Granite Sate Open

The Granite State Open Figure and Bodybuilding Competition was yesterday at Dover High School. It amazed me to see everyone in perfect shape. When we entered the building we sighted a few competitors. They were so tan that they were unrecognizable. The darker they are, the less shadows and the better the muscle pops out. Most were unnaturally dark.

The Figure Competition entered the stage first. About 20 very fit and tanned women in high heels grazed the stage. Some had a hard time walking, the heels were so high. They were called to some poses and had to hold them for at least 30 seconds each pose. They had to flex their muscles and stand with shoulders back, butt and chest out, head high, and all muscles flexed. Standing under those lights must have been very hot because they were sweating their tan away. Then they had to walk the runway, like models and strike their best pose. Most did really well. It must have been very intimidating to stand up there in a little bikini with everyone staring at you. Plus, with the amount that they had to contract theirs muscles, it look exhausting. I was exhausted watching them tighten up.

After the Figure, the body building started. These women and men were bigger than the figure. The women didn't have to wear high heels or shiny bikini. The had to strike more poses. Flexing the back, chest, triceps, biceps, abdominals, legs, and serratus. They were sweating like crazy. Some were flexing so hard, that they were shaking.

The competitors were ripped. Every striation of muscle was enhance. During the month before the competition, they diet down to almost no body fat so that the muscles becomes more defined. My friend and I decided that we want to look like them. But the dieting down is not for me. It will be interesting if I can get my body to look like that, hard and sculptured. Scott has no problem with me looking that that. He encourages and supports me to follow my dream.

Not Yet Bikini Ready

I finally took the picture of myself in the bikini. I didn't look half as bad as I thought. When posing and flexing, there is actually definition in my arms. I like to wear tight sleeveless shirts when working out upper body to see my results. However, I still have a nice spare tire around the middle. Due to this, I will not be wearing the "bikini" to Cancun especially because family and friends will be going. I don't want to embarrass myself that much. But I am going to spray tan before I go. Tan fat looks better than white fat.

I am back up by 2 pounds again this week. I made a break though last week by losing that 2 pounds. Now its back on. This last 10 pounds is very hard to lose. But I will perservere and lose it. I wanted it to be gone by Cancun, but that won't be able to happen. I will just keep plugging away day by day and week by week. It will come off and by the summer I will look "hot".

Weight training has been going very well. I increase my weights each time I go. I am now benching 75 pounds and squatting 105 pounds. The trainer wants me to bench and squat my weight. I guess I need to lose more weight for that to happen. I have no problems with squatting my weight. I am worried about hurting my back, so I don't go to heavy unless she is there. One of my patients broke her back while squatting. It was a long recovery for her. She couldn't lift anymore or run. So I always have that in the back of my mind. With bench pressing, I am afraid that I won't be able to lift that last rep and might drop the bar on my head. That would hurt. I know I can always call out for help, but that is not my personality.

I have the tendency not to ask for help at all. It is easier doing things myself so as not to bother anyone else. Also, the task is completed on my time, not someone elses. That is probably why I am up at 1am with my mind racing with things that need to be done. Its usually not a problem, crawling out of bed and completing my tasks, except last night when Ella woke up and woke up Scott and none of us went back to sleep till 4:30am. Sorry hunny. Its hard to stay in bed when my mind is racing with all the items I need to accomplish. I bought a tiny light for my Nook, so I can read instead of getting up. But I do enjoy this ridiculously eary morning rising. No kids. The quietness is so peaceful. I complete my bible study, write on my blog, clean the house and wash dishes, relax and catch up on TV. I look forward to it, except when I wake everyone else up because of the baby.

Laughter Makes the Heart Grow Stronger

It has been a great week. I have been eating healthy and working out regularly. I added the extra Insanity work outs in. It feels great to get a good sweat in and my heart rate up. My heart feels strong, my body feels strong, and my posture is more up right. I am walking taller and straigther.

I went to lift weights with my husband on Friday. I never laughed so much. He wanted to do cardio and I made him lift with me for back day. We started with dead lifts. It was very awkward for him to perform this new exercise. He was worried about his disc. During my turn, he repeatedly moved on to a new exercise and then came back when it was his turn.

When we started weight lifting years ago, we both originally performed supersets. This included back pull downs and chest press for 3 sets without a rest in between. This caused our heart rate to stay elevated to burn more calories. However, for building mass, it doesn't work this way. The body needs full recovery in between sets to allow to continue to lift heavy. I remember when I started lifting with the trainer, it was odd to rest between exercises. I don't break a sweat anymore while working out. So usually I try to do 20 minutes of cardio after weights to get in that burn.

