Keke’s BodyBlog

Can I tell you how Shaun ‘Muscles’ Campbell kicked my ass on Thursday!!! It was a great workout! We’ve moved away from going heavy and more so focusing on lighter weights and higher reps. To be honest, during the workout, I was like ‘okay cool’, but damn …. The next morning …. Bwoy!!! I really felt it. Damn, I love this feeling! Ha-ha.  Friday’s workout was also good. It felt good to close off the week. My first complete week back after the miscarriage and I’m just happy to have gotten through it.  Today, I did my hour cardio session in the morning at home and then met up later in the morning with my posing coach. She was amazing, and I really got a feel for how I should and need to be posing on stage. We took some pictures, and I’ll be posting those for you to see. 

I’m pretty pleased with my progress to date. I mean, I was unknowingly pregnant from week 11 – 16. So, shedding the weight during that timeframe proved difficult and we just could not figure out why. I did not train for a portion of week 16 and all of week 17. So, that’s quite a big setback … but for some reason, it did not affect me in the end too much.  Don’t get it twisted tho’ … I wish I was still pregnant! That would be such a better journey to be on … trust me! However, that was not God’s plan for me so instead I’ll give all that energy back to my training and go on stage and do the best I can! I’m really gunning for a win! So please pray for me! 

Anyhoo, off to eat meal #5 and relax for the rest of the evening.  Have a great evening! Cheers,  Nke

On Monday, I stepped on the scale and weighed in at 155.5 lbs. Today, I stepped on the scale and my weigh is was 145 lbs! I am sooo happy that…. Seeing that type of progress is just the momentum I need to forge forward and go for the win!!!

You should have seen me this morning, strutting my stuff in the heels I will be wearing on stage. I swear you’d think there were actual judges and a screaming crowd!! I was that hype!! Ha-ha … too funny!!!

I am training with Shaun ‘Muscles’ Campbell today, so it will be interesting to get his insight on how he thinks I look. It’s leg day, but as I am winding down to the shows, the workouts are not as much about strength anymore but about endurance. So we’ll be lowering the weights and doing higher reps.

My energy is right back up there, so again this morning I had a great cardio session. I accidentally set my clock wrong last night, so I was on the treadmill 1 hour and 30 minutes later than I normally am. The extra sleep was nice I guess!! Hee hee.

Anyhoo, I have an extremely busy day today so I really just wanted to get a quick blog in and then return to my work!

Have a great day and see you back here tomorrow with the low down on how Shaun feels I look. I’ll probably also have some photos to post …..

Cheers,
Nke

It’s on and popping as one of my best friends would say! I felt so awesome on the treadmill this morning. I had gone to the Raptor’s playoff game against New Jersey Nets last night, and as a result went to bed later than I should given that I have to get up and on the treadmill by 4 AM. Regardless, I did not feel tired and really worked it this morning. 

Talking about the game, what an awesome game that was. Thank God Toronto won. Now, the need to take it to New Jersey and pull two more wins!!! Go Raptors!!!! And … to top if all off …. Sam Mitchell won Coach of the Year award! How amazing is that. This just might be Toronto’s year! 

So, I am 3 days back into training after that short hiatus that I had to take. There are a couple of good things to note. First, my body is feeling that great ache and pain that goes with working the muscles real good. Second, I was 155.5 lbs on Monday, and now 147.5 lbs this morning. So, I am dropping the water weight I had been holding onto as a result of the pregnancy. This is definitely more like it. Amazingly, it also feels like I have started to trim down.  This weekend, I have my first posing session. So, I am very excited about that. I’ve gotta start practicing 30 minutes everyday without a mirror to land those poses. 

Today is my day off from training, so I’m just going to head home after work and spend the eve with my hubby.  Before I sign off for the day, I just have to say something again to those that are trying desperately to lose weight… It’s not going to come off if you don’t watch the food you are eating, the regularity that you’re eating and the amount of calories that you are putting into your mouth …. If you are drinking anything other than water, it counts towards your daily caloric intake. I had yet another convo with someone I know that is trying to loose weight, and as we are talking about it, they are busy saying yes to an order of ice cream and cookies while drinking something that was not water. They are convinced that solely with exercise (and cardio at that), that they’ll loose the 20 lbs they need to lose. Sigh …. I tried to educate, so hopefully they will listen. 

