Weekly Wrap: My Effort

It's true what they say about effort and success...

I started the day with the goal of fasting as long as I could, which I hoped would be at least a couple hours longer than my normal extended fasting window. So if I made it to 2 or 3pm, I'd call it a success.

It would all come down to effort.

First of all, I woke up hungry (which is unusual). It's like my body knew what was about to happen. Like waking up right before the alarm goes off or getting a headache when a storm is coming. Needless to say it was kind of annoying that my stomach was rumbling and I hadn't even had my first cup of coffee. Like a good carb-cycler, I ignored the feeling and went about my morning.

It was going to be another scorcher (heat warnings were predicting temperatures at 94 with feels like above 110), so after doing some chores around the apartment mrC and I took a walk. This is always a good distraction from thinking about food. We were hoping to beat the heat, but the heat had an early start.

The first part of the walk was not bad. We cut through the trees and took the shaded steps down to the beach. There are two storms brewing out in the China Sea and they're bringing pretty nasty air quality to Hong Kong, but that hasn't stopped people from braving a day at the beach.

Despite the feels like temperature of 104, we saw runners, walkers, bikers and even full tennis courts.  People around here are way more hard core than we are. There is no shade or breeze on those courts.

We did a a one mile loop and that was enough for us. The final stretch is all uphill and mostly unshaded. We hung around outside for a few minutes because living at the top of the hill has the perk of being what we call the windiest spot in DB. In other words, it's a great place to cool off, most of the time.

After the walk, I tried to distract myself with laundry and even put on one hour express teeth whitening strips, but by 12:30 I broke.

I was hungry and I knew I had left-over buffalo chicken quinoa. (Have you tried this recipe?)

I did not give 100% effort today.  I knew my 24 hour fast would not be successful and I'm ok with that. I adjusted to what would work for me, today. Carb cycling and intermittent fasting does not mean that I must do a 24 hour fast or I fail. That's why this program works for me. I can modify it to my needs and still be successful. Maybe I didn't complete my fast for as long as I originally planned. I still fasted. My body still experienced the benefits of an extended fast and that's what matters to me.
**Want more information about carb cycling and IF? Click here for FASTer Way to Fat Loss® info.

Here's a look at the rest of my workouts from the week. I think my overall effort is excellent!

Monday - Laser hair removal day - took a walk

Tuesday - took a walk

Wednesday - strength training

Thursday - Bodypump

Friday - Bodystep

Saturday - strength training

Linking up with Tricia and Holly for the Weekly Wrap!

How would you rate your effort this week?
Can you think of any other examples of when our bodies seem to know something?

I Tried a Juice Cleanse and This Is What Happened

I like food. I also like carb cycling. The fasting part of the FASTer Way To Fat Loss®️ program has always been the hard part for me, but since it is a key component (it's when your body reaches into its fat stores) I always give my best effort. I've read that a juice cleanse is an effective way to extend your fasting window (because your body stays in digestive rest), so I thought this would be my ticket to a successful fast.

We ended up at Nood, a juicery right off the Mid-Levels escalator in Central. With the help of Justin, we were able to put together a one-day cleanse and purchase from the ready made stock in the shop.

This is what happened when I tried a one day juice cleanse:

6:30 - wake up and drink my usual bottle of water. No coffee on cleanse day. I have 6 bottles to drink throughout the day, so I wait to start so that the last bottle will be due at 7PM, the end of my eating window on a normal day.

8:00 - drink another bottle of water as prep for the first juice bottle. I will continue to do this every hour between bottles.

9:00 - Bottle #1. Hydrating and anti-inflammatory effects to start the day. I was terrified that it would taste disgusting, but it wasn't bad. It was a sweet lemonade flavor and easy to drink. The fun part was the slight sting left on my lips like when I eat spicy food.

11:00 - Bottle #2 - Even better than the first and I was eager to drink it because I was feeling hungry and sleepy.  According to Nood, this was a little bottle of energy. It reminded me of the lemon grass tea mrC and I had at the spa on our trip to Phuket.

