My body is FINALLY adjusting to the CHA diet! Gaining momentum :-)

Feeling like Wonder Woman over here! WOOT! Feeling great and excited that i’m in the ZONE with the clean eats and the hard ass workouts. Staying motivated by coming on here and chatting with my friends and team mates. Holding yourself accountable and discussing your experiences with other like minded people makes a big impact. Although my weight is higher, i feel LEANER. It also helps that my husband has been doing a diet for the past 3 weeks too. He gets to cook for me every now and then, you know how we get tired of our own cooking and he can be a creative cook too. He knows what he can use for my meals cause i will go OFF…HAHA, ok not like CRAZY off, but i will be pissed. He is reading labels more and just being more aware of stuff. He doesn’t even want to take a cheat meal a week. Hope he hangs on to this lifestyle, he is getting pretty hooked already and reading up a lot on fitness. Anyways, my workouts have been very productive. Hitting higher numbers just about every week. I’m currently sore from my leg workout i had on Friday. OUCHIE! My shoulders were burning throughout my workout today, but it was a GOOD burn ya know? I was DETERMINED to hit new numbers today in the gym on shoulders as that is my lagging bodypart that i REALLY need to bring up. I want my shoulders to match my big quads. Oh, my husband bought the Iron Gym pull up bar cause he knew i wanted it and he is using it too. My back needs to be brought up too. Every time i walk by it now, i want to jump up and give it hell. Chin ups i can do, pulls up…NOT YET. My goal is to be able to do at least ONE unassisted pull up within the next month. Is that a realistic goal? I’m going to do my damndest to STOMP IT. Alright, that is all i have to report for now. My ramblings...

Progress pics - still in a building phase

Alright, don't get blinded. Remember i'm bulking :D I took some current progress pictures today just to see where i'm at. I'm feeling a bit frustrated because i don't see too much of a difference in muscle growth. I feel "fluffy" although i don't really see that in the pictures. My legs make me look chunky...lol. Anyways, i wanted to get some HONEST feedback from everyone on my progress and heck maybe some suggestions. I have just started hitting my shoulders 2xs a week (one heavy day/low reps and one day lighter weight/high reps). I'm going to try this and see what happens. I'm at 139lbs in these pics, my calipers at home say i'm about 18%. Funny thing is that i weigh the same as before i started the CHA, but i have lost inches in some areas.

• Diet - Scivation CHA diet (low carbs/high fats) Pre and post workout carbs allowed on strength training days. I range around 1900-2300 calories on this plan. Started this around 5.5 weeks ago. My body is finally getting adjusted to the diet.
  

• Training - Antagonist training (strength training 4xs a week)

• Cardio - Moderate to LISS (low intensity steady state)

• Supplements currently taking: Vasocharge, Xtend, glutamine, multi vitamin, vitamin C, fish oil, Sesamin, CLA, ZMA (just started taking this yesterday), Alri Hyperdrive, whey protein

Weight: 139lbs
Waist: 30
Hips: 37.5
Chest: 37.5
Arms flexed: 12
Forearm: 9
Quads: 22
Calves: 13.5

5.5 weeks into CHA (3 weeks on track, remember the holidays were around...lol):

Weight: 139lbs
Waist: 29
Hips: 37
Chest: 37.5
Arms flexed: 12
Forearm: 9.25
Quads: 22.375
Calves: 13.5

The plan is to start prepping for the NGA June show at 17 weeks out. I'm not so certain if i should go for it if i don't build some more on the upper body. What are your thoughts? I don't want to get on stage looking the same. Just not worth it to me, i want to present a better physique. I'm still trying to learn still what works for my body and what triggers growth in certain areas. I know this is probably something a lot of us deal with in the bulking stage.

LOW CARBING SUCKS!

