Todd made a couple of changes 3 weeks ago. Reduced my carbs to 100grams per day and added one hour of lunges on the treadmill, once a week. Yes, you heard me right, 1 HOUR of lunges on the treadmill. Hello glutes! I told Todd the first 10 minutes I lived in what I named, "The Profanitarium" - learning new curse words. To get through the lunges I decided to work in 10 minute incremements giving myself 1 minute or so to stop and drink water. By the time I got to 40 minutes I was able to ignore the gawking from the bystanders and realized that it wasn't so bad. I was pleased that the next day I could feel the workout in my glutes!
My body, the laboratory: One thing I've learned is to become more self-aware of the small changes that are occuring and to not stress out if the scale doesn't move. I've stayed at 125 pounds but I have gotten leaner. Todd thinks it possible that I may have increased muscle while becoming lean. I continue to maintain strength and energy.
Planning my food: Probably the biggest learning curve for me lately is self-discipline. Since I don't have a wife and regardless of how tired or lazy I am, I MUST prep my food for the week - on Sunday. It is NOT fun running to the store in 115 degree heat, drive to the stores that have the cheapest ground turkey breast, or the best chicken breast or even the cheapest egg whites. But I have to make myself do it regardless of how I "feel". I have had to push through fatigue and irritiblity but mostly laziness. Sundays has always been MY day where I just allow myself to sit on the couch and just be still.
It usually takes me 2 - 3 hours including weighing, measuring and storing my food. I have learned what works best for me - keeping it simple. Cooking does not come naturally for me... I have always enjoyed cooking but only when I have time to plan and it is for a special occasion. I look at food as fuel for the next few months and not something to "enjoy." It works for me, for now!
Each week I rotate 3 carb choices with my protein. I cook up either yams, quinoa or brown rice, enough for a week (6 meals per day equaling 100gms). I have learned to eye-ball what 12 grams of carbs looks like. I store it in a ziplock bag ready to throw in my cooler to take to work. Next I choose my protein for the week: Fish (tilapia), turkey, or chicken. I am intentional with "real protein" because "real food" is better for me than protein powder (and protein powder is expensive!)." I either recruit my husband to cook my chicken on the grill, or I suck it up and fire up the George Foreman grill and cook everything either with that, bake in the oven, or use my rice cooker to steam my meat.
Progress Pics - (taken August 6th)
Today I am grateful for what God has done in my life. He has taken a broken shame-based woman hating every part of who she was and transformed her into something completely different.
I am thankful that I have the time to focus and workout. I am learning a new type of self-discipline with food, pushing my cravings of my flesh aside for a larger goal.
What are you thankful for? What area of your life needs more self-discipline? How will you be intentional in moving towards healthy and sustaining changes?
This Friday will be the end of Phase II. I will have more pics of progress then. Stay tuned.
