DID YOU JUST SAY THAT?

Has there ever been a time when someone says something and you stop and think to yourself...Did you just say that? I am sure we have all had this experience and many of those are in regards to our health, fitness, weight, or recent accomplishments. I wanted to blog just a couple of my favorites.

Now, it is not lost on me that most people do not have mean intentions when they speak. But, let's face it, it happens. For me personally, the one I hate the most is this one. SO HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN SMALL? (in regards to my fit physique). Let me explain why small fit people hate this question. It basically invalidates everything I have done or accomplished in regards to my fitness level. I take it as if you are saying.... WELL, YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SMALL SO IT REALLY DOESN'T COUNT. Never mind that I am 37 and have had two kids. Don't take that away from me please.

This one was great. I was talking to a well-meaning colleague about my first place win last year in my first bikini show. He then says...."IF YOU LOSE, IT'S BECAUSE EVERYONE LOOKED BETTER THAN YOU, IF YOU WIN IT'S BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE LOOKED LIKE CRAP".   Did you just say that?  So what you are saying is... if I lose its because they were just in amazing shape, but if I win it's because they looked like crap, not because I was in amazing shape. I love this one.

There are always those who like to imply things as well. Comments to others like (in regards to the time I spend in the gym) I just don't have that kind of time to take away from my family. UHH Seriously? Did you just say that?

I jokingly share these with you. I never take anything anyone says too seriously. They mean well in most cases and those that don't are just jealous. Never let anyone take anything away from you. You are in control of your accomplishments, not them. Most people don't know how to process other's successes.  This is especially true, if it is in an area where they may have struggled before. Just remain confident and encourage others, even in the midst of moments when you think, "DID YOU JUST SAY THAT?"

Does Alcohol Impact Muscle Growth?

Recently, I became curious about how alcohol affects muscle growth. I was already aware of how alcohol consumption can slow down weight loss, primarily because of the extra calories involved. I am not a big drinker, but I do consider myself a social drinker. When I am "leaning out" for a show I try to eliminate all alcohol. Typically in 12 weeks, I might have 3 drinks. But what about the off season? How is this affecting my progress? So my search for the truth began.

Alcohol Facts

Alcoholic beverages usually contain ethanol, a type of alcohol that packs seven calories per gram. Unlike protein, carbs or fats, it's not considered a nutrient nor does it provide any function in the body.

Inhibit Muscle Protein Synthesis

In research reported in the August 1999 issue of the "American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism," researchers discovered that drinking alcohol can inhibit muscle protein synthesis, the muscle growth process within muscle cells. During a 14-week study, subjects on an alcohol containing diet had greater levels of myopathy, or muscle loss, than those taking a placebo. Scientists suggest that alcohol blocks the process of protein synthesis, which leads to a reduction in muscle mass.

Testosterone Impact

Research shows that alcohol can negative affect the muscle building hormone testosterone, according to research published in the May 2004 issue of the journal of "Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental." Participants consumed beer or non-alcoholic beer for three weeks while following the same diet composition. Scientists found that the beer group had significantly lower testosterone levels compared to the no-alcohol beer. Low testosterone levels can compromise muscle building, since the hormone plays a vital role in initiating protein synthesis.

Growth Hormone Impact

Like testosterone, growth hormone facilitates the protein synthesis process. Therefore, maximizing growth hormone output can increase the muscle growth process. In research reported in the 1980 issue of the "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism," researchers found that alcohol consumption significantly suppressed growth hormone release during sleep.


Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/215221-does-drinking-alcohol-affect-muscle-building/#ixzz1UFe03hB5

Drink too much and you end up storing too many calories as fat.
Many people will choose low calorie alcohol drinks or low carb alcoholic beverages in an attempt to avoid the fat storage issue. They feel that by making this choice the only bad effects of alcohol – increased fat storage – will be minimized.
But what you didn’t know is that only about 5% of the calories from alcohol are stored as fat!

1- Alcohol really affects the amount of fat your body can and will burn for energy!
In a study done by the American Journal of Clinical Research [4] they concluded that just a mere 24g of alcohol consumption showed whole-body lipid oxidation ( the rate at which your body burns fat) decreased by a whopping 73%!
When alcohol goes thru the liver, the by-product is called Acetate. It would appear that acetate puts the proverbial brakes on fat burning.
Your body can use many types of fuel. Protein, carbohydrates and fat. In many cases, the fuel used is dictated by it’s availability.
Trouble is…
Your body tends to use whatever you feed it for fuel right? As your acetate levels increase, your body burns more acetate as fuel.
What this means is…
Fat burning takes a back seat!
What it all boils down to is this…
a) You consume a couple of alcoholic drinks or more. b) Your liver metabolizes that into acetate. c) Your body uses the acetate for fat as fuel.
http://www.bodybuildingsecretslive.com/effects-of-alcohol-on-muscle/

In addition to this, research has also shown that consuming alcohol will increase your appetite, thus increasing your caloric intake through food. You will also get less REM sleep after drinking a few drinks. This will inevitably affect the quality of your workout the next day(s).

This was just 2 sites of the many I found regarding this issue. They all pretty much agreed that alcohol consumption can have a significant negative impact on muscle growth. This has definitely made me rethink this topic. Reality is, when you step on that stage, what you see is a direct result of what you did in the off season. Why would I want to take something in that would hinder me from reaching my goal?
Note: I wrote this draft about a month ago and wanted to see if it actually changed the way I looked at drinking. I believe it has. I now feel a bit guilty for putting something in my body that won't benefit me tomorrow. Will I quit drinking? Probably not. But I will save it for more social times instead of when I am watching The Housewives of Beverly Hills.

What Now?

Since I am currently in between shows, I thought I would start writing about different topics. Today I want to talk about personal training. I have decided to give up doing personal training. I have another job that is more lucrative and my boys will both be in school full time. I think that it makes perfect sense to set it aside for a while.

