One of these days I'm going to be able to consistently do this whole "blogging" thing... but apparently I'm not there yet!
WHEW! The past couple weeks have been crazy!
At week 3's checkin I was on the precipice of really exciting change! ...I was still feeling great, but I could tell that things were shifting.
I felt leaner, lighter, just flushed out somehow.. I really was feeling good!
When it came time for the measurements I was FLOORED!
I lost 3 lbs, 1/2 an inch off of my waist, NEARLY TWO inches off of my muffin top, 1/2 an inch from both thighs... pretty stinking impressive for 1 week!
I was PUMPED... I was feeling like I may really be on to something with this new plan!
Then we went to Napa. And ohhhhhh what a glorious few days it was!
We ate amazing food, we biked and kayaked to different wineries... I forgot my running shoes, and we had no internet access to stream workouts **face palm**
Here's the thing: life is too short to be an uptight nutrition snob all the time! I'm not into that! I want to drink the wine, eat the cheese, savor the desserts and really take time to appreciate these special moments when they happen... SO I DID!
If you have ever been in one of my accountability groups you know that I am alllll about fitting healthy lifestyle into REAL LIFE.... so it's specifically for trips like this and days full of beautiful moments that I practice moderation in my daily life.
I didn't go crazy by any means... but it's safe to say that I was off my schedule.
And by the time we got home, I felt like a BLIMP! (A totally happy, glowing, fully refreshed blimp, but a blimp none-the-less)
So when week 4's check in came around... I actually skipped it.
I always tell people to stay away from the scale after they've had a weekend away or feel like they have overindulged a bit... so I took my own advice and didn't try to make myself feel guilty for the amazing weekend that we'd had!
...Today we are at Week 5 and I'm holding true about right in the middle of where I was on Day 1 and at the end of Week 3... two steps forward, one step back, but still moving in the right direction!
1. Hunger- This is awesome! Where I used to be the hangriest hangry woman ever... I very rarely have those feelings anymore! The only occasions that I've felt a little weary have been times when I've gone wayyyyy too long without food on accident. Even when we were spending the days at wineries in Napa and the people that I was with were getting hungry... I really was feelin good! I can definitely notice a more stable blood sugar and less reliance on constant snacking-- which I LOVE!
2. Thirst- This is holding strong in the normal category! Where as the first couple of weeks I couldn't seem to get ENOUGH water, I've gotten back to my regular gallon a day and haven't been feeling like I need to increase it at all. I have noticed that my hands are especailly dry... but it's Summertime in Southern California and I think THAT probably has more to do with it than anything else.
3. Sleep- THANK GOODNESS THIS IS BACK TO NORMAL! I've actually found myself sleeping in later than usual the past couple of weeks... which could be partially because of our funny schedule. But I'm sleeping well at night (for the most part) and waking up feeling refreshed in the morning.
...Did I tell you guys that I also have cut out caffeine during this process??....yeah. I took a couple of weeks to wean myself off of my morning coffee, and haven't gone back to it yet! I've definitely indulged in a cup or two here and there (mostly there... in Napa... at a DARLING breakfast spot called ABC's if you ever head up that way you've got to stop in!) but for the most part I'm no longer a caffeinated human and I'm feeling pretty good about it! Starting my day with water or sometimes a hot mixture of water, ACV, and honey :)
4. Weight and Body Fat- Now this is interesting! ...so as I mentioned above, my weight is holding out in the middle of my beginning and lowest numbers right now due to a few too many indulgent meals the past few weeks. BUT at Week 3 my stomach fat (the only fat I'm measuring with the caliper) was the same as Day 1... despite the drop in inches. And TODAY (back up one inch in girth from week 3 but down 1 inch from day 1) the fat% was down by nearly 2%. I find this difference really intriguing because it shows that most of the physical ups and downs and tightness or looseness of our pants is really to do with bloating! I know that I have had more sugar, alcohol, and bread in the past 2 weeks than I had in the previous 3... BUT because I have been moving toward becoming a better fat-burner, I still lost fat despite my measurement going back up a little bit!
I've gone back to pretty low carb from grains again, and will be very interested to see how this correlation continues to change and shift.
5. Workouts- MAN! I'm sore! Especially after some time away from these high intensity workouts, I can feeeeeel it! But I'm back at them and really pushing myself... I'm also adding in some sprint work and regular running again (because I need it and I love it) and I have been surprised at how much energy I still have at the end of the lifting workouts for that! I haven't done any long runs yet, but the 3-4 mile range has been good enough for me for now.
Looking forward to next week's check in and to see how things continue to change!
If anybody else is running experiments on their bodies, I'd love to chat about what's working for you or what you've found helpful!
I hope you're all having a wonderful week!
Stay happy, stay healthy,
-B