We continue to pull ups and I showed him how to use the band to assist him to pull up. I pulled the band down, he put his knee in, removed his foot from the floor, and howled in pain. His leg hairs were being pulled by the band. I thought his back gave out, but when he told me about his hair, I laughed so hard. He is hysterical. After shifting the band around, I still couldn't get it to stop pulling his hair. To his credit, he sucked it up and continued to perform the pull-ups. After his first set, he glanced at me and stated that he would be sore tomorrow and grabbed his shoulders. I laughed again and again. He is someone who can run miles and thrives on triathlons, but to pump weights, he is not a fan. Half way through our work out, I told him this was a fun way to spend Friday afternoon together at the gym instead of at a restaurant. He sarcastically agreed. We will see what next Friday entails. P.S. He wasn't sore the next day.

Its been a rough week

I've had a rough food week this week. I didn't seen to care what I ate. Its been about 2 weeks of spiraling in the food category. I have been stagnant with my weight and reached a plateau where I wasn't losing any weight. It was getting depressing. I stopped weighing myself and then when I did, I was higher than I should be. So of course, I ate.

 I started the day off great. I had my 3 egg whites with mushrooms and salsa, followed by a decent lunch of meat and cheese and small salad. But my nighttime, I was so tired that I didn't care anymore. I didn't want to cook for me or my kids. Of course the kids were happy that they could have chicken nuggets and french fries one night, 3 nights of pizza, Chinese food, hot dog. (I am an awful mom, but the kids enjoyed not eating "real food")

So I vowed the next day to eat better. eggs whites, good lunch, and again horrible dinner. I couldn't break the cycle. My schedule is so busy that I forget to go to the bathroom sometimes. Also from eating bad, the pipes started to clog and that caused much irritation. Even chirocleanse didn't work. My stomach was not feeling well. So of course, I ate bad again. Like I said, I was on a downward spiral.

I woke up yesterday and decided I was done. I needed to break this plateau. I only have 4 weeks left before vacation to fit and look good in a bathing suit. I wanted to lose 10 pounds. I upped my workout yesterday. In the morning I exercised to an Insanity video, then in the afternoon I met with my trainer. We worked legs and I hope I can walk this afternoon. They felt like jello after working out. I had 2 protein shakes after each work-out. I actually made dinner last night. I slow cooked pull-pork, which I never made before, with corn on the side. It was fabulous. I was impressed. It was so easy. I love my crock pot. I don't use it enough. Some friends have gave me a couple of recipes to try out. Using the crock pot is great because I don't have to think about what to have for dinner when I am completely wiped out.

Today I woke up feeling great and energized. I got on the scale and broke my plateau. I couldn't budge from 152 in weeks. Now I made it to 150.4. I cannot wait to be in the 140's. I would like to be 145 before Cancun. I am on my way. I took a before picture in a bikini that I want to wear for next summer. It is skimpy and I will not post it until I like how I look in it now and are not embarrassed by it. Above is a picture of the bikini without me in it. Next year, I intend to wear this and look good. Wish me luck.

Weight training on my own

After meeting with my trainer for 3 sessions, I was on my own. It was time do work on my back. I pulled out my form with my exercises on it. I started with dead lifts. I went over to the corner to the squat machine. I proceed to arrange the bar where I needed it and added the appropriate weights. I placed my hands on the bar, feet apart, back arched, shoulders down, shoulder blades back, butt out, and abs tight. WOW! There is much to remember on this one exercise. I thought I was doing them correctly all these years. Boy was I wrong. I was always told I had very good form, but not any more. It is very hard holding your shoulders back while lifting. I now know I have a lot to do to get my back strong. Next, I moved on the pull-ups(with a band). Luckily the gym was not to crowded. If you would have seen me try to get my knee into this band that was hooked over the top of the pull up bar. I was using the machine that you hold yourself up with your elbows and do leg lifts for abdominals. I had the band over the top and it reached to my stomach. I had to hold onto to the side so I don't fall and use my other hand to pull the band down. The band does not stretch very far. Standing on tipie toes didn't work either. Ok, new strategy, turn around and lean on the back and the side of the machine and pull. A little better. Trying to pull without falling over was interesting. Finally, I was able to get the tip of my knee into the band and slid it down farther. Yeah! I did it. I was ready to do the pull-ups. After the set, I squirmed my way out. That was fun. But I had to do it again. I looked around the room to make sure no one was watching and wiggled myself in it again. I could only laugh at myself. I'm sure it was a great sight.

Now moving onto wide grip pull downs. Atleast I didn't look ridiculus this time. I set my weight and pulled. I went up to six reps pretty easy, rep 7 was a huge struggle, and during rep 8 I was barely able to pull this down. This happen for all three sets as well as the next narrow handed pull downs. I continued with the rest of my work out without any other incidents. I also added extra bicep exercises since I was feeling good. The hardest part of back and shoulder training is the posture. I had to constantly remind myself to fix my posture. The trainer said as my back becomes stronger, it will be easier to keep better posture. I can't wait for that day. Next on the rotation is legs.