Here’s something for you …. We often say that ‘knowledge is power’. Well think about this for a moment …. ‘knowledge is not power’ .. it is the ‘application of the knowledge that is power’. 

Have a great day, and see you back here tomorrow.  Cheers,  Nke

This is going to be one blog that is extremely hard for me to get through. I haven’t really shared a real personal blog so I have to prepare you that this is definitely one personal blog … there will be no nutrition nor fitness tips in this one.

It was just 12 days ago that I wrote a blog titled “Sudden Turn of Events”. In that blog, I wrote about how I had to suddenly stopped training and that one day I’d be able to blog and make the sudden turn of events make sense to you. Well that day has come, but for me, much sooner that I’d hope and with a much different outcome.

If you are an avid reader of my blogs, you will remember that I’ve often blogged about how tired I was over the last 5 weeks and just how I could not really make the scale move as much as it should. I was often disappointed that the scale just would not move a lot from the 148 – 150 lbs mark.

So, on Thursday April 12^th, when I weighed in, in the morning and the scale said 150 lbs which was 4 lbs heavier than the previous Friday I just knew something was not right.

So, I decided to take a home pregnancy test…. And low and behold, the results revealed that I was pregnant! I could not believe it. I actually did a total of 4 tests plus real blood tests all in the same day! All of the results were the same. My hubby and I were finally pregnant!!!! We were on top of the world. An unbelievable miracle!

However, we were apprehensive because there was some bleeding. It was nothing too too heavy, but definitely a concern. I had a series of appointments that weekend and all the results confirmed we were definitely pregnant. In fact we were 5 ½ weeks along, and a healthy heartbeat was found in the first ultrasound that Sunday. The bleeding was from a condition called Chorionic Hemmorhage and the treatment for that was strict bed rest. So, that is exactly what I did. From that Sunday I obeyed strict bed rest. Between my hubby, mom in-law and closest friends and family I was sufficiently pampered as everyone wanted this baby as much as we did. 

For those of you that know me, or remember my blog on Jan 4^th, my hubby and I have been undergoing fertility treatments on and off for about 4 years now. We have been trying to conceive for about 5 years and have not been able to get pregnant. After my first competition in 2005, I found out I was pregnant but unfortunately was already miscarrying. We rejoiced then because it was natural and we were just happy that it could happen. My decision to compete this year, was an attempt to change my focus as 2006 had been all about fertility treatments and trying to get pregnant. I just needed to give myself time off and focus on something else. So E and I agreed that I’d compete May / June, and then we’d resume actively trying after that.

So, you can just imagine the joy we have felt since that Thursday when we found out we were pregnant.

Yesterday was our follow-up ultrasound. I could hardly wait for the ultrasound. I was soooo anxious to see if my condition had gone away. I’d read about it quite a bit during the week, and pleased to read that it is easily treated with bed rest and in most cases no harm to the baby! It gave me so much hope.

I sat on the table for my ultrasound, and could not wait to see what it would reveal. Well that excitement quickly turned to worry when the Doctor was more silent than he should have been. He soon revealed that he was not able to pull a heartbeat and that unfortunately I was carrying a dead fetus. 

Phew .. I’m writing this now, and I feel just like I did when he gave us that news yesterday. Geesh, it’s soo hard … I’ve never wanted something so badly and had it yanked from me so easily! For 12 days, I was soo excited to know I was going to be a Mother!!! Now, I just feel so defeated and struggling to understand why this all happened. I know we’re not supposed to question God’s work, but man… it’s such an automatic thing to ask “Why?”. 

I know it will get easier over the next little while, but for now, I just feel sad…

I’ve decided to continue on with the competitions this coming May and June. I’ve spoken to Shaun and we both feel that even with these days off I might be ready for May 26^th. So I’m committing myself that I can still do that first show and I’m going to train harder than I have in my life. I am gunning for 1^st place!!!

I had a great Back and cardio session today. I was not sure what my strength would be like, but I pulled out 205 lbs for 10 reps on Deadlifts this morning, so I have not lost too much strength. I am definitely not feeling that lethargic feeling I was previously because of the pregnancy and I’m hoping that whatever the pregnancy had been holding onto will now release.

