Alychef

Very cool...thanks! Really looking forward to it I also just received my copy of Off the Hoof....from the UK site. It's great!!! I'm on my way with Melissa's training program, I'm doing really well. Now all that remains to do is to work out my career issues!!! I'm bored stupid of my job..and would much prefer to be in the fitness world!! Thanks again..Aly

Wow that was hard! Just done my workout with a bit of a head cold...plus been to Manchester for Comedy and Jilly's night club!! Thank goodness I don't drink!!! Yesterday's and today's food was a bit all over the place... Yesterday went like this: 2 scoop soya protein drink with barley grass first thing ( about 35g protein) Gillian McKeith energy bar in the car...7%protein, 65% carb, 3% fat...bar weighs 70g. Few naughty sweet treats on arrival, only a bit though Meal in china town - big plate of tofu, and I mean big! For me anyway, prob about 250g tofu! Asked for it not to be deep fried as per the menu...no rice or noodles! Had plent of carb in the energy bar. Lots of water whilst out.. Then a salad platter before bed..no dressing. Today was a bit trickier... 1 soya yoghurt in car, 1 gillian's energy bar tea - out...a good size bowl of bean casserole with a salad plate That was it, feeling a bit sluggish and couldn't manage anymore today. Workout: Did biceps, abs, lunges and shoulder press before leaving yesterday morning. mostly 3 x 12, biceps 6kg shoulder press the same 3 x 100 crunches on the ab roller lunges, 3 x 12 with 5kg each hand..reps each leg Cardio 20mins - brisk walk with K9 Tonight: seated rear lats - 3 x 12 3kg bent arm lat raise - same front raise - same 3 x 50 crunches on fit ball 3 x 12 split lunges with 5 kg each hand 3 x 12 3kg kick back glutes Had xtend throughout cardio was walking for miles around Manchester this morning! V tired now...toddler monster up early in the morning!

Day 2 of training (officially) Well, I’m finding the food intake changes a bit difficult! It’s a lot for me…but I’m trying. I having quite a bit more protein…and more frequent meals. I just about fit in 2/3rds of what I was supposed to have. Not bad!! I’ve managed a full weights workout: 3 x 12 x 15.5lbs overhead press 3 x 12 x 33lbs upright row 3 x 12 x (2 x 8.8lbs) lat raises 3 x 15 x 22lbs split lunges each leg 3 x 50 twist crunches on fit ball 3 x 25 back raises on fitball, This is all after a rubbish day at work starting at 0830. I’ve got my son ready for bed…got all my work stuff ready for tomorrow and done a 1000 doc for work. I managed cardio too on the exercise bike…yuk!

Well, started with the personal training program today…OMG my legs are going to fall off!!! What a workout. I was told my legs would be trembling and they most certainly were!! So, this was my workout: 3 x 12 x 25kg Single Leg Leg Press 3 x 12 x 5kg each arm Incline Flys 3 x 12 x 10kg Rope Pulldown (found this particularly difficult!! Unchartered waters!) 3 x 12 x 30kg Leg Extension 12 x 15 Dips 3 x 6 Pushups 3 x 15 x 22.5kg Standing Calf Raises Extra, 3 x 8 x 14kg barbell bicep curls My food for the day: Protein shake with loads a fruit Protein and raw food bar Lentil soup 12 almonds Marinated and baked tofu, salad of celery, greens, tomatoes, spring onions, cucumber and hot pepadew peppers! 3 pieces Fresh fruit (planned but no room!) My knee is a bit painful from the leg press I think. I thoroughly loved the workout! The girls in worked asked to my tidy muscles today…which have improved again since my recent pix. They were most impressed..felt really good 

