RenFengge's 2021 Fitness PPR

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

1 hour ago, RenFengge said:

1/18/2021 Workout

Weight lifting

 

Bench press:

3x5 @ 45lbs

3x5 @ 65lbs

5x5 @ 75lbs

 

Back Squats (finding 1 rep max. Haven't seriously squatted in a few years. Prior PR of 260lbs)

3x5 @ 135lbs

3x5 @ 155lbs

3x5 @ 165lbs

1x1 @ 185lbs

 

Thoughts: I'm officially stuck at home for at least 2 weeks now. With the exception of leaving the house to drop off my weekly COVID test. Husband has caught COVID, and my tests are still coming back negative. Curious lol. I have the weaker immune system, typically, yet he gets it.

 

Anyway. My HIIT coach told me to do the workouts at home that are posted on the site. And, I had full intention of doing that yesterday. Except... I hate cardio. And Mondays. And, aside from what seems to be me doing weights and/or Centr workouts on Mondays, I instead opted for weights lol. I wanted to see how much strength I lost since I haven't really back squatted in a long time. I wanted to be at least at 200lbs. I guess that's not in the cards. 185lbs is not terrible. It's just not what I wanted. (also, no one ever includes moving the weights on and off the bar and putting weights away as part of the workout. THEY SHOULD! hahaha)

 

Regarding my lift sets/reps, I'll be doing a 5x5 program in addition to the squat workshop programming that starts on Saturday. 5 is my favorite number, and the program itself is like drilled into my head.

 

As for my weight and food - I couldn't help but weigh myself this morning. My next weigh in isn't really until this Thursday, but I sort of had a few handfuls of tiny cookies that are size of a coin... and I wanted to see how badly that affected me. (This is a dangerous rabbit hole for myself. I am thoroughly aware. But, the fact that keto keeps me in line and not go anorexic is a blessing.) Luckily for me, I didn't gain actually.. I'm actually below my 1 month target weight. Just means it will get harder and stricter.

 

Also on food, I really do not do well on Intermittent Fasting. It's not that I can't do it. I absolutely can. But, lots of people forget that IF really f*cks with women's hormones. Works wonders for men. Just not for women. Looks like we will be doing "IF" sort of... with the exception of morning coffee/tea/whatever being a fat bomb instead of no calorie.

 

@Middle Class Caveman  wanted a photo. Here's a photo of my weights at 185lbs lol.

 

That’s a great little set up! 185lb/82kg is not a small number so go you!

[RenFengge 1,041]

1/21/2021 Workout

 

Buy in: 500m Tabata Row

 

18 Minute AMRAP

• 10 push ups
• 20 high step ups
• 1 heavy deadlift at 90% of 1 rep max (185lbs lift for me today)

Cash Out: Dead Hangs at 3 second increments for a total of 30 seconds.

 

Thoughts: Switching gears from being at a gym outside my home to working out constantly in my own home gym takes... effort lol.

 

There was a year where I was pretty consistent on my own when I gave up on the gym scene here. I basically also harassed husband in the middle of him playing Battlefield and D2 to spot me.

 

Anyway. When I saw this workout posted at my gym, I thought, "DAMN IT! I WANT TO BE THERE FOR THAT!" Then I realized that it's very easy for me to do at home. I swapped out the 20 box jumps to 20 step ups using my bench. Ooohhh.. this was a little tricky in my small space, but I made it work.

 

I wanted to quit after 5 minutes. Then at the 10 minute mark. I wasn't sure if I could mentally push myself to finish at 3 minutes left to go. My brain just isn't wired to do HIIT by myself currently.. But I got it done. And I was just as out of breath and sweaty as if I was at the gym.

 

As for the dead hangs, I added those. I need to get back to having a decent grip strength. I can't do pull-ups if I can't hold on.. and I can't go back to rock climbing in this state lol.

 

P.S. I'm officially down 5lbs since Jan 2. This is where it starts to get hard. We're past the water weight loss. Now, it's to balance out the fat and muscle...

[RenFengge 1,041]

1/23/2021 Workout

 

Squat Workshop - Session 1

Finding 1 rep max for back squat

 

Thoughts: So, I was chatting with one of the people at my gym about weights and barbells. I said, "I swear, the barbell feels so much heavier when I'm home." She laughed and said, "Oh my god! I thought it was just me! It feels like twice the weight at home!"

