My goals for February

I haven't completely thought these through yet so I may add more as the month progresses:
My #1:  Maintain my weight above 140 lbs
2:  Lose last of cellulite, yes I know this is gross, but it is just about all gone only a little left I can see and I want it gone.
3:  Stick to training schedule.  Not that this has been a problem, but I can see where this month it is going to be tougher because of the add ins.
4:  Would love to see all ab detail well not detail, but all cuts by the end of the month.  This one truly is a want, not a need.  :)
5:  Stick to only 1 cheat day this month.  I had only one last month and I think I can do it again this month.

Other than that I thought I would share my new training schedule with you guys: 
Sunday:  Legs with weights and 45 min of light cardio
Monday:  Shoulders & Abs with 45 min cardio at least 20-30 min of it being HIIT (high intensity interval training)
Tuesday:  45 min cardio at least 20-30 min of it being HIIT 
Wednesday:  Back & Bi's
Thursday:  Legs plyo training & Abs with 45 min light cardio
Friday:  45 min cardio at least 20-30 min of it being HIIT
Saturday:  Chest & Tri's with 45 min cardio at least 20-30 min of it being HIIT

The plan is to do my cardio and light cardio in the mornings at my place and then do HIIT in the afternoons after training in the gym.

I will see how it goes this 1st week and make any necessary changes as I need to later.  My diet is as I posted a few days ago.  With me being 16 weeks out I have plenty of time to make changes.  When I hit 12 and 8 weeks I may start to panic a little, but not yet.  :)

Have a great day!  And remember to make some time for you.

Picture time! and OBTW I am 16 weeks out!!!!!!

Stats:                                           4 week change:
Chest: 33 6/8                               6/8 in.
Waist:  26 3/8                              7/8 in.
Hips:  37 1/8                                1 5/8 in.  (biggest mover)  :)
Thighs:  22 3/8                              1 1/8 in.
Weight:  142 lost 2 lbs, I am very happy about this.  It means I am losing fat and keeping or better building muscle.  AWESOME!!!!
Body Fat:  19.1%  Seriously, what the....it was 16.6% 2 weeks ago and I have lost even more inches everywhere.  I have no explanation for this locked in science.  All I have are a bunch of well it might be's.....and who cares to hear those.  Will measure again at the 1st of March and see.

Sleep issues

I wanted to post this on Thursday, but couldn't because I had not finished enough research to do it.  I had a bit of an issue Monday and Tuesday night with tossing and turning all night plus shoulder pain (always shoulder pain: at times more than others).  Well Wednesday was a low carb day for me and for the 1st time in quite a while I really struggled with the diet.  I was staying hungry and feeling very unsatisfied.  So I kept wondering if my sleep issues had anything to do with my hunger.  Now I realize 1-2 days of not sleeping should not cause any serious problems, but what you do not know about me is that I have a very difficult time sleeping every night.  Most nights I wake up MANY times because of should pain and am unable to go right back to sleep.  For me a good nights rest is one where I only wake up a few times and can go back to sleep with fairly little effort.  It is rare for me to sleep past 6:30am no matter what time I go to bed.  So I do not even get to sleep in on my days off to make up for any lack of sleep the previous night(s). 


Well guys this is what I have found:


From webmd.com:
“It’s not so much that if you sleep, you will lose weight, but if you are sleep-deprived, meaning that you are not getting enough minutes of sleep or good quality sleep, your metabolism will not function properly,” explains Michael Breus, PhD, author of Beauty Sleepand the clinical director of the sleep division for Arrowhead Health in Glendale, Ariz.
Exactly how lack of sleep affects our ability to lose weight has a lot to do with our nightly hormones, explains Breus.
The two hormones that are key in this process are ghrelin and leptin. “Ghrelin is the ‘go’ hormone that tells you when to eat, and when you are sleep-deprived, you have more ghrelin,” Breus says. “Leptin is the hormone that tells you to stop eating, and when you are sleep deprived, you have less leptin.”
 More ghrelin plus less leptin equals weight gain.


From Wikepedia.com
The absence of leptin (or its receptor) leads to uncontrolled food intake and resulting obesity.
Sleep-Duration
A study ^[30] appearing in the journal PLoS Medicine suggests that short sleep duration is associated with high levels of ghrelin and obesity; ghrelin appears to be a factor contributing to the short sleep duration and obesity. Scientists have uncovered an inverse relationship between the hours of sleep and blood plasma concentrations of ghrelin; as the hours of sleep increase, ghrelin concentrations were considerably lower, thereby potentially reducing appetite and avoiding potential obesity.


