Go with the flow!

[dillytl]

General: I guess not all workouts can be stellar.

BUT - at least you got it done!!! CONGRATS!!
I'll be doing Front Squats for the very first time today!

[stingo]

Originally Posted by Espi

I guess not all workouts can be stellar.

You had a lot of red on the 14th there - so anything would feel like a come down, but it's not. You're just in the foothills after enjoying the view from the peak. You'll be up there again I'm sure.

[Fitwit]

Originally Posted by Espi

Taste-wise I don't really like it. And prefer to use aspartame on omelettes or in coffee or liquid sweetener (cyclamate & saccharine) when I bake (very rarely, like that carrot cake). I've bought it but just don't use it much.

Splenda is not yet widely available here.

I'm glad I don't really consume all that much coffee, otherwise my sweetener use would be through the roof, since coffee is where I put in most aspartame tabs (even 4-5 in 1 mug!)

The nut ice cream was great, saved about 1/4th of it and shared another 1/4th with SO. So, I'll even have some other splurge tomorrow night (miniature bag of crisps)... or perhaps save some calories and start my upcoming cut early-ish.

Hey, Espi, how is it going? Just checking in to say hi! Are you going to try NROL4W, you think? I just started Stage 2 and it is tough. Makes BGB look like a walk in the park!

Now about the aspartame on omelettes? Do you sweeten your omelettes? I just had to know!

This is my favorite brand of stevia, by the way, PURE STEVIA ORGANIC EXTRACT - KAL | 1 *BOTTLE; 1.3 OZ Buy at a low price!

[mel]

Espi, I was just thinking about the difference between workouts and what causes that.

This came to my mind because I had a workout today that was sort of meh. The last time I did this same workout, 5 days ago, it was awesome. I was trying to think, today, of the variables that might contribute to this difference. Have you thought about that before?

Can you think of anything that contributes today or might contribute in a pattern of bleh workouts?

mel

[Espi]

My training plans are for 12 workouts and depending on what day of the cycle they start, culminate at around day 22 of the cycle, when I'm strongest. So I try to hit my maxes then. It's pretty logical that after starting another cycle again with lower weights, you're not going to be your best.
And precisely because of the way I plan them, the start traditionally is in the period when I am not at my strongest. Knowing this can even reinforce that feeling.

Other than that .. I was feeling off all day, probably due to not drinking enough water the day before when I was away from home and then having a glass of Bailey's at night dehydrated me even more.
Also been eating foods that I know I shouldn't but got re-addicted to, viz. cheese, dairy , peanut butter. All these foods are slight allergens for me and while indulging in them once in a while isn't harmful, continuous exposure like I especially did with the cheeses, isn't a smart idea.

Ah well..today TOM arrived (not Tom ) and it's the first day of my new cut/maintenance cycle that is probably going to last like.. forevah. Sixteen days of cutting in the follicular phase for when appetite is down and then somewhere in between 7 and 12 days of mini-bulking to regain the lost LBM.
Apart from the fact that I don't like to lose strenght or LBM and hence only want to cut 2 weeks at the time, there's also the phenomenon of aging. As soon as I start on a cut, my cycles shorten to just 22-23 days. No fun. I've observed there seems to be a minimum calorie intake for every single day (a high averages somehow doesn't count) or else TOM comes early. Increasing calories will likewise lengthen the cycle to a more normal length.
Alas, even this time, with ass-high calories, it was only 26 days.

Oh, Karen, I use aspartame powder mostly, sometimes real maple syrup on a high kcal day and since about a week, I'm not using anything at all. For my raspberry coconut omelettes, that's really easy. The apple ones can be good on their own too, so I should just wean myself off the übersweet tasting foods. But you can't make me stop using aspartame in that 1 huge mug of coffee!!

[Espi]

BTW, this is my latest 'weapon' in the dieting game. I've been using it for 2 months already, until I realized how it helps with cutting!



