3 Weeks Out | 18 Days Until Showtime

This is gonna be rather quick. I have practically no time to update, but I'll make a little one anyway.

Less than 3 weeks away until the show! HOLY BEELZEBUB! Here is my current progress since last night (19 days out):

3 weeks out: looking and feeling vascular, despite 6 consecutive days of carb depletion.

Knowing When To Slow Down

I don't wanna burn out. I don't wanna damage my metabolism. I am doing enough work for the amount of food I've been eating. I've been tweaking my training volume around my Carb Nites. Tuesday's become my carb nites and will be until 8/20. Then I will go ULC until the last 3 days of my Peak Week, where I will carb up to maintenance for 3 days straight. AWWWW YEAHHH.

Because I do not want to damage myself in the LONG RUN, I've made it a point to keep all 5 training sessions per week 45 minutes long (or under).  I wanna grace the stage lean, but I don't wanna spend a lifetime trying to fix the damage of dieting and training too hard for my first prep (or any future prep, for that matter). I'm NOT gonna kill myself with everyday hour-long cardio like most people do, but will still do my HIIT's and circuits 3-4x/week. I have pulled two-a-days and that's fine with me. I will set these around my carb nite. Heavy work Wednesday, rest or cardio Thursday, heavy work Friday.. then start scaling down in weight and volume to maybe just full-body circuits Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday as I become more and more carb-depleted throughout the week. Absolute rest on Sunday. I am going for healthy - not just for my first competition, but life in general - and I don't wanna end up fried.

I've reduced the amount of bloaty food that I eat. I cook all my veggies so they don't give me stomach aches. I have reduced significantly the number of Quest Bars I eat on a given day.

I've also recently contracted a cold - I haven't felt sick in several months now, thanks to fitness and nutrition! - so I've been downing huge amounts of green and black tea, which is actually doing my body good in so many ways.

I keep taking my fat burner supplements and my Cellucor Super HD. No problems for me, but I can't wait to cycle off them and just focus on eating and lifting off-season. Off-season is gonna be off the hook, I already know.


30% Gym, 70% Diet??

And a quick reminder to those who are STILL doubting: you can train or run or exercise all you want, but you're not gonna see drastic changes unless your diet is on point. I was one of those un-believers until recently.

See for yourself, below for an example:

LEFT: 7 Weeks Out - VS - RIGHT: 4 Weeks Out
(3-week difference, diet on caloric deficit, CNS, and tracking macros.)

I gave myself 12 weeks to diet down for this competition, but haven't really been strict with it until about 8 weeks out. So the biggest difference is occuring during these past few weeks. Why? I've been tracking my macros and caloric intake every day during this diet. I'm not working out extra, or eating a dangerously low amount of calories. I am simply staying consistent.

Some days are better than others. Some days I cave in to extra scoops of peanut butter, or sneak a jelly bean in once in a while. I almost quit Carb Nite completely to reintroduce carbs (and sanity) back to my regular diet!

But, while the diet is difficult, the motivation I get from seeing myself lean out week by week in the mirror is what really drives me forward. I am not striving to look like somebody else, as my competition is right in front of me. What better way to grow and improve?!

I've also been enjoying the HELL out of meal prepping and cooking and planning my meals during this diet - since I have certain macros I need to stick to (which I've mentioned I like tracking) I've been coming up with all kinds of alternatives and concoctions that make sure I get the foods I like in, as long as I make certain adjustments. But that'll be all detailed in a different post.


Ain't Got Time For Your Shit

I've been dealing with stress, adjusting sleep schedules, dietary tweaks, monthly BLOAT and water weight gain. Which really wreaks havoc on one's perspective of oneself when trying to diet down.. especially for a show. I'll admit I've freaked out a few times that nothing I was doing was actually working.

But even with these hellraisers popping up everywhere, I've still stuck to ALL of my plans. I got less than 3 weeks left, there is absolutely NO room for excess garbage!

I am consciously making my days better by default. I really have no time or energy for stress (mostly other people's bullshit, pardon my French). No raised cortisol or added fat storage for me, no thanks. People pick fights with me and break my heart and/or make me upset on a regular basis. But guess what? Ain't nobody got time fo dat on contest prep!

Instead of crying or hurting, or even worrying to death, I choose an extra hour or two of sleep per night. I'll ignore the culprit and just think about what is more important at this point. They give me stress? I circumvent it. I ignore it, I focus on the things that matter - Kaeden, work, Kaeden's school, training, nutrition, prep for the show, etc. No time for drama.

