3 Weeks Out

It has finally happened, the OCD of dieting is in full effect. Here is a sample of a some of things I'm talking about. I cook my meal the same, eat with the same plate (after washed of course), eat with the same fork, sit in the same place and position when eating and to top it off I can't start eating if there is a commercial on TV. Whatever program I am watching has to have started for me to start eating...wtf? I don't know what happens to me four weeks out from a show but things turn very strange for me, whatever it works I guess. On the positive side of the OCD, there isn't a dish in the sink, everything is dusted and laundry gets done before it has a chance to pile up. I guess you take the good with the bad...lol.
This week my calories were dropped a little, the steak was pulled from the diet and switched for fish and some of the carb meals were tapered a little. Funny thing is these minor changes to the diet allowed me to drop five pounds last week and I am just about ready now to hit the stage. I hate being ready early, I think to be freaky I have a couple more pounds to go but I know it could come off in a matter of a couple days if need be. So now its just a waiting game. I am comfortably waiting for the show now at 254lbs and should be able to hit the stage around the high 240's. Its not much more weight than last year but it will be a deeper more complete package than the last time I stepped on stage.
Aside from the food and the craziness my training has been absolutely insane. I am having a very hard time understanding why I am still able to lift the way I am with the intensity I have at the three week mark. Normally by this time I am lifting 60% of what I normally do and energy in the gym is really low. This time around, energy is low but only outside the gym or sometimes during cardio. When I am lifting I am on fire and still breaking some of my old records, I really don't get it but I'm not complaining. For example on Friday training hamstrings after already doing eight sets of two other exercises me and my training partner started stiff leg deads. My max on that exercise in the past and in the offseason was 405lbs for 10reps. On Friday I did 455lbs for 10 reps and although its not a big jump from the norm the most significant thing is that I am doing this three weeks out.
I am hoping that this prolonged strength and gain in strength are going to mean a fuller harder appearance on stage. I find when I lift too light or use too many supersets and things like that my body really flattens out and becomes stringy. In the training area I could not be happier with how things are going right now.
My legs have been a sticking point for me this year and I have really been hammering away to make them catch up to my upper body. I think I have done relatively well creating more balance but usually the diet and the cardio wreaks havoc on my brain when I am looking in the mirror every morning. My legs would tend to flatten out like crazy in years past from the diet and the cardio, this year they are a little flat which sucks but the heavy lifting is really keeping them up which is helping me mentally get through.
On the career end of things I am also looking forward to some new developments that happened this week. I received a call from a very prominent bodybuilding magazine and I won't mention anymore about it until it comes through but it was a good phone call, lets just leave it at that for now but I'll fill you in when it comes together. I also nailed down my first guest posing appearance in the US and am really looking forward to it, Kalamazoo, Michigan, Sept 19th, come out watch me bring the house down!!
I also did Pro Bodybuilding Weekly (radio show) this past week which is always fun. Dan and Bob the hosts kept on trying to get me to make predictions about the show but that is something I have always been against. Trash talk is fun but I don't think I am ready for it yet so I'll hold back for now. Canadian Bodybuilding Radio also had an interview with me that I believe airs this week, those guys over there were great and I was honored to be their first guest.

All in all things are looking up and I am visualizing great things happening. Its amazing what your mind can visualize when you want something bad enough. I have such vivid imaginings that I can see the trophy in my mind and what it looks like to the very detail. Some of the great sports personalities always said you have to be able to see it and visualize it deep inside of yourslef if its ever going to happen.....lets hope they were right!

Sacrifice Without Regret,
Fouad 'Hoss' Abiad