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Follow me on my journey to compete in
my first bodybuilding competition
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5.10.10
Monday morning and the competition is over. It is hard to believe that I started this process on January 1st. The time has flown and I have learned alot about getting ready for a show and what makes me happy and complete. What makes me happy and complete is setting goals and accomplishing them! Also having a plan and sticking with it. This process can happen to anyone. Maybe not to the degree of competing in a bodybuilding show. It's setting goals and seeing those goals through completion.
So, here is a run down of the weekend. The weigh in was on Friday night. I weighed in at 165.4 lbs. I had to not be over 165.4 lbs for the weight class I was competing in! My goal was to get to 165 and I did it!!
I got my competitors badge and my goodie bag and went back to the hotel. I didn't sleep much that night. More anxious than nervous about the following day. I woke up at 6 am and ate. Did one coat of the Jana Tan tanning mousse. Up until then, I was looking a little orange with the coats of Pro Tan. The Jana Tan made everything more golden color.
I left for the venue around 7:30am. I had to be there by 8am. Got in to the venue. I felt a little like a fish out of water! I have been on stage numerous times performing and singing but not on stage doing a bodybuilding competition!
There was a order of events on the wall and they would announce how much time you had before you went on in your class. I was competing in the Novice Lightweight and the Masters class, so I went on 2 different times. As it gets close to time to go on, you make sure you "pump up". Meaning you do push ups, bicep curls, shoulder raises, shrugs, dips, etc to get blood flowing into your muscles. This helps the muscles pop. You next get sprayed with Pam Spray. Yep, Pam Spray!! It has enough sheen that you don't look flat on stage.
Once you are called, you line up back stage in your class. You walk on stage and the head judge will call out what they want you to do. You first start with quarter turns. Facing front, you turn a quarter turn to the right and so on. Then they call out the mandatory 8 poses. After this, the judge may re-arrange the order of the contestants. The judge may have that class go through the mandatories again. After that you are thanked and you go off stage.
I left the stage with a dry mouth and feeling shaky. I ate something and had a little water. I had about 30 minutes before I came back on for the Masters class. It was cold back stage! Having sweats is a key thing to have on backstage. I went out into the audience to watch some of the other classes.
I came back and did the Masters class. I felt even more confident with posing the second time. The pre-judging ended and had about 5 hours before needing to be back for the night show.
The night show is when all of the competitors do their routine and the winners are announced.
My routine went well. Next time I will have more fun with it!! I felt like I was too serious!!
I did not place in this contest, but I knew that I probably wouldn't. This contest was to get me experience and then work on what I need to work on for the next time.
So, what have I learned from doing this competiton.
You can do anything you put your mind to. I know this sounds cliche, but it is true. Having a goal and meeting it is within the reach of all of us. Big or small goals are all achieveable.
Treating your body to discipline and hard work will transform your physique. Working hard and sticking to it even when you don't want to gets you to the place you want to be.
Eating whole, unprocessed foods makes my body feel so much better! Eating out was a common thing for me. It's expensive and many times not that good. Saving money and preparing food at home will keep you on your plan. Cheat meals every once and a while is fine. But when it's a daily occurance the treat becomes no longer a treat but something common and mundane. It's no longer special. The cheat meals are there to celebrate when you have been really great with your diet and workouts.
Having a clean slate and furthering my progress and competing again. Yes, I want to compete again! I really love the process!! I love how I am the one who changes my body. No one else. This is all on me! I decide what I put in my mouth and how I treat my body. Through hard work and discipline, I can go even further and see changes!
Thanks for sharing this journey with me. If you were inspired, I am glad!! This journal was to not only inspire me, but to inspire others. I have been in the place that many people have been, weight wise and feeling not so good about themselves. If you share this with someone who would like to be inspired, please do so. Everything is within reach. You can do anything you set your mind to!!
On to another adventure and setting new goals!
Monday morning and the competition is over. It is hard to believe that I started this process on January 1st. The time has flown and I have learned alot about getting ready for a show and what makes me happy and complete. What makes me happy and complete is setting goals and accomplishing them! Also having a plan and sticking with it. This process can happen to anyone. Maybe not to the degree of competing in a bodybuilding show. It's setting goals and seeing those goals through completion.
So, here is a run down of the weekend. The weigh in was on Friday night. I weighed in at 165.4 lbs. I had to not be over 165.4 lbs for the weight class I was competing in! My goal was to get to 165 and I did it!!
I got my competitors badge and my goodie bag and went back to the hotel. I didn't sleep much that night. More anxious than nervous about the following day. I woke up at 6 am and ate. Did one coat of the Jana Tan tanning mousse. Up until then, I was looking a little orange with the coats of Pro Tan. The Jana Tan made everything more golden color.
I left for the venue around 7:30am. I had to be there by 8am. Got in to the venue. I felt a little like a fish out of water! I have been on stage numerous times performing and singing but not on stage doing a bodybuilding competition!
There was a order of events on the wall and they would announce how much time you had before you went on in your class. I was competing in the Novice Lightweight and the Masters class, so I went on 2 different times. As it gets close to time to go on, you make sure you "pump up". Meaning you do push ups, bicep curls, shoulder raises, shrugs, dips, etc to get blood flowing into your muscles. This helps the muscles pop. You next get sprayed with Pam Spray. Yep, Pam Spray!! It has enough sheen that you don't look flat on stage.
Once you are called, you line up back stage in your class. You walk on stage and the head judge will call out what they want you to do. You first start with quarter turns. Facing front, you turn a quarter turn to the right and so on. Then they call out the mandatory 8 poses. After this, the judge may re-arrange the order of the contestants. The judge may have that class go through the mandatories again. After that you are thanked and you go off stage.
I left the stage with a dry mouth and feeling shaky. I ate something and had a little water. I had about 30 minutes before I came back on for the Masters class. It was cold back stage! Having sweats is a key thing to have on backstage. I went out into the audience to watch some of the other classes.
I came back and did the Masters class. I felt even more confident with posing the second time. The pre-judging ended and had about 5 hours before needing to be back for the night show.
The night show is when all of the competitors do their routine and the winners are announced.
My routine went well. Next time I will have more fun with it!! I felt like I was too serious!!
I did not place in this contest, but I knew that I probably wouldn't. This contest was to get me experience and then work on what I need to work on for the next time.
So, what have I learned from doing this competiton.
You can do anything you put your mind to. I know this sounds cliche, but it is true. Having a goal and meeting it is within the reach of all of us. Big or small goals are all achieveable.
Treating your body to discipline and hard work will transform your physique. Working hard and sticking to it even when you don't want to gets you to the place you want to be.
Eating whole, unprocessed foods makes my body feel so much better! Eating out was a common thing for me. It's expensive and many times not that good. Saving money and preparing food at home will keep you on your plan. Cheat meals every once and a while is fine. But when it's a daily occurance the treat becomes no longer a treat but something common and mundane. It's no longer special. The cheat meals are there to celebrate when you have been really great with your diet and workouts.
Having a clean slate and furthering my progress and competing again. Yes, I want to compete again! I really love the process!! I love how I am the one who changes my body. No one else. This is all on me! I decide what I put in my mouth and how I treat my body. Through hard work and discipline, I can go even further and see changes!
Thanks for sharing this journey with me. If you were inspired, I am glad!! This journal was to not only inspire me, but to inspire others. I have been in the place that many people have been, weight wise and feeling not so good about themselves. If you share this with someone who would like to be inspired, please do so. Everything is within reach. You can do anything you set your mind to!!
