One week in and I am 3 pounds down from 205lbs. Yeeayuhh! It is more than I expected. I don’t want to cut too much too fast so I will likely adjust in the coming week to increase carbs and protein intake a little. Standing on a scale and weighing in is not always the best indicator but it is a helpful measurement – I attempted to be consistent with my weigh-ins, doing it first thing each morning. Also, I used to get my body composition checked at the beginning of each month, but for the sake of my body recomposition I plan to do this every two weeks to check the state of my body fat % and how my muscle mass is holding up, so I’ll get this done next week.
I’ll be honest, at the beginning of my calorie reduction, I was hungry. My body was not accustomed to the drop in carbs and fat, especially. However, I adjusted quickly. This first week of cutting, I’ve taken note of a few things:
First, diet. I feel, this has become a dirty word. It often has a negative association now. Everyone thinks they need to do it, or some form of it, but we tend to dislike it so much as there’s often some form of restriction.
So I should clarify that with this 12-week cut goal I do not consider myself on a “diet”. This is more flexible/intuitive eating. I’m not restricted to certain foods or from certain foods. I really can eat what I want as it fits within my determined macros.
It sounds restrictive, but when you know your macronutrient targets you learn quickly that not all foods are equal. Certain foods are more nutrient dense than others and you naturally gravitate towards foods that fit your ‘macro’ needs – which are typically healthier choices.
I have learned to be more informed and more intuitive about my eating. I don’t have to prohibit myself from enjoying a dairy-free ice cream every once in a while, as long as it fits in my food budget. (Tip: The dairy free Halo Top brand is a perfect option). But even then I don’t find myself with too many sweet cravings now.
I have come to think of my food planning and choices much like a financial budget, in a way. With a budget if you spend more than what you take in, well, then you find yourself in debt. Spend too much money on the wants vs true ‘needs’ then you are in even more trouble. So similar to how buying a car or big TV that you can’t afford will put you in debt, food too has a cost. The wrong foods may not provide the right nutrients you require, and even too much of the right foods can blow up your food budget.
I’m excited to see where my body fat % is now even after just one week, but I’ll wait until then end of week two. On the workout portion, I continue to workout about 4-5 times a week at CoreFit Studio with varied workouts, incorporating a lot of functional exercise elements and compound movements.
Unfortunately, after avoiding injury for the longest time I somehow tweaked my elbow several weeks ago. I had to back off heavy upper body for a time as my left tricep and elbow tendon felt overly strained. Needless to say I have had to do more remedial work with my arms lately, but my strength is returning in my arm. Also, I have increased my higher rep / lighter weight workouts but I still do lower rep, heavy strength workouts as well. I mix things up quite a bit to not get stagnant and comfortable.
On to another week. Please comment below for questions about anything. Or comment on your own exercise/cutting experiences. I’d love to hear from people.
