Finally, after all the early and exhausting mornings of empty stomach cardio, uncountable amounts of ab-work and internal mental battles, a giant burger is on the horizon for my first approved cheat meal and I'm proud of my physical progress as of this point. Believe me, this simple treat was well worth wait…all 13 pounds of it. Now that I have more of a sodium balance in my diet, my muscles have become more responsive to my constant lifting. To ensure that my body and mind are still intact, I consulted a doctor to make sure my joints and other levels are holding steady. However, I was also concerned about my emotional and mental stability in continuing to handle the intense workouts along with the food portioning, plus the stresses of daily life, so i've had a trilogy session with a psychiatrist so that I could properly reflect on the first month of training and prepare for phase two. Its important to me to know that no stone is left unturned in my training for 3 competitions all in a month of each other. Its incredible how much punishment a body can take and how much time a person has when completely focused on the tasks at hand. Going forward, I want to maintain an open book with the readers, its important you understand the challenges as I face them, because everyone approaches challenges with a different mindset going in and knowing your strengths and weaknesses ahead of time makes the transition towards the stage easier. For some this is a fun experience, others its an opportunity at a career, a chance to travel, for me...its all about being the greatest this body and mind has to offer.