This has been such a crazy week. I wanted to make sure that I post today, because I don’t know that I will have time to over the weekend. Today is my Friday at work this week. Our 6 month old puppy, Lexi, is having surgery tomorrow. She has a spiral fracture in the back left femur that has to be re-broken, set, and have a steel plate inserted. She broke it when she was only a week or two old, and the fuck-tard breeders we got her from never had her treated. The bone has grown back in such a way that it is shaped like a boomerang. This has not only made it hard for her to walk, but it is causing hip dysplasia. Hopefully by having her treated now, we can help the bone heal the way it is supposed to, and spare her from any issues or injuries in the future. So, between Matt and my Dad’s birthdays today, Lexi’s surgery tomorrow, Madie’s soccer tournament this weekend, Matt’s family birthday party Saturday night and everything else we normally have going on – really don’t think the Fat Girl is going to be the first thing on my mind.
Anyhoo – this week has been a roller coaster. One day I am great, the next I am falling off the edge of the earth. I am all in – and now I’m quitting. I will keep eating right. No, I don’t want to exercise. Back and forth, up and down. Gain a pound, lose a pound. And a lot of it has to do with MFP.com. Just bear with me for a second here. I love it. I love MFP. I am on it every day. It has become MORE of a habit than Facebook – I know, right? But there is SO much information on there, and so many people are experts. And everyone else’s way is the BEST way. They talk about calories and deficits and BMRs and BMI's and do cardio, don't do cardio, do strength, don't do strength. What about Low Cal, vs. low carb, paleo and vegan, Eat your exercise calories, don’t eat them. ARRRGGHGGHHH!!! How in the hell is a normal person supposed to decipher all this?
Then, I found this thread – “MAJOR SUCCESS WITH HIGHER CALORIES”. Hmmmmm….. I was intrigued. The Fat Girl is listening. I started reading – and at first, I thought there was no way in hell. But the more and more I read, it actually started to make sense (in theory). Out of curiosity, I ran my numbers. HOLY FUCKING FAT KID! There is NO way that I could eat that much and lose weight. In fact, I’m not even sure how I would reach the calorie number that they gave me. But I couldn’t let it go! I left MFP and ventured out to do some of my own research. And low and behold, there is actual scientific research that supports this theory, and countless people that have been successful following it.
The theory is this – eat as if you are already at your goal weight. I know! It doesn’t make sense. I tried to tell you it was fucked up. It is hard to wrap your mind around eating more to lose more, because we've been told for so long that to lose weight you must eat less & exercise more. Have one celery stick per day – and run eleventy miles, and do a million squats – and TADA!!!! Supermodel. YEAH right. What really happens when we don’t eat is that our body goes into starvation mode, trying to save the FAT, so it has some fuel for the famine. When you exercise after starving yourself, your body “eats” muscle, and conserves the FAT. So, yes you will lose some weight by starving yourself. But regardless of what workout you are doing, you won’t be able to tone your body, because your body is eating the muscle, not the fat.
I was recommended to eat 1200 calories a day. Sometimes, I would eat LESS than that! Then I would work out EVERY day, burning an additional (almost) 300 calories. So let’s just say, I was basically eating about 700-800 calories a day. My body NEEDS 1450 calories just to work. To think, to breath, to walk, etc. I was STARVING MYSELF!!! That’s why I have not been seeing a change like I have wanted to. The muscles I thought I was toning are being consumed by my body, because I didn’t give it enough fuel during the day. The measurements haven’t changed, because my body is storing the fat, because I didn’t give it enough fuel during the day.
As I said before – I ran my numbers for this new program. In order to lose FAT, and not muscle, I have to consume 2,199 calories PER DAY. That’s right. I said it. I have to up my calorie consumption by 1000! Double what I am eating now!!! Still eating healthy, still focusing on nutritious, balanced meals and snacks, still working out 5 times a week. But I need to throw a lot more fuel on the fat burning fire. Now – to make sure my body doesn’t freak out while I am bumping my caloric intake up by 1000, I am only adding 200 calories per week. I might put on some water weight in the first week or so, but then the pounds should start falling off, and I should start seeing the results I have been longing for.
I am going for it. What’s the worst that could happen? I am at least going to give it a few weeks. If I keep gaining, and don’t start losing, then I will adjust and come right back. But – I think they have made a believer outta me.
PS - does anyone know how to stick my head on the picture at the very bottom? ;)
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