That was definitely a post I needed to see because I was 100 lbs and a size 0. Although I can still fit into my size 0 jeans, I'm not sure how long I will be able to and I am 100% fine with that. I am stoked to keep gaining muscle and become stronger every day. This photo is one I took yesterday morning at my lovely 4AM gym sesh (FYI: I do not CHOOSE to go to the gym at 4AM, it's the only time I can fit it in my schedule). Yes, I have gained a few pounds but I am eating more, looking better, and feeling better… and my quality of life has increased exponentially! I'll take it all thank you! 

As far as my reverse diet goes, I am going to start slowing down a bit for now as I approach where I left off before the mini cut. I will keep adding though, of course. Also, my coach (Alpha Training Protocols) is having me get into more of a powerlifting split in the gym which I am pretty excited about. Can't wait to see more progress!

STATS:
REVERSE DIET 2: 
Date                 Weight (lb)           BF%              Protein (g)          Carbs         Fat          Total Cal
11.5.14              115                      16.0               120                     170             42           1,538 (+58)
10.29.14            114                      15.2               120                     160             40           1,480 (+85)
10.22.14            114                      15.5               120                     150             35           1,395 (+95)

MINI-CUT 1:
Date                 Weight (lb)           BF%              Protein (g)          Carbs         Fat          Total Cal
10.15.14          112.5                     15.5               120                      140            29           1,300 (-0)
10.8.14            111.5                     15.2               120                      140             29          1,300 (-0)
10.1.14            113.5                     15                  120                      140             29          1,300 (-0)
9.24.14            115                        16.0               120                      140             29          1,300 (-350)

REVERSE DIET 1: 
Date                 Weight (lb)           BF%              Protein (g)          Carbs         Fat          Total Cal
9.17.14            113                       15.4                117                     201             42            1,650 (+0)
9.10.14            111.5                    16.2                117                     201             42            1,650 (+58)
9.3.14              111                        16.8               117                     191              40           1,592 (+58)
8.27.14            111.5                    16.4                117                     181              38           1,534 (+58)
8.20.14            111.5                    15.7                117                     171              36           1,476 (+58)**
8.13.14            110                        16.0               117                     161              34           1,418 (+58)
8.6.14              110                        15.7               117                     151              32           1,360 (+58) 
7.30.14            109.5                    15.5                117                     141              30           1,302 (+58)
7.23.14            110.5                    15.7                117                     131              28           1, 244 (+18)
7.16.14            109                        15.0               117                     131              26           1,226 (+58)
7.9.14              109                        14.9               117                     121              24           1,168 (+49)
7.2.14              110                        15.6               117                     111              23           1,119 (+49)
6.25.14            110.5                     15.4               117                     101              22           1,070 (+40)
6.18.14            110                        16.1               117                      91               22           1,030 (+43)
6.11.14            112.5                     16.8               117                      81               20           987 (+40)*
START                                                                   117                      77               19            947

Happy Halloween! Please enjoy this ridiculous video. <3

I am SO glad to be eating more again! Just in time for halloween candy too! ;)

As you can see, I've been increasing at a quicker rate than the first time and so far it seems to be going well. I will decrease that rate as I approach 1600 (where I was before). Also, my coach suggested higher fat macros (%) which I think would be an interesting factor to throw in to this experiment. I was at about 21% fat (of total daily calories) and I'm going to increase until I hit about 27% just for fun and see if that makes any difference. I'll let ya know. 

Also, check back in a day or two for a new MACRO song on the YouTube channel! I invited some of my best friends to sing with me and it got crazyyyy. We had a BLAST and I hope you do too when you watch it. :P

STATS:
REVERSE DIET 2: 
Date                 Weight (lb)           BF%              Protein (g)          Carbs         Fat          Total Cal
10.29.14            114                      15.2               120                     160             40           1,480 (+85)
10.22.14            114                      15.5               120                     150             35           1,395 (+95)

MINI-CUT 1:
Date                 Weight (lb)           BF%              Protein (g)          Carbs         Fat          Total Cal
10.15.14          112.5                     15.5               120                      140            29           1,300 (-0)
10.8.14            111.5                     15.2               120                      140             29          1,300 (-0)
10.1.14            113.5                     15                  120                      140             29          1,300 (-0)
9.24.14            115                        16.0               120                      140             29          1,300 (-350)

