Linda Cusmano 2009 Off/Pre and ON Season

ceasar · June 7th, 2009, 01:31 AM

Linda you're such a talented artist. U should get your artwork in canadian museums. I like the write up in the local paper too. I had to deal with epilipsy believe it or not.

**Italianangel** · June 9th, 2009, 04:51 PM

OKay had a few days I was very tired, I think combo of allergies and not going to bed in time, my body wants to stay up with the light but I am used to sleeping by 8 or 9pm so its been hard but anyway, not getting 6 days training in but hitting 5 and had a small cheat here and there, items but it was like twice or something - once was last night where I had been so busy I did not have a chance to prep food so I grabbed a big bacon clasic and some chicken tenders with bbq sauce so the fried, teh bread, the cheese and sauce are the bad parts, but otherwise been balancing even when veering off diet items. I had a lunch out yestreday too so only had 3 meals and ate my days worth of carbs at lunch with jasmine rice which is not a norm for me, I usually go brown.

Training is going fine, its easy to do at home or gym and is like a 30-45 min hit.
I did yoga monday and nothing else.....today did cardio and weights but hope to do routine tomorrow, I should be doing routine more often and intend to!

Am now hovering from 123-126, depending what time I weight and such, and about 15% or a tad less........between 14-15% and getting closer to 14%. I think I will hit 13% by weekend.
That leaves 7% left to lose over 6 weeks but knowing how my body works it will come off in spurts of 2% per week til I maintain....which is fine, but if I avg 1% per week I will be fine too! Safe......

I should be in the Vancouver Courier tomorrow, which will be online too so keep eyes open for my posts/links/and gushing......

**Italianangel** · June 10th, 2009, 03:38 PM

Trainer reveals secrets to gleaming muscles

All goes good! Not enough routine practice though......

**Italianangel** · June 15th, 2009, 12:19 PM

Okay so confessional time, which is essentially what I seem to use this journal for more than anything, accountability.
I was a bit sore so I took Friday/Sat and Sun off........bad. I still could have gone on my bike or done something..............okay so cycle coming in like 10 days so I was starving this weekend..........
Friday my cheat was the burrito bowl.....so its beef, not too bad, rice not too bad but the bit of corn, watered down sour cream, guac, slightly bad........but I was so hungry I am eating like I have not eating since I was 16 but you can see the growth from it, I am putting on muscle, wrong time theoretically since its lean time but whatever, I will take it, I am still leaning and about 15%, did not drop like i though but that was due to my lack of exercise and proper eating.....its not like a killed it all but it means I am a few days behind on the schedule I had in mind but not a huge deal, I know I will catch up cuz when I do eat right and do my 4-6 hr per week cardio, it melts off.
So anyway, I had a bbclassic meal at wendys before noon hit on satiurday, I was starving....and been eating all my diet stuff too, eggs, lots of eggs and egg white, some cherries this past few days cuz my tree has tons and nuts, not the apples n pb I normally do......seems I am craving beef more often lately the past month....this from a person who cannot stand the thought of eating flesh yet I crave it like I am possessed by some alien from V! I am so anabolic right now its not funny. Now if I can time this for off season instead........aaaanyway, that day was not bad, but the Sunday........2 slightly buttered bagels, a dozen eggs, some whole some white, more white than whole but almost 50/50, oatbran which I have been having twice per day instead of other grains - cuz I felt like it and craved it and its okay so why not.........then.....the car free festival happened this Sunday and Arriva restaurant had food out......they close down the street and party. I ate half a baguette with a skewered veal/zuke/mushroom all cooked lean, then later a portuguese bun with veal brisket thinly sliced with lettuce............so much bread I am not very hungry this morining and the scale is almost 2 lbs up! So from hovering around 123-125 I am now around 126.8..............again not fretting, it all going to be fine but still....................wtf?
I may as well invest in a butcher and supermarket at this point or just graze cows and chickens in my back yard the way I am eating right now............I am sure I am at 3000 cals for yesterday!
To boot, no training...............this is where I get the hand slap......the food is not such a big deal cuz I am back on track right away and lean easy and normally get away with it but when i don't train, I pay and don't get away with it so that is where I went so wrong, not working out all weekend.
I get funky because my back hurt, so then I know I need to practice routine and I just funked out and did nothing.
So in a few hours I am off to do my routine, cardio, weights and get this week started on the right foot so by end of week I can see that 13% bf I was looking for. AS for scale, I don't care where it goes, I would love to enter at 125 and 6% but this seems so unreal, I guess all the muscle gains from the year are finally showing and catching up. Being at my weight now as lean as I am is new for me and I am thrilled!!! My goal has always been to compete at the end of my career at this weight and bodyfat......but chances are when I get to 6% I will dip under 120 but................normally at 6% I am 112lb, 114lb..............so that is still not bad.
It seems the backing off of weights with rest caught up some of my growth, I normally grow when I super overload on a 6 days split 2 hours per day weights with some cardio but now it seems I am growing in my lean down which is weird......during the back off phase.
I guess my body is moving into a new phase as it does every 5 yrs avg. I am sure many of you notice that?
Linda

