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Workout summary for Tuesday, February 15:

Attended a FIT class (Functional Integrated Training) (Challenge yourself beyond traditional strength training with this advanced, total body functional strength training class. We will challenge your muscular endurance as well as balance and coordination by moving through all planes of motion with multi-joint and compound exercises.)

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,126

Fat: 30.9

Carbs: 175.1

Protein: 50.8

 

Workout summary for Wednesday, February 16:

- Attended a cardio kickboxing class (60 min).

- Attended a core class (30 min).

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,186

Fat: 39.7

Carbs: 159.3

Protein: 58.2

 

Workout summary for Thursday, February 17:

Attended a Hatha Yoga 2 class.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,098

Fat: 38.6

Carbs: 137.1

Protein: 70.3

 

Workout summary for Friday, February 18:

Attended a "Mixx" class (Combine cardio kickboxing, athletic drills, high-impact moves and low-impact/dynamic moves and you have one, high-energy, tough cardio workout. Sprinkle in some fun, stimulating funk moves and you

have The Mixx.)

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,092

Fat: 25.0

Carbs: 174.0

Protein: 59.9

 

Overall workout grade: A

Overall nutrition grade: A

 

I've been feeling surprisingly excellent for consuming a couple-hundred less calories and going to the gym every day!! How is this possible? I have no idea! Perhaps it was fueling up so much a couple days before... my body might have needed the extra energy to get me through this week.

 

Tip #3: False hunger and liquids

Hungry? Or just dehydrated? Many people mistake hunger pangs as a dehydration, so get drinking! Water, of course. Stay away from any other form of liquid unless it's tea. Green tea is known for its weight loss benefits due to an increased metabolism, amongst other health benefits such as increased energy, blockage of fat absorption, boosted immune system, healthier skin, and more. On the other hand, many studies have found coffee as preventative to weight loss. Also, juices should be avoided as they are very high in sugar. Fresh juice is a different story as it contains more nutrients and health benefits that are often lost in the bottling process. In my opinion, it's better you stick to eating the whole fruit to begin with. Juice fasting (juice feasting, in my book) is another story that I might talk about later.

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Workout Summary for Saturday, February 19:

- Attended a FIT class (Functional Integrated Training) (Challenge yourself beyond traditional strength training with this advanced, total body functional strength training class. We will challenge your muscular endurance as well as balance and coordination by moving through all planes of motion with multi-joint and compound exercises.)

- Attended a Zumba class.

Grade: A-. I didn't give the first class my all since I knew I was going to take another class that day. I put a lot of energy into the second one, but not as much as I would have liked. I was in the corner of the room, which made it hard to follow the instructor. I think my workout suffered as a consequence; I got a little frustrated!

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,189

Fat: 33.1

Carbs: 173.1

Protein: 63.1

Grade: A-. Up tha proteeein.

 

Workout Summary for Sunday, February 19:

NA. Sunday is my rest and recover day.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,312

Fat:41.0

Carbs: 174.8

Protein: 73.3

Grade: B-. I ate most of my calories in a big clump near the end of the day... over the course of four hours, but still. I should plan more to ensure that I space out my meals. Now I'm stuck to tea for the rest of the night! Good thing I bought some organic green tea at the co-op today.

 

Tip #4: Strict diet without sweets and oils

Make sure you have some lenience with your diet. Not allowing yourself any treats (cookies, cake, nuts, oil) can really drive a person crazy and you may end up binging one day only to be very regretful right afterward! Don't wait until the regretful act - plan accordingly and incorporate some healthy sweets and oils into your meal plan. Balance them out by eating fewer calories the day before or after. Your craving and your body will thank you in the long run.

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Workout summary for Monday, February 21:

- Attended Strictly Strength (strength training class).

Grade: A

 

Nutrition:

 

Calories: 1,282

Fat: 39.4

Carbs: 179.8

Protein: 74.9

Grade: B.

 

I made some zucchini bread today, and the batch turned out horribly due to some modifications I made to the recipe. This is my most recent epic failure... there goes 200 untasty calories down the drain, and many more to come...

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Workout summary for Tuesday, February 22:

Attended a kickboxing class. This instructor rocks!

Grade: A-.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,291

Fat: 46.8

Carbs: 171.0

Protein: 65.2

Grade: A-. Fat content was high due to olive oil, peanut butter, and avocado all in one day.

