When you decide to pursue something for yourself it seems like anything and everything that can come up - does. My experience is no different from anyone else who wants to pursue something outside the "normal" life we are taught to lead. One of the things I have struggled the most with through my training and even more through this prep is balance. Often times pulled in different directions, emotionally, professionally, physical and spiritually, I am always looking for that happy medium. The middle ground. It's a constant juggling act. To bring up a lagging area you have to dedicate more time to it, but then one of the other areas/roles begin to suffer. So as you gain strength where you were once weak, you come to find that getting strong never really ceases because there is always an area that requires work.
This week has been no different. In my struggle for balance, I feel like my greatest challenge is the fight to do something I feel passionate about - training - and doing something I feel obligated to do - working. I have never had a problem working, and I still don't. My struggle lies in the fact that I know that work only provides me with what is tangible, the resources to live comfortably. However, training and this journey touches me in other areas that money can never reach. As I get old, it's the other areas that become more important to me and less the money and the rat race. And it's this struggle I have come to realize in the past week - during those moments of clarity after I have carbs - that my struggle is not so much with the job but the feeling of obligation that comes from a life that is pre-defined vs. the life of a dreamer.
But there is an element in all of that that I have complete control over, and that is my ability to trust the process. Because that is what this is. As my body is changing from week-to-week as a result of discipline and short-term sacrifice, my mind and my soul are also going through an internal transformation as I am learning the true power in - trusting the process.
Trusting in the process doesn't mean that you don't get frustrated or actively concerned about the changes that are going on or what seem like a lack thereof. Trusting the process means 1) trusting in yourself to be able to stick through it, and 2) trusting in those around you who sincerely have your back and want the best for you.
#1 is a personal decision and if you don't have a trainer/coach who you absolutely trust in #2, you need to make some phone calls.
Diet
No eggs or egg whites this week. My meal sources are chicken/turkey, vegetables (e.g. broccoli, zucchini, green beans, paprika), Zero carb, Zero fat protein powder, 100g rice/day and an apple. No seasoning food with salt and other seasonings. Only pepper. My salt intake is now 5g/day in relation to my water intake of 6L. I am still at 2,000 calories a day goal.
What I realized this week is that I've been eating over my 2,000 calories threshold since who knows because I often prepared a lot of chicken to cover several days and then weighed it as I distributed it over the meals. Well the Boss says to weigh the meat raw, so that's what I will be doing. What this revelation teaches; however - for all those people starving themselves to lose weight -- is that you do indeed have to eat to lose. I've clearly been eating more than 2,000 calories if you take into consideration my meat intake was based on the cooked weight and not raw weight (chicken shrinks) and my weight was still going down.
The reason for taking out the additional variety I had in my diet was to remove all of the possible input factors. While the level of conditioning I am chasing requires a close look at every possible detail and too many inputs don't allow the Boss to know which pegs to change and how those changes affect my ability to lose weight. It's a science experiment on me. While how to lose weight is known by everyone, the appropriate formula for that "how" differs from person to person.
I have eaten more chicken this week alone than any other week. I even texted Mrs. Boss (Nicole) on Monday - who's been Bodybuilding for over 10 years - if she had any hints or tricks to make consuming so much chicken bearable (especially when I can't load it up with salt before I cook it? She answered nicely - No, you just get used to it. And she was right. I'm 6 days into the new diet, and I've gotten used to it.
Weight
The affects of the new diet were immediate. My weight dropped from 79kg last Sunday and was 77kg yesterday. This morning I had some water retention so it was up a bit. But I will make sure I am 100% on my water intake today. I do seem to retain water on the weekends more than I do during the week. I will have to monitor it the next weeks. Last week I was 10 weeks out. The goal is 1kg a week. By next Sunday, the goal is to be at 76kg.
Training
My training is unchanged. The goal is to be able to keep my strength as long as possible. I am doing good with that. The day I struggle the most, as I wrote last week is leg day. It takes the most out of me and the hardest to get through. That's normal. I'm still pushing the weight and making it happen.
Cardio
My cardio is not over the top. I am still on 4 days a week for 20 minutes. The Boss told me on Monday not to do the HIIT Training only because I need to retain as much energy as possible. While by Wednesday's I am usually very tired, he told me that I don't know what tired is yet. #facepalm Light jogging or fast walking is okay. I even try to get some extra walking in (non-strenous) on my rest days just to get the bodily movement. This is one aspect I am happy about - that, like other competitors, I am not doing hours of cardio. There aren't enough hours in the day!!!
My usual photographer was not available today, so I did the personal photo shoot at home (the struggle was real). Time of day is the same as the other pictures, but the location is different. 2 kg down from last week's photos. Until next week...
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