Another Transformation Challenge Complete!

I gained so much from this year’s transformation challenge!  “What transformation?” you may ask.  I know, I didn't make nearly as significant a transformation as last year, mostly because I didn't have to.  But this year I was able to gain a little muscle and a lot of perspective.  I had to really think about why I wanted to do this challenge again, and how I wanted to execute it.  I reflected on what I did last year to get in the best shape of my life, and decided I needed to do things completely different.  

You see, last year I followed all the tips and tricks in the programs.  I tracked everything with my food and workouts, cheated very rarely, cut carbs significantly towards the end and added an extra cardio session.  My body was transforming daily and I ended up with an amazing figure….that lasted a couple days.  Once I gradually added my normal amount of carbs back in and got back to my normal daily workout routine, my body didn't

look as lean anymore.  And I had a hard time with this. 

So this year I decided to really think about what my goals are to make a program that best reflected them.  And here’s what I came up this:  1) I want to be healthy and fit.  2) I want to be a healthy influence for my children, family, and friends.  3) I want to be hot for my husband (who loves me regardless, but I think the best husband in the world deserves a hot wife).  4) I want to find balance with living a healthy lifestyle and everyday life.

I also decided to take a look at what some of my goals weren't, which really helped me gain perspective on how I train, eat, and mentally approach fitness.  I do not compete.   I have no plans on competing.  I completely admire all competitors and look to them for information and motivation, however, it is something I personally am not interested in doing.  I am not foreseeing any sponsorships or photo-shoots in the near future.  

I am a mom, a housewife, and a grad student.  I have a whole lot going on that takes up a lot of my time and priorities.  There are days when my kids wake up early and my normal 60 rest between sets

turns into several minutes to take care of potty time and get them some milk.  There are times I can’t eat within the recommended time frame that best supports metabolism and muscle growth.  And there are many days when my family wants to treat ourselves to some pizza and froyo.  

So mentally being aware that my training doesn't have to be like the professionals puts me at ease.  I still get up every morning and train hard. I eat clean, healthy meals 80-90% of the time.  But I don’t stress out when I miss an entire set because my kids have an early doctor’s appointment, or my 2 year old wants to feed me Teddy Grahams.  And I've found such peace and happiness in this mentality!

So this time around, I just went about my normal daily routines.  I ate

good, clean meals the majority of the time.  I had cheat meals often.  I tried to keep up with daily workouts and adjusted them regularly. I haven't tracked anything in a year, and I think I've gotten on the scale 3 times in the past 3 months.  I decided I didn't want to end this transformation with a body that only lasts a few days, I ended it with one I will maintain with this routine and continue to improve on daily. 

I had someone complement my physique several weeks ago and asked if I competed and then asked why I trained so hard when I told her I didn't.  I do this for me.  My workout time is my me time, my therapy, and my escape.  It’s something I can work hard for and see results.  I also do this for my family.  I want to always be able to keep up with my two energetic toddlers and always be able to pick them up when they fall, no matter how big they get.  And I want to be an inspiration to the average person out

there who wants to live healthy and achieve a toned body.  I don’t have a trainer.  I don’t even have a gym.  My home gym consists of a treadmill that came from Walmart, an assortment of weights, and a fold-able bench that fits in my coat closet behind the vacuum cleaner.  

Having the body of your dreams doesn't have to be just for those looking to get on the stage or in a magazine.  And you don’t have to have the best to attain it; you just have to give it your best.  Anyone can do it!!

Thank you Dymatize and BodyBuilding.com for another amazing transformation challenge!

Last Stretch of the Challenge

So we are finally in the last two weeks of the challenge.  This is what they call 'peak week.'  This is crunch time, time to get serious and make it count.

There are a number of things that people do to prepare for the end of a challenge and the final progress photos.  Some people cut down on calories, carbs, add extra cardio, or even go to crazy extremes to deplete their body of water or fluid retention.

Some methods of peak week are completely healthy, some are very dangerous, but most all can assist in leaning your body out for an awesome final photo.

The problem here is what happens after the final pics and the challenge is over?  If you drastically change your routines, diets, and completely manipulate your body during peak week, what do you think will happen that very next day when you go back to your regular schedule, or even worse (and often times) off the diet and workout schedule all together?

As soon as you start adding back in all of the extra calories, especially if you're going to give yourself a huge cheat meal reward or stop being conscious of what you eat, and  performing less intense workouts there's a good chance your body is going to add back weight fast.  You can also put yourself at risk for metabolic breakdown, in which your metabolism is going to slow down and not efficiently burn fat.

