Funday Monday

Its Monday which means it is a new week and time to get down to business and attack the week with as much focus and positive energy as possible. Countdown to showtime = less than 5 weeks! Wowza the time has sure flown by and I feel myself getting more anxious with every passing day. This mornings cardio whizzed by because... I got to watch Full House! Yep, the TV was left on the Nick at Night channel and it brought me back to when I would race home from 2nd grade to watch T.G.I.F. with my sister, eat a t.v. dinner (the kid ones that come in the blue box which was a treat on Fridays) and Full House was one of my favorites. It sure made for a quick morning but also a great start to my Monday. For the next few weeks until showtime, I have decided that instead of setting goals for the entire week, I will set goals for each and everyday. I will focus all my energy every day on my workouts, my diet, and posing practice. There is a lot going on in life (such as studying for my GRE accompanied by more emotional items) but I know that this is something that I must do to keep myself focused. I have a quote that goes along with the following your own star post. It says, "Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal." My goals are set and I am reaching high for deep down I know that I have to ability to do anything I put my mind too.

Ciao for now,   J

Follow Your Own Star

I would like to share a story that was told to me this afternoon by my lovely L.Bug. To backtrack a little ways, for Christmas I gave L.Bug a neat necklace that had a shooting star on it and I had given it to her because she is a phenomenal person and I know she is doing great things in her life and touching those lives around her. I believe in her, and I had thought this necklace would be a reminder for her to believe in herself as well. At work, a woman who has a zest and passion for life commented on L.Bugs necklace and read the inscription on the charm, loving each and every word. The day continued and this little gal came bouncing back to ask again what the necklace said because she loved it and wanted to remember it. L.Bug knew in her heart that this necklace was a gift that would keep giving, so she wrapped it up and gave it to the gal at work. A very heartfelt story accompanied the acceptance of the necklace that left both me and L.Bug in tears and I am soo very proud of her for such an inspirational story. The gal from work explained to L.Bug that this would come around ten-fold and she would receive something for what she did today but all I know is that I feel like the necklace has tied the three of us together somehow and my wish for all of you is to be kind to one another, for we are all fighting our own battle.

Ciao for now,    J

Wedding Weekend

This weekend a very good friend of mine got married. D made the most beautiful bride and I am feel so privileged to be a part of her special day. It was a great time and the wedding turned out perfectly, aside from the whole wedding party standing up during the wrong part of the ceremony that left the groom and two of us bridesmaids trying to control our giggles under our breath. It was also a fantastic cheat meal! I heart wedding cake! End of story. I had chicken cordon blue with roasted veggies and then wedding cake until I thought I was going to throw up! She had at least 3 different types of cake in addition to pie, and cheesecake. Man oh man, I made my dad get up at least twice so I could try each one and he was not impressed but did it for me anyways. :) I was exhausted when I got home around midnight just to get up and hit the gym for cardio, meal prep, and back for round 2 cardio followed by some posing practice. Busy weekend but also a fabulous one! Congrats D...Love you both

J

Randomness at its finest!

