P2P Challenge going badly wrong...

Eagle-eyed readers might have noticed that you didn’t receive an update of Week 3 of the P2P Challenge. Being brutally honest with myself (only slightly belatedly), this is because it went very badly indeed. I have been, quietly, in shock trying to work out what has gone on.



To recap:



Week 1 – loss of 2.8 lbs

Week 2 – loss of 1 lb



Week 3 – drumroll please……….. – gain of 5.2 lbs!!!



And I have no idea why!! It’s quite depressing. I had hoped that it was some form of temporary water weight and, indeed, it did seem to be coming off but then reappeared so I must reluctantly discount that theory. While I did have my cousin and sister visiting so had been doing a little more cooking and eating than normal, it was by no means an eating fest. Not much drinking and only a few extra treats. Realistically, I had expected that I wouldn’t lose anything that week and was prepared for that but to pile on 5 lbs! In a week. It doesn’t seem right. We had been very active too – lots of walking and sight-seeing. So, all in all, a puzzle and an annoying one at that.



I have mulled for a few days trying to work out what might have happened. I suspect it is partly time of the month as I do have that bloaty feel so hope that I’ll have a decent week soon. But also, looking back at my wall chart, I note that my almost daily exercise changed from a mixture of golf/walking with swimming, personal training and running as well to mostly walking. So, it appears that I have been kidding myself that walking (other than really strenuous, brisk hill walks) cuts the mustard. Although the walks with my sister and cousin were quite long and we were tired afterwards, looking back I realise that we did walk very slowly and avoid the biggest hills because my sister has a bad knee so they must have been less than useless in the fat-burning stakes.



Also, because I had to take time off I had cancelled personal training that week and couldn’t fit in a lunchtime swim because I was trying to get my work finished off in time.



I therefore conclude that I need to do challenging aerobic exercise in order to lose weight. Sad but true. I therefore went for a run on Saturday morning and I’m going for another one tonight while Rich is at golf.



I’m hoping that, with hard work over the next few days, week 4 will bring a loss of a couple of lbs so that, after the full month of the P2P challenge, I will not have gained but will not have lost much if anything. This does not, however, stop me trying again next month. I will just have to work harder and keep at it until I get it right.



It certainly demonstrates the value of the wall chart; my chimp CANNOT hide the facts from me and it makes analysis of where WE (Chimpetta and I) went wrong easier as well. Perhaps I should add the dreaded food diary for a few weeks too?? I hate them but they do keep you accountable.



I certainly have the motivation. I have seen certain photos of myself taken unawares by my cousin and I’ve definitely strayed into “Fatty Territory” from the former “Pleasantly Plump Zone”. This was confirmed last night in the large studio mirrors at dancing. I was wearing ¾ length jeans and low heels for dancing and my a*s is huge!! It cannot be allowed to go on this way. I want to go on holiday in the autumn back in Pleasantly Plump….. (Hey Peri – your habit of naming the various stages of weight loss must be catching….fancy that!)