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Expectations vs. Reality


Expectation: I've started working out and eating healthy so I'm going to instantly drop 100 lbs of water weight. Right? (I'm exaggerating here. ;) )
Reality: I've started working out and eating healthy so I will *hopefully* lose 1-2 lbs per week.

Expectation: I've been working out for 4 months and have seriously changed my eating habits. Even if I don't go to the gym every day I should still drop some serious inches! Rah!
Reality: I've been working out for 4 months and while my eating habits have seriously changed, that doesn't mean I get some "get out of jail free" card to sit on my butt. Don't go to the gym? Don't lose the inches.

Expectation: Goal weight in 6 months! Wooooo!!
Reality: Goal weight?? What about goal health? Goal waist size? Goal lift number? Screw the goal weight.

Often times my expectations are not very realistic. Case in point, all of the above. I assumed once I changed up my eating habits I would just instantly drop 5-10 lbs of water weight. That wasn't the case because I simultaneously started lifting when I started eating differently. Muscle takes up less space than fat, so my body composition has been changing, but I've only lost 6 lbs in the last 4 months.

I have, however, lost 16.5" since May 1st. So take THAT, unrealistic expectations. 

I had no idea when I started this journey that I'd be losing so many inches. I'd read stories, heard legends, blah blah blah. But I'd never measured myself, so I didn't have a first-hand appreciation of how gratifying it is to wrap a thin band tighter and tighter around a shrinking waist. My priorities have also changed since I started, because this time last year I'd have been devastated that I've only lost ~6 lbs in 4 months. If the average healthy amount to lose is 1-2 lbs per week, then naturally I'm "far behind" in my weight loss efforts.

Buuuut…. I've lost 16.5 inches between my neck, rib cage, waist, hips, thighs, and biceps. So yeah, I haven't lost a ton of actual fat (we're still working on it!), but my body composition is certainly changing.

Let me tell you, once you have the habit of going to the gym on a daily basis, for the love of all that's holy, DON'T STOP GOING TO THE GYM.

Repeat after me: DO. NOT. STOP. GOING. TO. THE. GYM. 

I haven't gone much in the last 2 weeks (maybe thrice?), and today I paid the piper. I can normally do 3 sets of 10 reps of overhead dumbbell presses, and today I had to grunt and strain and try crazy hard to do it. I normally do 40 lb tricep push-downs. Today I was doing 35 lb ones and feeling like a sissy girl. Even my 200 lb v-squat that I was so proud of? Today we did 180.

So while they're still good results, I definitely took a step back since I essentially took a week and a half off. =\

Anywho. That's about it for me. How's everyone else doing? How are your workouts and your food stuffs?

<3
A Redhead
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  1. UnknownAugust 26, 2013 at 3:13 PM

    I hear you, friend. The good news is you're going back and you'll get back to where you left off in no time!! So way to go!! My unrealistic expectations mostly revolve around losing 5 pounds if I eat super clean for one day. Logically I know that won't happen, but I still hope for it. =P

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