The Road to Zugspitz Ultratrail
Let's call today officially Day #1.
Woke up at 4:55 and weighed in to get a baseline. 93.9kg (207lbs), 22.7% body fat
Nice 40:00 TRP/Z1 run. First run in a while and the body felt like it was. Lots of creaks :)
Rest of the day is focusing on Diet and recovery.
- Diet: Focus on NO- added sugar, pasta, bread, alcohol. Lots of protein, healthy fats, fruits and veggies
- Recovery: sit upright 2 feet on the floor, but don't sit for long stretches, stretch couple times today, be in control of your body
Super clean eating today. A bit too much rice for dinner with my salmon, but I'm OK with it.
Foam rolled at night as well.
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Comments
@tim cronk
I figured If I am going to be daring, I might as well DARING and go for the 100KM. Which is actually 101.9KM I have a friend here in Holland who is an Ultra runner and has done many that is a quasi-advisor. He has done this race before, I believe the 85KM distance and said it is an amazing race. It's also pretty close to home, the flight from Amsterdam is less than an hour and a half and super cheap, like 100 euro.
So yes... it has begun!
Quick update-
Only thing left on my breakfast plate this morning. Damn that was some nice country bread that I didn't eat this morning. #NutritionOnPoint #AllOrNothing #NoHalfSteppin'
Week 1 recap:
Nutrition: Nutrition was on point. Zero bread or past. Zero Recreational sugar. Lots of lean meats, fruits, veggies, Greek Yogurt. No sugar in coffee, drank it black with a little bit of sugar. No alcohol. Maybe a bit too much cheese especially on the weekend (BBQ). Also too much Salami, meatballs, chicken legs a the BBQ. I don't think those in itself are bad, but the sauces I am 100% had too much sugar in them. Mon-Fri weight and body fat came down, but I gave some back on Saturday and Sunday. I am OK with that though.
Body Comp: This is a graph of my weight/BF% for the week. Weight went from 94.3 kg on Monday to 92.1 kg on Sunday. BF% from 22.7 to 21.9
Training: I was really pleased with the week. 4 runs and 2 core sessions. This was my first week back since for ever, so just getting out the door was huge for me. Did not do the exact intensity for RD per Coach Patrick as we needed to "get over the hump" of just getting out the door. With that said on Monday's run was too much too soon and the rest of the week my body was in a it of pain (calves, knees, legs). I was able to work it out slowly throughout the week and things started to feel more normal.
Recovery/Rehab: My body felt OK. Monday kind of threw everything off wack, but I ended the week feeling better. My left knee is a bit sore during and after each run so that is a it concerning so i will keep an eye out for that. I have been stretching now on a regular basis, at least 2 times a day. Also keeping up the ice for areas that seems to need it, i.e. knee or calfs.
Summary: I am glad to be back at it. I am excited to get up and train (this is HUGE). I am talking about this epic journey to anyone and everyone, so there are are LOT of people who will keep me accountable. Looking forward to the gains I will make this week.
@Patrick Large are you planning to do any build races leading up to Zugspitz? It looks like the race is in June 2019 if I found the right one via Google. Consider starting with a 50k. It says the race has 5,480m (or nearly 18,000ft) of ascent. That's going to be a climbing challenge!
@Gabe Peterson,
There will definitely be build up races going into this one. Like we always do in EN I need to I need to work backwards and see what makes sense where. I think a 50K should be on the books.
Yes there is a SHIT TON of climbing... but If I am going to do it , I want to go BIG!
Week 2 recap:
Nutrition: Monday through Friday nutrition was spot on. Just as last week no "recreational sugar", bread, added sugar, or pasta. I am eating a good amount of food and feeling great. Just like last week I gave a little back on the weekends, due to my son's birthday celebrations. There was some alcohol, some bread, and some recreational sugar. But I am OK with it. It was intentional and controlled. My head is so into the game right now I will no get on the "FAT TRACK".
