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Fitness Fitness and Health Weightloss Journey

My Body on a Carb Cycle

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Carb Cycling, some consider it a Diet Fad others consider it a weight loss secret and some see it for Body Builders and Bikini Competitors.  When I first heard of it I totally dismissed it because to take away my carbs seemed like cruel and unusual punishment.  After trying it I am considering adopting it as a new lifestyle change.  As you know I am apart of a workout program called Beyond Fit Life  with the workout and my own workout routines. I have been able to lose over 55 pounds in less than 10 months.  I even came to a point where I had plateaued which is when I incorporated my own workout routines and began to see progress again.  Then, I got to the point where I was starting to see results but I really wanted to make a huge difference and impact on my body. Around that time Carb Cycling was reintroduced to me. So, I tried it and the results that I found was nothing less than amazing but were they sustainable?

What is Carb Cycling?

A very basic definition of carb cycling is a meal/nutrition plan that is based on your carbohydrate intake.  It is usually used to prevent a fat loss plateau and maintain a functional metabolism. It is an addition to a workout or exercise program not an lieu of a workout performance.  What? Basically you alter how many carbs you eat from day to day. So, an example of a Carb Cycle meal plan may be:

Monday-No Carbs

Tuesday-Low Carbs

Wednesday-Low Carbs

Thursday-No Carbs

Friday-High Carbs

Saturday- Low Carbs

Sunday- No Carbs

It can be repeated for several weeks, the schedule varying from week to week.

So week 2:

Monday-Low Carb

Tuesday-Low Carb

Wednesday-No Carb

Thursday- No Carb

Friday-Low Carb

Saturday-High Carb

Sunday-No Carb

Is their a methodology to the No Carb, Low Carb, High Carb days. Some would say yes and others would say no.  I did variations every week to see if it produced greater results.  One week I would intentionally schedule my no carb days on a HIIT workout day and a Low Carb day on a Sprint day.  Did I see greater inches or weight loss than the week that I did No Carbs on Rest Days and Low Carb on Workout days.  I did but it was very little difference less than 2 inch loss or pound weight loss.  From my own experience I would say no the days do not matter. How your body feels is the most important thing and what you are eating to fuel your body optimally.

I encountered a “Certified Nutritionist,” (which after looking at her credentials she paid $200 for a online certification so that she could call herself a Certified Nutritionist.)  I was in a facebook group and she was telling us of the dangers of Carb Cycling. She claimed that Carb Cycling resulted in Ketonic Failure and Carb Cycling caused your body refuel on muscle.  She said it was very dangerous, did not have sustainable results and was basically “a dumb way to eat”.  Now, these were very serious accusations for someone who had minimal qualifications to diagnose anyone with any type of disease or disorder. I am currently studying and getting my certification for Fitness and Weight loss nutrition and a self proclaimed fitness and nutrition geek. I like to do research on most things that I come across. Whether it be the Bible, Workouts, or Food I am going to take more than someone’s opinion for face value. That’s just me! I had to breakdown some of her fancy scare tactics.

Ketosis– is a normal metabolic process that your bodies goes through when it has lower levels of glucose or carbohydrates to process.  When your body doesn’t have enough carbohydrates to burn energy it starts to burn fat.  Then, and only then if it does not have enough fat then it will start working on your lean muscle.  It is normal for your body to make keotones and to use them accordingly.  Ketosis, usually does not take place in the body until you have eaten less than 50 grams of Carbohydrates for 3 to 4 days.  Ketosis is also know to help\ you to feel less hungry and also helps you maintain muscles.  All of this is dependent on if you are “Normal” don’t suffer from diabetes, dehydrated or have high levels of lead in your system. Ketogenic and low carbs diets are also used to treat a number of disorders and diseases.  With that being said, I have found that Carb Cycling done correctly can be a great way to lose weight but is it sustainable?

What did I eat?

I was really anxious before my first week. I overthought my meal plan and didn’t think I could withstand from Carbohydrates.  I also was overwhelmed with the list of produce that was High in Carbohydrates. Say what? Yes, produce contains carbohydrates its not just bread and pasta.  Similar to when I did the Sugar Detox and found that sugar is in almost everything. So are carbs.  They are found naturally in fruits and vegetables, some veggies and fruits have more than others but when trying to get under 50 grams of carbs per day. Those carbs cannot be taken for granted.

 

Vegetables with Carbs

I ate a lot of food. I was eating about every 2 hours meals that included lots of produce and lots of protein.  I also drank the recommended gallon of water to stay hydrated.  On No Carb days I drank Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) twice a day instead of one time. I ate well and was full and felt amazing while Carb Cycling especially on No Carb days. I carb cycled for three weeks out of the month and I ate really well each day. I think if I wasn’t able to eat well then the diet wouldn’t have lasted very long.