 

I've noticed the changes in my body are slowing down. It's almost been two month since I've been working out, so I'm not a beginner anymore. That means I'm less likely to lose fat and gain muscle "at the same time." Now it's more of a maintenance of my workout routine to stay in the current shape than I am in rather than pushing hard to get the figure that I want. Don't get me wrong, my body could still go through some major transformation but I'm happy to take it down a notch for a while and use my energy to nail a job and this internship that I've been eyeballing.

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Workout summary for Wednesday, February 23:

NA. I went to the gym to get a haircut but woke up too late to get to the class! Whoops.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,389

Fat: 45.0

Carbs: 188.5

Protein: 76.0

 

Workout summary for Thursday, February 24:

Attended a FIT class (Functional Integrated Training: Challenge yourself beyond traditional strength training with this advanced, total body functional strength training class. We will challenge your muscular endurance as well as balance and coordination by moving through all planes of motion with multi-joint and compound exercises.)

Grade: A! I felt great during class today, probably because I took yesterday off. My legs were BURNING and it felt excellent. My shoulders, on the other hand, could use some work. I think I was lifting too heavy (exercise: lifting body bar from shoulders to waist, 15 lbs).

 

Nutrition:

- 9: 00 - ½ cup dry oatmeal, ½ cup soy milk, 1 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tbsp hemp seeds, 1 oz kiwi

- 12: 00 - 4 oz steamed broccoli, 1 Italian tomato, 1 oz onion, 1/2 Serrano pepper, lemon juice, ACV, black pepper, turmeric

- 2:00 - 3 oz asparagus, 3 oz portabella mushroom, 3 oz eggplant, 1/2 tbsp olive oil, 1 piece of hemp bread

- 5:30 - Smoothie: 1 cup soy milk, 4 oz strawberries, ¾ banana, ½ tbsp rice protein, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 4 oz tofu, 2 oz spinach

- 7:00 - 4 oz baby carrots, 3 oz cucumber

- 8:00 - 1 slice chocolate zucchini bread (the other loaves turned out okay!!)

And green tea and water all day!

 

Calories: 1,097

Fat: 33.6

Carbs: 148.1

Protein: 68.0

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Workout summary for Friday, February 25:

- Attended a cycle class (60 min).

- Attended a core class (30 min).

Grade: A. Cycling is a lot of fun! I pushed myself pretty hard. Core was brutal after having biked rigorously for an hour.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,415

Fat: 45.9

Carbs: 191.8

Protein: 78.5

 

Workout summary for Saturday, February 26:

- Attended a "Mixx" class (Combine cardio kickboxing, athletic drills, high-impact moves and low-impact/dynamic moves and you have one, high-energy, tough cardio workout. Sprinkle in some fun, stimulating funk moves and you have The Mixx.)

- Attended a cardio kickboxing class.

Grade: A. I didn't think I had it in me to take two classes today, but my endurance is really phenomenal these days and I finished pretty easily!

 

Nutrition:

Protein: 1,394

Fat: 40.6

Carbs: 176.0

Protein: 102.2

Grade: A+.

 

Changing it up:

After exactly 8 weeks of determination and diligence to treating my body with utmost respect, I've gone down from roughly 135 lbs and weigh 121 as of a couple of hours ago. Now that I've lost some excess fat (and gained a a respectable amount of muscle), I'm looking to build more muscle and really tone up. I suspect I won't see any major changes for the next 60 days.

 

Nutrition: I've been doing some research, and most articles say that it's not possible to build muscle without a surplus of calories (BMR + 250-500 calories). I've worked so hard to lower my body fat percentage, and I don't want to risk looking pudgy again. Does anyone know from personal experience: is it possible to put on more muscle simply by upping one's protein intake but keeping calorie intake like it has been (or having a calorie deficit?).

 

Exercise: My exercise plan is 3 days of strength training and 2 or 3 days of cardio. (Last week I got in 1 day of strength training, 3 days of cardio, 1 day of yoga, and 1 day of strength and cardio. This week I got in 2 days of strength training and 3 days of cardio.)

 

I'll be doing more research to figure out what will be the best for me nutrition-wise to achieve my goal of toning up, but any advice to help me in my journey would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance for any information!

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Does anyone know from personal experience: is it possible to put on more muscle simply by upping one's protein intake but keeping calorie intake like it has been (or having a calorie deficit?).

I would say it's nearly impossible to add any real amount of muscle on a calorie deficit, but people might disagree with me. High protein cutting diets exist to help you maintain the muscle you have, while getting rid of body fat at the same time....

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Does anyone know from personal experience: is it possible to put on more muscle simply by upping one's protein intake but keeping calorie intake like it has been (or having a calorie deficit?).

