Weight Loss Wednesday: Muscle Atrophy

Have you taken a gander at the My Fitness Pal widget on the right side of my blog? Well it states that I've got 75 pounds to get to my goal weight. I've lost almost 30 pounds since signing up in 2010. Yeah I know, slow goes it. Anyway, one thing that number doesn't account for is inch loss.

Well I was going over my progress and inch loss and noticed something quite odd. It isn't really odd as it is more alarming. I found that while I've lost almost 30 pounds my inch loss is very minor. Extremely minor to be exact. You know what that means don't you? I'm losing muscle!! *gasp!*

Yep folks that is the only logical thing. You see when you weight train or even cross train where you're not only doing cardio but you're also working your muscles a bit at the end of the day you're strengthening them. Making them short and thick or long and lean. Well I ain't doing either. I'm losing muscle because I'm not doing much in the strength training department. I'm keeping it real folks. Yeah I will do a few squats here and there, but nothing that equates to muscle building.

You see muscle weighs more than fat but takes up less space. You know 'cause it's dense and what not. So when I evaluated my progress over the last 3+ years and loss less than 10 inches overall that's an eyeopener. I should've seen the signs. I'm an all or nothing type of fitness person I've realized that it takes my body about 2 weeks before I start to see the effects of muscle loss. I start to feel run down and tired for no reason, I have a hard time sleeping, and lets just say I'm not as "regular."

How do I know? Well think about how you feel when you've worked out consistently? You have more energy, you sleep more soundly, you crave healthier foods, just to name a few. Maybe I'm just speaking for myself but that is what I experience with regular exercise. I assume the opposite occurs when you don't work out.

With that being said I'm off to do a bit of weight training. I have to admit working out is not fun anymore, it never really has been. Unless I pop in my Zumba DVD, then it's a party! What happens when you're not in the party mood? Ugh.

Weight loss Wednesday: Slow and sort of steady

I'm a tortoise. I logged into My Fitness Pal today to log my weight loss. And I've lost almost 28 pounds!!! I originally started this journey September 2008 but started documenting my journey on MFP February 2010 at my heaviest ever! It has taken me almost 4 years to get where I am today. I have to admit I didn't think I was accomplishing much losing 0.2 pounds here or 0.6 pounds there. I was expecting 1-3 pounds lost per week.

Looking back it took losing 23 pounds to really feel like I've accomplished something. I was finally able to go down a dress size. I'm still trudging along though. I would be lying if I told you I don't get discouraged on a daily basis. I'm also inspired on a daily basis as well.

I'm at a point where I really need to push myself. I was talking to a classmate who is training to run 40 miles!! I thought to myself 40 miles?!?!?! You're lucky I can walk my neighborhood! He was telling me he wasn't training to see if he can do it. He knows he can, we all could. He's doing it so he can push himself. Break those mental boundaries he set for himself that has held him back. Yes, it will take physically training and conditioning to achieve that goal. In the end he is doing it to strenghten himself mentally. I thought that was so profound.

Here I am bitching and complaining about little minute hurdles that I deal with like getting up a little early to workout (which I have YET to do). I'm inspired now. No, not to run a marathon, although I plan on doing a 5k by February. Just to push myself. Test my endurance. Hit the wall then get through it. I haven't challenged myself like that. I'm up for the challenge. I have to take this journey up a notch.