On to another adventure and setting new goals!
5.6.10
2 days out from my first bodybuilding competition! It really seems like yesterday that I decided to go for this dream that I have had for a few years now. Now it's almost here!
So far this week...Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I was eating basically only chicken and asparagus. No carbs at all. This helps deplete the muscle of glycogen. Glycogen is the fuel for the muscles to work. After depleting the glycogen stores with no carbs and doing 3 upper body workouts to help further the carb depletion, I was ready for a high carb day today and tomorrow. However, I am really tired of chicken. I really like chicken, but after this week, I will be happy to leave chicken behind for a little while!
I started the Protan tanning spray last night. 1 coat last night, 4 coats today and 4 coats tomorrow. It's like painting old furniture!! Each coat darkens the skin. I am looking very sun god-like, golden brown and a little glistening!
I will take my water intake down to a very low percentage tomorrow. This will help pull water from right under the skin. This will give that hard, lean, mean look!!
Weigh in is tomorrow night to verify the correct weight class. Then Saturday morning, here I go!! Can't wait for this weekend and will be happy to take some time off from strict dieting for a few days. Starting a week from Monday, a new program begins. Can't wait to start improving, maintaining a lower body fat level and taking my physique to a new level. Will have pics up soon!!!
2 days out from my first bodybuilding competition! It really seems like yesterday that I decided to go for this dream that I have had for a few years now. Now it's almost here!
So far this week...Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I was eating basically only chicken and asparagus. No carbs at all. This helps deplete the muscle of glycogen. Glycogen is the fuel for the muscles to work. After depleting the glycogen stores with no carbs and doing 3 upper body workouts to help further the carb depletion, I was ready for a high carb day today and tomorrow. However, I am really tired of chicken. I really like chicken, but after this week, I will be happy to leave chicken behind for a little while!
I started the Protan tanning spray last night. 1 coat last night, 4 coats today and 4 coats tomorrow. It's like painting old furniture!! Each coat darkens the skin. I am looking very sun god-like, golden brown and a little glistening!
I will take my water intake down to a very low percentage tomorrow. This will help pull water from right under the skin. This will give that hard, lean, mean look!!
Weigh in is tomorrow night to verify the correct weight class. Then Saturday morning, here I go!! Can't wait for this weekend and will be happy to take some time off from strict dieting for a few days. Starting a week from Monday, a new program begins. Can't wait to start improving, maintaining a lower body fat level and taking my physique to a new level. Will have pics up soon!!!
5.02.10
OK, 6 days to go and tomorrow starts the final week contest prep. I have to say that these past couple of weeks have gone by very fast. This week will probably go by even faster!
This week is filled with very low carb days, M/T/W and two high carb, no sodium days, Th/F. The point of the last week of prep is to get as much water out your system to get you to a tight, hard look. We carry alot of water just under our skin and getting rid of this excess water will make to muscles pop.
My workouts are M/T/W only with working upper body and cardio. Th/F will be posing only.
On Wednesday, I will start using the Pro Tan to get me darker. It's a stain that when layered creates a deep dark color that really helps define and accentuate the muscles.
I will try to update one more time before the show. If, not , I will recap the show next week and give my thoughts on the whole experience. Until next update...
OK, 6 days to go and tomorrow starts the final week contest prep. I have to say that these past couple of weeks have gone by very fast. This week will probably go by even faster!
This week is filled with very low carb days, M/T/W and two high carb, no sodium days, Th/F. The point of the last week of prep is to get as much water out your system to get you to a tight, hard look. We carry alot of water just under our skin and getting rid of this excess water will make to muscles pop.
My workouts are M/T/W only with working upper body and cardio. Th/F will be posing only.
On Wednesday, I will start using the Pro Tan to get me darker. It's a stain that when layered creates a deep dark color that really helps define and accentuate the muscles.
I will try to update one more time before the show. If, not , I will recap the show next week and give my thoughts on the whole experience. Until next update...
4.22.10
Alright, I am a little over two weeks away from the contest. Where has the time gone? April is going so fast. Am I ready? Today, I feel like the answer is yes. Yesterday, no! Overall, I feel like I am where I should be but I am not stopping until the show is over!!
At this point, I am at 169 lbs and about 9.6 % bodyfat. I really would like to be at 4-5 % bodyfat. Not sure if that will happen. I have the rest of this week and next to keep the intensity up and go for it!
I really am pleased at how I am progressing. I feel more confident about the posing and the posing routine. Each day I see my body changing. Several people have said to me that I look too lean. I think that I could be leaner. I am obviously going to be harder on myself than others. I have been told that I am looking gaunt!!! After a couple of nights with 6 hours of sleep, I look gaunt!! I have gotten about 7 hrs of sleep a night the last few.
Food is going well. Only craving Chinese food!! I think I have been able to turn off the switch about food cravings. I ask myself if it is worth cheating. Nope!!
My posing suit came in the mail on Monday. Tried it on and it fits perfectly. I really feel like the whole package is coming together. I can't wait to see myself the day of the show. I feel a little self absorbed, but you have to be to prepare for a show. Even though this is my first show, I know enough people who have competed. Their thoughts during prep and then going through the competiton are focused on getting the body to an almost perfect place.
I am doing posing pics for Micheal in Tulsa. He will critique them and then I can correct and finesse the poses over the next two weeks.
I am having a photographer take pics of me during the competiton and do a photo shoot. I think it's important to get this on film, so to speak! I am very proud of how far I have come. And I am excited to continue on after the show and prepare for my next show. It's very strange, I never thought I would ever love this whole thing. The prep has been brutal at times, but I love the discipline of it all.
Continuing on the quest!! Will update later this week or early next week.
Alright, I am a little over two weeks away from the contest. Where has the time gone? April is going so fast. Am I ready? Today, I feel like the answer is yes. Yesterday, no! Overall, I feel like I am where I should be but I am not stopping until the show is over!!
At this point, I am at 169 lbs and about 9.6 % bodyfat. I really would like to be at 4-5 % bodyfat. Not sure if that will happen. I have the rest of this week and next to keep the intensity up and go for it!
I really am pleased at how I am progressing. I feel more confident about the posing and the posing routine. Each day I see my body changing. Several people have said to me that I look too lean. I think that I could be leaner. I am obviously going to be harder on myself than others. I have been told that I am looking gaunt!!! After a couple of nights with 6 hours of sleep, I look gaunt!! I have gotten about 7 hrs of sleep a night the last few.
Food is going well. Only craving Chinese food!! I think I have been able to turn off the switch about food cravings. I ask myself if it is worth cheating. Nope!!
My posing suit came in the mail on Monday. Tried it on and it fits perfectly. I really feel like the whole package is coming together. I can't wait to see myself the day of the show. I feel a little self absorbed, but you have to be to prepare for a show. Even though this is my first show, I know enough people who have competed. Their thoughts during prep and then going through the competiton are focused on getting the body to an almost perfect place.
I am doing posing pics for Micheal in Tulsa. He will critique them and then I can correct and finesse the poses over the next two weeks.
I am having a photographer take pics of me during the competiton and do a photo shoot. I think it's important to get this on film, so to speak! I am very proud of how far I have come. And I am excited to continue on after the show and prepare for my next show. It's very strange, I never thought I would ever love this whole thing. The prep has been brutal at times, but I love the discipline of it all.
Continuing on the quest!! Will update later this week or early next week.