REVERSE DIET 1: 
Date                 Weight (lb)           BF%              Protein (g)          Carbs         Fat          Total Cal
9.17.14            113                       15.4                117                     201             42            1,650 (+0)
9.10.14            111.5                    16.2                117                     201             42            1,650 (+58)
9.3.14              111                        16.8               117                     191              40           1,592 (+58)
8.27.14            111.5                    16.4                117                     181              38           1,534 (+58)
8.20.14            111.5                    15.7                117                     171              36           1,476 (+58)**
8.13.14            110                        16.0               117                     161              34           1,418 (+58)
8.6.14              110                        15.7               117                     151              32           1,360 (+58) 
7.30.14            109.5                    15.5                117                     141              30           1,302 (+58)
7.23.14            110.5                    15.7                117                     131              28           1, 244 (+18)
7.16.14            109                        15.0               117                     131              26           1,226 (+58)
7.9.14              109                        14.9               117                     121              24           1,168 (+49)
7.2.14              110                        15.6               117                     111              23           1,119 (+49)
6.25.14            110.5                     15.4               117                     101              22           1,070 (+40)
6.18.14            110                        16.1               117                      91               22           1,030 (+43)
6.11.14            112.5                     16.8               117                      81               20           987 (+40)*
START                                                                   117                      77               19            947

Sheeeeeeesh, where to begin. As you know, I like to keep it 100% real so I will just tell you like it is.

This blog post is called lessons learned because I'd rather you learn from my experience than suffer through it yourself. So lemme spare you some gray hairs and tears, aight?! :)

REVERSE DIET & CUTTING LESSONS:
1) Don't do a mini-cut right after you get your period for the first time in a year. Chances are, weight gain is water retention due to crazy hormone changes. Being a girl just straight up sucks sometimes.
2) Don't do a mini-cut during the most stressful time of your life. Because cortisol. 
3) Don't do a mini-cut when you are only getting 3-4 hours of sleep a night. Because cortisol.
4) The scale is not the best measurement tool so chill out and don't put your faith in it.

As you can see, I have not changed my macros at ALL. I have been on POINT with hitting my exact macros every day and have not had one "cheat day" because I don't do those. Yet my weight has increased. Interestingly enough, exactly one month ago to this day my weight had increased about 2 lbs (and then went back down a week later…) because my period happened for the first time in a year. I expect that to happen again soon, probably this week. Sorry for any dudes who read my blog but it is what it is. I'm a girl. :)

LIFE LESSONS:
I'm not going number these, but this week I learned a lot about myself. I am a perfectionist in most areas of my life and that characteristic can really mess me up when I am stretched too thin. I am not the kind of person who half-a$$es anything. When I commit to something, I give it my all and that is difficult when there is a lack of time. To me, that means I have to compensate by overkilling everything. I have felt so much pressure lately in ALL ares of my life (personal, school, work). On top of that, I felt like my mini-cut was essentially a waste of time (and precious carbs that I could have eaten dangit!!) that I will be totally honest -- there came a point where I Just had to sit down and cry for like an hour straight. I had to just let it out and it felt freaking amazing.

Even though this blog is primarily about physical changes--reverse dieting, building muscle, optimizing body composition, etc.--this whole experience is changing me from the outside in. This week, during that "good cry" sesh, I had a defining moment. I'm legitimately done with letting the scale dictate my level of happiness. The logic finally trumped the crazy. It was a huge breakthrough for me. I was seriously contemplating quitting the scale altogether and not weighing myself anymore, but I decided that I need to continue for the sake of the macro experiment so I can keep up with this data for you guys. I also know that in order to gain legit muscle, I will probably see the scale weight increase and that is not a bad thing. I am going to focus now on increasing my strength and increasing my macros relative to that. I want to build some solid muscle and then do a real cut. And perfect timing 'cause guess what?!

I have never had a coach before… until now!
I am so excited to officially be with team Alpha Training Protocols. I have followed them since the beginning of the macro experiment… and I remember when I first found them on IG thinking "holy crap this is THE gold mine of IIFYM!!" I respect these guys so much. Excited, honored, grateful, STOKED to say the least. They are the perfect combo of solid evidence-based coaching and GOOD PEOPLE (crazy nice, ethical, hilarious...) So... huge shout out to Alpha Training Protocols. You should follow them on FB and IG if you don't already. <3 

STATS:
REVERSE DIET 2: 
Date                 Weight (lb)           BF%              Protein (g)          Carbs         Fat          Total Cal
9.22.14            114                        15.5               120                     150             35           1,395 (+95)

MINI-CUT 1:
Date                 Weight (lb)           BF%              Protein (g)          Carbs         Fat          Total Cal
10.15.14          112.5                     15.5               120                      140            29           1,300 (-0)
10.8.14            111.5                     15.2               120                      140             29          1,300 (-0)
10.1.14            113.5                     15                  120                      140             29          1,300 (-0)
9.24.14            115                        16.0               120                      140             29          1,300 (-350)