I would say it's nearly impossible to add any real amount of muscle on a calorie deficit, but people might disagree with me. High protein cutting diets exist to help you maintain the muscle you have, while getting rid of body fat at the same time....

I will take your word on it, Fallen_Horse, considering I went 400 calories over my BMR today. My body kept on chanting "Feed. Me. Feed. Me." aall day. Thanks for the reply.

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Workout summary for Sunday, February 27:

NA. Sunday is my rest and recovery day.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 2,759

Fat: 92.6

Carbs: 401.4

Protein: 129.1

Grade: ??? I am well over 100 grams of protein! That is great, considering my goal is 95 or higher (determined based off of research this article)...

 

... in terms of calories, I have decided (okay, somewhat by default) to follow my body on this one and will be consuming 250-500 calories above my BMR in order to gain more muscle mass. Yay, more food! I might just go grab an apple... But before I get too excited, I'm going to take a body fat test ASAP. I will compare my results to those in two weeks to analyze the potential effects of my diet change.

 

I appreciate any advice or suggestions, so send 'em my way!!

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Workout summary for Monday, February 28:

Attended a strength training class. WHOO! <- That's how I feel it went.

Grade: A.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 2,365

Fat: 83.4

Carbs: 327.0

Protein: 115.2

Grade: ? I'm going to get back on track starting tomorrow, considering I went over by about 500 calories today. My target for the next two weeks is 1625-1875 calories. I'm not scolding myself too much for the past two days since I should have been eating more this past week, anyway. But starting TOMORROW, it's back to careful planning.

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Workout summary for Tuesday, March 1:

Attended a cycle class (60 minutes).

Grade: A. Intense!

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,708

Fat: 59.4

Carbs: 234.3

Protein: 79.5

Grade: B. I ate a lot of nuts today, which is why my fat was high in ratio to my protein (17% of calories from protein, 31% from fat). I was planning on staying at my BMR, but I find that it's nearly impossible to eat so few calories while on an intense exercise routine. I felt that it was overall a balanced day -- no overeating, and no going hungry!

Edited by Veganarchy
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Hi there, just curious, are you trying to add muscle by only eating the number of calories you have calculated your BMR to be?

Hey, lobsteriffic. I'm trying to gain muscle and lose fat over a long period of time by eating my BMR on cardio days and 250-500 calories on strength training days. My plan is strength training 3x per week, cardio 2x, and yoga 1x. I don't think that eating my BMR on cardio days is realistic, however. What are your thoughts? My goal is to get cut for the summer by keeping this routine up until them.

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BMR is awfully low. That's how many cals you would burn if you laid in bed all day and did nothing! You seem to have pretty intense workouts. Honestly I don't think you are going to gain much muscle on this plan.

 

I get what you saying about body recomposition, i.e., more calories on strength days and less on cardio days. But I would probably eat more than your BMR. I can't really tell you a specific number since I don't know you and how your body reacts, but you are probably right in saying that eating the equivalent of your BMR isn't realistic.

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BMR is awfully low. That's how many cals you would burn if you laid in bed all day and did nothing! You seem to have pretty intense workouts. Honestly I don't think you are going to gain much muscle on this plan.

 

I get what you saying about body recomposition, i.e., more calories on strength days and less on cardio days. But I would probably eat more than your BMR. I can't really tell you a specific number since I don't know you and how your body reacts, but you are probably right in saying that eating the equivalent of your BMR isn't realistic.

Yeah, I'm following my body's lead on this one and eating whenever it craves food. Yesterday I was planning on eating just my BMR but found that I would have gone incredibly hungry for half the day had I done so. I'm kind of taking it one day at a time for now and don't plan on doing anything too extreme. I think it's usually best to follow one's common sense, like the more one exercises or exerts oneself the more one needs to intake in order to recharge. Thanks for the confirmation on my decision, because it makes me even more sure I'm on the right track. <3

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Workout summary for Wednesday, March 2:

Attended a strength training class.

Grade: A-. I'm debating whether or not to pick weights that are lighter next time so that I can push through the entire set instead of switching to the lighter set part way through. Hm... anyway, today's exercise was great; it went by pretty quickly. I'm not dreading upper body exercises as much anymore. I should note that my left arm is noticeably weaker than my right, which I just noticed today.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,835

Fat: 62.2

Carbs: 240.1

Protein: 105.6

Grade: A. I wasn't even hungry for my last meal of the day, but I thought I should eat to fuel up since I'm looking to put on more muscle. Cool beans.

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Workout summary for Thursday, March 3:

Attended a cycle/yoga class (30min/30min).

