DXA Scan for BodyComposition

Here I am, all 126.5 pounds of me, soaking wet. Literally! I just got out of the shower, hair is still wet, and even when I am in the bathroom getting ready for work I have my water bottle with me (strategically placed so this doesn't become a lewd picture). Seriously  always, always, always have water with you, everywhere you go. Most people are dehydrated.  Your brain and joints cannot function when you are dehydrated and you look like garbage too! 

When I decided I wanted to work with Layne Norton, I had to find out exactly where I was starting, and that meant bodyfat testing.

My goal is to increase lean muscle, and you can measure and use visual clues, but nothing is more scientific than real body composition testing.

Over the last few years I have had mine tested on a regular basis, with Hydro-static testing. It’s done in a tank of water and is pretty darn accurate. It’s not very fun though. You can read about my previous sessions below.

Hydrostatic testing 2013

Hydrostatic testing 2012

Hydrostatic testing 2011

I still keep in touch with friends from my last gym, and “R” said she was having her body composition tested with a DXA scan (formerly known as a DEXA scan).  
I didn't like the idea at all, getting an x-ray for shits and giggles? Sounded rather irresponsible, I mean my body trusts my brain to treat it right, it’s not fair to abuse that privilege.

I happened to have an appointment with my physician coming up so I asked him how safe it was, and he said it was very low dose and once or twice a year wouldn't hurt, and I could see my bone density too.

I scheduled it at the Body Composition Center in Redwood City. 

It was easy, didn't have to get wet and I just lay there on the table.

I was surprised at the outcome. First, I had calculated my bodyfat to be in the 11% range and I was wrong. I had been using the numbers from my previous Hydro-static testing and didn't realize that tells you only two things:  The amount of fat in your body and then everything else all lumped together.

It doesn't separate muscle from organs!

So once you account for my very heavy brain (yuck, yuck, yuck) and other internal organs, it turned out I was at 13.7% bodyfat, a normal “off season” for me, as I have mentioned, I stay lean your round (and I know that’s should change slightly).

But as I said, it wasn't the bodyfat I was interested in, it was muscle, I wanted to see how much muscle I had, because after I am done with my program, and before I start to diet for my next competition, I want to gain muscle and I want to have this done again to see how much I gained.

I have 106.1 pounds of muscle on my body.

I have 17.7 pounds of fat on my body.

I have 5.5 pounds of bone and organs in my body.

The analysis goes on to show exactly where it is located, and further divides it by the right and left sides!

Actually I have lost three pounds since this was done, so my bodyfat is a bit lower now, but as I said, with my new diet it may inch up a it, but I am prepared!

What was most interesting to me was the technician stated she had never seen a man or woman with as little visceral fat as I had. I have a whopping .15 (yes, that is point 15) pounds of fat around my internal organs. I guess I am pretty darn healthy!

And my bone density? A whole other page is devoted to that and it’s stellar! Weights are a girl’s best friend!

I have a link to the actual readout here for you to check out.

My goal now? Get that 106.1 up to a higher number, and not focus on the bodyfat, enjoy the food and the fun, and then see what I can create with my nutrition coach Layne and my trainer Roy as I head into my next Women’s Physique competition in Spring of 2014!

Body Transformation

I found this picture on my computer at work, it was taken in February of 2004, 8 1/2 years ago when we were vacationing in Mexico! I feel this is significant as that is just about when I started lifting weights, and it shows how a body can transform with weight training.

Check out the hair!!!

I really started to exercise "seriously' when I turned 40, 11 years ago. That's when I decided I was too fat for my own comfort level and I wanted to run a marathon. I did, but had to stop running as I developed injuries, I have since decided running is not the way to achieve the body I want.

I turned to weights since I could no longer run, and that's when my body transformation started! I say "started" because I am not done, I will never be done perfecting my physique.

In this picture I see a much more "pear shaped" body, I am definitely not shaped like that any longer! I also see a much rounder belly, thighs with a great deal of fat on them, skinny calves and ...I have larger breasts!

Now, belly is flatter, quads are shaped much differently and solid muscle, calves are shapely...and breasts ....very small (comes with the territory!), but naturally proportionate with my bodyfat I suppose. My posture is completely different too, I look like a whole new person.

