Friday, April 29, 2011

Wired

On Wednesday evening I got my new supplements and yesterday was the first full day of taking them. I didn't really realize how much energy I had until after my afternoon cardio workout. I am usually wiped by this time even after a coffee. Yesterday was a different story and I was wired. This is the jump start I needed for my last 29 days. 29 days! Boo yah. Cardio and weights here I come.

My other challenge yesterday was to wear a sports bra to the gym. Just a sports bra. The whole objective in doing so was to practice feeling comfortable in front of people. It was a lot harder than I thought. As I was driving to the Oval, having a panic attack just thinking about walking into the gym in my green Nike top, I kept telling me that in 1 month I would be on stage in front of 100 times more people. Now is the time to get use to this "comfortable" feeling. I begun my cardio with my sweater shirt on and 2 minutes into it I took a deep breath, unzipped and running in just my sports bra. I actually forgot about the issue in the first place and just went with it. Baby steps, right?

I just made my morning pancakes early so I could eat them before my cardio session and took all my vitamins and now, I wait. T-minus 20 minutes until I'm bouncing through the roof. My sister won't be around this weekend to take my photos because she'll be in Vegas until Tuesday. So you'll just have to wait.

Did you all get up early to watch the royal wedding? I PVR'd it so I could watch it during breakfast but I'm sure it will be on every channel when I go to the gym...It was a very beautiful ceremony. I teared a little, but that's not much of a surprise considering the emotional roller coaster I'm on.

Today is just a cardio day so I am heading there now to check it off my list of things to do. Have a great day and weekend blog followers. Expect a full report on my trip to Superstore with Natalie to buy out the Blue Menu condiment isle.

Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat.

Nic OUT!

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Curious about cardio?

Good morning. Yesterday I had a quesiton about what I do for cardio in terms of speeds intervals and inclines. This is very dependent on each person. Years and years ago, I use to be a treadmill junkie and thought I was super fast but when I started running outside I noticed that I was short of breath and wasn't as fast as I thought. At first I was pissed and felt like I had wasted so much time on a machine that assisted my performance but it was because I wasn't training properly and I realized the importance of intervals and inclines.

The reason I wasn't successful in increasing or building my cardiovascular strength was due to the type of running I was doing on the treadmill. Another thing to remember is that there are other cardio machines and you shouldn't be intimidated to use them. Yes running is good for you but so are other machines. You will not bulk up by using a bike or get crazy arm muscles from using the elliptical. A really great book that I bought at Chapters, 101 Body-Sculpting Workouts & Nutrition Plans for Women, has several great cardio routines that you can mix and match to suit your level of fitness. No that's not me on the cover...just yet. When you get up to doing 60 to 90 minutes of cardio a day (which I'm not at just yet) it is important to mix up the machines so your body doesn't get use to doing the same thing day after day. It's also good to switch it up to help keep yourself motivated. Boredom is one factor why people stop going to the gym.

 A good way to determine what kind of intervals you should do should be based on your max effort. This didn't make sense to me at first but once I did a few workouts I got it. My goal for cardio is to break a sweat for the duration of my 60 minutes and intervals will do that to ya.

Here is what you should take into consideration. Say you plan on doing 30 minutes on the treadmill. You can do incline intervals at the same speed or speed intervals at the same incline. For example: I do speed intervals of 5/6/7/8/9 mph for 1 minute each, for 25 minutes with an incline of 0. This has increased overtime, but I determined my speed because I had tested out what my max mph would be if I ran at that pace for a straight minute where I was almost at a sprinting pace.

Remember when you are determining your max that if you are doing 25 minutes you will hit this max 5 times. The first few rounds might seem easy but the last few get harder. The first 5 minutes of my time on the treadmill are for warming up my body. I walk at a pace where I could keep a full conversation without difficulty.

Other options are the StairMaster. Machines are different and the one I use looks like a set of stairs. I use the manual setting and sometimes I will do 20 minutes at the same number of stairs per minute or I will do floor intervals. Again, the main thing for me is to break a sweat. Right now I have been doing 35 minutes at 1 minutes intervals of 90, 100, 110, 120 stairs per minute. I am basically jogging up the stairs when I reach 120 and about 10 minutes in I am sweating like a mad woman. When I started the stairs I was doing 50, 60, 70, 80 just to give you a sense of my progress. You don't want to kill yourself but find what works best for you. It's important to have a plan when you go to the gym. I always know what I'm going to do for cardio before I get there so I don't have to think about it and this helps me get through my 60 minutes. Test out a few options your first time to figure out where you feel comfortable and then write down your plan on a piece of paper and take it with you. This is not a faux pas, but a sign of someone who is on a mission!

I hope this helps and all makes sense. Don't cancel out a machine if you've never tried it. Sometimes its a love hate relationship like mine with the Stair Master. If you have any questions about this, let me know.

Eat. Train. Sleep (only 30 more). Repeat.

Nic OUT!  

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Your left cheek is bigger than your right...but they won't notice.

