I cannot believe that it's only 38 days away already! I am still on the fence about competing in June. I did notice that there is another comp in August, but I really want to do the one in June so I am still preparing for it. I was hoping to go to see a comp last weekend but we went out of town because my husband had a death in the family, and we went to the funeral. It was nice to get away but I really want to get away to a beach somewhere.
Today I am happy for all my blessings. I was really stressed at work today but I cannot complain.
I received an email from Tanji Johnson today telling me that she is moving to Alameda, my old neighbourhood. Tanji Johnson is a professional Fitness Competitor and she is now on the Gladiators. I cannot believe that now that I am no longer there, she moves into my old neighbourhood! I would love to take a posing class with her.
So far so good, I had a clean eating day today. We had brownies at work and I sooooo wanted to eat a brownie bite. But I resisted temptation!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Day 45 - “Do it now! Today will be yesterday tomorrow.” – E. C. McKenzie
I have been so busy training hard, eating clean, and all the hard work and preparation that goes into all the cooking. My husband started eating clean so he has been eating my food, which means that I have to cook way more food. Although it's more work I cannot complain because he is not eating junk food.
I attended a posing class on Sunday and it was helpful, not as helpful as I had hoped but I was not disappointed that I went. I received some positive encouragement from the girls. I was considering putting off my comp until later this year but they recommended that I compete in June because I would ready since I am already pretty lean. I don't usually have a problem with getting lean, I wanted to be bigger for my next comp and I am not sure if I will be. 45 days until the big day.
My goal is to eat clean for the next week...to eat exactly as planned. I had sweet cravings yesterday and had a dark Lindt mint chocolate truffle. Only one!
I attended a posing class on Sunday and it was helpful, not as helpful as I had hoped but I was not disappointed that I went. I received some positive encouragement from the girls. I was considering putting off my comp until later this year but they recommended that I compete in June because I would ready since I am already pretty lean. I don't usually have a problem with getting lean, I wanted to be bigger for my next comp and I am not sure if I will be. 45 days until the big day.
My goal is to eat clean for the next week...to eat exactly as planned. I had sweet cravings yesterday and had a dark Lindt mint chocolate truffle. Only one!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Day 50
I am not a full speed today because I didn't get enough sleep last night. I couldn't get to bed because I was so tired and it took me some time to wind down. Getting at least 7.5 hours of sleep each night is so important for me for so many reasons. I just feel better and can function better with more sleep. In addition, I need sleep in order for my body to grow (muscles of course, since I am not going to get any taller).
I was and still am considering putting off my competition and selecting a competition later in the year. This will allow me to be bigger. I definitely want to be bigger for my next competition and I am not sure if that will happen. I have a posing class this weekend, yeah! It should be interesting.
My training and meals have been going very well. As long as I don't get hungry, then I won't have cravings. I made the mistake of going to Safeway when I was hungry...I didn't get anything that I shouldn't eat but the Lindt chocolate sure looked good.
I helped my sister with a food plan about a month ago, and since then she has lost some weight! I don't know how much she has lost so far and that is not important. What is important is that her clothes are getting too big! I don't know why people focus so much on weight. You can have 2 people (let's say they are identical twins) and they can weight the exact same amount, but the one who has more muscle mass will look a heck of a lot smaller than some one with more fat.
So, we all know that a pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle – weight is, after all, weight – the two materials simply occupy far different space. The pound of fat will look like a lot more matter than the dense pound of lean tissue, as each pound of fat is THREE TIMES the volume of a pound of lean tissue.
So my goal is to be about 120 lbs but to have more leaner muscle!
I was and still am considering putting off my competition and selecting a competition later in the year. This will allow me to be bigger. I definitely want to be bigger for my next competition and I am not sure if that will happen. I have a posing class this weekend, yeah! It should be interesting.
My training and meals have been going very well. As long as I don't get hungry, then I won't have cravings. I made the mistake of going to Safeway when I was hungry...I didn't get anything that I shouldn't eat but the Lindt chocolate sure looked good.
