Reduce Calories and workout. Yes most of the time, that is the simple answer to losing weight and being healthy but if you have been starving yourself for years, skipping meals and making your body think that you aren't going to get enough food, this becomes not so simple.
You must start eating every 2-3 hours. It truly becomes a hassle. After all that we eat, we would think we would welcome eating that often but when you start eating clean, you really are eating a ton of food and 2-3 hours goes by very fast. Still after working out almost every day for 6 weeks, my body had not changed a whole lot until this week. This week, I have started to feel stronger, less tired and my stomach has felt much flatter. Last night after my work out, my arms felt very very tight. This gets very frustrating. We all want to see results immediately so I started really getting back into the measurement of how many calories I needed to have, while burning 500-600 a night to lose weight. If you do not get enough calories, your body is going to continue to think you are starving and hold on to the weight.
You see if you only consumer 1500 calories, but then burn 500 during your workout, your body is only getting 1000 a calories a day. That will not work to burn fat. Based on my height and weight, I need about 2020 a day to start burning 1.0-1.4lbs a week. There are a ton of calculators so that you can figure out exactly what you need based on your activity level. I use
www.fitnessfrog.com or www.scoobysworkshop.com. Both are great for figuring out what your daily in take should be. I will point out that you really need to make sure you choose the correct activity level. Your daily intake must be precise in order for you to lose the weight that you want and keep it off.
Last night, I ended the day with about 1800 calories. I burned about 550 at the gym, so my intake was low putting me at 1250 for the day. I am sure this is better than I normally get but I really need to get this right in order to see the results.
As far as the results, I have vowed to stay off the scale and only to take pictures each week. No, I will not be posting them yet. They do motivate me to keep going to see the changes each week and now what keeps me going is that I am already on week 6 so if I quit, I will have to start at week 1. No Thanks,
As I change my program I will post about it. Currently it is as such:
Gym: Koko Fit Club
Workout:
Cardio 15 minutes of Incline Interval Training Calories burn average 150
Strength 1-2 30 minute Strength Session on the Koko fit trainer: Various Full Body Workout
Average Calories burned 250 for each one.
Cardio: 15 minutes 1-2 Elliptical Internal Training Sessions, Average Calories Burned 180 for each
Meal Plan
6-7 Small Meals a day starting at 7:30 AM
7:30: Protein Shake
10:30 Green Monster Shake with Protein, Almond Milk, Egg Whites, Steel Cut oats, Spinach, Flax and Bee Pollen, Blueberries
1:30 Organic Greens with Chicken and Sweet Potato or Whole Wheat Pasta
4:00 Cottage Cheese and Veggies
6:30 Chicken and Broccoli
7:30 Workout
9:45 Protein Shake
Water Intake
At least 1 Gallon of Water a Day
Today I feel great. I have finally started to get over the 2:00PM Hump where I have felt exhausted. The eating every 2-3 hours really keeps your sugar levels where they need to be so that you don't crash. I haven't been drinking coffee or needing anything sweet to keep me going at all.
Something to remember. If you body has been accustom to not eating at all and skipping meals. You don't want to just add 1000 calories a day all at once. Slowly add 100-200 calories a day until you are at the desired about. When you have your cheat days or days where you don't follow your eat clean pattern as you normally would, go no more than 200 calories over or under. Also change up the source where the calories come from to make your body use different energy source. You should also change up your workout routine and on the days where you eat more or cheat, make sure you push yourself. Give your body a reason to use those calories.
Lastly, remember, there is only one way to gain body fat-by eating too many calories consistently for too long. The days when you eat more than normal can be psychologically challenging, and can sometimes lead to binging. Be sure to stay focused on the goal and don't use a cheat day as an excuse to go crazy and pig out. It is to have those things that you crave so you are not keeping everything from yourself. You'll find that once you get started with Eating Clean, you won't even want the cheat days.
Make a decision to commit to eating clean forever. It sounds scary but once you get use to it, you won't be able to imagine how you ever ate any other way. If you do this, than the word "diet" is forever gone from your vocabulary. The roller coaster of starting and stopping can really have an effect on a person. I know I have been there. This is the longest I have committed to going back to eating perfectly clean in a very long time. I am going on my seventh week and I feel great. My skin is looking better and although I don't see everything that I would have wanted to in the first month, I know I am getting stronger and changes are happening. My moods are better. I feel energized after the work outs and in the morning. Ultimately, I can make my work outs as short as 15 minutes at KoKo fit or as long as 2 hours. Either way, I have been there every day for the last two weeks and still going strong.
Stick with me to watch the TRANSFORMATION!.
Until next time.....Keep on Sparkling.
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