 

I came into today's session thinking, "My one rep is 185lbs... as per my lift on Monday."

 

Color me surprised when I got pushed to 225lbs. The coach kept adding weights. So, we kept going. I failed at 235lbs, but it might have been I was tired by then. Not sure. 225lbs is still a much better number than 185lbs.

 

Not bad for a former PR of 260lbs.

 

However, I told him that the difficulty is going to come in the rest of the program... because I'm in "cutting" mode for weightlifting. I'm in "stop being fat" mode for my goals. It's a tricky balance. Lose the weight, but keep the strength/increase strength. I can get to 260lbs again at my "DietBet" end goal. That's where I was before. But, can I keep the 260lbs or get stronger if I drop an additional 20lbs of body weight? We'll see.

 

P.S. "broke" food guidelines by having some pizza today. But, that's the thing. It has to be a balance. 1 cheat meal per week won't kill anyone's goals. Except when you're trying to make weight in 8 days lol. Gonna have to hit it hard this week to make sure I make weight (only .6lb to go)

 

[RenFengge 1,041]

1/25/2021 Workout

12 minute AMRAP

Ladder by 2 from 2 rep to 10 reps:

20lb dumbbell pair hang power clean

20lb dumbbell pair side lunges

 

Thoughts: I ate a lot yesterday... at least it was mostly protein and low carb. But, I was just insatiably hungry. I need to make weight by Monday, February 1 morning, so no excuses this week. And, I'm a bit terrified to go on the scale after my 2 slices of pizza on Saturday and massive protein intake through the weekend. Here's hoping I didn't screw up my deficits too much.

 

So, I went to today's workout. I genuinely hate doing lifts with dumbbells. I prefer doing them with barbells. Doing any weightlifting move with dumbbells is just awkward for me. I never can set up properly. It's too light for me to do the movement correctly.. even if I go heavier.

 

Also, a little rough on the sleep since I was not sure I would wake up for the workout today. My Fitbit broke, and I can't seem to get husband's Fitbit to sync to my app even after factory reset. I need to fiddle with it more today. I do not want to buy a new one just yet.

[RenFengge 1,041]

1/27/2021 Workout

12 minute Every Minute on the Minute (EMOM)

4 hang power snatches @ 45lbs

8 front squats @ 65lbs

 

Thoughts: There I was... just chilling in my square... about to do the workout using only the 45lb bar. And, Coach James walks over and says, "So, you going to put weight on that?"

 

Me: "You're funny. No. This is cardio. This is not 'working on my strength' type of workout."

 

James: "Yeah... but we now have video of you doing 225lbs back squat."

 

Me: "Snatches are not squats... and this is an EMOM. My goal is to survive! I'm just trying to survive."

 

Shale (our strongest member): "We need shirts that say that. 'Trying to survive'"

 

James: How about two different weights. Just the bar for the snatches, but 65lbs for the front squats."

 

Me: "Not sure I have a say in the matter, but it's a better compromise than what I was thinking."

 

I love HIIT. Don't get me wrong. I specifically do it as an attempt to increase my work capacity and not die on the floor gasping for air if I need to sprint for my life. I just like to consider myself realistic when it comes to weights, form, and EMOMs. I don't like EMOMs with more than 10 reps total of anything. Eventually, there's no time to "rest". I also like to not have a fucked up form when I do lifting movements. No, 45lbs is not heavy enough for me to be in perfect form for a power snatch. But, 45lbs is heavy enough for me to survive 12 minutes. Perfect form weight for a snatch for me is like 85lbs. Just heavy enough for me to make sure I engage the right muscles at the right time to do the lift.

 

It was a tough workout. Everyone struggled with it. Everyone said it was much harder than anticipated lol. Still a great workout.

 

Other thoughts... I'm trying really hard to not spiral regarding my weight. This is a problem for me. I have spiraled before, and that led to anorexia. However, difference between then and now is that 1) I actually really enjoy food now and 2) this isn't about me fitting into certain clothes for high school... my desire to lift better means I have to eat properly and not think 400 calories a day is a good thing.

 

Also, keto life.

 

I won't make month #1 goal. But, I know that sticking to my usual keto-paleo life means I'll make weight for the overall goal and then some.

[RenFengge 1,041]

1/30/2021 Workout

Squat Workshop

 

Movement: Front Squats  --> 3 seconds down, 3 seconds hold "in the hole", up as quickly as you can. Sets of 3. Add weight until it becomes a set of 1.

