FIRST TIME POSTING HERE! (am I in the right section?)
Usually I lose weight VERY SLOWLY. But after being about 155 lbs for months & trying to lose 25 lbs (long-term goal: 130 lbs, I'm female, only 5'2" & in my mid-50s), just lost 2 lbs in the past 2 days! Been hovering around 152 lbs since last week when I started playing tennis again, suddenly went down to 150 lbs in 2 days! My lowest weight in over 3 yrs! Also, last year at this time I was 165 - 168lbs, it's the first winter in years I've avoided my usual 15 lb Winter Weight Gain! (First winter in years I've actually exercised, gone to a gym instead of becoming sedentary & waiting for tennis season to start!)
My Exercise since January: about 3 days per week at the Y doing weight/resistance training in a class & on my own (lighter reps/more reps w/ free weights, elastic bands & machines-- first time doing weight training in over 20yrs!) & doing some cardio (elliptical.) That's in addition to my usual walking & bike riding-- don't own a car so I walk or bike everywhere even in winter here in NC, it's hilly here, so always going up & down hills. Pus I live in a 3rd floor condo, so have to carry my bike (& heavy groceries/packages) up & down 3 flights of stairs. In addition, since the weather improved, been able to play outdoor tennis 4 times in the past week, will hopefully average 2 - 3 days/week tennis from now on!
My Food Plan: nothing extreme, no set diet plan, just eating healthy & low-cal. Always have eaten high-fiber, low-fat, lots of veggies, fruits, complex carbs, only whole-grains & trying to eat more protein (don't eat as much meat as most people but eat too much cheese, even if low-fat varieties only.) Cutting back on my indulgences-- bread, cheese & chocolate!
I keep track of my calories each day-- low-tech method, just writing a running list on junk envelopes. Originally was trying to average 1400 calories per day (with 30/40/20 percentages protein/carbs/fat-- does that add up?) but finding that I've been averaging more like 1600 cals/day, usually 20% protein, 40% carbs & 30% fat (is this right? what's wrong with my math?!) So I'm NOT starving myself at all & still losing weight! Maybe this is partly due to having flexible hours (don't work 9-5) & being able to eat when I want, usually 5 small meals a day?
Feedback on this eating plan? Continue with it? Possible improvements? Feedback on my exercise routines?