I helped my sister with a food plan about a month ago, and since then she has lost some weight! I don't know how much she has lost so far and that is not important. What is important is that her clothes are getting too big! I don't know why people focus so much on weight. You can have 2 people (let's say they are identical twins) and they can weight the exact same amount, but the one who has more muscle mass will look a heck of a lot smaller than some one with more fat.
So, we all know that a pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle – weight is, after all, weight – the two materials simply occupy far different space. The pound of fat will look like a lot more matter than the dense pound of lean tissue, as each pound of fat is THREE TIMES the volume of a pound of lean tissue.
So my goal is to be about 120 lbs but to have more leaner muscle!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Day 54 - BELIEVE and KNOW that there is a way to use all aspects of your life -- mind and emotions -- to BECOME YOUR BEST!
The above quote is from my new trainer, Tony DiCostanzo
It's been a few days. I have been so busy with just life stuff. I have been eating clean and working out. Since I started with Tony, my meals have changed (for the better, except I can't have blueberries in my oatmeal), and I had to go shopping to get more and different foods. Also my workouts have changed significantly.
Yesterday I woke up feeling weak and thank goodness it was an ab and cardio day because I really didn't seem to have a lot of energy. Also my stomach was feeling weird, I got better as the day progressed.
Since what we put or don't put in our bodies is soooo important I thought I should talk about how important it is to read the ingredients before buying food. When I was a kid I used to hate going grocery shopping with my Mom because she would take forever. The reason she took so long in the grocery stores is because she would read the ingredients before buying anything. I certainly didn't appreciate it back then but I can appreciate it now, because I grew up doing the exact same thing (it's amazing the good and bad habits you learn from your parents).
One of the things I avoid, and will not purchase is anything with high fructose corn syrup. It's in almost everything. One day I looked at every salad dressing in the grocery store and I had a very difficult time getting salad dressing without high fructose corn syrup. I ended up not buying anything and went home and made my own salad dressing with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Foods from Canada (I am stating Canada and no other countries because I grew up in Canada)are less likely to use high fructose corn syrup but the US insists that it is a safe sweetner. Whatever! It's actually cheaper which is why most US companies us it. Just Google high fructose corn syrup and see what you find about it.
It's been a few days. I have been so busy with just life stuff. I have been eating clean and working out. Since I started with Tony, my meals have changed (for the better, except I can't have blueberries in my oatmeal), and I had to go shopping to get more and different foods. Also my workouts have changed significantly.
Yesterday I woke up feeling weak and thank goodness it was an ab and cardio day because I really didn't seem to have a lot of energy. Also my stomach was feeling weird, I got better as the day progressed.
Since what we put or don't put in our bodies is soooo important I thought I should talk about how important it is to read the ingredients before buying food. When I was a kid I used to hate going grocery shopping with my Mom because she would take forever. The reason she took so long in the grocery stores is because she would read the ingredients before buying anything. I certainly didn't appreciate it back then but I can appreciate it now, because I grew up doing the exact same thing (it's amazing the good and bad habits you learn from your parents).
One of the things I avoid, and will not purchase is anything with high fructose corn syrup. It's in almost everything. One day I looked at every salad dressing in the grocery store and I had a very difficult time getting salad dressing without high fructose corn syrup. I ended up not buying anything and went home and made my own salad dressing with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Foods from Canada (I am stating Canada and no other countries because I grew up in Canada)are less likely to use high fructose corn syrup but the US insists that it is a safe sweetner. Whatever! It's actually cheaper which is why most US companies us it. Just Google high fructose corn syrup and see what you find about it.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Day 58 The Beginning is Always Today
Day 58 and it's a new beginning because I started with a new on-line trainer. So far so good I like him and I started with his meal plan and workout today. I was going to get ready for this comp on my own but his rates are good and I think it will be worth it. His meal plans have way more variety but I can't have any fruit with my oatmeal in the morning. The workout was pretty good, I will see how sore I am in the morning. My only disappointment is that I didn't find him sooner. I am really tired so I have to go to bed but I will make sure that I post tomorrow.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Day 60 - He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything
Yikes! Exactly two months to go!
