WATCH-ME'S Goal Seeking Journal

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Update from yesterday. When I got home last night at 9:15 p.m., I was hungry. I ate 1 oz of some leftover steak...OMG, hit the spot. Gotta love lean, succulent protein. So adding that to yesterday's totals.

Noticed some good DOMs this morning from yesterday's UB workout. I began the WO with delts -- don't normally do this -- and because I did, I was able to move up and do the entire Delt segment (3 sets of 15, 3 different ROM's) using 10's the whole time. Sometimes I have to drop down to 8's by the third set.

Gonna switch up the order that I do UB so that I can maximize each muscle group, pushing to my fullest potential on each, so that the fatigue is not so predictable.

Lesson learned. Cool.

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

THURS MAY 1 08

Good satiety today. Good energy.

Satiety at this time of the month is a miracle in and of itself. Maybe this new pattern of eating has enabled me to get all of my hungries out of the way in one day, one giant pig out day, those few days before, and then I can go on about my life and eat sensible and controlled like a normal person.

I look ahead with unbridled anticipation for the changes awaiting me. I am going to make them happen. It's up to me. Nothing comes easy in life. And it's never too late. I'm willing to bust my butt getting there, and I embrace this challenge with passion.

TODAYS EATS

1738 CALS

PROT...........177 GR ....42%
CARBS..........45 GR..... 8%
FIBER...........17 GR
FAT..............92 GR......47%

WORKOUTS: 1 hr Super Callanetics 5:30 a.m.
20 mins HIIT 8:00 p.m.

[hummingbird11]

Originally Posted by WATCH-ME-SHRINK

Basically I am on a low-carb diet during the week, and I do a refeed on the weekends. I keep my carbs at 30 net 4-5 days a week, and under 20 one or two days a week, depending on energy and such, higher fat -- all typical ketogenic -- then have tried a refeed one day on the weekends. This strategy is explained thoroughly in the thread I mentioned. Good reading!

Approx how long till you got to where you are now?? Hot!!

Waaaaaaay too long, because I was one of those you mentioned above that:

a) stayed on VLC/induction far too long
b) cut calories again and and again when 20 carbs wasn't getting me anywhere;
c) harbored a fear of carbs in general

I began climbing carb ladder FINALLY, found great success with that. Then stalled. Then flirted with cycling. Then BFFM. Then got sloppy, lost focus, gained some lbs. Then Induction again. Then cycling. Now trying TKD.

Not so glamourous, but a lot of educating along the way, huh?

The knowledge gained from the sharing of info on these boards and the willingness of kind souls to share their wisdom and experience is so incredibly abundant here at LCF. I salute you for making the necessary changes to find the plan that you can live with and feel your best at.

Well, Twyla ~ so maybe for you it wasn't a direct path on a short timeline ~ but you had the guts for the journey and you GOT THERE learning new knowledge (and sharing it) all along the way! ~ And for THAT I salute YOU! Besides, nothing really worth anything in life is ever EASY, eh? Now the rest of us have the wonderful benefit of your generous wisdom & experience ~ THANK YOU! I have learned so much here at LCF in the past 6 weeks and a LOT of it from YOU! And I just picked up this post of yours on the Metabolism Repair thread ~ MORE GREAT STUFF! I think I've almost "got it"! XO, HB

Originally Posted by WATCH-ME-SHRINK

VGrace,

Eating too few calories can be a huge culprit for screwed up metabolism.

Make sure you're eating 5-6 meals a day, eating healthy fats, drinking plenty of water, and make it a point to eat no more than 500 calories less than your maintenance level of calories.

I would encourage you to start some form of weight resistance training. It's important to build/maintain muscle for a more reliable metabolism in terms of burning body fat, but also, as we get older, the resistance training has other benefits as well.

Make sure you're getting plenty of rest. Lack of sufficient rest will negatively affect our metabolism as well.

And it's been proven effective for me to keep my body guessing, not only with workout schedules and types of exercise, but with calorie and carb levels as well. Throwing in a higher carb or calorie day now and then will help to keep our metabs burning most efficiently.

[hummingbird11]

Hi Twlya, me again! OK, this is EXACTLY where my head is right now:

Originally Posted by WATCH-ME-SHRINK

Basically I am on a low-carb diet during the week, and I do a refeed on the weekends. I keep my carbs at 30 net 4-5 days a week, and under 20 one or two days a week, depending on energy and such, higher fat -- all typical ketogenic -- then have tried a refeed one day on the weekends.

