Wow its been a month since my last post. Want to know how I figured that out? Ask me?
Yep... a perfect cycle. And I mean "perfect"!
So what I wanted to talk about was my experiences with trying to get help and how this isn't a issue that is given a whole lot of attention and some changes I have noticed about myself.
I had booked an appointment with a Endocrinologist long before I got my first menstruation as suggested by my doctor in the hope to better look after my hormones in the future. When that time finally arrived, I was pretty disgusted with the treatment I received; it was pretty clear that the basis of her clientele were diabetics and she was clearly out of touch anything remotely fertility oreintated. As a result she then went to explain that carbs are bad (yeh maybe for diabetics) and that fats have high calories - 8 calories per gram (wrong its 9) and that I ate too much pumpkin (she was probably right there)...then recommended I see a nutritionist to learn about diet. So what did I learn from this experience...Well other then the fact most pro's are too comfortable...fuck all.
Im still waiting to hear back from a very reputable fertility specialist, but i'm not holding my breath. So i'm kind approaching this blindly, I refuse to restrict my calories as the endocrinologist suggested and reduce my carbohydrate consumption. Interestingly, I have noticed some small changes in my body, my upper body is showing a little more definition (I always loose fat there first) and I rarely get bloated. This was more recently demonstrated in my latest measure up for #santaslimdownchallenge which I run on instagram and facebook. The other thing I did was increased the amount of fermented foods I ate, eg. sauerkraut and kombucha tea, and I plan on brewing my own to save money. Looking after my gut biota not only reduced bloating, but promoted healthy hormone production because I am able to digest the nutrients to do so. So get your ferment on people!
Most of all my appetite is back! Not in a cravings kind of way, but legit hunger! Which I now honour - no more meal timing! This in conjunction with my slow fat loss indicates my metabolism is recovering, which i'm pretty impressed with considering the given time frame. And lastly, my mentality has seen the biggest change, I was a bit cranky the day before my period (which is perfectly exceptionable), but other then that, I don't seem to allow myself to stress anymore. I know to catch myself when I do. Taking life a little less seriously in general.
Honestly, that has been the important thing I learnt to do this year.
Thanks your time,
Nikki :)
Monday, November 25, 2013
Thursday, October 24, 2013
#learningtobehuman Part 2
When I first thought I should start blogging again, I never in a million years thought Id be blogging about periods...
Yet here I am. But the reason I chose to is because, if you refer to my previous post #learningtobehuman, a lot of my continued anxiety and stress can be pinned to that single aspect of my life...Not cycling, not only made me gain weight and worry about my health, but it also made me feel strange in my own body. A period is a powerful symbolic part of being a woman, having your period requires knowing about your bodies phases and processes and losing that made me lose myself a little I suppose. I thought i'd write about it because a lot of girls have messaged me or expressed there experiences with similar problems and im hoping that it will help them as much as its helped me.
Being of a very scientific driven mind, I always thought the mind and the body were two different entities, and their health required different treatments. This, at the age of 26, I am finding out isn't so. So when I found out the cause of all my health issues related back to the health of my mind, it was obviously quite shocking; that and I really didnt have a grasp of what was maximum stress load for a individual and what was my bodies responses when I had reached that load. That in its self was a slap in the face, I thought I knew myself well and I thought I knew what I was capable of. But I guess it goes back to having a overly high expectation of myself and feeling the need to maintain it in the presence of others.
Once I was encouraged to practice the methods in cognitive behavioral therapy, the more I became aware of how my mind was doing these things to cope and how my body was responding to it. I was in 24/7 survival mode...my predator was stress and everything I didn't need was shut down. Crazy huh? But on a evolutionary basis...survival stress vs. modern stress, our bodies don't know the difference...it just knows "stress" which made sense. When I started reaching out to friends, when I practiced relaxation, when I ignored the thoughts, when I enjoyed things I had chosen to do and felt no guilt...all practices done in the mind, I began to see complimentary changes in my body too. Days that I wasn't overly stressed, I wasn't bloated either, I started to see some signs of normal sexual hormone function (girls you know what i mean).
In conjunction with through the roof pumpkin cravings, last Thursday I was pretty sure my left ovary exploded (lol). I didn't want pin too much hope in these things, I simply observed they were happening and made a note of it (I had gotten into the habit of doing that every time I saw what I thought was a sign in the past), then this week I observed that my strength had decreased from the previous week and I had less energy. Come Wednesday night I got the first sign of my period. Even that I didn't buy into too much, because it had happened before then went away. But sure enough, exactly a week after my ovary "exploded"...I began the Menstrual phase of my cycle...and wholly shit was I happy...period party and only I was invited.
Now the party phase is over, im fully aware that this doesn't mean im fixed and ill have a regular cycle from here on end. But what I am doing to help it, until I see the endocrinologist, is practicing hormonally intelligent training...using a load and deload cycle in sync with my different hormone releases. For example, in the follicle phase straight after the menstruation phase, you have a release in testosterone causing a surge in energy and decrease in insulin sensitivity, this is a great time to carb up and hit some PR's in a load week/ fortnight. The following Ovulatory Phase sees the last of that test release and the beginning of some carb or dairy sensitivity (you may bloat up when you usually dont) due to high estrogen (also may see a sex drive increase in case you wanted to know, as this is the most fertile phase of your cycle). This will last 3-5 days before you move into the Luteal Phase, this when you may notice cravings for sweet things...for most people its chocolate, however if your a little more intuitive you may crave what your body is really needing...for me its roasted pumpkin...because its sweet and has lots of vital nutrients and vitamins. This will last 10 - 14 days, you may find a find surge of hormones will make you strong right before your menstruation, and this is usually the time your cravings will be strongest also and you may feel the release of your egg (cue ovary explosion). Lastly, the mense phase which is self explanatory, what you may not know is that you have to be a little kinder to yourself, you will be weaker and your usual intense cardio should take a more low intensity approach to help keep your body from going into stress. It may also help to eat lots of nutrient rich watery greens, because the shedding and replacing process is actually very energy taxing on the body.
