I Am Putting On Weight...

But I exercise. Why? I didn't want to accept it, but a stroke of curiosity swept me. With clothes on, the figure was a little more, just about 2 lbs. Yet, after eating right, exercising somewhat regularly, I clock in at about 177.4 lbs. For reference, I last weighed in at about 173, a monthly low for my weight levels. So, what's happening? Let's reference some material.

The Checklist

BBC Good Food suggests these ten tips to someone trying to lose weight, but isn't finding success.

1. Identify your "why" and remind yourself of it regularly
2. Have a quantifiable target
3. Beware the compensation effect
4. Watch out for sports drinks
5. Fuel wisely
6. Activity is not just exercise
7. Shun the scales
8. Beat that weight loss plateau
9. Vary your workout sessions
10. Don't forget to rest up

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A quick survey of the list and article, and I could focus on a few things, as follows:

• What is my "why"? How often do I remind myself?
• Have a quantifiable target. I didn't measure my TDEE, or total daily energy expenditure.
• My girl and I are most certainly fighting the compensation effect.
• Activity is not just exercise.
• Shunning the scale kept me from properly tracking progress.
• I need a new workout plan.

What's The Matter?

I feel somewhat stronger, but this past week, a food log would reveal I ate out- dinners at least twice this weekend, enjoyed fast food at least once, and had snacks before bed. I was doing well with the weight management, but I'm getting ahead of myself. I want both my girl and I to look good when we're out and about this summer. Without saying much, our confidence is linked to our image, which is linked to our health. I may have to answer a question every morning about whether or not it's a rest day, but deep down, I know the exercise is for my longevity, my enjoyment of life. I am not going anywhere with shoulder and back pain. I don't want to be too heavy to sit on my girl's lap. I want the strength to be able to lift her up. We want to have the energy for for days full of experiences too abundant to write down or forget. If I'm honest, a slim figure also lends itself to sporting fashionable trends, and who doesn't like to show off their sartorial taste?

What's My Target?

I haven't the slightest clue what my body fat percentage amounts to, but I have my calorie expenditure for the past few months thanks to picking up a Fitbit. I'm not going to dance around it- I burned an average of 2,764 calories per day. That's thanks to moderate exercise. I have to come under that calorie count but stay sated to see the numbers on the scale drop. So, with this info alone, I know the past week definitely did damage to my good work thus far. But it's not over yet. I'm going to check the scale every day. It should be my way of taking note of the score- this is my way of becoming a hotshot.

What's The Compensation Effect?

According to research available here, from the National Institutes of Health, when you exercise, you can "make up too much" for the difference in calories you're feeling in different ways like eating more, getting less physical activity that isn't exercise. The research tries to cover how the compensatory behavior leads to the wide discrepancy in exercise-induced weight loss. It doesn't need much effort, though, since I can see it. We're working out, but spending three days in a row not doing much but sitting around and eating cheeseburgers, drinking alcohol- it's reducing the effect of those hard-earned gains. That makes an aspiring writer disagreeable and unambitious.

What can we do? I hope to zero in on the EI (energy intake) with a consistent food log this week. Wish me luck.

Activity Isn't Just Exercise

This truth makes more sense in the context of the compensation effect. Given the chance, I want to get up and kick the ball more. At least, with the weather warming, I can look forward to biking on trails, walking outside during lunch and breaks, and leaving the creature comforts of the great indoors.

The Scale Shall Prevail

I tried adhering to some advice that checking the scale too often could hurt more than it help. Maybe that was true, but I also have some other facts influencing my present reality. In response to these relevant details, my commitment to the progress involves consistent, maybe daily check-ins.

Kyle's New Workout Plan

Most of all, the exercise cannot get stale like bread. It's about time to call it for the evening, so I'm going to follow through on these blasters. Here's how I'll overcome the compensation: morning cardio, evening weights. During the day, to stay tight and upright, I'll dribble my soccer ball. Even though I already wrote that, there's still more to try like: yoga, stretches, and things I haven't seen yet written within these issues of Men's Health and other print publications. Look forward to my picks from the prints.