And We're Off...

Today is November 10th/08.

There are 11 days until the prejudging.

Miss Bikini America – November 21, 22

Prejudging on November 21 at 9:00 am

Finals on November 22 at 9:00 am

Fly out to Vegas on November 19th

Number of meals until prejudging:
About 67 mostly with fish and vegetables

Number of workouts until prejudging:

I train about 3 times per day and rest day every two days. Weight training will be done quite regularly - probably every day focusing particularly on problem areas as we assess the body each day but there is little training as of the Wednesday before contest – helps to prevent edema (swelling in the skin).

16 more cardio sessions
At least 10 more weight training sessions

By the way... There will be several TV stations covering the Miss Bikini America contest so watch for it!

COUNTDOWN WITH ME AS I PREP!! AND ENJOY THE PICS!!

P.S. About Bananas: since the competition training diet is so strict bananas are not allowed. They are quite high in natural sugar and do not fall within an acceptable range for competition purposes. I eat them all the time when I am not training for competition. I get potassium from plenty of other sources, including brown rice, tomatoes, broccoli, garlic, and meat sources.

P.P.S. About Wheat Grass: Everyone is interested in the wheat grass. I use a local flash frozen kind that is delivered right to my door. It comes from Stoufville, Ontario, a little town not more than 30 minutes away. However it can be ordered on line at www.dynamicgreens.com. The name of the brand I use is Dynamic Greens Wheatgrass. I just remove however many little frozen wheat grass cubes I need and then put them in a glass of water. Let them melt and drink them down. Please note, I am NOT endorsed to use this product. I just found it online and started using it after I watched the show, Crazy Sexy Cancer. I don’t want cancer and many, many people use wheat grass as a powerful nutritional supplement to ward against disease.

P.P.S. Update on TV Show Airing in the US: As for the show airing in New Jersey we are hopeful that the W network can sell the concept to our friends south of the border. In fact banking on that hope, the show has been shot in High Definition – this is the truest indicator that the network feels the show may work well stateside. So cross your fingers and call your friends – watch the show and email W to get it in America.

This is A LONG ONE... Sunday is Q&A Day

Morning Clean Eaters One and All,

Another rainy day has greeted me here in Ontario. Must be the fall!

Looooooonnnng day yesterday as I went to see my protégé (of sorts) Janice
Farmer in her first ever competition downtown Toronto. The cameras
followed us everywhere while there. With loads of coaching she managed to
smile and the attention of the judges - placed 5th in Novice Short Masters.

I got lots of comments for Fridays post... and it seems lots of questions. I guess today will be a Q & A day. Of course, I have Friday and Saturday's eating and training for you, too.

Question for Me:
Tosca - when you are re-introducing yourself back into your "normal" clean eating, do you have to do so in any particular way? I would think your body would be in shock by the changes, what with the training and the food restrictions. Are you being monitored by a physician or I should ask in a more general way, for those who partake in competitions, do they not only have a trainer but also a physician on hand?
I know a little about competition from watching my personal trainer who is a champion and I was concerned with the process of watching him get cut and in such a short period of time...
Jennifer

Answer for You:
When I am getting back into regular eating I introduce foods slowly but surely. I remember the first time I competed my daughter had made me a chocolate cupcake for after the event. Sure enough I gobbled it up when I was done and... I felt REALLY sick! So I quickly learned to introduce more and more complex carbohydrates into my diet each day. My body doesn't pack on the pounds instantly, but it does return to its normal, healthy weight over time. I am not being monitored by a physician during this process because I'm pretty clear about what I'm doing. I don't know if other competitors use physicians. Likely they just rely on their trainers. It's not an easy thing... and we're all a little nuts, BUT the reward is great.

Question for Me:
Are we going to get any pre-competition pictures like the last one? I am dying to see your progress :)

Answer for You:
YES! I will be posting some soon.

Question for Me:
I'm a vegetarian. Can you give me few ideas regarding the lean protein. I'm planning to do cooler 1 plan for a week.

Answer for You:
In the new expanded edition of The Eat-Clean Diet I have included a list of vegetarian protein options. You can use this as a reference. Your main concern is getting a complete protein. Hemp, quinoa, and tofu are complete plant proteins. If you are a veg that eats eggs you can rely on the whites as a source of protein. Otherwise, you need to combine things like legumes in order to get the complete protein.

