In less than three months, my goal is to step foot on stage to compete in my first figure competition.  YIKES!!!

I guess it’s normal to be nervous, anxious and even doubtful, but all I can do is try my best through sticking to my diet, and following my fitness coach’s orders when it comes to training and getting the proper rest.

As of today I weigh 138 lbs (5’4″ tall if you’re curious)

My goal is to start losing 1 lb per week by sticking to an 1200 calorie diet and exercising.

Below, I’ll brief you on what my workout days are looking like, as well as what my meals are consisting of.

So let’s start with my workouts! (designed by Coach Lenny Graham)

I only work out three days a week for up to 90 minutes and rest the other days.

Mondays: Legs HARD

Wednesdays: Shoulders/ Back / Biceps

Fridays: Legs/ Chest/ Triceps

You are probably wondering where my cardio sessions are…. Well, so far, my body is transforming and coming along just like we were hoping, and per my coach, I luckily don’t have to do cardio yet. We will re-evaluate my progress in another week or so, and decide if we have to then. But so far, so good!

As far as my ab work out, I try to do them on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays on my own or after a workout if I’m not too exhausted. I always want to give 100% to my workouts, so if it means switching my schedule, then I will. Every work out counts, so being well rested and feeling motivated, definitely makes a difference in my effort and outcome.

What about Diet?

Eating clean is a key factor to achieving that sculpted physique that is needed to be noticed and even win a figure competition. To make sure I stay on track, I keep a food journal on www.Dailyplate.com.

Here’s an example of what some of my days look like:

Meal 1:

Oatmeal protein pancakes

(1/2 cup oats + 1/2 cup egg whites) Mix and cook on low heat in a pan.

I love them plain, but sometimes I’ll add some stevia and coconut oil depending on how I spread out my calories that day

 

Meal 2: Pumpkin Pie Shake 

1 scoop of Egg White Protein + 1/2 cup of Pumpkin Puree + 1 cup of ice + 2 cups of water

I can drink this all day long!

 

 

 

Meal 3: Grilled or poached 4oz  salmon +

1/2 cup steamed brown rice & lots of non-starchy veggies

I like to season my salmon with lemon juice and dill

 

 

 

 Meal 4: Grilled or baked 4 oz herb chicken with a medium sweet potato 

I love, love, love sweet potatoes! I like them baked or mashed with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top!

 

 

 

Meal 5: Lemon pepper 4 oz Flounder + 1/2 cup Fava Beans & Brussel sprouts

Yes, I adore these little cabbages!! I used to despise them, but after learning how to properly roast them, I can’t get enough.

I also grew up eating Fava beans and they trigger such happy memories with every bite.

 

See… my meals aren’t so bad I bet you thought I had to eat bland broccoli and chicken all day. I truly enjoy eating healthy and still allow myself a yummy cheat meal once a week. Believe it or not, I typically opt for mixed nuts or more brown rice lol

Oh! And I also keep steamed and cut veggies in the fridge at all times to munch on whenever I get cravings. I typically buy sweet red peppers, english cucumbers (small yummy ones), broccoli, mushrooms, eggplants, green beans, spinach and artichokes.

 

I hope you enjoyed my little update

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or leave a comment under this post.

If you’re a competitor or fitness expert, I would love to hear you tips to help get me to the finish line!

Thank you for stopping by my little Ol’ blog!

Love you!

Ghada

 

 

 

DAY 1 OF TRAINING.

To fully prep for my first day of training on Tuesday May 31st, my new Coach Lenny Graham asked that I show up fully rested and fueled and ready to work at 7 am.

At 5 am, after 8 hours of great sleep, I stretched out of bed and started getting ready.  Since training was at 7 am, I timed my breakfast to be between 5:30 am and 6 am so I can properly fuel and have as much energy for whatever Lenny had in mind for me.

For breakfast, I brewed a cup of strong black coffee, and cooked up some 5 grain oat/bran cereal with 1 whole egg and 1/4 cup egg whites and a little bit of unsweetened almond milk. The protein, complex carbs and fat should be ok to get me through this first day and wake me up but I guess I’ll better gauge my energy after I get through the training.