**A1food4U** · June 15th, 2009, 12:28 PM

You seem to know your body pretty well, could the craving for red meat be your body telling you it needs iron. Try alittle extra iron supplimentation or if you like beets that may be a different route to go. Go Get back on that horse !!!

and yes, your looking nicely muscled even though your still thinning, way to go...

**lizzyb** · June 15th, 2009, 05:29 PM

Wow this is really interesting, how you feel you're body is changing and the results that this is bringing you!! How cool is that to achieve a personal best for your goal!! Especially after the hard winter you had to put in.......wtg chikita!!
I wonder if eating all these eggs and poultry after such a long haul of not having has had this reaction with you.....where your body suddenly 'woke up' and is sucking it all in and having you crave more meats.....perhaps it was a defficiency that your body is 'now' finally able to make up for.....interesting, whatever it is because it certainly isn't hurting you any at all!!

**Italianangel** · June 18th, 2009, 12:19 PM

I am doing well with my leaning, training etc, all things considered.
Lots of media are interested in featuring me and am liking the coverage as it has all been very positive!
Check out the latest.
It list: Things I'm loving

**Italianangel** · June 29th, 2009, 12:53 PM

Well, I still find myself in shock that Michael Jackson is passed. He was such a huge part of my life and influence. I became a veg for almost 20 years because of him, I danced cuz of him and found myself cuz of him. I was the girl people giggled at and pointed at in the 80s, the one with all the pins on my jacket, wearing his gloves, shoes, socks....walking around with a ghetto blaster playing his stuff........now to find out he was on prescriptives now since the hair burn.....cocktails of it, like my mom is.......wow. No one really knew about my mom either and those I told did not believe me cuz my mom put up a front that made it seem inconceiveable that she was a drinking drug user....... until she had accidents and ended up in ER and had blood alc tests because they could smell it on her and slowly others began to see - yet nothing has changed anyway........her dr keeps a dealin'

but I had no idea MJ was that far gone too.....although he did not booze it up like my mom tends to on occasions and she is 75 so I suppose a stronger body than his frail light body. He did fasts alot and over exercised, from all the stuff I read on him....

that is taxing on the heart too but now to know what was happening with the drugs......well, being I live in that situation I have a whole new light on him......I never thought he was wacko but if you know anyone on prescriptions or drinking and mixing, you know they do weird shit.....so being I know this first hand I now understand all his actions that everyone made huge deals about like the baby dangle etc.......you would be amazed what someone all hopped up on prescriptions is capable of and not even fathoming what they are doing..........and instead of help, he was made fun of, accused of things he did not do. At least he is where he is loved now, unconditionally.......earth is more like hell for people as innocent and pure as he was.

