Bodybuilding.com - Transformation Of The Week - Carole Ingram!

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Did you know?
There are two types of fat - saturated 'bad' fat and unsaturated 'good' fat.

I knew I was in desperate shape! I felt awful and I was ashamed of my body and it was showing in my mental attitude. Well I was determined not to let myself get down this time. I want to feel sexy again. See below how my transformation came about.

Transformation Of The Week - Carole Ingram!

By: Carole Ingram

In 12 weeks, I lost 21 lbs of fat & gained 12 lbs in muscles! My before picture was taken on 1-27-05 and my after was taken 4-25-05.

Before:
142 lbs
BF: 32.4%
Age: 25
Size: 12
Height: 5'4
Waist: 33"
Thighs: 23"
Hips: 37.75"

After:
133 lbs
BF: 18.8%
Age: 25
Size: 6
Height: 5'4"
Waist: 27"
Thighs: 22"
Hips: 33.5"

Why I Got Started

When the following words came out of my husband's mouth "Do you want me to paint those on you?" referring to my size 12 jeans, I knew I was in desperate shape! I felt awful and I was ashamed of my body and it was showing in my mental attitude. After having our beautiful daughter, regaining my pre-pregnancy body back just seemed impossible.

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I knew it could be done, but could I actually do it? My clothes just kept "shrinking" on me (ha!) and I had to buy bigger sized clothes which just made me even more miserable! I was "fed" up about being "fed" up! I wanted to feel sexy again and this desire fuelled me to get started and keep moving! I was determined that I wasn't going to let myself down this time!

How I Did It

In the middle of January 2005, I joined a local Gold's Gym; they had an awesome membership deal that I just couldn't pass up. After two weeks of training, I stumbled across the Body-for-Life program and that's where my transformation started. I read the book and immediately wanted to get moving and stick to it for 12-weeks.

It really helped me understand how to put nutrition, supplementation and exercise all together. I also read other books, online articles (Bodybuilding.com is one of my favorite websites to visit!), magazines, etc, to help me with my transformation and stay motivated. I also got Monica Brant to send me an autographed picture and posted it right beside my computer desk! Talk about motivation!

I took my before pictures and measurements (pictures don't lie!). Each two weeks, I would take a new set of pictures and take my measurements. I have learned that the scale is a poor indicator of progress; I suggest that you only use them as an "FYI" and not worry about the #'s too much.

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I was also able to find an online support group to help me throughout my transformation; it helped me stay accountable, many of them were eager to see me succeed.

Writing down my goals! We all know what they are but so many of us don't write them down! They worked as my guide and helped me stay focused on my long-term goals. Like Monica Brant's kindly put into words for me: "Stay focused on your dreams & goals", I took her advice and made sure that I wrote my daily, weekly and monthly goals.

I also logged all of my daily workouts into a journal, this ensured that I was progressing and using the correct amount of weights.

I also ate 6 small well-balanced meals, trying to stay as close as 40/40/20 (protein/carb/fat) ratio.

What Supplements Did I Take?

I take the following supplements:

EAS Betagen
EAS ThermoDynamX
Myoplex Lite Ready-to-Drink Shakes
Myoplex Lite Powder
Whey Protein
Myoplex Carb Sense Bars
and a multi-vitamin.
I also on occasion take "Fish Oil" supplements, which contain healthy fats such as Omega-3, etc.

How I Take Them:

Betagen:

ThermoDynamX: Two capsules twice a day, weekends off. After a 12 cycle, take a two week break and start again.

Myoplex Lite Powder: One or two shakes a day.

Myoplex Lite RTD's: Used when traveling! Who said you couldn't stick to a nutrition program when traveling?!?

Myoplex Carb Sense Bars: Helped me a lot when I needed to curve my sweet tooth! Cookies N' Cream is my favorite!

Sample Week Of My Diet

I can't say that it's a diet for me; it's now more of a way of life and eating healthy! I would also have a "Free Day" (Sundays), where I would eat whatever my little heart desired. However, I now only have one good cheat meal a week, dessert included!

Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7 (Free Day!)

Meal 1:

Natural Unmixed Peanut Butter

Meal 2: Myoplex Lite Shake (mixed with water)

Meal 3: 4 oz Baked Salmon, Steamed Broccoli and one portion of wheat rice. Water

Meal 4: 1/2 cup of Cottage Cheese with Peaches (Post CarbWell). Water.

Meal 5: Chicken Salad with Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette and low-fat parmesan cheese, one small baked sweet potato. Water with Lemon.

Meal 6: Tuna Pancakes (one can of tuna, 3 egg whites, salt and pepper to taste). Water.

What You Would Typically Find In My Refrigerator & Cabinets:

Lean Ground Beef, Lean Ground Turkey, Lean Ground Chicken, Turkey Breast, Chicken Breast, Tuna, Canned Tuna, Salmon, Eggs
Cottage Cheese, Natural Unmixed Peanut Butter, Hood CarbWell 2% Milk, Fat-free Sour Cream
Broccoli, Asparagus, Zucchini, Green Beans, Brussels Sprouts, Romaine Lettuce, Carrots, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Portabella Mushrooms, Salsa, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes
Whole-wheat Rice, Whole-wheat Low Carb Bread, etc.

