Friday, September 30, 2005

The reason why I've been so quiet

Just wanted to give everyone a quick update as to why I’ve been so quiet these days. I’ve been really busy with the prepping of my upcoming Figure Competition but also with my small part-time business from home. I do Personalized Children’s Books and I have to cater to the early Christmas Shoppers.

If anyone is interested in viewing my little business website, here it is:

http://www.personalizeabook.com

It’s a cute little website and very I’m very proud of it. I hope that someday I can generate enough business to create a small business that my daughter can someday take over for me! It’ll be her little part time job that she can do from home, making enough income to buy the “stuff” that she wants when she’s a teenager! *lol* as they get older, they get more and more expensive! I want her to learn to be sufficient and independent, to be a business minded individual to hopefully someday, be a successful business entrepreneur! I always wanted to have a business of my own, but it’s not easy, takes a lot of work and effort, and like everything else, it takes some serious dedication and persistence. Starting a business from scratch and to build it is not an easy task, you cannot give up and although you may see some of failures (or may be not!), you learn from past experiences and keep going. My ULTIMATE dream would be to open a fitness facility, one of a kind, not your typical gym where you go to lift weights and leave…I want it to cater to nutrition, general health, etc…When I think of it, I think of a small Eating-for-Life restaurant (OH YEAH!), a swimming pool, a basketball court, weights, a on-site massage therapist, a on-site nutritionist, professional well-rounded personal trainers (oh no, not your typical trainer, but someone that’s got experienced, and that practices what he/she preaches!), etc.

I haven’t been able to frequent the bfltracker.com website as much the past few weeks and I feel a little bummed out about it since I really love to offer my support and help to all of the Body-for-Lifers out there. I will eventually reappear there when my time allows it. Keeping up with everything has been a little bit of a challenge. I find myself working out and in the middle of my 1 min break between sets, I empty out the dishwasher (a little bit a time), fold clothes, cook dinner, etc. Yeah, I’m doing lots of multi-tasking to be able to keep up with everything.

I’m definitely looking forward to at least one week break after my competitions, it’ll give me time to get my house re-organized, cleaned up, spend some good quality time with my daughter, etc. Also, this off-week will give me time to prepare myself for my bulk up stage, but done in a slow steady healthy matter so that I can gain more muscle mass without regaining too much body fat. I do realize that I won’t stay this low in bodyfat forever, nor do I really want to,…it’s nice to fit in a size 2 but realistically, healthy weight for me would be around 130lbs, 18% BF at a size 6.

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

25 days count down!

Only 25 more days till my first Figure Show…talk about time flying by! I have to stay strict on my diet, which means, no more “cheats” (although last weekend was TOTALLY approved, emphasized, and authorized!). After having that Black Tie Mousse Cake, I have been craving sweets like you wouldn’t believe, it’s subsiding day by day and I’m not giving in…my savior is Hazelnut Coffee with only 1 tsp of low fat powdered creamer (which is only worth 10 calories). I really can’t give up the powdered creamer, black coffee is AWFUL! If I have to do 2 extra minutes of cardio so I can have a coffee, so be it! *lol*

Ever sine I started my pre-contest diet, I have been measuring every morsel of food that I eat and let me tell you, it’s been a tidiest task but a necessary one! I cannot emphasize how important it is to weigh and measure everything while prepping for an upcoming competition; “eying” is definitely no-no. Portion control is so critical, you could easily eat more then you actually need, etc. If I’m really starving, I always eat more green veggies, never more protein and/or carbs. Sometimes, I feel a little bit of a rabbit, perhaps I should dress like one for Halloween! *LOL* Eating is strictly fuel for your body while prepping for a show; you learn to eat at around your workouts to ensure you have plenty of energy to make it through. However, it doesn’t mean that you cannot enjoy what you eat…you find ways of making your food less bland and be “taste” bud friendly. Tabasco/hot sauce, cinnamon, artificial sweetener and/or Stevia (all-natural sweetener), nutmeg, vanilla essence, etc. Also, low GI fruits is very much authorized in moderation! In general, Hi GI Foods are unauthorized and most of them aren’t good for you anyway (for the exception of bananas, etc, but in moderation), they make your blood sugar peak way up and down fast…ever noticed how tired you are after eating a full plate of pasta?!? I fell like a lump after my cheat meal on Friday night *LOL* - very sleepy and tired.

Anyway, a lot of you have been asking about my top choices in supplements, and I will provide you with my list in the coming days. There are so many great products out there, it’s hard to narrow down, but perhaps I can come up with a “Carole’s Top Ten Choices” soon!

