7 weeks.....

Seven weeks until the first show. I am definitely leaning out, but not at all ready. My trainer increased my cardio again to 50 minutes twice a day. It is kicking my ass. I never thought that I would say this, but thank god for "rest day". I used to hate rest days. Getting me to sit still was almost impossible, but today I woke up thinking "Praise the Lord, no gym today!". I am getting more and more excited with all of the changes that I am seeing. The diet has been fairly easy to stick to to until these last few days. I am PMSing and all I want to do is chew and munch and eat carbs! Oh well, it is worth it in the end. Chris continues to be an excellent support and is so sweet.
I've been getting a lot of questions concerning my main source of protien, since I am vegan. I am taking two protein supplements that I alternate every other meal and I am having 5 meals a day.

They are actually quite yummy. Both are soy and one is also wheat based. 7 more weeks to go! Wish me luck!!

Staying Motivated

I apologize for being oober-neglectful (oober is a word) recently. I have been training at my new job and my trainer recently increased my cardio to 90 minutes a day which has been bogarting some of my time, but in a good way. Here is how my progress has been coming along so far.

The first three weeks:

 Bloat city. I had to pee every 30 minutes and by about 4 pm my stomach looked like I was 'with child'. Very frustrating. I continued to consume 90 oz of water a day. I continued to eat ALL of the broccoli. I switched it up to one of the other approved vegetables, string beans, and it was worse. So, broccoli it is. I talked with my trainer about some "digestive issues" and carried on. I kept weighing myself every day and although I know muscle weighs more than fat, I couldn't keep myself from becoming mortified as the numbers continued to creep up and I was convinced that I would soon have to start shopping in the maternity section if this kept up.

What is happening now:

Bloat? Gone. My trainer told me to "STOP weighing yourself!", so I did and I must admit I am much happier. I am able to start wearing some regular shirts again. Phew. I was afraid I'd have to start telling people when I was due. My cardio has been increased, so I wake up at 4:30 am and do 45 minutes of cardio and then do another 45 minutes after work and lift. I started using lemon juice on my broccoli and it has magically created, not only a tolerable meal, but one that I enjoy. No more sugar cravings. Those are gone for good, but I do believe that the gum industry is happy to have me as a consumer. Extra makes this amazing sugar-free gum that tastes like your favorite desserts. They are amazing!
I went camping last weekend. I brought all of my food and it worked out well. Raw broccoli and cauliflower with Walden Farms calorie free dressing.
I continue to pee often, but about once an hour.
All in all, staying motivated seems to be getting easier. Especially now that I am beginning to see changes in the photos I have to send to my trainer each week. I keep thinking about the comps in September and October and I get butterflies in my stomach! So exciting. This experience is proof to me, once again, that ANY goal can be achieved as long as you stick to the program and consistently remind yourself of the light at the end. Keep your goal in sight. Remember that the foods you put in your body are YOUR choice. You have to choose what it is that you want to achieve. Some days are easier than others, but it is worth it in the end.

I Love Broccoli, I Love Broccoli, I Love Broccoli

I hate Broccoli. I'm pretty sure I do at this point. It's only been 2 weeks! Everything has been going well. Yesterday was my first "wall". After ten hours at work I didn't want to look at any vegetables, but I ate the damn broccoli anyway.

Last week, the day after my 200 lunges, I felt fine. The next three days were filled with soreness. I had to talk myself through my 1 hour cardio each day and, literally, ice my ass at night so I could sleep. I did legs again yesterday. I did NOT think I could make it through the entire 200 lunges and 80 squats. I did it anyway. I did it with good form. I did it tired and had to talk myself through each step, but I did it.

The moral of this story? Don't let anything stand inbetween you and what you want. If you want to run a marathon. Run it. If you want to do a tiratholon. Do it. If you want to compete, compete. There is no feeling that I can compare to finishing my first full marathon. The sense of accomplishment is amazing.

Was I tired? Yes, but knowing what I can achieve by being diligent in my efforts helps me stay focused. Sometimes pulling up pictures of competitions helps me to stay focused.

Doing a little at a time also helps. I did 50 lunges at a time. I would do 50, then sit and talk myself into doing the next 50.

It doesn't matter how old broccoli and string beans become, how tired I am or how sore I get. The end goal that I am striving to achieve is much greater than the few moments of discomfort I endure to get there.