 

Thoughts: So, I haven't really front squatted in years... and when I have, it was just doing the movement and not doing anything at a certain tempo. I knew that hold at the bottom was going to kill me lol. It did. My 1 rep weight for this was 185lbs.

 

Surprisingly for me, it wasn't the weight that killed me. It was my wrists being fatigued! I couldn't hold the bar in rack position any longer. This is a very new thing for me. So, I guess I really need to work on my wrist strength? Looks like as I put in my squats at home with dead hangs to finish is a good idea.

 

Both coaches were there today. Plus a different set of people aside from Sally, who I guess is now becoming a gym buddy as we suffer together lol. Other people wanted to see me squat? I didn't think it was that odd for a woman to be squatting the amount I can. But, then again, the HIIT community in my region is weird an atypical of the rest of the US.

 

Not bad for today's workout. I only did 3 workouts this week because I wanted to rest my body for recovery and see how it will affect the scale when I do my official weigh-in on Monday or Tuesday. Aside from the few bites of cinnamon roll French toast off of husband's plate and basically half a naan with my Indian food last night, I think I should be okay. But, you never know. And, I'm not going to stress it. Woo-sa...

 

I might do a quick 1000m row tonight and some deadlifts to balance out the sugar and extra carbs that put me out of "keto". Easier to slip back into keto if I workout in the evening before dinner.

[RenFengge 1,041]

2/3/2021 Workout

1000m Tabata Row

THEN

5x5 Deadlifts @ 145lbs

 

Thoughts: First, I made weight... by the skin of my teeth. Body weight fluctuations are such a mental mind f*ck. 3 days before weigh in, I was safely 1.5lbs below goal. 1 day before weigh-in, I was over by .6lb. day of.... exactly at weight. Anyway, officially down 6.5lbs since January 1. Now comes the real work.

 

I wanted to go to the gym this morning, but the snow put a damper on that. By the time our driveway was cleared out last night, I was not in the mental space to wake up at 4:30AM to go to a 5AM gym session. So, I told myself I would work out at home before my first meal and before my fat bomb. 

 

 

Workout was good. Relatively difficult to keep at the pace I wanted in the state I'm in. At 9AM, my body is looking for fuel. It's why 5AM workouts work for me currently. My main focus for today was grip strength. Hence the 1000m row and deadlifts. Never got to do them last week. So, did them today.

 

Food wise... I'm going back and forth in my head on how I'm going to do this. The weekly weigh-ins are a mental burden. Without them, I would probably go ham on high protein, low carb, eat until I'm satiated and throw all care to the wind regarding deficits. Knowing I need to weigh-in, that's a speed bump... and a slippery slope. We'll see. The 4th, 5th, and 6th months of this will be easier as the weight goals are less intense. I'm not looking for a 1 pound loss per week in the later months. I'm also saying this after I mouthed 3 tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter with a few chocolate chips lol after my salmon avocado toast lunch. I love food. I guess, for now, I'll be mindful of portion sizes and be slightly more relaxed on the weekends for a mental break.

 

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

14 hours ago, RenFengge said:

2/3/2021 Workout

1000m Tabata Row

THEN

5x5 Deadlifts @ 145lbs

 

Thoughts: First, I made weight... by the skin of my teeth. Body weight fluctuations are such a mental mind f*ck. 3 days before weigh in, I was safely 1.5lbs below goal. 1 day before weigh-in, I was over by .6lb. day of.... exactly at weight. Anyway, officially down 6.5lbs since January 1. Now comes the real work.

 

I wanted to go to the gym this morning, but the snow put a damper on that. By the time our driveway was cleared out last night, I was not in the mental space to wake up at 4:30AM to go to a 5AM gym session. So, I told myself I would work out at home before my first meal and before my fat bomb. 

 

 

Workout was good. Relatively difficult to keep at the pace I wanted in the state I'm in. At 9AM, my body is looking for fuel. It's why 5AM workouts work for me currently. My main focus for today was grip strength. Hence the 1000m row and deadlifts. Never got to do them last week. So, did them today.

