A while ago, I found a fitness blog that seemed interesting to me. It was called The Great Fitness Experiment. The woman who writes that blog has dedicated herself to fitness, and trying out all kinds of fitness programs, and reporting back to her readers on how the plans worked for her. She also has gigs writing for Shape magazine and others like that. I find her credible and funny, and very candid and not afraid to share. I like that. It's very honest.
Anyway, several months ago, I read a review that she wrote for a new book by Rachel Cosgrove. I had never heard of Rachel Cosgrove, but apparently she is a fitness guru who owns a gym in California, and she seems to be quite popular. How I had never heard of her baffles me, but on with the story. Charlotte, the blogger, didn't like Rachel's new program, but she raved about one that she had done years earlier. So I read Charlotte's old post from when she did the old program, and I was intrigued. I ended up buying Rachel's old book, The Fit Female Breakthrough, and started reading it.
It took me a while to get through it (life is always so busy!), but I finally finished it while on vacation back in July. The book is for women, clearly from its title. The book's philosophy focuses on heavy weight training, and how to eat to fuel your body. I started the program three weeks ago, and I really enjoy the workouts. I do weight training three days a week, and this week, my third week, I added in a day of cardio. The book talks about how the typical steady-state cardio that a lot of people do at the gym (treadmill, elliptical, or even running that you do outdoors) are not efficient ways to work your body to lose weight. Instead, the cardio you do in this book is very metabolic. I think of it more as calisthenics. Burpees, mountain climbers, spider mans, jump squats, etc. You do them in circuits, so for the first two weeks, you do each exercise for 30 seconds each, with 30 seconds of rest in between.
The eating part of the program focuses on eating a protein and a vegetable/fruit at every meal, including each snack. And you're allowed 4 splurges per week. Also, you're supposed to eat breakfast within 15 minutes of waking up every day, in order to keep your metabolism stoked. And you're supposed to have a protein shake within 15 minutes of your weight workouts. In addition, you're supposed to drink half of your body weight in ounces of water every day. And you're supposed to eat every three to four hours. The big kickers are no wheat, no added sugar, and no processed foods (except in your splurges, I guess).
In all honesty, that last sentence hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be. So often, I was feeling so miserable after eating, and I was unsure what was causing it. I'd get this pain in my intestines, almost gas-like, but not quite. Maybe crampy? I don't know. Whatever it was, I didn't like it, and I always felt bloated and uncomfortable. But since I started this plan, I haven't really felt that way, and I don't feel bloated anymore. I have splurged each week, probably more than my four allowed times. Some splurges are not worth it. I was at an out-of-town wedding last weekend, and really couldn't control a lot of what I had available to eat. After our drive home last Sunday, I felt miserable. It was all from the food. Amazing. Today, I was pouring my daughter a bowl of cereal, and I decided to taste it (it was Vanilla Honey Bunches of Oats, which sounded delicious), and I was a bit grossed out. It just didn't taste good. It tasted fake. Not like real food. So if anything, I'm happy about the change in my taste buds.
I've been eating oatmeal for breakfast when my breakfast isn't a protein shake. I love oatmeal, and I usually put some fruit in it (blueberries are my favorite). You would think after three weeks, I wouldn't miss the sugar anymore, but no. I still miss it terribly. I'd love to put a spoonful of brown sugar in there, but alas, I don't. I just try to appreciate the texture and flavor of the oatmeal on its own.
Other meals have been ok. The book says not to worry about your good-fat intake, so I've not cut back on that sort of thing. For instance, I make my own salad dressing, and it's a full-fat olive oil dressing. I only use 2 tablespoons with my salad, and I have that for lunch Monday through Friday. When I'm home for lunch, I make a panini using olive oil instead of butter on my bread. I use low-fat cheese, and usually turkey (lunchmeat without nitrites), on sprouted grain bread (this is low on the glycemic index, so is acceptable on this plan). Dinners are always a low-fat protein of some sort...fish, pork, lean ground beef, top sirloin, chicken...a vegetable, and a starch (non-wheat, like brown rice, potatoes, or a rice pasta).
I've been really good at resisting the treats that people bring in to work, and like I said, I haven't splurged much (although it's probably been more than the allotted four times each week).
Why am I telling you all of this? Because after my first week, I was down a pound. After my second week, I was up a pound. Really? Now, granted, Rachel tells you in the book that you may not see the number on the scale change, but you will be able to tell that you're changing the shape of your body based on how your clothes are fitting. And I think I'm ok with that. But somehow, I'm still disturbed by the lack of movement on the scale. I think what bothers me is that my fat % didn't go down. If my fat % went down (which would mean that my muscles were growing), but my weight stayed the same, I'd be ok with that. But when it's all not budging, well, then I wonder if what I'm doing is working.
But then I think of Charlotte, and how successful she was on the program. And how much she raved about the program. And how other readers of hers raved about the program, and how quickly they saw results. And here I am after week three, and I am barely noticing any changes. In fact, the only change I notice is that I'm not as bloated. Am I stronger? I don't know. Am I leaner? I don't know. My scale doesn't say so. Do I feel better about the food I'm putting in my body? Yes. Do I miss my bowls of cereal? Absolutely. I'm looking forward to the day that I don't miss that anymore. Missing it means I'm going to be tempted by it. And if I am just maintaining my weight by eating mostly what I'm supposed to, I can't afford to be tempted by it. There is no room for error here.
Anyway, that's what I've been up to lately in my month or so since I last wrote. I'll be checking my measurements after the end of my first phase, which ends after week four. We'll see if there's been any change. Wish me luck.
Has anyone out there ever tried this Rachel Cosgrove program? And if so, were you successful? Is there hope if I just stick it out?
