A Physical Transformation

Week #2 has come and gone…and all is great on the diet front.  It was another successful week of staying true to the plan.  I’ll admit that there were a couple of late afternoon challenges to my willpower as far as dinner plans go – but, I resisted.  I also noted that those challenges came on days when my morning and afternoon caloric intake was unusually low in comparison to normal days.  Lesson?  Eat on schedule and don’t skimp – it helps keep temptations at bay and it helps keep your willpower in check!!!

On the soda front, not a sip.  Once again, all drinks this week were in the form of either water or milk (in cereal, protein shakes, and smoothies).  As for the Diet Cokes remaining in the fridge, they’re being relocated to the fridge in the garage to use for guests.

Now, to the numbers:

Average Daily Calories Consumed: 2,143
Macronutrient Ratios for the Week: 47% Carbohydrate, 24% Protein, 29% Fat
Average Daily Sodium Intake: 3,509mg
Average Daily Fiber Intake: 40g
Weight Loss for the Week: 2.6 pounds
Average Weekly Weight Loss: 3.3 pounds
Weight Loss Since 1/1/2012: 6.6 pounds

So, weight loss wasn’t as high this week (2.6 pounds versus 4.0 pounds last week)…but it’s also Week 2, and my daily caloric intake was actually a little higher compared to last week.  I can’t complain.  I typically follow a 25% reduction from “maintenance level” in determining my daily calorie requirements; however, if I see a weight loss on the scale Sunday morning, I eat at “maintenance level” for the day. It allows for a few hundred extra calories.

Game on for Week 3!!!

Whooo-hoooo, Week 1 came to an official end, and it spelled S-U-C-C-E-S-S!  I stayed true to my eating plan, and the scale responded.  I’m not going to incorporate my workout schedule until February; I’d like to spend these first 4 weeks focusing on and adapting to the diet.  Baby steps, right?

Additionally, I resisted one absolute temptation for a Diet Coke.  As I mentioned in my previous post, I decided to go cold-turkey on 1/1/12 to stop drinking the suckers (and all sodas for that matter…I was an equal opportunity soda consumer). I actually had a Diet Coke in hand this week that I grabbed from the fridge (okay okay, I guess I really should dispose of them), and we had a little ole stare-down…but I didn’t cave.  I returned the Diet Coke to the fridge. Hmmmm, I guess I should’ve put it down the drain instead - aha, a new chore for this upcoming week. The only liquid I consumed this week was in the form of H2O and milk.

I can’t say my body was overly thrilled with adopting a new eating plan….it was asking where the cheesesteaks were, where the extra-large loaded pizzas were, and where the desserts were…but hey, it’s all about change and applying self discipline!!!

Anyway, on to the numbers:

Average Daily Calories Consumed: 2,021
Macronutrient Ratios for the Week: 44% Carbohydrate, 32% Protein, 25% Fat
Average Daily Sodium Intake: 2,965mg
Average Daily Fiber Intake: 33g
Weight Loss for the Week: 4 pounds
Average Weekly Weight Loss: 4 pounds
Weight Loss Since 1/1/2012: 4 pounds

I’d ultimately like to lower my daily sodium intake to < 2,000mg…it’s amazing how much sodium various foods have. However, I’m not going to make a completely conscious effort to reduce it at this stage – my primary concern right now is keeping my daily caloric intake in check, and my secondary concern is keeping my daily macronutrient ratios around 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 30% fat. I’m trying to keep my daily fiber intake > 30g.

With all of that said, it’s time to kick off Week 2!!!

What better day to kick off a “get ripped” physical transformation plan than the first day of the year, especially when that first day of the year is on a Sunday, and more especially when that year is an even numbered year!!!  Perfect!!!  Hellllooooo 2012!!!

So today was Day 1 of the transformation.  As I outlined in The Plan, calorie counting is now here.  Today was a good day, although I got a little hungry by the evening hours.  My gut was definitely asking where the large pizza was on this final day of regular season NFL play, but hey – a bowl of tasty oatmeal quieted things down.

Another big change today was the elimination of soda consumption!!!  Diet Coke and I have gotten pretty tight over the last few years, and I decided to end that relationship effective today.  Cold turkey.  There are quite a few cans in the fridge still….I guess I should empty them down the drain to give my willpower a break.  Hmmmm.

Anyway, calories were in check, and my macro-nutrient ratios were in my targeted ballpark of 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 30% fat.  I’ll be posting weekly updates of my progress here…so stay tuned!!!