Here are 7 Carb Cycle Meals Days. I didn’t include the snacks but they were usually a Protein Shake in the afternoon and the morning would be a carb free snack that had high fat, protein and produce. Some favorites were Lettuce Roll-ups with Turkey, Fresh Salsa and Avocado, Apples/Celery with Peanut Butter, Hard Boiled Eggs, just to name a few.  I was able to stay full and carb or lower carb free all day long.

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Did I get results?

I had few fears when I was starting. That I would be hungry, have cravings, feel awful. I thought that it would be like the Sugar Detox and have some withdrawal symptoms.  I was pleasantly surprised. I was able to maintain the entire 21 days with only a carrot slip up on the first week (I could have done worse). I was full all the time, I did not have cravings, I had energy and felt amazing on it. I had really great physical results too. I would say that sacrificing for 21 days brought me great results but I don’t feel like I had to sacrifice anything. I lost over 13 inches (I rarely get on the scale but I am sure that I lost some pounds too).

I would definitely recommend this to someone trying to reach a goal quickly for example a wedding. It could also be a lifestyle change but it takes a lot of planning and prepping. I would have continued through the following month but I needed a break from the planning and the prepping. That was a key factor to my success with this.  I plan on doing it again starting next week but the last few weeks I wasn’t able to prep and plan and after two days of trying to wing it I had to put it on hold for a week. Some people do better without carbs and I am finding that I am one of them. I prefer how I felt without carbs to how I feel with them and think that I will be making this lifestyle change for myself this could possibly be a sustainable lifestyle change. With a little of the 80/20 rule like with all things!

 

Have you heard of carb cycling? Tried it?

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Dessert Gluten Free Recipes

No Carb Cheesecake

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No Carb Cheesecake

I have been carb cycling for 3 weeks this month and if you have been following have found some yummy recipes. I am actually in love with this type of meal plan now. I have found that it has given me amazing results, physically and internally. The first week I had to tweak my macros, meaning the amount of protein, fats and vegetables/fruits that I consumed and types.  Once I figured it out not only have I felt better than ever, I find myself eating more than ever. Yet, I am eating less calories and low carbs.  I have played with my meal plan schedule varying week to week.

For example, my first week I ate:

Low Carb, Low Carb, No Carb, Low Carb, No Carb, Low Carb, High Carb. I did this to ease me into this new lifestyle change.

The Second week, I started off with:

No Carb, No Carb, Low Carb, Low Carb, No Carb, No Carb, High Carb.

The third week of the month I ate how I wanted but still tend to eat lower carbs out of want but I didn’t plan my meals based on carbs.

Now I am here in my last week and my schedule is:

No Carb, No Carb, Low Carb, No Carb, No Carb, Low Carb. The No Carb days were intentionally scheduled on heaving lifting days.

I will do another post on my results but they are absolutely amazing and the week that I was off of Carb Cycling I only gained 1 pound, while on vacation at Disney. Seriously? Yes, Seriously!

I have been doing so well, haven’t been hungry, none of the side effects from lack of carbs. Last night was different. I wanted something sweet so I did a Google/Pinterest search and most of the results came up No Carb Cheesecake. I love cheesecake but don’t eat it very often. I had to give it a try. So, I wrote down the easy recipe and got one ingredient that was missing and then started working on the recipe. Instantly, I knew something was wrong. I was a little apprehensive because of the ingredients.  As I started to mix the ingredients together it became a big gooey ball of something that did not look anything like cheesecakes.  So, I added some Almond Milk which made it even worse then I added some Greek yogurt it started to workout then I added another 8 ounces of Neufetchel cheese.  I placed it in the greased pan and Ta-da bogus recipe was improved and created a yummy dessert.  You can serve it with Walden Farm Syrup or Fruit Spread and have Strawberry, Caramel, Chocolate or Blueberry No Carb Cheesecake. I enjoyed every bite without guilt and yumminess!

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:18]

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Recipes

Crab Salad in Avocado

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crab salad

What is this Carb Cycling thing I have heard about?

Have you ever heard of Carb Cycling? Carb cycling is basically intermittently switching from hi,low, no carbs (and I mean good carbs not pasta, bread etc. more like carrots, brown rice and sweet potatoes). By eating this way it allows your body to burn fat while conserving muscle. All this hard work I can’t afford to lose any muscle. So, say in a week Monday is low carb, Tuesday and Wednesday is No Carb, Thursday is Low Carbs and Friday is High Carbs and again it’s (Carrot, peas, brown rice and sweet potatoes) not a pizza, french fry and burger buffet.  You still have to stay within a certain caloric intake but it’s just the type of calories you are consuming. I am not a fan of diets. I am all about lifestyle changes and this sounds complicated, I know and that is why I have avoided it for so long. After lots of research I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try and see the results are.

