This past week and a half, I've been concerned about hitting a plateau. I've read about the phenomenon where people losing weight hit a wall and can't make the scale budge further down. I'm accustomed to readings which bounce erratically, but from last week Tuesday till this week Tuesday, I registered the exact weight from day to day. It edge slightly up when I overate one evening, but the number was pretty much that same: 197.
I also noticed other changes. After my workouts, I no longer feel dead tired. When I first started out, I got some really good nights' sleep because the workout left me exhausted. My body is accustomed to the physical activity now, so I can actually do things after the workout. When I would check my heart rate during my treadmill session, I noticed the rate was relatively lower. It used to be 3 mph got my heart rate up to 130 bpm and beyond. But recently, I'd be lucky if I broke 120.
Between the plateau concerns and the workout feeling, well, easier, I made some adjustments. I increased the workout from 35 minutes to 40, and I use a program with steeper inclines. Today, I pushed my heart rate to 151, which is on the high end of my target range. I'm hoping these changes will shock my system back into shedding pounds.
When I stepped on the scale this morning, I registered 195.4. I ate a big dinner at a Mexican restaurant tonight, so I'm pretty sure I'll be hovering at 197 for the next few days again.
Still, it's nice to realize the exercise is changing the way my body runs. I'm no longer hungry after workouts, and I'm eating less because my appetite has been curbed.
Maybe next week, approximately two months after I began this regimen, I can say I lost 20 pounds. If I round down, I can say it now.