4th Week Cheat Day

139lbs

I still find cheat day a bit nervewracking.  I feel a bit like I'm dieting for the cheat day.  I think my weight loss stalled this week because I've hardly gotten any cardio in this past week and that is a factor here.  The chapter "last ten" states it takes 10 weeks to see results and that consistent cardio is a must.  Ok.  This is why it's hard.  Results take longer.  I'm getting more muscle definition.  Still weight training 2-3 times a week.

Todays cheats:  Brie!  Blue Cheese!  Ranch Dressing!  Baked Potato!  Popcorn!

This weeks mistakes from looking thru my food log?  Probably not as much water as the week before.  No lemons.  Less protein and I also have an extra glass of wine on Fri nights.  Sneaking unsweetened almond milk into coffee.

I am usually training for a spring race and doing consistent mileage this time of year but it's so cold and gray I thought I could skip a year.  Apparently this is my non running weight.  Yuk.

I'm told spring is arriving next week so we'll see how it pans out for running/ cardio.  Time to get out there.  Spring break in 15 days.  Gym membership expires end of month.

This is my weekly breakdown:

Mon:
1450 Total Calories
124 Grams Protein
Protein: 38% Carbs: 6.8% Fat: 55%

Tues:
1039 Total Calories
500 burned running
105 Grams Protein
Protein: 36% Carbs: 9.8%  Fat 55%

Wed:
1205 Total Calories
105 Grams Protein
Protein 39% Carbs: 16% Fat 44%

Thurs:
1400 Total Calories

94 Grams Protein

Protein 49% Carbs: 6% Fat 54%

Fri:
1720 Total Calories

118 Grams Protein

Protein 38% Carbs: 4% Fat 57%

moving along

138lbs

Ok, so this is not hard at all.  So far I find the most difficult part cheat day.  It's mentally tough to get over the fact that I'm not 'ruining' my weekly efforts at dropping these last ten pounds.

I am faithfully recording my meals on the dailyplate.com and sticking to 20g of protein and a green leafy vegetable every 3 hours.  I don't even think about much.  I have Whey protein + water upon waking and my first meal after my workout about 3 hours later.  I grab a couple of almonds if I'm really hungry in between and make sure I tally them into my day (omit them from the next meal).

I have 1 glass of wine in the evening and take the Pagg Stack.

I have run much less this week, only 3 miles indoors.  I haven't done much lifting this week, but I figure I'll get in a workout or two by the end of the weekend.

People are seem to notice I"m losing.  I'm fitting into my clothes better.  I'm fairly happy with the results so far but I do feel like it took me more time to get to this point than others in the book.  It may be because of my age, it may be because I don't have as many lbs to lose.  Either way I don't feel like I"m dieting or feel like I'm going to lose precious muscle.

Relief

138 lbs
1/2 inch loss hips, 1/4 inch loss thighs

Ok then.  I am relieved that I'm going into my 3rd cheat Saturday with a total loss of 7lbs.  I still feel nervous about cheat day, undoing all I've done, but I'm going to go with the theory.  I reread the chapter 'Losing the Last 10' and it did say people usually drop off because results take 10 weeks.  I am looking forward to seeing what the results will be in May.

I ran my highest mileage since fall this week- about 20 miles between 8-8:30 pace.  I can't help but think that is as much a factor.  I did 2 30 minute strength training sessions this week.  I will do another shortly.  I was intending to run today but the weather is not cooperating.

My 5 lean protein + veggie meals currently in rotation every three hours are fine.

1-2cups raw spinach
Poached Chicken Breast
6 almonds
vinegar + Flax Seed Oil

Sometimes I switch out the chicken breast for Cod or 3 boiled eggs.  That's it.  I average 1400-1600 calories a day + the running.

Mon:
1696 Total calories
169 Grams Protein
(420 calories burned running)
40% Protein, 49% Fat, 9.8% Carbs

Tues:
1680 Total calories
(680 calories burned running)
152 Grams Protein
38.8% Protein, 51% Fat, 9% Carbs

Wed
1512 Calories
177 Grams Protein
(645 calories burned running)
50.7% Protein, 40% Fat, 9 % Carbs

Thurs
1411 Total Calories
139 Grams Protein
43% Protein,49% Fat, 9% Carbs

Fri:
1410 Total Calories
(700 calories running)
136 Grams Protein
45% Protein, 40% Fat, 13% Carbs

frustration

141 lbs

Where did that come from?  Granted, I'm a female on a cycle and I'm supposed to ignore the scale for something like 10 days a month, but man, is that depressing!

I am abiding faithfully to the 5 different meals in rotation in the "Last 10" chapter.  It is difficult to see the scale move in the wrong direction.  I took all my measurements again and... nothing.  Nada.

I'm lifting 2-3 times a week.  It only takes me about 30 minutes.  I have added more cardio, so far 2 runs of 5 miles at about an 8-8:30 pace, again, nothing spectacular.  I'm not drinking calories.

I'm going to maintain  my routine and hope for the best long term.

biopedal devices

5'6" 139 lbs
30% bodyfat

Now that I'm eating 20 grams of protein every 3 hours I'm back to dropping weight.  I didn't mention before that I purchased a bodyfat scale, biopedal device thinggy.  In the book it says that these are largely unreliable, but for $30 I figured I can get a baseline started until I can schedule a BodPod reading.  I started at 143lb + 32% bodyfat on that scale.

Yesterday was a much needed break from the Pagg stack.  It really makes my stomach acidic and since I have GERD issues, can be quite uncomfortable.  I will start taking Prilosec again to deal with the stomach issues.  I will also decrease the ALA from 200 mg 4x daily to 100mg 4xdaily.

