Thursday, November 30, 2006

Okay, so when I started this blog I had in mind that people would read it (I mean, seriously, why else would you write stuff on the internet?), but I suppose that somewhere, somehow in the deep recesses of my twisted little mind I had imagined that no one ever would. That I would be able to put down in cyberspace somewhere distant from everyone else that I in four years I was going to play on the National Team; that I was going to get in the ultimate physical shape; that I was truly going to make a life change and truly going to commit myself at a deeper level than ever before......

but if no one ever read it, what would it matter if didn't happen???

But then...just when I was feeling myself starting to slip, just when my goals were looking a little too lofty - I became accountable. Accountablity is a funny thing. It can be a concrete kind of accountability - like grades or job assignments or the law. OR it can be that little nagging guilt you feel when someone else is witness to your shortcomings. That thing in the back of your mind that keeps you from eating the whole box of cookies when your roommate is watching, or the fact that EVERYONE washes their hands so long as someone else is in the bathroom, whether they are strangers or not. Well, this is kind of like that. Now that people may be watching I suppose I'm a little more inclined not to f*** up. So anyways, here's how I was discovered:

These rugby bloggers must be an inquisitive group (either that or far better at navigating random blogs than I am) because somehow I was spotted from amongst all the junk out there and added to the "ruckosphere".

My presence on the web was announced on an awesome rugby blog called Saturday's a Rugby Day. Check it out here:

http://saturdayrugbyday.blogspot.com/2006/11/another-gal-in-ruckosphere.html

Let's hope this accountability thing works.....tomorrow morning I'll be up at 5:30am to resume my conditioning regimine. And if I'm not? Well, I guess I'll be letting you know....

Monday, November 27, 2006




Today is not the best start to my post-Thanksgiving dedication de fitness. Lucky for me, Friday morning I awoke feeling a little under the weather, and my mini-plague has decided to persist even after my return to the cornfields. While I was at home and still hadn't restarted my diet it wasn't so bad - I sat on the couch and watched endless amounts of movies and tv while my parents were more than happy to doctor me with thanksgiving leftovers, pizza, ice cream, and coke. Knowing that all of these treats would soon be a thing of the past made relishing them all the more important. However, all good things must come to an end, and with the end of my stay in Kentucky, so ended my binge of wonderfully tasty things.

Though the 12 hour drive wasn't the coolest with a cold, I will say that I am exceptionally proud of myself for not cheating ONCE even over the course of the entire drive. To stay awake, I had merely a single sugar free Red Bull, and to eat, I dined on McDonalds and culvers grilled chicken sandwiches. Though not ideal (because you never know what those ppl add to their food), I will had to say that I was pretty good, and for one of the three meals I ate on the road, only scarfed down the chicken, and left the bun. This brings to my attention how difficult it is to eat out, especially fast food, when trying to eat healthy. Yet, I am also reminded that it is POSSIBLE. Things like grilled chicken, water, baked potatoes, yogurt, salad and even fruit are all menu items that can be found at various popular fastfood places. To be healthy, you just have to TRY!!!! (and also forgo taste and enjoyment from time to time, but that's part of the fun, eh? ;)


In any case, the nutrition facts for ALL the foods you injest at those chains can usually be found at their websites, here are some of them:



Anyhow, as of today I still remain on track for not having cheated - although I must confess that being in hurry caused me to skip my morning doses of vitamins and creatine, but I'll get to those upon returning home. I tried to get up at 5:30am to do my morning workout, but was unable due to the persistance of my cold. When I return home I will probably throw myself straight onto my couch for a giant nap. Let's hope that will energize me enough, if not for a short weight session tonight, then to resume my "rugby greatness" program for tomorrow morning. I hate being sick but let's face it, to push myself further than I am capable will only hold me back in the long run...so I'll just have to continue the nutrition end and hope to be back at full strength VERY soon.

P.S. My goal is to post pictures of my progress every two weeks, along with weight, fat %, 40 times, etc. STAY TUNED!!!