I know I could add a ton to this, but I think it is enough to say your body needs quality rest each night.  So if you are huffing in the gym, eating a proper diet, and still holding onto the weight; you need to look into other aspects of your life that could be holding you back.  It could be your sleeping pattern, stress, or other factors.  I have been meaning to do a bit on cortisol and probably will when I get a chance.  It is something I think every person over the age of 30 should know about.

Low Carb Days	Mid Carb Days	High Carb Days
Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday	Monday, Thursday, Friday	Sunday
Meal 1	Meal 1	Meal 1
Shake with ice, 4 egg whites, 1 scoop protien powder, and 1 tbsp nat peanut butter	Shake with ice, 7 egg whites, 1 scoop protien powder, and 1/2 cup oatmeal	Shake with ice, 3 egg whites, 1 scoop protien powder, and 1 cup oatmeal
Meal 2	Meal 2	Meal 2
4 oz chicken & 1 oz almonds or cashews (unsalted or lightly salted in my case)	4 oz chicken, 1 cup of green veggies, & 1 oz almonds or cashews (same)	6 oz chicken & 1 cup brown rice
Meal 3	Meal 3	Meal 3
25 gr. Whey protien powder & 1 tbsp nat peanut butter	4 oz chicken, 1 cup of green veggies, & 1 oz almonds or cashews (same)	Shake with ice, 3 egg whites, 1 scoop protien powder, and 1 cup oatmeal
Meal 4	Meal 4	Meal 4
3 oz fish & 1 cup green veggies	Shake with ice, 2 egg whites, 1 scoop protien powder, and 1/2 cup oatmeal	6 oz chicken & 1 cup brown rice
Meal 5	Meal 5	Meal 5
25 gr. Whey protien powder & 1 tbsp nat peanut butter	4 oz chicken & 4 oz sweet potatoes (always after training)	4 oz chicken & 8 oz sweet potatoe
Meal 6	Meal 6	Meal 6
4 oz chicken & 1 oz almonds or cashews (same)	4 oz chicken & 1 cup of green veggies  (always last meal of day)	Shake with ice, 2-3 egg whites, 1 scoop protien powder, and 1/2 cup oatmeal  (always last meal of day)
Calories           1641	1658	2367
Protien        199	213	239
Carbs         23	107	279
Fat            77	36	18

Sorry for the format....it did not want to transfer very well.  :(

  Many have asked what my diet is or what method I have chosen.  I am carb cycling.  My #'s may be slightly swewed since I have added a little to this diet plan in order for me to "bear" it.  Such as, I made all Meal 1's into shakes, because I could not choke down cooked eggs anymore after about the 2nd week  (yea, I know I am a wimp).  So, anywhere you see a full shake description, that is my change and all I added was a scoop of protien powder because my diet already called for the oatmeal, & egg whites.  Also, starting in February, I am moving my "high carb" day to Sunday, instead of Thursday, because it is too hard for me to eat all that food at work.  And I was finding I wasn't getting the full benefit of my high carb day because I was throwing away a good bit of the food. 
I prep all my chicken for the week on Sunday, but I normally have to do a 2nd batch of chicken one night during the week.  I use 2 cans of cream of mushroom or cream of chicken (98% fat free, of course) in a casserole pot with about 5-6 lbs of chicken and bake it.  Once it cools, I bag it in ziplock bags and stick them in my veggie drawer of my regridgerator.  Each morning before work I pack meals 2-4 in my lunch bags and bring them to work with me.  I eat Meal 5 as I walk in the door after the gym or work then meal 6 right before bed. 
Honestly, after the 1st week on the diet, I quit craving and after week 2 it has been rare for me to get hungry.  Normally I am only hungry 1st thing in the morning and after my workouts, which should be expected.  Currently I am alternating green beans and asperagus for my green veggie, but plan to add in some zucchini in February.  And even more recently I changed from unsalted almonds to an almond, cashew mix (with sea salt).
This diet can easily be modified for anyone and still be very useful.  So, if you are looking for a place to start, give it a try and modify as needed.


Thank you guys for all of your support and words of encouragement.  You are making this journey a much easier one for me.


xoxoxo,
Crystal

Pay attention to the part about protien...

