February is time to pull out all the stops

So here I am 4 months into the St. Patty's Challenge and my weight has been stalled between 172 and 175 for a while.  I have even noticed an up tick from time to time into the 175 to 178 range.  I am certainly not obsessed with the scale and really can't complain since I continue to see improvements in my physique. The scale can be a terrible demotivator especially when you hit a plateau along the way.  Taking pictures of yourself regularly is great way to keep your head in the right place when the scale isn't cooperating.

Six Pack

From all my stats and photos it appears my body fat is dropping very slowly and lean muscle mass is increasing at a slightly higher rate, hence the slight weight increase. With my goals in mind this is actually ideal but I wouldn't mind having a nice six pack by the end of the challenge and just in time for spring.  I have been eating very clean Paleo with only some very infrequent and minor deviations.  The only real exceptions are beer and corn chips.  I seem to have those a little more frequently then I would like to admit.  So February is going to include a few minor tweaks to see if I can knock the body fat down into the six pack territory.


So for the month of February I am going to do the following and see where it takes me.

1. No beer, in its place I will be exclusively having Brady Nutrition NorCal Margaritas
Cutting the beer will both ensure I am completely avoiding gluten and should significantly reduce carb and calorie intake as well.  While many of your average beers are in the range of 100-200 calories many of the micro brews out there are significantly higher and just a couple can really throw a wrench in the program.

2. No Tortilla Chips
I just love tortilla chips and well you can't just eat one.  This is a bit of my own acceptance that I have let something creep back into my diet with less control than I would like.  So a month off of the tortilla chip is a good prescription for getting back on track.

3. Shifting all significant sources of carbs to post workout and evening meals.
While I have done some carb back-loading post workout in the past, after doing a little research on John Kiefer's carb back-loading and carb night eating methods, I decided a little more structure to my carb intake might be just what I need to get things moving.  I will write a little more on these methods after I have a little of my own experience to share.

Making progress with your health and wellness is a continuous personal process that will on occasion require you to mix things up and experiment a little.  Paleo can quickly and dramatically change your life but everyone will undoubtedly hit a plateau from time to time.  The key is to recognize when you hit these plateaus, fight off any discouragement, and make a plan to shake things.  In the process you will learn how your body reacts to minor tweaks in your diet and exercise.  This experience will build an invaluable resource as you navigate your own Paleo story.

More to come, thanks for stopping by!
Chuck