Macros, diet & nutrition

I will try to outline (within limited time) just how on-point my nutrition has to be to gain optimum results.

I have spent an entire year educating myself on the proper nutrition and exercises required to sculpt a strong, efficient and eye-pleasing physique. I have a long way to go in terms of learning, but I now know enough to embark on all this insanity.

First of all, I won't be eating anything considered low-calorie or "diet" or "fad" food... F that noise. All of my food is going to be as natural and minimally processed as possible.

I have calculated my macronutrients (or macros for short) based on my current weight & body-fat percentage. The calorie numbers are adjusted based on my activity level, and the goal I am after.

Goal for phase 1 is to build muscle endurance, and ultimately build muscle.
Goal for phase 2 is to maximize muscle building (bulk) and begin fat burn.
Goal for phase 3 is to burn excess body fat while maintaining muscle, until desired BF-percentage is reached (cut).

...and I would just repeat the phases once I have completed all 3.

To keep things simple (for my first phase of contest prep at least) I'm going to keep my meal structure simple: lean protein, complex carb, veggies, fat. In other words, meat, starch, fat, veggies. So, for example: Catfish, sweet potato, cup of broccoli, some flax/olive oil... and other variations. For phase 1, I need to eat above my maintenance level so that the extra caloric intake will contribute to new muscle growth.

And I have to eat 5-6 times a day. So, I divide my caloric and nutritional requirements for the day into all those meals. NO ROOM FOR CHEATS, SWEETS, OR CRAP.

From now on, the body is an engine that needs to run on premium fuel for maximum performance and efficiency. I could write a million more posts fine-tuning all the details of my nutrition plan, but since I don't have much time this is all I can write for now.

New Year's Eve

I cannot even begin to express how excited, scared, nervous and anxious I am to be embarking on this journey. On the one hand, I cannot WAIT to have the hot, strong body I've always wanted; but on the other hand, I am aware of the arduous this kind of undertaking will be.

I tend to keep stuff like this to myself but I have let as many people know as possible that my intent is to compete, so that I will be held accountable in the eyes of the "public," so to speak. I have told my best friend Joe to keep tabs on me, and I will do the same for him, since both our goals for 2013 are to get in shape, and to reclaim our "zazz.." I should probably explain that more in a future post...

So for tonight, as the last night of the year, I am going to have maybe a few drinks and just have a good time.
My last indulgent meal of 2012 shall be some good ol' Mexican food.. with tamales, of course. Hopefully, my next cheat meal will be a reward... once I have reached my goals for the year :-) It's not punishment in my eyes because, while I can have drinks and delicious food, I believe it's time for me to find my true potential and bring to life my best self. Because that's more rewarding in my eyes, and even though I have yet to reach that goal, I know it will be worth all the sweat, tears, & the passing up of fries & chocolate cake.

And besides, this could teach me that I can rise above culinary temptation, which [while delicious] inhibits me from realizing my strongest, most confident self, and my potential for an excellent physique. Like I told my boyfriend last night, over our late night cookies-and-creme-frozen-yogurt-topped-with-whipped-cream-and-crushed-almonds snack, "I will never cheat, or backstab a friend, or steal someone's money... but I'd eat the sh*t out of that ice cream or tamale."

And tomorrow, it begins.

AAH!!!

If you're wondering why you're on here, either I gave you the link or [you're creeping on me] or you were actively seeking fitness blogs online. Either way, Hello, and let me get on with my awkward introduction.. ahem.

First thing's first. I'm your average girl who is conscious about her body and wants to adopt a healthy lifestyle to rectify said consciousness. However, I'm not so average in that I'm barely 23, a mother, managing the numerous expenses and responsibilities of living on my own, working a full-time job, and oh-so-blessed with the brain and ambition of a Renaissance person. If you think it sounds cool, think again.. these days people succeed the most when they have a one-track mind to success. I, however, cannot seem to pinpoint exactly what it is I want to do with my life.. well, besides having lots of money and doing awesome things, but that's besides the point.

But the main purpose of my creating this blog is to chronicle my journey to this desired fit lifestyle, and the triumphs and pitfalls of what I am about to embark upon. Not only do I have my entire life to manage, I have a job, a crazy family, a son, I have a boyfriend, possible ADHD, not to mention I have a self-esteem that needs MAJOR reconstruction. And I'm about to throw a shitload of HEAVY LIFTING and EATING CLEAN RELIGIOUSLY into the mix, and as of this moment at 1PM on Friday, December 28th, 2012, I believe that this manner of recording my adventures is going to help me reach my goals and dreams.

I will write about everything and anything related to my workouts, my nutrition, exhaustion, feelings and thoughts, and even some fun things thrown here and there to break up some monotony. I will share some recipes for clean eating and even some of the workouts I'll be doing.

I will also be posting tons of progress pictures, and random pictures of certain body areas/parts, so if you do not want to see pictures of me (however unflattering they may be) barely clothed, LEAVE MY PAGE NOW. Especially family members and/or prude friends!!.. But really, I'm not here to sell my body, or to warrant any kind of attention. I'm just here to track my progress, hold myself accountable, and a few months from now I will have something to look back on and feel proud of. Also, if I happen to inspire other girls (and even guys) into embarking on their own journey to fitness & happiness, then even better. :-)

So if you like, feel free to bookmark my page, recommend it, link it, etc. Or just reference it for your own fit-spiration purposes. I can't say just how excited I am to be finally committing to this.

I will be confident, I will love myself, I will be strong, and I will be sexy AS F**K.
:-P