My Diet

I have mentioned several times how I have changed my diet. I thought I would explain a bit of what I have done.

I weigh my food year round, at least the protein and the starches. I don't weigh vegetables as you can eat as many of those as you like, provided you don't mistake one of the starchy vegetables which for diet purposes are considered "starches" for a "vegetable" (that would be things such as peas, corn, winter squashes).

So, I am always adhering to some "diet" although I relax it quite a bit when I am not in the cutting phase. I believe that this makes me more successful when I do need to drop the body fat as I never let myself get overweight, and I don't pig out for months at a time.

I have been reading some books that have inspired me to make a few changes, very slight ones and that is all I need as my diet is fairly dialed in year round anyway. I don't pack on 20 extra pounds in the winter just to have to lose it in the spring, I don't believe in that, and not many people do any longer, research has proven it is not necessary to gain a great deal of excess fat just to gain lean mass. If you eat properly, you will gain properly.

Here is an example of my lunch (meal #3) on Sunday:  3 ounces black beans, 1 cup mushrooms, one cup oven roasted cauliflower (with paprika), 1/2 cup Brussels sprouts and 4 ounces thin chicken breast with Mrs. Dash and some lemon. Very satisfying and filling! I eat a lot!

So what I have done is simple, following my past successes I have reduced my starches on meal 3 and 4 each by one ounce, and on meal 5 all together. 

I have replaced the starches in meal 5 with kabocha squash, or one extra cup of vegetables. I like kabocha squash as it is satisfying like a yam or potato, but without the carbs!

1 cup has 30 calories and 7 grams carbs, whereas if you had butternut squash you would be eating 82 calories and 22 grams of carbs!

I have also increased my overall vegetable intake by about 1/2 to 1 cup more at each meal, which means I am eating 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups of vegetables at a time. So - decreased starchy carbs, increased fiberous carbs.

I am not so hungry, I am getting carbs through vegetables but not the starchy variety that tends to be stored as fat.

I have also stopped eating brown rice, replacing it with beans or lentils. I have eaten rice on occasion, but not everyday as in the past.

In addition, I am eating 3 to 5 raw nuts (almond, cashew or macadamia) or 2 tsp oil (olive, flax, Udo's, CLA) prior to or with each each meal containing starch.

I am eating the nuts/oil just prior to each meal to reduce the insulin response for the meal. Eating the nuts or oils will help control the rate of entry of glucose into the bloodstream. So slower entry, less insulin is produced.

The reason why you do not want a rapid rise of insulin is it will cause too much glucose to be taken up by the cells, which results in low blood sugar, which in turn stimulates the appetite for more food!

I have also continued having a post training carb and protein drink, although it isn't a huge one like I might have when not cutting fat. I think this has helped me to hold onto the muscle and still look full and round, while losing the overall bodyfat. I don't have much more to lose, maybe 3 or 4 pounds at the most. It's hard to tell until I see it, but I will stick to the diet, and I won't be doing an insane amount of cardio, as I don't need to, I don't have a lot of fat to try to lose.

My post training drink has 26 grams carbs in it, I will probably stop that about 4 weeks out, and right there I should start to lose and tighten up more.

Vacation

The other day a friend asked why I started my diet so early when I can lose body fat in only 5 weeks. I do want to clarify that it was a past trainer who coined the name for me, based on her observations of my dieting skills. In addition, although I can lose the fat quickly, a fast loss is never the best way to go, it's far better to do it slowly. I thought I might explain a bit about the reason though.

So this is what I did on vacation.It all started on Friday evening before I even left town- I went to Henry's Hi-Life and had a martini, bar-b-qued ribs and wine.

Then the bar in the airport in Los Angeles between flights.

Then the plane from Los Angeles to Mexico, I was in first class, so that means all the free alcohol you want, and you know what happens when alcohol is free? You drink more! They served a hot croissant with ham and melted cheese, it was good.  Probably not the best quality, but the last time I had a croissant was in July of 2010 in Paris when I stayed with my brother.

By the time I got to Mexico I had already blown my diet for two days! ha ha



Chaise lounge, sun, sand, water and wine by my side, and a few really good books! All day long.

