Week Four Update

Whew! This last week has flown by, and between prepping for my husband’s green card interview and school, I have no time to write something non-school related.

I am in the midst of my fourth week of prep, and I feel a lot better than I did the last post.

I can actually see HUGE changes in my body, e.g. my roo pouch is slowly disappearing. I haven’t taken my four week photos yet, but I am hoping I actually see the change that I feel.

I don’t have cravings anymore. … Okay, well, the cravings are there, but it’s for chocolate if I am a good girl and work out, I get my chocolate caesin shake every night and it’s super yummy.

My trainer whiched up my workout a bit, which is awesome since my 3.5 second attention span was quickly getting bored with the typical lift and cardio. Cardio now sprinkles my plan of lifting and/or plyometrics circuits.

Thursdays, Saturday and Sundays are my days off. While I have class and clinic on Thursdays, not working out at least once during the weekend feels strange. So I’m thinking about attending a Bar Method class. I figured it would be good to help my non-existant flexibility, strengthen my core as well as not leave me completely exhausted.

Barre Class

And as far as my diet is concern:

I am so sick of fish.

Fish use to be something that was a treat for me. I would order only at restuarants since I’m to lazy to actually prep and cook it myself (plus a veggie burger cooks WAY faster). But since I am a vegetarian, I have a limited supply of appropriate protein to chose from: Fish or eggs.

Luckily I like eggs.

Scrambled, as an omelette (which usually end up scrambled), hard-boiled and placed in a salad.

Nom nom nom

I haven't perfected the peeling yet

My wonderful, supportive husband even bought me this:

(… And I’ve been burning all the skillets).

I’m a total salad girl. There is nothing better than a huge cupcake, pieces of cheesecake, fro-yo with chocolate syrup and sprinkles salad. Though most of the salad contains eggs. But it beats the fish and green beans.

I’m also not a huge sweet potato fan, but I found a recipe for homemade sweet potato chips. I attempted to make them last night, and I would include photos, but all but 10 ended up charred and the entire apartment reeked.

Mark consolded me by saying, “Hey, at least your using the kitchen.”

I’m also super stoked because the Web site for the competition I’m aiming for has been updated. Registeration form, schedule of events … it’s so real. Not only that, but they have a seminar on the Friday night before the competition, and Miss Jaime Baird is speaking (Yeah!!!!!).

She is one of the first girls I that really inspired me to start looking into the sport. (And I might be choosing a little green number like hers … though I love Amanda’s blue bikini.)

... And those quads please!

Happy week!

Not Caving to the Crave

Wednesday marked the beginning of week three of my training. Unfortunately I haven’t been so positive about training.

Since training began, grocery shopping has become more deliberate and workouts have beomce priority, so meandering around Target for hours and walking out with at least $100 worth of goodies “just to look” has taken a back seat.

But Monday I had to make a Target run. Target is the WORST place for someone on a strict meal plan. First, I was bombarded by the smell of stale, but buttery popcorn and greasy, but oh-so-satisfying pizza. I think only once did I actually purchase food at Target’s concessions. But I wanted it.

Instead, I ran the opposite way to pick up frozen fruit (for my hubby’s smoothies) and frozen veggies (for me). My Target’s frozen section has motion-sensored case lighting, so as you walk by, the cases light up. And wouldn’t you know it, the last case to light up as I turned out of the aisle: Ben and Jerry’s.

Damn.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, the checkout counter is lined with Swedish Fish and Reese’s Pieces and other delicious treats I’ve avoided for 2 weeks!

I’ve also had the worst cravings.

Back in my real-life (pre-competition), I ate fairly healthy and worked out regularly, so when I craved a food I ate it, knowing that I rather just satisfy the craving than eat something else and still crave. Usually once whatever I was craving was eaten, my crave was satisfied and life could move on.

Not having the ablility to give into to cravings has been hard.

Seriously? How can you not want a Triple Chocoholic Blizzard from DQ? (Not that I ever even go to DQ. I think it’s just the fact I can’t have it.)

