How to Balance Health and Fitness with Real Life (Part 1)

If you follow me on IG (or Facebook) you may have already seen the photo I posted last night with the caption below:

If you close one eye, and squint the other, I kinda have abs..

I haven't tracked a single macro in a month, the batteries in my food scale have been dead for over a week, and I've only been in the gym a handful of times in the 2 weeks since I got to CO. I've had some beers, more frozen custard and fast food burgers than I care to admit, and some KILLER mac and cheese. I've been on top of mountains, in canyons, and on rivers. I have been living LIFE and enjoying every second. And to me, life > abs. So there's that... Now, back to life :)

I wanted to touch on this a little more today, because lately this has become a topic very near and dear to my heart: balancing health and fitness goals with having a real life.

When I first started working out, I was pretty good at balancing everything - I'd work out a few days a week and eat pretty clean, but I also allowed myself to live my life at the same time.  I started competing, and still kept a fairly healthy balance between the gym and real life - but somewhere around my 3rd or 4th show I lost all concept of balance.  Both pre-contest and 'offseason' I was basically letting my physique run my life - counting every single macro I ate, weighing ALL of my food, killing myself 7 days a week in the gym, and not really allowing myself much freedom from that routine...  Don't get me wrong, I still had some fun here and there and let myself stray a little, but everytime I did I was so overwhelmed with guilt that it was almost crippling.  I truly let my abs (and the rest of my physical appearance) run my life - I can look back now and realize how crazy it was, but at the time it was normal.

Don't get me wrong, if you are actively competing or doing something else that requires your body to be in 'peak' condition a majority of the time I get it, it's important, but please don't make yourself miserable doing it.

I have taken it pretty easy lately - my workouts are no longer 2+ hours, I take days off and don't beat myself up over it, I get outside and do active things like hiking, whitewater rafting, walking the dogs, running (who am I)..  I eat mostly clean, but am far more likely to partake in a burger, ice cream, even a beer (or 3) when the opportunity presents itself.  I stopped counting my macros, quit weighing out all my food, and am finally learning to go with the flow every once in a while.  I am extremely 'Type A' so this can be tough at times, but I am learning to accept that sometimes you just have to run with it.

I am still in the gym 3-5 days a week, and I still lift heavy weights.  I don't ever plan to quit because I truly LOVE working out, but I think I am finally learning to balance the gym with real life, and it's pretty damn cool.

So please, don't beat yourself up if you stray from the plan a little (unless you're one of my clients in which case I WILL FIND YOU lol).. Enjoy your life while you can and stop being so hard on yourself.  Someday you'll look back and can either be proud of your six pack abs or you can look back on all the awesome memories you made outside the gym, because trust me, it's a lot more fun out there :-) 

Bi-Weekly Check-in (5/20)

Since I announced last week that I am not going to compete this summer, I have really been back to focusing on gaining muscle mass and have upped my calories (mostly through carbs) this week.  I know it’s only been a week since the diet change, which is typically not long enough to see much difference, but I am actually down another ½ pound from my previous check-in…  That is very disappointing.

The thing with diet/training changes is you really have to be patient and trust the process – as long as you are not on a time constraint (like an upcoming competition), I typically have my clients follow a plan for 4 week before making any revisions.  The clients that are pressed for time, however, get changes every other week – and even every week depending on how far away their goal date is.

My diet changes have been minimal, adding too many calories to your diet at once can cause excess fat gain, which no one particularly wants… By slowly adding calories in over longer periods of time (similar to reverse dieting) you are able to ensure that most of the weight gain in lean body mass.

My training hasn’t changed, and most likely won’t.  I can achieve most of my goals by simply changing my diet and continuing to lift heavy weight for low to moderate reps.  I always have and probably always will train like a bodybuilder, although over the past 2 years my training has become more functional.  I want to look good, but I also want to be able to perform well.  When I was competing it was all about aesthetics, now it is more about balance.