It's finally Friday and must I say that I am very sore from my first week back at it! Needless to say that climbing more than 2 stairs is brutal, I have to use any sort of table top or crutch to sit down and my hair will not be done for the next couple days because I cant lift my arms to blow dry it. Its all worth it though and I am feeling good about the week in the gym as well as my week of dieting. I awoke to a bunch of snow outside my apartment and I was hoping (more like begging) for it to be another late start day. I had yet to receive the email with the school information so I headed to do am cardio and watched like a hawk for that little red light to start blinking on my phone telling me my email was ready and work was postponed. As I was powering through it this morning, my mind started wandering (like it always does) and I have come to the conclusion that I have some of the most random things either said or happen to me and some are definitely worth sharing. Two instances happened just yesterday, one at the gym and the other late last night at the grocery store. The first happened when I was changing from my sweaty gym clothes into dry ones right after I finished my stepmill excursion. An Asian woman was in the locker room a few rows down and was watching me before walking over to ask my name. After I told her, she says "You look good. Now I tell all my friends you my model. You very good shape." I was flattered and thanked her as I grabbed my gym bag to leave. She says my name again so I asked for hers and it happened to be Lin (Lynn) and I said "that's my mom's name" which then sparked a 10 minute conversation. She was very sweet but it was also a tad random. The second occurrence that I am still not sure about happened last night at Albertsons. Now I have to set the scene because by all means it is very random and I was looking great I am sure. I had just gotten done tanning, I had no make-up on and I had a red mark on my forehead from the tanning bed pillow. I was in XXL sweats, Uggs, and a college sweatshirt (it was 8 at night and I was not planning on seeing anyone so give me a break). All I needed was spinach, Pam cooking spray and a couple gallons of water to get me by until Sunday. I was standing next to the produce trying to decide which spinach was the better buy when out of nowhere a guy walks up to me and asks me if I will take his picture in the produce section with his disposable (yes they still exist) camera. There was a small group of guys behind him waiting on me to take the picture, so I did, then I hear "Thanks Darlin'" as they walk off. I have no idea what was going on but it was very odd. The last random thought this morning was when I was grabbing a fork to eat my egg whites and spinach. I do not like 3-pronged forks. They creep me out! I do not know why they were invented because it seems like the food would just fall through the wider gaps of the prongs. 

Ciao for now,     J  

A couple extra hours...

Steve Pool was right for once and there was a nice dusting of snow on the ground when I woke up at 3:30am. The school report had yet to be updated and so I geared up for my a.m. cardio sesh. Next thing I knew, work was on late start and I had a couple extra hours to sleep in! (Sad that sleeping in is 5:15 am) I hit the gym around 6 for my cardio and man oh man did it feel good (well as good as the stepmill for 30min of high-intensity can feel). We have a love/hate relationship. I love to hate it and it loves to make me work my cheat meal off (last night it was a Bacon cheeseburger followed by a brownie) and probably hates that I sweat all over it. Haha I have learned not to take the treadmill right next to the stepmills due to the flying sweat from the above occupant. The one thing I could not stop thinking about was how great a couple extra hours of sleep felt and how strong and energized I felt during my workout! The day has progressively gotten busier for I raced home (ok not raced, the civic in front of me was maybe doing 15mph due to the snow) shoved my breakfast in my belly and jetted out the door by 8am to take Stella up North to my parents then to turn around and head to work in Kirkland by 10am. Woohoo its been a busy morning but I can not slow down otherwise I feel the aftermath of heavy leg day (yesterday). You know it's going to be rough when you are already sore and it has only been 3 hours since you left the gym. Next on the agenda... Work, hit the gym for back day (my favorite) then round 2 of cardio followed by A LOT of prep for the weekend!

Ciao for now,     J

A Hero of Mine

 

I was thinking about everything and nothing all at the same time this morning during cardio because the infomercial that was on was terrible. It made me want to write in and complain it was that bad. Anyways, I got to thinking about my sister. Now I have mentioned her before and briefly touched on our randomness together and how much fun we have. It didn't always used to be this way, in fact, we did not get along and this entails her taking me out and giving me a concussion when we were younger. (Man oh man was my mom furious!) I have to gush about her and explain that although she is 3 years younger, she is one of my biggest heroes and I am so dang proud of her! This past weekend she passed her physical and written test that now allows her to apply into law enforcement, specifically fish and wildlife. She is one of the most driven, strong-willed, independent individuals I know and half the time I find myself jealous of all that she is. So if you know her, you know that she tells it like it is and does not give rats behind what anyone thinks of her and if you don't know her, you are missing out on one heck of a gal! I also have to share with you that she has been working out and eating right since November and as my mom put it "You're Carly, but like the shrinky dink version." She looks amazing and I will and always will be the first one cheering her on as she embarks on all her new adventures. Shoot, now I am tearing up and have to explain to my boss that "I have something in my eye". I love you Sister!

