“Clean Eating, Carbs, Cardio, and Circuit Training!!!”
>Can I ask what eating plan you've been following to help you
>lose weight? Just curious. Or have you been focusing on
>exercise more than changing your diet?
After experimenting with different styles of eating, this is what I have discovered works for me:
* plant-based (with no animal protein or small amounts of clean animal protein on weight training days)
* high carb heaven (60-70 percent carbohydrates/15-20 percent protein/15-20 percent fat)
* 1,800 calories a day between 3 meals and 2 snacks with my biggest meal at noon
* 300 calories breakfast, 300 calories snack, 700 calories lunch, 300 calories snack, 200 calories dinner
* clean (as close to the way God made it as possible)
* organic when available
* avoid artificial sweeteners, corn syrup, and refined white sugar (and choose raw honey)
* avoid white flour (and choose whole grains)
* avoid table salt and MSG (and choose sea salt and non-irradiated organic spices)
* avoid hydrogenated anything
* drink plenty of spring water every day (as much as a gallon a day when it is hot)
* plan menus every weekend and pack meals and snacks every night in preparation for the next day
I officially started my 10-week cardio and circuit training rotation this morning. I am planning to “fast” animal protein for 4 weeks until Easter then reintroduce small amounts of clean (organic, grain fed, free range) animal protein on circuit training days. I am hoping to start blasting off this stubborn fat again. Last Saturday, I finished my first 10-week rotation of the year (Intensity Series and Body Blast Series) and dropped a size. I was wearing a size 18 on New Year’s Day. I am currently wearing a size 16. I could shed weight faster by eating less than 1,800 calories a day, but it is not worth it to me. My workouts suffer when I do that, and I start obsessing over food again. I hope to be down to a size 14 by Easter (in 4 weeks) and a size 12 by Memorial Day (in 10 weeks). I am not thinking too far beyond that now, but my ultimate goal is a size 8. The Hardcore Series will be my reward when I lose 30 more pounds (for a total of 100 pounds).
Last week was a recovery week. I took a break from Cathe, did not adjust my calories to compensate for the less intense workouts, and gained weight. :-(
This is my basic game plan for the next 10 weeks:
Sunday - Cathe circuit training (morning)/Total Body Stretching (evening)
Monday - Cathe cardio (kickboxing or non-interval step) + Ab Hits (morning)
Tuesday - Cathe circuit training (morning)/Total Body Stretching (evening)
Wednesday - Cathe interval cardio + Ab Hits (morning)
Thursday - Cathe circuit training (morning)/Total Body Stretching (evening)
Friday - rest or gentle cardio like Kari Anderson’s DanceWorks (morning)
Saturday - FIRM cardio + Jen Carman’s Strength in Movement (morning)
I have learned from experience that I can maintain this intensity for 3-6 weeks at a time without burning out. Knowing that, I am planning to do 3 weeks like this followed by a lighter week and 6 more weeks like this. When I am bursting with abundant energy, I will add extra cardio just for fun. I love jogging in the pool, rebounding, and Kari Anderson’s dance-oriented workouts like DanceWorks. I just received gliding discs too and am having fun playing with them. Then there is Gretchen’s cardio boot camp class when I am on top of my game and up for an added challenge! I love cardio and usually sneak it in even on rest days.
In short, what blesses my body and blasts off fat: clean eating, carbs, cardio, and circuit training! This is probably more than you wanted to know! ;-)
Blessings,
Heather B.
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV).
