1 week til the madness begins!

UNO week!  Craziness.  I really stepped up the cardio the last couple weeks, and it has made a huge difference.  I have been doing at least 45 minutes (50 is magic), usually on the sit-down bike (the easiest one..haha) every morning.  The low intensity fasted cardio sure does make a ginormous difference.   It's kind of weird, there's almost like an automatic switch that just occurs when my brain seems to know that leaning out has become the main priority, not putting on muscle anymore.  And I also seem to just know how much to step it up.  Well.. I guess we'll SEE if I knew how much to..lol  I am so so so excited for the show next week!!  I won't lie though, I am a bit more excited for the following 2.  I will be lean already for them, and it'll be interesting to compete 2 weeks apart for a couple shows.  PLUS, the beautiful super Jaki is going to take some pics the weekend after this first show, so I'm realllly excited about that too.  Just to have some. :)

Here's what my food is looking like now, on a medium carb day:

1/2 c. oats, 6 egg whites, 1/4 c pumpkin

1/3 c. oatmeal, 1 scoop whey

4 oz chicken, 1/2 yam, 1/2 c. veggies

5 oz tilapia, 1-2 c. veggies

5 oz tilapia, 1 c. veggies, 2 c. spinach

Protein pancake (3 egg whites, casein) with 1/4 c. pumpkin, cinnamon 

I still have been keeping 2 higher carb days a week, as well as doing a few low ones per week, as opposed to one or two low ones.  The energy can definitely take a dip, and let's just say that 'Spacey' was my middle name at our volleyball game this week. 

Last fall when I competed, I did the traditional carb deplete for 3 days with zero sodium, then carb load the day before the show while cutting water.  I have mentioned how I felt completely flat.  SO, this time around, I am doing things completely different.  I am going to do what Layne Norton suggests in the awesome new series from bodybuilding.com (shoutout to super Jaki and Ron Torres for their amazingness putting it together) here: Peak Weak by Layne Norton .  Essentially, he makes perfect sense why cutting sodium and water doesn't make you look your best.  Your body will just change the hormone levels to keep at equilibrium.  So, I'm going to try sticking to what I've been doing, which makes me feel great anyway, then just drink enough water on Saturday to satiate thirst.  Check it out if you compete, (or, even if you don't) I think it's some great advice, and we'll see how it works out!! 

And finally, some picaroos!  yayyy.  The first in the suit was 2 weeks out, taken on the 20th.  The others are 1 1/2 weeks out, taken on Tuesday I think. 

                                               

 

My weight went as low as 137.2 pounds for two days this week (during the low carb ones) and went back up to 139 after my high carb day this week.  Notice that my weight was still like 142 two weeks ago.. so don't ever get discouraged if the scale isn't showing a huge difference.  You are probably still leaning out, just putting on muscle, too.

Alright, time to hit the sack.  I'm really good at that lately. :)

Burrito and Midget Wrestling..!

Well crap, it's been way too long since my last post! I have a lot I could write about.. where to begin, where to begin..  aha!!

BURRITOOOO!!!!

So I decided to try a cheat meal... *gasp*.  During my prep for my first show back in September, I did not cheat.  I don't quite know how I had such an iron clad will right out of the gates, but I did.  I like to think it's a sign I was meant to do this.. haha  Well, I did have one day where my energy just completely crashed and I left the gym after one set of DB chest press, got home and said 'We're going to Subway'.  That became Quizno's and I only got a little steak flatbread wrap and salad.. so cheating is kinda pushing it.  That IS how I discovered I needed more than one high carb day a week though. :)  Anyway, back to the burrito.  I thought hey, it's been 4 weeks into the diet, maybe using a cheat meal to shock the system could work!  So I continued to consume an entirrrrre Cafe Ole burrito.  Stuffed doesn't even describe it.  Well, pictures say a thousand words, right?  Exhibit A:

Triplets?  Quite possible.

I was not even CLOSE to hungry the next day.  I felt like a bloated, full mess.  There was probably 10,000mg of sodium in that amazing, delicious steak burrito too.  I had to make myself eat my scheduled meals the next day.  Not counting down til the next meal: that was a first. haha But then a couple of days later, I actually did feel better.  I don't know if it had anything to do with the burrito, though.  And since I don't crave a cheeseburger or pizza or anything while I'm dieting, (well, I can live without it anyway) I'm gonna stick to my higher carb days as my reloads. 

Other than that burrito 3 weeks ago, progress has been awesome!  I have been debating and debating about whether to do the Gold's Gym Classic show as well on the 2nd.  It would suddenly cut 2 weeks off my anticipated show prep, but I'm feeling like I could be ready.  3 WEEKS.  Holy crap.  Helloooo cardio!  I haven't been writing down my food or counting calories, but rather going based on how my body is feeling.  I am really liking this method, too.  I don't recommend it for starting out, but after a while, it can be super beneficial to play it by ear.  If I feel like I need to cut out some carbs, I will.  If I feel like my body needs some, I'll add some back.  Regardless, I'm eating my meals every 2 1/2-3 hours like before, and still weighing and measuring the food, just not counting the calories or grams anymore.  It also helps that I'm pretty much eating the same exact thing every day.. :)

This last weekend was the Arnold Sports Festival, and I racked up 47 hours at the office in 3 days!  It was crazy and awesome and I loved it.  It wouldn't have been half as fun without Isaac, our photographer, keeping me entertained and staying up til the wee hours in the morning IM'ing while we were both working(shoutout hardbody.com!).  But the webcast also made it super exciting, as well as getting the photos before they were even posted on our website (bodybuilding.com, btw).  My job is to post the photos and results on the site, also btw. :)  This madness equated into no workout on Friday or Saturday.  I really don't feel like I lost any progress, though, cuz I ate the seemingly 5 chickens I packed, and a whole lot of green beans, and my back workout on Sunday was bomb!  Needless to say, it was awesomely motivating to see all of the pro's compete, and to see all of the pics of the super fit ladies at the expo.  There was some midget wrestling too.. which had me dying of laughter (it's also posted on hardbody.com... ab workout from laughing? yessir!). 

Since I haven't posted progress pics here for a few weeks, I'll put a few up that I've taken over the last couple of weeks.

   

                        7 weeks (2 weeks ago)                                                                            6 weeks

                                                                          5 1/2 weeks

p.s. YIKES on putting the suit on.  I was all leaned out and had 5 pounds less muscle last time I wore it..it didn't exactly look the same! lol  But it was good for motivation!!  I'll be upping the cardio from my usual 20 minutes of intervals or 30 minutes lower intensity, to 30 minimum (I did 20 minutes of intervals on the bike and then 20 moderate intensity on the elliptical after lifting today).  3 weeks?  BRING IT!!