Not a Loser - Still a Winner.

I knew this day would come: the day when the scale was kind of mean. I've seen it time and time again with people across the map trying to lose weight. First few weeks are great, nothing has changed, and a weight gain. It's OK. I'm here to tell you now, it's OK.

This is why we take body measurements. This morning I weighed in at 2.5 pounds heavier than I was last week. Not only did I gain, I also went back over the 150 that I never wanted to see again. It's OK. Really, it is. I lost 4.25 inches off my body. This means, in 3 weeks, I've lost a total of 3.5 pounds and 12.25 inches. This is called change in body composition.

Here's why I presume I 'gained' weight this week. Keep in mind that there's a difference between fat gain and muscle gain. And keep in mind that muscle weighs four times more than fat.

This week was the first week (since the start) that I started exercising. And I exercised every day. I strength-trained twice, swam twice, biked once and ran once. Plus I did my 75 kettlebell swings 4 out of the 7 days. I am trying to put muscle on - that's how an endurance athlete gains power.

So I am not discouraged in the least about the increase in weight on the scale. I like my measurements. I like them a lot. Can you believe I've lost a total of 12.25 inches in just three weeks? If I hadn't been measuring, the scale would have pissed me off today. It would have pissed me off last week too.

I'm here to tell you the importance of taking body measurements. The importance of taking body fat % is great too, but I don't have the money to do that right now. So measurements are doing the work for me.

This coming week I need to focus on a few things:

1. I need to drink a LOT more water. Especially so now that I'm back to my full-time training.
   
2. I am going to start drinking coffee again, and I don't feel the need to eliminate half & half. I've stopped needing sugar for anything. But I am pretty sure coffee has always kept me regular. I'm eating TONS of fiber, and [TMI warning]: I'm so backed up. I can't deal anymore. Coffee, come back to me. Tea, you can stay too. I love you both.
   
3. I need a post-workout snack or meal. I will read the book and figure out what will best serve my needs, but I don't like the feeling of not eating for an hour or two after I workout because it takes me that long to get a hold of food. Any suggestions, please comment below.
   

That's all for now. Thanks for reading. More to come...

Cheers!