April 1, the local LA Fitness I belong to shut its doors.
That weekend I try jogging for the first, and, as it turns out, only time in my life. My heart rate, which typically on the elliptical needs a TON of effort to push above 160 BPM, instantly skyrocketed to 170 and beyond after just a quarter mile of moderate running-I had to alternate walking and running to keep it from heading towards 200. And I was a total ache and pain for a solid week afterwards.
I ordered a stationary bike, which got lost, but the Amazon partner I ordered it from refused to refund me or send me a replacement. Fine, got another one, took 3 weeks finally got here 2 days ago.
After my workout today went to the local Publix to weigh myself. Now, I have noticed that my belt was still perfectly comfortable on the 3 notches I normally use, but I would have sworn that I would be at 182 at least (been around 174-178 for 3 years now).
Got up on the scale, shoes off, waited for it to stop…on 175.
How the hey did I lose two pounds? Conservative estimate is 12,000 calories not burned off in that time period (I usually average ~2000 per week, tho that may not be fully trustworthy either), 6 pounds worth, 176 + 6 = 182. I hadn’t changed my diet much if at all, low calorie meals moderate snacking in between, indulge a bit in ice cream once every 2-4 weeks.
Caveat: the scale was not zeroed when no weight was on it, but just a slight touch with my toe was enough to zero it out.
My guess: you have in fact eaten less, and your estimate that you haven’t implies that you were eating more before.
Second guess: whatever you’ve been doing or experiencing since the shutdown, one way or another, has been more stressful, and stress potentially raises your metabolism. Some people respond to that kind of stress by eating more comfort food (gaining weight by sitting at home eating ice cream and cookies); some by eating less (I also have friends who have lost 10-15 lbs. due to a noticeable loss of appetite); and if you did neither but raised your metabolism not through exercise but through stress, well, that would do it, too.
If that, then maybe check your BP and heart rate. Like, that is not the best way to lose weight.
Besides in reading your OP again, losing 2 pounds over six weeks is not really significant; it could even be something like dehydration.
My guess: you have in fact eaten less, and your estimate that you haven’t implies that you were eating more before.
Second guess: whatever you’ve been doing or experiencing since the shutdown, one way or another, has been more stressful, and stress potentially raises your metabolism. Some people respond to that kind of stress by eating more comfort food (gaining weight by sitting at home eating ice cream and cookies); some by eating less (I also have friends who have lost 10-15 lbs. due to a noticeable loss of appetite); and if you did neither but raised your metabolism not through exercise but through stress, well, that would do it, too.
If that, then maybe check your BP and heart rate. Like, that is not the best way to lose weight.
Besides in reading your OP again, losing 2 pounds over six weeks is not really significant; it could even be something like dehydration.
Exercise typically isn’t a major contributor to weight loss. It’s helps, but it’s small potatoes compared to food. So the answer is what others have said; for whatever reason you’re eating less now.
Could be just statistical variation and you really didn’t lose anything. Could be that your belly and intestines were fuller before and not so full now, and your actual body weight didn’t really change. Weigh yourself again a few hours or days later and let us know if the loss was real or just apparent.
There’s a lot that can make your weight vary by a few pounds. Depending on when you last ate, drank and went to the bathroom will provide some variability. A pint of water weighs a pound, so drinking or expelling a couple of pints of liquid would mean a 2 pound difference.
But if your lifestyle changed, you might not be eating as much and that might contribute to your weight loss. You may have had drink and snack habits in the office that you’re not doing at home. Losing 2 pounds over 6 weeks is a difference of about 170 calories a day. That would be like skipping a soda or bag of chips. If you’re snacking less at home, that could easily make up the difference. Another difference is cooking at home. Restaurant food is packed with calories to make it taste good and encourage you return often. If now you’re eating all your meals at home, you may be eating lighter without realizing it.
The elliptical at the gym probably overstated how many calories you burned. As you noted, the elliptical didn’t seem like that hard of a workout compared to running. The calorie counters on the machines are not very accurate. Obviously there is some kind of calorie difference since you’re not spending time on the elliptical, but it might not be that 2000/week. A 600-800 calorie per hour workout will likely feel very strenuous and you’ll be sweaty and out of breath. If an hour on the elliptical felt pretty easy and your heartrate didn’t get elevated, then likely it didn’t burn a lot of calories.
Contact your Credit Card company and demand that they not pay for that item you never received. I have always found C C companies will back you, the card member and not Amazon.
(Why did you stop? A few pairs of dumb bells and a pair of running shoes will easily keep you in shape until the gyms open next year.)
I always weigh myself at LA Fitness’ physician’s-type scale, very rarely at the Publix one (every store has one it seems); I get the calorie count from my heart rate watch-the elliptical has a counter too but usually 20-30% less than the watch. Nope, no emotional stress either.
I guess my muscle mass could have dropped-I mean I really push the machine and myself pretty hard, harder than anybody else I see there on the same machines; I’m usually completely drenched from head to socks by the end. Annnd I am well aware of the variation from intake/outtake, but found that it usually doesn’t change things by more than 1-2 pounds.
I’ve lost 25 pounds in the 9 weeks I’ve been working from home. I think it’s a combination of 3 factiors:
1.Exercise. Not rigorous, but minimum of 2 long walks with the dog every day.
Not snacking throughout the day while I work. I have a drawer full of cookies, candy, and other junk at work but my wife won’t let me get away with that at home!
Not eating out. At the office I generally bought lunch at one of the local places every day. These days we make and eat our meals so it’s much healthier.
I was 190 beginning of March. I was 165 this morning.
I’ve lost a few pounds too despite the fact that I haven’t been to Planet Fitness since mid March. It’s quite odd. I have not been working out at home. I walk a lot but walking is not a very good way to lose weight; I would have to walk a REALLY long way to walk off the calories I’d burn in a fairly normal session at PF. I must conclude that I am eating less.
Having said that I agree that a two pound difference is so small as to mean nothing - especially when John weighed himself at a store while wearing clothes. Just a different suit of clothes can make a difference of a few pounds. I weigh myself every day, wearing no clothes, at the same time every day for the most consistent possible measurement, and even then it fluctuates a pound or two day to day for reasons that don’t necessarily seem to make any sense.
To me, my weight isn’t what the scale says now. It’s the rolling average of what the scale has said in the last seven days.