I trained with Michelle today and it was hard, like I expected, but not impossible which was slightly surprising. I sweat like a sprinkler, with streams running out of every inch of my face and neck, but I was okay with that. I liked the way she pushed me but knew when to back off, too. She was highly attentive to everything I was doing (proper technique, correct amount of weight, increasing intensity where possible) and she explained what our game plan was for the hour, then assigned me a targeted workout for the remaining muscles during my independent session tomorrow. I'm not sure how I'll feel in the morning, but my energy is fine today. Like I do with all workouts, particularly ones of anticipated higher intensity, I eat carefully beforehand and afterward. For our 11 a.m. session, I ate my now standard breakfast of steel cuts oats with a cup of fruit on top (blueberries or raspberries this week) since bread is knocked out of the rotation, 1 cup of white tea (with 2 teaspoons of raw cane sugar - I hope no one cuts it!!), later a protein shake and 30 minutes after, a bowl of quinoa with some roasted red peppers (from a jar) and some chopped olives. That's obviously heavy on the carbs (though quinoa has a nice amount of protein) but without them, I fear I might pass out or something. Furthermore, I burn them during the workout. Would I burn more fat without them? Maybe, but I also might not perform as well and building muscle during these workouts is still high priority. After the workout, I had some grilled chicken and vegetables and no other carbs for the rest of the day, except for the minimal amount in carrots and a few tomatoes. What I could really go for right now is one of the snickerdoodle cookies in my kitchen, but no, I won't do it.