cup of ice cream. It added up to six Points, but it felt so decadent! ...and then I felt a little sick. I think it may have actually been a sugar rush. If so, my tolerance for sweets has decreased because that wasn't anywhere close to the quantities of junk food I used to eat in one sitting, just a few months ago. There was a brief moment of "Oh, what have I done, I'm going to ruin everything," but I regained sanity pretty quickly, counted the Points, and moved on. Today I've eaten quite well, dipping into my lovely leftovers.

Day 81 - Big Batches

Today I made big batches of two "old favorites" that I've enjoyed several times since starting the Core Plan: Easy Beef Burritos and good old vegetable soup. I added chicken to the vegetable soup, to make it more substantial, and of course for that all-important protein! Now I'm going to have PLENTY of leftovers for the next few days, it's great to have good quality Core food ready for a quick re-heat.

Yes, yes, I know I haven't tried any new recipes in quite awhile, but right now I'm happy to just be sticking with some trusted dishes that work.

Day 80 - Tired and Ravenous

I only got about 3 hours of sleep last night, because I had to get up early today, and I've kept busy for much of the day. I really noticed how different my hunger signals were today--I've been ravenous! I think the body needs more food when it's sleep-deprived, to keep pushing forward. It's not the ideal situation, but it's an adaptation that is pretty smart, if you think about it. Now I just need to be smart enough to get to bed at a decent time and catch up on sleep so I can get back into a healthy routine.

Day 79 - Falling Behind

My schedule has been unusual lately, with something new or different every day, plus an underlying stress, and I'm falling behind in sleep. It makes me a little more vulnerable to diet transgressions, because my body craves that quick, cheap fuel to get through the sleepy times. I've grabbed a few extras here and there, but I'm counting all of it. Unfortunately, I'm falling behind in exercise too (goes along with too little sleep), and that means fewer Activity Points. I'm hoping to get back into the groove soon because being overtired makes me feel scattered. Still, it's reassuring to know I'm still on the Core Plan, to have those guidelines to fall back on when I'm not thinking as clearly as I'd like.

Day 78 - Weigh-in

It's been a pretty unusual week, but I stuck to the Core Plan and got in as much exercise as I could, given the circumstances. I weighed in this morning at 160 lbs, and 14.5% body fat, which is great news because it suggests that things are moving in the right direction: 1-lb weight loss while adding lean mass (evidenced by the drop in body fat percentage). It's just one week, though, and these numbers can fluctuate. I hope it's the start of a trend, though. I want to work more on establishing my new exercise framework (the 2-day split), and observing my results over the next few weeks to see if I can continue losing fat but holding onto (or gaining) some muscle.

Incidentally, I realize I've reached that 160-lb goal that I stated and then retracted, back at the start of May. I guess it wasn't so unreasonable after all, and I reached it 22 days early! As I've been saying, though, I'd be happy to stick around at 160 for awhile right now, to adjust to the new weight and to continue working on shifting the body composition. So through the end of this challenge, I've decided I will allow myself those 30 extra Points per week, which keeps me on the plan but allows a little extra leeway as I work on adjusting my exercise routine.

Day 77 - Maintaining Pretty Well

I've exceeded my weekly Points allowance by 9.5 as of tonight, the last night of the week. It has also been my least physically active week since before the challenge started, so I'll be curious to see how it reflects in my weigh-in tomorrow. I don't feel bad about any of this because it's been an unusual and rather stressful week and I'm maintaining pretty well. I haven't had heart palpitations all week, and yet I've still done a reasonable amount of maintenance exercise and I've stuck to the plan. (The Points overage is acceptable because I was planning on allowing up to 30 extra Points per week for a few weeks anyway, in my attempt to "cool it" and maintain for awhile).

Day 76 - Late Night Carbs

I really enjoy my late-night cereal snack. It's usually shredded wheat with skim milk, which are both Core foods, but I often add a little bit of a second cereal (even if I have to count it) to make it interesting. Referring to this habit, a friend of mine said today: "You know what your body does with late-night carbs, right?" Yes, the current popular wisdom seems to be that they will turn into fat. Oh well, I've been eating this way ever since starting the Core Plan, and I've consistently lost weight anyway, so I'm not ready to give it up. Maybe someday I'll have to reconsider, if perhaps I reach a difficult plateau and can't seem to lose any more fat, but for now I'm going to keep on enjoying my late-night carbs, yum!

Day 75 - New Exercise Challenge

Today I'm 3/4 of the way through this 100-day challenge, so I'm nearing the home stretch! I think I've already gotten my answer, though, to the question of whether this plan can work for me. It definitely HAS worked, and more dramatically that I even hoped for. It looks like I will reach that 160-lb mark after all, even though I was unsure at the outset whether that would be realistic.

Also today, I started a new challenge on the exercise front, which is 200 Days Through the End of the Year. Basically it's just a formal statement of my intention to continue exercising regularly, the way I have been since the start of this year. Not that the routine will be the same, but just the habit of doing something most every day of the week. I will continue to post my workout updates over on the MTM forums, follow the link for more on that.

Day 74 - Stocking Up

I went on a big grocery shopping trip today, to stock up on things to get me through the next week or so. I knew exactly what I needed, and felt confident about my healthy choices. That may seem like a rather mundane observation, but in the past I used to feel guilt and confusion at the grocery store. I knew that I should, for example, eat more fruits and vegetables, but felt overwhelmed by the variety, and clueless as to how to prepare them. Now I've got some good solid recipes in my repertoire. Even though I may have a relatively small number of them, it has made such a difference in my attitude, and my belief that I have some basic tools to build a healthy diet.

Day 73 - New Workout Plan

In light of my troubles last week, which might have been due to overtraining, I'm trying out a new framework for exercise called a 2-day split. This is a repeating pattern of 3 days:

1. Upper Body
2. Lower Body & Abs
3. Rest

Meanwhile, I'll be doing cardio every other day, 3 or 4 times per week. This is a decrease from what I was doing, but I'll give it a try and see how the results pan out. I'd be happy to just maintain for a little while before heading off again to lose more weight. Hopefully I'll be able to put on some lean mass, even if I do continue to lose some weight in the form of fat. My arms are nice and sore from Monday's upper body workout, so that's a good sign!