MsFitness101’s BodyBlog

Anyone else get swollen legs and feet when their diet changes? I would love to hear I am not the only one.  My sodium intake has not been very high but compared to a total deplete before the show, I guess it is.  It might be from the sugar too, I had some dark chocolate today (and not just one piece )  Off season has been good so far, after my last comp I gained A LOT of water right away because I went too wild on the food.  This go round my attitude about food was different and I have been more successful post comp.  Last time pre comp, all I thought about was junk food and how much I wanted it.  I splurged, gained weight and felt like crap!! This time I have found a new passion in eating clean and wanting to continue that lifestyle indefinitely.  I feel great, I want to be healthy not just look good for a show.  I am done competing, my goal now is to maintain my physique–some days that can be a challenge in and of itself  

Everyone is asking when I am going to blog about the show.  I have been wanting to but have just been doing all I can to absorb my family (since I felt a little disconnect with the full bore training and focus on the show).  So I took the kids to the pool and now they are sacked out so I can write a little…

First, this show was a far better experience than my last show for a lot of reasons.  One the Gaspari stack helped give me a better physique than last time.   Gaspari has a great product line and I have no complaints (other than the size on left me bloated).  The Superpump helped me get my groove on on the mornings when I felt I just could not go on.  The Cytolean helped me with my appetite, energy and fat burning and it never felt like too much (ie jittery, racing heart, etc).  Absolutely loved the Double Chocolate Intrapro and if I don’t get more soon I might reach for the chocolate cake   I could feel the Plasmajet delivering oxygen to my muscles and helping give me a lot more pump.  Very great experience to be able to try this stack, thanks so much to Gaspari and to Fern for hooking me up.  Second, I learned how to eat to keep my muscle, this sport should not be about starving yourself, I really never felt deprived (except for on water the last couple days).  I also didn’t place in the top five but my attitude going into this was that I was going to come out with the physique that worked for me.  One that I was happy with but one that I didn’t have to kill myself for because it is not worth it.  Like I say in my signature it is about the journey and I enjoy the being fit and feeling good.  Third, I was experienced and so much more relaxed.  On my way to the venue on Sat. morning I said to myself that I was going to have a great day and enjoy every minute of it.  So I had prejudging, a photo shoot and the evening show and it was all fabulous.

I have had a couple cheat meals and have enjoyed my peanut butter, rice cakes and crackers and lo carb protein shakes and bars that I cut out before the show.  I want to hang on to my physique so for me it means that I have to be really careful.  I enjoy eating clean more than splurging anyway so it works for me.  My cheat meals were fish tacos and chicken nachos after the show AND about 2 gallons of ice water    At the show all I wanted was ice water, I really didn’t care about food at that point.  Once I had the water, the nachos started sounding really good.  It was a pretty cool experience sitting at the bar looking at the menu (immediately going to the salad area) and then realizing I could have ANYTHING I wanted!!!  Sunday I was back on the wagon and then last night was my 13 year wedding anniversay so I splurged again on Thai food. 

I am waiting on my pictures, should have them from the photographer on Friday and then I will post.  Thanks so much to everyone for their support!!  It was because of the encouragement and knowledge gained on this site that helped be more successful this time around.

Ouch!  2 weeks out and I got injured today, I never get injured!!  My calf was feeling a little tweaked but guess what?  just like the rest of us die hards I kept doing the stairs.  You know the feeling…the feeling of crunch time…the "gotta keep going" feeling.  Well, it bit me in the ass on my last stair. POP! not good.  I literally hopped back down the stairs to my car (with the help of some friends) and I wanted to cry.  I mean really cry, partly because of the pain but mostly because I had not listened to my body.  If you are a competitor you know how important cardio is and especially in these last 2 weeks.  Sooooo  I am nursing with some RICE therapy and I will blog on how it goes…..keep your fingers crossed for me

So got some new Gaspari flavors last week.  The double chocolate Intrapro is flippin’ awesome.  Seriously it is like a chocolate milkshake.  I blended one with some ice and I thought I was in heaven.  I made a chocolate cake with it the seconday i had it.–shhh!  Jen’s secret recipe and this will definitely be an off season treat for me.  I also love the Grape Cooler Superpump250 and trust me on these low carb days it is a life saver.  I can cut it up on the bleachers with those guys at that got to have their spagetti meal the night before.  Still using the plasmajet every other day and, man, can I feel that kick in.  I start heating up and I want to start pumping it hard. 

only 3.5 weeks left and it once again seems surreal that I will be stepping on the stage.  I gotta get this A** in shape–literally.  It is always the last the go and it always scares the crap out of me that I won’t lose it.  Okay, so I can do this…I gotta think lean… fish and broccoli, oats, protein powder, spinach, 3.5 more weeks….