Also, I am much older, and I look much better and amazingly fitter, I look like an athlete now!

Don't let anyone or anything ever hold you back, It is never too late to start your transformation!

Week 4 to Competition (week 6 of diet)

It's all coming together! I have 4 weeks left until the competition, I have been dieting for 6, and I am at 121 pounds, I lost 2 last week and 1 this week. I need to be careful as too much more and it will just dip into the muscle, I really don't have a lot of fat on my body.

See the bikini line, where the suit rides on the hips? That fat is finally starting to leave, it's always there as the suit kinda squishes everything around! But finally, it's not as prominent as it has been. Quads look awesome too!

The glutes are coming in too! The tie in still needs some tightening up, and when I drop my water intake everything will tighten up. I notice that my erector spinae seems much thicker     than before, and I am not sure if I like this or not. I need to discuss it with Roy, I am not sure what it is that may be causing this, I haven't changed Back training much. 

Ribs are even starting to show through here. Shoulders need a bit of work, they look a little flat, not full; but these pictures were taken at 7:00 p.m. and my last starch meal was at 11:00 a.m. so I look fairly flat all over.

I have made a promise to myself to start practicing my posing, I need to find a good side view. 

I am standing a bit straighter in both of these "model" poses. It is important, but difficult to keep the hands looking relaxed instead of "claw like"

Legs look good, I would like to see more definition, but again, after I am not drinking a gallon of water a day, all of the muscle will show through. 

That's the goal! When you can bend over and not have rolls of fat, you have succeeded!

Abs and Veins

I am dropping the fat, I ate a half hour on Saturday afternoon before this was taken, and look how vascular my stomach is. I have more fat to lose though, and hopefully some of the muscle will show after I drop all the fat!


I like veins, I  like vascularity, but the judges don't like it in Figure. They want it for Bodybuilding, but not my sport. I don't care, I like the look year round!


Seriously though, if you are new to this competition thing, just know that vascularity is a much sought after look for the Bodybuilders, but too much on a  Figure gal and you get scored lower. 


How do you stop it? Well, I think more people struggle just to get some vascularity than struggle to get rid of it. To get vascular you need to have the right combination of super low body fat; you cannot be retaining or "holding" water under the skin and...genetics.


You must be consuming the right diet, which is high protein, low complex carbs and low fat. So once you achieve your body fat goal, you need to stick to this diet to stay vascular.


Training is very important, you need to lift heavy to develop vascularity and some say that your blood pressure will increase vascularity so many people take nitric oxide supplements when they train, this engorges the veins with blood. 


When competing, you will see many women with vascular arms, particularly the shoulder and deltoid area, I think and this looks great. I like it on the abs too, and the calves.


I tend to be fairly vascular and I think that is because I have year round low body fat, I maintain the diet I described above most of the time and I stay away from foods that cause me to retain water. I drink a lot of water too, water in, water out!


I am still looking for the ever elusive 6 pack, but for now, these (almost- in two weeks) 51 year old abs look pretty darn good I think!

Self Doubt

It's right about this time where I start to doubt myself, my progress, all my hard work. I actually go through this a few times, but it usually lasts only a very short while, but now, it's a funk that has been hanging on a while.

I know it's all in my head, but I cannot convince my head of that!

I have no intention of turning back, no intention of not competing, but I need to go into it feeling good about myself. When you work so hard, and as the date gets closer, you are hungry quite a bit, it gets a little difficult to be objective.

I will pose and stare at the body in the mirror, it's not me, it's THE body, the one I am working on, it's a project. I have to take myself out of the body and try to critique it honestly.  I seem to always find fault.

This is not good. I should be damn happy with what I have, what I have worked hard for, yet right about now is when I lament of what I don't have, or haven't fully molded into what I want.

I did have some good interactions though that lifted my spirits, comments from people I know and people I do not. Of course, I was in gym attire or street clothes and unfortunately THE body looks different with clothes on than without (they all do, don't fool yourself), and in a competition, you are virtually naked, so there is no hiding anything. You just have to learn to be happy with what is there.

Tuesday morning Ryan, a trainer at Courtside, who also competes in Bodybuilding looked at me and said "You're showing on the 1st right?" Immediately I thought the worst "Yes. Why? Don't I look close?" "Hell ya" he said "You look leaner and dryer than I have ever seen you!"

