Wolf Hollow Half Marathon

Yesterday, I ran my second half marathon in Nashua. The race started at 8:15 AM. It was extremely cold. The Will Run for Beer Series last winter was never this cold. Fortunately, we were able to remain in the local YMCA to stay warm.

 At race time, we preceded to the starting line. Scott and I went to the back so we could stand in the sun. He decided to run with me the entire time so that he can work on slowing down for his Goofy run in January. We were at a constant 10 minute mile. At mile five, I needed a potty break. We lost about a minute. Scott wanted to run faster to make up this time. We did. Then the small hills hit and I had to slow down again. At mile 9, Scott wanted to speed up and run a 9 minute mile. I obeyed. I thought I was going to die but I pushed on. (Nine minute miles are not that big a deal, but after nine miles, they're hard.) Half way through he asked if I wanted to slow down. Of course I did but I kept going. Finally mile 10 arrived. Yeah!!! I slowed right down to catch my breathe. Then the hilly part came again. We kept catching up to groups of people, so Scott kept weaving in and out of people because he doesn't like being caught in a group. So I had to keep speeding up to stay with him. I wasn't happy. I was exhausted and my legs were sore. I was breathing heavy, which I don't like to do. I like to run slow to keep my breathing steady. During mile 11, Scott said that we need to push it out at mile 12 to the end. I had to give it everything I had, which wasn't much. He started breaking away from me at 11 1/2 miles. I couldn't keep up anymore. I needed to reserve a little for the end. Slowly, the mile 12 marker appeared. I was almost done. Thank God. I kicked it into gear again. Another hill I had to run up. I passed a few people. Running down hill was faster and easier. Then the trail went flat. I had to slow down. I couldn't hold the pace anymore. Then I turned into the parking lot. I could see the end of the race. I kicked it up a notch. Normally, I sprint to the end. I couldn't. I left everything on the trail. I ran as fast as I could across the finish line. I was done. I wanted to puke. (Yes, for everyone I train, I almost did.) I completed the run in 2 hours and 11 minutes with a 9:57 minute pace. Holy cow!! I run a 10 minute mile for my 5K, not a half. I was too sore to be excited. My calves were on fire. My legs felt like lead. But I did it. Thanks to my wonderful husband who pushed me way out of my comfort zone. However, the rest of the day I was cursing him. Everything including waist down, hurt. It hurt to move, to walk upstairs, to straighten my leg while sitting on the coach. I was a mess. And what did Scott say, "Your welcome for breaking your record." He laughed every time I groaned. I had to take Advil last night so that I can sleep. I am still sore today but not anywhere near as bad as I was yesterday.

 I am happy that he pushed me because I have a tendency to stay in my comfortable zone and not push on runs. I always want to make sure I can finish the race. I usually push myself at the end when I have plenty of reserve. Now I know I can go harder and faster. My goal now will be to run the 5K with a 9 minute mile. Look out Marcia. Start training now.

Turkey Trot 2012

This year Marcia and I created the Impromptu Turkey Trot of South Berwick. We sent invites to a few close friends to come run with us. She mapped out a 5K route and a 5 miler. We had 23 people run/walk in their santa hats. Everyone had a great time. For some, this was their first 5K. We plan on organizing an annual Turkey Trot in South Berwick. Next year, we envision 100 people running and celebrating. Its a great way to burn off some calories before the holiday festivities begin.
Plan on joining us next year for this great local run. We also plan on organizing another run in March to support the local cub scouts. Look for info to follow for sign ups.

 

Thank Thanksgiving

I am happy for Thanksgiving. A time to eat turkey, stuffing, potaoes, and dessert. A time to overindulge for the day without any guilty feeling. A time to spend with family and friends to celebrate everything that we are thankful for.  A time to eat left overs for three days. However, I am thankful no more. My stomach is expanding, my pants don't need a belt anymore, and I feel "yucky". Time to get back on track. I do not want to go up in pant size again. I like fitting into a size four. I know I need to gain some weight in the off season to be able to build muscle. However, enough is enough. I refuse to keep gaining. It's time to cut back before the holiday parties put me over.

 This week I will go back to contest prep diet ( with a little extra) to drop some of the fat that I gained. This lifestyle is truely a head game. Should I eat this? Should I eat that? If I can work the calories off, why not? Will that one lindt chocolate really hurt me? How about two or three? Should I eat the kids left over chicken? It's only a bite? I know I shouldn't, but I do. It's crazy. I had these craving under control. I need to find that place again or I will gain my weight make. I need to learn how to control what I eat and only eat what it good for me. I will perservere, again.

 

I'm Losing It

I have been having a hard time this last week. I am now allowed to eat more food and also some yummy food, but I feel like I am cheating. I am worried about spiraling out of control and gaining my weight back. I know I can eat more but when I exercise, I am not burning a lot calories. I use to burn 100 calories per 10 minutes. Now I am burning 50 calories every 10 minutes. So I have to work twice as hard to keep my weight down. I also feel like I gained 10 pounds even though I didn't. I am suppose to compete in the Works competition on Saturday, but I am feeling fat and out of shape. I haven't decided if I want to compete. I think its a little depression since I didn't do well in my previous competitions. I have more expectation on myself for this one and am afraid that I won't do well. It is expected of me to do well since I competed in a regular show. I don't want to be looked down upon for not doing well. I know I have come so far in a year and all I can go is up. But I still feel uneasy that I am not ready, especially since I haven't been strict this last week. I have barely even hit the gym. I had a whirl wind weekend where I ate too much and drank too much. So I definitely don't feel ready. However, will I regret not doing the show even if I don't do well? Should I do it as my final show for the year? I originally signed up for the commarderie but I am not feeling connected this time. I feel removed from it since I was doing a completely different exercise program the whole time. I also am not carb depleting like everyone else. I am not feeling the stress and nervousness like everyone else. I think I should just do it but its hard when I don't feel ready. I feel in worse shape than when I was ready but not really ready. If I don't do the show, then I won't feel like I belong. If I do the show, then I have to be spray tanned again, wear my heels again, and be in a bikini again. Blah!! I don't want to. I am so far removed from this that I can't wrap my head around it. But I don't want to regret it. What to do??

I met with my trainer to work out a new program in order to grow more muscle and get ready for the next year. I am ready to continue on my journey. I will not look back to where I was, I will keep moving forward. On to the next phase.

Finale

I have successfully completed my one year journey  "From Baby to Body Builder". I started one year ago, 50 pounds heavier. I vowed that I was going to compete in the GSO. I DID IT! I finished my competition and competed in another one this past weekend. I didn't do as well as I hoped. I was hoping to place in the top 5, however, I didn't. Looking back at pictures, I am to tiny. I need to add more muscle in order to be competitve.  I also need to lean down some more and act "girlie". I am so not girlie. But I will try. It feels great to have this accomnplishment. Even though I didn't win, the journey itself was unforgetable. I made many good like minded friends and learned more about the body building diet and lifestyle. I am very glad that I have made this journey. I plan on continuing on this venture. I will spend the next year trying to build more muscle so that I will be competitive next year. Stay tuned for more info on this blog as I continue my journey to win the GSO. In the mean time, I have two half marathans to complete and a bucket list of challenges to check off my list.
Below are pictures from the Monster Mash. I competed in Fit Body and Figure. I was one out of 10. I don't know where I placed. I am the one one the right.

 I want to thank my wonderful husband who supported me during the journey. He was a great sport about not going out to eat alot and constantly hearing me complain. He was also amazing at waking up early and painting me. Thank you Scott, I love you.

I want to thank my kids for putting up with me on my cranky days. They were warned when those days came not to give me a hard time about school. They did survive this last year.

I want to thank my trainer, Caley, who helped me get started on this journey and led me in the right direction. She pushed my and wouldn't let me do it my way. She said to trust her, and I did, and look where I am today.

I would like to thank my trainer Royce, who helped me with my posing, and gave it to me straight. Everytime I asked him a question about something I know I shouldn't do, he said "sure, if I didn't want to win". I just rolled my eyes at him. But, he kept me on the right track.

I want to thank everyone else who supported and encouraged me this past year. Without my team, I couldn't have done it.

And a special thanks to Marcia Adair, who challanged me to do this competition. She was hoping I was going to say no. But I didn't. I surprised her with agreeing to compete. We pushed each other throughout the year and have grown physically and mentally. I am a healthier and better person due to this challenge.

 

 

 

The End: For Now

Time Line 2007 to 2012



 

Here are my transformation pistures. There are a few years gap between 2008 and 2011. Ella was born in February 2011, making me pregnant 2010. My real transformation started last Fall. I can't believe I was that heavy. I never realized it. Scott's transformation is amazing as well. He is much thinner now than this picture.

