Official Beast

I remember one day years ago I was telling SC how Cooper called me a "beast" and I got offended. He had to explain that it was a good hing, he was paying me a compliment. We both had  a good laugh and I have considered myself a beast ever since.

Now it's official! the Vitamin Shoppe says so!

I got this email the other day:

***Do not reply to this e-mail. UPS and The Vitamin Shoppe - Marketing will not receive your reply.

At the request of The Vitamin Shoppe - Marketing, this notice is to confirm that the following shipment has been delivered.

Important Delivery Information

---

Message from The Vitamin Shoppe - Marketing:
Congratulations on winning round 2 of the Vitamin Shoppe Commit to be Fit Summer Sweepstakes. Your prize is on its way

Tracking Number:

XXXXXXXXX

Shipment Detail

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Ship To: 
Kristy Wilce 

We get junk like this all the time right? Well it loked legit and the tracking number actually worked! I went to the Vitamin Shoppe site to see what on earth I could have won. Turns out there was a contest and all you had to do was like them on Facebook, and you could win a whole box of supplements and gear! 

I got home from training with Roy on Monday and asked Cooper to take photos of my winning box as I opened it! I love gifts!

It was big, I was excited! 

The suspense was killing me! Cooper just stood there laughing.

I open Christmas and birthday gifts very slowly too, drives everyone crazy!

Lots of stuff in there!

I got a BEAST gym bag! can you tell I am excited?

A BEAST shaker cup! It has a supplement container that attaches to the bottom, the black part.

A TRUE ATHLETE shaker cup, pretty gold detail. And both cups are BPA free, so I will use them!

A 300 gram container of CREATURE which is creatine and a 300 gram container of BEAST MODE which is creatine and caffeine, a pre-workout drink. Great stuff that I will use, this is a great prize! 

And, as you can see I am beside myself, I got a hat and a shirt, Unfortunately it is a very, very large shirt, I guess they thought this "beast" was bigger than she actually is.

I told David I shall rip the neck and sleeves off and make a dress out if it! He said it might be a tad too short though. Did something like that ever stop me before? 


Nope!

The Vitamin Shoppe is having another contest, this time the prize is $500.00 worth of goods (mine was $170.00), all you need to do is "Like" them on Facebook!


Just go to their page and click the button! 

Nutrient Timing

I was corresponding with one of my blog readers and she asked about a book that discussed nutrient timing and I recommended this. I then dug it up and started reading it again, I often read books several times and always come away with something new each time.


This book is entitled Nutrient Timing by John Ivy, Ph.D., & Robert Portman, Ph.D. and has a foreword by William Kraemer, Ph.D. It is a great resource for anyone interested in bringing their training and nutrition to the next level.


As I have said many times, I trained for several years but never really made impressive changes in my physique until I started eating properly, and it's not just which foods but when you eat them that matters. 


It does take time to learn to eat properly, it's not something that just happens overnight.  They teach you what happens physiologically when you exercise, so you better understand why you need the specific nutrients they recommend. 


Discussions include how to avoid a catabolic state, how to elevate an anabolic state, and how to promote muscle growth. 


Supplementation, macronutrients and micronutrients are all covered Susan Kleiner, Ph.D., R.D., F.A.C.N, C.N.S has a chapter with tables to help you calculate your own food plan.


They discuss the science behind the now well accepted fact that post training recovery should be a ratio of 4:1 (carbs to protein) for maximum growth and replenishment of muscle glycogen. 


Insulin, cortisol and glucose uptake are explained in a manner that is easy to understand.


My book is dog eared- I think you can see the top right corner, and I will probably read it a few more times again. 


It's well worth the $10.00 you will spend on it, buy it now!


If you have not yet completed my very short survey, please take the time to do that now, I appreciate it!

Ready In 5 Weeks survey

The Diet

Looking good huh? So this is after dieting for 4 weeks. Not bad really, now I realize I didn't start out chubby, but I had some fat to lose and I did, it hasn't been too hard, although I still have more to go.  This is "a day in the life of Kristy". I am going to give you a general time, food (macro-nutrients), some supplements and then discuss particular meals and strategies for making them tasty in separate postings.