REVERSE DIET 1: 
Date                 Weight (lb)           BF%              Protein (g)          Carbs         Fat          Total Cal
9.17.14            113                       15.4                117                     201             42            1,650 (+0)
9.10.14            111.5                    16.2                117                     201             42            1,650 (+58)
9.3.14              111                        16.8               117                     191              40           1,592 (+58)
8.27.14            111.5                    16.4                117                     181              38           1,534 (+58)
8.20.14            111.5                    15.7                117                     171              36           1,476 (+58)**
8.13.14            110                        16.0               117                     161              34           1,418 (+58)
8.6.14              110                        15.7               117                     151              32           1,360 (+58) 
7.30.14            109.5                    15.5                117                     141              30           1,302 (+58)
7.23.14            110.5                    15.7                117                     131              28           1, 244 (+18)
7.16.14            109                        15.0               117                     131              26           1,226 (+58)
7.9.14              109                        14.9               117                     121              24           1,168 (+49)
7.2.14              110                        15.6               117                     111              23           1,119 (+49)
6.25.14            110.5                     15.4               117                     101              22           1,070 (+40)
6.18.14            110                        16.1               117                      91               22           1,030 (+43)
6.11.14            112.5                     16.8               117                      81               20           987 (+40)*
START                                                                   117                      77               19            947

Much <3,
- C

Meh.

MINI-CUT 1:
Date                 Weight (lb)           BF%              Protein (g)          Carbs         Fat          Total Cal
10.15.14          112.5                     15.5               120                      140            29           1,300 (-0)
10.8.14            111.5                     15.2               120                      140             29          1,300 (-0)
10.1.14            113.5                     15                  120                      140             29          1,300 (-0)
9.24.14            115                        16.0               120                      140             29          1,300 (-350)

REVERSE DIET 1: 
Date                 Weight (lb)           BF%              Protein (g)          Carbs         Fat          Total Cal
9.17.14            113                       15.4                117                     201             42            1,650 (+0)
9.10.14            111.5                    16.2                117                     201             42            1,650 (+58)
9.3.14              111                        16.8               117                     191              40           1,592 (+58)
8.27.14            111.5                    16.4                117                     181              38           1,534 (+58)
8.20.14            111.5                    15.7                117                     171              36           1,476 (+58)**
8.13.14            110                        16.0               117                     161              34           1,418 (+58)
8.6.14              110                        15.7               117                     151              32           1,360 (+58) 
7.30.14            109.5                    15.5                117                     141              30           1,302 (+58)
7.23.14            110.5                    15.7                117                     131              28           1, 244 (+18)
7.16.14            109                        15.0               117                     131              26           1,226 (+58)
7.9.14              109                        14.9               117                     121              24           1,168 (+49)
7.2.14              110                        15.6               117                     111              23           1,119 (+49)
6.25.14            110.5                     15.4               117                     101              22           1,070 (+40)
6.18.14            110                        16.1               117                      91               22           1,030 (+43)
6.11.14            112.5                     16.8               117                      81               20           987 (+40)*
START                                                                   117                      77               19            947

What the heck yo. I gained a pound this week. Whatevs. I've been feeling crazy bloated the past few days and I'm not sure why. I think this is going to be the last week of my "mini-cut." My purpose was to lose a few pounds and I did. 112.5 is exactly where I started the macro experiment, except I was about 17% body fat then. So I'm cool with it. I just hate this feeling of having reduced energy during my workouts and throughout the day. It especially sucks because my life has been about 100x more stressful than usual the past few weeks. I'm not trying to be negative, just gotta keep it real up in here and tell you like it is! ;)

I've also been thinking a lot… I need to chill out with the value I place in scale weight. Yes, it is a subjective standardized measurement. But that's all it is. Scale weight doesn't tell you your body fat%, water retention, and most importantly it does NOT indicate self-worth or how happy/sad you should feel during the day… it's lit-ch-rally just a stupid number that reflects one's mass x acceleration of gravity at that moment in time. I'm so sick of letting the scale weight of the day have an effect on my overall happiness. It sounds so dumb and ridiculous, but it's honestly hard for me to shake it. Just a part of my old eating disorder that still likes to hang out and mess with me.


So with this next reverse, I'm not going to flip my shiz every time I gain a pound. Hold me to it people, keep me accountable! :) I want to get stronger--mentally and physically. I'm super excited about some things coming up with the macro experiment so I will keep ya posted! <3

Hi friends! Welcome to my first VLog recipe! These waffles seriously taste like brownies… and the macros are amazing (at least for my intake)! High protein, lower carb/fat, high fiber, high volume! GREAT recipe for cutting.

