When "failure" IS an option

I'll be the first to admit it: failing at something sucks. Even if it's something that you didn't really care about; it feels crummy to not be good at something. While such admission shows maturity, it may be one of the most difficult things for humans to do.

This post is about how I "failed" at carb-cycling.While I went into it with the mindset that it was "just an experiment," I did not want to quit before the trial was through. I wanted to try it for 21 days. I was prepped and ready to go. I read up. I shopped. I food-prepped. And guess what? I lasted 12 days.

So true, but so hard to learn and apply!!

 If you read the blog, you know that I recently wrote a post about carb-cyling. After reading all about it, I thought "Hey, I can do that," and the rest was history. What appealed to me most about it was its potential for rapid fat loss. I've been trying to lose some body fat for awhile for aesthetic reasons and thought that this might be the kickstart I needed. If we're being totally honest here, having visible abs is a goal of mine :-)

Most articles I read gave general macronutrient guidelines ("Eat more carbs on days that you train; less on your off days/active rest days"). I decided that I needed something more specific--my first mistake. I was so taken by the idea of carb-cycling that I ignored the fact that in order to have a chance of succeeding with the plan, it would need to be 1) sustainable; and 2) applicable to my lifestyle. Where did my plan come from? A bodybuilding website. Second rookie mistake.

Except, hold the rice (on no carb days)!

This article was very detailed, almost to the point of neuroses. It laid out every single aspect of the plan, specifying high, low, and no-carb days; food lists; macro requirements, etc. In other words, it was a Type-A, control freak's dream! I should have seen the warning signs a mile away, and yet I persisted.

Since the plan prescribed me to eat at least one gram of protein per pound of body weight per day, I had to break up my meals throughout the day. I was eating 6 times a day. I measured out my protein sources, and looked up all my nutrition facts. I packed a cooler to bring to work everyday, which, for a person who works in the field as often as I do, SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RED FLAG!

Needless to say, the prepping and frequency of meals became a burden and a chore right away. After the first couple of days, the only thing that kept me going were the rapid results. Of course it was likely just water weight, but I swear I noticed a difference after Day 3. "It's working," I said to myself, "I have more defined obliques! I see two ab indents." Yes, these were my progress markers.

I covet Pink's abs!

 So I slogged away. I spent money on food that didn't really taste that good and convinced myself I liked it. I told myself that it was my choice to do this--no one is holding a gun to my head--and could quit anytime. But my ego didn't want to hear that.

It wasn't until the second week that I started to notice some unpleasant side effects. I felt bloated and my skin broke out a little more than usual. I was constipated. It wasn't pleasant, and yet I continued on, fearful of what "failing" at this might tell me about the strength (or lack their of) of my will. Eventually, I started skipping meals because I wasn't able to eat enough during the day. I would come home after a long day at work and STILL have two more meals to eat. This meant that I went to bed many a night feeling like a stuffed turkey. Needless to say, my quality of sleep suffered, which is never a good thing.

Hahaha!

The disturbed sleep, discomfort, and desire for flavorful foods eventually did me in. And by the time I decided to give it a rest, I realized that I hasn't failed. In fact, I'd succeeded in realizing that this particular diet didn't work for me, at this time in my life. I realized that it's not bad to want my food to be tasty AND nutritious, and that there are other ways to eat that encourage fat loss.

What else did I take away from this experience? For one, I am now more aware of how to manipulate my carb intake depending my training schedule. On days that I workout, I need more carbs. I also noticed that I may have a slight dairy intolerance because on the days that I ate a lot of greek yogurt and whey protein, I felt bloated and lacked energy. I also learned to prioritize protein and to eat it with every meal. I was also happy to discover that I didn't miss gluten. I rarely eat it now anyway, but it's since become much easier to avoid altogether. 

Bottom line: carb-cycling, or at least the way that I did it, is not sustainable for folks who have normal schedules. Eating 6 times a day is not very realistic. I also wouldn't recommend it for very active individuals because of the relative carb restriction, so it's not ideal for endurance athletes looking to lose body fat. Honestly, I wouldn't bother with this strict cycling method unless I was training for a fitness or figure competition. I do like the principles, though, and will continue to manipulate my carb intake based on my training schedule.

Have you ever tried carb-cycling? If so, how did you do it?! I'd love to hear your stories!!!