The Pros: Personal training is very rewarding when your clients are successful and follow the plan you have taken time to develop. It also allows you the flexibility to work when you want to work. This is great for moms.
 Money can be good if you work for the right establishment. In my area, most (not all) are going to a pay scale based on the number of clients you are training. This is not the best option for a stay at home mom because I am not going to have as many hours to work as a single guy, thus limiting my income potential.
  Another pro is it is a fun job. It is not hard and most of the time I have a really good time training my clients.
 Another pro is the friendships you develop. This can also result in a negative so read on.
 Training is relatively cheap compared to a formal education and it doesn't take a real long time to study and get certified. It took me 4 months to study and take the test. That was with two babies at home. I received my certification from NCSF. I researched certifications because I wanted one that was nationally recognized. Having the nursing background I think is why I also researched the companies that accredit them. When I saw that some of those companies also accredited nursing programs then I knew it was a legit company. There are better programs out there that are much harder and have the highest reputation, but I don't think it's necessarily where you are certified from that matters. It comes down to, are you a good trainer?

Cons: The cons to being a trainer are few but important. First of all, this absolutely depends on what market you work in. In my area you can earn anywhere from 20-30/hr. However, as I stated before, many gyms are going to staff trainers...and that can mean starting out at $13 and having to work your way up. If you work outside the gym, then that number can triple. While these numbers sound good, reality is, there are not always enough clients to keep you busy enough to make a true living. This is especially true during economic struggles, like we are seeing now. Personal training will be one of the first things people cut out. Unfortunately renewing your certification is very expensive. It will cost you at least $300 to get your CEU’s. That is way more than it costs me to renew my RN license.
 Another downside can be the frustration that your clients cause. You can train someone in the gym and even give them a diet to follow, but you don't follow them home, thus you don't control what they put in their mouths. Uggggh! This is apparent on weigh in/body fat day. They will try to tell you they are following their diet, but you know better. I mean, I have done this. It is tried and true. It works...and it can work for anyone.
 My favorite con to training is no shows. As long as they give you 24hrs notice they can cancel without losing their session. That means I don't get paid. I understand things come up. Kids get sick etc., but financially it sucks! 
 Trainers beware: There are those who want all your information and don't want to pay for it. They will start off as a paying client, befriend you, and then stop paying. I mean "you are their friend now", and shouldn't you do things free for friends? Well, real friends won't put you in that position. Take note and remember that one. Or, how about this one? Someone wants to "train" with you, but only a couple of times. Basically they are saying, give me your secrets and you will never see me again. Or how about when you do offer free training to someone who frequents the gym and then you see your training advice on facebook. “Oh thank you for the great advice”, the recipient posts. You look and it is something you have incorporated into your workouts for years. Instead of giving you the credit, they are trying to up themselves and make it look as if they actually know how to train. Oh that's a good one.

I really don't mean to be negative. It is a great job and the rewards out way the bad. I just want to be real. I am so appreciative of my trainer. I may not be able to afford him as much as I would like, but I always give him the credit. He has been doing this a long time and is good at what he does. He takes the good with the bad and even has a great sense of humor about training.

I would absolutely recommend this career for anyone. I think it’s important however, to know what you are getting into. The more you are prepared the better equipped you will be to train.

Future blog topics: alcohol and weight training, plastic surgery

Before and After

I thought it would be a good idea to remind everyone where I started. If you didn't read the previous post, do so. It gives a quick synopsis of my show.

Mission Accomplished

Well, it's over. I competed on June 24th and place 2nd in Master's Bikini and 4th in the open. The 4th place finish qualified me to compete at the National level. I was thrilled where I placed. Competition was fierce at this show. I didn't see any cellulite on anyone backstage. They all really did look amazing.

I was extremely nervous at this show. Most of the girls love love love to be on stage. Me, not so much. Before I went on stage I wanted to kick off my heels and run out the door. I am not joking. I am so uncomfortable with being the center of attention. I am fine to walk on stage with the group, like we did at the night show, but it is a different story when I am alone. Watching the video back, I didn't look that nervous. I think that's because all that practicing over and over kicked in and I did it out of habit. I feel those nerves right now just replaying it in my mind. I got through it, and that's what matters. So why do I do it? I love love love competition. More than anything, I compete against myself. Can I look better than I did in the previous show? That's what I am after. The thrill of the competition.

I have only received critique from two of the judges so far. One said I am a little too skinny and that I could probably stand to have some overall size added and it probably would not affect my glutes. The other said I could perhaps be a bit leaner and he didn't like the color of my suit. I thought about it and these seem to contradict each other, but I think I know what I need to do. Put on more muscle (too look bigger) (especially in the legs) and come in more tone. It was brought up again about my waist...they like a "curvy" look. The only way I can physically accomplish this is to make my legs bigger (if I can). Reality is, genetics plays a big role in muscle growth and I just don't know if I can physically get there.

Aside from all this, I just don't know what I want to do now. I am usually pumped up after a show, especially after doing this well, and that's just not the case right now. I am not quite sure how I feel at the moment. Time will tell.

Here are a couple of my pictures from the show. You can also go to rxmuscle.com and look up NPC Greater Gulf States to see all the pictures of the competitors.