What the heck is that suppose to mean! Today I was at the gym doing squats and two of the trainers were there watching my form during my sets. After I was done my second set, we were discussing what I needed to work on now that the weight was getting heavier and one of them said, "your left cheek is bigger than your right..." My face must have dropped because he quickly blurted out, "but they won't notice." Has anyone else cared to notice that my left cheek is slightly bigger than my right? Thanks for telling me! I thought I made random comments but that one definitely takes the icing on the cake.

Yesterday Natalie and I met up for some serious down time which involved pedicures and massage chairs = heaven! I felt so much better after bombarding her with questions about everything and catching up. Look how nice my toes look! OPI - A Grape Fit. It was a well deserved treat.
After our pedi's we hung out at Nat's and made plans for the weekend and discussed my new vitamins regime. More details to come Thursday. 

On Saturday we are hitting up Superstore hard for some of their PC - Blue menu foods/condiments which apparently made without sugar! They even have sugar free ketchup. If you know me and how much I love eggs with my ketchup, you know I am smiling ear to ear. Other items include BBQ (sugar free), chicken rubs (salt free) and much more. You can expect several pictures from the weekend including week 4 photos.
I have been spending a lot more time in front of the mirror at the Oval in the studio lately practicing my walk and posing. This is really my parents fault for letting me spend so much time as a child in front of the mirror. It has overlapped into my adult life...
The first time I practiced my posing I felt like a stripper (there was no nice way of putting it) bouncing around and grinning to "Firework" by Katie Perry. After a few times through, I realized that this is all part of my training and it needs to be considered just as serious as perfectly my form during dead lifts. I can train all I want for the next 5 weeks but if I skip out on practicing my walk and posing, I could freeze on stage and all my hard work would go out the window. My friend Briana, who grew up doing dance, watched me practice my walk and made some suggestions about what I need to work on. She told me I looked like I was doing a military walk and swinging my arms like I was rehearsing for changing of the guards. Just give me one of them tall bushy hats and were set. This is on my list of things to practice. Anyways, what it comes down to is that posing something I need to work on because it is a part of the process and I want all my hard work to come together.

Anyways, its shake time and off to the gym for cardio so I can come home and actually watch the game! I figured that people wouldn't be impressed with some blonde on the elliptical yelling at the TV's. This is something that is better done in the privacy of your own home...
And my cardio is still at 60 minutes, 7 days a week....for now so I am going to enjoy every minute of it. Literally. I know its going to increase, its just a matter of time.

Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat!

Nic OUT!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Photos, 5 weeks out....32 sleeps until WBFF

Good morning blog followers. I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend full of great food and chocolate. Mine consisted of chicken and asparagus :) 

Yesterday I had a mini meltdown on the phone with my trainer David (embarrassing) and then again on the phone with Erin. Sorry you two. Everything just seemed to hit a wall yesterday. With only 32 sleeps until my first competition I have a lot to do in the next few weeks. I will be travelling to LA for work, getting my first aid certification, writing my Personal Training exam, training, cardio...you get the idea. Things are a little hectic around here but I am really trying to stay positive and find time to do everything, including watching game 7. I figure I'd do my cardio at the Oval tomorrow night so that I could watch the game and the time will fly by. Great plan, I know...

I spent a lot of time trying to figure out whats causing me to hit these walls so that I can work on it and move on. I don't have time to be in a "slump." So this is what I came up with last night about why I had a the mini meltdown of 2011. I'm a planner and that is the hardest part for me because for next 5 weeks, even though I have control over my training and nutrition, I really have no control over my actual body. does that make sense? I can train it all I want and put all the right things in it but I can't tell my muscles to do this or that. This is why I have Natalie. She is my sanity right now and I have to learn to trust the process and that everything I am doing is going to get me to where I need to be when I am on stage in 5 weeks in front of a full auditorium in very little. Thank goodness for spray tanning so I don't have to worry about my bruises from dead lifting!

My meal plan is pretty lean right now and my cardio is still at 60 minutes, 7 days a week but that might change today as I have sent Natalie my week 5 photos to review along with my weight. I was pretty happy this morning when I weighed in at 128.4. I still have 4 pounds to drop in the next 5 weeks. This is all very manageable.

Yesterday when I was at the oval I tried out this new treadmill called Woodwav and its amazing! Its foot bed is like a conveyor belt of rubber pads instead of one solid conveyor like you see at the grocery store check out. It is so easy on your knees because it has resistance in the material the belt pieces are made out of. Try one out! Also, I did an awesome StairMaster speed interval workout. 1 minute intervals of 90/100/110/120 stairs per minute for 30 minutes = me very sweaty...very, very sweaty. This might have been a little too high intensity for one workout, but it felt good and I felt good so I decided to push it a little.  I need to be mind full to save some energy for the rest of the week though.

Thats all for now folks!

Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat.

Nic out!

Friday, April 22, 2011

"Oh, now I can feel it in the bum" *Rated R*

One of those awkward moments we laugh about later happened to me yesterday. Well it actually wasn't that bad because I realized in that moment how confident I felt in my own skin. Nothing really seems to bothers me anymore because I choose to ignore what other people think about me and it's quite empowering.