 

AUGUST 2007

SUMMER 2008

FALL 2011

APRIL 2012

MAY 2012





JUNE 2012

October 2012

 

 

 

 

OCT 2012

Show Day

It is 5:00am in the morning and I had to get up to eat. However, its not like I slept much last night. I need to eat every three hours before the show and drink a gallon of water. I hope I don't have to pee on stage. All this water is making me go to the bathroom every half hour. Its not fun.

I spent the week prepping for this show, hair, nails, and tanning. I have been at the gym everyday working out and then practicing posing after. My workouts started out heavy at 10 reps. I was doing a split body routine with legs on Sunday, Chest and tri's on Monday, back and bi's on Tuesday. I skipped Wednesday because of classes, and Thursday was full body day. I also took Friday off to rest up instead of doing full body. However, I still donned my heels and practiced my posing. On Thursday, I was nervous and cranky. I had my polygraph test. I knew I was going to pass it but that was the last hurdle I needed to jump through. After the test, I became more relaxed. I am happy that is over.

Tanning: I tanned on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I am very dark. My kids are starting to look at me funny. I did shower on Fridayto wash off the top coat and regroom before my final tan on Friday. I will have Scott paint me today before I leave to make sure my tan is even and smooth. I can't wait to shower tonight after the show.

On Wednesday, I had my body fat checked. It was 12.64% for the Jackson Pollock 4 and 13.4% for the Jackson Pollock 7.And I weigh 125 pounds.

 By looking in the mirror, I can see striations in my delts and cuts in my quads. Then I look at my stomach. It is not a pretty site. My upper abs show through and my lats go smoothly into my obliques. However, my lower stomach is all wrinkly with a lot of extra skin. (That's what four over 9 pound kids will do). I need to remember to pose with arching my back to tighten the skin. I also need to remember to tighten my abds when I walk and not relax until I am off the stage. There is so much to remember that I'm nervous I will forget my poses or lose my balance in the heels. All I can do is hope for the best.

I am the best me that I can be.

And I get to do this all again next week for the Monster Mash show.

Last Week to GSO and Two Weeks to Monster Mash

It has been a good week. I was extremely strict on my diet. I did not let anything pass these lips that is bad for me. I continued my exercise to strenghten and tone my body. This week coming, I will continue to diet and work out. Instead of lifting heavy, I will go lighter. I can't afford to be sore this week. On Saturday I will be holding the poses, and its hard to squeeze a sore muscle.

I am starting to get very nervous. My tanning is scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I have my polygraph test on Thursday. I need to continue to practice posing in my heels and get a final body fat percent taken. This is going to be a busy and stressful week. I still need to school my kids, work, cub scouts, teach boot camp, and bring the kids to gymnastics and hockey. I am so blessed to be able to do all this. God gave me a great husband that provides, loves, and cares for me. And who doesn't mind that I am on stage in dental floss and posted all over Facebook.

I want to thank my family for putting up with me this last year. I have had ups and down, extreme mood swings. My kids have taken the brunt of the crankiness. They are very supportive and tell me they love me just the way I am. Jared tells me how good I look and Evan is constantly on me about my diet. Ella practices posing with me. She walks behind me with her hand on her hip.  They have been goods sports. But, they are eager to see me onstage and off of this diet.

 

Two Weeks Until GSO

I am now officially two weeks out from my show. I can not believe it has been a year since I started this journey. I have lost over 50 pounds and gained in muscle and strength. My new found physique is suprising to myself and others. Most people do not believe me that I was overweight last year. I feel like I need to convince people that I wasn't always this healthy. It is a good feeling but confusing becaue I still feel like the same person. I don't see myself as an athletic person. When I am giving clients diet and exercise advice, they tell me that I just don't get it. So I have to defend myself by saying "Yes, I do! I was heavy too". I always get a suprised look. I have to carry a picture around just to prove how far I came.

Last week I went to Tennessee for vacation. We had a great time. I worked out everyday and eat healthy for the most part. However, I did drink alcohol almost every night. That was my downfall. My body is so efficient at utilizing its nutrients, that any alcohol slows it down. Unfortunately I went up .5% in body fat. However, I am very water logged because I didn't drink enough water. The water is trapped under my skin which is a definite no-no for bodybuilding.  So that could have skewed my numbers. So now I have to drink 1.5 gallons of water a day to flush out my system.

After meeting with my trainer I am on a two week strict program of dieting and exercising. I cannot afford to cheat at all. I am working out twice a day to get my body fat down and practicing posing twice a day. I will be ready for the show and be in the best shape that I can be for me.
 

4 Weeks to Go

I met with my trainer on Friday to have my body fat read and plan for the next 4 weeks. I couldn't believe that my body fat is down to 12.9%. I am very thrilled. I was hoping to be 14%. Two weeks ago I was 14.23%. However, I am the same weight that I was two weeks ago. How crazy is that! I must have built more muscle in those few weeks.

While I was posing, I could actually see abdominals. I don't think I have ever seen my abs. I still need to lose 1-1 1/2 % body fat in the next four weeks. That seems to be doable, however, I carb loaded this weekend to run my first half marathon, which I completed in 2:21:23. (which was faster than I planned!) Also, I am leaving on vacation for 9 days on Friday and when I come back, the show will be two weeks out. It is coming so fast that I am excited and nervous at the same time.

Today, I was youtubing videos of posing and T-walks to see what I need to do. When I get back, I will be practicing every night in front of mirrors to get my posing down so that it flows.

I will have to do 2 HIIT training a week and 3 slow steady state cardio a week. Also, 5-6 weight training sessions per week. I don't know where I am going to find the time to do this and homeschool and work and boot camp classes and etc. It will be a tough couple of weeks but I will perservere.

4th Annual Pumpkinman Triathlon

Yesterday, my team and I competed in our 4th Pumpkinman Triathlon. We had a blast. We have participated in this for the last several years without shattering our time. This was the year to do it. Since we have lost a lot of weight and have been hitting the gym, I expected my time to improve. However, going into the race, I was not so sure. I thought I was pretty comfortable with the swim and knew I would be fine on the running due to training for the half. The bike on the other hand was another story. I think I only rode my bike 4-5 times for 12 miles. I conquered the 18 miles with Great Hill only once which was several weeks ago. So I was not as prepared as I hoped.  Instead of going in to break my record, I had to change my thought process to just complete it. I knew that I could do it but it wouldn't be pretty.

The Adairs picked me up in the morning to make our way over to Spring Hill. It was cloudy and humid out. The exhilaration of all the racers and volunteers was amazing. We drove into the lot and there was a swarm of people in orange shirts as well as the racers. The line to check in and become body marked was frighteningly long. Luckily, we picked up our packet the night before. Gano had to bring his bike to the Papa Wheelies tent due to a flat tire before he even started to ride.

After receiving our timing chip, then getting body marked, we proceeded into the transition area to line up our bikes. There were 500 athletes there all waiting for the race to start. It was exhilarating. We saw many people that we knew which was encouraging.

I was in the 5th leg of the race. I was able to cheer on Marcia and Gano as they entered the water. Now it was time for my heat. The call when out "Go, Go, GO". I was in the back of the pack while I made my way into the water. Slowly, I was able to start swimming. I tried to stay to the far right so that I wouldn't get kicked or splashed to much. I was actually more wearisome of the wave of swimmers behind me. I knew I would be passed by one or two waves. I was right. I was overrun before I made it to the first buoy. The water was extremely choppy from all the swimmers. It was hard to get into my groove. Every time I tried to swim, I choked on water. Unfortunately, I was only able to do the breast stroke, which slowed me right down. On the back stretch, I did swim freestyle before I was overtaken again by the next wave. When I was able to round the last buoy and finally stand up, I was elated. The swimming part was over. I looked down at watch and 19:33 minutes had past. Not good. This was my worst swim yet. Fortunately it was over. Now onto the bike.

