Knowlege is power...

 Oh my god.  This time around is SO much harder then the last time.  New competition date is June 22nd and it is going slowly.  Ounce by ounce and a lot more tired.  Not sure what's going on but it's been super frustrating.  I bought an Escali  Scale that measures weight, fat and body water. Bio-impedance measuring is just one of the many ways to test body fat and there is a margin for error of 2% either side of the reading but you can do it at home and the cost is very low compared to other methods.  You should use it at the same time every day, which your probably already doing if you are monitoring your weight (obviously essential when prepping for a contest).  It measures hydration as well so if you use it every morning your hydration would pretty much be the same every day.  Testing in the evening would be a little tougher because hydration levels are more likely to change on a regular basis.  Really the main reason to use a scale with bio-impedance capabilities is that it gives you another way to monitor and, as the title of this post says, knowledge is power.  The more you know the better you can plan your competition prep.

The other thing I bought is an Orbi Tape.  It is a measuring tape that lets you measure yourself.  I don't know why but I think this is the coolest thing ever.  It makes it so you don't have to fumble to get a good reading on your own body.  Ready  more about it at the link above.  It's super cheap too.

People ask me about supplements all the time too.  I use straight forward whey protein that mixes easily.  I do not like to spend a lot of money on anything so I don't want all the wonder stuff that some companies add.  It should have a high protein/low carb count per serving.  I also take calcium, vitamin D, fish oil, flax seed capsules and a muti vitamin but I have to confess that I am not very good about taking them every day.

Simple rules to follow whether your preparing for a competition or not.  Protein, veggies and monitor, monitor, monitor in every way you can - weight, body fat and measuring.

One Week Behind

As the title of this post says I am a week behind so the Emerald Cup is out.  I might be able to catch up but it's too much of a risk, especially for a show that big.  Also deadline to register is tomorrow and I don't want to lose my 100 bucks.

If I lose weight any faster I will sacrifice muscle.  That's what I did last time and I swore not to do it again.  I am on track again meaning I've got my stress under control. My daughter has been released to return to gymnastics so her recovery is moving right along.  There are a couple shows coming up that I could enter as well.  One is the Oregon Ironman on May 18th which is plenty of time.  The only trouble is that it is in Lincoln City, Oregon.  A beautiful town on the Oregon coast but a 5+ hour drive from Seattle.  The next one close to Seattle is June 22nd which is better then next fall but will also be a serious balancing act since it's too soon to relax my competition prep but too far to go hard.  Deadline to register for the Oregon Ironman is May 18th so I have a couple of weeks to decide.  It may make a good little family vacation.

The other thing is I have a photo session coming up on May 24th.  I need new physique shots for my website and marketing purposes.  The Oregon Ironman would be perfectly timed for that but again, it's quite a drive just to compete.

So I'll continue as if I am going to do the Ironman because of the photo shoot.  I still have time to think about what I am going to do as far as actually competing.

Here's my nutrition count for one day.  This is a lower calorie day for me.  I usually hover around 1,500.

8:00am
6 ounces tuna
210/48/0
Lite mayo
100/0/4
Red bell pepper
25/0/3

1:30pm
8 ounces ground beef
450/72/0
Mixed greens
50/2/1
.5 red bell pepper
25/0/3
Oil and vinegar
70/1/4

7:00pm
.5 cups almonds
300/9/7

1,230/130/22

High Protein/High Fat

I have about four weeks before the competition and to bump myself off a plateau I went back to the high protein/high fat diet that really worked for me twenty years ago.  I did it for about a week and it bumped me down a few pounds.  The higher fat diets do not work for everyone.  If you don't know what works for you then I suggest that you try three different diets, doing each one for a week and see how you feel and if you lose any fat.  The first diet to try is the high protein/modified carb diet, which was the first one I did this time around so you can check back a couple posts to see what that consists of.  The second one is lean protein/low carb and that is your typical protein and veggie diet, with maybe some oatmeal added in the morning.  The third one to try is high protein/high fat.  This is what a typical day looks like on that kind of diet:

8:00am
1.5 scoops whey protein
2 tablespoons peanut butter

11:00am
1.5 cans of tuna mixed with 2 tablespoons mayo
Large green salad with 2 tablespoons oil and vinegar dressing*
.5 cups nuts

2:00pm
8 ounces of steak
7-8 brussel sprouts* tossed in olive oil and roasted

5:00pm
8 ounces chicken (either white or dark)
.5 cups nuts
1 cup stir fried cabbage*

8:30pm
8 ounces grilled fish
Large green salad with 2 tablespoons oil and vinegar dressing*
.5 cups nuts

* you can eat as much green veggies as you want.

Again, the best way to find out what works for you is to experiment.  Don't be afraid of eating more fat.  Fat doesn't make you fat, sugar and refined carbohydrates do.  They fatten cows quickly by feeding them high glucose foods, not by feeding them fat.

So much better now...

 After switching back to low carb I am where I want to be in this next round of competition prep.  I will be honest, if I feel I am not ready to compete in five weeks then I won't.  The Emerald Cup is the biggest competition in the northwest and I want to represent on stage.  If I don't look better then last time then I won't do it.

