Cal-Cycling Challenge (April) page

[Leida]

My goal: 3 days of low cal/high fat/low carb; 2 days of medium cals with high carb (120 g) and 2 days of free-style eating, but trying to do approximate high fat/low carb and high carb-low fat split on the weekend.

Okay, the best I can do today for a food plan without scaring myself with how little food it is, is the ~1200 calories; it's always hard to estimate with ribs, because they always have the 'yield after bone removed, and who the heck removes the bone before eating? I tried to integrate all the suggestions into a high fat/high saturated fat day with a lunch that is basically a slow treat at work, so I can stretch it as I work the afternoon away.

Today's activity is ~ 90 min walking (bus & lunch) and some 30 min intervals on a bike.

PB: Butter tea with 10 g butter
B: 4 eggs poached in 1 cup broth
L: 50 g macademia nuts, 2 Brazil nuts, 4 radishes
D: 100 g lamb ribs meat with ~ 2 cups salad & home made mayo
PD: 40 g home-made goat quark

[NDF]

My goal: 3 days of low cal/high fat/low carb; 2 days of medium cals with high carb (120 g) and 2 days of free-style eating, but trying to do approximate high fat/low carb and high carb-low fat split on the weekend.

120g carbs is not high carb

free-style eating?

[sakura_girl]

STOP MEASURING. STOP COUNTING.

You need to take a break from all of it. What's a month break from the 3 long years that it took to improve with extremely diminishing returns?

This is seriously borderline eating disorder. This is how I was before, and it's no way to live at all.

Who cares about an extra 5% body fat if you're never going to be healthy? If you're going to always obsess? Who are you trying to impress anyway? I suggest you solve any underlying issues with your confidence and self-worth before tackling anything close to trying to minimize body fat. This sounds harsh, but you really need to. Please. I am really concerned about you.

[jakey]

wait, what's the theory behind all this? please relax. this is ridiculous.

[InSearchOfAbs]

All right, I'm in.

My goal is to lose, so, I'm doing 1000 cals on M,W,F and 1600 cals the other
days to average about 1350 per day at the end of the week. Target deficit
per day average at the end of the week 750 = 1.5lbs loss per week.

Starting stats are:

5'3.5
128.2lbs
96lbs lbm*
32lbs fat, bones, etc....*
*per DEXA - not some jacked up handheld impedence horseshit.
43yo

Happy around 118-120.

Been drinking wayyyyy too much wine with the husband >cough<everyotherday<cough> which
needs to stop cuz I've obviously blubbered myself up 10 pounds.

At the tail end of LadyTime, so I expect some water weight to shift off lickety split and then
it's going to be slow-ass going from there.

Hoping to be where I want by June 5th or so, but we'll see how bad I suck and don't follow
through.

My average burn per day is anywhere from 2100 cals to 2500 cals, but I've learned not to
pay attention to THAT nonsense, because it really is all about what you put in your mouth
and not the amount of exercise you to to "pay for the food". Otherwise I'd be a rail.

Will report today's food tomorrow.


Today's workout:

Romanian Deadlift - 3X8
Lunges - 3X8
Lat Pulldown - 3X8
Arnold Presses - 3X8
Dumbbell Row - 3X8
Low Incline Dumbbell Press - 3X8
Back Extension - 2X8

Hamster Wheel - 30min - 3.5mph.

Hadn't been to the gym since March 6th, so the above
just about killed me.


Julie

[sakura_girl]

Julie, how do you calculate your calorie expenditure?

Nice workout. What's the hamster wheel? Is that like running on the treadmill on all fours? XD

[InSearchOfAbs]

I have a Bodybugg.

You put in a pile of information and it tells you
what your burn is (depending on what you're doing),
how many steps you take, how many cals you burn is
for sitting on your ass, walking as slow as molasses in January,
or sprints, or weight training., etc, etc.

When you plug it into the computer, it will even say "HEY FATASS!
YOU HAVE 360 MORE CALORIES TO BURN FOR THE DAY!"

Okay, it doesn't call me names, but it might motivate me more
if it did.

Naw, the hamster wheel is just what I call the treadmill.

All fours would be interesting though.

Wouldn't be half as weird as some of the stupid shit I've seen
people do on the treadmill. Good lord people, get a hobby already.

Ah well, if it makes them happy!

And to the dude doing bicep curls in the power cage today?

Here is my middle finger.

Toolbox.

[Leida]

Look, folks, I appreciate the concern, but could you just trust me that when I don't count, pounds pile up like mad? I just went to BC to visit mom for school break with my wee one, and spend a week riding a bike, swimming, not counting, eating PB, no sweet flavors... gained 5 lbs... gained another 2 lbs after I came back because I did not feel like counting.... Slowly losing it off now by counting. Other than that, I dunno why you think I am stressed out about counting, I am not. It is just another science project, and my health is perfectly normal, I've never had a single problem identified by doctors, except one time, my sugar was on the high side of normal, and that was not confirm by fasting glucose & like 10 years ago my iron was really low because I did not eat red meat for a year. Honestly, if I were anorexic, I would actually stick to the plans I make, not eat extra food, because I am hungry.

I am doing Lean Gain only without fasting window, since fasting currently does bad things to me, eating higher carb (1 g per lb of body fat) on lifting days and 0.5 g per lb on non-lifting days. Lean Gain doesn't give much in terms of recommendations, so I took it from the Muscle and Fitness book (the chapter on the adjusted carb consumption).

Did not make it through Monday food plan. Came hungry after the class in the evening, so had mushed cauliflower with ham. Totals came up to ~ 1500 cals, 106 g fat, 40 g carb, 112 g protein (61 % fat). It is hard with an extended day, got up at 4 am, and did not go to bed til 10:30 pm.

Will try to keep the day shorter on Wednesday, and maybe try to do the whole 90% of cals from fat idea. Wed is my recovery day, so maybe sticking to walking and yard stuff will help me with hunger.

High carb day today, see if a high carb day is easier to manage; I am thinking to cut it down to 1,300 cals from 1,600 since I went 300 cals over yesterday, kind of adding up yesterdays late night meal to today's breakfast.

Workout today is Kettlebells and a follow up HIT tri-set for shoulders.

[skink531]

Eat real food. Avoid grains, seed oils, and excess omega 6. Eat when hungry and stop when your not. Take the time and energy that you spend on calorie counting and food measuring and use it to focus on some of the other issues that affect health and fitness such as stress, sleep, sun exposure, etc.

[Leida]

Skink, for most women what you suggest result in a relatively high body fat level. I have experienced it myself, for a few months while adapting to eating the paleo/primal way and doing Whole 30. If you read Mark's articles and iirc in PB 101 itself that women do need to work with calorie counting and macros to become leaner. That is what I am doing while paying attention to all other things you have mentioned, taking PB one step beyond the basics. 'tis all.