Merry Christmas everyone! :)

I was going to write a post about staying on track during the holiday season… but I decided against it. It seems like everyone and their literal moms have been there done that, so I will link you to my two favorite posts that I feel do it best:
- Tips and Tricks for Holiday Eating by Nick Cheadle and Mike Samuels
- How to Not Fall Off During the Holidays by Katie Ringley

I do want to share something very personal, however, which I don't do too often. So please read this with an open mind and heart.

I am a Christian. I'm not the kind of Christian that shoves a bible down people's throats or goes up to strangers in the mall to "witness." I don't carry signs of hatred or throw people down on the floor street-fighter style. Pretty sure Jesus didn't do that either. I feel like in America everyone says they are a Christian and the truth of who Jesus is has become so diluted, even tainted. It's very sad. Plumb articulates it perfectly in the lyrics of her song "Drugstore Jesus": 

All your gold turns to dust//All your masses lose your trust//This grand illusion, this planned confusion//this substitution is tainted love//You're a drugstore Jesus, the miracle is gone//You're a drugstore Jesus a saint for everyone, but the world goes on…

I just wanted to share what's on my heart today about why I actually celebrate Christmas. This is something so much more important to me than the macro experiment, going to the gym, songwriting, and really anything else in my life. I celebrate Christmas because I believe without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus (literally) was born on the earth, lived a perfect life, and died to save the world. I believe in absolute truth. Just like the moon is not made out of cheese and the earth is acutally round, I believe in the absolute truth that Jesus is real. It is not something that should be taken lightly or be the butt of stupid jokes. Sorry to be morbid but we are all going to die one day, and that's just the straight up truth.

If you have ever been burned by a "Christian" or a church… or if hearing the name "Jesus" carries some kind of negative connotation for whatever reason, I am so sorry. We've done such a crappy job as Christians in sharing who Jesus REALLY is. I've done a crappy job and I apologize. I just want you to know the reality of His love.  He knows every hair on your head (Matt 10:30), every thought in your mind (Psalm 139:2), and loves you more than you could comprehend (John 15:13). Think about the one person you love the most--maybe you have a child--or even a dog. Now try and multiply that love a million times. Hard to imagine isn't it?

Anyways, I want to keep this short and sweet although I feel like I could write a book about it. God loves you more than you can imagine and wants you to experience the reality of His love. If you ever want to talk about it or have any questions, please feel free to email me. I am very open-minded and love talking about anything. I am far from perfect and I do not judge others... so don't ever be afraid to reach out to me!

So MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone! Enjoy this time celebrating with friends and family. Enjoy the conversations, enjoy yummy food, and enjoy making memories… and don't forget the Reason for the season. Love you all! :)

- C

"For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
-- Isaiah 9:6

Just in time for some Christmas baking… except you don't actually bake these and it only takes like 10 minutes! It took me multiple tries to get the ingredients and ratios right, but I think this recipe is the perfect macro-friendly fudge recipe! 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Marshmallow Fudge
54 kcal - 1.5P / 5.7C / 2.8F (for each 10g piece; recipe makes about 30 pieces)

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 2 minutes, stirring every 15 seconds.
2. Place bowl in fridge for a few minutes to let cool.
3. Roll out fudge onto parchment paper and cut into squares.

Feel free to add more protein powder if you want to increase the amount of protein per serving. Just know that this might compromise the taste. If you do this, I would also add a little bit more light butter. :)

Enjoy and have a macro-friendly Christmas! <3

- C

Hi friends! Long time no talk. I've had a lot of thoughts hanging out in my brain since my last post. I am doing my first ever lean bulk and it has been very hard, especially as someone who used to starve herself any time the scale moved up a half pound. But I have come to terms with the FACT that in order to gain significant muscle mass, the scale will go up inevitably. 

I also started taking 5g/day of creatine monohydrate about 2 weeks ago. For all of my non-fitness friends who read this, I feel the need to throw out this disclaimer: creatine is NOT a steroid or anything like it. It is the safest, most cost-effective supplement in terms of naturally gaining muscle mass and strength. I definitely recommend taking it if you are wanting to maximize your performance/training. Women usually avoid taking creatine (and I have for the longest time) because it causes water weight gain as creatine saturates the muscles.

SPEAKING OF WEIGHT GAIN! As I have mentioned before, I am weighing myself a LOT less frequently now and trying to rely on progress pictures and of course, my coach's expertise. I did, however, weigh myself a week ago and was at an all time HIGH--118 (up 2 pounds from the last time). I have not seen the scale say "118" since my college days and I hated how I looked then. It was freaky at first seeing that number and I am sure that some of it is due to the creatine… But the weirdest and coolest thing is I'm actually loving the way my body looks. Something is clicking for the first time. It's a mental, physical, and spiritual transformation. 

I can't fit into my size 0 skinny jeans. And I don't think I want to ever again. :)

- C

[Click here to see Reverse Diet progress graph]

Here's a little GYM version of Sam Smith's "Not The Only One"/"Stay With Me"
Share with yo swolemate. <3

In 3 months (6/11/14-9/10/14), I was able to increase my calories from 947 to 1650 (700+) without gaining weight or body fat. Here is my final reverse diet data graphed out. As you can see, as my calories increase at a slow and steady rate, body fat and weight remain constant.

I realize there are different beliefs/opinions about the "optimal" speed of reverse dieting. It's actually quite the hot topic right now. My personal belief is this: Everyone is unique with individual goals and physical/psychological states. Therefore, "optimal" approaches to meet goals will vary. For instance, I had been in a severe caloric deficit for 6 years straight so my goal in reverse dieting was mainly to be able to eat more without gaining excess body fat. I had some major physical and psychological issues. Of course, a seasoned bodybuilder may have different goals or at least a different prioritization of goals than me. 

The fact of the matter is there is currently (as of 12/3/2014) no peer-reviewed research on reverse dieting. That was my entire premise of this experiment. Not that this compares AT ALL to peer-reviewed research, but I am so passionate about helping others with similar issues and fears as I once had. I believe this experiment will achieve that goal. :) I plan on discussing this speed of reverse dieting issue in a later post, but for right now I just wanted to update the graph.

I also did some major updates to the "about" and "metab rehab" sections of the blog. Feel free to check it out. My goals have changed somewhat and I am now focusing on gaining strength and building up muscle. Therefore, my stats updates on the blog are going to be a little different from now on because I don't necessarily consider this reverse dieting anymore. It's more just straight up lean gaining and adjusting macros based on that--a task I am entrusting to my amazing coach Jose at Alpha Training Protocols. I will continue to check in with these stats but I do want to rely less on the scale and more on progress photos, so I will be weighing myself less frequently. It has been amazing for me mentally so far. :)

Hope you have an awesome week my friends!

Much love,
- C

PS: Macro tip of the day -- some days it's fun to save room for an epic carb/fat treat like this creation I made last night. <3