So, what I was going to write the other night was.............. I was at the gym,and amazingly have upped my over head shoulder press, free weights to 2 x 6kg dumbells, 3 sets of 8!!! That's a whole total of a 2kg increase!!! I was so pleased. Plus, I went a did my free weights reps with a ll the big boys in the specific area of the gym, rather than taking the weights I want and going away to a different corner. I felt soooooo confident. But I guess all of that was after one of the trainers asked me about my vegan diet..and my approch to strenght training. I told him I was planning to do a Vegan Fitness Nutrition Course so I can advise others. Then HE said, well when you finished it...come and speak to me cos him and a friend are opening a free weights core strength training studio and want to provide some holisitc stuff for clients. PLUS he said they want to use me for pix and a testimony to show vegans and veggies how it's possible to weight train with such a diet!!! And they want me write something up for them to use as, and I quote " you're obviously in good shape, care about your body...and are great advert for any woman who wants to get into body building"!!!! OMG howcool was that. Ifelt really honoured and extremely flattered. Also, I'm getting good in pull up training on the bars. I can do 10x1 sets of slow drop down from rasied position...in prep for when I can lift myself up from lowered. Gym tonight, so I'll dropin to update later. Off work now! V tired as completed a 5000 word project last night for uni!!

Damned internet, was half way writing my blog for today, which was amazing...only to lose connection half way thru. I'll do it tomorrow, bed now. Work ealry tomorrow. Goodnight!!!

Hmmm, ok I'll keep it in mind. Thanks

Hi, I went to the sports store before going to the gym tonight, in search of gloves as my hands are getting quite sore from using free weights and pull up bars etc. The were all leather! Does anyone know if non-leather gloves exist? Keep in mind I'm in the UK Thanks, Aly.

Well, went to the gym tonight...after a very long day at work, so I'm knackered! Did nearly all my ususal workout, but did some different new stuff too. Workout: Cardio warm up 5 mins level 4 on bike 3 x 10 x (2x5kg) over head shoulder press 3 x 8 x 7kg screw bicep each arm 3 x 15 x split lunch each leg with 2 x 4kg 2 x 25 crunches - head to chest and knee to chest simultaneous Cable squats with 35kg 3 x 12 rep back lifts on fitball - 1 x 25 rep frame - bar lifts, 10, with aid of foot rest..shortened bicep to slow release (make sense?) Not too much as got talking to the fitness guy in the gym. Pretty good news really, he has just started a business with a frined, the friend does massage and he does the personal fitness training. They're after someone to join them from time to time giving talks on vegan and vegetarian nutrition. I'd better get my skates on with some study to finish my nutrition consultant diploma, so I get on and do the Vegan and Vegetarian Nutrition Consultant Diploma (level 3) This is really where I want to be....not in the charity work I'm doing now, it's draining me of my passion dayby day. The trainer from the gym also asked if I would be prepared to write a testimony with a couple of pix! He said I would be a fine advertisement for a vegan female body builder, and felt it would encourage more women to get into it. Cool or what, I felt really honoured.....and buzzing!! Food today: 40gm hemp & soya protein shake with barley grass and strawberries half a sprouted raw food bar roasted tofu, spinach and seed salad with pepper, celery, watercress, cucumber and tomato other half of sprouted raw food bar spicy lentil soup with mushroomsand soya beans Lots of nice tea with soy milk. I so need to get into water!!!

Hell's Bells!!! I've been reading your blog...from the beginning! Talk about committment, how do you fit it all in? An inspiration for other women I'd say. I'm just at the start of my journey, but I really hope to be able to keep it up. It's often difficult for me to get to the gym.... BTW do you happen to know how to get a photo of yourself up on the side of your posts. I've looked in editting my profile, but can't seem to find it. Bye for now, Aly

Wow, you've madesome incredible changes!! I work 4 days a week and have a 2 yr old son...so makes getting to the gym a bit tricky. Plus I get tired a lot. I want to retrain really...and go back into food/nutrition and vegan consultancy. Not much call for it though, that's the problem! I'd like to have a cafe/bistro serving only vegetarian and vegan food. As well as vegan products such as jackets, belts and shoes. Maybe even some vegan specfic candy (we call it sweets). I just bought myself a 'fake leather' vegan jacket. It's really cool, bomber jacket style.Really looks like leathr and it's really warm too! Just what I need in this weather. Anyway, I'm turning in now, the toddler monster will be waking me up at stupid o'clock tomorrow! I'll try and get a pic of my tat!