My diet contains lean proteins, vegetables, complex carbohydrates, whey and supplements.

My diet doesn't contain alcohol, sugar, snacks, dessert, soda, packaged garbage.

You are what you eat. 

Garbage in- Garbage out!

If you think you can eat dessert several times a week and still look lean and ripped, I hate to be the one to break it you you, but you cannot. Sure you can look good, and maybe even great, but you cannot even consider stepping on stage if you don't do the time with the proper nutrition. It's easy to cover it all up with jeans, t-shirts or spandex, a little more difficult in Underamour boy shorts. 

So...if you wanna look good naked......read on.

I don't eat like this all year, this is a competition diet, but I know some of you want to LOOK like you compete, so this is what it takes. Keep in mind my age, gender, size and activity level as that all makes a difference. 

This is a day I train in the morning (and to me, cardio isn't really training, lifting is training to me). It varies when I train with Roy at night.

I am up at 4:00 a.m. and I have a meal replacement drink (20 grams protein and 19 grams carbs) not just plain whey protein. I also have a serving of cooked oatmeal (not shown), 1/3 cup dry measure. It's just plain old cooked oatmeal, nothing fancy. If you eat steel cut they have a different carb measure so be aware of that. Much more carbs in the same amount of steel cut oats. I take lots of supplements but the ones you should really be concerned with are these:

5 grams glutamine

BCAA's in gel tabs

500 mg L-Carnitine

Green tea extract

multi vitamin

800 mg fish oil

I then dump 20 mg BCAA's into my drink to be consumed while training. I go through a lot of BCAA's.

Post training, within 30 minutes, (about 7:00am), another shake but this is whey protein (as opposed to a meal replacement shake) so it's almost all protein, but a few grams carbs. I have 1 & 1/2 scoops of whey protein blended in a blender with 1 cup water, a two handed scoop of ice, 1 SMALL (6 inch) banana and 5 grams glutamine. I like chocolate or chocolate-peanut butter flavored whey.

500 grams L-Carnitine

BCAA's (gel tabs)

Green tea extract

This is the most important time for quick absorbing carbs (the banana) and then the whey which is more easily digested than whole food. It is also important to ingest it right away, as soon as possible after training. Your body needs the nutrients to build and repair, even if you don't think so.  This post training meal is probably the one single most important meal you will ingest in a day! Make it a good one.

10:00 a.m. is my largest meal and the one I most look forward too! It is my second and last serving of starch (the first was at 4:00 a.m.) I have 4 ounces chicken breast, 4 ounces brown rice, 1 cup broccoli.

5 grams glutamine

BCAA"s (gel tabs)

1 gram CLA

500 mg L-Carnitine

800 mg fish oil

water

1:00 p.m. is 4 to 5 ounces baked tilapia, 1 cup asparagus and 15 raw almonds.

water

4:00 p.m. is a big salad (3 cups) of greens- spinach or super greens, something with nutrition not iceberg or romaine; about 1/4 cup cucumber, 1/4 cup sliced endive and maybe a couple sugar snap peas; 4 ounces broiled shrimp, 1 teaspoon olive oil, rice vinegar and sriracha sauce (hot sauce).

5 grams glutamine

water

8:30 p.m. is a scramble made with 3/4 cup egg whites, 2 ounces lean meat (steak or chicken), 1/2 cup sautéed greens (chard, kale, spinach), and 1/2 cup sautéed vegetables (red onions, mushrooms, tomatoes).  Salsa.

5 grams glutamine

BCAA's

1 gram CLA

800 mg fish oil

500 mg L-Carnitine

water

Bed time is a cup of herb tea, ZMA, Inositol, Night Time Herbs. RIGHT after eating! Who says you shouldn't go to bed with a full stomach!? 

Over the next few days I will discuss what I change when I lift at night (because I still go to the gym at 5:00 a.m. those days), what variations I make on the food, how I cook it all and the reason for such silly things as 15 almonds or 1 teaspoon oil! 

Did you notice all my plates had green stuff on them?