Body Comp: Overall weight dropped from 93.3 kg to 91.5 and F% went from 21.9 to 21.8%. Would have liked mu net BF% to be at 20% but that's OK its going in the right direction. This week should finish light as there are no BBQ's or parties. Goal is to end up 89.9 kg.
Training: Really happy with my second week. 3 runs and 2 strength/core sessions. Total distance about 23 km. Long run in the dunes on Saturday was super fun and a lot of work. This was the last week of just "getting out the door", next week we will stay to prescribed intensity. Body felt good overall and things are moving forward.
Recovery/Rehab: Still walking after runs for 2/3 - 10 minutes. Seems to be working. Stretching afterwards as well. I can feel the days that I didn't stretch the day before. I need to try and get one more stretching session in per day, but feeling good. For real issues with "calves super sore today". Back has been a little sore/stiff in the morning and throughout the day, but nothing major. Left knee cap is something I need to keep and eye on.
Summary: My head and heart are in it so my body will follow. I am excited with how the ball is rolling. Only week two, but II like it :)
Week 3 recap:
Nutrition: Nothing really to comment on here. The weekend was a “cheat weekend” but not horrible. Again Monday through Friday are pretty damn good. Had a few 0.0 beers on Friday and the weekend and it satisfied my taste and served the purpose. Still no recreational sugar or bread or pasta. NO added sugar in my coffee etc. Feeling really really good.
Body Comp: Overall weight dropped from 91.4 kg to 90.8 and body fat went from 21.8 to 21.5. These are all small daily improvements, but I am not really even trying… I am just cutting out the shit. As you can see there are some ups and some downs, but the week ended down.
Training: This was the first week that I actually added intensity to my workouts. My 2X 1 mile were way too fast, but they felt pretty good. Coach P said I went from no pace to PL pace and skipped right over EN pace. I need to more strict about the pace and trust the plan. I hit all my run workouts and did some heavy strength training as well. The ball is rolling and now I need to keep it going.
Recovery/Rehab: The legs and calves are feeling better. Left knee is still and issue. It gets sore and then goes away and then sore again. The pain in on top of the knee cap not under it… not sure what that means. I also had a 2 day stretch where I didn’t run or do strength/core/stretching, and my body did not dig it. I need to not go that long in between activity.
Summary: The ball is rolling and I am excited that I am excited. More good things to come in the days ahead.
Week 4 recap:
Nutrition: This was a challenging week because my work schedule was a bit different. I was covering for a colleague who was on holiday so work was intense. I found myself going way to long in between eating and then over eating just a bit. Maybe not calorie wise over eating but feeling extremely full and bloated. Almost every night I got home close to 7:30PM and was pretty hungry. As a result I would pick at the kids food i.e. pasta pizza, chicken nuggets, etc before my own meal. All in all it wasn't horrible (net result still down), but not as strict as I would like/need to be.
BodyComp: Overall weight dropped from 90.5kg to 89.6kg. 2.2lbs = 1kg so down about 1lbs. I'll take that all day long. You can see that it isn't a perfect line down, but nothing ever is. BF% dropped from 21.4% to 21%. I'll take THAT all day long. Slow and steady is the way to go.
Training: My training felt really good this week. I didn't miss a run but did miss a strength/core session. I did have my first disastrous run though. It was my first night time run and it was a mess. I did a 10 minute warm up, 4-6 strides and then just died... I could barely walk home. It was a true bonk. I am not sure if it was the night, being tired, poor eating beforehand, not eating beforehand, all the above, or none of the above. Doesn't really matter I guess as it is one run and who cares. I made up for it on Friday with a similar run. The was a scheduled run bit I have been skipping it based on fysio's suggestion. My "long run" was a bit hard as my hamstrings were a bit sore. I am guessing that is from the dead lifts that I did on Thursday in the gym. SUCH a solid workout. Legs felt amazing and shredded all at the same time.