P.s. No pictures until the shows!!! :-) Surprise Surprise!

Saturday, September 24, 2005

What my cheat meal consisted of!

Alright! Yesterday, me and my husband went out to Olive Garden for my 4-weeks out cheat meal. I induldged in some sampler appertizers, bread sticks, salad, Tour of Italy (ate almost all of it) and finished it off with the Black Tie Mousse Cake (which I had to share with my husband and daughter). Sharing my dessert was NOT COOL! *lol* I wanted ALL of it, but I was soooooo full, that I didn't put up much of a fight *lol* - NEXT TIME, I'll be sure that I get a dessert that my husband doesn't like, so this way, I won't have to share with him...He eats whatever he wants when he wants, so, I thought it was a little bit unfair of him asking me to share my dessert with him, ARGGGG!

Anyway, I don't even want to jump on the scale nor do I even want to think about the amount of calories and fat that I ate last night. Also, I felt soooooooooo terrible last night, I was swearing up and down that I was NEVER going to eat like that again HA! But it was SOOOOOO GOOD!!!!! It was definitely worth the hurt and pain *LOL*.


Anyway, I woke up this morning and started rigth back into my workout routine and diet program. I also need to drink about 2 gallons a day this weekend to wash out all of that sodium intake and such.

Anyway......my cheat meal was awesome and I don't regret it. My diet will be super strict for the next 6 weeks.

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Carolina Clash - it's Official!

I'm sending out my entry fee and my registration form for my first Figure Competition to occur on October 22nd, 2005. This is for the "Carolina Clash" show in Gastonia, NC!

Monday, September 19, 2005

My plan for the week.

My workout plan for the week:


Monday
#1: 30-min morning cardio bike session (done!)
Day 2- Chest/Tricep/Abs/Calves (light/high rep) (done!)

Tuesday
#2: 30-min morning cardio bike session (empty stomach) (done!)
Day 3 – Back Day/Abs (at the gym – light/high rep)

Wednesday
Day 4 – Shoulders/Bicep/Calves (light/high rep) (done!)

Thursday
Weigh-in day (126lbs) - #3: 30-min morning cardio bike session (DONE!)
Day 1 – Leg Day (heavy/low rep – at the gym)


Friday
#3: 30-min morning cardio bike session
Day 2 – Chest/Triceps/Abs/Calves (heavy/low rep)
PLANNED SPLURGE CHEAT MEAL! (or Saturday)


Saturday
#4: 30-min morning cardio bike session
Day 3: Back/Abs (heavy/low rep – at the gym)
#5: 30-min night cardio session

Sunday
OFF (if I miss a morning cardio session, it will be done on this day).

Saturday, September 17, 2005

Saturday - Wow, I'm feeling bad!

I'm sick and I think my "monthly" visit is about to occur! So, needless to say, I'm a little "out" of it today and having cravings out of this world (not giving in though)*lol*... Exercising is the last thing on my mind but I got to get it done. I did go for a 45-min walk with my daughter in her stroller today, up and down hills...my glutes were feeling it and they need it bad! I have two major trouble spots and those are my back and glutes!

Here's a few changes in my exercise routine and diet:

1. Peanut Butter only 3 times a week - post workout (leg and back day, since those are my hardest days).

2. Adding one (1) additional 30 min cardio session, of which, 3 of them will need to be in the morning on an empty stomach (and HIIT!!!). I will also try to fit a few walking session, either at lunch with my co-worker or at night with my daughter.

3. Drink massive amounts of water, closer to 2 gallons a day - having "slight" problems, this should cure them! *lol*.

4. Start praticing my poses and walk in my shoes!

5. Eat super clean, limit condiments, coffee and diet sodas!

Well, this is my thoughts for the day, I'm going to head out cause I need to start preparing super for my family..and perhaps fix some Chocolate Chip Cookies for my daughter & husband.

Big Hugs,
C.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Location, time and date

I just realized that many of you are probably curious about which shows I'll be competing in. Here are the links to the "advertisements" of the shows.

1st Show
http://www.morrisonproductions.net/2005CarolinaClash.html


2nd Show
http://www.qrelite.com/ELITE%20MUSCLE%202005%20INFO.htm

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

I got my 45 seconds of fame on the radio!

So this morning, on my way to work, the topic was “Do online dating really work?”…My husband and I meet online back in 1996 when “chatting” was just starting to be known. Well, I picked up the phone and after a dozen attempts of getting through over a half hour timeframe, I finally got through. Well, I got to share my story with the “Triad” for about 45 seconds, it was really cool! A few of my co-workers heard me this morning and they were all excited and giggly about it, they said that I sounded calm and relax, not nervous…and I truly wasn’t nervous.