Are you serious?!

To make things worse, I had to take my two-week photos. My arms have toned up quite a bit, and a I’m starting to notice I have hamstrings. But overall I still look the same. Even my little belly pooch, more fondly refered to as the “Roo Pouch,” though bit smaller, is still very present. Which makes it hard not to give into cravings … I look the same, good diet or bad.

Kanga and Roo

My wonderful coach has encouraged me, saying she wasn’t expecting a huge body change yet and she wants me to continue to lift as heavy as I can and stay on diet. I finally received my fat transporting supplement in the mail, so I hope that helps lean me down a bit.

On a positive, my will-power has been tested, and I have not floundered. I have stuck to my diet, as completing this goal is way more important than the measly 2 to 20 minutes of joy caving into a craving will bring.

On an even more positive: My husband’s birthday is this weekend, and I get my cheat meal Saturday night. (I am sooooo looking forward to something not fish and not a lot of veggies).

Whoever said, "Pain is weakness leaving the body," is full of $#!&!!!!

I am a week into my first week of training, and today is officially 90 days out from my competition.

The holiday weekend was spent here:

Family's Lake House

It was so nice to return to my family’s lake house. However, it wasn’t too nice for my diet. While I didn’t cheat except for my allowed cheat meal (I even passed up cheesecake!), it was hard to remember to eat. With boating and kayaking and just hanging out, I really didn’t want to spend all my time in the kitchen.

Waking up at 4am to catch my flight back to Florida on Wednesday, I skipped my night class (I’m getting my Master’s in Oriental Medicine) and spent the evening prepping meals for the rest of the week.

It’s a good thing I like fish!

I will be back on the diet-track in a matter of no time, and I will have a pretty strict day-in, day-out routine up until competition day. (Whew! Don’t you hate when your routine gets messed up?! It’s throws me completely off!)

As far as the exercise goes …

It’s really not that difficult. ... Well, the exercises aren’t complicated. However, I am trying to build muscle, so I am lifting pretty heavy, not a lot of reps, with 30 second rest periods. So it’s exhausting. The workouts are a lot shorter than what I was previously doing, but it just goes show hours in the gym doesn’t always mean you are working harder.

As for cardio, four times a week I am doing a 20-minute cardio interval on the Elliptical. I’m sure runners are well acquainted with cardio intervals, but I’ve never done them. I would spend 45 minutes busting away at the Elliptical, when I should have kicked ass in intervals, and in half the time!!!! And my cardio is done at the end (#sadface). So right when I think I am through and exhausted my little muscles …

But once a week, I have to do a 300 workout. It’s a series of timed exercises and they kicked my ass. Here is the gig:

~ 25 assisted pull ups

~ 50 deadlifts (65 lbs. ... yeah right. I tried 40 and hurt my back, so I settled for 35 lbs.)

~ 50 pushups

~ 50 box jumps (Surprisingly, I LOVE these!)

~ 50 laying leg raises while holding 20 lb. dumbbells

~ 25 single arm clean and presses with 15 lbs. dumbbells on each arm (another fave)

~ 25 assisted pull ups

Even Simon says "Thumbs Down!" on the 300 workout

I suck at it. I’ve only done it once, but I am not looking forward to it (I thought I would like it since I HATE cardio! I much prefer this “hidden” cardio type of routines … thank you Jillian Michaels).

Though my measurements haven’t changed in the first week, I think I look a bit more toned. I just picked up some of my supplements, so hopefully those will help with a noticed progression.

Bikini Time in 90 Days!

What else have I learned this first week:

~ I need to find new fish recipes.

~ I need to look like a gym-pro and buy me some gloves … Calluses = PAIN!!!!

~ I really need to hire a chef. I’m tired of cooking already.

~ Preacher curls are the Devil’s work.

~ AmiN.O Energy Grape Concord is amazing!!!!

(Everyone should have some for the afternoon pick me up. It tastes like grape soda, and probably better for you than Red Bull)