“If it can be thought, it can be done. A problem can be overcome.”
— E.A. Bucchianeri
Before I start, let me just give an overview of my day yesterday. I indulged in what I’d like to call “The last supper that happened all day.” I ate and I ate. It was mostly thoughtless eating. A few Why am I doing this? thoughts came to my mind with just a shrug between chews and a bit of sadness in between bites. I knew very well what I was doing, but continued anyway. This is how the cycle of overeating repeats itself. It’s almost very close to the definition of insanity; to do the same thing over and over again expecting different results.
So with that out of the way, I hopped on the scale this morning and used my Inevifit app to get the complete results of my weight, BMI, body fat and muscle mass. The results? Well, they weren’t great, but they were actually not as bad as I would have guessed after a day long binge session.
Alright, so there you have it. I am currently sitting at 194.4 pounds. My body fat is pretty high as is my BMI. It is what it is at this point. I can be mad about it and beat myself up, or I can learn from it and see where to go from here. So that’s what I did. I quickly got onto the TDEE Calculator to see where my BMR was sitting and where my caloric intake should be. While my smart scale is very useful for letting me know on its end where I should be, I like to always cover my bases.
So as you can tell, according to TDEE, if I want to stay the weight I’m at, I can easily consume 1,700 worth of calories each day. However, I really don’t like where my weight is sitting and I need to make a deficit in my caloric intake.
The rule of thumb to lose weight in a slow, steady and healthy manner is typically 1 pound a week. With that in mind, a deficit of 500 calories a day would easily add up to one pound.
1,721 – 500 = 1,221 calories
And there we have it. From here on out, for the time being, if I stick to a diet consisting of 1,221 calories, I should effectively lose one pound a week. Now, this is for a sedentary lifestyle. I could pick up my activity levels and these stats could change. But for now, we’ll stick to 1,221 calories.
I chose the goal weight of 120 pounds because it’s right between the healthy weights for someone my height; between 115 and 126 pounds. I would like to keep a happy medium so my weight could fluctuate between the two without having to worry about increasing my BMI much more.
The saying “slow and steady wins the race” is definitely the case when it comes to weight loss. Lose too much too fast and it’s very quick to come back. Losing it at a slower, steadier pace means a better chance at keeping it off longer. While you spend this time learning how to break bad habits, facing the psychological issues behind the initial weight gain, it gives you a chance to relearn new and healthier habits along the way. This is the mentality that I have to recognize and keep in mind at all times.
Next Friday, I will post my second weigh in and see where I am at, what I’ve learned, what challenges I’ve faced and so on. If you’re following, I appreciate the support! If you’re joining me, I support you all the way!
Unfit For Human Consumption 