Food log-
I like electronic food logs. I am a fan of MyFitnessPal. I have the app on my phone and it's easy to enter in my information throughout my day. I also like that I can see my exact calories and nutrients that I have consumed. Of if I'm out to eat and unsure what to order, I can look up the nutrition facts right there and make a better decision.
If it’s easier for you to write it in a journal that works too. The whole point is that you are constantly aware of what you are eating. You will be less likely to eat the brownies if you know you have to write it down or you see how many calories it is going to add to your day.
It is also great to find habits that you didn't realize. Say you tend to snack late at night or you eat badly at a certain time of the day. It will also help with portion control because a lot of people don’t realize how much they are over consuming certain foods. Taking measurements at first and once you are use to the portion size then you can make a better judgment call. I actually will try to plan my meals at the beginning of the day and enter them all in. I like it because I can see where I have some wiggle room or if I need to change one of my meals to meet other nutrition needs.
You can also enter in if you are trying to lose weight and it will adjust your calorie intake based off your height and weight. The only thing that I don't agree with is that MyFitnessPal has breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack.... Well it's 2012 and we need to focus on 6 small meals per day so I think that needs some updating and it would be more helpful for people to learn how to eat frequently. But I do love that I can put in my own recipes :)
Weighing in and measurements-
This is so necessary. People avoid the scale at all costs and if they would get in the routine of weighting themselves everyday they would probably make better decisions throughout the day. It has been shown that weighing yourself will create negative or positive reinforcement- meaning you weight yourself and like what you see so you will continue to maintain it or you don't like what you see and you fix it. But you HAVE to weight yourself to get the reinforcement!!!! OR you could just avoid it and do nothing about you weight or goals and complain about it.
Also, taking measurements is a great way to see where you fat lies on your body. Especially if you are focusing on gaining muscle, your weight may increase but your body measurements will decrease because you are losing fat and gaining muscle and muscle weighs more than fat.
I suggest doing both of these it in the morning before you have eaten anything because it will be most accurate. I keep a log for my competition so that I can see how my weight and measurements are changing and I plan to use this information to see how my next prep for a competition is different.
Note* different scales will give you different numbers so try to stick to the same one.
How do I take my measurements?
Bust: Place the measuring tape across your nipples and measure around the largest part of your chest. Be sure to keep the tape parallel to the floor.
Chest: Place the measuring tape just under your breasts/pecs and measure around the torso while keeping the tape parallel to the floor.
Waist: Place the measuring tape about a 1/2 inch above your bellybutton (at the narrowest part of your waist) to measure around your torso. When measuring your waist, exhale and measure before inhaling again.
Hips: Place the measuring tape across the widest part of your hips/buttocks and measure all the way around while keeping the tape parallel to the floor.
You can use your waist and hip measurements to calculate your Waist to Hip ratio, an assessment that can help you determine your health risk. Use SparkPeople's Waist to Hip Ratio Calculator to determine your ratio.
Thigh: Measure around the largest part of each thigh.
Calves: Measure around the largest part of each calf.
Upper arm: Measure around the largest part of each arm (above the elbow).
Forearm: Measure around the largest part of each arm (below the elbow).
Neck: Measure around the largest part of the neck.
Tips for Measuring
When taking measurements, stand tall with your muscles relaxed and your feet together.
When measuring, apply constant pressure to the tape (so it doesn't sag) without pinching the skin.
Use a flexible measuring tape, such as plastic or cloth. Measure under the same conditions each time, such as wearing the same clothes (or none at all).
Measure yourself in front of a mirror to make sure the tape is positioned correctly. If possible, have someone else do the measuring for you.
The place to take some of these measurements will vary slightly from person to person. To ensure accuracy, just remember to take them in the same place on your body each time.
There is a line to keeping track and obsessing. Doing this everyday or every few days is a good thing to keep yourself motivated... But doing this multiple times a day might signal that you have a slight obsession. Talk to someone if you are struggling with this.
One week out-
Well I am less than a week from my competition and I am getting a little grumpy. My diet is getting pretty strict and I am ready to have a few weeks off. I am really sad to say that my natural peanut is going in time out this week. My diet is tons of protein and veggies. I am focusing on vegetables that are high in potassium and act as diuretics because I don't want to hold onto any extra water (asparagus, kale, bell peppers, spinach, ect). Really increasing my water intake and I am cutting out the coffee as well and having lots of tea.
Bloating is an issue as well. Focusing on veggies that keep your stomach flat and staying away from the broccoli. I'm not into taking pills n such that make you drop water weight so I am doing it the all natural way. Here is my ultimate de-bloat shake.
Power Potassium Protein Shake
Ingredients:
16oz water
5 Large kale leaves- remove spine
2 hand fulls of spinach- frozen or fresh
1 scoop Vega protein powder
1/2 avocado
1/2 orange or grapefruit
1/2 large tomato- diced
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
Optional:
Banana
Mango
dash of salt
You could add extra fruit for flavor
Any questions?
Love C
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