Veggies!!

You may have noticed, if you’ve ever dieted or even just tried to eat healthy, that veggies are a critical part of the meal plan.  They help fill you up with a low amount of calories, provide you with fiber, vitamins, yadda yadda yadda.  I’ve come to love the lil green buggers tons and tons, mostly for the full feeling they provide without the guilt of having to write down lots of calories in my diet journal (which btw says “I will lose weight this time!” on the cover.. cracks me up several times a day.)  Anyway, the last week before my show last September, is was pretty much strict tilapia and green beans (with about a case of sugar free jello (I love you cherry!!).. I should’ve become a spokesperson for them) I did not touch a green bean up until about a month ago because I got so incredibly sick of them during my show prep.  So I started giving myself pep talks to prepare for all of the green beans I was about to have to consume during my 12 weeks dieting this time, when LO’ and BEHOLD, I found an amazing and oh so delicious alternative, by accident!!  Albertson’s has their steamer bags of veggies 10/$10, which are so convenient and fabulous -  I go through one a day at least.  I loaded up on some broc and a mixed veggie one to blend with it for flavor (delicious, btw, it has onions, red peppers, and squash in it, which means a bit higher carbs, but not too bad).  I then proceeded to get some green beans (you can do it, Heather!!) and headed home with my overflowing bags of veggies and oatmeal boxes (5/$5, sugar free and flavored.. really Alby’s?? I’ve never been more of a fan of you than now.)  I didn’t even notice when I fixed my bags and put them in a container, and proceeded to stab the timer part of the microwave with a knife while cutting open one of the bags (microwave still works, it’s just a mystery how long you have left while reheating your dinner), but realized while eating my lunch at work, that they were not green beans, but rather SUGAR SNAP PEAS!!!  I instantly calorieking.com’ed them, and I am so excited to say that have just about the same nutritional profile as green beans!!  So, although I thank you for all that you did for me in the past, green beans, you have officially been replaced by marvelous, oh so crunchy and delicious, sugar snap peas.

1 cup of sugar snap peas (thank you calorieking.com):

Nutrition Facts
Calories 67	(281 kJ)
Total Fat	0.3g
Sat. Fat	0.1g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	6mg
Total Carbs.	11.4g
Dietary Fiber	4.5g
Sugars	6.4g
Protein	5.2g
Calcium	67.2mg
Potassium	384mg

On a side note, weight this morning was 142.2, and when I was trying to be the hulk last night and flex for Forrest, I’m pretty sure I saw 2/3 of a 6 pack protruding… yippee!!  I’m hitting it harder and harder this week, including squatting with Forrest last night so he could spot me.  Gotta build those legs!!  I’m also experimenting with a super low carb day today…so far, so good.  I mean, good enough that I was just inspired to blog about peas, for cryin out loud.  I’m pretty much doing it just to see if I notice anything change.  Why, down 2% bodyfat in one day??  Yes please!!  Just kidding.  But I’m all about experimenting for the sake of those possibilities. J         

Oh hello!

Helloooooo overdue blog post.  Nice to meet you.  (This is allowable when you only have one reader who is your best friend… shoutout Bon Bon!!)

73 DAYS!!!! 

Or 10 ½ weeks.  It’s easier to keep track of weeks when your brain is low on carbs.  Last time I dieted my manager asked me how much longer.  My reply?  “7 weeks!! Or 35 days!!”  Apparently weeks only have 5 days in them when I get less than 50g of carbs..  Anyway, 10 ½ weeks til the first show of the season in Idaho Falls.  I am superly duperly excited.  But I am also getting nervous that I’m not hitting it hard enough.  I can feel a difference, my abs have decided to reappear (hi abs!) but I am caught once again on weight.  Last time I dieted it didn’t budge for 6 weeks.  This does NOTHING to reassure me, however.  The curse of the scale while dieting…ugh.  I should throw that booger out.  But it’s so pretty with its chromy metal and glass surface..  so it stays for now.

I would like to give a big thank you to Forrest’s mom for giving us a sit-down bike!! (Not that she’s going to ever read this..but maybe someday).  I can now watch the TODAY show (huge fan) while I do some fasted cardio!  I would rather it be Regis and Kelly, or Kathie Lee and Hoda at least, but that makes me getting to work wayyy too late.  Brewster (puppy/dog) would be in his kennel for an excruciatingly long time at night if I did that.  So actually, it was the local morning news at 6:30am yesterday before the TODAY show even started.. but I’ll take it.  This makes cardio in the morning a LOT more appealing!  No shoes!  No makeup!  No pants!  ..wait, what?  I mean..  ;)  I didn’t do fasted cardio last time until 4 weeks out, and I ended up being as lean as I wanted.  Well, I also hit the high intensity intervals a lot harder last time too at this far out, so I feel like it is necessary.