And I did check-out that thread (thanks!) I'd been there before but forgotten about it.
This one, right? Fat loss with ketogenic: cyclical & targeted ketogenic w/weight training
I printed the whole thing (double-sided) last night!

QUESTION 1: Is this the main diff btwn CKD and TKD ??

CKD: carb-ups/re-feeds (same thing??) once a week or so?
TKD: carb-ups/re-feeds (same thing??) around workouts ??

I truly believe that simple lowcal; lowfat are NOT the answer and even lowcarb all the time is not the answer either. Our bodies are just too smart for that; they adjust and hang on! It's really all about BALANCE + the element of SURPRISE now & then! Just like mixing Cardio with HIIT and Steady State ~ so we must also vary our diet(s). I mean, Cave People didn't have the convenience of grocery stores, right? Their bodies never had a chance to become adjusted to anything because every day and every meal was a whole new ball game!

Here's what I think I want to do:

Continue w/ Atkins "carb control" 6 days a week - but on 1 day per week - eat high carb/high calorie.

On Friday's (pizza night for me/hubby) instead of Cauliflower Crust Pizza (as I've been doing for 6 weeks) I will have Whole Wheat Crust Pizza to increase my carb intake & shake-up my metabolism a bit.

Thinking I should eat other "good carbs" that day too: like Grapenuts w/ mixed berries & Almond Breeze for breakfast. Ezekiel bread or pasta at lunch time - stuff like that - whole grain carbs that I haven't had since I started Atkins on 3/24 and will NOT have on the other 6 days of the week. Am I on the right track?

QUESTION 2:
If I keep my Carbs at 30 Net on 4-5 days per week and under 20 Net on 1-2 days per week ~ approx how many Net Carbs should I allow myself on the "Re-Feed Fridays"?? I've no idea where to cut myself off??

I haven't ordered BFFM (yet) but I'm planning to do so soon. Just don't have time to read much right now. Will print & take it on vacation w/ me in June! And someone just very kindly gave me an e-copy of the Anabolic Diet (for free) -if you want it I'd be happy to share, just PM your email address to me. FYI, I was warned that it's a difficult read; that the creator of the diet is a medical doctor and the book is written like it was designed for a team of scientists that also happen to be bodybuilders! LOL! So I will probably read BFFM first!

THANKS TWYLA!!

[hummingbird11]

Good Morning! Happy Friday! Yes, it's ME AGAIN!
I just found the answer to my question re: the carb limit on a re-feed day:
Your calories should be around 3000 for the refeed, with 300-500 grams of carbs

WOW - that btinc really knows his stuff! I love his posts at the ketogenic thread & here in your journal - GREAT STUFF.
I just re-read the entire Ketogenic thread. I read it a week ago but was overwhelmed by the info.
But this time I understood things better and it's soaking in. The information is priceless. So logical.
And so I think I'm gonna DO IT! Is FitDay the best place to calculate all this stuff?

Phase 1
A 12 Day Low Carbohydrate, High Fat, High Protein Diet.
35-50 percent protein, 50-65 percent fat, keep carbs at 30 grams (NET?) or less per day.
(I've been in Phase 1 since 03/24)

Phase 2
A 12-48 Hours High Carb, Lower Fat Diet.
No restrictions on carbs, do not stuff yourself and stop the carb intake at the point of bloating.
Calories should be around 3000 for the refeed; with 300-500 grams of Carbs
Start with no more than a 24 hour refeed
(refeed on Friday, 5/2)

Phase 3
Return to to Phase 1 and refeed every 5-7 days.
(return to Phase 1 on Saturday, 5/3)

Laura told me about the Harris Benedict Equation so:

I'm 5'8"' 163 lbs; 45 yrs old; female / BMR = 1472.15

1472.15 x 1.55 (moderate exercise) = 2281.83 total calories needed

2281.83 - 500 calories for weight loss = approx 1800 calories per day **

Does that sound about right to you?

** And then I would ensure those 1800 daily calories are Atkins-Friendly "controlled carb" calories (6 days a week) but then I get to eat whatever I want on ReFeed Friday's? This sounds too good to be true! Are CKD and TKD both considered "carb cycling"?

Short and Long-Term refeed
Depending on your response might want to refeed on low glycemic carbs for 48 hours, or perhaps only 12 hours using high glycemic carbs. Or anything in between. ("DEPENDING ON YOUR RESPONSE"?? MEANS WHAT??)