Wow!incredibly helpful graphics. Now I understand fully. The tat is a Mauri gheko..on the rib cage! And no it didn't hurt too bad. Not sure how I'm gona get pix of my back...might have to ask someone else to do it for me. Skin has vastly improved since becoming vegan and having lots of barley grass powder and vit sups. There just doesn't seem to be the interest over here for a vegan lifestyle. I mean, there is some...and lots of raw foodists, which I tried for a while, but to be honest I missed my soups and tofu. I just signed up to the online personal trainer program advertised atthis forum. Not heard anything yet. Do you work out and work too?

OMG!! It must be becuase I'm from Wales or something...what on earth is a DELT and even more so, a TAT?? Help me out here??? Plus, which bit of my bicep is the SHORTHEAD?? And you can see my lats? Yes, my middle is prob the fav bit of my bod and that's after having a baby too!! I went flat within weeks. Now flat is not enoyugh. Me want ripped!!

Thanks!! It was however, taken before I'd eaten. I'm sure why, but my definition seems to decrease after food. I'd like to get to a stage where it just gets ripped, and stays ripped! Long way to go then eh?

Aha....yes, they're not too bad. It took many, many goes though! So is it only the photo quality that's any good? Or are the muscles any good!!??

As promised...some pics! I thought I'd been doing this bodybuilding lark for about 5 or 6 months....but no, I'm mistaken. It's more like 3 months. Not long at all. I've made much more progress than I thought! Anyway, today, I just signed up for Melissa's online personal training program. So watch this space! 12 weeks of planning, training and eating well. We'll see what the results are. I must admit it's really tricky doing self portrait pix.

Well, I finally got around to taking some pics!! Here they are, me some 5 or 6 months down the line of my body building career! So I just signed for a 12 week online personal personal training program with Melisaa!!! Watch this space! My weeny biceps! Well, weeny for me...I'm not exactly big anywhere! My abs!

So, here I am again...back in the forum. Been away from here for a while, but that's not to say I haven't been working out. I've been exactly that..and more than before. I've also been studying for my master's degree...which I've really had enough of now and I'd much ratyher be in the gym in my spare time. I've got to the point now where I don't how much of the weight on the scales is me and how much is the muscle I've developed over the last few months. There really is a marked difference and I wish I'd taken some 'before' pix to compare with. I'm lifting more now too...I can do 2 x 7kg screw biceps and 2 x 5kg over the head chest press. I can lift a fair bit on some of the cable machines like 35kg on lat pull downs. I'm doing all kinds of crunches an ab workouts, usually in sets of 25 x 4. I do knee to chest and head to chest simultaneously...for extra pain! Just came back from holiday in the South of France, took my resistance strap with me so I could train there too. Was still doing lunges, crunches and push ups. I got a real shock when I went to a kids playground, I went on the monkey bars as I wanted to see if I could pull myself up. Well, I couldn't quite do that, but I did manage it from the 'up' position rather than extended. So I held the bar above my head, clambered up with my feet so my arms were folded in and biceps clenched..then lowered myself slightly and managed to lift myself up 3 times!!! Man it hurt the next day! Still same ole diet...quinoa, tofu, hemp protein and barley grass. Loadsa greens and few carbs and fat...high protein. I like it that way, I'm at my healthiest. My behind and thighs are still needing work, but Rome wasn't built in a day! It's high time I got some photos on here too I just subscribed to VegNews...looking forward to getting all that thru the post. I want to come over to the US and meet everyone there!!! Not many girls into body building around here. They all just think I'm at the gym to lose weight!!! I only weigh 44kgs!!!! Plus, I only know 1 or 2 vegans, loadsa vegetarians. I did well on hols for food. Found a store selling tofu and soya yogz etc!! Ok, so photo next. I'll see what I can do.

Good to be back! A combination of my computer not working, and my asthma..I've been away from my blog. I'm finally 'back in the room' so to speak and raring to go! I have been working out quite a bit, and upping the weights little by little. I'm now doing a full 1 hour of mostly strength training, I only do a 5 minute cardio warm up. I've added in some machine/cable work as I find this gives me more of a stable and isolated training session. I realise that I will develop better balance with free weights, but I'm only 5'2" and I get a bit worried when I'm waving 8kg around over my head!! I went on the fat perventage scales the other day, which was a bit of a silly experience. Despite my increase in muscle and especially width across my lats...weight remaining stable...the machine tried telling that my fat percentage had increased and I'd gained a whole KG of fat! I went to speak to the fitness instructors who told me I shouldn't really bother with the machines as their results and measurements can be so erratic . In actual fact when I did the whole measurement of fat percentage with a tape measure around my neck, middle, wrist, fore arm and hips I came up with an approx calc of around 17% body fat. Dunno if I did it right! Food, well that's been a bit allover the place, but today I had a brunch of flaked quinoa prridge, soy yoghurt, seeds and strawberries. I had some fruit this afternoon and then a good salad with al kids of stuff in it and some roasted marniated tofu. Yummy! Hopefully I'll be able to carry this blogging on again now.

