Week five is halfway over. Thirty-three days in - no cheating, no missed workouts; I consider that to be a series of small victories along the path towards winning the big one.
The biggest challenge over the last couple of weeks hasn't been the dieting or the workouts; it's been overcoming negativity, both external and internal. The mental gymnastics that it takes to navigate the minefield that is sometimes my life consumes a lot of energy, and I don't particularly like it.
Changes are inevitable; how things change remains to be seen.
On a less morbid note, the dieting and workouts have been pretty fab. Still eating three meals a day, still adhering to the 5pm hard cutoff, with very few exceptions. Had a 6pm meal once in order to sit down with the fam - wifey and I had meatless 'pulled pork' on gluten-free rolls with sweet potato fries, while the kids had burgers and curly fries. My wife has been on board with my diet plan for the past two weeks; it helps having her along for the ride. She's already seeing and feeling changes even without working out, but plans to begin an exercise routine of her own in the coming days.
I switched up my weight training this past Sunday. Still doing a circuit of exercises, repeated 4 times each session; six days on, one day off (Saturday), but with completely different upper body exercises. The principles are rooted in powerlifting movements; deadlifts, benchpress, and squats. Given the addition of two additional barbell movements, I converted a few others - military presses, bent-over rows and bicep curls - to their dumbbell counterparts. It's kicking my ass something proper - and I wouldn't have it any other way, quite frankly. Not sure if I'll revert back to the previous movements after four weeks of doing this, or if I'll try something else... Guess I'll use the time in between to determine how that all shakes out.
The changes that I expect to see by this point are all here; my face is visibly slimmer, my pants fit more loosely, my physical endurance continues to increase, while my resting heart rate continues to drop. I'm more energetic, and I'm motivated by these results to push myself even harder during my workouts, and to remain strictly within my dietary guidelines.
As for the negativity that's been bubbling up within and around me? Well, I guess I'm gonna have to meditate on that, and remain positive that I'll overcome it.
Onward.
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