Mikiko’s BodyBlog

No holds barred…this is just what I am feeling at the moment, negatives and positives.

The good:

I work at a tech company, about 4,000 people at my site, and as you can imagine, most are 9-5ers and a fraction of those exercise on a regular basis.  The cafeteria is run by a vegan, and although there is an attempt to be "healthy"…well, there obviously isn’t a nutritional consultant and the "good" snack alternatives are very limited.  Case in point, there is a large Ice Cream vending machine that is always fully stocked, but the fresh fruit and veggie assortment is left to be desired.  We DO have a farmer’s market on site every Wednesday at lunch during the summer, so I woud say overall the environment is not bad.  OK, well I spend most of my day at work, and yes, I suppose I do get a lot of stares and get referred to as "that really buff chick" or "I didn’t appreciate muscles on women until I saw HER" etc.  I can wear pretty much anything I want, even if it doesn’t fit right, and not look "fat" (big maybe, but not fat).  I’ve managed to evade all of the regular bouts of circulating "bugs"…all of my sick time is used towards injuries of the physical sort - broken bones, sprains, etc.  Oh, and due to an IUD (Mirena) / low bodyfat, I don’t have a menstrual cycle.  That alone is WORTH IT ALL!!!  (the ladies will agree here, I think…)

The bad.

I’ve never been diagnosed, but I’m pretty sure I’m OCD / ADD to some degree.  I have an assortment of interest in everything…I’m a diehard DIY-er (not because I am cheap, but I get fascinated by everything and want to experience firsthand how it’s done.  No, I’ve never experiemented with drugs / am a drug addict…well, except for supplements of course, but I’m more interested in the physical / mechanical / biomechanical aspects of things).  Training for a show is truly full time.  Forget any other hobbies / activities while your training for a show.  My life is already consumed as a single parent, head-of-household:

5:00am - wake up, shower, get ready for work, feed animals, make breakfast

6:30am - leave house, drop daughter off at school, commute to work

8:00am - Arrive at work

5:00pm-6:00pm - Commute home

7:00pm - Arrive at home, cook dinner, feed animals, misc chores, eat dinner

10:00pm - Bedtime

Notice there is no family time, hobbies, grocery shopping, errands, workout, cardio, going out with friends, etc included in the above.  That is just the bare minimum of trying to keep up with day-to-day life.  Yes, it really does take me 45 min-1.5 hours to commute to work each way, which isn’t uncommon in the SF Bay Area.  So when people exclaim, "You can’t take off for ONE day to have lunch with me??!!"  it really boils my blood when I’ve already politely declined.  If I had an extra hour to myself, I would definitely use it towards taking a nap!!!!

I also come from an Eastern Orthodox family…forget about explaining a bodybuilding diet in relation to Lent etc. etc.  No, I don’t go to church, and no, I don’t observe any of that…My other half is Buhddist, thank god the rules are a little more forgiving so I don’t risk offending family members.

The ugly:

Training for a figure comp really requires focus, dedication, and the support of everyone around you.  I have seen the process destroy countless relationships and put strain on families.  Here’s a list of issues that come up:

No time for anything except eat, sleep, work, train, cardio.  No time for going out with friends / family.  Not being able to eat out.  No energy / time for intimacy.  No energy / time to watch a movie.  Not being able to keep anything in the house that’s not on your diet (a friend of mine has her young daughter hoard her kid snacks in her own closet).  No time to regular beauty "upkeep"…i.e. facials, mani/pedi, makeup, more than 5 min on hairstyling, etc.  Constantly obsessed with losing 0.5 lbs or how your glute tie-ins are progressing.  No time for housework.  No time for landscaping upkeep.  Chronically depressed, hungry, angry, sad, short-tempered, impatient and generally unpleasant to be around.  Chronic upset stomach / problems with plumbing.  Eating every two hours (especially problematic if you have braces…then add extra time for a walk to the bathroom to brush your teeth!).  Spending thousands of dollars for contest prep.

It’s easier said than done to "keep things in prespective, this is a hobby".  Training for a competition…the right way…require full focus and dedication…and money.  Preparing for a bodybuilding competition is a 24-hr lifestyle for a full 12 weeks (for most people).  There is no greater satisfaction or reward than accomplishing a goal, and preparing yourself for what is to come will make the pavement a little smoother.