Yesterday was my rest day, much needed.  So last night instead of working out, I searched youtube for some videos to help me.  When I saw this one I knew it had to go on my site.  Many times I have heard of people's diet and cringed.  Well maybe not cringed, but thought it was not near as healthy as they were thinking.  Hopefully, now you have seen having muscle tone is by far more sexier than just being skinny and now you can hear and see what it takes to get that muscle tone. 

Enjoy!  

Monday Night Leg Workout

Hack Squat 4 X 8
Alternating Lunges 4 X 10 (each leg)
Stiff Leg Dead Lift 4 X 8 (I bought some wrist wraps over the weekend and was so excited to use them particularly for this.  They made using 50's seem so much easier, I told Harley next week I may even slap on my big girl panties and try 60's!!)
Hamstring Curls 2 X 8 & 1 X Drop Set (I seemed very weak while doing this move, it was making me mad)  :@
Leg Press 3 X 8 & 1 X Drop Set (thanks to the guy who let me have the machine ahead of him!)
Seated Calves 3 X 10
Standing Calves 3 X 10
Single Leg DB Calves 2 X 10
Cardio:  Incline treadmill 20 min, 10 min step mill (This was one of my light cardio days.  *I have 2 light days and 4 HIIT days per week)

I was worried before I started the workout that I would not be able to do it justice since I am still sore from my day at the track.  Once I got started I was fine and glad to have another leg day behind me.  This week I am going to give it all that I have, not that I ever slack in my opinion, but push harder than normal because this Sunday will be picture day again.  I hope to post weight (you are all going to be surprised on this one), measurements for chest, waist, hips, and thighs, and hopefully body fat (shooting for anything below 15).

Also, I am giving some thought to posting my diet for next month....

I found this and had to share.....enlarge it and read it when you can. 

Sundays Chest/Tri and HIIT

Here was my workout yesterday:
Incline Bar Bench 4 X 8
Flat DB Bench 4 X 6
Cable Crossovers ss
Push ups   3 X 10
Incline Flyes 2 X 10 & 1 X run the rack starting with 25's down to 15's
Skull Crushers 3 X 8
Parallel Dips 3 X 8
Double hand Overhead Ext 3 X 10
THEN.....Since it was so lovely outside I went to the track.....
I walked a lap, jogged a lap, then for the next 4 laps I sprinted the straight parts and walked the curves.  Ran up and down the bleachers 6 times and finished off with 100 lunges mixed in with walking on more lap around the track.  (My legs were BURNING!!)


I am looking forward to all this week will bring in changes to my body.  Also, hoping the weather will be nice again this weekend because if it is I am going to kill it at the track again.  :)


My tip:
Enjoy the outdoors when you can.  Fresh air and a little sunshine will do you wonders plus break up the monotony of the gym.

Week 3 measurements and Cheat Day

Today was a good day.  This morning I went to Don's and worked with my sister.  Just showed her some different machines and exercises.  It was a lot of fun and I hope we can do it again whenever she is ready.  Then I went to Hannah's, my youngest daughter, basketball game.  (They won and she scored the most points, made some Beautiful 3 pointers)  Then Harley took me out for my 1st cheat meal.  It has been three weeks of solid diet as of today.  (No cheats whatsoever!)

I wanted to go to Buffalo Wild Wings.  OMG!!!  It was so good, but I could not eat even half of the 24 boneless wings I ordered.  Soooo wish I could have.

Then, Harley took me to see True Grit.  Hands down one of the best movies I have seen in quite a while.   Funny, quick witted, story of revenge, sad, and a great ending.

Now for the grand finale!!

First off, I went to Harley earlier this week and was trying to prep myself for my 1st plateau.  I did not think I would see any improvements this week because I was not feeling any.  Well.......



Chest:  This week 33 6/8                    last week   34

Waist:  This week 26 1/2                    last week 27 (I am banking on app 3 more weeks till my abs are out!)

Hips:    This week 37 1/2                   last week 37 1/2   (no change)

Thighs:  This week 22 1/2                  last week 23  (Once they started moving they are rolling)  :)

I am happy with the changes, unexpected as they were.  One more week of the same till I make any more changes to diet or exercise.  I think I am going to leave my weight out this week.  I haven't weighed yet and I don't think I am.  Too many I have talked to this week have been completely caught up with their "#".  It is not about a #, but how you feel about yourself.   And I am feeling great!

My tip:

Remember to prep your food for next week tomorrow!  Plan your meals ahead of time and try to stick to them.  Best of luck!!!