xoxox,    J

Tilapia this, Tilapia that

Day 2 of bouncing back complete. Today I had a meeting with Pete and it went as well as I could of hoped for since I missed an entire week in the gym. I had lost some LBM (lean body mass aka muscle) but he did not seem concerned like I was. He said to keep doing what I'm doing and that's what I will do. I will continue to follow my diet, I will continue to lift heavy weights, and I will continue to believe in myself as well as the plan I am to follow. Speaking of diet... I saw this on a team mates status and I had to repeat it. I was laughing my booty off because it is exactly how I feel. "6 weeks to go * fish(salmon/tilapia) 31 times a week = 186 pieces of fish and a new set of gills for me!" Today was tilapia and broccoli for 3 meals in a row followed by tilapia and green beans for dinner. It has come to the point in which I buy my tilapia from Costco and I cook entire packages at once because guess what... Tilapia is the food choice of champions.. Hehe or just what you have to eat to get to where you need to be. I can tell that my body is healing and that I am finally feeling better because I finally have my appetite back. I had to have a conversation with my stomach today to chill out because it was louder than my bulldog snoring (which if you haven't heard, is louder than any human). It had only been 20 minutes since dinner when my stomach started grumbling. I have gotten good at keeping myself busy while I wait until my next meal but sometimes I can only change my nail polish so many times before I think about my next meal and plus, I do not have the patience for my fingers to dry and end up looking like I painted them in the dark...not cute! The best thing for me to do when I have my last meal which tonight was egg whites and spinach, is to brush my teeth and get myself into bed. It is only 8:40pm but dang does 3:30 am come early!

Stella passed out on the couch


Goodnight,    J

New Discoveries

Part of my meal plan includes Granny Smith apples and can I tell ya something... I DO NOT like these! I actually hate these type of apples and I sometimes have to choke these babies down. This morning I thought I would try something new and be creative so I chopped the apple up and mixed it in with my oatmeal and heated the whole mixture up. I then doused it in cinnamon and what do you know... It actually tasted kinda good. Now when you eat the same things over and over, you have to find new ways to make your food taste good, I have found that any salt-free seasonings along with fresh garlic and lemon juice tend to make tilapia tasty (especially when I eat it 4 days a week). In addition to actually finding flavors for my food, I have discovered that Crystal Light Fitness is a good alternative to helping me guzzle my gallon plus of water everyday. The Fitness type does not have all the artificial sugars/splenda and you can get a couple different flavors, my favorite is lemon lime. It still doesn't make the feeling that my insides are floating go away and I am pretty sure a gold fish could live in my belly because of all the water I drink. However, I can not stress how important water is and this is coming from the girl who only used to drink water because my coffee was brewed with it. I feel soo much better when I meet my daily water requirements and I have noticed my skin is feeling and looking better. The downfall.... Yes, I wake up at least 2 or 3 times a night to go to the bathroom and I also had to stop at the Jack in the Box (which is literally 1/4 mile from my house) because I was going to pee my pants. Drink your water and remember it is good for you, no matter how much you hate it!

Ciao for now,    J

The good, the bad, and the ugly

Ok so I started this blog to share my journey in the gym and that means sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly. Prepare yourself for ugly... Today was heavy shoulder day topped with abs and followed by round 2 of cardio. Great day for the most part, it felt great getting back to the weights and my energy stayed up the whole time. Batman, Robin, and B.C. had taken off for the day and I was just finishing my run on the treadmill. I had some spunk left so I decided to do a backwards/forwards sprint workout and it was feeling good until.... I didn't notice my shoe was untied and I was mid-stride running backwards when I felt my foot slip and the next thing I knew I was on my butt flying off the back of the treadmill. I have never been this embarrassed (ok well at least not for YEARS). My face turned beet red and I tried to play it off as if nothing had happened but I am pretty sure there were a handful of people who saw this happen and probably would agree I at least deserved an 8.5 for my dismount. I finished my workout and hightailed it out of the gym, head down the whole way. On the way home all I could focus on was the throbbing of my elbow and the huge hit my ego had just taken. My elbow will heal (its missing some skin from 'tread rash' and I have a nice matching golf ball size bruise on my other arm) but my ego... now that may take a while. All I can say is I am thankful this didn't happen in front of anyone I knew or the boys because I do not think I would be able to live it down.
 

