The Stress Effect

I’ve learned this week what stress can do to one’s weight loss plan. To quote the Scottish poet Robert Burns:

The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley (go often awry),
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain (and leave us nothing but grief and pain),
For promis'd joy!

In modern-day English that means, despite one’s best intentions, one is screwed.

Although my diet has stayed the same — about 2,000 calories per day — and my treadmill activity has increased in duration, my weight shot up from approximately 198 pounds to 201 pounds this week (down a mere six lbs. from when I started my diet nearly a month ago).

(Click on image to enlarge)

But here’s the insult to the injury: A few weeks ago I learned that a longtime client was shutting down the financial newsletter that I helped him compile due to the economy, meaning that I need to find additional work — fast. Yet, despite sending out a slew of resumes and cover letters, I’ve received exactly one response to date — from a person who thought I would make an excellent insurance agent.

The sad thing is I actually thought about it for a minute or two, reasoning that it might open the door to a career in snowboarding (hey, if my writing can lead to an insurance gig…).

Anyway, on the exercise front, I decided I needed to mix things up a bit. I got advice from numerous people (I’m a big believer in the more information, the better) and decided that, perhaps, my body had simply adjusted to my current training regimen. Hence, I would throw it a loop and train differently.

Starting yesterday, I decided to focus on reps instead of weight, quickness and explosiveness instead of form. Now, when I say this, I don’t mean that I’m going to abandon good form altogether and start lifting Gangnam Style — although that might be interesting — but, rather, that I will concentrate on doing more (in less time).

I also decided to quit stressing about the Bodybuilding.com Transformation Challenge and start focusing on my health and wellbeing. Make no mistake: I’d love to win or even place in the Challenge, but I didn’t enter solely for that reason. I entered to put pressure on myself to make a positive change in my life and maybe inspire others to do the same.

That is a best-laid plan that cannot be allowed to go awry.