So there you have it, a quick guide to something you thought you knew....your body. I certainly didn't. But using this hormonal support method in your training may help keep your hormones balanced and believe or not...they are the primary driver for you metabolism and every other function in your body.
So look after them.
All the best,
Nikki
Ps. here are the books that really helped me through this process if your interested.
"The reality slap" by Dr. Russ Harris
"The woman code" by Alisa Vitti
"Intuitive Eating" by Elyse Resch
Yet here I am. But the reason I chose to is because, if you refer to my previous post #learningtobehuman, a lot of my continued anxiety and stress can be pinned to that single aspect of my life...Not cycling, not only made me gain weight and worry about my health, but it also made me feel strange in my own body. A period is a powerful symbolic part of being a woman, having your period requires knowing about your bodies phases and processes and losing that made me lose myself a little I suppose. I thought i'd write about it because a lot of girls have messaged me or expressed there experiences with similar problems and im hoping that it will help them as much as its helped me.
Being of a very scientific driven mind, I always thought the mind and the body were two different entities, and their health required different treatments. This, at the age of 26, I am finding out isn't so. So when I found out the cause of all my health issues related back to the health of my mind, it was obviously quite shocking; that and I really didnt have a grasp of what was maximum stress load for a individual and what was my bodies responses when I had reached that load. That in its self was a slap in the face, I thought I knew myself well and I thought I knew what I was capable of. But I guess it goes back to having a overly high expectation of myself and feeling the need to maintain it in the presence of others.
Once I was encouraged to practice the methods in cognitive behavioral therapy, the more I became aware of how my mind was doing these things to cope and how my body was responding to it. I was in 24/7 survival mode...my predator was stress and everything I didn't need was shut down. Crazy huh? But on a evolutionary basis...survival stress vs. modern stress, our bodies don't know the difference...it just knows "stress" which made sense. When I started reaching out to friends, when I practiced relaxation, when I ignored the thoughts, when I enjoyed things I had chosen to do and felt no guilt...all practices done in the mind, I began to see complimentary changes in my body too. Days that I wasn't overly stressed, I wasn't bloated either, I started to see some signs of normal sexual hormone function (girls you know what i mean).
In conjunction with through the roof pumpkin cravings, last Thursday I was pretty sure my left ovary exploded (lol). I didn't want pin too much hope in these things, I simply observed they were happening and made a note of it (I had gotten into the habit of doing that every time I saw what I thought was a sign in the past), then this week I observed that my strength had decreased from the previous week and I had less energy. Come Wednesday night I got the first sign of my period. Even that I didn't buy into too much, because it had happened before then went away. But sure enough, exactly a week after my ovary "exploded"...I began the Menstrual phase of my cycle...and wholly shit was I happy...period party and only I was invited.
Now the party phase is over, im fully aware that this doesn't mean im fixed and ill have a regular cycle from here on end. But what I am doing to help it, until I see the endocrinologist, is practicing hormonally intelligent training...using a load and deload cycle in sync with my different hormone releases. For example, in the follicle phase straight after the menstruation phase, you have a release in testosterone causing a surge in energy and decrease in insulin sensitivity, this is a great time to carb up and hit some PR's in a load week/ fortnight. The following Ovulatory Phase sees the last of that test release and the beginning of some carb or dairy sensitivity (you may bloat up when you usually dont) due to high estrogen (also may see a sex drive increase in case you wanted to know, as this is the most fertile phase of your cycle). This will last 3-5 days before you move into the Luteal Phase, this when you may notice cravings for sweet things...for most people its chocolate, however if your a little more intuitive you may crave what your body is really needing...for me its roasted pumpkin...because its sweet and has lots of vital nutrients and vitamins. This will last 10 - 14 days, you may find a find surge of hormones will make you strong right before your menstruation, and this is usually the time your cravings will be strongest also and you may feel the release of your egg (cue ovary explosion). Lastly, the mense phase which is self explanatory, what you may not know is that you have to be a little kinder to yourself, you will be weaker and your usual intense cardio should take a more low intensity approach to help keep your body from going into stress. It may also help to eat lots of nutrient rich watery greens, because the shedding and replacing process is actually very energy taxing on the body.
So there you have it, a quick guide to something you thought you knew....your body. I certainly didn't. But using this hormonal support method in your training may help keep your hormones balanced and believe or not...they are the primary driver for you metabolism and every other function in your body.
So look after them.
All the best,
Nikki
Ps. here are the books that really helped me through this process if your interested.
"The reality slap" by Dr. Russ Harris
"The woman code" by Alisa Vitti
"Intuitive Eating" by Elyse Resch
Sunday, October 20, 2013
#learningtobehuman
I realise I haven't written anything for a long time, let alone post and new recipes, but if you follow me on Instagram you might have a fair idea of what i'm going through and what this post is about.
