Argh!! Water Weight Gain Sucks!

DAY 161/180

Weight Loss Stats:
Weight 244 lbs - Loss 57.6 - %Loss 19.1%

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I'm amazed what you can learn when you treat your body as your "laboratory." I've learned so much about diet and exercise these last few months that to see these lessons apply themselves in my day-to-day life is simply amazing. I've learned that there's much more to fat loss than simply counting calories or cutting "bad" carbs. There's a science to food's effect on hormone levels and, consequently, to its effect on everything from mood, to sleep patterns, and even water retention. I've learned that controlling one's cravings has more to do with a positive insulin balance than with any form of "willpower." I've experienced this firsthand and learned it's the reason why the chronically overweight continue to eat and eat long after their bodies have had their fill - insulin spikes keep the brain craving for more food. Once again, I've seen for myself the negative effects of poor food choices. Today, just one day after celebrating the 60th pound of fat lost, I've gained 3 pounds all on account of one mango and about two cups' worth of trail mix! That's it! Calorie-wise, I ate well below maintenance yesterday, but decided to "treat" myself to a mango after breakfast and a little trail mix in the evening. Well, that's all it took for my body to retain 3 pound's worth of water, not-to-mention, suffer a splitting headache and nausea the entire day. I felt like crap all day after eating that mango. I also slept nearly 12 hours straight and still woke up feeling groggy and disoriented. Folks, carbs are evil! Period!

As for my all-around efforts this past week, despite some minor deviations from my original plan - and the subsequent gain in water weight - I am extremely proud of myself. I trained 2-a-days Mon. through Fri., ate extremely clean everyday (except Saturday), and managed to come within a hair's breadth of my goal weight. This week, I plan on following a similar plan with the express goal of getting as close to 235 as humanly possible. This all depends on how quickly I can lose the water weight gained.

So, it seems, this week will be another interesting experiment on weight loss. Following is my plan to achieve this goal:

PLAN MON. 6/15/09 - SUN. 6/21/09:

1. Train 2-a-days Mon. through Sun. Do an AM Spin class at the gym followed by an hour speed walking on the treadmill at 65% of MAX Heart Rate.

2. Eat clean and track all meals in my diet log.

3. Drink 6 oz of Orange Peel tea twice daily.

4. Drink 80 oz of Green Tea per day.

5. Get a solid 8 hours of sleep per night

Wish me luck!