thoughts....

temptations.....

Two weeks in and I have not veered from my meal plan...not once. I was thinking about this today because I can't recall even the slightest temptation in the last two weeks. No cravings. No wishing I could eat something. Is it the nutrition is satisfying me so I am not missing the junk or what?

As a teacher I have to sit twice a day every day with the kids through a family style meal service. That means I have a plate, in front of me, at the table, full of food that I cannot eat, twice a day. And in two weeks I have not once taken a bite of anything, not one bite. And mind you, I have to pick up my fork and move the food around so the children think I am eating. When I thought about this today I realized a few things. I have conquered the whole eating whatever just because it is there phenomenon. Gone are the days of sitting at the table shoveling in a plate full of food just because it was available to me. And, finally, food has become purposeful for me. I am eating to train my body for these 12 weeks. The eating is part of my training and just as I follow a routine in the gym, I now follow a routine when I eat. For me, it simplifies the process. The guess work is gone.

I don't know how I am able to compartmentalize it and get it done, but for two weeks I have done just that. Apparently i am training not only my body, but also my mind.

    

Apple Cider Vinegar....

Add this to the list of things I thought I would never do. After hearing that apple cider vinegar would help with cleansing (and as a side benefit burning body fat) I tried a shot of this before bed last night. wow. That's about all I can say. Wow. But if it works for me I will keep doing it. Consider this a two week trial.

As for the rest of me, the scale keeps going down. 140.6 this morning. The elusive 130's beckon again. Tomorrow perhaps?? We shall see.

Gym time....

Not quite two weeks complete...

And I am already seeing things I haven't seen before. Like my quads are poppin, right up at the top and my inner thighs are thinner, getting leaned out. It's always nice to see progress!

Working toward the Goal...one day at a time!

Eating a regimented meal plan day in and day out is not easy. People at work see me eating egg whites, broccoli, brown rice, chicken, day in and day out and they don't know what to make of me or look at me as if I am super human. I am neither weird nor extraordinary. I have a dream. It is a desire to see what I can do mentally and physically if I PUSH MYSELF to a level I have never seen before.

A DREAM WITHOUT A GOAL IS A WISH!

I don't want to sit here and wish I had done this. I want to do it. So I have a plan and that plan includes some serious rules about my eating and workouts for the next 11 weeks. I simply break that down and take it one day at a time....or one meal at a time and one workout at a time. I push myself to make the right choices as they arise. I don't think about dinner when it is 7 am and I don't think about my shoulder workout when it is leg day. It is no different then what everyone else does when they choose what to eat for dinner each night. It is a series of small choices that will get me to my goal. And I am in control of those choices. It's mine to achieve.

May 7th, 2011 ... Team Xtreme ... Goal met!

Good things come to those who wait....

...but only what's left from those who hustle.


12 weeks of hustling to get to the goal!

Week 2 Begins....a step closer to the GOAL

Week one is in the books and it was very successful! All my workouts in, got the cardio in, and no cheats. :) I jut try to take it one day at a time. I think about getting through each task as it comes up.

Looking forward to a GREAT back workout tonight! Getting used to alternating these high rep, light weights with my heavy workouts! It's nice to switch it up! Lots of cables tonight....

Happy Monday!!!!

Week one complete!

Wowzers!

After I typed 'week one complete' I went and counted how many weeks until the competition...and the answer is: 12!! 12 short weeks....I better step it up!! Need to bring some more intensity to those workouts, no doubt!!

Weight is down three pounds after this week. 143.8. Weight isn't so much the goal as is body fat. Guess we will see as we go....

Let's talk workouts!