My new meal rotation so far is this:

7amWhey Protein + Water (27g protein) upon waking
Run/workout
10am  Poached Chicken breast (about 4oz) on raw spinach with balsamic/flax seed oil + 6 almonds + 1Tbspn organic peanut buter
1pm  4oz Salad Shrimp or steamed cod on raw spinach w/ same dressing = 6 almonds
3pm Chicken or fish on spinach w/ dressing
6pm Dinner- Large salad w/ balsamic + lean protein (lamb, chicken or fish)+ veggies + 1 glass red wine
1 hour before bed:  4oz chicken + spinach salad + almonds+ 1 Tbspn peanut butter

So far so good.  Not bored with meals, listing cheat day foods:
Brie
Honey
LoveCrunch Granola
Sushi
Pasta Carbonara (gluten free)
Blue Cheese

I did 5 mile runs twice so far this week.  More weekly mileage that I've had since the fall marathon.  It feels good to get back out there, cold but sunny.

Working out every 2-3 days (strength training) and must wonder if recent weight loss is going to be from starting running again + diet, or just running and it wouldnt matter what I was eating.  However, since I am able to track the 2%loss of bodyfat, I feel better that at least I don't seem to be losing muscle.  Anxious to see how it all looks after the weekend/cheat day.

the last 10

Monday

Weight 142

So since I'm only looking to lose 10 more pounds and the scale isn't doing much, I've decided to go the much stricter lentil-less chapter.  I'm now shooting for 20g of protein (and pretty much little else) every 3 hours.  Since I stay at home and am Celiac anyhow, this may be easier for me than for others.  I started this yesterday (Sun) my post cheat day.  I have had 2 Whey Protein shakes this morning, 1 upon waking and one nearly 3 hours later post workout.

I'm still tracking everything on livestrong.com/daily plate and now enter everything with a time instead of "breakfast", etc.

This week I am adding workouts and will try to get 3 runs in.  The weather is still crappy for running outside and since I am not entered into any spring races I'm not concerned with speed or mileage.  I will also see how 3 strength training sessions per week add up.

Black Coffee

140lbs Pre cheat weight
143lbs Post Cheat Day

By logging my calories into Livestrong.com/dailyplate and visiting other blog sites I see that I'm still not quite on track.  I still need to work on my daily routine and incorporate all the elements of the plan, including cold therapy which seems to have gone to the wayside with me.

My cheat day yesterday was ok.  I was shocked to find that it's really only taken one week to learn to drink black coffee.  I tried my decades long coffee of cream & 3 (!!!i know) sweetnlow and I have to say I found it un-drinkable on cheat day.  Awesome.

I've been going thru the blog site of http://www.fourhourbodycouple.com/ on a daily basis.  They really put a lot into their site and tracking their efforts.  The best thing I've found there are their cheat sheets.  It's really been illuminating how much that I actually skip in a week where I would swear I'm doing everything right.

things I've not been doing this week:
CQ- Cissus Quadrangularis 3x per day ( I didn't even order it)

Cold therapy after meals
Eating slowly
eating legumes at every meal- especially breakfast
air squats/gym workout on cheat day
yerba mate on cheat day

I'll be more focused on these items this week.  I will plan better meals and be buying more canned beans today.

I will also be incorporating more workouts next week, I'll start with 3, including kettlebells.

Here is a break down of this past weeks meals Feb 21-26 all include drinking 1 pitcher of iced lemon water upon waking + black coffee at breakfast:

Mon
2240 calories total (holiday, kids home from school)
Protein: 32%, Carbs 31.7%, Fats 36.6%
Breakfast: eggs, egg whites. lentils, guacamole, spinach
lunch: black beans, salad, lean beef strips, guacamole & salsa
dinner: 4 boiled eggs with bowl of lentils (mustard +tarragon) in lettuce
Glute raises, air squats, 2 pitchers iced lemon water, PAGG stack

Tues
1542 Calories total
Protein 40.5%, Carbs 18%, Fats 41.1%
Breakfast: eggs, egg whites, lentils, spinach, turkey ham
Lunch: Salad with boiled eggs, 2 mini chicken sausages, olive oil &vinegar dressing
Dinner: chicken thighs, mixed vegetables
snack: 3oz can of tuna
PAGG Off day

Wed
1043 Calories total
Protein 39%, Carbs 10.7%, Fat 50%
Breakfast: Whey Protein Powder + Water
Post run: 2 eggs boiled
Lunch: Lettuce wrap- 4oz salad shrimp, guacamole, broccoli slaw mix
dinner: Salmon, broccoli, salad

Thurs
1486  Calories total
Protein 50%, Carbs 9.9%, Fat 38.7%
Breakfast: egg+egg white veggie omelet
Lunch: 4 boiled eggs + salad+ vinegar/oil
Dinner: chicken thighs + veggies + 2 glasses red wine
Snack: shrimp wrap with guacamole

Fri
1726 Net total calories
Protein 36.8%, Carbs 8.72%, Fat 54%
Breakfast: Whey Protein + water
Post run: Crabmeat salad (lump crab, red onion, cilantro, red pepper)
Lunch: Salad with Lean beef strips + balsamic &mac oil dressing
Dinner: Grassfed Mexican seasoned ground beef + lettuce + guacamole
3 glasses red wine
Snack: Shrimp wrap with guac

Sat Cheat Day
140 lbs (all measurements same)

3882 Calories
Protein 23%, carbs 37.4%, Fat 38.8%
Breakfast: Whey Protein Powder + water
coffee + grapefruit juice