Again, some methods of peak week are completely healthy and doable and will give you amazing results.  Just know that as soon as you stop this routine, your body will adjust as well, meaning that you will not maintain that 'final photo' physique forever.  

This is a lesson I learned first hand after last year's challenge.  I cut out most all carbs and added extra cardio and got into the leanest shape of my life... for a few days.

This year I have made a plan to do it differently.  I will not change my diet or routine.  I will continue with what I am doing, eat all of my normal meals, do my normal routines without adding anything crazy, and try my hardest not to get Sweet Frog for the next two weeks (but no promises).

I don't want my final result to be something that only lasts a short time.  I think it was this point last year when I really learned what it meant to make it a lifestyle.  I don't want a tight, toned body for one day, I want one for life!

And I can definitely tell you that it will not be as lean as it could be through peak week modifications, but it will be the real me.  It will show what I work hard for every day.  It will show my dedication and commitment to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  And I know that it will continue to get better and better everyday!



I hope everyone is working hard to transform to their best selves and really hope to hear some great transformation stories!!  MAKE YOURSELF!!

Challenge Update

Honestly, I've been avoiding this post for a couple weeks.

I'm embarrassed to say... I screwed up.

And it wasn't anything crazy like binging or not getting in my exercises, I just made some rookie mistakes in my routine that caused me to plateau and stall out my progress.

First mistake was adding bread to my high carb days.  Even though I stuck to only whole wheat and low calorie bread, I was eating it way too often and my body didn't like it.

Second was when I switched around some of my supplements and didn't realize that I wasn't getting some of the nutrients that I needed and was used to.

Third was getting off my usual schedule.  I was getting my exercises in, though I wasn't doing them first thing and just trying to fit something in wherever, many times minimizing my cardio sessions and not being able to push as hard in strength training.

 Fourth was sticking to my usual routine.  I stayed on the same workout routine for too long and my body reached a plateau.

All this on top of the crazy stress I've had lately had left a nice layer of 'fluff' around my midsection.

So, all that said I managed to completely screw up the first half of the challenge.

However, I managed to figure out all of the stuff that was holding me back and I've been working on correcting everything for the past week or so and finally starting to see results.  I've changed up my workout routine, got in some new supplements, and am sticking to more complex carbs on high carb days.

I will also admit that I entered into this challenge unsure if I was going to be able to finish it.  I was hoping to have the opportunity to do something towards the end of March/ beginning of April that would have limited my training for the last few weeks of the challenge, and honestly I wasn't being too strenuous about it.  However, my opportunity has been pushed back, therefore allowing me to train hard for the duration of the challenge and really push forward with determination.

I hate that I screwed up so bad the first half, but you live and learn.  I'm not a professional, don't claim to know it all and a lot of this is trial and error.  But I'm ready to see how far I can push myself with the last stretch.  Hope everyone else is doing awesome and continuing to MAKE YOURSELF!!

Beginning Challenge Pic
(relaxed - not flexing)

Finally starting to see progress!

The fight with food!

I hate Walmart!  They don't put out the Easter candy 2 months in advance because they think people are wanting to get a jump start on decorating their Easter baskets.

They do it because they know we'll buy it and eat it - a lot of it!!

For me, exercise is the easy part.  I look forward to it everyday.  It is my 'me' time, my stress reliever, my therapy.

Eating healthy, now that's hard!  Everything just tastes so good!!!  But wait, healthy food tastes good too, at least the foods that I eat are.  I look forward to and crave all of my clean meals.  So why do I find my mind constantly dreaming of the Cinnamon Roll cart?

I had a revelation a couple months back.  I was standing in line to check out, just randomly looking around at all of the stuff they pack into the isles for you to grab at the last minute, and realized I'm not craving chocolate.  I wanted to check my temperature and feared I was getting sick.  Then I realized that I just didn't want any.

I'd always heard a myth that once you stopped eating junky processed food on a daily basis, you're cravings go away and you're body (or brain) doesn't want it anymore.  Turns out, not a myth.

That anxious feeling of being stared in the face by a succulent chocolate bar; you know that you shouldn't, that you don't need it, but every fiber in your body wants nothing more than to get one, or two and devour it before you get the rest of the groceries loaded - that feeling was gone.

I didn't have the inner struggle with the extreme cravings for candy or junk food.  And that made me so happy!

I will admit that it is much harder this time of year, and I sometimes have to not look directly at the seasonal isle or I hear it calling my name, but I have found some good tricks to overcome my battle with food.

