HCB's Journal, 20 August 2014

I feel helpless in the "giving encouragement department". But as hard as you work a lot of that weight has got to be muscle. Keep on plugging, it is all we can do.  

Yes ... I've been up and down in my weight but lost 50 in the last year ... just keep at it even when it seems not to be working ... 

Take a look at your sugar input. Fructose (half of table sugar is Fructose) is sweet but doesn't get processed well into the blood. It tends to hangout in the liver and drive up triglicerides and not promote saiety. Some comfort food is really important to keep the motivation high but the quantity needs to be held down so that you get the mental boost without the subsequent droop. Plan for it once or twice a week a small reward and anticipate and savour it. The rest of the time be determined to hit your macronutrient numbers. Home made "Egg McMuffins" are a good cheap way to get good quality nutrition while keeping carbs low. Two will have about 50 g of complex carbs with the remainder of the ~ 700 kcal being high quality protien and fats. I find that two of those will really leave me satisfied. Your losses will mount if you start to lift heavy things at the gym. Most women are afraid that they will look like the female bodybuilders after two or three workouts. Don't worry, you will just notice greater fat loss and things will firm up, those women are typically on juice and want to look that way. Lift at 85% of your one rep maximum for five sets of five reps. This will shift your body into strength building and fat burning like nothing else. One or two exercises per major muscle group is all you need. I watch women doing hundreds of reps with tiny weights in scores of different excercises for months on end at my gym and showing no progress. Squats, Dead Lift, Flat Bench Press, Military Press and Bent over Rows. Google for proper form do Squats every day (only lift three days in seven) you lift and alternate between Bench and Military press and Dead lift and bent over rows. You will notice a shift in your body within the first month of this routine. Always start off light and work up to your heavy working sets and never measure yourself against anyone else in the gym. Measure yourself against yourself; each time you complete a workout of five sets of five reps at your working weight add 2 kg (5 lbs) and repeat till you are happy with your strength and physique. Stay away from machines except for the cardio ones. Your lifting should take about 25-30 min and then 20-25 min of cardio will round out a solid work-out. On days off 60 min of walking will keep your metabolisim jacked and the fat will come off. My numbers from last month - 8.4 kg body fat gone, 1.25 kg muscle added down from 34% BF to 29% BF (just to emphasize that I am not a meat head just a fat dude with the same goals as you LGN)  

I hope you get energized to commit to that challenge. It sounds like it’s coming at a great time to help you regain focus. We are rooting for you! 

Hang in there for this too shall pass. Sometimes we need to stray a bit to realize how much better we feel when we don't. I've even meaning to ask you about OTF. We have one opening nearby soon. What types of workouts do you do there? Is it alone, in a group and/or with a trainer? xoxox 

You might have "carb flu." Just get back on track and get a good night's sleep (8 hours). Hopefully, you will be feeling better by tomorrow.  

You are a machine of dedication! You have hung in there when others have faded away...including me for awhile! I have two thoughts. First, look for a place to tweak up what you are doing. Make one change. You might want to look at testing a food for intolerance. This can lead to inflammation in the body that will inhibit weight loss. I have recently found eggs and dairy are problems for me. Removing those let the scale move more. Then I started tightening up on my carbs, and upping my fat rather than my protein. Again, the scale is moving. Or maybe something about your exercise routine. The body learns what we are doing and adapts. We cut calories, and it compensates by burning less. We do the same exercise routine for awhile, and it adapts, and needs less energy to perform. Secondly, look at why. Why do you want to lose the weight and exercise. What is your ultimate goal. How is is going to change your life and make it better than it is today? If you can't quantify that, then you will not be able to find the motivation to continue to adapt and learn the nuances of your body, and what it needs to be at it's best. Wishing you peace of mind, and deep connection with your body, today and moving forward! 

I'm back. I'm right there with you. It's so discouraging. But, just think where we might be if we just gave up! The challenge sounds great. Get in there and win it, my friend! You can do it!!! Hugs. 

Sometimes I find logging food to be tedious and then I remember where I was 2 years ago, overweight and not happy with myself at all. Instead now I think of it as fuel for my life and getting me to my next goal of ..... what ever that may be. You fill in the blank for you. Make mini goals and you will get it done. You got this you are dedicated, determined and diligent. 

If that is your total food for the day, a day that you did 60 min of exercise, it's no wonder you feel droopy! Get your consumption numbers up to at least 1500 kcal/day. Watch the pre-packaged meal replacements and add some more fat. A pice of cheese with an apple would be a good start to add as a snack. You want to shift over to fat burning not starving. At 3 litres of water you should also watch your electrolytes are you getting enough sodium? Easy check, lick your upper lip, is it mildly salty? If not this could also be a cause for the brain fog. Humans need over 2 grams of sodium each day. Do some reading on nutrition, not from some of these quacky sites that always seem to have something to sell but from good solid science based research papers and books. Dropping your energy input so low is really hurting your fat loss goals. 

I think I've missed logging a few days too... I go thru periods like this...