Three Down, Ten to Go!

Alright folks, here we are at the three-week mark. Let’s see how I’m doing.

The Weight Loss

Net weight loss is just over 9 lbs, which is a definite slow-down from previous weeks. One of the things that’s interesting, though, is that I’ve noticed greater changes in my body this week than I did when I was losing more weight. Sometimes the overall weight doesn’t tell the whole story, however, so let’s look at some other measurements that might help us understand the big picture.

First, my body fat percentage has gone down by just under two percent while my muscle mass has increased by 1.2 percent. That’s a huge win and indicates that I’m transforming some of this fat into muscle.

Second, I conducted a set of body measurements at the start of GoingKeto and compared them with how I stand today.

I’ve gained a half inch in my upper arms and an inch in my chest. I’ve dropped three inches from my waistline and one inch in my hips: that spare tire is definitely disappearing, transforming into muscle, and moving elsewhere.

Finally, my appearance is noticeably different. These are the specific things I’ve seen:

I can actually see abs starting to appear. They’re still hidden beneath a layer of fat, but they’re making a comeback.

My veins are beginning to pop during workouts: I noticed several in my forearms and one across the front of my deltoid.

My love handles are virtually gone, and I’m beginning to see some light striations in my serratus anterior (the muscle that covers your ribs and is between your abs and where your lats appear under your arm).

My iliac furrow (otherwise known as Apollo’s Belt or Adonis’s Belt, but definitely not Josh’s Belt… until now) is making a reappearance. This is one of my favorite parts of my body and I can’t wait to see it well-defined again.

While not strictly an appearance issue, I’m seeing my weights consistently go up on every lift.

Overall, I’m satisfied with the changes I’m seeing in my body. I feel healthier, look better, and vital stats like BF% are moving in the right direction.

What Went Well

My energy levels have continued to stabilize throughout the day; the only word I can think of to describe how I feel is “steady.” I still get hungry and feel the urge to eat, but it’s a lower urge and doesn’t feel like my body set off the panic button. I don’t get hangry, I don’t have energy spikes and valleys. I’m just stable and steady.

I struggle with depression and anxiety, and the diet has helped mute those issues, as well. I won’t say it’s resolved them, by any means, but there’s a noticeable benefit.

I also had to eat out several times this week due to business meetings and successfully managed to stay on track. The trick was getting spinach-based salads loaded with cheese and protein with a low-carb dressing (such as Caesar or oil & vinegar).

The quality of my sleep has also improved, and I haven’t changed anything but my diet and exercise routines. Here are screenshots of my sleep cycles from the night before the diet and this week. I typically don’t set an alarm, so my wake times are when my body has decided it’s done sleeping for the night. My time asleep has increased by about an hour, the time I spend snoring has decreased drastically, and the overall sleep quality (once you factor in sleep cycles, amount of time spent in REM sleep, etc.) has increased by 11 percent. It’s made a significant difference in how I feel.

What Was Hard

The mental aspect of not seeing my overall weight decrease as quickly as I would like was difficult. I weigh myself every day as soon as I wake up so I have a consistent approach and can compare apples to apples. Seeing such small increments of improvement was hard to face when I put so much stock on that number.

One of the things that any good fitness coach will tell you is to focus on your overall health, appearance, and satisfaction with the results rather than just your total weight. I’m pleased with where I am in those three areas and know that the weight will follow.

The Next Week

I’m beginning to plan a keto-friendly Christmas meal and want to take the time to do it correctly. I’m much more used to cooking with a fat focus rather than a carb focus, so I’m excited about what it will bring.

If you’ve been following my Tuesday Takeovers on Tasteaholics’ Instagram, you know that my plating and presentation skills are lacking, to say the least. Want a blindfolded feast that will give you a foodgasm? I’m your guy. Looking for Instagram-boyfriend quality images? Yeah… not your guy.

However, this is a skill I’m working to develop, so check out the Takeover next Tuesday to see how I’m coming!