Show Time

Well, 12 weeks has come and (almost) gone. My body fat dropped to 10.9% on Friday. FINALLY! That put me right back on track. Everything is coming together quite well. I had my suit altered one last time last week and I think it fits perfect. My hair extensions matched perfectly. I am on lower carbs thru tomorrow then I can bump them back up. I have had a bit of a stomach bug (diarrhea) the last two days, which may be dehydrating me a little too early. I am trying to drink as much water as I can, but I'm not sure I can make up for what I have lost before I water deplete. I have lost two pounds since Friday because of this. I don't think it has affected the way I look, just my energy level and that was already low because of low carbs.
  Mentally, I am a bit forgetful, but doing pretty good. I am limiting my activity and decision making for now. LOL.
  I want to thank my local sponsors for supporting me the way they have. Jerry Fincher photography for sponsoring my suit. You can contact him at 903-780-1415. He has been a great workout partner as well for the last three years. He takes great pictures. PureBody Nutrition for giving me my protein powder for the entire 12 weeks. Will and Alicia Burgin are very knowledgeable and can get you started on the right supplements. You can find them on facebook. Salon Selections for my hair extensions. I can't say enough about the amazing job she did for me with my extensions. As she would say "I'm good at this shit". LOL and she is. I gave her the hard task of anticipating my hair color before highlights based on just what my colorist told me. She nailed it. Thank you Donna! You can contact her at 903-593-5040. She can work with you even if you don't live in Tyler, TX. Woodcreek Athletic Club in Tyler TX and Reggie Wilson owner of BBR training. Reggie has always been a silent supporter of mine and I appreciate him so much.
My family has been very supportive as well. My mom has watched the boys a lot so I could get a lot of my stuff done. My dear friend Julie for treating me to a mani/pedi on Wednesday for my show. She is very excited for me and that is encouraging whether she knows it or not. Thank you Julie.
My trainer Kelly Hitchcock at KH Fitness in Tyler, TX has been amazing. He holds me accountable, but more than that, he has had to be my cheerleader a time or two as well. I can tell he has gotten to know me more this year because he is able to read my mood and me pretty accurately. He always has a kind word that helps me refocus when I may feel a bit defeated.
I can't forget the support of my friends for asking about my training and showing their support. Most people don't understand why I do this....but my friends know me well enough to answer that. I have had great encouragement from some of you who read this blog. Thank you!
Now, to thank the man who has to be one of the most supportive husbands in the world. Thank you Jeffrey for supporting me for 12 long weeks. You cooked supper for me, you watched the boys if I had to work out at night and this week you will put up with a bit more grouchiness or dingy...ness. I love you.
  I am tired so I will blog tomorrow and post my pictures from Sunday in my suit.

Almost There!

Well, it has been a while since I posted. Things were left a little crazy but wow God is Good and has worked it all out. Last week was proof of that. My husband met with the school on Monday and it went very well. They decided to grant us some financial assistance this next school year recognizing the short comings of their new third party. I am so appreciative of those individuals who I called and asked to be praying at that exact time. My husband thought it was strange because he didn't have to say much, it was as if someone had already plead our case. I believe that someone was our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The financial guy and my husband were within $45 dollars of each other and he said that was fair, granted us the help, and that was that. What a blessing.

The week continued to get better as my suit was completed (I love it) and my hair extensions were as well. I don't know what the heck to do with them, but I love them. I will share all my great sponsors on my next blog.

 Unfortunately, my body fat is still practically the same. I was pretty upset. I have never followed a diet so perfectly as I did last week. What went wrong? Is my body starving? Well, I figured it out. I made a mistake with the diet and was taking in less than 1300 calories and less than 8 grams of fat. No wonder I couldn't think. I am hoping that getting those calories back up to 1570 will fix the problem. I have never plateaued this long. I am asking God to put me where I need to be, because quite frankly, there is no sense in worrying about it now. I still look good enough to be on stage, so at least I won't completely embarrass myself. It's frustrating, but I just have to keep going.

I was practicing my posing and walk today and noticed my shoe was not fitting right. You have got to be kidding, I thought, when I saw that the elastic on my shoe is barely intact. I will be making a trip to a shoe repair shop in the morning. Worse case scenario, I will purchase new and have them shipped overnight. Just a little bump in the road. At least it didn't break at the show. That could have ended badly.

I have chosen not to post my pictures in my competition suit just yet. So I am still in my regular suit.

Oh Give Me a Break!

I have cried the last 3 days. I am hoping today I can resume normalcy. I am stressed beyond belief. To be honest, I don't handle stress too well to begin with.....so put a low fat diet with that and I cannot handle much of anything you throw at me. My brain is needing some DHA, that is for sure.

I am missing my workout partner this week. He is an older gentleman who is able to calm me down and give me insight on how to handle things. But I would venture to say, he would agree this has been a crappy week and a half. My mind is still fresh on the previous events I have mentioned in my blog. With that add on the following....
1. My t-shirts won't be finished till probably a week and a half out from the show. Well, I can't be selling shirts then because I have enough to focus on at that time for the show; so I decided to forgo the shirts and not worry about. That is, after I worried about it. LOL
2. My suit that I was supposed to get two Saturdays ago is still not here. Everyday it is supposed to be here and its not. On top of that, the lady called me to tell me she noticed after she mailed it, that she had a note to make a change for me that she did not do. I will likely be sending it back to her. GREAT! Who knows, maybe it will be perfect.
3. My 4 (almost 5 year old) has been refusing to go anywhere, including the nursery at the gym. Tuesday night he had a breakdown and boy was I furious. I have been dealing with this for 7 weeks now. I had to cancel on a client at that time. I felt obligated to give her a free session the next day. Money lost! My husband dealt with the situation when he got home and I hope and pray it works.
4. After training my client the next day, I picked my boys up and preceded to tell them when they would be back the next two days. I was told they were full and I could make reservations for the next week on Thursday. Excuse me, I work here and have for almost 4 years. I am training. Oh well, had to cancel on my client again because they wouldn't provide childcare. More money lost! Plus, I have to wait till my husband gets home in the evenings and go back into town to workout. Annoyed!
5. It gets worst. I go in to have my body fat checked and yep I am still sitting at 13%. What the hell? Not what I needed to hear. I need some encouragement at this point.
6. I come home yesterday anxiously waiting for my suit in the mail. I go out as soon as the mail lady delivers and nope no suit, but wait there is a letter from the private school we send our boys to. I open the letter with anticipation that there would be good news. What was I thinking? It was just a letter to follow up on the letter that we would be getting no assistance. All the money is allocated to others. Thanks for the reminder folks. That was it. Bring on the waterworks. I bet I cried for a solid hour.

Once I climbed out of my pity pool and regained my composer, I just prayed that God would work all these things out. They are small in comparison to what others are going through, but they are important to me. If its important to me, then its important to him. I know he is working out his master plan and I have to trust.