If it’s ain’t broke don’t fix it

Until now, I have been doing a heavy weight training routine and lots of HIIT a few girls in my accountability group are doing Carb Cycling and I have seen great results so I figured I would give it a try. I am in the second half of my weight loss journey. I can see the goal but still have a ways to get there.  I figured that it wouldn’t hurt to try a new diet. So, like most things I jumped in and started researching and it became very intimidating. There are so many view points on it and I like my food to be simple. Anything complex and I just give up and reach for the yummiest thing I can find. Notice I didn’t say healthiest. I have come so far so why try something if  it’s not broken. So, Carb Cycling eve came and I was on the verge of bailing. With a pep talk from my husband I created a week meal plan. I figured I won’t die in a week and trying something new never hurt. I never thought I could workout with 20 lbs weights or do push-ups or burpees and now those are a part of my routine.

Where do I begin?

So, I did it like all my other meal plans. I flipped to my Meal Plan page (You can download my meal planner here) in my Planner and started planning like I always do but a little bit differently. I usually eat mostly Produce and Protein and Complex Carbs after workouts and before noon.  So, I excluded that. So, my meal plan looked like this for a Carb Cycle week:

CarbCycle Meal Plan

So not only did I try a new meal plan but I added a new meal to the menu. I didn’t want to go into total change meltdown but while scrolling on Pinterest I found this yummy recipe and it inspired my own.  I basically took the idea and created my own ingredients and it turned out delicious and will be a regular on the meal plan. Have you heard of carb cycling before? What do you think? Could you do it?

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:16]

 

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Children Family Product Review Product Reviews

Cleaning is a Family Game

HomeyApp

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BoltonDivas

The chore struggle

I have three little diva’s. When I refer to them as “lil diva’s” people always think that they are temperamental entitled little girls. When I am referring to my diva’s I think of them as divine, inspired, virtuous, anointed little girls that are being molded to be a powerful witness’ for God.  But they can also be very temperamental especially when it comes to cleaning chores around the house. The attitude that I get when I ask if their room is clean or the living room is vacuumed could be considered “diva”.

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Techniques used in the past

I have tried several different strategies to make chores enjoyable in my house and less of a fight. We believe in grace based parenting but there is so much grace you can show for a poorly executed chore time and time again.  I have charged a variety of strategies, the chore chart. It started off well the first week and by week 3 and 4 there was little to know pleasure from receiving a gold star for a job well done.  Then we tried the chore sticks. It was like a lottery choice for the lil divas.  A variety of chores written on a Popsicle stick placed in a jar. They would choose there chore for the day and once it was completed would received a check mark. Once they accrued enough check marks they earned there allowance or reward.  I thought the spontaneity of chores and not being responsible for the same chore week after week would add some more fun to chores.  That lasted for a moment. My husband and I are trying very hard not to add to the entitled generation that is becoming an epidemic. Showing grace and creating standards of excellence all at the same time.  This parenting stuff really does get harder as they get older. Its so much easier raising my toddler than it is my tween and eight year old.  But, apparently part of bringing them home from the hospital was that I was responsible to create positive contributions to society.

I recently got to try out a very cool app, called Homey App, that has created a new and refreshing approach of assigning chores and completing them.  This app allows my husband I to be on the same page with chore assignment. It also allows him to help manage our children’s completion of chores while he is away at work.  This is very important because honestly I sometimes get tired of always being the bad guy.  Being virtual has other perks too. When I was away a few weeks ago, my husband was a little perplexed on how I wanted something done. I could keep track of my oldest daughters diligence all from my phone. After a few attempts she was able to receive her point.  That’s how this work on a point system.

Homey App

Why the Homey App works for us

This cool new way of chore management, the Homey app. It makes chores competitive which my family is highly competitive. My husband is a basketball coach. I am a former all star cheerleader and softball player. And my oldest is into field hockey and lacrosse. So we are very motivated by friendly competition.  There are multiple reasons that the Homey app is going to work for our family.

First, there are scores and our competitive nature that is a motivator in itself.

Second, we can all be on the same page. You take a picture of the chore to be done and then the person who is assigned will then take a picture once completed.  This is great for my husband and I because my definition of clean and his is quite different. So, the girls send me the picture of the completed chore to receive the “reward.”My girls are at an age where they get allowance. The allowance is to teach them money management. Stickers and treats are also not as strong motivators as dollars and cents.

Another, great thing is that I can schedule chores in advance. I am a planner addict and nothing gives me more satisfaction than prepping and preparing for things to come.  I like that I can schedule the chores a week in advance (or more) and then not have to worry about the daily nag of “Is this done yet?” No picture, no allowance and when it comes to chores there is no grace.  If they were working in the real work there would be no pay and no grace in termination so somethings we have to be strict about it. Since I am the household manager the way my household is operated is similar to an employer.