I do plan to cut back on my cardio a bit – I currently only do 8 minutes 5-6 times a week but I will be dropping that back to 3 days a week.  Because I have a very high metabolism and am an avid lifter, I have to be very leery of the amount of cardio I do when trying to gain weight.  I am a true hard gainer, which is really nice at times, but incredibly frustrating when your goal is to increase muscle mass.

Most of my measurements this time around stayed the same, I did lose ½ an inch around my hips but otherwise I haven’t lost anymore size, which makes me happy!  Hopefully by my next check-in I am stable, at least, if not up a little – I have been consistently losing weight since February and enough is enough!

This week’s measurements:

Calf: 14.5 inches
Quad: 22 inches
Hips: 35 inches
Waist: 26 inches
Forearm: 11 inches
Bicep: 13 inches
Weight: 126.2

Last check-in (5/5):

Fabletics Review

Since I basically live in workout clothes, I am always on the hunt for new places to get cute, affordable, reliable stuff – and I really found a winner with Fabletics! 

In case you are unfamiliar with them, here is some info pulled straight from their website (and for the record, no one asked me to post this, nor was I compensated – I just love their products and wanted to share them with you!):

HOW THE VIP MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM WORKS

VIP MEMBER PERKS

·   Up to 40% OFF retail prices

·   FREE SHIPPING on orders over $49.95

·   Earn VIP REWARDS POINTS!

GET STARTED

SHOP

Browse your personalized picks ready on the 1st of the month. Complete outfits start at just $49.95

SKIP BY THE 5TH

Make a purchase or log into your account to "Skip the Month" by the 5th and you will not be charged. If you do not shop or skip by the 5th, your credit card will be charged $49.95 (1 membership credit) on the 6th until you cancel. Skip as many months as you'd like – you may still shop after skipping the month. Each credit can be redeemed toward 1 outfit - use it to shop anytime.•

CANCEL ANYTIME

You may cancel your membership at any time. To cancel, call our Member Services team at 1-844-Fabletics (1-844-322-5384)

* New members who join the VIP Membership program this month do not have to shop or skip until the following month.

You can also earn points towards free stuff!  You get points simply by placing an order, but also by reviewing your products.  And, you can refer friends to get a $10 credit on your account (which I will get if anyone uses my referral link, so thank you for that!).

This is a great service, they have tons of super cute choices and everything is incredibly reasonably priced – I ordered 3 separate pieces (not an pre-designed outfit), and absolutely loved all 3 items!  I purchased the Aruba  Wrap Top II, Dili Shorts, and Vaasa Sports Bra, as shown below:

First of all the Dili shorts are great – they have a think waistband so they don’t cut in to your sides, although I do roll mine down in the front (it’s a habit I have).  They stay put on your legs and are super comfortable – I love the side cinch that you can use to shorten them a little – and the color is fantastic!

 The Vaasa Sports Bra is without a doubt my new favorite bra – it is also incredibly comfortable and the bask design is awesome!  I am a sucker for strappy back on sports bras and shirts, so as soon as I saw this on their website I knew I needed it.  It offers just the right amount of support for my training, without making me feel claustrophobic like some sports bras do..

And the Aruba Wrap Top II, OMG!  I am obsessed.  I have worn this thing constantly since I got it and it is becoming my new favorite top for just about any occasion.  I wore it to the NPC Eastern Seaboard last weekend which was the first time I wore it and I got so many compliments!

I remember eyeing this shirt the first time it came up for sale, but I waited too long and it sold out – as soon as I saw it was back I knew I had to jump on the opportunity ASAP.  The fabric is super soft and comfortable, and the fit is amazing.  I haven’t worked out in it yet, but I have basically lived in it everywhere else and love it!

I highly recommend Fabletics as a great source for workout clothes that are so much more – coming from the girl who lives in gym clothes, it’s nice to have cute options that work both in and outside the gym.  If you’re in the mood to do some shopping, be sure to check them out!

