Stats: 135.9; 9.96% Body Fat; Last week: 136.6, 9.23% BF; We think the BF ticked up a bit due to a refeed a few days prior and some water retention from that. I’m pretty carb sensitive!
Calorie intake: 1895 daily still keeping 4 healthy fats, cabbage and green beans, chix, protein shakes, egg whites and oats
Cardio: 3 45-minute steady state sessions and one 20-minute session (ran short on time!) I mix it up between a 15% incline walk on the tread and the step mill. Those activities give my glutes a good workout and I’m working to really bring those up (I used to have a really flat behind!) Each time I’m wearing my new Polar Heart Rate Monitor and keeping it at 135bpm, which is roughly 70% of my heart rate max.
Lifting: Kept the same lifting split from last week AND I got sore again this week….love that!
Rest Days: Saturday and Sunday. Keeping my diet to a T, my body is responding and we’re aiming to keep my body fat at no lower than 9% so I’m not too lean and losing muscle when I get to the stage. SO, that means actually cutting out some of the planned cardio. How nice is that that when you keep it real in the kitchen, you don’t have to live at the gym?! You can enjoy fun at home with friends and family…nice!
Picture Update:
It took me all week to figure out the best way to fix this cabbage! In this mixture, I put my 1c of egg whites and 1t of olive oil in the pan and cooked up a delish meal. It was SO good! Also, I’m finally understanding that volume and weight are not the same in the kitchen! 1 pound of cabbage (in weight) is NOT the same as 2 8-ounce cups of cabbage. My plan calls for veggies by weight, so what that means is 3 pounds of green beans (4 12-ounce frozen bags) and 1 pound of cabbage (1 16-ounce bag) that most people would use to make cole slaw. SO, when you see my husband shopping for the week (yes, he does the grocery shopping!), you’ll see him with 7 days worth of green beans {28 bags} and cabbage {7 bags}. Oh the looks we get when we shop!
I have to say that my mindset is spot-on right now. Not quite knowing what to expect, this journey has been awesome for me. Going for something that you know you can do while at the same time it scares you to pieces, you actually grow so much stronger as a person because you’re tackling it {and surviving} every single day. To be quite honest, I give all credit to God, actually. I’m so thankful for the healthy body He’s given me, the strong will and discipline that He created within me and the people He places in my path to teach, guide and motivate me through this experience. For that, I’m forever grateful! It’s now my role to use the gifts and talents I’ve been given and bring all glory to Him!
I sincerely believe that for me my fitness is a catalyst for living BIG in many other areas of my life. Living big means living a life of purpose and passion and living to succeed. Success does not come from what we drive, where we live, or how much money is in the bank. It comes from using your life to serve and benefit others. At this moment I feel so fulfilled in knowing I get this opportunity to push my body to new limits and step on stage to display my hard work and have a moment to shine from the inside out!
What is it in your life that you REALLY want to do? What’s holding you back from going after what you’ve always wanted to try? If I can do this, YOU can work towards your goals as well. It just takes a mindset, a will, discipline and a plan. Mix those ingredients together and you’ve won each and every time!
I have a story, you have a story. Just a reminder of where I started {at 225 pounds} in October 2009…….
Mindy – your pics look great…especially your side profile! Such a tiny waist!
Thank you! I won’t pose with my arm back like that on stage , but wanted to this time to show the progress in my waist. It’s been my focus and I’m really working the diet plan to get it where I want it to be. Loving this journey!