I was honored and grateful to be able to have my story told by columnist Art Carey in the Philadelphia Inquirer. He tells it well, and I am happy to share the link with you:
http://www.philly.com/philly/health_and_science/20100927_Celebrating_her_body.html
Monday, September 27, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
What I eat and why
One of the hardest things about body building is the diet. Several weight trainers have said to me that they think dieting is harder than resistance training, and I can see why. It takes a tremendous discipline to count and limit carbohydrate, fat and protein grams, and to do it for long periods of time.
I have also noticed that many body builders fall into (what I consider) unhealthy diet traps. Some don't eat carefully for much of the year and then have to lose a lot of excess fat in a short amount of time prior to the competition. Others believe and follow dieting practices that aren't sound or supported by research. This would include excessive supplement use, extreme carbohydrate restriction, and dehydration prior to the event. The only supplement I use is a whole-protein, whey-based powder that I mix with water and drink after I weight train. While I limit my carbohydrates, especially prior to a competition, I eat at least 130 grams a day at my lowest level. At the specific advice of my nutrition coach (and professional body builder and trainer) Joe Franco, I did not limit my water intake prior to the competition. Dehydration is dangerous and not necessary, according to Joe, if you have dieted well. I agree with him 100%.
During the two months prior to my competition, I tracked every bite of food that I ate and was careful to keep my carbohydrate, protein and fat grams within levels recommended by my nutrition coach. I weighed and measured myself each week, and he would adjust his recommendations so that I was losing weight slowly (about 1/2 or 1 lb a week) prior to the show. The goal was to lose body fat (for a very lean look on stage) without looking gaunt. By the week prior to the show, my body fat was 16% (down from 19% the previous January). For this next competition, I will probably begin the weight-loss process earlier, as I wasn't quite lean enough for the show I just completed.
My daily dietary staples included: steamed white fish (tilapia, haddock), canned white tuna in water, sliced turkey breast, plain non-fat Greek yogurt (with some Splenda and cinnamon), lots of low-carb vegetables (salad greens, bell peppers, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, celery, tomato, spinach), egg whites, low-carb diet wheat bread, and Special K Protein Plus cereal. In smaller amounts, I ate peanut butter, olive oil, cantaloupe, and other breads/cereals/grains. I cooked and baked my own food to ensure that it did not contain sugar and excess oils. As a treat, I created an Angel Food cake recipe made with Splenda. It was not as fluffy as the kind made with sugar, but it satisfied my sweet tooth many evenings at a mere 9 grams of carbohydrate per slice and no fat. I found that I preferred to eat low-carb foods in greater quantities, rather than higher carb foods in smaller quantities.
Now that the competition is over and I am preparing to compete again next year (in 11 months), I am training hard and still watching my diet carefully. I still follow the same eating pattern as above, only I eat a little more food to ensure that I maintain weight instead of losing it. I also allow myself a few treats each week so that my diet doesn't feel too rigid. I competed at 137 pounds and am finding it comfortable to maintain 140 pounds as my "off season" weight. My nutrition coach has (wisely) recommended that I not gain too much weight in the off season, as it just means I have more to lose prior to the next competition. I didn't want my weight to fluctuate much, anyway. I find that, as I get older, it's much harder to lose weight. I also don't want two wardrobes for my body at two different sizes.
During the off season, I am not logging every bite of food I eat. I tried that for a few weeks, but it was tiresome and felt like a burden. I always come back to the fact that body building is a hobby for me and something I do for fun and fulfillment. So instead, I am making sure I eat enough protein (150 grams a day), limiting my fats to 50 or fewer grams a day and weighing myself on a daily basis. As long as my weight stays around 140, I figure I am eating the right amount of carbohydrates and calories.
It is hard some days to stay with the diet plan, but I am motivated to do so (most of the time). I like how I look, but I also like how I feel. Following this lean protein and vegetable-based diet makes me feel good and helps control my irritable bowel syndrome (yes, I suffer with IBS as a result of the cancer treatment). It minimizes the bloating I can sometimes feel. It has also taught me to recognize when I am eating to cope with negative emotions (stress, most of the time). Now, I stop and relax rather than eat, which is much healthier for me.
I have also noticed that many body builders fall into (what I consider) unhealthy diet traps. Some don't eat carefully for much of the year and then have to lose a lot of excess fat in a short amount of time prior to the competition. Others believe and follow dieting practices that aren't sound or supported by research. This would include excessive supplement use, extreme carbohydrate restriction, and dehydration prior to the event. The only supplement I use is a whole-protein, whey-based powder that I mix with water and drink after I weight train. While I limit my carbohydrates, especially prior to a competition, I eat at least 130 grams a day at my lowest level. At the specific advice of my nutrition coach (and professional body builder and trainer) Joe Franco, I did not limit my water intake prior to the competition. Dehydration is dangerous and not necessary, according to Joe, if you have dieted well. I agree with him 100%.
