fitdiva83’s BodyBlog

I did say that I would post more frequently. Training and dieting, however, have taken priority, in addition, to my job and getting in my LSAT prep time. I’ve been pretty diligent with the workouts– a special shout-out to my incredible training partner who suffers through the cardio with me. Lol.

So I’ve grown accustomed to the fact that fish will be a regular staple in my diet and I can only consume limited amounts of cottage cheese (slightly allergic to dairy, who knew?) A cheat meal for me would be sushi or whole wheat pasta with ground turkey. Yup, so I’m eating 90% clean even in the off-season. Well, I’m throwing down for Thanksgiving. Sorry.  The amazinig thing is that I see the difference in my physique usually on weekly basis. Sometimes the difference can vary day to day, depending on my choice of food consumption. With patience and consistency, it all gets better in time. A person’s physique, that is.

So now that I am pretty much in control of my nutrition and training is going well, I am starting to set mini-goals for myself. I’ve been running a lot for my cardio–very therapeutic. Nonetheless, I hate endurance running! Can’t you tell that I was a sprinter? Lol. So I will be working on my slow-twitch muscles and building stamina. Thus, November’s goal for cardio is to be able to run 4 continuous miles outside. Right now, I jump-rope for about 15 mins to warm up my knees, then head outside to jog/run for 25-30 mins (2 and a half to 3 miles). I will slowly increase the time to 40 mins. My goal for training is to gain more definition in my triceps. So I am working them twice a week…once with shoulders and biceps and then again with chest. In four weeks time, I should be seeing the change. Right?

This weekend was probably one of the most productive that I have had in a long time. I trained 2x a day, plus managed to stick to my diet with minimal cheats and prepared most of my meals for the week. I also cleaned house, did some reading and soul searching and healing (no, not the Marvin Gaye kind). And somewhere in the midst of all that, I managed to go out on three dates. Now, while all three men go to the gym and may indulge in healthy cuisine from time to time, none of them could understand my eating habits–dressing on the side, tell the chef no salt, hold the rice, please! I suppose they assumed that it was typical female coy behavior. One seemed quite annoyed. Another found it quite amusing. I don’t know why guys insist on eating all the time! What can you do in the city that does not culminate in some type of palatory experience? I thought I could juggle the dieting and the dates, until last night at the movies. The movie commenced at eight, my last meal of the night was at nine. And it was tilapia and broccoli. When I removed my container of fish and greens from my purse, my date looked horrified…even in the dark. "You’re not going to eat that here," he told me. "Why can’t you just eat some popcorn?" Now, it was my turn to gasp. "I was planning on going out of the theater with this. I have to eat." He simply shook his head. So I stayed put, despite the fact the grumbling of my stomach was loud enough to overpower the sound of gunshots and screaming on the silver screen. I glanced longingly at my Ziploc container and caught a glimpse of my date who mouthed, "it smells like fish." Thus, how could I put up a fight when he suggested a trip to Cold Stone Creamery? How was I to get out of that one?   To be continued……….

It’s funny how when you acquire an unexpected amount of money, you discover a plethora of needs and purchases to spend it on. While running errands all around the city yesterday, I had to exhibit an enormous amount of self-control as I was tempted to buy new gym clothes, stilettos, eye cream amongst other things. I ended up purchasing an inexpensive new gym outfit (I think I deserve it) and a load of vitamins and supplements. It didn’t help that the cashier at Vitamin Shoppe was a certified hottie; and when he suggested some new items, I could not turn them down. For someone who can be excessive in her habits, is it possible too consume too many supplements? Here’s a sampling of what I purchased:

multi-mineral/multi-vitamin, evening primose oil, super fish oil, CLA, calcium, glucosamine and chondroitin, a variety of green teas, powdered greens, and I will stop there.

So I am wondering, is the intake of all these supplements really necessary? And if not, what drives the regular fitness enthusiast to their regular consumption?

It’s funny how things drastically turn for the better. I am paid, finally! Trip to Europe for the holidays, gratis! And my friends, colleagues and students are all phenomenal and I am BLESSED to have them in my life. Yesterday, between training and completing a three hour diagnostic test for the LSAT, I was feeling a bit exhausted. I am actually enjoying this academic year, surprisingly. After an hour long convo with my coach late last night, I managed to drag myself out of bed for a morning of sprints and the elliptical. She had reminded me of how pleased she was with my check-in pics and urged me to remain consistent. Before heading to the gym at 5 am, I wrote down my list of daily goals and to-do’s, which included no cheat snacks, an after-school meeting with the Robotics club, two 45 min cardio sessions. And still I had to include two hours of LSAT prep. And someone actually told me that I didn’t have the motivation and drive to succeed. I suppose graduating from Harvard and earning a master’s degree two years later while teaching full-time is a clear indicator of a lack of drive. Then again, everyone is entitled to their delusions. Kinda amusing to be insulted by people whose academic credentials pale in comparison to mine. Sorry, won’t feign humility on this one.
I do miss blogging and will try to post a couple times a week in order to stay on track with all aspects of my life.  Now to the gym for some boxing, jump-roping, shoulders and abs. Some interesting stats to note: This porker right here is down 5lbs from last week and is boasting a waist that is just shy of 27 inches…now if that is not motivation, I don’t know what else is . Time for some rounds. Let’s get it. In the words of Jay, I’m focused, man!

