Carrie's Total Body Makeover. Phase 2 - Day 1

Well, it's been ages since I've posted here!  Fear not, I haven't fallen off the wagon.  I just discovered MyFitnessPal.com, which is only the BEST weight-loss site EVER.  I mean it- it's amazing!  I can't say enough good things about it.  Best of all- it's free!  Can't get any better than that!


I've been pretty consistantly losing weight since I last posted.  Then my weight was 165.8lbs.  Today, it's (drumroll, please!) 148.4lbs!   17.4 pounds down altogether.  If you want to get TECHNICAL, I know that I'm carrying a good couple pounds water weight right now (TOM is due any day now!) so those should fall off pretty easily.


So, you ask, if you're doing such a good job with your weight loss journey.... why are you posting in your blog again? 


Here's the thing- I've been bouncing between 145 and 149 pounds for over a month now.  Plateau much?  I've learned that this is what happens when you lose this much weight this fast.  Your body goes, "Wait a minute!" and works harder to hold onto the fat.  Oh, also?  I don't totally hate myself anymore.


Four months ago, when I looked in the mirror I said, "ICK!  You're disgusting.  What is wrong with you?  You're a fat tub of lard and you need to fix this!"

Now I look in the mirror and I say, "Hey there sexy buns!  Looking good!"

That's not to say I look GOOD.  I'm still a good twenty pounds away from my final goal of 125.  However, I look so much better than I DID that it's hard to not just want to sit and savor the results.  So I've sat and savored... long enough. :)

So I've decided, on this Monday- the first Monday of Spring- that it was time to get my little buns back in action, and burn off these last few pounds.  My goal is to hit 125 by July 1, 2010.  This means I've got to lose 1.6 pounds per week in order to hit my goal.  DOABLE- but it's gonna take some time and commitment. 

That's where this blog comes in.  My lovely, sexy and BEAUTIFUL friend Ninny has started her own fitness/lifestyle challenge, which she's documenting in her own blog.  Since losing weight and getting healthy is so much easier (and FUN!) when you have someone doing it with you, I've decided to re-boot this blog and truck along with her. 

Also, I've found that I always dig deeper and work harder when I have someone to be accountable to.  This blog has helped me lose weight in the past, and I know it will help me in the future.  So consider this PHASE TWO of Carrie's total body makeover. 



Which brings me to my FAVORITE part.... the number crunching!  I love crunching numbers and setting goals, don't you???  No, seriously.  I love it!  I wish losing weight were as fun and easy as PLANNING to lose weight... ;)

Start weight: 148.4lbs
Target weight: 125
Goal Date: July 1, 2010
Days until goal: 101
Total loss goal: 23.4lbs
Pounds per week to meet goal: 1.62

Like I said- totally doable!  Let's go!  And hey, why stop here?

I work in a desk all day, but I also have two little boys, so I'd consider myself lightly active.  Based on my current age, height, weight my (estimated) TDEE is 2036kcal.  That is, I burn about that many calories just living my life, no exercise or anything.

So if there are 3500kcal in a pound of fat, and I need to burn 1.62 pounds per week, that means I need to create a deficit of 5670kcal per week in order to hit my target.  If I were going to do that through diet alone, that would mean reducing my caloric intake to 1225kcal per day.  However, I don't just want to lose weight- if I do that, I'll be skinny but FLABBY.  I also want to work on toning my muscles and becoming a more fit and healthy person.  So I'm going to work towards a caloric target per day of 1400-1500kcal per day, and aim for a minimum of 275 calorise burned per day through exercise.  While that may not sound like that much, it will require a bit of work.  Four months ago, I'd burn 275 calories in a twenty minute workout!  But after exercising 3-4 days a week over about 18 weeks, I've built up some pretty good endurance.  Now I burn 185 calories during a 25-minute stint of Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred!  Good- but makes weight loss that much harder!

Thank heavens for my Polar F6 heart rate monitor, which makes tracking calories burned that much easier!!!

I'll be keeping daily track of my weight loss journal here, and continuing to track everything at MFP (calories in vs. calories out).  If you'd like to join me at MyFitnessPal, my username is MercuryBlue.  I look forward to seeing you!