I’m Cautiously Optimistic…

I was feeling fat yesterday, even though the scales were down … THEN … I came across my passport.

This was yesterday when I was feeling fat … I think I need a brain adjustment … just sayin’.   😀

Now, that we have dealt with my image issues, back to the subject of what I am cautiously optimistic about … that I have finally discovered a meal plan that will work to help me lose some weight, and allow me to workout harder–the way I like.

I tend to gain when I lift heavy … and not just muscle … dangit, I gain FAT too!  So, I have kept working on a plan to lose and lift.  It has been a year and half struggle of disappointment and frustration.  My body tends to go into fat storage when I do strenuous lifting, riding, or kayaking.  It stems from the years of illness and low cal dieting PLUS serious over-exercising.  I am a perfect example of when simple math doesn’t work — you know what everyone says eating less/right and moving more and everything will fall into place.  Not for everyone it doesn’t.  Some of us require a touch more tweaking.

I like how I feel when I lift.  I like feeling strong, but I don’t like weighing over 160.  I can shoot up 30 pounds FAST when I lift.  Docs have been perplexed.  Still, I press on.  😀

So, here I am today, hopeful for the first time in a while that I might actually be on to something that works for me.   Following my latest version of paleo/low carb/primal style eating plus intermittent fasting — I am popping up with the workouts and dropping back down flat on rest days.  Yea!  I’m going to keep up with it and see how I go.  Just in case you are wondering I still do not know what I weigh.  Mike still only tells me if I am going up or down.  I had a week where I ran up to 10 pounds.  It was pushing up towards 15 pounds gained when I started this latest version of my meal plan.  I am back down to the 10 pound gain.  Yes!

Some folks are able to lose by deficit eating (eating 1/2 or less of what they burned during exercise) when working out heavy–which is generally a great plan.  I have to be SUPER careful with that one.  I can only leave about a 200 to 300 calorie deficit of the calories I burn, at the MOST, when working out if I want to lose or my body will start storing everything I eat as fat, and the end result is weight gain not loss.  Or I have to eat mostly fat with a touch of protein … that gets OLD fast … the bonus is that I can still eat a pretty fair amount of food, and my body kicks in and burns off my fat stores, and all my blood work gets A+ ratings with the docs. But … that really isn’t sustainable over the long haul.  Who can eat 65 to 75 percent fat with a touch of protein all day everyday.  I guess anyone who was super serious, and I am, but still …. YUCK!

The yum in my soup. I’m still a touch stuffy … so soup is a wonderful and savory way to keep the head all opened up and the belly FULL! Lean and clean 😀

What meal plan have I come up with?

First the disclaimer:  This won’t work for you if you aren’t insulin resistant.  I mean it could, but it would most likely be bad for your health.  Do what I do … if YOU are going to make a BIG diet/lifestyle change … go to your doctor and let him monitor you while you do it.

I like food.  I love to eat.  I love variety in my food.  I love veggies … so what’s a girl to do?

• I’ve made my snacks fatty — macadamia nuts, avocados, and the like.
• I make my treats — starchier veggies (mini bell peppers, and butternut squash) — these are limited
• I make my sweets — fresh or frozen fruit only two a day, maybe a touch extra on heavy workout days.  None on fast days.
• I avoid bread, except gluten free — even then very, very seldom or super small portions.
• I limit cheese — this is where I am not totally paleo — but given my insulin resistance I have to be able to eat quick sometimes and it can’t always be fruit or even veggies.  I need the fat.
• I limit most dairy to grass-fed and organic — makes it much harder to have — but I am ok with that.
• I eat my weight in non starchy veggies.
• I eat 3 to 4 ounces of protein three to four times a day.  Most of the time it is lean, but not on fat fast days — bacon is always on the plan as long as it is nitrate free.  😀
• I don’t eat if I am not hungry
• I do eat if I am hungry — something lean with veggies, or sometimes just fat
• I have one to two fast days a week.  By fasting I mean that I eat seriously reduced calories — much nicer than my spiritual fasts where all you get is water.  😀  It resets me.
• If I get on a gaining trend — then — boo hiss I go on the fat fast to bring that bugger to a halt.
• I eat a range of calories during the week of 1,200 calories on a low end,  to 2,500 calories on the high end.  I loosely track what I eat, and work my calories to go with my activity levels for the day. Except fast days which range from 1000 to 600.
• I do drink wine several times a week.
• I drink a gob of water.  I don’t know how much I just keep refilling the bottle.  😀
• My macro breakdown is probably 50 to 65% Fat, 30 to 40% Protein, and 10 to 20% carbs–complex
  • This is a touch different on heavy or endurance workout days, but not always.  Then it is probably 40% carbs, 30% Protein, and 30% Fat.
• I usually have a “cheat meal”  once a week or so.  For me a cheat meal is butternut squash pancakes, butternut squash fries baked in the oven, potatoes, bananas (fruit), and dates.
  • I try to make most of my food REAL food.  I do have junk, I’m human, but not too often.

So … there you have a loose plan of what I do.  I am not going to write out every bit I eat for you all, because my plan is just that …. My Plan … very specific for ME.  If you wanna know about fat fasts … I have written about it before, but Dr. Atkins outlines is very clearly in his book.  Just a word of caution … Again … my diet is metabolically suited for me.  I have a LOT of metabolic issues.  You could try what I do, and get seriously sick or fat.  Besides, I still don’t know if it is going to work over the long haul yet.  Things are looking good for me though … so I will keep pressing in.  I’m excited that I seem to have found a plan that will allow a low level of carbs, and I can still lose weight.  This feels sustainable over the long haul.

Keep your fingers crossed, say a prayer for me, and send me positive thoughts as I continue to test this out.   I’m almost over this sinus stuff!  Yeah!

Just in case you are wondering where I have been … the two munchkins on this page tend to wipe out my brain. 😀 With joy of course.

😀

Shonnie

I have so much more to tell you …. This week Collin turns 18.  It is autism awareness month … got me all emotional.  😀