Avoid The Following: Bread, Pasta, Grains, Fruit, Starchy vegetables
NO GRAINS?? OR JUST ATKINS-LIKE GUIDELINES FOR THE LOWCARB DAYS ONLY?
Fat loss with ketogenic: cyclical & targeted ketogenic w/weight training

DO WE GET TO CARB-UP ON WHATEVER WE WANT ON OUR WEEKLY REFEED DAY??
Fat loss with ketogenic: cyclical & targeted ketogenic w/weight training

JUST SAW THIS POST - SORRY FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS - DIDN'T REALIZE HOW NEW U R TO THIS!
Fat loss with ketogenic: cyclical & targeted ketogenic w/weight training


LAST QUESTION FOR NOW:
Did you order this? From where? Any thoughts about it yet?
Na-RALA (300 mg) to help decrease insulin resistance
(take 100mg for every 30 grams of carbs eaten)

THANK YOUTHANK YOUTHANK YOU

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Originally Posted by hummingbird11

[b]And I did check-out that thread (thanks!) I'd been there before but forgotten about it.
This one, right? Fat loss with ketogenic: cyclical & targeted ketogenic w/weight training
I printed the whole thing (double-sided) last night!

QUESTION 1: Is this the main diff btwn CKD and TKD ??

CKD: carb-ups/re-feeds (same thing??) once a week or so?
TKD: carb-ups/re-feeds (same thing??) around workouts ??

"As with the TKD, the CKD attempts to harness the effects of a ketogenic diet while maintaining exercise performance. However, rather than providing arbohydrates only around exercise, the CKD inserts a one- or two-day period of high carbohydrate eating to refill muscle
glycogen. This means that for the CKD to work, muscle glycogen must be depleted fully each week.......... full depletion of muscle glycogen requires a fairly large amount of training. This means that the CKD is not appropriate for beginning exercisers or those who are unable to perform the amount of training necessary." Lyle McDonald

Here's what I think I want to do:

Continue w/ Atkins "carb control" 6 days a week - but on 1 day per week - eat high carb/high calorie.

On Friday's (pizza night for me/hubby) instead of Cauliflower Crust Pizza (as I've been doing for 6 weeks) I will have Whole Wheat Crust Pizza to increase my carb intake & shake-up my metabolism a bit.

Thinking I should eat other "good carbs" that day too: like Grapenuts w/ mixed berries & Almond Breeze for breakfast. Ezekiel bread or pasta at lunch time - stuff like that - whole grain carbs that I haven't had since I started Atkins on 3/24 and will NOT have on the other 6 days of the week. Am I on the right track?

Yes.

If I keep my Carbs at 30 Net on 4-5 days per week and under 20 Net on 1-2 days per week ~ approx how many Net Carbs should I allow myself on the "Re-Feed Fridays"?? I've no idea where to cut myself off??

Why don't you start at around 200-250 and see how it works for ya? Re-read Btinc's excerpt in that TKD/CKD thread regarding the Leptin concept. He explains it so very well. That is the theory behind the carb overload on refeed days.

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Originally Posted by hummingbird11

Good Morning! Happy Friday! Yes, it's ME AGAIN!
I just found the answer to my question re: the carb limit on a re-feed day:
Your calories should be around 3000 for the refeed, with 300-500 grams of carbs

Good research! I couldn't remember what I began at...glad you found that.

WOW - that btinc really knows his stuff! I love his posts at the ketogenic thread & here in your journal - GREAT STUFF.

He's amazing.

Is FitDay the best place to calculate all this stuff?

That's where I log mine.

Short and Long-Term refeed
Depending on your response might want to refeed on low glycemic carbs for 48 hours, or perhaps only 12 hours using high glycemic carbs. Or anything in between. ("DEPENDING ON YOUR RESPONSE"?? MEANS WHAT??)

In what context?

I eat bagels, rice, bread, cheerios, grains, pretzels -- all grains, but low to no fat, on refeed days.

You're supposed to keep your fat as low as you can on refeed days.

LAST QUESTION FOR NOW:
Did you order this? From where? Any thoughts about it yet?
Na-RALA (300 mg) to help decrease insulin resistance
(take 100mg for every 30 grams of carbs eaten)

Netrition.

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

FRIDAY MAY 2 2008
Today was weigh in day. If you'd asked me on Tuesday if I planned to step on the scale today, I would have said: Hell no, have you lost your mind?

