Carbohydrates, Carbohydrates Everywhere And Not A Morsel To Eat
The downside to eating paleo when everybody else in the house in carbed out of it.
Photo by Joe Pregadio on Unsplash
5 WEEKS TO FITNESS DAY 5
The downside to eating paleo when everybody else in the house in carbed out of it.
Welcome to 5 Weeks To Fitness, the publication where I’m sharing the steps I am taking to lose 10lbs, reduce body fat from 16% to 12%, and run a 5k in under 22 mins, all within five weeks. If you’re in your forties and you’ve let your fitness slip, follow my progress and test out the methods I share for yourself. Join my mailing list to stay up to date on new articles.
(please remember to always consult a doctor before starting any diet or exercise regime. I am not a health professional, and I do not provide advice to those suffering from physical ill-health or weight problems).
Yeah, I know, fail to prepare and all that high motivation bollocks. It counts for little in the face of temptation. In the perfect world, I could have all my family eating the same way I am — but they are not.
There’s white bread, brown bread, plain brioche, chocolate brioche (ooh with butter on, my fav), crackers, breadsticks, you name it; if it’s refined carbohydrate then it’s in my house.
The two oldest kids have even been making swift work of two giant Dairy Milk bars their friend brought them back from holiday.
2 no. 360g bars of Dairy Milk; what greater temptation could you put in front of a self-confessed chocolate addict? I had eggs instead
I must hold my resolve.
I had a 06:00 start this morning so I didn’t have time to get this article out earlier. Then life got in the way and, well, that’s just the way it goes.
Anyway, I’m nearing the end of the first week and progress is way ahead of the goal curve. Here’s a chart of progress.
The blue data points represent daily measurements. The orange line shows the current trend towards the weightloss target which indicates I hit my target early if I continue as I am. The green line represents my desired trend between the start and finish dates.
Yesterday I had an annoying headache and I almost didn’t run. I pulled my hat down over my eyes and went to sleep for about 30 mins and when I woke up I felt better. I put my gear on and went out for 25 mins. I pushed hard for about 3km so I was happy considering.
I reckon I was a little dehydrated. It can happen when we drastically drop carbohydrate intake so I need to stay on top of my hydration. The only problem in the initial period is that you will be running to the jacks every few minutes.
Stats recorded using My Weight app for iPhone. I enter my details here daily, and the app produces a nice layout and graph of my progress. At the start of Day 5, all stats are going in the right direction
Stats from Day 5 weigh-in;
Weight: 87.2kg
Body fat: 15.3%
BMI: 27.52
Losses were big in the first 48 hours and I have the fasting to thank for that. I gave me a boost, although I would not recommend fasting for everyone. See your doctor or nutritionist first.
Overall I’m down 2.8 kg, most of which I can probably attribute to food waste in the gut and excess body water. Body fat percentage is a bit stubborn at the moment, but I’ll live with that. A couple of card sessions and that rate will start to fall.
You can copy and download this chart and associated spreadsheet here. Enter your stats in the fields to map your progress or edit the spreadsheet to suit your needs
Download the weight-loss progress sheet here. (Open the file and click file > make a copy to create and save a copy)
Day 5 Food
Breakfast: This morning, I had a cup of strong coffee, an apple and a glass of water.
Lunch: I had an early lunch today because I was on site at 06:30. I bought two egg, broccoli and pepper thingys, sausage, rasher, black pudding, mushrooms and tomato. I like a bit of a fry sometimes.
Dinner: I wasn’t hungry this evening so I just picked at a roast chicken. I probably ate half of it by the time I was done. Tonight I had a protein smoothie made from the following ingredients;
200 ml coconut milk
One free-range eggs
One tablespoons plant-based protein (Sun Warrior)
One teaspoon Supergreen protein powder
1/2 a banana
One handful of frozen blackberries
Day 3 Exercise
3 x 10 x Pressup rotate
3 x 10 x Jump squat
3 x 10 x Front lunge
3 x 10 x Burpee
3 x 10 x Hillclimbers
3 to 5 x 1 km repeats on the polo grounds
Here’s a complete breakdown of my exercise regime for the five-week period. (Click file > make a copy to make and save a copy of the exercise regime).
There were no slips today that are worth talking about…ok, I’ll talk about them. I had two spoons of jam with organic yoghurt — I couldn’t resist!
No chocolate though! and definitely no bread. I’m holding out for 26th September when my son will be presenting me with my very own 360g Dairy Milk bar.
Thanks for taking the time to read my stuff. Every morning you’ll find me sharing a new thought on life, art, work, creativity, the self and the nature of reality on The Reflectionist. I also write regularly on The Creative Mind. If you like what I’m creating, join my email list to receive the weekly Sunday Letters