Post Competition Training - Charity Cardio Camp

Since I have been off the competition, my diet went a little nuts. I made smart choices for most of my major meals, however I also overindulged in desserts; mostly chocolate.

I took the week after my competition off and only did light cardio. Now I am strength training 2-3 days a week and doing cardio 2-4 days a week. With the holidays coming through I need to stay lean.

To celebrate being done and thank all my supporters, I am hosting a

2011 Charity Cardio Camp

One day when I was going to the gym, I saw a line of women forming around a building. I thought maybe they were waiting for a sample sale. On my way out of the gym, the line had doubled and inside the building I could see piles of lettuce, rice, and canned foods. This year, the Food Bank is losing $161,000 in federal funding, the equivalent of 483,000 meals. The food we raise will feed families in our neighborhood through 2012. There are hungry people around us, we just don't see them.

What is the Charity?: the San Francisco Food Bank: Click to Learn More or Donate.

What is our goal?: $5000 and 500 lbs of food.

When is CCC?: Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8 am till 9 am.
November 28th till December 21st.
Weather permitting. Follow me @LindaNiazi for updates on class.

Where is CCC?: We meet at BodyLab at 2529 Van Ness Avenue at Union Street.

Who can participate in CCC?: Anyone who is physically capable.
It is a group exercise class so use your judgement. If you have any injuries, cardiovascular problems, or high blood pressure, please check with your primary care physician.

How to participate in the Charity Cardio Camp?: It is a free boot camp with the goal of raising food and money for families in our neighborhood. Although it is free, I am asking participants to bring a donation to each class; either a can of food or an email receipt for a cash donation.

What will the boot camp consist of?: A warm up, light run, body weigh exercises, and some high intensity training. As we get closer to Christmas, the workouts will get harder.

If you cannot make the classes, please consider donating anyway. This year, keep the weight off while feeding families in our neighborhood.

The End

The competition was not what I expected, heard about or read about. I didn't do well, and I was upset for a while, but not for the reasons you would think. It took some time for me to gather my thoughts and get back to normal, but here is what happened.

The first 30 days of training was great. I had 4 balanced meals a day, strength training 4 days a week and cardio 1 to 2 days a week. It was hard for me to resist desserts in the beginning, but I was happy and felt the healthiest in my life.

As I got closer to the competition, the regiments got more extreme and the number of supplements I had to take increased dramatically. Since I wanted to do the competition, "naturally" I only took what I could buy from the grocery store. I started to feel less and less like myself as the calorie intake dropped, my protein intake doubled and my fats were cut out to give me a "dry" look. I was still strength training 4 days a week, but I started adding in cardio 6 days a week in the morning. I was irritable and weak but the supplements kept me from sleeping.

4 weeks before the competition I developed a severe allergic reaction to an unknown source, that put me out for a full week. Although I was able to continue training, my skin still itched severely and I had to take Benadryl throughout the day.

I started to lose my ability to make rational judgements and decisions. For example, although I lost over 10 lbs, I felt fat. When I would walk into the gym in the morning my friends would ask to see my abs, and I would grimly tell them, "not today, I am bloated", even though I had nothing to eat since 5 pm the night before and had not touched dairy, real sugar or gluten in weeks. My abs looked great, and I wish I had taken more pictures but I just didn't feel like it. I would see a little softness in my muscle tone and start to cry.

I needed a lot of guidance at this point. I had no idea what I was doing or what I actually looked like. I didn't know what to expect at the show. It didn't help that two of my coaches were telling me to follow two completely different diets. That was my biggest mistake, listening to two people at once. I was scared to go up on stage and look like a fool so I trusted whoever was closest to me at the time. Another huge mistake was starting the diet with one coach and ending with another.

Two days before the show, I changed my original plan to go up on Thursday. I decided to drive up Friday night instead, which is where things started to go really wrong. Turns out I was supposed to check in before 9 pm on Friday and I missed the deadline. It was ok because in the morning I just needed to show up 30 minutes early and check in with the body builders.

In addition to a stressful check in, I missed my tanning. My coaches told me the final tan is done right before you step on stage. Turns out this show was different, the tanning was at the hotel on Friday and last minute touch ups were also at the hotel on Saturday morning. I tried to squeeze in a last minute appointment but they were too backed up. The shuffling back and forth cost me time and stress. Lucky for me, my two best friends were there to keep me calm. They did my hair and makeup and pulled out some last minute tricks to make me look darker. However, all the time I spent trying to get an appointment made me late for my last minute check in.

The stress eventually affected how my body looked. Normally, you consume high carb foods before you step on stage. Because my stress levels were elevated, my body was not able to absorb the glucose the way it was suppose to so I looked "flat", which means my muscles never plumped up.

When I got to the show, I felt so out of place. Everyone was ripped and tan. The men had no necks and the women were so dark that even with my naturally olive skin tone and a few base coats, I looked like Snow White. One guy was so bulky, when he sat on a solid wood table, it split in half; no one was shocked. I had a very hard time telling who was competing in bikini and who was a figure girl. No one talked to me and everyone seemed to know each other. The longer I waited the more I shook. To calm my nerves I offered to redo a girl's extensions to pass the time, she was the only one who acknowledged me.

Since I was last to check in, I was the last girl on stage. I'll admit, as scared and broken as I was inside, I looked cool and calm on stage. Walking in heels came naturally, I exuded confidence, didn't double guess myself, and I took my time. All the other girls were flashing smiles at the judges, but I was so miserable I couldn't even fake a grin. Later I was told, people thought I was trying to be sexy by starring down the judges. Not so much. I knew I lost before I got on stage, which is never a good way to start a competition.

