Shauna's C.H.A. Experience -- Let the games begin!!

[shauna156z]

Hey all!

Today I received my workout/eating plan from Derek!! WOOT!! SO, without delay, as per Derek's advice, I'm going to start an online journal here in Scivationland...

He's set me up on the CHA diet (which I already started 3 days ago), and has me on the 12-week sexy muscles and curves plan. I'm a little worried about this.. as I'm used to 5 day splits of seperate body parts.. but hell, with my hectic schedule I'm sure this will be MUCH easier to fit in. Oh, and I absolutely LOVE that reps go down as time goes on. YAY heavy weight!!! On Monday I I did Upper Body A day, and can still feel my back from those 60lb bent over rows.. KILLER!

Now, you guys will notice that I don't have a set plan on when I'll be doign my workouts during the week.. this is because I have to fit them in when I can. I'm a correctional officer, and unclassified at that. I work ALL over the map, and don't know what I'll be working from week to week. I basically get called in when they need me. This makes it REALLY hard to schedule gym time. I work 12 hour dayshifts, nightshifts and 8 hour days and nights.. 40 hours a week. I basically workout when I'm not working. That being said I still get in my 5-6 workouts a week. It's all about priorities right??

So.. goals.. At the moment my fancy bio-impedence scale says I'm around 25% bodyfat (eek!) and weigh 120 lbs. Who knows how accurate this scale is in the bodyfat department though.. I think I may need to invest in some calipers. Anyhow, my immediate goal is to reduce my bodyfat to 17% by the end of June. I'd love to achieve this by the end of May, however, I think this may be too agressive... what do you guys think?? I'm hoping to compete next year in our local figure qualifiers, so am really seeing this whole experience as a test run for next year. So that I KNOW how my body responds to serious dieting, and can tweak accordingly.

As I mentioned above, I'm already in day 3 of the 1400 CHA diet and am LOVING it! No weird carb cravings (DQ Blizzards are officially OUT of this gal's head), and all this almond butter on everything is total bliss!

Here come the questions though..

When I punch the meal plan into my handy dandy software (Fitday) my macros are WAY above what they should be. I know we're not supposed to be counting --but I'm anal about my macros. At least for the first week or two I wanted to track what I was doing. If I eat the prescribed 5 oz of meat, and 2 tbsp of peanut butter my cals are over 1700! So, I've been eating 4 oz of meat and around 1 tbsp of almond butter.. which keeps me around the 1500 mark. Or:

Calories: 1498
Fat: 64
Protein: 209
Carbs: 20 (this must come from the almond butter)

Meal 1: 1 1/4 cup egg white w/1.5 tbsp almond butter (no carb pancake )
Meal 2: 4 oz chicken breast w/1.2 tbsp almond butter
Meal 3: 4 oz chicken breast w/1 tbsp almond butter
Meal 4: 1 1/4 cup egg white w/1.2 tbsp almond butter
Meal 5: 4 oz top sirloin w/1 tbsp almond butter

So.. am I just obsessing over the little details? Should I actually be eating the whole 5 oz of meat.. and two tablespoons of nut butter? Should I ignore that fitday says that that's over 1700 calories? I feel strangely neurotic right now.. LOL HELP!

Okay, that's enough for now.. will begin adding my daily diet and workouts tomorrow! Time to go make some SLUDGE! ooOoOoOh! Super exciting!!

Oh, and if you guys have any questions.. feel free to ask!

[LiL USMC BBer]

fellow Law Enforcement.. I'm lookin forward to this log!

[TouchdownRobots]

I suggest you read the whole e-book, all of your questions are answered within. you can download it from www.scivationbooks.com

you should only count protein from meat, eggs and protein powder and not from incomplete sources like nuts. Scivation diets are built around the diabetic exchange and therefore not all calories are counted.

[shauna156z]

fellow Law Enforcement.. I'm lookin forward to this log!

Thanks for stoppin' by.. we LE Officers gotta stick together

I suggest you read the whole e-book, all of your questions are answered within. you can download it from www.scivationbooks.com

you should only count protein from meat, eggs and protein powder and not from incomplete sources like nuts. Scivation diets are built around the diabetic exchange and therefore not all calories are counted.

Thanks! See that's why I need you guys... a gentle nudge in the right direction. So downloaded the book and read the whole "Calories Don't Add Up" section. Phew. I'm officially putting down my Fitday software. Kinda liberating actually.. AND even more exciting to think I'll be eat the full 5oz of meat now.. and even better --TWO whole tablespoons of almond butter!!

Sludge is waiting in the freezer and a no carb pancake is on the way. This diet ROCKS!

Oh, might as well add the menu du jour..

Meal 1: No carb pancake w/1 tbsp almond butter (will be 2 tablespoons now that I'm not counting cals anymore!)
Meal 2: 4 oz chicken w/1 tbsp almond butter
Meal 3: 4 oz chicken w/1 tbsp peanut butter
Meal 4: No carb pancake
Meal 5: SLUDGE!!

Didn't get my new workout plan until this afternoon, so this morning was an arms workout. I'll start posting workouts tomorrow once I've started Derek's program.

I'm outta here.. My sludge awaits...

[LiL USMC BBer]

Thanks for stoppin' by.. we LE Officers gotta stick together

It is really hard...

I work more then 16 hour work days. Sometimes longer!

And we have our days where I do nothing but drive around and nothing happens except for maybe 1 traffic stop. And I'll stop off at my fridge and grab my food and slam it down my face real quick.

And then you have your days where you'll get dispatched to a domestic in progress and won't eat for 6+ hours.