4.10.10
OK, 27 more days until the contest!! Wow, now into days and not months!! As of this morning, I am at 174.4 lbs. Working my way to be at 170 lbs by the end of April. My goal is to be at the very top end of the 165 lb weight class.
I reached a milestone on Thursday by reaching the 10% body fat level. The lowest I have ever been is 15% ! It is very interesting how each day I feel like my body is changing. Overall my energy has been fairly decent. A couple of days have been very tiring and then getting 6 hrs. of sleep a night on top of that, doesn't help.
I have added 2 sessions of cardio on Saturday and 1 on Sunday. So as of right now, I am not taking any days off.
I have eliminated all carbs after my lunch meal, which is usually between 11:30 and 12 :30 pm. I am feeling a little hungry in the evenings. Making sure to drink enough water in the evening.
I had a great time with Michael in Tulsa 2 weeks ago. I video taped the session. Michael brought over a guy who he has been working with to go through all the poses with. I was able to see proper posing and improper posing. I can watch this and go through everything and have the guidance of the tape. We also talked about the posing trunk and tanning products and the music for the night show. I had as song in mind which we bot hagreed would be great for the night poing routine. Michael was able to mix it to get it down to 58 seconds. I am now working on geting the routine together for the night routine.
I ordered my posing trunk last week and should get it sometime this coming week. I also ordered the tanning products that will be used a couple of days before the show and then the night before and day of the show.
So, my goal this week is to continue to work as hard as I have in the past. I cannot let myself slack at this point. I am definitely feeling that the end is in sight, but I am not where I need to be as of right now. It is amazing how quickly the body changes week to week. I need to stay focused and remember to enjoy this journey and not hope for it to be over!!
OK, 27 more days until the contest!! Wow, now into days and not months!! As of this morning, I am at 174.4 lbs. Working my way to be at 170 lbs by the end of April. My goal is to be at the very top end of the 165 lb weight class.
I reached a milestone on Thursday by reaching the 10% body fat level. The lowest I have ever been is 15% ! It is very interesting how each day I feel like my body is changing. Overall my energy has been fairly decent. A couple of days have been very tiring and then getting 6 hrs. of sleep a night on top of that, doesn't help.
I have added 2 sessions of cardio on Saturday and 1 on Sunday. So as of right now, I am not taking any days off.
I have eliminated all carbs after my lunch meal, which is usually between 11:30 and 12 :30 pm. I am feeling a little hungry in the evenings. Making sure to drink enough water in the evening.
I had a great time with Michael in Tulsa 2 weeks ago. I video taped the session. Michael brought over a guy who he has been working with to go through all the poses with. I was able to see proper posing and improper posing. I can watch this and go through everything and have the guidance of the tape. We also talked about the posing trunk and tanning products and the music for the night show. I had as song in mind which we bot hagreed would be great for the night poing routine. Michael was able to mix it to get it down to 58 seconds. I am now working on geting the routine together for the night routine.
I ordered my posing trunk last week and should get it sometime this coming week. I also ordered the tanning products that will be used a couple of days before the show and then the night before and day of the show.
So, my goal this week is to continue to work as hard as I have in the past. I cannot let myself slack at this point. I am definitely feeling that the end is in sight, but I am not where I need to be as of right now. It is amazing how quickly the body changes week to week. I need to stay focused and remember to enjoy this journey and not hope for it to be over!!
3.26.10
Below are progress pics as of 3.24.10. I still have a ways to go but I am seeing changes everyday. I weighed in at 179.8 lbs this morning. That is almost 29 lbs down from
January 1st!
I have been a little more tired lately. One thing that is so important is getting enough sleep. Sleeping enough hours helps rest your hormones, internal clock and help you recover from exercising. I try to get 7 hrs a night. The last few nights have been more like 6.5 hrs of sleep. That is draining on the body. So my goal is to get to bed a little earlier each night and make sure my food for the next day ready to go earlier in the evening. I tend to wait until right before bed to get everything together for the next day.
Down to Tulsa to work with Michael. I am excited to get to meet him in person and to work on posing and getting the plan together for the last 6 weeks.
Below are progress pics as of 3.24.10. I still have a ways to go but I am seeing changes everyday. I weighed in at 179.8 lbs this morning. That is almost 29 lbs down from
January 1st!
I have been a little more tired lately. One thing that is so important is getting enough sleep. Sleeping enough hours helps rest your hormones, internal clock and help you recover from exercising. I try to get 7 hrs a night. The last few nights have been more like 6.5 hrs of sleep. That is draining on the body. So my goal is to get to bed a little earlier each night and make sure my food for the next day ready to go earlier in the evening. I tend to wait until right before bed to get everything together for the next day.
Down to Tulsa to work with Michael. I am excited to get to meet him in person and to work on posing and getting the plan together for the last 6 weeks.
3.20.10
2 weeks since last update!! The past couple of weeks went by very fast. Overall, the prep is going well. I am at 183 lbs. as of this morning. I can tell my mid-section is getting trimmer. I am also seeing more cuts, overall. I have been tired later in the evening which is understandable. This past Wednesday and Thursday I was a little cranky. I think I was getting worried that I would not be ready for May 8. I know I will. I just need to stick to the program and keep plugging along. I am 7 weeks out from the contest.
My cardio is still at 45 minutes in the early morning and then 45 minutes after lifting. The cardio is going well and I am making sure that my music is very upbeat. This really helps the time fly by while doing cardio!
This week I have relly felt alot stronger than past weeks. I lifted heavier this week and didin't feel as fatigued. I am feeling that in the last 1/4 of my workouts I am getting a second wind and my focus really sharpens up. My goal is to continue this progress this coming week and push further.
I am travelling down to Tulsa next week to work with Michael on posing. I am looking forward to meeting Michael. I am bringing down my camcorder to record the posing. I will take this back home and be able to work on cleaning up my poses. I will also work with him on my 60 second posing routine which will happen at the evening portion of the contest.
Overall goal for this coming week is to be down 2 more pounds and to continue to see more cuts. Digging deep and keeping energized will be the key to this coming week!!
2 weeks since last update!! The past couple of weeks went by very fast. Overall, the prep is going well. I am at 183 lbs. as of this morning. I can tell my mid-section is getting trimmer. I am also seeing more cuts, overall. I have been tired later in the evening which is understandable. This past Wednesday and Thursday I was a little cranky. I think I was getting worried that I would not be ready for May 8. I know I will. I just need to stick to the program and keep plugging along. I am 7 weeks out from the contest.
My cardio is still at 45 minutes in the early morning and then 45 minutes after lifting. The cardio is going well and I am making sure that my music is very upbeat. This really helps the time fly by while doing cardio!
This week I have relly felt alot stronger than past weeks. I lifted heavier this week and didin't feel as fatigued. I am feeling that in the last 1/4 of my workouts I am getting a second wind and my focus really sharpens up. My goal is to continue this progress this coming week and push further.
I am travelling down to Tulsa next week to work with Michael on posing. I am looking forward to meeting Michael. I am bringing down my camcorder to record the posing. I will take this back home and be able to work on cleaning up my poses. I will also work with him on my 60 second posing routine which will happen at the evening portion of the contest.
Overall goal for this coming week is to be down 2 more pounds and to continue to see more cuts. Digging deep and keeping energized will be the key to this coming week!!
3.8.10
Ok, 8 weeks until the competition. The time is really flying by. Here it is Monday, again! Everything has been going well this past week. Feeling tired but with adding in the extra cardio that would make sense.
