Now that we’re 10 days into this challenge, I realize something I wanted to change about half way through my first challenge. It seems that losing BF% and losing weight are goals that need to be attempted one at a time.
I feel that going after 1 goal or another would be more beneficial and help me keep focus without losing my drive. They are related, but somehow it seems that they almost compete against each other in a way.
Weight loss is an arbitrary number and cab come from many different things.
Changing body composition is what my ultimate goal is.
I was tempted by chocolate chips this afternoon. No one else was in the house. I said No.
‘Nuff said.
Finally I figured out how to do a reload.
Usually my reload day would consist of stuffing myself with any thing I could find. Buffets are my favorite, so that’s when I fit them in. I would end up feeling way too full, bloated and generally just crappy.
Today I think I did it right. Had a couple of rolls at lunch then a pasta dish. Felt a little more full than usual, but not uncomfortable. Had a very small dessert, probably about 1/5 normal size. At dinner I had some leftover green chili with 2 small tortillas and a handful of chocolate chips. not once did I have that sugar/carb/insulin rush kind of feel that is followed by the blahs.
I think this will set me up to play better in my basketball game tomorrow and gives me a mental break from the low carb eating which sets me up to attack next week with my workouts!!
Today I started in on the Advanced Workouts from the TNT book. It was great. I always love how the first workout in a new series makes you use muscles in a slightly different way, and kicks you in the ass! The way these are scheduled it might be a while before you can settle into one, but I love that. Even after just this first workout I’m excited to get NROL once I’m done with them.
1 down, 35 to go until then!!
Well my beer and nacho escapade didn’t bite me. Didn’t gain weight, got the workout in, got some much needed steam blown off, and as a kicker–helped to get me re-focused! I’m on track for all my goals except my body fat loss goal, but I realize that those kind of body composition changes seem to take much longer than many of the others to accomplish.
I made 2 changes in my food intake at the beginning of the week. 1) No more heavy cream in the eggs. Just too many calories to justify it with 3 eggs and when I dropped to 2 eggs with the cream I was hungry much sooner. 2) No milk in my workout shake. Didn’t see any great results after 4 weeks so I dropped it. Maybe not enough carbs for the correct insulin response, but for now it’s out.
We’ll see how these work out.
I start the “Advanced” workouts from the book Friday too. I hope that change will spark some of that much needed fat loss!
After my basketball game last night 3 of us went out for a couple of beers. Which turned into a couple more, then a couple more, then some nachos, then a couple more.
ARGGGGHHHHHH!! Not again! Some times a couple extra is fine but that was just a little out of control for me. I had trouble getting up this morning to lift, but I did get my workout in after work, so that’s a positive. So no beers tonight as I had to watch my Broncos get slaugtered on national TV. Oh yes, a beer would have been nice in the 4th.
My left knee started giving me small troubles about a week ago and it has gotten worse bit by bit. In the morning it feels fine, by lunchtime it’s a little annoying, and after dinner it’s just a dull throb. So now I guess it’s time to start with the ibuprofen 4 by 4 regimen. It hasn’t hampered me in my training yet and I’d like to keep it that way.
It’s a fine line between giving into injuries for recovery and letting that slide into laziness and the weight gain that follows that. Been there, done that, not doing it again.
Here we go again!
I stayed on track during the time between the challenges, but am looking forward to this one. Using the tracking spreadsheets and being accountable to a community of peers really seems to motivate me.
I think instead of focusing on weight loss, I am really leaning towards a focus on fitness. I think the fitter I become the less I will weigh. So for this challenge I have backed down my weight loss and body fat % loss goals down a bit. They are still do-able, but not easy for where I am. I also added a stretching component to my goals. A year ago I made it through the first 6 weeks of P90X before hitting a wall and overtraining. But in that time I think I was the most flexible I have ever been and I could REALLY feel a difference in my recovery and my general well being. My goal is 23 sessions and I hope to BLOW past it. I just got a foam roller, I’ll use static and dynamic stretchin, and some yoga. I don’t like to admit it, but the yoga feels good once you get used to it.
Good Luck!!