Carb Cycling: round two DONE! Today is not only my second cycle high carb day BUT I get to have a cheat! I have been super excited. Last night we ate at Applebees and despite the fact that I have wanted to try the wonton tacos for, like, EVER...I was true to my goal. I had a sirloin steak & grilled shrimp with all veggies. And wow, it was fantastic. Tonight, I'm up for something fried and fabulous, baby!
Also, started my new 2 day split routine with weights. Gonna hit each muscle group twice per week (4 training days) and hit the cardio on the off days (boo! - but it has to be done).
Monday, January 10, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Day 7
2nd low carb day of my 2nd zig-zag cycle. I was dizzy today. I did my morning run (first run in a looooong time, probably a few months) and took a shower. After my shower I was dizzy so I ate. But I still was feeling queasy so I tried to take a little nap. I'm not sure if it's due to not enough nutrition or not being used to running or none of the above. Maybe this low carb thing is too hard on my body, especially when I workout hard every day. I'll continue to give it a good run for at least one more week. If I'm starting to feel yucky more often than not I might need to bump up my carb intake a little on my low days. I definitely don't want my workouts to suffer. I might not be as carb sensitive as I once thought. Maybe I'll still be able to get rid of the fat even with the starches in late afternoon. It's all trial and error. Everyone is different. That's what makes this journey so hard. There is no one fix for every person.
Even though it was a Saturday night, and I was at a movie theater with just my husband, I persevered. I held strong, no popcorn (I ate some nuts before we went) and we didn't go out to eat. Instead, we stopped at the store and picked up a rotisserie chicken and I had that and broccoli. Even my husband is starting to get used to my calorie rotation. On the way home I mentioned I would like to try eating at this yummy sandwich place not far from where we live and his response was "yeah, but it will have to be on one of your high calorie days, because it's pretty greasy". Bless his heart.
He wanted to stop and get burgers on the way home because we have no food in our house (tomorrow is grocery day), but I told him I couldn't do that today. Another big victory for me. Turn down burgers?? Who am I? I love it! Monday is my next high carb day and I'm going to have a cheat, first one in a week. I'm thinking Taco Johns...mmmmmm. I'm such a sucker for fast food junk. I wish I wasn't.
Tomorrow I get my belly pierced. I'm super excited. My niece is going with me. She probably just wants to see me squirm. I'll post pics!
Even though it was a Saturday night, and I was at a movie theater with just my husband, I persevered. I held strong, no popcorn (I ate some nuts before we went) and we didn't go out to eat. Instead, we stopped at the store and picked up a rotisserie chicken and I had that and broccoli. Even my husband is starting to get used to my calorie rotation. On the way home I mentioned I would like to try eating at this yummy sandwich place not far from where we live and his response was "yeah, but it will have to be on one of your high calorie days, because it's pretty greasy". Bless his heart.
He wanted to stop and get burgers on the way home because we have no food in our house (tomorrow is grocery day), but I told him I couldn't do that today. Another big victory for me. Turn down burgers?? Who am I? I love it! Monday is my next high carb day and I'm going to have a cheat, first one in a week. I'm thinking Taco Johns...mmmmmm. I'm such a sucker for fast food junk. I wish I wasn't.
Tomorrow I get my belly pierced. I'm super excited. My niece is going with me. She probably just wants to see me squirm. I'll post pics!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Day 5
Round two of the carb cycling. Going good.
I realized at dinner tonight that I completely forgot to eat my afternoon snack today. This has like, never happened to me before in my entire life. Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration but it's very rare that I skip a meal. Then, I couldn't even finish my dinner (sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes and a chicken brat). Weird.
I'm taking my first measurements on Monday morning. I'm so excited to see what they are even two weeks from now!
You know, if I could share the most important bits of information that I've learned during the past 4 years of my whirlwind obsession with fitness and nutrition, I would say this:
1)You can't be one-sided when it comes to exercising. What I mean by this is you can't be all "weights are the only way to lose weight" or "cardio is the only way to lose weight". And I've been guilty of this myself. So what does work? A combination of weight training, cardio, & diet. It's only when you get these three things together, will you see the results you are after. Trust me, I know. That being said, diet alone is not the way either.
2)Losing weight depends LARGELY upon what you are eating. Sorry folks, you just can't scarf down fried food and sugary desserts all the time and expect to get anywhere with your fitness regimen. No amount of training is going to undo a poor diet. It's sacrifice, but if it's that important to you, you'll do it.
3)You can't say you don't have time. Everyone is busy, ok? I'm busy, you're busy, we're all busy. You always have time to set your alarm clock one hour earlier if that is the only way. If your health and appearance is important, you'll do it.