People have been constantly throwing me under the bus, or putting me in the spotlight with all kinds of stupid questions. "Why are you not eating normal?" "Why aren't you doing this?" "Why are you doing that?" Why are you eating so much meat/etc.?" "Why are you taking another rest day?" "Why are you always weighing and measuring everything?" And they're not even questions that they want answered out of curiosity, or because they really want to know what I'm doing and why - but snarky, snide little comments that people mask as questions so they can jab you with negativity without sounding like an outright asshole. See hater in the dictionary. At least the self-professed assholes out there are forthcoming...

And these days I only have enough energy to tell them all the same thing: I don't have to answer to you! I really dont!

NO ONE rules my life but me. I have a life to raise on my own, as it is. I don't need stupid opinions or comments bogging me down.

NO ONE is going to keep me from stepping on that stage and COMPLETING this goal especially when I'm so close! Even though there are lots of little hands trying to pull me down. I'm GOING to do this.

7 Weeks Out | Leaning Out, But Becoming Bitchy!

I've become a sloth - An utter mental sloth. This has been the norm since 8 weeks out.

I cannot focus at work. Which is bad because my tasks have doubled - no, tripled almost- as soon as I started the dieting phase of my prep.

The good news though is that so far I'm on track with my fat loss - "shredding" might be the term some prefer to use - as little details are starting to come to light more and more each day, each week that I tread on. I'm starting to look and feel stronger, more athletic, and curvier each day.

It is crazy how diet can really affect the changes the body undergoes, as well as the timeframe it takes to achieve results:

My sister (and new fit buddy) Anna Lorraine took these pictures.
LOOK AT THE GAINS!!!!

 Being Bitchy..

Dieting and little room for cheats has really turned me into a completely irritable individual with little room for me to tolerate those who exhibit dumbassery (yes that is a word now) and do things that make me angry or upset. I used to let things slide all the time (you have NO idea how nice I really am) but now, watch out. No more being a "rug" that people can step on. I guess that is a good thing for me not to let people take advantage of me anymore, or let them think that they can hurt me and it'll be okay with me.

I guess what they say about competition prep really showing you who your real friends are, couldn't be closer to the truth than I could ever imagine. It's getting lonely down this road now, to be honest. That lets you know that a lot of people have fallen off board with me.

Also, ironically enough since this prep started, more people have mysteriously come out of the woodwork and asked me for favors. Do this, do that, for them. Seriously. And it doesn't help that apparently everything they want from me needs to be done by a certain deadline. Um, excuse me? Taking advantage [or completely disregarding] of the fact that my brain has been working at probably 60% efficiency? On top of me no longer being able to tolerate selfish and unpleasant behaviour??

I try to get 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Any less and I get ANGRY. Skip tired, skip the nice things, I just get plain mad. I've had my dealings lately with people that enjoy wasting my time (as if I don't have things to do), bringing drama to my table that I have no time for, and I'm TOO old for..  thus making me lose precious hours I need to sleep because it forces me to push my other duties back. It is imperative I sleep - calorie restriction is serious work.

I feel really bad that I have not updated this blog in a long time, and that would contribute both to the lethargy I've been under as well as the amount of responsibilities I've somehow incurred. But, as I've promised in the past, this is a stepping stone for an even bigger project, and these things take time to develop - as I have come to learn about many things.


Diet & Training Switch-Ups

There have been a lot of changes that've taken place since 12 weeks out, and they've been THAT gradual.. I wasn't able to just cut certain things out or change a routine completely in just a few days. That wouldn't be realistic anyway. I am highly adaptable, just not like a chameleon.

As for my training, I believe I've mentioned going from daily body splits to 4-5 full-body strength workouts per week, varying in volume, sets, reps.. but still all at high intensity. I've started incorporating kettlebell swings into my routine, which I am finding to be a rather fun cardio workout :-)

It is difficult but I am going to make myself do AM cardio, for the fasted benefits. Also, I do not want to have to do it in the afternoon after all the heavy lifting I gotta do.

I've also mentioned that I've switched to Carb Nite for sheer fat loss while maintaining the muscle I've built. This time though, I have everything calculated down to the gram, except the carb nite itself. The only guidelines for the carb nite are:

1) have a post-workout shake with carbs,
2) eat a low-fat, carb-filled meal 2 hours later
3) have one more meal (dessert) right before bed

Unlike the past when I made myself practically immobile and carb-pregnant on a carb nite, this time things were controlled. One shake, one meal, one dessert. That's it. Every 2 hours to get that 6-hour nighttime insulin spike needed to reset all my metabolic hormones for the most efficient fat-burning to take place in the body for the next week.