I will try to delve into the supplements too, but this can be a very personal issue. Some people are for 'em and some are against 'em!

The Diet

It's been one week (exactly) that I have been on my diet when I took this picture. I am pleased, to say the least, that this might be a good diet for me!


It is not an easy one, the calories are lower than I am used to and the timing is very exact, so it's not "convenient", but I am getting used to it.


I am down to 125, so I have lost 1 1/2 pounds in 7 days. I always marvel at how different my body looks with an extra pound added or taken away, it amazes me every single time.


My diet is ranging from 1500 to 1700 calories a day, I typically eat over 2000. The calories will vary mainly because I am varying the protein source, so a shrimp meal will have fewer calories than a very lean beef meal. I am drinking 1 gallon of water or more a day. The macro nutrient breakdown is as follows:


Carb 30%
Protein 45%
Fat 25%


It suites me, it really does. I love protein, I love fat, starches I enjoy but of the three- protein is my favorite.


What has been on the diet?


Protein:
Chicken breast
Tilapia
Shrimp
Lean beef
Egg whites
Whey protein


Starches:
Yams
Brown Rice
Oatmeal


Non Starchy Carbs:
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Asparagus
Banana
Spinach
Salad Greens
Onions
Tomatoes
Mushrooms


Fats:
CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid)
Fish Oil
Olive Oil
Almonds
Peanut Butter


Depending on my training split I am eating at the following times:


Training in the morning on my own:

4:30 am
5:00 am to 6:15 am lift
7:00 am (shake with banana & Peanut Butter)
10:00 am
1:00 pm
4:00 pm
8:00 pm





Training at night with Roy after work:
4:30 am
7:00 am (I split my 4:30 am meal into these two meals and save my shake for after lifting)
10:00 am
1:00 pm
4:00 pm
5:30 pm to 6:30 pm lift
6:45 pm (shake with banana & Peanut Butter)
8:00 pm


I must say I have been hungry all the time, except when I am so busy my mind forgets about the hunger, like when I am totally slammed at work or when I am training. It is subsiding though. At first it is all I can think about, then I get used to it, used to the sort of gnawing feeling in my stomach. 


I could feel the fat coming off right away, and I know other competitors can relate and know exactly what I am saying. I told Roy I thought it was too low for me, I should not lose this fast because I don't have a lot to lose, and I tend to lose too much fat anyway, but then I realized it would be easy to manipulate it a bit be adding more beef and less fish (I have had beef only once this past week) if I needed to.


Each meal has fat- almonds, CLA and fish oil, olive oil or peanut butter.


My last starchy carb meal is at 10:00. I have told that to several people and they all look a bit wide eyed, 10:00? That's the last? Yes indeed.


It looks like it's working don't you think?

Xtend (by Scivation)- BCAA's

One of the BCAA products I have been taking for a few years is Scivation Xtend. I usually buy the orange, it has great flavor!  I am no longer buying or using Xtend due to the dangerous dyes that are added to the product.


I fell into the same trap that many other people do, listen to what others say and read what the supplement companies want you to read. I know BCAA's are good for you, and this product won several awards as "supplement of the year", but what I didn't pay attention to were the nasty, deadly dyes in the product. That is until Roy started telling me about it.


If I didn't care about my health, or what dangerous drugs or supplements can do to my body, I would just be taking steroids and growth hormone and get it all over with a lot faster! It sure would make it easier to achieve my goals. But I do care, I care quite a bit, so I don't take dangerous or illegal drugs and I don't (knowingly) ingest things like this.


I have found a much better and safer product with no additives what so ever. I am also experimenting with natural flavorings and should have a report in a week or so.


It's really a shame that a supplement company would put poisons in their product, but they do and unfortunately, they are not alone. 


So just what is in Scivation Xtend beside BCAA's? 

FD&C Yellow #5

FD&C Red Lake #40

They "reformulated" Xtend recently and the taste is not the same, not as tart. Why did they reformulate it? To reduce the two dyes Yellow #5 and Red Lake #40, but they didn't eliminate them.


What do these two dyes do? 