I am really grateful that I was able to workout today. I felt good! My meals were good as well. I also received my Bodyfat Analyzer today so I will start using it tomorrow. It was really my husband's idea to get it since, he has set a goal to reduce his bodyfat and increase his muscle mass. I have no idea what my bodyfat percentage was at my competition. I guess it would have been nice to know as a benchmark. I find bodyfat tests are not very accurate. Using calipers are so dependent on the accuracy of the tester and the they often use some type of chart to determine what your fat levels are. The charts are based on the average population and I am not sure how they determine those numbers. That's why I don't really focus on bodyfat tests.
The next 60 days are really critical and I have to train hard and stay focused!
I am really grateful that I was able to workout today. I felt good! My meals were good as well. I also received my Bodyfat Analyzer today so I will start using it tomorrow. It was really my husband's idea to get it since, he has set a goal to reduce his bodyfat and increase his muscle mass. I have no idea what my bodyfat percentage was at my competition. I guess it would have been nice to know as a benchmark. I find bodyfat tests are not very accurate. Using calipers are so dependent on the accuracy of the tester and the they often use some type of chart to determine what your fat levels are. The charts are based on the average population and I am not sure how they determine those numbers. That's why I don't really focus on bodyfat tests.
The next 60 days are really critical and I have to train hard and stay focused!
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Day 62 - The Greatest Wealth is Good Health
I choose this quote for today because I have not completely recovered from yesterday and my face is a bit swollen. I am just grateful for good health because the greatest wealth is good health and when you are not 100% you realize how important good health is.
I hope to be back tomorrow and plan on working out!
I hope to be back tomorrow and plan on working out!
Friday, April 4, 2008
Day 63 - Commit To Be Fit!
Unfortunately I couldn't workout today. I had minor oral surgery and I can't workout until Sunday.
I recently started this new supplement it's a pre-training and performance igniter which is suppose to give you more strength and energy. It basically has creatine and nitric oxide in it. It certainly gives me more energy. Now a bit about supplements...
I do take supplements and some of them include vitamins. I've taken vitamins all my life. When I was a child, my grandmother would give me cod liver oil which I had to hold my nose in order to take it. I was told, to take it because it was good for me, so I did. My mother gave us multivitamins and she did not give us stuff like Flintstones vitamins, she gave us "the good stuff" from the local health food store. She always knew the owners of the stores (this was way before GNC), and they would make recommendations. I remember taking whey protein (not sure why back then) and vitamin E, etc, etc.
I often hear the following from doctors, health professionals, the media etc, that it is not necessary to take multivitamins since we get vitamins and nutrients from our food. In opinion, that's a bunch of crap! Seriously, most people do not eat enough fruits, vegetable or natural and non-processed foods to get the nutrients that they need. How much nutrients do you think people really get from eating junk food which is exactly what the general population consume...chips, soda etc.
Other supplements I take include Omega 3, and MSM. Specifically for training, I take creatine and whey protein (my fav is Optimum Nutrition).
I had a great lower body workout. I increased my squats to 140lbs for 4 reps and 6 sets. I also increased my Romanian Deadlifts to 160lbs. Sometimes I find it unbelievable that I can lift that amount. Unfortunately my mouth is a bit sore so I can't eat very much, which really sucks!
Since I was home today, I watched a bit of The View and there was a man on there who was used to weigh 600lbs and lost almost 400lbs. It was amazing! He did it all without surgery. He just used a trainer. It was interesting because he thought that he would be able to lose weight by not eating all day. Wrong, that does not work. As a result of not eating all day, he would then binge at night because he was extremely hungry.
Today I am grateful that my surgery was successful. I am also grateful for all of the support of Craig. He has been taking care of me today.