Went to a birthday party on Saturday night. There were huge pizzas, ice cream and sheet cake. I brought diet 7-Up and veggies to munch on. I had small bite of cake. It was enough for me and really didn't want more.
Sunday, was over at a friends house and grilled chicken and red peppers. Had lots of veggies with the chicken. Then I broke down...I has a small slice of chocolate cake with buttercream icing. It's form a bakery here in Kansas City called Golden Boy. They have some of the most incredible desserts. I caved!! The slice was not big, but was damn good!! I must say that this is the first slice of cake or any real sweets since the beginning of January. Today is a new day and we move on!!
Below are current progress pics from March 4th. I am leaning down, but still have a lot more work ahead in these last 8 weeks. A positive attitude, motivation, patience and rest will help me through!! Everyone have a great week!!
Ok, 8 weeks until the competition. The time is really flying by. Here it is Monday, again! Everything has been going well this past week. Feeling tired but with adding in the extra cardio that would make sense.
Went to a birthday party on Saturday night. There were huge pizzas, ice cream and sheet cake. I brought diet 7-Up and veggies to munch on. I had small bite of cake. It was enough for me and really didn't want more.
Sunday, was over at a friends house and grilled chicken and red peppers. Had lots of veggies with the chicken. Then I broke down...I has a small slice of chocolate cake with buttercream icing. It's form a bakery here in Kansas City called Golden Boy. They have some of the most incredible desserts. I caved!! The slice was not big, but was damn good!! I must say that this is the first slice of cake or any real sweets since the beginning of January. Today is a new day and we move on!!
Below are current progress pics from March 4th. I am leaning down, but still have a lot more work ahead in these last 8 weeks. A positive attitude, motivation, patience and rest will help me through!! Everyone have a great week!!
2.25.10
Wow, upping my cardio to 45 minutes first thing in the morning and then 45 minutes after lifting has made me tired! Rightfully so! As of this morning I am at 189lbs. 19 lbs down since January 1. My bodyfat has gone down as well and I am at approximately 15%. I need to get down to some where around 10%, if not a little lower.
Workouts have been going well and food is right on target. No particular cravings, except I was in the supermarket this morning picking up apples, eggs and cat food and walked by the bakery department. My intention was not to go that way, but the bakery is right next to the produce department. I could smell donuts being made. I high tailed it out of that area. On my way to the checkout, I walked by the Easter candy. Right in front of me, dead center, was the Reester Bunny, Reeses Cup. It has like 1000 calories and who knows how much fat. It is like a great big Reeses Cup. Lots of chocolate, lots of peanut butter. I had to run from this area. I made it out alive and untouched by any cravings!!
Still haven't figured out music for the 60 posing routine for the competition. I need to really decide this weekend. I also need to figure out when I am going to Tulsa to work with Michael on posing. The weather has been so crazy, I really feel like mid to late March is when I am going to go. The threat of snow and ice will have diminished by then...I hope!
Off to take a nap and then shower. Great thing about being a trainer is that I get free time midday sometimes and it's a great time to take a quick nap before late afternoon clients.
Wow, upping my cardio to 45 minutes first thing in the morning and then 45 minutes after lifting has made me tired! Rightfully so! As of this morning I am at 189lbs. 19 lbs down since January 1. My bodyfat has gone down as well and I am at approximately 15%. I need to get down to some where around 10%, if not a little lower.
Workouts have been going well and food is right on target. No particular cravings, except I was in the supermarket this morning picking up apples, eggs and cat food and walked by the bakery department. My intention was not to go that way, but the bakery is right next to the produce department. I could smell donuts being made. I high tailed it out of that area. On my way to the checkout, I walked by the Easter candy. Right in front of me, dead center, was the Reester Bunny, Reeses Cup. It has like 1000 calories and who knows how much fat. It is like a great big Reeses Cup. Lots of chocolate, lots of peanut butter. I had to run from this area. I made it out alive and untouched by any cravings!!
Still haven't figured out music for the 60 posing routine for the competition. I need to really decide this weekend. I also need to figure out when I am going to Tulsa to work with Michael on posing. The weather has been so crazy, I really feel like mid to late March is when I am going to go. The threat of snow and ice will have diminished by then...I hope!
Off to take a nap and then shower. Great thing about being a trainer is that I get free time midday sometimes and it's a great time to take a quick nap before late afternoon clients.
2.21.10
Well, it's a cold, snowy, icy day here in Kansas City. Spring is one month away and I'm wondering where I will be in one month on my journey to my first show. This past week has been very good. My energy level has been a lot higher than the week before. My food has been great. I had two opportunities this week to be exposed to birthday cake! I passed on both. I actually found it very easy for me to say "no thanks". I think I am less interested in sweets. Being away from eating anything sweet for a while has been great! I did have some cravings for Chinese and Indian food. The desire passed after about 10 minutes and from not dwelling on the thoughts.
Starting tomorrow, my cardio is going to be more intense. Early morning, 20 minutes of intervals on the stairmaster followed by 25 minutes of incline treadmill. I am upping my after lifting cardio session to 45 minutes from 30 minutes. That's a total of 1.5 hrs of cardio each day. I will be adding a 45 minutes cardio session on Saturdays as well.
I am keeping my calorie intake the same as before. Still trying to keep as a much muscle mass as possible. Down the road, I will be reducing my caloric intake. More on that later.
I am starting to think about what music I am going to use for my 60 posing I will do on the night of the show. I have a couple of songs in mind, I just need to make a decision! During these 60 seconds I will be able to pose anyway I like, trying to show my best side, so to speak. I will be getting help from Michael on this.
As of today, I am at 191 lbs and feel very good. My back is feeling much better and less tight. I am stretching everyday and doing my core exercises. The better my back feels, I can really focus on pushing myself more when I am lifting. I just need to be very aware of keeping my core engaged at all times while doing particular exercises, especially ones that involve me standing or doing exercises overhead.
I have had a couple of people tell me that I am looking really good. At times, it is hard to notice progress in yourself. That is why pictures are very helpful. I am starting to approach territory I have never been in. For example, I have never been lean enough to actually see all of my abs!! It is going to be interesting to see them down the road. My motivation when tempted by certain foods is knowing that everything I do now is contributing to my end result. I know that I have said this before about motivation, but it never gets old. We all have to see, in our minds, where we will be when we get to our goals. Not thinking ahead and assuming it will all come together just doesn't cut it. The vision has to be there. You have to know that everything you do will help you get to your goal. It is hard to get up early to do cardio, stay on a strict diet, say no to people who offer food to you that's not on your plan. I am taking my journey to a place where many people would never think of going. However, everyone has in them the ability to set a goal and stick to it. Taking the first step towards your goal is the biggest thing of all. My challenge to you is to find that goal and move towards it. If you do the same thing all the time you will probably get the same outcome. Think outside your comfort zone, that is where change is.
Remember, if it was that easy to lose weight, stay fit, be the healthiest you can be, then we would all be where we wanted to be. Change comes when you take a risk, seek new paths and think differently about yourself and what you can do. Small steps lead you to the end of the journey! Will check in this coming week.
Well, it's a cold, snowy, icy day here in Kansas City. Spring is one month away and I'm wondering where I will be in one month on my journey to my first show. This past week has been very good. My energy level has been a lot higher than the week before. My food has been great. I had two opportunities this week to be exposed to birthday cake! I passed on both. I actually found it very easy for me to say "no thanks". I think I am less interested in sweets. Being away from eating anything sweet for a while has been great! I did have some cravings for Chinese and Indian food. The desire passed after about 10 minutes and from not dwelling on the thoughts.