Recovery/Rehab: The left knee is still an issue, which makes me seem like I need to see the fysio again. Or maybe just ice or gelatin, etc. Who know's but it is the only kind of pain that I don't really like. Everything else is muscular and fine.
Summary: 4th week in a row of solid training and feeling good. The km's per week are up, the muscle mass is up, and the weight and BF%'s are down. Everything is moving in the right direction. Is was a weird week but I kept as strict as I possibly could and it paid off
Run Durability Plan- Phase 1: Recap (@Coach Patrick @Mariah Bridges)
RDP 1: 4 weeks
Runs: 14 total runs. 98.22 total km (61.03 miles)
Weight: went from 94.3 kg to 89.6 kg (207.89lbs to 197.5342). Dow 4,7 kg (10.4 lbs)
BF%: went from 22.7% to 21%
Summary: This is my first month back from a long time off. It is the first time that I have been excited about anything in the endurance space. Like I've said to many people the past month, I need something really special to get me motivated. This 100 KM Ultratrail excites me a lot and scares me even more. I've been speaking about it all the time and getting (neighbors/friends) excited about it as well. I am engaging in the chat boards and with other EN teammate especially ultra-guys. I have had little to no issues when the alarm goes off a 4:55 AM. I am getting out of bed and getting out the door. That in itself is a huge win. The body is feeling good as well. Per usual I went a little too much too soon and was a bit sore week one. I backed it off just a bit weeks two and three and ran three times instead of four and week four I ran four times. I am feeling a bit rusty and there are some creaks and cracks in the joints, but the body feels alive. It feels good to actually be sore. The only concern would be my left knee. I have never had any issues with it, but I am feeling it just a bit. It is sore and hurts often during runs and continues to be sore while recovering. I am going to see the fysio again for this an see if there are supplements out there will work (gelatin).
Goals: I have started RDP level 2 this week and really focusing on being consistent. That has been an issue for me since I started endurance sports. I am traveling week one to Madrid for work, Thursday, Friday, and returning Saturday. These days will be a real test of commitment. Will I get it done and keep my nutrition under control?? Think so J. I also need to not miss my strength work and hit the workouts on the right days. Stretching during the day also needs to be a priority. And let’s try and NOT give so much body comp back on the weekends.
Final thoughts: All in all I am feeling really good about being back. The new journey is exciting and scary and I am ready to tackle it. Week one is a wrap- on to the next one!
@Patrick Large proud of you homie
@Patrick Large , now that I've seen the Zugspitze in person, via a tour bus on a German highway...I can officially say you CRAZY!
Thanks @Scott Alexander. I thought I liked you, but you just scared the sh*t out of me :)
Maybe it's time for a visit on a German tour bus :)
RDP Phase 2: Week 1 recap:
Nutrition: this was a complete half and half week. Monday - Thursday was spot on, BUT Thursday - Sunday not so good. Too much eating (and nothing great) and a fair amount of alcohol on Friday. I woke up on Saturday and felt it a bit in my head. No weigh ins Thursday - Sunday and thank god. That week is behind me so on to better eating
BodyComp: weight went from 90.5 (up a little) to 90.9 (Monday) . BF% went 21.4 to 21.5 This is first week in 5 that line goes up and not down. I did the best that I could the end of the week, but it was hard because of the situation.
INSERT GRAPH HERE
Training: Lots of good and some not so good for this week. First the positives... I made all 5 runs and a heavy weight session in the gym. I found an awesome "rolling hills" area for my Wednesday runs. I also ran n Madrid while I was on business which may be a first. I am NOT one to travel for business and workout. My "long run" was a bit short and a little bummed about that. I need to be better at that and leave the group and keep going if I need more miles/time on the road.