Yesterday's Back & Bi Workout

Pull ups 4 X 10
One Arm Rows 5 X 5
Deadlifts 4 X 6
Cable Rows 7 X 10
Hammer Curls 3 X 10
Wide Grip Cable Curls 8 X 7
Spin Class 30 minutes

I know everyone in spin class thinks I am wimping out on them by leaving at the 30 minute mark.  It is not because I do not want to go on or that I can not handle more.  I leave after 30 minutes because I have a plan and my plan for right now says 30 minutes of cardio 6 days a week with 4 of those days being HIIT style.  So until next month when my cardio goes up to 45 minute sessions, I must walk out.  (sorry fellow spin class particiapnts)
ALSO,  I want to mention I stopped by the Crossfit gym here in town yesterday and as soon as I am able I will be joining.  The plan is to use crossfit as 1-2 of my HIIT sessions per week.  Way cool, can't wait!
ALSO, I am going to work with my sister some time this weekend and I am really looking forward to that.  She is doing so well and really making a ton of changes to her lifestyle and I could not be happier for her!  Love you Chris!!!

Pics of Ms Nicole Wilkins Lee Ex Ms Figure Olympia

Lately I have gotten a LOT of questions regarding how muscular I plan to get.  My favorite is, "you aren't going to look like a man are you?".  First let me say this, there is no possible way for a woman to develop manly muscles no matter how much she lifts because of the lack of testosterone in our bodies.  We simply are not designed that way.  Second, as I said just this morning, this is a scientific experiment for me.  I have NO CLUE where I will end up at or how my body will respond to all the adjustments.  I can only hope to look like these women I have posted on my site.  So, for any who are still wondering what I HOPE to look like refer to Ms. Erin Stern in the pics at the bottom of my blog and to Ms. Nicole Wilkins-Lee here in this blog.  Thank you all for your support and love.  I have had several comment to me about how proud they are of me for trying and how cool or neat they think it is and I appreciate and love each one of you. 
So now to clear up any confusion please meet Ms. Nicole Wilkins-Lee:

BORN Royal Oak, MI

BIRTHDAY 2-5-84

HEIGHT 5'5 1/2"

CONTEST WEIGHT 126

OFFSEASON WEIGHT 138

HAIR COLOR Blond

EYES Brown

Notice her contest weight vs. her offseason weight.  For my mom who is worried my body fat will get too low.....it is too hard to maintain this competition look for any great length of time.  Honestly, they really only look like they do on the stage for a week or two or less going into a competition.  (Water depletion/dry~ I will get into that more as I get much closer to my show)

Personally, I think she has the perfect femine form and can not find one thing about her that is masculine.

My small bit of advice

I have had several conversations with people wishing to lose weight lately.  Some are looking for quick fixes, some are willing to do some of the work, some are going all out to make a difference in their lives.  Even last night at the gym I counted 17 people with me in the cardio room on different equipment.  It made me happy to see that many working out.  They were all at different levels on their fitness journey and it made me think that no matter what they were there to try to make a difference.  Isn't that what it is all about?  My best advise lately is to pick something and stick with it.  If that something is to walk 3 days a week, make it happen.  If your something is to clean up your diet then do it.  Set a goal!  It can be anything;  to be able to walk a mile without huffing, fit in some clothes you had to push to the back of your closet because they got too small, to become more flexible, to feel more comfortable in your own skin, etc...  Whatever your goal is set it and give yourself a deadline.  When you make that deadline reward yourself. 


Guys, there is NO QUICK FIX, NO MAGIC PILL!!! 


You can have LIPO, but how long will it take you to eat your way right back where you were?  The word DIET is so misleading.  Diet is not something you do when you gain 10 lbs, it is something you do your entire life.  Your DIET is what you eat everyday.  You have to find what works for you, what will work for you, and stick to it.  That does not mean you only eat bland chicken for the rest of your life, but that you realize everything you put in your mouth affects your body in one way or another.  Your food is meant to "fuel" your body, not give you immense pleasure.  (That is what a cheat meal is for.  Meal not day!)


Bottom line is only you can change your life.  You have to decide today is the day, not tomorrow, and do it.  No it is not easy, no not everyone is genetically gifted, and yes you will have to sweat.  And heaven forbid you will actually get some muscles.  BUT, it will be the best thing you ever did for yourself and your family, EVER!

Today I wanted to share a couple of things I do on a regular basis that I have been asked about:

One, I drink fresh squeezed lemon juice in one of my bottles of water each day.....here is why....