I'll be perfectly honest, i'm writing this for me. To get my head around everything. To make myself accountable for this next part of my journey. And I don't care if anyone reads it.
After comp I had everything sorted, I was going to finish uni, and have a great building off season and prepare for finding a job and next years season. I practiced what I preached, I reversed diet properly, had maybe 2 binging sessions before I pulled myself up and released what I was doing early on in the reverse diet process. But what I didn't release was that the lack of menstruation (amenorrhea is its scientific name), which I thought was just part of being in a low body fat % or "athletes triad", was actually going to continue long after I had put a healthy amount of fat back on. If you don't menstruate, your hormonal balance isn't optimal, your metabolism doesn't recover from dieting down (not that I dieted hard and that should have been the first indicator) and you can also cause bone density loss. So what happened during my reverse diet was, I kept gaining weight, which stressed me out a lot! And no matter how well I stuck to my macros, or reduced my carbs back down thinking it was my insulin tolerance...I just kept gaining weight. And I wouldn't cycle...what was wrong with me?
When I got to the point where I was anxious about going anywhere that involved me not wearing pajamas...because nothing fit me. I knew something had to change, and I knew that if the problem was caused by "athletes triad" then my amenorrhea would be well and truly resolved.
So I started self diagnosing myself and listening to other people with similar problems and it made it worse. Now I had a hormone condition, or pcos or even cancer...my mind would would believe what ever seemed logical. During this process, my studies suffered greatly, I couldn't concentrate on anything, I felt guilty when I wasn't studying, distracted when I was and hated myself when I was alone, hated myself for wasting so much time, hated that I felt I was failing, hated my body and hated that I had lost control of everything. Making things worse, I place a high amount of expectation on myself, my partner and what others expect of me.
It got to the point to when I was alone in my car, with no distractions I would panic, my mind would be exceptionally cruel to me and I would listen. I ended up having 2 or 3 anxiety attacks on the way to uni. Then I realised I needed help. I booked a councilor and Dr. app and told him everything that was going on. My Dr. put me through 2 lots of blood work and a booked a ultrasound to exempt the possibility of all the problems my mind had convinced me I had, but he already knew they weren't the reason, he did that for me. Once all the results trickled in, it became stupidly obvious...there was nothing wrong with my body. Everything can back perfect. The problem was my mind. He said I have a "over-active" mind, a great sign of intelligence and is important for survival...if I was a cave woman. Modern life no longer calls for a mind like this he explained, so it creates problems when there aren't any. And you all know a healthy mind = a healthy body...well its absolutely fucking true! So to my surprise, both my councilor and doc recommend the same book, its called the "the reality slap" by Dr. Russ Harris which is basically the new cognitive behavioral therapy techniques in a easy to understand format.Essentially, I was well passed the top of the curve of a graph plotted with anxiety and stress against performance.
I probably had passed before I even I started competing. After all these years of studying, doing all the intensives during the breaks I could, avoiding social gatherings for either training or study and feeling guilty when I did either, my sisters wedding and not being able to contribute as much I wished I had, and not fitting my maid of honor dress, planning for the future, job, money, everything... I never really had a single break. I never was kind to myself...I had finally snapped. I was at breakdown point. This had presented itself in many forms, the amenorrhea, weight gain, fatigue, hair loss, loss of apatite and an unhealthy relationship with food and portions...It all made sense really.
So the next step is to find balance. This is where I am now. I am reading the book, I am learning the techniques such as grounding and catching my self when my thoughts take me away, I am learning to be kind to myself and take breaks from studying regularly instead of trying to lump everything into one sitting. Then hating myself when I dont get anything done. I am learning to quiet my mind...ignore those thoughts even though they are still there, and I am learning to be mindful. I really only practice mindfullness when I train, because you have to, when I lift, youre there, youre present. Because you cant be either in the future or past, because that weight would fall on my face. Once I understood that, I released how do not have that same relationship with anything else, not even eating. This is my current challenge, learning to live in the moment more and letting that help my productivity. And its fucking hard. But the fact that I have acknowledged this far, means i'm making the right steps.
The other aspect of my life that suffered greatly was my friendships, I had hardly saw them at all this year, and in hindsight it would have been more beneficial for me then them. Social interaction is powerful therapy. Lucky I have a amazing group of close friends and they all understand completely and support me, and the more I spent time with them, the less guilty I felt and the more productive I was when I applied myself. The wheel above was a diagram my friend showed me on a coffee date, and it explained essentially what I had done.......my wheel is balancing on a point and I had spent too much time in the career, uni, gym sections of mine and it had toppled over because I needed to move back into the fun, and family and friends and acknowledgment of personal success and accomplishments more often to balance my life.
So on top of seeing a Dr and councilor, my Dr. still believes my rapid weight gain is of concern to my body and has referred me to a hormonal specialist to accelerate the process. I am currently waiting on that appointment still, but things have started to change. I'm no longer dieting, or tracking macros, it was another stress-or and in the state I was in, I developed a unhealthy relationship with food. Now that i'm eating a little more intuitively, I no longer crave junk and feel the need to eat all the time.
It also means, that i'm probably not going to finish uni at the end of the year and will have to continue some subjects further into next year to reduce my stress and to give myself time to heal.
But I believe I am taking the right steps towards a happy healthier me...
I'll be perfectly honest, i'm writing this for me. To get my head around everything. To make myself accountable for this next part of my journey. And I don't care if anyone reads it.
