Nikki
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I don’t add any fruit to my shake and either eat a banana or eat my berries throughout the day to curb any cravings.
For the PB Balls…I took 1/2 cup of the almond milk from meal 2 (I’ll then only use 1/2 cup almond milk and 1/2 cup water for meal 2) I brought the milk to boiling in a pot and added all ingredients except oats…whisked it together and then added oats. I scooped onto wax paper and now they’re more like no bake cookies. 🙌🏽
It is so amazing!!! I eat it throughout the day to curb any cravings…usually it doesn’t last past 3pm. 😉
Thoughts on Orange Theory for the cardio sessions?🍊 I love OTF but I also want to stick to the plan exactly…was hoping this would be fine to substitute since we are wearing monitors and our heart rates are in the same range Nicole wants. It’s just that it’s an hour instead of 20-35 mins..wasn’t sure if that was ok? I’m so excited to get started!!!!
I throw chicken breasts into the the crockpot and I add G. Hugh’s sugar Free BBQ sauce, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and pepper. And then shred it.(The sugar Free BBQ sauce is 1 carb per tbsp, but I drain most of it out after it is cooked so I can minimize extra carb intake, and it lasts me 4 days. Pico de gallo is also good added to shredded chicken)
I had to increase my macros significantly in a previous bulk, it was very scary…but as long as you are lifting heavy (very important to use these extra calories) and pushing yourself you will notice an increase in strength, and a few pounds. Your metabolism should speed up and as soon as you hit the cut in calories and increased cardio your body should work like a furnace burning everything up. Gotta trust the process. I totally get it though…it is scary!! I think the hardest part, for me, every time I’ve bulked or cut was trusting the process. But it all works! ?
I shoot for a gallon a day (128 ounces) and am happy if I finish majority of the jug. I feel better being more hydrated, and then I don’t have to restrict my sodium intake as much. (Personal preference)
Until Nicole comes out with her own line…My favorite protein is Dymatize ISO 100…best tasting! And BSN aminos are my favorite, I also make a slushee with a scoop of aminos and blended ice at night. If you need energy with your workout, I use Dymatize Energy Aminos. (BSN still the best tasting) Of course, just all my opinion…hope that helps! I like to drink my aminos while I am working out and right before fasted cardio.
Hi Iwona! I can totally relate to your story. I don’t know your height/weight/measurements etc but I actually raised my macros considerably. I went to 150p230c65f with no cardio for about 8 weeks. This helped me break the cycle tremendously. I was able to still eat what I wanted while learning control. I strategically put foods in my menu that would help me from wanting to binge. For example, I knew that night time was my worst, so I would have pancakes every night as my last meal and then an amino slushy(just bcaa’s and crushed ice). I would make make a new menu almost everyday And I found that controlling the menu and my options ended up taking the place of uncontrollable binging. After 8 weeks of consistency and breaking the cycle, we’ve dropped my macros to 140p120c40f.(I’m doing a show in April) I have been able to stick with this for the last two weeks and I attribute it all to working on controlling my binging first.(still fitting in my pancakes) I wasn’t worried about gaining/losing weight those 8 weeks (although we monitored it just in case I started gaining too much) I was strictly concentrating on a normal eating pattern. I haven’t had an out of control binge in 10 weeks, and it has been so nice. Unfortunately, I know it’s something I will struggle with forever, but instead of feeling imprisoned by it, I feel like I have control over it. If I get an urge to cheat or overeat, I stop and really try to imagine what I will feel like the moment after. That seems to help quite a bit. Good luck to you…I know how hard and frustrating it can be. But if I can do it so can you!
Oops, It didn’t upload the picture. Also, how do we put up our profile picture? Thank you for everything! Your site is amazing.
Great idea! I love this site already and look to it for motivation, ideas, workouts. Adding a forum was a fantastic idea. Not everyone understands this lifestyle, so to have a group to turn to for questions and support is huge.
I’m a salon owner/stylist from Washington state. I have always been athletic and fit but started falling off track 5 years ago when I was remarried and became “happy” which = fat. (I’m somewhat joking…you know, dinners, wine, froyo, dinners…lol). I made a decision to compete before I turned 40 Jan 2015. In July 2014 I signed up to compete in figure at a local show November 2014. My nutritionist that I was seeing did not think that would give me enough time and she respectfully said she would not train me for it. Being that 40 was right around the corner, I picked up some guy out of Arizona and he immediately dropped my calories to around 1,000 and had me doing an obscene amount of cardio. Because I had been so consistent in my diet this really jolted my body. I changed everyday, I was leaner and meaner and was so impressed at how fast my body responded. I did the show. I took 1st out of 5 in Masters and 1st out of 11 in open and 2nd overall. I was hooked. Until this little thing, I then knew nothing about, called post show rebound happened. What I once craved (in a healthy way) pizza, pasta, carbs changed to unhealthy cravings for anything with sugar in them. (I had never been a sweets and sugar girl). I found my self uncontrollably binging…literally not being able to stop. I watched my weight creep back up, and up and beyond where I had ever been. My coach said it’s ok, we can get thru this. I hid food from my husband, I felt ashamed and embarrassed and yet I couldn’t stop eating. The next show was Washington States’ biggest show, The Emerald Cup in Bellevue. My coach put me back on around 1,100 calories and more cardio. By this time, my body wasn’t responding like it did the first time. So, (I cringe when I think about this) more cardio and less calories. Before the show I was doing 70 mins of cardio and eating 900 calories and my body was doing nothing. I did the show but definitely should not have. I did not have the muscle mass nor the leanness needed. What happened after that show? (Because I promised myself I would never go through PSR again) I binged. And binged. I now believe I, whom had never had any issues with food, suffer from BED, binge eating disorder. My “normal” weight pre shows always ranged between 118-125, I’m 5’3″ and 40. I now weigh 138, it has been devastating to watch my body go through so much in a year. Below is a picture of my first show, second show and now. And while I realize the now picture doesn’t look all that bad, in person I carry a lot of fat in my thighs. I cannot have a ton of weight to lose before a show and do what I did before. My goal is to have a good maintenance weight to build, but not be flabby. With all of that being said, I loved competing…I just went about it the wrong way. I have gotten rid of that coach and started learning how to count macros. I have been doing nothing but research to understand my body, and understand what my body goes through when competing so I can do it the right way. I would strongly encourage anyone thinking about competing…research,research,research. It’s great to find a good coach. But they are not with you 24 hours a day. You have to take control over your own body and understand why things do the things they do. I had to learn that doing more steady state cardio was putting me at a standstill. I had to learn I needed more macros in order to grow more muscle. I had to learn that I couldn’t completely restrict myself and eat fish and asparagus year round with BED. I am now, thankfully, managing it everyday with my macros. I know that when it gets close to show time I will have to tighten it down. But in the off season while trying to add muscle, it has been a life saver to work a treat in here or there and not feel guilty. (Don’t get me wrong, I use macros to my best advantage and work treats in only when needed.). I’d love to hear anyone else’s story who struggles with BED. I say I manage it because I still get the feelings to binge, they are less frequent and I act in them less. But it is still there. So, here’s to the healthy road of macros, getting back on track and headed for a show in the future.