Recovery/Rehab: Legs feel OK, but there seems to be twinges everyone. Legs will fell perfect for a while, then my knee will act up. Then everything fine again and a calf will hurt. It's odd and there are some aches and pains, but I am OK. I am going to make an apt with fysio for next week to look at my knee.
Summary: this is the first week of RDP Phase II. And although my nutrition was not spot on and body comp did not improve, I hit all my runs and did a heavy session in the gym. Feeling good about what is happening. I need to tighten up some things and keep pushing the run sessions.
RDP Phase 2: Week 2 recap:
Nutrition: To be as honest as I can with my self, this week was a f*cking disaster with eating. This started with a customer meeting with 2 beers and it went all down hill from there. I am extremely disappointed and it needs to get better. Weekend eating was out of boredom, I need more water and less food.
BodyComp: weight went from 90.9 to 91.2 What a disaster. BF% stayed at 21.5%. This is the second week i a row where my diet was shit and body comp suffered from it.
Training: This has continued to be solid and steady. I ended the week with 5 runs (36.9KM) one heavy session in the gym and a Schaatsen session. Not sure what can improve here as I am getting the prescribed sessions done.
Recovery/Rehab: Legs feel OK, but there seems to be twinges everyone. Legs will fell perfect for a while, then my knee will act up. Then everything fine again and a calf will hurt. It's odd and there are some aches and pains, but I am OK.I see the fysio on Tuesday so I should have a better idea on my knee. Also I rolled my ankle just a bit on Saturday. It was super scary. I walked a bit and get on level ground. If felt OK after that.
Summary: Nutrition needs to get back on point or I am F*cked. I need to drop 2kg this week and be under 20% BF. I also need to nurse my right ankle just a bit. Not sure how that will play out but need to be cautious.
RDP Phase 2: Week 3 & 4 recap:
This one is very delayed but I don't want to to skip it. Since it is delayed the details will also be a little vague- but here we go, Weeks 3 & $
Nutrition: Nutrition for week 3 was amazing because I was injured and it was all I could focus on. I kept super strict and kept the calories down. Also I knew that I was going into give back a bit the next week so it was pure focus. Week 4 was not great but not horrible. We spent the week in Paris and there was a lot more bread, chocolate, and win than I would have liked.
BodyComp: Week 3: 91.2 KG to 89.2KG and BF% 21.5 to 21.3. Fucking WOW! That is huge... 1kg=2.2lbs... you do the math. Week 4 started there and ended at 90.5 kg. I didnt give it all back, but it wasnt pretty either. Below is the week 3 and then the week 4 graph
Training: Not a ton to speak of since I was injured week 3 and only did 2 runs, slow, with 3 minute intervals and then walking. My foot was taped for both runs and felt OK. Week 4 in Paris. Had 2 runs there, one in NL and then a 10+mile race/long run training on Sunday. The race was slow and steady... in the dunes and in the trail. Stopped and walked often and my foot would heat up... but then on to it. It was fun-I got to hang with some some of the Buff crew and all in all it was a fun day.
Recovery/Rehab: Prior to week 3 I tweaked my right foot just a bit. Rolled it in the woods and it got hot. I went to see Joost (physio) and he confirmed acute trama, taped it, suggested stay off it for a bit, two runs with the tape on, then be on my way. That schedule went to plan and off to the races. Week 4 in Paris... still a little cautious about the foot, but got in a few runs. All in all the legs and feet were super tired from walking all day.
Summary: These were 2 kinda fucked up weeks. I know that there will be bumps in the road so I am not thinking too much of it. It's a long road and success will be a culmination off all the work I've done not any given week or workout. This week is better and so will the weeks to follow. GET ON IT!!!
@Patrick Large
Love the weekly update. Have you found the source of the injury and taken measure it doesnt come back ??
keep it up!
@Francis Picard
I enjoy the weekly updates as well as it keeps me engaged in the process more that just logging miles.
The foot injury I knew immediately... I was running on the trails and planted my right foot an a tree root and I felt it immediately. There was no mystery on this one like there is often. And with my knee now.