FD&C Yellow #5, also known as Tartrazine:

A variety of immunologic responses have been attributed to tartrazine ingestion, including anxiety, migraines, clinical depression, blurred vision, itching, general weakness, heatwaves, feeling of suffocation, purple skin patches, and sleep disturbance.

Certain people who are exposed to the dye experience symptoms of tartrazine sensitivity even at extremely small doses, some for periods up to 72 hours after exposure. In children, asthma attacks and hives have been claimed, as well as supposed links to thyroid tumors, chromosomal damage, and hyperactivity.

Because of the problem of tartrazine intolerance, the United States requires the presence of tartrazine to be declared on food and drug products and also the color batch used to be preapproved by the FDA. The FDA regularly seizes products if found to be containing undeclared tartrazine, declared but not tested by them, or if labeled other than FD&C yellow 5 or Yellow 5. 

The use of tartrazine was banned in Norway, and was also banned in Austria and Germany until the ban was overturned by a European Union directive.The United Kingdom's Food Standards Agency in April 2008 called for a voluntary phase-out of tartrazine, along with five other colorings, due to a reported link with hyperactivity in children.


FD&C Red Lake #40 also known as Allura Red AC.


It is one of many High Production Volume Chemicals. Red AC was originally manufactured from coal tar, but is now mostly made from petroleum. 


It is banned in Denmark, Belgium, France and Switzerland, and was also banned in Sweden until the country joined the European Union in 1994. The European Union approves Allura Red AC as a food colorant, but EU countries' local laws banning food colorants are preserved. In Norway, it was banned between 1978 and 2001, a period in which azo dyes were only legally used in alcoholic beverages and some fish products.


On April 10, 2008, the Food Standards Agency called for a voluntary removal of the colors by 2009.

In addition, it recommended that there should be action to phase them out in food and drink in the European Union (EU) over a specified period.


UK ministers had agreed that the six colorings would be phased out by 2009.

On June 30, 2010, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) called for the FDA to ban Yellow 5 and Red 40. Executive Director Michael Jacobson said, "These synthetic chemicals do absolutely nothing to improve the nutritional quality or safety of foods, but trigger behavior problems in children and, possibly, cancer in anybody. 


***Now, I have been looking at all of my supplements and am discontinuing anything with the dyes in it. I plan to contact the companies and tell them why also. One product I am able to switch from a lemon lime flavor to a chocolate and that way eliminate the dyes, but this may not be the case with all products.


I think that it is important to review everything you are ingesting, you may find that you have many products that each contain dyes, so they are compounding in your body.

BCAA's

I have been taking Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA's) for many years. I think BCAA's are very important to an athlete. I take BCAA's in a gel cap form 6 times a day, along with powdered BCAA's in my water as I train, and before going to bed. I want to explain a bit about them, and then in another post I will explain the product I have been using and why I have discontinued it. I have found a better product and will write about this in yet another post.


First, what do BCAA's do and why would someone take them? This is from ExRx.net, I like this site as I can see examples of almost any exercise being performed on video, reference all muscle groups, everything! 



The essential branched chain amino acids (BCAA's) include leucine, isoleucine, and valine are of special importance for athletes because they are metabolized in the muscle, rather than in the liver . Theoretically, after digestion once protein is broken down into individual amino acids these amino acids can either be used to build new proteins or be burned as fuel to produce energy. If the athlete's diet is adequate in nutrition then the above "essential" amino acids will be used for protein synthesis which is optimal for advanced human performance. It should also be noted that essential amino acids are not produced in the body such as non-essential amino acids, but rather obtained through proper nutrition. Therefore, it is often theorized that the supplementation of BCAA's are of essential importance to athletes due to their ability to alleviate any deficiencies that the body alone cannot produce. BCAA's have also been known in reducing fatigue in both anaerobic and endurance sports. It has also been noted that leucine may be the most critical BCAA because of its anti-catabolic properties and vital role in protein synthesis.