Starting tomorrow, my cardio is going to be more intense. Early morning, 20 minutes of intervals on the stairmaster followed by 25 minutes of incline treadmill. I am upping my after lifting cardio session to 45 minutes from 30 minutes. That's a total of 1.5 hrs of cardio each day. I will be adding a 45 minutes cardio session on Saturdays as well.
I am keeping my calorie intake the same as before. Still trying to keep as a much muscle mass as possible. Down the road, I will be reducing my caloric intake. More on that later.
I am starting to think about what music I am going to use for my 60 posing I will do on the night of the show. I have a couple of songs in mind, I just need to make a decision! During these 60 seconds I will be able to pose anyway I like, trying to show my best side, so to speak. I will be getting help from Michael on this.
As of today, I am at 191 lbs and feel very good. My back is feeling much better and less tight. I am stretching everyday and doing my core exercises. The better my back feels, I can really focus on pushing myself more when I am lifting. I just need to be very aware of keeping my core engaged at all times while doing particular exercises, especially ones that involve me standing or doing exercises overhead.
I have had a couple of people tell me that I am looking really good. At times, it is hard to notice progress in yourself. That is why pictures are very helpful. I am starting to approach territory I have never been in. For example, I have never been lean enough to actually see all of my abs!! It is going to be interesting to see them down the road. My motivation when tempted by certain foods is knowing that everything I do now is contributing to my end result. I know that I have said this before about motivation, but it never gets old. We all have to see, in our minds, where we will be when we get to our goals. Not thinking ahead and assuming it will all come together just doesn't cut it. The vision has to be there. You have to know that everything you do will help you get to your goal. It is hard to get up early to do cardio, stay on a strict diet, say no to people who offer food to you that's not on your plan. I am taking my journey to a place where many people would never think of going. However, everyone has in them the ability to set a goal and stick to it. Taking the first step towards your goal is the biggest thing of all. My challenge to you is to find that goal and move towards it. If you do the same thing all the time you will probably get the same outcome. Think outside your comfort zone, that is where change is.
Remember, if it was that easy to lose weight, stay fit, be the healthiest you can be, then we would all be where we wanted to be. Change comes when you take a risk, seek new paths and think differently about yourself and what you can do. Small steps lead you to the end of the journey! Will check in this coming week.
2.12.10
Here are week 6 progress pics. Making progress! I have been tired this week. I think a combination of the weather and the 6 week hurdle! Was out with friends last night and drinks and food were all around. I stuck with decaf coffee and water! No one offered me food or drinks and that helped me stay focused. My back is feeling better and am doing my core exercises and stretches everyday. I am working on posing today and tomorrow. My plan is to start posing everyday for at least 10-15 minutes. By the competition, the posing needs to be second nature.
Another task I need to do is look for music for the evening posing. This part of the competition lasts between 60-90 seconds. In that time you can do your choice of poses. The morning part of the competition is the mandatory poses.
Will check in this coming week!
Here are week 6 progress pics. Making progress! I have been tired this week. I think a combination of the weather and the 6 week hurdle! Was out with friends last night and drinks and food were all around. I stuck with decaf coffee and water! No one offered me food or drinks and that helped me stay focused. My back is feeling better and am doing my core exercises and stretches everyday. I am working on posing today and tomorrow. My plan is to start posing everyday for at least 10-15 minutes. By the competition, the posing needs to be second nature.
Another task I need to do is look for music for the evening posing. This part of the competition lasts between 60-90 seconds. In that time you can do your choice of poses. The morning part of the competition is the mandatory poses.
Will check in this coming week!
2.7.10
February is here and I am offically down to 194 lbs as of this morning. I began January at 208 lbs. I can tell that I am losing fat and maintaining lean body mass. I am doing measurements tomorrow to compare to measurements from January 11. I will be doing 6 week progress pics on Thursday.
My back is feeling much better. It is still tight when seated for a long period of time, but overall, it is feeling better every day. I did prone leg curls on Wednesday and felt some burning in my right glute. I stopped the exercise. Burning in the muscle means there is some form of tissue damage. The burning is a sign of this. The best thing to do at that point is to cease from doing the exercise and to ice the area.
Stretching is very important when mending areas like the lower back. Keeping stretched will promote healing and keep the muscle in their correct length.
My food is going very well! So far, I have not cheated on my meal plan. I keep telling myself that everything contributes to my success. I tell myself that my nutrition is 80% of my success.
Part of the contest prep is to shave your body. I wanted to start now to get used to shaving and figure out how long it takes. It takes a long time! I trimmed my chest and arms with clippers with no guard. Then, in the shower, I shaved my chest and arms. After the shower, I noticed that I had missed a couple of areas. So, I will need to really pay attention next time and get every area. Next area is legs! I'm a little nervous about nicking my legs and bleeding all over the place!!
My friend and another trainer, Philip and I worked on posing yesterday. It's coming along. I will be getting more specific information from Michael in Tulsa in ways to improve my posing. It is all practice and repetition.
On to another week. I am anxious to see the 6 week progress pics compared with my week 1 and week 3 pics. I will update on Thursday.
February is here and I am offically down to 194 lbs as of this morning. I began January at 208 lbs. I can tell that I am losing fat and maintaining lean body mass. I am doing measurements tomorrow to compare to measurements from January 11. I will be doing 6 week progress pics on Thursday.
My back is feeling much better. It is still tight when seated for a long period of time, but overall, it is feeling better every day. I did prone leg curls on Wednesday and felt some burning in my right glute. I stopped the exercise. Burning in the muscle means there is some form of tissue damage. The burning is a sign of this. The best thing to do at that point is to cease from doing the exercise and to ice the area.
Stretching is very important when mending areas like the lower back. Keeping stretched will promote healing and keep the muscle in their correct length.
My food is going very well! So far, I have not cheated on my meal plan. I keep telling myself that everything contributes to my success. I tell myself that my nutrition is 80% of my success.
Part of the contest prep is to shave your body. I wanted to start now to get used to shaving and figure out how long it takes. It takes a long time! I trimmed my chest and arms with clippers with no guard. Then, in the shower, I shaved my chest and arms. After the shower, I noticed that I had missed a couple of areas. So, I will need to really pay attention next time and get every area. Next area is legs! I'm a little nervous about nicking my legs and bleeding all over the place!!
My friend and another trainer, Philip and I worked on posing yesterday. It's coming along. I will be getting more specific information from Michael in Tulsa in ways to improve my posing. It is all practice and repetition.
On to another week. I am anxious to see the 6 week progress pics compared with my week 1 and week 3 pics. I will update on Thursday.
1.30.10
Wow, it's been a week since my last update! This past week has been interesting. To begin with, on Tuesday I started my back work out and pulled my lower back on the last rep of my first set of deadlifts! Below is a picture of a deadlift...this is not me!! It is actually Lee Hayward!
It did not at all feel good! In fact I was writhing around in pain for the rest of the morning. Luckily, I had access to ice packs and ibuprofen. I got in to see the chiropractor that afternoon and then again on Friday. My SI
joint was out of place.
Wow, it's been a week since my last update! This past week has been interesting. To begin with, on Tuesday I started my back work out and pulled my lower back on the last rep of my first set of deadlifts! Below is a picture of a deadlift...this is not me!! It is actually Lee Hayward!