After munching away, I had to prep my post workout meal too. I had made an eggplant casserole the night before so I scooped some in tupperware with 4oz of grilled chicken and a medium sweet potato. Lenny requested that I have a carb-loaded meal after our workout since my carbs/glycogen will get depleted. Replenishing my glycogen will fuel my muscles to help build and repair them better.

6:15 am, I loaded my car with what I needed and drove to The Gym and Tan-Line Studio in Trooper, PA where Lenny and I were going to train.

6:50 am, I pulled up to the gym and walked to the back where I saw Lenny finishing up his workout. Lenny asked that I head to the back so we can first analyze my physique so he can better customize our workouts for best results.  We also had to take pictures (front, side, back) so we can compare them every two weeks to measure our progress.

7 am, Lenny took me to the back to scrutinize my body! I was really curious to see what he thought, but what he was about to tell me really surprised me in a good way.

Lenny said I had a great shape and tone and that with training and staying on track with diet (which I have been), we can definitely get results. Surprisingly, Lenny was most impressed with my legs!!!

What! I thought I had the worst legs and chunky cankles! Lenny laughed when I said that, but he disagreed. He said that I had great muscle tone and shape to my legs and it will be easier to sculpt and build than having skinny legs.

“I knew there was a reason I was chubby Lenny!”

After our pictures and him studying my trouble spots, Lenny told me to get warmed up on the treadmill while he brainstormed on what he wanted me to do.

Since my legs are a large muscle group, he wanted to start with that first.

After 5 minutes of warming up, I grabbed my large water bottle and headed over to the leg extension machine where he wanted me to start so I can get the blood flowing in my legs and knees to prevent injury.

After that, all I can say was intense lunges, side squats, back extensions and calf raises! Holy crap! lol My legs never shook and wobbled like that! It was painful but so amazing!

What was even more fun, was that Lenny was actually getting loud with me! ha ha…

“Come on Ghada! Work! Get down lower and push. Give me 5 more!”

Damn… I felt like I was in boot camp,  but you know what, I operate best when someone pushes and motivates me so I’ll take it!  I will never take anything personally because I know that ultimately, Lenny just wants me to succeed.

The purpose of our first few times of training was to determine my threshold and stamina, and how well I can train. Within a few weeks, Lenny will reassess my progress and follow how my body transforms and then truly determine when the perfect time for me to sign up for a competition is.

Every  body is different, and depending on where you’re starting from, it could take 2, 3, or even 6 months to a year to fully prepare for a fitness competition.

I’m going to be patient and listen and follow everything that Lenny suggests because I really trust him. He just knows his stuff! I’ll trust that he will guide me to success I also promised him and myself that I will give it my all and make him proud.

After our session, Lenny walked me to the front where we discussed our next meeting. We both decided on Friday morning at 8:15 am and that we would work on Back, Shoulders and Triceps.

In the meantime, Lenny asked that I workout like I do on any other day. So, I’ll plan to work on abs and chest on Wednesday, and some leg work/ plyos on thursday and rest up for another intense workout Friday.

After that fun and crazy workout, I headed to the beach with one of my bestest girlfriends, Melissa to relax and recover under a little bit of sun.

Later that day, I received a text from Lenny while I was laying out.

Lenny: ” Great work today!”

Me: “Thanks Lenny! So excited to work with u! I’ll make u proud!”

Lenny: “I already am G!”

Wow… I really love and appreciate my coach! Just a simple text was getting me more excited to work harder and toghether.

I’m assuming that Lenny is pleased with my work ethic but I hope to continue to impress him with my dedication and persistence.

Realistically, I’m sure I’ll go through some days where I’ll feel overwhelmed, exhausted and even wanting to quit, but I’ll just keep surrounding myself with positive influences and consulting with my friends and fitness mentors to help me push through those tough moments.

To many, my story might be inspiring, but at the end of the day, I’m just an average woman that wants more in life whether it’s achieving optimum happiness and love, financial stability,  personal success or all of the above!

I truly feel that most things in life are attainable if you put your mind to it and go after it! As far as I believe, I have one chance on earth and I’m going to make every day count!

Stay tuned…