I've noticed on my program that it can take up to 4-6 weeks before the scale reflects a weight loss.
When I think of the discussions about how the body loves holding onto its mass until absolutely necessary this makes evolutionary sense. Why would the body just give up your fat because of a few weeks of fasting. I think it likes to see what your 4 week pattern really is before making adjustments.
Going for rapid weight loss always has resulted in muscle loss for me. I usually only play with around 4kg or about half a stone in weight one way or the other. In the past dropping half a stone ends up in me looking scrawny with my shirt on.
This time around I can honestly say it looks like a lot more fat has come off that muscle. If I was to make an educated guess I would say its an 80/20 ratio.
I weigh myself once a week. For me I've picked the day before the fast. I know its not the best indicator. One should take measurements etc. But I've decided that video plus the scales is how I intend to monitor progress. Also I see how I fit in my clothes.
Personally as I've said I only really need to make about a 4 to 5kg adjustment for me to look a lot fitter. I tend to carry the weight around my neck, face and lower stomach. Genetics hey. It amazes me when I see someone who looks amazingly fit behind a steering wheel only to climb out and reveal a 2 stone overweight body!!
I feel I've become stricter as the weeks have gone by. Its a learning curve really. I could go all salads and healthy but for now I just stick to two packets of beef jerky or biltong giving 249cal per pack and a skinny latte at about 160cal. Although today I'm trying americano with skimmed milk top up. Apparently 1/8 of a cup of skimmed milk is 10 cal.. So more nice Costa coffees for me to keep going. Its a new, evolving direction on my IF day.
I was a full milky latte man but now its too sickly I find. At home I've now switched to skimmed milk in my coffee. My coffee journey of 3 years has come from 2 sugars plus milk to skinny no sugar. In between meals is just black coffee now, even on my normal eating days.
I've bought into this idea that after a few hours of no calories the body can switch to fat-burning mode. Even the slightest adjustment can switch back to fat-storing. No more eating between meals now for me 95% of the time. I think this has made a difference too.
Sometimes one just can't tell where a journey will lead. I don't do alcohol or cigarettes but I do like a nice sweet treat now and then. So who was to guess that most of the cakes I've had recently I've not enjoyed? Its like 'man that's way too sweet' or 'I'm not enjoying this at all'. Thank god ben and jerrys cookie dough is still gorgous:)
The 2 to 3 days after my fasting day feel like this: the day after I feel later in the evening I need more food. About another 15% more. I allow a sweet in the evening and group it with my main meal to preserve the 3 meals a day/ no snacking policy.
Day 2 things slow down a bit but I still feel a bit peckish later in the evening. So I allow for that. Day 3 things start returning back to normal.
As I'm following a maintenance on my Arthritis I've got to watch my sugars. My body tells me straight away when I've gone overboard. So another adjustment I'm starting to make is to eat more normal food and less sweet things.
When it comes to giving up treats I prefer it if it's a pleasant choice rather than a self-denial thing. I can see I'm moving away from the sweet which is going to be great to keep my arthritis in remission. When I compare to around 8 years ago its so much better now. In fact its non existent at the moment, unless I indulge my days in succession. Then its a mild stiffness in a few fingers.
My current goal that's evolving is to see where the next 3 months go. I'm not chasing weight loss but fat loss. This week my training has been more consistent. Sprinting and weights are anabolic so I would expect muscle growth spurts and my anabolic levels to rise. It usually takes around 2 months for me to see differences in my muscle mass unless I eat for growth. But this week it looks like muscle memory on previous muscle size has kicked in.
I've mentally allow myself to lose a stone if necessary(from 79kg to 73kg). Just for experimental reasons. I can judge things from there. I think its difficult to judge how things will turn out. If my training with weights and sprinting is consistent then I should be building more muscle at the same time with less weight loss. Whereas before I was eating less every day, this program is only a once a week hammer hit.
This program I'm finding will probably take around 8 months to really know how it works. For competitive bodybuilders they tend to strip off the fat over 2 months or so. That's a rapidly short period of time. I also suspect its not that healthy either. A slow half a pound a week program of fat loss suits me better.
No comments:
Post a Comment