Here's what happened. Yesterday David and I had finished an awesome circuit session that involved skipping, mountain climbers, ball squats, sit ups and push ups and we were stretching. I had mentioned that my hamstrings and glute muscles were still tight from my workout on Tuesday. Sometimes its hard to feel the glute stretch when someone else is assisting. I was lying down on the mat and David was using his body weight to stretch my hams. Then he started stretching my glutes except I could only fee it in my hip flexors. After a few adjustments and as we were practically face to face...I blurt out, "oh, now I feel it in the bum."  Obviously this is the best picture I could find....

It was awkward for two seconds before until we both burst into hysterics. It was one of those 'thats what she said' moments.Anyways, the moral of the story is to not talk while stretching...we both had a good laugh and that was that. He has a great sense of humor and puts up with all my crazy talk. When I was in my last set of ball squats I was mocking aerobic exercises to distract myself and might have thrown in a few jazz fingers. HE must think I'm nuts..

Besides the awkward moment it was a great day of circuit training and cardio. Last night I met Briana at the Oval for my cardio session. It was nice to have some company, even though we were both going at a pretty fast pace that it made it difficult to talk. It was more fun with somebody that by myself. Thanks Bri Bri!

I've gotten in a habit of thinking about things in numbers and its hard to believe that I only have 20 weight sessions left and 35+ hours of cardio left before I hit the stage! I am feeling good today and ready for a low key Easter weekend. My parents are going away so there won't be any big Easter festivities going on at my house that I will have to be tempted by and I have the kitchen to myself to do some mad food prep. The weather is also suppose to be nice which is awesome if I want to go for a ride or run outside. What I am not excited about is the Canucks losing to the Chicago....I am still on the wagon and not going anywhere. We will just get them in their home town!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend. Stay tuned for my week 5 photos on Monday!

Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat.

Nic OUT!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Spent.

Today I got up and made my oatmeal pancake and did some work before heading to the gym. I usually feel alright going but today I was exhausted. My pre-workout coffee went down like water but I was hoping it would spark something in my body as I drove out to the Oval. Greeted by Arnavez, who works at the front desk, my body slowly started waking up. Next challenge, the three flights of stairs to get to the fitness centre...today wasn't going to be easy.
At this point, I've usually got a plan but today I couldn't decided how I wanted to torture my body. My mind was spinning as I climbed each flight....treadmill/stairs...bike/elliptical...rower/bike and stairs...I can't even picture myself on any piece of cardio equipment, my legs were spent and I still had to get 60 minutes of cardio under my belt and after I could work and take it easy the rest of the day - holy s*%#.
I got to the top, and as always, Sam is there working hard and saying good morning and asking me how my day was. I love going to the Oval to train. Everyone there is awesome and I really appreciate your smiliing faces. 
After making the conscious decision that I was going to start with the tready and finish on the elliptical, it was go time! No more stalling. Headphones on and I was off. To my surprise, my 35 minutes of intervals on the treadmill went by quiet quickly which was bad news for the next 25 minutes of torture on the elliptical. It was like time had stopped. I got to the last 10 minutes and wanted to switch to the bike but knew that when it gets this hard is when your body reeps the most benefits so I stuck out the last 10 minutes and wanted to die. This is the sign of a good workout...In terms of machine, it doesn't matter what I do or for how long. All that matters is that I am working hard enough to break a sweat. I can do 30/30, 20/20/20, 40/20 which is the only control I have over my 60 minutes of cardio besides what machine I want to use. 

My hamstrings and legs are so sore today which might be from the lack of stretching...which I realize now is soooooo important and I won't be skipping out on spending my sweet time cooling down after all my workouts form this point forward. The fact that I am still getting sore at this point is a good sign though. This might have to do with the fact that every week my weight or reps increase. I am actually noticing changes not only to my body but when I go to lift a weight that use to be heavy in the beginning but is considerably lighter now. The other thing that surprised me is how many push ups and chin ups I can do. If someone told me to do 20 push ups I could do them no problem. If you ask me to do this, I will make you do them with me....and I might disown you.  Depends on my mood.

What is your favorite piece of cardio equipment?

Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat.

Nic OUT!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Balls to the wall and 6 week photos...

Hair consult - booked
Posing practice - check
Teeth cleaning - booked
Tanning - booked

39 days out. Holy Crap. I am in a great mood today and the day didn't start off well. I spent the night and morning in the bathroom after eating some bad egg whites. The old saying, when in doubt throw it out, should have been taken into consideration when I made my breakfast yesterday. Yes wasting food is bad, but when the food is bad, throw it out!

The last few nights I have been cooking up some serious meals.  How good does that steak look? I also had about 8 pieces of asparagus that I bbq'd. YUM. See how good eating clean can be!

