c_nicki’s BodyBlog

Wow, it has certainly been a while since I made a post. A lot has happened in life and with training.

First of all, I didn’t end up competing…YET. I hurt my back several times with training and had to let them heal. I have leaned out and am still consistently leaning out, keeping with my competition diet until I get there. Once I get close I will see about which shows are coming up when and if I have to travel, I’ll book it! I AM going to compete, but I am going to let my body get there with consistency and patience. No more drastic measures to pull a miracle out of my butt. I have now been carb depleting for 4 months and surprisingly, I am pretty used to it. I keep hearing from all angles that I will start losing muscle but guess what? I have developed my upper body even more since I have been carb and calorie restricting. When it comes down to it, only YOU know your body and how it will respond to different training/nutrition tactics.

I have a photoshoot on September 13 with pro photographer Mike Byerly. Check out his pics! www.mikebyerlyphoto.com

He is amazing! He has worked with Jamie Eason and other fitness models. My site is up and running and I definitely want some good shots for my site, even if my body is not completely competition ready just yet.

I recently broke up with my boyfriend of 4 years, so I am still currently dealing with the trauma of that…it has been a very stressful and depressing four years but I am ready to move on and be happy. BUT, will NOT let that get in the way of my goals…I never have )

As soon as I get the shots from the photoshoot I will post them up. I know it has been A LONG time since I posted a progress pic. Hopefully these shots will make the wait  worth it!

Wow, it has certainly been a while since I made a post. A lot has happened in life and with training.

First of all, I didn’t end up competing…YET. I hurt my back several times with training and had to let them heal. I have leaned out and am still consistently leaning out, keeping with my competition diet until I get there. Once I get close I will see about which shows are coming up when and if I have to travel, I’ll book it! I AM going to compete, but I am going to let my body get there with consistency and patience. No more drastic measures to pull a miracle out of my butt. I have now been carb depleting for 4 months and surprisingly, I am pretty used to it. I keep hearing from all angles that I will start losing muscle but guess what? I have developed my upper body even more since I have been carb and calorie restricting. When it comes down to it, only YOU know your body and how it will respond to different training/nutrition tactics.

I have a photoshoot on September 13 with pro photographer Mike Byerly. Check out his pics! www.mikebyerlyphoto.com

He is amazing! He has worked with Jamie Eason and other fitness models. My site is up and running and I definitely want some good shots for my site, even if my body is not completely competition ready just yet.

I recently broke up with my boyfriend of 4 years, so I am still currently dealing with the trauma of that…it has been a very stressful and depressing four years but I am ready to move on and be happy. BUT, will NOT let that get in the way of my goals…I never have )

As soon as I get the shots from the photoshoot I will post them up. I know it has been A LONG time since I posted a progress pic. Hopefully these shots will make the wait  worth it!

Hey Everyone! Below is my favorite clean dessert recipe for oat bran muffins that taste DELICIOUS! It has taken me a couple tweaks of the original recipe and I am happy with the end result. I also included my own nutritional breakdown in addition to ingredients and directions ) Hope you all enjoy!

Oat Bran Muffins (makes 12 muffins)

Ingredients:

2 cups Oat Bran
2 cups Splenda granular
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup Soy Slender soy milk or any 70-80 Cal soy milk
2 Tbsp I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Light
1/4 c egg whites or 2 egg whites
1/4 c sugar free syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla

*Preheat oven to 425 degrees
*Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl and all wet ingredients in a separate bowl
*Combine wet mixture to dry mixture until well blended–do not over stir
*Place batter in a 12 muffin sheet pan and bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly brown, depending on oven and preference
*Remove from oven and let cool (duh lol)

Nutrition Facts (per muffin):

Calories 73

Total Fat 2.0 g
Saturated Fat 0.4 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.6 g

Cholesterol 0 g

Sodium 140 mg

Total Carbohydrate 10 g
Dietary Fiber 3 g

Protein 4 g

25% Fat - 55% Carbs - 22% Protein

My back has flared up! :< snif snif snif…

I think I OD-ed with my training and it hurts let me tell you…the instant I felt a little pinch I went to the acupuncturist, which was 4 days ago. Since then I have been icing it, massaging, stretching, doing heat therapy, taking an anti-inflammatory and all of a sudden yesterday I feel pain when I turn my head side to side and chin down. I don’t know what the F*** to do!! I am taking the day off today and just trying to rest. Going to the doctor will do a whole lot of NOTHING…that is from experience when I originally hurt it last year. They will tell me I have a "sprain" and just to take Motrin, stretch it, ice it, rest it bla bla bla…yeah like I couldn’t figure that out for myself.  Just figures this would happen 4 weeks out from my first show but well…shit happens and I am not going to let this keep me from accomplishing my goal. I just need to focus on leaning out and doing cardio anyway. I just need to push through and chose modalities that will not engage my rhomboid/traps. It healed once, it will heal again I just need to really listen to my body. We’ll see, I’ll keep you all updated…

Alright…I’m technically in my leaning out phase. I am on a severe calorie deficit and 50-75 g carbs at (roughly) 130 lbs. I am doing 90 minutes of cardio 5-6 days a week, weight training 4 days per week. Get this…EVEN on my 900 calorie deficit and mega cardio, I AM STILL GAINING MUSCLE!!! In 2 weeks my quads grew by 1/2 inch, calves by 1/4 inch, biceps by 1/2 inch. That is ridiculous and downright defies logic! Yes, I am losing fat, but not insanely.

