Executing the plan and getting back on the wagon again this week. It's not easy when you've had a lazy few weeks and pretty much eaten everything in sight, but I can say I definitely feel better after taking that first step back into the gym and working on good habits once more. I took a look at the scales before this, with trepidation I might add, and was pleasantly surprised to see that I had only put on a few pounds over the last 4-6 weeks. To give some context, I started the year at 112Kg, got down to my pre-challenge best at 96kg (and that was hitting it HARD for months), and ended up last week at 102.9kg. Still a huge improvement on my start of year but I needed to get back on the horse quickly.
I knew I had been slack. I decided that I'd eat what I want (carbs), when I wanted (too often) since finishing the challenge. I'd chuck in the odd salad just to not feel so bad along the way.
Interestingly it didn't do too much harm but there were some very interesting observations along the way when I look back on some of the stats from when I was at my lowest pre-event weight (96.5kg). Almost immediately after the event my weight went up to around 100kg (mostly water as I ate carbs like they were my last meal). It then crept up over the course of the following 6 weeks to 102.9kg. This was predictable, however my weight stayed there for well over a month without doing a great deal other than some light running a few times a week.
I started Fasting twice a week in July which I think had a lot to do with keeping it from piling back on too badly. Which I took last week off from doing as I had a holiday. However, this week so far I've had two workouts, and dramatically limited carbs (as well as 24hr fasted on Monday) and I've dropped almost 1.5kg in those few days. This will mostly be water weight, but it just goes to show how combining some key changes can make some key differences.
I have a theory about this....
I've spent a good amount of effort building my aerobic efficiency and VO2 Max (how my body effectively uses oxygen) through the first half of this year. The scores have shown considerable progress when doing my MAF Tests and tracking the VO2Max data on my watch. This suggests that I am much more effective at using oxygen.
You may recall that I mentioned in a previous post that building a better VO2 MAX and better Aerobic Function (a la Maffetone Method Training) also improves how your mitochondria work (which is key in your energy systems) as to fat oxidization (fat for fuel). To simplify it, the better your aerobic function, the better you burn fat.
This I think has played a part in quick results to start reducing what I put on around my waist. I'm fitter, so I lose weight quicker than when I started this journey.
I also have a view That I think my bodyweight set point has moved. This is the theory that weight my body is happiest at is where it will seek to revert to, and that it takes time to get it to the next target level and then reset that point to that level. If you recall I had a problem breaking through 96kg for a month with crazy training and hard attention to my diet (I know that 96Kg is going to be my next wall to break).. Originally, left to its own devices it was at the 111-112kg mark, while now it looks like it's the 102-103kg mark that my set point is at. As mentioned last week, workouts for the next two weeks are focused on No impact. Static bike, cross trainer, etc and also my foot/ankle/calf strengthening and stretching. It's about as much fun as eating gravel, but It's keeping the MAF aerobic training zone working and progressing, so I'm taking that as a win. I'm getting the hours in again and building that back, and I am now fasting 2 x 24hr fasts from this week. Add in stripping out carbs 5-6 days a week and we should start to see the needle move well towards the 96kg mark once more. That's my next hard target. I still have my eye on the 90kg, but to get back to 96kg over the next 6-8 weeks will be a strong achievement. Time to ride that horse once again...
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