WHAT AM I DOING: FOOD EDITION
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Ok ok the now the fun part of what I am doing to lose the weight… What am I eating?! Just like in my post about my current exercise routine, I have to preface it with this. Please do not start any program without first consulting professionals. I mean doctors, trainers, anyone that has experience in the field. Google is your friend if you do not want to seek advice from a nutritionist directly. Even if its just spending time on youtube watching videos…just make sure that you are properly cleared and educated before you jump in. Secondly, this is what has been working for me so far. This journey is not cookie cutter and what works for me might not work for the next person. As I move forward on my journey my way of eating will most likely change. I am keeping my goals strong and my methods flexible.

Ok with that being said, I am so excited about my current eating plan because of the flexibility it affords me and the results i have seen so far. When I started training again this year I started with a low carb high fat diet. I chose this way of eating for several reasons. First of all I have a really serious sensitivity to gluten so I am automatically limited in the amount of carbs I can eat by eliminating all things gluten in my life. The other reason why I liked the LCHF way of eating was because it allowed me to have the healthy fats that I love in moderation. So I was able to have my avocados, some minimal cheese, red meat in moderation. This worked well for me but there were days when my energy was really low and I was worried that my body would get use to this way of eating quickly and it would no longer be as effective. I started researching other low carb ways of eating and ran across carb cycling. Carb cycling is basically where you switch between low carb high fat days and high carb low fat days. Then I remembered my sister had given me a book a few years ago called Choose More, Eat Less by Chris Powell, that is based off the principles of carb cycling. I call this my carb cycling bible. This was the best switch I have made. Carb cycling has given me the flexibility of being able to eat my healthy fats one day and then if I am craving a tortilla or beans I know I can have it the following day when I am on my high carb day. Carb cycling also allows you what is called a “re-feed day” where you eat what you want in moderation. This keeps your body guessing how you are going to fuel it which helps prevent plateaus and gives maximum results.

Since I have been carb cycling I have lost a total of 54 inches over my entire body and counting. I have also had a good amount of energy and my cravings have lessened. This is has been my experience with carb cycling. Again diet is not cookie cutter so what I experience might not be the same for the next person. With any change in diet you have to make sure you take into consideration your health before making any drastic changes. There are some medical conditions that I have heard do not work well with this way of eating.

I will be honest, I am scared out of my mind. I have trained before and I know that the beginning of the process sucks. Every time I think about starting I think about the pain, the embarrassment, and the fear of failing once again. When I start letting that fear creep in I have to I stop myself and I think about the fall, how bad it could have been. I have to remind myself of my family and friends that did not have the choice to fix their health and live for their children. So January 11th I re-start my journey. This time I am focusing on making it one day at a time. I do not have a weight goal but rather a lifestyle goal. I am scared to start but I am even more scared not to.