You know, the “old” Carole wouldn’t have dared picking up the phone and call a radio station and share her story for thousands to hear, I was too darn self-conscience about myself and my self esteem was to the floor… by me picking up that cell phone this morning and sharing my story with everyone listening to the radio this morning, really showed me that I have come a long way!!

I’m proud of myself this morning… a small event but I’m proud!

May be next time, I’ll get my 45 seconds of fame on TV? How about that!

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Self Doubt?

I just went to bfltracker.com and just saw averismommy’s transformation; I’m so impressed with her transformation! She looks really good and I’m proud of her accomplishments. With this being said I now look back at my 12-week transformation and want to kick myself in the butt for not working harder. However, I really did the best that I could with the little knowledge that I had at the time about proper nutrition, supplementation and exercise. I had no help and learned as I went on. My decision to “whip” myself back into shape was made within a week’s time, I was absolutely fed up with my out of shape body and wanted to do something about it “immediately”…so, there was no real planning done before hand, I just “did” it! However, looking back, I wish I could have planned ahead of time, get myself mentally ready to really kick butt for 12-weeks and focus on a good nutrition plan. However, considering how I was before and what I am now, I’m still very thankful for what I have accomplished…perhaps putting it off for the purpose of better “planning” would have been a bad idea at the time, cause I might not have followed through with my 12-week challenge.

I may or may not be completely “ready” for the Figure Shows but I keep reminding myself, “Carole, you’ve only been training since the beginning of February, give yourself a break, you’ve come a long way”. I have my moments where I look at myself and say "Can I really do this? Is this for me?"... Don't get me wrong, I won't give up, the OLD Carole would have a long time ago but not anymore... I just have my moments of doubts and concerns. Just makes me thing, does every competitor have doubts like I do?

Also, I spoke with Stef about the use of steroids at the pro-level. There’s definitely some Figure Ladies that use some “lighter” durative version of steroids, that’s what gives them the “edge” over everyone else….Is it ok you ask? Well, depends how you look at it. I think that its “ok” to some point, BUT if you really want to compete and have a level playing field, consider only competing in “Natural Tested Bodybuilding Competition”. If they are not tested, you are going to be at an unfair advantage, it’s a matter of “Are you willing to go ahead and compete against that”…Not all of them “use” steroids, but I wouldn’t be surprised if 90% use some type of chemical enhancement/steroids durative. I still think that you need to be genetically gifted and have a kick butt body to compete in the pro level, steroids or not!

Sunday, September 11, 2005

6 weeks out!

Only 6 more weeks to go till my first figure competition! Time flies when you are working hard and having fun! I've ordered the suits and the lady said that they should be shipped in the beginning of October. I've attached a picture showing style and colors chosen (1 & 2 pc suits on the left are the styles, pictures on the right are the colors). They will both be decorated with rhinestones, but I'm not sure of the designs yet, I paid a "set" amount for each suit and she will decorate them with a unique design. I wanted her to "surprise" me ! Can't go wrong either way.

I've decided to start counting my days from tomorrow till my first show...to help me mentally since somedays I feel like I'm about to "crack" and lose it! 6 weeks is very short, only a month and a half from now...I can "hold" it all together if I mentally think about it being short term... I MUST keep FOCUS! This is very challenging, especially with having to do most of my workouts from home (which I HATE doing! I got too many things that I could get done at the house, and during my entire workout, I'm thinking "I could wash this, cook this, do that etc". I admire those of you that are able to make time and workout from home and keep focus on your workouts! How do you all do it?!?!?!?!?

Anyway, tomorrow is a new day and LEG Day at that! I'll be going to the gym tomorrow, WAHOO! The dreaded leg day....OUCH, I'll be sore yet again!

I'm also adding another pictures (that I'm not posting in tracker!)... I "attempted" to put on some dark tanner but little did I notice that I'm still "peeling" from the nice sunburn from two weeks ago, so, it looked like CRAP (temporary wash away tanner and not the "pro tan"). Either way, this might show you my progress, small changes but my upper body is "Finally" starting to come out and my legs are not "sticking" out as much now! I'm starting to be a little bit more "balanced" and again, I got 6 more weeks to go!