From ehow.com

Weight Loss

Drinking the juice of one to two lemons in a glass of fresh cool water first thing upon rising in the morning can stimulate the system and instigate weight loss.

Healthy Skin

The cleansing effects of lemon improve skin tone by removing toxins and flushing the system to promote healthy radiant skin.

From freedrinkingwater.com

Due to the digestive qualities of lemon juice, symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn, bloating and belching are relieved. By drinking lemon juice regularly, the bowels are aided in eliminating waste more efficiently thus controlling constipation and diarrhea. "The lemon is a wonderful stimulant to the liver and is a dissolvent of uric acid and other poisons, liquefies the bile, and is very good in cases of malaria. Sufferers of chronic rheumatism and gout will benefit by taking lemon juice, also those who have a tendency to bleed, uterine hemorrhages, etc.; rickets and tuberculosis. In pregnancy, it will help to build bone in the child. We find that the lemon contains certain elements, which will go to build up a healthy system and keep that system healthy and well.

Also, I like to soak in a hot bath with epsom salt each evening after my workouts......

From ehow.com

Stress and Tension

Having too much adrenalin in your body due to stress and tension can result in a low magnesium level. Stress can be caused by a deficiency of magnesium in your blood. Soaking in a bath of Epsom salts may allow magnesium to be absorbed through the skin; magnesium then attaches to serotonin, a mood-enhancing hormone, and helps to relax you. It can also lower your blood pressure, improve your concentration and help you sleep.

Detoxification

Your body can accumulate a residue of medications and impurities from the environment. Soaking in a bath of Epsom salts can pull these toxin from the cells of your body through reverse osmosis. This is a process where salt is drawn from your body and the toxins come with it. It can also soothe your nerves by balancing your electrolytes

I hope you get something out of these. 

Sunday measurements

Hips and thighs are moving and that makes me happy!
                 this week                       last week
Weight:  143.5
Chest:          34                                  34
Waist:          27                                  27
Hips:           37 1/2                             38 1/8
Thighs:         23                                   23 3/8

I knew earlier in the week I was going to see a pretty big move in my hips and thighs.  I am very happy with over a 1/2 inch decrease in one week on my hips.  My thighs really measured 22 7/8, but I feel better posting 23 for now.  AS long as my legs are moving at all I am happy.  (Big legs run in my family)

Here I want to give a thanks to Rocky with Rocky's Supplement Shop.  And a very nice young lady named Hannah that works there.  I went in his shop yesterday to get my supplements and it was 2:50ish.  (They close at 3 on Saturday) Hannah waited on me and didn't rush me even though I am sure she was ready to go home.  Also, to Rocky who encourages me in the gym.  Thanks a bunch! 

Yesterday I bought BCAA's, glutamine, and LIPO 6 Black concentrate.  I plan to jump in head first with the BCAA's and glutamine today, but I am going to ease into the thermos VERY SLOWLY.  The only reason I am even going to start the thermo now is because of energy levels.  (Man I wish I were the coffee type)
Maybe if these others will do anything for energy levels (I don't think they will) I can hold off on the thermos for another month or so.  That would be ideal to me.  I am still losing enough that I feel it is a waste to incorporate them now.  If anyone has any suggestions for my situation, please let me know.

OK, it is Sunday and I have to start cleaning before my babies get up.  Have a great Sunday!!!!

Yesterday was back/bi day

& a rough day at work already;  I just needed to.....

2 weeks of dieting, cardio, and weight training

Today makes 2 weeks exactly!  I must say, it has gotten a lot easier.  Last week on my 1st high carb day I was so excited because it felt like I was finally getting to eat.  Yesterday on my 2nd high carb day I felt nauseous trying to eat all of that rice, chicken, and oatmeal.  A good bit of it went in the garbage can yesterday because I just could not eat all of that.  So, I know now my body has quit craving carbs, at least for a little bit.  Then this morning I was supposed to eat 7 egg whites and a 1/2 cup of oatmeal.  I have decided on my mid and high carb days to change my breakfast to a shake (still having all the egg whites and oatmeal in the shake).  The only real change there is adding a scoop of protein powder, which I think my body will benefit from the extra protein.  Lately I have been getting sore again and I am thinking I need more protein to help my muscles rebuild quicker.
On that same note, I plan to go buy some supplements this weekend.  All for different reasons.  I am going to get a thermo because most mornings it is very hard for me to get going, so I am going to start taking 1 thermo in the am only, for now.  Of course I will increase that as I see the need to.  Also, I am going to start glutimine.  This is to help with my protein metabolism and support my immune system.  ( I have been on the verge of sick since I started Jan 1st, only through taking insane amounts of Vit. C, and Ziacam have I held it at bay).  Still considering BCAA's.  
On Sunday, I hope to post body measurements and weight for the week.  Honestly, I do not feel any serious changes, but I can see changes in my legs.  The measuring tape probably will not reflect a loss, but I am seeing more muscle definition than before.  :)  We shall see.

