Some weight-y news....

Well friends, here's an update from the fitness side of things. Not having stepped on a scale in a few weeks, I decided it was time to check in with my weight last night. I wasn't really expecting anything different, so I was mildly surprised to find out that I'm now a robust 116.5lbs...which means I've gained 7-8lbs since I started this whole thing. Is this fat? Is this muscle? I reflect on my weight lifting progress and my eating habits and come to the conclusion that it's probably some proportional combination of both, although I'm not sure it really matters since I was severely lacking in both before. Later on I catch a casual glimpse of myself in the mirror, trying to pretend I'm not looking to see whether I look any different. (I totally am).
 

Okay, this is not quite how I look...yet.
But I'm catching up to you, Arnold!

Now, I'm used to having a pretty scrawny upper body staring back at me. I never really used to give it much thought or attention (there are usually more pressing matters to worry about in life than having spaghetti arms), although it has had its drawbacks over the years. For example, during shopping sprees with friends I have always enforced the rule that any fashions emphasizing the shoulders and arms are off-limits, since they reduce me to looking like a 12 year old preteen (best friend always argues vehemently against this, but I'm pretty sure she's just loyally trying to protect my self-image). Have I mentioned I've never won an arm wrestle before in my life? This includes one time when I was 13, arm-wrestling an 8 year old boy. Seriously.

However, this may ever-so-slowly be starting to change. Raph is convinced I'm starting to look different. My mother told me a few days ago I looked like I'd gained some weight...I took it as a great compliment (even as she performed her motherly duty and looked me up and down to decide whether she meant it as one or not. In the end, she did.) Plus, I'm not getting the same mocking looks from the huge bodybuilder guys in the weights room anymore. Maybe they've just gotten used to seeing me. Or maybe I've gained an eensy weensy ounce of respect from them, for consistently showing up 3 times a week for the past 5 weeks, crashing their testosterone parties while I confidently lift my 8 and 10lb weights (which conveniently, nobody else is ever using.) Either way, it was a thoroughly satisfying feeling to step on the scale and see a change. I imagine this is what  the contestants on The Biggest Loser feel like...except, well, for the opposite reason.

Anyway, as I continue to try to build some more muscle, I'm faced with the ever-so-complex matter of protein intake, which I still haven't managed to quite figure out yet. There are basic things I know. I know protein builds muscle. I know if I don't get enough protein, all of this iron pumping will be for naught. I know meats and lentils have protein in them. But exactly HOW much protein should one be getting if they're trying to build muscle? And what kind of protein? Does it matter? This may seem like a simple issue, but let me just say I made a trip to the local GNC (general nutrition centre) last week, and you'd be friggin' surprised how many different varieties of proteins there are out there, if you've never been yourself. Google has given me daily protein intake recommendations ranging anywhere from 0.8mg to 1.8mg per kg of body weight. That's a pretty big darn difference. Which one is right? And can you overdose on protein? I can just see the headlines now... "Woman, 24, dies from protein overdose after attempting to build some lean muscle mass." Yeah, I need some verifiable information about this before my imagination gets the better of me. 

So far, I've been sticking to a pretty moderate regimen. I down a protein booster juice after every workout, which has about 20-25g in it. I try to eat a serving of greek yogurt every day, which has another 20g. And I usually try to have some kind of meat. But lord knows if this is enough...and also if I need to be supplementing with some kind of whey protein powder. Does whey make a weigh-ty difference? (Sorry, horrible pun). These are questions I'll be looking into more. I'll keep you posted. (Or you keep ME posted, if you happen to know about these things...help!)

Until next time,
Janine