Today I took my photos and as promised here they are....6 weeks out. I'll continue to post my weekly pictures up until the competition. The reason I take these photos is so that my coach can look at them and adjust my food and cardio accordingly. As of now, my meal plan will stay the same for another few weeks and the only real changes will be to my cardio. Right now I am at 60 minutes 7 days a week but I still have another 4 or 5 pounds I need to loose and I know those last few will be the hardest.

I wasn't feeling myself Sunday or yesterday but I am back. It is weird how up and down my emotions are these days. I'm all over the map. The other day I was doing an overhead press and I wanted to cry just knowing that I was in my last set with only 4 reps to go. I mentally wanted to do them my body was crying on the inside. Those thoughts usually stay in my head. I don't like complaining.

Today I finished an awesome weights session at the Oval and all I have left is my cardio tonight. I even practiced my posing and I really need to work on it but its all about practice, right?

I realized yesterday, when I was doing my weights at 3 with David, that I don't have as much energy as I do when I train weights in the morning. When it comes to cardio it is important to do it whenever you feel like you have the most energy to do it. I find that separately weights and cardio is important when I am doing them on the same day so that my body has time to rest in between. At this point, I don't want to over do it.

Anyways, time to get back to work! I hope you enjoy the pictures :S Balls to the wall!

OH! And I found sugar-free syrup today at Safeway! Tomorrow I am drenching my pancake with 3 delicious TBSP's of syrup. Only 5 g of sugar! HOLLER!

Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat.

Nic Out!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Ticket Information

TICKETS INFO:

Tickets available soon online at www.ticketmaster.ca or by calling ticketmaster at 604-247-8562. Tickets will also be sold at the The River Rock box office .

Ticket pricing
Prejudging – $35
Evening show – General $60 – VIP $ 70
We look forward to seeing you at the WBFF BC Championship! If you have any inquiries please email is at info@wbffshows.com or call us at 905 582 4530

*Warning, this article contains a little venting....

I usually like blogging when I am feeling great about everything and I try to remain positive throughout this process because I really have nothing to complain about. Today, for some reason, is a different story. It might have something to do with the fact that I haven't been sleeping well since last week and I have no clue as to why and its frustrating. I also noticed that I can be quite snippy if I’m hungry (sorry in advance) and since I would still like to have friends at the end of the next 6 weeks I figure that me venting about all this crap aka. emotions on a Sunday would be appropriate. My reasoning, that most people aren't on their computers early Sunday morning. If you are, sorry :(

I haven't been in a "bad" mood at all and I feel a little better already just talking....writing about it. The day will get better and I am already looking forward to meeting up with Natalie but getting up this morning was where it all began. I woke up to my alarm at 6:55 so that I could make breakfast and I didn't want to eat. What is wrong with me?! I love breakfast so much! Ask my sister and she will back me up on that. My breakfast is da bomb because I get to eat a pancake (made with oatmeal, egg whites and protein poweder) with nut butter. It really doesn't get much better than that throughout the day considering my meal plan consists of veggies and chicken. That’s basically it. Oh, and water.

As of yesterday, I am 6 weeks out from the WBFF competition here at the end of May. Holy Snikies! This means my meal plan is going to change again and so it my cardio. Nat and I had dinner (she made us chicken fingers and yam fries! Yum) and I asked what my cardio plan would look like and in the straightest face said “probably 60 minutes *long pause* 7 days a week.” Yes, that is everyday…so if you want to meet me at the oval for 60 minutes of cardio in the 6 am – come!

Today Natalie and I are hitting up Steve Nash downtown (thanks to the amazing Groupon last week - $29 for a month pass) and doing CPP. No, not taxes, but cardio, posing and pictures and as promised I will post my 6 week pictures tonight. So nervous about this, but most of you have already seen me in a swimsuit anyways.

Sorry for the vent session but I do feel much better now. How could I not?! The weather is nice out and I am healthy and getting pumped for the next 6 weeks. As my dad always says “you are the only one who can decide if you are going to be in a good mood or a bad mood when you get up in the morning.” So here’s to being super corny, but I CHOOSE to be in a good mood today! Holler that.

Have a great Sunday everyone and thanks for hearing me out! I might need a few more vent sessions but I promise I will keep it to food and other things J

Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat.

Nic OUT!

Friday, April 15, 2011

Wanted: Makeup artist.

Today David and I did a great metabolic workout and as always he kicked my butt. I will be feeling it tomorrow. My plan was to only train weights today but after my expresso I am feeling strong and plan on heading out to the Oval to do an afternoon cardio session. This way I can focus on my weights workout tomorrow.

Its lunch time right now and I made a delicious plate of chicken, broccolini and walnuts (12 to be exact - they are not protein remember, they are FAT!)...YUMMY! Whats better than today's lunch was last nights dinner. Natalie and I went to Azia (BEST JAPANESE food and service) downtown for dinner last night. It was soooooooo good! Holler at Azia! And no, I didn't take a picture - I actually forgot. Shocking, I know.

This weekend is going to be fun and relaxing and I am really excited for Sunday. Natalie and I are practicing posing at Steve Nash and we will also be taking pictures. Since I am 6 weeks out... I will start posting them so you can all see and follow my progression from now until the contest. Don't forget to get your tickets if you have time to come out to the River Rock May 28th to support! Hehehe....I did graduate with a marketing diploma...

