Sunday 10th March 2013

         

Refeed was AMAMZING. I popped out with the family to celebrate mothers day to a cosy little pub. Refeed should be 80% carbs for me so I opted for haddock fish cakes and swapped the chips for crushed new potatoes. Then after speaking to diet coach Dan, he asked if that had really filled me up - so I had a little experiment with some more carbs - (greedy guts). I made some cakes with blended, cooked gluten free oats, a tsp 100% coco, water, stevia and an egg white - and I chucked my evening casein into the mix too and cooked - so porridge with a low fat, sugar free extras really (oh and I did add 6 almonds!). The cakes were amazing, and took me up to about 100g carbs I wanted for a refeed. 

I snuck in an extra cardio workout today just for 30 minutes, as well as a little bit of calves just to justify mentally my cheat meal (it was suppose to be rest day!). I obviously didnt have my pre workout oats or protein shakes after - just to save a few kcals for refeed.! 

Weigh in tomorrow will be interesting - it took 3 days to get my weight back down last week so maybe it will cope better this week?

Saturday 9th March 2013

I had some posing practice today with the amazing Audrey Kaipio, she was so flamboyant and confident ... and I was not. I have got some serious practicing to do over the next 4 weeks as the thought of stepping on stage scares me enough - but stepping on stage with flair just scares the life out of me. 

She told me not to get any leaner if I am doing bikini, which I am sort of glad about due to how rubbish I felt on Thursday this week. I am so looking forward to refeed tomorrow!

Food diary:

06.00: 6 egg whites, 30g porridge

Workout

10.00: whey protein, 30g oats

14.00: 100g raw weight chicken, broccoli, 20g almonds

18.00: Dinner out: chicken breast, green salad, cabbage

21.00: 100g raw weight chicken, 20g almonds, spinach, casein, sugar free jelly

Workout - shoulders - hitting all delt heads

Barbell shoulder press 12 x 6

Lateral Raise 12 x 6

Frontal Raise 12 x 6

Inline Reverse raise 12 x 6

Rotator cuff - too exhaustion 

30 minutes cardio

Friday 8th March 2013

I am so completely humbled by the response from yesterdays blog, thank you so much - you have given me the much needed boost I needed, and today has been much better (i did also eat 2 pots of sugar free jelly - 6kcal and 1/2 cucumber extra- sorry Dan!!)

I had a long days work in London today then just popped to the gym to train a friend - but today was a much needed rest day. I just performed 7 minutes of HIIT training to keep up the fat burning! Rest day means a bowl of porridge and 2 protein shakes less but I was happy to pass on them, listen to my body and get an early night instead of rushing around for a workout.


I separated my food out a bit more today to ease off the hunger pans. Sadly it didnt seem to work any better and I had to go to bed early with Forrest Gump on, so not to consume the entirety of my  kitchen. It isn't long till refeed meal on Sunday - its mothers day so I think we are all going out for a big roast!

Food diary:

06.00: 30g oats, 6 egg whites
10.00: 100g raw weight chicken, broccoli
11.45: 20g almonds
14.00: 100g raw weight chicken, spinach, cucumber
17.00: 20g almonds, 1/2 cucumber, sugar free jelly
19.00: sugar free jelly
21.00: 100g raw weight chicken, broccoli, asparagus, casein shake

Thursday 7th March 2013

"People only rain on your parade because they are jealous of your sun and tired of their shade"

Today without doubt has been the hardest day of prep so far - tears were even involved (and that is an extreme rarity in the Hobbs world!)

I felt pretty rough after 50 minutes cardio this morning and after heading straight to University received an email informing me that among other things "I am a bad mother for competing in a bodybuilding contest, it is unhealthy and obsessive and I am setting a bad example to my child". This struck me hard and I hit rock bottom.

I'm fully aware I'm not your average 'young mum' but never has anyone accused me of being a bad parent. The thought that even one person has that opinion of me, hurts pretty badly. The reason why I decided to go to university, the reason why I work before the sun rises and go to bed past midnight, even the real reason why I committed to this contest, is to provide my son with the best future possible, to be a positive role model for him and to spend as much quality time teaching him, reading with him and most importantly playing with him. He is and always will be my first priority. My family are my world, I hope that I am making them proud.

Never for one moment would I claim to be a perfect mum, it is a real struggle at times. Not only am I a young mum, I am a young single mum, a student, a personal trainer and now a "bodybuilder" and its bloody tough. But I honestly try my best and I am so proud to have such a beautiful, happy little boy. He adores playing rugby, painting and cooking cakes; watching him in his first school play over Christmas was pretty overwhelming - time is flying and I make the most of every day with him as he is growing up so fast.

In terms of the bodybuilding, I am first to admit that it is a selfish hobby. It takes time, it affects social life, it costs money and my god does it causes mood swings. But I needed to do something to help improve the relationship I had with my body. At 16 I was 6 stone  - I was never diagnosed or sought help but I imagine I would have been classified as anorexic, undertaking binge - purge behavior too. My cure? To put it simply - my son. 

Finding out I was pregnant at 17 and already being 13 weeks gone I was terrified but could not go through with an abortion. I was with Finnley's father at the time - we were "childhood sweethearts" but I was fully aware I would be left holding the baby. 