I recently started this new supplement it's a pre-training and performance igniter which is suppose to give you more strength and energy. It basically has creatine and nitric oxide in it. It certainly gives me more energy. Now a bit about supplements...
I do take supplements and some of them include vitamins. I've taken vitamins all my life. When I was a child, my grandmother would give me cod liver oil which I had to hold my nose in order to take it. I was told, to take it because it was good for me, so I did. My mother gave us multivitamins and she did not give us stuff like Flintstones vitamins, she gave us "the good stuff" from the local health food store. She always knew the owners of the stores (this was way before GNC), and they would make recommendations. I remember taking whey protein (not sure why back then) and vitamin E, etc, etc.
I often hear the following from doctors, health professionals, the media etc, that it is not necessary to take multivitamins since we get vitamins and nutrients from our food. In opinion, that's a bunch of crap! Seriously, most people do not eat enough fruits, vegetable or natural and non-processed foods to get the nutrients that they need. How much nutrients do you think people really get from eating junk food which is exactly what the general population consume...chips, soda etc.
Other supplements I take include Omega 3, and MSM. Specifically for training, I take creatine and whey protein (my fav is Optimum Nutrition).
I had a great lower body workout. I increased my squats to 140lbs for 4 reps and 6 sets. I also increased my Romanian Deadlifts to 160lbs. Sometimes I find it unbelievable that I can lift that amount. Unfortunately my mouth is a bit sore so I can't eat very much, which really sucks!
Since I was home today, I watched a bit of The View and there was a man on there who was used to weigh 600lbs and lost almost 400lbs. It was amazing! He did it all without surgery. He just used a trainer. It was interesting because he thought that he would be able to lose weight by not eating all day. Wrong, that does not work. As a result of not eating all day, he would then binge at night because he was extremely hungry.
Today I am grateful that my surgery was successful. I am also grateful for all of the support of Craig. He has been taking care of me today.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Day 65
I had a great upper body workout yesterday. My workout consisted of the following: (lbs x reps x sets)
Bench Press 85x6x6
Barbell Row 85x6x6
Arnold Press 20x8, 25x4, 20x8
Lat pulldowns (narrow grip) 110x6, 100x8, 100x8
Dips (body weight)
Lat side raise 12.5x10, 10x12, 10x12
I had a pretty good workout. I was hoping to lift more with my bench press but I couldn't for the same number or reps.
Today is a cardio day, 50 minutes of hill training (yuck!)
Yesterday I did find an online trainer who I would like to use for the next 2 months at least. I hope he is good. I am getting tired of my workouts and would like a change. Also, I want to look my best on stage and I could use all the help I can get.
My gratitude for today is that I am happy that my husband has made a lifestyle change and has worked out consecutively for the past 4 months. The key word there is consecutively! He used to workout for a week and then stop for a few weeks and then start again. I am also happy that he eats the food I cook and doesn't order pizza or whatever. I think I have finally rubbed off. It took long enough but it worked!
Bench Press 85x6x6
Barbell Row 85x6x6
Arnold Press 20x8, 25x4, 20x8
Lat pulldowns (narrow grip) 110x6, 100x8, 100x8
Dips (body weight)
Lat side raise 12.5x10, 10x12, 10x12
I had a pretty good workout. I was hoping to lift more with my bench press but I couldn't for the same number or reps.
Today is a cardio day, 50 minutes of hill training (yuck!)
Yesterday I did find an online trainer who I would like to use for the next 2 months at least. I hope he is good. I am getting tired of my workouts and would like a change. Also, I want to look my best on stage and I could use all the help I can get.
My gratitude for today is that I am happy that my husband has made a lifestyle change and has worked out consecutively for the past 4 months. The key word there is consecutively! He used to workout for a week and then stop for a few weeks and then start again. I am also happy that he eats the food I cook and doesn't order pizza or whatever. I think I have finally rubbed off. It took long enough but it worked!
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