 

Food wise... I'm going back and forth in my head on how I'm going to do this. The weekly weigh-ins are a mental burden. Without them, I would probably go ham on high protein, low carb, eat until I'm satiated and throw all care to the wind regarding deficits. Knowing I need to weigh-in, that's a speed bump... and a slippery slope. We'll see. The 4th, 5th, and 6th months of this will be easier as the weight goals are less intense. I'm not looking for a 1 pound loss per week in the later months. I'm also saying this after I mouthed 3 tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter with a few chocolate chips lol after my salmon avocado toast lunch. I love food. I guess, for now, I'll be mindful of portion sizes and be slightly more relaxed on the weekends for a mental break.

 

 

 

Are you not tracking your food?

[RenFengge 1,041]

2 hours ago, Middle Class Caveman said:

 

 

Are you not tracking your food?

Tracking food tends to really screw me up mentally. Counting every calorie and every gram of macro leads to me cutting even more calories to a dangerous level. Because if I don't hit a certain weight loss per week as defined by what I calculated to be my deficit, I will cut more and have been known to go as low as 300 cals a day or fewer then just tell people I'm on a long term fast. I am only mentally keeping track of carb intake, typically staying under 50g per day. Going only as high as 150g on "high carb" days.

 

I'm treading a very fine line currently to make weekly weigh ins that are acceptable to me while not cutting out dairy, sugar, and grains out 100% but keeping them at the bare minimum. (I could just suck it up and do a Whole30... If my dessert dairy fat bombs kill me, then I'll end up at Whole30 with dairy and sugar completely out.)

 

Month 1 and 2 are the biggest weight loss expectations in this DietBet with the expectation of losing 1lb to 1.5lbs a week for me. Month 3 and 4 are only 2lbs per month. With Month 5 and 6 being maintenance. 

 

Honestly, if I had my way in terms of what I need at home, I would have a body comp machine at home that would give me my body comp once a month to track fat and muscle (in the end, I'm just wanting to get to a 23% body fat, which would be down from my current 31%). Then an LED bed for recovery. Then a monthly massage. Lol. But that's all $$$. 

[RenFengge 1,041]

2/4/2021 Workout

5 Rounds:

• 20 Box Jumps
• 15 Supermans with 1 second hold
• 10 Jack Knives
• 10 Pike Push Ups

 

Thoughts: Things I tend to enjoy - classic HIIT workouts. I also really love box jumps. However, I really hate doing box jumps on stacked plates and not a real box. Why? Because the top plate will shift, then I lose footing. So, I can't go as fast as I want and properly lock out at top. Also, my age is showing lol. Need to fix that.

 

Averaged 3 minutes a round. Not terrible. I got scaled to pike push ups because I can't do handstand push-ups... and I generally hate wall walks. The pike push up scales make so much more sense to me. I think when I do my 1 workout at home a week, I will add it to my list. At one of the gyms, we used to have 1 day a week dedicated to things we wanted to work on... this is unintentionally happening for me lol.

 

So, I'm also taking a small mental break from the weigh-ins. I usually do my weekly weigh in on Fridays or Saturdays. I might push it out until Sunday. I'm trying to put it all in perspective that getting to the final goal weight was something I never struggled with in a shorter amount of time. The only difference between then and now is 1) weekly weigh-ins and 2) I'm not doing a super strict Whole30. I'll remove the heavy cream fat bombs once I'm done with the heavy cream we have and switch it to coconut cream. There was a pretty tasty and easy dessert I made once which involve whipped coconut cream and fresh cherries that were blanched. I might lean into that.

 

Also, I do generally like myself. My quads are getting defined even more. But, I rarely hold fat there to begin with. My arms are getting more defined. I'm leaning out. My issue has always been trying to lean out my core, which makes sense since it has always been the weakest part of me.

 

Today, I'm debating on doing a workout at home. I want to be fresh for tomorrow's squat workshop, so it might just be a full cardio session on the rower... we'll see.

[RenFengge 1,041]

2/6/2021 Workout

Squat Workshop

Box squats in descending ladder by 2 from 12 (12 rep, 10 rep, 8 rep, etc.) with increasing weight until 1 rep max. With a 1-second pause on the box.

 

Thoughts: Never did box squats before. Super interesting to get to 335lbs on the bar. Also, thoroughly amused that somehow my lifting is causing a ruckus. The workshop is meant for only 4 people at a time. I'm assigned to Saturdays. Works better for my schedule. Today, we had 7 people show up, which included me. The extra 3 people were all "I didn't know we weren't allowed to switch days. I saw the video of La lifting 225lbs, and had to see it myself." Oh, you poor souls. You haven't had real lifters or HIIT athletes here, I guess. The weightlifting coach was a bit pissed because we ended up breaking some distancing rules to accommodate the extra people.