Thank goodness I ended the day on a positive note. I met with the lady doing my extensions. They are going to look great. She did a fantastic job blending in colors and I can't wait to see the final result. Finally, someone who followed through for me. That alone is exciting.

For now, my diet has become stricter. I am journaling everything I eat (even chewing gum) in order to stay solid with this diet. I need to relax because stress can cause a person's body to hold on to fat.  I will have to figure in my fish oil (it has 1mg of fat per pill) on my plan and I am also now taking something for my adrenal glands. I am hoping these will help with my mental fatigue. I just have to hang in there and keep my eye on the prize. I only have 3 more weeks to go.

4 weeks out photo

So far so good. I have almost been perfect. Almost meaning I am still putting a little creamer in my coffee. I just wanted to post a pic at 4 weeks out.

Finally seeing that fat come off the waistline. Looking good except for the lines on my rear from sitting on the toilet. LOL OOPS! Lord knows I didn't sit for long; I am a mom and everyone knows we don't go to the bathroom by ourselves.

In this picture you can see my obliques peeking through. I have neglected them for 6 months now because they tend to overtake my physique. Apparently, those bad boys don't want to hide.

4 Weeks Out and 137 lbs lighter.

I had a great week with my family on vacation. It was a much needed break from the monotony of this diet and even working out. I was a bit concerned that my body fat would go up, but muscle is my friend, and it didn't. I stayed the same at 13%. Whoooh! That's over with and now I have to refocus and look towards the finish line. My trainer has set the goal of dropping to the next bracket at 11.7% for next week. This is where everything counts. When I want to take a bite of that cake or have a chip, I just think to myself, This could be the difference between first and second. It's all business now.
  My workouts are much of the same, I focus a bit more on abs and butt without sacrificing my current workout. In other words, I do extra. I have also added in 15 minutes of cardio (moderate) after my workout. I will increase that to 20 minutes this week. Since I missed 4 days last week, I am working out everyday this weekend and probably Saturday of next week.
  This is the time when I have to start bringing everything together. I still haven't seen my suit. I have to meet the lady about my hair extensions, and make an appointment to get my hair highlighted. Oh, and I still have to get the t-shirts made that I wanted to sell. I mailed off my registration for the show today and am needing to find someone to do my hair in the New Orleans area. The humidity will be high and my hair does not do well under those conditions, so I am just going to pay someone to style it. I have to step up my posing practice now. I will practice at home everyday, and at the gym once a week now. So much to do. It will come together, it always does.
  I did end a year long friendship with someone which was a bit stressful this week. I was hoping to end things amicably, but it didn't happen. I so wish I would have just sent an email, but I was trying to do the right thing and chose to call instead. She quickly became defensive and offensive and that was all she wrote. I became defensive then offensive also. Nothing got accomplished. This is one reason we could not remain friends. Anytime I wanted to address an issue that upset me or if I thought she was being inconsiderate, she would go on the offensive and never hear what I was saying. Imagine a marriage like that. Divorce would surely be in the cards, Well, friendships are the same way. You have to be willing to hear the other person out. She quickly deleted me as her friend on facebook and preceded to write a self serving message to gain pity from her "facebook" friends. All the while knowing she had not deleted my friends or my husband. Are we in the 6th grade? She even sent my husband a message on facebook.
   Here is some advice to those of you who have wronged someone. I"M SORRY goes a long way. If you have too much pride to admit you have hurt or put your selfish desires and needs in front of someone else's, then you too will end up with nothing more than a handful of make believe friends on facebook. We cannot choose our families, but thank the Lord above we can choose our friends. A toxic friend is like a diabetic sore on the toe. If you want to save the foot, you've got to cut off the toe.

5 Weeks Out!

  What a week. I have been so busy. My body fat was 13% this week, so I am back on track. I had the opportunity to pass out trophies at the Optimum Classic in Shreveport this weekend. Prince Harrison puts on a well run show and it moves along quickly. There is nothing more painful than a show that doesn't start on time and drags on. I got to witness my first bikini Pro show. Wow! I have no idea how they judge them. They are all seriously "IN IT to WIN IT! At the same time, and surprisingly, I think I could obtain that. Well, that is if I hurry. I am not getting any younger and gravity does not take a day off.
  I have been mentally drained this week. I have a friend my age who's breast cancer has now spread to her lungs and liver. The last I knew she was in remission. I have been in tears over this. She has two children my boys ages plus one that is around two. I can't even look at my children without tearing up. She lives 4 hours away and does not like to share this stuff with many people. I spend a lot of time "wondering" how she is.
  I also got negative news regarding my boys school. They have declined us for any financial assistance this year. Not sure why....I am praying it is a mistake. I have cried about having to pull my boys from their school. Bottom line is I can't afford $12,000/year. I know God lead me to this school. I will just wait and see how God works out this miracle. He is in control and I am just giving it to him.
  I have also struggled with another situation that is bothersome to me. I am determined to simplify my life. That may mean severing relationships. If a friendship is "work", then cut em loose.

I am obviously ready to start a new week. I will be on a little trip with my husband and boys for four days. I am so looking forward to time with my family. I went to the gym today and will have to go in Friday, Sat, and Sun. I will plan to stay on my diet. If I go out, I will eat fish or chicken dry. I will allow myself one dinner (within reason) and a bite of dessert. I can do it. I am pretty focused right now.

My pics are pretty good this week. My abs are looking good, but for some reason my skin looks loose on my stomach. That sometimes happens after I lose some weight and should tighten. I hope so anyway.

Still waiting for that fat to leave my waist. Rear looking good. I do have a little cellulite on the right leg. Not noticeable to most, but I see it.

 

6 Weeks Out

Sorry, I am late updating my progress. Thursday went OK I guess. I came in at 14.3%...just a bit higher than I wanted. I will have to have my body fat checked again this week before I go to Galveston. I took my cheat meal today because we are celebrating my two boys graduating from Pre-K and Kindergarten.....and because Chuy's opened today.

