The Battle of the Bulge - week 2

My current weight: 179
My current BMI: 25.7 (overweight)
Pounds lost so far: 6
Days of Cardio this week: 3
Days of Yoga this week: 1
Days of Strength training this week: 0

Well, I did ok this week. I stuck with my lower calorie healthy diet aside from our Valentines day meal, I was proud of myself for that! I did manage to sneak yoga in one evening but that is something I need to work more on. Strength training was a bust this week. I'm trying to find a healthy routine for myself where I can incorporate enough of these things in to keep a healthy lifestyle but also have enough time in the day to do all the other things I need to without feeling overwhelmed. That will take time, I'm slowly but surely getting there! I have many weeks to go (my goal is to be at my goal weight with healthy lifestyle patterns in place by May 15!), and I realize that this doesn't all have to happen instantaneously!

Weight Loss Tip of the Week: I have had many a conversation with patients about weight loss (I spent a month in Med School working with a bariatric surgeon which I LOVED!), and one of the biggest misconceptions, I think, is what people need to do to "exercise". Jot down the first few things that come to your mind when you think of the word "exercise". For most people they imagine a slim, fit person at the gym with a towel and a water bottle spending hours on a treadmill - or possibly someone running 15 miles before work in the morning, etc. I have heard, "I just don't have time for that" more times than I can count. My next step with people is to have them think of ways they can incorporate more physical movement into their daily lives and this doesn't have to mean setting aside a 1/2 hour or hour a day to go for a walk. Simple things like parking further from the store entrance, taking the stairs rather than the elevator, going down every aisle at the grocery store (even the diaper aisle if you don't have a baby!), etc. So much of the time people get drawn into this lazy cycle where we just take the easy route because exercise is time-consuming and we don't have the time! Staying active is what's important, every little bit helps!

This week will be a bit challenging. I've caught the cold that's going around the office, so with being sick I will need to be a bit more sedentary...asthma + cold virus in the lungs can be challenging. I also will be traveling mid-week and won't be able to prepare my own meals so will have to make smart choices. We shall see how things turn out!