i finished Stage 1 on Sunday, and today i weighed in (do it once a week) and then went to do my "A" AMRAP Bonus workout and.... it
sucked. Really. Hardcore. It was terrible. i felt very weak, and like i was not even worthy of my PWO shake and plum.
i did:
-14 squats
-8 30 degree push ups (i'm not so bummed about this because i realized i was doing them wrong and corrected my form.. making them much harder)
-20 seated rows
-30 step ups
-20 jackknifes
i brought my weights back down to my starting points-- no weights, just the squat bar, 70# for the rows and 12# dumbbells on a 2 step incline for the step ups, but really, i felt like i should have been able to do a ton more of these.
So I went back to the book to see why I might have felt this way, and I started looking at "The First Cut" section on 68, and I'm trying really assess my progress, figure out if I've been eating right and lifting right so that I can go into Stage 2 feeling more confident, because I felt so crappy leaving the gym this morning that at this point I don't even want to do my "B" AMRAP workout on Friday.
So here's my answers to questions. Do I need to make some adjustments or just trust in the process longer? If I should make adjustments, what do you think I should do? I don't want to screw with
I have been trying to do the program on a 300 cal deficit. I have not always made it, but I have consistently kept my calories low enough that according to the numbers set forth by the book, I should have seen some negative change in scale weight.
I started at 5'4", 160#, 27yo. On non-workout days, I should maintain at 1975, and on workout days, I would maintain at 2239. I have been attempting to eat 1675 on non-workout days, and 1939 on workout days.
My average calorie intake while on Stage 1 has been 1857/day, 23% fat, 42% carb, 33% protein (thank you FitDay)... consistenly below my maintenance levels of 1975-2239.
Barring two weeks when I could only do two workouts, I usually do my NROL4W workouts three times per week. I've been doing cardio in between (HIIT), and taking some nice long walks with my dog and walking to work--- but my heart rate monitor says that I only get to my "burn zone" for 2-4 minutes at most when walking with the pup or walking to work.
1. Did you gain weight, lose weight, or stay the same?
I have gained a little bit of weight since I began the program in January, and now weigh in pretty consistently between 161.2-161.6.
2. Do your clothes feel loose, or are they tighter?
They are tighter in the butt and arms.
3. Do you see any differences when you look in the mirror?
My butt sticks out and is firmer. My biceps and forearms are bigger and feel harder, but still look puffy.
4. How do you feel? Energized, or tired?
I bounce between these extremes a lot. After a workout I am usually energized, but it has been hard as hell to pull my ass out of bed in the mornings. The past two weeks I even switched to working out in the afternoon and jazzing myself up with a caffienated diet soda to get through things.
5. How are your workouts going? Are you getting stronger from one workout to the next?
Generally, yes. It is a slow process, but I do feel like I'm getting stronger. The long rests between sets really helps me. I used to go from one set to another with maybe 10 or 15 seconds in between.
6. How are you sleeping at night? Are you so tired you're falling asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow? Do you feel anxious or jittery? Or has nothing changed?
I have not been sleeping terribly well. I have gotten up in the middle of the night several times and been ravenously hungry. This is what is partially responsible for me eating more than I should. Once I'm up, I'm up, and it's very hard for me to fall back asleep. I usually end up reading for an hour or so and going back to bed.
7. Has your menstrual cycle changed?
Yes, and that was something I was completely not expecting because I am on birth control to force my menstrual cycle to happen-- but this past month I did not get my period. I freaked and made an appointment with my OBGYN who assured me that I wasn't pregnant, didn't have a thyroid problem (she checked both), but that sometimes people who are on the brand of pill I'm on don't get their period.
Lou talks in the book about what these things mean ("longer or unpredictable cycles are a sign of undereating", "weight gain is a sign you're eating more calories than you need to maintain"), but when I put everything together, I'm very confused about how to adjust to meet my goals.
Ideas? Suggestions? I feel like I need to make some kind of adjustment going into stage 2, but what?