 

My back muscles are not used to going this heavy. Legs are perfectly fine, but keeping form, keeping my back where it needs to be at this weight? Whew. Honestly, I didn't think I would reach 300lbs. But Tim kept throwing more weight on. When we got to 335lbs, the question was "should we put more on? Like another 10lbs total?" I said, "Um. No. Let's just call 335lbs my 1 rep max for this movement."

 

Tim started asking me so many questions after the session.. Like what can I really deadlift... what can I really back squat... I made it very clear to him that my PR is 260lbs back squat with 265lbs deadlift. But, I also know that I have a weak core and will hit 300lbs on that once I get my core situation fixed.

 

Also, yesterday was a high-carb day, so I went into today's session more "fueled" I guess. I'm still juggling in my brain what I'm eating. I'm trying not to kill myself with strictness. We'll see the damage on Monday.

[RenFengge 1,041]

2/10/2021 Workout

10 minute EMOM

• 5 hang clean + press @ 65lbs

THEN

5 minute EMOM

• 10 pendlay rows @ 65lbs

 

Thoughts: Okay. Why 65lbs? Because I favor form. Also, my back has been a bit tight. I didn't just want to throw all caution to the wind and do this at 85lbs or 100lbs. I did get some side eye from the coach tho lol. I'll keep this workout in mind to redo it... maybe on Sunday.

 

I did the press as a strict press instead of a jerk press. The only sacrifice there was that I went longer in each round than others. But, 65lbs is not a jerk press weight lol.

 

It's been a good mental pause over the last week with not stressing about weighing in. I've been a little more lax on food, but I don't think it was too terrible. Been enjoying about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter with chocolate chips, technically a no-no. Keeping to the IF routine, but adding a slice of bread during the day. This is a marathon and not a sprint. If I don't make weight in February, I'm not going to cry. I've got until end of June to drop the 10lbs. My eating overall is much "cleaner" than January and the last couple of months. I'm not saying that I don't miss getting boba tea, but it being a weekly occurrence isn't really good for anyone's health lol.

 

I've tweaked my IF routine by remembering that I never did it strict since 2012. I actually did what is generally called a "fat bomb" in the morning to get to lunch. Did espresso with an MCT coconut creamer for 2 weeks. This week it will be matcha with the MCT coconut creamer.

 

Overall, I find this extra difficult during the snowy days... where I just want to hiberate and eat lol.

 

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

1 hour ago, RenFengge said:

2/10/2021 Workout

10 minute EMOM

• 5 hang clean + press @ 65lbs

THEN

5 minute EMOM

• 10 pendlay rows @ 65lbs

 

Thoughts: Okay. Why 65lbs? Because I favor form. Also, my back has been a bit tight. I didn't just want to throw all caution to the wind and do this at 85lbs or 100lbs. I did get some side eye from the coach tho lol. I'll keep this workout in mind to redo it... maybe on Sunday.

 

I did the press as a strict press instead of a jerk press. The only sacrifice there was that I went longer in each round than others. But, 65lbs is not a jerk press weight lol.

 

It's been a good mental pause over the last week with not stressing about weighing in. I've been a little more lax on food, but I don't think it was too terrible. Been enjoying about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter with chocolate chips, technically a no-no. Keeping to the IF routine, but adding a slice of bread during the day. This is a marathon and not a sprint. If I don't make weight in February, I'm not going to cry. I've got until end of June to drop the 10lbs. My eating overall is much "cleaner" than January and the last couple of months. I'm not saying that I don't miss getting boba tea, but it being a weekly occurrence isn't really good for anyone's health lol.

 

I've tweaked my IF routine by remembering that I never did it strict since 2012. I actually did what is generally called a "fat bomb" in the morning to get to lunch. Did espresso with an MCT coconut creamer for 2 weeks. This week it will be matcha with the MCT coconut creamer.

 

Overall, I find this extra difficult during the snowy days... where I just want to hiberate and eat lol.

 

 

The weather makes such an impact on our mood and appetite that's for sure!

 

[RenFengge 1,041]

15 minutes ago, Middle Class Caveman said:

 

The weather makes such an impact on our mood and appetite that's for sure!

