Keke’s BodyBlog

For those of you on BB.com, I am pleased to announce that the goal I set out to attain when I launched my profile page earlier this year has been ATTAINED!! For those of you on myspace, you can peep my BB.com profile at http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/Keke/.

It reads “My main goal this year is to compete at level I in 2-3 Figure shows this coming Spring and place top 3 in all shows”.

In the end, I competed in 4 shows, and finished top 3 in 3 of 4 of them.

Competition results are:
2007 Mississauga South Centrals (May 26) – 7^th place
2007 Ontario Naturals – 1^st place
2007 Southern Ontario Championships – 2^nd place
2007 CBBF World Qualifiers – 2^nd place

I am extremely satisfied with all of my results. All of those shows were within a 3 week span and improving from 7^th to 1^st and 2^nd has left me feeling extremely accomplished.

I was finally able to exhale at the trophy presentation on Saturday, and if I had Kleenex tissues I probably would have balled right there on the stage! Ha-ha

I can not even begin to thank you enough for all of your support over the past 24 weeks. I have met so many incredible people in these 24 weeks that it’s absolutely unreal. The emails, the blog comments, the profle comments, the picture comments, have all kept me motivated. I am so greatly touched by the messages I get from others on their journey asking me for advice. Thanks for having so much confidence in me.

So, it’s June 18^th and it’s time for me to set new goals. To be honest, every day is a goal for me …So, I’m just going to continue to set my sights on all the things I want to accomplish in my life and continue to tick them off one at a time.

Stay tuned for photos and an upcoming article that I was interviewed for …Of I plan to stay in touch! I’ll continue to blog and provide you with my tips and tricks for stay active and healthy!!

Have a great day!

Cheers,
Nke

Woweee … my 24 weeks of training has come down to this. Today’s show is serious and I’m excited and pumped as all! I can’t even sleep. I’ve seen every hour pass so I decided to get up and walk around a bit in the hopes that I’ll tire and be able to get a couple hours of close wink … So far, no such luck .. hence the blog. 

So, my day starts at 7:30 AM with makeup by the BEST makeup artist Shauna Llewellyn. She’s absolutely DA BOMB. From there, I have to stop at the Pharmacy and pick up some inner shoe grips for my heels. At the national level, there are 3 suits required, so I had to get a 3^rd suit and black shoes. These inner soles are for these new shoes. I find they provide the extra grip and comfort on stage. Following that, I’ll take my time to drive over to York Univ. I’ll probably get there just before 9 AM. 

My girlfriend Camillia, god bless her soul, is going to tan me up with Dream Tan. My hubby applied my base cost of the spray, and she’ll use the cream over top tomorrow. It should be a nice sunny day so we’ll do it outside which will be nice. 

Then, my iPod goes on, and I enter into my zone … I’ll watch the bodybuilders until its my turn for stage. Shaun ‘Muscles’ Campbell will take me through my quarter-turns and touch up my tan where needed and then the show begins for moi! I can hardly wait to take the stage. I have to take a moment to thank the ALMIGHTY for making this happen. Without God, none of this would be possible for me. He’s truly seen me through this journey. 

After tomorrow … wow … my life just changes. I can exhale, and really think about what comes next. I know what it is, but have to leave that to God to provide for that as well. Other than that, there are some business ventures that my hubby and I will get started on now that I’ll have the time to focus my time and attention on something else. 

Training for 24 weeks is no joke. It’s an experience I encourage anyone to go on … but before you start, BE PREPARED!!! You don’t want to quick, so make sure you have the right mindset. 

I’m not yawning… I’m not feeling drowsy… nor am I nodding off as I’m blogging! DAMN… 

However, I’m going to sign off coz’ I really need to try and catch a few tiddly winks! Tomorrow is a big day and a fairly long one too. I have 3 hours and 15 mins before my alarm sounds soooooo … CIAO! 