During the bike ride I wanted to make up time from the swim, however, I didn't want to burn out my legs. I tried to keep a steady cadence. There were many hills that made it impossible to go fast. Sometimes I was riding at 22mph, next comes a hill and I'm down to 14mph. Great Hill was averaging about 6 mph. On the first set of hills, I kept lowering my gears to conserve energy. I looked at my time. I needed to finish in 30 minutes to break my record.  So I started to stand up and pump up the hills. No more down gearing for me. I was determined to come in in less than 54 minutes. I was pedaling strong. Now to conquer Great Hill and then I am in the clear. Up, up, and up, I down gear to the lowest possible gears and pedal. My legs are on fire. I hit the crest and had to stand up to power over the hill. I made it!!  I am so close to finishing. I hear the announcer calling the elites names that have already finished. Around the corner, up another hill, and I made it to transition. I look at my time: 51 minutes and 31 seconds. Holy Cow!!! I shattered my record. I jumped off the bike, racked it, and changed shoes. Off to the final leg, the run. I am strong in the run but my legs are sore.  I am watching the clock. I know I can run a 10 minute mile but my legs are toast. I feel like I am going extremely slow. I round the last bend. Just over a mile to go. I can hear the cheering. Upon running into the parking lot, I hear them call my name. Soon I will be finished. I run harder and faster. Almost done! Down the hill and across the finish line I go. I look at my watch and finish in 1:43:55. My time on my run was 27 minutes and 26 seconds. I ran a 9:08 minute mile. I have never run that fast before, even in my road races. Excitement coursed through my veins. I finished the triathlon and broke two records. Yeah!!!

 It was my original goal to beat my time (minus the swim :( ). I can't believe that I did it, especially since I didn't train as much as I would have liked. I went in the race just to complete it, but then decided I wanted to conquer it. You can conquer it too. Whether it be your first 5k or triathlon or an exercise group, it doesn't matter. Make up your mind that you can do it. Don't talk yourself out of it. It is too easy to give up. It takes a stronger person to persevere though the tough times to reach your goal. Never give up.

Boot Camp Challenge

Last night, Marcia and I taught our first Boot Camp class as Natural Fitness Solutions. Our goal is to start with classes and work into one on one personal training sessions out of Natural Care Wellness Center. We decided to start with a 8 week trial Fitness Challenge. This consisted of friends who were willing to be our guinea pigs. Class started with weigh ins, body measurements, BMI, BMR, and body fat calculations. We decided to weigh in once a week at our Boot Camp Class. We designed a Fit Test for the first work out, which will be repeated at the conclusion of the 8 weeks. This, along with final measurements, will give everyone a progress report on how much they achieved in the 8 weeks. Everyone was also handed a packet of diet and exercises that would need to be follow to have the most beneficial transformation.

Class went really well last night. We had a group of 10 courageous women who participated in the first challenge.They did amazing. Congratulations to everyone for doing their best. We enjoyed working with you and are looking forward to getting to know you better. I was worried that the test would not be challenging enough. I was wrong. Even the fitter ladies were huffing and puffing. We did our job. Everyone was able to go at their own pace to slow down or add jumps to make it more challenging.  Everyone seemed to enjoy the work out and had many questions about exercise and diet.

We are planning on starting a Natural Biggest Loser Contest in January and possibly add a Tuesday night class to the Fall challenge. If you are interested in being on the waiting list for January or this session , email me at NFsolutions@comcast.net

8 Weeks to Go

Its just about 8 weeks to the GSO. I am getting excited. I have been taking a posing class for the last three weeks that has helped me perfect my posing. I still need to practice but Royce has been helping to make my posing even better. Thanks Royce.

My diet has been great for the last several weeks as well. I am down a few pounds with several more to go.

 Last week we went to the Country Fest at Gillette Stadium. We were able to tail gate before the show which allowed for healthy eating (and drinking. lol.) I did consume 2 skinny margaritas while tail gating. They were delicious. During the show, I ate a couple of chicken wings and that's it. I was very proud that I didn't eat anymore than that. The next day I went out for a run while everyone was sleeping. For lunch, we went to Red Robin. Looking at myfitnesspal.com, the average burger was 1000 calories. I was appalled. What could I eat? I didn't want a salad even though I knew that would be the best option. So, I decided to go with a turkey burger with jalapenos and no cheese with salsa. It was amazing. Real food tastes so GOOD. I just wish it wasn't so fattening. It took me three days to lose the weight from this meal.

Weight training has been excellent. I switched my routine to pyramid training. I needed to hit every rep range to completely exhaust the muscle group. I started a 4 day split training. With 5 sets for each exercise, my muscles were on fire at the end of the work out. It took me three days to recover. Its always fun changing up my routine. After a month on a routine, I am no longer sore, even if I increase weights. A new routine always hits different angles of the muscle which causes a different stress on them. This in turn causes the muscles to have to respond differently to further growth.

This week I also ran 10 miles which took me just under 2 hours. I have never run this long before. My furthest was 8 miles. I felt good that I could accomplish this goal. Of course I could barely walk after this. I was completely exhausted all day even though I was trying to eat carbohydrates to replenish my fuel. Fortunately, the Pumpkinman is next week and I have one more long run before the half marathon. It is hard not to train too much on cardio in order to retain my muscles for the show. I try to keep it to 30 minutes of cardio a day with a long training on the weekends. So far it has been working, however, I won't be my best at the triathlon but I will look better for it at the show.

Weekends are more challenging when it comes to diet. I wanted to go for dinner last night, but ended up having a snack and eating ground turkey at home. The Greek Festival is this weekend with great food, but I can't eat it. I am counting down the days till I can eat real food again. Of course, I will probably feel guilty about it. I am planning on not gaining much weight back after the show. I hope I can stay true to that. Only time will tell.

Spartan 2012

We have completed the Spartan Sprint 5K today at Amesbury Sports Park. It was a great race and obstacle course. The first leg was to run up the ski hill into the woods. When we came out, we had to jump into 5 moats. They were filled with mud and cold water. With each moat, the water was deeper and deeper. There was no easing into this race. The next obstacle was to climb over a wall, then under the next and through the last. This was repeated twice. I was able to use my upper body strength to climb over. After the last wall, we picked up the pace and jogged until we hit the mud pit and swamp. Scott went right through it and almost lost his shoe. I went on the side of the trail which wasn't as deep. After trudging through even more mud and having to bend down under trees in the mud, we came upon the monkey bars. Our hands were wet and muddy. I climbed onto the first rung and started to swing to one bar and then the next until I ended on the other side. I was in awe. Most people fell off because it was slippery. If you fall off any obstacles, you have to do 30 burpees. I was able to rest my arms while I watched Scott and the Adairs do burpees. (Yes, I did have to do burpees on a horizontal wall climb that I slipped off of and they didn't)  I was thrilled. I couldn't believe I conquered this challenge. Continuing on through more mud and hills, we made it to walls. Each wall we had to climb over was taller and taller. The first few, I was able to run and jump and muscle over it. Once the walls became over my head, Scott boosted me up. But it was a long drop on the other side. I slowly lowered myself down then jumped the rest of the way.
One of the other challenging obstables was the rope climb. Fortunately there were knots every few feet. Of course, it was muddy and we started in a muddy water pool. It was all upper body strength again to pull myself up the rope. I climbed and climbed until I reached the cow bell, rang it, and cheered for joy. I never thought I could do a rope climb.
Next came more moats and then we dragged a cement block around a circle. The hardest part of the challenge beside walking up and down hill with a 20 pound weight, was the barred wire. We had to crawl on "mud" covered gravel under the wire for at least 50 yards which then turned to uphill crawling. My knees and shoulders were killing me. Fortunately, none of us were injured. After that we ran through the woods and uphill again, jumped over fire conquered one final obstacle, followed by being hit by the Spartans themselves.

We had a great time and even signed up again for next year. I don't think I could have completed this last year. I would have been doing quite a few more burpees instead of completing the obstacles. Because I have been weight lifting, my upper body strength has improved tremendously. It was a great accomplishment to get over those walls by myself, or rope climb, or monkey bars. I am pretty sure I wouldn't have done this last year.
Since September when I started to weight train, my trainer really pushed me to do pull-ups. She had me doing this at every workout. When I first started, I could not even do half of one. Now I am up to eight. Being able to do pull-ups is very empowering for a women. It shows my strength that I don't need to rely on anyone else, that I am powerful and I can accomplish anything. That's what the Spartan did for me as well. All the training led to this use of my running and strength abilities. I have conquered my fears and prove that "I AM WOMAN".
What are you afraid of? What do you want to do that you can't do now? How would it feel to be able to do pull-ups? Don't let that little devil on your shoulder get the better of you. If you want to accomplish something, then work hard to do it. No one can do the work for you. Transform your body, mind, and soul to be a better and empowered you.

Competition Season

I officially started training for another show. As I mentioned before, the first one is in October. I have cleaned up my diet and increased my weight training and cardio. I will be ready for this show.

Competition season is hard. It seems to be the only thing that I can focus on. I am constantly thinking about what my next meal is or when I can get to the gym. I know it is probably taking a tole on my husband. He is probably sick of hearing me talk about it. But that is my life right now. If I want to be competitive, I need to focus on me. This has been hard because I am a mother of four who homeschools, works, and is starting a new business as well as trying to get certified in personal training. So to find the time is important. Fortunately I have a great support system that helps me to reach my goal.