Even if I arrived early, tanned, ate enough carbs and showed up relaxed, I still did not have the muscle tone these girls did because I chose to train "naturally". This was not a competition for me.

As soon as the pre-judging was over, I rushed out of there. I didn't even want to go to the final judging. I went to cheesecake factory with my big hair, fake eyelashes, and caked on makeup. I ordered a salad and two slices of cake and asked them to bring them all out at once. I didn't finish it, but I felt so much better after I had eaten a real meal.

The reason I was so upset is because, going into this, I thought this was a chance to test my physical ability to shape my body. I knew body builders took steroids to look like machines, but in my naivete, I never imagined people would take drugs to win a "bikini" competition. It wasn't until I was 30 days out that my coaches started suggesting I take things to have a fighting chance. If they had told me from the start I never would have signed up. I don't like to quit, and I really believed I could win on my own if I lifted enough weight, ate at the same times each day, and followed the same protocol as other champions. I literally worked my butt off and didn't stand a chance. I am not saying everyone does steroids, but I was in the wrong competition. There are many other divisions that test for muscle enhancers, this one did not.

The other reason I was upset was because I dieted for 3 months and at the last minute 1 major mistake threw me off the entire competition. If I had gone up on Thursday, instead of Friday, I would have had the time to register, tan, and arrive poised. It was a silly mistake that could have been avoided.

I don't know if I will ever compete again. What I liked was the hard deadline to drop body fat and gain muscle; the fear of appearing in front of hundreds in a bikini kept me focused. However, it is very political and who wins is subjective. It's not like they take your body fat and judge you on that. If you look at the top 5 contestants in Oxygen Magazine or Fitness Rx, they all look like winners to me. It is very difficult to know that you could starve and over train yourself for months only to go home empty handed, and even the winners don't get much more than a trophy and sometimes a couple grand. I didn't feel healthy, I wasn't listening to my body, and my friends didn't like me. I personally don't get it, but I can see it's appeal to those who compete. What I do know is the last month, I was not myself and I am still recovering.

2 Days to Go - Smoke and Mirrors

I cannot begin to tell you how difficult this month has been. The closer I got to the competition, the crazier everything became. For starters, all three of my coaches had a different ideas on how I should look, what I should eat, and types of exercises. I read as many forums as humanly possible, took the advice of all three, and listened to what my body needed.

I had a couple breakdowns. One time, I started balling for no reason on my way home from dinner. I'm not talking about quiet tears, gently strolling down my face; I mean baby in a landing airplane wails. I don't know why I said "one time" because this actually happened several times. I want to appologize to Ali, Glen, Maria, Larissa, and anyone else I terrorized.

Three weeks out, I got sever allergic reaction. I am not sure to what, but it could have been the tanning, dieting, or over training. My body likes to be all natural and isn't used to the abuse I was putting it through. After seeing a doctor, who seemed more concerned than myself, I was forced to take 6 days of rest. I was on several strong antihistamines and some oral corticosteroids. I couldn't workout because any time my body heated up I would break into a full blown rash. Anything I ate would also cause my body to break out, so when I did manage to eat, it was only in very small amounts. Showering and changing was unbearable; anything that touched my skin would also cause it to swell up. For 6 days, I couldn't eat, move, work, or stay awake. How is that for your body trying to tell you something?

Two weeks out, I binge ate. Let me explain what happened; I sat down and started with a protein bar, then I ate another one. I was still hungry, so I shoved half a rice cake into a jar of almond butter and ate the entire dripping thing. I did the same thing to the other half. I finished off an entire bag of nuts. I ate my husbands left overs from the night before. I defrosted a few meatballs, a spinach triangle, maybe two, and ate them all with hot sauce. I saw a box of Honey Nut Cheerios and ate that by the fist full. There might have been a few other victims in this massacre, but I plead not guilty. It happens to most on their first competition. Your body is so deprived, you lose control. I probably did more good by giving in, but I could have prevented it. I have been depriving my self since August, my body forced me to take a rest and eat. If I ever do this competition again, I will make sure to incorporate small cheats once a week up until a couple of weeks out.

That night, I did a full hour of cardio and the next morning I went on my favorite 7 mile run. I looked and weighed exactly the same 2 days later. So for any of you who fall off the wagon and are consumed with guilt, let it go. The guilt will do more harm than good. Accept the situation for what it was, give your body the workout it deserves, and get right back on.
That chapter of my life seems to be eons away. I have spent the last week preparing for my show. Every competitor has a different plan at this point, and it depends on their genetics, current body fat, discipline, and training. I don't plan on sharing my secrets right now, because (a) it is specific to me, so I don't want you trying this at home and (b) I don't want other competitors borrowing my tricks.

One thing I can say is that in the last 2 months I have dropped over 15 lbs. A solid 5 to 8 of them I will put right back on after the show because it was simply water weight. This is my smoke and mirrors phase, as Maria likes to call it. Let me outline my week to you, and why I needed to take the entire week of work.

Monday - I spent the morning performing an hour of cardio to burn off any glycogen I was still storing. I went home to eat, sleep and shower, and then I went right back to the gym for a total body workout. I shook the entire time and cried while I did pull ups; just a small example of how crazy I've been.

Tuesday -With still no carbs in my system, I went on a 90-minute run. After a shower and a very, very, tiny meal, I layed in bed for a couple hours. When I got up I had to go get my wax from Sydney's Salon, on Union. I like to go there because they are incredibly thorough with everything they do. Afterwards, was my nail appointment; every detail matters when on stage, down to my long and shiny nails. It's a miracle I have not torn them off yet.