Wish me luck, and I’ll be back with the results shortly!! Ha-ha 

Cheers,  Nke   

Woweee … 24 weeks of contest prep is almost at its end! Can I hear an AMEN on what a journey this has been for me! I have really learnt a lot more about myself in the process and definitely know that I’ve grown additional confidence and maturity in a big way! HUGE!!!  So, this competition this weekend is TRES serious. This is a National Event, and they are not playing around with requirements. I had to get myself another suit .. which also meant shoes .. which translates to more $$$. It’s also $100 for each event / class you enter, and $100 for Doping Control. Lemme tell you, I can not wait to see what the final tally for all the contest prep is. I’ve been adding it up, sans the food, as I’ve gone along!  I had my last workout today. I got through 2 hours of cardio on the Stairs and my last arm workout. I have to admit that the second session of cardio was very very hard to get through. I’ve had to actually work from home because being on 800 calories is not condusive to being up and about. I get very dizzy at time. Anyway, my legs are definitely coming in leaner, so it’s been well worth it! 

Well … after those 3 paragraphs I’m EXHAUSTED!! Ha-ha … Just kidding .. I’m tired for lack of FOOD!!! He-he.  Time to relax for the evening and just take it easy! 

I’ll try and holler at you again before Saturday. However, if I don’t I will be back Sunday or Monday with a complete report on how the weekend went!  Have a great evening! Cheers,  Nke

So, the results are in … Your girl here place 1^st Figure Tall in the Ontario Naturals and 2^nd Figure Tall in the Southern Ontario Championships!!! I am very very pleased with my results. This past weekend was an absolute blast. It was an amazing experience!  The next stop is the World Qualifiers this coming weekend at York University.  I took a vacation day today as I needed to get some things done. I then decided to set a goal for myself this morning to get through 3 one hour cardio sessions on the Stairs … and that is exactly what I did!! I am very proud of that. My goal is to continue to lean out my legs as much as I can for the coming weekend. If I focus, I am pretty sure I can get them down some more! 

I’m bringing my ‘A’ game this weekend … does not matter who shows up, coz’ I will be!!! I am so pumped and excited. No matter what the outcome, I already feel like a winner. It’s been a long long journey and it’s finally coming to an end. Very bittersweet … looking back, I feel like I’ve matured in a way that I can not even explain. I’ve definitely grown more confident and feel that there is nothing that I can not achieve.  Thanks to the Almighty for seeing me through these last 24 weeks!!! 

Time for bed … need the rest to conquer tomorrow!  Cheers,  Nke

Today marks the last of my weight training prior to the Ontario Naturals. I opted to do my Arms after finishing my cardio this morning. I just felt that tonight I want to be in and out once done with Cardio and Abs. Then its home to rest and relax. I am sooo tired!! I absolutely can not wait for Friday! I’ll get some strength back then with the excitement of the meal plan change and drive out to Sudbury. 

I apologize, but I really don’t have much energy to write much more today! Ha-ha. Requires too much thinking, and I’m just not up to that right now…..  Good news is that I’ve definitely leaned down from the South Centrals, so I’ll come in leaner on Saturday. So the concerted effort on cardio and those one hour sessions on the stairs seemed to have worked! Amen for that and thanks to the Almighty for getting me through them. Only 1 left to go … hard to believe I was blogging last Monday that I had 20 to do!!! Amazing what can be accomplished with time!!! Time is everything … and soooo soooo precious! 

Have a great day and TTYL!  Cheers,  Nke 

Time is flying by!!! I only have today and tomorrow’s workout before the Ontario Naturals. Last night was my last back workout. This morning I got through the 60 mins on the Stairs easy breezy so I was happy about that. Tonight I train my chest and calves and finish off with one hour on the Stairs. Then tomorrow is Arm day, which I may do in the morning, so I have a relaxing eve of Cardio only. Then it’s time to rest up the body and get it prepped for Saturday. I’m really excited about heading up to Sudbury!! Should be loads of fun, and I’m going to make the most of it. 

I unfortunately don’t have much time today … what else is new huh! However, before I sign off, I wanted to share a few ‘weight loss mistakes’ that I think quite a few people make. Y’know, losing weight is not difficult; it just takes time and commitment. Set your goals, and strive to achieve them one minute at a time ….  First off, don’t try to lose too much to soon. Give yourself time and TAKE it! If you don’t, chances are you will fail at your goals; get discourages and then give up and most often than not fall off your track and actually gain more weight back than you started with. 