So, I am back at it, and asking again for your support through the rest of my journey!! 
Thanks for allowing me to get all that out…. I really needed that!

“Dream big and dare to fail” – Norman D. Vaughan

Cheers,
Nke

Today is a big day for me. I’m up and early and just finished meal #1. You know when you have something really exciting to do, and it’s impossible to get sleep the night before. Well, that is exactly what happened to me. I think I got all of 1 hour sleep last night.
I even put on Rocky, thinking I’d watch it until it started watching me. Instead, I got so motivated by the movie that I watched the whole entire movie. Geesh, I love Rocky. They have all of them, from Rocky to Rocky V on ‘On Demand’ TV. So, I’m going to start watching them one by one.

So, yes I am tired as all but anxious to get my next set of results from my Doctor today. I’m hoping to be cleared from bed rest … I’m also hoping that by sticking to the rules of bed rest today that I’ve improved upon my condition that I was diagnosed with.

You’re probably wondering, what on earth has gotten this girl sooo excited…. Soon…. All shall be revealed!!!!

I recently read an interesting article about foods that help to combat water retention. For those interested, here’s what the article said:

Asparagus – contains the chemical asparagine, which stimulates the kidneys, improves fluid retention, breaks down fat and helps to remove waste from the body. Too bad its so damn expensive. Anyhoo, I’ll keep eating it no matter the cost.

Beets – another diuretic food that assists liver and kidneys to flush out body fats and water. Unfortunatley, I don’t like beets…

Brussel Sprouts – stimulates the pancreas, which releases hormones and enzymes that improve waste elimination.

Cabbage – contains sulphur and iodine which are natural diuretics that help melt away fat.

Others listed were; carrots, celery, cucumbers, horseradish, onions, tomatoes, lettuce and garlic. All of which help rid the body of excess water, waste or fat.

I also find that Apple Cider Vinegar tablets are also very effective and extremely safe to take everyday. In fact, you can buy the actual vinegar and spread that on your salads. Add flaxseed oil for extra metabolium-boosting properties.

Have a blessed Sunday and I’ll see you back here soon.

Cheers,
Nke

First off … I’m getting through the bed rest just fine. It’s hard to believe that a week has already passed. I have slept so much it is unreal. I don’t remember the last time I have rested it up this much. I actually feel extremely refreshed and rejuvenated. I’m looking forward to my follow-up appointment this Sunday to see what is in store for me next week.

Now onto the good stuff … per my subject, have you or someone you know hit a plateau on the Weight Loss Journey? If so, not too worry. It’s very common to just stop losing weight. The challenge now is to not too let more than two weeks pass in this plateau phase.

One big ‘NO NO’ while in this phase is to lose momentum or steam. Keep trudging along, and if possible try to even push yourself more. Just because the scale has stopped doesn’t mean that the inches aren’t still coming off. The plateau can be caused by many things; gain in muscle mass, change in water mass in your body or something else that might be masking the fact that you are in fact still thinning down.

So what to do? I suggest changing up your diet plan. You’ve hit a plateau because your body has gotten used to your current routine. So it’s time to ‘Zup Zup’ and switch things up. You may even want to consider a cheat day or meal, return to your meal plan and see if that helps.

Whatever you do, I don’t suggest you switch up your diet plan by reducing calories. Instead, go for a slight increase for a few days and drop back down to your previous calorie level.

If you’ve hit a plateau with your cardio and resistance training goals try using the following acronym I found while researching on the Internet to get yourself going again.

F.I.T.T – Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type.
Þ     Frequency – increase or decrease how often you workout
Þ     Intensity – increase or decrease the difficulty or level at which you workout.
Þ     Time – increase or decrease how long your workout sessions last.
Þ     Type – change the type of exercises you perform.

Try these out and see if they help you out of your plateau!

Have a great day!

Cheers,
Nke

Lawd!!! Bed rest is hard bwoy! I am such an active person, that my natural instinct is to do everything myself. However, E and my Mom in-law are constantly reminding me to settle down!! Haha 

It’s also gets quite boring. There is only so much TV I can watch. I promise to start getting back into blogging nutrition and weight tips and tricks for you very shortly. 

Just give me some time as I need to focus on myself and resting it up right now. 

