Nine Weeks Left to Go!

My stats for the month are as follows:

January 7th -->February 3rd:

Weight: 126lbs--> 122.8lbs



BF: 17%-->15-15.5%
Hips: 35.5"-->34.5"
Waist: 25.25"-->24.75"
Thighs: 21"-->20.25"

Think that this week I will add in afternoon cardio on Monday, Wednesday, and maybe Thursday as well. During this competition prep, I'm trying to see how high I can keep my calories, and still lose body fat. I spent A LOT of time hungry during the last cut, and I'm trying to avoid that as much as possible.

My goal for February is to reach 120 lbs, although it looks like I may exceed my goal!


So I have completed my first 4 weeks of competition prep. Be sure to watch the video to hear about how the month went! I'll have weekly video and photo updates from here on out. Here are my progress photos!

 

Prepping for My Next Competition!

Sweet potatos.... Check
Low Carb Tortillas.... Check
Greek Yogurt.... Check
Grapefruit.... Check
Quinoa.... Check
Steel Cut Oats.... Check
Rice Cakes.... Check

And the list goes on and on and on. What all this means though, is that I'm getting ready to prep for another competition. Going figure this time, and I'm trying a different organization. The SNBF (SuperNatural Bodybuilding and Fitness) is a southern organization, so if I end up at Ft. Meade like I plan to, I won't be able to stay with them forever. I've heard really good things about this organization. Apparently the politics are less, which was a huge factor at the NPC Coastal USA. I don't really see myself competing with them again in the near future, at least not with out more experience under my belt!

I've begun incorporating cardio back into my workout regimen, along with circuit training to keep my heart rate up. I've been scoping out Clean Eating Magazing and Oxygen for new snack ideas, and I did find a couple :-)

One of the biggest challenges I'm going to face is learning the posing for figure. Another plus side to the SNBF is that they hold workshops. I've registered for the first 2013 workshop, which is on January 26th. My competition is on April 6th. I'm hoping to do another competition in October. I considered July, but I'm supposed to be in the Advanced Leaders Course (ALC) starting July 29th. I suppose I might be able to fit one in, but lets see how April goes first.

I know my posts have been few and far in between lately, but I'm getting ready to go on another journey, and I'll be posting at least weekly again. We are approximately 14 weeks out now, so I have 2 transition weeks, until the official start date of my prep. For my last competition, I did a 16 week prep. This time, I'm going to do it in 12 weeks, with a goal of about a 1 lb loss per week.

My first set of progress photos will be taken on January 12th (aka minus 12 weeks!)

3 Saturdays Left!

I really can't believe that there are only 3 Saturdays left until my competition! I'm only waiting on my heels to get here now. I really thought they would have arrived this week! I did get my Bikini Bite already though. Definitely need to start getting tanner. Maybe I'll stop my my apartment complex's tanning bed, or sit out by the pool today. I have to be nice and dark!

I won't be doing any more progress photos. Whether I post the pictures here, Facebook, or you are one of those people that gets to see it in person, I want it to be a surprise!

It has been a super stressful week. I had one of the worst days ever, and then just as I'm ready to quit, my command team let me get ambushed by the new battalion commander. They awarded me an Army Achievement Medal. I'm such a sap. I just need to feel appreciated, and that about did it. I was totally surprised. Just when I feel like quitting, they do something to make me want to SOLDIER on (ha). I think what I appreciated most, was my commander telling me that soldiers in my platoon had said good things about me to him and others as well. I like helping soldiers; it's my job. That made me feel the best. Those guys have to deal with me on my most stressful days. It's nice to know that they know I try my hardest.

I'm acting platoon sergeant this week, and a whole ton of problems cropped up as soon as the actual platoon sergeant left. Why do things have to happen that way? Despite that I got in all of my workouts. I'm doing 2-a-days leading up to the competition, with a cardio focus of course. I measured in at about 14.5-14.7% body fat last Sunday, so we will see what I come in at today. Pretty excited for the results. The scale hasn't been moving much, but I'm not too concerned about that. I'm probably just gaining a little muscle, since I have to eat more to support my training.

I received my NPC registration card this week! So that felt amazing! I am planning on finishing up my fitness course over the weekend, since my husband is doing his weekend warrior thing. I only have a few weeks left to finish that, but thankfully I'm not behind or anything. Soon, I might have clients of my own!

3 Saturdays left until the NPC Coastal USA!!!!!

End of Week 9!

June 17th                                                                    July 1st

So it has been 2 weeks since my last set of progress photos, which were taken on June 17th. Last weekend my husband had drill, so I decided to see if I could see a larger difference, and I'm pleased to say that I can! My abs are looking a little tighter, and in the back photos, I can see more tone in my rear shoulder muscles. My glutes appear to sit a little higher as well. To be honest, that has been a trouble spot for me during my contest preparation, so I'm extra pleased about this improvement, since I expect it to continue. The area where my shoulder transitions to my tricep also seems to have a bit more definition as well.