I could probably write a book about what I've learned and what I've done in the past, what has worked, what hasn't, etc. But I narrowed it down. I say those things because, like I said, I know from experience. I've gone months at a time, exercising my butt off consistently and not seeing my measurements budge one iota. Why? Because I wasn't caring about my diet. I tried eating healthy for the most part but I was cheating too much. I found out that for me, exercising this way will at least help me maintain. But if I want better, I need to eat better. Simple as that.
I don't have a job outside the house, but that doesn't mean that I'm not busy from time to time. I have three kids in school and activities, a huge house to keep up, a giant shedding slobbering dog, laundry for 5 people, etc.. My days can get hectic. But I've learned when the best times for me to get my workouts done are and I make it a point to "schedule" them in. I even schedule other appointments around it if I can. It's important to me so I make time.
You will hear my go on and on about how much I prefer weight lifting to cardio and that is just my personal preference. I would so much rather do 30-45 minutes of weight training than running at a steady state on a treadmill for the same amount of time. But even so, I know that to maximize my results, I need to get that cardio in. Not just for heart health, but for fat loss. But running alone isn't going to cut it either. Again, I could go on and on into the whys but I won't. Just trust me.
I'm no professional, but I have learned through 4 years of trial and error what works for me and what doesn't. So who am I? I am a woman who has never had weight problems except for after pregnancy. I am skinny and don't weigh very much, yet I have pockets of fat on my body that are awful. Trying to get rid of it has been more than a challenge. Way more than I ever expected. I have tried and failed many times simply because I haven't been able to stay motivated to stick to a way of eating that I know will work. It's hard. I am SO confident that this time, it will happen. Something just switched inside me, I'm more driven than ever. This is going to be my year. I hope it is for you too!
I realized at dinner tonight that I completely forgot to eat my afternoon snack today. This has like, never happened to me before in my entire life. Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration but it's very rare that I skip a meal. Then, I couldn't even finish my dinner (sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes and a chicken brat). Weird.
I'm taking my first measurements on Monday morning. I'm so excited to see what they are even two weeks from now!
You know, if I could share the most important bits of information that I've learned during the past 4 years of my whirlwind obsession with fitness and nutrition, I would say this:
1)You can't be one-sided when it comes to exercising. What I mean by this is you can't be all "weights are the only way to lose weight" or "cardio is the only way to lose weight". And I've been guilty of this myself. So what does work? A combination of weight training, cardio, & diet. It's only when you get these three things together, will you see the results you are after. Trust me, I know. That being said, diet alone is not the way either.
2)Losing weight depends LARGELY upon what you are eating. Sorry folks, you just can't scarf down fried food and sugary desserts all the time and expect to get anywhere with your fitness regimen. No amount of training is going to undo a poor diet. It's sacrifice, but if it's that important to you, you'll do it.
3)You can't say you don't have time. Everyone is busy, ok? I'm busy, you're busy, we're all busy. You always have time to set your alarm clock one hour earlier if that is the only way. If your health and appearance is important, you'll do it.
I could probably write a book about what I've learned and what I've done in the past, what has worked, what hasn't, etc. But I narrowed it down. I say those things because, like I said, I know from experience. I've gone months at a time, exercising my butt off consistently and not seeing my measurements budge one iota. Why? Because I wasn't caring about my diet. I tried eating healthy for the most part but I was cheating too much. I found out that for me, exercising this way will at least help me maintain. But if I want better, I need to eat better. Simple as that.
I don't have a job outside the house, but that doesn't mean that I'm not busy from time to time. I have three kids in school and activities, a huge house to keep up, a giant shedding slobbering dog, laundry for 5 people, etc.. My days can get hectic. But I've learned when the best times for me to get my workouts done are and I make it a point to "schedule" them in. I even schedule other appointments around it if I can. It's important to me so I make time.
You will hear my go on and on about how much I prefer weight lifting to cardio and that is just my personal preference. I would so much rather do 30-45 minutes of weight training than running at a steady state on a treadmill for the same amount of time. But even so, I know that to maximize my results, I need to get that cardio in. Not just for heart health, but for fat loss. But running alone isn't going to cut it either. Again, I could go on and on into the whys but I won't. Just trust me.
I'm no professional, but I have learned through 4 years of trial and error what works for me and what doesn't. So who am I? I am a woman who has never had weight problems except for after pregnancy. I am skinny and don't weigh very much, yet I have pockets of fat on my body that are awful. Trying to get rid of it has been more than a challenge. Way more than I ever expected. I have tried and failed many times simply because I haven't been able to stay motivated to stick to a way of eating that I know will work. It's hard. I am SO confident that this time, it will happen. Something just switched inside me, I'm more driven than ever. This is going to be my year. I hope it is for you too!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
hello high carb day
Day 4: Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle journey
Today is a high carb day (yipee!). I'm so excited that I get to have a starch with dinner tonight. Honestly, these past 3 days of low carb eating haven't been all that bad. I'm trying to force myself to eat more veggies, and while it's difficult at times, it's going good.