Today I went in for my hair consult and I can hardy wait until May 17th to get my hair done. Its time to be a blonde again! Woot woot! Other exciting appointments coming up include teeth polishing and a retainer fitting because my teeth have moved and one tooth looks so much bigger than the other. If anyone is interested to do stage makeup, please message me as I haven't booked anyone yet! Thank you in advance!

A question I've been getting asked a lot is if I'm nervous about being on stage and to be honest that aspect hadn't even crossed my mind. I am so focused in the now and the day to day duties of training, eating well and working that I haven't even thought that far down the road. I could tell you what I'll be eating a week from now but couldn't tell you how I'll be feeling. I know if I have any nerves they will be anxious and excited nerves. I wouldn't want nerves to overtake all my hard work and time I've invested over the past 19 weeks. My plan is to be confident, focused and rock it! Nothing is coming in between me and all my hard work.

Need a little bit of motivation or have a question, feel free to message me on FB or leave me a comment!

Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat!

xo
Nic

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Food Prep Friday...Thursday

Our kitchen has been out of commission since Sunday and it has really thrown my food prep for a loop. I usually like my traditional "Food Prep Friday" but since I am low on everything I am changing it up and cooking Thursday.

I like to be really prepared by washing and cutting up all my veggies, pre-cooking my breakfast pancakes, baking chicken and hard boiling eggs. I put it in tupperwear containers in the fridge so it's accessible. Tupperware can be inexpensive so you should check out the dollar store. It also helps eliminate any excuses starting with, "I had no food in my fridge." Keeping baggies on hand makes eating on the rush easy. 

The picture basically demonstrates everything in my diet at the moment. To season the chicken, I use Ms. Dash, a salt free seasoning for taste. I'll even use a little rosemary to give it a more flavoring.

Vegan Greens+ Protein is my favorite protein. You can find it at GNC or Whole Foods. I have a very sensitive stomach and it doesn't bother me at all. It even tastes good if you mix it with water! Almond milk, by Almond Breeze, is my favorite thing to mix with my protein. It is low in calories and is a nice treat once in a while.

If you find that you can't find a peanut butter that is low in sugar, try "Nuts to you Nut Butter." My favorite is Sunflower Seed Butter. It's delicious and they make a bunch of different types of nut butter. It's around $7 a container, but if you only use one tbsp at a time :) it will last awhile.

I only hard boil enough eggs for a few days at a time because otherwise they aren't as good. If you don't boil them long enough the shell won't peel off as easy. Allow the eggies to boil for 13 minutes because I want to make sure they are cooked.

My pancake recipe is pretty good and I posted the recipe a few days ago. On Saturday I will be taking my 6 week photos and my meal plan will probably change a little bit but I couldn't image what I would have to cut out of my diet. Maybe my cardio will, actually I know it will increase....in addition to maybe smaller meals.

If you have any questions about any of my meal stuff, ask away. Just remember, PFC = Protein, Fat and Carb. Make sure you have a little with each meal.

Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat.

Nic Out! 

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

45 days out! Talk about a hump day.

Today I sported my new workout gear and it helped! I felt like money doing my cardio this morning....I did intervals on the treadmill and then 20 minutes of butt kicking on the stair master.

I also had a lovely lunch with one of my besties, Mariya. It was so nice to feel confident going out and knowing what and how to order. I'm starting to feel like Sally from "When Harry met Sally" when I order. It was also nice to get out and have some girl time. Our schedules are hectic and sometimes its hard to find time to hangout but it is really important to make time. It's was keeps me, well all of us sane.

We went to Cactus Club and I had their Tuna Tataki (with the dressing on the side) and a Bandara Salad (with the dressing on the side). The reason for having all the dressing’s on the side is to keep the calories and sugar down or natural. And yes, I have a picture...Do you even have to ask anymore? Note: Nicole loves taking pictures of food.

Anyways, I had a good meeting with my work peeps and I'm feeling good about everything in that aspect as well. All the aspects in my life right now are good and that is helping me keep a positive attitude and helps keep things in check.

The only thing I am a little worried about is that my back has been quite sore the last two days but I am not sure if it was from go-carting on the weekend of from weights on Monday. Today and tomorrow were scheduled cardio days so it will be good to give it a little bit of a break. Other than that, things are good except I still need some music suggestions. I'm open to anything, I like country...so don't feel bad sending me alternative, rap or whatever. I pretty much like anything!

Here's to being 45 days out as of today! Man, it crunch time! Heck yeah!

Have a great night everyone!

Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat!

Nic



Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Music suggestions, please!

Hey everyone,
I am dying to put some new music on my iPod and I have no idea where to start. I love rap music or anything that has a fast beat for when I am doing cardio. Add your suggestions as a comment!

Thank you!!!

Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat.

Nic

I just want a freakin' piece...of pie!

