Making_A_Change’s BodyBlog

I just completed my second cardio cycling. This time, I had 4 low carb days instead of 3 so that I could have my high carb day today, in addition to a cheat. Well, I had whole wheat bread (1 slice) with my turkey burger, and a slice of German chocolate cake with a small scoop of vanillia ice cream–it was by birthday, yesterday!. And that was it. I stayed on scheduled. It was actually hard to get my succeeding meals in b/c I was full from the bread. Now, the veins are popping and I am nice and full. I actually struggled to have a ‘cheat day’, I found myself so dialed in that I couldn’t decided how to do it! But I know how important it is to keep my metabolism going and restory glycocen stores. Now, I am of to do some cardio for 30 minutes.

This morning’s workout was back, but it was pretty week, probably because of the additional low carb day. As far as weight, I am at 141-solid now. That is 3 pounds lost in a little over a week. I see myself getting leaner, my size 4 pants are getting loose.

Posing practice is going well. I think I look better, my walking still needs work. I tape and review my sessions like I am preparing for a big game!

My family is excited. My daughter’s godmother is going to talk to a friend of her’s to do my make-up the morning of the competition. I showed her some pictures of some fitness atheletes, and she said–ooh, okay. It’s like a muscular pageant! So, we talked about hair and make-up. It was fun. I showed her the suits. She was blown away by the price, like I was. But I’ll be wearing them for the next year, so it’s worth the investment.

This morning, I focused on my weak areas–glutes and hamstrings.

5 sets

Leg press (140#)-I focused on squeezing my glutes and kept the reps high, followed by calf presses;

Deadlifts (80#, 20 reps). I did hamstring curls (50 #, 25 reps) and 1 minute on the elliptical.

(5 sets)

Cable cuffs (50-60#/20 reps)

Cable cuff (20#)-crunch (facing down, bringing leg in to chest)

Cable cuff (20#)-laying on back, keeping leg straight, lift leg up

5 sets

Buttlifts on the wall (25 reps–BURNED!)

My butt is throbbing, right now–YES!!! Tonight, I am scheduled for 30 minutes of cardio on the recumbant bike, to continue with my butt-focused day. Even though, my glutes and hams were on fire, thinking aobut that suit kept me going. I visualized by stage-butt: round and brown.

Today’s workout was short, about 45 minutes. I did 5 sets of the following curcuit: seated rows (90, 105#), lat pull downs( 90, 105#), reverse lat pull downs (60, 75#), lat pull down with rope attachments (60#, high reps) and v-sits. Reps were kept between 8-10. I was a little distracted, though. I went in to check on my daughter before I left, at around 6 a.m., in just enough time to watch her throw-up. She’s been having some stomache issues over the last few days, and she says–I don’t know why my stomache just doesn’t like me anymore? Aw. I cleaned her up, brushed her teeth, and put her in the bed with my husband until I got back from the gym. When I got back, she seemed okay–my baby!

I am ordering suits today!-yeah. I amn budgeting as I go, and while I would have liked to send in my registration–the suits were the priority because of the time it takes to complete the suit. I got the two-piece in a teal and the one-piece in purple (for the little one).

I have completed one carb cycle. Yesterday was high carb. And today, I got carbs pre- and post-workout..and that is it for the day. I am not scheduled to do a second cardio session tonight, otherwise I would get a second meal with a starchy carb.

As far as posing, I taped my session last light. I still feel stiff. My husband said I need to relax my arms and take longer steps, my 4 1/2 year old said I need to smile! It’s hard to smile and try to flex and hold a pose. But it was helpful to see what I need to work on. My glutes and hamstrings are very weak, I am going to have to put in an unbelievalbe about of work to get them tight! I feel confident that my chest and arms will look good. I noticed that my mid-section was quite jiggly, and while I am not super lean, I think it was becuase it was at the end of a high carb day. I am going to make note of how I look on Thursday after three days of low carbs.

Sticking to this cycling diet has been okay. I eat like its my job–and I like my job. Thinking about that little suit is extremely motivating! I try to make the food that I do eat as delicious as possible and I am enjoying the yams. I put a little cinnamon on them and it is almost desert-like.

