GROWTH PHASE PROGRESS

Helllllllooooo everyone!!! How have your past couple of weeks gone? Mine, I've got to say have been very productive....I've updated my website, finished all my reading for my first mid term (have some loose ends to study still) and planned my meals for the last week and this week, and had many many KICK ARSE workouts!!! You've gotta love EXTRA clean food when it gives you energy results in the gym!!

So here is my update!! If you ready my last post, you know that I'm re-starting my favourite program MI40X , and it's going WAY BETTER than it did the first time. This is a MUSCLE BUILDING program, but the first time around I was in a caloric deficit because I was slowly increasing my calories after my competition...THIS time I'm following the meal plan guidelines as well, in a caloric surplus and hoping for some lean mass gains over the next 40 days of HARD WORK!!!

Love Warming up with my girls!! Do you look fwd to seeing certain people at the gym?? That's what gets me there on days that I just "don't want to"

The first week I planned 2050 Calories daily with 40%p/20%c/40$f. This is a great breakdown for me right now, 1. Because I LOOOOVE fats
and            2. Because I feel that I have become somewhat insulin resistant (carbs react by making me                  feel bloated, sluggish and I lose mental focus.)
                  3. Because the addition of extra fats keeps me feeling more satiated throughout the whole     day, no energy slumps.

My program was 6 days/week. Body part type split, with extra shoulder sessions over other body parts. One the 7 day (my day off) I ate an additional 600 Calories in Carbohydrates...you can say a cheat meal, or treat, however I ALWAYS choose healthy low glycemic foods!

My diet was uploaded on my newly updated website OPERATIONLEAN for any of you to download and use yourselves. I have yet to upload my next meal plan, but I will be adding it soon!!! Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss any new diet updates!!! There's going to be LOTS of FREE meal plans and workouts added in the near future!! I just have to find some time to write them!!! For now, I'll just share mine :)

Here is one of my FAVORITE recipes for hitting my fat intake....this was added to my meal plan this week.

DECADENT CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

It's made with coconut oil, PB2, cocoa and stevia to taste!!! SO EASY...if you need even MORE fats, you can use natural peanut butter instead of the PB2 :) Just finished a couple before I started writing this post!!! So delicious!

I was also doing warmups on the bike, and two higher intensity cardio sessions to keep the fat gain at bay and get the blood flowing.

Week 1 Results : Other than the fact that I felt great over my first week, I didn't gain any weight :( I WANT to be gaining a little bit of weight, sooooo

Changes for this week:
1. Increased my calories to 2200 with the same macro breakdown.
2. Kept my warmups daily, but eliminated my cardio sessions.
3. I have to do better with my water intake...it's starting to get chilly here in Calgary, so I'm not craving it like I normally do in the summer. This Hydrate Bottle is helping me get back on track!!!

Want your own Hydrate Water Bottle?? Be sure to check them out on Facebook!! HYDR-8 WATER BOTTLES

At this point I'm really happy with my diet. I don't have any cravings and I'm satisfied throughout the whole day! I always have a yummy meal to look fwd to, so I see no need to change much there. I do have to be expending fewer calories though, as I'm not seeing a weight gain. This is why I eliminated some cardio! I guess I have more time to study now ;)

Here are some things to keep in mind when working toward your own goals :
1. Make sure you have a way to track progress, so you know when to make changes.
2. EVERYONE is different, and there are NO COOKIE CUTTER ways to do things. It's about trial and error. If your results aren't what you want, something has to change
3. If you are wanting to gain, and you don't, you either have to BURN FEWER Calories, or EAT MORE Calories, it's as simple as that!!! The challenge comes from consistency. If you aren't consistent, you will have no idea what to change. AND patience. You may be lucky and hit the nail on the head the first week...you may continue to see progress for weeks (more common for people new to exercise and good nutrition) BUT
4. You will EVENTUALLY hit a plateau and need to use outcome based decision making to change things, and BUST THRU it!!