Until next time, train hard. Muchos besos.

At any given time, our perception of what an acceptable, attractive, fit physique can be altered provided our state of reference, mind or emotion. One day, ripped can become too lean. Curvaceous becomes fat or too thick. From desirable to repulsive, each human body part can be magnified or minimized to suit our preferences. Furthermore, these same body parts are very much scrutinized, especially when it comes to figure. Some are genetically blessed. Others fight genetics in order to challenge their bodies into places they never knew existed.

So why do figure? My friends and family constantly question my decision to foray into this underworld of female “physique” building, instead of pursuing my J.D as was planned originally or something “intellectually” worthwhile. What’s with the hours in the gym, wasting egg yolks for egg whites (my mother), and eating six meals a day (my Dad)? The same reason, I delve into a classic piece of literature to keep myself mentally stimulated, I use the weight room or the track to keep my body stimulated. In virtual years…due to my fitness levels and bodyfat, I am actually 19 and not 25. And as I have always been one to set mini-goals for myself, this underworld provides me with an uncanny balance of dark self-defeat and golden accomplishment. Oftentimes, you are alone in your journey. Other times, people accompany you, then leave unexpectedly. Then, you have your solid crew…who may not understand why you do what you do, but because they love you, will always be on the sidelines cheering you along even when you’ve reached rock bottom.

I am not sure where my forage will lead me, but recent turn of events this season have allowed me to uncover my own inner strength and resourcefulness. And maybe that’s all I need. As I lead my dance team through the new choreography that I am teaching them or highlight good and bad sportsmanship to the girls’ middle school basketball team, I understand the value of not only physical awareness, but also the mental strength to exist amongst your peers, withstand criticism and self-doubt, make mistakes and have the courage to learn from them. So what are my future plans? Well, that will be the beginning of another chapter….

I am currently five weeks out….not much time at all! I still have about 10 pounds of bf to lose, which means two sessions of @ least 45 minutes of cardio daily as well as including two meals with white fish and greens into my diet.  I spent this weekend, working out and preparing my meals for the week! Yes, Saturday at midnight I was baking sweet potatoes and soaking my steel oats. I then got up at 8am Sunday morning for a run in the park, which was absolutely wonderful. Doing the morning cardio helps me stay sharp and productive for the rest of the day. So now, I can honestly say that I’ve pretty much devoted my priorities to preparing for the competition. I really want to see how far I can push my body…I haven’t looked like this since high school! I just have to get over the fact that I will have no boobs soon. But gotta get it tight, gotta get it right!

I went out both Saturday and Sunday nights. From house parties to a football game, food temptation lay all around me. And amazingly, I resisted. Saturday, I went to a bar to celebrate the completion of an exam with a college friend. The owner had provided complimentary nachos with all the fixins and wings along with drinks aplenty. I declined shot after shot, and stayed with my chicken breast mesclun salad with peppers, tomatoes and avocado and water. The next evening I headed to Jersey for the Giants game. After three hours of travel and listening to spectators cry out ‘get those f**kers!’. my blood sugar was also crying out, ‘I’m low, I’m low, time to eat.’ I forgot to pack something and ended up munching on cashews. The protein options were limited to hot dogs and chicken tenders. After a long search around the stadium, I was finally able to locate a chicken breast sandwich which I ate without the bread. I didn’t realize that I could have that much willpower. I am thrilled that I didn’t cheat at all this weekend!

I have just about eight weeks before my first competition ever….I’m excited, nervous, but pumped to truly undertake this task. I know if I can get into stage shape in two months, then I can do just about anything. I have a whole slew of supplements, from this new yummy Dessert protein to Redline (gosh that stuff is amazing). I’m bumping up my cardio to two sessions a day: 30 min interval training/functional drills in the mornings and the 45-60 min. steady state or intervals in the evenings. Next week, I get stricter with my diet–only a serving of fruit per day. What will I do without my sweets?

I’ve finally done it. I went out and got a personal trainer to whip my behind into shape. So we’ve pretty much abandoned my traditional bodybuilding-esque split routine in favor of circuit training with lots of pylometrics. No more hard-core leg workouts…we are trying to break down some of the muscle in my thunder thighs and slim down my hips and butt so that my physique can be more symmetrical. I also have to run a lot. Sigh. Who said this was going to be easy? I also cooked my meals for the week: baked my sweet potatoes and cooked a pot of brown rice, seasoned cod, tilapia and salmon and steamed some spinach, broccoli and string beans. I used to be addicted to chicken…but have noticed a difference since I’ve stopped eating religiously. We’ll see what the consistency brings. In the meanwhile, besos.

I’ll be moving back to NYC in a few days and am a little anxious about it. I trained twice this week, hitting back and hams as well as my quads. I also got some cardio in. But I’ve been generally exhausted and have rarely gotten through a workout without hitting the sack as soon as I walked into the door. I’m eager to start my fall training program and to get my eating schedule back on track. Glutes and legs are coming along nicely; now i’m starting to worry about lower abs. I guess you just can’t win ‘em all.