I took some additional photos this week, that I don't have comparisons for, but they look really good so I wanted to include them:

My abs, biceps, and shoulders look really good in the right picture, and the ton of back muscle I've amassed over the last couple years shows really well in the left picture. I'm super pleased with my progress in the last couple weeks. It's very motivating. I also think I've lossed another .5% of body fat, even though I' gained a half of a pound. More than likely that is just new muscle.

I also get to buy my competition suit this week, super exciting! Since I will be registering for my competition next week as well! Ah!

So while people watching during my cardio sessions in the gym, and I noticed something that was kind of irritating. They weren't challenging themselves. I saw one lady texting while using the leg press machine, a super light weight, and she wasn't even moving through the full range of motion for that machine. Another woman was doing tricep pressdowns super fast because her weight was too light as well. What's irritating about it, is that these women, in a couple weeks or so, will complain that their gym time has not benefited them in the slightest. Words to live by in this situation: If it doesn't challenge you, it will not change you!

I think everyone should challenge themselves consistently, because consistency is also necessary to see lasting change.

End of Week 10, Start of Week 9

So it has actually been two weeks since my last blog post. I am feeling really good about my progress since I wrote last. I've lost .5% more body fat (15.5%), and I've also lost 1/2 inch more off of my thighs (19.5"). I'm down to 119.6 pounds. My goal is to get to 15% body fat by July, and I am certain I will make that goal.

I don't have a set weight goal. I do know that a safe weight loss goal is between 1/2 and 1 pound per week. It has to be slow to ensure I'm not also losing muscle. I'm pretty sure I've done a good job of not trying to lose too much too fast. So I just try to keep my sights on a healthy fat loss goal.

Daniel had drill today, so he wasn't here to help me take progress photos today. So I will just take them next Sunday. If anything, I might see a more stark amount of progress. Also, next Sunday will put me at 8 weeks out of the competition.

I should not have trouble getting in all of my workouts this week, but it still stands to be a busy week. There seems to be something going on almost every day. Mostly Army stuff. I was supposed to sponsor a soldier to the promotion board on Tuesday, but that ended up being pushed off to August. We have to wear our class A's on Wednesday, which is an ordeal in and of itself. Then I have a company language meeting at 1600. Thursday I have a NCO Development Program class at 1630! I'm not sure where I'm supposed to fit in the company training meeting on Thursday (1530), but I'm sure it will all work out. Long days this week.

So I have finished the nutrition and supplementation unit in my ISSA course book. I really enjoyed learning about the zig-zag approach to dieting. I think it is why carb cycling works. Really one should focus on calorie cycling. Having super low carb days (50 grams or less), is unhealthy for the body. That is why people always feel so tired. Your brain and organs run on carbohydrates. So zig-zagging caloric intake will help keep one's BMR (basal metabolic rate) from readjusting too low, to accomodate for the lower caloric intake. So today I made sure to eat more food than normal, most of it in the form of additional complex carbohydrates. By the end of the day, I will have eaten around 2100 calories. About 35% of my calories came from protein, and 40% from carbohydrates. The rest was all healthy fats. On a normal day, I will ingest anywhere from 1400-1600 calories. This way, my BMR does not become too used to that reduced calorie diet.

So I guess that is all for now. I have an active rest day, so a run is on the menu! Good night everyone!

End of week 12, Start of Week 11!

June 2nd                                                         June 10th

So I'm within 12 weeks now of my competition. I really do like my progress this week. I lost another pound (122.6), and .5% more body fat (16%). My abs are really starting to show through, and my legs are still leaning out too.

This week was super busy. I had to get up at 0300 on a couple days this week. I supervised a PT test and made sure to hit the gym each day that I was supposed to go. Actually my new weight lifting program has me working out everyday, but I alternate with two high intensity days and then one low intensity day. The low intensity day is always just cardio. High intensity days are weights and cardio. Judging by my pictures, I would have to say it's working out for me. At least I know I'm getting enough rest now though. Despite my early days, I really felt like all my workouts were quality.

As I've been making my own progress, I have gotten to tell people about what it takes for me to get where I am. The main question is how I manage to keep up with all the work. Really though, when anyone really wants something, they do whatever they can, don't they? Like when a guy really likes a girl, he goes out of his way to takes her to nice places to eat (my clean nutrition), he makes time to see her, even when he has no time (my gym time), and he tries to get to know as much about her as he can (my pursuit of nutrition and fitness knowledge).

