nadiahawaii’s BodyBlog

I have completed a little research on diets and weightloss.  Once you get down to the facts, and obey what the research says, you will get results!  I have designed my diet around the suggestions for protein, carb, and calorie intake, and its all coming together.  If anyone needs a good site to track their calorie intake vs their calories burned, you should check out fitday.com.  It has every tool you need to design a calorie intake plan, and track your progress. 

I am really happy!  I wanted to transform my body, and I can see that I am well on my way to doing so.  This Tuesday, 23 March will bring a close to the first month of my transformation.  I am using Hugo Rivera’s body re-engineering 12wk program (found on bodybuilding.com).  This plan works for me because it tells me what I need to do on a daily basis to reach my goals.

I have learned that you have to be patient, and if you reach a plateau, switch it up.  I was getting a little anxious because I wasn’t seeing the weight drop off on a weekly basis.  What I didn’t account for is that although I was losing fat, the lean muscle was replacing it.  I supplemented my diet with protein, and that definitely helped in the building of those muscles.  Around week 3, I added 30min -1hr of cardio to each day’s workout.  I also started to increase my weights during workout sessions.  This combination was a plateau buster for me.  There was no need to count calories, or take some kinda magic pill, it was just a matter of switching things up a bit.

My diet is also the key to my success.  I really had to change the way I ate in order to see results.  Before, I would not eat breakfast, eat fast food for lunch, and would just come home and nosh on whatever food was easily accessible for dinner.  Now, I have structured meals. I bring my lunch and breakfast to work each day.  I eat a clean, small dinner, and drink a post-workout protein shake.  My body has accepted the changes, and it feels great. 

Of course, the motivation from others helps too!!  Thanks to all my Bodyspace friends for helping me stay motivated!!!

I want to lean out some more.  My question is: What else do I need to do??  I am still in the growth phase of my workout plan.  I have been putting on muscle, which I know is necessary to burn fat.  I workout 7 days a week. I do about 20-25 min of cardio at the end of each workout session.   I am eating 6 pretty clean mini-meals each day, and taking hydroxycut.  Do I need to increase my weights during weightlifting?  Should I incorporate more cardio? Should I start counting calories? Overall, I think I have a pretty solid plan.  I lost 3.5lbs after the first couple weeks.  I know right now I’m gaining muscle, because my clothes fit better, and I can start to see more definition.  I just want to ensure I’m doing this right so I can lean out at the same time.  What should I do?? 

It really feels like my stomach is shrinking.  I am definitely fuller after eating much smaller amounts.   My desire to eat less is noticeable too.  When I make meals for myself, I find that I only want to make a small amount of food (especially for dinner).  I am glad that eating better has had this positive result.  My diet has been better than ever before.  I think I just need to add a couple more mini meals to my day.  I start out with breakfast, either a high-fiber oatmeal bar, or high fiber Kashi cereal.  It just depends on how much time I have in the morning on deciding which one to eat.  For mid-morning I might eat a piece of fresh fruit, if I have time.  For lunch, I eat a healthy choice meal.  For mid-afternoon, I might have another piece of fruit, or carrots.  For post workout, I have a 100% whey protein shake.  For dinner, I have one of the following: a filet of salmon, some tuna, boca burger, or even a Good starts chick’n patty with one slice of bread.  Usually I will have a handful of chips with this too.  After eating this meal, I feel full for the whole night.  Usually, I incorporate one cheat meal on the weekend.  I think what I need to do is add another element to my at work snacks.  I think I will add half a meal replacement shake with each piece of fruit I. 

Yep, today I almost skipped the gym.  Yesterday when I worked my legs, I seemed to aggravate the patella femoral syndrome I have going on there.  It sucks to feel weak or unable to workout to my fullest potential.  I just know that working it harder is not going to fix it.  I have to take it really easy, and strengthen my knee.  I don’t want this setback to cause me to abandon my healthier eating habits I have established, or my gym routine.  I am glad I stuck with it today.  Just don’t listen when your inner demons (old bad habits) are telling you to stay home and just chill on the couch, instead of working out.  I did great today!  I went in, did some really good cardio to my favorite tunes.  It was a a really good workout, actually.  I am so glad I went in.