BOO-YAH!

Effin A dudes! Effin A! I'm so stoked. I benched 15 pounds more than my bodyweight yesterday -- talk about a great workout session! It wasn't a PR in either weight or reps, but I was surprised to be able to push it out this late in prep on uber-low calories while still recouperating from a cold. It really set the tone for an amazing workout. Sometimes I think it would be so much fun to just eat and eat to see how strong I could get.

At the end of a good round of dieting I always feel like I am starting over. At least this time I haven't lost nearly as much strength as I did when I prepped for Bikini last year. Thank goodness. It was depressing watching the weights plummet.

I spent some time checking out other feds yesterday. I have competed once in FAP Bikini, and now I am going to compete in NPC Figure. I LOVE the style and look of NPC Figure. I love that it doesn't have a T-walk, that it's very regimented... I love the leanness and hardness, the amount of muscle that graces the stage, but in reality I'm not very big, nor am I very muscular. I am also not very familiar with most organizations. Sure, I've heard of them, but I want to learn more about them. For now the plan is to compete in a couple shows this year, and then let my voracious appetite aid me in my muscle building quest during the off season... I guess those are the random tidbits floating around in my head today...

HAPPY HUMP DAY FOLKS! Less than TWO WEEKS to the Arnold! *happy dance*

Trouble Spots

Now, we all have our trouble spots. The typical female tends to hold weight in her lower body, hips and thighs... makes sense with childbirth and all. I, on the other hand, do not have this problem. Unlike most females, I hold my weight in my upper body. My abs stay warm under a layer of flab. I feel like I hold weight like a beer-guzzling 40-year-old man. Sexay! LMAO!

Since I'm not comfortable posting full body shots on this blog quite just yet, here's a sneak preview of the quad action. At least part of me can get lean. I'm still waiting on the rest. :)

Click Click Boom

Come on! Come on!

Okay, I have no idea why that song is in my head, but it is, and those are the only words I know.

My weekend was an absolute mess. I'm still fighting off this wretched cold or whatever it is I have. I was in bed all weekend. Diet remained clean and pretty much on point. One day was a little too high because I had planned on lifting, but I could barely sit up, so I decided against it. Another day was too low because I could only stomach protein shakes. I guess it balances out in the end, right? ;-)

I am still sick, but at least I made it to work. I have less than a week to send in my registration and entry fee. At this point I am still undecided. Even though my weight has dropped quite a bit (10 pounds total since the beginning of prep), I still feel fluffy. Perhaps it is water weight due to illness. I am hopeful for some sort of ab unveiling by the week's end.

The diet is going surprisingly well. I rarely want for anything. I am not going to lie, some chocolate and wine would be fabulous, but when wouldn't it?

Egg Whites, Oats, and Apples -- Again!

If you liked the easy peasy apple loaf recipe I posted earlier, here's a pancake-ish variation. It's quite delicious, if I do say so myself. :-)

Ingredients:

4 egg whites
35g old-fashioned oats
1 small apple
Splenda (or other calorie-free sweetener) to taste
Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Spray small or medium frying pan with non-stick cooking spray. Heat at Medium to Medium High, depending on your stove. I find it easier to cook these correctly on the lower heat, BUT, let's face it, sometimes I'm too hungry to wait!
   
2. Blend egg whites and oats. This is the pancake 'batter'. Pour into frying pan.
3. Chop apples over the pancake so that the pieces just fall onto the batter. I prefer to do it this way because it uses less dishes. You may rather chop the apple on a cutting board and then spread it over the batter.
   
   
   
4. Once the middle has solidified a bit, carefully flip the pancake over. This is the most difficult part as the apples add quite a bit of weight to the pancake. Don't worry, if you make a mess, it still tastes the same.
   
5. Sprinkle to taste w/ cinnamon and Splenda. I use a ton. I am a little piggie. :o)
   
   
   
6. Let it cook a little longer, until the eggs are done. It usually doesn't take very long. Then just flip it onto your plate and sprinkle with more cinnamon and Splenda.
   
   
   

Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 260
Fat: 2g
Carbs: 38g
Fiber: 7g
Protein: 21g
**nutritional value for Splenda is not included in these macros.

