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4th of July Madness 2009

I was able to complete a 2 week ripped phase under the Muscle Chow plan. Combined with strength training and the previous lean diet I achieved the desired fat loss and muscle retention. I felt good about accomplishing this year’s 4th-of-July-madness objective.

Interestingly, I was stuck at 184lbs for over a month, despite the visible loss of fat. However, when I came back from my vacation on Cape Cod I was 175lbs, meaning that to appear lean I have to be around 175lbs. The good news is that once you get into healthy, lean eating and you see the results it’s not that easy to give it up. While on vacation I consciously broke my diet, I ate pizza, ice cream, fried fish and French fries, cookies and fudge but continued the good stuff too – I snacked on yogurt, whey protein, fruit, and egg whites as well as veggies. Again, the key is not to let yourself get too hungry and never to revert to just the delicious comfort foods, something I did this weekend and feel terribly guilty about.

I let myself go this weekend; I ate chips and dips, crackers and cheeses, desserts etc. The more I snacked on these things the more insatiable I became. Since I was visiting a friend and our general tradition is to indulge in snacks I went overboard. I didn’t eat as much as I used to but was horrified to find out how easy it is to go back to the worst of eating habits.

I don’t regret enjoying some junk food and have a solution for next time. If I stack Joan’s fridge with some yogurt, hardboiled eggs, fruit, nuts and veggies ready to be eaten I’ll be safe. Also, we tend to delude ourselves that we just snaked a little and it wasn’t all that much food – not a good practice!
Ideally, I should eat the pillar meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner – on time and healthy, snack on something healthy if I need and enjoy a little of the delicious but fattening stuff. My point being, it is better for me to have a meal and then eat something bad than to stay hungry and dine on the bad stuff. This also spells better planning and communication.