I mean I reeeaaalllyy want a snack.  Not 10 almonds or a piece of Wasa toast or a protein shake.  I mean like apples and peanut butter, popcorn or Chex mix (all of which I have in my cupboard by the way but can’t touch).  Some days pre-contest dieting sucks, some days it feels good.  Let me rephrase that– some HOURS pre-contest dieting sucks, some HOURS it feels good.  I am four weeks out from a contest which means that some HOURS I feel like I am on fire, a fat burning machine, unstoppable.  The next thing I know, BAM!  I want the peanut butter (on anything!).  If you are contest dieting or have in the past you know exactly what I am talking about.  It helps to vent a bit and also takes my mind off of eating.  Okay, I am starting to feel better because I know other people will read this and totally relate.  That is the great thing about the site, being able to find others that you can relate to on this crazy journey.  thanks for reading…. 

So I am halfway through my Gaspari stack preparing for my next show.  I did a body comp (DXA) scan before the stack and did one today to see how I was doing.  I was amazed I have lost 5.5 lbs fat and gained 3.5 of muscle in 4 weeks.  Pretty amazing since I am dieting and have not been getting that many carbs in these days.  I would say the supps have done amazing things in helping maintain and increase my muscle while dieting.  When cutting for my last show I definitely had lost a lot of muscle.  I am encouraged that I will come in bigger (but better yet, stronger) this show.

Well, I am half way through my 8 week Gaspari stack, getting ready for contest and trying to lean out.  Here is a run down on the stack.  Pre-strength training I take my PlasmaJet, I originally thought that I wouldn’t like the stuff. I mean, after all, Nitric Oxide boosters are for men right?  Okay, so was I wrong, this stuff helps me pump up some serious weight (despite being carb depleted   So needless to say this might be my favorite of the stack.  But wait,  I love the preworkout Superpump and the Cytolean fat burner and the Intrapro whey is great alone but also makes the best protein pancakes.  Okay, so I am a Gaspari junkie now and I am loving it. 

Practiced posing this morning and my trainer said she could definitely see a lot of increased size (muscle) in my upper body this go ’round.  I agree and this is not only great from a contest perspective but also for me as a women.  As you can see from my progress pics I used to be pretty big (highest weight was 240 pregnant) and I carried much of it in my hips, thighs and buttocks.  These areas are still my problems areas (and the judges don’t hesistate to let me know that too) but lately I have noticed instead of my pants being tighter and my top feeling just right.  My tops are getting tighter and my pants are falling off.  Oh and I am lovin’ it.  I have totally changed my body composition and I am not done.  In 5 more weeks check back and see the final product.

So my training partner and I get comments in the gym all the time from people saying they have never seen girls workout as hard as we do.  Then we get the comments from people that say we workout too much.  So how much is too and much and who are they to say what OUR bodies respond too?  Why is it that some people feel they have to rain on your parade.  Not that I care what other people think but when people make comments I do kind of start to wonder if I am obsessive and excessive with my training.  On the other hand, I compete because I am competitive (mostly with myself) and am trying to get my body in better shape than it was the last comp.  That requires a lot of dedication and A LOT of time in the gym.  To get lean, diet is 90% but I also need to do about an hour of cardio in the AM and again at night.  Train hard to get hard I guess   Gaspari stack is going great.  Holding to a lot more muscle this go round with the leaning up.  5 weeks to go!

First, I have to say thanks again to all those that serve our country.  What a selfless decision to make.

Took it easy tonight, did back and 1 hour of cardio this morning.  Did very well with my food intake considering the holiday.  It was suprisingly easy to eat my boco burger and spinach when everyone else was eating full fat burgers, chips, salad (the fattening, creamy type) and pie.  Why am I complaining, I made it for them.  But I live in the real world and I understand not everyone has my goals.  If they knew how good it feels, if I could truly get into their head and let them know, they would be doing it too.  All I can do it live by example and perhaps they will choose to make a change.  In the meantime, I just keep on keepin’ on even on those hard days because, after all, even though it feels so good there are still those hard days!   My hats off to all of you dieting in the real world–keep up the great work.  It is so worth it.