BCAA's have a great deal of thorough and conclusive research surrounding them. Although there are a few studies which show mixed results it should be noted that most studies seem quite favorable in regards to the supplementation with BCAA's. In a study performed by Ohtani et al the results showed that the subjects who received BCAA's had a significant increase in exercise efficiency due to the heightened levels of aerobic and anaerobic capacity as compared to the placebo group.


Other studies of similar characteristics of supplementing with BCAA's have also been consistent with the above results. For example, another study performed by Ohtani et al , a thorough before and after analysis concluded that markers for physical conditioning, fitness, and endurance greatly improved. In fact, only 2.2 g of the amino acid mixture three times a day significantly improved other physiological markers such as: red blood cell count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum albumin, fasting glucose, and a decrease in creatine phophokinase (p<0.05), suggesting increased hematopoiesis and glycogenesis, and rapid alleviation of muscle inflammation by the amino acid mixture. All of these beneficial factors may be of huge significance in high performance athletes especially in terms of overall conditioning. 


Another study by Sugita et al demonstrated the effect of an amino acid mixture, mainly consisting of BCAA's on recovery from muscle fatigue and damage after eccentric exercise training. Twenty-two male college students were given 5.6 grams of the amino acid mixture twice daily which resulted in a faster recovery of muscle strength than that of the placebo group. The oral ingestion of the amino acid mixture was proved to be effective for muscle strength recovery after the eccentric exercise.


Perhaps one of the most profound studies on amino acid supplementation to date was done by Kraemer et al in which 17 trained men randomly assigned to either an amino acid group or a placebo group underwent a 4 week training routine of total body resistance training. The first two weeks of training was an overreaching stage in which the total volume of training was relatively high which was then followed by a two week period of tapering or less total volume. Before any of the training took place there were base line measurements taken to determine strength such as 1RM bench press and squat as well as a ballistic bench press and jump squat to determine power output. 


The results in this study were quite interesting. First of all it appears that both groups had significant increases in strength, power, and resistance to fatigue after the entire four week period which can be attributed to the training program. This would support the fact that overreaching can be very beneficial to athletes trying to improve performance. However the interesting results show that the placebo group experienced significant decreases in strength in the first 2 weeks of the training program where the subjects were in a stage of overreaching. However, the amino acid group did not have any change in performance during this period. This was obviously due to the anti-catabolic effects that BCAA's promote in the body. Thus for athletes interesting in peaking performance through the use of strenuous and intense exercise where initial decrements of performance can occur these negative symptoms can be regulated and possibly negated by the supplementation of BCAA's.


BCAA's have a positive effect on reducing fatigue and help in maintaining plasma levels of BCAA's in the body. Coombes et al examined the effects of branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation on serum indicators of muscle damage after long periods of exercise. They hypothesized that BCAA supplementation would reduce serum indicators of muscle damage. There were 16 healthy males randomly assigned to either an experimental group in which they supplemented with 12 grams of BCAA's a day or a control/placebo group. Both groups participated in a two hour cycling activity at an intensity of 70% VO2. The results of this study clearly show that BCAA supplementation played a significant role in reducing levels of plasma markers associated with muscle tissue damage after intense endurance exercise. Of further interest, there have been many other studies similar to this in which plasma levels of specific compounds indicating muscle damage were reduced with BCAA supplementation. Low amounts of BCAA plasma levels, specifically leucine, have been correlated with increased levels of fatigue and reduced markers of physical performance. 


Another interesting function of BCAA's is their profound effect on clinically diagnosed patients with specialized diseases or health problems. First, BCAA's may support liver health in patients with liver disease. Also, patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALA, may show improvement after using BCAA's (32). Third, BCAA's may help support health and recovery in patients who have experienced trauma, extreme physical stress, kidney failure, and burns. Finally, BCAA's may aid in recovery after surgery).


Dosage recommendations for BCAA's vary widely and more research is needed before finalization is made for the best supplementation dosage of BCAA's. However, the most recent research indicates that dosages typically range from 200-300mg of each BCAA daily to 2-5 grams of each daily. It however seems that the smallest beneficial dosage of BCAA's is 150mg of each leucine, isoleucine, and valine daily .



