15 month on a hclf vegan diet - body update || weight gain || exercise routine || calories

Hey guys!

I've been planning to make a Blog post about my experience with weight gain and unlimited calories on this lifestyle for quite a long time now. A while ago, I already made an Instagram post about it and I think I'm gonna use the text I wrote back then and just add some more informations about what exactely I'm doing right now, how much I'm eating and also about my exercise routine. So, if you're struggling with weight gain on this lifestyle, you might be interested in my opinion on this topic after 15 month of living this lifestyle. So, here we go...

just to give you a little fitness update, this is what I currently look like

I get a lot of questions about if I have gained weight eating so many calories and I never really knew what to answer, because I haven't been weighing myself. That's why I always said that I'm not sure, but that I don't think that I've gained a lot of weight because I look basically still the same in my view and no one ever told me that I look heavier. I kinda felt satisfied with my body shape and decided to check my weight again and I finally steped on the scales again, telling myself that the number won't change anything. Now, have I gained weight ? Yes I have. I have gained 5-8 kgs and that's by far more than I expected.

To be honest, I really started looking at me and kinda started critising my body again, but I managed to accept myself since I am at a healthy weight and I'm so much happier with not thinking about restriction anymore. I know that I've gained a lot of muscle weight and eventhough I'm sure that I haven't gained 5 kgs of pure muscle weight, I think it's ridicules that a number, telling you that you gained some weight is more important than what you see and what you think about yourself. I haven't got a perfect body at all and I never had, but I know that I will have my personal perfect body shape in the end of my high carb journey and since I'm still in the very beginning that's okay. I haven't weighed myself again, so I don't know if I have lost/gained any more weight, but I just don't want to start feeling depressed again, eventhough I'm fine with my body. Lately I honestly feel like my body changes again, in a positive way .I had some problems with bloatings the last weeks, but that seems to be over now. However, what's even more interesting is that the long-term weight loss thing is not even that important for me anymore.The satisfaction and the satiation I experience now and the amazing relationship I have with food in general lately, for me personally is definitely worth it. It feels like a heavy rock dropped off my shoulder, all that calory restriction and that guilt is gone and that's such an awesome feeling.I know a lot of you out there are struggling with weight gain and I know how hard it is to just keep going because our body shape is such an emotional topic, but you have to stay strong. 

How much am I eating?

Anyways, I am personally 100% convinced that carbs don't make you fat, because taking into consideration that I ate as much as I wanted the last 15 month (!) all the time, I should be overweight now if carbs really made you fat. In the beginning I wanted to make everythin right and that's why I always tracked my calories and I always ate at least 2500 calories even if I was not hungry anymore. Sometimes my back even started hurting because I ate too much. So at that time I ate between 2500 ( most of the time it was 2700) and 3200 calories. I was a bit more active back then I have to say, but everything I did was following the Blogilates calendar and going for a 16 km bike ride maybe twice a week. I also used to run 4 kms every now and then, but that was it. In my point of view, it was a good thing that I kept smashing in the carbs, because I had to get rid of that restrictive thinking and that's why it was the best thing for me to experiment how much I can eat and to maybe overstuff myself a little bit. It was always my dream to be able to eat as much as I want to, so I just wanted to try out how much I could eat. What is important to say now is, that I decreased the amount of calories I'm eating automatically. After having learned that I can eat as much as I want to and also after having learned that I don't feel comfortable eating that many calories I started eating 2000- 2200 + calories and I feel great with it! However, I believe that you should always eat as much as you want, so if you feel great eating 3500 calories, just go for it! 

How much exercise am I doing?

Now, how active am at the moment? I'm trying to get up to 10000 steps a day, I'm going for a 5,5 km run once a week, I'm going for a 50 min walk as often as possible and I'm doing body weight exercises by Blogilates. I'm also in love with Hiit workouts, I know there are a lot of different opinions about that, but I really enjoy it. So, I'm not really cycling that much, I'm just still going for a 16 km bike ride maybe 2 times a month and I'm cycling to school, to the train station etc. That's basically everything I'm doing, I just try to keep moving and it's working for me.

To finish this off, I still want to share this thought with you:

The high carb journey is not easy sometimes, there are many ups and downs, but it is so important to stay on track! I actually see it as a game that your body is playing with you. It wants you to accept yourself like you are and only if you do that you will get the reward, but it means huge progress for your body. It has to relearn how to digest the right foods for example. I had terrible bloatings and acid reflux in the beginning, but that went away because I just kept going and I also learned a lot about food combining and stuff, so just trust me, stay focussed and if you keep going, you will reach the finishing line in the end! Love and hugs to all of you who are struggling <3