As I was stepping off a stool after my pullup sets, my foot rolled and I heard a horrible crunching sound.  I iced it all night, and this morning it is slightly puffy, but no discoloration.  I don’t train calves or legs until Tuesday, so maybe 4 days of rest might help.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa………………..

My lactose intolerance is driving me crazy!!!!  I’ve tried at least 8 different whey / casein products, and they all cause severe bloating / gas / tummyaches.  Here’s what I found through Wikipedia:

 - Lactase destroyed during the pasteurization process

 - lactose disaccharide remains and cannot be absorbed and remains in the intestines. Enteral bacteria adapt to the relative abundance of this undigested sugar and their operons quickly switch over to lactose metabolism, which produces copious amounts of gas by fermentation.

 - This also causes a range of unpleasant abdominal symptoms, including stomach cramps, bloating, flatulence and diarrhea. As with other unabsorbed sugars (mannitol), the lactose raises the osmotic pressure of the colon contents, preventing the colon from reabsorbing water and hence causing a laxative effect to add to the excessive gas production. These symptoms are absent when raw, unpasteurized products are consumed.

There are three major types of lactose intolerance:

1. Primary lactose intolerance. Environmentally induced when weaning a child in non dairy consuming societies.<sup class=”reference” id=”_ref-variant_0″>[3] This includes many Asian and African cultures, where industrialized and commercial dairy is uncommon.
2. Secondary lactose intolerance. Environmentally induced, resulting from certain gastrointestinal diseases, including exposure to intestinal parasites such as giardia.<sup class=”reference” id=”_ref-Wiser_0″>[4]<sup class=”reference” id=”_ref-eMedicine_0″>[5] In such cases the production of lactase may be permanently disrupted.<sup class=”reference” id=”_ref-Wiser_1″>[4]<sup class=”reference” id=”_ref-eMedicine_1″>[5]<sup class=”reference” id=”_ref-0″>[6] A very common cause of temporary lactose intolerance is gastroenteritis, particularly when the gastroenteritis is caused by rotavirus. Another form of temporary lactose intolerance is Lactose overload in infants.<sup class=”reference” id=”_ref-1″>[7]
3. Congenital lactase deficiency. A genetic disorder which prevents enzymatic production of lactase. Present at birth, and diagnosed in early infancy.

Pathological lactose intolerance can occur due to Coeliac disease, which damages the villi in the small intestine that produce lactase. This lactose intolerance is temporary. Lactose intolerance associated with coeliac disease ceases after the patient has been on a gluten-free diet long enough for the villi to recoverIn a hydrogen breath test, after an overnight fast, 50 grams of lactose (in a solution with water) are swallowed. If the lactose cannot be digested, enteric bacteria metabolize it and produce hydrogen. This can be detected in the air the patient exhales. The test takes about 2 to 3 hours. A medical condition with similar symptoms is fructose malabsorption.

Other test methods include stool acidity and intestinal biopsy.

Lactose is a water soluble molecule. Therefore fat percentage and the curdling process have an impact on which foods may be tolerated. In the curdling process lactose is found in the water portion along with whey and casein, but is not found in the fat portion. Dairy products which are “fat reduced” or “fat free” generally have a slightly higher lactose percentage. Additionally, low fat dairy foods also often have various dairy derivatives such as milk solids added to them to enhance sweetness, increasing the lactose content.

Milk. Human milk has the highest lactose percentage at around 9%. Unprocessed cow milk has 4.7% lactose. Unprocessed milk from other mammals contains similar lactose percentages (goat milk 4.1%,<sup class=”reference” id=”_ref-22″>[41] buffalo 4.86%,<sup class=”reference” id=”_ref-Peeva_0″>[42] yak 4.93%,<sup class=”reference” id=”_ref-23″>[43] sheep milk 4.6%)

Butter. The butter making process by definition separates milk’s water components from the fat components. Lactose, being a water soluble molecule, will not be present in the butter unless milk solids are added to the ingredients.

Yogurt and kefir. People can be more tolerant of traditionally made yogurt than milk because it contains lactase enzyme produced by the bacterial cultures used to make the yogurt. However, many commercial brands contain milk solids, increasing the lactose content.