I am currently addicted to pumpkin protein pancakes!!  I still do the chocolate casein ones too, but these add for a good switch up right now.  Here’s the recipe:

1 scoop vanilla protein (whey or casein)

3 egg whites

¼ c. pumpkin pie filling (the one without sugar)

Dash of cinnamon

¼-1/2 c. oatmeal (optional – depending on bfast or carb days.  I used a sugar free cinnamon flavored packet… DELISH)

Splenda (optional)

(Picture of pre-flip pancake...I'm not a great flipper so they always look way worse after..)

Blend and cook away!  They are even good by themselves cuz the pumpkin keeps it moist, but I did add some sugar free syrup. J  MMmm mmm!!  I can’t wait to get home so I can cook up some more. J 

My weight on Sunday morning was 142.0lb and it was my high carb day.  Monday it was 143.0lb, as was it today.  I didn’t get to lift yesterday so I plan on burning that glycogen UP tonight!  Tear those muscles down!  Plus I have a basketball game, so bonus cardio.  My butt is feeling a little leaner, but I can’t wait til my ‘fat pants’ don’t even stay up anymore.  They are slightly loose now, but I also never wash them, so it’s hard to tell.  I got a great deal on some Big Stars in Portland at Nordstrom The Rack that should fit me for a while, they are nice and tight right now.  Fannntastic! 

OH!  And Portland went very well…foodwise.. there was quite a consumption of alcohol Saturday, which resulted in a split open chin and several bruises… in other words, a GREAT time.  I kept food pretty spot on though, so that helped make it not such a set-back.  I’m thinking a glass of red wine a week sounds amazing, til like 3 weeks out.  That’s very doable.  I went cold turkey last time, and well, I had no life.  I didn’t even want to tempt myself.  So I figure that one glass keeps me happy and social, cuz who wants to have no life??

BFF Bon and I in Portland...PRE-bruises and chin splitting.

Here’s what my macros have been looking like:

1/18

Calories: 1515

Protein: 215g

Carbs: 93g

Fat: 39g

1/19

Calories: 1825

Protein: 219g

Carbs: 114g

Fat: 42g

1/23

Calories: 2059

Protein: 169g

Carbs: 218g

Fat: 42g

There are a couple days just to show the variation that I throw in there.  Lately my calories have been higher than my target of 1700.. so I really need to get that back into form.  I like to rotate my carbs, but any lower than 75g is really hard for me.  And with my metabolism, I don’t see why to torture myself at this point.  We’ll see.. I might try a few just to see what results I get.

Progress 10 1/2 weeks out!  (please ignore the nasty headband and face...just got done washing my face ;)

I’ve made my goal for the BB.com Employee Challenge 8% bodyfat.  (Repeat in head “figure suit onstage, figure suit onstage…”) I’m guessing I was about 18%ish when I started on January 4^th.  Forrest got his tested yesterday on base in a bodpod and it was 15.9%.  I’m depending on him to win us a trip to the Olympic for the challenge, btw. Hehe  I’m going to be doing some internship hours in the Human Performance Lab on campus as BSU, which has hydrostatic weighing and a bodpod, so I’m hoping to get mine checked here soon.  I’d rather not have a random trainer at Gold’s caliper me.. not my favorite after doing the other ones.   

Forrest is going to start working legs with me so he can spot me and I can up the weightizzle to try to put some more mass on.  Woohoo!!  Can't wait to see if I can tell a difference here soon!!

WELP! here's the beginning..

I heard it a lot as I was getting ready for my first figure show: "I let myself go more than I wanted on the offseason". I swore that wouldn't be me. I couldn't even imagine not going to the gym every day after my show was over in September! But here I am, 4 days into show prep again, and I am now saying the exact same thing. It was just too dang tempting to overindulge during the holidays.. so I paid no attention to any calories, and may or may not have skipped the gym for about 2 weeks.. (I'm gonna go with MAY HAVE, according to my butt jiggle). You know what, though? That only makes me that much more motivated to push harder and heavier than I did for my first show. Bigger and better!! That's my goal for this upcoming contest season.
I will be updating my progress frequently. And to be honest, my before pictures that were taken downright frighten me...but I did try to make myself look as bad as possible for the transformation challenge (defense mechanism)....AND it just motivates me that much more (cuz I look squishy and bloated...yucky). 

Feast your eyes on that fabulousness....ok, now look away before you hurt your eyes. :)

Starting stats

Height: 5'8

Weight: 143.2

Bodyfat: God knows...and I'm not going to get it checked.  The mirror is my guide..

Anyway, this is the second week of measuring food, but the first week of being serious (there was a tequila night this weekend, and the LAST for a while).  I've started up my cardio and I'll post some of my workouts next time.  I've got a trip to Portland with my best girl friends this weekend..we'll see how clean eating goes!!  Wish me luck.  :)