Hardness23’s BodyBlog

I’m going to see what happens when I keep my calories at 2500/day and increase cardio to 60-90 minutes per day.  THEN, on Dec. 1st, start cutting calories.  I think this might be better than ballz to the wall cardio while extreme calorie cutting since I have 4 months ’till competition (March 15th).  I don’t want to lose too much muscle all at once.  I think my metabolism will go way up but I’ll still lose bf% since I’m creating a calorie deficit of 600-900 calories and since before I was only doing strength training, not cardio.  I’m still eating alot so my metabolism should stay up, and when I start to gradually decrease calories my body will not go into starvation mode and start storing fat. 

Other changes effective as of TODAY:

1) 30 g of fat/day from 1 egg yolk (with 6 whites) and 2 TBSP of peanut butter OR 30 almonds OR 4 oz Salmon

2) Post workout carbs are to be limited to one of the following: 1 slice white bread, one rice cake, 1/2 cup grapes, 1/2 white bagel.  As of now sugar-free jelly is o.k. and the only condiment to be used on these.  Dec. 1st there will be no more post workout carbs.  Then begins the true cutting.  For now I’m at sort of an in-between.

3) No more skim milk or cottage cheese.  Make sure I get the calcium supps.

4) No carbs before bed, except from almonds.  Have 20-30 almonds with a low carb whey shake right before bed

I’m unsure what I should be eating before bed when trying to lose fat but keep the muscle.  No carbs of course, but fats o.k.?  Or if I wake up and NEED to eat in the middle of the night what would be the best choice.  I used to sleepwalk and eat Walnuts (l.o.l)!  I figured this out when they would be all in my sheets the next day.  Also I’m unsure when I should cut out post workout carbs completely.  As of now I don’t see how it hurts. 

Started cardio today, I have to get up around 5:30 am to fit in a full hour.  I like to jog 2 miles to the gym, do 15 min. abs, 20 min. stairclimber, and jog 2 miles back.  Splitting it up keeps it interesting at least.  I wear a sweatshirt to work up a good sweat and weigh myself before I head back home.  On the way home it is so invigorating to take the sweatshirt off and run just in a tank top.  It sort of feels like sitting in a hottub for a long time and then stepping into cold winter air.  I had so much more energy to sprint back then when I used to leave it on the whole time and overheat on the way back. 

Everyone says eat  small meals all day.  I do that, but for lunch today I pigged out on fish, chicken, salad and mashed potatoes at the Hometown Buffet.  It feels good to stuff myself from time to time.  I get all vascular and then I have a ton of energy for my workout. 

It will be my third one.  I would like to do fitness someday but first I am going to win a figure competition.  The date is March 15th, and dieting starts December 1st.  This gives me 12 weeks to gradually up the cardio and down the calories.  I hope this will be easier than the last two times when I was cutting so drastically I could barely function at work and was very moody and miserable.  I’m trying to find easier ways to do things.  For now I am enjoying my food, training HARD, and packing on as much muscle as I can before Dec. 1st.  THe hard part for us women is to accept the weight gain.