Healthy Living in Connecticut Blog

I haven't heard any updates from my team mates this week but hopefully they're doing well.

I'm on vacation this week on my way to Virginia but thought I would update about my challenge.

Picture this: June 2009. Fifty-five years old and at my highest weight ever. Recently laid off and feeling, well, not good! Join the local YMCA to swim because I’m too embarrassed to be seen in a gym.

I thought I was done with wellness challenges. I did two challenges at the Northwest CT YMCA, two walking challenges sponsored by the Bridgeport Regional Business Council and even a triathlon challenge at the Greater Waterbury YMCA, all in about two years.

Now I'm in another challenge at the Northwest CT YMCA, this one being titled the "Fitness Commitment Challenge". The only reason I decided to join this challenge is that it focuses on something the other ones didn't, that being body fat percentage. My trainer wants my body fat to be around 13 so I still have a way to go.

My suspicions were confirmed.  My jumpstart weight-loss had stalled.  Why? Stupidity on my part. As much as I thought I was following my program I inadvertently introduced elements that were different and it has put a bump in the road. 

Zero Calorie does not equal zero Carbs

I am following a low carb food strategy and I started using Truvia sweetener.  Truvia carries 3g of carbs per packet. Shame on me for assuming it was carb free as other sweeteners I had used in times past.  Truvia IS the healthy way to go... but for now I will hold off on using it until the maintenance phase of the diet.  Since I drink Green tea like a fiend, I was consuming about 35-45 grams of carbs per day alone with Truvia.  That is what I believe is causing the the jumpstart weight-loss to stall.  For the jumpstart program to work, I need to consume next to 55-75 grams of carbs per day for 8 days... (And yes it is not that fun... remember, jumpstarts for any type of diet plan, are to be tolerated... anyone selling "fun" is trying to sell you product, I'd say to save your money.) The rest of the intake is an overload of protein, minimal fats, appropriate amount of salt and a whole lot of water.

I've followed my diet plan 2 other times before in my life. Both times I have lost about 8-10 pounds in the first week of the diet during the jumpstart period.  This go around I decided to try something different by throwing in light cardio exercise.

Things are turning out different.  

The scale is still somewhat static and has not changed much since the start.  So far I am only down about 3 pounds as of the begining of day 5.  Now this could be good or bad.  I am unsure what to make of it at this point.  One fact is I have pounds of food sitting in my system that have not been "evacuated" yet so in another day my weight may shift down again. But on another side, is my daily exercising the reason I am not losing as I did before.  Is the exercise somehow interrupting the fat burning process? I guess a little more time will tell.