That’s a very good question. What could possibly render me silent? I’ll tell you all about it…..
Shortly after returning from the honeymoon I woke up, stepped on the scale, and saw a high number. During the honeymoon I did nothing for days, ate everything in sight, and drank all kinds of fruity cocktails. I shrugged it off. About a week later I stepped back on the scale and saw that I had lost a couple of pounds and wasn’t really worried about it. Some time went by and that number wasn’t changing. It took a bit of time to realize that it wasn’t the honeymoon that made me fat but that I slowly got fat over the past couple of years.
When I first started riding I weighed 22lbs less than I did at my moment of realization but I didn’t have any muscle tone to speak of. In 2016 I weighed 17lbs less and was in the best shape of my life. In two years I put on 17lbs! I made excuses about the weight gain. A friend of mine didn’t coddle me, she told me that I had to own it and do something about it if I was unhappy. This is what started my journey.
I’ve gained and lost weight many times over the years and every time I promised myself that it would be the last time. This time I really mean it. I’m getting to the age that I have to lock it down. Not only that but I really have to make a healthy commitment to myself. I never wanna spend hours looking through the closet or not want to post a pic because it makes me look fat. These are things that didn’t worry me in 2016 and are things that shouldn’t worry me now.
How do you lose weight while maintaining strength in an active lifestyle? My friend told me that it was all about the macros. Another person told me about the apple cider vinegar regimen. I read about the apple cider vinegar and saw that it had many great health benefits so I got started on it. I downloaded an app that helps me track my food intake, got started on the apple cider vinegar, and started working out every day.
I’m not doing crazy powerhouse workouts every day but just enough to keep burning calories and quicken my metabolism. It’s also psychological. Working out daily gives me the confidence that I’m earning food every day. I’m doing three hard cycling workouts, two easy cycling recovery workouts, and two moderate/heavy gym days. I’m working out 8-12 hours per week.
At first my gym workouts were just about getting stronger on the bike but I see so many changes in my body. I really enjoy feeling strong. I’m also enjoying my treadmill runs and I’m hoping to be able to run outside soon. My new focus at the gym is to become firm. I want to turn all of my fat into solid muscle. I don’t need to be ripped but just very fit. I don’t want any part of me jiggling.
I workout at the gym at 5am twice a week so I go fasted. Many people swear that doing cardio while fasted is the key to losing weight. I don’t know if thats what’s getting me thin but I do know something is. Strength training is definitely the key to speeding up the metabolism. After losing six pounds I noticed that my bones were starting to protrude. If I looked like this already then did I really need to lose eleven more pounds?
A friend of mine has a scale that tells her all about her body composition. She showed me the app on her phone once and it’s very detailed. I realized that investing in this scale would benefit me greatly. The last thing I need is to lose too much weight and not be able to ride efficiently. The scale was a very small investment. I got a rechargeable version of it on a Black Friday special for $24!
I’m not using this scale regularly, I weigh in with it once a week. I keep my old digital scale in the bathroom for regular use. I assumed that I was high in body fat simply because I’m fatty. What I found out is that my bones are heavy, I’m very muscular, and my body fat was 18.2%. A female athlete is supposed to have 14-20% body fat. My new goal is not a weight goal but to get down to 16% body fat no matter what weight number gets me to that point. I’m currently at 17.8%. At this rate I may lose more weight than my original goal but we’ll see.
It’s incredibly easy to lose control. I’m not kicking myself for it and neither should any of you. The most important thing is to own up to it and get back on track. Whatever your goal is don’t wait until Monday or New Years. It all starts here and now. The holiday season is here and this is the time most people gain a few pounds. I’m not saying that you can’t enjoy it but you certainly can’t eat treats every single day.
Thank you to everyone who loves, supports, and helps me. Without you my transformation may not even be possible. I appreciate all the advice you have given me as well as your level of concern. I love you!
I hope that your journey takes you to amazing places and new heights along the way. Happy Holidays!
BrokeLadyCyclist.com 