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. :)