Looking back, I suffered post natal depression pretty badly but couldn't admit it. I was 18, I had a post pregnancy body and thought nobody would ever consider dating me as a single parent. However I can honestly say he is the best thing that has ever happened to me. My answer to PND was exercise, which was the initial reason why I became a personal trainer - I believe exercise has an amazing healing power. I am proof of it. 

Thankfully my low body weight and associated behaviors was a pretty isolated incident, only returning a couple of years ago when I was in an incredibly emotional relationship, the behavior stopped when I ended the relationship. It was then that I decided it was time to "give something back" to a world that had given me so much. So that is why I decided to visit Ghana - another decision that I was critisised for as I took Finnley. I would never put my son in danger, he was vaccinated against everything and he has the most incredible time of his life. It certainly gave me perspective of mine too.

So...I have questioned today whether I should continue my journey to the stage. I genuinely think I need to. I need to do it for me, I love training and love learning and most crucially - for the first time ever I can say 

" I LOVE MY BODY"

So to the doubters/haters or whatever I should call them - feel free to judge my choices, but I think I am doing OK; and I have absolutely not intentions of stopping. Instead of throwing negativity at my life, start the quest to be your personal best because that is the worthiest journey of them all.

Rachel x

Workouts:
am: 50 minutes cardio
pm: very poor legs session: 20 x 6 single leg press each side, 20 x 6 double leg press, 20 x 4 walking lunges, 20 x 6 single leg hamstring curls each side - 30 minutes cardio

Food diary:

06.00: 6 egg whites, 30g oats

Workout - 50 minutes cardio

11.30: 100g chicken, 500g broccoli, 20g almonds

14.30: 100g chicken, 50g spinach, 20 almonds

18.30: 30g oats, 25g whey protein

Workout - legs

20.30: 25g hydro whey

22.00: 100g chicken, broccoli, asparagus, casein

Wednesday 6th February 2013

I was recommended this jelly today - it was amazing but does have sugar in it so Diet Coach Dan would tell me off. So I had to sneak in a bit more effort in cardio this eve! But the powdered jelly are sugar free so that might be an option if times get tougher!

Food diary:

06.00: 6 egg whites, 30g oats

Workout 50 mins cardio

10.30: 100g chicken, 500g broccoli, 20g almonds

14.30: 100g chicken, 50g spinach, 20 almonds

16.30: jelly

18.30: 30g oats, 25g whey protein

Workout - arms

21.00: 100g chicken, broccoli, asparagus, casein

Workout - arms

Warm up cables

BW pull ups 8,6,5

BW dips, 12, 12, 12

ss: Bicep bb curl --> incline seated conc db curl

12-->12 x 6

ss: close grip bench press --> straight bar push down cables

12 --> 12 x 6

30 minutes cardio

Tuesday 5th March 2013

I did a little sampling session for Reflex Nutrition today, they have released some amazing new ready to drink bottles including a whey protein isolate "whey refresh" and a pre workout with caffeine and taurine "muscle bomb" - i love both products and they went down really well with the gym goers too.

I am still trying my best to balance everything so my little man and I had a painting session this evening - we painted pictures for him to give to all the female members of the family for mothers day. 

Food diary:

06.00: 6 egg whites, 30g oats

Workout - 50 minutes cardio

11.30: 100g chicken, 500g broccoli, 20g almonds

14.30: 100g chicken, 50g spinach, 20 almonds

16.30: 30g oats, 25g whey protein

Workout - shoulders/chest

18.30: 25g hydro whey

20.00: 100g chicken, broccoli, asparagus, casein

Workout - shoulders/chest 

I'm not sure whether my sense of smell has got really sensitive since cutting but the gym stank of body odour today - i wanted to vomit.

Lateral raise --> Incline shoulder press

50, 40, 30, 20 ,10, 5  - each exercise ss increasing weight

Incline chest press --> Incline chest flye

5, 10, 20, 30, 40 50 - each exercise ss decreasing weight

Rotator cuff exhaustion 

20 x 2 

Monday 4th March 2013

54kg!!  - wow I gained a whopping 54kg overnight from my refeed - it is just water (I hope!). I am looking MASSIVE though. Carbohydrate literally means "a carbon attached to water" so as well as drawing glucose for energy into the cell it draws water in with it - giving that "Pumped" appearence. So for example glucose has 1 carbon and 6 molecules of sugar, so when that glucose is used up the water will leave too. (In theory)

Diet coach Dan (check him out of FB http://www.facebook.com/#!/teamdanbarnett?fref=ts) has literally been amazing, when I was having a rubbish day on Saturday he completely put my mind at ease telling me its completeley normal. He is renowned in the BB world so I am strictly following everything he says. I am a bit of geek and research the physiology and biochemistry behind it after he tells me - as I like to know the process of how it all works. The human body is a wonderful thing!

Diet Coach Dan is a champion so I would be a fool not to follow through his every word

 

I took a friend through a workout again today - I was feeling pretty unmotivated so having her by my side was actually really helpful.

 

Workout:

6.00: 40 mins cardio

16.00: Back

 

3 x 12 wide grip chins - 5kg

Lat pull down hammer strength @50kg --> straight arm pull down cables @16.75kg

12--> 12 x 6

 

Hammer strength row @:40kg --> Bent over row @20kg

12 --> 12 x 6

 

Bent over single arm db row @12kg

12 x 3 each side

 

30 minutes cardio