Sunday we had a birthday party for my dad. It consisted of go carting, which was so much fun, and then we had everyone back to the house for dinner and cake. My plan was to make a plate of food that consisted of things I could eat and then add my regular 5 oz piece of chicken. This lasted about 5 minutes.
It all started with a few strawberries and the next thing I knew, I'd eaten the entire fruit platter. (Sad face) I felt like a closet binge eater who couldn't stop. It gets worse......I somehow ended up cutting the cake and I kept scrapping the extra icing off the knife with my finger. I’d stare at it contemplating the damage of licking my finger versus wiping it on the edge of the plate. At this point I was so proud of myself for being able to resist temptation until I sat next to my cousin who had only take one bite of her piece. What happened next is so shameful but I took a little piece of corner icing off the top of her cake and the next thing I knew I have scraped all the icing off the top of it. I was done.
So many emotions were going through my body but disappointment was the greatest. Even though I was stuffed and consumed more food than I had intended, I continued to walk past the replenished fruit platter taking a piece of melon or a strawberry until I had eaten most of that platter too. At this point I felt like it was thanksgiving all over again and wanted someone to pass me the Pepto.
I'm not sure if that pit in my stomach was guilt or the signs of a really bad food hangover, but I'm going to go with guilt. I overdosed on fruit and icing and feel so disappointed in myself. I thought I had things under control but obviously this is a good lesson to learn and one I will continue to practice.
New goal and/ piece of advice in managing eating out or at pot luck style dinners:
1. Drink lots of water. If you are going to have a drink make sure that you have 2 full glasses of water for every "beverage" you have. Stay away from sugary mixed drinks and shots and stick to wine and dark beer (lower in cals and has anti-oxidents).
2. Make yourself one plate as soon as you arrive. Divide the plate in half and fill one half with salad. Then divide the other half in two. Fill half with protein such as meat or chicken and the remainder should be veggies.
3. Don't go back to the table. Yes, I need to walk the talk, but now that I know what I need to do I want to pass that knowledge onto you.
4. Yes, you can have some treats.
5. Take a small plate and have one square, small piece of cake or pie and fill the rest with fruit.
6. After this, stick to water.
7. Don't eat any more after you've had your two plates. It takes a lot of willpower, but I know you can do it.
I failed once, but I won't fail twice.

I know I will have a lot more situations like this and I will keep you posted on how it goes. Stay strong!

Today I attempted to do weights and cardio at the gym and it was a super hard day. I struggled a little and should have done weights in the am and cardio in the pm. From now on I'm breaking it up so that I can kick my butt 100%. So to reward myself I went to the Lululemon outlet and got myself a great top and pair of pants. It's weird how a little treat can get me ready for my workout tomorrow.

So here's to kicking but and being back on track 100%.

Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat.


Nic

Monday, April 11, 2011

Pancake recipe. It's the tits!

Good Morning Monday! Yesterday my day started off in a fantastic mood because I mastered my pancake recipe. I've previous failed miserably on the last 3 or 4 times I've attempted it but the trick was to blend the ingredients together first and then cook them.

Here's the my scrumpcious Egg White Oatmeal Pancakes recipe:
(It makes 2 servings)
  • 1 cup oats (can be steel-cut but I like Quaker)
  • 1/4 cup chopped nuts (almonds and walnuts)
  • 1 cup egg whites
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 scoop protein powder (optional)
Now how to make 'em....
1. Grind oats and chopped nuts in a food processor (I have my handy dandy magic bullet that I use)
2. Sprinkle in cinnamon, and add protein powder if you want.
3. Add egg whites and blend
4. Oil the pan and cook until brown.

These are awesome because you can make a large batch and freeze them or eat them hot as a treat. I only eat 2 and then make 2 egg whites to make sure I am getting the proper amount of protein. If I use protein powder in my cakes then I don't make egg whites. Also, if you need a little bit of flavour you can top with some (1 tbsp) peanut butter or a sugar-free syrup.

Give this recipe a whirl and let me know what you think!

Hope you enjoy.

Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat.

Nic


Friday, April 8, 2011

I eat an entire chicken....

So Wednesday night was my dad’s 60th birthday and I was allowed to have a small cheat meal. I got so carried away that I forgot to take a picture until I was done half my meal! The picture almost looks barbaric but boy was it delicious and as promised...a picture.

Today I weighed myself in the afternoon and I usually only weigh myself once a week in the early morning on Saturdays when I am doing my weekly photos. Well don’t sigh at me...but I have gone up two pounds. I know you are probably all rolling your eyes at me or thinking I am nuts, but with what I am doing those pounds are important. I told David this at the gym and he said that your body can gain up to 5 pounds during the day and its normal for weight to flucuate. The reason I brought this up, even at the risk of you thinking I’m crazy, was it’s a great example of why you shouldn’t focus too much on the scale. The truth is, those extra pounds are probably water weight. I think this is something that a lot of you can relate to. That experience of stepping on the scale and not being satisfied can be hard but I’ve learned it’s not so much about the number, but how you feel.

