I'm Doing Something Right

(As usual, this progress update will discuss weight, body fat percentage, diet, etc)

Last month, my InBody scan showed I'd lost weight, but it was mostly muscle. So for the last month, I've changed my approach. I stopped using Noom, which was starting to feel tedious. I let myself indulge. I enjoyed two Passover seders without a concern in the world. I added snacks back into my daily habits, ate Passover leftovers (including cake every night) and basically ate however I wanted. I tried to prioritize protein, but I didn't actually track it. My lower back was hurting so I skipped a few runs and workouts. 

And somehow, the  numbers on my InBody scan were...good.

They're showing improvement from last month, I should say. It's always a bit fun to have one of the gym trainers walk me through my results because they always sound so impressed by how much I've progressed in a month.

BFP down...

...muscle mass up.

Anyway, I really stopped "watching" what I was eating around the second week of April. One reason I stopped using Noom--besides getting tired of tracking--was that my weight hadn't shifted in weeks. I kept gaining and losing the same 1.5lbs every morning. 

Two weeks later, my weight is still in that same spot.

So I have a theory. Last year, around this time, I stopped running. I got through my half marathon in May and then pretty much gave up on it. My stomach issues were bad, I was lethargic, I felt crappy, and I wasn't interested in running in the heat. 

I started going to the gym in September. At the end of January, I started Noom. In February, I started running consistently again.

My theory is that last year, I gained weight (fat) and in the last few months, I've lost most of what I gained last year, and my body is back at equilibrium. I think keeping up with my cardio has made a difference in my fat loss, and keeping up with my weightlifting has made a difference in my muscle gain.

I honestly don't know what I've weighed over the last two years, so I'm not sure how much I gained in 2024, but I do know I hated every photo from that half in May, so the weight gain probably started before the running slump.

             

March

April. You can tell I'm ecstatic.

Now, I'm seeing definition in my quads I've never seen before, and my spandex running shorts are loose in spots they used to squeeze. From these facts, I'm deducing that my body fat is lower now than it was in May 2024. 

When I got dressed for the gym the other night, I commented to Matt that my quads looked more defined. Then, the numbers on the scan supported my observation.

I was not expecting to see good numbers this month. For one thing, I did my scan in the evening, after a day of eating. But more to the point, I'd taken some time off exercise for my back and we had only just finished our Passover leftovers. I was expecting to see no change whatsoever, because the scale at home hadn't changed.

This is the first month that I looked at my results and felt sure I've been doing something right. That I have a handle on this new lifestyle. That it can be sustainable, because I'm not "on a diet" or monitoring what I'm eating very closely, I'm not overthinking my lifting, and I'm still seeing results.

I have new trust in the process. I will keep my consistent schedule, the fat will continue to come off, and the muscle will continue to increase. I'm really excited to see where I am this time next year.

Ali