My left knee on the other hand is a mystery. I have never had issues, but know I feel it every run. I have an appointment with my physio on Friday and he'll take a look at it. He is nice enough to work on a couple old fat, slow dudes, as he flies to Kenya once a month to work on the worlds best. And I mean that literally... he has been working on Kipchoge for years. So when it comes to anything related to physio... his word is law.
Week 1: RDP 3 recap:
Nutrition: Back on the right "no bullshit" track. It is amazing how responsive my body is... but it's a blessing and a curse. If I am eating clean and doing what I need to be doing, my body loves it and the proof is in the metrics... plus I feel great. With that said, if my nutrition is not clean, my body goes right back to saying "that's right fat boy... pack it on" And again the numbers wont lie. I am also back on my Vegetarian way of life. My wife have and I, for years have been "flexitarian". I am not sure if that is a made up term, but I read it somewhere online... so it must be true :) The point being 6 days of the week we are vegetarian and one day a week we eat meat. Or as I like to say, "I am a vegetarian, but my favorite meal of the week is my one bacon cheese burger and frosty cold beer". This time it is a bit different though... meat just grosses me out for some reason. And I haven't had milk in probably 3 weeks... it also grosses me out. I also think about the meat industry globally, how disgusting it is, and what shit they feed the animals... and then we eat it. Anyway... to each his own, but right now this works.
Body Comp: Weight started at 90.5KG and dropped to 89KG. BF% from 21.3 to 20.7. FAT weight from 19.3kg to 18.8. Muscle weight went from 37.9kg to 38.1kg. To make all that math easy... 1.1 lbs of FAT off my body and .44 lbs of muscle gain. That's a huge F*ch Yeah!!! Again I never know how super accurate home scales are, but as you can see below the trend is down and that is all that matters.
Training: Not a perfect week but a really solid week with 4 good runs. 42.9km or roughly a marathon (26.6 miles). My long run, was 1:30 long getting in 16.45 km or 10.2 miles at a 5:26 km pace (8:02 pace). Very happy about that. Trying to focus on getting a little deeper on my hard days and "lolly gag" on my easy days. I also need more of my workouts to be on hills. I need 5-6 this week and most importantly trying to get my long run on Saturday and not Sunday, to get that one day rest before the week starts again.
Recovery/Rehab: I need to be better at my daily stretching. It will help and I have fallen off it just a bit. I have a physio apt on Friday to look at my left knee as that is still a source of pain. I thought that it went away... but it is back. Oh well... Joost will figure it out.
Summary/Next week goals: I need to have another consistent week with diet... no more yoyo. And I need to nail my long run on Saturday. Everything is feeling pretty darn good and moving in the right direction. Now to just tighten it up a bit.
Week 2: RDP 3 recap:
Nutrition: I took a strange way to get there but I ended net down where I wanted and up where I wanted. I am really keep pretty vegetarian, with the occasional meat dish as not to piss off my wife when she makes dinner. Wednesday's are harder for me because I am home and the fridge is there. I need to keep busy to keep the mind off eating. I may have to change up the strategy if I am not a full kg down for next week. All in all things are good and I am happy.
Body Comp: Weight started at 88.7 kg and ended at 88 kg. BF% started at 20.4 and dropped to 20.1 Muscle went from 38.4 to 38.6 As mentioned above the graph looks a little off but the net result is still trending down.
Training: Good week of training. Total of 5 runs and 44.8 km (27.7 miles) with one skipped prescribed workout. The body is feeling good but need to push the push and ease the easy. Ran a tough 1:30 long run on Saturday in the dunes. I ran a low calories and through some nice sand. Just under 10 miles for the 1:30's but super proud of the effort.
Recovery/Rehab: Physio apt on Friday and got some new (renewed) exercises for the knee. I will follow this plan for a bit. Overall the body is feeling good.