Another Recipe - BFL Approved

Sweet Cinnamon "Sweet Potato" Chips

Ingredients:
Olive Oil Spray
3 sweet potatoes
3 egg whites
Splenda, to taste
Cinnamon, to taste

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a cookie sheet with olive oil. Peel potatoes and slice into quarter-inch rounds. In a bowl, lightly beat egg whites. Pour into a large Ziploc bag, add potatoes slices, then zip and shake. Place potato slices on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle each slice with Splenda and cinnamon. Bake for 30 minutes.

These are very good and worth making! Just be sure to not cut your slices too thin or too thick (cause they will either be "burnt" or just not as crisp as you'd like). Also, "DO" spray your cookie sheets really good, otherwise, your slices WILL stick to your cookie sheet!

Enjoy!!!!!!!!! :-)

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Weekly Stats are in!

This past week, I have added Peanut Butter back into my diet, as I was dropping weight slightly too fast and needed energy for my workouts. I’m now having one “heaping” teaspoon of peanut butter approximately 30 minutes before my workout, and what a difference it is doing! I’m very happy that I’m eating PB again! (Natural Unmixed Peanut Butter of course, low in sugar!)

Also, I will be mainly working out from home (due to the spike in gas cost!). I cannot afford traveling back and forth to the gym, which is a good 20 minutes out of my way (total of 40 minutes travel time spent in the road just to go to the gym). I was putting over 100 miles on my car each day, I cannot afford it; therefore I have to adapt and focus on getting most of my workouts from home, for the exception of “Leg Day”, which is way too complicated and intense to do from home *lol*. I will need to invest in some free weights dumbbells, as I only have but a few sets (5 lbs, 8 lbs, and 15 lbs). I also have a stationary bike (for cardio) and a cross-bow machine (with I can do my cable work on).

I will also be ordering my suits this weekend, a little earlier then anticipated. This is due to high volume of suit orders that Lidia is anticipating within the next month or two. I was hoping that I was going to get closer to my pre-contest weight but she reassured me that my suit will fit me nicely. There was a slight change of plans in my suit selection – but my choices have been made (in color and suits), I will not change my mind anymore! DONE! *lol*

Ok --- now for the promised stats!

Comparing Challenge #1, Week #0 (January 31, 2005) to Challenge #2, Week #7 (September 8, 2005), Carole started with a lean bodyweight of 96.0 lbs and 46.0 lbs of bodyfat. If Carole’s measurements are accurate, she currently has a lean bodyweight of 107.1 lbs and 20.4 lbs of bodyfat. This is a change of + 11.1 lbs of muscle and - 25.6 lbs of bodyfat if the measurements are correct. These figures are only as good as the accuracy of the weight and bodyfat measurements taken.

7-25-05:
Weight: 139.5 lbs
Waist: 28”
Hips: 35”
BF%: 22.3%
Muscle Mass: 108.39 lbs
Body Fat: 31.1 lbs

8-25-05:
Weight: 130 lbs
Waist: 26.5”
Hips: 33”
BF%: 17.4%
Muscle Mass: 107.38 lbs
Body Fat: 22.62 lbs
Fat Lost: - 8.5 lbs
Muscle Mass: - 1.01 lbs

9-8-05:
Weight: 127.5 lbs
Waist: 26”
Hips: 32.5”
BF%: 16.0%
Muscle Mass: 107.1 lbs
Body Fat: 20.4 lbs
Fat Lost: - 10.7 lbs
Muscle Mass Lost: - 1.29 lbs



Body-for-Life Approved Recipe!
I haven't tried this one yet but I promise I will once I get done with my contests!

Spicy Chicken Pasta
Ingredients:
• 1 lb skinless chicken breasts, cut in strips
• 1/2 cup finely diced celery
• 1/4 cup finely diced onion
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic seasoning
• 8-oz can no-salt-added tomato sauce
• 1 medium can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 package whole wheat pasta (Barilla Plus Pasta would work great!)
• 1/4 cup jalapenos
• 3 slices fat-free or low-fat cheese (optional)
Instructions: Fill a large pot halfway with water and add the first 4 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Allow chicken to cook fully and vegetables to soften. When chicken is cooked, remove and cut into smaller pieces, then place back in the pot. Stir in the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Lower to medium heat and simmer. Meanwhile, prepare pasta separately according to package directions. When sauce thickens slightly, stir in jalapenos and cooked pasta. For a creamy taste, stir in the cheese slices and allow them to melt. Serve piping hot.

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Three important notes (click on the image for a larger view):
  • Do not cook more then 10 minutes! Trust me on this!
  • Do not make them larger then suggested, golf ball size is perfect!
  • I'm NOT responsible for those that over-indulge! *lol*

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Cinnamon Roll Recipe!

