Today is a scheduled day off from the iron. I'll try to get in some cardio at work tonight.

Change of plan:

I'm quite discouraged about my failure to lose weight. I've been putting in *a lot* of effort, yet seeing very few and very small changes in body weight.

Now in my head, I understand that I'm currently attempting to accomplish two things at once - build muscles up while simultaneously losing body fat. I'm eating toward that goal - with protein high, moderate fats, and carbs very low.

However I'm beginning to suspect that the excess protein I've been providing for muscle growth is a problem. It's what you are supposed to do when you are trying to grow muscle. Muscle is made of protein, and you can't build muscle without eating protein! I've been having a hard time wrapping my head around reducing protein for that reason...

However - Your body (amazing machine!) can also convert protein into glucose, which of course throws you out of ketosis and makes you hungry. So you eat more protein, and then get into an almost carb-like cycle of hunger and eating. Tragic.

A great mind (or maybe a sarcastic mind) once said something to the effect of "Stupidity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different outcome."

Well, I'm not going to keep busting my butt the same, eating the same, and expect my weight to suddenly start dropping. What I'm doing isn't working - at least as far as bodyweight goes. I've lost 5 lb since Oct 8 while killing myself at resistance training and cardio.

I've been stalled out at roughly this weight for 6 weeks, so I'm going to change a variable. I'm going to cut waaaay back on the protein, replace those calories with fat, while continuing to bust my butt and restrict carbs. I'm going to give it a month.

I *may* also attempt intermittent fasting. Not sure how that's going to mesh with rotating shift work, but I'll see what can be done.

Now, all that said...

Overall, I'm very happy with progress. I'm about 50% stronger than I was at the outset, and I don't get winded nearly as fast. My body has hardened a lot, and I'm starting to see muscle definition where there was none before.

I can see my clavicles again (barely). My clothes are loose, and I'm no longer sore the day after serious lifting (stiff, but not sore). I've likely added 3-5 lbs of muscle mass. Also today, I hitched up my pants and decided I'd better tighten my belt some more. There were no more holes left to go tighter. These are good things that are happening, all of them.

On the other hand, I also want to get the most out of all that hard effort that I've been putting in, and see some movement on the scale. So stop doing the same thing over and over, right?