So I stopped tracking and started to workout less...

healthybodyhealthylife
healthybodyhealthylife Posts: 189 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I had been tracking consistently since July 2013. My calories would vary as I was trying to find the sweet spot, usually somewhere between 1600-2000 calories a day depending on how intensely I worked out. I would also be working out, sometimes 2x a day doing things such as running, Insanity, lifting heavy weights and Jillian Micheal's DVDs just because I am a total endorphin junkie. All in all I was working incredibly hard and probably should have been improving my physique but in reality my physique wasn't really changing very much. Yeah there were differences between my August 2013 body and January 2014 body but I feel all of that change happened during October-December when I did the 60 day Insanity challenge. Outside of those 60 days, I don't think my physique has changed enough to give all my hard work justice.

Now, here comes the strange part. At the end of January, I stopped counting straight up. I felt it was really affecting my idea of normal eating - I was starting to live off protein shakes and junk food and that is no where near a lifestyle or a healthy one at that. I wanted to be more in tune with my body and focus on nourishing my body with good foods that would benefit my health in the long run, so I quit tracking. I now eat when I'm hungry, stop when I'm satisfied (and occasionally pigging out :drinker: ) and eating whatever I like within reason. This isn't always 'clean' food, probably about 60% 'clean' foods IMO but it is waayyy healthier than my old diet in my books! Around this time, my routine kind of became a bit hectic and I stopped working out as much and for not as long. Whereas before I was probably having 8 workout sessions a week, now I'm working out 4-5x a week.

I AM BLOWN AWAY BY HOW MY BODY IS RESPONDING TO THIS! I SEE AB LINES ERR' MORNING! WTH? :huh: :noway: I feel leaner, my stomach and thighs are shrinking and my cellulite is improving. I don't weigh myself very much, but I do know that I'm weighing on average 1kg less than I was before. WHAT GIVES??? Any explanations for this? I'm scared this will catch up on me!!! :explode:

Replies

  • cpusmc
    cpusmc Posts: 122
    IMO the changes you made have kick started your body and knocked you off a "plateau". Your body quickly adapts to diets and exercise and if we keep them "the same or close to" over an extended period the result is often no change. By making 2 big moves, your diet and your exercise, your body is adapting and those changes you are seeing are the result. I would not change a thing until you again hit that point where you have gone a couple months and seen no change, either good or bad, which could be your sign to once again change things up. Many times the changes dont have to be big but just enough to throw the body a curveball so it does not stay in a static state. Good luck...
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    You are likely eating less than when you were tracking. I've stopped tracking too because before I started tracking I lost almost 30 lbs. Once I joined MFP and started tracking, I slowly gained 10 of it back. I'm not blaming tracking for that. I realize it's all me. I obsess over numbers too much.

    But for me, I can maintain a balanced healthy diet better by intuitive eating. I stopped logging last month and slowly those 10 lbs are coming back off. I'm convinced this is because I'm listening to what my body tells me it needs, instead of trying to fit food into numbered slots.

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