Wednesday - Even less carbs in my system and barely any food, I do 45 minutes of very light cardio. I feel like a robot at this point; just going through the motions and completely numb. I can barely move the rest of the day so I distract myself with cheesy movies, like Zookeeper and Monte Carlo, I love Selena Gomez.

Later that afternoon, I got my pedicure, to match my suit. I also had to make an emergency run to Apple. In the 10 years that I have owned a cell phone, I have never broken one, dropped it in water, scratched it or damaged it in any other way. This last month, I turned my phone into a weapon by dropping it so many times every part of it became shattered glass. The moment I showed the Apple guy my phone, his eyes popped open, he grabbed a bag to throw my phone into and demanded I go wash off any shards still on my hands. I got a brand new phone for free.

Thursday - I feel useless. It took every ounce of energy to shower and eat my tiny excuse of a meal. Today I get my first spray tan. If you've never been spray tanned, like myself, you might be uncomfortable stripping down to your birthday suit, putting on a shower cap, stepping on sticky shoes, and finally stand like a human canvas while a stranger with a hose sprays you from head to toe with paint. I was terrified of this whole experience, but lucky for me, the famous Glow Queen, Sinead from Couture Glow, personally sprayed me. She explained the entire process and made me feel beautiful and comfortable.

Like an artist, Sinead payed attention to every detail, highlighting my strengths, and making sure her work was perfect before letting me step out. As for the infamous orange glow, I did not see a single sign of it. I look like I spent 2 weeks in Hawaii, and it took less than 20 minutes, with no damage to my skin. I honestly don't know how I got so lucky to have such amazing people holding my hand through this entire process.

Friday - I need to pack and head to Sacramento. I am almost done and I cannot wait to be on stage. I'm not scared, just relieved this is almost over. I feel like I lost myself a bit in this competition and I cannot wait to be myself again. Oh, and eat three pieces of chocolate cake. Mmmmh, cake. Ali is trying to talk me into making a healthier choice for my post-comp meal, tough luck; this picture is what gets me going in the morning.

See you all Saturday!

25 Days to Go - Like Baking a Cake

There are hundreds of different ways to make a cake, and for each of those methods there are at least a dozen completely different recipes. If you've never made a cake before, you can either follow the recipe to the letter or you can combine your favorite elements from different ones. No matter what you do, you will not know if your creation was a success until it is baked, cooled, frosted, served and finally tasted.

That is exactly how this competition is. There are a hundred different diets and exercise regimes which could all lead to incredible results but it is impossible to know which one is best for me. The last month of training some people go high fat and protein with no carbs, some stick to balanced macronutrients, while others may cut out fats and increase their protein and carb intake. For instance, Alex's diet involves a burger and fries followed by ice scream for dessert and it works for her.

This is my first time going through this competition and I am trying very hard to listen to just one person, but sometimes things just don't feel right to me. For example, right now I am eating very low calories and I am dropping an insane amount of weight. Last week I dropped 3 lbs and I don't know if that is muscle or fat. I don't know if I will drop again next week or if I will maintain. Should I do 30 minutes of cardio a day or only a few times a week? What others have advised me to do, and what I should do is stick to the recipe originally designed for me. The baking process is almost done and I won't know the result of my hard work until I am tanned, frosted, and on stage.

Speaking of cake, let me tell you what my mind has been on for the last 3 days, my post-competition meal. I am going to head straight to the Cheesecake Factory, order a small salad with chicken, then ask for the dessert menu. I will order a coffee and three of my favorite chocolate cakes; the Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake, the Black-Out Cake, and the Chocolate Tower Truffle Cake. When I literally can't have anymore because I am physically ill, I will let others try them. I am so excited I could die. Can you say sugar hiiiigh!

27 Days to Go - Booked My Hotel

I believe you are not officially competing until you have booked your hotel room. I still need to register, but I can do that on-site. In the last month there are a lot of changes. For one, I have less time to relax between two workouts, showers, getting to different gyms, and running my business.

So my morning starts off between 4:30 am and 5:30 am, even on the weekends, with a mug of warm water and 1/2 a tbsp of flax seed oil (because I could not find hemp seed oil). After I get ready for the day, I get my breakfast ready, half a yam and 8 egg whites (about 263 calories), and enjoy it with a fresh cup of coffee. I usually train about two clients in the morning and then do 30 minutes of HIT cardio at 8 am. Afterwards, I eat another meal of egg whites and yam.

 After a shower I train a few more clients, then head back to the gym around noon. For my afternoon workout, I warm up by practicing my walk and poses in my new five inch heels. After the first day I had huge blisters on my big toes. To break them in, I have been bandaging my toes then wearing them around the house while I do chores. They need to be so comfortable I can run in them. Once a week I meet with Alex Navarro to go over the walk and fine tune the poses.

I follow my stage walk with with hypertrophy training (heavy weight, low reps, high sets) on specific muscle groups for about an hour. I end with stretching; all the leg presses, lunges, and cardio have made my hips incredibly tight which makes it difficult to walk. As soon as I am done with my workout, I eat another high protein meal.

 

I go home, shower, then head to the tanning bed. For now, I tan  3 times a week, but it will drop to twice a week the last two weeks. When I get back, I usually train a couple more clients and then head home for my last meal of the day. My favorite last meal is spinach and chicken, a lot of spinach. I use the whole bag. My friends look at me like I am crazy, but one bag is less than 80 calories. If I were to eat less, I wouldn't get the nutrients or fiber I need for the day.

Throughout the day, my goal is to drink a gallon of water. To make it easier on my, I count out 7 24-oz bottles. Today I have already had 3, only 4 more to chug. It's not easy, especially because of the frequent bathroom breaks.

