Reverse dieting

So, like I’ve said earlier that I have been reversing for over 5 months now and I can feel the strength that I’ve gained over these days. This is my first reverse diet and I have to admit it has not been easy. Well, all the food you get to eat and the energy boost you feel throughout the day has been really great. But, like they say it is inevitable that you would gain some fat during the bulk phase, there has also been a little gain of fat. I had started at about 40% body fat level and I am somewhere around 34% right now but I still feel fluffy all over especially my mid-section but these are some things you would experience during the bulking phase. That being said, I cannot wait for my first cutting phase to start, which is when you start lowering your macros, basically carbs/fat while keeping the protein same. One also continues to train the same way as during the reverse so that you don’t lose the muscle you have gained during the reverse phase. Bodybuilders do a lot of these phases to achieve the body that they do but since I am shooting for only lean muscle mass, hopefully I don’t have to do a lot of these phases.

I cannot wait for my cut to start, initially when I had started reversing, I felt great with the changes my body was going through due to the lifting sessions. However, at this point I feel like I am so ready for a cut. The most challenging part of any reverse like they say is mentally. Even if you continue to lift, you cannot see all the gains easily due to all the fluff during the reverse diet phase. Anyhow, I will be starting my cut in the next 5 weeks and I Cannot wait.

Take care!!

Weight Loss Ideas for Mom's!!!

Good afternoon Peeps!!
So, finally after cribbing & whining about not being able to train for the last whole week, I finally made it to the gym this past Saturday. So far, I’m on day3 and feeling great after a couple of awesome lifting sessions. I’m avoiding deadlifts for this week just to make sure I don’t injure myself more. Like they say, it takes 3 weeks to make something a habit and once it is, you are so addicted to the training sessions that when you are not able to fit them in your schedule your body yearns for it.

Also, since I’m doing something totally new, something I’ve never done in my life before also makes it extra important for me to make sure I can fit in all my training sessions. I feel I need to do this to make sure I’m following the DO’s to the T so I can understand how my body is responding to the changes and make adjustments accordingly. After reading on a lot of material about reverse dieting, I started this past July increasing my calories slowly by modifying the macronutrients. Macronutrients or Macros as they are commonly referred are the most important nutrients we get from the food we eat. There are 3 macros that can impact your healthy based on the consumption amount – Protein, Fat and Carbs.

 Reverse dieting is a process in which you keep the protein intake mostly constant and increase your fat and carb intake while minimal gain in weight. When I started my reverse dieting process, my starting macros were 35F/80C/85P, both on low as well as high days. My macros at the time equaled to 895 calories per day.  After 22 weeks of reverse dieting (& I’m continuing the reverse till the end of this year), 

I have now increased my macros intake to High days – 55F/225C/115P (1855 calories per day) and Low days – 60F/205C/115P (1820 calories per day) with a gain of 2 lbs in the overall process. I have also been training at least 5 days a week, with 1 day being a sprint session and 4 days lifting sessions. So far I love what my body has accomplished and cannot wait to start my cut or diet at the beginning of 2016 to see all my muscle gains I have made during my reverse.

Enjoy the deals for today!!

Ways to loose excess fat!!!

I’m just like you all. A wife, mother to 2 wonderful boys, a giver and a thousand other roles like we all women play in our everyday lives. With a job that keeps me almost 11 hours out of my home it’s always a race against time for me. Thanks to my wonderful husband who without any complains takes care of most of the responsibilities making this otherwise hectic life seem very easy for me.

 Like, I’ve mentioned in my earlier posts I’ve been into running & yoga since my late teens and really want to continue to do so. However, with the latest addition to our family and long working hours it has been increasingly difficult for me to find time for long runs. After I had my second son I had about 45 pounds to loose. By dieting and home video exercises combined with running, I managed to lose about 35 pounds.

However, whatever I did the last 10 pounds refused to come off. I had reached a point where I was eating almost nothing, only about 800 calories a day. I thought I needed to create more calorie deficit in order to lose the final 10 pounds. But guess what, my body had shut off and was not losing even a single pound.

 In addition to that, I was feeling more tired each day. I felt like I had no energy left in me by the end of the day. I was not able to enjoy any family events without the feelings of guilt if I ate over my 800 calorie a day plan.  I decided to make a change & go after my dream of having more muscles in my body and less fat, basically reduce the fat percentage.

Well to begin with, I’m not skinny, neither am I fat (at least that’s what I think); I’m a skinny fat according to me. Keeping in my mind the goal – MUSCLE ADDITION – on my petite frame, I’ve been reading a lot on bodybuilding and the ways bodybuilders usually achieve what they do. Oh and one more thing, I also want to do it the natural way. Well, with my requirements all clear, I started my research on what needed to be done to get where I want to see myself in a few years. REVERSE DIETING is what I’ve decided to do and to keep myself accountable; I’m going to share my progress with you all. Hopefully this will help you in your journey as well.