I have been spending alot of time of figure boards and trying to learn as much as I can. I posted my photos and was told that I look more like 16-17% bf–whether that is the case or not, it made me feel good–and I’ll take it. Over the next few weeks,  hope to be suited and booted! I will be ordering my suits. I have budgeted for one and am going to have to talk to the husband about the second one. The ones pictured above are the ones that I am going to order from lidia-conti.com. I’ve gone back and forth about where to get the suits. Divaexchange has been a matter of luck. One of the biggest challenges hasn’t been finding a suit from my height, but finding a top that fits. Alot of the tops are for C and D cups. I am a small A. Some suits will say that they will fit "A through C", but that is ALOT of padding to make that puppy fit. The suits that I chose are both under $200 and extremely simple. Will the vendor deliver? I pray that she will? Will the suits look like their photo? I pray that they will.

 I also continue to play with my diet a bit with what I’ve learned on figureathelete.com–great site! Today was a low carb day. The only issue with diet today was that I tore up some PB–I never do that. Then I started my period! That explained it. But the diet has and will remain clean. I am stocked up on chicken, vegetables, and approved carbohydrates (yams and oatmeal, for me!). I am really excited! I am going to keep the power pb for low carb days, though. Although I did overdue it today, the extra fat felt good. I am going to watch my body, keep notes, and see where that takes me this time around.

I ended up taking a three hour nap today. Yesterday, I did legs and evening cardio. And today, I was jacked up! I could barely move and was extremely fatigued! YES! I feel refreshed, now. And I am drinking a ton of water.

Oh, and I am buying my first bottle of JanTana–just to see what it’s like. I’ll probably do an arm or something. I’ve been reading abut women peeing in cups just to avoid messing up their tans! So, I’d like to be very familiar with it.

Today, was a leg day and it went really well. I went to the gym late in the afternoon, because we are out of schoo for the week and I have been enjoying, and taking, every opportunity to sleep in. I did fairly light/moderate weights and tried to keep my reps at about 15-25. I did: machine squats, split squats (weights and unweighted), standing calf raises, deadlifts (I only got to about 3 sets b/c I hurt my lats), but a then started doing lateral shoulder raises. This is actually fun. I did them unilaterally. I did 15 reps on one side, then the other. Then 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, then I did 15 with both arms. I kept the tempo fast and I got a nice pump. I did some regular squats somewhere in there. Then I headed over the leg extention machine and did light weights (60#,25 reps) supersetted with ball crunches (feet together). I was sweating like crazy and drank 1/2 gallon of water by the end of the workout. My hamstrings are still sore, so that’s good.

Yesterday, I worked legs and focused on compound movements. I ‘rested’ by working my abs and shoulders. I did leg press for glutes and the squat machine for quads. I had stiff legs this morning, but not sore–so there is more to be done.

This morning I focused on chest, shoulders, and abs. I did: incline flyes, incline chest presses (30#), lateral raises, bicep curls, and push-ups. I’ve been doing the closed-legged ball crunches that mikiko showed me, as well as the hanging leg raises. I am at the point that my grip gives out way before my abs do. But I am excited that I am beginning to notice ‘the v’ in my abs! She said that it would work and it is! It’s not prominent, YET, but it’s there and I am going to have to work hard to get them to come out. I ended my workout with about 5 sets of hamstring curls and jump squats. I got a nice burn on the hamstrings. 

For the last 3 days, my protein intake has been low due to being unprepared. I boiled a whole bag of chicken so that isn’t an issue, now. Eating clean is so much easier for me when I am prepared. I do keep protein bars on hand–always–but I really wanted to limit them during my prep. Man, I woud like some ice cream, though. I’ll have to wait until Friday or Saturday. I also thing my period is close and that makes the cravings more intense.

I am on my way to bed and will blog more tomorrow. But today was an off day–just some shoulders, a few split squats, and posing practice. I dropped my daughter off at my parent’s house and my dad had grilled some pork loins. Is my food that bland?–because that meat was on HIT! He also made his potato and squash dish (with squash straight from the garden). Oh…my…gosh…I tore up two plates. That was a meal worth having. But, now I do feel a little guilty becuase that is two days where I went off plan. It’s like someone has said the word ‘diet’ and I have now lost my mind! I have got to get my head in this game. I planned my meal on fitday. I got my calories and macros planned. I am going to boil a bunch of chicken and hit it hard tomorrow morning at the gym. The best part is that I can work out a little longer because I am going into work later!