 

 

I just want to eat grilled cheese... and mac & cheese... and pizza... and maybe a delicious bacon cheeseburger with all of that haha. So, carbs + fat.

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

How you getting on @RenFengge ?

[RenFengge 1,041]

4 hours ago, Middle Class Caveman said:

How you getting on @RenFengge ?

Did the squat workshop today. But, honestly, oddly exhausted this week. Going to post about it tomorrow!

[RenFengge 1,041]

2/13/2021 Workout

Squat Workshop

Descending back squat ladder by 2 starting at 14 reps with load going to max.

 

Thoughts: I just was not in it this week. I have been exhausted, and I spent some time trying to figure it out. Sure, we're super busy at work with the vaccine distribution, but I didn't think it physically tolled me. I guess it did. I skipped out on Friday's workout and slept really hard on Thursday. Then released (sorry guys) that it's the special time of the month where I'm just fatigued!

 

Anyway, my squat ladder ended at 215lbs at 2 sets of 2 reps. Going to 225lbs should not have been an issue for final set, but it was. And, it was so disappointing. I was getting super jealous of one of the guys doing 315lbs, but ego lifts end up with injury, and I'm not about that.

 

Food is shifting more and more towards what I need. My brain is shifting less and less towards my DietBet since it seems to be incredibly detrimental to my mental health. So, if I make the monthly, great! If not, I'm getting really proud of my legs lol.

 

Today is my first day cracking open my protein powders. Not because I think it's a must, but because it's a great way for me to get my sweet in and stay full for longer and get other things in that I need for muscle repair during Sunday Rest Day. The protein powder I (we) use has been picked after going from the dirty stuff (but highly tasty) found in fitness stores, to now John's Killer Protein. It meets my criteria of what I'm looking for, and it meets husband's criteria on taste (super clean.. flavorless... so we can add the correct sweetener that doesn't offend his taste buds).

 

I was reading something about the person who trains and manages the nutrition for one of the super hero celebs... and while basically all of the Marvel actors are on a very low carb diet among other strict timing guidelines, one of them actually does better with some carbs. He performs better. Recovers better. Leans out better. And, to be honest, that makes sense. I know my limits, and I think I have to be okay with staying in the 100g of carbs a day. I knew this before, but I was chasing the number on the scale.

 

I talk about food a lot on this lately. I think a lot of people forget that you can't outrun a bad diet. I love weightlifting. I will always show up and do a strength workout. I hate doing cardio. But, it's also amazing how even an incorrect macro set up and food quality can affect your performance. This week was a harsh reminder... on top of my hormones hating me lol.

 

Today is rest day. My legs are so solid and sore. We're back at it tomorrow, and I will program into my Monday some cardio and core. I just need to see what the gym is posting first.

 

Side Note: Because husband tends to eat what I eat, and I did not exactly formally tell him what's going on -- it was super hilarious to me on Friday night when he says that his clothes are fitting better. Oh, you men and your easy weight loss with barely trying. Lolz.

 

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

1 hour ago, RenFengge said:

2/13/2021 Workout

Squat Workshop

Descending back squat ladder by 2 starting at 14 reps with load going to max.

 

Thoughts: I just was not in it this week. I have been exhausted, and I spent some time trying to figure it out. Sure, we're super busy at work with the vaccine distribution, but I didn't think it physically tolled me. I guess it did. I skipped out on Friday's workout and slept really hard on Thursday. Then released (sorry guys) that it's the special time of the month where I'm just fatigued!

 

Anyway, my squat ladder ended at 215lbs at 2 sets of 2 reps. Going to 225lbs should not have been an issue for final set, but it was. And, it was so disappointing. I was getting super jealous of one of the guys doing 315lbs, but ego lifts end up with injury, and I'm not about that.

 

Food is shifting more and more towards what I need. My brain is shifting less and less towards my DietBet since it seems to be incredibly detrimental to my mental health. So, if I make the monthly, great! If not, I'm getting really proud of my legs lol.

 

Today is my first day cracking open my protein powders. Not because I think it's a must, but because it's a great way for me to get my sweet in and stay full for longer and get other things in that I need for muscle repair during Sunday Rest Day. The protein powder I (we) use has been picked after going from the dirty stuff (but highly tasty) found in fitness stores, to now John's Killer Protein. It meets my criteria of what I'm looking for, and it meets husband's criteria on taste (super clean.. flavorless... so we can add the correct sweetener that doesn't offend his taste buds).

