This is the last show, I swear….

After show #2 on October 22nd, I hadn’t planned on doing another. I took Sunday off from diet and workouts and then got back on my plan by Monday.

I started to transition to a keto diet (more on that later) and upped my average daily cals by 100. As the week went on, my strength coach, Arron at REDLine HP mentioned hitting up one more show on the 5^th in Fargo. I said- “I don’t think so. I don’t think I can pull that off in a week and a half and be sane.”

Well, I went home and looked up some things, then remembered, we had plans to travel to Michigan for my husband’s job and to visit friends for a week making a show around here not possible anyway.

But low and behold, there is a show schedule on November 5^th 2016 in Kentwood, MI. The venue is in the city we will be visiting when in town so, I himmed and hawed for a week and decided to go for it.

It is an NPC sanctioned show- one where I can twist in my posing mind you. If I can place and qualify for a national show, that gives me a fun option for next year.

Post Show Illness

The day after the northern states natural classic, show #2, I ate until I was comfortably full. I didn’t go bananas or eat just because I could, until… I got into some no bake cookies and ate a half batch. I was SO full I wanted to die. The next day, I was back on my plan ready to go hitting my keto transition diet 100 g carbs, 100 g protein, 100 g fat. By Tuesday I was sick sick sick and I got my period. It’s like all the stress of contest prep was gone and my body just let go.

That would happen to me at the end of every swim season I would coach when I was teaching. It was 3 months of 20 hour work days… no joke… AM practice, PM practice, 2 meets per week PLUS teaching, planning, grading etc. When the swim season was over, a few days later I would always get sick.

Diet

I started transitioning to a keto diet after show #2. A true ketogenic diet is where your body uses ketones from burning fat for energy as opposed to glycogen from eating carbs. You typically eat less than 30 grams of carbs a day including fiber, lower protein and very high fat. For athletes and those that strength train, you must cycle in high carb/ low fat days 1-2 per week once in ketosis.

Generally, for those that are not using a keto diet to manage a disease, I recommend .8-1 grams of protein per pound of body weight, less than 30-40 carbs per day and then fill in the rest with fat.

The reason I transition into a keto diet as opposed to just going straight to 30 carbs a day and a zillion grams of fat is that my digestive tract gets all wonky. My body and gut bacteria is not equipped to handle the giant diet shift. I usually end up constipated with head aches. So transition I will and it looks like this.

I was eating 1500-1700 cals a day as:

85-140 g carbs per day
50 g fat
175 g protein

I kept the same cal range to start a reverse but changes the macro ration. So, my cals range from 1500-1700 a day keeping a 1:1:1 ratio in grams of macros. In calories it works out to about 1:1:2.

100g Protein = 400 cals
100g Carbs = 400 cals
100g Fat = 900 cals

My days look mostly like this, my macros are not exact as I wasn’t planning on another show so soon…

When I eat without a plan, I naturally tend to take in this macro ratio. I love avocados, nuts, kerrygold butter, olive oil and avocado oil, grassfed dark chicken meat, beef and pork. I LOVE blending Brain Octane Oil into my coffee in the morning and I just feel so much better in general. In the weeks leading up to my 1^st and 2^nd show, I had so many digestive issues of feeling bloated, gassy and stomach cramping so painfully. I know it was a combo of stress from life, lifting, calorie cutting, and poor sleep quality. But after having done two shows, taken a day to eat whatever the heck I want and then lifting and eating on my own schedule, I feel so much better and less stressed…. AND, I can fit a good portion of thin crust pizza into these daily macro counts. Woot!

Okay, so I am continuing to transition to a keto diet even though I registered for another show. I feel great. I look SO much better, less bloated AND bonus-I have dropped down to the 131 pound range and holding. Yayass!

Progress

After having switched to the 100 P, 100 C 100 F diet, I dropped a few pounds. Normally I would attribute that to carb depletion but, I was eating about 100 carbs a day prior and stayed around the 135 pound range and competed at that as well. This week I have been holding 131/132 which I like much better!

Peak Week

Sun-Tue I followed the above diet. Normal workouts and cardio.

Wed: high carb day of 175 carbs, 50 fat, 130 protein. Lift + cardio.

Thursday: continuing my keto transition-1500 cals: 80 fat, 80 carbs, 115 protein. Lift. No cardio. 2 extra liters of water. (1.5 gallons total)

Friday: off day. Diet same as Thursday. 2 extra liters of water. (1.5 gallons total)

Saturday: show time! Off day diet and normal water intake.

Supplements

I started taking exogenous ketones to get the benefits of burning ketones + glucose for my workouts while transitioning. And, Keto OS will help me get into ketosis a bit faster when I hit a true keto diet- not to forget to keep in 1-2 higher carb days per week with less fat.

At any rate, I feel a noticeable difference in my energy and focus. After I take this, it feels as if I just ate a satisfactory meal and my brain is more focused. If you have ever prepped, you know the brain drain you feel when carb depleted. Well, I urge you to try this out (along with some other smart supps like Qualia and BioCBD+ for increased motivation and increased relaxation, recovery and mental focus!)

I am taking a break from whey protein post workout, creatine, acetyl-L-carnitine, apple cider vinegar and dextrose as well. And, I ran out of SuppRest and bitter melon extract. Gotta get some more.

AM:

Qualia Step 1

Coffee with chocolate peanut butter cup Trutein Naturals protein powder in it

Brain Octane ( in my coffee)

Multi vitamin (every other day)

Corydeceps Mushrooms Cs-4

Intra-workout drink:

BCAA’s

2g Beta-alanine

Post workout

food

Qualia step two

PM:

400 mg Magnesium Glycinate (highly absorbable form)

CBD Oil – help relax and bring down cortisol levels for recovery

I have also forgotten to mention the Lugol’s Solution I have been using as well. You put drops of it on your skin and let it soak in. If you need it, your body will absorb it. If you don’t, it will stay on top of your skin for a long time.

I do this for several reasons. 1) we don’t by crapola white ass processed iodized salt. We buy sea salt which has no added iodine. 2) this help with thyroid function. Which, is helpful while dieting because all this contest prep definitely affects your thyroid function.

Workouts

I have given my upper body a serious break. The first week after show #2, I didn’t lift upper body at all. My shoulders just hurt and were totally inflamed so, it was mostly high rep lower body and plyo stuff with some heavy glutes work in there. Cardio was the same at 30 minutes a day on the stair mill or elliptical. I also took a break from HIIT cardio. I couldn’t mentally take it anymore. I had held my conditioning and even lost a few pounds since show #2 and I look great!

(Enter weekly weight charts here….)

You can see my weight significantly up on the Monday after show #2… Sunday I ate til my hearts content. I didn’t eat just because I could. I just ate when I was hungry and didn’t worry about it.

Week 2 after show #2, I hit my upper body muscle groups, high rep, one each day while incorporating lower body work daily.

My week looked like this:

Light shoulder work + glutes / hams

Back + lower body + core

Biceps + lower body plyo

Etc…

I made it up on the fly when I hit the gym. I worked hard, lifted for 45-60 minutes and then did my cardio.

and my shoes apparently cannot keep up with my schedule:

Preparing

I splurged and got a mani and pedi today. I don’t usually for contest because nobody can see your nails nor are you being judged on them but, I decided to do it!

Fav Product!

My husband brought these Yuni Shower Sheets back from the Bulletproof conference in California this past September and boy do I LOVE these!!!! I workout mid morning and with limited time run errands, get my son from pre-school and usually don’t get to shower until late afternoon… so, I forge through half my day all sweaty and gross but not anymore! These shower sheets are really refreshing, fast and they smell really good! LOVE!