Good luck with your goals this week, and I will chat with you soon!!!

"you can't do what you've always done and expect a different outcome"

New Goals Put on Paper, FINALLY

After spending a weekend at the Olympia expo (something I've wanted to do for years) I have a new found motivation that is SO common after attending events like this. You are surrounded for a full weekend, by like minded fitness personalities who have worked HARD to get where they are. Some are just following fitness for fun and well being, others are making it a career. Most, like myself, are a little of both! I've been in a bit of a rut since my last competition. I've been staying on track with healthy eating and feeling GREAT, but I have not set any goals. This was a planned portion of time to "just be" as I call it!! So I've had my time to 'BE", but I think it's time to set some goals again....

If you haven't noticed already through your own experiences, it's super important to SHARE your goals with friends, family, social media. (whomever you choose) This keeps you accountable and subconsciously, helps you stay on track and keeps you motivated!!! I've shared my goals with my husband, but like usual, I also want to share with all of you!!! I will also share my progress as I go along. Results more than likely, won't be as dramatic as training for a competition post baby, but we'll soon find out I guess!! :)

September 25th-November 6th (6 Weeks Bulk)

I've been on a caloric deficit for a while. I find that my body and energy levels are just better this way. I've been slowly increasing my calories weekly over the past few weeks, and should be back up to where I want to be (SMALL caloric surplus) by next week. This will be around 2100-2250 Calories (that's where my surplus has been in the past anyway, we'll see when I get there!) I'm already starting to feel a little sluggish, and sleepy...hopefully my body adjusts soon, because I MISS feeling full of energy! There's no better feeling than a post nutritional cleansed body!

Over the summer I completed an AMAZING program, designed by one of my mentors IFBB Pro Ben Pakulski.www.mi40nation.com This is a muscle building program, however I completed it while in a caloric deficit. I saw amazing definition coming in compared to what I usually have!! I am going to start this up again (40 Day program) next week...this time while eating more food!!! Can't wait to see what kind of changes I see! I probably won't see more definition with the extra calories, but I hope to put on some lean mass, especially in the shoulders.

I've learnt over the past year, that I don't REALLY care that much about symmetry. HAHA For my body to look more shapely, I had been working toward growing my quads and hamstrings....did I achieve that, YES...am I happy about it..hmmmmm, actually NO! I don't like the way they look now even though I achieved exactly what I had set out to do! I'll keep em like this for a while, maybe I'll warm up to them, but in the meantime, I'm going with my heart!!! ;) SHOULDERS!!! I've always wanted my shoulders to be at a point that they look muscular thru my shirt, so that's my next goal! ;)

Here is a pic of my shoulder inspiration...well, not only shoulder inspiration, but WHOLE body inspiration.. My absolute favourite all time fitness model Jessie Hilgenberg. I KNOW myself, and my problem isn't sticking to a diet, it's EATING ENOUGH FOR LONG ENOUGH, to but on some muscle!

How am I going to achieve a fraction of this??? FREQUENCY!!! Any many many cycles of this same type of plan. If your trying to grow a specific body part, you have to do more than what you were doing before!! More time under tension, more load and work that part more often. Another lagging body part has always been my triceps, so I'm alternating shoulders and triceps all week, paired with one other body part. All in all, I'll be hitting every body part each week, but triceps and shoulders 3x! Along with eating more food of course, but more about that later.

To keep the fat gain to a minimum, and keep the blood flowing, and just because I've been enjoying it lately.....I'll be adding three days a week of cardio for 20 minutes. Nothing crazy, just easy steady state or intervals.

My marco breakdown during this time will more than likely stay at 40p/40c/20/f MAYBE 40/30/30 if I'm feeling soft. I find my body adjust quickly when I decrease carbs and increase healthy fats.

