Everyone agrees the training has been going great but I still haven’t reached that magical point where my muscles start devouring my body fat while I sleep and I wake up skinny.
This may be a myth but after over two months on the program with no slacking off I really had my heart set on seeing more visible physical changes apart from my strength gains.
A few weeks ago I whinged about my lack of weight loss to the boys and Paul Walton agreed to take a closer look at my nutrition. I sent him a week’s worth of my food intake this time including quantities and meal times along with my training program and results. Which looked like this:
Saturday
5:30am Breakfast: 1 hardboiled egg and decaf coffee with Lactose free milk.
6:45am CROSSFIT: A. For Total Time 10 Alternating DB Snatch (10kg) 20 Wall Ball 200m Row/Run Rest 90s X 4 Alternate the run and row. My time: 14min 48 sec. Cal 457 calories from fat 23% Avg HR 139 Max HR 184.
8:30am Brunch:2 poached eggs, 1/2 avocado, wilted spinach, 2 pieces bacon and large soy decaf cap.
11am-4pm Nap
5pm snack: 1/4 cup almonds and cup of black tea with LF milk.
9:30-10:30pm: Dinner: Birthday party including snacks of cherry tomatoes, macadamia nuts, baby pickles, ham and cheese with mineral water.
Sunday – REST DAY
12:30pm Breakfast: western omelet with 2 eggs, green capsicum and red onion and 2 decaf coffees with LF milk.
5:30pm Snack: 1/4 cup raw almonds with 1 tbsp dried currants and black tea with LF milk.
10pm Dinner: rocket salad with cherry tomatoes, 150 gr grilled lamb loin, avocado and cucumber.
Monday – Weigh in day
7am WEIGHT: 77.7kg Body Fat 37.7 WATER 42.7
7:30am Breakfast: Western omelet with 2 eggs capsicum and red onion and black tea with LF milk.
11am Snack: 1 green capsicum with 1 tbsp almond spread.
2:30pm WORKOUT: 1:1 500 m Row:Rest X5 sets. 255cal 19%fat cal avg HR 145 max HR 181.
3:30pm Lunch: rocket salad with cherry tomatoes, 150 gr grilled lamb loin, avocado and cucumber.
9:30pm Dinner: Michelle Bridges Mexican Shepherds Pie with rocket salad.
Tuesday
7:30am Breakfast: western omelet with 2 eggs, green capsicum and red onion.
11am Snack: 1 red capsicum with 1 tbsp almond spread.
2:00pm YOGA with Vicky 50 min vinyasa class.
3:00pm Lunch: Michelle Bridges Mexican Shepherds Pie with rocket salad.
6:00pm CROSSFIT A. Good Mornings 3X3-5; 60s B1-DB Bench Press 3X3-5; 60s B2-T Bar Row 3X8; 60s C. 7min AMRAP 10 Alternating BB Front Rack Reverse Lunges @34/25kg 20 Sit Ups 30 Double Unders. 399 CAL 27%fat max HR 182 avg 128.
9:30pm Dinner: raspberry protein shake with Isowhey diabetic, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1tbsp lecithin, 1tbsp flax and 1 cup milk.
Wednesday
7:30am Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled with 1 large Portobello mushroom and 1 tbsp goat’s cheese.
11:00am Snack: 1 red capsicum with 1 tbsp almond spread.
1:30pm Lunch: Mexican shepherd’s pie with rocket salad.
6:00pm snack: 1/2 cup chili cashews.
8:30pm Dinner: baked chicken breast with tomato sauce and goats cheese on spinach and cherry tomato salad and mineral water with lemon.
Thursday
7:30am Breakfast: 1 cup goats yoghurt, 1cup raspberries, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1 tbsp lecithin, 1tbsp flax and 1 serve isowhey diabetic with black tea and lf milk.
12 pm Snack: 1 red capsicum with 1 tbsp almond spread.
2pm YOGA with Vicky 50 min vinyasa class.
