November 2012 - Training

After coming back from the NPC Sac Show on the 3rd, I realized I was in one of my 'non-eating' phases. Basically I've always had a cycled eating pattern. I'll eat more for a few weeks, and then I'll basically have no cravings or desire to eat. So I decided to use that to my advantage. Even though I'm building right now, I just don't feel comfortable at this high of a weight. I was at my all time high of 144lbs. (My previous high was always 140). The stress and mess I had to deal with in the last few months took a toll on my eating and working out.

I decided to tighten up my diet and drop a few pounds. I didn't plot it out, I just modified what I was already eating by cutting my pre-workout PB&J in half, and replacing 2 of my meals for super clean ones: tilapia & asparagus, and salmon & asparagus. It ended up being high protein and low carb, about 105g carbs. I will also say I did have a few add-in items. Monday I had my friend's leftover bread pudding she had made from scratch for me. Tuesday night I had my 2 mini sliders leftover from Chili's. Small bites, made me happy. If i run out of food I throw in a Lean Cuisine at the end of the week. So, I'm down 3lbs. I would've liked another to be down to 140, but I'm pretty happy. I took my measurements and photos. I'm guessing I'm down about 1 lb of fat, and 2lbs of water. I feel better about how I look, though I definitely have a long way to go. But I'm happy to lose it slower and keep the muscle I am working SO hard to build. I most likely will bring the food back up this week to my 'maintenance' level and continue. I would like to do another drop week at the end of Nov/Beg December. I am guessing my competition weight will be around 125. We will see how much I can actually build and what that looks like when I lean out.

I am still using the M&F Trainer for my workouts and loving it! I lift 5 days/week. I don't do any 'cardio' per say, but I teach 2-Cycle classes and 5-Aqua classes per week, so it's there! ;)  Yesterday was legs & shoulders and my butt is definitely sore today! I really had to force myself through that workout last night. My basic diet for the last week, my drop week, is below. It's about 1400 cals. If I had sat down and figured it out the ratios would have been better, I just wanted to drop and didn't mind going strict, especially because I let myself keep my favorites.

 

Current stats: 141lbs, 22%BF (31lbs), 110lbs LBM.
 - I take this all with a grain of salt, because the BIA measurements fluctuate greatly, and unfortunately some fat caliper measurements you just can't take on your own. At the higher weight it read i was 112LBM, which I'm sad about because I was working to 115, but now looks like I'm back down to 110. We will see, I just HAVE to keep my lifts in, even though I am completely SLAMMED at work! 



 

My May-ish Nutrition & Training Plan

   Since I have now filled every available hour I have with clients (YAY!), I have to be really strategic on how I can keep MY training! I don't need cardio, I teach 7 classes a week! One of them is a Bosu Bootcamp class, which is full body conditioning. I work out at 7am on Sundays with mom, so we do a lift together then. One of my friends who I am coaching on Figure Posing is trying a 5x5 program, so when I came across a 5x5 Kettlebell Program by Mike Mahler of Aggressive Strength, I was all in! He had a 3-day and a 2-day split. I chose the 2-day because I really don't know if I can squeeze 3 more workouts in, but I should be able to do two. 

I looked at the plans and came across one by JNL(Jennifer Nicole Lee). It had 6 meals, but 3 were Protein shakes. I want to try to stick with mostly whole food, also I don't feel as full after a shake. I have one shake at night before bed that is leaner, mostly just protein. And the 2 items under 'Afternoon Snack" are actually separate, the Shake there is my post-workout shake. I'm excited about my food here, and this is really what's most important! You need to LIKE your food, or you will never stick to it. And let me tell you, I'm getting a little tired of throwing out nicely packed meals of tilapia at the end of the week! So here goes, let's see how I do! And if you try it, or have questions, feel free to post away! ;)