Question for Me:
Very important question....Will I be able to get your upcoming TV series in New Jersey? I think the W network is sxclusive to Canada, right?

Answer for You:
I don't think you'll be able to see the show in NJ. W is a Canadian network. I would recommend checking out W's website to see if they offer online viewing.

Question for Me:
Could you please answer the question on what to eat on the night shift? You are great and give us older women the great get up on go. I read you every day, because you are my age and so real to society. thank you for being their for all of us!!!!!!!!!

Answer for You:
Eat on a night shift as you would on a day shift. Treat your nighttime as daytime. Your body still needs good quality fuel in the form of lean protein and complex carbs every 2 - 3 hours. When you return home from work get a proper sleep and return to Eating Clean every 2 - 3 hours. Listen to your body. It will tell you when it's time to eat.

Question for Me:
You're such an amazing athlete!! I'd love to see your progress so far! I was also wondering, when you're done your competition could you give us all an idea of a day of normal eating for you? thanks!!

Answer for You:
Sure thing! After the comp is done I'll post some menus, but it's mainly exactly what is written in The Eat-Clean Diet.

Question for Me:
Thank you for this site it is great. What form of wheatgrass do you take. Is it liquid or powder?
Is there a brand that is best?

Answer for You:
See Wednesday October 29th's entry.

Question for Me:
Hi Tosca,
I have a question about meal times. I own a retail store, and I bring my cooler with my snacks and lunch for the day. Unfortunately, it's sometimes hard to keep the snacktimes (2-3 hours) because the store is busy at those times. If I'm running late on a snack, should I eat it anyway and just have the next meal with less time in between, or should I skip that meal and keep them spaced further apart. I guess what I'm asking is what is more important: a 2-3 hour interval between meals, or 5-6 meals per day?
Thanks!

Answer for You:
The most important thing is to keep your body out of "starvation mode". This means getting food when you are hungry. If you find you've had to skip a meal because of a busy period then eat when you get the opportunity and start again from there.

Question for Me:
Hi Tosca ... I loooove your blog. Read it nearly every day.
I have a question about preparing for a fitness competition. How early should u start preparing and focusing (3months?)? What would u focus on during the first time and what when it gets really close to the competition (gain muscle, slim down, define muscles???) ???
I´m a sports student and have to creat a training plan for a chosen sport and I choosed fitness/ bodybuilding.
Sorry for that long comment.
Thanks so much for motivating me and all the other girls / women (/and men).
Laura

Answer for You:
Take a look at the blog starting from August. This is when I started prepping for my end of September show. So 2 -3 months is a good bracket. If you're a first timer I would get a trainer who is experienced in competing ASAP. Your focus throughout your preparation is building lean muscle and getting "cut", which means losing a lot of body fat. My blog takes you through those steps so give it a read.

FRIDAY

Prebrekkie:
250 ml water with lemon juice
250 ml water with 9 ounces wheat grass

AM Training: 35 minute cardio session on treadmill doing uphill climbing and sprints

Breakfast:
¼ cup oats with 2 T wheat germ flax Salba and bee pollen each
5 hard boiled egg whites, one yolk
Black coffee
5 fish oil supplement capsules
Vitamin C
Vitamin B complex
Water

Mid AM:
Juiced veggies: 2 beets, 1 carrot, 4 celery stalks, 1 bunch frisee lettuce, 1 cucumber, 1 tomato
I drank half of this and had 5 ounces tuna

Lunch:
Grilled chicken
½ baked potato
1 cup steamed veg
1 glass water
Black coffee

Mid PM:
More juiced drink
4 egg whites
Herbal detox tea

Dinner:
Grilled chicken
1 cup steamed broccoli
½ half sweet potato
Water

PM Workout:
LEGGGGGGG DAYYYYY!
Hamstring curls until I failed! Four sets each leg, 55 pounds
Leg extensions: 4 sets, 12 reps up to 180 pounds
Squats: 3 sets, 15 reps, 100 pounds
Straight arm pullovers: in between each squat set, 15 reps with 10 pound dumbbells

Post workout and before bed:
Cal mag drink
Herbal tea
Egg whites
Sleeeeeepppp! Time to recover.

