Monday, August 18, 2014

The Carb Time Change Experiment

There is a lot of talk out there about when to eat carbs (such as grains, beans, etc). Some say only during the first part of the day. Some say anytime you want. Some try to avoid most all together. When I say carbs I mean all three types (starches, sugars, fiber). I have yet to figure out what works best for me. For quite awhile since coming back to California we had been having carbs with our meals throughout the day and late in the evening. I was working out harder than I had before with much more intense cardio included and still had not seen the results I had been working toward.  My fiance' recommended a change in our daily menus. A long time ago we purchased some exercise equipment by Gold's Gym that came with a little booklet of diet suggestions for building more muscle. It suggests making every meal count (including snacks) and having 6 meals a day. From 7am-7pm. The first 3 meals are protein & carbs and the last 3 are protein & veggie.

Hmm. Why not? Let's give it a try! I had cut out dairy and sugar (recommended by my herbalist) again recently, why not make a few more adjustments? So we figured it all out and started right away. The first few nights my stomach was not happy with me in the evening and I had to go to bed hungry with cravings for things like popcorn and chips. It was kind of miserable. But after the third day my body started to adjust. The hardest part was getting my water in during the day. I had been used to drinking most of my water in the morning but eating the first meal so early I didn't have much time to do that. It also meant exercising with out fasting. I am starting to see a little difference in my weight (less bloating) already even without the intense workouts I had been doing. I'm hoping that as I build back up my workouts the muscles will start to respond to the added protein I'm getting in. Will let you know the results after a couple of months of experimenting. Any thoughts on carbs and what has worked for you?

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Listen to Your Body

 This summer I finished a workout program called Power 90. It really upped my cardio level. I suck at cardio. Was around cigarette smoke since birth and smoked myself for over 20 yrs before quitting so needless to say my lungs are not great. Anyways, I enjoyed the workout and wanted to push myself to the next level. I decided to give Insanity a try. For those of you that don't know, it's a 6 day a week cardio marathon for two months. Yikes, right?

 Last month I started Insanity with the fit test and actually did pretty good. It gave me the motivation to continue to try the program. The first week was intense. I was afraid I wasn't going to make it through the week. But I pushed everyday and it did get a bit easier over time. I completed 3 weeks of Insanity and was seeing a huge difference in my body. A lot less jiggle in places that I had been working on for months. I was pretty happy about it. Although I did miss weight training. Not bad at 42. Then something happened.

 It was probably a combination of a lot of different things, but anyways I ended up in a depression that was pretty bad. I lost all energy and motivation to workout. I tried one day and barely made it though a light workout. Gave up again for another week. It was tough. Exercise is my outlet and usually the way I keep positive and full of energy, to not have that ability was really disappointing. As I came out of the fog I finally pushed myself to workout, wasn't ready for insanity so for the next few days I just did fat burner express from the power 90 program which is still cardio.

 This last week, I decided to try to alternate cardio and weight training with a combination of videos to work myself up to Insanity speed. I also decided to change up my diet as far as what I eat for each meal, my fiancee also wanted to change when we eat each meal. Following a suggested guide by Golds Gym. Having each meal count and include protein. Three carb and protein meals followed by three veggie and protein meals. My cardio is still weak but I feel a bit physically stronger. I may add Insanity into next weeks lineup a couple times a week. We'll see.

  The main thing is to listen to your body. No matter what program or workout regimen your doing. If you have an injury, or like me, have lost your energy and strength, stop and take a look at what your body might need. A rest, change in routine or diet. One thing that I have learned along the way is to be flexible and go with the flow. I'm not competing in any competitions, nor do I get paid to do or complete any programs. It is all for me and how I want to look and feel. One thing I know is that I will not give up my goals.