I think I am happy with my progress. I'm not sure. I am starting to have the 6 weeks out blues. I always get them. I usually panic because I think things are not happening fast enough and then I want to quit. My husband has to constantly keep saying, "you are looking exactly like you are supposed to right now".  I always become very insecure at this point. I need constant reassurance.

I met with the lady who will be making my hair extensions and got the hair purchased. Then I called her back because I was second guessing whether or not we got the hair long enough. I am not sure about anything right now.

I will pick my suit up this weekend at the Optimum Classic in Shreveport. I will be passing out trophies at the finals Saturday night. Lord, I hope I love the suit. I don't need doubts about anything else right now.

Back fat is better on my upper back, but more to lose, especially around the waist.

CARDIO VS. WEIGHT TRAINING

  I thought I would blog about one of the biggest debates in the fitness industry. Regardless if you are competing or not, this will be of interest. The biggest question I get is "How much cardio do you do?" The answer may be surprising to you. Let's first look at cardio and weight training side by side.
  If you were to put cardio and weight training side by side and compare at the same intensity and time...cardio would win out. You will burn more calories in that time frame doing cardio. However, for the most EPOC (this is the post exercise oxygen consumption) weight training will win out. I have seen different reports as to how long you continue to burn calories, but this is what I have found the most. Cardio continues to burn a few hours after you stop exercising and weight training (some report) up to 48 hours. So in the end, weight training wins out. I learned thru my personal training certification thru NCSF that you can burn anywhere from 60 -80 calories more a day (doing nothing) for every pound of muscle you put on. So why wouldn't you want to build muscle?
  If you look at the physique of those individuals who run a lot or do some type of cardio (a lot) they are typically thin with very little muscle tone. So you have to decide what you want. Do you just want to be thin, or do you want to be thin and tone? I have heard a lot of people say to me. "Cardio works for me, if I miss for a week, I put weight on". Is that REALLY working? I can miss for a couple of weeks and not gain weight. Long periods of cardio "eat" the muscle. The less muscle you have, the lower your metabolic rate.
   Research is coming out and the first thing you should know is that the experts say do your cardio after your weight training session. You will burn more fat. So how much?
  Well, let me tell you what I do. I don't do cardio unless I am training for a show and I only start that at 6 weeks out. I will do 15-30 minutes at 70-75% of my max heart rate (where you can still carry on a conversation) after my weight training session. I should probably do that when I am not training, but I tend to plateau quickly when I add cardio, so I don't.
  What type of cardio should I do? Well, any kind will do. You can even do the high intensity type training as cardio. I like to go with the bike so I can work my legs. Typically, I don't recommend this to clients because any exercise where you are sitting on your behind is less effective than other alternatives.
  MY CONCLUSION: BOTH More weight training and less cardio. While cardio is great for the heart, I believe if your weight training sessions are intense enough, it is enough for your heart. My resting heart rate went from 76 to mid 60's with just weight training.
  Despite reading this, many of you will get back on that treadmill and start walking. If it is all you do, then great. But, if you have access to weights, then you need to start lifting. People can argue about the lack of cardio in my training routine, but take a look at my picture on stage again. I obtained that, and didn't have to do 2 hours of cardio like the other girls. Enough said.

Getting There!

 
  Another week down, and only 7 more to go. I must say, this go around, time is flying by. Appetite has been well controlled but I did have a curve ball thrown to me this week. My husband and I had the opportunity to take the boys to a private party at Six Flags. Couldn't pass it up. I have been dreading taking a 6 and a 4 year old and standing in long lines. So the obvious choice was to go at a time when there would be no lines. So we did. I ate a normal breakfast, snack, and lunch at 11am before they opened. I took 2 Special K bars in with me for snacks. That's not on my diet, but better than a thousand other things I could put in my mouth. When lunch time came around I had a small slice of pizza and ate every one's left over pizza crust. I figured that would be a better choice than another slice loaded with cheese and pepperoni. I think I went wrong by drinking soda throughout the day. To be honest, paying 3.50 for a bottled water was not what I wanted to do, so I drank from my husbands refillable cup all day. Not a good thing. That evening I had a quarter of my husbands omelet from Denny's and 1 and a half pancakes. Yes, they were huge. I enjoyed it too. So as you can see, I took a bit of a cheat day. I am still far enough out where this could be allowed....even though I typically only take one every two weeks.
  I am not one of those people who say, " Oh I ate so and so, that means I need to get on the treadmill a bit longer". That ain't gonna work. Remember, 3200cal = 1 pound. So I have to get rid of whatever extra (meaning the extra calories I took in) over a period of time. I went rollerblading on Friday and did an extra workout on Saturday. It may help a little, but I probably need to do a bit of extra stuff over the next week to see a difference. Of course when I got home that night I started thinking about the damage I had done and how I probably set myself back. So this is what I came up with. If my body fat this week shows 13.5% or less, then no problem. If it is 13.9% I am still OK with that. Any higher than that, I will probably start to freak out. Not because I can't reach my goal, because I will still be ahead of where I need to be. It's because at 4.5 weeks out from the show, I am taking a family trip to Galveston for 3 nights....and I need some cushion going into that vacation. I'll let you know how that pans out.
  UPDATE PHOTOS:
I posted some pictures (in my heels) this week of me in my new suit. This is not my competition suit. As I mentioned this past week, it is really too small for me, but I think I am keeping it. Motivation to stay small. LOL Please forgive me for not brushing my hair or putting on make-up. I was in a bit of a hurry.



Above: My glutes are coming in nicely. They will be lifted and tight for show. Still have a crease, but that should be gone by showtime. I still have a lot of fat on my waist and back. That's gotta go!



I don't know why I do this pose. This is a figure pose and not a very good one. Guess I just like it.

I Love My Body, I Hate My Body!