Week 1 and this is what it looks like:


Mondays Back
Heavy Back week
Hammer Row
Hammer Pulldowns
Hammer Low Row

Tuesdays Shoulders and Triceps
Light Shoulders
BB Upright Row
Bent Over DB Fly
Lever Raise Machine
DB Front Raises

Triceps Heavy
Tricep Machine
Pulldowns

Wednesday Heavy Legs
BB Squats
Single Leg Press
Leg Press
Seated Calves

Thursday Day off

Friday Chest and Bicep
Heavy Chest
Bench Press
DB Incline
Hammer Incline
Smith Close Grip
Angled Push Ups

Light Biceps

BB Curl
Rope Curls

Saturday (today) will be Hammies and Calves

104 Days....

thought for the day...

"Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”

106 days until goal...

Low carb day and I have enough energy to go to bed. Funny how I can feel the difference so distinctly. Tired, small headache...going to enjoy relaxing at home tonight. Back to normal tomorrow :)

3 days until my first week is complete. Taking it one day at a time, prepping/packing my meals ahead of time, just one long list of things to do and I am getting them done.

  

Squats....they do a body good!

Workout last night: Single Leg Press, Squats, Leg Press, Seated Calves....exhausted. Went heavy on both my squats and Leg press; 210 on the squats and 505 on the leg press. Need to cut my sets down though on squats. An hour and a half of lifting is too much. Have to adjust to the longer rest periods....

Make adjustments for next time....

High Carb Day...like manna from heaven!

I love high carb day!! Whats not to love about eating squash, sweet potatoes, carrots....

High carb = leg day. heavy leg day! Also one of my favorite things! I know I am female but I  LOVE putting more than my bodyweight on a barbell and squatting it! Strong is the new beautiful...and I AM buying the hype!! :)

107 days until I take the stage...

1900 calories...YIKES!

So today was day two of my eating plan. My first three meals are smaller portions, easy to manage. My lunch consists of chicken, rice, and broccoli and LOTS of it. In the container it feels like a brick. One of these days I will weight the full container on my food scale. It takes me 40 minutes to eat it all and I am definitely shoving it in, so to speak, towards the end. After I finished it all today I felt stuffed, over stuffed, I thought. Good grief how I am going to eat again in 3 hours???

Off I went to my meeting...sometime later I feel that 'feed me' message coming from my body. I look at my watch. 3 hours. Almost exactly 3 hours later, on demand. I called Mike..."Ummm, I am hungry again. How is that possible?" He laughed. "It works Tab. Feed your body fuel and it uses it the way it is designed to. Go eat your next meal."
I figured I would learn a few lessons along the way. I just didn't expect it to be on day two. :) 

108 days...

and I will leave you with this thought:

Life is, indeed, good!

Goodbye dairy, goodbye bread...I'm gonna miss you!

Meal plan in hand for the first four weeks. I will now be consuming 1900 calories a day. Thats an increase of about 900. :) Lots of chicken, lots of brown rice, lots of veggies, fruits, the usual. No surprises on the nutrition end. Except the dairy thing...I will live.

Workouts laid out. Again not much different from what I have been doing, 2 days off a week is nice. Adding the 20 minutes of cardio first thing in the morning will be the big challenge. 

Curious to see how my measurements change after a month. Even though I will miss some things, like the occasional sweets, I know that I can commit myself to making this happen. And I am on an adrenaline high just thinking about it right now!!

109 days....Training begins TODAY! BB Competition May 7th, 2011

Up this morning and eating my regular breakfast, steel cut oats and raisins. In one hour I will meet with my coach for this bodybuilding competition. I am a nervous wreck, but a combination of adrenaline and the unknown. No dread, No WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING????

Blog more when I know more.

In the beginning....110 days to go.

The date of the bodybuilding show is May 7th, 2011. 110 days to go...

Training officially begins tomorrow! Am I nervous?? Excessively. Do I doubt my ability to OWN the next 110 days and make this happen? Not at all. Will it be hard? Hell yes. I am excited to see what will happen when I push my body to the next level.

Tomorrow I meet with my coach/trainer and pick up my nutrition plan for the first month and my workouts...

Let's do this....

Phase one is complete.