For hard training athletes, I think the generally accepted ratios are 2:1:1, this refers to the percentage of each ingredient (L-leucine, L-isoleucine, and L-valine). Charles Poliquin will say the better ratio is 4:1:1. 


When buying BCAA's it is important to look at the ratio and other ingerdients. Glutamine is often added and that is fine, as long as it is not included in the total grams of BCAA's. Glutamine is cheap.


Often you will find a proprietary product, so they tell you it is 7 grams of BCAA's but they don't tell you how much of each, avoid these as they are probably using the cheap L-Leucine to bump up the total percentage.

Underground Body Opus

My latest book, and it's quite fascinating! Those of you who compete have surely heard of Dan Duchaine, he was known as "the steroid guru" but was also a bodybuilder, author and two time convicted felon. A very interesting fellow to say the least.

He started selling steroids by undercutting the local dealers, then moved into wholesale. Eventually, he became part of a major trafficking ring from Mexico, and co-founded Laboratories Milano in Tijuana, which was the largest black market steroid manufacturing plant in Mexico at the time.

In 1988, Duchaine introduced Clenbuterol to bodybuilders. He went to prison a few times, and wrote several books.

Here is a history: 

1981 - The Original Underground Steroid Handbook

1983 - Underground Steroid Handbook
1983 - Ultimate Dieting Handbook

1984 - Dan Duchaine initiated the John Siegler Fan Club - the 1st mail order steroid business.
1985 - Dan Duchaine co-founded Laboratories Milano in Tijuana, MX - the largest black market steroid manufacturing plant.
1987 - Indicted by the US government on conspiracy and mislabelling charges.
1988 - The Steroid Guru
1988 - Underground Steroid Handbook II
1988 - Dan Duchaine coached major Olympic athletes in passing drug testing.

1988 - The Steroid Guru introduced clenbuterol to American bodybuilders. 
1988 - Dan Duchaine got off probation - Back to the world of bodybuilding where he continued to advise until his demise on January 12th, 2000.
1989 - Dan Duchaine served an 18-month sentence in federal prison.
1990 - The Steroid Guru assisted top Mr. Olympia competitors to pass steroid testing with blocking agents.
1991 - Dan Duchaine was indicted by the US government for selling GHB and Clenbuterol to Longevity Clubs.
1992 - Duchaine served a 30 month sentence in federal prison.

1996 - Muscle Media 2000
1997 - Body Opus
1997 - Dirty Dieting Newsletter
2000 - Dan Duchaine passed away at the age of 47. 

So I guess you are wondering why I am reading this when I am so anti steroid?  Many reasons actually. First, Dan was also an amazing chemist, he experimented and figured out what made things work the right way.


He also knew about dieting, and although I have no desire to take steroids, I am interested in his diet techniques. I actually plan on going on the Body Opus diet once I am as big as I want to get, then I will see how well it works (drug free of course).


To give you an idea of his thoughts on dieting, here is a piece from the book as he explains why he wrote a diet book as opposed to a drug book this time round:


"I was avoiding a diet drug book because drugs will not magically solve all the dieting problems. Even with drugs, we still face the same problems of muscle loss and stubborn lower body fat. There's no lack of drugs- steroids, anti-estrogens, thyroid hormones, beta-agonists. Just take a look at the Top 50 list. These drugs cause some remarkable metabolic adjustments, but there is no one genie-in a bottle, wish fulfillment drug.  Sure, you hear the "drugs an not the answer" diatribe a little too frequently, but when the Steroid Guru says the same thing, take pause. I've been there, and  BODYOPUS is not the drug diet book promised in 1980."


One very interesting thing I have found, is that this book was written in 1996 and several of the "recommended" perfectly safe diet drugs are now illegal. 


It reminds me that even now when there are "safe" supplements out there, it could be tomorrow when they are pulled from the markets due to deaths.


I am also just blown away at the number of asthma, thyroid, cancer, diuretic, fertility and even melanin enhancers that people will ingest and abuse for the sake if appearance. I didn't realize all of this was used like this.


I also think think that just because I am against something, doesn't mean that I should be ignorant about it. I think that given my hobby, it is quite important that I understand these things, and the shady characters I may rub elbows with sometimes! 

