30 Day Transformation Challenge

It's official...I began my 30 Day Transformation Challenge yesterday thanks to Fitness Rx Magazine and the workouts presented inside by Nicole Wilkins.

http://www.fitnessrxmag.com/lifestyle/in-this-issue/1649-october-2012-in-this-issue.html
http://www.fitnessrxmag.com/bestbody.html

Nicole is the reigning 2 time Ms. Figure Olympia champion and I have been following her competitive career since the beginning. She is a blond bombshell with a body to die for! Since winning the Olympia she has been featured in Fitness Rx magazine and I've clipped out and used her cardio treadmill butt blaster workout in the past. Knowing that I like her style and needing something new to push me at the gym, this looked like the perfect opportunity to jump on board a new workout plan!

There is a diet included in this month's issues of Fitness Rx magazine, where the workouts are from, but being a Met-Rx sponsored athlete, the meal plan is based too much on their products for my liking and budget and the protein is unfortunately a Whey Concentrate/Isolate blend and due to my Lactose Intolerance I cannot digest concentrates. Instead, I will use the 2 diets I uploaded on a previous blog...this week starting with the 1400-1500 calorie plan. My goal is to eat no more than 1500 calories daily.

The workouts are surprisingly intense! I don't do straight leg days because my legs tend to increase in mass and size too easily, so I will be skipping the "Monday" workout. Yesterday I started with the 1st Upper Body day. It didn't look very difficult, only 5 exercises, which is way less then I normally do...BUT the big difference is the 4 straight sets that are required and the small rest period of 30-45 seconds between sets.

Of course I did extra cardio...and then kicked my own ass my agreeing to speed walk around the Glenmore Reservoir last night...a small 3 hours trek that left my legs screaming and me laying in an epsom salt bath! Man was I shocked when my legs were only slightly tight this morning! As expected, my upper body muscles were nicely post-workout sore. It was the fatigue from almost 5 hours of working out yesterday that killed me! I couldn't get enough energy to do anything except 30 minutes of elliptical (which I decreased my normal intensity on) followed by and easy 30 minute walk on the treadmill at a measly speed of 3.5 and incline of 4.0.

I realized later this afternoon that by skipping today I will have to double-up on workouts tomorrow or Thursday because I won't be able to do the Friday Abs day as scheduled. I need to take Friday evening to prepare for the upcoming Yard Sale I'm having this weekend, which also means I'll miss the suggested weekend Yoga class :( I guess it's a good thing that I doubled up on my cardio yesterday!!

I'm feeling very motivated by this program. I love trying new things, I know it's 30 Days period and I'm doing my own food, so I know I'll enjoy my meals. I'm still trying to decide on whether or not to include a "cheat" meal because I know myself and how things tend to get out of control if I gravitate off the plan. This will have to be a trial and error area that I won't beat myself up too much on. I like a glass of wine every now and then, going out with friends means being open to minor adjustments for meals, but during the daytime hours (especially while at work) I know I need to stay strong and on program. Last week was a disaster at the "Chocolate Covered Clinic," where the med room is FULL of boxes of chocolate and treats. Tomorrow I will be strong and remind myself I've avoided the treats before and I can do it again.

My other main area of concern is my nighttime eating. I found this great post on Nicole Wilkins Facebook page a few days ago and it became my major goal for the week:

IFBB Figure Olympia Nicole Wilkins

Nighttime snacking is something a lot of people struggle with. What many don’t realize that eliminating an extra 400 to 500 calories a night of excess snacking can add up to a pound of weight loss each week! Wake up without regret and one step closer to your goal bc you resisted the temptation- accomplishment at its finest ;)

I know I can easily lose weight if I don't eat in the evening and that I constantly gain weight due to my constant nighttime binges. Last night I was strong and this morning I was so proud of myself. I did have blood work to do this morning as I redid the dreaded cholesterol test, so I had extra incentive to stay away from food, but if I did it once, I know I can do it again...and I will!!