10 weeks out

Hello everyone,

I had been under the weather and sick in the last week or so fighting symptoms of cold, flu and allergies. I made sure that I drank a lot of clear liquids, ColdFX, Neocitran and took some much needed rest.

Now that I am only a few months before the June 5th show, I can only be thankful that I got sick in the early stages of my preparation so I can get on (with no more interruptions, hopefully) with my training and eating regimen.

Dieting and preparations to me is something I did not enjoy in the past. I often struggled with "being good" during preparations because I definitely deprived myself of vices like wine, cheese and pasta - Yummm! But I'm having an easier time and better transition this time around. It could be my motivation or it could be that I've changed the way I look at food, but whatever it is, it is working and I'm planning to stick with it until I reach my ultimate goal!

During the next 10 weeks, my diet will consist of lean protein, loads of greens and veggies, dietary fats and a slight amount of carbohydrates. On weekend(s), I cycle carbohydrates which means I eat more of it for a day or so depending on how my body is reacting to it. I often feel great during the day and after a workout which surprised me at the beginning of my preparations because I always thought I needed a lot more carbohydrates to have more energy and strength.

This is how my body reacts and everyone is different.

My meal plan for today consist of 7 meals which are spaced out every 2 to 3 hours. This is what it looks like:

6:00 - A glass of water, Protein Shake in water
9:00 - 2 whole eggs, 2 strips of Turkey Bacon, a sprinkle of low fat cheese, half grapefruit, water
12:30 - Lean 4 oz red meat, loads of salad, greens, veggies, my homemade balsamic vinegar, water
4:00 - Power smoothie
6:00 - 1 whole egg, 1/2 cup egg whites and 2 strip of Turkey Bacon, water
8:30 - Fish or lean chicken with loads of salad, greens and veggies, water
11:30 - Protein shake

Having a consistent timing and schedule works for me. I often make some of my meals ahead of time when I know my schedule will not permit me to do so. I also substitute or switch my protein all the time so I don't get sick of eating the same thing over again. On a weekend, I will have oats, brown rice, a small bagel, a small serving of pasta and starchy carbs like beans, lentils and chick peas.

I also make sure I know my servings well and add them up. It's a bit of work but it's all worth the effort.

I will be posting more updates to my blog regarding my training regimen. So until my next blog.

12 weeks out

I am very excited about this last 12 weeks of preparation for UFE fitness competition scheduled for June 5th. I changed my meal plan and workout regimen to reflect what I need to do - cut out and define my body =)

I will be working out 6 days a week and adding a bit more cardio to my workout. There is definitely going to be trial and error while I drop body fat, but I'm not too worried... I have to make sure I do not stress out while preparing since stress will cause me to lose focus and increase awful cravings!

Did I tell you how excited I am?

So, here's a picture at 12 weeks out. Of course, I still need to learn how to pose which I will learn through a workshop in March!

My own Gold Medal

I want to start off by acknowledging our Olympic Athletes. They had done a wonderful job of representing our country! I really loved the mini-biography about the athletes at the beginning of their events. It highlighted their bright careers but it also told of their failures, injuries and heartaches. Maelle Ricker, a snowboarder had eight knee surgeries before the Olympics, and of course, Joannie Rochette, a figure skater whose mother passed away a few days before her event. But I realized a common theme for these athletes… they were fuelled by their desire to succeed. They had their eyes on the prize!

Perhaps everyone can take something away from these athletes to increase our drive to be successful on anything we put our minds to. I felt their passion and desire to succeed and do well, not only for their country, but for themselves. Their intensive training at the highest level made me admire them, but their mental focus, patience and consistency made me have respect for them. I was so inspired by the Olympics that I decided me to take my own fitness training to another level. I have been preparing to do a fitness competition scheduled in June. One thing is for sure: I need to be consistent, continue to work hard and stay dedicated to achieve my goal. I will truly get out of my comfort zone.

Perhaps you have been thinking about getting back into fitness or to some lose weight. I hope the Olympics have inspired you as well to take your own challenge to achieve your own gold medal.

You can follow my competition progress, before and after pictures, training and diet preparations through this blog. I will be posting my first competition blog next week so stay tuned and keep checking this blog site for updates!