Picture day

It hit me this morning that I will be posting a "before" picture in one month.  Up till now, the thought really has not bothered me much, as it is a part of the process, but now for some reason I seem nervous.  Even just yesterday my mom was asking me for a particular body measurement, she sews, and she said "your body is changing again".  Now the smart daughter would have asked her what she meant, since I do intend to strap on a bikini and walk across a stage in front of strangers, but I didn't.  So, what did she mean?  (I could torture myself with that one for hours.)  How would you feel if you had to post a "before" picture for anyone to see?  Would what you post make you proud or depressed?  Since I do not believe in perfection, I think we could all use a little work, and I don't mean the plastic kind.  :)  Start your New Years resolution now to get in better shape and take better care of yourself.  Post your own picture on your bathroom mirror and again each month to see how much you've improved.  I would love to see your before and after shots!!!
    

Thanksgiving Blunders

Hopefully, you did not fall off the wagon during Thanksgiving.  It was tough for me and I did not do as well with my diet as I had thought, but today is a new day and it is time to move on.  So, if you slipped a little or alot during the holiday, jump back on and let's do this thing.  :) 

More to be thankful for

When I got to the gym yesterday, I checked in, grabbed my hand towel, walked over to the ice machine and started fixing a water for my workout.  Routine as usual.  On the TV above my head I saw the ticker read "hundreds dead in stampede".  For what must have only been a couple of minutes, but seemed much longer, I watched pictures of dead human bodies lined up on a street and bodies being carried off.  I don't think I have to say I am thankful I was not a part of anything so horrific, but later during my workout, I was grateful to have my IPod with music that reflected the somberness of my heart.  Later as I got into my shower, I asked God to please be with those families and friends of the victims.  Help them find peace and comfort during their mourning period. 
While there are lots of people I am thankful to have in my life and certian materialist things that give me comfort, I am most Thankful to the one who has gotten me through so many hard times.  He has listened to my heart, heard me cry, held me when there was no one, and always been a father to me, Jesus.  I pray there is healing in this world of ours and while I am not a "Christian" by certian standards, my faith in Him never waivers. 

Looking forward to Thanksgiving

Most simply think of Thanksgiving as a time to eat and be with family and friends.  Both of those are in my plans, but I do intend to keep the eating part to more of a tasting, since I will have no way of knowing all that went into making the dish.  With your Thanksgiving this year try to have a small spoonfull of each thing instead of a huge helping and limit your deserts to the truely special ones and try a taste of each vs a whole slice or 3 of your favorite.  (You have to start somewhere)  :)

For me this Thanksgiving I want to let all of you know what I am thankful for.  Each night I pray for the health of my girls and that God place angels around them to protect them from all harm or evil.  Cierra & Hannah are my reason for being.  For being the mother and woman I am.  They are always 1st on my list to take care of and watch over.  It is interesting how different they are in their own little ways, but then so much alike.  Both are intelligent, beautiful, compassionate, and quirky.  My life has been full because of them and I am thankful for God gifting me with my babies. 

Food

OK, not the hardest part, but definately a pain, is the food.  Each morning I get up to pack all or all but one meal of the day for me.  That means 5-6 meals in my little black bag.  That is all good as long as I have recently been to the grocery store and my fridge is full of everything perfectly healthy.  Towards the end of payday when it is time to go shopping again it gets hard to put together a full day of balanced, clean meals.  Plus I am trying to keep my calories around 2000 and that takes quite a bit of planning.  
Try to plan your meals this next week.  If you are only eating 2-3 meals a day try to add at least 1-2 more.  Balance out you protien and carbs and keep your fats down.  Let me know how you feel or if you saw any changes.  Good Luck!

Since I know you have been waiting for it, here goes.
My tip:  Pack your meals.  One, you know it is healthy.  Two, you know it is clean (not meaning dirty food :), but unprocessed, healthy food)  Three, you can easily keep up with your macronutrients such as:  fat, carbs, and protiens. 

Yesterday's Leg Workout

Between Harley and I & availability of equipment at the gym here is how it played out:
Laterals 3 X 10
Squats 5 X 15 (Keep in mind I have not done these since I hurt my back so badly last year)
SS
Military Press 5 X 10
Deadlift 5 X 5 (Probably going to stick with stiff leg DB deadlifts for back issues)
Upright Rows 5 X 8
Rev Pec Deck 3 X 8
Step ups 3 X 10 each leg
Lying Leg Curls 3 X 8 drop set on last
Sitted Calves 3 X 10
Standing Calves 2 X 10
Abs (4) 2 X 15
Lovely!%$#*


A huge thanks to all the guys at my gym who give me space and support!



My Tip:  Check out fitday.com

Happiness in small measures

First off I want to let you guys know this is going to be a work in progress.  Not sure how much I will post, how personal or not I will get, but maybe someone might read this and get something out of it. 


Since my body did not change like I thought it should, I started looking up reasons why.  What I have found is that my cortisol levels are probably high.  With quite a bit of stress in my life and a few other issues it makes sence.  Of course I am not a doctor nor have I been to see one, and likely will make these types of calls from time to time based on all that I read, I decided to see what I could do about it naturally, of course.  Starting this past Monday I have been taking a vit. C, Omega 3,6,9, B complex, and combo Magnesium, Zinc, & Calcium pills each morning.  My energy levels are GREAT, my overall mood has improved, and I am sleeping better.  My lower stomach has not gone down much, but there is always next week. 
Also, I am very happy to report my measurements have decreased, all except my legs..........I swear as I have told Harley over and over.........those will be the very last to "come in".  The curse of womanhood!


TIP:  Not personally mine, but worth the try.......Add natural lemons (juice) to your water during the day.  Will help with the cortisol issue too because of the Vit. C in lemons. 

Pre Prep Work

I am starting this site for those who are interested in watching my journey in Figure competition.  At one point, I had thought I would post everything on my Facebook page, but to me that will be forcing my friends and family to read or view my progress.  By having this blog you can "choose" to sign in and read up or see my updated pics. 
This will be a challenge for me as I have never done this before, but one I am looking forward to and have looked forward to since I was 15 years old.  Many of you will know of my admiration and love for Arnold, but some of you will be hearing this for the 1st time.  When I was about 15, I fell in love with Arnold Schwarzenegger.  He has been my only lifelong crush.  (Nothing sick, I just wanted to touch)  :) 
So along the way if you have any Arnold favorites please share them with me.  Any and all will definately help me keep my eye on the prize.  (Harley have no fear, you are my one and only!)