Earning an excellent body is just that, you have to earn it. You have to court it. It does take time, and it does take work, but doesn't anything worth having? Despite the fitness gimmicks out there, nothing that will last happens in 10/14/30 days. Real progression is made over time. If you take a pill that causes you to lose 15 pounds very fast, your body may be stripped of valuable muscle in the process. You have not learned to treat your body with the care it deserves. It is often said that the journey is just as important as the destination, and that is especially true for any fitness journey. It never ends.
Once you really hit a goal, the only thing to do is make a new goal.

End of Week 13!

May 27th                                                                    June 2nd

So this week was full of stress, but despite that I definitely still see improvement. I think my abs look a little more defined than they did last week. According to my fat caliper, I lost at least .5% since last week, even though my weight stayed the same. All that means is I must have also had some muscle gains. My legs are also leaned out a bit more.

My week started off very stressful, and didn't get better until Friday. Seemed like everyday it was something different. Tuesday, my computer programs wouldn't work, and we got behind. Wednesday, was a bit better, but we had to catch up on all the work we couldn't get done on Tuesday. I also got to talk to one of my soldiers about his nutrition and fitness goals that day. It was pretty satisfying to be able to answer his questions. By Thursday though, I was pretty exhausted. I was just going through the motions of my workouts, and I was so testy at work. I was feeling really unsatisfied with the quality of my workouts. I also had a looming deadline on Friday, which was causing me to lose sleep. I was just so worn down by the end of the week.

We went out on Friday, and I was up waaaayy past my bed time, but we had a blast. It was nice to change up what we normally do. It was nice to hang out with some of the people I like at work. Turns out I am pretty good at pool, even though I didn't know the rules! Lol, I'll have to play some more, so I'm not so surprised when I sink excellent shots!

I started a new workout program on Saturday. It's kind of a 3 day split. The rest days are active rest days, so I will have two days of just cardio. Tomorrow is one of those days. I'll get to wake up a little later than normal. That will be nice.

I thought up a recipe to try. It is very simple, and made quite a bit of food. I call it tomato chicken :-) Just took chicken thighs, trimmed of skin and fat, topped it with 2 cans of Private Selection organic diced tomatos and 1 can of their tomato paste. I then diced up one large onion and a red bell pepper into large chunks. Put in the chicken, then the tomatos, then the pepper and onion. I turned the cooker on low, and left it for 8 hours. It tasted great alone, and great with 100% whole wheat penne pasta. It came out at 18 grams of protein and 190 calories. Chock full of vitamin C too. Super low on sodium.

The upcoming week should be a lot better for me. I won't have as much responsibility since my team lead will be coming back on Monday. I will have some things to take care of, but I know that with a full week, my team and I can make all of our deadlines. I'm feeling optimistic :-)

Next week will put me at 3 months out of my competition. The NPC Coastal USA dangles like a carrot for all of my hard work. I just want to get up there and feel like I did everything I could to look my best, no matter if I place or not. If I can do that, I know that I won't be too disappointed. I just can't get up there, and know that I didn't do everything I could. Which is why I watch every mouthful of food I eat, try and make every repition count, and make every interval of cardio effective. I will try my hardest to remember that, and not let my motivation and dedication flag again.

End of Week 14, Start of Week 13!

May 20th                                                                                       May 27th

May1st

So it has been a nice weekend so far. I have 4 days off because of the Memorial holiday. Well I'm not sure I'm seeing much of a difference here. Up top, I have the comparison from last week and this week, and I even put up the very first one I took this month. Meh, maybe I'm looking too closely. I know that I have lost another 1/4 inch in my waist, and I lost 1/2 pound this week. My legs are defnitely looking better, so maybe that is where I made the most progress this week. I really do want way more definition in my thighs. I'm pretty thick in that area comparatively speaking, so if I can get great definition in that area, then it will look fabulous.

It was a short week, to be true, but I still had enough stress for a full week! My biggest issue this week was people not doing their job, and trying to make it seem like it was somehow my fault. Very irritating. I don't let that illusion last very long though, no I sure don't!

I did well with my diet this week as well. I haven't had a dessert in 3 weeks, and no cheat meals. We have gone out to sushi once a week, and I get very simple rolls with no sauce. This week was the last weekend we are going out to eat though. No more restaurants for the next 3 months! Well we are going to a cookout on Monday for Memorial Day, but I'm eating dinner before we go, and I am also considering bringing a protein shake with me. Cookout food does not tend to fall in the lines of clean eating, at least it doesn't if I'm not cooking it!

The PT tests we were supposed to have last week never happened, so the big thing that could throw a wrench in my plans will be a "surprise" (aka last minute) PT test. So I'm on the look out for that this week. I also have a couple meetings after work, so I may need to bring extra snacks, so I don't cause my metabolism to do a super fail.