It is important as a mom and wife to focus on yourself. We are constantly doing things for others, and it's important to take time for ourselves. If we don't take the time to be healthy, we sure will have to take the time to be sick. Focus this week on changing something in your life that is not working. Is it your diet? Should you cut out that soda or alcohol? How about those sweets? What about those bad carbs?

Eating the right carbohydrates are important in your diet. Eat plenty of vegetables and some potatoes, rice, or oatmeal. Try to stay away from the fatty carbs and gluten. Some people have a misconception about carbs. Some think they make you gain weight. They will is eaten in the wrong combination or consumed to excess. However, they are needed in our diet. They give us the energy we need to fuel our day. Carbohydrates cause the release of insulin in your body. This insulin causes the cells to open up to absorb either fat or protein.  If you are consuming carbohydrates with fat, then the fat will get absorbed in the cells. If you are eating protein, then the protein will becomes absorbed. What do you want to fill up your cells? I know I want bigger muscles not fat, so I choose protein. What do you choose? Start making those changes that are right for your body.

12 Weeks till GSO

The last two weeks have being going great. I have stayed on my diet and increased my training. Last Thursday I started my German Volume Training to increase my muscle mass. This includes lifting 10 sets of 10 reps for the major body parts. This will help to keep my heart rate up and give my muscles  a great pump.  I should gain muscle size with this type of training.

Also, I bought the new Tapout Video Workout. This includes a mixture of Insanity and P90X but for Mixed Martial Arts.  This work out focuses on building strength and cardio through martial arts. It is a great work out. I have been performing this exercise in the morning and weight training at night. If I don't use the DVD, I have been running or biking. I have increased my running to 7 miles in 1 hour and 13 minutes. I still have a long way to go before the half marathon.

Today I did brick work with biking and running. I really pushed my bike routine which left me spent for the running. I definitely need to practice the transition or brick work more.A brick work out is when you finished bike riding and have to run after and your legs feel like "bricks". You know your legs are moving but they are so heavy that it hurts.  I have been completing a 12 mile bike ride, however I need to challenge myself on Great Hill. If you seen it, you would know why its called Great Hill. This hill is very intimidating for me. The incline is extreme and long. To conquer this task, I am on the lowest gear and pedaling maybe 5mph. I am pedaling so slow that I am afraid of falling over because I am clipped in. There is about six weeks left before the Pumkiman Triathlon, so eventually I need to ride that route. Maybe in a couple of weeks I will be ready.

So in the mean time, I am training for the half marathon. triathlon. and 3 Figure competitions. It's going to be a great fall. I will be in the best shape of my life or die trying.

Onward

After the last month and a half of not being able to get into the gym for weight training and eating unclean, I rededicated myself yesterday to the clean lifestyle.  I started to rechart on myfitnesspal.com to count my calories and keep track of my fat. I think or I know that I have been eating to much fat. Fat, even healthy fat like avacodos, does not do well with me. My husband can eat fatty food as long as its low carb. I have to eat low fat but are allowed some carbs. Each person has to figure out what your body can handle. Every person responds to food differently. Make sure that you are tracking your food to keep count of your calories. Drinks count for calories as well. I know for me, I can drink my calories in coffee. It is not exciting drinking water all day, but it is healthier. I started to cut down on the cream in my coffee. In a large ice coffee, I now do 2 creams instead of the four that they put in. I also made my protein muffins again and just recieved my PB2 in the mail. I will have cheat days on Fridays basicly because I have some kind of party every Friday. I will really try to keep my eating and drinking under control.

It felt good to get into the gym yesterday. I worked out back and shoulders. I started with the pull-ups. I could barely squeeze out four pull-ups. I normally do eight. I can't beleive how fast I lost my strength. Hopefully it will come back quick. I plan to start German Volume Training again next week to try to bulk up for the next competition. If I can keep my head on straight, I will do Granite State in October and Monster Mash in November as well as the Challenge in November. That will be three more competitions under my belt. In the mean time, I am training for the Pumkiman and Hampton Half. Even though I haven't hit the gym, I have been running up to six miles and biking 11 miles and swimmming. It will feel good to get back in the gym and in my old routine starting next week. We are taking a staycation this week, so working out will be altered. All I can do is try and try again and never give up. I take one day at a time because this lifestyle is all a mind game.

To Eat or Not To Eat

This is more of a ranting and raving blog, so pardon the casual chatter.

Since the competition ended, I can not get out of my way anymore. I have seemed to lost all motivation to eat clean and lift heavy. I have barely made it to the gym in three weeks. Part of that is due to July holiday and now my nanny is on vacation. Fortunately,  I have continued to run, bike, and swim several days a week. However, I feel like I haven't worked out because I have not hit the gym. I miss my weight routine. I believe that since I am off of my routine, I am having a hard time staying on a routine for my diet as well. I go through fazes where I am on track in the morning. I decide that this is it and I am going to eat clean. Then the afternoon and night cravings start.
 I have been addicted to salted nuts with chocolate. I can easily eat a days full of calories just on nuts. Then I feel guilty about eating it. Then I eat it again. I know I shouldn't, but I can't stop myself. I want to eat healthy but I let my cravings take over. I am losing all sense of self control. I can't stop the insanity. I decided that I need to run an hour everyday to make up for the nuts that I eat. Then I swim at night to balance the rest of the calories. I have managed to maintain my weight but if I keep this up, I will blow up. I cannot afford to gain weight. In August is the Physique Challenge followed by the Granite State. If I can reign myself in, I will have a chance.
My husbands says that I should enjoy myself and not work out so hard because in four weeks I will have to be strict again. I agree to a certain extent but I want this to be a lifestyle and not a phase. I go through so many "phases" in my life that I want to make a permanant change. I am consistnetly "into" something for a while and then slowly "get out" of it. I stop not caring about that phase and move onto something else. I am tired of doing that. I want to do the best that I can with what I have.

July 15

Its been a while since my last post. I have struggled with my diet over this time. I planned on competing July 21 at the Yankee Classic but I couldn't get my diet right. I was burnt out. I was tired of watching everything that I ate and worrying about losing weight. I just couldn't do it any more. Also, there were many parties before the competition that I wanted to enjoy my summer and not diet it away. So I took it a little to far over the Fourth of July Holiday. I pretty much ate for a week straight. It started Friday at my Pampered Chef party and ended the Sunday after July 4th. So for nine days it was pretty much a free for all. I felt guilty every time I ate "bad" food, but I couldn't control it. I ate just to eat. I was so full and looked at Marcia and asked why was I still eating. I couldn't answer, just that the food was so good. So on Monday July 8th, I got my head back on straight and dieted down. I had an unbelievable 7 pounds to lose. I felt gross and "fat'. Even though I was still way down in weight, I could feel that I was very bloated. I needed to do something drastically. I have been eating perfectly clean since Monday and have lost all the weight plus some. I feel great. My energy is higher and I am staying awake longer at night and sleeping in to 7 which I usually get up at 5:30. Finally, I am not so fatigued anymore.

After reading many blogs of Figure competitors, I decided that I shouldn't rush competing. I don't think I am ready. It took them years to get on stage. Why am I rushing it? I know it is my personality to "get things done", but I don't just want to check it off my list. I want to do well. I want to do my best. At this point, I don't think I have enough muscle on me to compete. Fortunately, there will be another Physique Challenge in August with the stage performance in November. That will give me enough time to continue to bulk up. I had such an enjoyment at the last competition that I wanted to do it again. The camaraderie of the group was encouraging. It didn't matter how you looked. It was the transformation that counted. There was far less stress and more excitement at the Works than I think there will be at the Pro competition. Fortunately, the Granite State Challenge is at the end of October. Since doing the Physique Challenge again, it will get me ready for the Granite State which is what a initially intended to do. And if I am not ready for that, then there is another one in April. I WILL get on a professional stage to compete. I just want to make sure I am ready physically and emotionally. Until then, I will do the Physique Challenge again and pose in November.

In the mean time, it is triathlon time. I am training for the Pumpkinman in September and the Hampton Half Marathon in September. I have been in the water twice and the bike once. I haven't been off to a good start. Unfortunately, my weight training will have to take a back seat to running, biking, and, swimming. I hope to continue to do both so I don't lose my hard earned muscle. But all I can do is take it one day at a time.

On the side, I am working at earning my personal training certificate. I plan to set up space in my chiropractic office to start training there. I will work with nutrition and exercise to help you reach your goals. If you are interested in training with me, feel free to email me and we can get started toward you goal.

