Update 8-30-2012

So I have been back to my healthy self for four days now, eating clean and hitting the gym... The old "1...2....punch"! I have only lost one pound but I am not bummed....I am excited....because I know I am on the right track! Yes, if I starved myself I might have lost two or three pounds in these 4 days but I guarantee those pounds would be back with even more next week.

Here is why I have only lost one pound and by doing it this way will lose and, more importantly, KEEP OFF even more in the weeks to come.

I am eating clean, which means I am eating non-processed food, in it's most natural state, that my body recognizes as food and fuel. I am eating 4 to 5 small meals a day. Why? Because I am training my metabolism to keep up with me and burn what I give it right away knowing that I will provide more food (fuel) soon.

When you starve yourself, you are actually training your body to save some food, in the form of fat, for a rainy day. When you starve yourself, your body learns not to trust you. Your body needs a certain amount of calories to function so if you eat less often, your body will actually not burn fat... At least not right away. A starving body eats muscle first. Crazy huh? That is the way our bodies have been designed to work. remember, we were built to be hunters and gatherers who did not always have ready access to food, so our bodies evolved into the perfect energy storing devices...kinda like the hibernating bear. When you starve yourself you may appear to be losing weight on the scale but you are not losing the fat you wanted. You are losing muscle and storing fat.

So, I am in the process of retraining my body and getting it to trust me again, so my metabolism isn't where it should be yet. The good news is that our bodies are quick studies so it shouldn't be long before I am burning calories with a vengeance.

I am back to doing regular weight training and cardio, which means 4-5 days a week in the gym. Muscle weighs as much as fat (a pound of muscle weighs as much as a pound of fat...just like a pound of feathers weighs as much as a pound of bricks), but takes up far less room and, I feel, looks more attractive. I know that I have put on muscle in the last 4 days. I know you are thinking 4 days is not long enough to put on muscle. Not true... Especially because I have always done some weight training, even over the summer. What I changed was the weight...I have gone heavier and have forced my body to do it (read: as much as I can without injuring myself). I have also worked each muscle group twice this week so my body is starting to realize it needs to get some more muscle in those places if this is going to be a regular thing. It's amazing what you can train your body to do and how quickly. As much as we are forced to listen to our body (hunger, pain, etc), our bodies are also forced to listen to us!

So, losing a pound this week is a good thing. It means that despite putting on muscle weight, I am losing fat because my body is learning to trust me and not store anymore fat despite the fact that I am actually eating more than I did last week. Cool, huh? And if you think a pound is no big thing, check out the picture below!

It has always been my hope that others would come along with me on my health and fitness journey. The reason for my blog is to inspire and be inspired by my readers. If you are like minded, please read through my blog entries for clean eating recipes and fitness tips. I am just like you, I am sure, in so many ways. Let's help each other be as healthy as we can, for ourselves, and the ones we love! I also love feedback, so go for it!