I laughed and said "Thank god! And I had steak and sweet potato last night too! Well, 2 ounces of sweet potatoes, and 4 ounces of steak but it was so good."

I know that I am lean, but I am not sure if I am lean enough. It is usually easy as I know my desired weight, but I am sure I added lean mass training with Roy, so perhaps I don't want it to be as low as in the past. THE body has changed, I am sure of that. I have bigger shoulders and arms, and legs too. I like THE body better now, regardless what the judges decide on October 1!


I will be having Hydrostatic Body Fat testing done in a couple weeks, so we will know exactly where I am then. I have placed a link of my last test at the bottom here in case you want to read about the surreal experience when I did it last year.

Thursday night I attended a "Night of Beauty" hosted by my dermatologist. Her office also does cosmetic procedures. I walked in, giddy women everywhere, drinking champagne, eating treats (all kinds, let me tell you, but alas, I touched nothing!) We all went room to room with our raffle tickets seeking out the raffles we wanted to enter. I chose 4 photo facial treatments, 1 year of Lastisse, Obagi skin care regime, and Revale skin care set. Hopefully they pick my cards!

You could get fillers, botox, cellulite treatment, glycolic peels, laser treatments, all sorts of things. All services were on special, credit cards were flying around the room.

And, although there were some very attractive women there, I was asked by several just what I do to look the way I do. They wanted to know my exercises, was I a professional (pro what???), did I train, what do I eat. It really made me feel better. Most of these women were there for beauty procedures, and not cheap ones, let me tell you. And I was being complimented on something that is me, naturally me. 

I was talking with one rep, she worked for Dysport and she wanted to tell me what she does and asked about what I do (exercise). She wanted to know about diet, just what am I eating right now?

I told her a lot of lean protein and good carbs. She asked "what are good carbs, potatoes?" I explained I meant vegetables. She said she didn't know vegetables were carbs. So I explained about the fact that most people call starches carbs, but in reality, vegetables are carbs too, so if you eliminate or reduce starches, you must eat a lot of vegetables, and the right ones. Green leafy vegetables, chard, kale, broccoli, collard greens. Not lettuce.

We talked for quite some time, and I realized how easy it is for me, I know all of this, I can make it work and I do, everyday. 

I left, with a free purple pen and some skin care samples, feeling a lot better about where I am. Sometimes, strangers can help you through personal struggles without even knowing it. 

Still hope they pull my raffle tickets though!

Hydrostatic Body Fat Testing 

6 Weeks Out

It's Tuesday and how does your competition suit fit? Mine is sitting pretty right now, I like the way things are moving along. I am down another pound, so I am losing it slowly, and appear to actually be gaining lean mass, or I just  look pretty frigging ripped these days!


I am at 123 so I am guessing I will get down to 120 after all, and should look about right, but I never know till I get there.


I really owe the legs to Roy, I have never been able to get much shape, and although I want them even bigger, I think this is the best they have ever looked!  I am actually developing a sweep there! YAHOO!


After this competition, we just keep working on the legs, and since I won't be restricting calories as much, they should grow bigger!


The shoulders are popping out and getting nice caps. You can see the glutes looking better from the sides here, the "indent" of something I don't know the name of! But it's just where most women have saddlebags...I have saddle divots starting I guess!

The shape of the upper back is nice but I would like to see more definition in my spinal erectors, that should come in time and with more bodyfat loss. The glutes are now starting to tighten up and the glute-ham transition is becoming smoother.

This is for my friend Sakura, she wants to see the glutes from the side, I hope she is pleased! Riding high still! Take a look at the hamstring bulge that has developed! Rear delt looks nice and round.

I am happy all around, the waist is coming in, the quads are coming out, shoulders are getting rounder and I still have 6 weeks left!


My metabolism is right where it needs to be now, It takes a while to get there, but when it does, watch out. At this point I am still hungry immediately following eating, but it seems to dissipate after about 30 minutes, then I really am not hungry for a couple hours, then it hits me suddenly and I must eat immediately! Luckily that's right about the correct time.


As soon as I start eating, I start to sweat. I mean a lot! More than when I do cardio, it's kinda weird but seems to be my body just kicking into overdrive.