This has been a tough week. Not for my diet, just mentally. I have been somewhat depressed, which is not normal for me. I think I am deficient in some important vitamins and minerals and most importantly Vit D. I am a horrible patient and hate to take pills. Yes, I am non-compliant in this area. I need to get back on my fish oil, vit D, probiotics, Vit C, and something else I can't remember. That's another thing that is bugging me. I can't seem to remember anything, plus I think my vision is going bad. I woke up with horrible allergies or a cold, not sure which yet, and an ulcer in my mouth. My immunity is down. If you read any of my first blogs, you may remember me talking about how being on high animal protein diets can cause your body to be acidic....which decreases your immunity. I mentioned that I usually get sick at least once during training and not in my off season. I have to take care of myself....and not just my muscles. It's hard to battle all this plus be a normal mom and wife. I am hard to be around right now, but I am trying to do better.
  I mentioned this being a tough week....yes I know, its only Wednesday. I have had a few animal crackers and gold fish, but didn't go crazy. I did have my husband fix me half of a "whatever you got in there" martini last night. I had been working on my report on a visit to one of my consumers and wouldn't you know it; I accidentally deleted the whole darn thing. I was pissed to say the least. Half a drink and I finished up the new report and that was that. No binging or anything, which is something I would have done if I wasn't on this diet.
  I got my new summer swimsuit in and I love it. Reality is, their small fits me like a XS and that just don't look right.( Yes, I know that is incorrect grammar). So now, do I send it back and go a size up, or wait till I am smaller and wear it. I don't think I have ever ordered anything on-line and it come in and fit. I am determined to have some kind of success at this on- line shopping. Nonetheless, I tried it on and I looked so bloated. I am hoping that I am just retaining water because I haven't been drinking enough today. I was on the road and don't like to make a lot of stops. All I know, I loved the way I looked on Monday and hate it today. It is a Love Hate Relationship that I have with my body....that's for sure.

8 Weeks out photos

Had a good week all in all. Friday night I had Mexican food. I ordered a big plate and was only able to eat about half. Even though I did enjoy the cheat, it was not quite as satisfying as I had hoped. Maybe the food was not great, or maybe my taste buds are less impressed. I was hoping for more of a euphoric experience. Perhaps at this point in my life I control food and not the other way around. That would make it harder to get all excited about a meal. Later that night I did have a Smirnoff Ice. I drank it in a martini glass, so I felt as if I had 3 drinks instead of one. Silly I know. I also had some Easter candy from the boy’s baskets. I think I enjoyed the chocolate most of all. That probably has more to do with the fact it's that time of the month.
  Yesterday was a break down. Not because of my diet, I don't think. I am so busy and always feel as if nothing got done and more was added to my list for the day. My boys are not minding and I am on the brink of insanity. On MWF I go to the gym, train a couple of clients, then go see a consumer at my other job. I then have to be back at the school at 1pm to pick them up. On Tuesday and Thursdays, my youngest has refused to go into the nursery at the gym, so I have to train clients on Tuesday with him in the hallway outside the weight room. Then during my workout, I have to listen to Mommy, Mommy the whole time.  This is just one more thing to add stress to an already stressed out woman. My workout is my time and now I have to share it for two days. UGGGH! I will get thru this for sure. I guess in the scheme of things it’s not that big of a deal. It just feels like it at that moment.
  Today is another day and I have had a better attitude. Going to church is always uplifting for me and it brings me back to where my focus should be.
  I did post pictures. I posted again the ones at 12 weeks out too. I think you can see a remarkable difference in my upper body and I am starting to see some changes in my legs. My shoulders are way uneven in the pictures, which means I have a tight lat. I need to get back to my ballet and stretching. I always have problems with tight lats and that will result in pain in the shoulders if I let it persist. Starting at 6 -7 weeks out, I will take photos in my heels. This will give me a better idea of where I am. Every woman looks better standing in heels.....especially 5 inch heels. LOL Wish I could where heels like that by the pool.

The first 3 photos are from this week at 8 weeks out.

The next 2 photos are 4 weeks ago at 12 weeks out.

4 Weeks Down....8 Weeks to Go!

Another week down. I am 1/3 of the way there. I soared passed my goal of 15.9% and came in at 15.5%. Just as I thought, I lost in my arms and legs. No difference in my abs. Well, that's not exactly true. I can tell I lost in the upper section of my stomach, just not where measurements are taken. I am excited. This is just the motivation I needed to keep going. I started at just over 20% 4 weeks ago. Now I get rewarded with a cheat meal this weekend. Yippee! Mexican food it is.
  I have an amazing trainer who does my body fat and teaches me tons of stuff I didn't know. Today he explained to my why I may not want to do a whole lot of my High Intensity training with really high reps. I have always been told, high reps will tone. Not true. He said going extremely high reps, like I have been doing occasionally, will actually shrink the size of my muscles. That's not what you want for competition. And since one of my critiques was to come in a bit more tone in my shoulders, I will make note of this and stay heavy with 8-10reps and at least 45 seconds rest between sets. I may throw in a day here and there just to break up the monotony of training, but certainly won't make it a part of my typical workout.
  Since going back to heavy weight lifting this week, I am not as hungry so things are a bit easier for me at the moment. Gotta push thru.

  What is the deal? I am having the hardest time my diet this time. I almost had a breakdown. I figured out that part of the problem is my schedule this year. Last year I worked in the evenings and by the time I got home, my husband had supper prepared.. This year, I am home after picking the boys up at 1pm and do all the cooking. This has gotten old quick. I think dinner tasted "different" when someone else fixed it. Sounds crazy, but it's true. Jeffrey fixed talapia and chicken tonight and I didn't feel deprived. It was really good and I actually enjoyed it. So now my plan is for my husband to prepare a couple of nights meals to help with this. I am hoping this will work.
  My workout this week is strictly hard core weight lifting? Last week was higher intensity style training. I definitely can tell the difference in my appetite. Last week I felt hungry all the time. These last two days, I haven't struggled with hunger, just not wanting to eat what I am allowed. I am anxious to see on Thursday what progress I made. I am worried it won't be what I want. I need to meet my goal each week so I don't get discouraged and say well "screw it", I am just going to eat.