Right before bed I finish with 20 minutes of abs every other night. I drink 8 oz of ginger or chamomile tea and go to bed. I am physically and emotionally drained.

The good thing is that I weight less than I have in years and fit amazingly well in my old clothes. The bad news is I am losing muscle fast. It is too late for me to change my game plan, so I need to take it one day at a time, trust my coaches and the process and see my way to the end.

Today, I had a fitness shoot with Skimble, the number one free fitness app for Android,  which was really fun. I am excited for more to come. I will post pictures as soon as I get them.

I won't be posting anymore pictures of myself until after the competition, just in case some of my peers are checking this out, but I will keep you up to date on my week to week progress. I miss chocolate.

30 Days to Go

I am in the last 30 days of training and I am exhausted. Every morning, after breakfast, I perform 30 minutes of cardio and every afternoon I do 1 hour of heavy weight training. In addition to that, I spend 30 minutes a day practicing my routine. You would be suprised at how hard it is to walk in those heels.

I have videos and photos, but I have not had time to sit an upload them. I have so much I want to share, so hopefully tomorrow I can give you some details on supplements, the amazing Alex Navarro, how my diet is changing, and how much weight I have actually lost this week.

I am so excited this is almost over!

Day 31 - Never Too Late to Dream Big

This is my last weekend away. I leave SF tonight, and tomorrow at 6 am I am taking off for LA with my mom. I am packing my cooler with chicken and yams, rice and almonds, kale, tuna and rice cakes. Hopefully I can find chicken and spinach and egg whites in LA.

I stopped freaking out, I am in great hands. Glen is doing the muscle fine tuning; Alex is going over my stage walk, posing, and attire; Maria is in charge of my pre-show primping (apparently it is a process); Larissa is doing my hair and pushing me all the way to the finish line. I've heard that the first show is great practice and the second one is perfect, but I want to place in this competition.

I have never worked so hard for anything before and it feels great. I was checking out videos and pictures of Ms Fitness USA from last year and I found this great video of my stage coach. Isn't Alex amazing?!

The woman who place second last year is in her 40's and didn't start gymnastics training until she was in her 30's. She has three kids and runs a restaurant, which proves it is never too late to get fit and turn your life around. I can't wait to be on the cover of Oxygen magazine! It might take a few years, but I am patient.

This morning I hit up the Lyon Street stairs. Larissa and I did 5 rounds of sprints. We used are walk to the bottom as a cool down. Our legs were trembling so bad my the end, we had to walk all the way back.



This picture makes them look easy

If you are wondering about yesterday's workout, both of our backs are perfectly sore. I highly recommend you try out our back circuit. Next week we will take a video of pull ups to show you how to progress and regress each exercise. I have a ton of errands to run still, but I will be back on here to post pictures of my cooler and training equipment for my weekend.

Day 30 - Freaking Out

Today was my 4th weigh in and I am not sure how I feel about it. I am excited that I have 30 days left to go, but I don't feel like I made that big of a change. Everyone tells me how small I look, but I am scared it won't cut it for the competition. What if I can't build enough muscle? What if my glutes deflate? I need to look like this:

Everyone tells me I will see the results the last 30 days and I am anxious. I am impatiently waiting for Glen to call so I can get in my second workout of the day; we are supposed to focus on the leg press. Last night my quads hurt so bad and I was so hungry at 2 am that I couldn't sleep most of the night. Since my back isn't sore anymore, I spent my morning doing pull ups and rows. I did:

• 5 sets of wide grip pull ups (8-10 reps)
• 5 sets of narrow grip pull ups (8-10 reps)
• 5 sets of TRX close rows (15-20 reps)

I am trying very hard not to over train, but I want to make sure I do everything possible to have the advantage. My waist had dropped another half an inch, which is barely visible. My abs hurt so bad but I still want to do mountain climbers, leg lifts, and TRX pikes. I am going to let them calm down and then I am going to start doing 20 minutes of abs right before bed. That way I don't waste my time during the day working on my six pack. Get ready to see some major changes in the next 30 days. I am going to pop in my Slim Naturally meditation track and if Glen doesn't call by then, I am going to hit the gym again on my own. There is no way I am losing this thing.

Although, I the scale has barely dropped, I have lost over 2 inches in my waist and hips. I need to lose 2 more inches in the next 30 days. Next week I am meeting with a stage coach to go over presentation, shoes and suit. I am also going to start tanning and primping for the show. I'll keep you all up to date on my progress.

Day 29 - Tiny Steps

Since September 1st, I have made a small change every week towards a healthier me; I planned my meals around my workouts, I scheduled a specific time of day that I dedicated to the gym, I learned from my mistakes. Many times we wait for motivation to act, but I believe it is the other way around; You need to act in order to find your motivation. Even if that action is packing a gym bag every night or making your lunch, it is a small step in the right direction, and eventually you will go to the gym and start planning all your meals.

I noticed after the third week, the hunger and muscle pain was gone. Normally that is a good thing, but I knew it meant I plateaued and needed to change. Until the competition is over, I see comfort as a negative because it is a sign my body isn't progressing anymore. After yesterday's double workout, I am sore and hungry again. This morning, I visited the North Point gym to get in some sprints and abs before I let Glen work out my quads and upper pectorals. He is really specific about the training.

Workout:

•  8 minutes of sprints:
• 1 minute walk (I did 3.5mph)
• 1 minute sprint (I did 10.0 mph)
• repeat 3 more times
• 20  Hanging leg raises (lift knees to make it easier)
• 4 sets
•  8 minutes of sprints
• 40 mountain climbers (20 each side)
• 4 sets
•  8 minutes of sprints
• BOSU opposite leg reach (16 on each side)
• 4 sets
•  8 minutes of sprints



Clear Glass Single Cup Coffee Maker



Last week I mentioned that my addiction to coffee was causing my stomach to bloat. After speaking with Glen, turns out it was the quality of my coffee, and not the quantity. Poor quality coffee can throw off your body's pH balance (something I need to do more research into) which is what caused the bloating.