Have a great evening! Cheers,  Nke

I’m going to start by saying …. ‘Hi’, and ‘Long time no speak!’. I apologize for not having blogged since Friday and holding to my promise of blogging everyday. However, as the reasons behind why begin to unfold over the following weeks, you will completely understand.

I don’t really know how else to say this, so I’ll keep it simple by saying that a medical condition has been uncovered that will no longer allow me to compete this year. I can not really give you more details at this time. I will tell you that I am fine now, and everything will be just grand eventually.

It’s bittersweet for me, but I have no regrets in the least. Trust me when I say that. For those of you that have been faithful readers, you know how pumped I was to compete so you know I will compete again as soon as I can. It most probably will be same timeframe next year … or a little later in the year. You thought I went all out this time, wait until next time … it will be on and popping in a MAJOR way.

I’m not going to stop blogging, because I have received a lot of thanks and messages from the tips, tricks and quotes that I write about. So, I promise to continue to do so at a regular interval and hopefully you will continue to read my blogs.

I promise to keep you posted on what’s going on and simply ask that you say a prayer for me any time you get a chance to.

In the meantime, I continue to eat clean and will begin to train again once I get the all clear. For now, its bed rest and close to zero activity. For those that know me, you’ll know that this is a very different pace for me, but one that I am committed to keeping until I get the all clear.

I believe in miracles, and I believe there aren’t any situations that can be thrown my way that I can not overcome! I am FIERCE and I am STRONG!!

“Impossible situations can become possible miracles.” -  Robert H. Schuller

Have a great day!

Cheers,
Nke

Unfortunately, you will have to wait one more day for the ABC’s on dining out for Dinner. 

I have a presentation to give this morning, and have to go and get myself prepared. 

I’m doing great … thanks for asking! I’m actually on top of the world today, and hopefully one day soon I’ll be able to share the reasons for that with you. 

Have yourself a FANTASTIC day, and see you back here tomorrow. 

Cheers, 

Nke

I had a great off day yesterday. Not one extra cashew!!! Not one!!! Some of you may be wondering, what on earth is she talking about … well, for those of you that don’t know, I often have extra cashews on Wednesday for some reason… weird huh! Well, it looks like I’m passed that, so thank the Almighty!!!
I was tired when I woke this morning, but I got through my morning cardio session and attained the goal I set out to achieve so I am very happy about that.
Today is leg day with Muscles… and it’s the session with Barbell Lunges! Those of you who’ve been reading my blogs know this used to be my most dreaded leg session, but I conquered that fear 3 weeks ago and I’m looking forward to this evening’s session. Bring it on Shaun ‘Muscle’s Campbell! I am sooo ready for you!!
Okay, onto the ABC’s of dining out for lunch …
First, if you missed reading my 10 guiding principles look to my blog from yesterday and jot those down because they also stand for lunch and will also stand for dinner.
Tips for ordering Lunch – Watch the portion size as you really don’t want to get to full for lunch and feel lethargic and sleepy in your afternoon meetings. So make sure to ask for a lunch sized portion. This will also ensure that you are keeping calories and fat intake to a minimum.
Þ     Similar to breakfast, ask for your sauces on the side
Þ     Start with a salad. This is a good way to fill you up and therefore you are less likely to overeat when your main course comes
Þ     If ordering soup, opt for the ones with broth and stay away from creamy. Skip the creamy soup if that’s their only option for ‘Soup of the Day’. The calories and sodium is just not worth it.
Þ     For sandwich choices, go with whole grain bread, roll or pita. Opt for Turkey, grilled chicken or roast beef instead of mayonnaise based meat salad sandwiches. Spruce it up with veggies like lettuce, peppers, cucumbers etc. and spread with mustard instead of mayo.
Þ     For burgers, keep it healthy by choosing the right condiments. Opt for the ones that low in fat and sodium.. so definitely say ‘no’ to the bacon strips!
Þ     Select entrees that contain the words grilled, baked, broiled or steamed.
Þ     For your side dish, stay away from the fries and go with baked potato or grilled / steamed vegetables.
Þ     No need to have dessert for lunch, so opt for a tea or coffee and skip the fattening dessert offerings…. Unless of course it’s fresh fruit!
Lunch should be simple and an energy booster to help you get through the rest of your day. So keep it light and make sure to keep your order simple!
Have a great day and see you back here tomorrow!
Cheers,
Nke