"TLFC" exercise and accountability support!

Weekly check in:

157.6 lbs on the scale this morning.

That's a 1.5 lb loss for the past week, or a deficit of 750 cal / day which is probable given how much I exercise.

The thing is, I told myself to slow down the weight loss after last week but part of me just doesn't want to do that if I can handle life on 1600-1700 cal daily. (When I don't eat enough on any given day, I get overwhelmed with my life and end up crying.) Posting here to help myself remember.

I reached 1900 cal one day only because a friend brought over a loaf of homemade sourdough. I don't eat empty calories anymore, but another night this week to get to 1900 I had chocolate frozen yogurt, dried coconut, mixed nuts, and Redi Whip for about 400 cal total.

Old me would have eaten half my daily calories in Halloween candy yesterday and it feels like such a victory that I didn't do that or even want to. Instead I had a serving of Cadbury fruit and nut chocolate (5 blocks, 170 cal) for a Halloween treat.

So I'll keep on with that this week and just try to make my evening snack a nutritious one. Nuts are great for that.

Cardio (Warmup): Treadmill Jog, 20 min

Strength (Upper 1):

DB Bench Press «superset» DB Row 4x10
Incline Cable Fly «superset» Machine High Row 3x15
Cable Lateral Raise «superset» Cable Rear Lateral Raise 3x15

Abs:

Cable Woodchoppers 2x10 «superset» Cable Palloff Press 2x10 sec

Analysis: Felt wonderful to be back in the gym again! That week off was just what the doctor ordered; my back is back to normal, lots of energy today. Only complaint was my new routine trying to keep the entire workout to 60 minutes meant cutting off half my lifting day; felt like I was just finished warming up before it was over!

Dinner: Last night was lasagna with side salad, tonight is chicken adobo with wild rice.

@DiscusTank5, I understand that feeling, wanting to keep going, the rush of the scale dropping. But 750 is a big deficit at your current weight.

You say "The thing is, I told myself to slow down the weight loss after last week but part of me just doesn't want to do that if I can handle life on 1600-1700 cal daily."

I don't know if it matters, but I endorse that "slow down" plan. You're doing such good things on the workout front. Progress needs fuel (and nutrition that brings calories with it).

Our bodies get better at doing whatever we train them, via repetition, to do. That includes getting better at limping along on too-few calories. That lesson isn't helpful for fitness progress, or best for health.

Yes, the add doesn't need to be all treat calories. That's one reason why I moved calories up in smaller increments heading into maintenance, instead of adding back my whole history-estimated deficit all at once. I knew if I added several hundred calories right away, I'd probably add a big treat, because I'm like that. Adding 100ish at a time, it was easier and more natural to add mostly some small, nutrient-dense tweaks, like the nuts you mention.

I weighed 156.8 lbs on the scale this morning, and I don't feel that great. I was awake an hour in the middle of the night, so that's partly it. Worked out this afternoon and then didn't eat for another hour — also a contributing factor.

I'm going to take the sound advice from @AnnPT77 and up my daily calories by 100, see how it goes, then adjust again in a week.

Calorie intake and expenditure for the past week:

Mon: 1900 food cal; 781 cal burned with exercise

Sun: 1545 food cal; 87 cal burned "

Sat: 1712 food cal; 380 cal burned "

Fri: 1790 food cal; 666 cal burned "

Thurs: 1915 food cal; 583 cal burned "

Wed: 1627 food cal; 600 cal burned "

Tues: 2270 food cal; 456 cal burned "

Hmm…last year you hung your hat on Burrow and Chase, with pretty similar results all around…which team do you intend to destroy next year? lol

Geez, almost like you put the "tough" into the Tough Love Fitness Club. But thanks.

I haven't taken exercise calories into account in so long (with a long term weight loss mindset, with the idea that they are probably an overestimate, etc) that I simply did not think about that. Some days 1/3 of my food intake gets burned on the treadmill right off the bat, never mind the 1600+ calories I use just existing.

No worries. Reminded me of my brother back when we both lived at home and I'd talk about dieting too much, to his annoyance. :)

Alas, I won't get to watch my Broncos play tonight, stupid alternate channels and streaming services.

Cardio (warmup): Treadmill jog, 20 min

Strength (Upper 3):

Bench Press 5x5
BB Row 5x5
Incline Bench Press «superset» Pullups 3x12
Seated DB Lat Raise «superset» Seated DB Rear Lat Raise 3x15
DB Shrugs 3x10
Preacher Curl 4x10, 15, 20, 25
Cable Pushdown 4x10, 15, 20, 25

Abs

DB Side Crunch 2x10 «superset» Cable OH Pallof Press 2x10s

Cardio Warmup: Treadmill Jogging (20 min)

Strength: Lower Body Day

Squat 4x10
Rack Pull 5x5
Hack Squat 3x20
Seated Calf Raises 2x10, 2x20
Leg Extensions 2x12
Seated Leg Curl 2x12
Machine Crunches 3x20
Stretching 15 minutes

Analysis: This is my first lower body day (which includes lower lumbar back) since my injury, so I took it extra easy on the lifts which put strain on the torso: squat, hack squat, rack pull. At 70% working weight, my back felt fine. Next week I will increase to 85% working weight. If that's still good, then the third week back I will resume using normal weights.

Food: Tonight we fire up the grill for burgers, brats and grilled chicken with corn on the cob.