SATURDAY

Pre-breakfast:
250 ml water juice of one lemon
250 ml water 9 ounces wheat grass
Chlorella tablets
5 fish oil supplement capsules
Vitamin c
Vitamin b complex

Breakfast:
Black coffee
1/4 cup cooked oats, 2 T each wheat germ, flax, salba, bee pollen
5 egg whites

Mid AM:
Chicken breast
1/2 raw, red pepper
Water

Lunch:
Chicken breast
1 cup steamed broccoli

Mid PM:
Chicken breast
1/2 raw red pepper
Water

Dinner:
Steamed grouper
Steamed cauliflower, peppers and broccoli
Water
Black coffee

I am really feeling the energy drain now. Sometimes it is difficult to
simply walk down the street.

But that we must do as our Eat Clean team
treated us to an evening out last night. We saw the operetta, Abduction
from the Seraglio with Mozart's music. It was a late night and no training
so we have double workouts today which I will post when we do them.

Today is going to be busy too as I am under the gun to finish my current book project
and then we are going to watch Kelsey-Lynn dance at the Royal Winter Fair
this afternoon.

After that I am supposed to visit my girlfriends for our
annual Christmas gathering complete with wine and cheese - oh, yes, you
guessed it! NO wine and NO cheese for me. I will have my cooler with me all
day.

What's in my cooler today?
For every meal today I will be eating the same thing:
Turkey, edamame and tomato scramble
Brown rice
Juiced veggies: beets, radishes, 1/2 apple, bok choy, spinach, tomato
I will carry this with me and drink as needed.

Breakfast this morning was the same as yesterday. No changes although I
would kill for a banana right now!

Got to go train.

Love to you all.
Send hugs pleeeezzz.
t

2 WEEK COUNTDOWN!!!

Hey everybody,

I am 2 weeks out from my big Las Vegas competition. IT'S GO TIME FOLKS!! That means I will really be buckling down and focusing on the finish line. I am thrilled to be receiving your support throughout this time.

Keep it coming because the next few weeks will be TOUGH!!!

To those of you who are new to the blog, WELCOME... and, yes, I am training for a competition right now, which is why my eating has been so restrictive. Read the email response below if you have more questions on the competitive lifestyle.

Sorry I didn't update yesterday, but here's what I've got for you today:

I've received another great commenter question and have posted it below along with an answer. Again, remember, if you have a personal matter you would like guidance on please pass it along to tosca@eatcleandiet.com:

Christine Asks:

Tosca, I recently purchased your clean diet and work out book and am just getting started. I love the website and read your blogs for inspiration. My question is what are your meals and workouts like when you are not getting ready for competition. I have no intention of competing and these seem so strict and unattainable.

My Response:

Admittedly the competition food posted on my blog seems extreme particularly for those of you uninterested in competing. Let me state that when anyone is doing anything at the competitive level cutting corners is not an option. It would be unthinkable for Lance Armstrong to show up at the Tour de France without having trained his little tush off and eaten high performance foods to fuel himself through the endurance rides he performs. Similarly Michael Phelps or Darre Torres would not have prepared themselves in every way possible for their Olympic victories. Competing in the figure arena demands the same kind of attention to detail since the only thing being judged is the body. Since competing in figure demands that you stand on stage before a panel of judges in a very small suit it makes sense that the body must be in its leanest, most glorious form otherwise you just wouldn’t get on the stage and put yourself through the scrutiny. This is why competitive eating is so very, very controlled and lean. The food is of the highest quality – I still eat lean protein, loads of veggies, oats and healthy fats – but certain foods are known to contribute to building the tightest physique while others are not. I still eat plenty, just differently. In fact up until the most difficult part of the contest prep which is the final two weeks, I feel at my most vital. I am energetic, strong, able bodied and able minded. The dedication and structure of the rigorous training and eating is something upon which I thrive. I choose to do this and I want to be a positive example.

Off season eating just means I get to eat more fruit, dairy and foods like natural nut butters and whole grain breads. I miss these foods now but I know they will still be there for me on the other side of my contest date.

As for training I never regard it as a punishment. When I enter the gym, wherever it is, I feel a thrill because I know that what I am about to put my body through is for my benefit. I am not hurting myself. Instead I am building strength and fighting the aging process. Training also does incredible things for the mind. It is good to push yourself both physically and mentally – this is when I feel most alive. So I urge you all to accept training as a invitation to rebuild or continue to build the very best version of yourself. Contest training just involves training more frequently and lifting heavier. I love it!! And I will never quit.