I will keep up with my after work sprints and stairs, it seems to be working well for me. I will try to move away from so many stairs and start more sprints.


I was at Home Depot as my husbands "helper" this morning, and we asked the fellow where the melamine boards were and he took one look at me and said "You look like you are hecka strong!"
And right he is!

7 Weeks Out

Seven weeks until my show and I am feeling on track. It's really just about dropping the rest of the bodyfat very slowly, sticking to the diet and practicing my posing.

Shoulders are looking good, we are still working on rounding them out more though.

I have been attempting to adjust my suit, I am thinking I need to tighten the straps a bit, I pinned them here to see how that would work. Keeping the darn thing in place is near impossible, and a wedgie while you are on stage posing just looks silly, I know, been there, done that!

And although there is special glue to hold it all on, it doesn't hold for long and I have two shows, and two divisions to be in. 

There is the morning show where the "real" judging takes place, that's when you do all the turns and comparisons, and they send you back and forth and rearrange you next to others. 


I am in the age 50 and up (no heights in this class) and then I go off stage and wait till the "open" class C (all ages are in this class) goes on, that is something like 5'2 to under 5' 3 1/2" and I go back out for that too.


My back is fine, when I drop the rest of the fat the glutes will look tighter, today I met my friend Maria Adelus at the gym and she said "you look great! You are gonna be ready early!"


I can manage early better than late. If I lose it too late I will get stressed....Stress produces cortisol, not good when you are trying to lose bodyfat and gain lean mass. 


Just say "OOOOOMMMMMM" Actually, David tells me he has to worry for for both of us because I never seem to worry about anything anymore. Several years ago I decided that worry did no good, and if I can change something I will and if I cannot  then no amount of stress or worry will help anyone or anything.


So, I live a fairly worry free life and want to keep it that way!


Maria and I trained legs and glutes, talked, and planned to spend more time together on weekends, she will be here a lot. I might have to see if I can get her into Roy's once or twice!

I need to remember to keep my hands "pretty", but honestly, trotting back and forth on my hardwood floors wearing the 5 inch Lucite heels with my camera on a timer makes it a little difficult, it all comes easier on stage. Especially with the head judge shouting "Ladies! Arms by your sides! Arms by your sides! This is not a bodybuilding contest!"...hee hee he always does!

Look- Tummy is getting there...flatter and flatter everyday! The sprints across the street last week were good, I did it three nights, I will do the same this week.

It really felt good, so I am doing some form of exercise every morning, every lunch and every night with the exception of Fridays, I am skipping the night workout. 

Maria looked great- the last show we did together was the San Jose in July of 2009, so this will be fun! It is so much more fun to have a friend along, someone to chat with and help adjust the suit and critique the make up.


And, depending on how we both look, we may even get to go out for a good lunch in between shows! 

8 Weeks Out

8 weeks until the San Francisco show, and I am feeling like I am on track. My weight has been as low as 124 for a few days last week, yet it moves up a bit according to the carbs and water and sodium in my diet.

I don't think I want to get down to 119 and maybe even not 120. I am beginning to think that I just may have added some nice lean mass and won't have too much more to worry about. 

The shoulders are looking rounder (thanks to Roy) and I can see my quads looking better each week as the fat slowly melts away.

Back looks great- but I have always had a good back, I love the shape that can be seen here.

Roy has plans to help me get rid of that fat on the lower glute area, in a few weeks you should see a vast improvement with overall tightening. And don't worry, when I glue the suit on it will fit straight and better!

Close up of the impressive back starting to develop....

The delts look nice and round here, which indicates good overall development in anterior and posterior, I am working on the lateral  delts for width on the side (from the front view). 


Even got some good horseshoe triceps going on!


On target, feeling good and making my list of places to eat afterwards...only two months to go.

Female Athletes

Female athletes, I honestly cannot imagine anything more beautiful. Oh I love the males too, but I wouldn't call them beautiful. Their bodies I would describe differently. To me there is nothing finer than a physically fit and developed human body, a true work of living art.

The first video was posted on a site called Hardbody. It is a site for female sports, health, fitness and competitive athlete information. It has been flying all over Facebook already because it really pissed off a lot of women. 