Breakfast    Item                                                              Calories    Fat     Protein    Carbohydrate   Fiber
1/2 tablespoon (0.7 oz) of Honeys: Plain                               32        0           0              8.7                0
1 tablespoon (0.6 oz) of Laura Scudder's: Nut Spreads:
Old Fashioned Peanut Butter, All Natural, Smooth                100       8           3.5             3                 1
1/2 medium [7" to 7-7/8" long, 6.6 oz as purchased]
(4.2 oz) of Fresh Fruits: Banana, raw                                    53       0.2         0.6          13.5              1.5
1/2 serving (1 oz) of Seeds: Chia, dried                                 69       4.4         2.2           6.2               5.3
1/4 cup (8 oz) of Trader Joe's: Yogurts: Greek Style,
Low-Fat, Plain                                                                     40        0.8        6               2.3               0
1/3 cup (8 fl.oz) of Milk & Flavored Milk: Cow, Fat-Free,    30        0.2        2.9            4.1               0
1/4 cup (2.9 oz) of Breakfast Cereals, To Be Cooked: Oats,
Rolled, regular or quick or instant, dry                                  78        1.3          3.2          13.6              2
 (Fridge Oatmeal)                                                          Total 402     14.8g      18.5g     51.2g          9.9g
Morning Snack Item                                                         Calories    Fat     Protein   Carbohydrate   Fiber
1 cup, not packed (8 oz) of Cottage Cheese: Low-Fat (2%) 203      4.4       31.1           8.2              0
1 cup, halves (5.4 oz) of Fresh Fruits: Strawberries, raw       49       0.5        1             11.7              3
                                                                                  Total   252      4.8g    32.1g      19.9g           3g
Lunch Item                                                                      Calories    Fat      Protein  Carbohydrate   Fiber
*3/4 serving (2 oz) of Tyson: Canned Meals:
Premium Chunk Chicken Breast                                           45       0.8        9.8             0                 0
1/2 cup, with seeds, yields (5.3 oz) of Fresh Fruits:Grapes,Red or Green
(European type, such as Thompson seedless), raw                52       0.1        0.5           13.7             0.7
1/2 medium [3" dia, 7.1 oz as purchased] (6.4 oz) of Fresh Fruits:
Apple, with Skin, raw                                                           47       0.2        0.2           12.6             2.2
1 tablespoon of Kraft: Mayonnaise: Reduced-Fat,w/Olive Oil 45       4           0                2                0
1 cup shredded (1.7 oz) of Fresh or Dried Vegetables:
Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw, edible portion                            8        0.1        0.6            1.5             1
1 slice (1.2 oz) of Food For Life: Breads & Bread Rolls:
Ezekiel 4:9, Sesame Sprouted Grain                                       80        0.5        4              14                3
                                                                                  Total 277       5.7g   15.1g        43.8g         6.9g  
Afternoon Snack Item                                                    Calories      Fat     Protein   Carbohydrate   Fiber
*1 container (6 oz) of Chobani: Yogurts:
Greek, 0% No-Fat, Apple Cinnamon                                    140         0          14             20                1
1 scoop (1.8 oz) of Labrada: Nutritional Drink Mixes:Lean Pro8,
Super Premium Protein, Strawberry Ice Cream Flavor, dry    220         8          25             12                4
                                                                                 Total 360         8g       39g          32g             5g
Dinner Item                                                                     Calories     Fat     Protein   Carbohydrate   Fiber
1 cup (8.6 oz) of Eggs: Chicken Egg, egg white,
cooked, no added fat                                                          126        0.4      26.5           1.8             0
2 cup (1.1 oz) of Fresh or Dried Vegetables:
Spinach, raw, edible portion                                                  14       0.2         1.7           2.2             1.3
1/4 cup, pieces or slices (2.5 oz) of Fresh or Dried Vegetables:
Mushrooms, white, raw, edible portion                                    4      0.1         0.5            0.6             0.2
1 ladle, 2 tablespoons (1 fl.oz) of Old Country / HomeTown Buffet:
*Condiments: For Taco Bar, Pico de Gallo                              10      0            0                3                 0
1 serving (1 oz) of Kraft: Cheese: Natural Shredded, Shreds, 2% Milk
Reduced-Fat, Mexican Four Cheese                                      80      5             7               0.5              0
 (Egg White Omelet)                                                Total 234      5.7g     35.7g         8g              1.5g
Evening Snack Item                                                        Calories    Fat      Protein   Carbohydrate    Fiber
1 serving, 2 scoops (1.3 oz) of Chocolite: Nutritional Drink Mixes:
Protein Shake Mix, French Vanilla, Strawberry or Banana   150        3           24                8                5
                                                                                  Total 150       3g        24g              8g             5g

                                                              GRAND TOTAL: 1675    42g      164.4g     162.9g        31.3g
22% of the calories are from fat, 39% from protein, 39% from carbs and 0% from alcohol.