Body Fat @ 16.6%

Let me start by saying I have no clue where I will end up for my 1st show, but I will not be happy until I get around 12%.  Knowing me, it will probably take 9-10% to truly make me feel good about telling people that %.  As I am app. 17 weeks out from my 1st show, the 16.6% is not weighing too heavily on me.  Over the next 2 and 1/2 weeks (by Feb 1st) I would like to see that % drop to around 15, preferably less than 15.  Then at 2% each month after I will be very happy.  If that is even possible, I could be in my 1st show at about 7-9% body fat.  Cool!! 

Just wanted to show you this I found online about body fat %'s in women:

Women

Age	Underfat	Healthy Range	Overweight	Obese
20-40 yrs	Under 21%	21-33%	33-39%	Over 39%
41-60 yrs	Under 23%	23-35%	35-40%	Over 40%
61-79 yrs	Under 24%	24-36%	36-42%	Over 42%

And I found this on bodybuilding.com:

The fitness/figure physique promotes a look of symmetry, healthy muscle tone, and exceptional but not excessive body conditioning. Women everywhere possess a wide range of physiques and shapes. Begin your assessment by analyzing your body composition and determine your body fat percentage. Since height, bone density, body shape and various other factors play a role, body weight is not the ideal indicator of what your best physique is. Female bodybuilders compete at an average body fat percentage of 6-10%. The average body fat percentage for female athletes is around 16 - 20 %. A fitness/figure athlete will aim for a 9 - 15% body fat. Determining how much of your body composition is lean muscle mass and how much is body fat will help you evaluate your level of muscular development. Your muscular development should be distinct enough to identify the major muscle groups. For example, you should have an above average development of the traps, shoulders, biceps and triceps, abs, lats, glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves. Your body conditioning will also help display the lines outlining these muscle groups if you are lean enough. If you are carrying too much body fat, it will be difficult to identify the quality of your muscle mass. You will need your muscles to look hard and firm. This hardness will be the result of minimizing your body fat. The lower your body fat, the more vascularity will be seen by the judges. However, unlike bodybuilding, excessive conditioning and over muscularity is discouraged. Get lean, but stay away from attaining striations in your physique.


OK let's see what I can do now....

Neat exercise

Harley made me do it.....and honestly I thought he was smoking something for this one, but true to form, it was pretty cool.  Sit in a shoulder press chair in a reversed position (with your chest against the back pad).  Grab some dumbbells much lighter than you normally use (probably about 1/2 the weight you would normally use for a seated DB shoulder press).  Press your chest against the pad and preform a shoulder press.  My thought is it removes your center of gravity, and forces you to rely more on your front delt instead of your middle delts.

Only later did I find out he had used me as his guinea pig for this one!!!  :)

Oh Masterful Harley

:)  Today's blog is just to give thanks and a much deserved shout out to my "trainer", Harley.  (Well he is more than my trainer, but you guys don't need to know that)  Yesterday's leg workout was BRUTAL as I always ask for legs to be and he delivered.  More so than that though was that I did leg presses with the actual machine (instead of the lady version like I had been using).  I loaded up 190 lbs and could have done more, but didn't.  Then I was doing stiff leg dumbbell deadlifts because of my back (the bar used to hurt my back).  Yesterday I decided to do regular deadlifts with the bar just to see how it would go......I worked out with the bar plus 50.  Now I know this is not a lot of weight on either, but what you may not understand is I injured my back very badly last year and it caused me to lay out for quite a while.  Since then I have been slightly scared to "overdo" anything with legs for fear of reinjuring my back.  Yes, I know about form and such and trust me I am very careful of my form when doing legs or any other bodypart. 

What I want to get across here is Harley knew about my back injury, designed my workouts around it and built my strength up in the meantime so now I can do the things I want to do.

Harley you are hands down the best trainer EVER!! 

