80% Diet, 20 percent lifting

cottagecheeseplease

Hopefully, my journal will add some entertainment and be useful to others. I've been going to the gym for years, but started out doing what any other typical girl does cardio. My workouts and nutrition went to crap during exams. I guess eating a whole cake doesn't do very good! My current goals are weight reduction and body recomposition. I've done fairly well since the last week in May and I've lost about 16 pounds and some inches.

My goals for today:
Water: Always struggle with getting enough!
Workout:
BB Sumo Squats
Side Lying Rear delt
DB flyes on SB
Foward/Reverse Lunges
Push Press
Side lunges with Tap
BB Good mornings
Hanging leg raises
Oblique crunches on SB

Meals:
Meal 1: oats/mixed berries, chocolate whey
Meal 2: cottage cheese, PB, melon
Meal 3: ww wrap, green veg, chicken
Meal 4: egg whites/chicken toms
Meal 5: Need to go grocery shopping after workout.

I haven't decided if I'll post links to my pics yet. I have so much work to do. I'm reading nutrition for dummies. It's a pretty good book for the basic definitions. I'm debating on getting the New Rules of Weight lifting. I've heard really good things bout it. I'm hoping it's okay to post my journal here as there wasn't much in the ladies section.

bulldozer

Nice one for starting a journal

Pikey

Nice one good to see another journal.

16lbs in about 7 weeks is good going!

Are you going to compete one day?

cottagecheeseplease

I'm not planning on competing anytime soon. It's my last year of uni and I'm a dual honours student in Psychology and Biology. I think it's good practice to get habits set in, so when dieting time for competition comes around you're not in a total panic. Plus, I need to find out more info about women's comps. I'm not going for the female bodybuilder look, more tone physique.

cottagecheeseplease

Thanks, I usually lift three days a week with 120 minutes of cardio broken down into four days.

cottagecheeseplease

I did cardio yesterday. I did a really kick ass session. I felt like I was going to vomit afterwards. Okay, I know a bit up front. Anyhow, I got on the elliptical and set it at 5 on random. Every time a 1 or 2 dot appeared took my hands off it and sprinted for my life. I did some quick treadmill work, minute at my happy pace and then 30 seconds at an all out sprint. After my workout, I was walking home (IN the RAIN) and had the worst jelly legs. I had to take a break. Here's a recipe for the day:

Swordfish

1 cp chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
1 cp chopped fennel (1 bulb)
3 tbl good olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
28oz canned plum tomatoes, drained
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbl chicken stock
2 tbl good dry white wine
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tbl capers, drained
1 tbl unsalted butter
4 (1" thick) swordfish fillets (about 2.5 lbs)
Fresh basil leaves

For the sauce, cook the onions and fennel in the oil in a large saute pan on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the drained tomatoes, smashing them in the pan with a fork, plus the salt and pepper. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Add the chicken stock and white wine and simmer for 10 more minutes to reduce the liquid. Add the basil, capers, and butter and cook for 1 minute more.

Prepare a grill with hot coals. Brush the swordfish with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill on high heat for 5 minutes on each side until the center is no longer raw. Do not overcook.

Place the sauce on the bottom of a plate, arrange the swordfish on top, and garnish with basil leaves. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Prep Time: 12 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins

Pikey

That recipe sounds tasty, i tend to eat very plain and basic just to keep away from any hidden sources of salt, but it really gets boring. Mind you that's mainly me being lazy and following the same menu all the time.

Sounds like you had a heavy duty cardio workout there, I find the eliptical ski machines great for getting my heart rate high without hammering my knees.

A good idea to concentrate on your studies, and strike a balance. I for one find it difficult to concentrate when I'm in the final stages of contest prep due to the low glycogen levels.

There's the UK NABBA UK open in Pudsey in October which isn't a million miles from Harrogate, there's normally a few trained and toned figure competitors so would be worth checking out.

cottagecheeseplease

Aww Mondays at the gym. I was in no mood to go to the gym today. I had to be at work for 6 this morning. I was so tired. I manage to motivate myself to go. I had a pretty good workout.

T push ups
BB bench press ( why do stupid guys camp on the bench)
SB alternate press
Front squats
Assisted Pull-up
Back extesnions
cable side raises
prone tucks

Meal 1: oatmeal, rich chocolate whey, asda mix berries
Meal 2: cottage cheese, nuts, banana
Meal 3: wrap chicken veg
Meal 4: chicken strawberry and spinach salad
Meal 5: Spicey Turkey

I'm all out of PB. I'm debating on getting more or trying some different nut butters. First day off in over two weeks tomorrow, I'm thinking of going to Leeds.

CMinOZ

Hey CCP

Glad someone else has out up a progress report. Just looking at your diet and I would suggest getting rid of the fruit, you seem to be quite carb heavy and fruit can really spike your insulin levels, a more manageable insulin level means easier dieting and more fat burned over carbs.

Good lick with the training

CMinOZ

CMinOZ

A thousand apologies, I just realised that my response was not asked for and not necessarily called for. Keep up the good work and I will keep my opinions to myself.

CMinOZ