I know you all know what I have to say about this video! Good thing you couldn't hear me as I watched it for the first time!

For anyone to consider that a woman could be "too ripped" or "too toned" is not only barbaric and insulting, it just shows how ignorant and uneducated they are.

Why should it be alright for a male to be "ripped" but not a female? 

In the video above, I wouldn't even say that the subject, Cameron Diaz looked too toned (as if there is such a thing anyway), she looked kind of skinny to me, just extremely low bodyfat and I would like to see her lift some weights and add some mass, then she would look really ripped! 


But has anyone thought that she likes her body just the way she has worked so hard to get it? Shouldn't that be the only thing that matters?


I don't hear about the overweight, unhealthy, painful looking masses who are bound for heart disease and other illnesses. These people are everywhere, the norm unfortunately. Why on earth would the media trash someone who is actually taking care of themselves?


Take another look at these athletes. Too toned for you? Or do they scare you because they are powerful athletes who also look beautiful?

9 Weeks Out

Saturday, July 30 and it's 9 weeks from my competition. I think I look leaner in person but in these pictures I cannot see a difference. My weight fluctuates a bit but I don't want it to drop fast, I don't have a lot to lose and I want to lose fat not muscle.

What I am doing is to let the diet do the work and not kill myself with cardio. The cardio look is not a good look. Yes, I still have to do cardio, but take a good look at the folks who do it a lot, they don't look so good do they?

Skinny, tired, bones poking out, no full muscles. Not going to make me or the judges happy!

I am doing cardio for 20 to 30 minutes, three days a week and it is typically the stair-mill or stair-stepper for 20 minutes and the Concept 2 rower for 10. If I use the rower too much my traps get big and that is not the look I want.

I also do my stairs and jump rope at lunch four days a week, but that really is more intervals, not steady state cardio.

If needed, I will start hitting the track across the street for sprints two times a week after work. But not yet. 

I think if you are taking steroids you can do a lot of cardio and not have the ravages show on your body so much. I guess that's what they are for right?

The idea is to reduce the starches a bit, make your body lose the fat and stay tight. Sounds easy, and it is, but not necessarily "pleasant" shall we say?

I honestly don't recall having such a large rear end before...I wonder what has happened? ha ha It will shrink, believe me! I am hoping that it just gained more muscle though, so right now continues to look a bit larger than usual, although I do definitely see the fat there. 

I just have to constantly remind myself that I SHOULDN'T be looking perfect yet, I shouldn't be completely lean and cut yet, I cannot be ready too early or I won't be able to sustain it.

This is the same issue anyone has when dieting, they want to see results fast, or they get discouraged. In my case, I won't get discouraged and quit, I will start to do more cardio or cut calories too low then it all backfires. I just have to constantly remind myself. Good thing David reminds me every single day too!

Tummy is flattening, but now I need to work on the concave aspect...some women are very good at this, some are not. I keep trying!

I had a wedding to attend on Saturday night, that was my last "non-approved" food for the next two months. Mark and Virginia were over on Sunday and Mark was trying to tempt me with sweet potato fries. I told him I couldn't eat them. "Not even sweet potatoes?" he exclaimed.

"Mark" I said. "They are FRIED"

Ah, he forgot that part, and then he wanted to know just what would tempt me and I told him "nothing, I have a show to do"

He looked a little confused, almost like it was an unusual thing to hear. And it might be from a regular person, but I am not a "regular person" am I?

Let the games begin!

Friday's Training with Roy

I think I must have been born with an Olympic bar on my back! I do honestly think my favorite exercise is anything with that big, long, cold, 45 pound bar!

These pictures were taken Saturday morning, immediately after training, before food and coffee. You can compare them to the pictures I posted on Sunday to see what a dramatic difference the food makes.

In these I look tight and really lean, whereas the pictures after eating I look pretty soft. Keep that in mind when you are getting your body "beach ready" as they say.

I know when I really start losing the body fat because people at the club comment. Today I saw Tom, he said "You must be getting ready for something, you are looking really lean"...yup, he's right.  He looked me up and down and said "You are really vascular, this is new, not like you usually look. What's different this time?" I find it interesting that this man, and many others feel comfortable enough around me to do that. I mean they actually look up and down and comment. I encourage it, I want them to tell me, it's not personal nor is is sexual, it is constructive criticism on the progress of "The Body". It just happens to be my body. I need the feedback, I stare it it so much, I lose sight of reality. My vision gets skewed.

