What are you struggling with today?

[spezzy]

I've officially started my cutting phase.

I've got some things coming up and I need to reduce the fat I've gained while working primarily on gaining strength. So no more 5000 calorie days! Cutting back to about 2-3k.

I'm SO HUNGRY.

Awesome quote from Joe's success story I keep saying to myself over and over again:

“Don’t sacrifice what you really want for what you want right now.”

What are you guys struggling with? Anything? Or are you full of awesome today?

[Loren Wade]

I'm totally with you on the cutting phase. Sucks not eating a ton.

That's said... Struggling? Recovery probably. I mean, I'm still full of awesome, but apparently I haven't been stretching enough after workouts.

Went to the chiropractor today and he told me the same thing you did... MOAR STRETCHIES.

[Guest Snake McClain]

Although I like to THINK i am awesome every day, I am struggling with my post work out stretching. i feel so...what's the word...awkward. i'm not real flexible like i used to be and thank goodness steve posted a recent cool down stretch routine which is so simple. Good news yesterday a friend made me a yoga book which I can do. I just need to keep at it. this is probably my biggest weakness.

[Guest Snake McClain]

That's said... Struggling? Recovery probably. I mean, I'm still full of awesome, but apparently I haven't been stretching enough after workouts.

weird. i said the same thing. i'd say we could stretch together but..you know.

[catspaw]

I'm SO HUNGRY.

Me too.

I wrote a blog post yesterday that I've been hungry during the day recently. I'm trying to figure out the right ratio of protein-to-fat for me personally that'll help me feel fuller.

[Maggie May]

I'm on my 4th week of a 4-week 100% paleo challenge. I have to admit I'm struggling because I'm starting to feel the itch to "cheat." Trying so hard to stay strong for just a few more days. Ideally I'd like to be more of an 80/20 person; this 100% thing is not working for me. Especially since my husband is not eating paleo so he often eats foods that I'd like to be having!

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

Weekend diet! It's been killing me. Down 4 lbs, and I feel like it would easily be another 2 if I didn't lose all control on weekends when cheating is so easy. Staying home this weekend though, so it should help.

Embrace the hunger! When you are hungry, your body is burning fat for energy. I tell myself this and it helps a ton. The hunger this morning was intense because I'm trying to move my first meal from 7:30 to 12. I got to 11 today before I gave in.

[scotticus]

I'm struggling with a few things:

- overhead press keeps schooling my @ss. I have no problems with 100lbs, but toss another five on there and I just can't seem to make my reps, regardless of rest, diet and determination. It's really becoming a bother

- stubborn fat in the lower abdomen. I made a pretty rapid transition from skinny-fat and weak to fairly slender and not that weak, but things have really started to slow down. It's been a bit hard on morale

- being broke. My wife and I made the decision to live on a single income while our daughter is pre-school age. I really appreciate that one of us is always around for her, but I'm really starting to struggle with not being able to do ANYTHING without some serious financial analysis beforehand. Still a couple of years to go before she'll start with school, and it feel like it might as well be a decade

- being continuously exhausted. Quality sleep is hard to come by these days, and it's making all of the above so much more challenging

[Guest Snake McClain]

I'm struggling with a few things:

- overhead press keeps schooling my @ss. I have no problems with 100lbs, but toss another five on there and I just can't seem to make my reps, regardless of rest, diet and determination. It's really becoming a bother

I can only really advise on this one.

Try doing a few more reps of the 100lb overhead press. So...I dunno let's say you do 3x5 or whatever. do instead 3x8 or something. I've read this works. I haven't hit the big plateau yet myself so I can't speak for sure but maybe give it a try.

[Oz.]

Struggling with not being able to work out today

Stupid mild back pain. Shoo so I may continue hurting you.

Oz

[Moxie Hart]

Planning. I didn't plan very well so now I'm at school and without my lunch. My own fault. On top of that... I really want coffee. Like really bad. There actually is a great salad place that I could get something but then I have to spend the money and I'm knocking away at the budget.

So I guess I'm also struggling with the fact that my money isn't my own anymore and that I'm completely dependent upon a jerk. And there is very little I can do about it right now.

[msuroo]

Weekend diet!

Yep - this. I'm still keeping my diet clean on the weekends, I just eat so much more. It's not a problem at work since I only have the food I bring, but it's so easy to grab an apple out of the fridge or a handful of almonds out of the pantry (that I don't really need) when I'm at home.

[spatzcat]

Pizza. will I go there? no, but the struggle remains.

p i z z a.

[scotticus]

Pizza. will I go there? no, but the struggle remains.

p i z z a.

heard. we have a lot of good pizzarias within striking distance of our place. it's a problem.

[scotticus]

I can only really advise on this one.

Try doing a few more reps of the 100lb overhead press. So...I dunno let's say you do 3x5 or whatever. do instead 3x8 or something. I've read this works. I haven't hit the big plateau yet myself so I can't speak for sure but maybe give it a try.

Thanks Bruce! I'm headed in this direction. I wanted to do a full 12 weeks of SL5x5 (strict), just to test the claims it makes. It seems to hold true for the most part, but I think I need a bit of customization - especially where shoulders are concerned. I start back at 90lbs for my first official de-load tonight, and I'll definitely give some thought to increasing the number of reps that I do.

[wildross]

Ditto weekend diet, particularly with my wife still recovering from surgery and eating emotionally. Apple streusel pie, oh my...

I'd add stretching too, but since I'm really not even trying, can't say it is much of a struggle.

And I'm getting hungry (in the I'm going to start eating paper right NOW type of hunger) a lot more.. Thanks CoreyD for the encouraging words...hunger is fat leaving the body...

