Follow the dreams of the future not the mistakes of your past

Rant and Tip for November 4, 2011

Quote: “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” Thomas Jefferson

With the meet coming up this Saturday this quote came to mind again. I tend to dwell on the mistakes I have made in the past and not look to the future and what I can make of it. If you are struggling with a weight loss issue or the fact that you just cannot get to a good workout routine, do not beat yourself up about it. Just plan a little better and look to the future and make it just what you want it to be. On a little side note here, when you do stress over something it releases more Cortisol into your system. Cortisol is a steroid hormone that is released into the body as a result of stress and this hormone can make it difficult to lose weight. It will actually aid in a stall of weight loss. My point here is not to stress over mistakes made in the past look ahead at the great choices you will make next time.

My weight today was 167.4 which put me at just 2.4 pounds over the weight class, a perfect place to be for Saturday. It was just a matter of reducing calories and carbs while keeping my protein levels up to avoid muscle loss. Cardio is at a minimal right now so as to not let my body get catabolic.

The key to losing fat and not losing muscle is a proper balance between carbs, fats and protein. If you reduce your carbs and fats you need to make sure to keep your proteins up to maintain muscle mass. This can be tricky. This is also why my cardio is at a minimal right now. Aside from some hard cardio Monday and Tuesday, Yesterday and the rest of the week will just be going for walks during lunch.

I have been planning my menu for the meet on Saturday and believe if I eat properly for the day I will be able to hit some PR’s in the meet. I am striving for a big jump in my triple from last March; at least that is my goal. Everything hinges on me hitting my squats and making sure they are deep enough. My goal weights were judged by a USAPL judge 2 weeks ago and they were deep enough. I just need to do it Saturday.

Have a great workout!

Tip: I was speaking with a co-worker last night and he made a comment he hates the gym atmosphere. I understand what he stated and that is why I have the workout plans on my blog designed to be able to be accomplished at home. If strength training is not your thing schedule some activities you do enjoy. Join a sports league or simply organize one in your neighborhood. Get a group of people together and have a game of soccer, basketball, touch football or some other activity you enjoy. Just get moving.