Sweating Bullets

Phew! I am a schwetty schwetty beast. No, not because I just finished a bomb-ass workout or a killer cardio session, but because I'm sitting at my desk, at work, and methinks my fever just broke. Hallefrickinlujah! I have felt like warmed-over ass for a couple days now. (I paint a pretty picture, huh? Gotta love some warmed-over ass.) I have been sick more often than not during this prep. My body has been rebelling since the 5th week. At 8 weeks out, I was rockin', ready to roll. At 4 weeks out I was in the exact same place at 8 weeks out. Now at 3 weeks and 2 days out I am still unsure as to whether or not it's even possible. I set out to do this competition with certain physical goals and ideals, not to be a measly 4 pounds lighter. I carry purses that weigh more than that. Okay, I lie, I rarely carry purses. LOL!

Anyways, that's me venting. I figured it was time for an update, and since nothing uberly productive is occurring, I thought I'd share my current boo-hoo, woe-is-me moment with you. :-)

And just so you know, I am not a Negative Nancy. I am actually posting this with a smile on my face (not a psycho Joker kinda smile :p ). I'll keep on truckin!

My wonky body is not listening.

It does not want to lose weight. I got my woosh last week. This week my weight is up again. It is driving me bonkers. My cals are going down tomorrow. My refeed days are quite generous, so I know that I will be fine. I just need to make it through the low days -- gotta be strong! Gotta blast this fat off of me!

I have been slacking in my blog. I do have a couple of recipes in the works. My first attempt at a clean oatmeal raisin cookie was a little too fluffy and muffin-like, but it will be coming shortly. :o)

It's the little things...

I've been wanting a stick blender for a while now, and I finally ordered one! I get so excited about kitchen gadgets. I own an interesting array of them. At least half sit in my cabinets lonely and unused, but I find comfort in knowing that I have them and that I can bring them out to play whenever I wish! As I become more obsessed with cooking, recipes, and the Food Network, I find my wants for all things kitchen growing. Luckily I had a leftover gift card from JC Penney, so I was able to order this little bad boy for next to nothing...

I can't wait for it to get here! I'm sure it will be used for strictly clean contest prep type meals at first, but I have visions of preparing a deliciously creamy butternut squash soup in the not so distant future.

Next on the to-buy list: food processor & stand mixer. I keep putting these off because they're on the pricey side.

Workin' on my V

I finally got my back pose down. My V taper was disappearing because I was leaning back a bit. I'm far from curvacious, so unless I flare those lats I am straight up and down. LOL!

Monday I received Julie Lohre's posing DVD. Yesterday I watched the entire thing while doing my easy cardio session. As soon as I hopped off my treadmill, I put her tips to work. I can already tell that this DVD will be an invaluable tool for me. She explains everything in such a simple way that I was just like DUH! This is obvious! Thanks to her DVD, things are now clicking.

Annnnnd, I finally got my woosh! WOOOO HOOO!! Let's keep our fingers crossed that I will be lean enough for the competition in March. If not, that's okay, too. It has been a wonderful learning experience. :)

Doubts

I have become overwhelmed with doubt regarding this competition. Surprisingly the diet and training have not been difficult to adhere to. I love the diet and training process. The overwhelming doubt stems from my lack of progress. I am progressing, but I feel like it has been slow. I did not have a lot of weight ot lose to begin with, but now I am beginning to wonder if I expected too much.

So, this is where I stand currently. Uneasy and unsure to a point of slight nausea. Oh joy!

With that said, I am determined to pick myself up, turn my self-inflicted frown upside down, and plow forward with everything I have. I have 2.5 weeks to turn in my application. If I don't compete, at least I will be able to say I busted my balls and gave it my absolute all!

P.S. Saturday I decided to bail on the competition. Enjoyed some cookies on Sunday. Damn. Those were good. :)

Sneak Preview

I finished stoning my suit last week... Here's a glimpse! :) I have been under the weather for a few days, so I will not be posting full body shots of my bloated ass on here, but at least you can see what the top looks like! I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. I used Crystal AB stones in both 20ss and 16ss, as well as Light Siam AB stones in 20ss.

Behold! Syntrax Nectar Sweets in Chocolate Truffle

I just struck chocolate gold! This stuff is delicious! by FAR my favorite protein powder at the moment. It's a whey protein isolate with a taste that is out of this world... reminiscent of a Wendy's Frosty, only... dare I say it... more chocolate-y!

The nutrition breakdown is pretty sweet, too. (Pun intended!)
100 Calories
0g Fat
1g Carbs
23g Protein

No sugar! No fat! Great GREAT flavor! What's not to like?

P.S. I do realize that I totally overused exclamation points in this post, but dammit, I'm excited. :)