I’ve been slacking lately. Big time.

My race weight for Mount Mitchell this year was somewhere around 148. Thanks to too many Colorado microbreweries, too many special occasion dinners, too many carbload sessions, and too many late night snacks, that number is now 156. Eight pounds might not sound like a lot compared to where I’ve been, but in that short of a time-frame, 5% is a big swing.

Yesterday marked the first day of the new Haute Route diet. My goal was to reach 140 lbs by next August, when rubber touches French pavement. The new coach told me today that he wants me at 10% body fat by late spring. Since I am probably at around 16-17% now, that could mean dropping as much as 15 lbs. Yikes! This could be a tough winter.

Cannot eat from this menu in 2012-13.

Since I am still at least a week away from serious training, the best way to start is by drastically reducing my food intake. This means I am going from a daily 2,300 calorie diet (at best) to around 1,800 calories. I am not too concerned with the lack of cardio, as I know that I’ll be making up for it soon.

One of the reasons for my gain is lack of oversight. After Mitchell, I stopped working with Kelli at Apex Nutrition. I may have learned how to eat, but I still lack the discipline to stick with the plan. I will again be entering everything I eat into a calorie tracker. Kelli is re-hired, and will be monitoring my intake carefully. She will correct me about anything that’s not contributing to my goals. She will also steer me towards the healthiest options nearby.

No fried butter for me.

The focus will be familiar. For starters, the diet will be low carbs, high protein, and no junk. At some point I also plan to cut down on diet soda. Healthy carbs will come back into play when needed to fuel workouts, only without going crazy. I think I’m at the point where I don’t need to overfill myself. It is time to learn new combinations to reduce the bottom line.

For example, here is today’s food:

Breakfast: Lara Bar, banana, almond latte

Mid-morning snack: Granola bar

Lunch: Grilled chicken Caesar salad

Afternoon snack: 100 calories of almonds

Dinner: Baked chicken, green peppers, onions

Evening snack: Celery with coconut oil, peanut butter

To many this sounds like a nightmare of a diet. For me, it isn’t bad. I enjoy veggies and chicken. Of course I also enjoy stuff that I cannot eat, but thanks to my cycling hobby, I’ll get the chance to eat enjoyable foods without cheating.