I have this theory though. I remember when I first got injured I took a couple weeks and didn’t do any resistance at all. My calories were down to about 1200-1300 and I was only doing 30 minutes AM cardio. I leaned out VERY fast with that and did not lose any muscle at all. I am thinking that I am going to have to lay off the weights for at least a week or so, lean out a bit and MAYBE incorporate LIGHT weight training after. I remember when I was in high school and was a "cardio queen" doing cross country and leisure running, I was never "skinny fat," I always had some muscle tone and very muscular legs, despite the hours of running. I have come to the conclusion that I am just a freak of nature and need to stop listening to these body builders who have trouble gaining muscle and are naturally lean. I evidently have NO PROBLEM gaining muscle even when i am starving and carb depleting to the extreme!

I will be taking the next week off of weights and doing straight cardio cardio cardio! It will be nice, I miss having the time to do my long 6 mile runs. That way I will be able to calorie cut without feeling like a zombie anymore. (at least, not as much!)

I’ll keep everyone updated )

Also, if I don’t make it for the July show I am thinking of the August 16 show in Culver City. I already ordered my suit and heels, I am determined to do a show by the end of this year. Besides, I told myself I can’t get my breasts done until I compete!! haha.

Things are progressing well, I must say. I have 8 weeks out until the competition, which has me a bit nervous because I need to lose a consistent 1 lb per week in order to make it in time. At least, that is my own guesstimate. It has been tough because I think for a while I was underestimating just how many calories I was burning. I’ve been doing 5 days of 30 min AM cardio plus riding my bike 1 hour roundtrip 3-5 days per week, 1 hour high intensity dance class 2 days a week and weight training 3 days a week. I feel myself struggling to keep my 500 calorie deficit, and perhaps my supposed 500 turns out to be 700 or so because of so much cardio I do! However, I am still consistently leaning out which is all that matters. I just want it all gone now!! haha. What is crazy is that I have made good progress and I often forget that it has been less than 4 months, when most people take longer to lean out by 4%. Part of me gets a bit worried because I am going up against women who for one, are naturally thin and only have to work half as hard as I do to get even BETTER results and two, most people who compete end up taking fat burners, even those with good genes! I simply cannot and do not want to take them. For one, they make me sick so I really can’t but secondly, it is my goal to get my body where I want it completely natural through hard work. Don’t get me wrong, I supplement with whey, creatine and glutamine like the rest, but fat burners are a whole different ball game! I will keep you all posted. Starting next month (June) will be my extreme diet phase– high protein, high fat, little/NO carbs. May the force be with me…I know I will be crabby the entire time! haha.

Things are progressing well, I must say. I have 8 weeks out until the competition, which has me a bit nervous because I need to lose a consistent 1 lb per week in order to make it in time. At least, that is my own guesstimate. It has been tough because I think for a while I was underestimating just how many calories I was burning. I’ve been doing 5 days of 30 min AM cardio plus riding my bike 1 hour roundtrip 3-5 days per week, 1 hour high intensity dance class 2 days a week and weight training 3 days a week. I feel myself struggling to keep my 500 calorie deficit, and perhaps my supposed 500 turns out to be 700 or so because of so much cardio I do! However, I am still consistently leaning out which is all that matters. I just want it all gone now!! haha. What is crazy is that I have made good progress and I often forget that it has been less than 4 months, when most people take longer to lean out by 4%. Part of me gets a bit worried because I am going up against women who for one, are naturally thin and only have to work half as hard as I do to get even BETTER results and two, most people who compete end up taking fat burners, even those with good genes! I simply cannot and do not want to take them. For one, they make me sick so I really can’t but secondly, it is my goal to get my body where I want it completely natural through hard work. Don’t get me wrong, I supplement with whey, creatine and glutamine like the rest, but fat burners are a whole different ball game! I will keep you all posted. Starting next month (June) will be my extreme diet phase– high protein, high fat, little/NO carbs. May the force be with me…I know I will be crabby all the time! haha.

I bought a new bike to ride to school everyday instead of drive. That’s an added 60 minutes of cardio per day, 5 days per week in addition to my 5 days of 30 min AM cardio sessions, 2 days of 60 minute dance class and 3 days of weight training per week. So…I’m hungry! lol. I’m a little restless right now because of the increased exercise on top of my calorie deficit. I’ll just keep with my motto…"When in doubt, drink water!"

Today is day one of my new workout– the 3 day split– and I cannot express how good it feels to have my upper body numb from fatigue and my hands shaking as I type from my workout! ) Feels so good to really pump some iron. I will keep you all posted. Hopefully I can report a plateau break in a couple weeks…::fingers crossed::…

Hi All!

I hope everyone is having wonderful progress and pushing through their daily struggles in hopes of living fulfilled and accomplished in all aspects of their lives.

I am in the transition phase of leaving the gym setting and going independent. I will be training in the Sacramento area in a private training studio downtown, where I set my own rates and pay a monthly rent to the facility. I am very reasonable with my fees and am a very dedicated and detail oriented trainer. I have a lot of experience with women of all ages, from 20-70 years old and some experience with men from 20-50 years old. If anyone is in need of training for themselves or for someone they know, please let me know!!!

Best Wishes,

Nicki