Well I am 10 days out! 10 days from taking the stage! 10 days from performing that routine! 10 days from finishing what I started! i have never felt stronger, more resilient, so unstoppable and capable of achieving anything! I now know that I can ABSOLUTELY do anything I set my mind to!
I have been traveling for over a week now and I have followed every detail of my meal plan and workouts. I have not once strayed from the path. There are no circumstances which could provoke me to risk what I have worked so hard to achieve. I am 100% completely proud of myself! I don't think I have ever felt this way before. It is a feeling that I want to experience completely. And cherish.
Now for that meal plan! I have my eats for SHOW WEEK! Here goes:
Monday - Wednesday
Breakfast: 1/3 c steel oats/3 oz white fish
Snack: 3 oz white fish/1c brussel sprouts
Lunch: 3 oz white fish/1c asparagus
Snack: 2 egg whites (1/3c quinoa on Wed.)
Dinner: 3 oz white fish/1c asparagus
Thursday:
Breakfast: 1/3c steel oats/3 oz white fish
Snack: 3oz white fish/1c asparagus
*after 1:00 only 8 oz of water rest of day
Lunch: 3 oz white fish
Snack: 1/3 potato
Dinner: 3 oz white fish/1/3 sweet potato
Friday:
Breakfast: 1/3c steel oats/3 oz white fish
Snack: 1/3 potato
Lunch: 3 oz white fish/1/4c quinoa
Snack: 1/3 potato
Dinner: 1/3 potato 1/3 sweet potato
*8 oz water for entire day drank before dinner. No water after dinner.
Saturday: ((SHOW DAY))
Breakfast:
1/3 HOT steel oats/ 1/2 BANANA
20 min before prejudging:
1/2 sweet potato
Pump up 10 min after eating
Before evening show:
1 glass water
4 oz chicken breast
1/3c brown rice
Compete
Can you say: BUFFALO WILD WINGS!!!!
So...there we have it. I drink at LEAST a gallon of water every day! The no water will be the hardest part! But it is all temporary and I cannot wait to see the changes my body will make when I go through this week. I am surprised how much of this is about nutrition. It is easily 90% of the equation! And I hope that by reading this blog you can see that this lifestyle is far from glamorous...it is all about sacrifice, hard work, commitment.
10 days!!! Time to finish!!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
The blog I didn't wanna write, but knew I needed to...
Okay so as my weight drops and my body fat drops and I get closer to goal there is a down side. I have been trying to ignore it but today I heard two of the 'you are too skinny' comments and I know there will be more to come.
Last March, March 16 2010, my father passed away after a long term illness. Long story short he was hospitalized and after surgeries that were unsuccessful, we had to consent for them to take him off of oxygen and wait for him to stop breathing. When he passed away he was completely emaciated. He lived the last couple of years of his life nothing but skin and bones.
There have been a couple of times when I have caught a glimpse of myself and it was like being kicked in the stomach. I could see so much of him in me. I literally had to stop and regroup. The leaner I get the more it happens.
This journey of mine has everything to do with him. Watching someone you love so much waste away to nothing over years is beyond words. I channel the inner strength he gave me to build a strong healthy body, to say "F YOU!" to the disease and side effects that took him from me.
This entire journey is dedicated to my daddy. He taught me how to conquer my demons, to fight for a better life, to never give up on yourself.
One year and two months after losing him I will stand on a stage in a high school auditorium a warrior. A winner. A daughter.
Last March, March 16 2010, my father passed away after a long term illness. Long story short he was hospitalized and after surgeries that were unsuccessful, we had to consent for them to take him off of oxygen and wait for him to stop breathing. When he passed away he was completely emaciated. He lived the last couple of years of his life nothing but skin and bones.
There have been a couple of times when I have caught a glimpse of myself and it was like being kicked in the stomach. I could see so much of him in me. I literally had to stop and regroup. The leaner I get the more it happens.
This journey of mine has everything to do with him. Watching someone you love so much waste away to nothing over years is beyond words. I channel the inner strength he gave me to build a strong healthy body, to say "F YOU!" to the disease and side effects that took him from me.
This entire journey is dedicated to my daddy. He taught me how to conquer my demons, to fight for a better life, to never give up on yourself.
One year and two months after losing him I will stand on a stage in a high school auditorium a warrior. A winner. A daughter.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Eyes on the Finish Line....