From last weigh day to today, I had a refeed (planned/controlled), an out-of-control carb/fat fest two days later, and then spent the week contending with the inevitable monthly hormonal changes and fluid retention to lead up to the first day of T.O.M. (today). So that would make stepping on the scale a little frustrating, to say the VERY least.

But I picked myself up on Tuesday morning, dusted off, refocused, reread my stated goals, sponged up encouragement and inspiration from others, and decided to take this week one day at a time.

Watching the physical changes in my body -- outward changes -- this week, as each day passed, I began to think, you know, I think I SHOULD weigh on Friday! And just that MINDSET was a euphoric feeling.

I was up .5 lbs today. Huge victory. When I'm normally up 3-5 lbs minimum, under the best of circumstances, and I'm only up .5 lbs today? Oh, yes. Sweet.

Today's eats:

CALS 1824

PROT.......144 GR...33%
CARBS......31 GR...5 %
FIBER.......10 GR
FAT.........126 GR 61%

Aim was to keep carbs low, cals a bit higher than the last 3 days.

WORKOUTS: 1 HOUR OF Super Callanetics at 5:30 a.m. Note: Being very in tune with my body, I noticed this morning my muscles "burning" a bit more deeply as I was doing C'tics...a bit more challenging. I purposely scheduled two back-to-back days of Super C to evaluate how my muscles would feel/respond/perform. I liked what I felt. And the flexibility following the workout was so cathartic.

Gonna take a power walk/jog tonight...nice night.

No wine tonight. Depleting. Looking forward to tomorrow's workout and refeed. I "made up" some 12 lb weights from my son's remnants in the garage. They'll have to do until I can get some plate weights. Can't get to Dick's this weekend, too much going on.

The guy from the Y returned my call this week, apologizing for the delay, and is happy to help me with body fat measurements. I'll schedule that later next week. I can compare his calc's to my own and go from there.

I am so thankful for the people who are supporting me in this endeavor.

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

REFEED DAY

Began today with coffee and something to kick me out of ketosis. Quick sugar, lower fat. I chose 1/2 banana and some of those Chips AHoy Crisps, little cookie-like discs....odd little invention, but very tasty and lower in fat! OMG. Delicacy.

45 mins later, began depletion workout. 45 mins upper and lower body circuit, supersets, pushing myself in some segments. A few times I even began feeling light-headed nauseous, grabbing a breath, a drink, and then pushing on.

Exhilerating! Doesn't even begin. I'm feeling great!

Got a full eight hours of rest last night. Sweet.

Began the refeed with Go Lean waffles, s/f syrup, fat-free butter, 1/2 banana and raisin mini bagels.

My indulgence today will be caramel popcorn and a few bites of Reisin candy....! I will pay strict attention to fat today, and try to reach my carb/cal targets.

Wedding shower to attend...I suppose it's legal to have a piece of cake....Funny, that doesn't flip my switch like it used to....wonder why?

Can't wait for the week ahead.

[lildragonfly]

You are doing great my friend!

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Sweet little pic, Marsha.

REFEED TOTALS:

CALS 2353

CARBS............351 GR....54%
FIBER...............35 GR
PROT...............132 GR...23%
FAT...................51 GR...19%


Have had to work on transcript deadlines most of the day. Bummer.


Will likely get in cardio later this evening.
I need the distraction and seratonin fix that a bit of cardio can bring. All work and no play makes Twyla a very dull girl.

Back to lower carbs tomorrow and hopefully a productive week.

[hummingbird11]

oooooooooooh! thanks for the great tips for re-feed yummies! i will have to remember to get a banana for next Friday - boy do I miss bananas!

hope you enjoyed your re-feed today as much as i enjoyed mine yesterday. dang that was fun!

more later. just wanted to check-in and say hi. this is going to be fun!

XO,
HB

[hummingbird11]

Me:
The Butterfly Connection

Part I:
The Butterfly Connection

Part II:
The Butterfly Connection

Part III:
The Butterfly Connection

whew.
nite!

XO,
HB

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Updating yesterday's refeed post: Strangely enough, I actually felt hungry last night around 9:30. I'd finished dinner VERY FULL at around 6:00, and knew I'd not need anything the rest of the day...but I got hungry! What? So....carb party over, I chose a bit of turkey breast (leftovers from dinner) and a bit of mayo/mustard dip...I needed the fat balance to feel satisfied. I was good after that. Didn't record it on fitday, but wanted to add it in here for future reference.

