I was at bootcamp last night getting my sweat on when a fellow bootcamper Nikki made a point about increasing the carb intake according to the article. If I eat double my weight in carb grams there is no way I could maintain my current daily caloric intake for weight loss. She has an excellent point and is incredibly smart. So last night I kept thinking about it and came to the conclusion that maybe I shouldn’t double my weight but go from eating my regular cycle of 40% protein; 30% carb; 30% fat to 50% carb; 30% protein; 20% fat OR continue with what I’m doing because it’s clearly working and just increase my workouts.
I will continue to look at the numbers but considering the article came from Oxygen Magazine I’m inclined to think it is more suitable to individuals whom have no weight loss goals but rather fat loss and muscle gains.
I’m totally changing the subject now but I was a bit frustrated this morning because I was going to workout this morning with Nikki and Kristen as part of a last chance workout with BDHQ for an hour in a half…BUT didn’t because last night at bootcamp I did something to my quad muscle doing a squat! I can’t believe how much it hurts right now. So I knew if I went it wouldn’t be a good thing so I hope to get in another opportunity for a last chance workout this week. Oh well I guess I move on and not dwell but it would’ve been so much fun working out with those ladies.
Well I'm on day 2 of week 4 and I will continue on…
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Week 3
Another loss of 2.2lbs! That makes it 16.8lbs to go in the next 9 weeks. Which turns out to be exactly 1.87 lbs per week…it’s going to be really hard to keep it up but I really want to reach this goal so I have to focus, focus, focus.
I’m always reading about how to move beyond a weight loss plateau, I’m not at a plateau this moment but I was for about a year and to be honest I’m scared to death about having it happen again. I was reading an article about carb cycling. It almost seems crazy but even my Fitness idol, Jamie Eason agrees with it so it must be okay
The basic idea is to cycle your carbohydrate grams throughout the week. For example:
Monday – low carb; Tuesday – low carb; Wednesday – low carb; Thursday – high carb
Friday – moderate carb; Saturday – moderate carb; Sunday – moderate carb
It all seems easy to do but there is some math you have to do to determine the amount of grams per day.
Low Carb: Your body weight (lb) divided by 2 = grams of carbs
High Carb: Your body weight (lb) x 2 – 3 = grams of carbs
Moderate Carb: Your body weight (lb) = grams of carbs
Low Carb day you would eat more fibrous vegetables and healthy fats and less starchy Carbs. On a High Carb day you would eat more starchy carbs and simple carbs and less fibrous vegetables and healthy fatty foods. On the Moderate Carb day you would go back to eating your regular clean eating diet of lean protein, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats and avoid the refined carbs, processed foods, drinks and candy.
You must however continue to eat 5 – 6 balanced meals with your daily caloric and protein intake the same. Holy crap this is going to be really hard to tackle. My day already is consumed with planning.
The article went on to say that this way of eating is all about restoring your fat-burning hormone levels, Leptin is a hormone the keeps our metabolic rate up and hunger down. So staying on a low carb diet depletes this hormone and causes our metabolism to decline and increase our hunger and we don’t want that to happen or would could not see any changes to our bodies. So in alternating the carb intake we can prevent the leptin levels from dropping and continue increasing our body’s ability to burn excess fat.
My friend Kristen is going to start trying this method today and I’m going to start playing with my numbers and plan my menu so I can start this upcoming Sunday. I figure I can try it for a few weeks and see what happens. The fat loss benefits of carb cycling have been the best kept secret of bodybuilders and fitness models and NOW Kristen and I. I only hope I see the benefits:0.
So begins another week of eating clean, exercising and planning my next week of carb cycling.
I’m always reading about how to move beyond a weight loss plateau, I’m not at a plateau this moment but I was for about a year and to be honest I’m scared to death about having it happen again. I was reading an article about carb cycling. It almost seems crazy but even my Fitness idol, Jamie Eason agrees with it so it must be okay
The basic idea is to cycle your carbohydrate grams throughout the week. For example:
Monday – low carb; Tuesday – low carb; Wednesday – low carb; Thursday – high carb
Friday – moderate carb; Saturday – moderate carb; Sunday – moderate carb
It all seems easy to do but there is some math you have to do to determine the amount of grams per day.
Low Carb: Your body weight (lb) divided by 2 = grams of carbs
High Carb: Your body weight (lb) x 2 – 3 = grams of carbs
Moderate Carb: Your body weight (lb) = grams of carbs
Low Carb day you would eat more fibrous vegetables and healthy fats and less starchy Carbs. On a High Carb day you would eat more starchy carbs and simple carbs and less fibrous vegetables and healthy fatty foods. On the Moderate Carb day you would go back to eating your regular clean eating diet of lean protein, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats and avoid the refined carbs, processed foods, drinks and candy.
You must however continue to eat 5 – 6 balanced meals with your daily caloric and protein intake the same. Holy crap this is going to be really hard to tackle. My day already is consumed with planning.