I hope this helps you understand more fully why some of us put ourselves through this.

Wednesday

Pre Breakfast:
Before my half hour run I had 250 ml hot water with lemon juice and 250 ml water with 9 ounces wheat grass

Breakfast:
Breakfast doesn’t vary much these days so I had my usual helping of ¼ cup cooked oats with 2 T each Salba, wheat germ, flaxseed and bee pollen.
Then I chased that down with 5 hard boiled egg whites + one yolk
1 black coffee
5 fish oil supplements
Vitamin C
Vitamin B complex

Mid Morning:
Juiced veggies: 4 radishes, 2 bunches baby bok choy, 4 celery stalks plus leaves, 5 Brussels sprouts, 1 cuke, 1 carrot and one head endive
I drank 8 ounces of this and had 4 egg whites for protein.

Lunch:
Grilled tilapia, ½ cup steamed green beans and ½ cup steamed broccoli
2 water
Herbal detox blend tea from Hockley Valley

Mid PM:
Another 8 ounces of the juice I made in the morning plus 5 ounces of tilapia
Herbal detox tea

Dinner:
5 ounces grilled chicken breast
1 cup steamed asparagus
½ cup steamed broccoli
Water

Training:
Shoulders
Up and down the rack presses to failure
Lateral raise: 4 sets bent over and 3 sets standing

Back
6 sets lat pulldowns, 4 sets pulldowns wide grip and 2 sets behind neck
2 sets Seated row

Before Bed:
Water
4 egg whites


Thursday

Pre-Breakfast:
250 ml hot water with juice of one lemon
250 ml water with 9 ounces wheat grass

Breakfast:
¼ cup cooked oats with 2 T each Salba, wheat germ, flaxseed and bee pollen
Black coffee
5 hard boiled eggwhites + one yolk
Fish capsules
Vitamin C
Vitamin B complex

Mid Am:
2 celery sticks
5 ounces water packed tuna
1 small tomato

Lunch:
2 cups spinach leaves with chopped salad vegetables and 2 T pumpkin seed oil dressing, sunflower seeds and 2 T apple cider vinegar
Grilled chicken breast on top
Water
Herbal detox tea

Mid PM:
Juiced veggies: 4 radishes, I bunch endive, 1 carrot, 1 cucumber, 4 celery stalks
Water packed tuna

Dinner:
Turkey, tomato and edamame scramble
Water
Tea

Training:
Rest day!

Tuesday's Eating and Training

Well, wasn't Tuesday a busy day...

Congrats to our American Clean Eaters who have named their new president, Barack Obama.

It seems change is in the air. Perhaps this is a good opportunity for you to reflect on your own life and take note of any changes that need to be made. This is the time to do it! Perhaps you've been waiting for the right time to start exercising and eating clean, or you still haven't given up your diet soda habit, or your nightly brownie binge, or you want to enter a competition, but are too afraid. Or you just can't seem to find any time for you!! This is the time. Do it now!

Also, I meant to mention this on Monday, but did you all receive your Eat-Clean Diet newsletter for November? I am super proud of this one. Many thanks to my team for helping create a beautiful read. If you don't receive the monthly Eat-Clean Diet Newsletter I encourage you to sign up at Eat-Clean Diet.com.

Finally (sheesh lots of notes today). I love answering your questions, but I do have one small request. If you have a question that is personal in nature, I would recommend you send it to my personal email (tosca@eatcleandiet.com). That way I can answer it specifically for you and we can work together to find the best solution.

I have posted a response to a comment made a few days ago. To the author of the comment, perhaps you could send an email to me from now on and we can work together on your successful journey to health:

Shaleena Writes:

Hi Tosca!
I have a few questions for you... I am 5'8 and currently weigh 150 lbs, I have been weight training for a few years now ( I am 20, and started weight training when I was 14). I have been trying to cope with an eating disorder that began as anorexia (my lowest weight was 98lbs) and turned to a binge eating issue. I am currently struggling to keep my diet clean. I am a single mother, attending school and waitressing. I am busy, but manage to squeeze in about 5-6 hours of weight training per week. I certainly need to increase my cardio. My motivation is my wonderful three year old daughter. I ate super clean throughout my pregnancy with her, and worked out. I want so badly to provide a healthy example for her, so I would like to end my struggle with eating. I find when I feel overwhelmed (mid term time, extra hours at work etc), I get the urge to binge. I find drinking a cup of tea often helps. What is your opinion on the use of Stevia as a sweetner, and is it safe for my daughter to use? I would like to lose 15 lbs, and I know that in order to do so I need to increase my cardio. I have trouble striking a balance ( I often find myself on the verge of over training). What is your recommendation for the amount of cardio I should be doing in respect to my weight training. I apologize.. this is a loaded post. I do want to commend you on your work pertaining to children. Cheers, and your doing awesome in your contest prep:)

Tosca Responds:

Hello Shaleena.

