Make sure you are enjoying yourself, Workout Hero.
ESPECIALLY, if you’re getting your Anti-fragile workouts in.
You’re allowed to eat a few of your favorite foods because…
…doing them kind of workouts gives you a HUGE margin of error when it comes to your nutrition and incoming calories.
A “cushion” of around 500-1000 calories a day.
I’ve seen people change NOTHING with their diet and nutrition and just gat their Anti-fragile workouts in as I show them…
… and they’ve still lost fat.
This is because you’ve created a DEMAND for them nutrients so that your body can rise up and come back better than before.
To repair what was “damaged” a bit in your workout.
Thus giving you more leeway and grace and not needing to be perfect as far as your food and drink is concerned.
Your body’s main job is to survive.
Especially in Wisconsin here, and our winters — it is worried about not starving to death. ❄
Which is why whenever you head down a new adventure/journey towards losing weight and getting into shape…
… the pounds do fall off if you follow what I show you.
But what sometimes happens is it stalls out and plateaus, usually 1-2 months in.
That’s because your body is concerned about starving to death and sees it’s fat stores as its savior.
I read it in a book somewhere too, not sure of which one, maybe Jon Gabriel’s The Gabriel Method, that as soon as you start cutting out calories…
… through thousands of years of human evolution, our body’s only response to that is a stress response.
And if you know anything about STRESS – it and fat loss certainly don’t play well together.
They go together almost as much as oil and water. 😡
Get along about as good as Chris Rock & Will Smith 😂
So to prevent this here’s what I do and feel free to use it or do something similar.
*(also, don’t be afraid to reach out and talk to me about this, either here by hitting reply, or in person 😊)
My maintenance level of calories is right around 2500 calories a day.
Typically for most people their number is about 14 x their bodyweight.
Consume more than this = gain
Less than that “maintenance line” = weight loss
When I’m on a cutting phase (which I am now), I’ll consume about 1000 calories less than that for 3 or 4 days in a row
Usually Monday – Thursday
Then once Friday hits I bump it up to just below that 2500.
That’s where the fun foods are had…
… but I stop at around 2300 calories for the day and keep it portioned controlled: (usually 100-200 extra calories like to “sneak” their way in 😊, so I just work them into the plan)
It’s
pizza
cake
ice cream
popcorn
Kit Kats
chips
Chex mix (my spell checker made sure that the “C’” was capitalized, must be a big fan! 😂)
cookies
sweets — (yeah, I have a sweet tooth… a few of them actually 😉)
I still get in my 150 – 200 grams of protein a day, which makes up around 700 calories of that 2300, but the rest of the calories are whatever I want.
I do have those “fun” foods throughout the week, but it fits into my 1500 calories for the day as per my “Never Skip Dessert” Meal Plan.
This is the game plan for either Friday and Sundays, or Friday and Saturdays depending on the weekend’s events, parties and get togethers.
That “3rd” weekend day is typically right around 2000 calories and more middle of the road. (especially if I need snacks around the Sunday Packer game! 🏈)
If I have days like what happened to me last weekend when it was an awesome nonstop food consumption day because of wifey’s birthday and celebrating- then it is using the next day or 2 after to go WAY LESS.
Like just protein and vegetables and a 600 calorie consumption kinda day.
Which is no problem since I still had plenty of calories leftover from the day before.
Let’s break down the math of this and make Mrs. Peloquin proud…
… It was in her high school math class that one of her students made her cry by screaming at her “THIS IS SO STUPID!! WHEN I AM EVER GOING TO USE THIS!? I have a calculator!!”
Turns out she was right and that meanie was wrong! 😂 (hmmm, I wonder what Mrs. Peloquin is up to now? 🤔 oh well, back to the maths… )
In case you don’t know 3500 calories = 1 pound
If I was to consume 2500 calories for 7 days and maintain, that equals 17,500 calories for the week and a lot of oatmeal, coffee and pizza 😊
But for now, 5 of the days, I am having 1000 calories less than maintenance, and the other one, 500 calories less —
— which puts me at a deficit, or as we like to say around here… a caloric GAP of 5500 calories for the week.
Our bodies are more of a culminative effect of what we consumed over the course of a week, and averages it out…
… rather day to day – which is why it is perfectly okay if you overeat a day every few weeks. 😊
5500 divided by 3500 puts me right around a 1.5 pound weight loss for the week. And that has been spot on so far these last few weeks since I have been doing this.
I’ve actually lost a bit more than that since I too, practice Anti-fragile Training…
… but I consider those calories burned as BONUS and don’t factor them into this plan.
I could probably go for about 8 weeks straight of 1500 calories a day but by the end there, I would be at a plateau and miserable.
Plus it wouldn’t take much for me to have a “Screw it, I’m eating the entire gallon of ice cream and downing that whole bottle of wine!” episode (pretty sure that is the technical name for those occurrences 😉)
I can do 4 days straight at 1500 calories and it doesn’t feel bad at all. I am able to avoid those kind of “Screw it!” days because I know the weekends and eating more is just around the corner.
Actually it’s kinda nice because I know exactly what I’ll be eating and when for each day Monday – Thursday.
No having to think about it.
No having to answer the question, “What do I feel like eating now?”
It’s all pre-determined for me.
I can feel the hunger, but it’s not overly painful or aggravating.
It’s usually there on Day 2 and by Day 4 of 1500 calories a day, it’s mostly gone as my metabolism is learning to adjust.
Then before I can plateau, its hitting those fun “refeed” days of 2300-2500 calories.
Then rinse and repeat for the next week.
That, my fabulous friend, is how you properly overeat like a pro.
You prepare for it.
You plan for it.
You are in total control.
You got this.
I believe in you.
Nothing in the known ‘verse can stop you…. (well, maybe if you ran into a T-rex. They could probably stop you… but that’s it! 😉)
Without further adieu, Mr. Baby Kason just woke up from his nap so it’s time for some Daddy duties… (hehehe, he said “duties” 😂)
Your Guide & biggest fan,
Erick
P.S.
Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help you…
Brand new?…
Come on in for your free 10-15 minute “No Sweat Introduction” meeting here at my gym.
This is one of the perks with your free week pass – We see where you are starting from…
… analyze why things you’ve tried in the past that might not have worked
…and then see if we are a good fit.
From there we schedule your free week of workouts and get you rocking!
Click this link here to go to my calendar and reserve your free “No Sweat Introduction” meeting.
Already a Workout Hero member?…
Keep on showing up,
be good enough most of the time,
stay on the Path of the Workout Hero,
and your awesome future all but awaits! 😊