The article went on to say that this way of eating is all about restoring your fat-burning hormone levels, Leptin is a hormone the keeps our metabolic rate up and hunger down. So staying on a low carb diet depletes this hormone and causes our metabolism to decline and increase our hunger and we don’t want that to happen or would could not see any changes to our bodies. So in alternating the carb intake we can prevent the leptin levels from dropping and continue increasing our body’s ability to burn excess fat.
My friend Kristen is going to start trying this method today and I’m going to start playing with my numbers and plan my menu so I can start this upcoming Sunday. I figure I can try it for a few weeks and see what happens. The fat loss benefits of carb cycling have been the best kept secret of bodybuilders and fitness models and NOW Kristen and I. I only hope I see the benefits:0.
So begins another week of eating clean, exercising and planning my next week of carb cycling.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Week 2
I stepped on the scale Sunday AM and lost 2.2lbs which makes my loss to date 7.5lbs in 2 weeks. Not bad at all. 19lbs to go in the next 10 weeks.
My 2nd week was great; I haven’t eaten anything bad, which is really rare for me. In the past I would’ve eaten something that I would have felt guilty about as soon as I ate it. Why do we feel that way? Why can’t we indulge once in a while and move on? Some people can but I feel so awful sometimes that it brings me to tears. I really need to work on that so I can continue to keep the weight off.
My meal plan has been so delicious that I haven’t really had a desire to eat any sugar laden foods. It might have a lot to do with my Green Protein Shake that I have on a daily basis. I read it on Janelle Nicolo’s blog and thought it sounded so crazy but it is so yummy that I’ve been passing it on to everyone I know. Here is the recipe for that best veggie/fruit protein shake.
3 scoops of whey protein powder (vanilla or banana)
2 handfuls of spinach (roughly 2 cups or more)
2 small cucumbers – peeled and diced
1 pear – diced
1 apple – diced
2 T lime or lemon juice
1 cup of water (you could use almond/soy milk or skim milk)
Put all ingredients in a blender. Makes 2 servings. I usually freeze half and use the next day. Trust me; this is the best shake EVER!
I realized this past week that the intensity that I bring to my workouts has to be 110%, so I decided to start wearing my heart rate monitor. What a difference, I can now keep track of my heart rate and monitor how hard I’m really working out. We all tend to think we’re getting a great workout but unless you monitor it with a HRM you really never know. I can tell you that I didn’t cheat myself on any of my workouts this week. I gave it everything I had at every workout.
I will try to post pics as I realize I never take photos of myself which is such a shame. I’ve just decided that will be my New Years resolution, to take more photos of myself. When you’re a fat girl you tend to stay away from the camera and full length mirrors but that really needs to change from me. My husband is going to put a full length mirror up so I realize what I really look like and not what I think I see. I am no longer that fat girl I keep seeing, I have to realize that I’ve changed my body and really do look great. That will be my mantra that I say as I stand looking at myself in the buff.
So begins another week of eating clean and working out at 110%.
My 2nd week was great; I haven’t eaten anything bad, which is really rare for me. In the past I would’ve eaten something that I would have felt guilty about as soon as I ate it. Why do we feel that way? Why can’t we indulge once in a while and move on? Some people can but I feel so awful sometimes that it brings me to tears. I really need to work on that so I can continue to keep the weight off.
My meal plan has been so delicious that I haven’t really had a desire to eat any sugar laden foods. It might have a lot to do with my Green Protein Shake that I have on a daily basis. I read it on Janelle Nicolo’s blog and thought it sounded so crazy but it is so yummy that I’ve been passing it on to everyone I know. Here is the recipe for that best veggie/fruit protein shake.
3 scoops of whey protein powder (vanilla or banana)
2 handfuls of spinach (roughly 2 cups or more)
2 small cucumbers – peeled and diced
1 pear – diced
1 apple – diced
2 T lime or lemon juice
1 cup of water (you could use almond/soy milk or skim milk)
Put all ingredients in a blender. Makes 2 servings. I usually freeze half and use the next day. Trust me; this is the best shake EVER!
I realized this past week that the intensity that I bring to my workouts has to be 110%, so I decided to start wearing my heart rate monitor. What a difference, I can now keep track of my heart rate and monitor how hard I’m really working out. We all tend to think we’re getting a great workout but unless you monitor it with a HRM you really never know. I can tell you that I didn’t cheat myself on any of my workouts this week. I gave it everything I had at every workout.
I will try to post pics as I realize I never take photos of myself which is such a shame. I’ve just decided that will be my New Years resolution, to take more photos of myself. When you’re a fat girl you tend to stay away from the camera and full length mirrors but that really needs to change from me. My husband is going to put a full length mirror up so I realize what I really look like and not what I think I see. I am no longer that fat girl I keep seeing, I have to realize that I’ve changed my body and really do look great. That will be my mantra that I say as I stand looking at myself in the buff.
So begins another week of eating clean and working out at 110%.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Week 1
Well I lost 5.3lbs in the first week! I will have to make sure the next 11 weeks I continue to eat clean and follow my exercise plan.