Might need to gear up next time!



Recharge, Regroup and Reconnect

This past weekend I was able to visit with some good friends that I hadn't seen in a long time... too long actually! It was so great to see the people I love and rekindle the friendships that mean the most to me. Reconnecting is one of the greatest things you can do for yourself and I challenge each one of you to reach out to a friend you may have not spoken with for a while. It will bring a smile to your face. I promise! I had a long drive over the hill and back to see them and it gave me a lot of time to focus and give myself a firm talking too. You see, this past week seemed to drag on forever and I was unable to workout due to this cold/flu business that is going around. It is a nasty bugger and took me down to China town but have no fear... I am back and feeling strong. The self-talk I received from myself went something like this... "You have been off kilter for a week and starting Monday you will get back into the gym. You will push yourself and you will focus all your energy on the next six weeks. Do not worry about the past week and do not stress over what you can not control. You are strong, you are determined, and you will continue to make progress. Believe in yourself and be prepared to suffer" (our SaveFitness team slogan). I am refocusing all my energy towards the next 6 weeks and I will not let anything stop me. I feel strong, recharged and ready to rock. It started this morning with a nice HIIT on the big Stair Mill followed by the small stepmaster(backwards). It was a good 500kcal workout and I am pretty sure I climbed the World Trade Center a few times in the process. The rest of today will be a hard shoulder workout followed by another 40 minutes of cardio. I hope yall have a great day filled with health, happiness and remember to reconnect with someone!

Ciao for now,    J

Happy Happy Friday!

Ahh its Friday! Doesn't that just sound awesome anyway you say it? One of my favorite things to do on Fridays (or really any day) is to 'Pay it forward' whether it be sharing something with a complete stranger, buying a treat for a friend who is having a bad day or my all-time favorite is to pay for the person behind me in line wherever I may be. I get pure enjoyment out of random acts of kindness and I love to help someone else have a great day. On this Friday, I had to stop and get gas before heading into work and there was a motorcyclist that wanted to purchase some candy but she did not have enough change and put part of what she wanted back. I was grabbing a gallon-o-water (of course :) ) and also added her left behind candy to my purchase. As I ran out the door after her before she took off, which by the way was probably a tad frightening at 5am, I handed her the candy and told her to have a fabulous Friday. She looked at me and smiled. "You Rock" came from her mouth before she shook her head and looked down at the candy now in her hand. Then we both went our separate directions. I know that I will have a great day because of her and I hope she can enjoy her candy (at least she can eat candy). On this Friday, pay it forward if you can and if not, loan someone your smile or hold the door for them. It may just turn their day around!

Sleepless Night

Its one of those nights where your eyes are fighting to stay open, your body is tired yet you lay down and you can not fall asleep no matter how many sheep you count (I got up to 207 before I gave up). I got back into the gym today for a light workout (shhh don't tell my dad for he thinks he is doctor Peters and would not be happy I wasn't resting at home) and I got to see the crew and catch up on the week. It was one of those workouts that you are glad you got in and did it but it didn't necessarily feel good. I didn't feel strong and the energy was off for some reason but then again its only day two on antibiotics. So after leaving the gym, my mind started bouncing all over the place (usually what happens when I don't feel good about my workout) and I got to thinking about all the different people in my life and how they have made an impact. Life is a ticket to the greatest show on earth and all the people in your life create this incredible cast, just like one of those movies with all the big name actors in one film. Take care of these friendships and relationships as you would take care of anything else. They need nurturing and love, laughter and sunshine, and sometimes a good ol' song to break into dance to (true story: I saw Batman shaking his groove thing in the middle of our back workout but it made the day oh so much better). All I am trying to say is:

