MichelleRisley

Great! Touch base with me when you can, and we'll get you going and on track for your May show! : )

You're doing fantastic, Zach!!! Now, begin paying more attention to how you feel based on your macros. They are quite variable from day to day, and I'd like to see you hit a more consistent range like 6 days a week, with a re-feed (higher macros) on the 7th.

1/9/12: Morning weight: 112.4 lbs Training: Legs/glutes Warm-up: 10 minutes on treadmill 5 min of yoga stretches Giant set: 4 x 10 Leg extensions Bb squats (wide stance) Smith machine squats (shoulder-width stance) Stationary lunges: 4 x 15 Leg press: 5 x 15 Bb stiff leg deadlifts: 5 x 8 Leg curls: 5 x 15 Calf press: 4 x 25 Stretching: 15 minutes Nutrition: Macros: Carbs 297 gm Protein 149 gm Fat 66 gm Water: 4.5 liters

Thanks, Robert! Have an amazing week, as well!

You're doing great! You've incorporated some great changes and the scale is moving! Yay! I just read your email. I'm glad to hear that you're "full of energy"! That's called more adequate nutrition and hydration, my friend. It only gets better and better! Now, if we could only get you sleeping better, things would really go up another notch! But keep at it. Step by step, day by day, you will reach your goals.

1/8/12: Afternoon weight (upon waking after working a night shift): 113.2 lbs Training: Rest day Nutrition: Total macros: Carbs 295 gm Protein 150 gm Fat 69 gm Water: 5 liters

1/7/12: Afternoon weight (upon waking after working a night shift): 113.4 lbs As expected, my weight is up after working last night. Some days, it can be as much as 2 lbs up after a night shift. I'm also working tonight and, therefore, will weigh tomorrow afternoon when I wake up. Training: Today was a cardio-only day: 30 minutes of high intensity stair intervals. Nutrition: Total macros: Carbs 303 gm Protein 151 Fat 68 gm Water: 5.5 liters

I'm so sorry, Jen! But kudos to you for not giving in to emotional eating. You should be very proud of yourself for that!!! (Big hug!) I know it's difficult. But try to channel your (not so pleasant) emotions into your fitness and nutrition. Make a vow to yourself to come out of all of this healthier, stronger (emotionally and physically), and looking better than ever. When you feel up to it, touch base with me. Again, I'm so sorry for what you're going through. Hugs!

Yes, I like to throw in some stability stuff in here and there, too. Core and stabily work are very important! If you're not already doing so, you can also get creative with medicine balls and the Bosu (turn it upside down). Keep updating me with your weight, water intake, and macros. How are you feeling? Energy? Strength? Sleeping well? Have an awesome rest of your day!

Fantastic, Zach! We'll having you looking and feeling even better in a few weeks! Keep up the great work!

Great job, Jesse! Your weight is consistently dropping. How is your energy and strength on your current macros? Be sure you're taking progress photos, in addition to weighing daily.

Updated entry for 1/6/12: I'm going to continue to be a bit behind and less detailed in my entries for the next few days. I began a block of shifts at the hospital on Thursday (evening shift), and then two night shifts on Friday and Saturday (getting off work Sunday morning and sleeping until afternoon). Then it's ON as I'm off until Thursday. I will have lots to catch up on, and of course I will be cheering for my boys in PURPLE & GOLD on Monday night. LSU-BAMA in the Superdome, New Orleans....GEAUX TIGERS!!! Morning weight: 112.2 lbs Nutrition: Total macros: Carbs 295 gm Protein 152 gm Fat 67 gm Total water: 5 liters Training: Currently, my weight training consists of a 3-day split, training major body parts once per week. Then I add an extra day, usually with supersets and giant sets, to train those areas where I'd like to see either more development &/or size. On Friday, I did a concentration on bis & tris, and threw in a few exercises for rear delts and legs / glutes: Warmup: 3 x 20 internal and external rotations Giant set: 5 x 8-12 reps each Machine curls Hammer curls Rope extensions Giant set: 5 x 8-12 reps each on first two exercises Incline bench curls Db skull crushers Dips (on bench with feet on exercise ball for extra core work) x 20 Diamond push-ups: 3 x 15 Superset: 5 x 12 Rear laterals Cable rope rows (focus on rear delts) Superset: 5 x 12 Smith machine squats Smith machine lunges Stretching: 10 minutes

You're not a fraud and you're doing great! Accountability is one of the biggest differences between good results and amazing results. Remember, it's not what you eat a few weeks out of the year that ruins your results; it's what you do rest of the 365 days that makes the difference. I splurge occasionally, too, when I'm not dieting for a show. But I always track what I eat and drink, every day. Knowing exacly what your nutrition is, and how it is affecting you, is the first step. Don't worry, we'll get you on track next week.

When you get a chance, email me and let me know how you're doing. I also need to know what your daily macros are (total gm of carbs, protein, fat), as well as your daily morning weight. You're doing great! I love all of the balance work on the balls. Those really hit your core. Have an amazing day!

When you get a chance, begin sending me (or posting here) your total macros each day. Thanks!...Will email you in a bit. Have an amazing day!

1/6/12: Morning weight: 112.2 lbs That's more like it...LOL...up by 0.4 lbs...It is normal and typical for me to flutuate by as much as a pound or two, up or down, from day to day. This is especially true when I'm working night shifts, and I don't weigh until I wake up in the afternoon (as this would be my "morning" after working all night, and sleeping most of the day). But dropping consistently, as I had been for almost a week, is something I only want to see when I'm actually trying to lose weight (body fat). I am working night shifts tonight and tomorrow night, so I expect my weight to be around 114 lbs when I wake up tomorrow afternoon. Okay...I'm off to it...Very busy day today, training in the afternoon, then working until 7:30am Saturday morning. I will update when I can. Have an awesome day, everyone!