My only exercise was running on the sand for 20 to 30 minutes everyday, before anyone else was up. Or so I thought. One day a man walks by me and says "how was your run this morning?" Hmmm....THIS morning? Does that mean he has been watching EVERY morning? I wonder....

Yes, it was 10 weeks (or maybe 11) before a competition, but that is why I started a diet earlier than usual. I enjoyed myself, and when you are a competitive athlete in a physique based sport, it is often difficult to do this, you constantly feel you should be depriving yourself.

It really isn't healthy, emotionally speaking that is.

Anyone who competes knows why this is a huge deal, those who don't are thinking I have some major issues..I mean I have 10 or 11 weeks to lose a few pounds- isn't that almost three months?!

Yes it is, like two and a half actually. But, when you diet down to lose fat for a competition, you don't just lose weight to drop scale weight, you need to carefully lose the fat, retain the muscle, and still look healthy and firm.

All this while maintaining a full time job (for most of us) and training just as hard as usual, sometimes twice a day. Once the diet starts, you cannot go on weekend benders or it will show in your physique, you really have no where to hide the flaws when you are standing in stage under bright lights, almost naked to the world. And believe me, the world IS looking at you very, very carefully, scrutinizing everything, even your skin tone!

So while I had a great time, I still struggled to eat properly because I couldn't easily have the small meals with the complex carbohydrates, lean protein and massive amounts of fresh vegetables (plain) that I normally would, so I was hungry quite a bit, I mean trying to get by on 3 meals a day when I usually eat 6 is hard. And if I ate 6 meals at a restaurant, I would be rolling myself along the beach!

Whats a girl to do? TUNA!

Yes, I went to the store and bought several cans of tuna packed in water, and it had pull tops! Unfortunately my wine glasses tended to smell fishy afterward, but that's OK, I love fish!

Beach, sand, sun, water, red wine and tuna, a great combination. The tuna ensured I got the protein I needed, and I wasn't so hungry.

I brought some meal replacement bars, but those were emergency only since all of them, no matter what they tell you are really glorified candy bars with a hefty price tag. I ended up eating 2 only.

Me and David.

Check out the glutes! They are growing at a steady pace and soon will have a life of their own! I read an article where someone was discussing how your glutes grow and he made a very intelligent observation, when training the glute muscles, they will grow out (as in behind you), not sideways, and so many women are afraid to train them heavy as they think they will get big butts.

I am living proof that your butt will keep growing out behind, and stay slim on the sides if you lift right and eat properly, I mean it's almost comical in this picture!

Glory to the butt!

Cooking

Me in my kitchen, I love to cook. This is my winter chef's jacket, it's thick and gets hot. My summer and spring jacket is black with short sleeves. I like them because I don't ruin my clothes with splatters.

I know, you are thinking, "she cooks? right, she's always on a diet!"

I understand why you think that, even a fellow at work the other day said to me "you don't eat cheesecake right? You don't even eat anything humans do"

I think he was trying to be funny, but I wasn't laughing, in fact, I found it a bit sad.

I enjoy what I eat, I feel better eating healthy and I shall probably live to have a better quality of life because if it. I also love to eat some "human" food too, I just don't do it all the time.

There are so many wonderful foods that can be eaten, and can be delicious yet not be full of sugar and fat and thousands of calories.

If you make healthy foods the main part of your diet, and allow yourself to eat some of the other foods, you won't feel so cheated.

So exactly what is a healthy diet? It's not rocket science and it's not difficult. Now to diet down to lose all excess bodyfat, that is a science, but we won't be talking about that today.

Eat several small meals a day: This can range from 4 to 6 depending on your activity level. The goal is to never get to a state of ravenous hunger, and to keep your body fueled and blood sugar level. A meal for someone who isn't very active can be an apple and 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter. And then someone like me, who is fairly active and who eats 6 meals of almost all the same size, eats two lunches consisting of 4 ounces protein, 4 ounces starch and a cup of vegetables in each lunch (one at 12:00 and one at 3:30)

Eat what "humans" do: Natural, unprocessed foods. Lean meats, fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts, whole grains. Stay away from packaged foods which will not do you ANY good.

Drink lots of water:Your body needs water to function. Water allows your body to maintain it's temperature; it flushes waste; it keeps skin moist; it cushions your joints, it protects your nervous system.

