Why I Am Working Out Less... And Losing MORE

For weeks now you all have seen my check-ins with my calories burned, how long I've worked out, and the workouts I've reported. I've lost a little bit of weight and am feeling pretty darn good. However, the one thing that I noticed while on this intense workout regimen is that no matter how hard and how much I worked out, I wasn't losing as much weight as I was hoping to lose. I was wanting to lose 2 pounds per week (and if I'm being honest, I wanted to lose more than that weekly) and was doing well with staying within my activity level and eating within my daily calorie limitations. I wasn't seeing the results that I was anticipating. After a lot of thought (and a day off from the gym) I noticed a few things.

First, I wasn't accurately logging my calorie intake. I LOVE the Lost it! app. I use it every single day. However, the biggest food diary no-no that I was committing was I wasn't logging supper. After working out for an hour, I felt as if I could just eat whatever I wanted for dinner (remember taco night and spaghetti night? There was also pizza night, too) and it was fine. I deserved it. I worked my tail off.
Wrong. Because I wasn't logging those calories, I was eating (albeit reasonable portions) more calories than I had intended.

Next, I noticed although I was having my post-workout protein drink, I wasn't EATING anything. Huge no-no. When you work out, your body temperature raises and chemicals are released that make you feel wonderful afterwards, so food is the last thing on your mind. What happened then is because I only had a 96-calorie drink post-workout, I wasn't recovering nearly as much nutrients as I should have been recovering something more than 100 calories after a 500-calorie sweat session. Although the basic rule for weight loss is burn more calories than you consume, my body was basically telling me to piss off because I wasn't rewarding it with well-deserved nutrients within a reasonable timeframe.

Finally, I was actually working out WAY TOO MUCH! My body was craving rest. I worked out every single day and took a "day off" on Sunday. However, I still found myself in the gym on Sunday with my husband, doing something and doing my Sunday activities such as walking or biking or swimming. Our bodies crave movement and exercise and health, but I was really going overboard.

The results? Working out way too much (at least an hour a day; 70-90 minutes on cardio days), not properly logging my food intake, and not eating after a workout was a disaster. Although I reported a couple of pounds lost, I actually started this week at ground zero: 155 pounds. On Sunday, after I opted to actually SKIP the gym for once, I got to thinking.

At my lowest weight (which was 137 pounds last summer), I consumed an average of 1200-1500 calories a day during my diet phase. I did 45-minute cardio sessions three days a week and lifted a different three days a week. I had an alarm set and ate every three hours- NO EXCUSES- and logged every single bite that passed my lips. I had started that weight loss journey in December of 2011 weighing 163 pounds and weighed 137 pounds by spring break in March of 2012. I made simple changes then that made large strides.

Looking back at then versus now, I realize something: SIMPLICITY IS KEY FOR ME. Lately, I have been making weight loss and health too complicated. I was working out too much. I wasn't eating enough. I was making mistakes that cost me big time.

Now, I am logging everything I eat. My Lose it! app is my best friend. I discovered it had a barcode scanner that allows me to scan the barcodes for the foods I use that aren't fresh produce. I am back to setting my alarm to eat every three hours- NO EXCUSES! I am no longer logging in unnecessary hourlong sweat sessions daily. I'll keep using my existing workout model of four days weights and two days of cardio. Sundays are dedicated days off. The only exception would be if I know I'm going to miss a workout later in the week because of work or school or another obligation. I mean, I still have to be flexible and reasonable, right? Life throws curve balls at us all the time.

My results so far have been good. I realized this on Sunday, so I'm only five days into this new version. I've lost two pounds already this week and I felt better leaving the gym today versus when I walked out last week. I'm holding myself accountable now. My mantra that I chanted in the previous weeks has changed ever so slightly. Even though I consider myself still working out harder, I am also working out SMARTER. Making smarter choices for my body and my well-being.

I'm looking forward to see if this revised approach to weight loss is beneficial to me. As the week has progressed, it seems that I have made changes for the better. Of course everyone is different. For some people, working out for an hour or two every single day is what works for them. I want you to find what works for you. Make sure it's still out of your comfort zone though. Just because I'm only spending an 30-40 minutes at the gym on my lifting days doesn't mean that I'm taking it easy. I'm adding those weights. I'm super setting. I'm kicking my ass and making the most of the time I have there. And it feels wonderful. On my cardio days (one so far this week: my spin class) I'm pushing myself and making sure that I'm huffing and puffing when class is over. I still want to die when spin is done, but I love every minute of it!

Do what's best for you. Make small changes and don't expect results overnight. We all fall off of the wagon sometimes. Sometimes, we hold on too tightly to that wagon and won't budge. Either way, the goal is to do your best, try your hardest, and at the end of the day, make yourself proud! This is YOUR life and not anyone else's. It's your job to make sure that you are the happiest and healthiest you that you can be. And if that means you workout less to reap better benefits, then so be it. Just be sure at the end of the day you are proud of what you've done for yourself.