Back to Square One

Not sure where I fell off the wagon exactly. Could it be the job I loathe, the one-hour-each-way commute, the holidays, or some combination of all of the above? I was doing so well and staying focused. Then suddenly, I threw caution to the wind and began stress- and binge-eating. Some baklava here, some dark chocolate truffles there. It's no wonder how I gained 7 pounds! UGH!

I need help stat! I'm supposed to be starting my competition diet very soon. My trainer, Jodi, is going out on her own so the cost of her services have gone up. I really want to stick with her since she's grown to know me and how my body reacts to food and workouts. The uncertainty with my job makes me a little wishy-washy.

*Sigh* So I broke out my Fighter Diet ebooks and I'm in detox mode. In a nutshell, the Fighter Diet is all about veggies. If you're hungry, eat veggies. But you do have to track everything. I'm hoping to drop a few pounds before I meet up with Jodi. Since the show I want to do is May 10, my goal is to start my diet no later than Jan. 5. That means I have 10 days to get into some resemblance of shape. LOL!

That said, I'm still working out like a fiend, lifting heavy and limiting my cardio. I definitely feel like I added muscle. The question is: how much? Did I gain 7 pounds of fat, muscle or some combination. I'm hoping at least half is muscle!

Stay tuned as I once again embark on this crazy journey...

How did you do with your eating and working out program during the holidays?

Where Did the Summer Go?

How on earth are there only two weeks before Labor Day and the official end of summer? While I've had an amazing summer, it always seems to go by so fast!!

So what's happened since my last post about a month ago? A whole lot! Let's see, after returning from Napa, I received a job offer. I took a week off between jobs and spent it in Cape May with the family. It was wonderful, to say the least. Then I about two weeks ago, I started a new job, which is always stressful. Between another vacation and a big life change, I was nervous about meeting with Jodi for a weight and body fat check-in. I can honestly say I've been 95% clean in my eating habits.

I weighed in at 134 lbs. (no change) and 17.9% (a half percent increase). I was over the moon!!!! Granted being near 18% isn't my personal ideal (I'd rather be closer to 15%). Given how crazy the summer was, I'm very happy with where things stand.

I have one more training session with Jodi before I'm officially in off-season mode. In preparation for my April 2014 show, I won't start dieting down and meeting up with Jodi again until around October or November.

I've been dying to the try the Fighter Diet, so for the next two weeks that's what I'll be doing. Here's what a typical day looks like:

Breakfast
1 cup wheat bran
1 scoop protein
2 tbsp flax seed
2 tbsp Truvia
1 tbsp cinnamon
(add water and mix together)

AM Snack
1.5 scoops protein powder
10 almonds

Lunch
5 egg whites
1 pound broccoli
PM Snack
4 oz. canned chicken
1 pound green beans
Dinner
3 oz. chicken
1 bag shirataki noodles
1 pound veggies:
   2 cups broccoli slaw
   2 tomatoes
   1 cucumber


Evening Snack
6 oz. Greek yogurt
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp Truvia

With this plan, there are no carbs. Vegetables are considered your carbs. Then after 1-2 weeks, you have a re-feed day that consists solely of carbs. You may be wondering why on earth I would do this. I'm just interested to see what the impact will be (fat loss, muscle gains, etc.) Plus, this diet is known to curb cravings. I'm always hungry at night. Stay tuned for updates -- not sure how one pound of veggies at every meal will go.

In regards to exercise, I'll be doing 25 minutes of cardio 5 days a week and lifting like a crazy woman!

Any training or diet tips you picked up this summer that you'd like to share? I'm all ears!