Vacation time!

I haven't mentioned it much here on the blog, but later today I'm leaving for a two-week vacation!  I'll be visiting Oregon, Nevada, and end up in California and I can't wait!!!

The last trip I went on was to Vegas a couple of years ago and I came back home with NO weight gain.  That's one of my goals for this trip too, but I'm actually hoping to lose weight.  I know, it's vacation.  But if I didn't gain any weight in Vegas, it's very possible to lose some on this trip.  Here's why:

• Vegas = buffets, beers, and sitting down gambling
• Oregon/Nevada/Cali = LOTS of walking around, access to gyms, much healthier food

I'm also bringing some things to give me a slight edge on weight-loss. 

Since Anthony won't be joining me on this trip, I'm bringing one of my other loves.

Yup, I've brought my Bodybugg out of retirement (read my reviews here and here).  Although I won't be tracking my calorie intake on my trip, I'm really curious to see my calorie burn and step count.  I'm hoping to see a burn of 2500+ and a step count of 20,000+.  On any given day (sitting at a desk for 8 hours + my workout), I burn about 2100 calories and get about 8500 steps, so my goal numbers are doable, right?

Another thing I made sure to pack:

My supplements, including protein powder, fish oil, multi-vitamin, creatine, and BCAA's.  I'm bringing ALL my supps because I've googled the closest gyms to my hotel and I've got my workouts planned into my schedule, so here's hoping that I'll be in a gym (or two) over the next couple of weeks.

I'll have very limited access to the outside world while I'm away (just how I like it!) so I'll be catching up with you guys in two weeks!  Hope you enjoy the scheduled posts coming up.

FINALLY!!!

OMG it feels so good to be sweating again.  In the last week, I got my booty handed to me by Jillian Micheals, my elliptical at home, and my PT:

T: 40 min 30-day Shred + elliptical
F: 45 min 30-day Shred + elliptical
S: 60 min PT session
S: OFF
M: 30 min 30-day Shred
T: 80 min PT session + elliptical

LOVE IT!  I know it's still early on and it hasn't even been a week since I got started again but FINALLY I feel like am back to being me.  I'm still Bugging and that's been a huge motivator when it comes to my nutrition intake.  This weekend was a little tough with a Saturday-night party and I could have done better but on the other hand I could have done a lot worse too!

So here's to me hopefully strictly keeping it up!

Back and forth... and back again

After my post yesterday, I got some really good comments and feedback regarding my "discovery" of a potential reason to why I wasn't losing weight. I wrote most of that post over the weekend but had it scheduled to run yesterday, which it did. Without even giving it a second thought, I kinda had to ask why did I want this information. Most of the comments I received were more or less along the lines of, "Why does it matter?". And I couldn't be more happy with that response because it doesn't matter! Plus I love tough-love much more than "it's-okay-you'll-do-better-tomorrow" type of comments so keep 'em coming!

Here's what I wrote in my comment section yesterday, after I posted:

Add to say that the last couple comments hit home for me. After I wrote this post (which I composed over the weekend) I realized that all this information doesn't make a difference. I think I was looking for an excuse to why I haven't lost any weight since the beginning of the year.. sad, huh? I think my main point about this post was to lead back to the fact that I think I may be taking in more calories than necessary. Yeah, I haven't been counting calories for the last several weeks, but before that I was sticking to a cal intake of no less than 1600 (based on the "average") but I was so worried about going below that 1600 number. I think I just to need find what works for me, even if it is a little lower than average. If it works for me and I can still continue to bring it, then that's what I need to do, right?

So a lot of what I wrote yesterday had to do with the fact that I think I was searching for a reason to why I wasn't changing: weight-wise and body fat wise. But that's all it was, a reason or excuse for myself! I was hoping I'd find somethig that told me I was eating too much calories for my body size because per my nutrtitionist/personal trainer, I should eat all 1600+ calories everyday, even if I'm not hungry so that's what I was doing. But no more.

I gotta start listening to my body and just eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm not.