Here's my current typical day of eating:

8:00am
1 cup of cantaloupe
1 scoop of whey protein

11:00am
1 can of tuna mixed with 2 tablespoons of light mayo
1 red bell pepper

1:30pm
Oh Yeah protein drink (I love these!)

5:30pm
6 ounces of pork or chicken
1 cup stir fried veggies (mostly cabbage)

8:30pm
6 ounces steak
Mixed salad greens with oil and vinegar dressing

1,540/207/30
This is a lower calorie day for me.  I range between 1,500-1,800 on a regular basis.  The protein is high, I know.  I just work better that way.  You may work better with more carbs.  I have been occasionally eating a little brown rice and I stir fry my veggies in oil.  When I crave a little something extra I eat an Adkins bar.  They are calculated by net carbs (total carbs - fiber - sugar alcohols, all which don't impact blood sugar) although it worries me because I never count impact carbs, I count ALL the carbs.

Still lifting heavy.  Some programs want you to change to lighter weights and higher reps for the last four weeks but I don't think I'll do that.  I need the shoulder mass, which isn't very much now and counts for a lot when competing.

Back To Low Carb

So the higher carb diet was not working.  I switched back to low carb and lost 3 lbs.  It's not really about weight loss, it's about fat loss, but weight loss is a good indicator that you are going in the right direction.  The higher carb diet was definitely not a high carb diet.  It was around 70-100 grams of carbs a day but my body just does not work well with even that amount.  I need to diet on 50 grams or less.  Competition prep is tough, especially the first time out.  I made a lot of mistakes my first round of competition prep 20 years ago.  You have to be willing to experiment to see what works.

The traditional weight lifting program is working really well.  Strength has increased every other week so I am staying strong (not losing any muscle mass).  That was one of my mistakes last time toward the end of competition prep.  I didn't eat enough and I doubled my cardio which was not smart.  As I mentioned a few posts back I was afraid that I was not going to be able to lose the weight like I did 20 years ago....because I am now 20 years older and statistically it is harder to lose weight the older you are.  I was wrong.  As long as you stay properly hydrated, get enough rest between workouts and eat enough protein you won't sacrifice hard earned muscle in order to lose weight.  Again, it's about fat loss, not weight loss.  I needed to really track how much weight I was lifting every workout and do the traditional three or four exercises per body part during one workout.  When I shed a couple more pounds then I can make an assessment but I think my shoulders already look better then they did last competition.



Here's a look at the diet I was doing a couple of weeks ago:

1/3 cup oatmeal
1 scoop whey protein

3 ounces chicken breast
1 cup cantaloupe

3 ounces chicken breast
1/2 cup brown rice

3 ounces steak
2 cups lettuce with 2 tablespoon oil and vinegar dressing
1/2 red bell pepper

3 ounces steak
1/2 cup sweet potatoes

3 ounces chicken breast
2 cups sauteed kale

3 ounces steak
2 cups lettuce with 2 tablespoons oil and vinegar dressing
1/2 red bell pepper

Basically eating every two hours, which is very hard to do.


What I am eating now:

1/3 cup oatmeal
1 scoop whey protein

6 ounces steak

5-6 ounces chicken
2 cups lettuce with 2 tablespoons oil and vinegar dressing
1/2 red bell pepper

1 small can albacore tuna
2 tablespoons light mayo
1/2 red bell pepper

6 ounces steak
2 cups chard


I shoot for 175-200 grams of protein a day, 50 or less of carbs and I don't count fat grams.  Again, you have to find out what works for you.  You may be just fine with a higher carb diet but over the years I have found that the majority of women have a hard time losing weight unless they cut the amount of carbs that they eat.

Closing In On Week Five

The last two weeks have been pretty tough. I totally got stuck at a five pound loss for two and a half weeks. I know that I don't lose steadily but it just seemed to be taking a long time to drop and I was working so hard. For the past five days I cut my carbs to less then 30 a day and that did the trick because I dropped three more pounds as of yesterday. I also made absolutely sure that I did two-a-days for all of those five days. It sucked but it got the job done.

Yesterday I met my friend Teri at the gym and went into the group exercise room which is the brightest room I have access to, and of course it has big mirrors. We wanted to make an assessment of how I looked with about four weeks to go. It's really hard to make an assessment without being tan so I got a level 3 spray tan in the morning. I am pretty happy with the way I look overall but I still need to work on shoulders and chest but they have always been my weak areas so it wasn't a big surprise. I am training both chest and shoulders as often as I can which means as soon as they aren't sore I'm on it again. Stomach is flat but abs aren't in yet but I expected that. I need to tighten up in the glutes as well. All in all I think that another three pounds will make the difference and that's totally doable as long as I stay on it. It's going to be a tough four weeks.

Here's a sample of one of my low carb days:

8:00am
1/3 cup oatmeal
100/3/18
3 egg whites
45/10/0

12:00
8 ounces flank steak
540/80/0

2:30
1 scoop protein
120/20/4

4:00
Protein shot
130/35/1

7:00pm
8 ounces flank steak
540/80/0
Salad with ranch dressing
150/2/2

Daily totals - 1,625/230/25