Prep 15 Week Out Summary:

2020: Christmas Week. After this check in is when the prep got extremely tough. Fat loss slowed down significantly from 16 out to 15 out so diet changes were made for the following week. My weight was actually up .8 lbs this check in from the previous week (Christmas was this week and of course theres some deviation that went into the weeks progress).

2021: This week was an extremely challenging one. Time management had to become a top priority since my work schedule became extremely time intensive. To give context by the time I pulled into my hotel room Wednesday night I was about 50 hours into the work week and had driven approximately 1,200 miles. Stress levels were extremely high and that doesn't make for a fun situation when dieting. Increased cortisol levels (stress hormone) and reduced sleep slows fat loss, increases hunger levels, and reduces the hormone associated with satiety (feeling full). When going through your process sleep needs to be a major point of emphasis and stress needs to be properly managed! Despite these challenges my weight was down 2 lbs from 16 weeks out. Things were right on track so no diet changes were made after this check in.

Insights From The Week: Appetite is still extremely high. Hunger hits about an hour and a half after each meal & fullness is never there even right after a meal. This is important to point out due to the fact that most people do not understand that when you diet one of the big keys is actually to UNDERSTAND that your meal will be finished and complete before you are full! If you are going to lose a significant amount of weight then you must embrace the hunger and shift your attitude regarding feeling it. I know that I'm in the right mindset when I start to crave and enjoy feeling hungry. I begin to think of all the fat burning as I am feeling the hunger at its peak. I turn it into a sort of game where I think of what I'm going to look like (or want to look like) when I'm in shape. This is the most miserable but one of the most enjoyable portions of the process. EXERCISING 100% CONTROL!

Prep Phase:

2020 Prep: 12 weeks into full prep mode, full fat burners

2021 Prep: Week 2 of prep.

Weight:

2020 Prep: 193.6

2021 Prep: 208.4

Average Daily Direct Calories (Calories from Direct Macros):

2020 Prep: 1,743 (Calories not accounting for 1 free meal)

2021 Prep: 2,711 (Calories not accounting for 2 free meals)

Direct Carbs:

2020 Prep: 0 2x/week, 125 4x/week, 700 1x/week

2021 Prep: 175 3/week, 325 2x/week, 800 2x/week

Cardio:

2020 Prep: 20 Minutes HIIT 5x/week

2021 Prep: 20 Minutes HIIT 5x/week Same Duration as all offseason.