Fitness Plan 2010

Yesterday was 2010's inaugural day of what seems to have become my annual diet. When one sets out on a diet, there are several things to consider. How will I go about this "diet"? What kind of diet will it be? When do I start?

This how I came to this year's diet:

I was married on May 30, 2009. I lost 30 pounds before my wedding by spending several hours at the gym every day and journaling my food. Less than a year after my wedding, let's just say that those 30 pounds are no longer floating around in the universe without me! I--naturally--feel as though I have been horribly wronged, but by whom? Hmmm... I can give you a bunch of possible "reasons" for this weight gain--stemming from injuries that have kept me out of the gym to fertility drugs with weight gain side effects--but the fact of the matter is that most weight gain is simple mathematics: calories in exceed calories burned and that equals weight gain.

So, a minimum goal for me at this point would be to lose 44 pounds, but I am going to set the bar a little higher. My weight loss goal is 50 pounds... then there is keeping it off, but one thing at a time, people?!

As far as what kind of diet I will be on, I have decided to go back to my good old fashioned food journal. I use a Diet & Fitness Journal published by Peter Pauper Press. There is a section at the beginning that gives you a formula for calculating your resting daily calorie burn; mine is 2,206 to maintain my current weight. I have decided to cut 500 calories a day from this number. That means that if I did not exercise at all, I would lose 1 pound per week (-3500 calories equals a 1-pound weight loss). I am exercising, so my loss should be a little faster.

One other thing about my "diet" is that I am not calling it a diet. I am calling it my "fitness plan," and it is more than just food journaling and working out. I want to lose fat while maintaining muscle. The way to do this (according to my trainer, Maria) is to make sure you are eating the right ratio of protein to carbs and fat. Imagine a pie chart; Maria says that it should look like a peace symbol with one-third of your calories coming from each group--protein, fat, and carbs. (You can get your very own pie chart by logging your food at Fitday.com, by the way!)

That's it. That's my plan. Now, I am hoping that today--my second day--doesn't end quite the way yesterday ended... with me curled up on the bed sobbing for no apparent reason with a husband totally unsure of how to console me. Inaugural diet days can be rough!

For those who know me well, you are aware that my weight loss journey has been a long one. However, in all of the years that I've dieted, I have certainly never blogged about it. I can't say whether it will help, but I figure that an extra measure of accountability can't hurt! So readers, you get to go on this special mission of torture--I mean, mission of fitness--with me.