1:00 - Bottle #3. EWWW! This bottle aims to balance fruits and greens, but all I could taste was cucumber and I am not a fan. This was not easy to drink, but the ingredients make it good for post workout recovery and fighting inflammation.

3:00 - Bottle #4. Ewww again, although not as bad as bottle 3. This was another balance of fruits and greens. It looked like it would taste good (the color fooled me), but between the beetroot and cucumber, it was hard to finish.

4:00 - All I could think about was solid food. My energy was super low. I was sleepy and napping off and on. I'm pretty sure I was on a carb overdose. I broke my fast with some left-over buffalo chicken quinoa and a rice cake.

I wouldn't say I failed the juice cleanse completely because I did extend my fast and that was the point.

mrC convinced me to go for a walk and stretch our sore legs from yesterday's strength training session. Even though I got bit by a mosquito in about 30 seconds and it was warm, I'm glad I put on my comfy walking sandals and got some air.

Have you ever done a cleanse?

Shred Day 20: Low Intensity Cardio and Touring Old Port Montreal

The 30 Day Shred follows a carb cycling and intermittent fasting schedule. There are days where we rest (low calorie days) and there are days when we do low intensity cardio (fast days).

Low intensity cardio is a good option on fast days because your body will reach for stored energy (fat), but typically not need to burn stored protein (muscle). My favorite low intensity cardio are long walks, light yoga and even an easy elliptical workout.

Today mrC had the day off so we headed to Old Port Montreal for a little self-guided walking tour. We got lucky and found a parking spot right near Saint-Paul Street, a partial pedestrian street with shops and restaurants lining both sides. This is what it looks like from the early birds perspective.

Next we headed down to the water and walked to Clock Tower. This building marked the entrance to the port and is dedicated to all the sailors who died at sea during wartime. It is a replica of Big Ben in London. In addition to having very accurate time, it also served as a lighthouse.

The waterfront was a beautiful place with amazing views and plenty to do. This weekend at Clock Tower Quay the YUL EAT Festival, a taste of Montreal type event, was being held (not a cool thing when you are fasting). We saw food booths, tents and trucks as far as the eye could see. There's going to be a lot of food consumed there this weekend!

We explored the Bonsecours Market, a two story market place (reminded us of Faneuil Hall in Boston) that used to be city hall but now houses trendy shops and some restaurants.

We hung out for a little while at Place Jacques-Cartier. The square was so inviting with the sun shining and benches beckoning us to sit and enjoy a smoothie from one of the many cafe type restaurants lining either side. OK, mrC enjoyed the smoothie, but I might have had a couple sips. 

Tip ---> Bring your Canadian cash with you...some places do not take credit cards.

We toured Notre-Dame Basilica. Wow. That is what I kept repeating the whole time. I love visiting churches, but the big, historic ones are just stunning. Tip ---> You'll need cash here too. $5 fee to get in and a couple more if you like to light candles like we do. Also, be sure to walk around. There is a smaller chapel in the back, Chapelle Notre-Dame-Du-Sacré-Coeur.

We could have spent the whole day in Old Port Montreal but we had to prioritize. We walked along the waterfront some more and stopped for some souvenirs on Saint-Paul Street before heading back to the hotel so mrC could study. We did stop at Walmart for a few things first though. Again, priorities.

We ventured out again for a nice walk after dinner. There might not be a lot to look at where the hotel is located, but a plane is never too far. There is also plenty of room to do yoga. 

The goal is to break fast as close to 24 hours as you can. Well, I typically make it about 20 hours and today was the first day of my monthly which makes me feel just blah on a regular day. 

Broke fast around 2PM:

Dinner: 

Snacks: some Oreo crisps and red grapes.

What is your favorite low intensity cardio exercise?

Do you like to tour churches?

Shred Day 10: Fasting and Pool Workouts

When I wake up on Fast Day.

Then the goal is to make it to 24 hours before breaking my fast. Today was a perfect day to get some pool time, so I asked my dad to drive me (which sounds really strange given I'm 45 years old!) and he happily did...in his golf cart.