Good night,    J

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

The past few days have been...Well... Rough. I have been fighting whatever is going around and I think I am finally able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. My worst fears through this sickness is what I will be missing out on at the gym and how it will affect my progress. It is time to stop fearing such things and focus on what I have gained, what I am capable of gaining once I am 100% healthy, and how I will push myself when I am back into the gym. My mom once gave me the book Don't sweat the small stuff... and its all small stuff. I have read this book over and over. Shoot, it helped me survive college (well along with Starbucks and lots of chocolate). Making mountains out of molehills; worrying that the sky is falling…whichever way you say it, it all comes down to having perspective. Focusing on limiting stress and boosting happiness, this books provide inspirational nuggets that apply to just about every area of life.

If you’re anything like me, you tend to go from zero to 60 and into emergency mode before the alarm has even started sounding. I’ve found that it can save me a lot of stress and worry if I stop, take a breath and honestly analyze the situation before letting myself hit the panic button. I have developed a method of writing down all my thoughts, worries, concerns, and to-do lists out on paper so I can visually see what is really affecting me. This way it is out of my head and I can stare each worry in the eye to see who will back down first... me or the concern. After taking a long, hard look, I decide what to do about it and continue on with my day. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that you only have control over your own actions, how you perceive the actions of others and how you react. There are a lot of things that you can not control in this crazy beautiful life but for everything that you can control, I challenge you (and myself) to focus your energy and thoughts on honoring your own standards and ideals in everything you do in the most positive way possible.

xoxox,  J

Comeback Kid

"Don't be discouraged by setbacks. A set-back is a set-up for a come-back."

Getting sick right now (Less than 7 weeks out from Vancouver) has taken its toll and I am trying not to panic. A couple of my team mates and I got together last night to practice our posing and presentation routine fully clad (or lack there of) in bikinis and heels at my training gym. The high school boys made quite the audience mixed in with the two girls practicing their break dancing to Katy Perry's 'California Girls' (stage left) and the MMA fighter taking flying leaps and jabs at the punching bag (stage right). Pretty awesome if you were walking by and peeked in the windows to the group exercise room. Think three girls in bikinis and heels wedged between two girls spinning around on their backs and a sweaty grappler attacking the punching bag. Yep awesome! It was very successful, each one of us posing individually for the others and we ended up taking pictures to document our progress and physiques. Following this pose off, two of us walked next door for our Sunday night cheat meal. Earlier during the day, I received a text from my mom that read "buy your friends their cheat meal on me :) " immediately followed by another text from her that said "is that like offering to feed a football team???$$$" ooooh mom, do I love you!

Today is a new day and the beginning to a new week of training and like the quote above says, I am setting myself up for a come-back. I have been slightly (ok those of you who know me, know that slightly and panic are never side by side. It is more like I am very, very) panicked about losing muscle, lacking in progress, and not meeting my goal for the week. The one thing I have been practicing and really focusing on is keeping all self-talk positive. I know that my body needs time to heal and recover and I also know that I have made huge gains since day one and I should be proud of myself. Don't get me wrong, I am proud of myself but I also am very competitive and instead of seeing the positive progress I sometimes spend too much time focusing on what still needs work. Since love is in the air and I am pretty sure Cupid shot me in the bum (or maybe that is still from last weeks heavy leg press) I want to say that I love myself, I love my body, and I am dang proud of where I am and this week is going to be filled with health, happiness and love.

    Left: Day one                             Right: 9 Weeks out

Ciao for now,  J

Next time... use superglue

Well my idea of keeping my fingers crossed in attempts to not getting sick was unsuccessful. Next time, I will have to superglue my fingers so they stay crossed... Wait, I have already done this once before! Ha, in first grade, two of the neighborhood kids and I were playing outside and we found a tube of something and the next thing I know, I am inside wearing mittens on a snow day because my fingers were super glued together! True story. Yes, I did get hit with whatever is going around and yes it took me down for the count. I ended up with a 102.8 temperature on Thursday evening and have battled a fever ever since. It amazes me how hard your body has to work to fight something off like this. I am exhausted and I have barely been able to do normal everyday activities let alone get a good workout in. I thought that hitting the gym for a good cardio session was a fabulous idea to "sweat it out". It worked, I had one down pour of a sweat going, but I think it had just kicked my fever into overdrive. Oops. But hey, its Monday (and Valentines Day at that) and I am pushing forward with my SuperWoman cape on. Tell all those who you love that you do in deed love them and enjoy today!