After comp I had everything sorted, I was going to finish uni, and have a great building off season and prepare for finding a job and next years season. I practiced what I preached, I reversed diet properly, had maybe 2 binging sessions before I pulled myself up and released what I was doing early on in the reverse diet process. But what I didn't release was that the lack of menstruation (amenorrhea is its scientific name), which I thought was just part of being in a low body fat % or "athletes triad", was actually going to continue long after I had put a healthy amount of fat back on. If you don't menstruate, your hormonal balance isn't optimal, your metabolism doesn't recover from dieting down (not that I dieted hard and that should have been the first indicator) and you can also cause bone density loss. So what happened during my reverse diet was, I kept gaining weight, which stressed me out a lot! And no matter how well I stuck to my macros, or reduced my carbs back down thinking it was my insulin tolerance...I just kept gaining weight. And I wouldn't cycle...what was wrong with me?
When I got to the point where I was anxious about going anywhere that involved me not wearing pajamas...because nothing fit me. I knew something had to change, and I knew that if the problem was caused by "athletes triad" then my amenorrhea would be well and truly resolved.
So I started self diagnosing myself and listening to other people with similar problems and it made it worse. Now I had a hormone condition, or pcos or even cancer...my mind would would believe what ever seemed logical. During this process, my studies suffered greatly, I couldn't concentrate on anything, I felt guilty when I wasn't studying, distracted when I was and hated myself when I was alone, hated myself for wasting so much time, hated that I felt I was failing, hated my body and hated that I had lost control of everything. Making things worse, I place a high amount of expectation on myself, my partner and what others expect of me.
It got to the point to when I was alone in my car, with no distractions I would panic, my mind would be exceptionally cruel to me and I would listen. I ended up having 2 or 3 anxiety attacks on the way to uni. Then I realised I needed help. I booked a councilor and Dr. app and told him everything that was going on. My Dr. put me through 2 lots of blood work and a booked a ultrasound to exempt the possibility of all the problems my mind had convinced me I had, but he already knew they weren't the reason, he did that for me. Once all the results trickled in, it became stupidly obvious...there was nothing wrong with my body. Everything can back perfect. The problem was my mind. He said I have a "over-active" mind, a great sign of intelligence and is important for survival...if I was a cave woman. Modern life no longer calls for a mind like this he explained, so it creates problems when there aren't any. And you all know a healthy mind = a healthy body...well its absolutely fucking true! So to my surprise, both my councilor and doc recommend the same book, its called the "the reality slap" by Dr. Russ Harris which is basically the new cognitive behavioral therapy techniques in a easy to understand format.Essentially, I was well passed the top of the curve of a graph plotted with anxiety and stress against performance.
I probably had passed before I even I started competing. After all these years of studying, doing all the intensives during the breaks I could, avoiding social gatherings for either training or study and feeling guilty when I did either, my sisters wedding and not being able to contribute as much I wished I had, and not fitting my maid of honor dress, planning for the future, job, money, everything... I never really had a single break. I never was kind to myself...I had finally snapped. I was at breakdown point. This had presented itself in many forms, the amenorrhea, weight gain, fatigue, hair loss, loss of apatite and an unhealthy relationship with food and portions...It all made sense really.
So the next step is to find balance. This is where I am now. I am reading the book, I am learning the techniques such as grounding and catching my self when my thoughts take me away, I am learning to be kind to myself and take breaks from studying regularly instead of trying to lump everything into one sitting. Then hating myself when I dont get anything done. I am learning to quiet my mind...ignore those thoughts even though they are still there, and I am learning to be mindful. I really only practice mindfullness when I train, because you have to, when I lift, youre there, youre present. Because you cant be either in the future or past, because that weight would fall on my face. Once I understood that, I released how do not have that same relationship with anything else, not even eating. This is my current challenge, learning to live in the moment more and letting that help my productivity. And its fucking hard. But the fact that I have acknowledged this far, means i'm making the right steps.
The other aspect of my life that suffered greatly was my friendships, I had hardly saw them at all this year, and in hindsight it would have been more beneficial for me then them. Social interaction is powerful therapy. Lucky I have a amazing group of close friends and they all understand completely and support me, and the more I spent time with them, the less guilty I felt and the more productive I was when I applied myself. The wheel above was a diagram my friend showed me on a coffee date, and it explained essentially what I had done.......my wheel is balancing on a point and I had spent too much time in the career, uni, gym sections of mine and it had toppled over because I needed to move back into the fun, and family and friends and acknowledgment of personal success and accomplishments more often to balance my life.
So on top of seeing a Dr and councilor, my Dr. still believes my rapid weight gain is of concern to my body and has referred me to a hormonal specialist to accelerate the process. I am currently waiting on that appointment still, but things have started to change. I'm no longer dieting, or tracking macros, it was another stress-or and in the state I was in, I developed a unhealthy relationship with food. Now that i'm eating a little more intuitively, I no longer crave junk and feel the need to eat all the time.
It also means, that i'm probably not going to finish uni at the end of the year and will have to continue some subjects further into next year to reduce my stress and to give myself time to heal.
But I believe I am taking the right steps towards a happy healthier me...