Easter Sunday! I had Bison today, but did have some chocolate too. I hope that doesn't impact my loss this week. My husband did my body fat and I am down but, I am not sure if I will be down to 15.9% by Thursday. I can tell I have lost at my waist line, but that's about it. There is no reason to post my pictures this week because I think I look exactly the same. Very frustrating! It is what it is. Guess I'll know on Thursday.

Competing: A Spiritual Journey

I haven't posted since Tuesday, and it's not because I went off the deep end. I did not give in and have a beer and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Thanks in part to a dear friend who read my post, then sent me a very encouraging text message. Since then, I have still been very hungry, but it has been manageable.
  After receiving the text message, I got to thinking about how this journey is a spiritual one too. For example, when I was training for my first figure show in 2008, I would keep my bible open and on the counter in my kitchen. Every time I would venture to the kitchen for something to eat, I would instead read a verse. I started to realize that I actually had made food my idol. I mean, while I was eating one meal, I would be thinking about my next meal. I thought about food a lot. I wasn't overweight, but I thought the same way someone who was, would.
  Last year that changed and I no longer had a problem with that. I am positive God used that training time to reveal that to me and had everything to do with me conquering that way of thinking. As God will do, if you let him, he guided me thru another self battle during last year's training. I almost quit competing all together after only completing two shows. I battled in my mind how this could possibly glorify God. I felt somewhat guilty. Maybe this is too vain. Maybe there's nothing good that could come out of this. I was torn up by this. I really love to compete. It doesn't really matter what I'm doing, I want to do the best I can and get better each time. After spending much time in prayer and relying on caring advice from my husband, I realized something.....let me rephrase that; I started believing something I already knew. God cares about the "little" things too. He knows where my heart is in all of this and I started to have peace with my decision to compete. My prayer then was and is the same now. Lord, if this is not your will, then take the desire away. Whatever way you have to do that, I am open. Knowing me, and he does, a win or a top five finish would only encourage me to keep on. LOL. So that's that. he will let me know when I am done. Until then, I give 100% and prepare to win.

I am HUNGRY!

Good grief! I think I may be starving. LOL I have not done well so far. I have eaten two tater tots, and two crackers with peanut butter. Yes, peanut butter. It doesn't get worse than that. I know some of you are thinking, it's only tater tots and crackers. But understand me when I say....that is where it starts. If I allow myself to say it's OK, then I will push it farther. Here we go, the mental part of this game. I will be taken over with guilt before the night is over. My husband usually is the barrier between me, the stress of the kids not wanting to go to bed, and food. Unfortunately, he's not here tonight. He will even get up in the middle of the night if one of the boys is hungry, just so I won't be tempted to cheat. I may end up having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a beer. Sounds gross, but I mean it. If I am still hungry after I have my last approved snack, then I just might do it. My workout was so intense today. That has to be the reason I am so hungry.

  This week is going to be tough. I am mixing up my workouts and doing a little more high intensity. The last time I did this I was tired and hungry that week. Today is no exception. I have been hungry and tired. I did a little ballet today. I have not been doing it like I had planned. I practiced in my heels. Everyday I have to do something for the show. It's just time to get focused.
  I met with someone today to have custom extensions made. Wow, hair is expensive. On average, $80 a package and I will need at least two packages of hair. Donna Granberry is making them for me as a favor. It will just cost me the price of the hair. I am so thankful for her generosity. I can't wait to get them. I will revisit this again next month. For now it just helps to have a plan in place.
  I have not heard from the lady who is making my suit. She was supposed to send me some fabric color samples but I have not heard from her. This is just one more thing I have to take care of this week. I like to check things off my list and I can't do that yet.
  It's 10pm and off to bed I go.

My First Cheat Day!

  Cheat day has arrived. I have not really craved much till today. I woke up and had to fix breakfast for my Sunday school class then head out of town to work. 2 hours one way. This was going to be a long day for sure. I packed up my food and started my day. My first little cheat was just a small amount of my breakfast casserole. Doesn't really matter how small the portion size because it was loaded with fat. I should know, I made it. I managed to stay on my diet, but I didn't eat all I was supposed to. By the time I got into town, around 5pm, I was pretty hungry. I was craving a greasy burger, so I made a stop to Juicy's. I then headed to Whataburger to get a small chocolate malt. So all in all, I had some cheese nachos as an appetizer, a burger, (actually a half a burger) I couldn't eat more than that and my malt. I may have some chocolate before the night is over. But all is good. Back on it tomorrow.
  I should have taken some pictures this morning, but I was running behind. Tomorrow I will probably be bloated like a whale, but I will get some up this week for sure.
  I know there are some of you who want to know what my diet looks like. To be honest, you will probably be disappointed. It's not rocket science, it's just CLEAN.
  This is what I have been eating for the past two weeks.
Breakfast: 1 egg 2 egg whites and grits Snack: protein shake and banana Lunch: Chicken (or Fish) rice, and veges, Snack: protein shake, cottage cheese and yogurt, Dinner: Same as lunch, Bedtime Snack: 1 egg 2 egg whites.


  That's it.....see....no miracle involved, just clean eating. The key is to stay full. Don't allow yourself to get hungry. Try it and let me know what you think.

Today was weight and body fat day. I am down to 118.5 from 121 and 17.9% body fat from 20.2%. I gained a pound of muscle and lost 3 lbs of fat (almost). So that is very good news considering I have really been on the diet for 1 1/2 weeks and not a full two. Good news always motivates me. That's why I think it's so important to go to a trainer while you are training for a show or just have a goal you are trying to attain. I only meet with him every two weeks, but he holds me accountable. Yes, my husband has learned to measure my body fat, but it's just not the same.

So what now?  Basically, I was told to keep doing what I am doing. We discussed my diet and how many calories I am actually taking in. While I have always taken in 1600 calories a day in the past during this diet, this time it's more realistic to say I am taking in 1500. Difference is, I am not feeling hungry. So we just keep it like it is. No sense in changing something that is working.