Yeah, i said it! I'm in a bitching mode about it. I'm doing a low carb bulk type diet right now and i'm in the "transitional phase" where the body has to switch from using carbs as fuel to using fats. I don't like the side effects of it, but i'm really doing my best to stick with it and at least give it a chance. It's the CHA (high protein, high fat) diet which is supposed to help you build, but you are able to stay somewhat lean on it (minimal fat gain). I started a journal over at bodybuilding.com so i can hold myself accountable. Some great people that follow my journal so i want to do my best. I have been on it for like 4 weeks almost, but with the holidays well...ya know it wasn't a consistent diet. Now i'm basically starting over and here we go with the weak feelings and just losing strength. I really hope this is worth it. Everyone who has tried it raves about it so yeah that is why i'm hanging in there. Kicking and screaming over here....lol.

For example, here is Sunday's stats on my meals. Anything under 100 grams of carbs, i'm pretty worthless.

Calories - 1902 Carbs - 72 grams Fat - 83 grams Protein - 217 grams

I get to have post workout carbs (complex) after my lifts on lift days so those days are GOOD. I get one cheat meal a week. I have been pretty good with the diet this week, no bites of anything unauthorized or nothing like that. So i just don't get why i feel so crappy even though i am getting in enough calories and fats. Sheesh, my body is picky.

The good news is that i'm looking leaner and my waist measurement went down by half an inch :D I'm about 24 weeks out right now. If this diet doesn't work out, going to do a moderate carb bulk diet. I just feel so much better with more carbs and i feel like i can lift so much more...STRONGER! Don't know what the plan is for the comp diet yet. Scivation offers a free comp diet and advice on the comp prep, i may try that for a little while and see how it goes. If not, then i have a few trainers in mind to get me going. Just hope the money situation gets better by then. Trainers can be expensive, BUT i don't want to work hard and look the same on stage. I would just cancel then. So something has to give. That is all, that is my rant of the week...hehe.

Getting OFF the cakes and pies wagon!

Yes, i have had my fill of these since Christmas. These items are quite tasty "at the moment of the act", but i'm sure not doing my body a favor. Christmas was great, love the family gatherings and FOOD. I got some new workout stuff that i will be styling out. I'm a Nike girl so i got some new goods. It will be some great motivation to get slimmer and really look nice in the yoga pants :D Since my lax days of eating, i have not been very energetic out of the gym, but i have had some killer workouts at the gym after taking my supps of course. Heck, i even managed to hit some new PRs :D Haven't missed a day training despite the craziness and in laws in town.

Yesterday i was doing pretty good with eating clean again up until we decided to go watch the UFC fight at Hooters with my sis and her husband. I couldn't pass up the wings and then i got some drinks in addition to that. I had 3 Corona Lights, i was feeling great though since i don't usually drink. It was a great fight by the way :) I'm getting into it. Then today, well i am out of chicken and just everything, even eggs so i didn't have too many options today. It didn't go very well and was just feeling down today so i didn't really care too much. Tomorrow is back on the plan though, i can't keep on like this. New Years Day is one more that i will have to deal with and know i will be having a few drinks then. Now i just feel BLOATED (freaking PMS to top it off!) and may have gained a few pounds that i WILL lose SOON. I will really tighten up after the New Years and get back to a leaner me while adding mass. I am going to go back to writing weekly specific goals like i used to when i was really on a roll on the weight loss wagon. I think it really helped me a great deal. My mind works better with specifics and details instead of vague/broad goals. 26 weeks out to the NGA show that i plan on doing on June 27th!! Even less to finish building and then begin the cutting. EEKK!!! FOCUS SANDRA, FOCUS!!

Christmas is ALMOST here!

I'm excited about this time of the year :) My kids are super excited and so am I. I like the family gatherings, but i really don't like being surrounded by all that food!! Especially DRESSING and DESSERTS. I am going to splurge a bit and enjoy it with my family.

My workouts have been ON POINT and feeling sore almost all the time. Eating hasn't been 100%, but it hasn't been horrible. The weekends out shopping is where it has got me like this weekend. I ended up doing extra cardio today along with my chest/back workout. Also meeting more fitness minded folks at the gym helps to stay motivated and push a little harder. So this week i'm going to switch around the workouts so i can still get ALL of them in since i know i won't be going into the gym on Thursday and don't know what we are doing exactly on Christmas Eve. I get quite bitchy if i miss a workout. Somethings i need to work on:

1. Stop taking BITES of stuff!! Haven't done this yet today.
2. Get enough REST.
3. Limit extra exercises to prevent overtraining.
4. Do my best during the holidays, but not use it as an excuse to cheat!! VERY IMPORTANT ONE HERE!
   