To fix this problem,  I bought organic, pH balanced coffee with no additives and a clear glass mug. I am slowly turning into a "Purist". My laundry has no smell, I use vinegar to clean my floors, everything I consume is organic, I meditate at least once a week, and now my mug is clear glass. I don't recognize me anymore. I hope my next step does not include crocs and all hemp clothing.

When I was a kid my friend had one of those above ground pools. I used to love to swim in circles until I built up a current that would allow me to float around and around with ease. After a while I would get bored and force myself to stop floating. I would turn around and fight my way against the current, dodging the pool toys. In the beginning I could barely move, but eventually I would take a few tiny steps, which would turn into strides, and eventually I would change the direction of the water and everything in it. Life is no different from that experience. If you are bored, try something new.

My point is that you don't change overnight. I slowly incorporated healthier choices which eventually became a drastic life change. I struggled with cutting out sugar, but now I don't even think about it. I used to sneak bites of bread, but now it smells sour to me. Working out 5 days a week used to exhaust me, but now I need to work out longer and harder to feel the same fatigue.

Why would you wake up one day and expect to run 7 miles without walking it first? How can you expect to change the way you look if you don't make any effort to change the way you eat? Pick something small and attainable, and do it next week. It could be waking up a little early to eat breakfast, or cutting out bread, rice, pasta or any other starches from your dinner. Maybe you are not drinking your 8 glasses of water a day. Make a change this week, and if you make it through, add something else in next week.

Change was not meant to be easy. If it were, everyone would be successful.

Days 26, 27, 28 - Talking Dirty

This weekend was perfect. I had my 4 balanced meals, I went to two parties on Saturday, I went all of Sunday without Coffee, and I even snuck in a 7.5 mile run on Sunday morning.

Eating out is getting easier each time I go. On Friday night, I split a salad and ordered the grilled chicken breast with a side of sauteed spinach at an Italian restaurant, Vie Veneto. It came with potatoes, and although I did pop one in my mouth the rest were donated.

Saturday was similar. Since we were invited to two birthday parties, I ate a quick meal before the first one so I would not be tempted by desserts or pizza. When we got there, I sipped on my virgin, sugar free mojito and had a great time. Three hours later we drove to an Afghan restaurant, where I had the most amazing chicken kabob and a ton of spinach, before heading out to the second birthday party. What I realized is my body responds really well to chicken and spinach, so I am going to incorporate more into my diet. It is definitely the best dinner for shedding excess water weight.

On Sunday, I went for a 7.5 mile run, in the rain. It was great except that I was starving the rest of the day. For the purpose of my competition, I need to avoid long runs, but I love them so I keep them to one time a week. If you want to understand the difference between a long run and sprints, compare the body of a marathoner to that of a sprinter. The two girls on the left are marathoners; the long runs deplete their bodies of fat and muscle. The two girls on the left have a more athletic build; the sprints deplete their glycogen stores but keep their muscles well defined.

I realized that I have developed this fetish of watching others eat foods I can't have. The first time it happened was at dinner with a group of friends. I watched as they dug into the different chocolate delights and I listened to how they described the foods. My favorite part was watching the spoon sink into the various creams and cakes. There was one dessert no one had touched, so I begged them to dig in and tell me about it.

It has happened a few times since, but I realized it was a problem on Sunday. Ali gave into this giant chocolate chunk cookie at Plutos. After all the work and time I have put into this competition, I knew I didn't even want a taste, but I waited impatiently for him to eat it. Turns out he wanted to save it until I wasn't around, but I forced him to eat it any way. I watched how he slowly tore off a piece of the cookie, so I knew it was slightly chewy. I wanted to know if it was salty, it looked like one of those cookies that weren't too sweet and had that slight salt taste. He didn't know how to answer so I made him come close so I could smell his breath. I knew right away it was a good cookie. Then I started to laugh because I realized I was officially insane. I want people to eat foods while I watch, describe the texture and flavor, then finally let me smell their breath. It's like I get to enjoy the food without the calories. It's weird.

Today I worked on legs with Larissa, and then again with Glen. I am 39 days away from the show and it is time to "fine tune' my muscles. With Glen, I did two exercises for an hour, single leg hamstring curl and rear delt flys. I was exhausted in a whole new way. For the next two weeks, to get over my plateau, I will do double days of strength training. I am going to be cranky.

Day 25 - Dialing It In

I have 13 days before my diet becomes insane; eating the same exact thing, at the same time of day, everyday, for 3 weeks, and ending the 4th week with the hell diet. I'm scared because Glen and Maria still have not told me what I will be eating. In anticipation, I have cleared my schedule for the entire month of October. My last time away from home is October 1st, when I drive down to LA to check out my reception venue and then I am not leaving SF for 30 full days. I will not eat out a single meal, I will not go too far from home, and I will start incorporating sprints at the end of every workout, 5 days a week. I'm even boycotting a trip to the Key West in the middle of October.

To wean myself off the coffee, I have a 6 week plan. I am cutting down to 1 venti a day for the next week. The following week, I will only have a grande a day and the week after it will be 1 tall a day. Then I will only have a tall 3 days a week, and the last 3 weeks of the competition I will have no coffee. I am worried it will mess with my body's pH balance and make me retain water.