Bi-Weekly Check-in (5/5) and Posing Practice!

I was really eager to do my bi-weekly check in this week, in hopes of finally gaining some weight back after our recent trip to the coast, but alas I am down 3 more pounds...  It's really making me think I should definitely get on stage in July - I am leaning out so effortlessly that I think I could get through a prep without too much stress.

That being said, I started posing again.  No decisions have been made just yet but since competing has been such a constant thought lately I figured I should go with it for now and just see what happens.. No promises, no commitments, just kinda-sorta prepping but not really? Does that even make sense?

This is my third posing session - I spared everyone the first (it was rough), and I posted a brief clip of the second on Instagram, but the third time was definitely the charm!  Please excuse the awful music choice - it was first time making a video and apparently this is the only song I had to choose from - I will fix that before the next one though I promise!

Ok, now that that's out of the way on to my bi-weekly..

As I said, I am down 3 pounds and lost a little bit of size around my calves, quads, and biceps.  Losing size around my quads is really upsetting to me, since I work so hard to try to gain size there.  I guess I really need to start looking at my training and figure out what I can change to hopefully see some results - but then again if I do decide to get on stage I guess the gains will have to wait!  Decisions, decisions...

This week's measurements:
Calf: 14.5 inches
Quad: 22 inches
Hips: 35.5 inches
Waist: 26 inches
Forearm: 11 inches
Bicep: 13 inches
Weight: 126.8

Last check-in (4/20):

Bi-Weekly Check-in (4/21/15) and Thoughts on The Pill (hormonal birth control and fitness).

If you remember from my last check in, I made some diet/training changes in hopes of stopping this trend of dropping weight that I seem to have found myself on... The verdict is in, and I am down another pound.  Not what I was hoping to see, to be honest, BUT when I took my measurements I was pleasantly surprised.

Calf: 15 inches

Quad: 22.25 inches

Hips: 35.5 inches

Waist: 26 inches

Forearm: 11 inches

Bicep: 13.5 inches

Weight: 129.8

4/20

Previous check in (4/7):

4/7

Unfortunately, I lost another quarter inch around my quad.  BUT I was actually able to put a quarter inch on my bicep and half an inch on my calves!  The growth in my calves is huge for me - I have been battling sesamoiditis in my left foot for over 6 months, and have not been able to do any typical "calf-isolating" exercises.  Luckily, this is just proof that you don't necessarily have to isolate calves in order to see improvement - my heavy squats seem to be taking care of that for me!  Now, some people (especially if your calves are a lagging bodypart) will find that isolating them specifically during training will be a huge help, luckily my calves have always been a genetic strength of mine, so I can get by without isolating them.

I also lost half an inch around my waist, which you will not hear me complain about!  This is the smallest my waist has been in 2 years (since my last show) - and I have to say I'm shocked.  Overall this is the leanest I have ever been without being in active show prep - and to be honest I haven't really been trying very hard.  I watch what I eat (for the most part), do minimal cardio, and lift heavy...  

Really, the only thing I can credit this to, besides 6 years of training, is finally getting off "the Pill".  Since I got off the Pill in January of last year, I have noticed incredible changes not only to my body, but to my hair (I had previously been losing a LOT of hair on a daily basis, which some people attribute to the hormones in birth control), and my mental health (the excess estrogen from the Pill was literally making me bat shit crazy).  I am not a doctor (obviously), but I can tell you from personal experience that coming off hormonal birth control and switching to an IUD was the best decision I have ever made.  If you are having issues that can be attributed to the Pill, it may be worth having a talk with your doctor about other options.

I'm sure there are many women in the situation I was in last year when I made the switch - if this is something you'd be interested in, I could absolutely dedicate a post to my experiences, and the changes I have noticed since switching to an IUD.

Anyway, now that I have gone off on a tangent, back to the subject at hand...

