Diet Update: Why I’ve Gained Ten Pounds
Unsplash image by Delaney Van
In my last update, I shared that I joined a gym, and now I’m telling you I’ve gained ten pounds. What gives?
I’d like to be able to say that I’ve been lifting weights so hard that I’ve gained ten pounds of muscle. Or that I’m going to have a miracle post-menopause baby. (Okay, no, I don’t want to say that.) But I know it’s not muscle weight because my body fat percentage keeps inching upwards as well.
So here’s what I think is to blame:
I’m enjoying my summer.
Yes, I’m doing a weight-training class (only two times per week) and some other exercising (emphasis on some), but in between, I’m relaxing. I’m loafing around, reading, binge-watching shows, doing things on my phone and computer.
I’m enjoying lovely brunches with friends and family, going out for dinner, indulging in desserts and grande frappes with whip.
And I’m not sorry.
Because in a week and a half, when I have to go back to work, there will be no time for going out for brunch. I will have limited time to eat lunch on school days. I will be too tired to go out for dinner. I will have much less time for loafing around. So I’m enjoying it now. I will likely drop a few pounds when school starts back up, so I’m not worrying about these ten pounds so much.
Of course, I still would like to have something else to blame (like, maybe I should get my thyroid checked again), but let’s face it — when you have a sweet tooth and no will power, there’s nowhere for the scale to go but up.
Do I regret getting off of NutriSystem?
No, I don’t think so. I did well on it, that’s certain, but I got so tired of the food, I couldn’t even stand to look at it any longer. At some point, I will get back on track with diet and nutrition. It’s just … today is not the day.
Things aren’t all bad on the weight front: I have gotten stronger through my weight-training class. I’ve gotten up to 110 pounds on the deadlift and 55 pounds on the Olympic lifting progression, and each time I do it, it’s a little bit easier. Doing this at 50 years old makes me feel kind of badass, if I’m being honest. And maybe some of this weight gain is a tiny bit of muscle.
Like I said, I’m not sorry I’ve been relaxing and enjoying treats this summer — it’s been really nice. Now I feel refreshed and excited to get back to work!