Back in Control

I definitely feel better this week. Last week was really rough for my diet mentally and emtionally. I cheated more than I should have and I couldn't get out of my way. I was depressed and exhausted. But I am back on track emotionally and mentally now to take on this compeition. Unfortunately, I am still struggling at night with my diet a little. I am within my calories but I shouldn't be eating that piece of chocolate or handful of nuts or that one drink. My sweet tooth is getting the best of me. I need to conquer this. I WILL conquer this otherwise I won't be ready for the competition. I need to get my bodyfat lower so I am not the one onstage that people are pointing to and asking why I am up there. I just need to go to bed at 7pm before the cravings kick in. However, I don't think my kids will let me though.

New Work Out Program

I met with my wonderful and talented trainer, Caley, on Friday. She gave me a new exercise program. I use to watch her prepare for her competition and I wanted to do what she did. I will be using this program for the next 6 week until peak week. It is called German Volume Training. Holy cow! 10 sets of 10. I am excited to switch up my program. This volume training is suppose to help me get bigger faster and to keep my heart rate up to burn more fat. That it did. I was exhausted on Friday. I did 10 sets of 10 pull-ups and supersetted it with incline dumbbell press. After that, I proceeded to lift heavy 3 sets of 10 to finish off back and chest.
I started my pull-ups with a lot of energy and good form. I am able to do 8 pull-ups in a row. After that, I put my foot up on the bench to finish the reps. I continued to add my foot earlier and earlier as the training continue. By the last set I was able to only due 3 without any help. I was still impressed that I could do that many. Usually I burn out after the first set.
Caley had me start with 30 pounds for incline press and I said that I could go to 35 pounds. Why did I do that? I just made my work out harder. I should have stayed with the 30. Oh well. I was able to complete the 10 sets of 10. Of course, the last two reps of the last two sets, I think she was lifting my arms up more than I was.
I was definitely sore the next day. It is a good feeling. Its been a while since I felt sore. Changing up my routine is a great idea. It shocks my body into growth and that's what I need. I have 6 weeks left to grow as much as I can.
Monday was leg day. I supersetted squats and hamstring curls at 10 sets of 10. I lowered my weights on my squats. Last week I was squatting 120 pounds plus the bar. (165 pounds) This time I lowered it to 70 plus bar (115 pounds) I proceeded with this exercise and the hamstring curls. Caley saw me and told me to squat lower. I thought I was going pretty low. I was worried about my knees or not getting back up. I am a good student and did what she advised. I watched in the mirror and tried to get my butt lower. She said I need to go lower to work my gluteus muscles more. That I did. It is two days later and my butt and legs are still very sore. I don't mind my upper body being sore, but the legs makes it hard to do things around the house.

The Week After

It's been a tough diet week. I splurged over the weekend and gained several pounds. I wasn't too worried because I knew I could lose it by the end of the week. However, I am struggling with my diet. I want to eat anything and everything. I don't know if it has to do with the full moon or just me. I have been dealing with sick kids this week too.
I tried making new dishes to help, but I am not interested in eating them. I use to eat lean because I had too, now I don't want to. Hopefully I will get over this hump in the rode. Emotionally, I don't want to do this for another 6.5 weeks. I just want to eat pizza and drink wine. I am eating within my calories but still feel like a lump. I will continue to try and work out for the July show.

Break Time is Over

After two days of not eating healthy and splurging, I am ready to get back on track. When I was trying to decide what to eat yesterday for my last meal, I thought about Italian food and Buffalo Wings. However, my taste buds never acted up on these thoughts. I had no desire to eat bad again. Nothing was coming to the forefront of what to eat.
So, Scott came home from the grocery store with a van full of groceries. He bought double of what I normally buy. Why? Because he is going to eat what I eat now. He saw the transformation in me with what I was eating and he decided to eat healthy as well. He always eats a high protein and low carb diet but his fat intake is higher. Now he is going to join me for the next 7 weeks to help himself and keep me on track. With 7 weeks to go, I can't afford to cheat and get off track. I will be re-evaluating myself in July to see if I am ready for the competition. I hope that I am because October is a long way to go to keep eating clean 100% of the time. But my muscles would be much bigger in October than July. We'll see.
Off to the gym to start lifting heavy again.

Compeition Day

We did it!! We competed in our first Physique Challange through The Works. It was a great experience. We made many wonderful friends. I can't wait to continue on to see how I can transform in another 7 weeks. There were 20 of us who competed. There were some that never lifted weights before, others who were "cardio junkies". But we all came together for a 12 weeks program to change our bodies and minds.

I woke up at 5:30am because my mind was racing. Will I remember my poses? Am I dark enough? I need to paint myself again. With all these thoughts running through my head, I couldn't sleep. I was nervous like this was my first road race again. I came down stairs and made a cup of coffee. I needed to sit and relax and get out of my head. By 8 o'clock, I jumped in the shower, which gave me time for Scott to paint me again.

Marcia picked me up and we headed to the gym. It was pouring out. I had to stay covered up so that the tan wouldn't run. We went into the locker room to change. Everyone was very nervous and excited at the same time. Some were putting make-up on, others were doing their hair. I already had my make-up and hair finished. I did have to use bikini bite to stick my bathing suit on. It kept riding up on me. After the locker room, we went to have our pictures taken. It was funny because we couldn't get covered up fast enough after pictures. By the end of the show, we didn't care any more. We all just stood around in our bathing suits with ease.
Getting on stage was nerve racking. I was in the first group of women. We walked out and stood in line in our "relaxed" pose. The judges proceeded to call out different poses. Each time we had to relax then flex as hard as we can but still look relaxed. I looked out into the audience and everyone was cheering. It was so loud in there that it was energizing. My nerves were gone, now it was all excitement. My mom was there and I saw her wiping her eyes. Scott was standing and cheering, even Evan was clapping a little. After the group posing, we went onstage individually to pose. Some women went up dancing and strutting their stuff. They were up there for a good time. Others, including me, did different poses and couldn't get off the stage fast enough. Afterwards, we were called onstage for awards and group pictures.
We had a blast. I am very happy that I decided to do the Physique Challange. It helped to settle my nerves so I know what to expect at the July competition. Some of the girls might do it with me. It would be great to have a group together. This show also showed me how far I have come and still how much farther I need to go. It is going to be a tough seven weeks. But for now, I am enjoying the day and going to eat and drink whatever I want.

Carb Loading Day/ Final Day to Competition

Last day before Physique Challange. It tasted very good to eat my ezekiel bread this morning. That, with 4 egg whites never tasted better. I also ate my rice cakes and PB2 and protein muffins. Yummy!! It was great not to eat chicken breast again. I also didn't exercise at all and that felt weird. I wanted to atleast do cardio but I didn't want to deplete my water levels yet. For lunch we stopped at Papa Gino's and I consumed a greek salad with dressing on the side. I did eat the cheesy bread that went with it. It was heaven to my taste buds.

I was suppose to stop drinking after 6pm so that the carbohydrates can draw the water from under the skin into the muscles. However, I was at a wedding. I had my one glass of wine and then one seltzer water with blueberry vodka. It was heaven. For dinner I had appetizers of cheese and vegetables. I did eat the roll with the meal. For dinner we were served prime rib and green beans and very tasty mashed potatoes. We had to leave before the cake cutting because the boys were ready for bed. It was good that we missed dessert because they were serving mudpie as well as cake. I could have resisted the cake but not the mudpie.
We were in Rhode Island and still had to drive home to Maine. We stopped at Dunkin Donuts to get a coffee to help keep us awake. When we got home, Scott still had to spend a half hour painting me. I didn't go to bed until 1:30am and it was 2 before I went to sleep. I woke up at my normal 5:30am with the show on my mind. I just couldn't sleep anymore. I was worried about not remembering my poses or not being dark enough. I am too nervous to sleep. I know I need to be dehydrated and not drink water, but I had to have coffee. I figured that would help deplete me.
Two hours left before I leave for the show. Wish me luck.

Day 3 Carb Depletion

Today was definitely easier than yesterday. I woke up with a stomach ache. My stomach felt like it was completely empty and did its own work out. After a couple of hours it started to feel better. I had no energy and just wanted to sit on the couch all day. Fortunately, I was able to finish my boating safety course online. Even the coffee wasn't waking me up. I walked on the treadmill as usual but kept it to a 3.5 speed with no incline. I consumed more eggs and chicken breast. I did add sliced turkey and one chicken sausage to the menu. ( For future reference, I didn't lose weight because of this. There must be too much fat in it)

I had my weigh in and body fat measured. I drop .6%. I thought I would have dropped much more. I feel like I am getting extremely tiny. My size sixes are now huge and I needed to go shopping again. Even my belts don't fit. My shirts are hanging off me. It is a great feeling for everything to be big but I am not a shopper and I have to go shopping again. I will accumulate multiple size clothes this year due to training. So, I am at 16.9% body fat, which is great for maintenaince, but I still need to be lower. I must carry more on my butt and arms than anywhere else. Of course, I still have extra belly skin than will keep my pinch test higher.

