Fit Lizzio Fitness

Today was a loooooong day, but it went by pretty fast. I definitely didn’t pack enough food for the day, though and had to get a salad from Baja Fresh to keep me going through the rest of the afternoon. They actually make a pretty good ensalada if you order it right. The only problem is the $8 price tag–yuck. My salad had romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, avocado, and pico de gallo. I also added another one of their hotter salsas to the mix. Twas delish.

Workout

I was supposed to have a double-dose of bock-sing today but my private instructor cancelled on me at the last minute. No worries though, we’re rescheduled for tomorrow. Today’s boxing class was rough. The class was hard, but more-so because every single muscle in my body is sore. Even my pinky toe.

I didn’t do any other exercise today which felt kind of weird, but it felt right at the same time.

Tomorrow’s agenda includes: yoga!!, training with Dae(still not sure what body parts, will have to see what hurts in the morning, and what feels fresh…) and private boxing sesh with J-Dizzle. My ass will be kicked thoroughly.

Saturday is boot camp! I am s.t.o.k.e.d. I haven’t been in two weeks because I’ve been such an expo-whore. As brutal as they can be, there is no better feeling than walking off the field early in the morning after a hard workout. Love it.

Sunday I am hopefully going to be resting. I may do a hike or something, but I’m not sure. I know I need to give my body a break.

Nutrition

I figure I’ll give you a look at my menu for tomorrow. I will be gone all day again tomorrow and have all my food packed. I don’t know what order I will eat them in but what I have packed is……

3 servings of ground turkey and avocado

2 servings of egg whites and almond butttah

1 green bell pepper

1 bag of green bags(yes, a whole bag, and yes i will eat them all cuz i am a gluttonous green bean fiend.)

1 bag of broccoli/cauliflower clusterfunk

1 protein pancake(egg whites, protein powder, flax meal)

Tis lots of food, but hopefully its enough. I eat every 2-3 hours. If it’s been an hour and a half and i’m hungry again, I EAT.

Which brings me to my next topic……

I was talking to a young girl at the gym yesterday about competing. She is very young, only 18. She is a little bit overweight and wants to compete. She seems to really want to do it, but she is facing the same thing I faced. Everyone in the world is telling her what she should or shouldn’t do. According to what people tell her she NEEDS to do….

-Be hungry all the time

-Do cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach

-Not eat any fruit at all

-Not eat much fat

-Do cardio twice a day

She doesn’t know any better, and she reminds me EXACTLY of myself a year ago. Totally ready to compete. NO IDEA what to expect or how to do it. I have learned a hell of a lot through discussions, trial and error and research in the past year and I basically gave her this advice. i wanted to share it because I know there are many people out there that want to compete and aren’t sure where to start and may have been given similar advice to what she was told.

-Eat for health. This sport revolves around being HEALTHY. It DOES NOT revolve around being starved and looking like a skeleton. Honor your body, it’s a hard working machine. It is also the only machine that gets BETTER the harder you work it.(obviously to an extent, but you catch my drift.)

-Don’t eliminate healthy foods from your diet, just make room for them. If you like fruit, allow yourself to have a piece or two a day. It isn’t going to kill you, and YES you can still lean out if you eat fruit. I ate fruit, in mass amounts, during my prep and didn’t cut down on the fruit until the last month before the competition. If you make room for it in your diet, go ahead and have it. Eliminating it means you are losing out on all those nutrients, and hello, best way to curb a sugar craving!

-YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO CARDIO ON AN EMPTY STOMACH. There are two times during the day that are “optimal” but I really use that term lightly. If you do cardio, no matter what time of day, it is OK. You have to do what works for YOU. I, personally, can’t STAND doing any physical activity if I haven’t eaten anything that day. My head starts to hurt, I feel sick, and it is miserable. I have done cardio on an empty stomach, maybe 10 times in my life. That’s probably a stretch. I prefer to do my cardio right after I weight train. Your glycogen stores have been somewhat depleted at that time, and you can start burning fat somewhat sooner. Our bodies first go to our glycogen stores for energy and when it has used those up, it relies on fat to get energy. With that said, no matter WHEN you do your cardio, it is going to work. If you’re consistantly doing cardio and eating right, you WILL LEAN OUT AND BURN FAT. Don’t get trapped in a “have to do this at this time or else!” Again, do what works for YOU.

-You don’t have to do insane amounts of cardio to lean out. One of the wisest things that I was ever told was to build your physique in the gym, and burn fat in the kitchen. This means that when your in the gym, you are there to tone your physique and shape your muscles. Your diet is what is going to determine how well you lean out. It is 80% of the game, and you can’t outtrain a bad diet. I know many competitors who do three 30 minute cardio sessions a week and are lean as hell. Their diet is spotless. Do cardio to “boost” your fat burning, but don’t go crazy with the cardio.(I should take my own advice, but I have other reasons for doing the amount of cardiovascular activities that I do.)

-Whoever told this girl not to eat too many fats should be slapped in the face. I actually KNOW trainers that prescribe their clients with very low fat diets and it makes me cringe. HEALTHY FATS are essential. You can’t burn fat without fat, and the nutrients that you get from healthy fats such as avocados, nuts, oils, and seeds are incredible. I noticed the most changes in my physique when I gave up some of my carbs for more fats. Huge difference in both physique AND energy levels, as well as skin, hair, mood, etc.

To sum this up, don’t get trapped in what you “have to do to become a competitor.” The truth is, there is no RIGHT way of doing things. One approach to competition prep could be and most likely WILL BE totally different from person to person. Do what suits you, if something doesn’t work, try something else. YES, contest prep is hard and you DO have to give up some things, but you can tailor it to YOUR needs, and you don’t need to follow the cookie cutter “competitor guide.” Oh, and by the way, I am rarely ever hungry. Yes, i get hungry, but then I eat and I’m not hungry anymore. 🙂 Yes, it is possible to go through prep and feel satisfied and full. Just ask Pauline Nordin. Veggies will become your best friend.

 Eat clean, eat well, eat for health, and train hard! Your body will thank you.