So last time I wrote down what I eat for my meal plan, but now I have for you the details of my diet. First, here are the options and serving sizes:




Protein

4oz lean beef, poultry, fish
6 egg whites
1 yolk, 3 whites
1 scoop protein powder

Fat

1 tsp mayonnaise
1-2 tsp salad dressing
1 tbsp peanut butter

Fruit


1 pear, apple, banana, kiwi, orange
½ cup fruit cocktail
¾ cup blueberries
1 ¼ cup strawberries
½ cup applesauce

Carbs

2 slices whole wheat bread
½ cup pasta cooked
½ cup brown rice cooked
¼ cup grape nuts
½ cup cooked oatmeal
¾ cup shredded wheat
5 oz baked potato

Now for the actual Meal Plan:

Meal 1

1 carb
1 fruit
½ protein
multi-vitamin
3g glutamine
fish oil
vitamin C
5g creatine

Meal 2

1-1 ½ carb
1 protein
1 fat

Meal 3

1 carb
1 protein
2 fat
1 veg
fatty acid

Meal 4

1 carb
1 ½ protein
1 fat
1 veg

Meal 5

1 ½ protein
1-2 veg
fatty acid
vitamin C
multi-vitamin

You'll notice that this diet also includes some supplements. When exercising and dieting, you're body is undergoing a lot of stress and changes. It is important that your body still receive all vital nutriets. In addition to those nutrients (Vit C, Multi-Vit, Fatty Acid such as fish oil) I have also added Creatine and L-Glutamine. In my experience, creatine is one of the safest and most effective supplements on the market. It can be cycled on for one month, skipped for a week, and then restarted again. The only important thing to remember when taking creatine is to be sure that you drink enough water, because it works its magic through delivering extra water to the cells in your muscles, allowing them to work longer and harder - without that water the body becomes easily dehydrated and could be sucking it out of more vital areas. Glutamine is an amino acid which can work wonders in your body promoting health and growth.

Here are two articles from www.bodybuilding.com which can help you learn more about these supplements:

Amino Acids:

Creatine:

Also be sure to check out all the other wonderful articles on this site about everything from nutrition, supplements, workouts and more!!! (there are even rugby articles!)






Thursday, November 23, 2006














Alright, so it's Thanksgiving, which is great for family time, getting to go home to the mountains (thank God), no school, and lots of FOOD. Which, I have to say, I'm pretty excited about, seeing that I get to start chowing down in a couple of hours. However, as you can imagine, this isn't so great for my "plan". One might wonder if, in the effort to get in maximum shape one should forgo all the goodies that come with this awesome holiday. However, I would say no. It's not the "once in a while" eating that gets us, it's the everyday extras: candy, toppings, corn syrup, white bread...basically all those little luxuries that make food taste AMAZING. If you can cut most of those out of your daily diet, then getting in ultimate shape is a definite possibility.

Here is a sample of the diet plan I am currently TRYING to stick to - though I don't have the exact meal plan with me at the moment to put down, I can give you a sample day of what I eat:


Meal 1: 3-4 egg whites
1/2 cup oatmeal made with skim milk, sprinkled with raisins

Meal 2: 2 slices WHOLE WHEAT bread (this means first ingredient is Stoned Ground Wheat)
6 oz. sliced Deli turkey
lettuce
1-2 tsp light miracle whip

Meal 3: 1 scoop protein shake
2 tsp peanut butter
celery

Meal 4: 1/2 cup brown rice
1 can light tuna packed in water
1-2 tsp miracle whip

Meal 5: 1 whole egg, 3-4 egg whites
1 cup steamed or grilled vegetables


Keep in mind that 3/4-1 gallon of water should be consumed everyday, and also that one day a week is a cheat day. Even though I try my best to stick to this diet, things come up and I am trying to be dedicated without being obsessive.

There are also SUPPLEMENTS that need to be factored in, and I will get to those tomorrow. Although not a necessity to a nutrition plan, I have found that they do help me to look and feel my best, and will hopefully make it easier for me to reach my goals as an athlete.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Well, here's where it all begins. This blog is to serve as a journal, a record, and a motivator along the way as I struggle for the next four years to put myself in a position to play on the USA Rugby Women's National Team World Cup squad, 2010. On a daily basis I struggle through temptations such as bad nutrition, alcohol, laziness, and my biggest killer - depression. This blog will deep daily records of my mood, workouts, and nutrition, and also regular records of my weight, bodyfat, 40 yrd. times, max weight records and so forth. I'll also chime in with regular blurbs about what's on my mind, important updates about my life, milestones in rugby, college and career.

Feel free to leave any comments you like - I could really use motivation and a kick in the ass from time to time!!! If you have any questions for me about rugby, fitness, or the meaning of life, I'm sure I have some answers =).

Nov. 20th, 2006...life change starts NOW!!!!

 

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