The diet begins.......

Well, its not really a diet but it forces me to make better choices and fueling my body properly before and after each workout.

I am currently about 4lbs less than what I was at this time last year, however, I still feel that I have about 10lbs to lose to get to my race weight. Now I had someone today tell me I was crazy and that I certainly didn't need to lose 10lbs, and I told her that there is a big difference between what I would weigh out of race season and what I should weigh during race season. I would be very comfortable staying where I am right now but I know if I want to perform to the best of my abilities and get the most bang for my buck on the bike ( especially with hitting the hills of lake placid again) being lighter is important.

I am a muscular woman, long and lean wouldn't describe me, so losing weight is tricky for me because I don't want to lose too much muscle and lose the power I have on both the bike and the run, however being lighter will help me climb better because there is less weight to pull and my body would certainly appreciate me more if I lightened the load.

So what am I doing. Well, its not rocket science, I am just making sure that I eat frequently throughout the day, combing a 4:1 ratio of protein to carbohydrates and making sure that the carbs I am ingesting are those of the fruit and veggie kind. While I am in the ( losing weight stage) eating pasta, breads, potatos, etc... is not really in my plan, when I am maintaining my weight I can introduce them slowly. I will be eating a lot of lean meats with salads, fish, steamed vegetables, tons of fruit smoothies with my favorite whey protein powder, and of course tons of fruit. I try never to be hungry if possible. I am going to decrease my caffeine intake which is only in the way of diet coke ( boo hoo) and increase my water intake significantly. I always fuel while I workout and immediately post workout, that is a necessity. I will still utilize my powerbar endurance electrolyte drink for hydration and my numerous supplies of goos/gels and cliff blocks for my nutrition. Also, minimal alcohol consumption at this point, not that I drank a lot but white wine adds up and at 150-200 calories a glass I sure don't need that, even after a 3hr workout.

Anyway, day #2 is over, feeling pretty good after my veggie chili dinner, ( poor phil, I wouldn't want to sleep in my room tonight), and if I'm hungry before going to bed I'll make myself a small whey protein shake to keep my glucose levels stable throughout the night. I have a decent swim tomorrow and a run, and if able I will try to get in a resistance training session too.