I am touched that you would trust me enough to share your personal struggles with me. I will honor that trust and respect the honesty with which you shared your story. Thank you.

First let me congratulate you on making the first and most difficult decision – to look after yourself so that you can set the best example for your daughter. Your little one is young still but she will someday thank you for that gift. Be patient with your guidance and stay true in your desire to teach her well. Your own struggles with eating disorders have given you a gift and that is to be a teacher for your daughter and for others who need to know of your story so they too can overcome these difficulties.

That being said I would like to tell you that at your height your weight currently is in a healthy range. You may have some ideas for improving the look of your physique but basically that weight is good especially if you have muscle on your frame. Do not become obsessive over cardio. I will do 30 minutes every other day and during competition time obviously a bit more but remember that cardio does not fix all. I would rather you make healthy, Clean Eating a priority so you know what, when, how and how much to feed yourself every day. Using Clean Eating as your guide helps you eat more frequently and still keep a lean, healthy body.

Let me share with you that although I do not have an eating disorder, I also have times when I want desperately to eat everything in sight. Usually that is when I am bored or tired. I shared this recently on my eatcleandiet.com blog. I wanted to eat peanut butter and chocolate like crazy. Then I remembered why I was training so hard and made myself a cup of tea instead. Just like you! So you are normal just like everybody else. Food can be soul satisfying and once in a while a little bit of naughty is good but keep the overall goal of health and wellness firmly in mind. Stevia is fine but give agave nectar a try. That is my personal choice and I think you might like it too. It has more of a natural flavor and a low glycemic index.

Here are my hugs to you. Smile and love yourself so you can love your little girl.

Okay... now onto my eating and training logs for yesterday:

Before Breakfast Training and Eating:
Cardio - 35 mins intervals
250 ml water with lemon juice
250 ml water with 9 oz wheat grass
5 fish oil capsules
Multi vitamin

Breakfast:
1/2 cup cooked oats with 2T flax, salba and wheat germ
5 hard boiled egg whites + one yolk
Coffee

Mid Am:
5 oz tilapia
1/2 cup green beans
Water
1 cup chamomile tea

Lunch (eaten at hairdressers- I was in desperate need of a cut and highlights
session at my fav Toronto spot, Fiorio!):
5 hard boiled egg whites + one yolk
1/2 cup steamed green beans
Water

1 black coffee

Mid Pm:
I was still in Toronto doing errands and shopping for a certain first born
daughter's b-day gifts. I also went to visit my pal Joanne at Nella Cucina, too.
We had a coffee together.

Evening Training:
Swimming
Then full body non-apparatus workout.

Dinner:
Ground turkey scramble with edamame and chopped tomato. Yummy!
Water while watching American election coverage - woohoo!
Chamomile tea

Before Bed:
5 oz tuna

Sleeeeeeepppp!

Get Out and Vote America...

It's a big day for our American Clean Eaters. Election Day '08 has arrived. I encourage you all to exercise your adult right to get out and vote!!

Just like a little goes a long way when Eating Clean, a little goes a long way when voting, too.

Now onto the not-so-exciting things. My eating and training for yesterday.

By the way, I bake or grill my chicken at the moment. I will only boil my chicken carcasses if I am making soup stock, or at the end of my competition training when I boil my chicken in distilled water because I am depleting as much sodium as possible.

Before Breakfast:
A bunch of beautiful bananas accosted me in the kitchen and I must confess I had half of a banana. It was divine!
I chased it down with my usual green goo – 250 ml water and 9 ounces wheat grass
Then one cup of black coffee.

Morning Training:
And on to the treadmill for a steady run for 35 minutes.