I do not plan on making any changes to my diet just yet - we will be taking a long weekend trip to see John's parents this weekend so I'm sure I will make up for some of my weight loss while we're there - but after that I am going to really take a look at my meal plan and training schedule to narrow down where I need to make some changes to meet my goals.  

I have been tossing around the idea of competing in just under 12 weeks - so I need to make a decision on that as well, because if that's the case it will obviously effect what changes I make to my diet and training schedule.  I am seriously considering doing the NPC GA in July - it's been a very long 2 years since the last time I got on stage, and I am really itching to get back up there.

My leanest 'off-season' ever!

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What I ate... (Tuesday, 4/14)

Since my WIAW posts are usually WIAS(Saturday or Sunday), I figured I’d do one today showing my meals on a weekday instead – typically my weekday eats are the same all week – the only thing that will change is the post workout meal (depending if it is a day off or not) and my dinner.  I like keeping my weeks structured because it makes my life easier (less thought = easier in my world) and by keeping my meals a little “cleaner” during the week, I can afford to slide a little more on weekends without suffering too many consequences.

I wanted to make this kind of a “day in the life” post too – I love reading other about other people’s days so maybe someone out there wants to read about mine? Maybe? Well, here it is anyway:

5:30 AM wake-up call!  I actually set 2 alarms prior to this (5 and 5:15) but 5:30 is usually the winner – sometimes 5:45 if I’m feeling really risky.  I get up and get ready for my day – wash my face, get dressed, straighten my hair, grab my meals from the fridge (thank God for Sunday meal prep – I could never prep my meals everyday – kudos if you do though!), and wake the Princess up to go out before I leave for the day.

If she had a choice, she would not move from this bed for 23 hours out of the day...

 6:30 AM out the door.  It takes me about an hour to get to work, so I have to be out the door no later than 6:30…

7:30 AM arrive at work - turn on my computer, dread opening my emails, and get on with my day.

8:30 AM breakfast!  During the week I don’t eat breakfast first thing in the morning, I usually don’t have an appetite at 5:30 or the patience to make food – 8:30 is a good time for me, gives me a chance to fully wake up and actually get hungry before I force down a meal.  Breakfast during the week is not typical: tuna, brown rice, and peas – with Roasted Red Pepper Italian Dressing.

Noon  lunch!  My second meal of the day is broccoli, more brown rice, chicken, and Roasted Red Pepper Italian Dressing (I love that stuff).

2 PM  we usually try to take a walk sometime around 2 – we walk for half an hour or so around the site – it is a great break after having been in the office for 6 ½ hours already, and from spending most of that time sitting in front of a computer.

3:30 PM my third meal of the day is my pre-workout meal, eaten about 2 hours before I will start lifting.  Chicken, sweet potatoes, parmesan cheese, topped with Sriracha sauce – this is my absolute favorite meal of the day.

4 PM leave work, head to the gym.  I have another hour drive ahead of me, so I won’t get to the gym until right about 5.  I drink my pre-workout on the way, usually around 4:45.

5 PM arrive at the gym – change into my workout clothes, and lift!  Yesterday was shoulders and some ab work – my workout lasted about an hour and a half and immediately after I was done I drank my post-workout shake: Cellucor Corperformance Whey & pure Dextrose Powder.

Dextrose (aka glucose) is a simple sugar that is easily and quickly absorbed by the body, making it a great post workout choice – it helps to replenish glucose lost during exercise so that your muscles can recover and GROW.

7 PM I am finally home!  I hang out with John and Lily for a few minutes before I run upstairs to shower – then I either spend the next couple hours doing chores, or lounging around with my man and the princess.  Last night in particular I spent most of my time making sure John was OK – he came down with the flu and it hit him pretty hard, poor guy :(

Around 9:30 PM I eat my final meal of the day – eggs!  I love having breakfast foods for dinner, and dinner foods for breakfast – is that weird?  My last meal of the day varies during the week and will usually be something I make for John and I, but anytime he isn’t hungry (like last night, since he was sick) or if he is working, I make myself eggs for dinner.  I love this meal so much!  6 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, cheddar cheese, sugar free ketchup, toast, spray butter, and jelly.