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Carbs...Friends not foe!! (The Importance of Carbohydrates...From eBook)
Carbs get a bad wrap...And I don’t know why. It could be the
various low carb quick fix diets that are on the market these days that have
grown in popularity because of their success over short periods of time and
perhaps the fitness industry is at blame by promoting celebrities and products
and misleading you with how they achieve their results. What I do know is carbs
are an extremely important part of a healthy diet and especially for those
looking to build a muscular physique.
There is no doubt about it...protein is important! In order
to build or maintain muscle you need to consume protein; and your body does
this through the synthesis of the lengthy amino acids chains found in the
protein. However, the general consensus is you only need to consume between
0.8-1.8 grams per kilo of bodyweight (this varies on your goals and overall muscle
mass). Unlike protein, carbohydrates are
the main energy providers of human body due to its lengthy hydrocarbon chain (and
molecule consisting predominately of hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) bonds), which
if your familiar with chemistry at all is the possibly natures most powerful
bond when it comes to providing energy. The human body breaks (the liver
specifically) these bonds and converts them to a simpler to use sugars such as
glucose. Glycogen is the main energy store in your muscles, and if your levels
are to low then your body will resort to breaking down protein for energy
instead (oh no! your precious muscles). Glucose is also the important fuel for
your brains function and performance and also mood and hormones balances.
That being said, not all carbs are equal! Carbohydrates can
be broken down into two main categories ... Simple carbohydrates and complex
carbohydrates. Simple carbs or simple sugars are found in most processed food
and drinks and also fruit and some vegetables (keeping in mind they also
contain important micronutrients like your vitamins and minerals), these sugars
are able to be used quickly (High GI) and provide a short lived energy source
as it promotes the pancreas to rapidly produce insulin and release into the
bloodstream (not to mention the long term health implications of stressing the
pancreas constantly like this - such as diabetes). This is the reason you are
hungry shortly after eating sugary foods and crave more sugary foods once that
energy wears off. Complex carbohydrates on the other hand, consist of unrefined
grains and starch vegetables that take the body a lot longer to breakdown and
undertake the insulin process (Low GI), providing you with a sustained energy
source and keeping you fuller for longer; whilst having the added advantage of
being loaded with micro-nutrients which are important for many other body
functions.
So hopefully this is a simple explanation of why you should
love your carbs...if you don’t already!!
Kennedy. R,. (2008): Encyclopaedia of Bodybuilding – The complete A-Z book on muscle building,
Robert Kennedy Publishing, Canada.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
My journey to the stage without a diet or coach...
Yep this blog is only ALOT overdue...It was a little over a month ago since I last stepped on stage and have been meaning to write this reflection on my experience ever since but I decided to release a eCookbook instead haha.
One thing I can say is I had no idea what to expect as a first time competitor. Having decided would compete in the middle of the 2012 season while observing others prep, I had set my goal for the early comps in May and June of 2013, and with some encouragement from a few people (inc. my Bikini sponser and good friend Anj, who at the time was just starting her company Angie Baby Kini's); I then spent the following 8 months educating myself on how eat and train to bring a physique to the stage (at the time my goal was fitness model mind you).
Before this I was a clean eating advocate as you would know if you follow my page, but didn't understand the importance of macro-nutrient goals and delivery in relationship to training and how much it could benefit you. I also wasn't a heavy lifter, I did some weight training in conjunction with my WOD's and other body weight routines, but usually in a lower weight and higher rep range because I was so used to that muscle burn being the indicator of the exercise working (I know...I know...I was a nube). After doing a lot of research and reading, I had grasped the concept of "If it fits your macros" and worked out my maintenance calories and my cutting calories and the macro splits as I went along. I tried to structure a set diet (because I thought I had too at the time), but it never worked and I always ate what I wanted in the end and just fit in my macros, so I just stuck with that approach throughout my prep.
I then started to lift heavy as I could within the 6-8 reps range and dropped the cardio routines back to a few times a week. I really wanted to bring my upper body up to speed with my quad development to try and balance my physique out.
When it came closer to comp prep time, I made sure all the foods I was eating were clean and high in vegetable and clean carb sources and dropped my cheating down to every 12 to 14 days. I started a little earlier as I was probably sitting above 16% body fat at 17 weeks out and wanted to take my time to lean out with out going on stupidly restrictive calories and resorting to hours of cardio. I dropped my calories very slowly (and never went below 500 calories of my total maintenance) and did then short intense HIIT sessions or hill sprints for cardio every few days.
The first month was the fastest change I dropped from 15% to 12% in a matter of weeks, but I expected that, and it then slowed down from there. Once I was 3 weeks out, I started to carb cycle (something I hope I don't have to do again if I have my metabolism working efficiently on high calories for the next comp season), the carb cycling was the hardest, even though my diet was fun and exciting and I never dropped my carbs on a low day to much less then 100g, it still took it out of you once your glycogen was depleted. Once I had got to that stage where my body was relying on the refeed, I noticed my ability to lift was gone, I had to drop back to high reps and low weight, lots of plyos and HIIT cardio 5 days a week...I actually looked forward to the cardio because the weights sessions were so hard and exhausting. I think thats the general consensus for competitors however, esp. on the last low carb days, but having kept my calories high and cardio short and intense, I think I had manage to prevent any muscle wastage.
When it came to comp week, I followed my normal carb cycle, but cut out anything that would cause water retention or bloating like dairy, sweeteners and protein and gasey vegetable. But considering everything else was working for me I didn't see the need to change anything else, I dropped training at 4 days out and changed my cardio to lower intensity sessions so prevent any muscle soreness.