With that said, the best thing for me right now is to have a plan. Exercise plan is to still continue the BFL program but I need to get back on a sound nutrition plan. Enter my Bodybugg... again. It was a pretty expensive investment so the least I can do is use it to it's full advantage while I have the free membership to the site. I'm gonna stay away from counting calories but will be wearing and logging my bugg daily to just get an estimate of calories burned.

I tend to start dropping weight when I get an average burn of 2300/day so that's what I'll aim for.

Second Bodybugg review

Back in August of last year I bought myself a Bodybugg (BB) and it has been love at first sight ever since. I figured now's a great time for another BB review since I really gotta tighten up my eating/exercise so I can wear my new dress in Vegas!

Bodybugg Review II
(read the first review here)

A short recap of where I started when I first got the BB:

• Aug - Just bought the Bugg and I was at 139.8
  
• Sept - After one month on the Bugg - 135.6
• Oct - Two more weeks on the Bugg - 133.6
• End of Dec - THANK YOU HOLIDAYS! - 141.0
• end of Jan - After one month back on the Bugg - 136.0

As you can see, when I actually stick with the Bugg, eating right, and being consistent with my exercise, I'm able to drop the pounds. But here's something else super interesting. Over the last month I've been tracking my calorie deficit per day and this is what it looks like:

(click picture to enlarge)

So according to my daily deficits, I'm running a 20,290 total deficit since the beginning of the year which translates to a loss of about -5.8 lbs. (20,290/3500 = 5.79). And check out my total weight-loss this year: -5.4 lbs. If that isn't accurate, I don't know what is!

What can I say... I'm still in love!

Bodybugg review!!

I love it! I love it! I love it!

Some background on the BB

According to the My Apex website, the company who puts out the BB, the BB is "the world's most intelligent and accurate calorie management system... outside of a clinical setting."

The BB is essentially an arm band with a sensor that monitors and collects data based on five areas of measurement:

• steps - basically a pedometer but way more accurate (see "movement" below)
• movement - motion sensor to more accurately count steps, not arm movement, car riding, or fidgeting
• galvanic skin response - how much you're sweating
• skin temp - increases/decreases in skin temp
• heat flux - skin temp vs. environment temp

With these five ares of measurement, the BB is the most accurate calorie counter available to the general public. Each day I log my food into the BB website and upload my BB to view how many calories I burned/ate. It's flippin great!! And they sell a digital display that you can buy so you can see your calorie burn without uploading to a computer. Great stuff!

More in-depth info on the BB can be read here, here, and here.

Some background on me

First, I love my gadgets but when it comes to weight-loss gadgets, I'm way too skeptical and I will pass on most "next-best-thing" kind of items. What's up with that weird swivelly (is that a word?) ab rotating chair thing anyway? SERIOUSLY people?!?! Anyway, in my entire weight-loss journey, the only gadgets I ever bought were a pedometer, a heart rate monitor and a BB, all of which were essential in getting me to where I am today. And I only bought each of those items after I felt like I 'graduated' from the previous one. The pedometer started me out by making sure I got in a decent number of steps a day. Once I got a hold of that and improved my fitness level, I got my heart rate monitor... and we're talking months down the road. Eight months after my heart rate monitor, I got my BB. By this time I was almost a year into counting calories and getting a good base on macro-nutrients so I really wanted to up my weight-loss game by getting a really good hold on the calories in/out. And this is exactly what the Bugg has done for me!

Pre-bugg I was in a L-O-N-G plateau of super slow weight-loss - six months to be exact!

February 13, 2009 - 149.8 lbs.

August 12, 2009 - 139.8 lbs.

It took me six months to lose ten pounds. Six months!!! That comes out to about 0.4 lb./week, whereas I was easily doing 1 - 1.25 lbs/week before that. Well I've been on the Bugg for one month now and without changing anything else (diet or fitness wise) I'm back to my 1 lb./week status and already down 4 lbs. in the last month!

September 29, 2009 - 135.6 lbs.

Sure it could be sheer coincidence, that the exact day I start using the Bugg my body decides it's done with the plateau, but I really doubt it. And I know there is no way to prove that my recent weight-loss is because of the Bugg, but I would like to think so. I'll be doing another review at the end of October to see if I'm still consistent and on track!