The absolute HARDEST point in my day is between 3 and 5 o'clock. That's when things get hectic. The kids get home from school and the chaos begins. I'm a touch crabby from their shenanigans and it's snack time for me, but without a starch :( And at that time of day, when I seem the most ravenous, it's hard to make myself want to eat broccoli and nuts (for instance).
But I have a different idea today. I've been only eating my favorite Greek yogurt in the mornings, because I thought it fell into the category of simple carbs (which is sugary fruit). I also thought milk fell into that category too. BUT, I learned from reading this book that I have, that milk, yogurt, cheese (all low fat or non fat) fall into the protein category. I just never really count them as a protein because it's pretty low compared to meat or beans. So maybe being able to eat some filling yogurt in the afternoon will help.
I'm in the process of revamping my workout routines for next week, since I'll be done with metabolic circuits. I'm getting so excited I just want to start it now! This week, I've been adding a brisk 45 minute walk in the evenings, just to getting more calorie burn in.
The first goal I've set for myself is February 20th. That will be 49 days. I should be able to see significant changes in my body by then with the ramped up workouts and carb cycling. It's also a good gauging point, because if I haven't seen the changes I'm expecting, I know I will need to step in up even more to reach my second goal of June 1st.
Today is a high carb day (yipee!). I'm so excited that I get to have a starch with dinner tonight. Honestly, these past 3 days of low carb eating haven't been all that bad. I'm trying to force myself to eat more veggies, and while it's difficult at times, it's going good.
The absolute HARDEST point in my day is between 3 and 5 o'clock. That's when things get hectic. The kids get home from school and the chaos begins. I'm a touch crabby from their shenanigans and it's snack time for me, but without a starch :( And at that time of day, when I seem the most ravenous, it's hard to make myself want to eat broccoli and nuts (for instance).
But I have a different idea today. I've been only eating my favorite Greek yogurt in the mornings, because I thought it fell into the category of simple carbs (which is sugary fruit). I also thought milk fell into that category too. BUT, I learned from reading this book that I have, that milk, yogurt, cheese (all low fat or non fat) fall into the protein category. I just never really count them as a protein because it's pretty low compared to meat or beans. So maybe being able to eat some filling yogurt in the afternoon will help.
I'm in the process of revamping my workout routines for next week, since I'll be done with metabolic circuits. I'm getting so excited I just want to start it now! This week, I've been adding a brisk 45 minute walk in the evenings, just to getting more calorie burn in.
The first goal I've set for myself is February 20th. That will be 49 days. I should be able to see significant changes in my body by then with the ramped up workouts and carb cycling. It's also a good gauging point, because if I haven't seen the changes I'm expecting, I know I will need to step in up even more to reach my second goal of June 1st.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
So far, so good
Ok, day two went [almost] just as great as day one. I say almost because after dinner I got a headache that just went from bad to worse, into the wee hours of the morning. BUT, that is something that happpens to me anyway. I don't think that it's in anyway related to the carb cycling.
Energy was through the ROOF again! I took down ALL the Christmas decorations, hauled the tree out, and cleaned the house. I thought it was a pain to have to stop and eat LOL. Once I get into a groove, it's hard to stop me. But of course by evening, I was spent. And I was hungry.
I went to bed after a cup of tea wishing for some sort of comforting carb in my belly :( But I was strong and denied it. I would have had cottage cheese but I forgot to get it when I was at the store. Oops. So I had to suffer a bit. It's all good though. I am super motivated and can talk myself out of anything when I am this driven. I am willing to sacrifice a little for what I will get in return.
Diet was stellar. I did cut back on the amount of eggs for breakfast, like I said I was going to. It still felt like a lot though, with the oatmeal. This morning, try as I might, I could eat only half of it. Funny, seeings as how I was so hungry at bedtime the night before.
Yesterday was also my one designated rest day for the week. Today I have metabolic training on the scedule. We'll see how I do after two low carb days. I also have to deal with sleep deprivation. I could not fall asleep last night to save my soul! 2 in the morning and I was still tossing and turning! Even after listening to meditation on my iPod which usually puts me right out! Yikes!
But all in all, so far, so good!
Energy was through the ROOF again! I took down ALL the Christmas decorations, hauled the tree out, and cleaned the house. I thought it was a pain to have to stop and eat LOL. Once I get into a groove, it's hard to stop me. But of course by evening, I was spent. And I was hungry.
I went to bed after a cup of tea wishing for some sort of comforting carb in my belly :( But I was strong and denied it. I would have had cottage cheese but I forgot to get it when I was at the store. Oops. So I had to suffer a bit. It's all good though. I am super motivated and can talk myself out of anything when I am this driven. I am willing to sacrifice a little for what I will get in return.