Breakfast: It was nice to have Kelsey home with us for breakfast this morning...
½ cup oatmeal plus 2T each bee pollen, wheat germ and flaxseed
5 scrambled egg whites + one yolk
Coffee
250 ml water
5 fish oil supplement capsules

Mid Am:
I drove Kelsey back to Belleville with 6 tutus in the car. I packed a cooler of food for both of us.
For the mid morning break I had roasted chicken with steamed green beans and water.
Kelsey had a whole grain wrap with roasted chicken and steamed green beans. She also had some raw sweet carrots.

Lunch Time:
I had dropped Kelsey off at the ballet school by this time with more wraps, chicken and vegetables.
I in the meantime had 6 scrambled egg whites
½ cucumber
Water

Mid Pm:
On the way home I picked up a black coffee (sort of... I am missing my lattes) and enjoyed (if it's possible) some more scrambled egg whites (ugh!!)
Other half of cucumber
Water

Dinner:
Back at home I made a nice dinner of steamed spinach, tilapia and broccoli.
Wow! So simple but so good. I was huuuunnnnggry.

Evening Training:
Traps: 3 sets heavy shrugs
Pre-exhaust chest with alternating sets of cable cross overs and bench press. We did four sets heavy and I went to failure on the last set of bench press.
Abs: 3 sets reverse crunches 20 reps per set, Captains’ chair leg raise with legs straight out, 3 sets of 20 reps each, last set 35 reps

Before Bed:
A cal/mag drink with MSM and glutamine in it.

That's it, that's all... NOW GO VOTE!

Monday Morning and Sunday's Eating and Training Logs

We're getting down to the wire here folks. Only a few weeks left until the Las Vegas competition. I am getting tired of such strict eating... whole grains are great and don't ever forget it. Thank goodness for all of your support otherwise I would be at the end of my rope!!

I spent a relaxing day at home yesterday with my daughters Chelsea and Kelsey-Lynn. We had Skype dates with the 2 missing pieces of the family, Rachel (in Portland, OR) and Kiersten (in Leiden, Holland). Skype is a great invention. I am always amazed when I turn on my webcam and see my daughters a million miles away. It adds that extra element that you miss when talking on the phone. Here are shots of Chelsea and Kelsey-Lynn (Kelsey is in her sugar plum fairy tutu for her Nutcracker performance coming up at the beginning of December) and Kiersten coming through loud and clear on my computer all the way from Holland.

Sigh.... can you tell I miss my kids!

Anyway, Happy Monday to all of you. Here are my eating and training logs from Sunday:

Before Breakfast:
250 ml water with 9 ounces wheat grass
250 ml water with juice of one lemon
5 fish oil capsules
1 black coffee

AM Training:
40 minutes interval training on the treadmill – intense!

Breakfast:
½ cup cooked oatmeal with @2 T each wheat germ, flaxseed, bee pollen
5 scrambled egg whites + one yolk
1 sliced tomato
1 cup black coffee

More AM Training: I squeeze my training in when I can!!
Hamstring curls: 4 sets heavy 12 to 15 reps
Leg extensions: 4 sets heavy 15 reps
Squats: 5 sets
Straight Arm Pullovers: 5 sets with 10 pound dumbbells for 15 reps each set

Mid Am:
250 ml water mixed with glutamine, MSM and Cal/Mag
½ tomato
4 boiled eggs, no yolks

Lunch:
6 ounces tilapia mixed with chopped tomato and drizzled with white balsamic vinegar
300 ml water

Mid PM: I am loving my juicer!!
Juiced veggie drink: 2 celery stalks, ½ cucumber, 1 bunch baby bok choy, 3 radishes
5 ounces water packed tuna

Dinner:
Roasted chicken breast
Steamed green beans and broccoli
1 small roasted potato
250 ml water

Last Bit of Training:
Standing calf raise: 5 sets heavy and lots of reps – remember my calves are small so I have to train them hard

Before Bed:
Cal/mag supplement in 250 ml water - this is really helping me sleep through the night
Herbal tea
5 ounces tilapia

That's is for now!!! More tomorrow.

The Eat-Clean Team Gets Scary

Hey everyone,

I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween and have remembered to set your clocks back one hour today. Yeah.... an extra hour in the day... the one thing I've been asking for all year.

So I've attached a few pics from my day in the office on Friday with my Eat-Clean team. These ladies keep me going and are the reason for all things Eat Clean!