Grade: A. Cycling was intense. I thought my legs were going to fall off.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,880

Fat: 56.0

Carbs: 267.9

Protein: 98.3

Grade: B. I'd rather see me on the lower end of calories on cardio days.

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Workout summary for Friday, March 4:

- Attended a foundations strength class. The average age in the class was 45-50, I swear. I think I should keep going, though. I think I have a better idea of what I'm doing even after working out consistently over two months, but if I'm going to do this for the rest of my life I might as well build a solid foundation.

- Attended a 45min. core/pilates class.

Grade: A.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 2,094

Fat: 59.0

Carbs: 326.9

Protein: 90.0

Grade: B. I sure took the meaning of "calorie surplus" to heart this week.

 

Workout summary for Saturday, March 5:

Attended a yoga vinyasa 2 class.

Grade: A. My upper body was still pretty tender from earlier this week, so I took it easier on myself.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,724

Fat: 64.3

Carbs: 245.8

Protein: 72.4

Grade: A. Doin' good.

 

Workout summary for Sunday, March 5:

Sundays are my rest and recover days.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,730

Fat: 58.9

Carbs: 242.4

Protein: 90.8

Grade: B. I didn't get any leafy greens in today.

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Workout Summary for Monday, March 7:

Attended a brutal conditioning class (strength + cardio).

Grade: B. I need to work up to classes that are this intense.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,702

Fat: 56.7

Carbs: 246.9

Protein: 88.0

Grade: A.

 

Workout Summary for Tuesday, March 8:

Attended a studio cycle class.

Grade: A. I pushed myself pretty hard.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,800

Fat: 41.2

Carbs: 280.0

Protein: 105.3

Grade: A.

 

Workout Summary for Wednesday, March 9:

Attended a strength training class.

Grade: A. I pushed myself really hard today and surprised myself.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,881

Fat: 50.1

Carbs: 301.3

Protein: 92.8

Grade: A.

 

Workout Summary for Thursday, March 10:

I woke up this morning and had a really sore throat; I think it's because I ate wheat and preservatives in a large amount for the first time in two months, but it might have just been a cold. Symptoms include: stuffed up nose, pressure in ears, sore throat, a lot of excess mucus and phlegm, a bit of an achy body, but no headache.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,732

Fat: 51.4

Carbs: 261.4

Protein: 75.5

Grade: ?.

 

Workout Summary for Friday, March 11:

Woke up with a sore throat again, and was low on energy. I could have gone, but it might have been better that I stayed home.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,611

Fat: 48.7

Carbs: 262.0

Protein: 64.6

Grade: ?.

 

Workout Summary for Saturday, March 12:

Attended a cardio kickboxing class.

Grade: B. I did okay for being on the low-energy side.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,674

Fat: 36.8

Carbs: 287.9

Protein: 65.0

Grade: ?

 

I'm unsure of what my calorie intake should be these days, as I don't know whether to concentrate on bulking or cutting. I did start a new job that requires me to stand and move around for 4-6 hours several days a week, so I am wondering how that will play into my dietary needs. I will have to research some more and reassess things according to my body's needs.

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Good job keeping up with the journal, I can never seem to stick with one! Any news of your progress? Going where you want to be going?

Hey, Fallen_Horse! In terms of health, I am doing very well. I push myself to my max most days, and am consequently getting a lot stronger and fitter. In terms of general life stuff, I'm doing pretty well. I got a part-time job at my local co-op at the java and juice bar, and also got accepted to my state's university and will be going starting this fall. Most of my time these days is spent working, going to the gym, and relaxing at home/recovering from exercising. If I get a second job, I probably won't exercise as often since my body won't be able to handle the strain, but we will see how things go with this new job for a while...

 

Other than that I have been trying to read more but haven't been motivated enough to cut myself off of netflix entirely, so a lot of my time is spent eating and watching TV on that. I am in the suburbs right now and my friends are in the city, so not having independent mode of transportation prevents me from going out as often as I might like. So, my life is pretty boring right now, and I am trying to figure out how to make it more fulfilling. I know that there is a lot that I can do, but starting a new hobby can take a lot of investment (a pretty lame excuse). At the very least, I guess I can read more than I have been.

 

That's what's been up. Snow is melting, tonight is the spring equinox, and I'm looking forward to what the warm weather will bring. Hopefully more excitement and change, and less staring at my computer screen.

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Workout summary for Sunday, March 13:

Attended a cycle class. This is usually my recovery day, but I didn't go two times last week so I thought I'd get another workout in.

Grade: A-. I worked pretty hard.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,848

Fat: 50.9

Carbs: 266.0

Protein: 110.2

 

Workout summary for Monday, March 14:

Attended a strength training class.

