How much does that extra bite cost you?

September already.  Wowzer.  Summer is over and my summer weight loss attempts = maintain.  I'll take it.  Maintaining is better than gaining, although obviously my aim was to lose.  No sense crying over spilled milk - time to get back on that horse, and with the half-marathon a month and a half away I have some work to do!

I've been busy counting my calories most days on MyFitnessPal.com, not feeling too bad when I go over my daily allotted calories (1,590/day) needed to lose my unwanted pounds.  But how much do those extra 100 cals in the form of coffee creamer, afternoon carb snack, etc. actually add up to?

A LOT over time.  Even 100 extra calories eaten a day, means 700 extra calories week = almost a pound of gained weight/month.

Years ago a friend shared a YouTube video (it's overly dramatic, but it gets the point across) about how eating a little more each day can be a detriment to one trying to lose weight.  Here it is, and here is why when most go over daily calorie budget, even just a little, they don't lose.  Even if it's just a little.

Starting over. Again.

I've been bad.  After gaining way too much weight over the winter months, I rededicated my weight loss aspirations in March.  Since then I haven't been consistent.  My wake-up call came this week when my doctor told me my lab results show high glucose levels and high cholestorol.  She says I need to incorporate 30-mins of exercise five days a week, and that is what I will do.

I've put my weight loss tracker back to zero and started from scratch yesterday by resuming lunch-time yoga (40 mins) and a post-work elliptical session (30 mins).

My updated plan (via MyFitnessPal):  

Net Calories Consumed* / Day	1,350 calories/day
Carbs / Day	186 g
Fat / Day	45 g
Protein / Day	51 g

FITNESS GOALS	GOALS
Calories Burned / Week	1,120 calories/week
Workouts / Week	5 Workouts
Minutes / Workout	30 mins

YOUR DIET PROFILE	TARGET
Calories Burned
From Normal Daily Activity	2,100 calories/day
Net Calories Consumed*
Your Daily Goal	1,350 calories/ day
Daily Calorie Deficit	750 calories
Projected Weight Loss	1.5 lbs/ week

I gave into a chocolate-covered carb

My workout/eating habits seem to get worse with colder temperatures which explains why I succumbed to a chocolate-covered cinnamon bun today at work and traded my 7-min walking commute to the train for a one-stop ride on the El.  The nicer weather WAS making me eat better/stay active, and then the temperature dropped to 46 degrees.  And it's a week before June i.e. summer!   To keep doing my workouts, I need sunshine, not cold rain with a light mist.

Cyn vs. the Cinnamon bun:  It was love at first sight.  I saw it. I wanted it.  It was free. It was easy.  I ate it.  It wasn't even that good and was a second-hand treat leftover from another department's lunchtime meeting. It was presented to me through the ultimate test: a co-worker literally handed it to me.  I didn't refuse.  Eating the chocolate-covered 7-11 quality bun was a one time splurge on my weight loss journey and next time (hopefully) I will choose to walk away from it, after I take a quick peek, or only eat half.  Or at least hold my hands behind my back the next time a co-worker offers free junk food.

In terms of weight loss, it has been a Lovely May.   Overall I've lowered my carb and sweets intake (ignore today's falling off the horse) and  I'm down 4.5 pounds from the beginning of May.  I attribute this to somewhat nicer weather earlier in month, and a trip to Denver where my diet consisted mostly of seafood and veggies, and I walked a lot considering I could've chosen not to walk at all.

The weather is looking up for the next week - 70s and 80s.  Bring it.