And here are some things I learned from my new love:

• sitting in a cold place vs. a warm place doesn't burn more calories, but...
• exercising in a colder place does
• every step throughout the day counts... E.V.E.R.Y. single one!
• I burn a lot less calories than I thought... WAY less.
• It's a great motivator - I always tell Anthony my BB is 'watching' me so I have to eat right and get in my exercise
• Fidgeting at your desk burns 0.4 more calories per minute than just sitting there; that's 192 more calories per 8-hour work shift

0.4 more cals/minute = 192 more cals/8-hour shift =
960 more cals/week = 49,920 more cals/yr = 14+ lbs. lost/year
(that's a lot of calories! And lots of fidgeting!)

• weight-training keeps your calorie burn up hours after working out - so it is true!
  
• shopping counts as physical activity/steps if it's not something you do regularly

It's Christmas in August, part deux

I realize it's no longer August, however I wanted to continue my 'shopping-spree-post' from the other week (you can read it here). And I actually got this item last week Wednesday, which was still in August, but I was holding off on saying anything about it until I got to try it out.

Anyway, I got a Bodybugg (BB)!!

(I didn't take pictures of my own because it's scratched up already! I'm not used to it yet so I'm constantly hitting it on things.)

Since I started my weight-loss journey I've always thought of getting one but kept holding off on buying it because I wanted to do the work - count the calories, watch the carb/protein/fat ratio, find the right amount of exercise, etc.- on my own. Eating right and working out are more than just going to the gym everyday and eating "diet food", it's also about learning how exercise and the right foods fuel my body. For me this is a lifestyle change, not something I'm doing temporarily so the more I can do on my own, I figure the better off I'll be later on down the road.

Now don't get wrong, I don't think there's anything wrong with getting a Bodybugg from the start, in fact I think it can be great learning tool, but for me, personally, I wanted to wait.

That's me wearing it after a visit to the gym.

The reasons why I finally decided to get one:

• This weight-loss is FOR LIFE so the investment is worth it: The price of the BB was a number one reason why I didn't get it from the start: $200. But because I know fitness/eating right is a permanent change for me, investing in the "most accurate calorie management system available to the general public today" would be a great tool.
  
• All the rave reviews from people I know and some I don't: I have several friends (ranging from obese to fit) who bought them months ago and can't stop talking about them. They've all gotten great results with managing their calories with the BB system but I think the one person who sold me on it was Chalene Johnson from Beachbody (read her review here). She is the creator of Turbo Jam and it's her job to be fit. The BB helped her lose the last 5 - 10 lbs, which she thought she had to live with. If it can work for the fittest of the fittest, it can work for normal people too, right?
  
• Just another form of accountability: I swear if there was some type of "magic pill" for losing weight, the accountability the BB gives me is it! Wearing it totally keeps me on track with what I eat and what I do all day. I feel like the 'lil BB is watching me so I HAVE to make sure I get in my exercise for the day and I HAVE to watch what I eat and I HAVE to try and get in as many steps as possible. It's not an obsession thing, but it's a really good reminder to have around my arm.
  
• My weight-loss has come to a stand still: Just take a look at my weight graph at the top of my blog... I have come to stand still and have starting losing V.E.R.Y slowly if any at all. Hoping the BB can get me back on track to losing 1 lbs./week.
  
• I love gadgets - especially fitness gadgets: First I got a pedometer. Then I got a heart rate monitor. Now, I have the Bodybugg!
  
• It was on sale and I had a coupon: I'm not going to lie... seeing the BB on sale at my gym for $50 off plus finding a coupon online for another $10 off was a good deal to me! Plus there's a 30-day money-back guarantee... what's there to lose?

I'm going to save my review for another post, probably one a couple of weeks from now, so I can really get a good feel for the BB and see if it's working. Plus, this past week of eating definitely threw me off track... not an excuse, just a reason. :)

**One thing I have to say about the BB system: you need to track everything you eat. I wanted to put this out there because I think some people think you can just slap the BB on your arm and see how many calories you burn, which you can do, but it's kinda pointless to know what you're burning when you don't know what you're consuming. I have been counting calories and tracking what I eat for the past year now, so I knew the counting calories part of the system was going to be okay with me.