Grade: A+. I worked really hard today and surprised myself.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,885

Fat: 62.0

Carbs: 277.1

Protein: 85.0

 

Workout summary for Tuesday, March 15:

Attended a cycle class.

Grade: A++. The instructor was great today -- he encouraged the class to push as hard as possible, and halfway through I didn't think I would make it. It took a lot of willpower to push myself until the very end, and I figured out what it meant when he said that it was more of a mental game than a physical one. I have a lot of respect for triathletes and cyclists now.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,990

Fat: 53.5

Carbs: 322.3

Protein: 81.7

 

Workout summary for Wednesday, March 16:

Attended a strength training class.

Grade: A+. I applied what I learned from the previous day to this class -- I pushed myself as hard as I possibly could. I was really proud of myself at the end. This is how workout should be!!!

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,829

Fat: 49.7

Carbs: 282.4

Protein: 81.6

 

Workout summary for Thursday, March 17:

Cycled for 30 minutes on my own today.

Grade: B. I looked at the schedule incorrectly and came in too early to catch the class I wanted, so I worked out on my own this day. It's encouraging working out with other people; I think I push myself harder when I know everyone around me is working hard.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,855

Fat: 42.9

Carbs: 309.4

Protein: 82.8

 

Workout summary for Friday, March 18:

Attended a 45 minute core/pilates class.

Grade: A. I worked hard, as usual.

 

Nutrition:

I ate at a restaurant today (it was called the Ecopolitan and is one of my favorite restaurants because it's 100% organic, vegan, and raw!!) so I can't be sure of the nutritional value for the day, but I'm guessing I was around 1800-1900 calories.

 

Workout summary for Saturday, March 19:

Attended a yoga class.

Grade: B+. I took it a little easier on myself since I pushed it pretty hard this week. I still gave the class a good effort. Yoga is more for stretching my body than it is for building strength, at least for me.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,545

Fat: 49.1

Carbs: 229.2

Protein: 70.0

 

Overall grade for workout and nutrition for the week:

A-. I worked really hard this week, and now I know what it means to give something your all. I consistently consumed 500 calories over my BMR every day, and feel that I don't need to be eating that much. I knew it while I was eating, too. I would eat when I wasn't necessarily hungry for pleasure, just as long as I didn't go over 1800 calories. And that was okay. But I think I will go down 200 calories for a week and see where that leaves me. I do have extra fat that I think was due to eating so much this week.

 

That's not to say I don't feel and look great! I could keep this routine up and still be doing great!

 

Props to myself for sticking with it -- one more week and I will be hitting my three-month anniversary of working out and being vegan!! WHOO!

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Workout summary for Sunday, March 20:

Rest and recover day! I worked for four hours this day. This means I was on my feet for four hours doing some light work (cleaning, juicing, some light lifting of produce).

Grade: NA.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,535

Fat: 49.0

Carbs: 235.7

Protein: 61.2

 

Workout summary for Monday, March 21:

Attended a strength training class. It was pretty solid, I remember that it could have been better towards the end. I petered out a little bit; I might have still been recovering from the week before.

Grade: B+.

 

Nutrition (rough estimates):

Calories: 1,304

Fat: 30.5

Carbs: 220.5

Protein: 50.7

 

Workout summary for Tuesday, March 22:

Attended a cycle class at 5:30 in the morning!!

Grade: A, at least considering the workout from the day before. I'm always surprised at how much I sweat...

 

Nutrition (very, very rough estimates):

Calories: 2,792

Fat: 132.0

Carbs: 345.2

Protein: 99.6

Grade: F. I have to grade this one and comment -- probably due to my change in habits: I acquired a job a few weeks ago which require me to stand and walk around for 4-6 hours at a time doing light lifting for a total of 20-25 hours a week. I got fed up with documenting everything I ate and wanted to binge unabashedly, and went DOWN on some almonds. More 'bad' news to come...

 

Workout summary for Wednesday, March 23:

Attended a cardio kickboxing class (60 min) and a core class (40 min).

Grade: A. It had been a while since I had kickboxed, so it was a lot of fun. I didn't perform at my peak since I was still feeling Monday's workout. I felt strong during the core class.

 

Nutrition (rough estimate):

Calories: 2,332 (probably higher)

Fat: 84.0

Carbs: 343.0

Protein: 86.8

Comment: I don't know what it was... probably my body kicking into gear telling me that I need to eat more now that I'm walking around a lot more than I am used to. That's probably it. Now I have to figure out how to adjust to that.

