| So my goals at the beginning of the challenge were basically to get a flatter stomach, and to cut down on my caffeine. Not *huge* goals, but I figured both of them would be nice. In the past I would drink about 4 Diet Cokes and 1 or 2 Sugar-Free Red Bulls a day. Not wonderful. And I figured it would probably help my progress fitness-wise if I cut it out.
So…I did. I went cold turkey for about a week, drinking only a little green tea to stave off the headaches. I did feel pretty good, apart from the caffeine headaches, although I *did* go back to a little Diet Coke, about one a day, which I’m okay with. It’s the 5-a-day plus Red Bulls I need to get rid of.
Now, I also started a new eating plan – the Zone Diet. But the first month or so, I actually gained weight. (I wonder now if the lack of caffeine had any affect on this.) At any rate, gaining weight doesn’t bother me, but it always goes to my stomach. No matter what I do, I can’t add “bulk” to my legs, arms, etc. I just get a beer belly. And I don’t drink beer.
At any rate, about halfway through the challenge, I went on a 2-week trip to Europe, and I was very worried I would come back in horrible shape since I’d be going out to eat all the time, and not working out as much. But…I took Chad’s advice on how to eat at restaurants, and I mimicked the Zone Diet pretty well. Also, perhaps because of all the walking we did (miles a day), I lost all the weight I had gained before the trip. This was good news, as it was all in my gut, and it came back out of my gut.
And I was good about working out – at least doing a hotel-version of a workout. But I felt pretty good coming home, and decided to start walking more. I gave up running since I started Myogenics, but I think getting out and walking is a good idea. For me, anyway.
Since the trip I’ve been keeping up with the diet, and have been walking between workouts, and I have lost a little more weight, so my goal of having a flatter stomach has been fulfilled. I didn’t take pictures, but it feels flatter, (and jeans are looser…) And I’m lighter. Probably too light. 150 and I’m 5’10”. But I still have a little bit of a gut. With a shirt on, no problem. And I don’t go to the beach, so I guess there are bigger problems in life.
As for the caffeine…I *have* been pretty good…, although I need to confess a setback. I started a new job (I do TV editing) last week, and I found myself drinking more caffeine. Not like the old days – not 5 Diet Cokes and two Red Bulls. But maybe two Diet Cokes. And occasionally a Red Bull. Although just typing all that now has shamed me, and now that I feel a little more comfortable at this job, I think I can relax a little and go back to 1-2 Diet Cokes a day. Promise!
Overall I’m very grateful for the challenge and I will use this as motivation to keep up the new diet (which has been great) and to lay off the Red Bulls. It’s the Devil’s Drink.
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