Drying out was on the issues that was difficult for me, I retain a lot of water naturally, so I actually water loaded for the 3 days before and started to dry out on mid - morning of the day before and cut water after dinner the day prior also. I took no diuretics or shredders..all natty baby! In reflection, I probably came in drier for my first comp because I water loaded properly prior and came in leaner in the second comp.
On the day I woke up (with my first coat of tan already on) looking like a different person, legs had definition and I could see the line on my last set of abs....it was amazing to see my body like that. Then being back stage, after 17 weeks of prep, reality kicked in! I couldn't wipe the smile of my face and in addition my posse kept me very calm and were super helpful.
Due to my study load I wasn't able to practice my routine and poses as much as Id like and it probably showed, I just wasn't confident in performing the moves and I didn't marry up with my chosen song that well...Plus first time nerves as well...but I didn't forget a move and I did my best! I placed 3rd in novice figure (remember I said I had aimed for fitness...yeh well I ended up in figure 0_o)...I was super happy with my efforts (and keen to eat my post comp pancakes...with yogurt...and peanut butter...and shit loads of expensive out of season fruit)..
I allowed myself one day of indulgence, after not cheating for 6 weeks prior to the comp and it was mostly fruit and peanut butter anyway, then it was back on track for the next show in 3 weeks. I place fourth in a bigger line up this time...which in retrospect, to me meant I did better lol...
I'd have to say the hardest part of competing isn't the dedication to a diet or the training, even when your flat as fuck, is the post comp nothingness...having no restriction after comp is the most dangerous part. I was straight back in the gym after a few days off...but boy did I eat my fair share of nut butter...I made myself sick...Having to slowly re-introduce calories/carbs back into the diet without and immediate reason for it is a struggle. Im doing it...but its hard. Dropping the amount of cardio back to a few a week is the easiest part, and I guess that excess calories from cheating has helped with my energy levels to lift again
.
What im saying is I spent so much time building a routine for comp prep, the only way to not fall of the wagon is to make a new routine...pretend your always prepping for something in the future (which you technically are if your planning to compete again) and also accept that your not going to stay comp ripped all the time...I now have a love for my post comp body...higher carbs means your muscles are always full and more fruit means your veins are always popping and just the overall energy I have is healthier. I plan to be able to maintain a relatively lean pysique so prep for next season isn't so long and I also plan to get to a very high calorie maintenance level in the offseason, so im not dropping as low in calories as last time. These are the challenges im giving myself for now and off course to enjoy peanut butter with my pancakes and to be able to have milk in my coffee...Im simple person to please haha...
Hope you guys enjoyed my outlook to prep and gave you a insight.
Thanks for your time,
Nikki
oxoxo
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
If it fits your macros..
Ok!
So this post is well overdue...
Many of you have asked, "How do you eat what you eat and get lean," "how do I work out my macros to lose weight or cut"....And sometimes..."What are macros?" None of those are dumb questions, and they are all relativity easy to answer!
Before we can talk macros, we first have to understand a little physics and biology (yeh yeh I know, but trust me it will make sense)...Energy is primarily measured in kilojoules/joules and calories (mainly US calories = kj/4.2)... "Energy can neither be created or destroyed", it is simply re-dispersed or reused. And lastly....net energy = energy in - energy out! Pretty simple huh? So instead of thinking of your body as spiritual possession, start thinking of it as a energy using machine, the more active you are or the more muscle you have, then the more energy expensive your body is! Now biology is smart, the body will be quick to change to perform an activity in a less expensive way, thats why it important to mix your training up and keep it guessing...But thats getting side tracked.
Our goal is usually to either lose fat or gain muscle ok. To do this you need to understand the energy needs of your body, this is called your "Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)", this is what your body requires to simply function in your current physical state. Ill use mine as a example, when I first started prepping for comp it was 1600 calories. How did I work that out? Well i went to a site called freedieting.com, that used information from height, sex, weight and age to give a relatively accurate figure on my BMR, otherwise you can go to a dietetic or health management centre and have properly done. Once you have done that you have to then work out your activity level, between 1 - 2, 1 being a inactive person and 2 being a crossfit athlete or olympian etc, I said 1.5, I train from 1 to 3 times a day as I have mentioned in my last blog entry on training; im fairly active. You then times your BMR by your activity level, this gave me a calorie intake of about 2400...this is my maintenance calories...To maintain the muscle i have at the activity level im at the moment. To then make your body burn fat for energy, you need to consume less then your maintenance, lots of people say less then by 500, but I think that extreme, I would take about 2 to 300 at first and slowly increase it over time. Thus consuming a total of 2100 calores and then you can cycle a higher carb day every few days to top up your glycogen, this is usually an extra 50-100 calories.
I have said carbs a lot... What is a carb? A carbohydrate is any food that the body then converts to a sugar, there are two main types of carbs, a low glycemic index (GI) and a high (GI). Vegetables, oats, brown rice and roots/legumes are low GI, they are a slow digesting sugar that takes the body a long time to burn (due to its molecular structure and functional groups and your bodies ability to break it down), therefore giving you long term energy and the added advantage is they also contain necessary micro nutrients and fibre. High GI foods are burnt quickly and spike your insulin and blood sugar levels and of course not a sustainable source of energy, a lot of white foods are HIGH GI (wheat, potato, white rice etc) and also fruits (however they also contain fiber and micros, SO EAT FRUIT..in recommended moderation) and processed foods. GOOD CARBS ARE YOUR FRIEND PEOPLE!