I will be changing my workouts a little next week. I like to switch things up a lot. I find my body responds better to frequent changes. I will be doing more reps on my weight training for 3 days and high intensity weight training for 2 days....AND NO, I am not doing cardio at this time.

I am due for a cheat meal this weekend, and today I am not craving anything. If this continues to be the case, then I will just cheat when my body is ready. I am almost positive cravings WILL hit me.

OK, so there was no Bison left, but I did find a small 2.7 oz round eye (eye of the round) piece of meat. Can you tell I really don't know meat? I picked it out based on the fat content. So it may be a bit higher in fat, but I didn't have a whole lot. I also had a small red potato with a small amount of hot sauce, asparagus, and a small salad with Walden Farms Raspberry dressing and I added a few blackberries. I usually have fresh asparagus but chose canned for tonight. It's loaded in sodium so I rinsed them before heating them. My belly is full and I am happy.

Struggling today! I am so hungry, but I do not want to eat chicken or fish. I am also very tired. I am craving FAT! I have not caved and I won't. Weigh in is tomorrow and I don't want to feel bad in the morning. What to do, what to do.....Bison. That's it. I have some left over Bison from Sunday night. A 3.5 oz filet or whatever you call it is only 3gms of fat and less sodium than frozen chicken tenders. Oh I hope my husband didn't eat it this week.

Today was a bit different than the rest so far. I was actuallly hungry today. I think it was because of what I had for breakfast. Instead of my 1 egg and 2 egg whites with my grits, I had my protein shake with my grits. I was hungry the rest of the day all day. I was able to have a little sushi which was nice. I am counting the days till my cheat meal...will it be Mexican?
Got a great workout in and did my Ballet today. Looking for a good place to do some rollerblading. My back porch just ain't workin.
Got in my heels tonight and I am just trying to get used to the 5 inch heels. My shoes are so uncomfortable. I hate to go spend more money on other shoes, but surely there is a shoe that won't make my feet cry.
Something I want to talk about in one of my future blogs is the cardio debate. How much are you supposed to do when training for a show? How much do I do? I'll share that later.

Week one is done. I stuck to my diet quite easily even when I was away from home this weekend. I just prepared my meals in plastic containers and took my cooler with me. The biggest surprise this week was my lack of appetite. I am not sure if it was really the fact of how busy I was or what, but I will need to watch this. A plateau is inevitable if I continue to skip meals. This week should be about the same. The fact that I know I get a cheat meal this weekend will make my focus a little easier....something to look forward to.

  I have posted my pictures for this week. Not much change from the front, but I do see a change in my backside just a bit. Typically I do not see much change within the first week, so I am not really discouraged. I will continue to weight lift this week and Thursday I will have my body fat done again.

  Today was a weird day. I was not very hungry at all. I was doing some work and at 4pm I realized I had not had my 2nd half of breakfast (grits), my lunch, or my afternoon snack. Up to that point of the day I had only eaten 1 egg and 2 egg whites, a banana and my protein shake. I knew what was coming. Hunger pains!
 I quickly ate my grits and my dinner later at 6pm. By the time 8:30pm rolled around I was starving. I was short on calories, carbs, and fat and my body was letting me know. So tonight I went off my regular routine of egg whites at night and instead had 1 cup special K cereal with a huge strawberry and 2% milk. I usually try not to drink milk when dieting so 2% was my only choice...skim would have been better. I also had two egg whites scrambled with just a hint of grape jelly. Hope that holds me thru the night.
  My workouts are going great. My legs hurt so bad and I tried to focus mainly on my quads on Tuesday because Friday will be hamstrings. Didn't matter, my hamstrings still hurt. I did 20 minutes of rollerblading too. I should have done another day of ballet, but I was too busy with work and kids. Weekend is coming up. No temptations yet, that's pretty good for the first week.

I have just about made it thru day 3. I woke up this morning at 3:30am starving. I finally got up and had two saltine crackers and went back to sleep. The rest of the day went pretty smoothly. It is almost 10pm and I am short a protein shake and 2 egg whites. We had a late night at church and I am off my eating schedule just a bit. I actually had to plan for this a bit. I stuck my yogurt and cottage cheese in a container and carried it with me to church. I made it thru the day without a nap, but I am exhausted. I will finish my meals and head off to bed. It is key to get all my calories in. In fact, it is probably more important at this stage of the game.

  I feel it coming on. Sugar withdrawals! Today was easy again, but day three is upon me and that tends to be one of the hardest days I will encounter during this 12 week period. I think it's because I am withdrawing from everything at once....sugar (carbs) as well as fat. I have been very moody today and so tired that I almost can't function. Instead of eating, I took a nap. It helps for a short time, then the cravings come on me like a tidal wave. Usually things get better on day 5 and 6.
  My workout was once again intense. Quads with back. That is a tough combo, but invigorating at the same time. Tomorrow is Chest and Abs. I am trying to be careful not to build my obliques too much this time. I am square shaped (not hour glass) and that can be a bad thing in the NPC where they are looking for that sexy figure with a tiny waist and wider hips. I have the tiny waist, but you can't really tell because I have no hips.
  Once again I am feeling hungry here at 9pm. I will do another spinach omelet and head off to bed.

Today marked the first day of this long 12 week diet. It really was not hard today at all despite the fact I had a lot going against me...my period, husband out of town (corraling kids by myself), tough workout, along with a new diet. I was extremely tired all day and even had to take a nap. I did manage to complete my ballet workout today as well. Now I am getting ready to have my last meal of the night. Spinach omelet with onions and a little hot sauce. I may skip the one yolk and instead do 3 egg whites and add a hint of reduced fat cheese, that is, as long as it stays within my requirements. After that, I am off to bed at 9:30pm.

Oh Goodness! Not the before Pics.

As much as I hate to do this, I felt I really needed to post my before pictures. I wish I would have taken these a couple of weeks ago before I started binging. Nonetheless, here they are. Abs are definitely going to come in nicely. Lots of fat to shed. I have done it before, I can do it again.