Starting Friday, I get to start eating carbs again. However, I don't want to gain that extra weight back. I need to eat carbs to increase the size of my muscles and fill them back up with water. Hopefully, after Saturday, I will be able to drink a lot of water to flush it out. Of course, I won't be going to Olive Garden for my carbs, only rice cakes and rice and potatoe. Tonight I get to eat steak and cake from a wedding, and one glass of wine. I can't wait for that wine.

I also went for my spray tan in the afternoon. I was sprayed dark, not competition dark. I was afraid to go dark because I didn't want to look bad for the wedding. After spraying, I had to go to work. I walked in and the amount of complements and "Oh my's" I recieved kept me entertained. Even Scott said that I was really dark. I saw a patient that I haven't seen in a while and she grabbed my waist to see how "skinny" I was. She knew me before kids. She never knew me to be this thin. I never knew me to be this thin. Because of how tiny I look, I asked Caley about switching to bikini competition instead of figure. She said not to, that my muscles look small now because of the carb depletion and that they will get bigger. She said it takes years to be as big as I want, so not to give up. Plus, my legs are too big and lean for bikini. That made my feel better. I still have 7 weeks to pile on the muscle.

Scott asked me a good question last night. "Is it worth it?" "Is the diet worth it?" The transformation is amazing. I couldn't be happier. I do want to continue to the July show. At this point, I am contemplating the April show. I don't want to lose all the muscle I worked hard to achieve. However, I will be running 2 half marathons in the interim. Also, I want to get more use out of my suit and see if I can get bigger. Of course, we will see what happens next year.

For the diet, I am so ready to eat what I want. Scott was eating meatballs and eggplant parmagian last night for dinner. I was salvating thinking of when I can eat like that. It's not all the time. I know I will eat healthy after this for the most part, but it will be great to cheat. After having my body fat measured, I need to be stricter than ever to lose more fat over my muscles to make them pop.

For all the people who playfully called me a "B-i-t-c-h" for losing all the weight, all I can say is thank you. I worked my butt off to look like I do. I stopped making excuses and stopped saying that I am not going to "deprive" myself. I wanted to make a change and went full out. If I would have continued to "cheat" on the weekends, I would have never completed my goal. Don't give up your goal. If you want to lose weight, do it. Stick with it. Stop trying fad diets that work only if you stick with it. Stop saying that that diet doesn't work because you cheated or didn't stick with it. Being healthy is hard work. Put your health ahead of your taste buds. I've said it before, that healthly eating is a head game. Should I or shouldn't I eat this. One bite won't hurt me. One drink won't make a difference. It will. Don't let your craving take over. Win the game and be the best that you can be.

Day 2 of Carb Depletion

Today was harder than day one. I was hungry all the time. I was eating every hour to two hours. I couldn't believe how hungry I was. I ate chicken breast and eggs all day. With my breakfast, I added kale and salsa as usual. Then the rest of the day was chicken and eggs. I had a couple of almonds and one grape. I did have two cups of coffee in the morning with creamer and a cup in the afternoon. That is the bulk of my carbs. But I needed the coffee.

I definitely was cranky today. I gave my kids more leeway with watching T.V. It kept them out of my line of fire. I did a dissappointed "talk" to my boys. I was on the internet scanning the Yankee Classic Site and my oldest came to sit near me. He looked at the computer and said "Mom, are you going to look like that?" I said that I was trying. He said "Awe", with a dissapointed tone. This wasn't the first time one of my boys said something. It gets very depressing when your kids are not on your side. They want me to be fit and healthy but not ripped. :( They think only boys should look like that. I thought I raised them to be better than that. They see me working out all the time and exercise with me. Maybe they just don't want their mom to look like that. Jared said he loves me just the way I am.

After two days on this diet, I am not ready to quit. I am sick of chicken breast and am looking forward to eating carbs tomorrow. I miss my ezekiel bread and my rice cakes with PB2. I am scared to gain the weight back this weekend with all the carbohydrates that I am suppose to eat.

I have my body fat and weign in today. I now weigh 126. I started this depletion at 128.8 I can't beleive how fast i am losing weight. That is why I'm scared to gain it back. I can see my serratus. Can't see my six pack but I can see some abs. One more day of no carbs. Hope I make it.

I am also getting spray tanned today. I am going with the dark tan because I have a wedding to go to tomorrow night in Rhode Island. Then we have to drive back, paint a layer of tan, let it dry and go to bed before midnight. Competition day is going to be crazy. Two of the boys have baseball games in the morning and Evan has a gymnastics meet in the afternoon. I am calling in all my resources to help with the kids so I can compete and my husband can be there.

Thank you mom and Toni for all the support with babysitting so I can work out and prepare for this competition. I know I don't say it enough, but "Thank you" I thank my husband for being there and supporting me. For not letting me eat that hot dog last weekend. For taking the kids when my nerves are fraid. I love you.

Day One of Carb Depletion

It went really well on my first carb depletion day. I ate enormous amounts of chicken breast and eggs. I made up deviled egg with tumeric, mustard, and very little mayo. I lightly spread this on the eggs to give it more flavor. Tumeric is good to help decrease the amount of blood going to the fat to decrease body fat. I also had ground turkey as a snack. I ate every two hours or so of cold pure protein. The only carbs I had was cream in my coffee, kale in my eggs, and one forgetful bite of apple. Otherwise, my diet was great. I woke up this morning weighing 128.8. I can't wait to see how much fat I lose this week.

Today was chest and triceps day at the gym. I completed many intervals. It was suppose to be a light day, but I think I will be sore tomorrow. For cardio, I am continuing to walk 30-40 minutes before breakfast. I believe this has helped kick start my weight loss again. Before I started doing this, my weight was stuck. Now, I am on the losing track again.

After working out, I donned on my high heels and practiced my routine for the competition. I had to practice walking sexy in those shoes instead of stamping my feet. I also tried out the pro-tan on my belly to make sure I don't turn green. I painted on a light coating to see how dark it was. I will have to be much darker for the competition.

I am still amazed at how I look. I can see some abs starting to pop. If I had another month on this program, I think I would be more prepared. This weekend is going to be very nerve racking but a good experience. Then 7 weeks left to the Yankee Classic.

I am Finally One of Those People

5 Days to go until the Works Physique Challange. Today starts carbohydrate depletion week. I need to eat lean protein all day, every 1.5 -2 hours for 3 days. I am going to be sick of chicken and boiled eggs by the end of the week. I will miss my PB2 on rice cakes and my protein muffins. What am I to Do!! I also need to drink a gallon of water to flush the kidneys. I have only made it to two quarts so far. I just don't drink that much, but I will try.

Yesterday, some of the girls got together to practice posing. I decided to show up in my competition suit to get over my fear of being in a bikini in front of a 100 people. The suit looks beautiful, however, I only saw my imperfections. I spied the fat hanging over the side and the wrinkled stretch mark filled belly from having 4 kids. I am proud of my belly though. Even though there are no abs to see, this belly brought 4 wonderful children into the world. They will be the next generation of great minds and spirit. So be proud of who you are and what you look like and what God blessed you with. These children are a blessing and if we as mom's should embrace our midsections whatever they look like.

I recieved the best complement ever yesterday. Someone mentioned that I had four kids with a fifteen month old, and someone else said that they wished they could look like me and they haven't had kids. It felt great. I was always the one envious of the "skinny" people who lost all the baby fat. After years of not breaking 152 pounds, I am finally one of those people who actually lost the weight. I thank Caley for keeping me on track even though I didn't beleive her. Everything she said worked, even though I asked her questions in different ways to get the answer I wanted. She never changed her answer. She is a great inspiration to myself and everyone in the Physique Challange. Only five more days to go and 7 weeks and 5 days to the Yankee Classic.

