Day 38 Get Fit Challenge...naps are a cure all

It truly is amazing what a three hour nap will do for your body. 

Today I woke up at 6:45am like I always do and just couldn't get going. In a zombie state I got ready to head to the gym. I was even so out of it that I forgot to put protein powder in my shake and couldn't understand why when I was shaking it up it wasn't turning a chocolaty color. While I was sitting on the couch waiting for my shake to digest so I could head to the gym I passed out. Like passed out cold where a bomb could have gone off next to me and I wouldn't have flinched. I woke up at 11:30am feeling so much better like I had life back in my body again. 
Though I did feel bad about missing my morning workout clearly my body was telling me that sleep was needed if I was going to function properly. I did end up taking Max on a walk around the lake to get my cardio in, and I did do my back weight workout and cardio tonight at the gym so it wasn't a complete loss of an exercise day. I've found that in life you take the good days with the bad and aim for having more of the good ones. 

Day 26 Get Fit Challenge...down side to no carbs

Week one of the no carb diet is over and I think I am suffering from some of the temporary side effects that go along with it. I have found that all this week my body has been very tired and run down. Like clockwork I would need two hour naps in the afternoon after my morning workouts as I would just be exhausted and needed some rest. All of this need for extended naps made me a little worried so I did a little research to see what might be going on with my body and I found this great article on bodybuilding.com that talks about 8 temporary side effects to low carb diets.

Side Effect 1 /// "Brain Fog"

The first major side effect that you'll likely experience—usually about 2-3 days into your low-carb "induction"—is a mental lethargy often called "brain fog." 

Side Effect 2 /// The "Induction Flu"

This goes hand-in-hand with brain fog—call it a "body fog." Since the typical Western diet is so carb-dependent, starting low carb can make your body feel like the rug has been pulled out from underneath it.

Side Effect 3 /// Increased Irritability

Feel like you have a short fuse on your low-carb diet? You're not alone. Low-carb diets can make certain people irritable, especially when they first start. 

Side Effect 4 /// Weird Smells And Tastes

Ketones are a by-product of your body using fat as fuel. This means that as you progress further into your low-carb diet, there will be an inevitable build-up of ketones—called ketosis—which can cause some unique side-effects.

Side Effect 5 /// Decreased Strength And Endurance

All the meat and protein in your new diet is going to transform you instantly into a warrior in the gym—right?Unfortunately, in the short term, many people experience the opposite. Some have no problem adapting and will respond favorably right away, while others find themselves unable to toss up numbers that used to be a cinch. They may also feel a pervasive fatigue working its way into their cardio and athletic activities.

Side Effect 6 /// Constipation

Meat itself doesn't cause constipation, but constipation can be an issue if you don't have enough roughage, no matter what your nutritional system. As a result, it's a must that you get your veggies as often as possible.

Side Effect 7 /// Dehydration

You might jump for joy the first time you step on a scale after going low-carb, but don't be fooled. That weight you lost wasn't burned off—it was peed out. Ketosis has a well-documented diuretic effect that can be pretty intense for some people. Dehydration can also make the other side-effects here more pronounced.

Side Effect 8 /// Feelings Of Depression

This is a contentious point in the low-carb community, but there are some researchers who maintain that reducing your carb intake can impact your brain's serotonin levels, putting you at risk for depression and mood imbalance. 

I am pretty sure I am dealing with side effects 2 and 5 which would explain why I've been so run down. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks things will even out and I will feel better and have more energy.

In other news on the eve of my next weigh in I find that those horrible voices have crept back into my head filling it with all kinds of negative thoughts.

I keep hearing things like this over and over:

You're disgusting and not worthy of anything good

You're lazy and undisciplined

None of this will make a difference you're still fat and will always be fat

This should be so easy and you have messed it up

I don't even know why are you trying you're a failure

What is wrong with you? 

You're doing everything wrong?

Obviously I am still struggling with my self-esteem and self worth. I've been trying to tell myself that I am happy with who I am but every time I go to think of good things about myself I hate everything. So tomorrow when I step on the scale I need to remember this:

Day 25 Get Fit Challenge...I don't want to work out

Today I think I hit my limit. Woke up feeling super tired and it took everything I had to get myself to the gym this morning, but I went and got my workout in.

It super sucked and I thought I was going to die, but I didn't and hopefully me not skipping today will reflect well on the scale Sunday. I did however come home and had to take an hour nap because there was no energy left in me. Me being tired all of the time all of a sudden is kind of worrying me as working out and eating right is supposed to give you more energy where my workouts seem to drain the life out of me, especially this week.

Tonight's weight training was for back and I have to say I'm pretty impressed with how strong my back muscles are after my legs I it's the strongest body part I have. Cardio tonight was challenging mostly because I didn't want to do it because I was tired and my legs were not up to it.

I did end up doing 20 minutes on the stair stepper and 15 minutes on the elliptical. Sadly the stair stepper was easier...damnit. The good news is that tomorrow is an off day so all I have to do are my two sessions of 35 minutes of cardio. Hopefully the weather is nice cause the plan is to go hiking around Weston Bend State Park which will be a nice change from the gym and cardio machines.

Day 24 Get Fit Challenge...I cannot wait for an off day

Working out is catching up with me this week and I woke up feeling sore and tired which made for a rough morning workout. Cardio is now my new nemesis which is too bad because that was the one part of my workout that I didn't mind. However, ever since my brother amped up the resistance my opinion has changed. I struggle through every second of both 35 minute sessions of cardio, and the one at night always seems to be more difficult to get through than my morning one.

My new HIT workout has been going ok. Today I could see improvement in my sledge hammer squats so that was a win. Even though I haven't lost any weight I have been improving my fitness level and I am really happy about that. I find that after my HIT workout I feel like I've accomplished something and that makes me feel really good even though I am a sweaty hot mess.

Tonight's weight lifting was biceps and triceps. Preacher curls kicked my ass as usual, but I was able to crank more out in pull ups and dips so that was a win. I'd like to get to the point with those where I can knock out 12-15 reps instead of 7-10. It would also be really awesome if I could graduate from assisted pull ups, but at this point I think I might be getting ahead of myself. 

Tomorrow is the last day of my 4 days on and it's ending with a back workout. Needless to say I am excited for an off day I'm feeling very run down and kind of over working out. Not sure if it's just my body telling me to rest or if the no carb thing is catching up to me. We'll see but for now my two hour afternoon naps will have to suffice, and honestly who doesn't like a nice nap in the afternoon.