So today is the 17th of Oct. 2013 and this will mark Day 4 of Week 4 of my plans! I have weighed in about twice a week, and if you follow me, then you know when I started I weighed 165lbs, and on the 8th of Oct 2013, I weighed 161lbs, and when I weighed in this morning I was at 159lbs pounds! For a grand total of 6lbs lost! Pretty good for 4 and a half weeks, but I want to do better. So, I've decided to change a few things about my plan. As I know not all plans are fool proof, and I will need to make changes accordingly, here's what I've changed thus far:
1) My carb intake is low, but I only incorporate good carbs. Mostly from eating fresh fruits and Veggies, and limiting my bread intake.
2) My fat intake is low, but I still eat fat. Our bodies need it to keep our insulin levels at a normal rate. Sugars aren't good for you. Did you know that orange juice can have up to 42 grams of sugar in it? Yes, that's right, I said 42 grams of sugar. So I rarely drink orange juice! I eat the oranges! Less sugar, and healthier too.
3) Low sugar intake! Very LOW!! Almost all the sugar I consume I get from eating all my fresh fruits and veggies, and nuts. This ensures that I read all labels and nutrition information, and ingredients. I have found that a lot of "HEALTHY" foods aren't actually healthy at all. Either the sugar content is higher, or the contain a lot of processed ingredients! No High fructose corn syrup, to fructose, no aspartame, or any other processed sugars.
4) I am limiting then eliminating the processed foods in my diet. I don't want to continuously put things in my body that are more chemical then they are actual nutrients. When food and ingredients get processed they basically get turned into a chemical equivalent of the ingredient. (I don't know all the ins and outs because obviously I'm not a scientist so really I can't adequately describe the whole entire process) Hence the term "processed" foods.
5) I drink a bottle of water with fresh squeezed lemon juice into it! Yes 16.9 ounces of water with a full lemon freshly squeezed into the bottle! This helps kick start my digestion, my metabolism, and helps the detox process the water does for my body! I also drink about 6 bottles of water a day! Sometimes I forget, but I ALWAYS remember to drink at least 4 bottles of water a day! That equals my 8 glasses.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST #6
6) I've stopped counting calories. Yes, you read me right. I've stopped counting calories. Instead I'm counting my servings. So I'm only eating 32 carbs a day and most of those are from fresh ingredients, like fruits and veggies, and un-processed grains like Quinoa. I make sure I get at least 4 servings of fruits and veggies a day, and then make sure I get at least 20 grams of protein a day. So I eat a lot of fish, eggs and beans. I also only use real butter, not margarine and fake butter, or vegetable oils. I also eat a lot of raw nuts or nuts roasted with sea salt. Because they have plenty of protein, good fat, low salt, good carbs, and almost always 1 gram of sugar! So it's a WIN WIN all around. Just remember that you have to make a plan to fit you. I started off counting calories, really to find out what I was taking into my body!
I still do my regular workout routine, and I think that this will help me reach my goal weight! And then maintain it!!
I'll check back next week to let you know my progress!