I can't seem to work out where I'm up to in terms of body fat percentage. I used the machine in the gym when I first started going...and used it again today. Today it said I'd gained a kilo of body fat. I don't get this at all as I weigh the same if not slightly less and I know I've gained muscle....I don't get it at all. Then I did some calculations manually and that worked out some 10% variation (less) than the machine!! I'm lost with this one...I know I've lost body fat and gained muscle. Aly

Finally back to health.......I think! Yesterday I managed to a full gym workout. I got back to eating really well after my weekend of carbs, unintentional of course. I felt great this morning when I got up...the muscles have definitely been worked. I managed to up the weights on the inner and outer thigh machines to 45kg. I don't want to up i too much or my legs might expand rather than define!! The usual workout then, 3 x 12 of everything! Then I got home and 3 x 12 screw biceps with 5kg plus some tricep back kicks also with 5kg. I also did some shoulder press lifts with the 5kgs...that was extremely tough! I'm getting some real shape in upper body now; abs, shoulders, bi and triceps...shoulders are looking pretty good too. It's time to getsome photos. Food was good, wasn't too hungry last night though. Went like this: Soy and barley grass srink in the morning Tofu and sald with mixed seeds for lunch, low fat dressing and some fruit. A sprouted seed protein/energy bar before the gym Same as lunch for dinner plus plenty of steamed broccoli. I need to try and get some variation!!

Back in the loop! This damn chest infection has been really getting me down. I would n't mind but generally I'm far more healthy than any of the meat eaters I know..I take all my supplements and still I get sick. I was meant to get to the gym on Friday but wasn't well enough...then went away Saturday overnight. I took my trusty exercise band...the stretchy kind that simulates resistance like when lifting weights etc. I did some of that in the hotel room and the ususual 100 crunches split down in to 2 x 30 and 1 x 40. Food was hard work as we were short of time on Saturday. I was looking for a vegan/veggie take out outlet in Manchester, only to find it had closed down! So ended up with carbs - baeked potato with baked beans and a side salad. Better than nothing I guess. No veggie spread on the potato, and some vinaigrette on the salad which I manage to leave most of behind cos it was nearly swimming in it! Sunday was another carby day...we went to our usual organic cafe in Manchester, homemade soup - and bread! I only ate a small amount of bread..then a bean wrap, carbs again! I was still feeling under the weather lastnight so only managed my crunches yesterday. I have my gym stuff with me to go after work today. I don't seem to be coughing this morning..so I'll see how I go. I'm also back to normal with my meals, I've packed my lunch - sproute mung beans and alfalfa with salad leave, sunflower seeds and tomatoes, a reduced fat dressing and some fruit. I'll have my protein drink this morning for breakfast, with the old barley grass powder. Tonight, not sure. I think maybe some marinated tofu. OK, checking out for now.

Just out of interest which hemp powder do you use? I tried nutirivita and it was like drinking sand! The hemp isolate I have is raw also, just not entirely sure I can stomach it. I do obviously want the best for my body...I have plenty of omegas in my diet and take a vegan omega supplement too.

Managed to get to the gym tonight...I wasn't really upto it. Ended up taking a couple of cold n flu capsules...aching and sore throat oh great!!! I only just got over a chest infection again. I think it's because I'm tired. It didn't stop me going to gym tho, I did my usual work out, just switched around a little. Food has been ok today...except, I found sweets in the bottom of my work bag..and ate them!!! I did feel rather unwell and guilty. I still haven't had too many calories...but it's the processed sugar I feel bad about. Oh well, no more where they came from. We live and learn!