One Week to Go

This has been a tough week for me. I am constantly hungry and have eaten more than I should. I am eating 5 oz of protein at each meal and 4 protein muffins a day. Normally, I do 4 oz and only two muffins. I've been sneaking roasted nuts as well. Ella didn't finish her meatball, so I had a bite of that. It's those "bites" that are killing me. I don't eat bad carbs or desserts or chips or snacks. Its the protein bites that get me. However, I am getting sick and tired of eating the same thing. Its time to find something new. I don't want salads with fish, I don't like chicken breast. Red meat is too fattening. All I eat is egg whites for breakfast with ezekiel bread, ground turkey with either chili powder and tomatoes or with cabbage and kale. Next week will be even harder because I am doing carb depletion for 3 days and can only have lean protein. If it was fattening protein, I would be happy. I would love to have steak tips or meatballs or sausages or pork chops or even chicken thighs or wings. I can go on and on. But I can only eat chicken breast, turkey breast, or eggs. YUM! Not! Oh well, I will survive. Its only for a few days. I also haven't been able to get to the gym as much as usual. My nanny is on vacation and with going away this weekend, I won't be at the gym either for four days. However, I have been successful at doing 30 minutes of cardio every morning before breakfast. That has helped me keep sane. I have also been practicing my poses in the shower. This caused me to "pop" a rib out of place. I can't wait for Scott to wake up to put it back in. I am still having a hard time flaring my lats out. I realize that if I roll my shoulders in a little, then my shoulders look bigger and my lats come out. Now to remember that without looking at a mirror. I am nervous about getting on stage because I don't look as big as I wanted to and I'm not as cut as I wanted to be. However, I am done to 129.6 todaqy. I am so excited. My goal for this competition was 128. I have a week to make it as long as I don't blow it this weekend. We are going to the lake house and then Storyland today for Memorial Weekend. This will make it 8 years in a row. We always go with our close friends. We are going out for Thai tonight and I checked out their menu. They have salads with lime dressing. I will stay away from the curries which is my favorite. For Storyland, I packed turkey chili without beans and more muffins. Also, turkey breast to snack on. Hopefully it tastes good cold. I am afraid that if I get hungry there will be nothing healthy to eat there. I hope I am prepared enough. Sunday we are having a cook out at the lake and I bought chicken breast with roasted vegetables. This will make it much easier to eat healthy. Wish me luck!!

New Posing Suit

I am so excited. I checked my mailbox yesterday, which I never do, and there was my new posing suit. I was so excited that I drove straight to Marcia's house to show her. It is beautiful, green with white and purple gems in a star burst pattern.

When Scott came home I tried it on and took more pictures. The suit is a little tight because it suppose to fit for competition weight. The sides need to go up higher in a "V" to accentuate the hips more. When I did this, it showed a little too much extra skin. Maybe by competition time it will fir better. I will definitely need bikini bite with it. It is really low cut on the bottoms which will require more grooming than usual. lol.

Yesterday was the first day that I walked on the treadmill uphill on an empty stomach. I am going to try to do this everyday for the next few weeks. I need to burn extra fat to fit in the suit better. I tentatively stepped on the scale and 130.4 jumped out at me. Oh my!. I hopped off and reset it to step on again. It still stayed the same. I was shocked and elated. Maybe I will be 129 at the end of the week. One can only hope. The only thing I did different yesterday was to do cardio in the morning before breakfast. I will definitely be doing that again.

Before and After Pictures

Pumpkinman 2011

Pumkinman Triathlon

April 2012

May 2012

Two Weeks Out

I am two weeks out from my first competition at the gym. I am getting very excited. At this point, I live, eat, and breathe diet and exercise. My main focus is keeping on goal. It is hard to concentrate on anything else. When is my next meal? What am I going to eat? Can I get a work out in? It is crazy. I never thought I would be like that, but I am. I am still 9 weeks out to the Yankee Classic competition.

I have my posing suit being mailed. I should recieve that in a couple of days. I cannot wait. I will post the picture of that.

I am ready to post my picture. It took a long time for me to feel comfortable to do that. After having 4 kids, my stomach is not the same at all.

We had our posing class yesterday. It was great to see the transformation of everyone in the group. At our first posing class, everyone was covered up with shirts or tanks. Yesterday, everyone, including me, had a bikini top and some had the bottoms on as well. As a group, we look great. Posing is much harder than it looks. From constantly flexing, my back is very sore today. I am not usually sore after a work out, but I am sore today. Crazy! I enjoyed the building poses. It brings out the muscles more than the Figure poses. We get to do both.

I can't believe that this journay is coming to a close. It has been a lot of hard and fun work. I will still continue to lift heavy after competition. After all the hard work, I don't want to lose the muscle. I would like to compete again next year.

Stats: I am now 17.5% body fat at 131 pounds. I have lost 21 pounds since January, a year after my last baby. I still have about 5 pounds to go to tighten up the skin on the muscles. I should be ready for July. I need to be under 15% body fat. I am not as big and muscular as I want. I thought I would have more muscle mass on me. I guess my body takes longer to grow. I am eating over 200g of proteins a day. My carbs are under 100g and fat is under 35g. I am drinking atleast one protein shake a day and sometimes two. I started to add in BBCA in my water pre and post workout. I end up drinking that all day because I just keep adding more water. Speaking of water, I need to start drinking one to two gallons a day to get ready for peak week. I drink maybe a quart now. I have been increasing it, but two gallons is crazy.

Staying strict on the diet is the hardest part. The kids want to go out to eat all the time. I try to order take out instead for them. I don't have the will power to go to a restaruant and eat healthy. I start looking through the menu and everything looks delicious. I can't not order something good. I am getting better though. I think that now I need to be strict. I need to start planning more snacks to have when I am out and about. Slow changes, but it works.

So, here is my now pictures. I will try posting my progress pictures later. I need to download them first. This is a great start to my new lifestyle. I plan to get bigger and more ripped as the weeks progress. EVERYONE HAS TO START SOMEWHERE, but I am very fit and healthy compared to what I was months ago. I have to just keep plugging away. If I can do this, anyone can. I would love to see women come into their own and start lifting. Start transforming your body. Cardio won't do it. You need to get into the gym and lift. The diet is the key as well. If you want to lose weight, it is a mind set and not an option. Everyone is looking for a quick fix. There is none. Just hard work and dedication. If you give up, that is on you, not the diet. People blame the diets for not working, its not the diet, its you. You need to want it and make the change. Don't go back to your old lifestyle. Stay on goal and the doors will open.

Fitting

I had my first fitting for my bathing suite today. It is beautiful. The green we picked out is really shiny and sparkly. It made me look good. It is cut very low in the front and high on the sides. It crosses in the back. I get to pick it up in 3 weeks with all the rhinestones on it. I will send a picture when I get it. Of course I won't be in it until competition day.

I am getting very excited for the competition. I have 1 month left to fit into the suite before my first competition.

Back Home after Vacation

We had a great vacation to Myrtle Beach. The resort we stood at had a great gym. There were free weigths and cables, treadmills and elipticals. There were also running paths throughout the golf course and adjoining neighborhood. The paths were not very groomed, but the wild life was great to see. There were ducks and geese with their babies. I came upon a turtle crossing the road on one of my runs. During my runs, I was listening to the Hunger Games. The story line fit in well with running. The main character was dodging other characters and I was dodging wild life. Of course my life wasn't in danger. I did get a little worried running by a pack of geese. Since it was mating season, I wasn't sure if I would be attacked. I worked out for atleast an hour a day doing weigths and cardio.

Eating wasn't as good. We ate in everyday for breakfast and usually one other meal. That only left one meal out. I ate salads with fish or steak. Ice cream was the staple snack food. Fortunately, we were able to have frozen yogurt instead. I was wary about how much weigth I gained. I was guessing 5 pounds. I woke up Monday morning and stepped on the scale. I gained only 3 pounds. I felt very relieved. After being a little carefree about food, it feels good to get back on track.

Vacation

Today is day 5 of my vacation to Myrtle Beach. We are having a great time. I have been challanged by my kids to get out of my comfort zone and climb on the monkey ropes. After a short panic attack that I was going to die, I sucked it up and followed my 7 year old out on the ropes. We were strapped in to a harness, which held 2000 pounds, even though I didn't think it could hold me. The rope obstacle changed depending on the direction you went. One course was tight rope walking, others were moving beams. It was a lot of fun but I won't be doing that again anytime soon. Also, my oldest son wanted to go on the 360 degree bikes. You had to be 58" and weigh less than 200 pounds. We were harnessed in like a roler coaster. The harder that we pedaled, then more 360's we did. We went upside down and around at least 5 times. Now that was so neat that we did it again. My diet has not been good this week. We are eating breakfast in everyday which keeps me on my egg whites and spinach. However, lunches have been out. I go into a restaurant with the goal of eating clean but then look at the menu. Its hard to avoid a cold beer and wings. The kids have been wanting ice cream everyday. One day we did frozen yogurt which was really delicious. But I can't seem to avoid eating the kids left overs. That is what is killing me. I try not to eat it but I cave. Everyday is a new day. Lets see how today goes. I will not eat anything I shouldn't. On the flip side, I have been working out everyday. The resort has an excellent gym where I can continue training heavy. Then I do a half hour of cardio. Tomorrow I think I might go for a long run to try to burn extra calories.