Eat slowly and enjoy the meal: If you rush through your meal you are likely to keep eating even after you are full. You will eat faster than your body can signal your brain that you are full, and then you will over eat.

Eat the right portions: Protein source should be the size of you open palm (not hand, the palm only!). Starches should be the size of your closed fist, no more! Vegetables should cover most of your plate.

Experiment and be open: I try different vegetables and combination all the time. You don't need to eat "breakfast" foods in the morning and "dinner" foods at night. Let your imagination run wild!

Cheat Meals

 
I love reading T-Nation (Testosterone Nation), it has lots of good down and dirty articles, many of which are informative and some just downright silly. There are also lots of pictures of cut men and women on the sides too!~

If you compete, or have ever competed, even once, you know all about "cheat meals". I have been watching my fellow competitors for a while, just making mental notes about cheat meals and how they use them, how often and for what specific reason.

When I am competing, or preparing for a competition, I have a "cheat meal" for only one reason- my body needs it. Sometimes I think I need one, but am not quite sure, when David starts looking at me weird saying "you need a burger...you need a burger", I know it's just about time...that means my veins are probably popping out all over, my cheeks are sunken, my skin is sallow and my eyes have dark rings. Along with the fact that my once beautiful muscles are looking flat...

I think that many people use the term "cheat meal" when they just aren't eating "clean" and they say it so everyone around them knows that they are fully aware of what they are doing, and making a conscious decision to "cheat".

I think that is fine, I don't believe in depriving yourself for life, that's no way to live. Right now I am not competing, I do not have "cheat meals" but there are occasions, sometimes a couple times a week when I will eat something that I wouldn't normally consume during competition prep. I don't consider this a "cheat" because I am not on a diet.

Now ask anyone who knows me, works with me or socializes with me and they will probably tell you I am ALWAYS on a diet. That's not true, I just stick to a good, nutritious diet year round, that's all.

Some people end up turning their "cheat meal" into a "cheat day", bad, bad mistake.

I find it best just to get in a "zone" stick to the diet plan and don't deviate unless absolutely necessary. Sort of like driving to Los Angeles, you get in and hit I-5 and keep going, stopping only if you must, and only for a very brief moment.


This article has some foul language, so be prepared if you are offended easily (but I guess you probably wouldn't be reading my blog if you were anyway!)

Nutritional Leverage: The Dieting Edition
 
by Shelby Starnes

Q: How do I know when to take a cheat meal or cheat day? I hear guys talk about them and they sound awesome. I'm pretty fat I guess and have been dieting for 3 weeks. Is it time for one?

SS: Sometimes I wish I never mentioned that I give my clients cheat meals or cheat days on occasion, because now every chubby guy with a treadmill thinks they 'deserve' a food bender after a few days of avoiding junk food. Sorry Charlie, it doesn't work that way.

Cheat meals (and days) should only be employed to accomplish the following:

• To stoke a stagnant metabolism

• To temporarily refill glycogen stores (when you're REALLY flat)

• To stave off catabolism

Cheats serve a psychological benefit as well, but they should NOT be employed when:

• You're bored with your diet. (Newsflash, asshole — it's a diet. If you want to indulge your inner epicurean, get a job at the Food Network. If you want to get lean, get used to eating a slightly limited selection of foods.)

• You're feeling "entitled" to eat what you want cause you worked hard, trained hard, were feeling sad, Grey's Anatomy was lame, etc. Entitlement has no bearing on whether you get to cheat or not.

• You hear the ice cream truck. 'Nuff said.

So when should you cheat? Well, it's hard to give clear-cut rules on when and how to incorporate a cheat meal, as every situation is different, but here goes:

• If you've dropped a lot of weight in a short amount of time (more than three pounds in a week, not including the first week of dieting when you drop water and glycogen weight).

• If you're starting to have shitty workouts on a regular basis (no pump, poor strength, lack of focus).

• And, if your body temperature is starting to drop (you feel cold ALL the time).

Then, it's probably safe to say that a cheat meal is warranted.

Don't go nuts though — a cheat meal is a tool, not a license to go ape-shit and binge for hours on end. Keep your binge to around 60 minutes, tops. In an hour you should be able to fulfill a lot of cravings anyway, provided the ice cream truck driver doesn't know you're on a diet and actually stops for you.