Things have been going really well, actually! Andi and I have been working out three times a week at the associated gym, doing 30-45 minute HIIT circuit workouts (something like this but with more medicine balls and dumbbells).

Though I remain skeptical of the diet, I haven’t been hungry. I’ve added a bit here and there, like a handful of pumpkin seeds on Halloween or a slice of pizza (oops) last night. Mostly we have been following the plan really closely though, adding only a bit of vegetables at each meal.

My body is definitely changing, with my pants starting to get a bit loose and noticeable definition coming in my butt, abs and arms (and, according to my friends at work, my face).

Speaking of my body, I haven’t been as sore, either. Still sore — still definitely working! But the workouts started to feel more doable after two weeks. That was a very welcome change!

I was under the impression that we should be working out up to six days a week in total and was going for runs or doing yoga on my off days, but was noticing that my runs really weren’t going well. I mentioned this to the trainer and she said that actually, since the diet is so calorie-restricted, we shouldn’t be doing really any cardio at all. She said I can go for a fun run once a week if I want to but nothing more challenging. Our bodies aren’t getting enough calories to recover from extra workouts and won’t be able to successfully build the muscle we’re looking for unless we rest on our off days. She also pointed out that with this few calories coming in, we may just lose muscle since there is not much else around for fuel.

I looked this up and found this blog, which is super helpful. Check out his post, “How to Lose Fat Without Losing Muscle.” I’ll definitely be using this blog as a resource in the future!

Tomorrow is our halfway weigh-in and body fat measurement. I’ll post results!

This week I’ll also share some of the things I’ve been eating that have made our success and happiness thus far possible.