Posing

Monday night was our first posing class. There were about 20 men and women standing and looking at themselves in the mirror. Most women wore 5 inch high heels, me included. The heels are there to show off the muscles in the legs more. Others wore no shoes. The men get to pose bare foot. They are lucky. There don't need to learn how to walk in 5" heels.

We preceeded to stand in front of the mirror to watch our posing technique. We started with the front pose. We rolled our shoulders forward and then back, trying to keep the shoulder blades flat against the back. Squeeze the lats, chest up, flex the arms while keeping the hands relaxed, push the legs out and flex and hold. Oh yeah, and smile. It is very hard to keep all the muscles flexed and smile at the same time. We continued to practice our quarter turns and back pose. At least with the back pose, we don't have to smile.:) My back was definitely sore after this session. I will need to continue to practice holding these poses in front of a mirror to find the best angle to define the muscle.

After the posing for judging, we have to perform to music any poses that makes us look the best. That is not going to be fun. More posing practice!

During posing I was able to see where I needed work. I like my legs and triceps, they are nice and cut. However, I need to build my back and shoulders more. I met with my trainer last week to change my program. I am now working on back 2 times a week and shoulders 3 times a week. Shoulders are alternating between heavy, medium, and light days so as not to over due it. I am doing pull-ups everyday I am at the gym. I am now up to 6 pull-ups unsupported.

After months of having a knee injury, I finally can run again. I ran the Great Bay race last week and rocked my time. After running, I was still able to walk. I woke up the next day and still no knee pain. I ran several more days that week and no pain. I am so relieved. I was able to sign up for 2 half marathons this year. I can't wait to complete it, especially Disney in January. But I am going to continue to build muscle and work toward my July competition and maybe compete again in October.

I am struggling with my diet a little. I am not eating any bad meals. I am eating everything that I should however, its the bite here and there that is killing me. I have to do extra cardio to burn it off. I am still 7 pounds away from my competition weight. I am on vacation next week and I hope to continue to eat well. When I get back, I will have one month before the pre-competition to loose all the excess weight. Its going to be cutting it close. Atleast I have more time before the July competition.

First Picture

Here is the first of many pictures to come. I am doing awesome. I was stagnant and cheating a little too much, but now I am back in control with God's help. I pray to be kept on track and not let my cravings get out of control. I am down 19 pounds since January. I love to look in the mirror to see my muscles flexing. I know I sound concieted by I am very happy right now. I went on the scale this morning and I am 133.4. I never in my wildest imagination thought I would get this low. My goal was 145. Looking at myself, I can still see plenty of fat especially around my waste. 9 Weeks to go before my competition. Stay tune for more pictures.

I went for my fitting for my bikini. It is going to be green with star burst patterns. I also ordered my 5 inch heels. They should be coming in in a couple of days. I will have to do a lot of practicing to not fall with these shoes on. Normally, I might wear 2 inches, but never 5".

Weekend Blues

After working hard all week to eat clean and exercise like crazy, I lost more weight. I am feeling good and love the look ov my arms. I will post a picture soon. However, after one night out on the town with good friends, I am back up. Everything that I lost this week is back. I don't know if I will ever learn. Now that it is getting closer to show time, I really need to stay clean. Try, try, try again.

I made an appointment to get measured for my competition bathing suite. I am excited and nervous that the show is getting closer and closer. Some days I don't think I will be ready. I feel like I have a long way to go, especially when I gain it back on weekends. Ugh! 

10 Weeks to go before competition

Since losing the 12 pounds, I have felt great. I have decreased my pants size and have gone shopping, again. This time for shorts and a bathing suite. Whenever I go to put on a new pair of shorts or pants that are a size 6, I still doubt that I will fit into them. I hope I can get them buttoned. I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the new size. It is nerve racking but exciting. When trying on bathing suites, Scott had me try on a bikini. He said I looked good in it, but I don't think I'm ready for it yet. I did buy it, and definitely by the summer I will be flaunting my new bod.

After a couple of weeks of being stagnant in my weight, I am getting really bummed. I need to lose at least 10 pounds and get my weight below 15% body fat for the competition. I knew that this day was coming. I wish I could have pushed it out father, but I need to do it. I need to start cutting out my vices. I eliminated my rice cakes and peanut butter. I am cutting the sugar down in my coffee, and only having a half a glass of wine. I started to add in 20 minutes of cardio 4 days a week. Finally, my weight has decreased again. I was getting worried that I wouldn't be able to lose any more. I am very happy where I am and how I look, but I am not competition ready. Soon I will be. Keep on pushing on. My goal is finally visible.

12 Weeks to Go

I had my official weigh in and pictures taken on Monday. The trainer measured my body fat and metabolism. My metabolism was pretty good. I burn 1600 calories doing nothing. I need 2300 calories just to live my day to day life. My trainer put me on a 1600 calorie program to lose a pound a week. I need to be around 125lb for competition weight. I now weigh 140lb with 19% body fat. I need to lose at least 5% more body fat to compete.
After two weeks of being at 140ish, I started to hit the diet hard again. The last few weeks I was slowly adding little treats in again. I didn't mean to, it just happened. I bit of Logan's left over hot dog, a taste of the Alfredo noodles to make sure they were done, pizza crust, an extra glass of wine, drinks with friends, going out to dinner, etc. All the little things added up. I didn't gain any weight back, I just didn't lose any more. So back to being strict again. I lost two pounds again this week from not cheating. I went out last night to Buffalo Wings for wings and a beer, and back up I went. I didn't work out yesterday to try to counteract the effects. I planned on it but realize that my license expires on Sunday, so I had to do that instead. We will be going out again tonight to celebrate my birthday and I will make sure I get an extra work out in.

Since I started this journey, I was about 25% body fat. Now I am down to 19%. My weight started out at 170 after the birth of my last child. I was able to get down to 152-155 and could not break the 150 lb mark. After hitting it strong in January and February, I lost 12 pounds and kept it off. I went from a size 12 pants to a 6. I feel great. I can't wait to lose more and compete in June. However, I am not looking forward to parading around in a bikini in front of strangers judging my body. Talk about getting out of my comfort zone.

Shopping

I finally decided that I couldn't wear baggy pants anymore. My new jeans that I bought in January were literally falling off me. I had nothing to wear to work that fit. After a week of trying to get to the store to buy pants, I finally made it. I went to TJ Max because I wanted "cool" jeans. I liked the stone wash look or riped look and TJ Max had these. I went with Scott and the kids. Scott went to the men's section, I to the women's, and the kids to the toys. I figured I went down a size. I was in a size 10 at the beginning of January when I went shopping then.  I proceeded to scan the size 8 rack. I searched up and down the pants racks looking for black work pants. I found black, white, and gray striped. I also grabbed a couple of nice shirts to try the pants on with. I went to the dressing room to try on the pants. I put one on and took it off. Then another and another. The pants did NOT fit. I was shocked. I did not fit into an 8. I thought I went down a size. My heart started to race. I scurried out of the dressing room in a panic. I asked the sales lady to go and switch sizes. She gave me the all clear and off I went. I went to scan the racks for the same pants but in the correct size. I went back to the dressing room. I tried on the different pants size. I was shaking. I could not believe it. I started texting Marcia while I was still changing. I redressed in my original clothes and stepped out of the dressing room. I found Scott. I told him my heart was racing. He was worried. He asked me what was wrong. He thought something happened to the kids. "No", I said, "Look, Look". I held up the new pants. He looked. "What?" he exclaimed. "Look. Look at the size!". He looked and saw that I was in a size 6. I still can't believe it. After thinking I went down one size, I actually went down two sizes. I could not fathom that. I was so excited I emailed my trainer that night, called my mom, and Marcia. All my hard work has finally paid off.
The next day when I had to get dressed to go to work, I was hesitant to put on my new pants. "Would they still fit? Was it just all in my head and a dream?" I put them on and they still fit. I was relieved and excited. I looked good and felt good. I am ready to keep this weight off and continue to lose to reach my goal.
I can't tell you how good it feels. You can only experience it. Dieting is a mind game. You have to defeat it and stay strict to the diet to drop the pounds. Diets do work if they are followed correctly and if they become a lifestyle, not just a fad.Try it and see. Be the person you want to be. There are no excuses. Just do it. I am doing it at home every day with 4 kids whom I homeschool. I find the time to work out and plan and pre-prepare my meals. So can you.