Summary/Next week goals: Last weeks goal was no more yo yo on the diet... well look at the chart above. I fucked that one up :) Main goal is under 88 kg and 20% or less BF. Hitting all 6 runs plus the race on Sunday.
*** It has been a while, and I am 3 weeks behind. I will post this one to encompass all three weeks but focusing on the last***
Week 1: Marathon Plan recap:
Nutrition: All in all nutrition has been good but not spot on. For the most part I am taking in real food that is high quality. I have cut down on my meat intake and replaced it will high protein plant sources i.e. chickpeas, lentils, tofu, etc I have been a bit to liberal with the recreational sweets. I need to stop that shit now. Also, I am going to try and cut off food earlier in the night. I will consume a pretty solid meal in the office before I leave and then have no "dinner" at home. We will see where this leaves us.
Body Comp: Weight today is 88.3kg and 21.1 BF%. In the past 3 weeks it has been as low as 87.8 which is amazing. Goal is to get there by Thursday. As you can see by the chart below, I've been a bit all over the place. The good news is that when I realize I am slipping, I can say to myself, "fuck that" and back down to it.
Training: Training has been solid and I am getting better at listening to my body. If I need to walk a bit I walk. If I need to shut it down, I do. If I need to skip a workout or change days, I do. I am getting smarter and the body is thanks me for that.
Recovery/Rehab: Keeping up with my physio and doing it a couple times a week. Have gotten a few massages and it feels good. All things looking up.
Summary/Next week goals: Goal for this week is to hit all 5 work out and have 3 strengh/PT days. Weight on next Monday weigh in to be 87.5. Body fat to be under 20%.
@Patrick Large ,
You got me hooked on this thread and now it’s been three weeks since your last update. How’s it going?
You’ve inspired me to add a diary to my training plan. Body comp starts on the 1st. I packed on a few over the holidays, clothes don’t fit right, and I have a $100 DietBet that means I need to lose 6 pounds (4%) in four weeks. Fight’s on!
Hey @Leslie Knight thanks for calling me out 😀
yes I used to do this weekly, but to be honest it was a bit boring and the info all seemed to be the same. I decided to focus the microscope out just a bit and do recaps every 4 weeks. I think it makes more sense and probably a more useful lense to view my progress.
So- One will be up this week... stay tuned!!
Reflections, Reflections, Reflections.
I started this journey because I was stuck in a place I didn't want to be. I hadn't raced in two years, hadn't trained in two years, and didn't really care. I was eating too many fries, drinking too much bier and tipped the scale at 207 lbs. I felt like shit and was feeling guilty/depressed about it.
In lieu of cancelling my membership (for the second time) I decided to have a conversation with @Mariah Bridges. I explained to her where my head was and she had two very easy choices for me. She said simply- you either need to come to terms with "now is just not the right time", hang up the running shoes, and live your life. Have no shame about it, lot's of people do it and return to the sport when life suits them better. Or- you can STFU, Stop being a bitch, and sign up for something EPIC. Get you ass in gear and your head in the game. Growing up I did not have "tough love" parents, but man this was EXACTLY what I needed to hear.
So now I find myself (at the time of writing this):
from the most epic event I have chosen to attempt so far. Zugspitz Ultratrail. 100k in the mountains that border Germany and Austria. The race starts at 9,700 feet and has a total 18,000 of climbing. HOLY SHIT BALLS. But If I wanted to get out of my funk- I had to go BIG.
Nutrition: Disclaimer: This summery is omitting the catastrophe of the last 2 weeks. Overall my nutrition has been very solid . I have kept away from the alcohol and "recreational sweets". It's not perfect, but pretty damn good. As per usual I eat 5 vegetarian days and 2 days with very little meat, but it's there. I load up massively with fruits, veggies, and take in a lot of plant based protein. I still drink a lot of coffee, but try and go 1:1 cup of coffee to cup of water. My biggest downfall here is eating dinner too late. I need to make sure I eat before I leave the office and then little to no dinner. I have also introduced one 24 hr fast every week to 2 weeks. I know a lot of people are into fasting while other avoid it like the plague, but I can tell you that after a fast, I feel great and it doesn't affect my recovery.