Diet was stellar. I did cut back on the amount of eggs for breakfast, like I said I was going to. It still felt like a lot though, with the oatmeal. This morning, try as I might, I could eat only half of it. Funny, seeings as how I was so hungry at bedtime the night before.
Yesterday was also my one designated rest day for the week. Today I have metabolic training on the scedule. We'll see how I do after two low carb days. I also have to deal with sleep deprivation. I could not fall asleep last night to save my soul! 2 in the morning and I was still tossing and turning! Even after listening to meditation on my iPod which usually puts me right out! Yikes!
But all in all, so far, so good!
Monday, January 3, 2011
only 5 more months now
It's already January. That means, only 5 more months to go. I need to step up! I'm currently on week 5 of my metabolic circuit routine. Two more weeks and that will conclude my 6 week goal. That really went by fast! When I first started it I thought it was challenging and couldn't imagine that I would be doing 6 rounds with only 60 second rests in between (and 3 days per week). And while it's still somewhat of a challenge, it's not nearly as bad. I can definitely tell that my endurance has improved.
Remember when I said that as a reward when my 6 weeks were over I was going to get my belly pierced? Well, I told my husband and he thought that sounded kinda sexy so he took the kids to the mall and they bought me a gift certificate for the piercing for Christmas! Wasn't that sweet? Now I can't chicken out!
I had a serious pep talk with myself now that it is January. It has been my plan since last summer that I would try and lift heavy, eat more and pack on as much muscle as possible over the fall and winter months so that come spring, I could just lift moderate weight and start running or doing some form of cardio to shave off the excess fat. Well, I don't think I'm going to wait until spring. I'm a bit nervous I won't make it in time.
So, as soon as this MCT is done in a couple weeks, I'm going to get a jump on it. I've already got my carb cycling routine in place and I have to say, day 1 was super fantastic! I felt like I over ate, actually! Honestly, I didn't even miss the starch at dinner. One bowl of chili and some broccoli and I was stuffed. I had to force feed myself breakfast: 4 egg whites, 1 egg and oatmeal. It was too much. Even though it was on my diet plan for 1600 calories/day. So tomorrow I'm going to cut back to 2 egg whites instead of 4 and see how that goes.
I am force feeding myself vegetables (which is one of my resolutions). That is probably the hardest part. I like them, I am just lazy.
I am also going to start keeping track of what I eat, because sometimes when I can't think of anything I want to eat, if I just look back to what I did on a previous day, that helps. I want to log my progress daily (I'm going to try hard to do that) because I want to record everything from how much energy I had that day, to what I ate, exercise I did, mood I was in....so that if I have a bad day I can maybe find triggers and that way avoid them in the future.
Today, my diet was near perfect! I lifted weights this morning then walked at a fast pace for 45 minutes after dinner. I had tons of energy. I was amped! I am super motivated right now and I pray it stays this way! I've done carb cycling before and I know it gets really tough but it's time to get serious. I WILL reach my goal by June 1st this year!
Remember when I said that as a reward when my 6 weeks were over I was going to get my belly pierced? Well, I told my husband and he thought that sounded kinda sexy so he took the kids to the mall and they bought me a gift certificate for the piercing for Christmas! Wasn't that sweet? Now I can't chicken out!
I had a serious pep talk with myself now that it is January. It has been my plan since last summer that I would try and lift heavy, eat more and pack on as much muscle as possible over the fall and winter months so that come spring, I could just lift moderate weight and start running or doing some form of cardio to shave off the excess fat. Well, I don't think I'm going to wait until spring. I'm a bit nervous I won't make it in time.
So, as soon as this MCT is done in a couple weeks, I'm going to get a jump on it. I've already got my carb cycling routine in place and I have to say, day 1 was super fantastic! I felt like I over ate, actually! Honestly, I didn't even miss the starch at dinner. One bowl of chili and some broccoli and I was stuffed. I had to force feed myself breakfast: 4 egg whites, 1 egg and oatmeal. It was too much. Even though it was on my diet plan for 1600 calories/day. So tomorrow I'm going to cut back to 2 egg whites instead of 4 and see how that goes.
I am force feeding myself vegetables (which is one of my resolutions). That is probably the hardest part. I like them, I am just lazy.
I am also going to start keeping track of what I eat, because sometimes when I can't think of anything I want to eat, if I just look back to what I did on a previous day, that helps. I want to log my progress daily (I'm going to try hard to do that) because I want to record everything from how much energy I had that day, to what I ate, exercise I did, mood I was in....so that if I have a bad day I can maybe find triggers and that way avoid them in the future.
Today, my diet was near perfect! I lifted weights this morning then walked at a fast pace for 45 minutes after dinner. I had tons of energy. I was amped! I am super motivated right now and I pray it stays this way! I've done carb cycling before and I know it gets really tough but it's time to get serious. I WILL reach my goal by June 1st this year!
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