Focus

A couple of years ago I was taking a CAD class, and the instructor asked the class why a certain operation wouldn't work that he was trying to do in the CAD program. He knew the answer, but he was testing us. I was the only one who raised my hand, I knew. If the operation, process or function didn't have the FOCUS, it would not execute any commands. On a PC, you give something focus by clicking on it with your mouse.

Same goes for us, at anything we do, but especially weight loss. If an effort doesn't have the FOCUS, then nothing happens.

In this process of weight loss, what do you focus on?

Food/Fuel/Calories In
I have been a lean, mean, tracking machine this week. One week in with the Sparkpeople website and mobile app, and I'm hooked. I can say that since last Sunday, I've recorded everything that went into my mouth. The real time feedback is awesome. I can see where I'm at on my calorie intake, and that is broken down into carbs, fats, and proteins. When considering eating something, it makes me stop and consider a few things, like: do I know the nutrition count for this item?, and how will this affect my food budget for the day? I've been able to stay right around 2200-2400/day calories for the week. Considering that my BMR without working out is right around 3000, and more like 3800 when I do work out, I am aiming for a 1500 calorie deficit each day. Hopefully that equates to a 2-3 lb loss per week.

Working Out/Calories Out
Tried going more cardio this week. Utilized the Precor AMT 100i trainer at the gym. It is a free motion elliptical. It's a great workout. Also got back into running this week. I suck at running. Heck, I shouldn't even call it running. It's more like walk/jog/walk/jog/walk etc. for 45 minutes. But hey, I've got to build up to doing a 5k or two this summer. Overall, a good week working out. I missed Weds due to a brain lapse on my part, but overall good.

Clothes/Strength/Energy
So, if you don't focus on the scale, this is what you focus on. My clothes are getting looser all the time. I'm out of one waist size of pants, and down to the next. My closet should have a revolving door on it. I'm finding it easier to get up earlier. Currently getting up at 5:40am. I'm trying to buy about 5 minutes earlier each week, and it's working. My energy is good, and I'm feeling stronger.

Numbers/Scale
While the intangibles are nice, I still need to see the numbers. When you are 160 pounds overweight, the numbers have to be there. Hence we visit the scale once a week. I must admit, it was in my head this week. I did a couple of midweek checks, and I was not progressing as much as I would have liked considering how I was doing with diet and exercise. Alas, the numbers were decent, but not as much as I'd hoped for:

Weight: 3 lbs lost. 31 lbs total in 9 weeks.
Body Fat %: up 0.4%. Down 3.2% in 9 weeks.

As I said, I was hoping for a 5, but I'll take a 3 after a couple of weeks of 1's.

There's a lot to FOCUS on. It almost has to be selfish. It does take time away from other things. Yet, I am worth it, and I can't afford to lose my focus again.