For now, I have this as a 6 week time period, but if I'm staying pretty lean, I will extend to 8 weeks, and decrease my cut to 4 weeks :)


Nov 7th-December 19th (6 Weeks Cut)

After completing my program, I'm going to start a 6 week cut...or shorter depending on how much body fat I pack on....the goal is to see my abs...I'm sure I will lose them throughout my 6 week "bulk", so I will cut until they are in sight again....I have not yet decided what program I will do for this, but more than likely one of the hybrid workouts we use for our Sisters in Shape 60 Day Challenges. They are KILLER!!! I will obviously share with you the changes I make as I make them!

Calories will be lowered gradually starting at 15xbodyweight, and never going below 10xbodyweight! I will more than likely be following a 40p/30c/30f split or what has worked great for me in the past has been 50/30/20. As your calories get lower and lower, protein becomes more important for more than one reason. Particularly for maintaing the muscle you worked so hard for, and keeping you satiated!

Notice that I have set pretty specific steps to achieve my ultimate goal of bigger shoulders. It's got a deadline, and I'll be measuring thru pictures, weight and mostly how my clothes feel....hopefully having tighter shirts ;) It's realistic...am I going to put on a huge amount??..probably not, it's not enough time, but progress is progress!! :) Once I hit my deadline, it's time to reassess, maybe I'll learn the same as I did with my legs, haha, that I liked them better before!! But that's a win too right, starting to appreciate what you had to begin with! ;)

Over the next 8-10 weeks, I will share with you my diet, macros and progress in case you want to learn thru my challenge!! :) I always love having others on the journey with me!

Have you noticed how I have this planned out??? YES, I have my cut ending right before xmas festivities...my calories will be increasing again, just on time, to not feel deprived over the holidays...yeah I know, BRILLIANT!

Are my only goals fitness related?? Absolutely not!! We have SO MUCH going on here in Calgary Alberta, and I'll give you some tidbits here and there!!! We have expanded mine and my husbands company, (working thru the growing pains as we speak)  I've been working hard on my coaching business and website, operationlean and I've also decided to go back to school!!! All the while my daughter had JUST become potty trained, and it seems like school is just around the corner!! ;) Holy moly, please slow time down! HAHA

Until next time my fitness friends!!!

Steph :)

Carb Cycling-What is it and how does it work??

So you've heard all about it, but it sounds so confusing, where do you even start!!!???

I get questions about carb cycling ALL THE TIME...there are many different ways to plan a carb cycle, so like ALWAYS, it's about figuring out what works for you and your body....in this blog post, I'm going to tell When, Why and How I do my carb cycling...

I only follow a carb cycle when my calories are in a deficit, to lose that little extra bodyfat, that just doesn't seem to want to let go!!! Many follow when they are in a growth phase, to keep fat gains at bay, and others use this method all the time, just because it works well for them!!! It's up to you to decide how you want to use this method :)

So now to the why....the benefit of carb cycling is mostly, improved nutrient partitioning, (taking advantage of your body being more insulin sensitive on workout days) hormonal balance (balancing ghrelin and leptin levels which are effected by being in an energy deficit for too long) and hopefully improved performance in the gym while you are on a deficit in calories!

You will set your protein the same everyday..This will usually be set at 1-1.5g/lb bodyweight. Protein does become more important as a percentage of your daily macros, as your calorie intake goes down!!! Make sure you are getting that 1g/lb bodyweight to spare that hard earned muscle as much as possible.

The only two macros you adjust are your carbs and your fats....so here is an example....

for myself, my lagging body parts are my legs and my shoulders!!! So when I'm preparing a program for myself, I have those workouts at the beginning of my workout week!

Lets say my split is : Monday (quads), Tuesday (hams), Wednesday (shoulders and Calves), Thursday (Arms) Friday (Chest and Back) Sat (off), Sunday (off/active rest, exercise with the family)

ON LARGE (legs, chest, back) body parts days I'm going to pair with my HIGH carb days for extra fuel, and those extra carbs will be with my post workout nutrition, (shake and banana, or rice cakes, etc) and again in the whole food meal following my post workout meal. If I am having trouble sleeping, I find that carbs before bed can help too, so I may put some there depending on how I'm feeling..

