Just working on my fitness

Week 3 went well. Most of the time I actually enjoy the diet, or at least the benefits I noticed because of it. I feel so much "cleaner" eating this way and actually look forward to continuing this type of lifestyle after the competition is over. Obviously i'll add a few more different types of foods and more calories, but keep the same concept.

Week four has felt just as successful. It might just be in my head, but it seems like I can actually feel the fat melt off. I added a some plyometric exercises to my lifting workouts and am doing cardio 4x a week for now. I'm slowly adding volume to my workouts through either longer lifting sessions or more cardio to allow myself to continuously progress without plateauing. Diet was the same as it has been for the last 3 weeks. I added an extra dose of CLA and added L-Carnatine to my list of supplements. I've done my research and understand all of the perceived benefits from these and want to do whatever it is I can to help myself. So in total I am currently taking: Fish oils, CLA, L-Carnatine, basic vitamins/minerals, coq10 and obviously whey protein, creatine and branch chained amino acids. Between the bags of white powder (protein) and containers of pills (supplements) its like I'm running some sort of operation!!

The last two weeks I did absolutely no measurements or progress pictures. I was getting too worked up about what my numbers were and if they were not falling in line I was making myself anxious. I did weight myself every once in a while to make sure that number wasn't going up for any reason. What I determined was that I was only going to "measure" myself based on how I was feeling myself change. I decided to only take progress pictures every 2 weeks in order to see bigger changes in myself when I did take them. This might not be the suggested way to do it, but I want to enjoy this experience enough to possibly do it again in the future. I have told myself that as long as I am giving it my all with each workout and each day of dieting, then I have nothing to regret or be disappointed with at the end. I am not going to let myself think "I should of done more cardio" or "I shouldn't of eating so many calories" in regards to how the final product of my body looks on competition day. I'm using this as a learning experience and will be proud enough of myself just to get on that stage. I have no expectations to win the competition, and that's not my goal of doing it, I just want to see how much hard work and dedication I can scrap out of myself and then show it off, whatever it is that I achieve.

One big thing that I discovered from my last "prep" was that I cannot fill in my macronutrients with just any kind of foods. Before I would try and calculate my macros out so I could eat things like frozen yogurt and cereal by cutting out carbs at my other meals. I feel that this was one of the biggest things that kept me from being successful. I now know that my carbs have to come from brown rice, sweet potatoes and vegetables in order to keep my blood sugar level and avoid spikes that can cause my body to store excess fat. Same thing went for meats. I don't like chicken. Yah, I know, that's strange seeing as chicken is probably the most commonly consumed and enjoyed meat among the population, I just don't like it. So I would try and cut out my fats in other places so I could eat beef. I also now know that my fats need to come in only forms of nuts, seeds, and healthy oils. By doing this, I know that I am doing all that I can to help myself be successful.

Saturday starts day one of a three week carb cycle. This is a mini-carb cycle to keep our body's from plateauing and to try and get a few more body fat cells burnt off of our bulging muscles :) I'm looking forward to a change in diet, and to actually eat fruit again for a few days before we cut it out of the diet again. Again, this is a learning experience, and with all the research I have done in dieting for competition I have realized that most people do not allow fruit in their competition prep. I'm going to do it anyway. Most prep plans also do not allow for any kind of dairy, I'm eating a little bit of greek yogurt for my carb cycle......call me a rebel....I'm still trying to keep this enjoyable so this is what I'm going to be doing.

Saturday also starts week 1 of 3 for our posing class. The two other ladies and I will be taking a weekly one hour class on how to properly pose when it comes time for the stage. I'm really looking forward to this and hope it goes well. I have been practicing walking in the 4 inch heels that we are required to wear on stage so that I don't fall on my face. Still I think walking in those shoes will be what I am most apprehensive about on competition day, more than how my physique looks!!


 This is the suit I am leaning towards. What do ya think?

Week 1: Amazing, Week 2: Appalling, Week 3: Determined

Week 1: Amazing, Week 2: Appalling. Week 3: Determined

 

Week one of dieting I felt amazing. I could feel myself slimming down, I had lost 3 pounds. Workouts were still going strong. I had actually accomplished all of my scheduled cardio sessions and my eating was on point. Wasn't feeling deprived, just satisfied.

 

Week two I considered to be quite the opposite. I had lost no weight (which I realize is to be expected when I only have 8-10 pounds to lose in the 12 week span and had already lost 3), but I was not feeling any significant difference like I did the first week which puts you on a path of doubt and you start questioning everything you are doing. Most of the week I was so hungry I just wanted ANYTHING that wasn't chicken and rice. Friday was my breaking point. I had pushed all week being completely successful with diet and workouts although it was extremely difficult and I was annoyingly irritable. Friday I cheated, double. I was way to sore to workout, so I skipped it. Then I had run out of my prepared foods by my 4th meal so for dinner I had yogurt covered pretzels while I was food shopping at the grocery store. Not going to lie, I felt so much better afterwards. I didn't feel guilty the least bit. When I woke up Saturday, I felt as if everything was right again. I woke up early to make up the missed workout from Friday (I usually take Saturdays off, its my recovery day). All of my meals since have been on point. I came to the realization, even if it ends up setting me back a little bit, I am going to allow myself one thing every two weeks throughout this prep to keep myself from going insane. I want this to be somewhat enjoyable, not devastating.

