4.5 Weeks Out

The last couple weeks have been hard and frustrating. Taking on a new diet and new outlook on precontest training has been hard to adapt to. It's a new way of thinking, and changing is hard after years of doing the same thing. I think yesterday was the first day in about two or three years I didn't have some sort of protein shake right out of bed (now that I am doing cardio on an empty stomach in the AM). But I am finally starting to sink into the swing of things. The hardest changes have been AM cardio and figuring out an optimal postworkout shake/not having a postworkout meal an hour after lifting.

Precontest I have always focused on the scale as the number one resource to view my progress. It has never been a problem trying to cut weight per se (it feels and seems like I'm getting looking better and getting a little more definition), but the number on the scale isn't changing. I've been 186lbs for the last 2 weeks, going up to 189 during one of the first days on the diet. After doing 3 sessions of cardio yesterday, I swore I was going to at least see some change in weight this morning...but nothing. I feel good...lean but still fairly full, I figure I just need to keep tweaking things until I see some change on the scale. I would be happy...check that, ecstatic, with a half pound drop. Here are the changes I've made so far this week (keep in mind, this is the second day of these changes):

-AM/PM cardio 30-40 minutes each, no more. One day, add 3rd session of cardio mid day.
-No mixing chicken and fish - concept being the body is already in a calorie deficit, and it is hard for the body to sort and absorb different aminos and minerals at the same time.
-Lift 5 days/week doing arms twice or hams/quad split
-Fat @ meals 2,4,6. Carbs at meals 1,3,5.
-Have the same meals on a daily basis (i.e. meal 1 is the same every day, meal 2 is the same every day, etc.).
-One day/week (preferably off day), carbs only from veggie sources (about 10g/meal). One day/week (friday) increase carbs at carb meals by ~25%

I felt ungodly flat and weak on Friday and Saturday from undercarbing all week (only 2 carb meals), but I carbed up saturday and felt great Sunday, even had a strong lift Sunday as well. Just goes to show how things can change in a very short amount of time. Now that I am doing 3 carb meals/day, and 3 'fat' meals/day I should be able to stay full through the week a little better.

The last thing I'll say about this new 'regime change' is getting up and to the gym every morning around the time they turn on the lights is rough. Once I get into my groove on the stepmill it's not bad, and after I get through the first 5 minutes stepping and squeezing my ass every step I can pretty much zone out. And since I have my last meal at about 8 or 8:30, and I have to get all my food/powders ready the night before, I don't get to bed as early as I'd like (at least early enough to get ample sleep to wake up at 4:30-4:45am). Then add 3 workouts/day 6 days a week to that. So if you see me walking around with my head down looking half asleep...that's why. But alas, 4.5 more weeks...3.5 weeks at this intensity. We'll see where I'm at then.