Body weight this morning...127.2 :) Bodyfat yesterday 16.4% :) I am definitely on track with those measurements to be where I wanted: 125 pounds and at or under 15% bodyfat. That feels good! It is 'easy' to stay focused when you are constantly seeing the results of your hard work.
These next two weeks are going to be crazy, even without the competition. This week my daughter has a vball tourney in Louisville, KY. We leave Thursday for that trip and return sometime Sunday. I will pack my foods, so that is easy. The room has a refrigerator and microwave. All I need! ;) The gym only has cardio from what I could see so I will have to bring some DB's, kettlebells, bands with me so I still get in my workouts. And I try to stay as close to my schedule as I can, but it gets hard with the tournament. On the plus side....I get to 'meet' Anita!! :) YAY!!!! My spark/FB/Ruben buddy!! :) And I really hope the weather is warm!
So we return from Louisville on Sunday and Monday I leave for a 4 day conference for work in Springfield. No refrigerator or microwave in the room. UGH!! So I will buy both and take them with me. The people from work are going to love me. On the plus side the gym has free weights! On the down side...these conferences are always full of really bad food. 2 weeks out I think my focus will power me through all of that. And 3 nights alone in a hotel will definitely give me some down time that may be MUCH needed at that point.
By the time I get home on Friday I will have just ONE WEEK!! Don't blink.....
Hold on tight.....here we go!!
These next two weeks are going to be crazy, even without the competition. This week my daughter has a vball tourney in Louisville, KY. We leave Thursday for that trip and return sometime Sunday. I will pack my foods, so that is easy. The room has a refrigerator and microwave. All I need! ;) The gym only has cardio from what I could see so I will have to bring some DB's, kettlebells, bands with me so I still get in my workouts. And I try to stay as close to my schedule as I can, but it gets hard with the tournament. On the plus side....I get to 'meet' Anita!! :) YAY!!!! My spark/FB/Ruben buddy!! :) And I really hope the weather is warm!
So we return from Louisville on Sunday and Monday I leave for a 4 day conference for work in Springfield. No refrigerator or microwave in the room. UGH!! So I will buy both and take them with me. The people from work are going to love me. On the plus side the gym has free weights! On the down side...these conferences are always full of really bad food. 2 weeks out I think my focus will power me through all of that. And 3 nights alone in a hotel will definitely give me some down time that may be MUCH needed at that point.
By the time I get home on Friday I will have just ONE WEEK!! Don't blink.....
Hold on tight.....here we go!!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
A day in the life of ME...
Wake up call @ 4:30 am. Oh joy! Roll out of bed, get dressed, pack my gym bag with work clothes, PM work out clothes, and all the necessities for showering at the gym. Upstairs to the kitchen where I heat up 3 spoons of steel cut oats and toss in a spoon of whey, then sprinkle with cinnamon. This is just a couple bites of food for morning cardio.
Then I pack the cooler with my eats for the day and fill my two 72 oz water bottles for the day. Sit down and eat and then off to the gym. The girls know I leave at 5:30 sharp. If they are not in the car they do not go to school, period. So far, they have been up and ready on time, everyday. :)
Drop them off at their dads and get to the gym by 6. Then 45 minutes of some mix of cardio because I suffer from cardio ADD. :) Shower at the gym, get ready for work, then heat up my breakfast (1/3 c steel cut oats and 3 egg whites w/ cinnamon) and eat. Call the girls at their dads to make sure they are awake and then off to work I go.
At 8:20 I have a scoop of whey and WATER. The kids come at 8:30, and so the morning begins. Before lunch I drink my first 72 oz bottle of water. Noon is lunch! I heat up my 4 oz of chicken, 3 oz of brown rice, and 1/2 c of low glycemic veggies and eat. Usually I will also drink some green tea at this point.
1:00 the afternoon class comes and so it begins, again! :) 4:30 is my snack time and usually I am starving!! At this point I have consumed most of my second 72 oz bottle of water. Snack is 1/3c sweet potato and 3 egg whites with more cinnamon! 5:00 and I am off to the gym!
Lifting is first and then cardio again! My goal is to be out of the gym by 7:15. On the way to pick up the girls I have another scoop of whey. We usually get home by 7:45. Then begins the unpacking of everything, starting of laundry, homework checks, etc. By 8:30 I am eating dinner: 1/4c quinoa, 3 oz protein, 1/2 c low glycemic veggie. I usually drink another 32 oz of water after the gym too. If I am lucky I will spend a half hour watching tv or doing something mindless before falling into bed. Then shower and bed by 9 something. All of my school work has to be done on the weekends or I am toast. So far, I have been able to keep my Deans List status and GPA up.