This is a 3 piece tea mug. Mine isn't as beautiful as this one, but it's extremely practical and a lot of fun to use.
I've got about 12 different teas now:
- white tea (2 versions)
- green tea (3 versions)
- regular black tea (Lipton)
- Celestial Seasoning's dessert type tea: berry - English toffee - chocolate caramel
- herbal relaxation tea : one with mostly St John's wort, one mint/licorice , one pure licorice

[dillytl]

....For my raspberry coconut omelettes, that's really easy. The apple ones can be good on their own too....

Do you have recipes for these? They sound AWESOME!

[Espi]

Sure.. I can do them blindfolded now.

At the time when I started making them I was craving pancakes, but since I don't do flour from grains (regular or oats), I decided to mimick them by using shredded coconut. I guess I could also grind almonds (hmmm am going to try this one day!) but am too lazy as the coconut can be readily bought. Plus, coconut has 'fast' MCT fats, and hence are ideal pre-workout food.

Basics
- 3 eggs (I've always used whole eggs, with egg whites taste is off.. perhaps it might work for people who eat egg-white only omelettes?)
- 8-10 grams of shredded coconut
- 1 tsp of cinnamon (less with raspberries)
- some sea salt (if using unsalted butter) and something I have used since late Nov: fruity pepper (contains dried fruit flakes, sugar, salt, & pepper)
- sparkling mineral water

Whisk the eggs with the coconut and cinnamon. Add some salt (and pepper if you like)
When finished, add the sparkling mineral water. This will help with the fluffinss of the omelette.
Add to a skillet in which you've put 5g of real butter (no fake stuff or olive oil).

Fruit:
- for apples , you slice them and (geez, my brain is working slow with all the dairy/cheese lately), braise ? them in butter
- for raspberries , I grab them out of the freezer once I'm pouring the eggmix into the skillet and put them on top.
- same for e.g. banana that I slice once the egg mix is in the skillet.
For apples I sometimes also add raisins or dried cranberries.

Then a lid goes on the skillet and I let it simmer/braise for 10 minutes until it's done. The apple one can be turned over.. Not so for the raspberries & bananas. These are too soft.

Sometimes I use 4 eggs and then take 15g of coconut. I might try 2 eggs plus 2 egg whites. That's the least amount of egg yolks I'd use.

For egg whites only I'd rather eat them boilt.. or ... try to make meringues.

[Fitwit]

Oh yes, yum, meringues. I tried Dane/Lisa's recipe. Galatia tipped me off to it. Delish!

[dillytl]

THANKS!!! That sounds GREAT!! DH and I both have tried to make meringues recently, and just aren't having any luck at all! This sounds like a yummy alternative!

[Espi]

Well, these are with whole eggs. Even on very low kcal days (I've tried 1100kcal days), I'd rather just lower protein intake, than miss out on my omelette. Then I opt for the raspberries though and use a bit less coconut.

The egg whites on their own just aren't very flavourful, unless you're trying meringues. I'm not a really great cook. Dane/Lisa (who's an excellent baker) said she has a metal bowl. Somehow metal bowls seem to make a difference, no?

[Kirjava]

Espi, that sounds delish. Thanks for posting! Do you normally eat these before a workout?

[Espi]

Those omelettes, I eat these as breakfast on non-WO days and as pre-WO meal on the other days. Some days I eat them twice. Can't get enough of them..
Used to work out in the morning and then felt fatigued once I switched to working out in the late afternoon. And somehow figured that perhaps my breakfast would help out. There's something in the eggs+coconut that gives me more strength than a pure carb+protein meal. Just magik!

[Espi]

In case anyone is interested in my zigzagging method for the next umpteen months of dieting, here's the latest streamlined update.
I'd made a few changes from a former plan, those are:
1 same planned deficit on a rest day and same (or actually no) suprlus for every workout day
2 a tiny bulk from day 17 onwards, with much higher calories on rest days

It seems that very high calories on WO days still can't make the luteal phase last longer if calories are too low on rest days. Even just 1 day of very low calorie intake can lower temperature too much. This too low body temp actually also can lengthen follicular phase, but this doesn't bother me as much.


