Day 10 (Sat)
A good Chicken Salad Sandwich is so illusive to me. There is one I used to have all the time when I was a kid and whenever I get a chance to go to my old stomping grounds, I always get it. However, chicken salad is oddly hit-or-miss, but Potbelly is definitely a hit for me. So today, I’m coming back from boxing and I want something that doesn’t feel like health food, but doesn’t feel like an abandonment of the Crucible. And I when I logged my sandwich, I found I could make it work. It is a little high on carbs and fat, but I think I can adjust that next time.
My algorithm is constantly sending me recipes to try and while they always talk about the amount of protein and calories, they dont say the fat or the carbs. I think I have to look at this macro split again if I really want to get shrink my waist measure and maintain muscles. 150-150-50 may not be it. I think the cut that would best support that goal may be different. I also think that I would have to recalibrate once I go into a maintenance phase. I’m struggling to hit these protein numbers but I do not think all high-protein recipes are created equally. And I have to make sure the protein is balanced with fiber to make sure I don’t “hold on to weight.” Apparently, I’m supposed to have 25g a day. Another nutrient to track. It makes me wonder how I even kept myself alive before knowing this stuff.
I am maintaining a 31-37% deficit from my TDEE I expect that by the end of this 75 days, my weight will decrease by 7-9% which feels logical just because of my diet but I still feel skeptical. I have been struggling to lose my weight for years. I hope this time will be different, but I have almost 8 years of data saying that I won’t. However, Before eight years ago, I was able to do this whenever I wanted to and I just hope I can get that version of me back at the wheel.
One thing to remember is the number on the scale can change, but even if it doesn’t, that doesn’t mean my body isn’t changing. I’ll be able to throw more punches harder with less rest needed. I’ll be able to lift heavier weights and last longer in the rounds with much better form. I will FINALLY recover from this piriformis pain I’ve had for about eight years. My clothes will fit differently and I’ll have to replace my Oura ring because it won’t stay on my finger anymore. I’ll stand taller and my muscles will begin to peak through. I won’t stay sore as long. I’ll sleep better.
I did better at my workout that I expected especially with two weeks off. I did a class yesterday but I didn’t get a score. I did expect to be sore and weaker but I performed just a little better than I did after going for two months straight which was a pleasant surprise. Whenever I fall off any habit there is always a fear that I lost all the momentum I worked up too, but here it seems like I picked up where I left off.
I decided to start tracking my scores. I get a score based on the force and number of punches I hit during the workout. The number of my punches is definitely going up but the force is steady which signals to me that my cardio is getting better even though I’m not getting much stronger. But I haven’t been doing much weightlifting. Definitely something to incorporate later on. I do feel like I’m kinda going through the motions in class though. It is a heavy bag class but I do wish my form and stance looked more like a boxer. Even though I have no intent or interest in being a professional boxer, I would like to be good at it.
I saw this girl in my kickboxing class and I’m like she looked like she did this thing for real! She looked sharp but loose. She sat in her stance between combos. She punched with he whole body. And she exploded with each hit with the bag. I might get some one-on-one coaching to help refine my form. Especially for kickboxing. But I want to show a bit more commitment to this before investing even more into it. I am terrible with that. I have bought so many fitness programs and subscriptions that I never used. I am really enjoying the classes for now. I love seeing myself grow.