4:30 wake up call and I do it all again! :) 4 more weeks!
Then I pack the cooler with my eats for the day and fill my two 72 oz water bottles for the day. Sit down and eat and then off to the gym. The girls know I leave at 5:30 sharp. If they are not in the car they do not go to school, period. So far, they have been up and ready on time, everyday. :)
Drop them off at their dads and get to the gym by 6. Then 45 minutes of some mix of cardio because I suffer from cardio ADD. :) Shower at the gym, get ready for work, then heat up my breakfast (1/3 c steel cut oats and 3 egg whites w/ cinnamon) and eat. Call the girls at their dads to make sure they are awake and then off to work I go.
At 8:20 I have a scoop of whey and WATER. The kids come at 8:30, and so the morning begins. Before lunch I drink my first 72 oz bottle of water. Noon is lunch! I heat up my 4 oz of chicken, 3 oz of brown rice, and 1/2 c of low glycemic veggies and eat. Usually I will also drink some green tea at this point.
1:00 the afternoon class comes and so it begins, again! :) 4:30 is my snack time and usually I am starving!! At this point I have consumed most of my second 72 oz bottle of water. Snack is 1/3c sweet potato and 3 egg whites with more cinnamon! 5:00 and I am off to the gym!
Lifting is first and then cardio again! My goal is to be out of the gym by 7:15. On the way to pick up the girls I have another scoop of whey. We usually get home by 7:45. Then begins the unpacking of everything, starting of laundry, homework checks, etc. By 8:30 I am eating dinner: 1/4c quinoa, 3 oz protein, 1/2 c low glycemic veggie. I usually drink another 32 oz of water after the gym too. If I am lucky I will spend a half hour watching tv or doing something mindless before falling into bed. Then shower and bed by 9 something. All of my school work has to be done on the weekends or I am toast. So far, I have been able to keep my Deans List status and GPA up.
4:30 wake up call and I do it all again! :) 4 more weeks!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
4 weeks....
Weighed in at 128.6 this morning. :) That is a good feeling after a week wrought with hormones, weight gain, and overall crappiness. Even though I know it is all temporary it still makes me crazy every month.
Along with hormones came a week filled with "What the h-e-double-hockey sticks-are -you-thinking thoughts! Ugh. Now that I am over that nonsense I have a plan....
For the next 4 weeks I will not worry about what my competition MIGHT look like. I will not think about what travesties MIGHT happen on stage. I will concentrate on enjoying every moment, working hard, and having fun! This is a new experience and I will keep it in perspective and NOT ruin it with fearful thoughts that are only going to sabotage myself.
Sooo....positive thoughts, positive self talk, and savoring every moment! Garbage out..... It's not easy for me, but I will work on it! And then I will ROCK that stage and be proud of myself, not criticize a thing or make any I should have comments.
Power focus.
Along with hormones came a week filled with "What the h-e-double-hockey sticks-are -you-thinking thoughts! Ugh. Now that I am over that nonsense I have a plan....
For the next 4 weeks I will not worry about what my competition MIGHT look like. I will not think about what travesties MIGHT happen on stage. I will concentrate on enjoying every moment, working hard, and having fun! This is a new experience and I will keep it in perspective and NOT ruin it with fearful thoughts that are only going to sabotage myself.
Sooo....positive thoughts, positive self talk, and savoring every moment! Garbage out..... It's not easy for me, but I will work on it! And then I will ROCK that stage and be proud of myself, not criticize a thing or make any I should have comments.
Power focus.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Pics from the vault...
In April of 2009 I started lifting. I lifted 5 days a week, without fail. I loved lifting and I was a total gym rat from the word go. In May of 2010 I started eating clean. I worked with Ruben for 3 months, took a break from his meal plans but continued to eat well on my own and then in January of 2011 I set my sights on competing and really reigned in my diet with the help of my Coach/trainer.
The difference a clean diet makes is obvious. I stumbled upon these before pics today...they just happen to be exactly a year ago. Wow! What a difference a year makes. It is true...are bodies are made BOTH in the kitchen and the gym!! Never again will I waste my efforts in the gym by choosing not to eat a clean diet! The title is wrong...my typo and I don't intend to fix it but the pics are exactly one year apart. April 3 2010 - April 3, 2011.