The other main Macros are Protein and Fats (As far as calories go..Carbs contain 4 calories per 1g, as does protein, and fats contain 9 calories per 1g)...For some reason people think that when they go on a diet, it has to be high protein and low carb, but this isnt the case, a lot of protein sources high in fats (in a lot of cases saturated animals fats). Carbs on the other hand contain very little fats, and this matters if you are trying to reach a macro goal each day! Back on track...What is a Macro nutrient goal/split and how do you determine what you should be on. Well honestly, It depends on your body type and what it responds to best, some bodies do well of a high fat macro ratio, because at 9calories per 1g, fats are very nutrient dense, others such as my self do better of a high carb macro ratio as my body is more efficient at turning carbs into a energy then fat, it depends on your genes.
To work out how many grams of each your should be having based on your cutting calories is pretty simple. Once you have your Maintenance calories, which you have then subtracted 2-3-500 calories from. In my case giving me 2100 calories, you than have to divide that into your three macros, at the moment I am on a 45% carbs/35% protein/20% fat split (like I said you may have to play around with the split to find what works for you). If there 4 calories in 1g of protein/carbs, then that means 0.45 (my carb%) x 2100 = 945 cals (total calories you need to consume in carbs)To convert that into grams you simply divide 945 calories by total energy per gram which is 4 = 236.25 grams of carbs. Ill repeat this process for the Protein and Fat also. Protein - 0.35 x 2100 = 735 calories/ 4 = 183.75 g ProteinAnd Fat should be the remainder so - 0.20 x 2100 = 420 calories/ 9 = 46.6g Fat! This is the long complicated way to do it, you can just jump on freedieting.com and enter your cutting calories and configure your macro split and grams of each will pop out the other side. But I think it helps to understand the actual value of each. I use an app. called myfitnesspal on my phone and online to track my macros and make sure I hit my goals for the day, and that's how I eat what I eat and still can prep for a comp...because it fits my macros!
Hope this is useful!
Nikita ox
So this post is well overdue...
Many of you have asked, "How do you eat what you eat and get lean," "how do I work out my macros to lose weight or cut"....And sometimes..."What are macros?" None of those are dumb questions, and they are all relativity easy to answer!
Before we can talk macros, we first have to understand a little physics and biology (yeh yeh I know, but trust me it will make sense)...Energy is primarily measured in kilojoules/joules and calories (mainly US calories = kj/4.2)... "Energy can neither be created or destroyed", it is simply re-dispersed or reused. And lastly....net energy = energy in - energy out! Pretty simple huh? So instead of thinking of your body as spiritual possession, start thinking of it as a energy using machine, the more active you are or the more muscle you have, then the more energy expensive your body is! Now biology is smart, the body will be quick to change to perform an activity in a less expensive way, thats why it important to mix your training up and keep it guessing...But thats getting side tracked.
Our goal is usually to either lose fat or gain muscle ok. To do this you need to understand the energy needs of your body, this is called your "Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)", this is what your body requires to simply function in your current physical state. Ill use mine as a example, when I first started prepping for comp it was 1600 calories. How did I work that out? Well i went to a site called freedieting.com, that used information from height, sex, weight and age to give a relatively accurate figure on my BMR, otherwise you can go to a dietetic or health management centre and have properly done. Once you have done that you have to then work out your activity level, between 1 - 2, 1 being a inactive person and 2 being a crossfit athlete or olympian etc, I said 1.5, I train from 1 to 3 times a day as I have mentioned in my last blog entry on training; im fairly active. You then times your BMR by your activity level, this gave me a calorie intake of about 2400...this is my maintenance calories...To maintain the muscle i have at the activity level im at the moment. To then make your body burn fat for energy, you need to consume less then your maintenance, lots of people say less then by 500, but I think that extreme, I would take about 2 to 300 at first and slowly increase it over time. Thus consuming a total of 2100 calores and then you can cycle a higher carb day every few days to top up your glycogen, this is usually an extra 50-100 calories.
I have said carbs a lot... What is a carb? A carbohydrate is any food that the body then converts to a sugar, there are two main types of carbs, a low glycemic index (GI) and a high (GI). Vegetables, oats, brown rice and roots/legumes are low GI, they are a slow digesting sugar that takes the body a long time to burn (due to its molecular structure and functional groups and your bodies ability to break it down), therefore giving you long term energy and the added advantage is they also contain necessary micro nutrients and fibre. High GI foods are burnt quickly and spike your insulin and blood sugar levels and of course not a sustainable source of energy, a lot of white foods are HIGH GI (wheat, potato, white rice etc) and also fruits (however they also contain fiber and micros, SO EAT FRUIT..in recommended moderation) and processed foods. GOOD CARBS ARE YOUR FRIEND PEOPLE!
The other main Macros are Protein and Fats (As far as calories go..Carbs contain 4 calories per 1g, as does protein, and fats contain 9 calories per 1g)...For some reason people think that when they go on a diet, it has to be high protein and low carb, but this isnt the case, a lot of protein sources high in fats (in a lot of cases saturated animals fats). Carbs on the other hand contain very little fats, and this matters if you are trying to reach a macro goal each day! Back on track...What is a Macro nutrient goal/split and how do you determine what you should be on. Well honestly, It depends on your body type and what it responds to best, some bodies do well of a high fat macro ratio, because at 9calories per 1g, fats are very nutrient dense, others such as my self do better of a high carb macro ratio as my body is more efficient at turning carbs into a energy then fat, it depends on your genes.
