ONE WEEK!!!!

This is it Clean Eaters.... there is just 1 week left until I grace the stage in Vegas.

I took some silly pics this morning of me in contest prep mode.... Here I am noshing on my oatmeal after my morning training session. Don't I look gorgeous all sweaty! But don't we all look like this after a great workout. This is not about glamor, it's about guts!

Here's what I have had today and what's on the menu for the rest of the day...

Pre Breakfast:
6:00 am 250 ml hot water + juice of one lemon
250 ml water with 5 fish oil capsules and my vitamins A, C, D and E

AM Training:
Cardio Session; 45 minutes intervals, hills, glute squeezing and sprints
Weighted Abs: 70, 110, 130 pounds crunches for 30 reps each set

Breakfast:
2 T each wheat germ (here's a pic of my wheat germ packets), oats, flax seed, Salba and bee pollen
3 egg whites only - here are my eggs boiling away on the stove
More water
Black coffee while I write this

Mid AM:
4 ounces chicken
10 slices cucumber
1 raw tomato – I packed this all in my cooler for the day

Lunch:
4 ounces tilapia
½ cup brown rice
1 cup steamed green beans – again this is already in my cooler

Mid PM:
4 ounces chicken
10 slices cucumber
1 raw tomato – it’s in the bag my friends
Dinner??? I will keep you posted on that one.

Q&A Time: I've selected a couple of questions to answer for you... If I didn't answer your question it may be because I have recently covered it in a past thread.

Question: What will I wear for my sportswear round in the Miss Bikini America contest?

Answer: I want to keep it a surprise but know this – I will be tall, lean and strong. What I am wearing makes me feel powerful!

Question: Will you take a break from competing now? How often are there competitions? What's in Canada for competitions?I live in PEI ,Canada. Did you ever hear tell of anything in the maritimes?

Answer: I will be taking an extended break from competition once this one is over. It's VERY intense and my body needs a break. Competitions run all the time, even in the maritimes. I would recommend doing a Google search for bodybuilding competitions in the area. Another great website to check out is www.bodysport.com.

Question: When you said you put the treadmill on 8 and ran for 40 minutes was that a constant pace or interval!!??? If interval, what was the pattern? Also I am curious as to what you get your heart rate up to when interval training and what do you keep it at when you do a constant pace?

Answer: This is at a constant pace. I always switch up my intervals when I do HIITs to keep my body guessing. One day I may do intervals of fast and slow pace and other days I may do intervals of uphill and flat inclines. Heart rate wise... I haven't been keeping track lately. Usually it's a good idea to keep your heart rate within 160 - 180 bpm or about 70 - 85% of your max heart rate (Max HR = 220 - age) when working at a constant pace if you are an experienced exerciser. Interval training heart rates can vary more with your high interval getting your heart rate up to 95% of your Max HR and your low interval around 60 - 75% of your HR max. I have some more detailed info on this at the beginning of my Eat-Clean Diet Workout book.

Question: The only place I carry extra chub is in my belly. Do you suggest increasing my cardio for a while and decreasing my leg work out because it is usually intense and if I do cardio 5 days a week my legs can be sore for 4 or 5 days. And when I am doing cardio 3 days a week should it be on leg days or not? Or should I just reduce my clean food intake for a while to burn the extra fat.

Answer: When it comes to extra belly chub one of the most important things is tightening up your diet. So take care of that element first. Maybe Cooler 1 for 2 weeks (and no longer) would work for you. Of course, you'll see accelerated results my increasing your cardio to 5 - 6 days a week (30 - 40 minutes at a challenging pace). You can do your cardio whenever you like, whether on the same day as a leg training day or not. Perhaps splitting your training would work. Try cardio in the morning and weights at night.

Question: Been researching MSM products. What one do you take? sounds like a powder. Does it also have Glutamine and or Chondrotin? Is there ever a day when you are not just a little bit sore? I am always a little sore somewhere and often very sore somewhere!

Answer: MSM is a mineral salt that keeps my minerals in balance while I am restricting my food intake. I take it in salt form. It can be found at your health food store. There is no chondrotin in it, and I take my glutamine separately as a powder. I definitely love sweet pain after a workout, and I use it as a measure of my effort in the gym. Too much pain, however, is not a good thing. If it's lasting consistently for days it can indicate an injury. Listen to your body.

Keep an eye out for my new page on www.toscareno.com where you can see the good luck messages from my friends and fans. It will be up SOON!

Please contribute to the page. I will treasure it all.

Hugs and kisses to all.