Body Comp: I have taken a bit of a hit the past 2 weeks with the holidays. I weighed in this morning at 88.4 kg (194.7) and 20.3 BF%, which for me is complete shit. In December at one point I weighed in at 189.8 lbs and 19.3 BF%. So- the last two weeks are behind me, and we move forward.
Training: I am pleased with the training so far. I am in "marathon training" until March when I go to the 50 mile plan for 16 weeks. I am getting faster with little setbacks. My main goals thus far have been to keep moving forward and be resilient, in other words DON'T GET HURT. With that said last week I was running pain free at a 4:55 (7:55/mile) pace and was just cruising along with no real effort.
Recovery/Rehab: Let's just say I am getting smarter about my training... I no longer care if I cut my workout 10:00 short and walk the rest of the way home because something just "doesn't feel right". I am also not stressing about pulling a workout or flipping one on the fly because of what my body is telling me. I've had regular appointments every 3-4 weeks with my PT, but he has set me free unless something comes up. The body isn't perfect, but the machine is running pretty damn smoothly
Summary/Goals: Keep up the nutrition. Avoid the sweets, bread, and pasta danger zones. I have joined Hoff's winter weight challenge with a goal weight of 187 lbs on 1st March. I would love to start my 50 mile plan at 187... In terms of training, I need to continue to get them done on schedule and IN THE MORNING. Which means I need to prep/plan the night before and get to bed. No more 1.5 hours of watching stupid TV.
Lastly: I want to give a shout to a few team members. Whether you know it or not, may it be obvious or something you said somewhere on EN, you've been a part of this journey in some way.
@Gabe Peterson @Francis Picard @tim cronk @scott dinhofer @Sheila Leard @Mariah Bridges @Coach Patrick
hahaha oh geez, lets make sure we know that wasnt direct quotes haha
I'm proud of you for choosing the epic adventure route, I had a feeling it would be just what you needed to get excited about endurance again, because I KNEW you loved it.
We all get in ruts from time to time, this is where the magic of the team happens. We are here for everything. This team loves you and supports you! I personally think you're a rock star and regardless, am so proud of you!
I'm excited to read about your epic adventure. Thanks for the update! I've found that planning and logging all my meals and snacks for the week really helps with the calories. I've been logging faithfully and counting carbs (goal is below 100). Not sure if something like that would work for you.
Keep us posted- I love reading about your progress.
And I hope @Mariah Bridges really did say that word for word!
@Leslie Knight I don't think it matters how she said it or what exact words she used... but that's how I heard it. And it was exactly what I need to do.
almost ready to support a bro ! =) keep going
"My biggest downfall here is eating dinner too late. I need to make sure I eat before I leave the office and then little to no dinner. I have also introduced one 24 hr fast every week to 2 weeks. I know a lot of people are into fasting while other avoid it like the plague, but I can tell you that after a fast, I feel great and it doesn't affect my recovery."
@Patrick Large When you can identify a limiter and work on managing it you will see success. You identified that eating late is not helping you. Plan ahead to change that and it will become a lifestyle for you. Don't micro manage your calories. Some days you will need more food than other days. Hit the 30-40 gm protein at each meal. Being hungry is not a necessity to loosing weight. Put your carbs around workouts when you need it the most. As for fasting, you can always do twelve hours from the time you eat dinner to a morning meal. Pay attention your circadian rhythm and know when you absolutely must eat. Many folks have a lull in the afternoon. Don't cave to sweets. Instead, eat protein and some healthy fats. Keep the big picture in mind.
@Sheila Leard thanks a ton-