My monthly fatloss progress report....

Today's Post:  Monday, 3-18-2013

As is often typical, this month's monthly report is mixed; but this one is MUCH better than last time.

Over the last four weeks, a bit of the MAJOR improvements I think are coming finally began to show up.

I lost 4 & a half pounds on the scale this month!

The much more effective strength training and resulting muscle gain;  the greater control of my evening snacks; and my big drop in wheat and lactose intake are totally repeatable!  And, I am now doing these by habit and plan to continue them all.

But the mixed review part is: 

a)  I lost the 4 &  a half  pounds in the first 3 of the four weeks and remained the same the last week. 

So, to lose the last one & a half pounds on the scale to reach my goal weight and lose the rest of the 21 & a half pounds of excess fat I still have, I likely need to cut a bit more from the foods I normally eat each week.

b)  I lost no inches at all on my waist.  My hip measurement went down a half inch and my muscle definition in my thighs improved.

So I need to do what I just listed and cut a bit more from the foods I normally eat each week. 

But I mostly need to begin to make faster progress on adding 20 more pounds of muscle.

The cuts I've come up with to add are these.  When I removed the 2 ounces of wheat germ I was adding to 4 ounces of rolled oats 7 days every two weeks -- roughly every other day 6 of the 7 times each two weeks, I boosted the rolled oats to 6 ounces.  So from now on, I'll leave just the four ounces.  That way my breakfast will take up less room and stretch my stomach less; and I'll cut enough calories to lose all or part of the remaining 1 & a half pounds to my goal weight.

I also decided to remove one of the remaining slices of whole grain bread that contains wheat every two weeks.

Once I find a good low glycemic, high protein, high fiber, no gluten bread I'll switch to that 3 of the remaining 4 slices of bread every  two weeks that still have whole wheat in them.

Then, I'll finally only eat a food with wheat once a week. 

When I started deleting wheat, even 100 % whole wheat, I was eating 6 slices of bread that was mostly 100 % whole wheat every two weeks and the 2 ounces of wheat germ with my oatmeal 7 times each two weeks.

Soon I'll only eat one slice of bread that is mostly 100 % whole wheat one week and 2 ounces of wheat germ the next week – or only one serving of a wheat food a week.

Between those two strategies I think that will help trim my calories a small but fat loss effective amount.

I've finally begun to rehab my right shoulder effectively that has been limiting my arm and chest strength training.  And, I found a couple things to do that seem to be speeding its healing. 

Meanwhile, just today, Sunday, 3-17, as I write this, I've begun increasing my leg work and weights.

So between the parts, I'll begin to resume adding muscle more effectively over the next 3 months.

Andre Jackson, a personal trainer I met with last Friday, in fact said that if I became able to do three times as long workouts three days a week instead of one for the super slow strength training, I might have a shot at adding 20 pounds of muscle in one month.

I may be a bit too old to respond to that much more exercise that well and don't have the time for it.  But it still is inspiring to me to do more than I have which I think WILL add the 20 pounds but just take a bit longer.  I can do some of these extra sets for my calves and buttocks and thighs and for push ups in my once a week exercises to force a bit more progress on these big muscle exercises. And, I can keep using more weight and repetitions for my calf exercises as I've already begun to do. 

Also, until my shoulder rehab is done, I can also do those extra sets for it with lighter weights until I can gradually get it back to where it was before.

Conclusion:

Between cutting more calories with the exercise bike at work and adding that extra muscle in my at home strength training, I NOW EXPECT to see no more weight gains on the scale AND to see some lower waist measurements!  I'll lose fat and add muscle.

At the very least, the added cuts in my calorie intake each week will help me lose a few pounds on the scale.

I still feel I now feel I am in control of the process.  Now it will be mostly adding just a few more tweaks to what I eat and maintaining what I'm already doing; but really making an extra effort with the strength training.