It did not at all feel good! In fact I was writhing around in pain for the rest of the morning. Luckily, I had access to ice packs and ibuprofen. I got in to see the chiropractor that afternoon and then again on Friday. My SI
joint was out of place. The Sacroiliac joints are located at the very bottom of the back. You have one on either side
of the spine. The Sacroiliac joints help make up the rear part of the pelvic girdle and sit between the sacrum (vertebrae
S1-S5) and the Ilia (hip bones).
I have had lower back issues in the past and it flared up again this week. Stretching,
ice packs and resting the area is the best way to recover. The rest of the week I was very careful as to what exercises I
could and could not do. The worst part is sitting for long periods of time. When I try and get to a standing position, it
takes a little bit for my lower back to stretch out.
This incident is a speed bump in the prep for the contest!
I know what I can and can't do and I need to make sure my lower back and core are supported and engaged at all times.
The food plan is going well. Today I have been very hungry. I was at Target and everything looked good! I was staring
at cube steaks and thinking about them on the grill with cheese on them! I left that area and then stared at cookies for a
couple of minutes. I was about to go to the Valentines section and look at the Reeses hearts and then got side tracked. Thank
goodness for that!! I am sticking to my plan and not thinking about food!
I worked on my posing today and had pictures
taken to be able to get the poses perfect. I will send these down to Michael in Tulsa so he can look at them. I will post
some posing pics later on!
1.23.10
Alright, second full week is over. I am not as sore as I was last week, but I am a little more tired today than I was last weekend. I think I need to keep tomorrow on the low key end of things!
I have 3 week progress pics below. I do believe I see some change. I am officially down 7 lbs since January 1st. I can tell I am trimming down in the mid-section. For the most part, men usually hold most of their extra fat around their waist line. This area is typically harder to trim down. We will talk about this later!
I tried my hand at posing today. I thought I did OK. There are 8 mandatory poses that I will need to learn. They are:
-Front Double Bicep
-Front Lat
-Best Side Chest
-Back Double Bicep
-Back Lat Spread
-Best Side Triceps
-Hands Over Head Abs/Thigh
-Favorite Most Muscular
In addition to the mandatory there are the relaxed poses. These poses are not actually relaxed in the sense that you might think. They are a progression of quarter turns beginning with the first facing the judges or audience. Then a quarter turn to the right and so on until you are facing the judges again. This is for comparison between the various contestants for the judges.
I will be taking pictures of the poses with me doing them and then send them to Michael in Tulsa to look at. He will then coach me on the posing.
Posing, from what I have learned, really can make or break where you place in the competition. The lower I get in body fat I will be able to really see what the final product will look like. I need to start practicing now in order to feel very comfortable doing the poses at the actual competition. I was surprised how tiring posing is! Making sure that every part of the body is placed in the right position and holding them is a lot of work. Practice will make perfect.
As the week ends, my cardio, lifting and diet have been very good. I am amazed how upping my cardio has made a difference in weight and how I look. The diet is also making a huge difference! On to week 3.
Alright, second full week is over. I am not as sore as I was last week, but I am a little more tired today than I was last weekend. I think I need to keep tomorrow on the low key end of things!
I have 3 week progress pics below. I do believe I see some change. I am officially down 7 lbs since January 1st. I can tell I am trimming down in the mid-section. For the most part, men usually hold most of their extra fat around their waist line. This area is typically harder to trim down. We will talk about this later!
I tried my hand at posing today. I thought I did OK. There are 8 mandatory poses that I will need to learn. They are:
-Front Double Bicep
-Front Lat
-Best Side Chest
-Back Double Bicep
-Back Lat Spread
-Best Side Triceps
-Hands Over Head Abs/Thigh
-Favorite Most Muscular
In addition to the mandatory there are the relaxed poses. These poses are not actually relaxed in the sense that you might think. They are a progression of quarter turns beginning with the first facing the judges or audience. Then a quarter turn to the right and so on until you are facing the judges again. This is for comparison between the various contestants for the judges.
I will be taking pictures of the poses with me doing them and then send them to Michael in Tulsa to look at. He will then coach me on the posing.
Posing, from what I have learned, really can make or break where you place in the competition. The lower I get in body fat I will be able to really see what the final product will look like. I need to start practicing now in order to feel very comfortable doing the poses at the actual competition. I was surprised how tiring posing is! Making sure that every part of the body is placed in the right position and holding them is a lot of work. Practice will make perfect.
As the week ends, my cardio, lifting and diet have been very good. I am amazed how upping my cardio has made a difference in weight and how I look. The diet is also making a huge difference! On to week 3.
1.18.10
Ok, weekend is over and back to work in more ways than one! I am taking the weekends off from any cardio or weight training. It gave me a chance to regroup and rest up.
This weeks schedule is the same as last week...cardio in the early morning, Monday thru Friday and weights and 30 minutes of cardio later morning, early afternoon, Monday thru Friday. Last week, it took me about 1 1/2 hrs for the weight training and then followed by 30 minutes of cardio. All told, each day I am working out about 2 hrs and 15 minutes.
My eating is going well. Was around a bunch of sweets on Friday night and did not eat any of it. I really felt in control and kept telling myself that none of this food will get me to my goal! Sticking to the meal plan and eating in regular intervals will get me to my goal.
This week, I will be doing 3 week progress pics on Thursday. I am holding my
weight between 206 and 203 each day. I don't suggest the regular exerciser to weigh themselves each day. This is to really see the overall picture of where my weight is. Michael in Tulsa, is looking for body changes in general, hence why progress pictures are so important.
I am starting a fat burner today. This should help compliment what I am doing with my cardio, weight training and meal plan. Supplements are purely to enhance the other three components of the program. Taking a fat burner and sitting on the couch will not work!! The work has to be put into the program, of course!!
A friend and co-worker of mine is doing the Tulsa show as well and we are going to work on posing this weekend. I am hopefully getting posing pics this week from Micheal. These will be the standard to go off of to prepare the mandatory poses.
Will check back in later this week with pics.
Ok, weekend is over and back to work in more ways than one! I am taking the weekends off from any cardio or weight training. It gave me a chance to regroup and rest up.
This weeks schedule is the same as last week...cardio in the early morning, Monday thru Friday and weights and 30 minutes of cardio later morning, early afternoon, Monday thru Friday. Last week, it took me about 1 1/2 hrs for the weight training and then followed by 30 minutes of cardio. All told, each day I am working out about 2 hrs and 15 minutes.
My eating is going well. Was around a bunch of sweets on Friday night and did not eat any of it. I really felt in control and kept telling myself that none of this food will get me to my goal! Sticking to the meal plan and eating in regular intervals will get me to my goal.
This week, I will be doing 3 week progress pics on Thursday. I am holding my
weight between 206 and 203 each day. I don't suggest the regular exerciser to weigh themselves each day. This is to really see the overall picture of where my weight is. Michael in Tulsa, is looking for body changes in general, hence why progress pictures are so important.
I am starting a fat burner today. This should help compliment what I am doing with my cardio, weight training and meal plan. Supplements are purely to enhance the other three components of the program. Taking a fat burner and sitting on the couch will not work!! The work has to be put into the program, of course!!
A friend and co-worker of mine is doing the Tulsa show as well and we are going to work on posing this weekend. I am hopefully getting posing pics this week from Micheal. These will be the standard to go off of to prepare the mandatory poses.
Will check back in later this week with pics.
1.13.10
OK, it's Wednseday, mid-week, and day 2 of the official contest prep! I received the meal plan and workouts on Saturday. I went through them with a fine tooth comb and honestly, the meal plan seemed very doable. The workout plan is a little different from what I have been doing, so this should create some change in my body.
