Coffee Protein!

Yes, you read that right!! A scoop of protein powder mixed with four cups of coffee is the ultimate pick-me-upper!! I really thought I was not going to be able to drink coffee due to the simple fact that I don't like the taste of coffee without cream...well look no further...toss in a scoop of vanilla protein powder and some ice and you got yourself quite the Iced Mocha!! (My trainer has all the tricks!) I bet you can only imagine what 32g of PRO and 4 cups of coffee in one sitting will do to ya....YAHOOOO! :D

Matt and I have had family in town since Thanksgiving and we all even left town for the weekend, so needless to say, my diet has not been on the straight and narrow. After a hearty breakfast this morning, I'll be back on track! It's gym time tonight and no more messing around!

This comic made me crack up because I felt like this when ordering a few times this past weekend..."I'll take that but no cheese, no mayo, no bun, no..., no..., no..." The server probably thought I was nuts!


                                   

"Abs are Made in the Kitchen"

Sunday, 11/20, made a week from when I started this journey. Since day 1, I have lost 2 lbs and definitely feel stronger (and sore...in a good way). I had taken about 1.5 months off from working out prior to starting this due to a surgery I had but my trainer, Kristi Romero, helped me "ease" into it. As of right now, the working out is the fun part! The food...everything other than breakfast has been somewhat of a challenge. I am trying out new recipes though so I'm hoping it helps. I'm sure I will go back and forth with which one is harder as my journey continues. As the workouts get more intense I will probably be praising the part of the day where I get to sit down and eat yet another meal of chicken, brown rice, and broccoli. They key to eating is definitely having all of the food already prepared in the kitchen. This makes it much easier to weigh, throw in a few tupperware containers, and go! I'm pretty sure my boyfriend has enjoyed having prepped food already in the house as well. I'm currently doing strength training about 4 days per week and cardio 5 days per week/20minutes a day. My cardio consists of walking on a treadmill, at an incline, which burns about 200 calories. I asked my trainer about ab and calf exercises at our last session and she informed me that in the competition, calves aren't necessarily judged and abs are just like any other exercise so 3x/wk at 15 reps/each. Sound crazy when you look at figure competitor's abs and see how shredded they are??...well, "they're mainly made in the kitchen".

                                             

Leg Workout

Super Set 1

-Leg sled, squat stance (feet shoulder width with toes slightly flared out). Set 1 20reps @ 80lbs. Set 2-4 120lbs @ 15reps.

-Seated leg curls. Set 1-4 @ 105lbs

*1-2min rest and stretch between super sets

Super Set 2

-Leg Press, feet together high on plate (focus is back of the legs). Set 1 @ 90lbs 20reps. Set 2-4 @ 135lbs @ 15reps.

-Hack Squat machine, feed shoulder width. Set 1-4 15reps no weight.

*1-2min rest and stretch between super sets

Finish with: 100 walking lunges

Day 1 With A Trainer

This morning was my first day training with my trainer...at World's Gym! At first, the gym can be extremely intimidating! Everyone in there seems to have huge muscles and really knows what they're doing. Kristi, my trainer, instantly puts me at ease with her huge smile as we head to take "Before" Pictures. She then informs me that it's not so much fat we will be trying to lose right now, it's more about putting on the muscle. No more high intensity spin classes that I love so much... it's 20 minutes on an inclined treadmill or on the stairs and that's it! Otherwise, I will be burning muscle. She then proceeds to tell me it's legs day! We go through a quick warm up on the treadmill, followed by 6 exercises, super setting two at a time, and ending with 100 lunges! My legs truly felt like jello at this point, yet so good at the same time! I ate a banana post workout and couldn't wait to get home and cook my 5 eggwhites plus one whole egg and mix them with avocado! Funny the foods you crave when your diet is limited. Next step, buy some Glutamine and BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) for muscle recovery and continue persevering!

No, these aren't my legs. Just another motivational pic :)

                                   

Protein Shakes Replace Coffee and Wine

Well, Matt and I hit up two grocery stores last night to get a majority of things needed for this diet of mine (on top of Thanksgiving necessities). I spent about an hour this morning preparing my breakfast, meals for the day, and a few things for the next couple days. I will probably need to make another grocery store run on Wednesday!! When you buy the food, it looks like SO much!! Once I started cooking, weighing, and portioning it out, I realized that I didn't get quite enough to even get me through a week!! I'm sure the process of shopping, cooking, and preparing will get easier with time. I'm not going to lie...I caught myself with a huge smile on my face, laughing to myself, while cutting up ALL this broccoli! I can't wait to see the transformation my body goes through from week to week! My coffee I usually have in the morning has now been replaced by a Whey Protein Shake, 6 Egg Whites, Oatmeal, AND an apple! The glass of wine I enjoy while sitting on the couch after a long day will be replaced by a protein shake at the end of the day and eventually...an extra cardio session...at the gym! Tomorrow will be my first day with my trainer at World's Gym in Pacific Beach at 8am! I'm ready!!

(What I thought was) A LOT of broccoli

Oats, flaxseed, natural PB

Day Before It All Begins

Today I enjoyed a couple last pleasures before the journey begins. Started off the morning with a great spin class at FIT and then indulged in some delicious cinnamon french toast accompanied by a mimosa. My boyfriend and I will be grocery shopping tonight for the necessities so I hope he's ready for a little change as well. Here is a little of what our grocery list looks like:

1. Oatmeal
2. Almond Butter
3. Flaxseed
4. Egg Whites
5. Almonds
6. Apples
7. Chicken
8. 99% Lean Turkey
9. Tilapia, Salmon, etc.
10. Brown Rice

Sounds delicious doesn't it?! I may be a little crazy, but I'm pretty excited! I've gone through this "lifestyle change" a couple times before and physically, I've never felt better! It's invigorating to see and feel the changes your body goes through when you only put fuel in your body!

                                            

The Beginning

A couple years ago was when I discovered my interested in the world of Figure Competing. I honestly don't remember what prompted the thought but nonetheless, I'm ready to work at it now! I knew this would be an interesting journey, and possibly an inspiring one, so I decided to start a blog, mostly for myself, to chronicle the thoughts, feelings, and other emotions that I experience through the process. This would be the FIT part of my blog. The FASHIONABLE part is because...well...it's me! It's another one of my passions and I want to demonstrate that you don't need to choose one or the other when it comes to sacrifice. Why work so hard on making your body better if you can't then accentuate your best assets? Furthermore, why spend the money or time on fashion when you don't feel 100% confident in your body? I'm ready for the challenge! It's always motivating to look at pictures of other women that are extremely fit so I'm SURE I will have a lot of photos throughout my blog.