Welcome to Week 4 of Wunda Wednesdays!  From May 1st through July 1st, I’ll be participating in a 60 Day Challenge with WundaBar Pilates.  I’ll be taking 3-4 classes per week in exchange for documenting my progress weekly here on the blog.

Today is Day 28 but the half way post for my 60 Day WundaBar Challenge.  In 4 weeks, I’ve learned a lot – not only about the concepts, machines and exercises of WundaBar Pilates but about my own fitness potential.  6 months ago, I would have been way too intimidated to even walk into a Pilates studio – now three times a week I willingly go to very demanding (but fun) group reformer classes and I love it!

Me with Helene of WundaBar – killer taskmistress!

While I’ll reveal the results of my second Fit-Fax body composition analysis at the end of the post, I know that I’m stronger for so many reasons – my physical therapy sessions have been reduced from twice per week to only once,  I don’t feel aches in my neck like I did after I muscled through my first 2 WundaBar sessions, I can feel my core muscles engage when I sit, stand or bend and my back doesn’t hurt as often.

I’m still not running but I know that I’m building what Joseph Pilates called the “powerhouse” that I’ll need for the next time I’m able to run a race.  The “powerhouse” includes not only the abdominal area but the muscles around the hip joints, pelvic floor and the lower back.  Through the WundaBar instructors (like the lovely Helene to the right) and the WundaFormer elements – the Wunda Chair, the Reformer and the Jump Board, I’m really am putting the power into my powerhouse.

Despite how strong I’ve been feeling, my Fit-Fax body composition results shocked me – My weight remained stable but instead of showing a gain in lean body mass since the beginning of my challenge, my lean body mass showed a small decline from my baseline. 

The lean body mass decline is NOT due to the exercises nor the frequency of classes per week at WundaBar Pilates.  It is entirely my own fault.

These results indicate that I have NOT been adequately fueling and replenishing my body pre and post exercise.

The results below show very small quantitative differences but the trend is indicative of what can happen to a body when it is undernourished by restricting food intake intentionally (via some form caloric restriction) or unintentionally by the increasing the demands of the body by exercise and not adjusting intake accordingly.

Pre: Dry Lean Mass: 23.8 lbs and Body Fat Mass: 25.8 lbs

4 Wks: Dry Lean Mass: 23.6 lbs and Body Fat Mass: 26.5 lbs.

As a Registered Dietitian, I have expert knowledge about the protein and carbohydrate requirements of intensive exercise.  When I changed my career at the age of 30 to become a dietitian, I was required to gain a deep understanding of the biological and chemical processes of muscle catabolism in the underfed/undernourished state.

Absolute body symmetry achieved (L) but a deficit in segmented lean mass from baseline (R) except in core lean mass which has improved since baseline

I should know better as a professional but as a human being, I just didn’t do what I supposed to do and frankly, I’m embarrassed.  It was only after getting my Fit-Fax results that I remembered how often I allowed the demands of my everyday life to win out over taking care of myself.  I didn’t make it a priority to eat within an hour of my workout, I didn’t pay attention to the composition of the food that my body required after such strenuous effort and I often just didn’t eat enough because I was too “busy” or often times too lazy.  Not good reasons and certainly not practices I plan to continue going forward.

It’s often hard to remember that exercise and food intake go hand in hand and that making time for only one part of the duo will never produce desired results.

I still haven’t changed the way I feel about weighing myself and scales but it’s clear that without a second Fit-Fax body composition analysis, I’d never have the clear evidence to see that how important the amount and timing of food intake can play in the effort to gain strength and fitness.

I know I’m looking forward to the next phase of my WundaBar Pilates Challenge and although I wasn’t happy to hear my body composition results this time around, I’m actually looking forward to working toward my goals and seeing what the Fit-Fax will report next time!

My Goals for Phase 2 of the WundaBar 60 Day Challenge:

Nutrition:

1. Eat within 1 hour of class with emphasis on protein and carbohydrate density
2. Do not skip meals
3. Ensure adequate daily amount of calories, protein, fat and carbohydrates to prevent further lean mass decline and encourage lean mass addition

WundaBar:

1. Focus on proper breathing during exercises
2. Improving form on WundaChair Step Ups/Step Overs
3. Improving alignment on Reformer Kneeling Prayer Twists and Lunges
4. Softer lifts/landings for Jump Board Side Jumping.

If this your first time here or you just want to catch up on Wunda Wednesdays, here are links to posts from Week 1, Week 2 and Week 3.

Let me know what your favorite post-workout snack is!  I could use some inspiration.  

*This post is part of my series Wunda Wednesdays which I have agreed to write in exchange for classes at WundaBar Pilates for the next 60 days. The Fit-Fax Body Composition analysis was complimentary.   All opinions are my own.