Weight gain(but fat loss?) in weight maintenance Dec 2013 scoop

In the month of Dec 2013, I've weighed the most that I have in the last two years. Frustrating since I've been keeping a good food template.

Reaction:
The six year old "me" stomped my feet and thought, I deserve better results, I've earned a different outcome!!!... I let that go on for about 5 whole minutes. Pretty ineffective stuff. ;)

Effective action:Then I switched gears to outcomes based on solid processes review, planning and re-framing. That's were real change happens in my new normal.
Review:
The good news:
1. I've stuck to my good low inflammatory food template and exercise.
2. I've lost 2-5% body fat, according to my cheap home scale
3. I've stayed well from a colds and flu
3.5 Antibiotics are working for my ear infection (see the inflammation from 12-4 to 12-19-2013?)
4. My clothes still fit fairly well, the fat loss seems to be from my belly, which for overall health goals away from the scale is soooo important, in my opinion.

The scale bounces during transition

 Root cause consideration: I could be making excuses guessing here, but addressing 1 or more of these WILL work. Might take a little time, but the answer will reveal itself. Better to guess and be wrong and keep trying than to put my head in the sand and not address issues.

1. I stopped tracking my food for 3-4 months. I quite likely shifted my carbs a little higher this time- little larger fruit serving, etc.
2. The 2 infections- one in November, one in December and the antibiotics could be just part of the gain.
3. Fat loss vs weight loss. This is the first winter of me being really fat adapted, and I've noticed lower belly fat with a little bit additional subcutaneous fat on my hips. I get bone chilling cold on and off all winter, I have since a teenager. This could all be part of fat adaption. I know my weight drops like a rock in the summer. It all is connected to sleeping temperature. Warm days in So Cal, but cold nights.
4. My strength training has been spotty at best. It's habit, I know!


 Action Plan:

1. I'm back to tracking food at my fitness pal for my carbohydrate levels. Looks like getting my carbs to the 40's range is effective for me.

1.5 I don't worry about calories at all. If I'm hungry, I can trust my signals now. I eat. I stop when I feel full. I just don't don't do it with fruit. I do eat protein, fat, and lower carb veggies (PFC- Dietitian Cassie has taught me well!)I've gotten super good at picking out emotional eating from true hunger. Key weight maintenance skill set!!!

2. Getting off antibiotics and getting my gut health back will be key. I have to have patience on this one. Bone broth, pro-biotics, enough sleep, and stress reduction, too.

3. All I can do is hold tight and data collect on the cold sleeping. No trips to warm sleeping places anytime soon. Maybe this is the new normal and I'll thank my lucky stars for the fat loss. Time will tell and patience is also a key weight maintenance skill set!!!

4. Strength training.
     A. Getting back to putting stickers on a calendar, like the 6 year old me, is key. This time instead   of earning candy bars (this happened in second grade for book reading!) I will be earning iTunes.The six year old me is happy and can't wait to see the stickers.... funny.
     B. Taking another person with me on my work out. Jr. Family member will be joining me soon. Whoot!!! :)
     C. Using the Lift app to cement my strength training habit. Halting bone loss is at the top of my 2014 priority list and lifting and moving will be key to my goals.

Nobody seems to teach this stuff in most support groups in weight maintenance. It's very individual, too. The template is your own.

What did not work in the past
1. Not tracking weight or food
2. Not connecting a low inflammatory food template to colds and flu (infections, different animal for me)
3. No critical thinking on the root causes.
4. Not enough effort on the right habit changes. No systems and rewards.

That's it. I'll check back in on Jan 3, 2014 for my 23 month maintenance with my progress. Onward. The fine tuning does not end in weight maintenance. I thank my lucky stars for using the tools that I need to connect the dots and take fast corrective action. I might guess wrong, but I will stumble upon the answer if I keep going.

Discuss: How do you reverse gains? Does your weight vary in the winter?

Still rocking my jeans 12/26/2013