The I Love Carbs Blog

I’m 16 weeks out, and I am having MAJOR cravings! pizza, bread, even saltine crackers! I’m eating clean, my carbs mainly are brown rice, sweet potatoes, and oatmeal. Once in awhile I’ll have Cream of Rice. It’s funny, my whey protein is starting to taste like a chocolate Yoohoo, mmmm. I have to keep my focus on the end result…My clothes are starting to loosen up, YAY! I’m doing cardio 4 times a week now, and I’ve dropped from 146lbs to 137lbs starting from 20 weeks out. Being sick a couple of weeks ago really screwed up my diet. I dropped weight since I couldn’t get myself to eat for two days. Once I started eating again, my body just took it all in, my muscles were depleted and dehydrated, I shot up from 136 to 138. Now, I’m back on track.

The other night as I was sitting in a bible class, my preacher asked if I was still lifting. (he’s talking on the microphone of course for everyone to hear) Surprisingly, I wasn’t at all embarrassed. I usually don’t like any attention set upon me. (not that I REALLY enjoyed it) But, I didn’t start sweating, my heart didn’t jump out of my throat, and I didn’t become a nervous wreck. He told everyone I was getting ready for a show. I’ve been trying to "be" the bodybuilder. I saw this interview with the CEO of Pike Place. He said to become a "world famous fish monger" you have to "be" a world famous fish monger. Okay…I’m not wanting to "be" a fish monger, but I’ve applied that same principal of being a bodybuilder. I have to not only think, train, and eat like a bodybuilder, but I have to BE a bodybuilder. Sorry…I’m getting heavy. It’s helped with my confidence.

Well, hopefully the cravings will pass and I can continue to focus on eating clean without dreaming of delicious pizza.

Keep training hard everyone!

Well…the past 3 days I’ve been a zombie…stayed in bed with an awful cold.  And the whole time I’m thinking to myself, "my poor muscles are dying!  there are no nutrients feeding them!!!"  I had a bad fever, I didn’t want to eat, or move.  Yesterday I felt MUCH better and forced myself to eat my high carb day and take my multi-v’s to help the bod.  It seemed to have helped.  Today I ventured to the gym.  I was still feeling congested, and tired, and wanted to crawl back into the comforts of my cozy room.  I was determined to do some legs…I found some energy to start of with some squats, followed by the leg press, leg extensions, and finished it off with stiff legged dead lifts.  By the end of that, I still had to get my cardio in.  I’m now onto 4 days of cardio torture!  My blood sugar level was low, but I downed my CellMass and finished the session.  It’s funny how a little workout does a body good. 

On my way to the gym, this guy decided to merge into my lane.  With my Ninja-like reflexes, I honked my horn, swerved out of his way, and fishtailed it, avoiding the "multi-tasker" in the other vehicle.  He was on the cell phone, and looking at papers while trying to drive. That my friends is all thanks to being dopped up on cold meds   Makes me jittery as heck.

It’s a week and a half into my new diet and I’ve been holding on well.  Granted…today is Valentine’s Day and it torture to not have just one small piece of chocolate.  The beginning of this week I felt physically drained.  I’ve actually fell asleep on the couch twice this week.  Very unsual.  So, I figured it must be my training along with a lower calerie diet?!  I’m still training hard, my strength has decreased just a bit.  So it all comes to light…I’ve caught a cold.  Darn it.

I went to a friend’s birthday party the other night at Dexter’s.  Man, that was hard to do.  Everyone was drinking great looking martini’s, beer, blah, blah, blah.  And I was there being a good girl drinking my sparkling water.

This is my second day on a "lower" carb diet.  My week started off with my regular high carbs.  The second day I took it down by 75g.  Today and tomorrow (days 3 & 4) the carbs are down by 125g.  Then the cycle begins again.  Today I felt hungry.  It was especially tough having to go to the super market for the family.  I’m sure it’s because I know I can’t have sugar, or simple carbs, so of course that’s what I keep thinking about.  What’s killing me is not being able to eat fruits.  It’ll be especially tough once all the summer fruits come around.  Today I did very well.  Didn’t have any protein shakes to replace meals.  All of my proteins came from lean whole foods, and I ate brown rice, sweet potatoes, and oatmeal.  I did have about 4 oz. of grape juice, that’s about all the sugar I had today.  I’ve had this Twix bar from my Christmas stocking.  I keep eyeballing it.  Throughout my bulking, I could have eaten it, without feeling guilty.  But, I did feel guilty just thinking about eating it.  Now, it sits there.  In a weird way, it kind of reminds me to eat clean. 

Yesterday I had a great back workout.  I reached a couple of new max weights.  On my Wide Grip Pull Downs I got to 135lbs.  On my DB Rows, I did 55lbs.  And instead of Rack Deads, I took it to the floor and did 185lbs on the Dead Lifts.  I’m not certain if I like those better than on the rack.  It felt more isolated on the lower back and traps when I do Rack Deads as opposed to Dead Lifts.  Which it could easily be my form.  I know it works the legs some.  I think I’ll go back to the Rack Deads to work the lower back, which is what I’m meaning to focus on. 

Today I trained shoulders and cardio.  I hit a new max on the Hammer Shoulder Press, 85lbs.  I totally forgot to do my bi’s.  I do 35 minutes keeping my heart rate at 140 on my lowest carb days.  And I’ll add a third cardio day on any other day of my choice.  I’ll make up bi’s tomorrow when I do traps/rear delts/calves, and cardio. 

I’m finally on my way to leaning out.  I have a June 21st show in mind, and that means I’m 20 weeks out.  Bulking seemed to go by quickly, probably because I’ve been enjoying the eats   I’ve never dieted down for a show before, so I’m quite excited to see how my body responds to it.  My coach is giving me the extra diet time so I won’t loose so much muscle mass.  The new diet plan starts on Monday of course…can’t cut on the day of the Super Bowl.   

My bulking started the beginning of September.  I was at 123lbs.  I went to watch my first body building show in August, which my coach was competing in, and I was amazed.  That’s when I decided I wanted to do that.  Here I am, 4-1/2 months later, and I weigh 144lbs.  My BF% is 24%.  I gained 4% since I started, not too bad.  I’ll try to keep up with the progress photos to watch the transformation. 

The beginning May/June 2007. 122lbs.

And here I am many months later, Feb. 2, 2008, 144lbs. Time to start cutting!