Week 6, Project 17: Out of Excuses

Guest blogger and HTS client, Julie, continues her fat loss quest....

I lost .5 pounds and .3% body fat since last week, so I am at 127.5 and 18%. Only 1% to go! Remember that I started at 136 and 21.6%.

I am disappointed with my dedication this week. I should have capitalized on my “freebie week” of being sick, but I did not. Those Girl Scout cookies caught up with me, and I tanked on my diet. There’s good news and bad news in this. The good news is that I did not “tank” as I would have historically. For example, instead of eating the whole sleeve of cookies, I’d eat 2 or 4. I actually read the calories on the side of the box. I know this sounds silly or like a justification, but it’s not. It just explains why I am hovering at 18% instead of climbing back up to 19%. It also means I am dangerously close to really blowing it.

The bad news has to do with WHY I was eating: stress. Until recently, I would have never considered myself an emotional eater. However, it became a truth I could not escape. Stress, boredom, nervousness---those are my weak areas that caused me to reach out for the nearest niblet. This past week was jam-packed with stress, pressure, and negativity---definitely outside the normal range. It served as a reminder that, while I have made progress, my habits are not solidified. I still have not made that switch over to the much touted “lifestyle change”.

As always my workouts were a breeze for me. Working out is such a release for me that I am typically diligent about that during stressful times. If I didn’t get there last week, I can’t imagine what my state of mind would have been. I am also making gains in how much I am lifting. It’s about time for me to see Dan and get a change in the routine. I’ve been dragging my feet because I’ve loved this workout so much. I should say I love the strength component—I’m not sure I’ll ever love the metabolic conditioning.

I feel like I’ve been off-track for the past three weeks, which is half of the time of been doing this. Fortunately, I have enough on the ball that I have still moved toward my goal. It is time for me to recommit and get focused. (Have I said this before?) I am 1% away from my goal of 17% body fat, and just over 1 week away from spring break. Diet, diet, diet---that is the key. And I feel better when I’m getting it right, so it’s time to solidify those positive changes I have made and move forward.