We talked a bit about training and diet, what I am doing differently, he is going to Hawaii soon and is trying to tighten up and he explained his current diet.

I told him to ditch the fruit. No fruit when dropping body fat, fructose is probably one of the worst things for it!

I have maintained at the 2 pound drop, and had three meals that are not "competition prep approved". One more at the wedding (or maybe the rehearsal dinner too) and then I am officially killin' it!

Friday Roy and I worked on Good Mornings first then back squats. He took some video I think, or pictures, I guess when he sends them to me you will see them too!

We then tried his modified Glute Ham Raise, I told David about it and he was horrified. I will try anything once though, and if it doesn't kill me and I like it, I will do it over and over again. Life is too damn short to worry about getting hurt. I have a better chance of getting hit by a bus than hurting myself training, and I already broke a rib doing it so I used up my quota.

I couldn't even do the exercise and he says with a bit of enthusiasm "We got our exercise for next week!"....I am looking forward to it.

Squats are great for the whole body and not enough women do them. Most women I see squatting don't go heavy enough or low enough. And I am learning that they aren't doing them with proper form either! Actually, most people don't use proper form as they are so intent on loading on the weight, they sacrifice form for weight, then the exercise is basically useless. Well, it is a good way to hurt yourself I guess.

And women are the ones so stressed about their big 'ol butts! Squatting will only make that flabby butt into a tight butt. Nothing worse than a flabby, flat butt...

And Good Mornings? For the hamstrings....when you stand sideways, you really want to see a nice big bulge in the back of the leg, above the knee, and then a bigger one when you get to the glutes...You gotta work the hammies!

I have really enjoyed training with Roy and feel fortunate to have found him. He listens to what I want and then makes sure I do it right! Couldn't be better huh? I also like the fact that he respects my opinion and experiences and doesn't have an air of "I am the Trainer, you are the Trainee"...we are in it together. I think I can always learn from others, and I know I have a lot to offer too. People learn from me everyday!

Check out the back! The "back fat" is dwindling away...very quickly too. I guess it's the curse of the 50 year old body or something. I always said I look best at 123 pounds and I am at 125 now.

Lets' compare pictures when I lose 2 more pounds shall we? I will wear the exact same clothes too!

10 Weeks Out

It's 10 weeks away, and that sounds like a lot. It is a long time, but then time is all relative. If, for instance, the 10 weeks was how long you had to live, it would not be much time at all. If it were a vacation on a yacht in the Caribbean it would be a very long time (I have done that for 10 glorious days, I shall tell you about it sometime). If you are on a diet it can seem like an extremely long time. If you are worried that you won't lose enough bodyfat it is not enough time.

It's all in how you look at it right?

Right now my head says I have plenty of time. It's funny as my body changes so much through out the day. I can look lean and ripped one moment and an hour later, soft and flabby. Food and water impact it all. Not just eating and drinking but WHAT is eaten...

I can see right now that the fat on the upper back has started to leave, thank goodness! It's the rear end that looks a bit soft, but that is the last to go and I am not worried. My butt goes from glorious to very, very firm and small. It is rather disappointing to work to get it so big just to see it melt away!

The abs are definitely not as soft as they were, I was looking  very, very lean earlier  but I was at the gym so long I had to eat then shower then take the pictures. So, these pictures were taken after I ate 1 cup of egg whites, 1 serving of steel cut oats and too many cups of coffee to count! Not what I would do on competition day!

This all looks the same, but again the stomach is looking flatter. I can really tell when I roll on the foam roller. Those of you who have a cat will know exactly what I am talking about. I lay face down on the roller, rolling one quad and the excess skin on my stomach just sorta hangs there, you can cup it in your hand, like a cats soft belly....but, it's all getting smaller and smaller, so if you were to reach under to cup that soft spot, there wouldn't be much there to hold!


TMI? I am standing here half naked ya know! I also tend to exaggerate just a little bit....

So I am looking quite similar to last week, but I knew I would, "The Diet" hasn't been in full force yet, but I have been eating clean most of the time and not snacking , so I am already taking shape. 