My thighs are destroyed. I woke up several times last night with soreness/aches. My son had stopped in on quickie visit from college on Friday night, and I sat in the floor, visiting with him, and Ms. Anal-Can't-Leave-It-Alone here straps ankle weights on her legs, and proceeds to do seated quad lifts (straight and angled), losing count, just doing them like the Energizer Bunny, just over and over and over.....Never a thought to it. Noticed my quads were a bit fatigued when I stopped, dismissed it.

That was Friday.

Saturday comes. Depletion workout. What do I do? Upper and lower body weights, maximizing my potential of course....

By Saturday evening, around 9:00.....WHAM. My quads are screaming.

I don't mind DOMS, I actually like them, but when they keep me up at night, I've maybe overdone it, ya think?

Oh, well. No biggy. Just documenting so I'll know that less can be more at times.

No workout this morning. Headed to church. Breakfast this morning: 306 cals, 20 gr fat (59), 7 g carbs (7), 2 g fiber, 24 g prot (32).

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

SUNDAY MAY 4

Long day. Just got home from baseball game. Stuff going on all day. No time to work out. Couldn't eat regular meals, and went too long between them, so I'm hungry, but I don't like to eat a meal this late. I'll grab a snack or a protein shake I guess.

I still need to go get groceries, but I wanted so badly to get in some cardio.

end of day totals:

CALS 1585

PROT.........172 GR.......44%
CARBS........65 GR.......14%
FIBER.........24 GR
FAT............74 GR........41%

NO WORKOUTS. NONE. ZIP. NOTHING.

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

Ended up squeezing in 21 mins on the elliptical before bed last night...couldn't stand it. Collapsed. Tired to the bone. Ate another 150 cals or so before the cardio, by the way.

Today's cals so far -- at 3:38 pm -- are:

1093 44%/12%/43%

53 g fat
41 g carb
10 g fiber
117 g prot

32 of my carbs were eaten by 9:30 a.m. Been tapering ever since with green veggie carbs.

Did 40 mins of Turbo Jam with gloves this morning. I am going to up cardio this week, just to keep it interesting. No two weeks are ever the same.

Swamped to my eyeballs with transcript deadlines....bored out of my mind, so I wandered over to my journal for a momentary distraction.

The sun is shining, sky is blue, beautiful day, and here I sit in front of a computer monitor.

If I can get through this week, I'll be good. The BIG deadline will be over.

Later.

[hummingbird11]

Hola Muchacha!!

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo w/ a Margarita!

Lime juice is low glycemic; high fiber; low carb
sweeten w/ NuNaturals NoCarbs Blend Stevia
1 fl oz Tequila = 0 carbs / 67 calories
ARRIBA!!!!! Time to Fiesta!!!!!

XO,
HB

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

HB, I'll file that info away for future ref....

I'm gonna be strong-willed and resist until the official "relax" day, which is typically Fridays.

Alcohol slows down fat burning, so I limit it to one day a week MOST of the time.

The week at Marco (vacation) is an exception.



End of day totals:

CALS 1610

PROT..........169 GR..........42%
CARBS........ 54 GR...........11%
FIBER..........14 GR...........
FAT..............82 GR...........46%

WORKOUTS: 40 mins TJ with weighted gloves at 5:30 a.m., 30 mins cardio in evening

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

TUES MAY 6

Noticed I was somewhat less hungry today than yesterday, and yesterday I was trying to keep cals as low as I could, so I struggled with hunger a bit yesterday. Today was better.

Felt more rested today. Went to bed at 10:15 last night.

Looking forward to weighing Friday. Tried on my hip hugger jeans. They're a bit less snug. Fit me like a glove (a snug glove). I'd like to find another pair just like them, that brand. It's a challenge to get jeans or casual pants to fit my butt/thighs and not gap a mile in the waist. But since these have rather low-rise, that may be part of the reason. Old Navy Jeans are the worst. Huge gap, even the low-rise styles.

Haven't had time to call the Y-Guy. Will call tomorrow.

Remain swamped at work. Countdown to deadline

Today's eats:

cals 1880

PROT ..........172 GR.........37%
CARBS..........43 GR.........8%
FIBER...........12 GR..........
FAT.............114 GR.........54%

Workouts:

1 Hour Super Callanetics 5:30 a.m
300 crunches on my lunch hour
25 mins on elliptical, evening.

[btinc]

Originally Posted by WATCH-ME-SHRINK