Side by Side Comparison, it's just easier this way...............

       

 

The 3 Week Mark!

All right then! Its been about three weeks since I've started my quest, It's been fun and invigorating!  I have so much energy sometimes I don't know what to do with myself! I love it.  I will post some updated pics for you and my measurements...Sometimes I feel progress is slow, but I know if I keep trekking along in the right direction, improvements are bound to be made. At this point though, my mental and emotional state is definately worth the hard work for now!  It's also important to remember, I'm bodybuilding so my weight isn't going to go down drastically or rapidly, I'm building muscle. Here you go! Enjoy.............

I know my self pics are awesome...................

Ok and here are my Measurements:

Height: 4'11''
Weight: 150 lbs
Biceps: 13"
Shoulders: 44"
Chest: 37"
Waist: 31"
Hips: 43"
Quads: 23.5"
Calves: 15.5"

Diet Overview.....

Oh well I know I've been slacking, I think I said updates every week, but really the first few weeks aren't that exciting.  I thought I should give a diet overview though.  I eat 5 to 6 small meals a day, I space them out every 2.5-3 hrs.  I'm never hungry! I feel like I am always eating, and I think that's because I am!  I eat a lot of grilled chicken breast, brocolli and brown rice.  Oh yes lets not forget the protein shakes! I try new recipes often so I don't get bored, but I'm sort of a creature of habit and with food it takes a lot for me to get bored with it.  Somone explained to me once that our metabolism is like a fire.  In order to get the fire started you need some wood or fuel, which is what we refer to as food.  If you want your fire to keep burning throughout the day then you need to add more fuel or your fire will get weaker and eventually burn out.  This is why we need to eat frequently throughout the day, to keep our fires burning strong and consistently. Planning and preparing meals does take a little bit of time, but honestly it saves you time throughout the rest of the week.  You don't find yourself around lunch time thinking "where am I going for lunch today?" You already have it ready to go, and you don't have to waste time driving somewhere.  So really preparing your meals ahead of time will save you time and money, I promise.  I usually cook a big batch of brown rice, sweet potatos, and baked chicken breast to use throughout the week.  I can steam my brocolli in the microwave in 3 minutes. I have a few pics of my meals for you! Please feel free to ask any questions as far as food goes, I know a few things about nutrition, portion size, complex versus simple carbs, etc...... 

The top pic is my egg whites, I eat anywhere from 3-6 egg whites with my first meal, I mixed it with steamed brocolli, bell pepper, tomato and jalapenos.  Getting your veggies is very important they offer so many nuitrients you can't skip them! Served with a 1/2 c. of brown rice, do not avoid carbs! Eating the right type of carbs will give you energy throughout the day, aid in your brain function and help keep you feeling full longer.  The last 2 pics are a typical lunch or dinner meal, of course you've got steamed brocolli, one has brown rice, the other has roasted sweet potatos, both feature baked chicken breast! MMMMMmmmm, happy eating! I do marinate my chicken sometimes, teriayki, garlic, curry, sometimes I just throw some salsa on it, try to stay away from anything too sugary, and avoid high fructose corn syrup, that's a no go! 

Weight and Tape..............

Ok so I got weighed on Monday by my trainer, it wasn't pretty.  I also got taped and I went ahead and did some more taping on my own.  For those of unfamiliar with the phrase "tape" it's just where you take a measuring tape and measure areas like your biceps, waist, hips, etc..This is done to help you see your progress, are you gaining where you need to gain? Or are you losing where you need to lose, so on and so forth. Here are my starting measurements:

Height (unfortunately this probably won't change ;): 4' 11''
Weight: 154 :(
Biceps: 14''
Shoulders: 44.5''
Chest: 38''
Waist: 32''
Hips: 42''
Thighs: 23.5''
Calves: 15''

So my goal here is to gain strength and inches, where needed, of muscle and to lose the fat.  My trainer mentioned a competition in March, so that is what we're aiming for.  I will be strength training and building up to about December, then in December is when I will implement more cardio and have a stricter diet in order to lean out. So then you can see all my hard earned gains!! Typically competitiors who are already seasoned and in shape will start their serious competition training 16-20 wks before the big day. As with everything it's a process and to do it right you have to give yourself time.  I'm excited for it though! I've been to the gym everyday since I've been back, and I swear I haven't been happier! Yes it really doesn't take much to make me happy. I'm a little sore, but it's a good pain :) My typical workout regiment will be 2 days on, 1 day off, 2 days on. My diet is going to be around 2000 cals. As it is the first week, I'm still trying to get everything buckled down and organized.  Once I have a more consistent diet, and I have cycled through a week of working out, I will post my "typical" day, as in what I eat and when and what I workout.  Thanks for following, I know the first few weeks will be kind of boring, but once I start making some physical changes, the updates and pics will be fun! Thanks again!

First things first, intro....

All right, this is the beginning of a long road ahead.  I will first introduce my idea.  Please do not be too critical of my writing skills, because I am not claiming to be a writer, I simply want to try to assist, motivate and inspire others in leading a healthier lifesyle through my experience. So the idea.... I am embarking on a my first bodybuilding journey. My goal is to start competing professionally as a female bodybuilder.  I will try to blog every week and give updates on my progress, I will also include pictures of my progress.  I did start seriously training back in Oct, 2010 and I was looking pretty good.  But, then I up and joined the Army and went of to Basic Training and AIT which was about 5 months too long.  To say the least do not believe the horror stories people tell you about "Boot Camp" because it was not hard at all, nor were any of us physically beaten, hell they weren't even supposed to cuss at us, too easy!  So sadly I actually gained about 15 lbs. coming out of training and I lost some of the gains I had attained previous to my leave. But life goes on it makes me a little sad to lose that progress, but I enjoy working out so I will enjoy getting it back every step of the way, so my sadness is slight. My first set of photos are the ones I took before I left, and I will post some of my "now" photos.  I will try to give as much info as possible in regards to my diet, expenses, measurements and progress, as well as my experience emotionally and physically.

And for the 'NOW' pics:

Ugh! I was a little apprehensive in posting my fat pictures, but it had to be done.  Hopefully it can add to my motivation to actually see my problem areas.  Obviously I gave gained weight and I've lost some definition, but in due time it will all come back.  With a little hard work and determination anything is possible.  I'm really excited to do this!  My first training session is on Monday, I will be weighed and taped so I will update my stats on that day so we know what we're working with.