• Save it for a treat night.  Weekends are always hard to control so I usually save them for my cheat
  
  meals.  So if I'm wanting something bad in the middle of the week, I'll tell myself that if I wait till Saturday I give myself permission to go crazy.  Odds are that by Saturday I've already forgotten about it or if I do indulge, I still go sparingly because that's all my body can handle.  It's still better than giving in and getting it throughout the week when I know I'm still going to screw up on Saturday.

• Find an alternative.  If I'm craving something sweet or chocolatey, I'll make a clean alternative like chocolate peanut butter protein bars (I'll post recipe below).  Or if I'm craving carbs, I'll make some protein blueberry muffins or Jamie Eason's lemon bars.  And I can't even tell you the last time I went to DQ for a blizzard; I've been hitting up Sweet Frog or getting some Ben and Jerry's FroYo.  

• There's always a healthier alternative that can quench your craving.  If you can't find it, then I'd say it is more mental or emotional eating.  If this is the case, stop and really assess what's going on.  Maybe its not even hunger at all.  Try to distract yourself, go for a walk, read a book or magazine, or talk to God.

• Take some time to see how far you've come.  Every time I start to want something bad, I think about the exercise I did that morning and realize that it will have been for nothing if I eat junk.  Think about how great you felt when you finally achieved a fitness goal; loosing those pounds, fitting into those pants, feeling the extra energy, or hearing your doctor say that you're health is getting better.  

I'm sure I'm not the only one who battles the constant fight with food.  Maybe your's isn't chocolate but cheese, pasta, bread, pop, starbucks, or pretty much everything... whatever it is just know that that fight can be won!  Note that above I said I had this revelation about winning the cravings battle only a few months ago.  That was almost a year into changing my healthy living lifestyle.  

The battle is hard, but it does get better.  And with persistence, you begin to see you are winning!!

This is the recipe I mentioned earlier.  I halved everything to make a smaller batch, but still be warned:  NOT FOR THE WEAK WILL-POWERED!!  I wanted to eat the entire pan!!

recipe from www.bodybuilding.com

WHITE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CINNAMON PROTEIN BARS

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Skim Milk or Almond Milk if you prefer
• 1 cup Low-fat Peanut Butter (chunky or creamy)
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 1 1/2 cups of Chocolate Cookie Whey-HD protein powder
• 2 cups dry uncooked Oatmeal (not instant oatmeal)
• 1 tbsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 cup White Yogurt Chips

Directions

1. Place the peanut butter, honey, and milk in a sauce pan.
2. Slowly warm over low heat.
3. Add the protein powder and cinnamon and stir until completely blended.
4. Add the uncooked oats. Warm the mixture just enough so that it's easy to stir. You don't want to cook it. If the mixture's too thick, add milk.
5. Press the batter into a 10" x 12" pan. Spray the pan with PAM to avoid having the bars from sticking to the sides. Sprinkle yogurt chips over the top and press them into bars.
6. Leave the bars out to cool.
7. Once they're completely cooled, cut into 12-16 individual bars.
8. Wrap each bar in plastic wrap to be stored. The bars can be refrigerated but taste best at room temperature.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size 1 Bar
(Recipe yields 16)

Amount per serving

Calories 170

Total Fat9.8g

Total Carbs13.5g

Protein

Challenge Update

Wow, four weeks have gone by super fast.  I am incredibly sorry that I haven't given any updates yet, but the challenge start date coincided with the start date of what I hope is the most stressful grad school class ever!!  Then my daughter seriously injured her arm (thankfully not broken), which led to multiple doctors visits and an incredibly stressful week of keeping an active 2 year old from completely breaking it.  Then there's taxes and planning for my son's birthday party, yada yada yada, I've been super busy!!

So, just a brief recap of the first four weeks of the challenge.  The first three I've done super good.  With all of the stress from school I managed to stick with my diet and never missed an exercise.  I did have a couple cheat meals here and there, some planned, others not so much.  But the important thing is to pick right back up eating clean on the next meal.  Carb cycling has been fun, I can see progress and changes in my weight, but I will say that it is difficult to add more carbs without adding too many more calories.

Now, I have to admit that this past week was not so good.  I have been drained completely, I had to take an unplanned day of complete rest, and have eaten horribly the past couple of days.  Ok, let not completely horribly, but definitely not good.  (anything to make myself feel better)

But tomorrow is the start of a new week and a chance to prove to myself how strong I am.

