14 weeks, 5 days Journal of an Amateaur

[buffxsportbabe]

I am starting my second ever bb diet... Or should I say lifestyle switch...

Take a peak and I would appreciate any and all advice!

Training split:
Sunday: Upper body heavy; Wednesday: Upper body High Reps

Lat pulldown 2 warm up sets, 3sets 6-10reps........2 wup sets, 3sets 8-15reps
Incline bench
bent over row
standing shoulder press
seated cable row
cable crossover
inclince db curl
skull crusher%
leg raise dayone: 3setsx10-15 reps; day four:3setsx10-15
crunch dayone: same day four: same

Monday: Lower Body heavy; Thursday: Lower Body high reps

Barbell squat Day2: heavy: 4ex @6-10 REPS, Day 5: 4ex@8-12 reps for all excercises
romanian deadlift
dumbelll/barbell lunge
lying/seated curl
leg extension
standing calf raise
ball crunch
wood chop

Cardio breakdown: sunday-30-40min steady biking 70-85%MHR
monday-20-30 mn intervals jog/walk
tues.-off
wed-30-40 min steady biking 70-85% MHR
thurs- 45-60 min. 60-75%MHR
fri-or sat- 45-60 min 60-75% MHR



I have no prob putting on weight
My current stats: 5'7", 173lbs, age:23, bf%: not sure prob 25-27%
Goal: 135lbs by April 8 2006-->~2.5lbs per week

I am logging my diet on fitday.comhttp://www.fitday.com/WebFit/PublicJournals.html?Owner=Ms%2EXsport
I have pics at www.xsportfitness.com check out fit challenge page
I am currently consuming 1500 cals/day 180gP, 25gF, 130gC

This I will follow w/ no cheat meals/days for 6 weeks...That will put me at 8 weeks out...
I have been reading soo omuch valuable info from other posts...but was wondering what works best from the women's mouth.

Oh, does it help to pretty much eat the same stuff all week long? I get lazy tol cooking, and I couldn't even come up with the recipes that most people have on here.

[freakeefranky]

hi welcome!great pics!well done,your legs look strong--wow...you're very pretty too!

workout looks fine.....hmmmmm i don't think ure eating enough for a person at 5'7! i'm only 5 feet and i eat 1700-2000cals a day!!!!!i've psoted this in someone else's journal,but i'll say it again:

eating a low caloric diet might slow ur metabolic rate. u end up burning less fat,and ur body might even start burning off muscle to use as fuel! n eating this little may not satisfy u enough, causing u to crave foods,or worse--- binge...reducing ur cals drastically is a recipe for disaster....u become lethargic,n all that restriction on what u eat may make u loathe dieting.....focus on eating healthy first....then slowly taper the calorie intake..why not post a sample daily meal plan ,maybe we can help u out?

question---why r u doing this for 8 weeks????don't look at this as a diet/temporary eating...why not look into it as a change in lifestyle,something that u can stick to for the rest of your life.... there is NO POINT eating 'healthily' for x number of weeks then switching back to a high calorie,high fat diet....u gain weight again,maybe even more than u started off with,feel terrible,go on ANOTHER 'diet'...and blah...what a disasterous cycle!!!

ok another thing....no cheats for 6 weeks???erm....not realistic,and it's definitely a recipe for disaster...i took this off bb.com,

----------------------------------------------------------
Physiologically, cheats can offer many benefits. If you have been dieting pretty hardcore, it's likely that you have low muscle glycogen levels. Along with this often comes a sluggish feeling during your workouts and less than optimal strength.

You may also find that you are fatiguing faster than normal and are not able to keep up with your previous performance.

A cheat meal or day, since it often means an excess of calories and carbohydrates taken in, will serve to replenish some of these stores, which will help give you more energy and train harder at your next workouts.

Along with decreased muscle glycogen that goes with dieting, there is also a slowing of the metabolism effect. The body senses starvation and tries to lower the amount of energy it needs to continue to function on a daily basis.

This means you will be burning less calories just sitting there than if you hadn't been dieting, which makes weight loss even harder.

When you shock your system with a high influx of calories at one time, the body's metabolism will show an increase and you'll kick start your 'furnace' into high gear once again.

This will help you body to get less accustomed to running on a lower caloric level and make getting lean easier. Generally, the leaner you get, the more cheat days or meals will be needed to get this 'high gear' effect.

the concept
Eating foods that are higher in calories, or are not normally in our food plan, will increase our metabolism since our bodies are forced to work harder at burning the calories ingested. The key is to cheat only when necessary, and this skill can take time to learn.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
i hope this helps,don't be afraid of having a cheat meal once in awhile,it's the body n the mind happy!

ok enough criticism from me...sorry if this post is overflowing with pessimism...i just don't want u to fall into the same traps that i fell into when i first started 'dieting' and eating healthy...good luck and merry x'mas!

[buffxsportbabe]

thanks for the input!

I was wondering bout my cals/day
Last year..Started at 215, dropped to 163 in 20 weeks
My diet changed 3 times in contest prep. Went from eating 5/day for 4weeks with better eating habits (not strict) to adding set caloric goals and finAlly cycling carbs within those caloric limits...

I was hitting 1400 cals/day last year when dieting last year
It worked, but I did'nt include enough fat.
I supplemented Lipidex and Optimum BCAA
Nails,hair and skin looked awesome!

As far as the binging and crap goes.......I have a season pass to that rollercoaster ride...;(
Considered help w/ depressed self-image.....I know it's directly related to how I eat.....
I am happy w/ how far I've come. I want to use last years success towards this years success.

Here is a sample day for you:
10am 3/4 egg subs = 120 cal, 18gP, 0gC, 0gF
1 Orange = 85 cal, 0gP, 21gC, 0gF

12pm 5oz chicken breast=
1.25cups green beans +packet of almonds= 125cals, 7.5F, 12.5C, 5.5P

3pm 1.5 scoops Optimum Whey Protein= 180Cals, 1.5F, 4.5C, 36P
1.5 cups Kashi Heart Smart Cereal = 165 Cals, 1.5F, 37.5C, 6P

630pm 6oz detailed/veined shrimp (uncooked) 150Cals, 3F, 0C, 30P
1 Cup Stir-Fry Veggies (cooked in 1tbsp olive oil, low sod soy sauce 1tbsp, ginger, salt, pepper, spelnda) = 50cals
1 Orange= 86cals, op, 21c, oF

9pm 1.5 scoops protein powder = 180 Cals, 1.5gF, 4.5gC, 36gP
1/4 pckg sf ff bananna pudding mix = 25Cals, 0gF, 6gC, 0gP
1/8 cup unsalted walnuts = 110 Cals, 11gF, 2gC, 2gP

Supplemented 2 women's multi
1 gallon water

I was preparing for a contest April 8 that's why I was going to hit the 8 week mark..Guess I do need a lot of edu.... I read some journals of like no variety and I doubt my own willpower with just eating those strict foods....HELP PLEASE!

[buffxsportbabe]

I realized that having a journal means maintaining it...
People are usually slow to catch on to what I'm doing.

Forgot this was for me first, and other viewers (optionally) second.

So, Update: This week was the second week of "dieting." Last week started well, I was on top of cooking and preping everything. Then, xmas came, work caught up to me physically, fatigue and complete exhaustion set in, and the boredom took over. I couldn't get enough rest, and I had absolutely NO motivation. I couldn't figure out what was going on. Size wise I dropped a 1/2" in the waist and bi's....So, I decided to cheat a little through xmas. Well, a little turned into, "ouch, I think I'm gonna pop, don't eat anymore.....but you know that this is it until after the show.......one more bite and that's it...." So, I blew it in a matter of 24 hours. Little did I know I was coming down with a severe virus... The entire Holiday I ate extremely poor (mental anquish and physical pain--gas, bloating, disgust) then I was wiped/very tired and the night sweats started. I figured, maybe I'll get lucky and wont get that sick...Afterall, I was careful with the start of this diet.... I eased into it, supplemented, and slept.

So, it is now 5 days later, 2 days of work missed, 3 workouts missed, 8 pounds gained.... Yeah, that's what I said.....Jeeez!

Today, I feel crummy, but i have nothing but time to evaluate my current goals and ambitions (in every aspect of life, not just my show prep). I have surfed other topics of discussion on this website.........can I just saw how awesome the topics and stories are? All inspirational... My next show I want to wear a shirt that says, "motivated by Bodybuilding.com.." Not brown nosing either! I know everyone that subscribes to bodybuilding.com is here for the "understanding." The real world doesn't understand "us." I know personally I feel alone a lot, sometimes it gets the best of me....but a site like this never leaves me with that feeling.

With all that said, I am going to keep motivated and share my bio with everyone who is remotely interested!

A little background on me..........

This time last year, I weighed 216lbs at 5'7". I know my waist was over 40". I wasn't unattractive even at that weight....but, I was definetely not "healthy." My oldest sister of 4 got married and one of my younger sisters got engaged. All kinds of wedding stuff....well, my 4 year relationship came to a crashing halt. I didn't know what to do (we have all been there). One day, I woke up and realized that all I do is crab about my physical appearance.......now something had to be done! I sought out a personal trainer at my gym (of 5 years). We trained for 16 weeks all together. He advised me to follow a strict bb diet. He took me to a 2nd place victory in my very first bb comp. I went from 216 @ 31%bf to 163 @ 14% bf.
I also won a huge contest in my gym that had a great payoff. 10K

So, I was on top of the world! Then came the post contest part. The diet fell apart....I started eating anything and everything......Just kept telling myself that it was all water weight.....Well, I slowly gained back 15 pounds which fluctuate up to 10 lbs at a time... I know though, I c the changes every morning in the mirror.

The hardest part has been the psychological anguish I have caused myself all summer and fall long. I totally started avoiding friends and a social life (which totally isn't me) b/c I figured, "as soon as I lose these last 15lbs, I can start having fun again." Wow, was I wrong! I would have started living again just to blow it again...

So, balance in life is what I have been striving for.....In this stride I have decided to do a second competition... I have my freezer stocked, supp rack fully supplied, utensils all new and functioning, new workout gear, tan supply and much more friendly support this year. My comp dates are 1st week april and last week may.

I am currently single which has been purely choice....but let me say, it is less stress for me going through this diet phase...

I have been toying with cal range and diet in general
Last year I ate "clean" for first 8 weeks....gained consistency in diet and got programmed into makiing healthy choices and being aware of my diet in relation to my body and how I felt. After those 8 weeks, (12 weeks remaining till show) I went to strictly 1400 cals. Every day was the same cal wise..alternating carb containing meals. Ex. M1=p+carbs, M2=p, M3=p+carbs, M4=p, M5=p

For the last 6 weeks before comp. I started cycling calories. Day1=50gcarbs for day, Day2=no carbs (cept veggies)., Day3=no carbs (cept veggies), Day4=50carbs, Day5=no carbs, Day6=no carbs, Day7=50g carbs...etc........

For those 6 weeks my carb sources included: yams, brown rice, veggies, oatmeal (no fruits, dairy, salted nuts, pb, basically I was starving

Ok, so all that said, These have to be my main focuses (as they are my weaknessess):

Staying prepared w/ adequate foods in the fridge freezer
Prep days worth of food evening before
Continue logging food in fitday.com journal daily
Stay on target even when I'm feeling good about myself
Walk past the goodies and just go to bed
Cut carbs out of last two meals daily
Keep carbs under 100g/daily for next 4 weeks (BE CONSISTENT!)
Be happy!!! Look in the mirror and LOVE yourself!

I will log today's macro list later tonight

[buffxsportbabe]

Calories Eaten Today
source grams cals %total
Total: 1259
Fat: 20 182 14%
Sat: 3 25 2%
Poly: 1 9 1%
Mono: 3 29 2%
Carbs: 89 332 25%
Fiber: 6 0 0%
Protein: 190 758 58%
Alcohol: 6 42 3%

My Food and Supplementation was as follows:

830
1/2c oatmeal 5g glutamine, 1 tab HMB, 2BCAA, 2 women's multi, 1 tab Trim Spa
1.5 scoops optimum whey
1130
3.5oz low sod tuna 1 tab HMB, 2BCAA, 2g Vit C + Zinc +Vit A, 2 Lipidex
2cups cauliflower
1/2 pckg green giant frozen g beans and almonds, no sauce
230
200g egg white sub (4 servings)
2oz turkey breast
1/2c oatmeal
530
4oz turkey breast
730
2.5c mixed greens w/lemon 2BCAA, 1 lipidex, 1 tab Trim Spa, 1 tab HMB, 2g Vit C + Zinc + Vit A
1c broccolli
900
1 Ostrim Stick
1230
2 Ostrim Sticks
230
diet coke
small homemade protein bar (not included on cal totals for day)




These were from today alone.
I was out alll night, and had a blast and I was totally sober!
Hope that everyone had a safe holiday! Tomorrow ought to be interesting at the gym, as always!

[buffxsportbabe]

Macro list for yesterday:

Calories Eaten Today
source grams cals %total
Total: 1259
Fat: 20 182 14%
Sat: 3 25 2%
Poly: 1 9 1%
Mono: 3 29 2%
Carbs: 89 332 25%
Fiber: 6 0 0%
Protein: 190 758 58%
Alcohol: 6 42 3%

Today is great! I am extremely proud of how I did last night!
It became tedious saying NO to all of the drinks, but I knew that It would only be "gratifying" for the moment and that the dissapointment the next day wouldn't be worth it, even though "everybody was doing it." So, here I am...
Feelin better than I did the previous week...Thank goodness! I was sicker than a dog last week, couldn't train at all. I spent two full days home doing nothing...I definetely made the right choice with that though!

Today I trained upper body. Boy was i strong!
This was my workout:
Iso lateral pulldown: w-up=50lbs 17rps, S1=70lbsx12rps, S2=90x10, S3=100X8
Iso Lateral Incline: w-up=olbsx15rps, S1=10lbsx14rps, S2=20x13rps, S3=30x11
Low Cable Rope row: 40lbsx15, 50lbsx12, 50lbsx12
Hammer Strength bench: 50lbsx15, 90lbsx10, 90lbsx9
Rear Delt Fly: 40lbsx14, 50lbsx12, 50lbsx10
Chest Fly: 50lbsx15, 80lbsx14, 100x9
Icarian Preacher Curls: 30lbsx13, 40lbsx12, 40lbsx12
Weight-assisted dips: 110lbsx18, 90lbsx15, 90lbsx11

[n8s_ltl_buff1]

Originally Posted by buffxsportbabe

For the last 6 weeks before comp. I started cycling calories. Day1=50gcarbs for day, Day2=no carbs (cept veggies)., Day3=no carbs (cept veggies), Day4=50carbs, Day5=no carbs, Day6=no carbs, Day7=50g carbs...etc........

For those 6 weeks my carb sources included: yams, brown rice, veggies, oatmeal (no fruits, dairy, salted nuts, pb, basically I was starving

YIKES!!
ok, Your stuff is looking good so far.. But I posted a response in my journal to your carb cycling Q. I'll post it here w/ modification...
The workouts are the split that you would do.. (I was doing that split too... but swiched to one day Back and one Chest for the two "upper" days)

Day 1: High Carb- At Least 2g carbs/lb body weight, 1g pro/per lb, and 35-50g fat total [Upper Heavy]
Day 2: Med Carb- 1g carbs/lb body weight, 1g pro/per lb, and 35-50g fat total [Lower Light]
Day 3: Low Carb- carbs only from veggies, 1g pro/per lb, and 35-50g fat total [SS cardio or off]
Day 4: Med Carb- 1g carbs/lb body weight, 1g pro/per lb, and 35-50g fat total [Upper Light]
Day 5: High Carb- At Least 2g carbs/lb body weight, 1g pro/per lb, and 35-50g fat total [Lower Heavy]
Day 6: Low Carb- carbs only from veggies, 1g pro/per lb, and 35-50g fat total [SS cardio or off]
Day 7: Low Carb- carbs only from veggies, 1g pro/per lb, and 35-50g fat total [SS cardio or off]

I am 5'5" so I try to make HIGH day around 2200 cals, MED day 1800 cals, and LOW day 1400 cals.
It is working well so far. I can feel my body getting tighter and tighter each day. Also, my strength is going up and up too! So, overall I am seeing positive changes through the Carb-Cycling.
Ciao girl
~Nikara

[buffxsportbabe]

Thanks so much for your advice!
This is my first time trying this split. I have done the traditional five day split before. I feel as though it's too much time in between bodyparts. Today was the first day that I had too much soreness in the Hams since Monday. I hit Hams pretty hard! I didn't include Hams in my light lower body workout today, but I will make a special trip on Saturday morning to finish up legs for the week.

As far as my diet, I will update in the am for the last few days.. I have been paper and pen journaling, due to the fact that I don't have access 24/7 to internet.

My quote of last years journal was a disaster! It was my first show...I had nutritional advice from a very successful guy. He, however, due to supplementation, can withstand much more than I. Last year my cravings were ridiculous and the sticking points were awful! It didn't feel right at all.. It was absolutely a fight for my body...

This time round I have kept my calories consistent everyday. 1550/day w/4days weight training (1 hour) and 5days cardio 30min sessions 65-70% (mostly spin or stationary bike). Fat intake has been cosistently 25-28g/day. Carbs have been 100g/day and Protein has been 185-200g/day. I feel real good right now. I have 12 weeks till stage time and the weight is coming off great so far! Definetely no better feeling in the whole world. I eat Green beans like they are going out of style...Keeps me full all day... This year my cravings are almost nonexistant. Tells me even more that last year I was way tooo extreme with the diet. I'll definetely keep my journal updated with the progress I make. I will be shooting pics this Sunday at my 2week mark.... Thanks again for the awesome advice! Check ya later!

[buffxsportbabe]

I am starting my training with my friend who has trained me before.
I have been waiting 2 years for this day! I have 95% to thank my BF for. He is making this training possible. I sometimes wonder what I did to deserve a man as wonderful as mine is!?!?!?!

I can't wait to be HOT and steamy physically! My man has no idea!

I have 5 days I have manually journaled in my notebook, but I will transfer everything tomorrow, my day off!

Thanks for all the continued support!!!

[buffxsportbabe]

I have enough with emailing all my specs to my trainer. Don't worry though, not much has been missed. The last two weeks have been used to narrow down and eliminate some bad habits that have been sabotaging my nutritional success over the years, I have been reacquainted with my trainer, and I have changed my menu plan around to a perfect fit for my career and personal life.
I have said bye-bye to bars and such for now. It's totally NOT fun to have to sit and defend myself amoung a bunch of drunks. I would rather relax with a movie--like Rocky Balboa. So, now that everything is snowballing, up-hill, I will be making frequent updates on progress. Don't forget to check out my bodyspace. I update that frequently as well! Training has been officially rockin out for a week now. I am driving 45minutes each way to have my ass kicked. I am following a 1700 calorie diet in hopes of shedding 1-1.5pounds of weight each week. I weighed in at 182 the other day...Totally not fair, it wasn't the same scale I'm used to. Anyways, it's ok! I have no were to grow except up!

[CrazyKeira]

Good luck!! I completely understand what it's like to sit with a bunch of drunks and not be drinking or anything. I don't know why people just can't understand. Anyways, you have a pretty good outlook on it so I will be waiting to see your progress!!! Have a great day!

[ricekakes]

I was just reading your blog entries and let me say that you are doing a great job. You are not going to change overnight, I mean the mental part. The sport of exercise and bodybuidling is about 80% mental. I am training for my first show and it is not easy. I have worked out my entire life and have struggled with food, on the opposite end of the spectrum. Overeating and not eating are the same ugly disease just in different forms.
Some advice that I can give to you is this, regarding cheat meals, for myself I really can't go overboard because it turns into a downward spiral, so I choose to cheat from within my safe foods. For instance I enjoy the trioplex peanut butter bar so I my have one of those on a sunday. As for bad foods, they are just not in the house, except for a few things that my boyfriend eats and they are in a cabinet that I just don't ever open. If you don't see it, you are less likely to eat it! If you fall off the wagon ( as we all do) promise yourself 1 hour of cardio is the penalty ( and make yourself do it). I know its hard and everyday is a struggle, but life is about choices and being able to live with the choices that we make. Be kind to yourself and forgiving and you will be just find, you are on the right track, doing great and looking amazing. Look at how far you have come, and you are only going to get better. Take care

[buffxsportbabe]

Thank You for the positive comments! I started this thread a long time ago, and I was oblivious to everyone. I wasn't motivated to sit here and track my every single action, like some members do. I was journaling privately myself!
I agree with what you said, at LEAST 80% Mental!!! It is. I like your idea of not buying ****ty food! I don't EVER buy it. My family does. I am moving out, for the first time in a month! I can't wait! I can't wait to see how different my diet becomes! My boyfriend doesn't eat ****ty either...He's my steak man, and potatoes. But, he doesn't chew on candy bars and chips. He's Hot and in shape himself! He has competed as have I which puts us in the same playing field!

I am off to work, thanks again for your post!
It's people like you, who make the posts worth it!

Have a great day!!!