My right arm slowly moved out from under the toasty blankets as I groped to mute the “Ripples” melody blaring from my alarm.
I took a long, comforting breath and stretched my body like a fluffy cat.
My iPhone tells me it’s time to start the day…
… a strength training session with AMC moms. (My favorite part of the day!)
Today is day 10 of my 30-day personal experiment.
(In case you missed it, I committed to eating a certain number of daily calories, and adding strategic weight training to my routine for 30 days with the goal of creating new consistent habits for body recomposition. Read more here.)
What I quickly discovered about this experiment…
#1) CONSISTENCY IS A CHALLENGE
Eating 125 grams of protein a day requires thought to prepare and plan each meal.
At first there were a few bumps in the road, now I have a better strategy and a couple simpler, go-to meals.
A cup of spaghetti squash, 4 ounces of roasted chicken and a sprinkle of cheese with Trader Joe’s Tomato & Basil Marinara sauce is delicious AND very filling.
👉🏻The best a-ha moment…
#2) I EAT FOOD!
Let me explain…
During the holidays, I found myself in the (not so good) habit of “getting” food…
- a few pieces of beef jerky and some peanuts,
- container of Skyr yogurt and fruit,
- sliced grilled chicken and vegetables dipped in salsa or Tzatziki dip
And then there are empty calorie snacks: pretzels, crackers, popcorn, rice cakes…and not so empty calories (I’m looking at you holiday cookies)!
Together, all of this provided calories to hold me over for the next ‘grab’ but sometimes they weren’t satisfying.
These ‘grabs’ often occur throughout the morning and afternoon, and are usually without enough calories (leading me to overeat at dinner time)…
…Or, mindlessly eating too many empty calories that didn’t serve me well either.
Dinner is always the more thoughtful to sit down to dinner with the family.
… as a busy mom can you relate?
Yes, I am a nutrition coach…
…all the things I teach clients; eat slowly, eat without distractions, eat carefully is not CONSISTENT happening in my world.
Hence, the beginning of my personal experiment to change my HABITS.
NOW I EAT LARGE, MINDFUL PLATES OF FOOD FULL OF SATISFYING AND NURTURING PROTEIN.
Eggs have become my favorite breakfast, lunch or dinner.
My favorite combo; 4 egg white scramble (1 yolk) with sautéed onions and spinach, a few slices of avocado and half a slice of toasted sourdough.
Oh, the half slice of toast… this is so I can enjoy a delicious piece of dark chocolate later! #tradeoffs
One of my clients asked…
How many calories do you eat in a day?
My goal is to land in between 1,500 – 1,600 calories. (10 days to go, 20 to go!)
This is what I believe so much calories needed to MAINTAIN my weight, not to create a caloric deficit for weight loss.
This is where the experiment comes in…
… I may have overestimated or under-estimated my daily caloric goal.
👉🏻 I’ll recheck my weight and other measurements at the end of the challenge to see where I’ve fallen.
(Yes, there’s a part of me that wants to weigh in weekly, but the information the scale provides has the potential to derail my experiment– the scale can play tricks on me. I have to trust the process, be patient, and most of all, be constant constant.)
THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF MY CALORIC GOAL…
500 out of 1,500 calories should come from protein for body recomposition purposes.
It is equal to 125 grams of protein per day.
To reach my daily protein, I choose:
- Plan and prepare my meals every day, it’s impossible to hit this protein goal lightly
- Eat 4 ounces of protein at breakfast, lunch and dinner + a protein mini meal in the afternoon – a stretch from my “grab and go” habit and empty calorie snacks
I will share with you a statement that resonated with me from my nutrition coach…
#3) FOCUS ON THE PROCESS NOT BOUND TO THE FUTURE
It’s a daily chant for me, “Focus on the process, Cassandra.”
The process is engaging.
Every day is a new day to do my best. It doesn’t matter what the end goal is.
When you don’t do the process—when the habits and behaviors are routinely consistent—the intent becomes mute.
It’s the daily, consistent habits and behaviors that will get you where you want to go. 🤯
xoxo Coach C~
P.S Drop me an email, cassandra@activemomsclub.com and tell me where you want to go, I’ll personally reply and share a simple strategy that you can implement immediately.❤️
PPS Want to know what happened next. Hint, the weekend includes AMC’s winter retreat weekend!… read part 3 here.
