Mental Toughness

Hey guys,

At the end of day 3 things are starting to get better. However, if you had asked me some time during the day, you might have received a very different answer! I have been feeling light headed, somewhat shaky and quite irritable for the last couple of days. I am more inclined to think this is caused by the caffeine withdrawal rather than the measly portions of food on my plate, but it might actually be a joint effort. It is amazing how little a portion of protein “the size of your clenched fist” actually is!

On the bright side, I made it to the gym and did my lower body resistance training as per my plan. Once again, it is unbelievable how many people were at the gym on a Sunday afternoon! (All the dedicated ones, though… I think I was the most out-of-shape person there.)

The other type of “withdrawal symptoms” I am experiencing is from getting on the scale. I am the weigh-yourself-every-morning type and find it excruciating to get into my bathroom every morning and not get on the scale. I can hear it call my name, beg me to get on … practically shouting at me. But no. I am not allowed on. Why, Jeni?

And in case you are following my menu, here is what I had to eat today:
Breakfast was egg whites and toast, again later than it should have been… At lunch (which was about two and a half hours later) I had some leftover meatballs and salad. Then, mid-afternoon-ish, on the way to the gym, I had a protein bar. (These taste like cardboard compared to Bar One and heavenly compared to the meal replacement shake!) For dinner, we were having a braai, so I had 2 pieces of sausage and a salad made out of green beans, feta cheese and vinegarette. Tasted pretty good. Then I had a few slices of watermelon for dessert. Is that cheating?

Till tomorrow,
Melissa

Jeni:
Hey guys,

Melissa, I am really proud of you so far. You are doing really great!
The truth is that the light-headedness and irritability are in fact caused by both calorie reduction and caffeine deprivation (in the case of a confirmed coffee-addict). And while I am absolutely confident you will feel much better in another couple of days, I also understand the mental toughness required at this point. In fact, studies confirm that most diets and eating plans crash down between days 3 and 4 – right at the hardest part of the cycle. (The body adjusts and things get progressively easier after that until about the end of the third week when the new “plan” feels completely natural.)

Unfortunately, if you want to get truly shredded and you're not a naturally lean person, then it simply comes down to overall mental toughness. It’s called discipline and it's the number 1 factor which will separate you from all the others out there that want a lean physique. The truth is that it takes a lot of hard work and mental discipline to attain a six pack of washboard abs. If it was easy, everyone in the gym would be jacked up looking like Leonidas and the rest of the 300 Spartans. The reality is hard and most people don't want to hear about the amount of work it takes to really succeed. The question you have to ask yourself is how bad you really want it. You need to know what you want and more importantly, what it takes to get it. You can have the best 6-pack abs workout and fat burning meal plan but if you don't have the mental toughness to stick to the program, you will never achieve the results you truly want. This should light the fire under your butt to get serious and put 100% into your goals.

Have a great week!
Jeni

P.S. To answer your questions:

Why am I not allowed to weigh myself in every day?
Weight takes time to come on. It also takes time to come off. You didn’t go to bed and wake up 5kg’s heavier and you are not going to wake up 5 kg’s lighter either. The desire to constantly weight yourself comes from the culture of instant gratification – “I ate good for a day and I want to see the result”. The problem is that the “result” will be quite miniscule in the grand scheme of things and the only thing you are going to achieve is losing your enthusiasm. So, forget the scale and focus on the process. The journey is just as important as the destination!

Is eating fruit in the evening “cheating”?
Yes and no. Fruit, especially water melon, is high-glycaemic and can send you on a roller-coaster carb-craving journey. We also tend to wind down in the evening, using less energy, so it is easier for the body to store the fruit as fat. On the positive side, fruit does come “pre-packaged” in the perfect serving size, so eating the right amount is that much simpler!
So, eating fruit at night is NOT going to help your weight loss efforts, but if you are experiencing a strong craving and can’t resist it – rather have fruit than a candy bar!