*NOTE: Some of these items are for value purposes only. ie:
-I did not drive to Hometown Buffet each day to get Pico de Gallo, lol. I got it at Safeway!
-Flavors can be alternated for items, the values must be same or close(shakes or greek yogurt)
-I cheated and used canned chicken. I forgot to defrost my chicken!.
(As calculated on CalorieKing.com)

Exercise
-I teach 3) 60min Cycling classes, 3) Aqua classes(taught on deck), and 1) Bosu Bootcamp class. Aiming to squeeze in 2) 5x5 Kettle bell workouts(2-day split) by Mike Mahler. (bodybuilding.com)  

5x5 Kettlebell Training by Mike Mahler

JNL's Fitness Model™ Thai Curry Chicken and Grape Salad Sandwich

No Cook Refridgerator Oatmeal by The Yummy Life

My Egg White Omelet

Getting Back to "Normal"

Well, here I am...1 1/2 months after my last show.(NPC Governor's Cup, March 24th, 2012) and here I am, back up to 136lbs, 20%BF which is where I was in November. It's not inspiring, it's not something I post a lot about, but it's life.I am not sucking in or posing in these photos. Just me.

I let myself pretty much eat what I wanted. Which I totally enjoyed! Don't get me wrong, I started every day well, but by the end of the day, all I wanted was CAKE!! Being a competitor and trainer, you are also under a LOT of scrutiny. I could be eating something and someone will come up and ask how many grams of sugar? or oh that must have preservatives! or any other derrogatory comment they feel entitle to as I'm struggling finding my own balance.

So now I'm at that point where I am once again enjoying making my healthy food. Things that I was afraid to eat before(dairy, cottage cheese, cheese, tuna, whole grain bread - HEALTHY things!) I am now eating. And I am back in control. From this point on, I want to diet in a more healthy fashion. I can't have a diet where I can NEVER have something, or completely cut something out.

I have finally been convinced that I have enough muscle. I keep wanting to build more, but it seems as the Figure gals are coming down in size, so I need to concentrate on getting as tight as possible. My goal is to diet my way back down 10lbs, and the once I am in the 125lb range, I will Diet hard for 4 - 6wks to get Stage Lean. Because my life, job, schedule and sanity are important to me. And I believe my body responds better that way.

I am currently trying the method and supplement in Jim Stoppani, PhD's "7 Scientific Steps to a Camera Ready Body". This is also a test run for me to see how it works, and if it works as I think it will, I will use it for my competition prep. You can see it through the link below.

7 Scientific Steps To A Camera-Ready Body 

by Jim Stoppani, PhD Jun 30, 2011

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/7-scientific-steps-to-camera-ready-body.html

Being Fit AND Happy (originally published Dec 2010)

(This was the first article I had written upon the request of a dear friend for her e-magazine. It is really what started my writing. )

Being Fit AND Happy!

As a certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor I have worked with many types of people, each with different goals and backgrounds. So many times people ask me the "secret" for losing weight. Not only have I researched different methods and supplements, but I have also tried quite a few of them myself. As someone who has competed in Bikini and Figure competitions, I have seen many things that are used and pushed to be used, but believe that the best trainers will not try to sell those things. While supplementation and overly strict diets may work temporarily, they are not sustainable nor do they make you feel good. Supplements usually only help while you are taking them so unless you want a life-long commitment, its better to train your body to do the work naturally. Any strict diet is hard to adhere to as it creates a barrier to normal social gatherings with friends and family. Also when you eliminate food groups or macronutrients (such as fat, carbs or meat) it creates an imbalance which can lead to fatigue, moodiness or anemia. In the end, anything done to an extreme will fail.

