What Have I Done?!
Soooooo…I did a thing. I chopped all my hair off. Well, actually, I let a professional do that - Hey, Lindsay, hey! (It’s amazing and I’m in love! Go see her RIGHT NOW and tell her I sent you!) And then I said yes to Carb Cycling for three weeks on a whim. Yeah…I’m not so sure about that last one either, but here I am…SIX days in.So let’s break this down, shall we?
What exactly IS carb cycling? Hell. That’s what it is. I'm only kidding…ish. Carb cycling is a period of carb depletion (2 days) followed by 1 day of carb reloading. In non-technical terms, this basically means that based on caloric intake, you are only allowed a very small portion of carb for two days. This does not include fruit, healthy fats or dressings/seeds. LOTS of lean protein, green vegetables, and for me, 3 tsp of nut butter or oil/butter. On carb reload day, it’s double the serving of carb, add the fruit, healthy fats, seeds and dressings back in for a ‘normal’ day of nutrition.
To be honest, it’s not that bad. The fruit part is the hardest for me because it’s so easy to snack on cold fruit from the fridge! Oh, and planning. Since I said yes to this on a whim, I went into the week a bit unprepared for what I’d need to eat. I was seriously low on proteins and veggies, heavy on the fruits and cheese. Whoops. Better luck next week, right?!
Why do it, you ask? Well…for several reasons. I love a good challenge. I needed to hone in on my nutrition. But mostly, this is simply a healthy way to help you break a plateau, or if you’re me, kickstart weight loss. This is not a program that should be followed all the time. It should only be done 3-4/year. Max.
Is it working? You know that saying that abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym? 100% true. Three days in and I was down 3lbs. Six days and we’re looking at 4.2lbs!!!!! (Can I get an AMEN?!) I can’t wait to post before and after pictures at the end of the three weeks. Will I look like a different person? Probably not. More than likely, just a refreshed, healthier version of me. One who was resilient and didn’t give up. One who fell off the wagon (I’m looking at you, can of Coke) but hopped right back on. One that hopefully feels a little better about herself and her ability to button her jeans without sucking in. But until then, friends, I’ll be dreaming of oatmeal and sweet potatoes on repeat!