HomeyApp

It has been fun working with this app so far. I actually think this is something that can last for our family.  My eight year old recently received a tablet for her eight birthday. She will be added to the Homey app as a family member too.

How it works?

Which is how it works: You (the parent) create a household name and password. Then you invite your family members to join.  They will receive a link, qr code or you can do it old school and give them the Household name and password to search for.  They then get setup with a profile. Basic stuff name, picture (we used Avatars for everyone) and password.  Once that is all set up then you (the parent) can start assigning chores and value. You can do that two ways: use a preexisting picture or description or create your own. You can take a picture of their messy room and create as detailed of a description of what you expect from them to complete the chore.

A little tip: if the chore is multi-faceted for instance my daughters room. I wanted the room and her closet organized. That I did two separate task because only one picture can be taken to complete the task.

Once they feel it is done they take a picture.  Then they receive the point.  I did have a slight problem with this aspect.  I wish that the chore could be approved before they received the point. Just because they think they did a good job doesn’t necessarily mean it is a good job. I overcame this a couple weeks ago by deleting the task and reassigning it. Homey app is still working on this and I made a suggestion for this change.  Also, I like that you can reassign the task once its completed. So, you don’t have to start over you just reassign it for a future date.  All in all it has been interesting taking our chore management virtually I think for my kids its more relateable. For me, the more I work with it the more I find its saves on management and time. It has also included my husband and he typically checks on it with his train commute home. What do you think about managing your household chores with an app? Is your family ready to take your chore chart virtual?

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christian mom Family Fitness Fitness and Health Weightloss Journey

Overweight Physically & Underweight Spiritually

weight loss

First posted 12/2/2015

Embarking on a weight loss journey

God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though He is not far from any one of us, Acts 17:27

Weight loss is a journey. What happens to you when you realized the reason you are overweight physically and underweight spiritually? You do something about it. About 4 months ago, I got fed up with my physical appearance and embarked on a weight loss journey.  The first month was easy mentally. I hired a virtual trainer, I was seeing results and was happy to find something that worked.  Then, the next month came and that beginning puppy love started to wear off.  I had more than being physically overweight to deal with; which is often the case when losing weight.  I had the easy part handled what, when, who and where to do it.  It was the why, that I need to work on.

What is my Why?

That’s when personal reflection came in.  If I was to lose the ideal weight and achieve the body I wanted. What would it be for? There comes a point in your life especially when you’re on a spiritual journey that you need more than just outward appearances to fulfill you.  What do you do, when you’re overweight physically and underweight spiritually?  You tear down walls and rebuild from the foundation.  I achieved this by figuring out my why?

why

 

To submit to such people and to everyone who joins in the work and labors at it. 1 Corinthians 16:11

There are the obvious, family and faith? I have 3 little girls that I have the responsibility of teaching how to be women and they are watching my every move. I want to teach them to honor their temple and be different in this world; Honoring and serving God.  I am also trying to be the best that I can be for my husband as God says to do.

Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God. 1 Chronicles 22:19a

Underweight Spiritually

I needed to rebuild my foundation so, my second month I took time out daily to Honor My temple through prayer and challenge myself.  Every day, this prayer challenge created a relationship with God and His word when it pertained to my issues with, exercise, nutrition and faith.  It was an amazing opportunity that helped me clearly define my why? The Bible is the most detailed instruction manual for life.  When women look into God’s word they often go to Proverbs 31 description of a worthy women.  So, after 30 days of personal reflection I went to trusty old Proverbs 31 to see if my why aligned with “Women of Noble Character.”

She watches over the affairs of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Proverbs 31:28-30

weightloss

 

3 Reasons: Why my weight loss is more than appearance

These verses encompass everything I care about.  My faith, my husband, and my children. Breaking these verses down gives me the definition I was looking for in my why, much like my workout plan and nutrition.

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Proverbs 31:30

  1. My faith

I interpret this verse as: A loving admiration for God that includes obedience to God and the commands His word.”  As a Christian women that is something that I want to be synonymous with me.

her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
Proverbs 31:28b-29

  1. My husband

Her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”

Her children arise and call her blessed;

Proverbs 31:28a

  1. My Children

My daughter’s ages right now are pivotal in their own right. I have an 11 year old, who is on the cusp of teenage years and womanhood.  A seven year old, who is starting to come into her own.  A 16 month old, who is discovering this world and picking up on social cues. All of them no matter what they’re age continues to look to me to shape their ideas and role as a woman in this world. I strive to teach them how to be a light for God and noble.

Tapping to my why gives me more than the motivation that I need to achieve my weight loss goal. It also gives me a satisfaction that is better than any adrenaline high and keeps me committed to my faith, husband and children.  Some days I may be tired, have nutritional blunders but at the beginning and end of each day. I am praising God for giving me a temple to honor and doing my best to do just that. How are you honoring your temple?

 

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