Day 1 (re-up)

I saw a video of myself in workout clothes today. My legs and arms are much bigger than I would like. Apparently I need to be more careful with this, and do it right. For food choices, I need to be more careful with portion sizes, stop caving to sweet-tooth cravings, and opt for lower-fat choices when available. Exercise is less clear. Would more exercise serve my purpose, or will it simply maintain my muscular physique? I would like for my muscles to be smaller overall, for my body to have a leaner, more streamlined appearance. It's possible that more exercise would contribute to bulkiness and a more "ripped" appearance, which I don't want (it's not terribly feminine, and I don't like the look on other women). Less exercise would mean simultaneously lowering my caloric intake. But I'm not sure what type of exercise I should cut out/reduce. What exactly is making me bulky? Is it instead the food that's doing this? It's really quite frustrating, as I don't know the answer and am not sure the best way to discover it. I wonder if, perhaps, following the Whole30 program as outlined in the upcoming book might be helpful, as the female author does appear to have a very lean body.

An additional confusing factor is why my legs (particularly upper legs) have never been as muscular as my arms. My abs still have a layer of fat on them, as well, that hides the muscles I saw briefly (oh, it was great!) this winter.

What was I doing this winter when I was at my leanest? Teaching 5 days/week at the studio. It appears that I was also eating about 1200-1300 calories/day. Perhaps I ought to start keeping track of caloric intake again, and aim for that amount. This time, following a Whole30 program, hunger, energy levels, and cravings shouldn't be much of an issue. I vaguely remember being tired and hungry in winter, or alternately running off adrenaline.

The plan for this week: continue exercise as per the usual (walk to work, teach in evenings, walk home if/when possible). Begin to track caloric intake, being more careful with portion sizes and dealing with any hunger by drinking teas and/or taking R-lipoic acid supplements.

This week's goal: become more aware of my caloric intake/expenditure.