Food Nutrient Database.
Find out how many grams of protein, carbs and fat are in the foods you eat, along with the full vitamin and mineral profile.
[ Click here to learn more. ]

What Did A Sample Week Of Training Consist Of?

Each week, my training consistent of 3 weight training days and 3 HIIT (high intensity interval training) cardio sessions. I only do my abs twice a week, and trained them as any other bodypart, with resistance!

* Each of these exercises where done immediately after the last set of the first exercise for each muscle group. You should hit muscle failure on your last rep! You should increase your weights with each set, for the exception of the last set of 12 for the first exercise.

Day 1 (UBWO - Upper Body Workout):
(progressive heavier weights) Sets Reps

Chest Inclined Dumbbell Press 5 12, 10, 8, 6, 12

Dumbbell Flyes* 1 12

Back DB Rows 5 12, 10, 8, 6, 12

Pull Ups (machine assisted) 1 12

Shoulders DB Presses 5 12, 10, 8, 6, 12

Lateral Raises* 1 12

Bicep DB Curls 5 12, 10, 8, 6, 12

Standing Cable Curls* 1 12

Tricep Skull Crushers 5 12, 10, 8, 6, 12

DB Kickbacks* 1 12

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Day 1.

Day 2 (HIIT Cardio)
	5 minutes warm-up, 20 minutes of HIIT Cardio Session (running was my 1st choice!), and 5 minutes cool-down. Each session consistent of four minutes interval training (for a total of 5 sessions), in which each minute, I would increase my speed. (for example: min 1 @ 6.0 mph, min 2 @ 6.4 mph, min 3 @ 6.8 mph, min 4 @ 7.4 mph, min 5 @ 6.0 mph, min 6 @ 6.4 mph, min 7 @ 6.8 mph, etc.)
		Sets	Reps
ABS	Seated Machine Crunches	5	12, 10, 8, 6, 12
ABS	Leg Raises	1	12

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Day 2.

Day 3 (LBWO - Lower Body Workout): (progressive heavier weights)		Sets	Reps
Quads	Leg Press	5	12, 10, 8, 6, 12
Quads	Squats*	1	12
Hamstring	Bench Lunges	5	12, 10, 8, 6, 12
Hamstring	Single Leg Curl*	1	12
Calf	Seated Calf Raises	5	12, 10, 8, 6, 12
Calf	Standing Calf Raises*	1	12
Glutes	Kickbacks	4	12, 10, 8, 12
Glutes		*	*

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Day 3.

Day 4 (HIIT Cardio)
	5 minutes warm-up, 20 minutes of HIIT Cardio Session (running was my 1st choice!), and 5 minutes cool-down. Each session consistent of four minutes interval training (for a total of 5 sessions), in which each minute, I would increase my speed. (for example: min 1 @ 6.0 mph, min 2 @ 6.4 mph, min 3 @ 6.8 mph, min 4 @ 7.4 mph, min 5 @ 6.0 mph, min 6 @ 6.4 mph, min 7 @ 6.8 mph, etc.)

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Day 4.

Day 5 (UBWO - Upper Body Workout):
(Same As Day 1)

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Day 5.

Day 6 (HIIT Cardio):
(Same As Day 2)

Click Here For A Printable Log Of Day 6.

Day 7 Off Day

The following week, the cycle would start over again, but starting with my LBWO. Some weeks I would train my upper body twice and some weeks would be lower body. Each four weeks, I would revamp my entire workout program (for the exception of cardio). I also prefer working with Free Weights vs. Cable Machines.

Suggestions For Others.

Drink plenty of water, at least 10 - 8 oz glasses a day! If you drink coffee/caffeinated soda, it's a good idea to drink more water throughout the day (general rule: one cup of coffee, drink an additional one cup of water).
Take your measurements! You'll want to know if you are shrinking or gaining in size!
Lose the scale! Okay well may be not... but remember, the scale is a poor indicator of your progress, use it as a tool only and DON'T waste your time worrying about it.
Write down your short term and long term goals.
Stay consistent and work hard! If you slip up, learn to forgive and forget! Don't beat yourself up and just keep plugging away!
Keep a journal of your workouts and one for your nutrition log! It does help a lot! Sure, it can be a pain in the beginning but it will become a habit and you'll find yourself going back to it often!
Eat 6 small well-balanced meals a day, or general rule, eat every 2 to 3 hours!
Stay AWAY from sugar and refined flour! Stick with Fibrous and Complex Carbs.
Learn to treat yourself once in a while. It's what you do most of the time that counts!
Plan your meals ahead of time/cook in bulk!
Be Patient! Remember, you didn't get out of shape overnight; amazing transformations can take a while, especially for those that have a lot of bodyfat to lose. Although some achieve amazing transformations in just 12 weeks, some can take over a year to do! So be patient, your sacrifices will be well worth it.

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