#macro diet

[small-gets-mighty]

Well friends, it’s time. I’ve been feeling sluggish and grumpy for weeks now, gaining weight and doing nothing but moping about it, SO today starts another 12 week cut for me and my boyfriend. These are my progress pics.

Welcome to my “before”

Last cut went from 125 to 110lbs. It was awesome. I felt great, I felt strong, I felt energized.

Then instead of maintaining I went WILD and ate everything I could get my hands on. It was not pretty.

So now I’m starting this cut at 117.2lbs. I’d LOVE to get to 100lbs, but that’s a bit too lofty a goal so 105-107 is where I’m amazing for right now.

Wish me luck and will power on this journey! See ya around Halloween, take-out food 💔😭

[wunderhead]

I know it’s a bad idea to hinge my judgement of my progress on weight, but since I started my macro diet I’ve finally started to see the scale move.

[small-gets-mighty]

A reminder for myself when I want takeout, but I want to fit back into my old jeans more

[small-gets-mighty]

So I was feeling pretty down about all the work I put in to my last 12-week diet only to fail at maintaining and gain back a bunch of weight. But when I decided to start the 12 week diet again, I took new “before” pics, and today I decided to compare this time’s “before” with last time’s.

The picture on the left is me, January 7th, 2019, the first day of my first 12-week diet. I felt horrible about myself and cried in the shower after taking the pictures because I was so uncomfortable in my skin and all of my clothes.

The picture of me on the right is July 22nd, 2019, the first day of my second 12-week diet, started after losing 15lbs on the first diet and then gaining 7lbs back. I was disappointed in my weight gain, but didn’t feel quite the same disdain for my body taking these picture. I know how hard I work at the gym and how much I associate food with emotions, so taking these pictures I kept thinking “I mean it could be worse”. Maybe that’s not a great attitude to have about my body, but I consider it an improvement!

THEN I made this picstitch. Holy. Moly. You guys, I look GREAT. Not even “great by comparison” or “great for someone who ate fast food for the last 3 months”. I look GREAT! I’m glowing, I’m evening standing more confidently, and you can see me toning up! Progress is slow, but I’ve got my WHOLE LIFE to reach my goals. This next diet is not a punishment for bad eating habits, weight gain, or going up a size in clothes. It is a celebration of my body, what I can do when I work for what I want, and another step towards my goals.

I cannot sing the praises of progress pics enough. Take them!! At every stage of your workout journey! You never have to share them with anyone! You never even have to look at them again if you don’t want to!! But if you’ve been working hard for a while and see the scale plateau or your lifting or running or whatever you do start to plateau and you’re feeling a little discouraged or defeated, compare your progress pics to see the body composition changes and appreciate just how far you’ve come and how much your hard work has paid off!

I’m stoked about this diet now. Let’s see how long that lasts 😜

[small-gets-mighty]

I’ve been really good about keeping my workout goals and holding myself accountable to both diet and exercise this week and I’m literally already feeling different, and I know the weight will come off as long as a stay consistent.

It’s hard because my boyfriend and I are supposed to be doing this together, but he’s not exercising even half as much as I am. He’s been home for 2 weeks because he’s between jobs, so it’s really hard for me to get motivated to get up and out to the gym when he’s staying home comfy on the couch. But as I keep telling myself, I’m doing this for me. I know he’ll be jealous of my results, and get to the gym when he’s ready. I’m just ready now, and it’s completely fine that he’s not ready right now, but MAN is it hard to go to the gym when we could be binging a show at home on the couch.

Today I got back down to my lowest weight since the diet started, so that’s a great motivator! I have 15-16lbs to lose until I hit my goal weight, but I’m giving myself a little wiggle room (give or take 3-5lbs) because of all the strength training; I know I could be gaining muscle weight.

Reply if you have any good advice for getting motivated to get up and out to the gym! I’m perfectly fine and in the zone once I’m there, it’s just getting myself there that’s hard! Home workouts aren’t my thing, and there’s a small gym in my apartment complex, but I don’t love it. Really need advice to get motivated to get myself to my gym (it’s a 9 minute drive. It’s not even hard lol)!

[small-gets-mighty]

So after my workout tonight, I was stretching out on a mat (I stretch extra after leg days because WOW I’m sore) and I did a little lower back twist from my yoga class and in the mirror I saw my flexed back/shoulder muscles and they looked so nice and defined and omg you guys!!! It’s the first thing I’ve noticed change about my body since this lifestyle change and omg. It was such a confidence and mood booster. I couldn’t wait to get home and show my boyfriend! PROGRESS! 💪🏻🙌🏻

[small-gets-mighty]

Macro dieting with Renaissance Periodization seemed hard before I started it. But once I learned to count and calculate my macros, it’s been great. I’m not starving, craving, or feeling like I’m missing out, and I’m eating healthily, at the best times of day for my body type and metabolism, and it’s set up to be easily adjustable to whenever I workout. THIS is how a diet should be. Highly recommend this company!

[wunderhead]

Forgot to take photos of lunch and dinner yesterday but here’s Day 2 of my macro diet!

Breakfast: protein oats with strawberries Lunch: tuna salad sandwich and an orange Dinner: chicken curry with spicy rice

102g carbs, 51g fat, 106g protein