 

Workout summary for Thursday, March 24:

I thought I worked until close this day, so I thought I would be okay not going to the gym. I ended up leaving at 4 and didn't reconsider going, for some reason. Huh. So I didn't go.

Grade: NA/F.

 

Nutrition:

Calories: 1,535

Fat: 49.0

Carbs: 235.7

Protein: 61.2

 

Workout summary for Friday, March 25:

I was planning only on going to a core class (45 min) today, but since I didn't go to the gym the day before I also went to a cycle class. The cycle class went well, as did the core class.

Grade: A. Feelin' good.

 

Nutrition (rough estimate):

Calories: 1,840

Fat: 77.3

Carbs: 243.9

Protein: 58.8

 

Workout summary for Saturday, March 26:

I spent the night at my friend's house the night before, and this morning we tried to get to a yoga class near her house. We were running a little late and couldn't find free parking so ditched the idea and went grocery shopping instead.

 

Nutrition:

I was cooking at my friend's place and didn't have a scale -- there's really no point in trying to calculate this day's worth of food. It would be time consuming, inaccurate, and generally not worthwhile. Let's say I ate around 2,500 calories today, mostly due to olive oil and part of a brownie that I indulged in. YUM.

 

I was pretty tiffed that I didn't get my weekly yoga class in, but what I discovered at the grocery store was a good payoff. I've known for a while now that local food is just plain better; it's better for the community, better for the local economy, and better for the environment. Lately I've decided to take extra measures to make local items and food the majority of my consumer purchases. At this co-op I found some produce I don't have at mine, and I was very pleased with the end result.

http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa321/Veganarchy/190860_10150452611065424_683655423_17614283_6610078_o-1.jpg

Grade: NA.

oh ya! dontcha know? it's possible to put local yummies in your tummies all year-round... eat seasonal and local food and your palate, your conscience, and the environment will thank you. all ingredients were harvested from MN and WI sans... the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, ginger spice, and cayenne.

 

I will call this plate... 'the turning season reasons' -- wild rice, radishes of four different varieties, and a salad of mixed greens, arugula, tomatoes, basil, chives olive oil, and balsamic.

 

Some weekly updates:

- Supplements: I ran out of rice protein powder some time early last week, so that means I have been consuming an average of 10 grams of protein less than usual. I don't feel it necessary to invest in another $30 jar of the powder, so I'm going to see my progress for the next three months without having that a part of my diet.

- Fudge week: No, I don't mean the chocolate. I didn't do a super job of documenting what I ate this week, and part of me felt upset at myself for that in fear of falling off-track, but I'm also glad I wasn't as meticulous and obsessed about it. I thought it was a fudge week, as in I botched things up, and almost didn't post this entry because I would have to relive not doing my best this week (in terms of nutrition). However, I'm glad that I did because I realized that I did a lot better than I thought I did. I worked out pretty much the same amount as I have been for the past several weeks, I just ate more than usual, which is forgivable when I take my working hours into account. I was also sick for several days yet continued with my regular 1,800 calorie intake and intense workout regime. So I think this week was a buffer week and my body was compensating a lot for the changes that have been taking place. I will need to consider upping my calorie intake to 2,000 in order to keep things in balance.

- Extra calories: may also be coming from my work. I work as a beverage maker of juices, smoothie, and hot drinks. Whenever there is extra of juice, I make sure to drink it. I am not as partial to smoothies but a considerable amount of my calories have been coming from them. And not so much with hot drinks.

- Soy: I have been breaking out lately, and I think it's my body's reaction from my month-long binge on soy. I drank soy milk every day and ate tofu every day for a good month, I think. Soy is known for having a lot of estrogen, and so I think it messed with my hormones and imbalanced them. I'm in the transition to cutting all soy products out of my diet. It's hard, though, because I actually like the taste and its versatility as a crop. There are other scares, though, like GMO soy and schtuff. And I don't like acne, either. So it's pretty much kaput in my book.

 

So, it's Sunday, the beginning of a new week! At the end of this month I will post some pictures (low-quality due to the absence of my digital camera and subsequent reliance on my webcam) of my three month progress and also my reflection of how I feel as though this new year has been going so far. Consider it my quarterly check-in. Ideally in the future I will have a brief two-week check-in, a more thorough monthly check-in, and then a comprehensive three-month reflection.

 

Stay healthy, people.

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Hi, everyone! As promised, here are pictures of my journey as a vegan and strength-trainer/exercise junkie/lifestyle reformer.

