Reaching goals. One meal at a time.
It’s almost been a week since the competition and I have put on 3.5 pounds since my water drop. Yikes! I must admit, I’m having a hard time adjusting back to a “normal” everyday diet. I was a little worried this would happen after being so strict for a few months. In all my research this seems to be a common problem among people who compete. I haven’t gone too crazy. For instance, I went out for pizza and had two slices. Not bad. But yesterday I ate a vineyard’s worth of raisins. I believe this is going to be the most challenging part, maintaining what I’ve done. A part of me think I worked hard so I deserve to eat whatever I want. Wrong. My body worked hard for me and it deserves nourishing foods not junk. I think what is going to help me is constantly reminding myself that food is fuel. Yes, food is pleasurable but too much pleasure and it will be extremely unpleasant to pull on my jeans. It also helps to look at my pictures to remind myself where I came from and where I don’t want to go back to. It’s MUCH easier to keep it off than to work it off. Still it’s about finding that balance.
Plus, I’m not done. I look at my body as an art project of sorts. I still want to build my upper body. I want sculpt some shoulder caps, a wider back, and more definition in my arms. I wouldn’t mind slimming down my legs a bit more either but it feels like I’m hitting a genetic block there. So my plan of attack for the next few months is to continue to eat clean but not competition clean. I’ll be giving myself 1 or 2 planned free meals a week. The rest of my meals will consist of unlimited veggies, fruit before 3 pm, small servings of whole grains with most meals, healthy fats, and protein 4-5 times a day. I’ve allowed dairy back into my diet which makes getting protein a bit more convenient. I’m working on some full body workouts that I’m going to switch to in a few weeks (that I’m excited to share with you all) but in the meantime I’ve lowered my reps for my upper body even more. Now I’m doing drop sets of 8, 6 and 4, lifting HEAVY without sacrificing form. For my lower body I’m going to continue to mix things up using high reps and lower weight. I’m going to stick with HIIT cardio 3-4 times a week.
So there it is, my short term plan of attack. Right now I’m working toward my goals, one meal at a time. Right now my goal is NOT to go eat a bowl of peanut butter. Alright. I’m off to eat some chicken and hummus.
xoxo
j
This is my (almost) sane quest for insane health. Let's 
People with Crohn’s disease often expreience a decrease in appetite, which can affect their ability to receive the daily nutrition needed for good health and healing. In addition, Crohn’s disease is associated with diarrhea and poor absorption of necessary nutrients. No special diet has been proven effective for preventing or treating Crohn’s disease, but it is very important that people who have Crohn’s disease follow a nutritious diet and avoid any foods that seem to worsen symptoms. There are no consistent dietary rules to follow that will improve a person’s symptoms.