Road trip results on EM2WL

Hey kids-

This is my third week eating more after a long time at 1000-1200 calories (with binges every now and then). I'm trying to hit somewhere around my TDEE-15% number which is about 2100. I usually fall short a bit, but always eat at least my BMR (1435). I gained about 4 pounds the first week or so and then lost one. (But that's after gaining one pound in 30 days on the 1200 calorie plan while running about 7 hours a week... I can't begin to express how awful that felt.) I have about 10-15 pounds I'd like to lose by November- I'm okay with it taking some time.

In the past, I've always eaten carefully before road trips so that I'd have extra calories to splurge. I'd eat a lot of heavy meals/treats on the trip, probably exercise (lots of the trips involved a half or full marathon), and always find myself up 3-4 pounds the morning after I'd get home. I would blame water retention, sodium, muscle soreness, whatever- but it was always depressing and would take at least a week to get back to my starting weight.

So, I just returned from a 3 day road trip with my new eating lifestyle. We went to Chattanooga- I ate burgers, sweet potato fries, mini cupcakes, ice cream, etc.- relatively small portions, but still things I don't normally eat! I had a hard time logging my food but made the best guesses I could. I tried to meet my macros (I did have way too much sugar, but decided I didn't care). Both nights I ate a PowerBar because my overall calories were too low (of course, fuzzy math because of the guesses). I felt like a crazy person sneaking my PowerBars... (my mom and kids were with me- my mom is a total VLCD person, thus the sneaking. LOL)

For the first time in recent memory, I didn't feel guilty eating "bad" stuff. What a liberation! We walked a lot and I went on one 5 mile run. Everyone with me just wanted to rest at the hotel while I went on my run- I had so much energy! I got on the scale this morning totally prepared to see a gain as usual-- I LOST A POUND! That is crazy.

I know I will probably have to do a reset at some point and those certainly aren't my normal foods, but I'm amazed that I didn't balloon up. So hang tight, kids. I think this is really working.

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