A pug with her SuperWoman Cape on!

xoxoxo,
J

Keeping my fingers crossed!

What an awful way to wake up... It was 2:30 am and I woke up coughing with a stuffy nose and an aching in my chest. I still had an hour to sleep so I dozed off before being rudely awakened by my alarm. Man do I hate that sound! Usually I am up and at em, buzzing around the house before getting my a.m. cardio in but today was NOT one of those days. It took me 5 times of hitting snooze and then proceeding to chuck the alarm across my room before peeling myself out of bed. I felt/feel like poo. I popped a couple Advil along with my pre-cardio vitamins and hit the elliptical. Now by no means was it the best workout BUT I did not talk myself out of it nor did I allow myself to snuggle in my bed and go back to sleep for an hour. I can not be sick. There is no if's, and's, or but's about it! End of story! Sooo packed some extra vitamin C and stopped off for cough drops and the day must go on.

I was trying to solve all the worlds problems the other day when I was running on the treadmill and this thought crossed my mind. Beyond the finish line there is always a new race, so never stop running. (Originally this is a quote I had heard but I applied it to this journey). I will make it to the stage in 7 weeks then again a couple weeks later but then what? What comes next? Do I stop training and dieting or do I switch gears to something else? For those of you who wonder what the answer is.... it is N-O. This is not an easy sport that I have committed too but I will tell you that I am addicted to the lifting, to the amazing self-discovery, to the mental toughness that I have developed, to the voice in my head whispering "just one more, one more minute, one more repetition, one more mile, one more percent...." For me, there is always going to be that 'One More' factor that will push me until my good is better and my better is best.

Almost 7 weeks out... Keep training :)

Ciao for now,  J

From the Heart

I recently heard a quote from a man that said, "The fear of not being enough is paralyzing." Through this journey to the figure stage, I have had twists and turns, ups and downs, and full on grab the Oh crap handle, brakes skidding to a halt one-inch from the car in front of me experiences. This quote really resonated with me because when I compare myself to other figure competitors and gym-goers, I feel less than adequate sometimes and fear that I will never be good enough or "big enough" to hit the stage. This is a constant battle I deal with and I have to keep telling myself that I am my own worst critic and I am also my own worst enemy. I know how hard I have worked and it all lies in ME what will or will not be accomplished through training, dieting, posing along with all the details in between. Coming from an individual who is Type-A and also has anxiety about pretty much everything, these thoughts are paralyzing...

How am I making it through those mind-stalling traffic jams that leaves me feeling like I am piggy backing an elephant around? There are many inspirational and heart-warming people as well as experiences that have helped yank Dumbo off my back. A recent encounter that occurred yesterday while at the gym was when a gentleman approached me, Batman and Robin at a row machine. He was disabled but had such a bright personality and told us that Jesus was the sun in the sky and that he also could do the machine we were on. He then proceeded to joke around with us and asked me if I was a cop because of my muscles and if I used them to rough people up. His whole demeanor really made me stop and think that there will always be things in life that will drag you down but there is also soooo much more worth living for and to never ever stop loving life! Another occurrence that truly took me back was when talking with a team member during cardio one day. She and I were discussing all the things that had to be done in the next 7 (yes 7!!) weeks before the first show. I was complimenting her on her physique and all the hard work that she has put in when she stopped and said, "you know you are going to rock it right?" I looked at her all cock-eyed and sideways before she continued on. I got all teary-eyed before half tripping off the treadmill to give her a gigantic sweaty hug. Sometimes you just need to hear those things to turn your day around. A little compliment, a smile, a friendly gesture can really make someones day and I challenge you do just that!