Almond butter is also being cut from the team. After the first time I measured out my little cups, I started eye-balling the pours, which were very quickly turning into double the amount. Yesterday was the final straw. As I was scooping almond butter into the jars, using my scale to stay honest, I realized that I had probably consumed 3 tbsp worth of almond butter simply by licking my fingers to "clean" the knife and around the jars. I like it a little too much, so I am sticking with raw almonds and avocados for my added fats.

I am keeping my hot chocolate, without the xylitol, because it is only 30 calories (1 gram protein, 2 grams fat, 3 grams carbohydrates) and it helps with my chocolate cravings. It tastes like very dark chocolate and it is growing on me.

I am allowing myself one more green juice this weekend and then I am cutting them out. I feel like it is hard to gage how many calories I am actually consuming. Even though they are packed with essential nutrients, without the added fiber of whole vegetables, my body digests the carbs too quickly and I am hungry very soon after. I will reintroduce my beloved juices after my competition.

Although today is Friday, I am planning as if it were Sunday. All my meals are ready to go for the weekend; my yams are cut into wedges, my chicken is in bite sized cubes, and the almonds are easier to eat than avocado. I need this weekend to be perfect. Even though the scale isn't going down, which is because the muscles I am gaining weigh more than the fat I had, I feel leaner than ever. If I retain water it will show up on Monday and I am dying to see my waist go down another inch.

Here is a list of things that will throw off the scale, for those of you who are not used to dropping 4 lbs of water in 2 days:

• too much salt
• too much sugar
• not enough sleep
• too much sleep
• dairy
• wheat
• preservative (alcohol fits in this category)
• not enough fiber
• too much fiber
• too many carbs, protein, fat
• not enough carbs, protein, fat

I think you guys get the picture. We (and I mean especially me) use the weekend as a free-for-all. We think our body knows it's Friday night and will be able to keep up with the roller coaster ride we take it on. Although I am not working out, I need to eat exactly what I eat the rest of the week, which is easier when I don't go anywhere. This weekend, I will be in SF, but next weekend I am packing a cooler.

I am completely focused and anxious for October to come and pass.

Today, I was feeling a little drained but I didn't want to miss out on my workout. I started the day with 6 am yoga, a little upper body, and 18 minutes of sprints.

We did a Tabata Upper Body workout to burn out the muscles quickly:

• 4 minutes of push ups. 20 seconds on 10 seconds of rest for 8 rounds (I did 64 reps)
• 4 minutes of bent over 35lb plate row. 20 seconds on 10 seconds of rest for 8 rounds (I did 97 reps)

We finished with 5 rounds of a 2 minute jog followed by and all out 1 minute sprint. I finished at a little over 2 miles in 18 minutes. This workout is great when you are in a time crunch; you move as fast as you can for a set amount of time and then go home. Done and done! Now I just need to make sure I drink enough water.

Hope you all have a Happy Weekend!

Days 23 and 24 - Fear of Saying No

We all do it, we say yes to everything because we are worried we will miss an opportunity; more fun, more money, more love, more memories, more happiness. What we don't realize is that if we say yes to everything, we are crowding the space for something truly amazing to happen in our lives. I will get how this applies to weight loss at the end of my rant.

The Rant:

Anyone who knew me before would tell you what a push over I was. The running joke was if you asked me to do anything 3 times I would say yes. I was always worried about disappointing my friends, missing out on the best time ever (which was every time), or getting left out of the loop.

After college, and 6 careers later, when I finally found my dream job, I took on any and every responsibility thrown my way. I worked from 5 am until 8 pm, 6 days a week, because the only time I turned down a client was if the time slot was full. Whenever my bosses gave me a revenue goal, I beat it, and as a result the following month my goal would increase. When they offered me a management job, I said yes, completely unsure if it was a direction that made sense for me. If I said no, someone else would have taken it and I didn't want to disappoint those who gave me the offer.

In addition to working insane hours, I had to balance a relationship, friendships, and my family. I hated saying no. I would finish my 12 hour shift, freshen up quickly, then drive 2 hours in traffic to meet with my friends. I spent my one free day a week with my parents, because that's what they expected. I had no me time.

I was terrified of saying no. I got sick all the time, but worked anyway. When I went to bed I think I died for the 4 hours I shut my eyes. I felt drained and lost.

It got so bad, a good friend sent me to see a coach. After a few months of working with her, I decided I needed to change the direction of my life; I had to quit the job I loved. I was so scared of what they would think of me and who would get my clients. Would they be alright without me? Who will need me if I leave?

Quitting was the hardest thing I ever did. To be honest, I struggled with all the free time I had and went into a small depression. After about a week of watching sitcoms and surfing the net I started getting to know me. I picked up a new certification, signed up for tennis lessons, called back old friends, and did what I wanted. Other changes were that my parents would not get to see me every weekend, I would only see friends who made a similar effort to see me, and I cut out people and things that were negative in my life.

In 3 full months, my schedule is almost full (with people coming out of thin air), I am training for this competition which will open new doors, and I am meeting amazing people who introduce me to new avenues in health and fitness. My old job never gave me the time or space to do any of this. Money will come and go, but if you do what truely makes you happy you will never work a day in your life.

End of Rant:

The moral is that you don't have to say yes to everything; the restaurant your friend picked out; every dessert (trust me they all taste like sugar); every drink handed to you (every night is the same); all the responsibility put on you at work. Figure out what is important to you and stick to it.

If your health is important, stand up for it. Pick a restaurant or activity that will keep you on track, for example don't eat at your favorite Indian restaurant.

When you schedule in a workout it is your time. If someone wants it, say no. It is just as important as a meeting with a client or a friend. If you are unwell or unhappy with yourself it will affect how others see you, and eventually your job when you have to take a sick day or die. You won't lose your job or friends if you are strong and honest. In fact you might inspire them.

