Hi Janice!
Thank you SO much for the kind words -- I really appreciate it. Of course, we are always our own worst critic so I always have something I'd like to work on a bit more (right now it's my abs).
The 2-4 hours per day is a combination of my own workouts + teaching, although my teaching has slowed down recently. 4 is extreme, and I don't maintain that for very long. It is really when I'm getting ready for some event (like vacation, a party, etc). 2-3 is average for me. It's what I like to do. Of course I'm not going "all out" the whole time. Some days are less intense than others depending upon how I'm feeling that day and how many times I get interrupted at the gym by people who want to "chat".
I wasn't scoffing at the "clean eating" thing (I was partly joking). I think it is definitely the way to go if you can fix all your meals and plan ahead (and if your stomach can handle it). Yep -- you got it -- cheetos and chocolate cake ALL DAY
Just kidding. My diet is pretty boring and consists of a LOT of protein. I rely on protein bars and protein powders because I'm too lazy to cook chicken every single day and take it to work with me. During the week, my only meal that contains "real food" -- is dinner. Am I saying that everyone should eat like that? Of course not. It just works for me.
I don't normally eat things that have empty calories WHEN I'm trying to cut some fat. Now, when I'm trying to gain some muscle -- I'll eat something "not-so-good-for-me" more often (like cheesecake, chocolate, bread, peanut butter (mmmmmmm -- my addiction to PB is crazy), etc). When I'm building muscle -- I'll eat a lot of things I wouldn't think of eating when trying to cut fat. Cycling periods of muscle building with periods of cutting fat works the best for me. Ultimately I end up with more muscle. However, at the end of my building phase I DO get somewhat uncomfortable (ie, my clothes fit a lot tighter and I feel "fat"). But then I go into my cutting phase and it burns off in a few weeks.
During my cutting phase, I'm pretty strict. No alcohol, very little sugar, very little fat, a lot of protein, calories cut to about 1500 (when building muscle I eat up to 2500 calories), stop eating 2-3 hours before bed time, lots of water, limited carbonated drinks ('cause they can make me bloated), limited carbs (almost no bread, no rice, no pasta, a little oatmeal), no dairy. Really -- it ends up being protein drinks, protein bars, tuna, chicken, salad (vinegar dressing -- small amount), fish. I eat a lot of lean cuisine dinners (the ones with the most protein).
I almost never eat anything fried. I can't remember the last time I had something fried (has it been a year since I had french fries? Maybe 2 years?). I don't really eat fast food either -- although I will get the occasional plain cheeseburger or grilled chicken (no mayo). I don't typically have chips or snack items in my house.
I never saw a change in my body until I started eating a lot more protein -- even though I was just as strong (or close to it) as I am now. Definitely clean eating is the way to go if you can sustain it. I know it gets old, but the truth is that YOU have to find what works for YOU and your lifestyle. Figure out which foods you like (and if they like you -- I, personally, have sensitivities to a lot of foods) and incorporate them into an eating plan that you will follow. Give yourself a break every now and then too. It's okay to treat yourself occasionally -- even Cathe does that!
Sorry for the long-winded response. I'm apparently trying to avoid getting my work finished!
Thanks again for the compliments!
Shonie
