Day 36, Phase 2, & Small Victories

Today is day 36 and the start of Phase 2 of my workout and diet. This is the start of the 6th week. I have yet to miss a workout and my diet is going well. I was even good today for Easter (no candy and kept the Easter lunch modified to not overdo it!) I've now encountered 2-3 different occasions where sweets have been readily available to me and I have not given in. I figure if I don't know what I'm missing, I won't really want it. But if I just took one bite, I'd want to go back for more. So none of that for me!

Phase 2 adds some more difficult workouts into my routine, which I'm excited about. I had one this morning and my muscles were burning! I definitely had those post-workout weak muscle shakes, if you know what I mean.  My diet will pretty much stay the same, with the addition of two 100-calorie high-protein snacks/additions to my meals. This is to help my body repair the muscles from my more intensified workouts!

I also want to quickly talk about the importance of small victories. In order to get small victories, though, you need to make small goals. See, for some people, losing "x" amount of weight doesn't change much in their appearance. At least to themselves. So while some people can lose 5-10 pounds and see visual results (which are very rewarding), some people don't have that satisfaction. That's why finding satisfaction in small victories is important to help you keep on track to your ultimate goal. For me, I've lost almost 13 pounds and I don't think I look much different. However, I need to appreciate that number from the scale because that is my victory. Losing almost 2% body fat is my victory. Losing a few inches off my waist, hips, and legs is a victory. I need to delight in these small victories and be proud of those accomplishments, otherwise I won't make it to the end goal.

I challenge you to make small goals along the way to your ultimate goal, and be proud of yourself for achieving them. Then, let it make you even hungrier to reach your ultimate goal!

Stats:
Weight: 202-203 (down 12-13 total)
Body Fat %: 17.8 (down 1.6% total)

Day 29

So it's been about 20 days since my last post. Time flies! I'm still staying true to my workout and diet plan. It really isn't too hard. As long as I do my grocery shopping I'm good to go! And that means buying the right foods. You can't mess up if you don't buy bad food in the first place.

The thing I've noticed the most these past few weeks is that my body and mind just feel "good". I haven't eaten much processed food, mainly eating fresh fruits, veggies, and meats, along with dairy and limited wheat/bread products. My body just feels "fresh" if that makes any sense.

Today added a new video workout to my routine, and I'm excited to start doing it more as it's implemented throughout the next phase of my workout. My muscles were burning a lot... and that's good! No pain, no gain!

I've really made the effort lately to keep my abs engaged in all my workouts and even just walking around, and I'm getting better at it! I plan to continue this as it is really helping all my exercises and posture too.

Stats:
Weight: 203-204 (down 11-12 lbs since Day 1)
Body Fat %: 18.3 (down 1.1% since Day 1)

Keep your head high this week and see what you can accomplish! I'm a big optimist, so I encourage you to take this week and try and find positives out of everything. It will keep your morale up! You'd be surprised. Nobody likes being in a bad mood. SMILE!