3pm Lunch: baked chicken breast with tomato sauce and goats cheese on spinach and cherry tomato salad and mineral water with lemon
7:00pm CROSSFIT A. Bulgarian Split Squats 3X5/leg 22.5kg; 90s B1-BB Strict Press 3X3-5 20kg; 60s B2-Ring Rows (feet elevated) 3X5-10; 60s C. 5mins AMRAP Ladder 3-4-5 Thrusters 22kg. 274 CAL 29%fat Max HR 176 AVG HR 127.
9:30pm Dinner: baked chicken breast with tomato sauce and goats cheese on spinach and cherry tomato salad and mineral water with lemon.
Friday
7:30am Breakfast: 1 cup goats yoghurt, 1cup raspberries, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1 tbsp lecithin, 1tbsp flax and 1 serve isowhey diabetic with black tea and lf milk.
11am Snack: large decaf soy cap
1pm Lunch: Naked Burrito (no rice or wrap) slow cooked pork, veggies, black beans, guac and cheese.
5pm Snack: 1/2 cup chili cashews.
8:30pm NordicTrak 30 min 2:3 walk:run Max HR 179 Avg HR 157 Cal 356 fat 14%.
9pm Dinner: Baked chicken breast with tomato sauce and goats cheese on spinach and cherry tomato salad and mineral water with lemon.
Feedback:
As Pete had told me Paul’s initial feeling was that my diet was very clean. If I wanted to start dropping more weight I would need to make some changes though. The first thing he noticed was that I still had a very high fat content in my diet. To compensate for the lack of carbs it’s true that I tend to indulge in fattier food.
All the healthy fats of course but Paul explained that the avocado, nuts and cheese I was adding to my meals was definitely hindering my weight loss attempts. Healthy fat is still fat I guess. He instructed that nuts should be treated like a garnish if at all and the eggs I was having for breakfast had enough fat in them, I didn’t need to be adding to it with avocado or cheese.
He also put the nail in the coffin of my last coffee. He explained that with my adrenal fatigue issues I wasn’t doing myself any favours by revving myself up with coffee (even decaf) first thing in the morning. The soymilk in my occasional cappuccino was also a hindrance on the weight loss front. He said if I really wanted one I could have one late morning (after 11am) and it would have to be black… thanks but no thanks, Herbal tea here I come. Carb Loading/Loving
To my surprise he also wanted me to start adding some carbs back into my diet but in a very targeted way. Now after each of my training sessions I’m to add a banana to my protein shake and make it with water (not milk). I also have to finish sipping it down within 1/2 an hour of finishing my workout. This is a major shift from driving home, cooking, and having a late dinner… I love it already.
The big ask
Then came the big ask… at the end of every day I was to email him with the details of everything I had consumed. Eeek! How had I signed up for the Big Brother food police? But hey… I’ve got an “after” photo shoot in a few weeks so what the hell. I’ll follow it to the letter and see what happens. Within a week I was already seeing results with a kilo off on body weight and by week two I had dropped a couple of percentage of body fat – woohoo! I can totally do this. Meanwhile back at the ranch (AKA Crossfit Athletic)
I found myself out of my depth in a whole new way. My workout partner, aka the Batman I was so comfortable grunting and sweating in front of (this is worse for her than me I’m sure) was going off to have surgery with a long recovery period and I would be on my own. Everyone was friendly so I quickly partnered up with new friend but on the very first move… a push press no less… I tried to lift what she was lifting and through my neck out. Ooops and ouch!
As I’ve stated before I have a clumsy way about me and used to have chronic back pain so of course I have a back therapist on speed dial. If you have chronic back pain and have never heard of Dorn Spinal Therapy you should check this out (www.backcaresolutions.net).
It’s amazing. After years of chiro I had one session and I was pain free. Now I only have to go back if I do something silly trip over my own feet or lift what that girl was lifting… because if she can do it…
Barbara had me back at the gym without missing a session as long as I promised to do all the exercise evenly for a week (both arms or both legs at a time). Totally doable and I’m able to keep on track.
I did learn a valuable lesson… just because someone is the same height and looks similar to you physically does not mean that they aren’t a whole lot stronger than you. I now know my limits and only push above them conservatively so I keep making gains and not new injuries.
See www.crossfitathletic.com.au for more.
