Good morning! I slept in until 8 am this morning. It's been a long time since I've done that. I needed the rest and the loss of 3 productive hours was a good trade this morning.

I've been in this over-50 zone for over 2 weeks now and I have got to tell you, it's not bad.

I have been exercising and eating clean (a work in progress for this carb lover) and just this morning I fit into the dress I wore for my daughter's christening AND the dress I wore out for my birthday dinner that same year - 12 years ago.

I went shopping yesterday to buy new pants because the ones I have are too big. Need a pant size 6-8-10-12? I got you covered and hope I never have the need for the bigger ones again. Weight fluctuations stink.

There are some real reasons your weight will fluctuate up to five pounds each day:

Eating and drinking. Weighing yourself after eating a meal or drinking a large amount will give you a falsely high measurement. Weighing yourself after you sweat a lot, such as after working out, will give you a falsely low reading.
Sodium intake. The large amount of sodium in a fast food or pizza meal leads to water retention and a falsely high weight.
Carbohydrates. A meal high in simple carbohydrates will also cause you to hold water and temporarily raise weight. Similarly, high protein and low carbohydrate diets give a false impression of weight loss when the body is simply losing carbohydrate and water weight.
Hormones. Water retention, and therefore weight, fluctuates with a woman's menstrual cycle.

My fluctuations have blown past five pounds and over the years, pregnancy aside, were due to stress, no exercise and a lot of food. For the record I am all for falsely low readings but have made a commitment to myself, my closet and my wallet that this is not a short term experiment but a new way of life.

Don't believe me? I went to Trader Joe's yesterday and bought sprouted bread and nitrate free turkey bacon. Replace the mayo with a touch of guacamole and you have a killer, clean BLT.

What do you do to keep your fitness in check? HR-sphere friends, need some motivation and support? Join the HR Fit Crew on Facebook and get out from behind the desk right now.

When it comes to exercise, I know I work best when someone tells me what to do. Last month, I brushed off a dormant exercise plan and this past week, I jumped in with both feet.

I am joining 10 other women and 2 men in Granite City Cross Fit On-Ramp training. Three times a week for four weeks, we are meeting in the studio to learn the proper way squat, press and lift. Our coaches will tell us what to do and we'll do it in return for strength, stamina and stability.

My first day was pitiful; my ego hurt more than any muscle in my body. Days 2 and 3 were challenging and I have a feeling that they were being "easy" on the newbies. Week two starts tomorrow and I am scared. I am in it until the end and hopefully that means the end of the month and not the end of me.

Wish me luck!

Blog

#Fitness: A Day in the Life Sunday

CrossFit: A Day in the Life Sunday

Lisa Rosendahl