I Ate 125 Grams of Protein Everyday for the Last 30 Days To Change My Body Composition…
As my fingers touched the cold, white tile on the bathroom floor it grabbed the attention of my groggy brain.
Many emotions run through my head on Monday morning— nervous, anxious and very curious.
This is the day to gather more information at the end of my 30 day personal experiment.
The streams in my body softly whispered to me as I reached down to pull out my Fit Index scale from under the shelf.
Two days ago marked our wedding anniversary with an incredible dinner with my husband at Sanford in Milwaukee and a festive family luau on Super Bowl Sunday. (Yes, we got married in Hawaii!)
It’s safe to assume that my tried and true nutritional habits over the past 27 days have been interrupted by a special night out and meals marking our happy occasion.
The winner here — both nights were strategically planned to enjoy the indulgence while staying focused on my goals… (As I remind my clients, I remind myself, progress is not perfection
Our desserts at Sanford are delicious! 🤯
(Sugar, especially well-executed chocolate, is my kryptonite.)
👇🏻 👇🏻 👇🏻
Quick spin and give you some context…
…if you follow (you can read the original blog post here) — you know I’m committed to eating a specific 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.
…and I’m sharing all of mine insights, breakthroughs and challenges along the way.
Success is defined as CONSISTENCY:
- to consume 1500-1600 total calories daily,
- 500 of those calories come from protein (125 grams of protein daily), and
- Include more strategic strength exercises for 30 days.
I’m not looking for weight loss for this experiment, but rather body recomposition— a toner, leaner, stronger body.
On Sunday morning, I wrote down other measures of my progress:
- Feeling fit, strong and lean.
- Nutrition choices are the most consistent in years (hello Pandemic and moving to a new home, to a new state in the middle of it!)
- Stronger body— able to press, pull and lift heavier weights than I have in over a year
- My favorite Kut from Kloth Mia High Rise skinny jeans glide more effortlessly over my hips
So let’s circle back to Monday morning’s weigh-in.
I’ll be honest, I do NOT want to step on the frosted glass, bipolar thing… not now.
Seems ironic, huh? 🙄
I declare that I’m not looking to lose weight, but here I am having a mental showdown with this square object at 5:30am.
(We had a detailed conversation about my history with the size of the last blog post.)
As I raised my right foot, the mantra began “Feedback only Cassandra… feedback only Cassandra…)
And so…
I decided to weigh in for 3 straight days to get more feedback.
My first thought, failed.
At that moment, I felt like the number had nullified my progress. I started at 125 and now, 127.
…I honestly expected the number to be the same but instead it was 2.4 pounds higher.
My nutrition coach and I had a helpful text exchange later in the day.
He reminded me that the number on the scale is ONLY A MEASURE OF PROGRESS and NOT an INFINITE measure of progress. I know this. But I’m also human.
This is exactly why I wrote the other progress measurements before my weigh-in.
(This is a useful technique I also use with my nutrition clients).
For a few hours on Monday morning, I allowed that number to dictate my will and deflate the value of my consistency over the last 30 days. #honesty
That’s when my nutrition coach reminded me…
There is an amazing super power that lies within ALL of us…
…this is called SELF COMPASSION.
I am a STRONG, STUPID, LEAN superhuman. I thoroughly enjoyed a very special anniversary weekend with my husband and family.
❤️ ❤️ This is a great reminder for all of us to practice more self-compassion. ❤️❤️
3 BEST TAKEAWAYS I FOUND:
1️⃣ I hit mine GOAL OF CONSISTENCE and averages 1518 calories per day.
YES, THIS IS work on the front-end to plan protein and food sources but once they are planned, they are done EASY to execute…
#PROTIP — Healthy eating can be made simple with planning and preparation. This eliminates the open question, “What should I eat?”.
And here’s the thing for me, consuming a consistent number of calories each day, anchored by protein, feels liberating.
I stop the flow of feeling bloated or bloated…
…AND this is proven feedback I receive from my clients when they establish more consistent protein-anchored eating habits.
2. I am on track for strength training to achieve body recomposition goals (this will work in the next months)
Each week I add at least one strength training session, (in addition to small group training sessions and HIIT classes which I lead for the Active Moms’ Club).
This new strength session is 20-30 minutes and most of all, I’m working outside my comfort zone, gradually increasing the weight and reps each session.
I will continue this training schedule for the next 2-3 months.
🌟best takeaway🌟
Regardless of whether I do 20 minutes of mobility work for the day or ride hard for 75-90 minutes with Matt Wilpers in Peloton — MY CALORIC BUDGET IS THE SAME.
At first it was a challenge.
I always give myself “permission” to eat more on longer training days, thinking “I need the extra calories”. Nope.
👉 This is something that many of my clients struggle with as well. Exercise does not give you permission to eat more. #weightlossbuster
I’ve learned that longer rides don’t require more calories BUT the timing of nutrition becomes critical.
On the days I ride longer, I consume more carbs before and after exercise and eat less fat.
This is the opposite of strength training days; I want more fat and less carbs. (Protein intake is always the same).
⭐️ ANOTHER FIRST ⭐️
Our guesstimation is spot on believing that 1500-1600 calories is MY MAINTENANCE caloric intake.
(If weight loss is the goal, this number needs to be lower to create a caloric deficit.)
My daily caloric budget takes into account my exercise habits, age, lean body mass, metabolism (slower than you might think).
Additionally, I have purposely walked outside every day this year to make up for my less active winter days.
If I were 20 years younger, I could probably eat 50% more and maintain my same weight.
Perimenopausal life is real.
All around it was a rewarding, eye-opening and cathartic experiment. I enjoy journaling about my experience and sharing it with you. I discovered a lot about myself and changed some good nutrition habits.
Thanks for following.❤️
I decided that for the next 30 days, I would increase my protein intake by 20 grams, aiming for 145 grams per day.
It seemed like the next logical step to achieve my body recomposition goals at the young age of 51.
If you’re constantly derailed with your nutrition, know that I’m taking on some 1:1 clients during the month of March.
Drop me an email, cassandra@activemomsclub.com with “I’m stuck”, and we can explore what collaboration looks like.
xoxo Coach Cassandra
