Weigh in Wednesday, week 17

I've gained a pound this week.  There, I said it. I'm not proud of it, but it's there. Actually, my weight has been all over the place this week, causing me to really consider going back to weighing once a week.  I was as high as 3 pounds gained and finally came down to 129.

I really don't know what happened.  I will say I've been eating more sugar this week, but still watching my calories.  And I will say I bumped up my calorie intake because I was hoping to lose less each week.  If you've been following me, you know I've been losing decently for the last 5 weeks or so.  I'm getting to where I only have a few pounds to go until I meet my goal.  So, I wanted to slow the loss down so that I didn't blow right past it.  Unfortunately, I gained some back.

BUT, I didn't gain any inches, if anything I have toned up.  My arms are starting to really show that I've been lifting weights several times a week.  And I've been wracking up tons of miles on the treadmill, and even some outside this week.

So why the weight GAIN?  I started reading about this and one article suggested that many runners gain weight because they don't eat right.  Yep.  They can run all they want, but if they are not eating well, they are going to gain weight.  This same article suggested a 50/25/25 program that makes a lot of sense to me, and I was even planning to do something similar to this anyway.  50% of the calories I eat should come from carbs.  25% from protein, and 25% from healthy fats.  (Avocados, nuts, etc.)  No matter how hard I looked at this article, cake balls weren't listed anywhere.  Neither were chocolate chip cookies.  Drat.

All along I had been thinking that if I stay within my calorie limit, I will lose weight, it doesn't matter what I eat within those calories.  And I think for the most part it's true.  But, add in running, or any exercise program, and you really need to start watching how you eat your calories.

BUT PLEASE!  Eating chocolate is NOT a sin!  God wants us to enjoy a treat every now and then!  I had one friend say this week, "I just ate three oreos and I don't even feel bad about it."  I was happy for her!  We shouldn't feel bad if we're enjoying these treats every now and then. It's when we do it a lot that it becomes a problem. Even though I am going to be trying out this 50/25/25 plan, I am still going to have a few "Happy calories" each day.  Forget about trying to steer clear of it altogether! 

One reason I got so excited about this 50/25/25 eating plan is that it goes right along with eating whole.  Some call it eating clean.  Fruits, veggies, nuts, lean meats, etc. Anything you can grow in your garden is good to eat.  Anything you can pronounce in the ingredient list is okay to eat.  So basically anything God has made is going to be good for your body.  All this other processed crap is not going to be recognized by your body and will be stored as fat and can even cause disease. 

So, I have reset my goals on Myfitnesspal.com to automatically keep track of my carbs, fat, and protein and I am finding it easier than I thought it would be.  I can still enjoy a treat every day, and I will be following a good, whole eating lifestyle. 

The last time I did this eating whole thing, it took me about a month to really love it.  A salad with no dressing was depressing. But, if you can imagine it, eventually I started to drool every time I was making my spinach salad.  God has made so many wonderful flavors!  Tomatoes, cauliflower, sunflower seeds, etc.  Hard boiled eggs, a little salt and pepper, and you've got a healthy, delicious lunch!  I'm excited to eat this way again.  :) Do you know how much vitamin A is in a handful of spinach?  I think you will be surprised!

How about you?  What do you eat everyday and do you think it affects more than just your weight?  What are your goals and what are you doing TODAY to reach them?