Don't we look frightening.... or maybe we just look creepy... At least we had a good time.

So here are my food and training logs from Friday and Saturday and the answers to a few questions:

Q:I just started to squatting with a 40lb bar and prior to that did walking lunges to warm up with up body movement with a ball. Is it normal for your hip sock to be sore...until you get used to it. Or is this abnormal?

A: You may be irritating the joint especially if you are in the wrong position or are using too much weight. Move within your limits making sure you are in the proper position with your knees over your ankles as you squat down. Do not force it. Decrease your weight, too. If this does not help I would recommend that you try another exercise instead of squats to let your hip heal, and visit a physical therapist to check on the joint.

Q: Glutamine - What does it do and should you only take it when one trains really hard to replace the lose of glutamine in the body and also help with soreness?

A: Glutamine is an amino acid made by the food. Supplementation of glutamine is helpful for muscle recovery as well as many other types of recovery and healing. It has been used in burn victims, individuals suffering from anxiety and depression, and post-operative healing. It is important. Athletes benefit from glutamine because their muscle stores can become depleted and recovery takes much longer. Glutamine supplementation decreases the recovery time. Research has shown that glutamine supplementation is not necessary in non-athletes.

Q:Wanted to know what your thougths were on bottled water? Now that these stainless steel bottles are in, which one does one buy? Manufacuters, qualities and price points vary and advice? Saw one today that said no BPI? Do you use tap water in the stainles bottle or is there another alternative? Thanks - you're knock'em dead in Las Vegas!

A: I personally use tap water or filtered water from my fridge and I put it in a stainless steel water bottle. I use a Sigg bottle because I got it as a gift from my daughter, and I also have a Klean Kanteen bottle because this is what they sell at the health-food store in my town. I don't know much about the companies nor am I affiliated with the companies I mentioned above. I would recommend purchasing a bottle within your price limit that suits your needs. I just know not to wash them in the dishwasher. Electrolyte-enhanced, distilled water is an option for a replacement from tap water, but this usually has to be purchased from the store, too.

Q: Do you do colon cleanse? I keep hearing that everyone should do a colon cleanse twice or three times a year. If you do one, do you do a all natural colon cleanse? One that will take all the toxins out of your body? Thanks.

A: I personally do not use colon cleanses. I believe that healthy eating, including flaxseed, is enough to keep the colon healthy. However, this is just my opinion. If you are interesting in a colon cleanse I would encourage you to visit a health-care professional who offers these services rather than trying a method from the box. Some of these can be scams!

Friday

EATING

Before Breakfast:
250 ml water with chlorophyll
250 ml water with juice of one lemon
5 fish oil supplement

Breakfast:
½ cup cooked oatmeal topped with 2 T wheat germ, flaxseed, bee pollen
5 egg whites + one yolk
1 black coffee

Mid AM:
Protein shake

Lunch:
5 ounces halibut
1 cup steamed mixed veggies
500 ml water
Black coffee

Mid Afternoon:
1 cup steamed asparagus
5 ounces tilapia
250 ml water

Dinner:
6 egg whites scrambled
1 tomato
10 slices cucumber
Chamomile tea

Before Bed:
Water and calcium/magnesium supplement
I had the best sleep!

TRAINING
Arms
Pre-exhaust biceps: 4 sets 15 reps heavy Scott preacher bench curls followed immediately by alternating sets of close grip pulldowns
Pre-exhaust triceps: 4 sets 15 triceps pressdowns followed immediately by alternating sets of close grip bench press
Ab isolation exercises
Posing practice 15 minutes
3 sets adductors

Saturday

I drove to Belleville so I had to eat out of a cooler for most of the day.

Before Breakfast:
Before I left I drank 250 ml water with lemon juice and 250 ml water with chlorophyll.

Breakfast:
½ cup cooked oats with 2 T flax and wheat germ and one scoop protein powder.
5 egg whites only
250 ml water

Mid Morning:
5 egg whites
15 slices cucumber

Lunch:
5 ounces tilapia
1 cup steamed mixed asparagus and green beans
250 ml water

Mid Afternoon:
Asian chicken salad with loads of crispy greens and grilled chicken but no dressing.
Water
Coffee

Dinner:
Breakfast for dinner at home – 6 scrambled egg whites and one tomato
Tea.

TRAINING

Rest day!!!!!!!!!!! woohoooooooo