Picture deleted by user

It's hard to make objective observations because I'm at an angle in the first picture, the middle pictures is not the same size as the other two, and the overall quality of the pictures are so horrible. With that in mind, continue reading about my observations on my physique.

 

Physique:

In comparison to the picture taken at the end of March, I have more lower ab definition now. I do have extra fat around my thighs and waist compared to a couple of weeks ago when I was at my thinnest and lightest, but I bet I have more muscle than I did then. Throughout the past several weeks, my weight has fluctuated from 121 - 127 lbs. Today I came in at 124.

 

Strength:

I do feel stronger, overall. I can easily and quickly perform tasks that require some muscle behind them (lifting bags of produce, mopping), and find that my endurance is quite high. What can I say? I move differently now; I move with power, strength, and poise, and confidence!

 

Diet:

I was more lax with myself in terms of what I ate and what I documented. I wasn't too lax, but lax enough that I didn't stick to any plan (because I didn't really have any since I was adjusting to my new lifestyle - trial and error...). It turned out okay! I'm not morbidly obese or stick-skinny; I do think that there were some botches this month - I suspect some muscle loss from not eating enough protein and not enough food in general. I am apprehending this for the month of April by holding myself accountable to following a 2,000 calorie diet (without being too strict on myself). In terms of eating vegan - I will say that I have cheated a few times. I make smoothies at my work and sometimes we have leftovers. I was taught not to waste food, so I have had some of the leftovers with dairy products. I could just toss it or, better yet, put them out for people to sample (which I do most of the time). I also feel a little bit pressured to try some of them so that I might tell customers how our menu items taste, but I think that's a poor excuse. There are also leftovers from the deli department at night, and I bring my dad home some food. Last night I had carrots that were cooked in butter. It was a very conscious act - it was free food, I was starving, and lately I have been wondering if eating dairy that is from a local small-scale farmer that treats her animals with respect can be such a bad thing. I've been transitioning from eating foods that are from the-heck-knows-where to growing my own food and purchasing local food; purchasing and consuming dairy products from these sources is something that I will have to educate myself on and evaluate in regards to my ethics and morals.

 

Emotions/Mentality:

I am finding that achieving the ideal body is not an easy task. Sometimes I see women (girls?) who are thinner than I am and it makes me feel badly about my body. How ridiculous is that?! There is so much pressure to have the perfect body, that it almost seems like nothing we do is good enough until we look like the people advertising weight loss pills (pills being besides the point). I think media has played a huge role in why I have pushed myself so hard. Admittedly, the physical "benefits" of exercising was my initial motivation (aka lookin' good), but I have come across a plethora of other benefits such as slowing down the aging process, preventing osteoporosis, increasing my overall energy, and maintaining a general sense of well-being and radiant health. It is still incredibly difficult to stay away from the mirror; a lot of my happiness is dependent on how my body looks and feels that day. My build is different than it was in the past, too. In the past I was very thin and svelte, and now I am thin with a decent amount of muscle. Right now, if I am to be completely honest, I prefer the very thin and svelte look over how I look now. But if I take into account how much power and strength I have, I would much rather feel this way and look this way than feel the way I did when I was that thin -- weak and incapable of tasks that required strength. I'm learning to love my body and what I do for it and what it does for me. Exercising keeps me healthy, and I am not going to stop strength training for the sake of achieving that abnormally thin look, which is less appealing to me every day.

 

Summary:

I have to give myself a pat on the back for how hard I worked this month, even while I was a little sick (it's okay to exercise when you're sick from the neck up; it even helps). I also maintained my exercise regime while holding a part time job for the last three months of March. I shouldn't be too quick to congratulate myself, because constant self-improvement means that the bar is constantly being raised -- so there is always room for improvement!!! My body and I are still adjusting to the new changes of standing for several hours at a time in addition to exercising, so I speculate April will be a bit of an experiment. I am not to be discouraged! I have grown physically and mentally tougher in tremendous amounts these past few weeks, and welcome the mental and physical challenges that are inevitably to come (my main ones being impatience and obsession with body image and diet). Bring it on!

 

Goals for the month of April:

- Continue my regime of lifting 3x per week, going to cardio classes 2x per week, and yoga 1x per week in order to get stronger, first and foremost. This means that I am still bulking! I will theoretically "cut" during the months of May and June.

- Consume 2,000 calories (100 calorie grace window) per day for two weeks and evaluate.

- Run at least once a week on my own in order to prepare for a 5K on May 7th.

- Buy running shoes/cross-training shoes (I have been exercising in flat casual shoes for three months!).

- Look in the mirror as little as possible.

 

Reach for your dreams. Make them happen. Strive for self-improvement. The power is within you.