If you are trying to cut out sugar, learn to turn down dessert. Saying you have no will power is like saying you have no abdominal muscles; they exist, but they need work in order to surface. Save the "YES" for the special moments like birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, or gourmet restaurants.

In the beginning I saw saying "NO" to my favorite foods as a negative, but each time I turned from a bad food, I said yes to a healthier one and I cannot begin to tell you how amazing I feel.

Only do what makes sense for you. After all, you are in charge of your body and mind.

Yesterday's workout was sort of awesome! Since it was a cardio day, we worked on smaller muscle groups, then ended with cardio and abs.

Cardio Core Workout:

• Bis and Tris Circuit: (3 sets)
• 10-12 Barbell bicep curls (heavy weight)
• 15-20 Dumbell bicep curlsn (half the weight of the heavy weight)
• 10-12 Tricep cable pull down
• 15-20 Dumbell tricep kickbacks (half the weight of the cable pull downs)
• Cardio Core Circuit: (4 sets)
• 500 meter row as fast as possible or .25 mile sprint on treadmill, as fast as possible
• 1 minute plank on ball
• 20 romanian twists (20 each side)
• 15 leg raises with ball (drop ball if it's too heavy)

Day 22 - Things That Make Your Belly Fat

Although I ate perfect yesterday, I still don't feel like I fully recovered from the weekend. My belly feels bloated, like I can't suck it in, and it kinda hurts. This feeling sucks, so I did some research on possible causes and realized that diet and stress are the two culprits.  

I have introduced a few things to my diet that other competitors claim are "safe" foods. However, I don't think my body likes them.

 

Let's start with my number 2 weakness, coffee. I have read that coffee stimulates the digestive track, which leads to bloating. I have about 2 ventis a day, so I may need to cut that down a bit.

 

My dessert gums, although sugar free, may have some adverse side effects. Even though I am not eating sugar, the sweetness still triggers the insulin effect. Also, the chewing action causes my body thinks there is food coming so the digestion process begins. Any air I swallow while chewing also bloats my belly. I can't believe I need to cut down on gum.

 

I am also cutting out all artificial sweeteners, no matter who clean and wholesome they are. Xylitol and stevia, which are naturally derived from plants, have several side effects which range from moderate, such as their laxative effect, to more severe, such as changes to liver function.

 

Stress might be another reason my stomach feels bloated. There is nothing in my life that is particularly stressful, but after some research I realized that there are things I am doing that may be causing increased cortisol levels in my system. Although I am drinking water, it is very possible that I am not drinking enough. Also, over training could be another cause. Today, my stomach hurt pretty bad after 45 minutes of upper body resistance training followed by a 75 minute run to Hopper's Hands and back. I definitely did not eat enough at 6 am to sustain that level of activity. I burned over 900 calories today in 2 hours, which is a very low estimate. I love my long runs, but I need to rest and eat appropriately around them.

 

Somethings I used to do to reduce stress include yoga and meditation. I have time for both, but lately I have been filling it up online and in the kitchen. Kelly Howell does my favorite guided meditation. The reason most of us don't lose the weight we want to is mostly psychological. Yes, we do get fatter because we eat more and move less, but why? She has a downloadable track, on ITunes, called Slim Naturally that is amazing. I need to add that back to my nightly routine.

 

For those of you waiting for today's upper body workout, here it is:

• Circuit 1: 3 sets
• 10-12 assisted pull ups
• 10-12 push ups
• 15 TRX pikes
• Circuit 2: 3 sets
• 10-12 low cable rows 
• 15 cable chest press
• 20 BOSU crunches
• Circuit 3: Burnout
• Narrow push up to renegade row.
• Do as many as possible, rest 1 min, and repeat 2 more times.

• Add in a 7 mile run if you want to feel slightly sick.

 

 

Day 21 - Hormones and Other Symptoms

People always associate hormonal imbalance with weight loss troubles, but I never thought that losing weight would cause my hormones to go out of whack. The past few weeks, I have been insane; one moment I want to go out and party then five minutes later I don't want to talk to anyone. I snap at those closest to me. I sometimes feel very strongly about things that really don't matter. Last Saturday, I wanted to rip out my waiter's eyeballs for messing up my dinner, and I might still be a little angry about that. My CHEK certified friend, Ashley, explained that because my bodyfat is dropping so quickly, my hormones are having a hard time adjusting. They will eventually, but in the meantime it will be a bumpy ride. Again it's not me your mad at, it's my crazy hormones. 

I am slowly becoming less social each week, mostly because I get sleepy around 10 pm. I wake up everyday between 4:30 am and 5:30 am, so it makes sense that I crash so early.

I have also developed super human tastebuds. I can smell when a fish is more than a day old or if it was frozen. I can taste the difference between organic free range meat and Costco meat. I am paying more now for my food than ever in my life and I feel good about finally treating my body the way it deserves. I crave eating out less and less. Going through the hassel of guessing which foods might be good for me, only to be disappointed by their quantity and quality is getting old. I have 3 more weeks of somewhat free eating and I want to enjoy it, but still see results.

Cuts of Meats I can eat:
Flank Steak
Round Eye
Filet Mignon

Today is weight in Monday, although I didn't drop the extra 2 lbs I wanted to, I feel great. I love my shoulders and I can see the muscles in my legs when I do lunges or step ups. I feel stronger and more confident. To see last weeks weight in, click on Day 14.

I am obsessed with the way I feel these days. I admit I still get small pangs of hunger. Also, I miss "real" food and not thinking about everything I put in my body. Now, I feel light and strong, I sleep better and workout harder, I feel like an energizer bunny. I hope after the contest, I don't forget this feeling and go back to my old ways.