So in his list of "top 50 dieting drugs and supplements" am I using anything that he recommends? Yes indeed I am.

Creatine monohydrate (used for strength, energy substrate replacement)

Vanadyl sulfate (glucose disposal- it transports glucose from the bloodstream across cell membranes)

Chromium (insulin agonist, repartition agent)- causes glucose disposal into muscle cells instead of fat cells.

I have researched these thoroughly, I have read everything on FDA websites, WADA, Olympic sites and I trust that what I am taking is OK.  Could their status change? Definitely. In fact, Duchaine said this of Vanadyl Sulfate back in 1996..

"Most health food supplements never fulfill expectations of drug-like action, but vanadyl sulfate is one of the two supplements that does. (The other is creatine monohydrate.) Money spent on vanadyl sulfate is money well spent."


I take it with the Chromium as he believes they should be taken together. I started taking this several months ago, and was pleased to read his thoughts on the two minerals.

Back in the saddle

I got home from Mexico Thursday night, the limo dropped us at about 11:00 p.m. it was oh so cold and wet, what a change. David stayed up and started laundry, Cooper took a very long, hot shower then switched on the TV he hadn't seen in days. I crawled into bed as soon as I could, I was exhausted.

I woke early, it was 5:30 and I couldn't sleep any longer, I crept quietly out of bed and started back into my routine. First, continue laundry. We would be leaving in a couple hours to go see Pop, so there was lots to do. After laundry I would need to pack some clothes for a cold, Central Valley climate!

I bundle up in a coat and go out into the garage to set up my weeks worth of protein drinks for pre-workout (first meal); amino acids for post training; and my branched chain amino acids for fluid during training.

I keep it all on my dryer in the garage, and since I am such an organized creature of habit, and always really tight on time, I find that getting everything ready for a week works well and I have what I need at all times. I can then just grab what I need and go.

I was actually craving a chocolate Lean 1 drink, and was happy to start my day with one.

I drink a Lean 1 combined with other supplements every morning. I also take L-Leucine, caffeine, Beta-Alanine and L-Glutamine.


For my drink while training I have X-Tend branched chain amino acids, and then afterward I take Gold Medal Aminos from Fitness Nutrition, a company started by Dara Torres (Olympic Swimmer).

Here you can see the concoctions all measured out and ready to go. The purple tops are the pre-training protein meal (and the other supplements added), it's like my own Ready-To- Drink, just add the mixture to water in a shaker cup!

The smaller containers in front center are the measured X-Tend (orange) and the medium sized ones on the right are the Gold Medal Aminos.

Every night I take one of each from the basket in the garage, put them on the kitchen counter and when I hop out of bed at 4:00 a.m. I have what I need. I mix my protein concoction with water in a shaker cup and take my supplements with it while I read the sports page, I then mix the X-Tend in my water bottle and take the Gold Medal Aminos in my gym bag to take immediately post training.

Supplements are also in daily pill reminder cases, I have four of them, morning, lunch, evening and bedtime. Again, all filled up on the weekend and the lunch times are carried in my purse, so I always have them.

Anal? A bit, but it helps me to be successful.

Sometimes when the sports page is boring I read my horoscope. I know they are silly and not true, nor can they be tailored for each individual, but sometimes it makes me feel really, really good. Today was one of those days and I know it was written just for me.

It said this:

You'll soon be involved in a project to restore, refurbish, or revive. What you wind up with will be an improvement on what came before.

Interpret it the way you will, I know what spoke to me, and it was immediate. Baby steps, giant leaps, zigs and zags, but all leading me in the right direction.

Chest Day and Nutrition (or a day in the life of a nut)

Monday morning, it's chest day for me. I thought I would give you an idea of my day training and nutrition and how I manage to fit it all in. This is an off season diet, so I am eating things I wouldn't normally eat when attempting to lose bodyfat such as fruit and bread.

Although I attempt to stick to a clean diet year round, believe me, there are times when I will eat with my family, even prime rib and loaded baked potato! But those days are really exceptions to the rule, this is how my typical day goes.