This past week has been so emotional on many levels. It has been really hard for me to realize to take it easy. I am still recovering from my pulmonary embolisms and surgery but when you have a goal and want to see results sooner than later it’s difficult to listen to your body.
BUT I did, which makes me very proud. I want to finish this journey healthy.
I was watching What Not to Wear on Friday night and it was about a girl who lost 170lbs and the difficulty she finds dressing her new body. I could so relate. There are so many times I look in the mirror and still see size 22. Watching that episode made me realize I wasn’t alone and crazy. Sometimes I think I need therapy but I believe it will just take time for my mind and body to connect. No one said this journey was going to be easy. I have changed so much in the past 2 years and with every day and new layer of emotions is peeled back. The only difference today is I don’t turn to food anymore…I’ve learned to tackle them head on with support from my husband and trainers at BDHQ and last but not least my lovely friend Kristen who by the way has lost just as much weight as me and is aiming for 100lb mark as well.
My food has been so enjoyable that there wasn’t one time that I wanted to eat cakes, cookies or chocolate. I’m trying to eat like a fitness/figure competitor which is TRULY clean eating. So far it has been working. I also use fitday religiously and journal my food to see my calories and the protein, fat and carb ratios. I aim for 40 protein, 30 carb and 30 fat. It may not work for everyone but it really is working for me.
This past week has been so emotional on many levels. It has been really hard for me to realize to take it easy. I am still recovering from my pulmonary embolisms and surgery but when you have a goal and want to see results sooner than later it’s difficult to listen to your body.
BUT I did, which makes me very proud. I want to finish this journey healthy.
I was watching What Not to Wear on Friday night and it was about a girl who lost 170lbs and the difficulty she finds dressing her new body. I could so relate. There are so many times I look in the mirror and still see size 22. Watching that episode made me realize I wasn’t alone and crazy. Sometimes I think I need therapy but I believe it will just take time for my mind and body to connect. No one said this journey was going to be easy. I have changed so much in the past 2 years and with every day and new layer of emotions is peeled back. The only difference today is I don’t turn to food anymore…I’ve learned to tackle them head on with support from my husband and trainers at BDHQ and last but not least my lovely friend Kristen who by the way has lost just as much weight as me and is aiming for 100lb mark as well.
My food has been so enjoyable that there wasn’t one time that I wanted to eat cakes, cookies or chocolate. I’m trying to eat like a fitness/figure competitor which is TRULY clean eating. So far it has been working. I also use fitday religiously and journal my food to see my calories and the protein, fat and carb ratios. I aim for 40 protein, 30 carb and 30 fat. It may not work for everyone but it really is working for me.
My husband and I were so excited on Saturday because we substituted pasta with spaghetti squash for the first time EVER and couldn’t believe how delicious it was. 1 cup of whole wheat pasta is 300 calories and the same amount of spaghetti squash is only 42 calories. Hello, why haven’t I been eating this all along? Oh well at least I discovered it now when it really counts.
So begins another week of preparing my food and making it to every class at BDHQ. As of today I have 21.2 lbs to go. I really should have said the last 26lbs to go but 20 just sounded better, don't ya think :). Note that the weigh ins are done at the BDHQ studio fully dressed, so I do weigh less at home (in the buff) but I figure I started this journey on their scales and I’m determined to finish it on them
So begins another week of preparing my food and making it to every class at BDHQ. As of today I have 21.2 lbs to go. I really should have said the last 26lbs to go but 20 just sounded better, don't ya think :). Note that the weigh ins are done at the BDHQ studio fully dressed, so I do weigh less at home (in the buff) but I figure I started this journey on their scales and I’m determined to finish it on them
Thursday, January 7, 2010
My first blog :) 11 wks, 3 days to go!
Well...I can't believe I'm doing this. I only wish I started blogging at the beginning of my journey.
A little background before I begin blogging about my daily struggles in the next 11 weeks and 3 days. Oops... just in case I never mentioned it, I'm trying to lose 20lbs+/- in the next few months. I weighed in today at 164.4 (Monday's official weigh in was 169.5) and want to weigh in on March 28 at 143. Wow,it will be hard but I am up for the challenge.
Since January 4th I have been journaling my food and now I will be journaling all my thoughts and ideas of what is working and not here on this blog. I am apart of the Biggest Winner program at Body Dynamics bootcamp here in Victoria BC and it has been instrumental in aiding in my weightloss to date.
I haven't worked out since the end of September of 2009 because I was preparing for my surgery. I decided to reward myself for the 80lb weightloss and have a lower body lift done so I didn't have to look at the loose, flabby spare tire around my tummy and back. The surgery went well except for the bump in the road which was two pulmonary embolisms in both of my lungs :( I am in recovery and getting back at it.
I am so sore from my 2 workouts this week, I go to the studio 4 days a week for a total of 5 hours of butt kicking workouts. The official weigh in for week 1 is on Sunday...I will keep you all posted - whoever is reading this.
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