So I feel a little fluffy...and I am throwing away my scale.

Oh...MY...gosh...

I am speaking in "fit terms." I always heard people talking about how they felt "fluffy," yet I never got it. My mentality was always like...

"Um, so you feel fat? That's great. It's called fat, not fluffy. No need to glamorize or cute it up!"

But now I get it. I can completely feel my muscles...but there are days that my skin and "fat" feel so much more prominent on top of them. My weight is the same as days I don't feel "fluffy," however I feel like I am so much bigger. Typically, it is water weight. I have started allocating my carbs to fit around my workouts, as well as introducing sodium back in my diet. This has been extremely difficult for me. I love me some carbs, and breakfast is the best time to eat them! I am not an egg lady...I do not enjoy them...so it makes it difficult to eat something without carbs in the morning that doesn't completely ruin all my fats for the day (cough, cough BACON). With the introduction of these back into my life, I have gained a little weight. I am sitting at 121 and I feel like it may just be from water retention and daily fluctuations. My lowest was 118 when I started IIFYM...and I flip-flop between there and 121.

 Just as an example...check this out. I sodium and carb loaded for my "pre-six pack" pictures for our challenge that started the 15th. I ate whatever the heck I wanted for my cheat day:

Chocolate and Caramels

French Fries

PF Changs Deliciousness

The Great Wall of Chocolate Cake

And I got REALLY! bloated. And looked disgusting-I looked like I did before I started this journey! I seriously thought that I was going to die from how tight my stomach was; but that was the goal! So, here. Here is the pictures we took for our challenge. DISGUSTING!

However, check this out. This is the power of sodium and carb loading...within moderation...it goes away! These pictures are taken less than 24 hours apart. That is INSANE.

I have been doing this IIFYM lifestyle for the past month or so. I actually really enjoy it, and it is a great lifestyle eating plan. It allows me to have great food in moderation...and NOT FREAK OUT! That being the case, I am still trying to determine what caloric value and macros suit me best. Right now I am competing in a "Six Pack Challenge" with Faruk and two others...so I am low on calories (around 1250). I recently joined IIFYM Women on Facebook and they suggested I should be around 1550 cals a day to still see steady fat loss...so I am feeling it out. I am going to give myself the next couple weeks to see progress on 1250 and then go from there. 

In the meantime, I have had my Mom and friend Kelli join me on the IIFYM crusade. They have both started using this approach and have lost steady weight consistently! My mom is down 5 pounds in a month...and Kelli about the same! It is SO exciting to see something work for soooo many people...that is not that difficult! I am so proud of both of them.

I am new to this. And sometimes I feel like I am not making progress...but I have to be patient. This isn't a sprint, it is a marathon...and I have started out SO strong. I am learning about my body; what works and what doesn't. I am stronger and MUCH happier and confident.

I got this...and I am not finished yet!


Lauren