I am doing 5 days of workouts each week with the weekend off. Not to get into specifics, but it's 20 minutes of cardio first thing in the morning, weights midday followed by 30 minutes of cardio. I was tired last night!
I am eating 7-8 times a day, about every two hours. This keeps the metabolism high, which with upping my cardio, changing up my workouts and drinking alot more water, will get me to where I need to be in May.
I had some stomach cramps last night. I think this is due to upping my protein and overall calorie intake. Feeling better today. It felt good to get through my leg workout and cardio today. I am sure I will be tired again tonight.
I did measurements yesterday and will be tracking this one time a month as well as progress pics every three weeks.
Having a goal and a plan is good. Without these two things it is very hard to achieve our best! Think of your own goals and aspirations and make a plan. I know that I would never get to where I need to be without having my meal plan, tracking my workouts and doing the hard work it takes to get to May!
Will check in by the weekend. Need to see when my next feeding time is!
OK, it's Wednseday, mid-week, and day 2 of the official contest prep! I received the meal plan and workouts on Saturday. I went through them with a fine tooth comb and honestly, the meal plan seemed very doable. The workout plan is a little different from what I have been doing, so this should create some change in my body.
I am doing 5 days of workouts each week with the weekend off. Not to get into specifics, but it's 20 minutes of cardio first thing in the morning, weights midday followed by 30 minutes of cardio. I was tired last night!
I am eating 7-8 times a day, about every two hours. This keeps the metabolism high, which with upping my cardio, changing up my workouts and drinking alot more water, will get me to where I need to be in May.
I had some stomach cramps last night. I think this is due to upping my protein and overall calorie intake. Feeling better today. It felt good to get through my leg workout and cardio today. I am sure I will be tired again tonight.
I did measurements yesterday and will be tracking this one time a month as well as progress pics every three weeks.
Having a goal and a plan is good. Without these two things it is very hard to achieve our best! Think of your own goals and aspirations and make a plan. I know that I would never get to where I need to be without having my meal plan, tracking my workouts and doing the hard work it takes to get to May!
Will check in by the weekend. Need to see when my next feeding time is!
1.7.10
So far, not doing too bad! Since last entry, I have continued to clean up my diet. I had Chinese 2 nights ago. I ordered chicken with green beans and no rice. No egg roll or fortune cookie. My favorite entree is princess chicken which is as far from my diet as the sun is from Earth!! It was hard not to order it!!
My official diet does not start until Tuesday the 12th. I am still trying to cut out little things to get ready to not eat out for a few months and to change at-home eating. The diet is an all or nothing proposition. My diet is going to be the "make it or break it" in my contest preparation.
I have given up diet Coke and am down to one cup of coffee a day. I think I am getting a little caffeine withdrawl in the afternoons. I did make a cup of coffee this afternoon. I put one Splenda in and no creamer. It seemed to help my headache and it is 6 degrees outside right now! It felt good to have a warm drink with caffeine in it.
My workout yesterday was legs and 40 minutes of cardio consisting of elliptical and a little walking around the track. Today, I did 35 minutes of treadmill, incline of 15% and at a 4.0 mph speed. I spoke to Michael in Tulsa and he suggested to avoid the run/walk cardio I had been doing previously. This type of cardio is good to reduce bodyfat, but you run the risk of burning muscle as well. He told me to do the treadmill at the 15% incline.What is cool about this whole journey is learning things I may not already know and letting someone coach me as to what to do.
This weekend I will be out of town but will be bringing workout clothes in order to workout. There is an Urban Active Fitness near my parents house which I plan to visit at least twice!
My biggest concern about this weekend is food!! Home cooking, Skyline Chili and Graeter's Ice Cream are going to be hard to avoid. The timing of going out of town is very good. It is before my official diet begins so I don't run the risk later in the prep to have outside distractions and temptations like what I may experience this weekend.
Will check in later!
So far, not doing too bad! Since last entry, I have continued to clean up my diet. I had Chinese 2 nights ago. I ordered chicken with green beans and no rice. No egg roll or fortune cookie. My favorite entree is princess chicken which is as far from my diet as the sun is from Earth!! It was hard not to order it!!
My official diet does not start until Tuesday the 12th. I am still trying to cut out little things to get ready to not eat out for a few months and to change at-home eating. The diet is an all or nothing proposition. My diet is going to be the "make it or break it" in my contest preparation.
I have given up diet Coke and am down to one cup of coffee a day. I think I am getting a little caffeine withdrawl in the afternoons. I did make a cup of coffee this afternoon. I put one Splenda in and no creamer. It seemed to help my headache and it is 6 degrees outside right now! It felt good to have a warm drink with caffeine in it.
My workout yesterday was legs and 40 minutes of cardio consisting of elliptical and a little walking around the track. Today, I did 35 minutes of treadmill, incline of 15% and at a 4.0 mph speed. I spoke to Michael in Tulsa and he suggested to avoid the run/walk cardio I had been doing previously. This type of cardio is good to reduce bodyfat, but you run the risk of burning muscle as well. He told me to do the treadmill at the 15% incline.What is cool about this whole journey is learning things I may not already know and letting someone coach me as to what to do.
This weekend I will be out of town but will be bringing workout clothes in order to workout. There is an Urban Active Fitness near my parents house which I plan to visit at least twice!
My biggest concern about this weekend is food!! Home cooking, Skyline Chili and Graeter's Ice Cream are going to be hard to avoid. The timing of going out of town is very good. It is before my official diet begins so I don't run the risk later in the prep to have outside distractions and temptations like what I may experience this weekend.
Will check in later!
1.4.10
Ok, 4th day of the new year and so far do well! The weather has made it hard for me to feel motivated. I am not a winter person and I really have to stay focused on things this time of year.
My eating yesterday was good. I am making strides to clean up my diet to the point of only eating to fuel my body and not for pleasure, fun, stress, etc!! I cut out creamer in my coffee. I love, love, love non-fat french vanilla creamer in my coffee. I started today with having one packet of spenda only in my coffee. Little things that add up. Here is my food from yesterday:
Meal 1: 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1 scoop of protein powder
Meal 2: ground turkey with 1/2 cup brown rice
Meal 3: protein shake
Meal 4: grilled chicken, 6oz, cup of broccoli
Meal 5: protein bar
I need to up my water intake and may resort to the gallon water jug. I used to make comments about people in the gym who carried around their gallon jug. Any way to get the water in!!
My workout yesterday was biceps and calves followed by 40 minutes of cardio, consisting of 20 minutes on the elliptical -level 6 and 20 minutes of run 1 lap, walk 1/2 lap, for 10 times.
I did 35 minutes of cardio this morning and will do back later this morning.
Once I get the plan from Michael wit hregards to food plan and workout, I will continue to up my cardio, eat clean, no cheating and keep motivated when the high today is going to be 12 degrees!!
Ok, 4th day of the new year and so far do well! The weather has made it hard for me to feel motivated. I am not a winter person and I really have to stay focused on things this time of year.
My eating yesterday was good. I am making strides to clean up my diet to the point of only eating to fuel my body and not for pleasure, fun, stress, etc!! I cut out creamer in my coffee. I love, love, love non-fat french vanilla creamer in my coffee. I started today with having one packet of spenda only in my coffee. Little things that add up. Here is my food from yesterday:
Meal 1: 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1 scoop of protein powder
Meal 2: ground turkey with 1/2 cup brown rice
Meal 3: protein shake
Meal 4: grilled chicken, 6oz, cup of broccoli
Meal 5: protein bar
I need to up my water intake and may resort to the gallon water jug. I used to make comments about people in the gym who carried around their gallon jug. Any way to get the water in!!