To work out how many grams of each your should be having based on your cutting calories is pretty simple. Once you have your Maintenance calories, which you have then subtracted 2-3-500 calories from. In my case giving me 2100 calories, you than have to divide that into your three macros, at the moment I am on a 45% carbs/35% protein/20% fat split (like I said you may have to play around with the split to find what works for you). If there 4 calories in 1g of protein/carbs, then that means 0.45 (my carb%) x 2100 = 945 cals (total calories you need to consume in carbs)To convert that into grams you simply divide 945 calories by total energy per gram which is 4 = 236.25 grams of carbs. Ill repeat this process for the Protein and Fat also. Protein - 0.35 x 2100 = 735 calories/ 4 = 183.75 g ProteinAnd Fat should be the remainder so - 0.20 x 2100 = 420 calories/ 9 = 46.6g Fat! This is the long complicated way to do it, you can just jump on freedieting.com and enter your cutting calories and configure your macro split and grams of each will pop out the other side. But I think it helps to understand the actual value of each. I use an app. called myfitnesspal on my phone and online to track my macros and make sure I hit my goals for the day, and that's how I eat what I eat and still can prep for a comp...because it fits my macros!
Hope this is useful!
Nikita ox
The Training Split...My Appoach...To weights, my love of crossfit, cardio and fitting it into life!
Hey Everybody,
Its been a long time since Ive written a note blog. So this is well overdue, so i thought Id cover a topic a lot ask me on here and Instagram. "My training split"...I find people can get too caught up in muscle groups and sticking to a schedule. From prior experience, for me this causes stress (stress is bad), I would freak out if I couldnt work the muscle group I planned, I would even if it was sore already and cause more damage then good.
So with a bit of research and experience (keeping in mind Im not a qualified personal trainer or nutritionist, just passionate about it), I changed my approach to training. I now run my program in a 10 day split of sorts, but will almost always change it, but this is a guide line:
Day 1:
AM Cardio
Chest/ Delts
Day 2:
AM Cardio
Back/ Tri's
Day 3:
WOD
Day 4:
AM Cardio
Quads/Glutes
Day 5:
WOD
Day 6:
Active rest
Day 7:
AM Cardio
Shoulders/Bi's
Day 8:
WOD
Day 9:
AM Cardio
Hammys/Calves
Day 10:
WOD
This isn't what I always do ok, If im sore from a WOD, and the muscle group I planned to work was say shoulders/bi's and my shoulders are sore, Ill do arms instead, so bi's/ tri's and I almost always change the layout or order of my workout, because there is almost always someone using the machine or area I plan to next, but this is good. It makes me deviate from my plan and thus doing something different, and I think that's the key to progress (and always keeping a log of it, weights and reps). Progressive overload and always mixing it up, keep the body guessing that is my goal.
So you may see on my page that I just target one group sometimes, on days like that, mainly when Im using a smaller muscle group, I like to train 2 times...I know seems extreme buts it not, my cardio is never intense cause I stay in the zone, a smaller muscle group is less energy taxing then a large...obviously, so sometimes I chuck in a body weight or kettle bell workout in the evening as well, nothing extreme, just 8 to 12 mins at max effort... But this is not every day, just some times...I like to keep it fun and If i have the energy to train again...then why not! Anyways thats just my approach...And its working for me...
Best,
Nikki oxox
Its been a long time since Ive written a note blog. So this is well overdue, so i thought Id cover a topic a lot ask me on here and Instagram. "My training split"...I find people can get too caught up in muscle groups and sticking to a schedule. From prior experience, for me this causes stress (stress is bad), I would freak out if I couldnt work the muscle group I planned, I would even if it was sore already and cause more damage then good.
So with a bit of research and experience (keeping in mind Im not a qualified personal trainer or nutritionist, just passionate about it), I changed my approach to training. I now run my program in a 10 day split of sorts, but will almost always change it, but this is a guide line:
Day 1:
AM Cardio
Chest/ Delts
Day 2:
AM Cardio
Back/ Tri's
Day 3:
WOD
Day 4:
AM Cardio
Quads/Glutes
Day 5:
WOD
Day 6:
Active rest
Day 7:
AM Cardio
Shoulders/Bi's
Day 8:
WOD
Day 9:
AM Cardio
Hammys/Calves
Day 10:
WOD
This isn't what I always do ok, If im sore from a WOD, and the muscle group I planned to work was say shoulders/bi's and my shoulders are sore, Ill do arms instead, so bi's/ tri's and I almost always change the layout or order of my workout, because there is almost always someone using the machine or area I plan to next, but this is good. It makes me deviate from my plan and thus doing something different, and I think that's the key to progress (and always keeping a log of it, weights and reps). Progressive overload and always mixing it up, keep the body guessing that is my goal.
So you may see on my page that I just target one group sometimes, on days like that, mainly when Im using a smaller muscle group, I like to train 2 times...I know seems extreme buts it not, my cardio is never intense cause I stay in the zone, a smaller muscle group is less energy taxing then a large...obviously, so sometimes I chuck in a body weight or kettle bell workout in the evening as well, nothing extreme, just 8 to 12 mins at max effort... But this is not every day, just some times...I like to keep it fun and If i have the energy to train again...then why not! Anyways thats just my approach...And its working for me...
Best,
Nikki oxox
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