ON SMALLER (arms, shoulders) body part days, and off days, I will pair with my LOW carb days :) All you have to do, is remove those carbs, added on your high carb days!....

So pair these together and you'll have: Monday (High), Tuesday (High), Wednesday (Low), Thursday (Low), Friday (High), Saturday (Low), Sunday (Low)

***NOTE: You can do this by keeping calories the same (replacing the high carb days with higher fat days) OR you can keep the Proteins and Fat's fairly consistent, and just manipulating your carb intake, which would cause a calorie cycle as well! I.E You would be left with Low Carb/Calorie days, and High Carb/Calorie days (this is great if you want a reprieve from being in a deficit all the time, and this works great for me!)

Some don't even worry about the body parts or days, and just do three days low, one high...and rotate.....some use low, med and high days, which I find to be WAY TOO MUCH planning and a chaotic meal prep. I'm not organized enough for that!

So how do you set this up??? Well, it definitely depends on what method you decide to use....calorie cycle, or just a carb cycle, but this is basically what I do!!!

When I'm wanting to lose, I first set my calories to 12xBW(bodyweight) and NEVER go below 10XBW (I just find the cravings get the best of me, and I get too cranky on less that that, not to mention, it's not healthy.) Bring on the Intermittent Fasting Critics now ;) I just can't do it! HAHA

Then I set my High Carb days to 40/40/20 (P,C,F)
and I set my   Low Carb days to 40/20/40  (P,C,F)

If you want to Calorie cycle as well, you would just have to adjust the macros, to fit the daily calories! I really do feel that this easiest for planning, prep and organization in general.

Lastly, with ANYTHING physique related....just get started with a method, and adjust based on results! (outcome based decision making) If you aren't seeing the progress that you want, first be honest with yourself about whether you are following the plan close enough, if so, you will have to re-evaluate and adjust something :)

NOW GO GET YOUR CARB CYCLING ON!!!

Lots more blogs coming up this summer, make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out!!!!

Do you want to join our next amazing group of ladies for the Sisters in Shape 60 Day Challenge Starting in July?

Do you need 1 on 1 Personal Online Support?

Do you need a simple way to fit all the perfect nutrition into your BUSY day???

email me about busy meal planning made healthy and simple : steph.laurendeau@sisinshape.com

Make sure to visit my website : http://smackid.wix.com/operationlean

Follow me on Instagram: @operationlean
Follow me on Twitter: @operationlean
Follow me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/operationcompetitionlean

What I've been eating recently!! (BUILDING PHASE)

Hello Bloggers!! LONG TIME NO SEE!!! My blog has been falling too the way side the past while, but I've got a goal for the new year to get it more consistent!! :)

I've had a lot of questions as of late on my Facebook page www.facebook.com/operationcompetitionlean about what a typical day of food is looking like for me.  It's about time I take the time to share!!! It's hard, because my diet can change week to week depending on my progress! 

Before I go into my daily plan at the moment :

I can't express enough how important results based decision making is! If you are eating a certain way, trying to achieve a change, and nothing is happening, GUESS WHAT!!? Something has to change! You can't keep doing the same thing and expect anything to change. AND you have to be consistent. If you aren't being consistent, what are you going to change right??

