The I Love Carbs Blog

I finally took some progress shots and compared them to my last show when I was 9 weeks out.  I’ve been slacking this time around and I got to keep on top of it.  It’s helpful to look back and evaluate your body to see what needs work and see what has progressed.  Although I’m pretty much the same weight as the last time I was 9 weeks out, I look different…a bit leaner, put on some muscle, and my posing has improved. lol. 

This week has been brutal.  My workouts have been great, even though a couple of the days I really wasn’t feeling up to it (lack of sleep) I got my butt in there.  I got a personal best yesterday on my DB Shoulder Presses…35lb DB.  I got a spotter to help me lift it, and got 6 reps.  Today, even though I wanted to but didn’t, go heavier on my squats.  I saved it for my leg presses super setted with walking lunges holding quarter plates.  I haven’t done walking lunges in awhile, and wanted to sock my legs.  So, with my squats I maxed the 3rd and 4th set at 135lbs.  For my leg presses, (also not a heavy as usual because of the lunges) I maxed it at 360lbs. with super setting walking lunges.  Then without resting, I did the Leg Extensions, Calf Presses on the leg press, and walking lunges without weights.  I did 4 sets of Leg Curls, and then 4 sets of Stiff Leg Dead Lifts using 175lbs.  I finished with Seated Calf Raises super setted with some weighted situps.  THEN…I did 55 minutes of cardio.  I was wiped out.  I went home, showered, took a 2 hour nap, then just woke up to eat some fish. 

I catered a party today and had an order to bake 3 dozen cupcakes.  I made a jumbo cupcake along with the order.  They looked SO tasty…THE TORTURE!  It’s a chocolate cupcake, with vanilla/chocolate swirled frosting, Oreo crumbles on the rim, and an Oreo to top it off.  I’ve been baking so much, and can’t stand them in the house, so I had them out to friends.  See the picture below, but DON’T drool onto your keyboard

The first set of pictures are from April 26, 2008, 9 weeks out  The second set of pictures were taken September 6, 2008 (last Saturday) 9 weeks out.

All Pictures Taken Approx. 4-1/2 months apart.

Jumbo Chocolate Oreo Cupcake

In a recent blog I read from wendym1979, she mentioned recipes that are interesting in flavor, so it’s not so boring to eat clean.  I have some that I’ll share.  Now mind you…these are for when you’re dieting down, and anything with spices and splenda will taste like heaven! lol.

French Toast.

3 pcs. Ezekiel bread (plain if you have to knock out your sugars), but Raisin tastes better.

6 egg whites, beaten well.

cinnamon, splenda, and sugar free syrup to top it off

Place these into a tupperware, the bread should lay flat.  Let the bread soak up the eggwhites.  It takes a while since the bread is pretty dense.

Once the bread has soaked up the eggehites, turn your frying pan on low/med heat.  Spray the pan lightly with Smart Balance cooking spray.  Place your bread in and sprinkle it with cinnamon.  Let it brown on one side, and flip to brown the other side.

Place them onto your plate, and sprinkle splenda on them, and use sugar free syrup.

45g carbs- 36g protein-1.5g fat (I eat this for my first meal since it’s high in carbs)

Egg White Omelet:

6 egg whites, well beaten

veggies- I like zuchinni, onions, and broccoli

2oz. cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced. 

Saute the veggies in a skillet with cookling spray until partially cooked.  Add the chicken. Cook 1 minute. Season these with salt and pepper.  Add the egg whites.  I like mine scrambled, or you can flip this in half for an omelet style.

34g protein-9g carbs

Sweet Potato Bake:

4 baked (medium) sweet potatoes, mashed

3 egg whites, beaten very well; fluffy

3 packets splenda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

I place all these into a mixing bowl, and use an electric mixer, whip them together.  Spray a baking pan ( a loaf pan works well).  Pour the mixture into it and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.  Makes 4 servings.

per serving: 26g carbs-28g protein

Pan Seared Chicken Breasts:

Tyson Frozen 100% Natural Chicken Breasts

Italian seasoning: garlic powder, salt, pepper, red ppper flakes, dried oregano, rosemary, and basil.

Sprinkle your chicken generously with the seasoning. Heat your skillet to a medium heat and spray with cooking spray.  Add your chicken and sear one side.  About 7 minutes. Turn the chicken to sear the other side. 

This is great eaten alone, cut up on a salad, or use the left-overs for your egg white omelet.

5 oz. serving: 30g protein-insignificant amount of carbs

Potato Fries:

1 medium Baking Potato

Spices: I like to use my home made Italian Spice mix.

Wash the potato and dry.  Cut it into 1 cm think slices. ( I like to leave the skin on) Place onto a cooking sheet in an even layer.  Spray one side with cooking spray and then sprinkle the spices on them.  Turn them over and do the same to the other side.  Place them under the broiler.  Stay close by so you don’t burn them.  It takes about 5 minutes (or less) to brown.  Once they’re browned, take them out and flip them over to brown the other side as well. 

Obviousely you can broil more than one medium potato, but I wrote it out this way for 1 serving.  I end up making this with 3-4 potatoes because my daughters think they’re french fries

1 serving: 39g. carbs-4g.protein

Broiled Tilapia:

4- 5 oz. Tilapia fillets

Old Bay spice

Pat dry the tilapia, sprinkle on the Old Bay, both sides.  Spray both sides with cooking spray and place onto a baking dish.  Put it under (but not directly) the broiler.  It cooks quickly.  Once it flakes, the fish is ready to eat. 

35g protein-5g fat-0g carbs

ENJOY!

Well ladies and gents…things have been SUPER busy and training has been awesome!  Aside from school starting again for my girls, new business prospects, and dodging hurricanes, training has been terrific.  I have kept my same training routine since the end of June, and I’m still sore from it.  Usually I like to change things up after a few weeks, but why change a good thing?  My cardio is now up to 5 days a week, 35 minutes.  I do admit…I’m back to my old habits.  I add in an extra 5-10 minutes on a couple of those days.  I’ll get together with my trainer this coming Tuesday to tweak my diet again.  Last time I told him to bring my carbs down lower, and he did.  It was taken down 150g lower per week, plus he added in the 5th cardio day.  My BF% is lower, finally!  I’m 9 weeks out today.  I hope he takes my carbs down even lower…don’t get me wrong.  I love me some carbs…but my boot-ay loves it even more.

I trained back the other day and got a new PR!  I got up to 185lbs on my Dead Lifts.  I probably will up the weight to 195lb next week since I could get 6 reps from it.  I’m just sore all over.  I went into the gym today planning on hitting legs since it’s my medium carbs day, but the area was taken up by the special olympics training.  So, I did shoulders, traps, calves and cardio instead.  My traps feel like someone has the Mr. Spock hold on them.  I can’t wait to hit legs tomorrow.  I’m going to try to hit 155lbs on my squats.  Last week I did 135lbs for 8 reps. 

My photographer friend will be shooting the show I’m competing in.  He said after the pre judging we could head to the beach for some shots.  I’m a bit weary about this.  Last show, I was so dead tired I just wanted a nap.  This means I’ll have to go back to the hotel, do my hair and touch up my make up.  But…it would be nice to get some nice shots.  I’ve got to figure out what clothes to buy for the photos.  Hmmm. 

My coach did the North Americans last weekend and placed 1st in the Masters Middle Weight.  These are some pics of him a couple days before the show.