Sick :(

I'm sick. But you know what? I still stuck to my diet and workout plan.

What a beast I am.

I'm taking today off from working out though, because I need a day to let my body recover. 

This week so far, I've been spot on with my diet with NO CHEATS! 

I've even become more motivated at the gym, trying new exercises and working every part of my body.

You know that feeling where a new muscle in your body feels sore? I've had that all week and I love it!

My legs especially.... I've been having knee problems the past few weeks and realized it was coming from the hamstring curl machine (it was once effective, but now the movement just feels unnatural for my knees). I switched back to deadlifts (90 lbs) last night and my hammies feel amazing.

Listening to My Body

I think when dieting (I don't really like that word, since it should really be a lifestyle change), the most important thing you can do is listen to your body. Just because people eat 4oz of lean protein and half a sweet potato 3x a day doesn't mean I should. I think I'm going to cut sweet potatoes from my diet for the first few weeks since I've noticed a DRASTIC decrease in bloat and stomach issues. I made brown rice the other day for my high carb meal, and it was so yummy!

I've already noticed the difference in eating clean. I feel lighter- literally less weighed down. I don't feel bloat, I don't have weird tummy issues and I feel comfortable! I ate on point yesterday, but had a little bit of my family's stir fry. It's what most people- myself included- consider healthy: colorful veggies, minimal oil, sautéed shrimp. However, it was seasoned with soy sauce and other sodium-heavy condiments. Since my sodium intake has been minimal the past view days, it was a slight shock to my system and I curled up in bed thinking I was going to throw up.

I sound like such a drama queen, but I honestly felt sick! That's what just 4 days of my diet has done to my system. It's good, because it gives me incentive to eat what I know is safe for my contest prep, but it's also scary to think that a cheat meal down the road could potentially make me sick. Regardless, I'm loving the fact that I'm leaning out!

Also, I just checked out the pictures of the winners from this past weekend's NPC Natural Western. The bikini overall KILLED IT. She was the only one that stood out to me when I went to prejudging.... so glad she won. If my tastes are in line with what the judges are looking for, then I think I know how to tailor my prep to get a winning body! yeeeeahbuddy!

Cardio

I've realized that the diet part is easiest for me..... and that cardio will be the end of me!

I need to find a form of cardio that I will enjoy. Plyos at home seem like a great idea, especially in the morning! I think that waking up early to workout is easy, but having to make myself remotely presentable THEN drive to the gym THEN drive back and shower THEN get ready for school.... it's a lot. I realize that others do it, so I shouldn't complain.

I know that if I tell myself that I must do plyos at home, I have absolutely no excuse to not do them.


But back to the diet. I've been VERY GOOD. No cheats, no straying. If I do need to improve on anything, it'd be waking up early so that I can get another meal in. My sleep schedule is off track and I don't like the way I feel. However, my body is leaning out. I don't wake up with bloat, I'm not retaining any water since my sodium intake is on point. I LOVE the way my body feels, even though it's sore.

Yesterday's leg workout was killer, but it's back to the gym tonight to do triceps and shoulders!

Leg Day!

About to kill my hammies and glutes! 

Also throwing in cardio since I need to lean out. Not my favorite, but it needs to be done!

Hip adductor-  4 sets to failure (increasing weight each set), 5th set drop set

Leg Press- 4x12 (high stance, feet together)

Smith Machine squats- 4x12 (wide stance)

Smith Machine lunges- 4x12 (far-forward stance)

Hamstring curls- 4x12, 5th set to failure

Leg extensions- 4x12

Laying hamstring curl- 4x12

40 minutes on the stair master (broken up into 2 sessions)

10 minutes incline walk on the treadmill

10 minutes jogging

OMG I want to faint even typing this. SO EXCITED! haha

15 Weeks Out!

So after eyeing the fitness community for sometime and checking in on NPC/IFBB bikini show results, I've finally decided to take the plunge and start prep for my first show! It'll be the NPC AZ Open in July, and I couldn't be more excited! This blog will be an outlet for me to report and analyze my progress, but if anybody else happens to see it, feel free to follow me on my journey. Actually, if other people do see it, it'll be motivation for me to keep to my word!

I've already started prepping my meals for the week. My meal plan is somewhat along the lines of:

Breakfast- 1/2 cup oats, 3 egg whites

Snack- Protein shake or veggies

Lunch- 4 oz lean protein with 1 cup veggies (on high carb days I'll add 1/2 cup brown rice)

Snack- 3 oz chicken (or protein shake, if I didn't have one earlier)

Dinner- 4 oz lean protein with 1 cup veggies

Snack- rice cake with almond butter

It seems like so much food! I'm going to stick to this though. My goal is to drop my body fat- I'm currently at 17.5% and want to get down to around 12-13%. I'm not necessarily going by numbers though; it'll honestly be all up to how I LOOK. I have a body fit for the bikini division (small waist, decent set of glutes haha), I just have to fine tune it and tighten up! 

SO EXCITED FOR THIS JOURNEY!