The pool was crowded with pool walkers when I arrived and it was awesome. If I lived here I would totally join the pool walking group. Pool walking is a great low intensity cardio workout. When I wasn't lounging in the chair, I jumped in and joined the locals. I overheard some of the ladies talking about how they walk for 1-2 hours everyday. It's a great way to get in some walking miles without melting in the Florida heat. 

Inspired by all the pool walkers, I made up a pool workout on the spot. Every time I got in the water, I walked across the pool and back (which was probably 60 yards) multiple times. I'm guessing I walked about 2 miles in the pool today, plus a bunch of weightless leg exercises. Here's the workout:

Another bonus to pool time was stretching out my sore muscles in the water. They're telling me today that I hit my go hard workout goal.

My dad and stepmom hosted some friends for dinner at a Peruvian restaurant called Off The Hook. It's fun to see them with their friends and having a good time.

What I Ate:

Coffee, coffee, coffee. Obviously.

Breaking Fast: at about 20 hours, salad, watermelon, 1/2 diet dew

Dinner: popped corn (had a flavor between popcorn and peanuts), seafood chaufa (shrimp and fried rice) ---> it was very good! I ate all the shrimp and some of the rice.

Do you do pool workouts?
Ever tried Peruvian food?

Shred Day 4 & 5: Fast Day Diversions and An Upper Body Workout

I spent my entire fast day on Thursday traveling from Montreal to Orlando to visit my dad and stepmom. Traveling can be a good distraction from fasting (at least I was hoping it would be).

Usually when I travel my weakness is snacking on lots of not so great food. At the airport I tried to keep myself away from the food by browsing the duty free loop. I really liked these Ray-Bans.

Before I even got to my gate I started getting messages that my flight was delayed. Delayed flights = massage chair time. Another great distraction from fasting.

My first flight ended up being so delayed that I missed my connection in Chicago creating a very long layover and late arrival in Florida. Seriously delayed flight and a missed connection = adult beverage. 

After waiting over three hours for my rebooked flight, airport chaos led to another hour delay. Too many planes, not enough space or push-back crews. 

I finally arrived in Orlando close to midnight. After sleeping in today and catching up with my dad and stepmom, I finally got in an afternoon workout. 

I was too low energy to go to the fitness center, so I used my dad's at home resistance training system (affiliate link) and I was impressed with how many exercises I could do. One of these might end up in my suitcase when we head back to China.

Today's workout:

• ●  BACK
  
  • ○  Compound row: 2 sets of 8­-10 reps
    
  • ○  Superman on the mats to failure
    
• ●  BICEPS
  
  • ○  Dumbbell curls: 2 sets of 8-­10 reps
    
  • ○  Straight bar curls: 2 sets of 8­-10 reps
    
  • ○  Hammer curls: 2 sets of 8-­10 reps
    
• ●  TRICEPS
  
  • ○  Overhead dumbbell extension: 2 sets of 8-­10 reps
    
  • ○  Dumbbell tricep kick­back: 2 sets of 8­-10 reps
    
  • ○  Cable push down with rope: 2 sets of 8-­10 reps
    
  • ○  Dips: 2 sets of 15

I was able to use the bands to do all of the exercise motions in the workout. A couple of them were repetitive, but I could feel my muscles burning and that's all that matters. 

My dad took me to get a guest pass for the fitness center, so I will be able to go there to do my sprints next week.

What I ate (fast and regular calorie days):

Broke my fast...with the above adult beverage, a chicken quesadilla (forgot picture) and airplane pretzels. Surprisingly, I was good on calories and not far off my macros.

Breakfast: scrambled eggs and ham, pb&j toast, coffee

I enjoyed making this meal for my dad and stepmom after keeping them out so late the night before.

Lunch: turkey breast and ranch rice snacks, mt. dew

Dinner: gluten free italian sausage pasta, salad, mt. dew

My stepmom baked this for us (it's one of my favorites).

After dinner we watched a movie. I do not recommend 10 Cloverfield Lane. It's scary and then the twist in the ending is terrible.

Have you ever missed a connection?

Ever used bands to do an arm workout?

Last movie you watched?

Picture Caption Fun Post