Being in a building mode right now, I HAVE been seeing changes every week. I've been putting on weight slowly which is exactly what I want...therefore, my diet and supplement routine has remained the same for a while. I have to add, that I HAVE put on some fat too. (as much as I hate doing it) It is VERY hard to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. You can try, but I can almost guarantee that it will be such a long process that you'll lose momentum, and that in the end you'll just be spinning your wheels. I know now that I can lose fat, so I'm losing my inhibitions and just giving this building phase everything I've got, and I'll worry about the fat later ;)

Now for the diet:

I'm following a 40/40/20 split (Pro, Carb, Fat) and I'm keeping most of my carb meals after my workouts. I also have my last carb meal before bed to help with sleep! I have a macro breakdown for each and every meal, so calories don't matter as much as meeting those guidelines. HOWEVER, for those of you that must know, when I put everything into my fitness pal (my user name is smackid if you want to follow me) I'm usually in and around 2100-2300 calories /day. My weight gain is levelling off right now, so I'm thinking of upping the calories again!

I have a pre, peri and post workout nutrition protocol. This is eliminated on non workout days, which creates a bit of a calorie cycle. i.e I consume more calories on workout days than I do on rest days. If I workout 2x in a day....very seldom, but sometimes....then I double the workout nutrition meals. Each workout gets that fuel.

So here it goes!!! 

Each meal has 25grams of Protein, and the Carbs and Fat Vary depending on the meal. Each meal has two cups of veggies added! (usually green beans or broccoli steamed) Throughout the day I have 2 greens drinks, sometimes more. And my day starts off with a full lemon in a litre of water.

Meal 1 (Protein and Fat) Meat and Nuts Breakfast-Ground turkey, one full egg, 1/4 an avocado

Pre Workout Nutrition: 2 tsp of Coconut Oil, Coffee

Post Workout Nutrition : (Protein and Fast Digesting Carb) Protein Shake and Banana, Rice Cakes

Post Workout MEAL (Protein and Slow Digesting Carb) Egg whites and Oatmeal with Fruit)

Meal 2 (Protein and Carbs) Large salad, spinach, romaine, sautéed peppers,onions and mushrooms       and 4oz Chicken, dressing is usually balsamic vinegar...with rice, yams or rice cakes

Meal 3 (Protein and Fat) 3oz beef with veggies, OR 4oz chicken and celery with 1TBSP of almond butter with veggies

Meal 4 (Protein and Fat) same as meal 3

Bedtime Meal (Protein, Fat and some Carbs) Usually greek yogurt with Almond Butter, Cocoa and some sweetener OR Cottage Cheese blended with the same mix ins ( I probably shouldn't be having dairy at all, but this is how I deal with my sweet cravings!!)

Sorry I'm not better at taking pics, but you get the idea! ;)

When I start a cutting phase, I will post that diet as well!!! Please comment below or on my Facebook   page if you have any questions...if you are thinking it, then someone else will be too. Please share, the more people I can reach the better, but I need your help to do so! ;)

10 Weeks Out and NPAA Workshop

This past week went REALLY well!! I replaced my post workout banana with 2 rice cakes for less sugar...and I also replaced my sweet potatoes with veggies. My macro breakdown was 40p/30c/30f again and was eating 1600 calories. I still wasn't doing any cardio and stuck with my 5 days of weights with active rests. One thing I worked REALLY hard on was more water. Most days I ended up with 2 gallons of water...a couple days I only made it to 1.5....but always more than I've been used to. I also cut out coffee and replaced with tea.(not for diet reasons. It was something that was suggested to me at my iridology appt. My body is very acidic, and coffee doesn't help that matter) Here is the link if you would like to read more about my iridology appt! :) http://operationcompetitionlean.blogspot.ca/2013/03/IridologyExperience.html

 

Sunday, I KINDA had a cheat day which was recommended. I'm a sugar ADDICT, so I didn't want to go too crazy. I've finally cut the cravings, so why would I want to revisit that right!? I ended up upping my calories to maintenance and allowing myself the few things that I already cut from my diet that I miss. (Banana, Sweet Potato...and my treat was Airpopped Popcorn with a bit too much Kernels Popcorn Spice! LOL)

 

My bodyfat and weight is still on a slow downward trend which is awesome. Technically I don't really have to change things at all since I'm still seeing progress, but I'm actually CRAVING some cardio! So, here are my progress pics for this week, followed by my goals for next week :)

 

 

 

 

This week, I'm keeping my calories at 1600, and sticking to the lower sugar intake I was doing last week! I'm also trying to intake 2 gallons of water/day. I'm still going to do the 5 day split with active rests....but I'm going to add three days of steady state cardio, just for 15 minutes. We'll see how my knees hadle that!!

