Day 2: Hammer & Chisel

I survived day 1 of Hammer and Chisel! :) 

So, before I tell you about how day 1 was and what my plan is for today, I want to give you some background. This program follows the 21 Day Fix Extreme meal plan, which is very similar to the 21 Day Fix meal plan. I have been loosely following this plan for almost two years. Now, when I say loosely, I mean, I have really got out of the habit of actually measuring everything. It is easy to feel like you "know it all" and start eyeballing the measurements. No biggie, right? Wrong. Yesterday was a big eye opener for me.

Also, in the prior weeks, I have been weighing in at 149 pounds. I was planning on having that be my starting weight, but I weighed in yesterday morning at 153.3 pounds. I debated which weight to use, but I ultimately decided to go with the 153.3 pounds since that was the weight that I really started this program at. I have been feeling very bloated, and still do, so I don't think that was just a daily fluctuation.

I did the Chisel Balance workout yesterday and I am feeling it today, in a good way! Feeling sore, but thanks to the performance line, I know it is a lot less sore than I normally would be. I was 100% on track yesterday with my meals and drank around 75 ounces in water. My goal is to do a minimum of 100 ounces today in water. As I mentioned, I am also using the Recover shake after my workouts and I am drinking the Recharge shake before bed. Last night was the first time I have drank the Recharge shake and I was taken back by the texture. It wasn't as thin as my Recover shake. My husband said it is because of the slow release casein. Casein, for those who don't know, is a slow release protein that boosts overnight recovery by promoting muscle growth and helps reduce muscle breakdown. I was really nervous that the texture was going to cause me to feel like I had a gut bomb, but it didn't at all. 

I am following the Lean version of the meal plan. You can choose from Lean, Maintain or Build. I chose lean because ideally, I would like to lose a few more pounds to get closer to my rough goal of 140 pounds. Based on choosing Lean and my sedentary activity level thanks to having a desk job, this puts me in the 1,200-1,400 calorie bracket. On top of this, I am also adding in the Recover and Recharge which are both around 100 calories each. So it is safe to assume, my calorie intake each day will be 1,400-1,600 calories a day. 

I hate to admit this, because I know there are people out there who constantly look for the negative so they can use it as an excuse not do try a program or follow a meal plan - but I was hungry last night. I followed my meal plan and measured everything, even drank my Recharge shake before bed. First and foremost, this just shows me how poorly I have been eyeballing my portions lately. I never go to bed hungry and I felt like I ate more yesterday than I normally do since I don't normally have a banana in the morning or the Recharge shake before bed. I think in the last month, I was way overdoing my portions on cheese (probably double!) and my portion on my orange container for dressing. On this meal plan, they say if you find yourself hungry, add in a protein and a veggie. For the last few months, I have been overdoing it on the wrong things. Going forward, I am not going to let myself go to bed hungry. Hoping my stomach adjusts, but if it doesn't, I will be adding in more protein throughout the day and an extra container of veggies. I don't believe in going hungry in order to lose weight because I know that doesn't work and will actually slow my metabolism and make it harder for me to lose weight.

So, today is a new day! I didn't weigh myself this morning because I know I am still bloated and I don't want the scale to discourage me. Its funny.

Even after three years on my journey, I still find myself expecting instant results. Like, go to bed with a gut and expecting to see a chiseled six pack in the morning. Only in my dreams! Sometimes the scale motivates me and other times it doesn’t. Right now, I know I am bloated and I know the number is going to be higher than I want. So, I am not going to step on the scale. I will continue to kill my morning workouts and stick to my meal plan, then weigh in this weekend.