Mmmmmm.....Food!

I love Saturdays and Sundays. Even though I know my diet isn't as super restrictive as most competition diets, by ANY means, I still get pretty stark raving hungry living off approximately 1300 cals/day by the end of the week. And am always always always excited for my carb-up/refeed day. I consider myself lucky that my body responds very well to carbs. If I restrict them to much, things aren't pretty and, after going moderately low all week, when I up the cals and carbs for a day each week I come out of it all renewed, refreshed, and feeling tighter and leaner to boot. Currently, on Monday-Friday I eat in the neighborhood of 1300 calories with 120-130g carbs each day. Then, on Saturday I go up to 1800 cals with 200g carbs. Ahhhhhhh......sigh of satisfaction that was. ;) And on Sunday, I drop the cals back to 1300 range but keep the carbs up a bit more again at 150g. This approach has really been working well so far to keep me satisfied, seeing progress, and having the energy to keep up some intense workouts. I also like the fact that if my progress starts to slow down (which I have every expectation it will closer and closer to show - just a fact of dieting) I have LOTS of room to tweak things and drop carbs a bit here or there, as well as tightening up food choices, etc. But until then, I will enjoy my yummies.

Saturday's Update
Macros - 206C / 46F / 134P
pre-cardio = coffee & 1sc Dymatize toffee protein powder
post-cardio = bowl of cereal (mix Kashi & Cinnamon Special K) w/ almond milk
lunch = chicken/lettuce/onion/mustard/pickles on sandwich thin, cucumber, strawberries
snack = apple, pb
dinner = sirloin, sweet potato, steamed broccoli
dessert = skinny cow icecream sandwich


Training - off
Cardio - another awesome spin class
Extra stuff - did some abs
        .......
3x15/side oblique twists
3x20 hip thrusts
3x15 stability ball cable crunch 30#
3x60sec hold bosu planks - thanks Mandy for the ab recs ;)

Sunday's Update
Macros - 146 C / 31 F / 120 P
meal 1 = kashi waffles/sf syrup, chicken sausage, eggbeater omelet
meal 2 = ground turkey/taco season/ff cheese/salsa, cucumber, strawberries
meal 3 = pumpkin cheesecake loaf inspired by Kristin's Eat Oxygen Blog :) Thanks!
meal 4 = greek yogurt & pb "icecream" (4oz yogurt mixed w/ 1T pb frozen)
meal 5 = homemade roasted veggie pizza (low carb tortilla, tom sauce, vegs, lf cheese)


Training - Chest and Back (killed it!)
Cardio - off
Extra stuff - none
............
Circuit 1
wide grip latpulldown
12x85# / 2sets 8x100# / 6x100#dropset6x85#
incline bb bench
15x65# / 2sets 8x80# / 7x80#dropset8x65#
narrow grip latpulldown
12x75# / 2sets 8x85# / 7x85#dropset5x70#
incline db bench (weight/hand)
15x30# / 10x35# / 8x35# / 10x35#dropset5x25#


Circuit 2
underhand bb row
12x65# / 9x75# / 8x75# / 8x75#dropset7x65#
flat db flyes (weight/hand)
12x15# / 2sets8x20# / 7x20#dropset8x15#
wide grip cable row
12x55# / 3sets 8x60#
pecdeck
10x55# / 3sets 8x60#

Notes and Thoughts:

• I had fun trying new concoctions today to be able to add to my diet repertoire. Kristin's blog has lots of great ideas. And I have discovered that I do, in fact, like cottage cheese. I always used to HATE it!!!
• I bought some exfoliator at the store today so I can start getting into that habit. I have to be sure my skin is smooth for the tanner. Which leads me to my other dilemma - use Jan Tana or Extreme Tan???  I know I need to get on ordering those supplies. 
• I also need to start thinking about hair and makeup. For makeup should I go to a MAC counter and have them do a trial run for me. I know I was recommended a lot of MAC products the last time I prepped. For hair - I am clueless!
• I made an appointment for a brazilian next week. EEEEKKKK!!! It will be my first and I know a trial run before having to get it done for the show will be a good move. So I'm doing it next week. 
• I have redone my workout schedule where it leaves me without a full rest day each week - BUT I end up feeling MORE rested and refreshed. Since I enjoy splitting up my cardio and training as much as possible to get quality workouts in each time, this works well for me. It is NOT something I recommend by any means for typical living, but to get it all in these next 8 weeks and not feel overwhelmed on a daily basis I am going with it for now. I like having days where I have to worry about JUST cardio or JUST training. :)
• I'm PUMPED for the next 8 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Get in My Belly!!! - My Rebel Comp Diet

I am not your typical competition prep dieter. In my opinion, having a list only 10 foods long to choose from is not the only way to go. You know what I'm talking about. The green beans, asparagus, broccoli, spinach, chicken, fish, sweet potato, oatmeal, and oils for fats competition diet. Well, I've been there, done that......and in the process completely screwed myself. Let me go back a bit here and tell you about my last attempt at a competition. 


I had an online trainer, and while the program is a good program that provides great results for people, it was not for me. AT. ALL. I have had hypoglycemia since my senior year of high school, although it is much less of an issue these days (which I attribute to my more lenient approach to my eats). Well, combine hypoglycemia with super intense cardio and training, as well as the 10-food-list diet and I was a wreck. I passed out a few times from it, including in the middle of an intense track workout at a local high school. I had serious migraines at least 2-3 times a week. I constantly felt weak and irritable and just plain sick. About 3 weeks out from my show I went to my doctor (after the track incident) and the results were not good. He basically told me to either quit or risk messing up my already sensitive blood sugar to a level in need of daily monitoring and meds. He was very concerned about the final week "hell week" I described to him with even greater restrictions on food, carbs, water, etc. I knew after that visit I couldn't go through with the show. Health was, and always will be, the most important. So I dropped out with the understanding that competing was something I would never be able to do. 


Enter some friends from a fitness forum who showed me the light and that there is a different way to prep. That fitting into your target macros the foods you want (yes still healthy, wholesome) will still give you results and still work at getting you to stage. What?! How is this possible?? Well, these friends followed this approach and had even better results with it, enjoyed their preps, and didn't have any drastic effects post show. Like I did post drop-out where I suddenly found myself battling binges and a very unhealthy relationship with food that I overcame over the past 2 years - another post for another time. I always felt bad about not fulfilling that goal in the past and it was always nagging me in the back of my head that I wanted to do a show. Now, after the enlightening experience of being able fit in what you want and as long as you see results the food still being safe thrilled me. I could do that. And I am doing that. And, yep, it's working. So when you see my competition eats don't be (too) surprised at the variety. Variety is the spice of life after all. And no goal should be pure torture to reach. 

Breakfast Pre Workout

oats w/ 15g dried fruit & 30g All The Whey protein powder

 

Post Workout - Favorite aka BIG Meal

100g Southwest Eggbeaters

Trader Joe's Mango chicken sausage

130g apple w/ 20g ff strawberry spread

coffee w/ 2oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Lunch

3.25oz ground turkey w/ 35g salsa, 2tsp taco season, 15g ff cheese

100g strawberries sliced

18g natural peanut butter

Pre-Cardio Snack - mmmm chocolate

All the Whey chocolate pp w/ 1c unsweetened choc almond milk

Cookies & Cream Luna bar (thats right!)

Dinner

4oz grilled shrimp in cajun seasoning

125g french style green beans

So there you have it. A day in the life of my eats. And for the record that all adds up to 128 Carbs / 31 Fat / 138 Protein ;)