After another fierce capoeira session this afternoon, I weighed myself (something I try never to do) and discovered that I've lost 10 pounds since I returned to the gym in September! Yay!
I don't even attribute it to the Xenadrine - I haven't taken any in over two weeks. I've really dedicated myself to eating properly - eating a variety of food during the day, instead of eating megameals when I'm starving. I feel really good - it's amazing.
I'm HIV positive and have delayed researching my nutritional needs for years (read: procrastination), so I finally relinquished that fear and just started searching for stuff online. (There seem to be some good books on the subject, but I'll wait until I read them before I make a suggestion.) Fruits and vegetables and plenty of water are important in anyone's diet, but I discovered that protein and LOTS of fiber are especially important in a seropositive person's diet to increase and/or maintain muscle mass. It's more complicated than that, but I just took the hint to eat more protein and fiber regularly - so far, so good!
The proof is my capoeira class. Sometimes the moves and choreography are too complex for me, but the REAL reason I take a lot of pauses is because the instructor is kicking my tail! It is a hard class - a lot of lunging, jumping, moving my whole body in ways that, after two years, I'm STILL not used to. Well, I've noticed that I've had MUCH more energy in the last couple of classes - stopping more because I can't figure out a move instead from total and utter exhaustion. Of course I'm exaggerating (I really am FIERCE *grin!*), but I can really see the difference my diet is making in my workout.
Tomorrow, I begin weight training with my favorite trainer at NYSC - something I've put off for about a year and a half. I'm really excited about what I KNOW I can accomplish with his help.
go on chile! congratulations! it’s one thing to do the work, but it’s so much more inspiring once you start experiencing the tangible results.