The I Love Carbs Blog

Lots of exciting contest preps going on right now.  On Friday, I was fitted for my pre-judging posing suit and my night show suit.  I was giddy, like going into a wedding gown fitting.  While trying on those suits, it all kind of hit me…I’m REALLY going to do a show! I went with a traditional black posing suit for the pre-judging, and a beautiful royal blue for the night show.  The crystals aren’t too overwhelming, but elegant enough to give some sparkle.  Friday night I had an awesome leg workout with my hubby.  He made a vid of me doing my Stiff Legged Dead Lifts.  I’m keeping with higher reps, lower weights, and man, that’s kicking my butt.  I keep the rest in-between sets at a minimum; the intensity is high, which elevates my heart rate.  I love it.  It took a couple weeks to get into the groove of my new plan.  I was doing low reps, heavy weights for strength training for a few months, so this high reps/lower weights played with my ego.  It’s working for me though.  My weight is dropping, but I feel like I’m still putting on muscle as well.  Yesterday the fam took a day off from training.  We headed to the world famous Daytona Beach.  It was a beautiful day.  We packed our cooler with our food.  It’s funny; we all have our different diets in our house.  My hubby is on a high protein, moderate fats, and low carbs diet. I am cycling my carbs with three medium carb days, and two low carb days. My teenager is a cyclist, so being in an endurance sport, she needs a high carb diet. And my 8 year old is an active gymnast, so she pretty much eats anything and stays ripped.  We saw some dolphins playing in the ocean, and my daughter caught a starfish.  It was very relaxing.  

I took my progress photos at the beach.  Along with my always changing diet, I’ve incorporated some new supps.  I’m taking CLA’s, and L-Carnitine.  I’m 135.6lbs.  My goal is to get to 133lbs by next weekend. 

I uploaded my other photos in my gallery/progresss photos.  I also uploaded a video of me doing Stiff Legged Dead Lifts on my profile page.

I am 13 weeks out now. I plan to post new progress shots each week. Starting weight was 146lbs (about 4 weeks ago). I am currently +/- 136lbs. I am suppose to get down to 115 for the show. My trainer says we will just bring me in at my very best and whatever weight that is, it is, so I am not worried … but hopefully it is ripped and dry at 115 so I will be a "heavy" lightweight.  

Here are a few of them, the rest are in my progress photos section, I have just started working on my posing so as my BF drops I think you will also see my posing improve as well.

Currently I’ve been discouraged.  With this cut, I’ve lost some strength, and I didn’t officially have a “plan” for a show.  Everything seemed unclear, and foggy.  Today, the fog has lifted and it feels great!  I met with my coach, and set an official show.  June 7th!  Now it’s crunch time.  I’m looking at posing suits, my diet is constantly evolving, I’ve bumped up my cardio, and practicing my poses.  At the end of my bulk phase, 5 months long, my weight started at 124lb bf% at 19%, ending at 146lbs with my bf% at 24%.  My cut started on Feb.4th, the day after the Super Bowl, lol.  I’ve dropped to 136lbs, bf% now at 21%.

Training has changed.  During the past five months, my goal was to strength train, lifting heavy for six to eight reps to ensure muscle growth.  I’m still lifting as heavy as I can, but with my carbs lowered, my strength has dropped, and honestly, it’s a bit discouraging.  I’m hitting higher reps, and less recovery between sets to keep my heart rate up. 

I’m ready for this, and can’t wait to pick out a suit.  Color suggestions?  Music suggestions for my routine?  I like alternative rock. 

Keep training hard everyone! 

Iris Kyle was disqualified from the competition?!  WHAT!!!  As I’m reading about why she was disqualified , it amazes me.  Supposedly, the judges saw a small knot on her glutes which presumably is a sign of steroid use. Personally, I think it was right on that Yaxeni Oriquen won it.  She came in so conditioned, muscles galore, stellar physique, she rocked it!  I thought Betty Pariso looked absolutely awesome, but her Wizard of Oz routine wasn’t the best.  And she’s in her 50’s!  that’s awesomeness right there.