Day #90
We did not post an update last week because we realized that somewhere along the way we got 1 week ahead of ourselves (human error). Today Monday April 21, 2014 is in fact day #90.
Today we are volunteering our time and skills at the 2014 Boston Marathon. Our assignments will keep us busy until 7:00pm, we will post information about our experience in our day 100 update.
Kristen’s assignment: Licensed Massage Therapy, providing massage services for runners post-race.
Sean’s assignment: Registered Nurse, providing medical services on a course medical bus.
Weight loss/management Progress:
We continue to lose weight and lose inches at a slow and steady pace. At this point in our journey the nutrition portion of this program is a breeze and we are getting better at exercising 4+ times per week. (Check out our picture updates above.)
There were many weeks we didn’t lose weight, but we did lose inches from our chest, waist and hips. Here is some information about muscle vs. fat:
Muscle vs. Fat
The key here is to understand the difference in muscle and fat. Because a pound is a pound no matter what you are measuring, one pound of fat is equal to one pound of fat. The common saying, “muscle weighs more than fat, ” is wrong. A pound is a pound, no matter what you measure. However, fat and muscle are composed of different substances, look different, have differing effects on the body and take up varying amounts of space in the body. Fat takes up more space in the body and has a lumpy appearance. Muscle, on the other hand, is lean and smooth. For visual purposes, picture a lean steak equal to the size of a regulation sized baseball. Now, picture approximately three times that much jello in a bowl. If these ingredients were placed in your body, would you prefer the lean, compact muscle or the jiggling bowl of jello? A person weighing 150 pounds, with 14% body fat will look much leaner than a person who weighs 120 pounds with 35% body fat.
Losing Inches Instead of Weight
Now that you understand the different characteristics of fat and muscle, you are probably likely to reconsider your weight loss goals. Losing inches doesn’t seem so shabby when it’s put into perspective. The most common culprit for a loss of inches rather than a loss of pounds is that of muscle development. When fat is burned and muscle is replaced, your body may stay the exact same weight. However, you have replaced lumpy, jiggly and unhealthy amounts of fat with lean, solid muscle. An equal amount of muscle will take up approximately half as much space as the same amount of fat. (Source: http://www.3fatchicks.com/why-you-may-be-losing-inches-but-not-weight/)
For more information about losing inches but not losing weight: http://exercise.about.com/od/weightloss/a/losinginches.htm
The remaining 10 days:
We want to finish strong. We made a commitment to ourselves and this project to give 100% for 100 days.
Because we continue to have weigh loss results, we will follow the weight management plan as planned. Eating our bigger meals at lunch time and eliminating starches from our evening meals has made a big difference in how we feel as well as overcoming the weight loss plateau. We are currently exercising at least 4 times per week, our goal is to exercise 5-6 times per week.
See you in 10 days!