I am already starting "The List" of the foods I shall eat, the restaurants I shall go to, the drinks I shall enjoy. This is actually one of the fun parts, daydreaming about the fun afterward. And what's even funnier is other people do it too, they live vicariously through my diet, then can't wait to celebrate with me afterward. It's not like they dieted too, they just want to be part of the fun when I am ready to cut loose.

I was at Mark and Virginia's for dinner last night and they (along with David) already planned my first outing, not that they asked me what I thought, but since they made it all sound so fun I will go along.

The plan is to go to The Happy Hound in Los Gatos. It has been there forever! I am 50 years old went to high school here, I used to go there after school!

Apparently they have killer french fries, cooked in peanut oil. I haven't been there in probably 15 years, but my family has so I have just learned.

David said there is a picnic table in the parking lot, back in the corner. We will go and spread a table cloth on the table, get a few orders of fries and wash them down with Champagne.

If you think this sounds good and end up trying it, can you let me know what you think? I don't want to waste one of my first "bad" meals on a pipe dream!

11 Weeks Out and 2 Pounds Lighter

Saturday, 11 weeks out till the next competition. I have been adhering to my diet MOST of the time, but since David is off for the month I promised to not diet while we were out together. So I have lost 2 pounds since last Friday. That's only because I haven't been drinking any wine or eating many carbs.

Below is the back comparison of today (11 weeks on the left) and last Saturday (12 weeks on the right). Although the lighting is poor on the right, it is clear that the back is becoming more defined, and everything is pulling in tighter now.


The spinal erectors are becoming more defined with my twice a week back training and soon the "Christmas tree" of the back area will start to show (if training goes well!)

Even the thighs are not touching as much as last week, notice the small space between them?

Front view, the waist is already pulling in, as the lats are wider (believe me, I did not all of a sudden just get a slim waist!), shoulders appear wider, even hips look wider (and they are not) it's all an illusion!


Even the vastus medialis is popping and looking better!

The side pose looks similar, but I can see more definition in the quads now, also upper abs looking more defined. It's interesting how one week and 2 pounds make such a difference isn't it? Notice even the face and neck? The face is slimmer and the jaw has much more definition leading to a slimmer neck, just 2 tiny pounds....


I always have striations in the chest area, and that is not a desirable effect in figure, but I like it. 

Delts are looking more prominent, the roundness is showing of the lateral delt, with the anterior delt even more prominent, I need to work on the posterior delt though (but don't we all?). Intercostals are showing more. See the definition of the medial glutes running down to the quad?

Depending on the type of person you are, you may or may not see the differences. They are dramatic to me, and some may not notice. That's what is interesting about this sport. All of the women (or most) who get up on the stage look fabulous, it is hard to pick a "winner" yet the judges do, and almost instantly. 


A competitor has 3 seconds per pose. Usually it's 3 poses, front, back, side, each at 3 seconds and if the class is large in number, the head judge will shout at you to hurry or mark you down if you linger. All your hard work for seconds of scrutiny.


Alas, today I went wine tasting with David, and had more calories than I should. 

Sometimes, life gets in the way of life, doesn't it?

Actually I had a fabulous time, we went to three wineries and out to lunch. I had skirt steak, potatoes, spring onions and corn. Sounds like a lot but it was at the Cellar Door in Santa Cruz, and an appropriate amount of food, a stunning restaurant I highly recommend! In fact, David was gushing to the chefs about his lunch of grilled Monterey squid, lentils, pork fat confit and baby turnips. We sat at the bar counter, a great place to watch all the chefs in action!


Tuesday we go to Santa Rosa to pick up some new grape vines for our vineyard, and I made lunch reservations at Willi's Wine Bar  so I will have another high calorie/fat/starch day.


But, look what I did in only one week! I have 11 left! Imagine what I can do! Next week won't be much of a change, but after that, each week will be more and more dramatic, and I just have to keep it in control so I don't lose too fast. When I lose body fat too quickly what does my nutritionist recommend? More fish oil! ha ha...I would prefer more peanut butter though, and actually I do both!


We will see what next week brings!


I am interested in hearing about your diet, are you able to do this so quickly too? What has been successful for you?