Weight 145

My weight after being on the diet for 9 days was 145.  That puts me at one pound down.  I am not sure how to feel about that.  Harley is going to do that little pinch test on me tonight to see what my body fat is, I am sure I will post the results tomorrow.  For me to have lost as many inches as I did, but to have only lost one pound, seems to mean that I am retaining my muscle and losing fat....I only hope I am right.  My weight training for the last 2 weeks has been to lift as heavy as possible for less reps.  Harley thought I should keep that up for one more week before I change up.  Also, I am concerned the diet might need a bit of a tweak, but he said to give it two full weeks before making any change. 

Speaking of diet, mine is going well.  I have not cheated even in the slightest going on 10 days now.  It is getting easier to deal with and the craving are almost gone.  Only every now and then will I get crazy in the head over a certian food, but it is not as bad.  I am preparing most of my food in advance.....cooking and bagging chicken, baking sweet potatoes and putting them in containers, bagging almonds, measuring and storing my green beans.  So in the morning I normally have my eggs and oatmeal (if any) to cook for the day.  My chicken I am baking in my Paula Dean casserole pot with a can of fat free mushroom soup and a can of chicken brooth.  It keeps the chicken from being dried out and adds flavor.

I have been a bit under the weather again.  Seems like everywhere I work, someone is sick.  I am trying my best to prevent it from getting too bad with Ziacam, tons of Vitamin C, echanasia(?), halls cough drops, etc... but I feel weak today. 

Oh goodie just in time for leg day!  :)

As promised

I have to make this quick because it is Sunday and that means cleaning day for me.  Oh and just to keep you up, I gave HL my 2 weeks notice Friday.  Honestly, I wish I could have continued to work there, but with my life there is no way right now.  I am sure when the girls go off to college, I will have 4 or 5 jobs, one to afford their college, but also to keep me busy. 
Now back to what I am here for;  I promised measurements and weight today.  My weight will have to wait till I get home from the gym later as I do not have a scale in my house.  (Something I have never agreed with, since the #s will drive a woman crazy)  Right now I am keeping up with EVERYTHING, that is why I  include weight.  Also, I think it is important for you to see ALL the #s as muscle weighs more than fat, but takes up less space.  Do not be afraid to lift weights!   
OK here goes: ( last measured 9 days ago)
Weight:  I will repost later today
Chest:  34                         was 34 1/2  :(  this makes me sad, but not only is this a breast loss but also a back fat loss, so I am trying to think only of the latter.
Waist:  27                         was 27 2/8   This one appeared smaller than it measured.  Crazy!
Hips:  38 1/8                     was 38 6/8 I knew this was going to be a big mover because of the way my clothes have been fitting all week.  A half inch, not bad!  
Thighs:  23 3/8                    Was 23 1/2 I will say it again, this is woman's curse on me.  It is going to probably be a month or more before anything happens here worth writing about!


My takeaway:  Ladies and gentlemen, get out your measuring tape this year and ditch the scale......Who cares what your # is, really!  It is all about how you look and feel in your clothes and to be honest, out of them.  :)

One week update

Hey, guys.  I wanted to give you a one week update.  (No more till Feb 1st)  I took these this morning to show you some of the changes my body has gone through after one week of diet.  (No I am not sucking in or altering my stomach in any way)  :)  Yesterday I was talking with someone about the diet and it hit me, you guys may think this is a "normal" diet like all people start after the New Years.  No, this is a competition diet.  It is much more strict. 

I did not realize this was in the shot until now, but see the piece of paper taped to my bathroom mirror in the bottom left hand corner of this picture?  That is a monthly calendar that shows me what my cardio and weight split is for every day.  So, before I go to bed at night I look at it so I will know if I have to get up early and go to the gym or if I am doing my cardio and weights later in the day and what body part I am working and if I am doing HIIT or regular cardio.  (My Type A kicking in)

Last, but not least, no you can not get a pair of piggy print jammie pants like mine.  They are a one of a kind made for me by my mom.  :)-

And before I forget, I plan to post measurements and weight again tomorrow.  I did not have time to do it this morning.