 

This past Saturday, I went to the workshop for the NPAA. www.npaa.ca Organization!! It was a huge turnout!! So big, that they are doing another workshop later this month because there wasn't room for everyone!There are going to be a lot more competitors than I was expecting, which is kinda scary. I'm lucky I'm starting in Novice ;)  I learnt a lot about posing, but now I have to put it to practice! I want this to be second nature when my brain blanks out on stage, because we all know that's a huge possibility! HAHA I'm already having nightmares about it! LOL I have to work on my style, and being myself so that I don't have to think about it much, just go out there and have FUN!!!

Looking around the room, I certainly don't think I'm the best, but I think I'll be competitive. It's hard to know which category to go in?? There were a lot of girls practicing for fitness, who looked to have less muscle than me?? I may enter both categories, just to get more experience on stage and see where the judges place me (if at all) so I will know for next time. I KNOW that in a bigger event I would be in bikini. You can't help but compare yourself with others at these things...and it looks like my upper body is ok....but my lowerbody needs LOTS of help!!! Here are a couple pics from my phone.

 

 

 

In other words, the non diet goals this week, is lots of lower body work, a little cardio should help (I'll probably do some climbing on the excalator) AND last but no least, get those shoes out and practice for REAL, now that I know what is expected!!

 

After the workshop, I also got my tan booked (no need to stress about doing it myself for the first competition) and booked a meeting with a local suit maker (tooooo exciting) Hair and Make-Up is also booked :) WOHOO, things are coming together!

 

 

 

 

 

 

11 Weeks Out/ 4 Weeks till FEM Camp

Here are my progress pics for this week!! This past week I was eating 1600 Calories/day with a 30%Pro/40%Carb/30%Fat Macro Split. I did Week 8 of the James Wilson Body Earned Program, which is circuit training. Like Usual, no cardio! I'm saving the cardio for a last resort! Just like the previous week, I lost another LB and a tiny bit of Bodyfat, which is awesome! I'm glad that the losses are happening, but at a super slow pace! I do feel weaker since lowering my calories a few weeks ago, so I want this weight loss to be as slow as possible! I'm hoping to maintain as much muscle as I can through this process!

For this week, the plan is pretty similar! No need to cut anymore calories since I'm still seeing a downward trend! YAY. I will be making a few changes though. I'm doing week 9 of the Body Earned program, and from next week on, I think I'll go back to lifting as heavy as I can, one body part/day. I had a great chat with a friend who used to compete, and she suggested I start replacing my post breakfast carbs with more veggies. I WILL keep my sanity by having my Favorite meal of the day....OATMEAL, but after breakfast, i'll be replacing complex carbs with vegetables. Along with that, I'm going to TRY to get my water intake even higher! I've been drinking a gallon/day, but I'm going to try and add a litre extra for a few days...then add another hopefully!! Bring on the bathroom breaks! HAHA I'm increasing my protein a little, and decreasing my carbs...fat will stay the same. (40/30/30)

I'm toying with the idea of a cheat day...my friend suggested just trying a cheat meal since it's scaring the crap out of me! HAHA...guess there's no hurt in trying it for a couple of weeks just to see what happens! Not sure if I'll follow thru with that or not....I have been craving popcorn like nobodies business(no butter)...that's a farely safe cheat no?? HAHA

Anyway, here are my progress/accountability pics for this week!! Until Next Monday my fitness Friends!!....Well, I may actually post about my iridology experience tomorrow!! :) I can't wait!!