During the two months prior to my competition, I tracked every bite of food that I ate and was careful to keep my carbohydrate, protein and fat grams within levels recommended by my nutrition coach. I weighed and measured myself each week, and he would adjust his recommendations so that I was losing weight slowly (about 1/2 or 1 lb a week) prior to the show. The goal was to lose body fat (for a very lean look on stage) without looking gaunt. By the week prior to the show, my body fat was 16% (down from 19% the previous January). For this next competition, I will probably begin the weight-loss process earlier, as I wasn't quite lean enough for the show I just completed.
My daily dietary staples included: steamed white fish (tilapia, haddock), canned white tuna in water, sliced turkey breast, plain non-fat Greek yogurt (with some Splenda and cinnamon), lots of low-carb vegetables (salad greens, bell peppers, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, celery, tomato, spinach), egg whites, low-carb diet wheat bread, and Special K Protein Plus cereal. In smaller amounts, I ate peanut butter, olive oil, cantaloupe, and other breads/cereals/grains. I cooked and baked my own food to ensure that it did not contain sugar and excess oils. As a treat, I created an Angel Food cake recipe made with Splenda. It was not as fluffy as the kind made with sugar, but it satisfied my sweet tooth many evenings at a mere 9 grams of carbohydrate per slice and no fat. I found that I preferred to eat low-carb foods in greater quantities, rather than higher carb foods in smaller quantities.
Now that the competition is over and I am preparing to compete again next year (in 11 months), I am training hard and still watching my diet carefully. I still follow the same eating pattern as above, only I eat a little more food to ensure that I maintain weight instead of losing it. I also allow myself a few treats each week so that my diet doesn't feel too rigid. I competed at 137 pounds and am finding it comfortable to maintain 140 pounds as my "off season" weight. My nutrition coach has (wisely) recommended that I not gain too much weight in the off season, as it just means I have more to lose prior to the next competition. I didn't want my weight to fluctuate much, anyway. I find that, as I get older, it's much harder to lose weight. I also don't want two wardrobes for my body at two different sizes.
During the off season, I am not logging every bite of food I eat. I tried that for a few weeks, but it was tiresome and felt like a burden. I always come back to the fact that body building is a hobby for me and something I do for fun and fulfillment. So instead, I am making sure I eat enough protein (150 grams a day), limiting my fats to 50 or fewer grams a day and weighing myself on a daily basis. As long as my weight stays around 140, I figure I am eating the right amount of carbohydrates and calories.
It is hard some days to stay with the diet plan, but I am motivated to do so (most of the time). I like how I look, but I also like how I feel. Following this lean protein and vegetable-based diet makes me feel good and helps control my irritable bowel syndrome (yes, I suffer with IBS as a result of the cancer treatment). It minimizes the bloating I can sometimes feel. It has also taught me to recognize when I am eating to cope with negative emotions (stress, most of the time). Now, I stop and relax rather than eat, which is much healthier for me.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Plans for my SECOND competition in August 2011!
I've received some good feedback from my first competition. Here's a short list of what I did well and what needs to improve:
Strengths: Symmetry and proportions, abdomenals, side pose, hair and makeup, legs have good potential
Areas to improve: overall size, leanness, darker tan, walking and posing, creating v-taper in my back
I have decided to compete in this same competition next year in August 2011. That gives me a whole year (without any cancer treatment or surgery) to work on it. I will work with Joe Franco, the event organizer, who also provides complete training and coaching for figure competitors. I received my first set of nutriton and training guidelines from Joe today and will begin following them tomorrow, Sunday, September 12, 2010.
I feel good and did not experience a "rebound" (i.e. bloating, weight gain) from the competition. My weight is within 3 pounds of what I weighed on competition day, and it's two weeks later. I attribute this in part to Joe's excellent nutrition coaching for me. We didn't do anything extreme that I would rebound from. I stayed hydrated and my weight loss was slow and careful prior to the show.
Strengths: Symmetry and proportions, abdomenals, side pose, hair and makeup, legs have good potential
Areas to improve: overall size, leanness, darker tan, walking and posing, creating v-taper in my back
I have decided to compete in this same competition next year in August 2011. That gives me a whole year (without any cancer treatment or surgery) to work on it. I will work with Joe Franco, the event organizer, who also provides complete training and coaching for figure competitors. I received my first set of nutriton and training guidelines from Joe today and will begin following them tomorrow, Sunday, September 12, 2010.
I feel good and did not experience a "rebound" (i.e. bloating, weight gain) from the competition. My weight is within 3 pounds of what I weighed on competition day, and it's two weeks later. I attribute this in part to Joe's excellent nutrition coaching for me. We didn't do anything extreme that I would rebound from. I stayed hydrated and my weight loss was slow and careful prior to the show.
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