Fun fact: This exact recipe can be made as protein pancakes instead of waffles! So have fun with it and get creative in the kitchen! Feel free to add stuff to this recipe if your macros allow -- mini chocolate chips, marshmallows, m&m's… anything you want!

Ingredients:
- 1 scoop whey/protein powder (I used cellucor cinnamon swirl, but any kind works!)
- 7g coconut flour
- 20g cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 46g egg whites
- stevia to taste
- water to desired consistency (check out the video for my consistency recommendation)


Directions:
1. Heat up waffle maker
2. Mix all ingredients. Add stevia to taste and water to desired consistency (as demonstrated in video).
3. Place in waffle maker until done (about a minute or so). You can usually get two waffles out of this recipe.
4. Place waffles on plate, spray with 0 cal butter spray, add Walden Farms or sugar free syrup… anything you want to top it with -- peanut butter, ice cream, marshmallows… it's all good yo. As long as it fits your macros, GO FOR IT I SAY! 

Let me know if you have any questions at all! Enjoy! <3

- C

WOAH! I got an overwhelming amount of love from that song I posted last week, thank you so much guys! Since the response was so good, I'll definitely be making more funny songs/covers about fitness and IIFYM stuff.

So… I'd LOVE to hear from you guys -- what are some of your favorite songs you'd want me to cover with fitness/IIFYM lyrics? Also, what are some things you'd want me to mention in the songs? Pet peeves at the gym? Funny things you've seen, anything! Let me know and if it makes it in, I'll give you a lil shout out in the video. <3

As long as my computer doesn't spontaneously combust, I will be posting another VLog this week of me making one of my favorite go-to recipes. So stay tuned. ;)

MINI-CUT 1:
Date                 Weight (lb)           BF%              Protein (g)          Carbs         Fat          Total Cal
10.8.14            111.5                     15.2               120                      140             29          1,300 (-0)
10.1.14            113.5                     15                  120                      140             29          1,300 (-0)
9.24.14            115                        16.0               120                      140             29          1,300 (-350)

REVERSE DIET 1: 
Date                 Weight (lb)           BF%              Protein (g)          Carbs         Fat          Total Cal
9.17.14            113                       15.4                117                     201             42            1,650 (+0)
9.10.14            111.5                    16.2                117                     201             42            1,650 (+58)
9.3.14              111                        16.8               117                     191              40           1,592 (+58)
8.27.14            111.5                    16.4                117                     181              38           1,534 (+58)
8.20.14            111.5                    15.7                117                     171              36           1,476 (+58)**
8.13.14            110                        16.0               117                     161              34           1,418 (+58)
8.6.14              110                        15.7               117                     151              32           1,360 (+58) 
7.30.14            109.5                    15.5                117                     141              30           1,302 (+58)
7.23.14            110.5                    15.7                117                     131              28           1, 244 (+18)
7.16.14            109                        15.0               117                     131              26           1,226 (+58)
7.9.14              109                        14.9               117                     121              24           1,168 (+49)
7.2.14              110                        15.6               117                     111              23           1,119 (+49)
6.25.14            110.5                     15.4               117                     101              22           1,070 (+40)
6.18.14            110                        16.1               117                      91               22           1,030 (+43)
6.11.14            112.5                     16.8               117                      81               20           987 (+40)*
START                                                                   117                      77               19            947


- C

PS - I am starting to see some ab definition. I have never seen this before, even when I was 8%BF and anorexic (no muscle). So das pretty coo. o__O

"FOOD" IIFYM Version - Rude Magic! Cover/Parody
I know I'm the biggest dork ever. Enjoy. 

And a little disclaimer -- I do not have anything against steady state cardio, unless you're doing 3 hours or something crazy every single day. The words just fit well at that part of the song ;P!

I also wanted to give you guys a quick review on the Reverse Dieting book by Sohee Lee and Dr. Layne Norton. It is SO worth it. Seriously, if reverse dieting is a relatively new concept to you and you want a super legit comprehensive DIY guide, you need this book. It really covers just about every situation possible in the FAQ section, has a ton of "case studies"--or examples of clients with specific data listed for each one. So yes, from someone whose blog is ALL ABOUT REVERSE DIETING and made a DIY guide of my own a few months ago ("metab rehab")… this book covers ALL the bases. I'm not getting paid to say this (or anything ever, by the way). I just personally highly recommend it. It will change your life. Here's the link to get your hands on it:
http://reversedietingbook.com

Much love!

