Expectations

Weigh In: 211.5, -1.5 overall

Let's talk about expectations.  I lost 1.5 lbs after my first week of being "on plan".  I worked out 2 days at the gym and walked an additional 3 days at home.  My eating was probably 95% paleo this week.  I was really, really proud of how I'd done.  And yet...1.5.  Seems low for the first week.  But again...this is focusing negatively on a good thing.  I lost 1.5 lbs my first week!  If I can keep up with that trend, that's 78 lbs after 52 weeks.  That's my GOAL.  So I'm track to obtain my goal this year with just 1.5 lb  per week.  That's a good thing!!  I'm on target.  And it was relatively EASY.  I didn't feel deprived.  I didn't feel it was monstrously difficult to stick to plan or start getting the shakes.  Even the sugar withdrawal wasn't that bad.  So really it all comes down to expectations.  I'm not doing some fab diet or protein shakes or anything like that.  I'm doing what I know I can stick to, what I know I won't give up on immediately.  And I lost 1.5.  And I'm happy with that.

While we're on the subject of expectations... At the height of my fitness level, the very best I had gotten... I was working out at least 5 days a week, sometimes doing 2x/day.  I was lifting weights, cycling, zumbaing (just for fun!), running and kickboxing.  When I wasn't at the gym, I was hiking or rock climbing or swimming.  I was strong and had stamina.  This first week back at the gym, not so much.  I had tried going back to the gym back before Christmas and promptly hyperextended my elbow.  I decided to start back slow and so thought back to how I started before.  And honestly, I started with walking.  No more, no less.  So that's what I'm starting with again.  My first day looked something like this:

Yes, it took me over an hour to do a 5k.  It's hard to believe at one time, I had gotten to the point where I could knock out a 5k in less than 40 minutes.  That was Monday.  I went back to the gym on Wednesday and was STILL SORE FROM MONDAY.  So I did what I could...slower pace, longer run.  I did 30 minutes on a bike, and 1.5 hours on the treadmill.  And you know what?  It doesn't matter.  The point is I'm doing SOMETHING.  Instead of sitting on my butt or hitting a happy hour or grabbing a Starbucks coffee, I'm moving.  I may be moving slowly but I'm moving and EVENTUALLY, I can get back to my old level.  I'm just going to have to work a lot harder to get there.