So first week fully back. I'm gonna break down what I think I did right, what I could've done better, and what changes (if any) I'll make.
Eating at deficit: Considering I pretty much ate what I wanted whenever I wanted, it wasn't that difficult heading back into a deficit and tracking. I'm fully aware a beginner would definitely be struggling changing eating habits; however, having done this several times (in a healthy, sustainable way), I knew what I was in for as far as a slight bit of hunger, the time it takes to measure and track, and being mindful of what meals and snacks I would be consuming. Some people might balk at the idea of meals planned out, but honestly (for me) it's nice to stress about one less thing during my day. Good: I kept a pretty tight leash on what I ate, I even tracked my "cheat day" not allowing myself to go too much over (so as to not wipe out any weekly deficit) Bad: I struggled the first couple days getting my protein grams pretty high, but was averaging about 100g a day towards the end of the week.
Workouts: Kept fairly close to my regular workout plan. I work hamstrings, glutes, quads, and back all on separate days. I do a lot of "boring" stuff. I stick to squats, deadlifts, hip thrusts, and back pulls all with variations of exercise. Most of my exercises tend to be compound (recruitment of more than one muscle/joint) over isolation movements (one muscle/joint). I do occasionally throw some tricep/bicep (isolation) work if I feel like I need a longer rest time between leg exercises. Good: I was deliberately pushing myself to lift heavier and come closer to failure on my main/first exercises. Bad: I'm much more critical of my gym time because I frequently feel like I'm leaving something out or not doing enough. I know I need to keep better records so I can look back at my progressions because that is the driving motivation. Strength gains (along with proper nutrition) will show up in physical results. I probably need more structure too...I tend to just work whatever body part I feel on that day. Lol. Yes, even trainers can be bad at structure.
Sleep: I did start averaging over 6.5hrs of sleep a day, so that's a huge improvement. I have a terrible habit of NOT having a nighttime routine. So by the time I'm way too tired to do anything, I still have to get ready for bed, which being mom means I'm responsible for winding the entire house down, straightening up the house, doing 600 other small tasks before I drag myself into bed. Good: I'm getting into bed earlier...that's about it. Lol. Bad: I really REALLY need to set a routine and make my bedtime a set time. Let's face it...sleep is amazing.
Conclusion: -1lb. I felt like I lost some puffiness, so all in all it wasn't a rough start. My body had declared a jihad on me with getting sick and other things. I'll spare you the details, but I'm sure I was a pound or few heavier than I might have ACTUALLY been, but I really won't know for a few weeks. I'm actually surprised I had lost anything considering my body and I had eaten pretty late the night before.