Almond Flour Pizza Crust

Crust:
2 cups Almond Flour
1 cup Arrow Root
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Himalyian Sea Salt
tbsp Italian Seasoning
3 eggs
1/2 cup Almond Milk

Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Blend all ingredients together. Use either stoneware or rectangle baking pan. Grease the pan. Place mix on the pan and spread out on the pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and place your topping on the pizza. My favorite is Greek Style. Spinach, tomatoes, olives, feta with either tomato sauce or basalmic vineger. Cook again for 10-15 minutes.

Try using pesto instead of tomato sauce. Load the pizza with all that left over zucchini from the garden.

Not Quite Vegan Yet

It has now been a month on this vegetarian journey. It is not as hard as I thought it was going to be. I thought I would miss my daily chicken, especially buffalo chicken, but no. I use to eat grilled chicken for snack or lunch everyday and I don't miss it. I have absolutely no cravings for meat, even eggs. Occasionally I eat eggs but I don't crave them anymore. I would normally eat 4 egg whites with plenty of vegetables with salsa on top. Now I eat just the vegetables in a stir-fry or oatmeal with protein powder or sweet rice bread. Those are pretty much my staples for breakfast.

I am enjoying the new vegetarian foods that we are consuming. The tastes are explosive. I am feeling more energetic and am less bloated. I feel really great. I still get tired in the afternoon and need my pick-me-up. However, yesterday I didn't need it. For breakfast I had a smoothie with bee pollen. I think that gave me the extra energy to get through a busy day at work and teach boot camp at night. I am going to try to do more smoothies for breakfast or snack.

So far the only problem I have run into with this diet is the amount of carbohydrates that I am consuming. Before I was eating protein at every meal. Now my protein level has gone done but the carbohydrates have increased. I have not gained weight but haven't lost any either. Everything I read about vegan bodybuilding said that I should have 80% carbs, 10% protein, and 10% fat. It is the fat and the carbohydrates that can cause the weight gain. The carbohydrates open the cells to allow the protein or fat to go into the cells. So why would you want to put fat in your cells? We want protein to full those muscle cells to become stronger. However, the carbohydrates are extremely important to a body builder. They help to put on the bulk. What I need to figure out is how to lose weight on the diet? How do I eat healthy food that is not laden with carbohydrates? I know I need to change my thought process on this but I am so tuned into protein and less carbs which makes it hard change. And I can only eat so much vegetables.

We have been making vegetarian pizzas by using almond flour for the crust. Then we load up on vegetables. It is so good but it has many carbs. Scott had burritos last week and vege lasagna. Last night he made vege burgers with all the trimmings. I am lucky that he is an excellent cook and loves to cook. When I cook, we have a salad.

We have not been able to give up diary yet. I am sure that is helping to keep the weight on. Diary is high in fat even though we are using fat free or low fat cheese. But to be vegan and healthier, I need to eliminate it altogether. I usually only have cheese at dinner. Cheese is going to be the hardest to give up because it makes everything taste better. We have been trying to switch to goat cheese instead of cow cheese. Our body has the enzymes to break down goats cheese but not cow. And watching the videos about what they do to cows to get them to produce more milk is barbaric. I can't believe what the US allows to happen to these farm animals. Every time I think of eating chicken, I picture that video in my head. I don't think I can ever go back to meat again. If those farm houses had windows, everyone would be vegetarian.

Eating meat or diary causes your body to become more acidic. This acidity causes the calcium to be leached out of the teeth and bones to try to neutralize the acid. Why does the diary companies promote drinking milk but we still have a high rate of osteoporosis in this country? Why is our country so over weight? You do the research and decide for yourself.

Starting Vegetarian

My husband has been doing a lot of research lately on veganism. He is reading the China Study which explains why we should be vegan. It talks about how casein, an animal protein, and aflotoxin in peanuts can cause cancer when eaten in combination. The meat products and diary activates the aflotoxin and makes it dangerous for our health. Since reading about this, we have been watching videos, like Food Matters and Veganism. These movies show how animals are treated. I will not go into it here because it is too awful to talk about.

Since reading the book 1 month ago, we started going vegetarian. We haven't made it vegan yet, but we are working on it. We still occasionally eat eggs for breakfast and diary with meals. I am trying to eliminate diary but that is proving very hard. I am feeling great staying away from meat. I thought I would miss it, but I don't. I use to feel extremely full and bloated when I ate meat and wheat. Sometimes I looked like I was pregnant. It was such an uncomfortable experience that I had to do something.

There are many varieties of food to chose from. The hardest part is finding snacks and dinner food that isn't full off carbohydrates. Since I always at low carbs, I am struggling with what to eat. I can only eat so many salads. I think I have "saladed" myself out for a while. I have been eating oatmeal with protein powder in morning. Lunch has been a salad, or vege sandwich, snack is nuts, cacao, and gogi berries, then dinner is soy and vegetables with diary. (Shepard's pie, hot dog and beans, vege lasagna with no noodles) Scott is a great cook but we need to start eating healthier.

I am researching what vegans eat on a daily basis so I can get an idea about the direction to go. It is easy being an unhealthy vegetarian, but I want to be healthy and continue to build muscle. I have taken some time off on working out except for the occasional run. Last week I started hitting it hard again. I love the feel of sore muscles. I am looking forward to sculpting my body again and leaning out. This time I intend to continue this way of life and not go crazy after competition. I am not training for a figure competition, just for myself. I do have the Spartan race this Sunday, the Seacoast Road Series, a duathalon, and 3 half marathons this year. My goal is to run twice a week and bike once as well as lift 3 times per week. I should be able to lose weight properly while nourishing my body with plant protein.

I have spent the last 6 weeks losing the holiday weight that I gained after the GSO. It was very hard to continue my diet during Christmas and New Year's Parties. I had about 10 pounds that I needed to gain after the show. I was very thin and it was impossible to maintain a weight that low. So I slowly watched the scale go up and up. However, it didn't stop. It kept going. I just looked at pizza and gained 2 pounds. I was spinning out of control. I was warned that this would happen if I don't be careful. Many body builders face this same situation. I went from a year of dieting to eating normal. it's not like I was eating very bad, just at the parties. I ate healthy during the week but splurged on the weekend. My metabolism was very efficient that I burned 300 calories on a hour long run. I use to burn 500 calories.

So now I am back and in control of my life. I need to keep blogging so as to stay focused for you and myself.

The last 6 weeks has been great for me. I have been off sugar and wheat. During a seminar I found out I was sensitive to wheat and now I need to stay away from it for 90 days mimimun and then get retested. This seminar has made me motivated to grow my nutrition practice to help others achieve their goals. I also have started a 12 week program with Marcia to help clients change their life style. You can check these out on my website www.naturalfitnesssolutions.net

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.