During the 3rd and 4th week of the challenge I was finally on pace and started to make some tweaks to the initial plan. I was fully aware that my bodyweight hadn’t changed from weeks 1 and 2, but could feel an improvement because of hard training and consistent, good nutrition.
Here were the changes made:
Week 3
- Increased cardio to 20 mins six days per week, substituting one of the sessions for SLED pushing (at StrongFound). Note – on this week I was able to push the sled down/back for eight times total!
- Dropped the ¼ cup oats in Meal 1
- Dropped the ½ tbsp. honey in Meal 2
- Cut fats in half for Meal 3
- Dropped ALL carbs on my one OFF day from training-Sunday
Week 4
- Increased cardio to 30 mins six days per week, substituting two of the sessions for high-intensity interval cardio-one sled pushing and the other recumbent bike. Note – on this week I was able to push the sled down/back for ten times total (this was about 14 mins duration in total).
- Dropped ALL carbs on both off days from training-Saturday and Sunday
Meal 1
- 56 Whey Protein Isolate
- ¼ cup oats
- 1 cup frozen berries
- 2 tbsp. all-natural nut butter
- 1 tsp. Macadamia Nut Oil
Meal 2
- ½ cup Kodiak Power Cakes
- 3 whole eggs w/ 1 cup egg whites
- 2 cups raw Organic spinach
- ½ tbsp. Macadamia Nut Oil
- ½ tbsp. Texas honey
Meal 3
- 56 Whey Protein Isolate
- 2 1 tbsp. all-natural nut butter
- 1 tsp. Macadamia Nut Oil
Meal 4
- 8 oz. chicken, fish, or turkey
- ¾ cup white or brown rice
- 1 cup vegetables
- 1/3 cup raw mixed nuts
Note – on training days, substitute for the following:
Pre-Workout:
– 30g Whey Protein Isolate
– ¼ cup cream of rice
– 1 tbsp. all-natural nut butter
Intra-Workout:
– 20g carbs
– Amino Acids
Post-Workout
– 30g Whey Protein Isolate
– 1 scoop Carbolyze (powdered carbohydrate supplement)
Meal 5
- Same as Meal 4
Meal 6
- 8 oz. Wild-Caught Salmon or lean beef
- 2 cups vegetables
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
I had kept a good mark of my bodyweight as both weeks went on. I knew that my bodyweight had not budged; however, I was certain that I had lost a good amount off my hips and/or waist (my hips and low back tend to store the most body fat). I was anxious to step on the scale and take the halfway point measurements.
At the end of 4 weeks here are my comparison stats:
Starting Weight: 227.5 lbs.
Current Weight: 228 lbs.
Circumference Measurements (First number is starting measurements):
- Chest
- 45” / 45”
- R Arm
- 15.5” / 16”
- R Forearm
- 12.5” / 13”
- Waist
- 37.5” / 37.5”
- Hips
- 47.5” / 44”
- R Thigh
- 26.25” / 25.5”
- R Calf
- 15.5” / 16”
Herein lies a true example of the scale ‘not mattering’. Even though my weight adjusted up a half-pound (really didn’t budge), I was able to decrease a full 3.5” off of my hips. Now in a scenario when the scale hasn’t moved and the tape measurements remain the same, this usually indicates a primary culprit when faced with less-than-anticipated diet & exercise results-inconsistency. Even with the success in measurements, I still am aiming to achieve the minimum 8 pounds of weight-loss (per the parameters of the Challenge). This means I will have to push things even harder to try and achieve this. Stay tuned!