Try not to consume too much, or any carbs if possible, in the second half of your day. So, calculate your ‘awake time’. Figure out where your half mark is and focus on consuming all your carbs on the top part of your day.  Take the time to cook and prepare your meals. This is SOOOO important. It’s the only way to be certain of what is going into your mouth. Plan plan plan …. Whether at the top of your week, say Sunday, or the night prior. Bottom line … always work at least one day in advance. Always have your meals ready to go. That is very important. This way, it eliminates the whole ‘oh I’m tired and don’t feel like cooking so let me just eat this ….’ That’s when you end up eating things that you shouldn’t be. 

Exercise regularly …. Very important!! You need to exercise in order to burn fat. Make sure to have a good weight training program complimented with a good cardio regime. I love exercising in the morning on an empty stomach. I just feel I burn more and get ahead of the game that way. Make sure to weight train … this helps to increase your metabolism and will thereby burn more fat. Lastly, switch up your program every few weeks. Don’t allow your body to get used to any one thing.  At the end of it all … just don’t give up! If you fall off track for a minute, just turn that around in the next minute and keep on trekking. Set realistic goals, blog, keep record and give yourself time! Always remember, it took time for the weight to add on, so it will take time to subtract it. Forget the scale … its garbage!!! Concentrate on how you look and feel. Feel good, look good! Judge yourself by how your clothes start to feel. 

Most of all …. HAVE FUN!!!  Have a great day and see you back here tomorrow … 

Cheers,  Nke 

Rest is so imperative when one is training…. I can not tell you have revived and refreshed I feel after not training yesterday and simply taking the day to rest and relax. I got through the 60 minutes on the Stairs this morning in record breaking time. It also helps that the book I am reading is an absolutely page turner. I just started it and my attention is already well into it. It is called “Absolute Fear” by Lisa Jackson. I was introduced to this author by my VP and I’ve been hooked ever since. I just finished “The Innocent Man”, by John Grisham. That book started off very quickly, got slow, and then picked up again. By the end… it too was a page turner. It’s based on a true story so I’d be very surprised if it does not eventually make its way to big screen. That’s another must read if you are a Grisham fan.
Today marks the beginning of the lasts on the road to the Ontario Naturals. Actually, not true… last Thursday was my last leg day. Today is my last back day. The weight training portion of my training is actually real easy now. Its low weight, high reps. The focus is really on the cardio. Only 5 more one hour sessions to go!!!
Hey if you are looking for a good weekly training program, try out the following. Its one I used to do a couple of year back that I found in my archives. It’s fairly intense and should enable you to see results over time if you keep to it. I’ve been long overdue to provide you with some training tips, so here goes…
For each, do 2-3 sets if you are a beginner and 3-4 if you are more experience. For reps do; 2-3 sets with 12, 10 and 8 reps adding weight each set and 3-4 with 15, 12, 10 and 8 reps adding weight each set. Pick a weight that will allow you to hit ‘almost’ failure on each set and make sure to warm up prior to getting started. If you get to the desired rep and you can still go, don’t count that set. Instead, pick up a heavier weight and repeat until you find the desired weight that gets you to failure. Make sure to record your results so you won’t have to do this each
time you work out.
Note: Work your ABS every other day. It’s like any other muscle so 2-3 sets for 15-20 reps each. Make sure to eat a good clean and nutritious diet. It’s 80% of looking good, so even with the following it’s the diet that will make the world of a difference.

Monday - Chest and Triceps

Incline Barbell Presses

HS Machine Press

Incline Dumbbell Fly

Cable Crossovers with Clap

Skull Crushers

Dips between benches, or own weight

Tricep Rope Extensions

Tuesday - Quads and Calves

Single Leg press

Hack Squats

Leg Extensions

Standing Calf Raise - super set with Seated Calf Raises

Wednesday – NO WORKOUT (Focus on diet)

Thursday - Back and Biceps

Deadlifts

Bent-over rows

Front Lat Pulldowns

Reverse Barbell Curls

Preacher Curls

Alt. Hammer Curls

Friday - Hamstrings and Shoulders

Stiff Leg Deadlifts

Leg Curls

Overhead Press - super set with Seated Side Lateral Raises

Rear Lateral Raises – super set with Shrugs

Saturday – Cardio only

Sunday – NO WORKOUT (Focus on diet)

Well, I am off to start my day! Have a good one yourself and see you back here tomorrow.
Cheers,
Nke

I’m once again fitting into the size 0-2 and size 28 pants that I had to buy when I competed in 2005. Well … did they not say they wanted LEAN!!!  Ha-Ha. I tried those suckers on this morning, and they fit perfectly. I’m actually now afraid that I’m going to get too small. I really don’t want to look ‘mawga’ – That’s what my Husband terms as skinny in Jamaican talk. I saw some of those girls I competed against in Mississauga, and that’s exactly how he termed them. I just don’t really find that look attractive.

