IIFYM so far....

I started with the LEDBetter group on March 15. I got a ton of information to read on that Friday night. The book, examples, food list, and everything else they include with their "welcome packet" is amazing. It is a lot to read, but I learned a lot. On Saturday, my amazing coach contacted me and gave me my macros plan and training plan for the first 3 months. I officially started on Sunday. I counted everything I put in my mouth and I did my first leg day. I have been consistent with it for a little over 2 weeks now. So far: 

FOOD- I have ate a LOT! I am able to eat anything I want, as long as it fits in my daily macros allotment. I know there are a lot of misconceptions out there about IIFYM and how much junk people eat. I used to look at those bowls of peanut butter, ice cream, and chocolate on IG and think- WTF?! Now I understand. You can have things, all things, IN MODERATION PEOPLE. I cannot sit around and eat pop tarts and junk food all day and meet my protein, carb, and fat intake. But I can occasionally have a pop tart in my diet, because it will count towards my carbs for the day. It is all about balance. I eat a TON of healthy foods and a few less healthy things, but I am not blowing up yet! LOL! The great thing is that if I know I am going to have a certain thing for dinner or go out on the weekend to eat, I can plan my day around that and actually not feel GUILTY, because I am still giving my body what it needs to function and work properly. I am no expert on this by no means. I started counting my macros a few weeks ago, on my own. I went to www.iifym.com and got a macros count for myself through that website. It is not the same thing as what was provided to me by my coach, so I highly recommend getting a professional to help you. Macros are so specific to the person and depend on so many factors: how much you weigh, your job and lifestyle, activity level, body type, etc. My coaches are with www.ledbetterproject.com. I am only on week3 and I feel confident I made the right choice chosing them for this new lifestyle change journey I am taking. You get a whole team of people to support you and guide you in not only making the changes, but learning how to incoporate the IIFYM lifestyle yourself FOREVER. That's what I love about them. They are teaching me, not just coaching me. 

WORKOUTS- My trainer, Brooke, is great. The workouts are hard, but I know they are doing what they are supposed to. I have been SO SORE! I do a combination of weight training, HIIT cardio, and TRX. I love the burn. I love being sore. I love working hard. I love that I don't have to do fasted cardio. I love that there is so much variety in my workouts. I love that they are personalized to ME and not everyone else is doing the same workouts I am. The best part about it all-- my alarm does not go off at 4:30 for fasted cardio. I do not have to do cardio 2 x a day. In fact, I do HIIT 2 x a week and the other 3 days I only do 20 minutes of cardio in intervals. I am not a huge cardio fan, although I do occasionally love a good run. So, it's true:

 Progress: At the end of my previous program I was fluctuating between 156-158 and mostly staying at 158 toward the end. After ending that plan and also enjoying spring break and probably indulging too much, I weighed in at 160. After 2 weeks on the plan, I am down 2 lbs and weighed in at 158 this morning. Progress is progress, no matter how small. I can definitely see a difference in my clothes. They are falling off. I will have to shop soon. I know, what a shame. LOL! The greatest part about this is that I eat WHAT I WANT. I do not feel deprived AT ALL! I can have a cheeseburger, ice cream, whatever I want, in moderation. I am not eating tilapia and green veggies only. I can fit whatever I want into my macros and I feel my diet is much more balanced now. I feel happier, less stressed and so much bettter about this plan. I love the people on the team. I interact with them via facebook, IG, and with my coach on a weekly basis. They are helpful, encouraging, and realistic. I already know I will more than likely sign up to continue with them after my 3 months is over. That's how amazing this lifestyle is. Check them out. Look at some of Layne Norton's videos at biolayne.com I am a believer and I know it works. There is a way to lose weight and not feel like you hate your diet or that you are even ON a diet. There is a way to manage your food to fit what you need and what you want. This is the lifestyle change I have been looking for! :)

If you have any questions, email me at msenseney05@aol.com and I will answer the best I can. I am no expert but I am learning!