This blog is kind of a 2-parter..
It's been 2 1/2 weeks since the Tri, and I've been trying to figure out where to go now. Do I want to go back to the old Spin/Body Pump routine? Do I want to restart NROLFW? How about doing more Tri training for the next race (whenever that will be)? Honestly, I dabbled in all three areas. I've done a few Spin/Body Pump sessions together, started riding my bike 12-15 miles with a 2-3 mile jog afterwards, swam laps a couple of times...I just haven't felt a spark with any of them. I did the first workout in Stage 2 last night. My shoulders are super sore today (yay!). I guess I'm just still not sure what to focus on. I know it's good to keep your body guessing, so I really could just do it all...But, I like to have a routine. It helps keep me focused. I do know that I want to finish Stage 2 now that I've started. It's only 8 workouts, so those will be done in like 2 weeks. I need something to go with it though. It's easier to do something at the gym if I'm already there, instead of trying to come and bike, for example. But, at the same time, I don't want to lose out of any Tri training. I don't know when the next race will be, but I don't want to find one and then have lost precious training time. This first one I did gave me the tools I needed to get myself in competition mode. For Rocketchix, I just wanted to finish. Now, I want to place and win. :)
In addition to re-thinking my workout, I've been looking at my diet more. I've gotten perfect at maintaining. At this point, I can eat whatever I want and not gain weight because I've gotten so good at portion control and knowing what will make me full (on top of just staying active). I don't need or crave as many calories during the day as I used to. However, I want to shed those last few pounds of fat. I don't know a lot of technical stuff for diet and exercise, but I know what has worked for me. So, I'm trying to keep my protein percentage at 40-50% during the week, and around 30-40% on the weekends. That's a high count for my weekends, especially with the family time on Sundays that is ALWAYS filled with yummy "soul food". :) I doubt I will make it even most of the time, but I want to consciously aim for it.
So, I've played around with higher protein for the last couple of weeks, but this week I started cracking down on it. I didn't feel well on Monday (not as high as I wanted for protein, but kept my calories low), so I started hardcore yesterday (Tuesday). I ended my day with 58% protein, 22% carbs and 20% fat. Perfect! I could have eaten more carbs, but I have found that the stricter I keep myself at the beginning, the easier it is for me down the road. So far today, I am 58% protein, 7% carbs and 35% fat. The fat is mostly from the 2 eggs this morning, and will level out as the day goes on. I have noticed a definite increase in cravings though. I'm also trying to cut down on my sodium, and now salt is all I crave! In the recent past, I would give in a little because I could afford to. However, I'm trying to cut now, so I need to get back to fighting even the smallest craving. I really want to have a solid handle on this higher protein diet by September 1st. I want it to be second nature with little to no cravings by then.
On to breakfast and sleep... On Livestrong, I took a dare to get more sleep. My sleep patterns are very erratic, and I know that having a more steady, solid sleep pattern will help with my diet and exercise efforts. Michael and I agreed to start getting to bed by 11pm everynight, but it has been far from perfect. I guess we are having a hard time getting into that habit. We're just not sleepy by then, but I think that if we make ourselves get in bed by that time, we will eventually get used to it. It's just a pain right now. :( Our vacation time didn't help like we thought it would. We ended up running the roads everyday and staying out late every night - not what we expected. At-home vacation may not have been the best idea. Next time, we'll definitely be somewhere far away so that we won't be bothered! lol
I am also doing my best to get breakfast in me within an hour of waking. I am not a morning person, so I'm usually in a rush to get to work as soon as I wake up. This falls in with the sleep part because if I get to bed at a decent hour, then I will wake up more refreshed (and possibly earlier) than I do now. I have, however, made an effort to cook and eat breakfast before leaving the house this week (I've gotten damn good and making my egg & fat free cheese omelet while getting dressed!). My problem is that it's made me late for work a couple of days. I've also found that taking more time to get up, get ready, eat breakfast and play with Koopa makes my day noticably better. So, I am doing my damnedest to get better at the whole sleep and breakfast thing. :)
I guess that's it for now. We'll see where I'm at in a week or so! :P
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hey! definitely good goals you have there, a good night's sleep is an amazing thing. I'm glad that I can say I get that almost 100% of the time. It's takes a little time to adjust and reap the benefits, but once you do, you can't go back. Also, it's great that you're going for high protein, that's the best choice IMO... but, I wouldn't aim for higher than 50% protein. The best ratio for high protein is 50/30/20 <-protein, carb, fat. 40/30/30 is another good ratio, and when all else fails, there's nothing wrong with a good 33/33/33 balanced diet :)
ReplyDeleteand like i told you at the gym, figure out what not only your goals for your body are (a marathon runner has a different physique than a bodybuilder) but also what makes you happy. If you want to keep competing in races, by all means, try to always be registered for the next race, and be in "training" mode in addition to your gym routine... But if you are like me and are more worried about being "ripped" then put the weights/HIIT first, and do your swimming/endurance running/biking around those workouts. There's nothing wrong with switching it up, so you really don't have to decide... but i understand you wanting a plan.
hey, why not train for a figure competition? ;) i wish i was ready for that, i need to drop more lbs first, but that's the #1 competition i'd love to do... we'll see!