I also re-did the 10-day recalibration phase to make absolutely sure my glycogen reserves were emptied so that my body would respond in the best possible way once it was fed carbs...

Let me tell you, this was absolute HELL. I was an absolute anger-bomb (on top of the hellish me that has emerged from dieting alone), and did not want to get out of bed, or go to work, or even associate with anybody (just for the sake of not being a bitch to anyone). Unfortunately there were still people around me, so it's pretty much safe to say I've snapped at several people during those past 10 days. Not my proudest moments in life.. however, I did warn of my impending bitchiness due to the carb depletion on TOP of the caloric deficit. People still aggravated me. Oh well.

I scheduled the carb nites on Mondays simply so that Mondays wouldn't suck and, better yet, instead of dreading Monday, I'd look forward to it. And what a great idea it was because yesterday turned out pretty awesome. :-)


"Ermagerd, Kerbs"

Yesterday was Carb Nite #1 of prep (7/15). My post-workout fuel consisted of banana protein fluff w/creatine added to it. Very delicious - I was in heaven just from finally being able to have carbs. That banana never tasted so damn good, especially in fluff form. If you've never had protein fluff, it's got a consistency between whipped cream and ice cream. Super delicious.

For dinner I dragged my boyfriend with me to Marianos, our favorite grocery store ever. Okay, so I didn't really drag him. I insisted on satisfying my craving for sushi. He loves sushi too, so we had some fresh rolls made. He had a combination of various types while I stuck with my favorite Godzilla roll entree - 2 rolls of succulent, delicious sushi.

Not only was I making myself eat it slow and enjoy every graze of texture, every burst of flavor, and enjoy the sheer experience of eating sushi - but I'm pretty sure I was making a lot of uncouth noises in the store cafeteria. Public moaning induced by sushi? I gave no f**ks, to be honest. These people take carbs for granted and here I was, getting them after 10 days of sheer and absolute diet hell.

For my dessert, I bought a fresh-made lemon bar from the Marianos bakery. As you can see in the picture above, I am demolishing it. I love lemon bars sooooo much, and they make some of the best I've had (but then again, I haven't tried making them on my own yet). I saved that for until I got home and was prepared for bed. That one, I tried to eat slowly as well, but I think I failed. The lemony goodness was gone in a hearbeat.

Now that my glycogen reserves have been filled again and my hormones reset, it's time to do another week of ultra-low carb. I know this time, it won't be bad like the depletion phase because my body will slowly get used to this (as it has done before).

I will update again soon, since I've finally bought my competition heels and ordered my custom competition suit!!! I can't wait for all this to come along, this competition and journey have been like a fun package slowly being assembled to make one awesome product!

13 Weeks Out | Commencement

It is here. It is getting really close to the dieting portion of contest prep - or as I'd prefer to call it, fat loss.

I think I've established that I hate the word diet just as much as I hate the word tone. For example, this has to be the most ear-scratching sentence in my book:

"I really like, need to go on a 1000-calorie diet because I'm like, soooo out of shape, but I only wanna do cardio and NOT lift weights cause I'm not trying to get bulky, I just wanna get toned."

...Need a tissue cause my ears just bled.

I digress. On to the important stuff.


Prepping For Real Prep

I need 12 weeks of fat-loss prep so my leaning down is gradual, and not a complete shock to the system. I am trying to avoid metabolic damage at all costs. I want to be healthy and lean, and look nice and full on the stage, not stringy and burned out and desperate for a cupcake.

I'm prepping for this 12 weeks of possible mental/emotional hell by eating ultra-low carb on days I do not work out. I am staggering my carb back-load nights and eating in congruence with my training intensity for that day (example: Leg day gets much more carbs post-workout).

Ultra-low carb? No problem! Eggs and chorizo it is!

I have also determined my correct macronutrient needs for my personal needs via If It Fits Your Macros, which pretty much promotes "Flexible Dieting." Go to the site for a detailed explanation of the approach. For example, you figure out your numbers via: your height, weight, age, activity/body fat level, and ultimate goals. Eat to make sure you are hitting those numbers daily (protein/fat/carbs), and the food choices are really up to you. Obviously, you'd eat mostly nutritionally dense and healthy food, and a few snacks here and there will not only not kill you, but will help you meet your macro needs for the day.

I'm telling you, IIFYM practitioners.. no matter what eating style they pick (Paleo, Low Carb, Keto, Clean) they get ripped. Your macros are specific to you and your goals. It just works. And the best thing about it is, it works for contest prep. I can do CBL or CN protocols within my own specific macronutrient guideline, to get the best results for me.