[Guest Snake McClain]

Thanks Bruce! I'm headed in this direction. I wanted to do a full 12 weeks of SL5x5 (strict), just to test the claims it makes. It seems to hold true for the most part, but I think I need a bit of customization - especially where shoulders are concerned. I start back at 90lbs for my first official de-load tonight, and I'll definitely give some thought to increasing the number of reps that I do.

I thought (emphasis on THOUGH) that stronglift forum or site is where i saw the "add more reps" thing. But i could be absolutely completely freaking wrong there. I'd be interested to know what happens after you try it to so please let me know ya?

[knifeboots]

Expectations, and regrets. Irrationally wanting to lose more, faster (even though I'm truly happy with how much I've lost so far - 10 lbs in 3 weeks is nothing to sneeze at), which really translates into I-wish-I'd-done-this-sooner. Playing the coulda-woulda-shoulda game in my head, i.e. if I had stuck with low-carb back in 2003, instead of giving in and falling off the wagon, or if I had made the decision back then to go Primal instead of trying to find low-carb subs for my favorite grain-based foods. If I had eaten better during both my pregnancies. If I had paid attention to all the chemicals I ultimately was eating with just about every pre-packaged food. If, if, if. I'm glad I finally drew a line in the sand, and like I said - pleased as punch with my current weight loss, and even MORE pleased that I'm not battling cravings or that false starvation feeling I had when I was eating grains all day. I guess I just wish that I had never let myself go this much. Then again, maybe it took getting this heavy to show me the right way - the lasting way - to lose the weight.

The hardest part is knowing that I've already got my kids hooked on grains and sugar (though, thank God, they also do like their natural fruits and vegetables and eat some meat). I'm working with my 7 year old now on his lunches (ditching the sandwich in favor of cut-up chicken, apple slices, and natural cheddar cheese cuts - I eat Primal), and he's asked me to start fixing him eggs and bacon for breakfast. If I can get grains out of two of his meals, maybe getting them out of dinner and snacks won't be so hard. And maybe if my 4 year old sees what my 7 year old is eating, he'll want to join in. He already likes things like bacon, broccoli and cantaloupe, and would eat them by the ton if I let him.

[reboundstudent]

Today I'm struggling with the fact that I eat the free lunch provided by my work, but the kitchen staff are being.... "unhelpful" is the polite word, with recipes lately, so I don't know exactly what is in the food. For example, today we had a fish lunch, but when I tried to check what TYPE of fish, all I got was to "check online." They also won't answer if their Tomato and Basil soup is home made (and if so, what's in it) or from a can. The result is the only thing I'd have to eat are the vegetables out of the salad bar.

I could start bringing my own lunch, but honestly, the whole Paleo/Primal thing is burning quite a hole into my pocket book and time as it is...

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

Jaradel, the cooking eggs in the morning thing can be a pain, you should try making an egg monster. Scrambled eggs and anything else you would normally want in an omelet, throw it is a casserole dish, and bake for 55 minutes at 375. it gives you a prefix omelet every morning. I use 18 eggs and make mine for the week. I make it on Sunday night. Let the kids help make it and decide what goes in and they might be more into it. It's how my parents got me eating meatloaf.

[Silvergamma]

I've been struggling with a gnarly chest cold. Due to the coughing I haven't been sleeping well, and I haven't been able to work out in the last week. Exhaustion + no working out = higher anxiety and crankiness than usual.

[67alecto]

I'm actually in the zone right now. No rest days - strength training and cardio 3x a week, basic cardio the other 4 days. The habit took a few weeks to stick, but I'm hitting it now. Diet is good - 90% "real" foods, with the "junk" being at least homemade junk.

There's a good quote on the wall at my gym:

"Don't stop when you're tired. Stop when you're done."

[knifeboots]

Jaradel, the cooking eggs in the morning thing can be a pain, you should try making an egg monster. Scrambled eggs and anything else you would normally want in an omelet, throw it is a casserole dish, and bake for 55 minutes at 375. it gives you a prefix omelet every morning. I use 18 eggs and make mine for the week. I make it on Sunday night. Let the kids help make it and decide what goes in and they might be more into it. It's how my parents got me eating meatloaf.

Actually, I do cook bacon and eggs in the morning for myself already, so adding a couple more eggs and strips of bacon won't be too difficult, but I have been looking into doing some breakfast casseroles for the heat n' eat option. I used to make a great breakfast casserole back in my Atkins days, I just need to find the recipe again! I'm also lucky that one of my kids' fave meals is "breakfast for dinner" which is scrambled eggs, breakfast meat, and (unfortunately) grits and biscuits, but I'm trying to wean the family off of that. Since I do 90% of the grocery shopping, as we run out of non-Primal things, I'm quietly not replacing them, like the Bisquick that we used up last week, or the frozen toaster waffles. But thanks for the tip - breakfast casseroles are a GREAT way to get the benefit of eggs and bacon quickly in the morning!

['Roos]

I'm struggling with a cold. I haven't really seriously gotten sick since last year, and now I've gotten three bad knock-you-out illnesses in the last month and a half. I'm really quite annoyed. Not to mention, the huge project for work is due this Friday and I was planning on knocking it out yesterday (when I got sick) and today (still sick). I'm hating everything right now.

Plus side, I was thinking "Maybe eating something different than normal would make me feel a bit better?" and I thought about it and no... grains, dairy etc make my body go iick. So there is that!

[bigm141414]

I'm struggling with the fact that outside is 65degrees and sunny and I am stuck inside staring out the window.

I am also struggling to get over my grip issues on dead lift.

And lastly, I am struggling with the fact that I am an awesome jar of awesomeness. All thanks to NF.