If you feel like a million bucks then good on you! The scale is really just a number and if you are eating healthy (in moderation), getting exercise and are happy, that’s all that matters.
I am not going to beat myself up about it because if I beat myself up about anything it should be my grammar. I have been told that my blog is now going to be edited before I’m allowed to post (thanks Erin!) I guess that is a good thing. I wouldn’t want people to stop reading because I have put in the wrong “their” or "there".
Another thing that stressing about a few pounds does, is keep them on! If you are constantly thinking about that little pouch or your muffin top, you are never going to be happy. First focus on the things you love about yourself. For me, I love my legs and shoulders. Once you start seeing yourself in a more positive light and think, “man, I look good today" you will start to not only see a change in your attitude but the weight, over time, may disappear on its own.

This is something I need to work on as well and that is why I wanted to bring it up. I am a little worried because I have always had a little extra around my belly button and getting “rid” of it seems impossible so I have decided not to stress over it and focus on how much I love that my hiney is higher, my shoulders are looking sharp and that in the next 7 weeks it will slowly disappear and I will be able to accept and appreciate that part of my body just as much as the rest. Like David said, you should love every part of your body and he is right. This doesn’t just apply to the outside, but the every part of the inside as well.

The last week has been tough but it is amazing the amount of messages and positive notes I get. Those kinds of things really mean a lot to me and definitely help! I have started to print them out and put them on sticky notes around my place. I’ve also jotted down some important quotes. It’s a constant reminder of why I am doing this. So thank you for all your support!
If you have any great quotes please send them my way. I am make a giant post-it note mural and I’d love to have some great things to put on it!

Thanks to all my readers. I hope you enjoyed this "proofed" piece of work.

Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat!

Nic

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

I'm back....guns a blazing!

Even though I’m still not 100% and severely stubborn, I needed to get back into the gym. Today was my first day back and I was debating whether I should go swimming or do some easy cardio and I opted for the gym. I’m going to swim in the am tomorrow morning with all the seniors. Everyone knows how much I love old people.
Today I took it easy and did 20 minutes on the elliptical and 20 minutes on the seated bike. I tried to keep it low key and not over do it because I really want to give my body a few more days to rest. Tomorrow I will be back in the gym with David and we will be doing metabolic stuff which will be fine because he is fully aware of what happened and we will tone down the weight and/ number or reps. I think since its supervised I will be okay.  
I can’t tell you how good it felt to break a sweat today and while I was stretching I got those anxious butterflies in my stomach and I couldn’t wait to get back into my old routine. It might have also had to do with the major adrenaline rust still pumping through my veins from the night before.
Last night I went to the shooting range in Port Moody. I have always been nervous around guns but after I was given the proper instructions and fired that first bullet, I was hooked. Every shot I fired was an adrenaline rush. I have a pretty deadly shot. Here’s proof....
Anyways, as I finished my cardio and was on the mat stretching, I couldn’t help but mentally start picturing myself back in the gym cranking out a serious cardio sessions. That moment is engraved in my brain and I don’t want to forget how I felt in that moment because I know that the next few weeks are crucial and it will be a long road ahead. In my head I was thinking, I’m back and a force to be reckoned with! Maybe this short break was exactly what I needed to rev up my training again and now is GWR.
Gym. Work. Rest.
Today is also my dad’s 60th birthday and we are going out to Las Margaritas, an amazing Mexican restaurant and I was so disappointed because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to order anything because I am 51 days out from competition. The only thing I was going to be able to order was a plain salad. This totally by choice, not to make it sound like I am complaining 100%, just a little sad I couldn’t enjoy a meal. Then my coach, Nat, called and we were chatting about how I was feeling and I told her about going out for dinner and that I was disappointed I couldn’t have anything and she told me the best news ever....to have a small cheat meal! I was super excited. She just told me not to go crazy and avoid anything deep fried, which was fine as long as I could order something. I didn’t want to order anything too extreme anyways considering I haven’t been training in the last few days. I emailed my mom the news and her response...
[That is fantastic. Excellent. Will you be drinking? If not, you can be our DD. LMK OK? Thanks, mom.]
Got to love my supportive family! Anyways, things have been going well in hindsight to everything that has happened. But it all happens for a reason.

And don’t you worry, you can bet money that there will be a nice picture tomorrow of my dinner. I am going to enjoy every last bite!

Happy 60th Birthday Dad! Love you bunches of oats!

Eat. Train/Rest. Sleep. Repeat.

Nic

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

It's [suppose to be] "go time."