Just had to

OMG!!!!  I do not normally post twice in one day, but I had to share this with you guys.  Today is my one "high carb" day and I just had 6 oz of chicken (all other days are 4 oz per meal) and 1 cup of brown rice.  It feels like I just ate a huge steak and loaded baked potato.  Wow, I now know what my favorite day of the week will be.  :) 

Learning process

So TODAY Harley decides to embark a bit of wisdom with me.  (He thought I already knew)  Yea right!  Hello, this is my very first rodeo, yes I know more than the average Joe, but I will be the first to say you can never know everything about this and even if you did you would probably forget some things after a while.  What goes unused gets forgotten.  Harley says I am obsessive, I say I am type A, tomato/ tamato!  All of this regarding my diet.  It is important to me to have a measuring point to start with and then tweak as I go along.  Well I just figured out I had been measuring my foods wrong.  Too much on the protiens and not enough on the carbs.  To Harley's defense, my body has responded, so all is not lost, and I was 22 weeks out instead of 20.  
Moral of today's little story:  Live and Learn!  Roll with it!  As Harley says, it is not an exact science and if I am a fat gram or 3 over what my count was for the day, I will be fine.  (I am not sure about that, but we'll see)  :)  

And another one bites the dust!

My weight is down to 143, as of yesterday.  Still one pound from my Jan 1 goal weight.  Better late than never!  Yesterday was a good day in the gym.  I went in the morning for cardio.  Then in the afternoon I went back to do legs.  My strength has improved and it was quite noticeable for me on the hack squat.  Squatting of any sort has been tough because of my lower back pain, but with my strength improving, yesterday was not near so bad.  My diet is going well and yesterday I found a new way to do my chicken so that it is not so dried out.  (I joked with Harley about needing to dip my chicken in water before eating it like a raccoon)  No more dry chicken for me.

Having problems with morning energy levels.  Seems like I am fine in the afternoons or that I have so much to do when I get home that there is no time to think about being sluggish.  I am not a coffee person AT ALL, so if you have any recommendations please let me know.  (I am trying to hold off on thermos for another month, so other than that)

OK, maybe I need to see Arnold!  And of course you do too!!

 

2 lbs in 3 days

Momma has lost 2 lbs in three days!!!  I wanted to post this yesterday, but I wanted to confirm the weight loss on the scale again this morning before making a post.  My weight is now at 144.  I changed my diet rather drastically last Saturday and it is working.  For those of you who do not know... I am eating 6 meals a day and carb cycling.  My protein intake stays roughly the same at app. 165-170 grams and for 3 days my carbs drop to 21 grams with fat at 75 grams, 3 days of carbs at 103 and fat at 32, and 1 day of carbs at 273 and fat at 12grams.  This will be my cycle for the 1st month, then I will make changes as needed.  I hope to reach 142 lbs by this weekend and it looks like I may make it.  OK enough on diet.  If you are really interested in the whole plan let me know and I will make you a copy.


On to weights and cardio.....Yesterday I worked shoulders, ABs, and took my very 1st spin class.  I have moved shoulders to a day by themselves because lets face it, much depends on the shoulders.  As far as my cardio, I plan to make it fun and challenging.  Spin classes, rollerblading, HIIT, step mill, elliptical, yoga, and finally when I can afford it Crossfit.   


I plan to post my measurements probably on Sunday, because I think you will be blown away by the change in just one week.  I know I am!


My personal motto:  Take care of your body and your body will take care of you. 

Update......And Correction (22 weeks out)

I want to keep this brief, but let you know how it is going.  My diet started Saturday.  I chose to start with carb cycling.  Saturday and Sunday were my "low" carb days, 21 grams of carbs.  The 1st day I thought I was going to grab the bubble gum out of a co-workers mouth I was sooo hungry.  Then Sunday we went to see Little Fockers and I sat in the movie theatre next to one daughter eating pop corn and the other one waiving around twizzlers.  Then after the movie Harley and the girls wanted to go eat at IHop, so I ate my chicken and almonds on the drive to the restaurant and watched them eat choc chip pancakes, bacon, eggs, hash browns, strawberry crepes, etc.....  It is a miracle I didn't grab their food and woof it all down the moment they turned their heads.  :)  (Honestly, it was not near as bad as I thought it would be.)

BUT.......I measured this morning because I can physically see a change in my body after just 2 days and all of my measurements were down app. a 1/2 inch.  Of course, I talked to Harley about that this morning and he thinks I may gain some of that back over the next couple days as my carb count increases to 103 for today and tomorrow.  It will be interesting to see if it does.

And it has started...

Guys, from here till competition I am full on.  Diet, cardio, and weight training are my new best friends.  :)  Hopefully your plans to get healthier for 2011 has been started too.  Let me know if I can do anything to help.

Just to give you an idea, my first meal this morning was 3 whole eggs and 4 egg whites with lemon water.  One down 5 more (meals) to go.

Have a Happy New Year!!!