Anyhoo … the challenge to get leaner continues. I have 6 one hour cardio sessions on the Stairs left to do. I have 3 weight training session left … and then it’s the two day countdown to the show! I am SOOOOO excited. I can hardly wait. As my BF Jully said, the Mississauga show was a dress rehearsal. Truer words could not have been spoken and I’m really beginning to understand what she meant by that. As ‘Muscles’ puts it, I took one for the team … we were able to see what I looked like on stage and now he’s Picasso just perfecting the picture!

GO TEAM MUSCLES!!!!! Time to represent…..

So today is an off day. I’m going to stay active, but I’m doing anything remotely close to cardio or weights. Just eat clean, stay active and rest today. Tomorrow I’ll feel like a completely brand new person, refueled and recharged and ready to conquer the next 3 days!!!

The following is a great recipe for a Light Appetizer that I’d like to share with you. I was looking through some recipes I’ve gotten off the net that I’ll be able to start preparing again and thought I’d share this one as it is one of my favorites.

Low Calorie Spinach and Artichoke Dip 

Ingredients:
8 OZ Light Cream Cheese
½ Cup Light Sour Cread
16 OZ Frozen Spinach, defrosted and pressed dry
1 Cup Skim Milk
1 Can Artichoke Hearts, quartered, drained, marinated in vinegar
1 ½ Cups Shredded Mozzerella Cheese
1/3 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
2 Cloves Garlic, made into a fine paste

Directions:
Mix all of the ingredients together and bake until bubbly
Note: Add only as much milk as needed.

Just a short parting comment for all those on the journey of weight loss and at times disappointed about the slow progress. Remember that progress takes time. I’m living proof of that. It was taken me 22 weeks to get the results that I am seeing today. Along the way, many things fall in the path that can deter you or slow down your progress…. Whether good or bad… Once again, I’m living proof of that. For 5 weeks, I was battling to lose weight and couldn’t, only to find out that I’d been pregnant. Just remember to take it slow and easy. Tackle one day at a time and take each obstacle as it comes. If you fall off from your goals, just note it and get right back on track. After all, Rome was not built in one day!!!

If you are eating the right kind of foods, just keep in the forefront of your mind that it’s not a license to each as much of it as you can. You still need to pay attention to your portions and watch your daily caloric expenditure. Make sure to burn more than you’re taking in so you can see that weight loss.

Have a blessed Sunday and see you back here tomorrow.

Cheers,
Nke

Folks … it is possible to attain all your weight loss goals and ambitions. I’m a prime example … Today; I weighed in 8 lbs less than last weeks pre-contest diuretic and water depletion. What did the trick … diet and cardio for me. I have been keeping a strict focus on my diet and making sure to get my double cardio in. Obviously, my calorie count and amount of cardio is not sustainable, but my main point is that with the right about of focus and dedication goals are attainable.

I’ve now completed 9 of the 20 one hour cardio sessions that I have to do. Hard to believe I am almost half way there. All 9 of them have been on the Stairs or Step Mill; not sure what is proper name for that machine. That cardio there is serious!! The Stairs is where it’s at!!! Definitely great for getting the legs down and melting the fat away!!

I’m now getting to the point of my journey where I’m ready to be done and get back some of the freedom. It’s been almost 6 months straight … I’m also pretty sure my hubby is ready for that as well. At most, I have two weeks left to go!!! Can’t wait … It’s not a license to do whatever, but to have the freedom to decide when I want to train and eat good CARBS!!! That’s what I’m feeling the most, the lack of energy … that’s it actually … just hit the nail on the hammer … I’m missing the great energy I normally have when I have the good Carbs in my diet!

Well, it’s time to get going and finish off the second part of my day at work!

I’ll see you back here tomorrow!

Cheers, Nke