I used to enjoy a coffee and either a bran muffin or toast for breakfast, especially when I was in a rush. I rarely ate salads; Although I had plenty of veggies, it's nothing compared to now. I ate some form chocolate everyday. I had desserts 5 to 7 times a week. Last night, my husband had a Swenson's sundae, after I reassured him I would be ok, and I didn't even miss it. I don't miss the 5 minutes of tastebud bliss, followed by hours of remorse, and finally months of carrying the dessert around my waist. Although I was never fat, as my friends will tell you, I do prefer a solid waist as opposed to flabby one.

I think a good compromise would be the 90/10 rule. If I have 28 meals a week (4 per day, 7 days a week), I could enjoy 2-3 things a week that didn't follow my perfect diet and eat well the rest of the time. That could either be 3 meals split over several days or 1 full on cheat day. Have any of you tried eating just one of the meals I've posted? They're not that bad and they do keep you full for a while. What if you ate 3 of my meals a week? You could have 1 perfect day a week and see the difference for yourself.

It takes some work. Sunday, I spent one full hour baking, measuring, and boxing up meals for the next 3 days. It may be a hassel at the time, but it makes my day when I can just grab a ready meal out of the fridge. Below is my rice, yams, and spaghetti squash. I also broiled ground turkey and chicken breasts, which I keep in separate containers until the day of.

Days 19 and 20 - Tough Mudder Weekend

I did not compete this year, but we did go up to Tahoe to cheer on our brave and unsuspecting friends. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of what it is:
















This is a 9 mile obstacle course, all up hill, through squaw valley. The course include ice baths, wall climbs, crawling under barb wire, and running through live wires. Every year, it gets bigger and more dangerous. As the Dos XX guys said, "If you have to sign a waiver, it's probably worth it". I am signing up to do this next year. It makes sense, last year I ran my first marathon, this year I am doing my first fitness competition, next year I will try not to die for the first time. Who's in? We start training in February. I'm dead serious.

The theme of my weekend eating was, "take it back". If your food isn't perfect, send it back. I made it very clear to every waiter that I can't have dairy, wheat or sugar. If I were sick or had an allergy, I would have to do the same thing. If they make a mistake, they need to fix it. The first restaurant I ordered a grilled tuna salad, but the tuna smelled old, so I sent it back and got a chicken. The second restaurant brought me grilled veggies covered in cheese and the fattiest, saltiest flank steak I have ever tasted. It was too late for me to change my order, so I gave it away and ate my emergency meal when I got home. If it's not in your meal plan, don't settle. I was starving and mean, but I stuck to my plan.

My breakfast, however was amazing. We went to Sprouts Natural Foods Cafe, which has the best options for every diet, great prices, and fresh pressed juices. I had the Carrot-Apple-Spinach juice and the brown rice breakfast bowl, which is pretty similar to what I eat each morning. I wish they had a Sprouts on Union Street.




This is probably my last weekend away from home until the competition. I have 2 more weeks until the diet gets harder. I don't think I will be able to go out once that happens.

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Day 18 - Everything Hurts

Let me tell you about 80's Roller Skate Night in one Picture:


Day 18 was pretty perfect. I had all my meals as planned and pushed through a kick ass leg workout.

Plyometric Warm Up:
- 6 forward box jumps, 6 high step ups
- 6 side box jumps on each side, 6 high side step ups on each side
- 6 rotational box jumps, 6 high crossover step ups on each side
- Tabata step ups holding 20 lbs (ask me and I can explain, these are intense)

Workout (3 sets)
- Deadlifts 10-12 reps (I used 80lbs)
- Front Squats 12-15 reps (I used 50lbs)
- Leg raises 15 reps

We started to do our sprint workout, but our legs were shot from the night of roller skating and squats. It's good to push through pain, but when joints start to act up, its time to rest. Listen to your body. Every part of my body is sore, and this tends to be the trend by Friday.

I had an amazing post workout meal and I increased my carbs as Maria recommended. Below is my broccoli and tomato salad, quarter avocado, 4 oz of chicken, and a juice (beet, celery, 1/2 an apple, parsley).



I don't even recognize the girl from day 16. What on earth got over me? the cravings for chocolate are gone, I'm not starving. I think Maria was right, I wasn't getting enough carbs around my workouts. It also helps to think about my competitor. Now, I look forward to hunger and pain. When my stomach grumbles, I'm like, "take that, I'm hungrier than you!" and when I can't lift my arms, I nod my head and smile because I am awesome.

My abs are starting to form a shape, I have that little "V" on my lower stomach. I was so excited I ran to Larissa to show her. She is weirdly supportive of everything I do and say, which is great. I know that even if my abs look the same she will pump me up. Love you, Larissa! We all need a friend like her, sometimes realistic can hold you back.

I ran out of food, so I meandered to Lite Bite on Union Street for my second lunch. The owner is so accommodating. I got 5 oz of chicken and a half pound of grilled vegetables and they treated me to an iced tea.

For Dinner, we joined friends at 5A5. They apparently know the owner, so every now and then a waiter would show up with an amuse-bouche compliments of Steve. I did have the hamachi shooter and a crab leg, but for dinner I had the filet mignon and the entire side dish of spinach; the whole table teased me for not sharing. The last surprise from Steve was a chocolate plate filled with 7 unique desserts. The best one, I hear, was the liquid chocolate dome. Here is a picture of my friend, Chad, drinking wine while eating the flour-less chocolate cake. I sipped on my back coffee and didn't even crave a bite. The photo below really happened.



I'm doing ok, and I am looking forward to resting my body over the weekend.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad