*~ The Road To Recovery ... Into A World Of Strength And Bodybuilding ~*

[h@rdc0re]

Okay. As you all know I have been here multiple times and I have let you all down and for that I applogise. But Ive gotten help and have entered myself into a Detox program at The Pinewood Centre in Oshawa and I have realised that I do infact have a problem and I do need to get help before I do too much damage to my body.

I want to be healthy. I want to eat food because I love food. I want to show people that I can have a gorgeous body and weigh 130-140 lbs and be very lean and fit and turn heads.

I refuse to live a life of guilt and I dont want to be a frail person because thats not the way anyone should have to live their life.

I want to make it about strength and health. I want to be able to run a marathon and know that my body has the strength to do it.

I cannot justify what I have done in the past to some of the posters on this board AND I cannot justify what I have done to myself. I have lacked respect for myself and to others. WE all deserve better.

But I fully understand if you dont want to post in my journal.

I plan to be consistant with my journal entries and post new pictures every 3 weeks and have progress to show you.

I want to love my body and oneday be a transformation of the week and ONEDAY even compete. That would be an ultimate dream for me but right now, for me ... Its all about getting healthy and back on track

Thank You for your time .... I will post my diet and stats in the next post.

[h@rdc0re]

Heres my diet plan once again:

Meal One
2 whole eggs on 2 slices whole wheat toast
1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
1/2 cut oats sweetened with sugartwin
565 calories consumed

Meal Two
1 whole wheat bagel filled with lettuce, mustard, hot pepper rings, 2 sliced dill pickles, 2 slices tomato, 3 slices fat free turkey and a sprinkle of salt
400 calories consumed

Meal Three
*Pre Workout*
1/2 cup oats sweetened with sugartwin
1 small. apple
1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
310 calories consumed

Meal Four
*Post Workout*
2 scoops whey protein
300 mL skim milk
360 calories consumed

Meal Five
1 large yam ... well its not too big but big enough hehe*
1 salmon steak
2 sweet peppers(1 red and 1 orange)
2 tablespoons fat free salad dress
1 tablespoon organic, low sugar tomato paste
460 calories consumed

Meal Six
1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
2 slices whole wheat toast
1 egg
450 calories consumed

2,545 calories consumed*

Activity Done on a regular basis

At the Gym:
60 min, walking incline - 500 calories burned
60 min weightlifting - 350 calories burned

Other:
Dancing for 60 min - 400 calories
Walking to and from the gym - 100 calories

1,250 calories burned through activity
1,350 calories burned for body functions
TOTAL: 2,600 calories really needed to maintain so I could affort to up the calories a bit, in time.

Thanks Guys

[fish153]

Look forward to seeing where you go with this.

[h@rdc0re]

*~Workout~*

Monday: Back & Biceps 5x5 + 60 min cardio
Tuesday: Legs 5x5 + 60 min cardio
Wednesday: Shoulders 5x5 + 60 min cardio
Thursday: Abs + 60 min cardio
Friday: Triceps & Chest + 60 min cardio
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Off

*Note ... I do abs every other day

[h@rdc0re]

Look forward to seeing where you go with this.

Thank You I also am adding in a scoop of whey Pre Workout and also 1 tbsp natural peanut butter with meal 2

[fish153]

Thank You I also am adding in a scoop of whey Pre Workout and also 1 tbsp natural peanut butter with meal 2

Any reason you are still doing an hour of cardio almost every day? If you're trying to put on muscle, this will severely impede your progress, since you are also spending time lifting on top of it. I understand you like to dance and run around and stuff with your friends, but 60 minutes of cardio on top of all of that is a little much for your goals.

[h@rdc0re]

Any reason you are still doing an hour of cardio almost every day? If you're trying to put on muscle, this will severely impede your progress, since you are also spending time lifting on top of it. I understand you like to dance and run around and stuff with your friends, but 60 minutes of cardio on top of all of that is a little much for your goals.

Okay. I will totally cut that out and only do it mondays, wednesdays and fridays ... or even less if you want. I just want to have some muscle and that has always been my goal And i plan to get my calories up to 3,000 eventually

[fish153]

Okay. I will totally cut that out and only do it mondays, wednesdays and fridays ... or even less if you want. I just want to have some muscle and that has always been my goal And i plan to get my calories up to 3,000 eventually

Well, do whatever you want - I know that ever since the beginning several of us have pointed out that you are doing wayyyyy too much cardio, and that it would prevent you from putting on much weight/muscle. In fact, I'm pretty sure we said that many many times -- do you remember? So it's up to you because ultimately, as always, it is up to you as far as what advice you take from the advice we offer, and what you actually do once you get to the gym.

If you don't remember us suggesting that you were doing too much cardio, you could reread your previous journal and know that the advice given there still applies.

You should already know that 60 minutes of cardio a day on top of lifting and dancing and walking with your friends is too much. Now it's up to you whether you implement changes to achieve your goals or not.

[h@rdc0re]

Well, do whatever you want - I know that ever since the beginning several of us have pointed out that you are doing wayyyyy too much cardio, and that it would prevent you from putting on much weight/muscle. In fact, I'm pretty sure we said that many many times -- do you remember? So it's up to you because ultimately, as always, it is up to you as far as what advice you take from the advice we offer, and what you actually do once you get to the gym.

If you don't remember us suggesting that you were doing too much cardio, you could reread your previous journal and know that the advice given there still applies.

You should already know that 60 minutes of cardio a day on top of lifting and dancing and walking with your friends is too much. Now it's up to you whether you implement changes to achieve your goals or not.

I remember everyone telling me that doing 60 min cardio everyday on top of all the other stuff is gonna hurt my gains. I am willing to only do it 3x times a week I really want to get where I want to be this time. I really do. I am not gonna go out with my friends anymore dancing and you were right about me and my other friend. We were kinda enabling eachother and she kinda "encouraged" my eating disorder.

Anyways......... here's a good recipe I came up with ... tell me how it looks for dinner or lunch sometimes with a side of spinach salad


1 whole wheat pita(its pretty thick like a pizza crust) 300 calories
1 tablespoon low sugar sauce and spread it on the pita 30 calories
Put some chicken on top of that - 90 calories
Use some mushrooms and sweet peppers - 20 calories
And finish with 1 low fat slice mozzerella cheese - 70 calories
510 calories Total

[fish153]

I remember everyone telling me that doing 60 min cardio everyday on top of all the other stuff is gonna hurt my gains. I am willing to only do it 3x times a week I really want to get where I want to be this time. I really do. I am not gonna go out with my friends anymore dancing and you were right about me and my other friend. We were kinda enabling eachother and she kinda "encouraged" my eating disorder.

Anyways......... here's a good recipe I came up with ... tell me how it looks for dinner or lunch sometimes with a side of spinach salad

Ideally, you would do cardio on different days than lifting, and would keep it to 45 minutes or less because if you do intense cardio for more than around 45 minutes your body starts to utilize muscle for fuel instead of fat. In fact, many people who are bulking don't do much of any cardio simply because of the fact that it does impede their muscle-building progress. That said, I think we all know you well enough to know that you're going to be doing cardio regardless -- so I would just advise that you be VERY CAREFUL not to OVERDO it. Overdoing the cardio is another aspect of an eating disorder, and since you're getting treatment for the eating part you definitely want to avoid simply emphasizing a different part of the disorder, you know?

You can do cardio and still make healthy choices, but part of that involves realizing that in order to put on muscle/mass, you need to be eating more calories than you are burning ... which will be a lot easier if you aren't doing 60 minutes of intense cardio on top of lifting every day.

As for the recipe - it looks good. You want to be sure to keep your diet full of variety so that you continue to look forward to your meals and don't get bored by eating the exact same diet day after day. Variation will help you stick to it better. But yeah, the recipe sounds like it would taste good. Just don't forget that fats occupy an important place in diet/healthy nutrition as well.

EDIT: Don't forget this is a good resource: http://bodybuilding.com/fun/index.html

[h@rdc0re]

Thank You So much for the link and so much for the advice. What bout doing 30 min cardio 3x a week. And I promise to be 100% honest with what I eat and what I do for exericse because then itll make it easier for you if you know what im really doing so I will always be 100% honest about everything

And Im gonna try some new recipes cause I want to keep things interesting. Like Im gonna include, salmon, grilled chicken, sweet potato fries, omlettes, whole wheat pasta and rice ... those are some real staples and of course oats but not for dinner

Thanx again

[twinnett]

I truly hope that you're serious this time. I think cardio for 30 min. or less 3X a week is much more reasonable. I found that even when I started eating more, I was then making up for it by doing extra cardio. It's really hard to build muscle doing long sessions of cardio. I only do 2 20 min sessions and one recovery session (a walk in the park or something) and my body is responding a lot better.

anyway, good luck to you and like I said, I know some may not believe you or give you another chance, but as long as you're totally honest and upfront and WANT to get better, I want to help and support you. I'm still in recovery too. Yes, I'm doing all of the right things, but it's the mental part that really is hard to overcome!

[nc9892]

you are smart to cut back on cardio. I used to do it every day, but I never grew. In fact, I think because it was so much stress on my body I may have damaged my legs a bit.

Good luck Ashley ; it's an uphill battle but the fun is all the food you get to eat

just make sure to master your form for the big three :bench, squat, and deadlifts

[h@rdc0re]

Twinnett- Thank You and I am very serious and I just want to get back on track and I think with all the support I have right now, here, at home, and at my therapy sessions and the people ive met, I just feel so much better about everything Thanks and when you say recovery ... do you do that outside the gym and usually for how long? Is it better to split up the cardio then do a full 30 min of it. Cause I could always do like 10 min after the weights at the gym and then 10 min in the morning and another 10 at night. Could keep my metabolism up and I think it could work.

Nc9892 - Thank You and I will

And today was an off day (since i dont workout weekends, and I ate this)

Meal 1: 2 eggs on 2 slices whole wheat toast + 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter with 1/2 cup oatmeal
565 calories


Meal 2: 1 carrot muffin that I had made that is low in fat (only 150 calories per muffin) with whole wheat bagel with lettuce, 2 slices tomato, 3 slices fat free turkey and some hot pepper rings and mustard + 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
610 calories

Meal 3: Whey protein shake with 2% partly skimmed milk
450 calories

Meal 4: (havent yet had this but I plan to have 1 sweet potato(yam) with some mixed veggies and 1 salmon steak
500 calories

Meal 5: Havent yet decided but if im hungry ... Any ideas for this one since its my off day my diet has been a little weird and inconsistant but im definitley eating!

2,125 calories consumed total so far.

[twinnett]

Good job if you've really eaten all of that food...is there any way you could vary your fats other than PB?? lol

splitting up cardio sessions is fine! For the recovery sessions, I usually do it outside and it's just a relaxing walk w/ the dog or something. If it's really cold, I'll do some VERY light bike work in the gym while reading some trashy Star magazine or something... Enjoy your day off and REST!!!

What does your weight workout look like tomorrow?

[fish153]

Twinnett- Thank You and I am very serious and I just want to get back on track and I think with all the support I have right now, here, at home, and at my therapy sessions and the people ive met, I just feel so much better about everything Thanks and when you say recovery ... do you do that outside the gym and usually for how long? Is it better to split up the cardio then do a full 30 min of it. Cause I could always do like 10 min after the weights at the gym and then 10 min in the morning and another 10 at night. Could keep my metabolism up and I think it could work.

Splitting it up is fine, but like I said, it is better to do cardio and weights on separate days.

[nc9892]

every one has testosterone (girls too, just a bit lower levels then males)

when you lift you use tons of your testosterone, and if you do not give your body adequate time to recharge this, you will have trouble getting stronger because your testosterone stores will not be there to benefit your strength

fish's advice is gold. If you do cardio and lift on the same days your body's test won't recharge and thats bad.

(i'm secretly really happy for you)

[h@rdc0re]

Twinnett - Thanks Twinnett and I sometimes will have fish and I have flaxseeds ... I could buy some nuts when we go shopping next, like almonds. And tomorrow im doing biceps and back 5x5 and about 3 different exercises for each. And then the 30 min of cardio afterwards

Fish - Thanks But I train 5 days a week so if I dont do cardio on the days I train then that only leaved weekends and those are the days I dont go to the gym. I can make it only 20 min.

Nc9892 - Thanks What if I did cardio at different times Or had something to eat after weights like a shake or protein bar??? And then did cardio so it wont use muscle ...

And today im trying to make my own "healthy" ice cream. If im gonna make this a lifestyle then I might as well have fun with it!! I used 300 mL skim milk with 1 scoop whey and im gonna freeze it lol ... so it might not be as good but It could still be good.

[twinnett]

For the icecream, try Protein powder, a little milk, cottage cheese, some PB, and some SF/FF pudding mix...blend it up and freeze it..very good!

I don't think you really need to lift 5 days a week. That's a lot. You could probably do a much more effective routine w/ a different split. 20 min. afterwards would be better and have a shake before the (light) cardio would be great. Using something w/ BCAAs like Extend would be good to help preserve the muscle.

[h@rdc0re]

Okay thank u hun! Im gonna try that recipe, it sounds good and i have the ingredeints too! and your plan sounds good

Heres what im doing this week

monday - back and biceps + cardio
tuesday - legs
wednesday - shoulders + cardio
thursday - abs + cardio
friday - triceps and chest
saturday - off
sunday - off

Here's what I ate today

Meal 1: 2 eggs on 2 slices whole wheat toast + 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter with 1/2 cup oatmeal
565 calories


Meal 2: 1 carrot muffin that I had made that is low in fat (only 150 calories per muffin) with whole wheat bagel with lettuce, 2 slices tomato, 3 slices fat free turkey and some hot pepper rings and mustard + 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
610 calories

Meal 3: Whey protein shake with 2% partly skimmed milk
450 calories

Meal 4: (havent yet had this but I plan to have 1 sweet potato(yam) with some mixed veggies and 1 salmon steak
500 calories

Meal 5: 1 scoop whey protein with 300 mL skim milk.

[nc9892]

you should just have real ice cream in or frozen yogurt in the morning, and take some creatine when you take it.

High GCI carbs combined with creatine gives an optimal effect. this is why lots of people drink high sugar juice with it (which has like 10 grams more sugar than most ice cream).

Or just have the no sugar added stuff. it's good

[h@rdc0re]

Hey, I just had the icecream as my last meal ... 1 scoop whey and 300 mL skim milk and it was pretty good. I liked it. And I could never have ice cream on a non cheat day lol. I wanna eat 100% clean unless Saturdays then sometimes I splurge then ... but ice cream doesnt have a whole lot of nutritional value

[twinnett]

I agree actually...the sugar free stuff is crap..I would take a cheat once or twice a week and have the real stuff...try to get some casein powder or have cottage cheese for your last meal...you don't want to have whey before bed...it's fast acting and won't last you through the night as well...also, have some fat in your last meal..are you taking fish oils? that would be a good addition

[fish153]

Fish - Thanks But I train 5 days a week so if I dont do cardio on the days I train then that only leaved weekends and those are the days I dont go to the gym. I can make it only 20 min.

Then do it on the days you lift the least: ie on leg day and on ab day.

[LeilaM]

No idea about the past since I'm new, but I've subbed to this thread.

[nc9892]

You really might think that I'm trying to trick you into eating some ice cream and getting fat or something, but that's really not the case. I'm more trying to show you that you can eat some good stuff and be just fine.

there is a big misconseption that all foods with sugar turn straight into fat. Sugar is processes exactly the same as any other simple carb. Plus, ice cream has fat in it, which lessens the glycemic index, making it actually LOW gci.

When you combine this with the fact that it contains some rather trivial amounts of protien and it is carbs, I think you get a pretty complete meal if sometimes instead of having bread with your piece of fish or 2 you eat a half cup of ice cream and veggies. If this made you gain, I wouldn't have to supplement an extra 800 calories a day from sandwiches and protien shakes.

But seriously: build a foundation of stuff you'll eat every day, like plan out breakfast, Post workout nutrition and 3 snacks, and just take your other meals as they come. It makes the whole thing go alot easier. If you make a plan 5 meals like this, and make sure your plan gives you enough protien, carbs and fats, you won't have to worry about posting your diet because you can eat 2 normal meals and know you're covered nutritionally.

Peace
nc

[h@rdc0re]

Twinnett - Thanks And I always have ice cream on my cheats Mmmm ... but im gonna try that recipe that you gave me, sounds good. Also I found this in one of the articles and I really think it sounds good to bulk for a good 6 months and eat a lot for this time to gain some serious muscle

It is best for someone to bulk for a period of approximately 6-8 months. After bulking for this amount of time, you should have gained a fair amount of mass, assuming you trained properly and ate according to the diet above or other healthy bulking diets.
By bulking for 6-8 months your body has probably began to adapt to your diet or your training. Not only will changing to a cutting diet get rid of excess fat that you put on during the bulking season, but you should continue to grow, as far as lean mass goes as a result of the change in training and diet.
It is also important to change from a bulking to a cutting diet after 6-8 months because after bulking, seeing how far you have come in this past bulking season is essential. You will now be able to see what works, and what doesn't work for your body. You will also be able to fix any problems you have concerning your physique such as a smaller tricep or bicep on one arm as you could not tell underneath the fat that you have put on during the bulking season.

Also ... is yogurt good to eat ??? Does it have caesin protein in it???

Fish153 - Sounds good I think that would be best too. Im also gonna see if I get start sprinting cause that could mean I could leave out cardio on some days cause it would keep my metabolism going for a few days afterwards.

LeilaM - Im glad you have joined! I love having more ladies posting in my journal so im really happy hehe*

Nc9892 - I know And youve helped a lott!! HeHe* I would like to add in icecream into my diet but with me a 1/2 cup of ice cream could just make me eat a lot more and that could make me feel guilty. Like my plan is to eat 100% clean all week and when saturday comes around im gonna allow myself a little spluge. Maybe a DQ blizzard at Dq or something. But I really want to eat foods for gains right now and if anything, to replace ice cream I would rather have some yogurt or something.

But I know what you are saying

[nc9892]

hehe, hey, the way I see it, a little sweet food here and there keeps the cravings away. Do you think I goto dairy queen. Are you serious?

No but I can rock Ice cream or frozen pizza or whatever into my macros for fun just because I set up the rest of the diet so smoothly.

You can do it too, just enjoy yourself to no end.

this is the key

peace and blessings.

nc

[Miranda]

lol

[fish153]

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?p=12482089

You know better than to worry about your rest/off days because you should know by now that building muscle REQUIRES them.