Cheeses. Traditionally made hard cheese (such as Swiss cheese) and soft ripened cheeses may create less reaction than the equivalent amount of milk because of the processes involved. Fermentation and higher fat content contribute to lesser amounts of lactose. Traditionally made Swiss or Cheddar might contain 10% of the lactose found in whole milk. In addition, the traditional aging methods of cheese (over 2 years) reduces their lactose content to practically nothing.[1] Commercial cheese brands, however, are generally manufactured by modern processes that do not have the same lactose reducing properties, and as no regulations mandate what qualifies as an “aged” cheese, this description does not provide any indication of whether the process used significantly reduced lactose.

Buttermilk, sour cream and ice cream, like yogurt, if made the traditional way, will generally be quite tolerable, but most modern brands add milk solids.<sup class=”reference” id=”_ref-24″>[44] Consult labels.<sup class=”reference” id=”_ref-25″>[45]

When lactose avoidance is not possible, or on occasions when a person chooses to consume such items, then enzymatic lactase supplements may be used.<sup class=”reference” id=”_ref-Montalto_0″>[51]<sup class=”reference” id=”_ref-30″>[52]

Lactase enzymes similar to the those produced in the small intestines of humans are produced industrially by fungi of the genus aspergillus. The enzyme, ?-galactosidase, is available in tablet form in a variety of doses, in many countries without a prescription. It functions well only in high-acid environments, such as that found in the human gut due to the addition of gastric juices from the stomach. Unfortunately, too much acid can denature it,<sup class=”reference” id=”_ref-31″>[53] and it therefore should not be taken on an empty stomach. Also, the enzyme is ineffective if it does not reach the small intestine by the time the problematic food does. Lactose-sensitive individuals should experiment with both timing and dosage to fit their particular need. But supplements such as these may not be able to provide the accurate amount of lactase needed<sup class=”noprint Template-Fact”>[citation needed] to adequately digest the lactose contained in dairy products, which may lead to symptoms similar to the existing lactose intolerance.

While essentially the same process as normal intestinal lactose digestion, direct treatment of milk employs a different variety of industrially produced lactase. This enzyme, produced by yeast from the genus kluyveromyces, takes much longer to act, must be thoroughly mixed throughout the product, and is destroyed by even mildly acidic environments. It therefore has been much less popular as a consumer product<sup class=”noprint Template-Fact”>[citation needed] (sold, where available, as a liquid) than the aspergillus-produced tablets, despite its predictable effectiveness. Its main use is in producing the lactose-free or lactose-reduced dairy products sold in supermarkets.

I have had an agonizing time trying to unsuccessfully stop my binge eating on nuts and nut butters for my contest prep.  This behavior started roughly 3 weeks ago, and has gotten progressively worse.  Mentally, it has decimated me–I no longer want to get anywhere near a scale or have my bodyfat measurements taken, I don’t want to see, hear, or know about the damage I’m doing to the conditioning I’m trying so hard to achieve.  I brought this up with my nutritionist, who subsituted my lean fish for dinner with salmon.  I also started on a thermogenic w/ an appetite suppressant.  I think the combination of the two is helping!  Last night, I wasn’t tempted to binge at all…mind over matter, nutrition, supplements, or whatever the reason…I felt so good about myself I wanted to have a meltdown.

I have also had problems with irregularity.  I substituted the oil supplements in softget form with fresh pressed flaxseed oil.  Since I started the substitution, my irregularity has steadily improved.  I am using Spectrum Flaxseed oils in cinnamon flavor (for breakfast in my oatmeal), lemon flavor (on my salad at lunch), and regular (on my salad at dinner).

More of my 5-min meals…this is what I eat for lunch.  I love it so much I look forward to eating it every day, and I have it for dinner sometimes too.  You can add chopped dried cranberries, apples, almonds or candied walnuts for your family.

4oz grilled chicken, chilled (Cut a chicken breast into strips.  Season with Organic Poultry rub from Costco and a little kosher salt.  Grill for 3 min on a Cuisinart Panini Press on the Grill setting on Medium High) tossed with 1 cup lettuce, 2 ribs dices celery, 1/2 diced peeled diced cucumber, 2 stalks of diced raw asparagus and 1/2 chopped tomato.  Dress with 1 Tbs lemon-flavored flaxseed oil and 3Tbs balsamic vinegar and squeeze of lemon.