Revised schedule is:
day 1-16 of TOM: approx. 350 kcal deficit = 18.4-15% (w 1900-2300kcal mtn)
rest day = 700 kcal deficit from estimated caloric output
workout day = eating the estimated caloric output (currently slightly above maintenance)


day 17 till TOM: approx. 150 kcal surplus = 7.9-6.5% (w 1900-2300 kcal mtn)
rest day = 300 kcal deficit from estimated caloric output
workout day = 600kcal above estimated caloric output

This way I expect to be losing 16x350-12x150=5600-1800=3800 kcal per 28 days or 135 kcals/day with the assumption I'll be having a 28-day cycle.
For the approx. 3-4 kg I want to lose that's 3 to 4 x 9000 /3800 = 7 - 9,5 cycles of 28 days, a$$uming no loss in maintenance and no or very little LBM-loss.

ETA, just realized an error. When I'll be skipping 1-2 workouts per cycle, I'll be eating less. In any case the 1st WO of TOM is skipped, and if possible the one following the 12th WO (if I manage it, it will be the 26th day) viz on day 28. In that case, there's not a total deficit of 3800 but of 5400 kcal. Makes for 27-36Kkcal/5.4Kkcal = 5 to 6.7 cycles.
Yes, I'm a number cruncher.. and proud of it, too!

[Espi]

Friday Feb 22
Triple Anti-KISS 3-1B
all weights in kilograms

DYNAMIC STRETCHING
The usual exercises, except for the Russian side twist. Did half of the push-ups for ‘real’ and the other half as girly pushups.

waves
A1 front squat w hang cleans
WU: hang cleans w 25-30-37,5kg and then when finished 35-30-28-25 kg
WU: 37,5x5
42,5x6 – 45x6
47,5x4 – 50x4
52,5x2 – 55x4
Going OK, Could’ve been better, but wasn’t trying to push myself.


PREPARATORY WORK
B1 deadlift
60x5
70x8
72,5x8
75x8
Went up OK, but I noticed to use my back again too much, so had to re-focus on involving the legs more by driving the heels into the ground.

B2 supine rows
BW+4x8-8-8
No surprises

ASSISTANCE EXERCISES

C1 step up
BW+(2x8)x8
BW+(2x7)x8
BW+(2x6)x8
At least there’s 1 advantage to the relocated bench station where I’m doing the step-ups on (bench is slightly lower and tons more stable than regular ‘loose’ benches): I can now focus on the wall than be distracted by too many people/much equipment.

METABOLIC WORK
C2+3+4 goblet squat – db swing – renegade row
12x6-6-6 times 2
It’s the renegade row that is the limiting step here. Both other exercises don’t exhaust me nearly as much.


ODD EXERCISES
Excercises You've Never Tried Before #12
Still haven’t found back my article. And .. didn’t want to do any because of plans to do cardio.

CARDIO
A fairly easy & very chatty session as I need to ease back into it after 3 months of barely any cardio at all.
- 5 min WU @ 10% and 5km/hr
- 8 min @ 15% and 5km w 3 slow jogs @ 7-8,5km/hr for approx. 20-30s each
- 2min cooldown.
1,33 km (5,32km/hr) – 157kcal (628kcal/hr)

General: OK workout, not the very best one but tons better than the first one of the series. Glad I’ve skipped the Wednesday workout. I came early because I have stuff to do tonight.
I'd forgotten to take Karno4 and do anotice a difference with and without it. Same for taking proper sports drink or not , as I tend to get cramps without the magnesium.

Training statistics
Volume: 14341
# of sets: 37 # of reps: 209 - avg reps/set : 5,6 - kg/rep : 68,8

[dillytl]

Looks like a good workout!!!

I used to love those "chatty" cardio workouts - one of the few things I miss about working out in the gym. Now, the only talking I do is to my cat if he happens to come down to the basement to visit me while I'm workin' out!!!