 

I was reading something about the person who trains and manages the nutrition for one of the super hero celebs... and while basically all of the Marvel actors are on a very low carb diet among other strict timing guidelines, one of them actually does better with some carbs. He performs better. Recovers better. Leans out better. And, to be honest, that makes sense. I know my limits, and I think I have to be okay with staying in the 100g of carbs a day. I knew this before, but I was chasing the number on the scale.

 

I talk about food a lot on this lately. I think a lot of people forget that you can't outrun a bad diet. I love weightlifting. I will always show up and do a strength workout. I hate doing cardio. But, it's also amazing how even an incorrect macro set up and food quality can affect your performance. This week was a harsh reminder... on top of my hormones hating me lol.

 

Today is rest day. My legs are so solid and sore. We're back at it tomorrow, and I will program into my Monday some cardio and core. I just need to see what the gym is posting first.

 

Side Note: Because husband tends to eat what I eat, and I did not exactly formally tell him what's going on -- it was super hilarious to me on Friday night when he says that his clothes are fitting better. Oh, you men and your easy weight loss with barely trying. Lolz.

 

Is the low carb really working for you? Fancy trying a different way?

[RenFengge 1,041]

55 minutes ago, Middle Class Caveman said:

Is the low carb really working for you? Fancy trying a different way?

Depends on the goal. If just looking to cut fat, yes. But for performance, no. I do a million times better between 100g and 150g of carbs. In that range, I'm not tired and my workouts are much stronger. 

 

Doing it "keto" which is typically lower than 50g and ideally 20g is really difficult for me... Even if I start with fat bombs in the morning. Some people do great and don't see performance issues. But, I do. 

 

Tell me what you have in mind, I'm always open to what others do that's working for them. I also find it extra tricky for women because of a number of things. 

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

23 hours ago, RenFengge said:

Depends on the goal. If just looking to cut fat, yes. But for performance, no. I do a million times better between 100g and 150g of carbs. In that range, I'm not tired and my workouts are much stronger. 

 

Doing it "keto" which is typically lower than 50g and ideally 20g is really difficult for me... Even if I start with fat bombs in the morning. Some people do great and don't see performance issues. But, I do. 

 

Tell me what you have in mind, I'm always open to what others do that's working for them. I also find it extra tricky for women because of a number of things. 

Well, this is tricky because what I’m reading from you is some ‘misconceptions’ around how macros work and how the body itself works.

 

Also, you need to know that I’m a Strength and Conditioning coach so I work with clients who have specific goals and body recomp is sometimes one of them.

 

Fat Loss in the body works on a ‘per need’ basis. What that means is the body will burn fat only when it needs to. So you have to provide it with the stimulus to do so. That stimulus is quite simply, a calorie deficit. How it’s achieved isnt important. Could be excess calories burnt or not enough calories consumed. 
 

something to consider is that Fat is 9kcals per gram where as carbs are 4kcals per gram. 
 

So if you want to create a daily caloric deficit of 200kcals you would need to cut 50g of carbs or 22g of fat. 22g of fat isn’t going to make you feel full. 50g of whole food carbs will.

 

Also, like carbs, not all fats are born equal and some are much harder to turn into energy than others which is often why keto isn’t good for performance as the body struggles to turn them into energy.

 

My advice? Work out your TDEE and take a 20% deficit, eat a balanced diet and take the ‘punishment’ out of it. 

[RenFengge 1,041]

On 2/15/2021 at 1:12 PM, Middle Class Caveman said:

My advice? Work out your TDEE and take a 20% deficit, eat a balanced diet and take the ‘punishment’ out of it. 

 

(For those reading, this is a deathly real post regarding my constant mental struggle on eating disorder. I would suggest going to a different thread for something less sobering and more entertaining)

 

So, in general, I do really well (mentally, body comp wise, and performance) when I'm not striving for a timed goal. I have a history of anorexia with binge eating thanks to my parents (something I had to figure out eventually to get it under control), with food scales from my mother and my father coming home from business trips trying to undo the damage.

