Getting closer every day

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Well I *almost* feel like I am getting back on the saddle. I have lost 5lbs of bodyfat in the last month or so, and I think that is pretty much right on track. I don't know if I would want to lose much more than that, since it's not healthy (in my view) to lose more than 1-2 lbs a week, unless you are *very* overweight or are a pro bodybuilder (I don't fit into either scenario).

In theory, your body needs to undergo a 3500 calorie deficit to lose 1lb of fat. 3500 calories may not sound like a lot, but the caveat of course is that there is no guarantee the decrease in mass will come from fat. So if you dramatically decrease calories in a short period of time, and are piling on the stress of cardio and strength training, your body can catabolize your own muscle tissue for energy.

Another big challenge is that my lack of sleep (lately) has been a real factor in keeping my stress levels higher than usual. Corisol IS a stress hormone, and it is implicated in promoting glucose production and fat storage. Sleep and moderate exercise are two of the best ways to control excess cortisol, but I simply have not been sleeping enough because of our new baby. Also, exercising while in a caloire deficit IS a type of stress on your body, so it's even doubly important (in my opinion) to get extra sleep.

Nonetheless, I haven't seen any decreases in strength or endurance, so that is a good sign. As I mentioned before, I plan on regimenting my strength training much more than it has been, so I am looking forward to that in the coming weeks.

Also I find that blogging keeps the excuses down and motivation up, so I'll keep that up too.

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