And that’s a “day in the life” and WIAW - for yesterday.  I really enjoy doing reading these from other people, and I think they’re fun to do myself, so look forward to seeing them a couple times a month!  Thanks again for hosting, Jenn!

Oh, and before I go (if you follow me on IG or Twitter you probably already saw this), this happened a few days ago... And MAY lead to more things happening, in 12ish weeks...

Bi-Weekly Check-in 4/8/15

Time for another bi-weekly check-in!

I have actually lost weight, again... My overall calories haven't changed in the past 2 weeks, which most likely means my metabolism is still speeding up (something I have been actively working on for a few years now).  That is GREAT news, but also means that I need to adjust and compensate if I want to continue to add size.  I lost 1/4 inch on my quads, and 1/2 an inch around my ass - not cool. Those are 2 areas I have been working REALLY hard to gain some size on.

My strategy for the next 2 weeks is going to be more food - I am adding straight dextrose (a form of sugar) to my post workout shake - and I'm going to try to add more carbs in to other meals as well.  My protein and fat intake is already high, so I don't think I really need to add anything there.  But carbs are muscles best friends!  Carbs will keep them full and growing!

Also, I am going to cut back on cardio (again).. I don't do much as it is, only 8 minutes a few days a week, but I do tend to lift at a fairly quick pace which keeps my heart rate elevated and leads to burning more calories than lifting at a generally slower pace.  So, I need to start taking a little more rest between sets and possibly cutting back the supersets a little.

With those changes, we'll see where I'm at in 2 weeks and go from there.  This is why I think check-ins are so important, no matter what your goal is, they give you a chance to see how you are progressing and change your approach if necessary.  I think 2 weeks is a fair amount of time to use as a check point - weighing and measuring yourself more often than that can be counter productive (depending on your goals - once a week is good for those in contest prep or those looking to drop significant amounts of fat).  I have to note that I DO weigh myself, but I don't really use that number to determine my progress - I use the pictures and the measurements for that because weight only tells part of the story.

4-7

Measurements from yesterday (4-7):
Calf:  14.5 inches
Quad: 22.5 inches
Hips: 35.5 inches
Waist: 26.5 inches
Forearm:  11 inches
Bicep: 13.25 inches
Weight: 131

Previous check-in:

3-24

Bi-Weekly Check-in 3/25/15

I think this is a really important check-in, because I took my measurements 2 days after my birthday – for my birthday I counted/logged NOTHING, ate/drank whatever I wanted, and didn’t work out.  I have also continued to have a slice of that amazing ice cream cake every night since my birthday  - and guess what? I didn’t gain a million pounds!  Actually, for my bi-weekly I LOST 2 pounds.  Just goes to show that if you work hard and focus on healthy eating and training hard a majority of the time, you can afford some treats here and there without losing all your progress!

I think I actually benefited from all the carbs Saturday – check out that post-birthday pump!

Measurements are as follows:

Calf:  14.5 inches
Quad: 22.75 inches
Hips: 36 inches
Waist: 26.5 inches
Forearm:  11 inches
Bicep: 13.5 inches
Weight: 132.6

I know some people think it’s a little overkill to take measurements every 2 weeks, especially when someone is offseason and not prepping for a show or actively trying to gain/lose substantial weight for any other number of reasons.. I like it though, even though I am not seeing much change it is a chance for me to critique my diet and training and see if maybe I need to rework something.  It helps me to (hopefully) avoid plateaus and to stay accountable.  I may not be actively in show prep, but that doesn’t mean much to me, I still strive to the best I can be.

