So I had this awesome plan to lose XX # of pounds in X # of days. The problem with this plan is I think I've done it every year since I was 12. And I'm still fat.

Once I realized my yo-yo dieting and hard work for one month and then getting discouraged and quitting didn't work, I modified my expectation.  I set had a mini goal of 20 # of lbs before I go to San Diego July 1, and then 30 # of lbs before I go to Belize July 25. Then I want to hit my goal of 170 by December. Once I do that, I will take a look and see if I want to try to go to 160.

I honestly don't think I can make the 20 lb goal. It's possible. I'd have to lose 3 lbs a week until then and that's a VERY aggressive approach, and I will probably have to do a veggie fast one of those weeks. I'm down 7 lbs for all of May which frustrated the heck out of me, considering I worked out 5 -6X a week and ate 1200-1400 cals. What i didn't realize was that I restricted my calories too much and my body went into starvation mode. So I  upped my cals last week and I lost 4 lbs. Wooohoo. Let's see if I can do the same this week.

I'm not following a specific diet. I've increased my veggies and protein (fish and poultry), decreased my carbs and sodium, and cut out fast food. I am eating between 1600-1800 cals a day, going no lower than 1400. Here's what else I'm doing:

• healthy fats: nuts, avacado, dark chocolate, olive oil
• Work out 6x a week, rock climbing once a week (strength training 2 of those times)
• 8 glasses of water a day minimum
• 2 cheats a week
• More veggies and fruit
• Going to at least two classes at the gym a week in my workout schedule
• Make up a new healthy dish each week. This week was tilapia and jasmine rice. yummy
• meal plan for days that I'll be gone all day and tempted to eat out
• VITAMINS
• Weigh in and measure once a week
• post on spark people twice a week and keep a food diary
• Eat out only once a week, if that

So that's my plan. I am not keen on following a diet, because I want to make this a lifestyle. Going to the gym needs to be something I look forward to every day. Eating healthy needs to be hardwired into my brain, not something I do because I'm following a book diet. I can make healthy decisions each day, if I choose to. I know how to workout hard, I know how to eat right. Probably more than most people. I have the tools, it's time to do this.

So on Friday I weighed myself, and I was up a pound. I cannot tell you how upset I was! I worked my ass off this week, and kept under 1400 cals a day and I'm UP?!?!? WTF? I was so pissed. I did two-a-days on Monday and Tuesday, and worked out HARD on Thurs. I was so upset that I didn't work out on Friday.

I posted on Sparkpeople to find out what I was doing wrong. The general consensus was that I was undereating for my size, so I calculated my BMR, and it's 2200 cals. Everyone says to go 500 under that to lose weight (1 lb a week) from dieting. Well I was 800 under that and the week before I was 1,000 under that. It seems my body was in starvation mode and hanging onto the fat. So over the weekend, I indulged a little and increased my intake to 1600 on Saturday and 1800 on Sunday. checked the scale this morning? down 2lbs. from Friday.

Today I measured everything - waist, hips, thighs, arms, neck and posted it in SP. I'm going to make sure I go by those #'s next week so I don't have the miniature freakout I did on Friday. I like the idea of two a days, so I'm going to do that again on Tues and Wed., possibly Thurs.

Went to Zumba this morning. I love that class and wish my gym offered it daily. So freakin' good!

I am going to up my protein this week and reduce my carbs. I've been VERY good about removing carbs, but I know I can do better. No tortillas with my eggs, no bread wit my chicken salad, and I think I'm going to do cereal every other morning, replacing them with an egg instead.

I'm still excited. My legs are looking slimmer, my skin has cleared up, I don't have any GI issues because I'm eating better. Next week I believe the scale and the tape measure will be kind.

I sincerely love the elliptical. I can workout on it for an hour if I wanted and burn 600-800 cals. Right now I can do about 40 minutes, but I'm going to get to 60 minutes. One thing I discovered today was cross training -the elliptical will tell you when to pedal backwards. HOLY CRAP! BURN! I knew you could, but I totally forgot about it. I really felt it in my bum and thighs. I did rowing and abs and then walked for 10 minutes and I was done for the morning. The thing about the elliptical is that it is ZERO impact cardio. I can't get in any form of cardio without making my knee feel weird or weak. Even the ten minutes if walking made me feel it.

I read up on how to lose 3 lbs a week doing cardio. I feel informed and able to conquer this. I really believe that my 3 -4 lbs a week goal until July is attainable. HARD, but attainable. I seriously would like to be under 200 by the time I go to San Diego in June. That would take some super intense workouts and two a days for the next six weeks, but I think I have it in me.

I haven't had ANY fast food in six days and I am planning on keeping it that way. Tomorrow is the day I tend to fall off the wagon, so I will make my food tonight and have no excuses.