For the past month my diet has been pretty much on point- I’ve been hitting my macronutrient goals and going to the gym and lifting consistently. However, every once in a while I would end up going way overboard in the carbohydrate department. Six Pop Tarts. Two sleeves of crackers. Half a loaf of bread. I don’t believe these count as true “binges” because I was eating until I was full and not associating each episode with a particular emotion, but I did feel terrible the next day. My stomach hurt, my head felt cloudy and I lost some motivation to stay the course.
So, instead of beating myself up, I decided to listen to my body. I decided it was time to eat more.
I started working with a macros coach in April but didn’t really commit to making any real changes to my diet and exercise routine until late June. Since then I’ve been lifting weights four or five days a week and keeping my macros just barely above maintenance. Almost four months later and I’ve lost six to eight pounds (depends on the day) and a lot of inches. I’ve gone down a jean size and have seen a lot of gains in my arms, backs and glutes. My body is different than it was in June, so why not give it what it needs?
I recalculated my macronutrients on my own using a program that can be found on www.iifym.com. My carbs have doubled, my fat has gone up 10g and my protein is the same. I plan to stay this course for another three months in order to gain back the weight I lost but this time, it will be (mostly) muscle and not fat.
Mentally this has been a bit difficult for me. I’m used to ‘dieting’ to get smaller and intentionally gaining weight is a scary prospect. What if it doesn’t work? What if I make myself fat? What if I lose all the progress I’ve made?
But guess what. Those fears are unfounded. I am committed to lifting a bit heavier and making sure that I’m eating enough micronutrients to maintain a healthy body. Yes, Pop Tarts will be had (hello, I just found Organic Pumpkin ones at Trader Joe’s!) But I’m also going to meal prep every week, eat my fruits and veggies and drink water with abandon. Life is for living, not obsessing. My body is precious and I want to treat it right. And that means not being a slave to what my taste buds and brain are craving all the time (aka double cheeseburgers, fries, ice cream, etc.) Yes, it’s hard to say no to yourself sometimes but I think of it as a “not now”. This isn’t the last time you’ll have the opportunity to munch on buffalo chicken wings. Respect the miraculous biology and inner workings of your body. Enjoy it but understand you can’t enjoy treats all the time and have them still have value.
This is my plan and yours might be different. In fact, it should be! Follow what your body needs and listen to what it’s trying to tell you. Respect yourself and know that you are the only one responsible for your progress or lack thereof.
xoxo L
My workout week begins on Saturday. I like to get a head start so that I have some flexibility during the workweek when things get hectic. Not to mention my gym is a zoo Monday through Friday and pretty much dead on the weekends. I try to fit in five or six gym days a week just to keep my head clear and my body strong. Since I’m a teacher it’s really important for me to feel good everyday because teaching when you’re tired or sick is the WORST and makes me incredibly miserable.
I choose to workout before I head to work because the gym is less crowded and I love the feeling of coming home after a long day and doing whatever I please. Here’s what I’m planning for this week:
Saturday
Shoulders & Abs
10 minute stair climber
Sunday
Leg & Glutes
10-15 minutes jump rope and squats
Monday
Rest Day
Tuesday
Arms (Biceps & Triceps)
10 minutes jump rope
Wednesday
Rest Day
Thursday
Back & Chest
10 minutes jump rope
Friday
Free Choice Workout
10 minutes jump rope
10 minutes stair climber
Right now I’m focusing on gaining muscle mass and tightening up my cardio routine. I have been slacking and even though I’m hitting 12k steps a day with my FitBit I know that I need to up my game if I’m going to see more results.
I’m not sure what my Free Choice Workout will be yet…how nerdy is it that I’m actually excited to go ‘play’ at the gym?! It also doesn’t hurt that Friday is by far my favorite day of the week…
Happy Monday!
xoxo