Nibble it, Scribble It.

Sunday: Family party! No working out for me.
Today: Trainer Routine

I'm trying something new. Well, kind of new. I've always done well with Weight Watchers- making smart choices and recording what you eat are critical elements to any weight loss plan. Seriously. Have you ever sat down and wrote down every bite you've taken over a day? It's shocking how many little nibbles or splashes we have throughout the day- and every little bit counts. Even fat free coffee creamer, which gets me every damn day. Under the new program, calories aren't a factor. In a previous blog post, I talked about the new program and how it worked- and how my friend, Dana, disagreed about the calories not being taken into consideration. While I was on the new program, I lost and gained the same 12 lbs. No calories counted- it was straight fat, fiber, protein and carbs.

This week, I'm going to log my food with the WW points, but also write the calorie amounts next to it. My goal is to stay within my points AND within my calorie allotment. I'm not sure if this is possible, but why not try? I've been back on track for a solid 10 days, and while I'm down 5lbs already (YAY water weight!), I'm still not at goal.

According to calorie counters online, a woman of my.... um... stature should be eating about 2096 calories a day to successfully lose 1.5lbs a week (the general rule of thumb with calories and weight loss is to slash your calorie intake by 250-500 calories/day, meaning to maintain my weight, I should eat 2596 calories a day). This will make me achieve my 30 lb goal by December 10, 2011. This calorie count assumes that I am moderately active- I stay somewhat mobile during the work day and I work out at least 3x a week. The next option, "Extremely Active," was just downright scary and not accurate at all.

If, by chance, I'm "Extremely Active" one day- like on Dash Day- I will add those extra burned calories to my daily maintenance total (2556) and subtract 500. For example (hey, this is for me, not you "math people" who can do this in your head), I do the trainer workout AND run one night (which will hopefully start happening), earning an extra 270 calories (wait, that's IT?! I CALL SHENANIGANS!). I will then have 2826 calories to maintain, and 2326 calories to consume and still lose weight. Make sense? It does to me... kind of.

Can't I just work out, eat healthy, and lose weight? Why do I have to battle with not eating enough or eating too much!?