It has been a little more than a month since I began working on this lifestyle overhaul in earnest and I'm learning a lot along the way. I am down close to 20 lbs (still fluctuating a bit around there and not consistently staying there yet, so won't count it just yet).
1. I gain every single time I have more than 1 carb of any starchy sort in a day. I am seriously considering going grain-free and stretching a bit farther into the vegetarian realm of things.
2. My optimal water intake is 80-96 ozs. Any less than than and I will gain.
3. The longer the workouts, the longer the plateaus. Not sure why, just the trend.
4. Refined ANYTHING makes me gain.
So. . .armed with this information it is time to make some further changes. I will incorporate more carb free days (ie no bread, no pasta, etc even if gluten free) into my menu. I will choose ONE workout only that is 45-1 hour long. Longer is not necessarily better. I will be more conscious about getting my water drank and avoiding the baked goods, etc. Some of these are more challenging than others, especially during the holidays. On the upside, I am cooking the Christmas dinner and will cook for my needs and people can eat it or not.