- C

Hey guys! Just a quick update. I lost 1.5 lbs this week, which I think is an appropriate amount so I'll hang onto these macros until/unless my body adapts. I already want to go back into reverse mode because I got so used to eating so much food! I miss it already, haha!

I did make one interesting observation this week. This week I did my first HIIT session in over a month. I noticed that my heart rate elevated much higher and faster than it used to, it was pretty cool. Maybe my body is becoming more conditioned from all of the strength gains during the reverse and was kind of shocked by the random HIIT session so it was like "WTF I need to get this heart rate up!" That could be totally wrong but I like speculating just for fun. :)

Soooo I'm running into some technical difficulties with the VLog this morning. It's a Rude Magic cover called "FOOD" all about IIFYM/Flexible Dieting! So nerdy but I had fun with it. I will be posting that tomorrow along with a quick review of the Reverse Diet book. So check back for that tomorrow morning!

STATS:

MINI-CUT 1:
Date                 Weight (lb)           BF%              Protein (g)          Carbs         Fat          Total Cal
10.1.14            113.5                     15                  120                      140             29          1,300 (-350)
9.24.14            115                        16.0               120                      140             29          1,300 (-350)

REVERSE DIET 1: 
Date                 Weight (lb)           BF%              Protein (g)          Carbs         Fat          Total Cal
9.17.14            113                       15.4                117                     201             42            1,650 (+0)
9.10.14            111.5                    16.2                117                     201             42            1,650 (+58)
9.3.14              111                        16.8               117                     191              40           1,592 (+58)
8.27.14            111.5                    16.4                117                     181              38           1,534 (+58)
8.20.14            111.5                    15.7                117                     171              36           1,476 (+58)**
8.13.14            110                        16.0               117                     161              34           1,418 (+58)
8.6.14              110                        15.7               117                     151              32           1,360 (+58) 
7.30.14            109.5                    15.5                117                     141              30           1,302 (+58)
7.23.14            110.5                    15.7                117                     131              28           1, 244 (+18)
7.16.14            109                        15.0               117                     131              26           1,226 (+58)
7.9.14              109                        14.9               117                     121              24           1,168 (+49)
7.2.14              110                        15.6               117                     111              23           1,119 (+49)
6.25.14            110.5                     15.4               117                     101              22           1,070 (+40)
6.18.14            110                        16.1               117                      91               22           1,030 (+43)
6.11.14            112.5                     16.8               117                      81               20           987 (+40)*
START                                                                   117                      77               19            947

- C

Y'all. This week has been straight up INSANE in the membrane. Before I type any further, I must put up a disclaimer for all the GUYS out there who read my blog.

WARNING: If you are a dude you may not want to read this!! Especially if you get weirded out by girl hormones/periods/stuff like that. Just wanted to give a heads up so you can spare yourself the details. K? K. Earmuffs.

I was somewhat hesitant to make a blog post about this, but I feel that it is important to share... especially for girls out there who have struggled like me with eating disorder and loss of menstrual cycle. This is something that I originally hoped would happen as a result of the reverse diet.. and this week it finally did!

On Wednesday, I got my period for the first time in almost a YEAR. I am SO HAPPY. I know it might sound crazy, but this means that my hormones are being restored to more normal levels. This will definitely be helpful when trying to have kids one day… in the very, very distant future. ;)

I will say, this has been the most severely uncomfortable period I have ever experienced. Maybe my body is making up for lost time. :P When I used to get my period more regularly (before my ED), I had cramps but never this intense. These literally made me dizzy, but Midol seemed to help. Also, the bloat is REAL. I feel like I'm about to give birth to freaking Shamu.

So yes, mother nature threw a wrench in my experiment this week, but I am glad! This could very well be why I gained a few pounds recently without increasing my macros significantly. Or it might not be. There's really no telling! Either way, I'm still going to continue with the mini-cut just to try it out as a part of the experiment.

It will be super interesting to see how this affects my weight/BF% readings and how significantly those numbers may decrease after this week. I was talking with a good friend about it this week and she said that she once gained 10 lbs in a DAY. I'm glad that hasn't happened to me.. yet! But it makes me feel better. I actually used to wonder if telling myself I was "bloated" due to hormones was a placebo/way to make myself feel better about gaining weight during my period. I'm glad this is not the case. The bloat is REAL y'all.

Anyways! I just wanted to share my observations in case anyone else has struggled with this! Just another reason why reverse dieting is amazing! Now that it is Saturday and I finally have a chance to BREATHE, I am going to read the Reverse Dieting ebook by Sohee Lee and Layne Norton! I have been wanting to read it all week but had 0 time. So stoked. Stay tuned for a review. :)

- C