I'll still be doing the same workout routine, but I'll be performing all exercises on each day as huge circuits, instead of super-sets, to keep the intensity and my heart rate up.

I don't 'track' my meals or calories, but I think I'll start writing down everything I eat again.  That's something I did in the last transformation that really helped and held me accountable to what I was putting in my body.  I also like to have a calendar and put a check for good days or an X for bad days to keep me in line (nobody likes to see a page full of X's).  I will also continue carb cycling throughout the next 4 weeks, and try not to screw up as bad.  And with this weekend being Valentine's Day and my son's birthday it will be a true test of strength.  I'll get through Valentine's Day ok, but I will eat some birthday cake!

I'll post my beginning challenge pictures and current progress pics later this week with my stats.

Hope everyone is doing good and keeping up with the challenge.  If you've slipped up or stalled out completely, get up and get back on it!!  MAKE YOURSELF!!

Sample Weekly Menu (using carb cycling)

Monday (L)

Pre-Workout	Protein Shake
Breakfast	Blueberry Protein Pancakes
Lunch	Veggie  Egg White Omelet , Asparagus, 1/8 C. Quinoa
Snack	3 Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Dinner	Tilapia, Brussels Sprouts, and ¼ C Brown Rice
Snack	Greek Yogurt & Whey with PB & J

Tuesday (H)

Pre-Workout	Protein Shake
Breakfast	Yogurt & Oat Fruit Parfait
Lunch	Grilled Chicken, Asparagus, and Sweet Potato
Snack	Protein Blueberry Muffins
Dinner	Deer Stew (homemade)
Snack	Greek Yogurt & Whey with PB & J

Wednesday (L)

Pre-Workout	Protein Shake
Breakfast	Scrambled Egg Whites and 1/3 C. Oatmeal
Lunch	Tuna Salad (w/ 1/8 C. Quinoa – loaded with spinach)
Snack	Protein Cookie Dough Bowl
Dinner	Salsa Chicken, broccoli, and ¼ C. Brown Rice
Snack	Greek Yogurt & ½ scoop Chocolate Whey

Thursday (L)

Pre-Workout	Protein Shake
Breakfast	Blueberry Protein Pancakes
Lunch	Grilled Chicken Salad w/ LF Croutons
Snack	10 Almonds and an Apple
Dinner	Seared Tuna Steaks, Vegetable Medley, ¼ C. Quinoa
Snack	Greek Yogurt & Whey with PB & J

Friday (H)

Pre-Workout	Protein Shake
Breakfast	Protein French Toast and Egg Whites
Lunch	Grilled Chicken Wheat Wrap and Side Salad
Snack	Rice Cake w/ Almond Butter and Honey
Dinner	DINNER OUT (try to eat healthy)
Snack	Greek Yogurt & Whey with PB & J

Saturday (L)

Breakfast	Protein Crepes w/ PB and Banana
Lunch	Veggie  Egg White Omelet  and Side Salad
Snack	Banana with Peanut Butter
Dinner	Salmon, Green Beans w/ Mushrooms, ¼ Sweet Potato
Snack	Greek Yogurt & Whey with PB & J

Sunday (H)

Breakfast	Scrambled Egg Whites and 2 slices toast
Lunch	Tuna Salad on Wrap
Snack	Protein Lemon Squares
Dinner	Deer Steaks, Red Potatoes, Onions, Carrots, Zucchini
Snack	Greek Yogurt & Whey with PB & J

This is an example of what foods I may eat on high or low carb days.  Granted they may change and I'll have to accept that unexpected bumps come and knock you off your schedule.  Just do the best you can and get right back on top of things ASAP.  

Also, I'm not having the best of luck getting my training guide videos on here, so if you have any questions please see the instructional videos from bodybuilding.com or message me for any questions.

Challenge starts tomorrow!!  Ready, Set, Transform!!!!

2014 Challenge Workout Program (first 5-6 weeks)

Training Schedule

Monday: Back & Biceps          *add Ab routine from Friday’s workout if wanting to train abs hard.

Performs tri-set 3 times, resting about 1 minute between set.

(Tri-Sets 1) Wide Grip Pull Down	20
Alternating  Bicep Curls	15-20
Resistance Band Rows	20
(Tri-Set 2) Underhand Pull Downs	20
Outer Bicep Curls	15-20
One-Arm Bent Over Rows	15-20
(Tri-Set 3) Close Grip Pull Down	20
Concentration Curls	15-20
Hyperextensions	15-20

20-30 minutes HIIT on treadmill

Tuesday: Shoulders & Glutes

Perform each set 3 times, resting about a minute between sets.