 

Now I'm only 2 days into week three, but I am refocused and reenergized. I have decided to not get to caught up in measurements. I am still going to weigh myself once a week, to make sure I'm on track, but as far as body fat measuring and tape measurements, I'm going to let my clothes and pictures show me the difference. I was so concerned last week that I wasn't changing, and to my relief when I took my second set of progress pictures yesterday I saw the difference. Numbers didn't change, but I could see pieces of my body changing. That in itself was motivating, I highly recommend taking progress pictures when transforming your body. Pictures from last post were from January 5th, this picture was taken yesterday, January 19th. I definitely notice a difference in the definition of my shoulders and abs. Apparently I lose body fat like a melting candle, legs will be the last to go.



 

 

Day 11 of 90

Here we are 11 days into our 90 day competition prep.

I lost 3 pounds last week and I have no idea how much percentage of body fat. The hand held machine that I have isn't the best way to measure body fat because it has too many variables that affect it. I need to find someone who knows how to do skinfold calipers (or better yet, someplace that has the hydrostatic equipment) so I can better know where I am. I feel as if I have lost body fat, certain areas of my body look more "toned".

One way that I can measure my progress, is using before and after photos. I had my husband take pictures before we started the diet last week. And this is embarrassing, but I guess I have to get used to it:

 

 

 

Don't mind the cat like eyes in the front pose, and the posing will get better. We start our posing classes the first of February. I will hopefully be doing progression pictures every few weeks to determine what area I need to work on to keep moving forward.

 

So far my biggest concern with the diet is if I start losing muscle. I worked really hard to get what I have. I'm feeling really good with the diet, just hoping it keeps working the way its supposed to. I'm surprised, and don't want to jinx it, but I am not having any cravings for "bad" foods, but I sure would like to eat a little bit more of everything. Not going to lie, the diet makes me a slightly more cranky person, but I have given fair warning to all of those that I see on a daily basis. Just not sure how to give fair warning to the greater population, they have a tendency to irritate me quite easily when my blood sugar is low!!

Countdown to Doomsday.... Wait, I mean Countdown to Competition

T-minus 12 weeks.

Over the last few months I have figured more out. More about diet, training and competition prep. Although I was not ready for my anticipated competition back in November, I used the last two months to continue "bulking up" and building the muscle that is needed to compete as a figure athlete. Now, with 12 weeks out from our first competition, we are starting to "cut".  I am feeling more mentally prepared for this competition prep.

I say we because I have convinced two other ladies to participate in the competition with me. First one being a client who has participated in the last 2 seasons of my weight loss competition has lost at least 30 pounds and like 30 something inches along with about 10% body fat. I noticed through her transformation that she developed muscle quite well and I asked her if she ever though about competition. She was onboard right away. Second lady is the owner of the gym I train in. She builds muscle just as easily as I do, so I knew she would be a good candidate for a figure competition. She decided to take a break from marathon training to join our journey. Having two other friends enduring the same daunting task will make the process a little less lonely.

My diet is planned and macronutrients are balanced. There can be no swaying from this, nothing added, nothing subtracted. A bite of something here or there....ABSOLUTELY FREAKIN NOT!!! When trying to transform your body, every single thing you put into your body has an effect on you. You may not notice it, but things like insulin and bloating are easily disrupted by certain foods. I don't want to mess this process up, everything I eat will be preplanned and part of my macronutrients. I have planned out my diet for the next 15 weeks. I realize it may change as time passes and I will need to reevaluate my progression. But why 15 weeks of diet when the competition is only 12 weeks away? I've been reading a lot of horror stories of competitors who finish their first competition and then after weeks of restrictions they are cleared from dieting and then binge for days. They were never told of having a post competition plan to reintroduce regular, healthy eating.

Starting this week, I have started a muscle maintenance plan. Keeping my weights moderate, instead of trying to lift super heavy all the time, and doing a few more reps. I love lifting weights, I could do it all flippin day!! However, this week also starts the cardio bandwagon. I ran cross country in highschool and since then have probably ran an average of 10 miles.....a year, excluding last year when I ran a tough mudder. I HATE CARDIO!!! Not going to lie or beat around the bush, there is nothing enjoyable about it to me. I don't ever get that "runners high" and usually end up with sore joints afterwards(knees, ankles, feet). I know that once I do more of it, it will get easier and affect me less. Most of my cardio will be steady state for now, 5 days of 30-45 minutes, and then I will add in some HIIT cardio in a few weeks. I'm trying to slowly use cardio to burn fat, I don't want to do a whole lot of it at first and then burn out of my options for fat burning later on.

We are now starting to focus on competition day prep. We need to start scheduling and planning such tasks as tanning, waxing, posing practice, hair and makeup trials, and actually registering for the competition. This sport can be quite expensive. From what we have established so far registration runs $70-90, then you have to buy membership to the league ~$50, drug testing (everyone who competes is required to do a polygraph) $45, suits are between $200 all the way up to thousands of dollars, then you have hair, makeup, nails, waxing, tanning.....it adds up quick. I spoke to a male competitor and he said it cost his $6,000 to do a show!!! Well I know I won't spend that much, but I can see where things start to add up. Might have to sell some nonessential organs on the black market to fund this project!! Oh well, I'll figure it out.