I love Saturdays and Sundays. Even though I know my diet isn't as super restrictive as most competition diets, by ANY means, I still get pretty stark raving hungry living off approximately 1300 cals/day by the end of the week. And am always always always excited for my carb-up/refeed day. I consider myself lucky that my body responds very well to carbs. If I restrict them to much, things aren't pretty and, after going moderately low all week, when I up the cals and carbs for a day each week I come out of it all renewed, refreshed, and feeling tighter and leaner to boot. Currently, on Monday-Friday I eat in the neighborhood of 1300 calories with 120-130g carbs each day. Then, on Saturday I go up to 1800 cals with 200g carbs. Ahhhhhhh......sigh of satisfaction that was. 😉 And on Sunday, I drop the cals back to 1300 range but keep the carbs up a bit more again at 150g. This approach has really been working well so far to keep me satisfied, seeing progress, and having the energy to keep up some intense workouts. I also like the fact that if my progress starts to slow down (which I have every expectation it will closer and closer to show - just a fact of dieting) I have LOTS of room to tweak things and drop carbs a bit here or there, as well as tightening up food choices, etc. But until then, I will enjoy my yummies.

Saturday's Update
Macros - 206C / 46F / 134P
pre-cardio = coffee & 1sc Dymatize toffee protein powder
post-cardio = bowl of cereal (mix Kashi & Cinnamon Special K) w/ almond milk
lunch = chicken/lettuce/onion/mustard/pickles on sandwich thin, cucumber, strawberries
snack = apple, pb
dinner = sirloin, sweet potato, steamed broccoli
dessert = skinny cow icecream sandwich


Training - off
Cardio - another awesome spin class
Extra stuff - did some abs
        .......
3x15/side oblique twists
3x20 hip thrusts
3x15 stability ball cable crunch 30#
3x60sec hold bosu planks - thanks Mandy for the ab recs 😉

Sunday's Update
Macros - 146 C / 31 F / 120 P
meal 1 = kashi waffles/sf syrup, chicken sausage, eggbeater omelet
meal 2 = ground turkey/taco season/ff cheese/salsa, cucumber, strawberries
meal 3 = pumpkin cheesecake loaf inspired by Kristin's Eat Oxygen Blog 🙂 Thanks!
meal 4 = greek yogurt & pb "icecream" (4oz yogurt mixed w/ 1T pb frozen)
meal 5 = homemade roasted veggie pizza (low carb tortilla, tom sauce, vegs, lf cheese)


Training - Chest and Back (killed it!)
Cardio - off
Extra stuff - none
............
Circuit 1
wide grip latpulldown
12x85# / 2sets 8x100# / 6x100#dropset6x85#
incline bb bench
15x65# / 2sets 8x80# / 7x80#dropset8x65#
narrow grip latpulldown
12x75# / 2sets 8x85# / 7x85#dropset5x70#
incline db bench (weight/hand)
15x30# / 10x35# / 8x35# / 10x35#dropset5x25#


Circuit 2
underhand bb row
12x65# / 9x75# / 8x75# / 8x75#dropset7x65#
flat db flyes (weight/hand)
12x15# / 2sets8x20# / 7x20#dropset8x15#
wide grip cable row
12x55# / 3sets 8x60#
pecdeck
10x55# / 3sets 8x60#

Notes and Thoughts:

• I had fun trying new concoctions today to be able to add to my diet repertoire. Kristin's blog has lots of great ideas. And I have discovered that I do, in fact, like cottage cheese. I always used to HATE it!!!
• I bought some exfoliator at the store today so I can start getting into that habit. I have to be sure my skin is smooth for the tanner. Which leads me to my other dilemma - use Jan Tana or Extreme Tan???  I know I need to get on ordering those supplies. 
• I also need to start thinking about hair and makeup. For makeup should I go to a MAC counter and have them do a trial run for me. I know I was recommended a lot of MAC products the last time I prepped. For hair - I am clueless!
• I made an appointment for a brazilian next week. EEEEKKKK!!! It will be my first and I know a trial run before having to get it done for the show will be a good move. So I'm doing it next week. 
• I have redone my workout schedule where it leaves me without a full rest day each week - BUT I end up feeling MORE rested and refreshed. Since I enjoy splitting up my cardio and training as much as possible to get quality workouts in each time, this works well for me. It is NOT something I recommend by any means for typical living, but to get it all in these next 8 weeks and not feel overwhelmed on a daily basis I am going with it for now. I like having days where I have to worry about JUST cardio or JUST training. 🙂
• I'm PUMPED for the next 8 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Since I lead a Sunday school adult bible study class and am always inspired by the discussions we have there, I decided that I would share some of that here with you all. Our class is called The Goodlife and I truly believe that by applying the things we learn in that class and growing the friendships we make through the class my life has really become a good one. So why not share the love here, too?


Well, our series discussion the past few weeks and for the upcoming month or so is based on a book by Max Lucado called Just Like Jesus. Each week, we look at a different quality Jesus displayed in his life and how and why we should strive to do the same in ours. Now, I don't want to get "preachy" here....but no matter what way you look at it Jesus is a real man in our history who lived a pretty exemplary life. You may not believe he's the resurrected Son of God, or that he performed miracles, or anything of that nature about him and that is fine - it's your beliefs and I don't judge what beliefs bring peace, hope, happiness, etc to others. Even if you don't believe all the things Jesus is in a Christian religion, the way he lived is still something to be admired. For example, who can deny that living with a compassionate heart is something we, as well as others in our lives, could all benefit from. That was today's discussion - a compassionate heart.


What is compassion? Webster's English Dictionary describes compassion as "a sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it". So compassion is not only feeling for the person, but also doing something to relieve the problem. I think there are many of us who are sympathetic to others. We see others in need, feel bad about it, and then don't physically DO anything to change it. WHY? 


We talked about this a lot today in class. Why is it so HARD to readily show compassion to others? Well, there is the cynicism of whether or not we are being taken advantage of, the fear that our caring will not be well received, the fact that (we think) there isn't a way for us to help or that we don't have the time, money, knowledge, etc to do what is necessary. You know what Jesus did? He kept on giving! That doesn't mean you have to extend yourself beyond your means or continue to support harmful behaviors/decisions in the name of compassion. Even Jesus left healing the sick to go and help his dear friend Mary and her sick brother Lazarus. And even Jesus was angry with the Pharisees and religious powers of that time and didn't extend his hand to them for the sake of knowing they were only trying to bring his demise. 

The point is to not hold back your compassion where you can give it. Everyone has something they can give to others - from the biggest acts of kindness like a stranger giving $100,000 to a homeless man, to the basic ones like cooking a meal for someone who is injured/has a new baby/lost a loved one, to the smallest ones like having an actual conversation with your cashier at the grocery store. There is no act of compassion too small. All you have to do is open your eyes and your heart and extend your hand, smile, shoulder, timetable, (fill in the blank here) to help make a difference in this world. I challenge you, as well as I am challenging myself, to find a way to show compassion to someone this week, every day if possible. How do you plan to show your compassion this week? Also, share your experience - has anyone showed compassion to you once that you remember and cherish?