Hi There,
Welcome back to Kat & Tshepi blog, we hope you had a lovely week. We had a good week, a week of heightened commitment to our 6 months’ weight loss and fitness journey. This was a week that ushered the midpoint of our journey. As always, the last week before measuring, tracking and analyzing our progress brings along with it a crew of expectations, anticipation and anxieties, as well as excitement and a renewed vigor towards attaining our set goal. This week was not different from the last week of the previous two months. Expectations were high, anticipation of good results was brewing within us, anxieties of heading towards the unknown were regular visitors in this week and the excitement of doing something we consider worthy to our lives was an unlikely opposition to the anxieties.
Our commitment to the journey was impeccable this week, we managed the routine transition from school holidays to our normal routine very well. We committed to our training program and felt proud of our efforts at the end of the week. We also ate according to our meal plans and continued to track our calorie intake. The snacking and cheating were very less in this week in comparison to other weeks, except on weekends(a very consistent detractor 😦 ). The commitment we have shown in this week highlighted the importance of setting measurable goals and planning when to track and review the progress, this ensures that we don’t lose focus and it renews our motivation because we don’t want to fail. Let us now look at how our 3rd month’s progress measuring and tracking unfolded.
1.3rd Months Progress Tracking
We began the 6 months’ weight loss and fitness journey three months ago with Kat weighing 67.25kg and Tshepi weighing 68.90kg. At the end of the third month Kat is weighing 65.1kg, which comes to a total loss of 2.15kg. Tshepi is now weighing 65.8, that is a total loss of 3.1kg. Based on our forecasted monthly weight loss target, we both should have lost 3kg each. It is clear that Tshepi is doing very well as she managed to hit her target, but Kat on the other hand is not doing so well as he has failed to meet his target. The first two months of the journey went according to plan but unfortunately the third month no so. This month’s result calls for some reflection and review of our plans and the analysis of the deviations that led to Kat missing the target.
This month was an eventful and challenging month, we had a charity walk to organize and execute, Tshepi had a vacation for a few days which required a change in our family routine, and there were school holidays which also brought about some changes to our normal routine. There were also a number of Easter holidays which also affected our eating and training schedules and programs. It was really a lot of changes to deal with, and the amount of pressure, challenges and emotional rollercoaster associated with these changes required a flexible and adaptive approach to stay afloat and on track on our journey.
Kat’s failure to meet his target can be attributed to eating in excess of his targeted daily calories and the fear of losing muscle mass. He experienced a chain of consecutive days where he indulged and exceeded his set calorie target and this resulted in dire consequences towards his goal. Kat also developed the habit of eating more bread than usual on daily basis, it appears that he desires more carbohydrates and specifically sugary carbs, we suspect this might be the results of the constant calorie deficit and not meeting his daily carbohydrates requirements. Kat prioritizes protein over carbohydrates to try and compensate for the eventual loss of muscle that takes place when losing weight. The analysis of his calorie tracking reveals that his protein intake always exceeds his targeted protein intake and his carbohydrate intake is always below the targeted intake. We suspect that his sudden love for bread and high calorie carbs might be a sign, his body is communicating the need for sufficient carbs on his diet.
Tshepi’s success on the third month can be attributed to her discipline in meeting her daily calorie intake. She was consistent in tracking her calories and avoided a chain of consecutive excess calorie intake, even when she was on a vacation, she manage to track her food consumption and ate within her targeted limits( a loud bravo for her 🙂 ). She also reduced her snacking, nibbling and bread intake. Even in those days where temptations were high and opportunities to cheat were rampant during the school holidays, she was disciplined and conquered the desire for her favorite snacks (Ice cream and popcorns). Tshepi’s tenacity and commitment to her goal is admirable and signifies that discipline is key regardless of the challenges and changes to our routine that is brought about by life. We are inspired and we celebrate her achievement.
The reflection and analysis of the 3rd months progress results highlight a few lessons that we can carry over to the next three months to achieve our goals.
- Discipline is key regardless of eventual changes on our routine.
- Tracking calories daily is non-negotiable, no shooting in the dark.
- Excess calories should be noted and replaced in the following days through working out more or eating in a further deficit (this is very hard 😦 ).
- Consecutive days of eating in excess calories should be avoided, In the words of James Clear “never miss twice”.
- Sufficient macronutrients (Carbohydrates, Protein and Fats) should be consumed as targeted to avoid an imbalance and the desire for one macronutrient over the other.
In summation of the 3rd months progress tracking, it is clear that the calories we consume does not care much about what is happening around us, about how we feel and about the changes we are going through, calorie is really a king. When the food enters our bodies, they perform their function, it is up to us to develop the discipline of choosing which foods and of what quantity enters our bodies. If we eat in excess, we gain weight, if we eat in a deficit, we lose weight…it all comes down to this fact.
That’s it for the 3rd months progress tracking. As we head to commence the other half of our weight loss and fitness journey, Kat aims incorporate the lessons learned from this month and get his weight loss back on track, not all is lost. Tshepi aims to maintain her discipline to meet her goals and to continue with reducing the frequency of snacking. Another habit we would like to develop is the habit of sleeping early or at the same time each night. Prioritizing our sleep will help us to achieve a full body and mind recovery, which will enable us to train efficiently and manage our daily pressures better. Our commitment on the 6 months’ weight loss and fitness journey is ever increasing, through failures and successes, we get amped up to work hard in order to realize our goals and advance to better and best versions of ourselves. Until next week, Stay blessed.
Kat & Tshepi
Kat & Tshepi 