You can freeze these! For those of you following BFL, PLEASE do NOT eat more then one per week, you will RUIN your diet *LOL* (I'm serious!!!! These are at least 600 cal each! It's nothing but EMPTY Calories (perfect for cheat day dessert! haha). I will NOT be held responsible :-). If you want to impress family/friends, this is a kick butt recipe to do so! They will LOVE you!


I have AWAKEN the cook within!

Ok this is absolutely, without a doubt, to some people TORTURE! Read at your OWN risk! This weekend, I have cooked the most unbelievable desserts! Of course, I didn’t eat ANY of it, as I’m not allowed. However, it doesn’t mean that other people can’t enjoy it! Here’s the list of sweets that I cooked over the weekend: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (yup, just as good as the real thing), Cinnabon Rolls (Oh yeah, to die for!), Chocolate Chips Cookies (made from scratch, comparable to Mrs. Field’s!) AND Banana Bread Loafs with Cream Cheese Frosting…. and YES, I have resisted ALL of them! I don’t know what got into me, but all I want to do is COOK! Perhaps those are things that I really want to eat but since I can’t have them, I make them for others to have OR perhaps it keeps me so busy, that it distracts me from going “out of my mind” since I’m so strict on my diet…either way, it’s helping me cope with all of it! Do I mind all that sweet stuff around the house? NOPE, not at all, cause my will-power is STRONG! Perhaps I’m “testing” myself?!? Who knows why I’m doing this!? All I know is that my family, friends and co-workers LOVE it! HA!

For those of you that would like the following recipes (for your cheat day), let me know, I’ll gladly share them with you! You won’t be disappointed.

  • Mrs. Field's Chocolate Chip Cookies (clone recipe)
  • Cinnabon's Cinnabon Rolls (clone recipe)
  • Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (clone recipe)

The banana bread recipe is not what I would consider the "best" banana bread out there, I'm still searching for a good one! My mother makes a kickbutt version of it and I might have to break down and ask it from her *lol*. The frosting is the same as the Cinnabon's Rolls Frosting.

Stef sent me this card! I look at it everyday! LOVE IT!! I wanted to share it with you all! Thanks sweetie for the card!!!!

Monday, September 05, 2005

A Day At the Zoo!





Yesterday was goergous! Lot's of sunshine and WALKING! *lol* Here's some pictures of us at the Zoo! Cassandra absolutely loved it!

Friday, September 02, 2005

Soon...very soon!! Exciting News!

I’m so excited! Next weekend, I will be ordering my suits! I talked with the lady that will making them and she gave me great information about what type of suits would look best on me because I’m now down to a size 34A! Also wearing a size 4 (some 2’s!)My chest is pretty flat, it’s depressing! So, the 2 pc suit that I originally wanted is out of the question, it will not look good on me. She also gave me a quote and unfortunately, my suits will not be as decorated as I would like them to be. Both suits undecorated will cost $320.00 (incl.), she suggested that I add an additional $50.00 per suit for decorations; she will decorate my suits according to my budget. This is a grand total cost of $420.00 for my suits! Oh, and this is only “basic” – lots of women at the competitions will probably spend a lot more then me, but guess who’s going to look best!? She also mentioned that, since these will be my first competitions, in the future, if I want to do more competitions, I can send her the suits back for “additional” decorations, this way; it will look like a completely new suit (but really not!) ha! Clever!

Anyway, on top of purchasing the suits, I still need to get my hair colored, my nails done, my teeth whitened (crest whitening kit), pay for my registration fees & NPC Card ($40.00 each show + $70.00 NPC Card), tanning products, etc.

For those of you that are thinking of competiting, SERIOUSLY thinking about it, START SAVING YOUR $$$$$$. It isn’t cheap AND you won’t win money, all you get is a title and trophies……however, the rewards that you will reap for yourself will be worth a lot more to you then the title and trophies.

Another great idea, if you workout at a gym, try to get your gym to sponsor you by paying for your entry fees and NPC Card…get them to give you free T-Shirts or anything type of clothing article that has their logo/town on it and when you go to compete, you will be advertising them! I haven’t tried this but I need to talk with the gym owner (my personal trainer told me to do this! It worked for him in the past). Sometimes, it’s hard to convince them to sponsor you when you are “just starting” – they want you to “prove” yourself to them before they take the “risk” of investing any type of money on you, but be persuasive! It simply doesn’t hurt to ask!

Another great note! I CAN EAT PEANUT BUTTER!!! *LOL* How exciting! I’m more thrilled about that then buying my suits! HAHAHAHAHA!