I'm working a little bit harder at not letting worthless people stress me out. I have a small flair for drama (if you ask my husband, he might tell you it's a dramatic flair for drama), and these worthless folks are flamable fuel for my fire. I know I need to chill out, but it's a lot of stress at work, from the office and the Army, so I just feel like I want to punch them (metaphorically speaking) right in their faces! (My arms are shaping up nicely too, so it would probably be an impressive punch!)

End of Week 15, on to Week 14!

 May 13th                                                                     May 20th

So I'm at the end of week 15! Tomorrow marks the start of week 14. I have done very well in all my food choices this week. I also got in every single one of the workout that I planned. I was very satisfied with the week. I lost 2 pounds and an inch from my waist, putting me at 25 inches! There isn't as much of a difference between last week's photo's and this weeks, but I'm retaining a bit more water weight for "girl" reasons. I expect next weeks photos to be awesome.

So the big thing I was proud of this week occurred when I took my husband to Red Lobster on Wednesday. I took him because he had a medical procedure that day, and couldn't eat the day before to prepare for it. He was so hungry, so we went there. Surprisingly, there aren't a lot of sit down restaurants open for lunch on Washington Rd. Now.... I was sorely tempted by the cheesy bisquits. As in, my mouth was watering! I was so close to taking one. Then I thought, "How low is my self control that I will be unable to "resist" taking a bisquit?" With that little mental slap, I reestablished my goals as priority, and didn't eat a single bite of a bisquit!

My one big area of improvement this week I think was my legs. You can't see all of them in the picture, but my calves are looking very nice. My quads are getting more definition as I lose more body fat. Another area I've improved is my mindset. It has gotten easier to not feel as tempted by bad food. "Food is Fuel" is my new mindset. Not to mention, my sense of taste has improved greatly, now that I have taken all the added sodium and sugar from my diet. I have to say, that must be another benefit of clean eating.

Next week is going to be tough. I am overseeing a PT test on Tuesday morning (and the next Tuesday too), and I have to take one of them. So I'll probably take the test next week. The question is how to fit in my workout on Tuesday. I'm considering getting up extra early on Tuesday, going to the gym, going home to change, then head to base, and take care of the PT test. It will be a terribly long day for me if I do that. But I'm almost certain I won't have time to work out after work.

Well I guess that's all for now. Until next week!

End of Wk. 16, 15 Weeks to go!

April 29th                                                                   May 13th

 So this is the end of week 16. I am counting down to the Atlanta NPC Coastal USA competition, which is scheduled for August 20th. As it is my first competion, I am taking extra time to prepare. I am very excited, and just hope I can feel satisfied with how everything turns out. I was in pretty good shape to start, so I know diet will be a huge factor for me, but don't think I will slack on my gym time!

This first week has been pretty much ideal. I got in all my workouts, and ate practically 90-95% clean. I'm giving 5-10% for food I didn't know wasn't that clean! I have been trying to drink a gallon of water or more each day. I lost almost 2 pounds this week, and my midsection looks a little leaner I think...

I also joined a new gym Tuesday morning, a Gold's Gym right down the street from my house that I didn't know was there. I read in a Muscle and Fitness Hers, that sometimes you can boost your motivation by changing your scenery (i.e. new gym), and the editor was totally right. I felt so great surrounded by this cleaner, bigger, more well equipped gym! I made it in every day at 0430, except on Wednesday, when I had to go in after work. I don't know about other people, but going to work out after work is harder for me than getting up early! I was so determined not to skip my workout!

The gym I was going to is on Ft. Gordon. Because so many young training soldiers use it, it gets really crowded, the equipment is all over the dang place, and it is kind of.... not dirty, but ill kept I guess. Not to mention more people know me in there, and they don't read the focused face as : Leave me alone, I'm busy." It seems to be understood as : "I'm in here killing time, wanna chat?".

As I said, diet is a huge component for me at this stage in my fitness journey, and I can't afford any mess ups. I have actively begun analyzing everything that goes in my mouth. It could mean the difference between feeling like I did everything I could to prepare, and having regrets and feeling like I have no self control.

It is Sunday, and I feel like I am more that ready for Monday and my Quads Calves focused workout tomorrow morning. Work will be a little hectic since I'm standing in as the NCOIC for my section, but I will manage, since I know all my workouts and diet will be handled.

Until the end of week 15!

More progress!

I lost another half inch from my waist, a quater inch in my hips, and gained a quarter inch in my neck this week. I stopped seeing progress one the scale within the last couple weeks, so that means I will have to focus more on progess pictures and the measuring tape. Not such a bad thing really. All that means is that I'm gaining more muscle than I'm losing fat! My abdominals are shaping up so nicely. I'm currently between 18% and 19% body fat.