(Super-Set 1) Kettle Swings	25-30
Plié Squats	20-25
Wide Squat	20-25
Narrow Squat	20-25
(Super-Set 2) Donkey Kicks	25-30
Ball Squeeze	20-25
Weighted Hip Thruster	20-25
Squat Jumps	20-25
(Tri-Set 3) Shoulder Press (palms in)	15-20
One Arm Lateral Raise	15-20
Face Pulls (w/ band)	15-20
(Tri-Set 4) Upward Rows	15-20
Front Raise	15-20
Diagonal Raise	15-20

25-30 minutes Inclines on treadmill or stairs

Wednesday:   HIIT Core

Repeat the circuit 3-4 times without rest in between, then rest for 1-2 minutes between different circuits.

(Circuit 1) Swiss Ball Crunch	25-30
Plank	1 min
Throwing Punches	1 min
(Circuit 2) Crunch Twists w/ Ball	30-40
Right Side Plank	45-60 sec
Mountain Climbers	30-60 sec
(Circuit 3) Leg Raise w/ Ball	20
Left Side Plank	45-60 sec
Burpees	10-15

45 minutes Low Intensity Steady State Cardio

Thursday:  Legs

Perform each set 3 times, resting about a minutes between each set.

(Tri-Set 1) Walking Lunges	20
Straight Leg Deadlift	20-25
Split Squats	15-20
(Tri-Set 2) Fast Step-Ups w/ High Knee	20 each leg
Curtsey Lunge	20 each leg
Stationary Lunge	20 each leg
(Tri-Set 3) Box Jumps	15-20
Dumbbell Leg Extensions	25-30
Dumbbell Leg Curls	25-30
Circle Squeeze	50
Wall Squats	1 min

20-30 minutes Inclines on treadmill or stairs

Friday:  Chest, Triceps, & Abs

Perform each set 3 times, resting about a minutes in between each set.

(Super-Set 1) Incline Press	20
Chair Dips	15-20
Bench Flys	20
Skull Crushers	15-20
Push-Ups	15-20
Triceps Overhead Extension	15-20
(Super-Set 2) Cable Crunches	25-30
Weighted Incline Sit-Ups	20-25
Bicycles	40-50
Leg Raise w/ Butt Lift	20-25
Flutter Kicks	40-50

20-30 minutes HIIT on Treadmill

Saturday:  Active rest

45 minute run (preferably outside)

Sunday:   Yoga

As most of you know I love to workout and exercise.  It is my me time, a way for me to de-stress and unwind and sometimes even vent.

With that said, I like to do something active just about every day to keep me moving and my energy up.

In order for you body to really respond and change it's shape you must strength train!  It doesn't matter if your goal is to look lean, curvy, toned or completely shredded, the only way to get and of is to lift some weights and strengthen your muscles.

Cardio still plays a large role in getting rid of some of the extra fat, but building muscle is what helps keep your metabolism high all day long!

If you don't have a treadmill or any type of cardio equipment, don't throw in the towel just yet.  There are plenty of exercises you can do that will raise your heart rate and give you just as good as exercise.  Some examples are:

• Running outside (always a fav!  Find a track, good trail, or safe road or neighborhood)
• Stairs (if you have a stair case in your home, work, or maybe a park, just go up and down - A LOT)
• Jump Rope (even if you don't have a jump rope, pretend to jump rope - still works)
• Jog in place (try different intervals and different intensities:  high knees, butt kicks, super fast, etc)
• Kickboxing (take it back old school with some Billy Blanks moves and start throwing some punches and high kicks around)

The same goes with the equipment I use with the strength training, if you don't have it, modify it!  I've learned how to modify almost anything to make it fit what I could do with only what I had (safely of course).  You can use bands for almost anything, use body weight for many, even fill totes or bags with books to lift with.  Bottom line is there's always a way.  You don't have to have the best, just give it your best!

I'll be trying to post videos with descriptions and details of each exercise (just disregard the photobombing dogs and huge mess of toys that I have to work around).

Beginners I would suggest starting with my previous workouts or maybe only starting off with one or two sets of each circuit or tri-set of this program and work your way up.

I really hope some of you will join me on this and really look forward to seeing some transformations!!  Remember, this doesn't come easy and it is something that you have to work for.  If it were easy we'd all be healthy and active and never dread bathing suit season, so MAKE YOURSELF!!!

*I am not a certified personal trainer.  I've developed this program on my own from the research and modifications from various other programs.