The difference a clean diet makes is obvious. I stumbled upon these before pics today...they just happen to be exactly a year ago. Wow! What a difference a year makes. It is true...are bodies are made BOTH in the kitchen and the gym!! Never again will I waste my efforts in the gym by choosing not to eat a clean diet! The title is wrong...my typo and I don't intend to fix it but the pics are exactly one year apart. April 3 2010 - April 3, 2011.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Size 6 Jeans??? Yeah that just happened!
So today I bought a new pair of jeans...size 6! Can't remember the last time that happened. How much fun is it to love going into the dressing room?!?! And I bought an awesome dress for vacation!! I can't wait to get more vacation clothes and summer clothes! Shopping is fun again!!
5 more weeks and I know it will get harder before it is over, but I am determined to stay focused and get through these weeks like a pro. I am surrounded by people that support my goals and I am blessed!! That stage/competition part will be for all of them! My part ends Friday May 6th...at that point my goal is complete. I have done my part. I am excited to finish this in a big way!!
5 more weeks and I know it will get harder before it is over, but I am determined to stay focused and get through these weeks like a pro. I am surrounded by people that support my goals and I am blessed!! That stage/competition part will be for all of them! My part ends Friday May 6th...at that point my goal is complete. I have done my part. I am excited to finish this in a big way!!
Friday, April 1, 2011
I am just along for the ride....
Okay, so had the dreaded cheeseburger and the next morning the scale said 131.0. The day before it had been at 130.6. Pfft....silliness. I guess my body really does have this.
Yesterday was a day of driving. Taylor and I went to UW Platteville for her first college visit. They had contacted her about playing volleyball and so we went. We really enjoyed the day! Had a tour, she had lunch with three girls from the volleyball team, then we met the coaches and chatted with them for a bit. We had no expectations going in and were very pleased with the results. I stayed on task with my eating but did add in 2 Clif Builder Bars during the tour/lunch/visit etc. I also went to the gym at 6 am before we left and then went again at 6 pm, so both rounds of cardio were accomplished yesterday! Scale this morning....129.8. Kind of freaky how fast the weight is falling off of me right now.
On another note....the brand new jeans I bought 3 weeks ago and set aside for summer, don't fit. They were falling off of me with the belt on the last hole. This weekend I am getting another new pair. I have to have at least one pair of jeans that fits! I know my body is going to change again after the show, but I want to be able to wear clothes that fit me in the meantime too. Looks like I will be trying size 6?!?!
Just about at the 5 week mark and I think I have figured out that I am just along for the ride. As long as I do exactly what I am supposed to per Niki....this is all going to fall right into place. I just get to be a witness to the path my body is taking right now. Crazy. Fun. Exciting.
And....posing practice every night after cardio start today. I have to nail down these poses in the next 5 weeks and it is VERY difficult to do. But with practice I know I will....no shaky body on stage for me.
have a beautiful day!!!
Yesterday was a day of driving. Taylor and I went to UW Platteville for her first college visit. They had contacted her about playing volleyball and so we went. We really enjoyed the day! Had a tour, she had lunch with three girls from the volleyball team, then we met the coaches and chatted with them for a bit. We had no expectations going in and were very pleased with the results. I stayed on task with my eating but did add in 2 Clif Builder Bars during the tour/lunch/visit etc. I also went to the gym at 6 am before we left and then went again at 6 pm, so both rounds of cardio were accomplished yesterday! Scale this morning....129.8. Kind of freaky how fast the weight is falling off of me right now.
On another note....the brand new jeans I bought 3 weeks ago and set aside for summer, don't fit. They were falling off of me with the belt on the last hole. This weekend I am getting another new pair. I have to have at least one pair of jeans that fits! I know my body is going to change again after the show, but I want to be able to wear clothes that fit me in the meantime too. Looks like I will be trying size 6?!?!
Just about at the 5 week mark and I think I have figured out that I am just along for the ride. As long as I do exactly what I am supposed to per Niki....this is all going to fall right into place. I just get to be a witness to the path my body is taking right now. Crazy. Fun. Exciting.
And....posing practice every night after cardio start today. I have to nail down these poses in the next 5 weeks and it is VERY difficult to do. But with practice I know I will....no shaky body on stage for me.
have a beautiful day!!!
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