I also learned that my body loves cycling carbs on and off by the days. It may be because my body fat is now at around 18-19% (considered fit) instead of the old 30%, or January's 24%, but going ultra-low carb for a week straight just didn't work as well for me. It worked, it was just exponentially slower.

I will still have to do ultra-low carb on more days than back-load days closer to prep for quicker fat shedding. To get contest ready, I'd like to be at around 12-15% (stage-ready lean). I don't really care about the weight as long as I look really good, curvy, lean and tight.


90dayPUSH | My Results

Me beaming with happiness in a dress. Fitness definitely builds confidence!

Since carb back-loading and starting the 90dayPUSH (3 back-to-back 30dayPUSHes), I have managed to make a rather good dent in my formerly stubborn apple-shape stature. Now my waist comes in more, my legs sweep out and in more with strength and femininity, my back is no longer plagued with rolls (the remaining fat is a significant improvement and will be taken care of in the next 12 weeks). I am also just a much happier camper, in my opinion.. and whether I look good or not, I'm really liking just existing right now.

I went from 123.8 lbs to 118 lbs - but the body fat percentage went from 23.8% to 18-19% (it may even be less now). While I weigh only 5.8 lbs less. that's approximately a 7.0444-lb decrease of fat and a 1.424-lb increase in lean body mass.

And the best part is, my stomach no longer looks flabby like it once [always] did. Now, while there remains a lot of work to be done to that area, I can see obliques, and I can definitely feel the muscle rippling beneath. In natural sunlight, one can see the work trying to shine through, beneath my last few remaining layers.

Success? I think so!


Everyone's Graduating (Even My Body!)

It's 13 weeks out and everyone decided to graduate some kind of school, this week. Nevermind that it's the beginning of June.

Sunday, I cleaned.. all. day. And did laundry. And cleaned some more. Did I mention the dishes? They must have respawned in the sink about 3 times. I didn't get to go to bed until past 11.

Yesterday I had to wake up at 5:30 AM for work. One of my most loathed things is having to get up that early. I was not happy about it. Plus, my mother decided not to tell me about my brother's high school graduation ceremony (which was for last night) until yesterday morning! It was an all-day endeavor pretty much, so  I ran straight there after work. Cortisol levels were definitely elevated for me, lemme tell you that. There was also no room for a workout. I didn't get to bed until past 11, again.

Today, my little guy graduates preschool! We both had to get up at 5:30 AM again, each day never becomes easier than the last. They will have a little ceremony at his daycare. I am less stressed about this one. Also, highly doubting I'll be able to fit a workout in today. I cannot keep going to sleep at past 11pm. Less than 7 hours of sleep is not good for someone undergoing contest prep.

Thursday a friend of mine is throwing a graduation party since she just graduated from university. My oh my it doesn't end!!!

This week, I am trying to stay on top of my water intake. It is horribly inconvenient, but necessary. I have to pee every 10 minutes, it seems.

I am also monitoring my caloric intake purely for the sake of fat loss. I am still eating enough protein and fat to fuel my muscles and workouts, but I am eating at a 20% caloric deficit - a gradual, not sudden or damaging, deficit, for an average of 0.8-1 lb fat loss per week. Healthy, and definitely within the accepted 1-2 lb/week rule. The only macro that truly changes is the carbohydrate. My rule of thumb is, if I'm not inducing hypertrophy, I don't need carbs that day. Ultra-low carb. IIFYM & CBL guidelines. I've found combining these really gets me the results I want, while not having to burn myself out.

I plan my workouts every week, but this week I had to write in 3 rest days (due to the fact that I take one every Sunday, but all these graduations leave me no time in the day to sneak a workout in without having to sacrifice sleep). It may become 4 rest days, depending on how Thursday plays out, but that just means I'm going to have to go HARD on every day that I DO hit the weights. So lots of compound moves - squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, upper body work, plyometrics, bench press. Every day I do end up going will just have to be double duty and efficient. I will carb-load on those nights as well. I won't eat as many carbs as I did last few weeks ago, since I'm easing into a caloric deficit that I will be on for the next 12 weeks.

Doing it all this way, believe it or not, is keeping me sane. It's keeping everything in order, statistical, and is preventing me from hurting myself or stressing myself to the point where my efforts are sabotaged. Even though I've never done any of this before, I'd like to do it the smart way, not the hard way.

So far so good. Whatever my actual body composition is, I've never been this happy about my body. Ever. 90 days of PUSH have changed my body's shape, now let's see where another 90 (give or take) days of contest prep will take my physique.



I will make a weekly update based on the weeks out leading to the competition. So stay tuned for Week 12 and other posts I may sprinkle every now and again!