I like to do this too because I want to let you all know that even if you aren’t seeing changes from one day to the next – over time you will.  And it’s espceially nice after a celebratory weekend like this one to be able to check-in and know that a day of no fitness didn’t kill me – in the past I would have had a panic attack about eating (and drinking BEER), and would have at least had to go do a crazy workout before hand, but this year I didn’t, and guess what?

I'm still here.

I'm still strong.

I'm still healthy.

And I still look pretty good :-)

Fitness is weird, it can take over your life in a good way or a bad way – it is up to you which way it goes.  It can drive you crazy if you let it, or in can improve your life substantially.  I know there was a time in my life where I let it drive me crazy, but since I have really began to learn more about myself and my body – and the fitness world in general – it has finally started to really improve my life.  Don’t let fitness control your life – let it compliment your life!

(Late) Bi-weekly check-in and a REVIEW!

I want to share a review with you today of my new absolute FAVORITE pre-workout: Megawatt HD by 1^st Phorm!  (And no, I was not compensated for or even asked to do this review – I bought this product with my own hard earned cash and fell in love, so I wanted to share it with you!)

First and foremost – daylight savings time has officially kicked my ass this week – like, all week.  Don’t get me wrong – I love the longer days, but because I start my day at 5 AM and am on the road by 6:30 – my mornings all week have been spent in total darkness, which really messes with me for some reason.  By the time I get off work and finally make it to the gym, I am beat.  My workouts all week have really suffered – until I found Megawatt HD!  I got it in the mail yesterday and took it before I went to train back, and let me tell you – I was immediately impressed.  For the first time this week I had a really amazing workout – I had energy and focus and endurance – I swear I could’ve lifted for 2 hours!  I successfully destroyed my back day and even had the energy after my lift to do some cardio (who am I?!).

From their website:
MegaWatt HD™ has been specifically formulated to boost energy levels and dial in your mental focus during training. MegaWatt HD will take your workouts to the next level by enhancing muscle endurance and vasodilation! Our uncompromising and extremely powerful pre-workout is unlike anything that has ever touched your lips. We took our time with this formula because we weren’t looking to just make another pre-workout … we focused on creating the BEST pre-workout! Period.

MegaWatt HD isn’t just a flavored powder filled with a bunch of stimulants to get you all jacked up before you hit the gym. We wanted to deliver something that would improve muscular endurance as well as something so powerful, you’ll never want to stop training. We would Never Settle® for anything less… and neither should you!

We started MegaWatt HD with research-proven micronized creatine monohydrate to boost ATP production, strength, and overall endurance. Secondly, we added in a potent dose of beta alanine to reduce lactic acid build up and decrease muscle fatigue so you can train longer and harder in the gym. Then we stacked in the Intracellular VoluMax Blend™ to boost blood flow as well as maximize oxygen and nutrient delivery to the muscle cells for powerful muscle contractions and skin-tearing pumps. This potent base takes your precious time in the gym to the next level and keeps your body from ever wanting to quit.

The mind is more powerful than the body when it comes to training intensity.  The final evolution was developing the Neurostatic Matrix™. This is the most potent and unheard of blend of powerful nootropics currently on the market today. MegaWatt HD is designed to keep your mind not just focused, but absolutely dialed-in and blasting through the pain while keeping energy levels at their peak. With MegaWatt HD’s dynamic mix of mental focus and ever lasting energy you will never want to give up.

The taste is phenomenal (I got Juicy Watermelon), and it doesn’t take long to kick in which is great for me because I hate to wait on a pre-workout that takes FOREVER to finally kick in.  I felt focused, strong, and ready to kick ass, without feeling overly jittery or weird at all.  And there was no crash at all – just a slow, easy come down without me really even noticing.  Not to mention, I was still able to fall asleep at a regular time after taking it – since I train so late in the day that is always a concern of mine, and a lot of pre-workouts on the market make it really hard for me to sleep even 5-6 hours after taking it – not this though, I slept like a baby!