Awesome on the drop in weight, Zach! And I'm glad to see the increase in your overall nutrition. You will need it to fuel the workouts and for muscle building. But we will probably still need to do a bit of tweaking, based on several different factors over the next few days. How is your energy level on these macros? How is your strength and endurance during workouts? What volume of water is the 5-6 glasses? If you haven't already done so, begin taking some progress photos every week or so. Great job! Keep it going.

1/5/12: Morning weight: 111.8 lbs My weight is still dropping and I'm now lower than my pre-Holidays weight. I was supposed to do cardio (intervals) today. But since my weight is lower than it needs to be, NO CARDIO TODAY. From the progress photos I took this morning, it doesn't appear that I've lost any muscle. In fact, it looks like I may have gained a little size. If my weight continues to drop over the next day or two, I will increase my macros slightly. Today is also a scheduled rest day from weight training. Nutrition: Meal 1: Smoothie with brown rice protein, banana, pear, glutamine Meal 2: Apple with raw almond butter Meal 3: Quinoa and broccoli, curried cawliflower, seitan Meal 4: Chocolate "mousse" made with silken tofu, raw cacao, dates Meal 5: Broccoli chowder, black beans, avocado slices Meal 6: Red beans and rice (throwing in some cajun style meals as we get closer to the BCS Championship game---GEAUX TIGERS!) Meal 7: "Ice cream" made with frozen banana, almond milk, vanilla Water with glutamine Total macros: Carbs: 307 Protein: 149 Fat: 70 Water: 4.5 liters

Eat as much kale as you want! It's a sooooo packed with nutrition!!! I agree, as you use up all of those canned goods, replace them with staples and ingredients to prepare your own meals. Try some new recipes. If you have a crock pot, they're great for soups, baking sweet potatoes, steaming stuffed bell peppers, all sorts of things. Have fun and experiment with new ways to prepare your food.

I sent you an email a few hours ago...Once you begin tracking your macros, I can get a better feel for where you are with your nutrition and how it's affecting your weight. So keep track of that, too. Looking forward to helping you reach your goals....By the way, your back looks amazing!

Thanks for the very organized and detailed journal updates. It helps me tremendoulsy. And based on your emails, I can tell you are very organized and disciplined. Once you get home from holiday, I'd like to see your daily macros and daily weights (either here or via email). Your nutrition training and background will definitely help you prepare for your contest. Keep up the great work and enjoy the rest of your trip! Touch base when you get a chance...

Robert is right, Jesse. Your journal is very organized and it's very easy for me to zero in on the info I'm looking for. I see your weight is down by more than a pound today. Awesome, but we don't want you dropping too quickly. I'm definitely going to have you eating more soon. I just want to see what your weight does for another day or so. But keep eating smaller meals, more often. And keep your water intake up. Drop me an email when you get a chance. I'm interested in how your energy level is, with the increase in cardio and adding another day for weight training. If you're hungry in the evening, especially if you trained within the previous few hours, EAT! You gotta fuel those muscles!! And be sure you're eating adequately both before AND after your training. You're doing fantastic! Keep up the great work!

Awesome! Thanks for posting the "before" photos...You already look good, girl....Now, let's get to work on getting you looking FABULOUS!!! I'm going to send you an email shortly...

Thanks for checking in, Jen. I realize it's very difficult to drink water when it's so cold!! But I cannot stress this enough: adequate water intake is critical to achieving your goals. Not only does being even slightly dehydrated cause you to retain water and look puffy (the body's attempt to rehydrate itself), but it can actually decrease your metabolism. Try drinking water at room temperature, or drink it hot with a squeeze of lemon or lime in it (but no sweeteners or any other flavorings, not even the zero-calorie stuff). When you get a chance, email me with a breakdown of what you're eating, total daily macros (grams of protein, fat, carbs), and what your daily weights have been. Thanks! Keet at it...day by day and step by step...that's how it's done...

1/4/12: Morning weight: 112.6 lbs I'm almost back to my pre-Holidays weight. It's coming off quickly, despite the fact that my macros haven't changed, which means most of it was water retention. My body is a sponge and retains a lot of water when I'm not eating clean or if I'm even only slightly dehydrated. I didn't deviate from my macro totals at all during the holidays; I factored in everything I ate. The macros the past few days are exactly the same as I ate during the Holidays. The only difference: I've been eating clean and drinking enough water...See what big a difference that can make?! I've lost 1.4 lbs in two days without changing my macro totals at all. And I've only done cardio once in the past week (yesterday). Training: back and bis (no cardio) Warmup: 5 min on eliptical Underhand rows with ez curl bar 5 x 10 Partial dead lifts 6 x 8 Decline db pullovers 5 x 10 Superset: 5 x 10 each Db rows Seated cable rows Ez bar curls 5 x 10 Hammer curls 4 x 15, plus 1 drop set to failure Stretching: 10 minutes Nutrition: I am heading to bed...I have an early day (well, early for me LOL) tomorrow and it's going to be a busy one!...So I'm just going to post my macros, rather than detail each meal. Carbs: 306 gm Protein: 150 gm Fat: 66 gm Water: 5 liters