Back on Track

Training this morning was intense. I was a little sore from doing my own workouts yesterday; my energy level has been high this week because all I want to do is fight! The workout this morning was only an hour and a half, but an hour into it my legs felt like jelly. I made the mistake of commenting on this, and my trainer created a circuit for the last 30 minutes that included lunges, squats, and high intensity bag work. The last round of bag work took every last ounce of energy that I had- I was grunting with every punch and kick that I threw. The guy training with me was just as winded. The both of us didn't even have the energy to properly stretch after!

As tired as I was, I left the gym feeling incredibly strong. It's giving me the motivation to slowly start back on my diet. Last week I went off my diet, and I ate way too much! As much as I want to stay within 5 pounds of my fighting weight (around 140), it's really hard to do when I don't have a concrete date for a fight. And even though it might sound like a lot, 145 is a hard weight to stay at. I've always been bulky and now I'm more muscular than ever, so I have to stick to a strict diet of low carbs and no sweets. I eat a lot of fruit, salads, and protein shakes. It's not as bad as it sounds, but once I'm off my diet getting back on it takes tremendous will-power. I think about it too much; when I think about how many calories I expend by working out twice a day, my brain tells me that I can eat anything I crave because I burn it off. Unfortunately it's not just about replacing calories. I've noticed that I am able to train twice as hard when I stick to a healthy low-calorie diet. Protein shakes keep me going- I've grown to love them! I make mine as thick as a frosty by using lots of ice, almond milk, chocolate protein powder, and two packets of stevia. It really is almost as good as ice cream, and I add things like flax seed or banana to change it up a little.

My night training session wasn't too hard, but my muscles were very tight from the morning workout. I went for a jog before working out and I'm pretty sure an old man on a rascal scooter whizzed by me. As slow as I was, it was enough to loosen me up enough to make it through a quick workout and to finish up with some light sparring. As I type this, I can feel the soreness setting in! Tomorrow morning is going to be one of those mornings where I groan loudly as I gingerly roll out of bed.