My only complaint (let’s be real, not everything can be perfect) is the serving size – ¾ of a scoop.  As in, NOT a whole scoop.  I’ve seen this before in other products and have never really understood it – why not just make a smaller scoop to accommodate a serving size?  Either way – make sure to read labels, please – for reasons like this!  It states not to exceed 1 ½ scoops in a day, again, read labels – I know plenty of people (myself included) that takes 2 scoops of pre-workout occasionally – you really need to be careful with this one since 2 servings is NOT 2 scoops.  This is especially important to people that are caffeine sensitive as there is a pretty potent dose in Megawatt HD.  Seriously though, that is my only complaint – otherwise I am absolutely smitten, as I have been with every 1^st Phorm product I have ever used.

And before I go, I just realized I missed my bi-weekly check-in post (see – I told you this week has kicked my ass!) – I won’t bore you with everything BUT I did take measurements and snapped some progress pics last night, so I wanted to share them real quick.  One of these days I will get my act together!

Calf:  15 inches
Quad: 23 inches
Hips: 36 inches
Waist: 27 inches
Forearm:  11 inches
Bicep: 13.5 inches
Weight: 134
Height (since some of you have been asking): 5’2

And some progress pictures:

3-12

2-24

2-10

Bi-weekly check in (#2)

Time for another bi-weekly check in!  My progress lately has been slow and steady – my goal is still to increase my lean muscle mass and get my strength up – since I stopped competing I have lost a lot of muscle and strength and I am working on getting them back!  Slow and steady progress is good for me, it means that my gains are quality and that they will be much easier to maintain in the long run.  I have been eating more, doing less cardio, and decreasing my reps and those 3 factors seem to be working in my favor.  I have also been taking a lot of rest days to allow my body to recover and grow.

My workouts for the past 2 weeks:

Wed, 2/11 – Chest & Abs
Thurs, 2/12 – Legs
Fri, 2/13 – Rest
Sat, 2/14 – Shoulders & Arms
Sun, 2/15 – Legs
Mon, 2/16 – Rest
Tues, 2/17 – Back
Wed, 2/18 – Chest & Abs
Thurs, 2-19 – Legs
Fri, 2/20 – Rest
Sat, 2/21 – Shoulders & Arms
Sun, 2/22 – Legs
Mon, 2/23 – Rest
Tues, 2/24 – Back

I have really grown to enjoy this lifting schedule – Mondays are my LEAST favorite day to train because the gym is always crazy busy, and I like to take Fridays off to hang out with John, it’s been working out really well so far!

My diet has been good, lots of “bro” foods (chicken, sweet potatoes, rice, broccoli, oatmeal, tuna, STEAK, protein powder, eggs, etc…) plus poptarts and ice cream, because, gains. I always, always, ALWAYS eat poptarts after I train legs – that’s my secret… Well, that and heavy squats!

My measurements for this check in:

Calf: 14.75 inches
Quad: 22.5 inches
Hips: 36 inches
Waist: 27 inches
Forearm: 11 inches
Bicep: 13.5 inches
Weight: 135

That’s all I have for today, check back tomorrow for another sample lift (chest!) and anything else I come up with between now and then.

2/24

2/10

1/26

1/12

What I Ate ... (Sunday 2-15)

I wanted to share another What I Ate Wednesday Sunday post today – these are fun for me and I think help people realize that dieting doesn't have to suck all the time – as long as you are getting the right macro nutrients for your body and are putting in work in the gym, you can afford a few treats here and there without gaining a million pounds!

This is everything I ate yesterday (Sunday) – it was also leg day and since I am really focusing on putting size on in my legs I try to strategically plan a higher calorie day around my leg training (and post workout poptarts!).

Breakfast was a slight variation of my favorite egg pizza – 8 egg whites, Parmesan cheese, ketchup (I am weird, I know), plus 60 grams oatmeal, cinnamon, splenda, and peanut butter.