My workout yesterday was biceps and calves followed by 40 minutes of cardio, consisting of 20 minutes on the elliptical -level 6 and 20 minutes of run 1 lap, walk 1/2 lap, for 10 times.
I did 35 minutes of cardio this morning and will do back later this morning.
Once I get the plan from Michael wit hregards to food plan and workout, I will continue to up my cardio, eat clean, no cheating and keep motivated when the high today is going to be 12 degrees!!
1.2.10
Yesterday, of course, was New Year's Day. Overall, I did very well with my food. I am in the process of eliminating all the bad food on my diet. I went to an open house yesterday and did not indulge in any food. I made sure to eat before the open house.
I was able to make great choices while eating out 2 different times. The first, I ahad sirloin steak and a salad. It was supposed to be a sandwich, so I had it without the bun. Salad dressing on the side.
The other choice at a restaurant was a grilled chicken breast and asparagus. I was with several people at this restaurant and they serve homemade beer. I drank only water!! No beer. It was hard to not order one!!
Today, I did shoulders and 40 minutes of cardio. My food has been good...
Breakfast: 1/2 cup of oatmeal and a protein shake
Meal 2: 5 egg whites and one whole egg and 1/2 cup oatmeal
Meal 2: 5 oz chicken breast and 1/2 cup of brown rice
Meal 3: protein shake
Meal 4: ground turkey with low sugar pasta sauce and broccoli.
The other thing I did was take beginning pics that I sent to Michael down in Tulsa. I also sent back to Michael a contest prep questionaire. This will help him develop a program for me. I answered questions related to my diet, my daily schedule, my workout schedule and routine.
Below are my beginning pics. I will be taking pics on a regular basis and I will post them here. Pics are a very good way of telling the true story of where you are regards to body fat levels, muscle size, symmetry, etc. I do know that I have a lot of work to do to be ready by May 8.
For the past several months, I have been working on adding muscle mass and have not been doing a lot of cardio. The trick is to maintain muscle mass and to shed body fat at the same time. This is a trick and why I am seeking specific help!
Yes, even personal trainers seek out the help of others in order to get to their goal!!
I will check back in later. For now I am getting a big glass of water and trying not to think about Reeses' Cups!!
Yesterday, of course, was New Year's Day. Overall, I did very well with my food. I am in the process of eliminating all the bad food on my diet. I went to an open house yesterday and did not indulge in any food. I made sure to eat before the open house.
I was able to make great choices while eating out 2 different times. The first, I ahad sirloin steak and a salad. It was supposed to be a sandwich, so I had it without the bun. Salad dressing on the side.
The other choice at a restaurant was a grilled chicken breast and asparagus. I was with several people at this restaurant and they serve homemade beer. I drank only water!! No beer. It was hard to not order one!!
Today, I did shoulders and 40 minutes of cardio. My food has been good...
Breakfast: 1/2 cup of oatmeal and a protein shake
Meal 2: 5 egg whites and one whole egg and 1/2 cup oatmeal
Meal 2: 5 oz chicken breast and 1/2 cup of brown rice
Meal 3: protein shake
Meal 4: ground turkey with low sugar pasta sauce and broccoli.
The other thing I did was take beginning pics that I sent to Michael down in Tulsa. I also sent back to Michael a contest prep questionaire. This will help him develop a program for me. I answered questions related to my diet, my daily schedule, my workout schedule and routine.
Below are my beginning pics. I will be taking pics on a regular basis and I will post them here. Pics are a very good way of telling the true story of where you are regards to body fat levels, muscle size, symmetry, etc. I do know that I have a lot of work to do to be ready by May 8.
For the past several months, I have been working on adding muscle mass and have not been doing a lot of cardio. The trick is to maintain muscle mass and to shed body fat at the same time. This is a trick and why I am seeking specific help!
Yes, even personal trainers seek out the help of others in order to get to their goal!!
I will check back in later. For now I am getting a big glass of water and trying not to think about Reeses' Cups!!
12.31.09
So, here I am. A new year about to begin. The usual new year's resolutions are being made or are they? Competing in a bodybuilding competition is not a usual resolution, is it? For many people out there, resolving to do 3 competitions this year might be on the list. I'm just trying to wrap my head around my decision to compete!!
You may ask, "Why would you want to do something as crazy as a bodybuilding competition?" First of all, I don't think it is all that crazy. I have, for several years, wanted to do a competition. I know several people who have competed. It has always intrigued me.
This blog is a way for me to tell my story about this journey I am about to embark upon. It is also a way, I hope, to inspire people whom I do not know and people I do know. To show everyone that it is never too late to dream dreams and to make those dreams come true.
Too many times we start things and never finish them. I am totally guilty of this!! Several projects get started but do any get finished? This "project" will get finished!! This blog is to "put it out there", so to speak. I set the wheels in motion and here I go.
So, a little about what I am doing. I am competing in the NPC Tulsa, Oklahoma show on May 8, 2010. NPC stands for National Physique Committee. This show fits into my schedule the best. That's why I am traveling down to Tulsa to compete.
I have enlisted the help of Michael Elias, a competitive bodybuilder, who has helped prepare many competitors for shows. He will help me with my diet, scheduling of my life around contest prep, posing and the all important week of the show prep. Check out Michael's site at: http://www.physiquefxonline.com/
I am excited, nervous, anxious, stoked, scared and humbled to be able to take this journey! My request for you is to send me a note, if you like, and give me an encouraging word!! I will be posting progress pics throughout these next 18 weeks. Tell me if I am looking good or I need to get my butt on the eliptical some more and stop eating those Reeses Cups!!
Happy New Year to everyone and let the journey begin!!
So, here I am. A new year about to begin. The usual new year's resolutions are being made or are they? Competing in a bodybuilding competition is not a usual resolution, is it? For many people out there, resolving to do 3 competitions this year might be on the list. I'm just trying to wrap my head around my decision to compete!!
You may ask, "Why would you want to do something as crazy as a bodybuilding competition?" First of all, I don't think it is all that crazy. I have, for several years, wanted to do a competition. I know several people who have competed. It has always intrigued me.
This blog is a way for me to tell my story about this journey I am about to embark upon. It is also a way, I hope, to inspire people whom I do not know and people I do know. To show everyone that it is never too late to dream dreams and to make those dreams come true.
Too many times we start things and never finish them. I am totally guilty of this!! Several projects get started but do any get finished? This "project" will get finished!! This blog is to "put it out there", so to speak. I set the wheels in motion and here I go.
So, a little about what I am doing. I am competing in the NPC Tulsa, Oklahoma show on May 8, 2010. NPC stands for National Physique Committee. This show fits into my schedule the best. That's why I am traveling down to Tulsa to compete.
I have enlisted the help of Michael Elias, a competitive bodybuilder, who has helped prepare many competitors for shows. He will help me with my diet, scheduling of my life around contest prep, posing and the all important week of the show prep. Check out Michael's site at: http://www.physiquefxonline.com/
I am excited, nervous, anxious, stoked, scared and humbled to be able to take this journey! My request for you is to send me a note, if you like, and give me an encouraging word!! I will be posting progress pics throughout these next 18 weeks. Tell me if I am looking good or I need to get my butt on the eliptical some more and stop eating those Reeses Cups!!
Happy New Year to everyone and let the journey begin!!
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The wheels are set in motion...