[MoEcho]

SHAUNA!! WHAT WHAT!! So excited to read about your progress! Another Canadian gal is just what this section needs!! HIT ER HARD GRRL!

Heidi

[KDStrong]

Shauna!! I'm so glad you started a LOG!!!! I love love love how there's more estrogen here at TS!

GIRL POWER!!!

You're stressing the details. A year ago I obsessed on Fitday and it worked but with TS diets, they've done it all for you.

Trust Derek...and just do the plan as he outlined.

I look forward to following your progress!!!

[vanillabn]

Hey Shauna!! How are things going?

[NC_Tarheel]

SHAUNA!! WHAT WHAT!! So excited to read about your progress! Another Canadian gal is just what this section needs!! HIT ER HARD GRRL!

Heidi

Great..another Canadian girl on here to out squat me..just what I needed.. jj..glad to have you on board..don't obsess and keep it simple. Do what Derek says period!!!!!!!!! Best of luck to you!!

[aborum89]

Hey! It looks like you have a great plan. I'll definitely be following along. As far as counting macros, I would definitely use the Scivation servings. I was like you when I started following the Scivation diets a last year. I tried to count every gram, and it gave me a headache, lol. It took me a few months to not be so obsesive about it, but eventually I began to use them. There's reasons they use this. First, it is much easier. Servings are so much easier to keep track of than counting grams. It also makes the diet easier to adjust. Rather than rewoking all of your macros, you can just take out a serving or two of fat. Also, if you change the plan that Derek gave you, it will be hard for him to adjust it as your progress stalls. Good Luck!

[shauna156z]

Hey peeps!

Wow.. things have been absolutely CRAZY for me lately.. what a time to start a new program. Between working over 60 hours a week at work and the breakup of my relationship.. I've managed to go and get myself sick I think my body is trying to send me a message.. I've been burning the candle at both ends for too long now. I've had to switch gyms (old gym is were ex works) which set me back 2 weeks where I could only do cardio. The plus side is I LOVE my new gym!! All new equipment.. and when I need a 30lb dumbell I don't have to search all over gods green earth to find 'em.. they're right there! WOOT! PLUS.. there's 2 glute shredder machines! Last week I tried that sucker out for the first time with one of my partners from work.. 20 mins.. holy hell I thought I was going to die. The only thing that kept me on was my stubborn determination NOT to let Coffyn beat me!! hahaha

Last Wednesday I FINALLY got my card to go to the new gym.. so now it's just a matter of getting my butt in gear to get to it! I've decided no more overtime at work.. my priority has to be the gym. I just went a little crazy trying to earn extra cash, as my recent break-up has left me paying my mortgage all on my own. Quite an adjustment! Anyhow, managed a few great workouts last week.. and then came down with a serious bloody cold.. "strep" to be precise. So here I am sitting in bed trying to sweat this tihng out... I never get sick.. this is a sign that I'm stressing too much... time to reevaluate and come up with a better plan (time management wise).

The one good thing, throughout all of this, is that I've managed to keep my diet on point. I'm not seeing the results I should because the lack of weight training, but nonetheless I've managed to lose 3 pounds. Yay!! Not sure if it's just water weight, but for not training regularly at the gym --I'm still happy

Thanks so much you guys for all your comments.. with your encouragement I'll get over this hump and back in the gym where I belong! In the mean time I promise to take care of myself and sweat this strep OUT! Next week I'll be back at the gym full force --maybe even by the weekend!! This time I'm going to try and listen to my body and give it the rest it needs... no more overtraining. I can't afford to get sick again!

Shauna!! I'm so glad you started a LOG!!!! I love love love how there's more estrogen here at TS!

GIRL POWER!!!

You're stressing the details. A year ago I obsessed on Fitday and it worked but with TS diets, they've done it all for you.

Trust Derek...and just do the plan as he outlined.

I look forward to following your progress!!!

Will do! Throughout all of this my diet has been 100% on point.. and am LOVING it. No carb cravings.. it's an amazing thing

Hey Shauna!! How are things going?

Hey Karina!! --read above--

Great..another Canadian girl on here to out squat me..just what I needed.. jj..glad to have you on board..don't obsess and keep it simple. Do what Derek says period!!!!!!!!! Best of luck to you!!

Thanks Tarheel! Will do!!

Hey! It looks like you have a great plan. I'll definitely be following along. As far as counting macros, I would definitely use the Scivation servings. I was like you when I started following the Scivation diets a last year. I tried to count every gram, and it gave me a headache, lol. It took me a few months to not be so obsesive about it, but eventually I began to use them. There's reasons they use this. First, it is much easier. Servings are so much easier to keep track of than counting grams. It also makes the diet easier to adjust. Rather than rewoking all of your macros, you can just take out a serving or two of fat. Also, if you change the plan that Derek gave you, it will be hard for him to adjust it as your progress stalls. Good Luck!

Yeah, I was tracking it all in Fitday.. and to come up with 1400 I had to cut the fat servings in HALF! .. now I'm just following Derek's advice and eating everything I'm supposed to. Besides, 1 tbsp of almond butter on the egg white pancake is just NOT enough!! lol

Thanks again people!

[shauna156z]

Oh! Quick question...

Because I'm sick w/strep throat and can't work out.. should I be lowering my cal intake? I'm still eating by the 1400 plan, but am wondering if I should take it to 1200 with all of this laying around in bed...

[LiL USMC BBer]

Are you completely inactive? No cardio no nothing?

If so yes I would drop the cals a bit.

[KDStrong]

Oh Shauna...

I'm so sorry about what has been going on in your life this past month!

However, congrats on staying clean on the diet! If it were me I would already be 20 lbs heavier!

Welcome back here...and don't forget we're always here for you!