About an hour and a half after breakfast I trained legs – I had a really good lift and am finally starting to see some progress in my legs.  Slow progress is better than no progress!  It was a very squat-heavy workout, I threw some conventional deadlifts in too – along with leg presses, hip thrusts, extensions, and pushed the sled around for a few minutes to finish.  Hoping I can finally get my wheels back by lifting heavy and eating for gains!

Immediately after my lift I had some Smores poptarts – 99% of my leg lifts are followed with poptarts (either smores or chocolate peanut butter) – the fast digesting carbs work wonders in helping my legs grow.

An hour or so after my poptarts, I fueled my body with some more substantial food – sweet potato, chicken, goat cheese, and hot sauce – seriously one of my favorite meals, I eat it almost everyday!  I usually use Parmesan cheese, but couldn't resist some goat cheese today.

I spent the next few hours cleaning, doing laundry, meal prepping, and cuddling with John and Lily – Sundays are seriously my favorite day of the week – so relaxing!

I started to get hungry a few hours later, and had some broccoli and chicken, topped with cheddar cheese and Stubb’s BBQ Sauce – I had a pickle too while I was waiting for it to heat up – pickles are my favorite!

We finished off the night watching Walking Dead (do any of you watch it, we are obsessed!) and caught the tail-end of the SNL 40^th anniversary special.  And I had some Ben & Jerry’s to end the night..

Everything came in at around 3000 calories, which is a little low for a leg day (for me), but seemed to do the trick.  I want to take a minute to stress that this diet works for me, and my body – it may not work for everyone.  Will 1 bad meal make you fat, no – in the same thought, however, one healthy meal will not make you fit.  It is all about knowing what you want, and actively working towards that goal everyday – don’t expect one healthy meal and one workout to make you healthy – and don’t expect one bad meal to make you fat.  No change happens overnight.

Bi-weekly check in (#1)

Today I wanted to do a little check-in on my progress – I take my measurements & weight every other Monday (I was running a day late this week though), along with progress pictures.  I do this for ME, as a way to track where I am, where I came from, and where I’m going – like I have said before I don’t have any real long terms goals right now, other than to consistently be a better version of myself, so I like to do little self check-ins as a reminder of that.

I have decided to start sharing these check-ins on here, just a little recap of the previous 2 weeks in terms of diet/training and where I’m at!

My training for the past 2 weeks has been a little whacky, lately I haven’t had as much structure in my routine as I’m used to – it’s been nice but I’m ready to get back on a schedule.

Mon, 1/26 – Legs
Tue, 1/27 – Shoulders
Wed, 1/28 – Rest Day
Thurs, 1/29 – Legs
Fri, 1/30 – Rest Day
Sat, 1/31 – Back
Sun, 2/1 – Chest & Abs
Mon, 2/2 – Legs
Tues, 2/3 – Shoulders
Wed, 2/4 – Rest Day
Thurs, 2/5 – Back
Fri, 2/6 – Chest & Abs
Sat, 2/7 – Rest Day
Sun, 2/8 – Legs
Mon, 2/9 Rest Day
Tues, 2/10 - Back

As you can probably tell, I am really focusing on legs lately – I am trying to build them up because I feel like I am getting a little top-heavy, and I like to stay as proportional as possible.

My diet has been pretty spot-on – as I've stated before my weight was starting to drop so over the past 2 weeks I have upped my calories and dropped cardio – and it appears to have worked.  I am not training for anything in particular, just trying to put on some of the muscle I lost in the 2 years since I've been on stage (has it really been THAT long?!).  I have also been taking rest days a lot more often, they are incredibly important in any training routine!

My measurements for this check in:

Calf:  15 inches
Quad: 22.5 inches
Hips: 36 inches
Waist: 26.5 inches
Forearm:  11 inches
Bicep: 13.5 inches
Weight: 132.8

And, of course, some progress pictures:

Taken 2/10/15

Just for comparison sake, my previous 2 check-ins:

Taken 1/26/15

Taken 1/12/15