Training: Week Thirteen

IT'S PEAK WEEK!!!!!!
Peak week is the week I've had the most hesitation about and the one that I've worried about the most in this journey.  It's the week that emotions are all over the place, and it's the week that my mental grit is tested more than anything else.  It's also the week that I've been trying to be the most aware of because if anything negative showed up during this process, this is the week it would appear (mood swings, outbursts, doubts, crashes, etc.) and I don't want anything about this journey to be negative.  So it's finally here!

Sunday:  Most of Sunday's meals stayed consistent (high carb day) but I did have to cut my peanut butter consumption down to only 1 Tbsp.  That was sad.  And today wasn't a typical rest day; we squeezed in one last pump for lower body before letting those larger muscles take some time off to rest and recover.  I also found myself not tracking my carbs as closely as I probably should have.  Mind vs. Tummy went to the tummy in that round. :-/

Monday:  Today was the start of the absolute worst part of the nutrition plan:  NO CARBS!  I get 3 meals a day, plus PB at night, and my 3 main meals consist of 6oz chicken, and 4oz green leafy vegetables.  That's right...a delicious meal of chicken and asparagus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  I know, just control your jealousy.  It took about 3 hours to finally get almost all of breakfast down, but lunch was a lot smoother.  Not mouth-watering or anything, but it was better.  I felt a little light-headed at times, but not as bad as I expected.  And I managed to choke down most all of each meal.
Workout was lighter today, but still tough.  We did chest, tri's, and shoulder's trying to get them pumped up.  I was very pleased with the results of the workout and the definition I could see.  I'm hoping that it was a forecast of what's to come on Saturday!

Tuesday:  Tuesday was a lot of the same as Monday.  I did switch up my meals and instead of chicken and asparagus for every meal I lived on the wild side and had asparagus with chicken.  No it's not the same as the day before!  I switched it up!  ...It's all a matter of perspective right now, and I'm doing whatever it takes!  I didn't feel as bad as I expected on Tuesday, but I also don't really know what I was expecting either.  I heard lots of people say my mind would be foggy and that I'd be weak, but I really didn't feel that way.  And to my knowledge, not once have I been bitchy.  Well, except the time someone at work left a whole pack of KitKats on the counter and I told them they were all assholes.  Oops.
Workout was again lighter, this time focusing on back and bi's.  I definitely felt weaker during the end of the workout, but I pushed through and got it done!
Today was the day that everyone has asked me "What's next?" and I couldn't really answer them.  My only answer was that for a few days I was going to eat what I wanted without tracking or weighing it, and then would go from there.  I really haven't thought about "what's next".  Do I want to continue working out?-Absolutely.  Do I want to keep up with the healthy eating habits I've had to acquire?-Yes, but I do like the thought of not having to track everything all the time.  Do I want to compete again?-I actually think I do.  I just don't know when.

Wednesday:  Today was a bit of a doozie at times.  Today is when I had to cut my water down to 80oz to start the process of pulling the water from under my skin.  You don't realize how thirsty you get until you're told you can only have a certain amount!
Breakfast and lunch were pretty much the same, but I did choose to have green beans rather than asparagus.  I was tired of smelling! :-)  Dinner was especially exciting because I got to add in my SWEET POTATO!!!  It was the most delicious thing I've put in my mouth in a week, and I think I inhaled the thing!
I had a couple of moments during the day where I had "dietary hallucinations" in that at one point I could literally taste chocolate chip cookies in my mouth (no I wasn't eating any), and then later in the day I could smell warm chocolate poptarts!  I've been saying I'm going to Olive Garden after the competition, but I'm thinking I just need to eat a big piece of chocolate cake!!
Energy was okay, but around 6:00 in the evening I all of a sudden felt like I had been hit by a truck!  It seemed to take everything I had to hold my head up and form coherent thoughts, but I made it until I could have my peanut butter and then I hit the sack.

Thursday:  We are off to a sluggish start today.  Energy has tanked today and from what I'm told it will be worse tomorrow.  Even holding the steering wheel seemed to take more effort and energy than I had!  I did get to have sweet potato for breakfast rather than asparagus and opted for fish instead of chicken.  I actually get to have brown rice at lunch too so I'm finally kind of looking forward to my meals again.  And Coach has reassured me that I get to have a NORMAL breakfast (eggs, oatmeal, banana) on Saturday morning which is only two sleeps away, so there is light at the end of this tunnel!!  Now excuse me while I go take a nap.

Friday:  It's Show Day Eve, and I am for the most part just pumped and running on adrenaline!  I'm thirsty as water is very restricted today in order to force my body to absorb any excess water from under the skin, but I've got a full pack of sugar-free gum to help with not only dry mouth but cravings as well.  Check-in's start at 2pm and I'm afraid that's when all the jitters will hit me.  But for now I'm just staying busy with housework, prepping today's meals and packing my bag for the big day tomorrow.  There are a few minor things that could stress me out, but right now everything just is what it is and I'm not worrying about anything.  Well, doing my best not to worry about anything!  We'll see where my head's at in a few hours!