Today was the third time I trained with Tony this week, and I forgot how demanding it is on my body when I increase my training intensity.  I was a little sore the other day, but nothing to write home about.  The most noticeable change for me this week was the lightheaded feeling I get when doing legs with Tony.  I had this problem last year and the only way to fix it is to increase my calories (carbs) before I train, AND slightly increase my sodium intake.  If it gets too severe I usually take glucose tablets to counter-balance the drop in energy.  I also increase my simple carbs (30 grams) in my recovery meal and make sure I get a healthy dose of BCAA’s within 30 minutes of training, otherwise my training will just cause my body to feed on it’s muscle.

The other thing that I never miss is a double protein shake at night before I go to bed to make sure my body has ample protein while I sleep.  Trying to maintain all the muscle takes it toll when it comes to eating, because I can’t go for more than 3 hours without a meal.  Having the Kara’s Kitchen meals makes it soooooo much easier when it comes to lunch and eating on the go with the kids.  I actually ate dinner at lacrosse practice the other night, so it makes it less stressful for me when it comes to preparing my meals each week.  I can already tell the 2,400 calories I am eating each day aren’t going to be enough, but I will know once I have my numbers done on Sunday.  Wish me luck…

Kara

Natural North America - 1st Place Masters

Time to start the bulking process...AGAIN!!!

Today is the start of another competition season for me, which is like taking the first step of a 1,000 mile journey.  I know what to expect at this point, but I still feel like every one else when it comes to refocusing and dedicating myself to eating clean and training.  This is the first time I have every trained over the summer, but with my boys going to camps all summer it will easier than sitting at the pool this year.

My biggest challenge when it comes to preparing to compete is adding the lean body weight required to walk on a stage full of lights.  I don’t really deviate from my meal plan too much in the off season because it’s a lifestyle for me at this point.  My scale weight usually only fluctuates about 3-5 lbs. but I know other competitors who’s off season weight will shoot up over 10 lbs., which seems like a lot of work to me when you have to shed it on the back end of your pre-season.  Living Lean is a way of life, so I am not so worried about the accumulation of body fat, but trying to put 5-7 lbs. of lean muscle on every year is tough work and when it’s all said and done, it’s usually gone by Christmas.

Lemon Pepper Tilapia

This year, I am only going to use foods that we prepare for Kara’s Kitchen, once again proving the point that it’s about what you eat, not how much you exercise.  Tony just posted an article that was in the TIME Magazine a few weeks ago about How Exercise Doesn’t Help You Lose Weight (CLICK HERE).  The one thing I learned about the leaning out process is that too much cardio isn’t a good thing, because it decreases my lean body weight, so I just simply don’t do it…period!  That’s right, I don’t do cardio to lean out, but I change my lifting program to make it more cardiovascular which is all the cardio I do until I have to walk off the water weight when I get closer to the competition date.  I know it sounds crazy, especially since I used to do 2 aerobic classes (back to back) before I meet Tony.  Once I learned that less is more, it made my life so much easier.

So, today is the Day #1 and just like every one else, it’s seems like a long road ahead, but I’ve traveled this road before and I can’t wait to see what’s at the end of the road this year…

Kara

Dice the chicken or chop it in a food processor. Mix the salad dressing and mayonaisse with the chicken. Slowly fold in the waterchestnuts and raisins and ENJOY!

Calories: 298 kcal
Protein: 35 grams
Carbohydrates: 21 grams
Fats: 7 grams

As with most folks, winter in a tough time to try and maintain a meal plan (particularly if you are snowed in for weeks at a time). So when it comes time to making a commitment, the focus of your attention should be on meal planning first, THEN worry about your training program. Every year when the weather finally breaks and the first hint of spring arrives, the sidewalks and streets are full of arm chair athletes ready to run off those extra winter pounds. What those folks don’t know is they should be cleaning out the fridge and pantry, because once their blood sugar levels drop after that first run…their appetite is going to go into overdrive. Diligence in the kitchen is a better investment than spending the day in the gym.

The best way to achieve your goals is to modify your lifestyle NOT just your diet. The meal plan is the starting point, but there need to be rules that are established before you start your journey. Here are some ideas to help you start your program:

1. Abstain from alcohol for a two week period. The liver cells normally prefer fatty acids as fuel, and package excess fatty acids as triglycerides, which they then route to other tissues of the body. However, when alcohol is present, the liver cells are forced to first metabolize the alcohol, letting the fatty acids accumulate, sometimes in huge amounts. Alcohol metabolism permanently changes liver cell structure, which impairs the liver’s ability to metabolize fats.
2. Prepare your food ahead of time. Most people tend to take the “shortest distance between two points” when it comes to eating, so you will eat whatever is present in most cases. These are called RTE foods (Ready To Eat), have them ready at all times.
3. Do NOT snack between meals. Stick to a schedule using your meal plan and try not to fill the gaps by snacking.
4. Stay away from processed foods…if you can’t pronounce what’s in your food – DON’T EAT IT. Stick to whole foods in their natural form. Processed foods have been linked to the increase in obesity in children and adults.

These are just a few ideas to ease into a new meal plan. Of course, accurate macronutrients are important for a meal plan to work effectively, so the composition of your calories is still important. If you are already training, focusing on your meal plan will make a huge difference. If you haven’t started training, the best place to begin is in the kitchen.