As far as home life, not much going on. Well, i'm still in the process of teaching my oldest daughter how to drive. EESSH, i pray for patience on this one cause she scares me sometimes and drives like granny clampits, wish is fine in a way, but she needs to really find that middle ground. She REALLY wants to get it right, but needs to pay a little more attention on simple stuff. I met her boyfriends mom this weekend too and her boyfriend (which is really respectful and nice) joined us to do a little Christmas shopping while my husband stayed home. He made it clear to me before i left to not leave them alone not even a second no matter what. TYPICAL dad right?? LOL. I trust my daughter to an extent and she is really not like that, but i do have my limits. All in all, the weekend went great with him. So weird though to see my daughter with a BOYFRIEND like that. Her first "serious" one. Her little sisters were just finding things to embarass her by, kids! Oh crap, i just rambled on! Just wanted to keep it more interesting :D

EFFEN COOKIES!!

Today was pretty crummy for me. Started this morning hitting my dang head on my car and it was pretty much from there. I got to go to my daughters Christmas party, but i had to park a bit far because their parking lot is not that big. Old school literally. Got to the party and they had some veggies with dressing and of course all kinds of cookies and cupcakes. I did have a few bites of the cookies and some of the carrots with dressing. Bites of the cookie is better than having the whole thing i thought. Then i got out of there. I had a hair appointment at 1 to get my highlights touched up. Well here we go again, something messed up with my bank so i had to straighten that out while at the salon. WTF?? Black cloud trying to stay over my head..lol. Later i got home and my neighbor drops off some cookies with my daughter (i was upstairs) and a Christmas card. OH MAN, what is up with the cookies today?? LOL. Well, it was sweet of her to think about us and do something like that. I did try some of them though, there were those kisses cookies in there and some other kinds. Like the freaking devil!

I felt kind of down today and said EFF IT. My husband and I usually go out for dinner at Texas Roadhouse, well i wanted some dayum ribs and i got them (those things just fall off the bone! DELISH!). I didn't have any of the bread though or any other carbs. Had plain veggies and a Caesar salad with no croutons. So yeah, that was my day pretty much. Tomorrow is the shoulders workout and will get in my cardio like i always do. Got to move on and not dwell on the mess ups. Its Christmas for crying out loud!

Going to start a CUT style diet soon...

Some of you know that i have joined Team Scivation for my training and bulking. Well, i'm getting near the 140s and i just can't do it anymore! I am supposed to be gaining weight on the lean mass diet they have me on, well the person i get in touch with is Derek and i expressed my concerns with me to see if he could put me on a different style diet so i could not gain anymore weight, but still gain lean mass somehow. He recommended i start the CHA diet. Its a low carber and i'm allowed a cheat meal once a week. Now i have read how others have gotten some pretty amazing results on this plan so i'm going to give it a show. Its going to be different, i don't get all those carbs i currently get and my cals are going from 2500 to 1600, but i don't count calories, just pretty much use the exchange system and get in all my servings. High fat, high protein diet. I have to go get a few things from the store before i get started. I'm going to be ready. I also let Derek know of my plans to compete in June and he said if i stick with him, we would be following a similar diet for the comp. Yes, they also do comp diets :D Not 100% convinced i will be doing the comp prep with them though, i was thinking about someone like Layne Norton, i have been speaking with his wife and others he trains to get a little more insight and to see if he is a fit for me. I have time to shop around though. Going to update my stats tomorrow and take new progress pics, not expecting big changes. I have gained 2.5 pounds on the lean mass diet which i have been on 5 weeks now. I don't think all that is muscle. I wasn't able to take my BF readings when i first started, but Derek mentioned how i did look leaner than when i started so that is a PLUS.

Today was shoulders/core workout and it went pretty good. Feeling a little depressed this evening and all i want to do is sleep for some reason. Must be the holiday blues. Thanks for reading my ramblings! Sorry i haven't updated my blog in awhile!