As of Saturday, I was suppose to be kicking it into high gear aka "go time," and with everything that’s been going on the last two days it’s really hard to be sitting still and not training. I’m focusing on minimalizing any injuries that might have occurred that I can't see or feel yet. My knee has a huge bruise from where I hit it and my back and neck are still tight and a little sore. I really want to get back and hit the gym hard and take advantage of every moment I have to train.
That thought is what makes me think it’s the reason for why this happened. Was it for me to really go through all the emotions and appreciate the fact that I am able to train with a great trainer, have a top coach/mentor and a great support system?
Training was becoming like a chore, in the sense that I planned my day around it. Even though I really enjoy training, now I will not take it for granted and appreciate every moment that I am able to spend on the treadmill or stairmaster instead of thinking only 15 more minutes. I will appreciate everytime I lift a heavier weight during my workouts with David and leave every last drop of sweat at the gym.
I promise I will give 100% and "want" to train. I don't "have" to train.
I sometimes catch myself saying to someone, well I have to do cardio tonight. I am choosing to do this competition as a personal goal and those are the things required for me to achieve them. I am choosing a daily meal plan that restricts everything processed and "good" for chicken, egg whites, nuts and veggies. Literally that’s all I am eating at the moment.
Maybe an accident wasn't the best wake up call for me to have this realization, but it did help put a lot into perspective. Even though I have chosen to make my priority to compete in these upcoming competitions doesn't mean I should lose sight of everything else that is important to me.
I am learning so much through this process about myself, balance and life that it's making me a stronger person. I am learning when I need to rest and that I can't be the energizier bunny all the time. It's okay to sit down and relax once in awhile.
Today I got up early and sent my pictures into Natalie. I was nervous because I had been retaining a lot of water but she said they looked good which makes me happy because I am on the right track. This doesn't mean I can slack off. I need to continuously be improving each week. Leaning up and putting on more muscle tone. Another piece of news I got today that is Nat's bf is going to Europe for a week so I told her I am packing my bags and moving in with her for 7 days. It will be an intense week of training, eating clean and working (of course).

Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive and checked on me over the last few days!
Hope to have some better stuff for you over the next few days.

Eat. (Recover). Sleep. Repeat. My new motto for today!

Nic

Monday, April 4, 2011

Speed bump.....literally

So yesterday I was driving home from my work trip in Kamloops and I was involved in a 5 car collision. My first thought was, would I still be okay to train? How was I going to feel in a couple hours or in a couple of days? I’ve heard lots of horrible stories of people that have been injured and taken years to recover. In addition to the fact that I might wake up tomorrow with a sore back and neck, all my hard work over the last 11 weeks might be down the drain! I was a little stressed out. Today, my neck, back and knee were a little sore, but I was lucky that my aunt (who is a trauma nurse) was staying with us and was able to take a look at me when I got home. She told me to take a couple of Advil’s and take it easy.
Take it easy?! This isn't something I do unless I'm on a rest day. Today I was supposed to do cardio and weights but my coach and trainer advised me not to do anything unless I was feeling 100%. On top of all of this, I had a bunch of work stuff to get done today.
Getting in an accident is a part of life and everything happens for a reason but I am curious as to why this happened. Maybe I’ll find out. The most important thing is that everyone was okay. For now, I need to just take it easy, which isn't easy as I am 8 weeks out from competition and need to be buckling down, cranking out the cardio and increasing my weights during training.
Positive thinking and rest is going to be number one this week so that I can get back on the ball next week. As of Saturday I will be 49 days out from my competition and every day and every meal and every hour of rest count. It's go time.
I guess this speed bump was an awakening that I need to focus and get my head in the game. These things happen but life goes on. I hope everyone had a great weekend and I'll be back to my regular blogging tomorrow.

Eat. Train. Sleep. Repeat!

Nic, out!

Friday, April 1, 2011

I heart Kai Greene. Thanks Owen!

So I wasn't too sure what exactly I was going to write about today because I am training early this morning, but I got up and checked Facebook and had a message from my friend Owen. His message included a link to a video titled "Kai Greene Treadmill Confessions Part I." He directed me to scroll to 2:02 in the video because after reading my blog on cheat meals he thought it might helpful.
Watch the video here. He is actually really inspiring. It is some great motivation for a Friday morning à http://bit.ly/gRp9GL. “ Life your life on your terms.”
Owen and his friends constantly send random videos to eat other so I really didn't know what to expect, but the next this I know, I was laughing hysterically.
The video starts out with “when this is over with, do you know how good cake is going to taste to me?!” He goes on about his emotions and food and how he is feeling and how he is getting through his last two weeks before competition.
This guy seriously speaks my language and I know I talked about the fact that people can respect and be supportive of the diet and training and but understanding is another thing. My friends and family are very supportive but having a group of mentors that understand the trials and tribulations of treating your body the way I am right now is important too. My friend/coach Natalie is always there for me 100%. We have become really good friends and to have someone that knows exactly what I am going through helps. Shannon, my friend who is going with me to Toronto, is also a big outlet and it helps when we talk or text. There are so many people that contribute to my training, like all you reading my blog! Thanks to everyone for the support. *Sorry major sidenote....

His treadmill confessions are pretty sweet maybe I should do that. Done. Coming next week, Nicole Wilson Treadmill Confessional. Be Ready.

Thanks for this Owen, you rock!  This guy is money!
This video somehow inspired me to keep going hard. Time to train! I’ll catch up with you all later.

Have a great weekend and let me know what you think of Kai Greene. A picture of him is going on my motivational wall.

Eat. Sleep. Train. Repeat.

Nic