I was really sore from yesterday’s workout with Billy. We did wide-grip pull ups for lats (a can’t do a full one, so he has me jump up hold myself up, then lower down) supersetted with full push-ups (I can’t do these, now!). And we went heavy with the deadlifts and shoulder presses. He had me do partial reps for shoulders with 30# dbs–ouch! There was also shoulder presses with 50 and 60# bb. There wasn’t alot of movement today, but very focused and heavy. I loved it. This morning I focused on abs and triceps. Tonight, I will do chest, calves, and cardio (40 minutes). I drank a 1/2 scoop of VasoCharge prior to my workout and put the other 1/2 scoop in my water bottle. I didn’t feel jittery, but I did feel like I could have kept working out. Oh, and I added 5 sets of 10 squat jumps at the end of the workout–it burned. I am finding that I am beginning to enjoy adding something to the end of the workout, be it: plyometrics, pull ups, push-ups, calf raises, etc.

As far as diet goes, clean is the word at this point. I had been allowing a few more carbs in over the passed few weeks in anticipation for the stricter dieting closer to competition time. Typically, people start 12 weeks out, however, I am still getting to know my body, so I though the ’extra’ time to figure things out would be good: what carbs or vegetables make me bloat? How will reducing my carbs effect my body and lifting? Does my body respond best to heavy weights? Circuits? A combination? I do know that building muscles is definitely harder that losing fat was. Eventually, with a consistent workout program and a solid diet I began to lose bodyfat with little effort. But now that I am trying to build muscle–it is alot harder–ALOT harder!

 At yesterday’s staff meeting, we celebrated the last day of school with a cheesecake and a chocolate mousse pie. The pies were cool and the weather was hot. But I wanted to be competition ready more. My desire to finish this challenge that I laid out for myself outweighed the pie. I even considered having a sliver of pie–just a sliver. But, again, that wouldn’t get me cut up. So, for those cravings it’s going to be muscle milk and ice. The small changes that I am making now, exchanging my cereal and whole wheat bread for cleaner sources for complex carbohydrates. I am keeping the oatmeal, though. And I’ll add raisins for sweetness.

Overall, I feel very healthy. I do feel some self-doubt sneak from time to time, but that’s normal with anything new. Tonight, I ‘celebrated’ my 16 week mark with sushi and cheese puffs from Trader Joe’s. I feel so bloated, right now. But it will carry me over this week. I need to boil, cube, and freeze a bunch of chicken breasts.

The past couple of days have been a complete blur. Yesterday’s 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony and today’s class trip to the beach have me FRIED. I worked out yesterday morning, but not this morning. But today was a workout in itself–long hikes, walking in that sand had my calves on fire, digging huge wholes to turn my group of boys into merman. It was so much fun! Tomorrow, I meet with Billy and who knows what he has in store for me. Whatever it is–I don’t feel ready. I may have to take in more carbs in the morning to support my workout. I am looking forward to it, though.

Tomorrow, I am 16 weeks out! For the next two weeks I am going to log workouts, moods, and diet. This is it. I have been on divaexchange daily and I am confident that I am going to find something nice to wear. I have been practicing my posing. Aside from some self-doubt, all is well. But I did realize that now that I have begun my summer vacation, I can get more rest and workout longer. So, I should make some serious progress this summer!

Last night, I worked my chest and calves. As a matter of fact I had two workouts yesterday and for the life of me I can’t remember what the other workout was. My days are beginning to run together. And things have been so busy at work, that I haven’t blogged accurately. I have been incorporating more abs and calves. I lost count of the number of sets of calf raises that I did. I just did them while I was recovering.

I got my body fat measured and it’s at 19.8%. I am kind of disappointed and wondering what I can do it 16 weeks. I don’t even know what it is supposed to be by October. 14%, 12%, 10%. I am figuring the lower I can get it the better, I just don’t know what is ‘good’ on me at the time of a show. I have been consistent with the cardio. I just need help with the diet. Is 14 weeks enough time to start ‘cutting’ for me? So many questions…but part of the journey.

Tomorrow, is a looo-oong workday–about 14 hours. But I am going to get to the gyn in the morning, because I know I won’t be getting to the gym in the evening. So, I’ll be working legs: split squats, hack quats, leg press (high reps), leg extensions, and leg curls.

…Just three more days until the end of the school year!