It's been awhile, right? I know... I'm sorry. I was frustrated and blocked... writer's block, weight loss block, digestive block, emotionally blocked... you know just blocked, from all angles. It took me 14 days of frustration, sometimes scream out loud worthy... absolute, annoyingly so, quite defiant determined frustration. I was angry, but I was resolute. I powered through.
I also added more fiber to my diet. Avocare's Fiber drink(unflavored) to be exact.
After struggling "to go" (sorry for the TMI but I'm here to be real with you) after my Sept 1st cheat meal... which didn't help me AT ALL in the losing weight department. I felt bloated and uncomfortable every day. I added the fiber drink to my breakfast routine - by that evening I was able to go and the next day I dropped and have continuously dropped since. It just got things moving again... which is exactly what I needed. It's weird because you'd think that if you were eating healthier that you would have less trouble keeping things moving regularly but for some reason I always struggle with this from time to time while losing weight. I had no idea why... so, as usual, I turned to google and found this little golden nugget of information.
Why High Protein Diets Constipate You
I definitely consume a lot of the foods suggested to keep fiber in your diet but apparently my body just needs that extra boost. I'm going to have to keep that Fiber Drink on hand! What do you do for extra fiber???
During those 14 days... I watched the scale fall lower and lower every single time my husband stepped on and while I was genuinely happy for his success... on the inside, I was throwing myself a little pity party, complete with carb-free snacks and punch made of water. It's a fact - men lose weight faster than women... extra little fact to brighten your day (insert eye roll) - women also GAIN weight faster than men. Are you ready for the list...
1. Men have more muscle, they also build muscle faster... which in turn allows them to burn more calories in general. What to do about it: Women, add strength training to your exercise routine.
2. Men lose more water weight than women. These are those quick pounds that drop off right at the beginning. What to do about it: Pound that water. Get it in at every turn. Flush your system.
3. Women are hormonally wired to store more fat - 6-11% more in fact. Fun fact: our fat helps us fuel our workout! so there's that silver lining.
4. Men and women store fat differently. The fat men usually carry (subcutaneous) is easier to lose that the fat women tend to carry (visceral). What to do about it: sleep well, get more fiber in your diet, lower your carb intake, make sure to have a balance of cardio and strength training.
5. A woman's menstrual cycle can trigger stress eating. And we allllll know about that.
*I got this fun little list from here: https://www.beachbodyondemand.com/blog/men-lose-weight-faster-than-women
Basically, it's all about the hormones. Testosterone boosts the metabolism all on it's very own... while estrogen causes women to store fat. There ain't nothin' to be done about it other than go hard. Get it through your head that it's not easy and you're going to have to fight for every single ounce. Men's bodies are set up to burn fat quickly, women's are not. Let your feminism show... women can lose weight too. Be determined. Show up every day. Work for it. You will be victorious.
Day 39. Down 28.4... I'll get there.
Some people have asked if I get sick of eating the same thing over and over throughout the week - such as breakfast or lunches. Generally, I do not. I love that through meal planning and meal prep it's quick and easy and there. When lunchtime comes I'm HUNGRY and ready to eat whatever... I don't care. If I have something planned and ready to eat it ensures that I don't have time to crave anything else. Typically, the argument is that unhealthy snacks/foods are easier to grab and just faster to prepare and consume... BUT if you have a plan and foods prepped this should absolutely not be the case. I've said it a zillion times... you have GOT to be prepared. Even if you don't have the budget or time to try crazy hard recipes full of fresh produce... do better. They have some great FROZEN healthy choices now - I've seen them at Costco, Publix and Aldi... places are waking up and getting on the healthy train. Do you know I even saw Cheese Whisps and Lentil Bean Crisps at the MOVIE THEATER as a choice!?!?!?! Yep! Healthy options are becoming more prevalent which means you have zero excuses. Think about it like this - other than breakfasts & lunches, which will be meal prepped this weekend, from Monday-Sunday of this coming week I am only actually cooking with any effort 4 times and one of them is a stir-fry- which is SUPER easy and fast - through my work week there are only 2 recipes (a 3rd is crockpot so that doesn't count it's just dumping in ingredients) pesto pasta and tostadas... the other 2 recipes are over the weekend. It's EASY folks, it's not worth an excuse. And back to if I get sick of eating the same things.... my LadyBoss shake is amazing - I literally look forward to drinking it. There are so many recipes for protein shakes... I can change it up a bit anytime I want but have been drinking the same thing for over a month and I'm still completely happy with that. As far as lunches go... it's fuel... I'm hungry and I'm chanting "get in my belly" by the time I get to eat. I'm just happy it tastes good and I can start getting it in my mouth in less than 2 minutes. It's 5-6 days of the same lunch... who cares. Having a portion controlled meal ready to go means more than eating something different every day. Pick your battles... because when you search deep down you'll realize that all your doing is making an excuse.
Next week's plan:
Breakfasts: Green Smoothie (Clint) / LadyBoss Shake (Jillian)
Lunches: Tuna Salad with Nutthin crackers + mini dill pickles
Snacks: Vegetable tray w/ light sour cream ranch dip, LadyBoss protein balls, fresh fruit, nuts, pita chips w/ hummus, hard boiled eggs.
Monday: Saturday night left-overs (Lemon Garlic Orzo w/Roasted Vegetables)
Tuesday: Sunday night left-overs (Baked Eggplant Parmesan)
Wednesday: Pesto Pasta (Clint - I leave out the chicken and double the pasta, using spinach & ricotta tortellini) / Low Carb Taco Soup (Jillian - I will use half sausage and half ground turkey and sub the cream cheese for Greek yogurt cream cheese)
Thursday: Wednesday night left-overs
Friday: Tostadas! Clint will have Hummus & Veggie Tostadas / Renn and I will have BBQ Chicken Tostadas as requested by Renn-man
Saturday: Stir-Fry ... basically throw all the leftover veggie in the skillet / for Saturday lunch we will have any leftovers from Wednesday or Friday.
Sunday: Cauliflower crust pizzas
Good stuff babe!!! Proud of you <3
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