September 30th, 2013 begins my journey tthrough contest preparation. Week 1, hitting my macros at 40/30/30. That breaks down to 40% protein, 30% carbs and 30% fat with a total net calorie budget of approximately 1550-1580. This range was calculated based on age, current weight, goal weight and daily activity level.  While I'm starting at 23.4% body fat just one week before starting the diet/training, I expect the process to be gradual.  I have in the past used MyFitnessPal app to track my nutrition but this time, based on the recommendation of my Coach, I am using Lose It. So far, it has done well for me.  My only gripe is not being able to plan a day in advance (apparently that's a "premium" feature). As of right now, I think I can live without it.

Meal prep went like this:

Breakfast: 1/3 cup Rolled Oats, 1/2 cup blueberries, 4 egg whites

Snack:  1 scoop of Whey protein shake, 1 brown rice rice cake and 1 tablespoon of unsalted natural peanut butter

Lunch:  4 oz canned chicken, 1 cup broccoli, 1/2 cup of brown rice, 3 oz of prepackaged salad, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup of marinara sauce

Snack: 1 scoop of whey protein shake, 1/2 greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter

Dinner: 4 oz canned chicken, 3 oz of prepackaged salad, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

Snack:  1/2 cup of strawberries, 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed

This was my typical meal during week 1 but as the week went on, I made adjustments to my taste and fine tuned my macros to reach my goal percentage the best I could.

Everyday I carried a gallon of water with me to work and everywhere else I would go to ensure that I consumed at LEAST that amount of water, having done that was a success.  I never went a day without finishing that jug of water.

My week 1 training routine was pretty basic, 3 days weights and 3 days cardio.  I have to admit the cardio was the difficult part for me since I have to perform 30 minutes of interval training on the eliptical machine. I lifted on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays performing only compound exercises and did my cardio on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

My mood was pretty steady, hunger was never a BIG issue although I did have some night time munchie cravings but I never gave in.  I even survived my first weekend of having no alcohol whatsoever.  To be honest, that's one of the hardest part for me because I LOVE having a glass of wine on a occasion. Staying disciplined and strong-willed, I was able to get through social gatherings with friends without a single cheat.

Week 1 of contest prep officially concluded. I'm excited for this journey.