Well, it’s 8 weeks from yesterday until my first Figure show. I weighed 101.8 lbs. today, which has been my lightest in awhile. I’ve started low carbs and should start to see my weight start to drop and also see myself get leaner. I really see a big difference this last week with lower carbs.
I got my bodyfat tested this past Friday and it’s down 8.5% from when I started in February! Yay! Lean mass is up 9.4 lbs. That’s what happens when you don’t workout for a while… you lose muscle and get FAT! Finally feeling like I’m on track now for 8 weeks out.
I thought this was a good article By Sara Reistad-Long
Dark Chocolate
High in flavonoids, which are lauded for their relaxing properties (chamomiletea is another great source), chocolate also contains phenethylamine, a chemical that enhances your mood. The darker the chocolate, the more healthy substances you’re getting in your diet, so look for bars that are 70 percent cacao or higher.
Skim Milk
Turns out that a glass of warm milk really is calming. One study found that women who drank four or more servings of lowfat or skim milk every day were about half as likely to experience stress-related PMS symptoms than those who drank less than one serving a week.
Oatmeal
Carbs help you produce serotonin, a calming hormone that helps fight anxiety’s negative effects-which is probably why many of us crave them when we’re stressed. Go with the craving and choose healthy sources. Oatmeal is high in fiber, which means that your body will absorb it slowly. In one fell swoop, you’ll prolong the serotonin boost, keeping yourself feeling full for longer (and on less) and making sure your blood sugar’s in check.
Salmon
Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids-abundant in fish like salmon-can help reverse stress symptoms by boosting serotonin levels, and that an omega-3-rich diet can also help suppress the production of the anxiety hormones cortisol and adrenaline.
Walnuts
They’ve been shown to help lower blood pressure, which is critical for those whose hearts are already working overtime thanks to high adrenaline levels. In fact, research so strongly backs their health benefits that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration goes so far as to recommend 1 1/2 oz per day.
Sunflower Seeds
A good source of folate, which helps your body produce a pleasure-inducing brain chemical called dopamine.
Spinach
Studies show that magnesium, which you’ll find in leafy greens like spinach, improves your body’s response to stress.
Blueberries
Their antioxidants counteract the effects of stress hormones like cortisol on your body.
I decided a couple of weekends ago to compete again…
but not in bodybuilding… in Figure and/or Ms. Physique. I started Feb. 1st taking my “before” photos and started my diet on Monday. I started off at 101.4 and will not tell you my bodyfat just yet… lol.
I will be posting tips here on my blog and making videos for my youtube channel about my progress and how I am doing things to get ready for my first Figure show… which will be in June.
Doing my cardio one day… It occured to me that there might be some of you that would want to do this journey along with me… so I thought a Better Bodies 16 week Body Transformation Challenge would be fun for you all to do along with me. 🙂
Who can participate in this challenge?
Anyone! It starts the weekend of Feb. 20th, or at least by Monday… February 22nd. You’ll have to take your “before” photos in the next couple of days and send them to me at cliftaswebsite@yahoo.com. (Trust me… no one will see your photos but me. They will be totally safe in my hands.)
Along with your photos please send your: Â Name, gender, height, weight, age, and waist measurement.
What do you need to start?
You’ll need to get a newspaper and hold it for your front pose… very important. You’ll need to take a front relaxed pose, a back relaxed pose, and a side relaxed pose. If you wish to add any other photos like… front double bicep, side chest, abs, or anything else… you are more than welcome.
Below are some examples of extra poses. (These photos are not required.)
From top to bottom… side chest pose, front double bicep pose, side tricep pose.
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Below is a video with an example of the relaxed front, side, and back before photos… (these photos are the ones that are required)
What do you need to wear?
Take your photos in a bathing suit or posing suit/trunks. If you don’t have that… then shorts are ok and a sports bra. Make sure your shorts aren’t too long… I’d like to be able to see your legs. You have to show your mid section too, so no tank tops. And whoever wins… I would like to post the winner’s pics on my youtube channel, blog, and sites, if that’s ok.
We will be taking photos each month…
1st Photos… weekend of February 20th
2nd Photos… weekend of March 20th
3rd Photos… weekend of April 17th
4th Photos… weekend of May 15th
Last and Final Photos… June 12th
Does it cost anything to enter????
No. I will be posting some helpful videos and tips on my youtube channel, blog, and Facebook. This challenge does not cost anything to enter… all that I ask is when I post any videos on YouTube… that you go to my youtube channel itself at www.youtube.com/cliftafit and rate and comment on my videos. You will need to have a channel of your own to rate and comment. (This is not required to participate… I’m just asking as a favor.)
That’s about all I can think of for now. This should be enough to get you started and if I think of anything else I’ll add to this… or if you have any questions… please feel free to ask.
This Quick Leg Workout will help tone, slim, and tighten your quads, hamstrings, and BUTT!
It’s a little mini workout and can be done 2 to 3 times per week with at least one day rest in between each workout. UNLESS your legs are sore… then you should wait until they aren’t sore before you do this workout again.
If you are looking for a quick workout that you can do at home that doesn’t take long… this workout is for YOU!
Clifta is a personal fitness trainer in Reno Nevada.
You don’t know how many times that I’ve heard that potatoes are not good for you, that you shouldn’t eat them, and that they’ll make you fat, but I’m here to tell you they are a great source of complex carbohydrates and will only make you fat if you prepare them incorrectly and put the wrong toppings on them.
Frying potatoes or any food, for that matter, is one of the worst ways to prepare them. Also topping your healthy potato with butter, sour cream, cheese, or bacon bits are really the things that make you fat, not the potato itself. If prepared correctly and with the right toppings, potatoes are a great energy source to add to your diet. They can help you to push harder during your exercise routines helping you to burn more calories and lose more weight.
Potatoes are a very nutritious vegetable with great health benefits. They are very high in vitamin C. One medium potato contains 45% of the vitamin C that is commended for good health. Potatoes are also high in fiber and contain more potassium than a banana.
Potatoes are naturally low in calories and contain no fat, sodium, or cholesterol. The skins of the potatoes supply a beneficial dose of fiber, iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, and several B vitamins.
You can cook potatoes in a variety of ways like boiling them, baking them, steaming them, roasting them, microwaving them, mashing them, and even making them into french fries… all in a healthy way, of course!
Reno Personal Fitness Trainer Clifta Coulter Perez Video showing New Bootcamp in Reno Nevada. Come try it out and I promise you’ll burn LOTS of calories, get FIT, and have FUN all at the same time!
Potatoes… A Great Source of Energy!
Honor God with Your Body 