 

Sorry for any typos or poor writing -- I'm ready to hit the hay.

Edited by Veganarchy
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...

Strength:

I do feel stronger, overall. I can easily and quickly perform tasks that require some muscle behind them (lifting bags of produce, mopping), and find that my endurance is quite high. What can I say? I move differently now; I move with power, strength, and poise, and confidence!

Awesome! That is one of the most rewarding parts about strength training IMO....

 

.....In terms of eating vegan - I will say that I have cheated a few times. I make smoothies at my work and sometimes we have leftovers. I was taught not to waste food, so I have had some of the leftovers with dairy products. I could just toss it or, better yet, put them out for people to sample (which I do most of the time). I also feel a little bit pressured to try some of them so that I might tell customers how our menu items taste, but I think that's a poor excuse. There are also leftovers from the deli department at night, and I bring my dad home some food. Last night I had carrots that were cooked in butter. It was a very conscious act - it was free food, I was starving, and lately I have been wondering if eating dairy that is from a local small-scale farmer that treats her animals with respect can be such a bad thing. I've been transitioning from eating foods that are from the-heck-knows-where to growing my own food and purchasing local food; purchasing and consuming dairy products from these sources is something that I will have to educate myself on and evaluate in regards to my ethics and morals.

I feel like wasting animal foods is worse than eating them, so I agree with your thoughts on eating leftovers! I have done that a few times myself. I feel like if I was an animal and someone was going to kill me without a good reason, the least they could do is eat me!

I understand feeling pressure at your job to know what your foods taste like, but couldn't you just get opinions from your friends and family that have eaten there?

As for the idea of eating local dairy, I personally feel there are many good reasons against it (the amount of water cows consume, the cows being kept pregnant to produce milk, the male calves born from dairy cows are sold to meat plants, etc.) but each person has to find their own boundaries!

 

Emotions/Mentality:

I am finding that achieving the ideal body is not an easy task. Sometimes I see women (girls?) who are thinner than I am and it makes me feel badly about my body. How ridiculous is that?! There is so much pressure to have the perfect body, that it almost seems like nothing we do is good enough until we look like the people advertising weight loss pills (pills being besides the point). I think media has played a huge role in why I have pushed myself so hard. Admittedly, the physical "benefits" of exercising was my initial motivation (aka lookin' good), but I have come across a plethora of other benefits such as slowing down the aging process, preventing osteoporosis, increasing my overall energy, and maintaining a general sense of well-being and radiant health. It is still incredibly difficult to stay away from the mirror; a lot of my happiness is dependent on how my body looks and feels that day. My build is different than it was in the past, too. In the past I was very thin and svelte, and now I am thin with a decent amount of muscle. Right now, if I am to be completely honest, I prefer the very thin and svelte look over how I look now. But if I take into account how much power and strength I have, I would much rather feel this way and look this way than feel the way I did when I was that thin -- weak and incapable of tasks that required strength. I'm learning to love my body and what I do for it and what it does for me. Exercising keeps me healthy, and I am not going to stop strength training for the sake of achieving that abnormally thin look, which is less appealing to me every day.

I wish you could get together with my girlfriend and beat these ideas into her head! She has a tough time with body image issues...

 

Summary:

I have to give myself a pat on the back for how hard I worked this month, even while I was a little sick (it's okay to exercise when you're sick from the neck up; it even helps). I also maintained my exercise regime while holding a part time job for the last three months of March. I shouldn't be too quick to congratulate myself, because constant self-improvement means that the bar is constantly being raised -- so there is always room for improvement!!! My body and I are still adjusting to the new changes of standing for several hours at a time in addition to exercising, so I speculate April will be a bit of an experiment. I am not to be discouraged! I have grown physically and mentally tougher in tremendous amounts these past few weeks, and welcome the mental and physical challenges that are inevitably to come (my main ones being impatience and obsession with body image and diet). Bring it on!

 

Goals for the month of April:

- Continue my regime of lifting 3x per week, going to cardio classes 2x per week, and yoga 1x per week in order to get stronger, first and foremost. This means that I am still bulking! I will theoretically "cut" during the months of May and June.

- Consume 2,000 calories (100 calorie grace window) per day for two weeks and evaluate.

- Run at least once a week on my own in order to prepare for a 5K on May 7th.

- Buy running shoes/cross-training shoes (I have been exercising in flat casual shoes for three months!).

- Look in the mirror as little as possible.

 

Reach for your dreams. Make them happen. Strive for self-improvement. The power is within you.

Great mindset! Good work and keep it up!

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