Well needless to say I was very unmotivated this weekend. I got in 3 days weights last week and 5 days cardio with 3 days routine work. I hovered down to 122 a few times but still seem to stick around 125. I feel I look leaner but once I post pics we can see if my eyes are on par....my friend Mariam will see them and tell me. Part of me knows I am right on track but then I also know I have cheated each weekend the past few and should not have........this weekend I did it again and cannot seem to control myself and am so hungry, my metabolism is through the roof.
I am soft today so I won't bother with fat testing but will get pics n bf by weekend maybe, and that will help keep me clean for the week.
I have been inconsistent with my supplements which is so odd, some days I take it others I do not,
I did nothing this weekend......feels good but scary......I am now 4 wks out.
I feel good and feel I look good for this point but its always scary to take days off or cheat so close even if you are balanced right for the time!

Well today will be a good training day with an hour cardio and a good 45 mins of weights.

**Italianangel** · July 1st, 2009, 05:56 PM

Okay against my better judgement here are pics n stats.
Now my lower end is not as tight as it should be, too many days off and too many cheats, I had 2 banana splits this weekend and 2 ice cream purdy bars........ribs with bbq sauce, burger.....a few bad or fried items......but otherwise moderate on my sins......but seriously wtf is wrong with me? 4 weeks Linda, wakey wakey! I guess I feel I can afford them......but we will see.
Still white, will tan the next 2 days and catch a tan, but at still sitting between 122 and 126 on the rickter scale......I mean lbs.......hahahah and still sitting around 15% although I feel lighter, I think it may be the bloat from the cheats which gave me that reading as I am at the moment still only doing umbilicus reading for my pinchers -which are not digital, they are the manual which I find best when getting under 10% although I am going to have to start the 3/5/7 and or 9 site readings soon.

I look bigger I think, lats, shoulders, and my lower back......I see serious developement there and I am not trying....in now way am I training it much due to my pain thing but I think the drug I am taking is concentrating on healing there which must be helping develeopement............I have not developed in my lower back that much since the late 90s!
I do look softer in these pics than I do in person but I am a bit soft due to those cheats and also because of lack of color.....you cannot see the bit of stris I do have.....

**Italianangel** · July 1st, 2009, 06:04 PM

yeah I guess when I put these up against my last pics post and compare, I do look a lot leaner, in the bottom too but still I need to show much more tone at this point so expect a huge change in next weeks pics, I am going hard for 10 days to perk up results and definately need to tan so I don't drive myself crazy too, it helps show that tone and make me look so soft.

**Italianangel** · July 1st, 2009, 06:53 PM

These are taken not so close up, same minute taken as the above........seems to show more tone though?

**Insex** · July 1st, 2009, 07:28 PM

I think both the closer-up pics look the same as the further-away pics. You're looking good and I think you'll be ready for this show. Give it your all over these next few weeks, this is when the fine details come through.

**A1food4U** · July 1st, 2009, 07:35 PM

I think your shoulders look fuller than in past photos, great job. Your looking very uniform as well. A little cutting and your on your way. atta girl!!!

**lizzyb** · July 1st, 2009, 10:41 PM

Wow!! Quite impressive indeed!! Even moreso is your resume.....girl, you are one dynamo!! I knew some of your background, but I guess I never looked at your detailed resume and OMG, chickie.......I am in AWE!! WTG with everything you have accomplished in your life to date and then some!! I have even more (as if that were even possible, lol!!) respect for all you do!
thanks!

**tooncesthecat** · July 1st, 2009, 10:56 PM

Looking good Linda! Your back looks more muscular and I agree that your shoulders look wider. WTG! Can't wait to see you tan and cut!

**gYmgIrL** · July 2nd, 2009, 07:45 AM

awesomness! and your artwork is beautiful! is there anything you cant do?

**Italianangel** · July 2nd, 2009, 12:41 PM

North Shore Outlook - Iron Maiden

**lizzyb** · July 2nd, 2009, 03:24 PM

Best article yet!! Really nicely done.....great pic too!!

**Italianangel** · July 3rd, 2009, 04:17 PM

OMG you don't know the half of it, I had not seen the hard copy until today, its a paper which is about 9x14 or so, I got the whole cover, the centerfold spread with big pics and the story, 3-4 pics.....handstand pics and stuff.
Crrrazy awesome!!! I loved the write up and was very happy.
Linda

**6-Pak Girl** · July 5th, 2009, 10:26 PM

Linda - Awesome article. Congratulations, girl!