4:05 am, up and let the cat in. My alarm won't sound until 4:15, but somehow that cat seems to wake me up before it goes off every single day.  I get dressed into workout clothes (bra top and shorts), get the paper and read the sports page while I take supplements and my meal replacement drink.

I like Lean 1 chocolate fudge. I add amino acids from Fitness Nutrition ( I take it several times a day), glutamine,  beta-alanine and L-leucine.

I am at the gym just before they open at 5:00 am. My water bottle contains X-Tend (Branched Chain Amino Acids) in orange flavor.

Bench Press 3 x 8 135 pounds
active rest- jump rope in between each set
Incline Bench 3 x 10 95 pounds
active rest- jump rope in between each set
Chest press 3 x 8 50 pound dumbbells
active rest- jump rope in between each set
Incline Chest Flye 3 x 10 25 pound dumbbells super set with
Push ups 3 x 15
active rest- jump rope in between each set
Incline Chest Press 3 x 10 37.5 pound dumbbells super set with
Dips 3 x 10 (body weight)
active rest- jump rope in between each set
Hammer Strength Incline Military Press Machine 3 x 10 95 pounds super set with
Hanging leg raises 3 x 10 to 15 (body weight)
active rest- jump rope in between each set

Fill water bottle with post training supplements (Amino Acids, X-Tend, Glutamine, Beta-Alanine) and take more BCAA's and Kre-Alkalyn

I get home at 6:15 am, chest day is my shortest day and I get ready for work- I have coffee! I need to be at work by 7:30 am.

Breakfast is eaten at my desk:

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese, 1 Tbsp Flax seed, 1/4 cup fresh mango, two thick slices Acme pumpernickel bread with 2 tsps peanut butter and 2 tsps low sugar jelly.

water, lots of water

10:30 1 cutie (tangerine)

more water

11:30 and it's time for THE STAIRS.  I jog to the Event Center, run up 25 stairs, across the rooftop and down again, 12 times. That's 300 stairs up, and 300 down. I have been doing this now for 8 weeks. 5 minutes jump rope (yes I have to rest a bit).

12:05 is lunch and I have 4 ounces turkey breast, 4 ounces brown rice, 1 cup mixed vegetables (green beans and mushrooms) with fat free balsamic vinaigrette dressing. More supplements.

The water never stops.

1:30 1 rice cake with 1 tsp peanut butter.

1 truffle (one of my staff gave me a whole box of chocolates, they are so good!)

3:00 lunch #2:  4 ounces turkey breast, 4 ounces brown rice, 1 cup mixed broccoli and Brussels sprouts.

yes, more water!

Leave work at 5:20, home by 5:40  (long day)

6:00 dinner is 5 ounces tilapia, 1/2 cup kabocha squash, 2 cups vegetables (Green beans, mushrooms, green chiles), supplements.

water!

I clean up and start getting dinner together for Cooper and David. Cooper's friend is over, they are working on their art projects at the kitchen table. We joke around about what classes to take next year (fashion, so they can be around all the girls).

I steal 2 bites of my family's dinner- its shepherds pie (I made) which is beef stew topped with mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese, then baked until the cheese is melted and bubbly. It is stupendous!

Get my lunches together for the next day, all the food is cooked, I just need to grab one protein bag out of the freezer, measure out the vegetables and weigh the rice. I have already made egg white/oatmeal waffles for my breakfast.

Take off make up, wash face. Update my blog a bit, and check email.

8:30 is my last meal. 1 cup egg whites and 1 cup bok choy with low sugar ketchup and sriracha sauce. 16 ounce glass of water with amino acids, X-Tend, supplements (ZMA, L-Tyrosine)

Brush teeth BEFORE I eat 2 tsps peanut butter (see a pattern here?) so I can taste it longer...

Sleepy time tea, bed at 9:00. I will read for a little while.

I have not had time for TV or anything other than household duties , including food prep and clean up.

This is a typical day, I lead a fairly boring life, there isn't much variation. Next week I will recount Tuesday, which will be leg day for me.