Step 2: Flip the Switch!

So as you may know, I have this random goal of attaining 20% body fat. Random because why 20%? Why not. I like goal setting. I love challenges. And I am impressed with and in awe of my body on a daily basis. It feels natural for me to be lean and strong. I build muscle quickly, as if my body thirsts for it. I am so in love with my physical being and that is something I have never EVER been able to say in my 28 years of life. I want to see how far I can go...

If you remember from my past few blogs about me tracking my macros and calories, I was worried about having to increase my intake. I knew it was inevitable, because that's the only way to increase muscle mass. Well...thank mother nature for the season of summer because berries, melons, and stone fruits are the ONLY kinds of fruits I can consume without suffering from painful bloating and gas. I can eat about 1/4 of a banana with no problem as long as it's nearly brown, and mixed with a good amount of fats (like from coconut) and water. Any more than that, or if I eat it on it's own...well let's just say I don't do that. I can't. Apples, pears, pineapple, etc...they all cause the same reaction. It would seem as though I might have some mild form of fructose sensitivity. But, I'll worry about that later. I am just fine without a lot of fruit. Except that NOW, it's a HUGE help in getting my calorie intake up! Like, major. I'm putting fruit in my salad, eating it whole, making smoothies, adding it to breakfast, etc. It's awesome. And I find that eating more carbs (I was keeping it around 100 because that allowed me to burn stubborn body fat and break my last plateau...although that number is sort of ambiguous, it's what worked for ME) is also improving my already phenomenal energy levels and definitely granting me increased performance at the gym. Win, win! Love my carbs!

So my meals are starting to look a bit different than how they did before. Here's what my tummy has been enjoying lately:

Juicy organic, grass-fed local beef burger on a portobello mushroom with homemade chipotle aioli, sautéed veggies, cilantro, avocado, and BACON!

Grilled Dover Sole over mixed baby greens with red bell peppers and a side of oven roasted Brussels sprouts with onions and BACON! 

HUGE salad...so delicious. Packed with veggies, fruit, and seeds.

Another huge salad with hardboiled eggs and BACON!

Smoked salmon wrapped carrots and Persian cucumbers

Egg-in-avocado bake and an egg white and chard scramble with BACON!

My favorite treat!!! White peaches!!!!!!!

Cauliflower rice loaded with veggies, cooked in butter, and tossed with BACON. And a runny egg on top of course.

Spicy chicken sausage with spinach, onions, and steamed sweet potato. My favorite pre-workout breakfast! 

As you can see, my meals are increasing in volume and I'm eating a lot more bacon. Basically that's it. Ha! No I'm also getting more carbs in with sweet potatoes, carrots, and fruit. I almost never eat whole fruits so this is big for me. And I'm getting more fats by increasing the amount I cook with. You can't tell in all the photos but there's quite a bit of clarified butter, coconut oil, and bacon fat happening right now and my heart and muscles are happy for it.

Now, in terms of the exercise component. I'm going to be changing that game quite a bit. If you want your body to change, you have to change your actions. So, I'll be joining a 6 am spin class twice per week. Two mega changes there: I don't normally workout until the late morning/early afternoon AND my usual cardio consists of sprints or tabata style intervals. 

I hold myself accountable by adding things to my calendar. I have MEGA OCD so if I see it in there, consider it DONE! 

I'm also going to start training at a new gym, Hercules CrossFit. They are 3 miles from my house so I'll be able to ride my bike which is awesome. My workouts usually consist of CF style exercises and routines BUT I haven't been under the supervision of a CF certified trainer in over 3 months so that'll be a big change: I'm going to be pushed to my limit on a more regular basis again. I. CAN'T. WAIT!