Great Island 5K

One more race down. Today we ran the Great Island 5K in Newcastle. It was a beautiful run.  The weather was perfect. The sun was shining brightly and warmed the air to 75 degrees. There were 1400 people ready and waiting at the starting line. "On your mark" "GO". and we were off. 30 seconds later we crossed the starting line. Up the first hill and around the bend we traveled. The roads were very curvy so you never know what to expect next. The first mile, I was at 10.01 min. Perfect, right on target. We slowed down in mile 2 to 10.12 min. After mile 2, I kicked it in. I wanted to average below 10 minute miles. Running faster and faster the last half mile, I proceed to pass 1, 2, 10, 20 runners. I crossed the finish line at 30.41 which put my average at 9.54 minutes. I broke my record and completed this race my fastest of the season.

I love to run. I decided not to quit running while on this journey to body building. I will continue to run 2 times a week with a lower heart rate. This will continue to get my heart rate up to burn the fat. If I am having problems with building mass then I will cut back on cardio. I am planning on another series and another triathlon next year. I plan to finish these races by July which will give my body 3 months to put on the mass for the competition.

Legs training in peace and quiet

 I looked around the gym and it was quiet. It was a Sunday morning and there were not many people there. It was peaceful. I put my headphones on and enjoyed my training. I am accustomed to working out with the kids "Momma, momma, I need....." "Mom, Logan hit me, but he started" Or the kids coming down and watching me work out. They want their tv show on, even if I'm doing a video. Or they want to run on the treadmill when I am. So I am enjoying the silence.

I had an amazing workout yesterday. I focused on legs and added in a back exercise. I started with squats. I wanted to do the hardest exercise first before my legs were fatigued. I started lifting with just the bar. It felt good.  I moved onto dead lifts, leg press, leg extension, leg curl, adduction and abduction, and calf raises. I actually did abdominals as well. I do not like ab work. I have to remember to do crunches at the end of a workout.

It was also nice working out without becoming very sweaty. My face always becomes very red from cardio work. It was nice to remain my natural color. I want to continue to run twice week to keep up my cardio. I can't imagine not running on my off days. I want to be able to chase after the kids without getting out of breath. Or walk up stairs. For me, I am discovering that I would rather have smaller muscles and run than larger muscles and feel out of breath. But I do reserve the right to change my mind depending how body building goes.

The Right Way to Count Calories- Part 2

1.     Counting Calories: Most people assume that all calories are equal. This is the first myth.

 To start out on a calorie counting program is very easy. By searching the internet, you can find many calorie counting programs. But here is the hard part. YOU NEED TO EAT HEALTHY. Let’s say you are allowed to eat 1500 calories. This should be broken up in 5 small meals a day. Most people will eat only 2-3 times per day and get all the calories that way. So you will probably be more hungry and need to consume a large amount of food. Spagetti and meatballs will fill you up and go towards your calories. However, these are not nutritious foods. You need to learn how to eat the proper nutritious foods. By eating more nutritious foods, you get hungry less often.  Fruits and vegetables are very low in calories. Plan on eating fruits for your snacks. Have a large salad everyday for dinner. Add turkey, chicken, or fish to get your protein in.  Make your salads interesting. Use a lot of quality vegetables and strive for color. The more color there is in your salad, the more nutritious it will be. However, watch your salad dressing. That is where you will consume the most of your calories. Try making your own dressing.

Salad dressing #1

Mix equal parts flax seed oil, olive oil, apple cidar vinegar, and basalmic vinegar. Add spices and enjoy.

Salad dressing #2

            Lime juice, olive oil, garlic, and fresh dill

Salad dressing #3

            Lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and fresh parsley

There are many combinations that you can try.

If you are on an exercise program, you will need to eat more calories to feed your muscles. This should consist of high protein foods. If you do not add the extra calories, you body could go into starvation mode. This will cause your body to respond and take that hard earned muscle and start breaking it down for fuel. You need to eat to lose weight and grow.

Limit the amount of empty calories that you consume. Soda’s, diet or regular, fruit juices, and lemonade, are all examples of drinking empty calories. Also, coffee and alcohol can be high in calories. These drinks will take away the nutritious food that you could be eating. Watch out for snacks. There are many 100 calorie snack packs on the market today. They do not have much nutritional value. They will waste away your needed calories. This is one of the reasons why calorie counting gets a bad review.

Calorie counting is great when you go out for dinner. Most restaurants list the calories, carbohydrates, and proteins either on the menu or on a separate card. You can also find this information on different websites. It is amazing how many calories are in a Caesar salad or chicken fajita salad. There can be over 1200 calories in that one salad. That is a whole days worth of calories in one meal. No wonder why America is overweight. It takes 3600 calories to gain a pound. Eat 3 of these “salads” a day and gain a pound. We are thinking that we are eating healthy and we are far from it.

Counting calories should not be an excuse to eat what you want as long as you stay in the range. You will lose weight initially, but eventually it will catch up to you. Remember watch your calories but really learn how to eat healthy and get rid of those empty calories.