12-Week 30-Pound Challenge: Week 2 Recap

Last week’s recap is a bit late. Sorry!

Week 2, By the Numbers

I was thrilled to see 181 this week for the first time in years!  You’ll notice that I’m seeing an overall declining trend in both weight and fat mass, which is great, considering I’m only 2 weeks into the challenge.

I’ve changed the way that I’m reporting my weight from Monday-Monday to Sunday-Sunday.  The reason for this is that my weight seems to usually be the at the lowest point of the week on Sunday morning, but by Monday it usually climbs a few pounds again.  I suspect that has something to do with my fluid balance (extra water weight), but I haven’t pinpointed the exact cause yet.  Since Saturday night is usually my one weekly drinking night, it’s possible that the dehydration caused by drinking is the reason for my lower Sunday weight.

I’ve decided to base my personal assessment of how I’m doing on my lowest weight for any given week, since it’s virtually impossible to see an accurate representation of changes from day to day.

What Went Well This Week

• Again, I made it to the gym all 5 days.  I’m really starting to value the gym time instead of dreading it, because it gives me time to myself every night.  On cardio days, I read motivational books on my Kindle while I use the elliptical machine, and while I’m doing my weight training exercises, I listen to audio books.
• My water intake has increased significantly this week.  I credit the fact that I’ve become more comfortable with working at home where I have access to bottled water more easily.  I went through about 12 1L bottles of Smart Water over the course of the week.
• I had a few of my first big social challenges this week.  On Wednesday, I met for drinks with a friend, and I managed to stay content only drinking Diet Coke.  On Saturday, I went to a birthday party where I avoided cupcakes and drinking too much (I stuck to my 3-drink limit).  Temptation doesn’t really seem to be an issue for me now that I’ve adjusted to my new lifestyle.

What I Can Improve On Next Week

• I’ve got to make sure I’m eating breakfast every day.  This is hugely important.  Some days when I stay up late working, I don’t wake up until after 10am, and by the time I get ready, it’s almost lunchtime.  Because of that, I end up missing a meal, which I know can be detrimental to my success.
• I need to cut back on my caffeine intake.  A sale on 5-Hour Energy this week at Walgreens led to a bit of over-caffeination.  I’m dropping that habit pronto.
• I’m still not taking my daily picture on a regular basis.  I’m going to keep pushing myself to do it, even though I hate taking unflattering shirtless pictures.  I just have to keep reminding myself that the end result will show my progress in a way that I won’t be able to notice on my own.