 

I don't exactly enjoy keto lifestyle, per-se... as if I'm not being timed for scale numbers, strict paleo works wonders for me... especially with the emphasis on high quality, nutrient dense foods. Quality fats. Quality carbs (I love sweet potatoes.. and I think husband has told me that we have too many now hah). Quality proteins. So, we actually buy from various farmers when we can. Pork quality is a huge thing for me, because factory farmed pork will cause various flare ups in my body. Paleo is the only reason why I can survive allergy season now lol.. and have less eczema flare ups. The keto part, when done unintentionally, happens because I actually cannot eat raw fruits and raw veggies due to allergies.

 

My food thoughts of late is my slippery slope down into anorexia world, and as I posted them each day, I recognized that. My performance last Saturday was an indication of that. I'm still trying to cut, but I am struggling this time around on finding a mental balance.

 

I love the idea of figuring out TDEE and figuring out the proper deficit... because it works and is something I have discussed in length with various coaches and trainers.

[RenFengge 1,041]

2/16/2021 Workout

20 minute AMRAP

• 50 jump rope power jumps
• 5 pike push ups
• 10 leg raises
• 15 squat thrusts

 

Thoughts: (I'm going to try to be more positive...)

 

Never did this "power jump" scale for double unders.. and my goodness... it just clicked in my head on why this works as a scale. Normal scales were always double the amount of double unders for single unders. Which, is all good, except you don't actually ever progress to double unders.

 

My leg raises were a scale for toes to bar, and my shortness to jump up to the bar for knee raises. However, surprise to me, these really didn't suck as much as they previously did. Seems my core is slowly getting better.

 

Squat thrusts? Lol. Are these just lazy burpees? I guess. But, I guess the intent of the workout was for each person to figure out a proper pace to last 20 minutes. My class was "filled" with 3 endurance athletes and 1 actual HIIT athlete (Shale), with the endurance athletes always have the mentality for our workouts to just get through it as fast as possible. Only Shale and I were at a constant pace with overall less breaks.

 

Really enjoyed this workout. I found this to be so much more balanced than most of the ones my gym programs.

 

Now, food... I'm trying to take a mental step back for myself. I can get to where I need to by and more by end of June.. I just can't force myself to drop the majority of it in 2 months. Trying to be mindful enough to do what I need, but trying to not get in that dark place of good/bad/this is all terrible. However, oddly enough, I do like myself more these days in general. I will still always see myself as like a giant whale in the mirror, while at the same time being able to slip out of that and be like "well, at least my legs are getting back to defined and solid." One day, soon/eventually, I hope to be in a mental headspace to proudly post a lifting video of like a snatch... or a clean and jerk.

[Middle Class Caveman 980]

I think the problem with coaching in today’s age is that a lot of them are trying to fulfill the ‘want it now’ culture and so a timed weight loss goal is rather appealing to some. However, that isn’t how the body works. That’s just my opinion.

[RenFengge 1,041]

On 2/17/2021 at 5:30 PM, Middle Class Caveman said:

I think the problem with coaching in today’s age is that a lot of them are trying to fulfill the ‘want it now’ culture and so a timed weight loss goal is rather appealing to some. However, that isn’t how the body works. That’s just my opinion.

 

I completely agree. It does f*ck with my brain a bit too much when I participate in timed things like this. Instead of focusing on the gradual changes for longer term and healthier results. I'm taking a huge mental step back from the weekly weigh-ins. If I make the month, I make the month. If I don't, then it is what it is. My actual numbers and various endurance times will speak for themselves, not the scale.

[RenFengge 1,041]

2/20/2021 Workout

Squat Workshop

Build weight to a 20 rep set. Do 4 sets.

 

4 sets of 20 reps @ 145lbs

 

Bonus: 3 sets of 5 reps @ 185lbs

 

Thoughts: Ask me to do 5 reps. Not a problem. Ask me to go to 8... Sure. Ask me to go to 10, I'll start looking at you funny. 20 reps? Coach Tim got some serious side eye from me. I hated it, but loved it after? There was still some time in the workshop, so even thought I was literally on the floor catching my breath (and enjoying the cool gym floor), he told me to do 3 sets of 5 at 185lbs. "Not too heavy since your legs are burned," he said. I laughed, but still did it. Stairs are now a nightmare haha.

 

Regarding my weight, I did a scale check in just to see what damage I did over the last 2 weeks of relaxing. Still down a pound from February 1. Total loss of 7.6lbs since January. So, yay. Going to focus on the positive and not beat myself up for not getting to a total of 11lbs loss for end of February. It will come.