I swear, contest prep diets are not yucky.  I feed my family the same stuff…just bigger portions and with a good carb source.  Here’s my mid-morning snack: whitefish with teriyaki-ginger sauce and brussel sprouts.  I just nuke a frozen filet of whitefish for 3 min.  Then a tsp of lite teriyaki sauce and Tbs of ginger-flavored balsamic vinegar and garnish with sliced green onions.  Nuke FRESH brussel sprouts (frozen ones are yucky) for 1 min in a ziplock steamer bag.  Season with a little garlic salt and lemon juice.

My mid-afternoon snack is chicken breast & spinach meatballs in a pomodoro sauce w/ steamed asparagus and tomato w/ balsamic & lemon vinegarette dressing.  Meatballs take a little bit of prep…I hand-grind chicken breast ($1.99/lb on sale, and I know what’s in it!).  Meat grinders are not too expensive, you can probably find one at Goodwill or on Ebay real cheap.  Beats the heck out of buying ground turkey for $6.99/lb (going rate around where I live).  Anyway…I mix about a lb of the meat with 1 Tbs. Italian seasoning and 1/4 bag frozen spinach and make them into balls.  The balls will be really soft…just handle them carefully.  Dry sautee 1/2 onion and a tsp of chopped garlic in a pan.  Put in a pot with 1 can of chopped tomato and 1 can drained mushrooms & bring to a simmer.  Add meatballs and put on the lid.  Let it cook for about 25 min.  To serve, take the meatballs out, measure out your portion and add 1oz to figure in the spinach.Then put 2 Tbs of the sauce on top.    This works best when you cook enough for a week (or your family) and portion it out.  For asparagus, I put 5 stalks in a Ziplock Steam bag and nuke for 30 seconds.  Slice 5 grape tomatoes and put them on the plate.  Squeeze a slice of lemon and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.  For your family, you can prepare coucous and add the tomato and sliced cucumber and some rasberry vinegarette dressing and serve that as a carbohydrate.

I have a full kitchen, and I use 3 appliances regularly:

Airpot - For those of us who don’t have an instahot, I don’t know how you survive without an airpot.  i’m not talking electric teakettle or thermal carafe.  I’m talking about the one you find in any Asian household without the instahot–the kind you can get at any asian grocery store for $30 (or more, if you need the bells and whistles), also known as a water reboiler.  Yes, I could wait 2 min for the water to boil, but hot, boiling water on demand for my instant oatmeal, tea, or whatever is a godsend.  I can’t live without it!

Panini press / grill: who needs a stove? and who has time to fire up / clean / watch the BBQ grill?  I can buy my boneless, skinless chicken breasts on sale at Safeway for $1.99/lb, cut them into strips and cook a day’s ration of chicken in 3 min flat.  The only seasoning I use is the organic poultry rub from Costco and some kosher salt, and it cooks so juicy and tender I can freeze it for weeks and it still tastes great.

Microwave: for everything else…fish fillets are delicious microwaved for 3 minutes and seasoned with lemon, soysauce, and pepper.  I hated brussel sprouts and green beans until a friend introduced me to the Ziplock Steam bags…now i nuke my greens and yams for 3 min, season with a little garlic salt, and I can’t eat enough of it.

Other appliances that I love: my toaster and the Magic Bullet blender. I swear I got my picky teenage daughter to eat breakfast with the Magic Bullet.

Breakfasts I serve to my picky teenage daughter to eat in the car (that she will actually eat and LIKE):

Cereal in a tupperware, milk in a shaker bottle.  Then she can eat her cereal without worrying it will get soggy.

Whole grain waffles w/ fuity yogurt and poached egg - Toast frozen waffles toaster (1min).  Poach 1 whole egg and two egg whites in microwaveable egg poacher (1.5 sec).  Serve in 3-partition tupperware with 1/2 container lite yogurt and slices of banana, strawberries, or other fresh fruit.  Optional: Serve w/ sugar-free maple syrup and top yogurt w/ granola clusters. Nutrition: Waffles: 140 calories, 4.5g fat, 31g carbs, 7g sugar, 4g protein; yogurt: 50 calories, 0g fat, 10g carbs, 7g sugar, 2.5g protein; Egg: 160 calories; 5g fat; 14g protein