            Exercise is crucial in any fitness or health plan. I like to avoid the use of the word “diet” as it has built up a negative connotation over the years, and triggers a response in people of something that is restrictive and painful. No matter what your body type and goal, a combination of strength, cardio and flexibility training is crucial. I find that people tend to gravitate to either strength training (usually men) or cardio (usually women). Cardiovascular activity is crucial for heart health for both sexes. The better trained you are cardiovascularly, the better able to process oxygen and ‘energy’ your body will be. The body will be able to pump blood more effectively, and able to extract oxygen from that blood more efficiently. Strength training keeps the body strong. Women especially need to do strength training to fend off osteopenia/osteoporosis which is a weakening of the bones. If you challenge your body, it will adapt, by having stronger muscles and bones. Also, posture is one of my great concerns with clients as we tend to sit all day and sometimes night in front of a computer monitor or TV. So many young people walk into the gym already slouching, and it pains me to think of what they will look like 20 years from now. I make sure to get in lots of back exercises, such as rows and reverse flies to help this. Flexibility is the third component for any fitness regimen. You want to keep your muscles as flexible as possible to prevent injury and keep your range of movement as much as possible throughout your lifespan. Many back injuries and pain are caused by tight hamstrings or hip flexors, and also weak abdominal muscles. General guidelines for healthy adults less than 65 years of age set forth by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA) in 2007 are as follows:

Do moderately intense cardio 30 minutes a day, five days a week
Or
Do vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week
And
Do eight to 10 strength-training exercises, eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise twice a week.

            The other key aspect of any program is nutrition. Many people look up a ‘diet’ online, or in a magazine. These are general concepts and each person is very different in their requirements. You should not cut out a food group completely. Many fad diets say to cut out carbs, bread, or dairy. Carbohydrates are the main fuel for your body. They are the first energy source your body looks for as it is easily broken down for activity. They also are the main energy source for you brain and heart. When there is no carbohydrate/glycogen in the muscles to serve as fuel, the body must then break down the secondary source of fuel, which is a much slower and more complicated process. They body also must break down protein and this results in some loss in muscle tissue. Also, high protein/low carbohydrate ketogenic diets are not good for the bone systems and can quicken osteopenia. 

 You can have a balance in life and in your nutrition. I usually ask people what they normally eat, what they can’t eat and what they can’t live without, and then create an outline of something that is similar to that. Portion size and food matching is a great way to make your food make sense without feeling like you ‘can’t eat something’. Also, there are definitely healthier options to a lot of foods. A big situation I see is people not eating enough when they are trying to lose weight. A female should never eat less than 1200 calories a day, and men should never go under 1500 calories. This is to cover basic body function. You then need to add more for being a functional person, and that also depends on your level of activity in your job.  

            With these general concepts out of the way, I would like to say that this is completely attainable to any person. You do not need to go to a gym, or ride a cardio machine 30 minutes a day. It definitely would be easier to do the more intense cardio option to save time, but if you can’t do that, you can choose something that fits you. You can do 10 minutes, three times a day. Riding your bike to the store, walking to lunch on you lunch break, walking your dog are all easy ways to get your activity in without having to dread a “workout at the gym”. For a lot of people it’s mental, and I see this in myself. There are days I don’t want to do anything, so I do an intense 15 minute workout, and I feel great afterwards. Strength training can also be done at home, with a quick full body workout. Squats, lunges, pushups, chair dips, crunches and planks can easily be done anywhere and without equipment. If you add just one piece of equipment to that such as weights, resistance tubes, ball, bosu, etc. you can do a lot. So many activities are great to do with groups of people and can fit into your social calendar. Examples of more social fitness activities are trampolining, hiking, biking, white water rafting, skiing/snowboarding, wakeboarding, kayaking and surfing. All of these count as great activity, but are even better because it is real life work for your body, and a break for your mind.

            If you get your activity in, and eat well-balanced proportioned meals, keeping fit and healthy becomes easy. You will start doing more active things without thinking about it. It is especially good if you have a group of friends that like to do these things as well as you can reinforce each other in your healthy lifestyle.

So go out, round up some fun people, join a group, get active and enjoy your world!

Nicole M. Thompson, MA 
UCSB, Sociology, minor Group Ex & Personal Training
SJSU, Kinesiology: Exercise Physiology, minor Sports Nutrition,
specializing in Exercise & Pregnancy
NPC Figure & Bikini America competitor