Ciao for now,  J

The bride-to-be and her sidekicks

Here comes the bride... Here is a picture with two of the girls I went to Vegas with.. D is in the middle and she is the soon to be bride and A is on the left side... Can I say my friends are pretty darn good lookin!

Jogging in Stilettos

And I survived... Back from Vegas and for the most part I am in one piece. I made it through security with my cooler, although the main security guy got a kick outta the fact that I also had a pair of heels in my cooler (not enough room in my suitcase) and made a few wise cracks that I had cold feet (even though it wasn't my bachelorette party and I was not the one getting married). The trip was a success and I followed my diet/exercise plan for the most part, getting up Saturday am with my sister and hitting the gym first thing for cardio then walking the Vegas strip about a million and a half times. No, its not the same as getting in some sprint work but walking (and at times running) in Stilettos is a killer calf workout so I am going to count it! I am not happy about how the diet went while away for the fact I missed a couple meals and I ended up getting sick from my cheat meal (total bummer)! The girls who I was with are such an amazing group of women and they had my back to say the least! Even when the group of creepy Australians tried to pet me, they were ready to throw some bows...

One of the conversations from the weekend that really hit home was with my sister. She told me that she was proud of me and what I was doing and also said that she can't believe the amount of self control I have. I have to admit, it does amaze me the lengths we will go to in order to achieve what we want. I don't see these little instances, or events in which I am dieting as a restriction to what I do. Sure the event might be a bit nicer if I could share in a drink, or even just a hamburger (without getting sick). I know that this whole process is worth the hard work and effort, and anyone who has been around me, and has shared a 'cheat' meal knows that I can chow down like the best of them.

In Vegas with my Sister

J

TSA regulates...I hope not on me

What happens in Vegas... Stays in Vegas! So heading out for a Bachelorette party this weekend and let's just say you know you have committed to your training when you care more about your cooler being packed with the right meals and portions than your suitcase being packed with clothes. I have never been one to pack light and for me to throw whatever in a suitcase and go is soo not how I roll. I have my workout clothes, running shoes, and cooler set with protein powder measured out and labeled by the day as well as supplements but not even sure if I have matching socks or shampoo packed. I have also called the hotel and have a pass for the gym waiting at the front desk to ensure I get my workouts in. This is how my mind thinks... Train, train, train and by no means am I complaining, just a totally different stance coming from the girl who has to ask my brother and sister to pack my shoes in their bags so I am not over the weight limit for my suitcase that could already fit a small person inside. (Think the scene in the hangover when the little man jumps outta the trunk of the car.. yea that size person).



Some of what I am carrying on in a cooler



I will admit I am very nervous about taking a cooler on the flight because I am not sure if they are gonna put me on 'red alert watch' or something. I googled the TSA regulation rules last night and as far as I know, I should be good to go... I will keep you posted!

Forgetful Me

Just when you think life is going to slow down, you remember that you are flying out to Vegas in T minus 20 hours and you have nothing packed... Welcome to my life! I trained yesterday morning and got 45minutes of cardio in before starting the day, running around and trying to check off items on my to do list... I heart "To Do" lists! I have them everywhere and I get a sick sense of satisfaction when I draw a big black line through something that was on that list. I have noticed these days however, the list keeps getting longer and longer and has started to look like a Verizon receipt when you get a new phone (you know, the ones that are about 40 feet long). I have also been experiencing extreme forgetfulness which I attribute to no carbs or maybe I am just losing my mind... literally! I have started to use a good friends tool... The palm pilot! I write lists of things on my palm and seem to never forget those things, well until I wash my hands.

Oh Right, back to yesterday... Round 2 at the gym and it was heavy leg day. Let me tell you, I have had to start mentally preparing myself for this day so I don't wimp out. It is a painful day and by the time I was finished, I could have crawled out of the gym. In fact, BC taught me this kinda tuck-and-roll maneuver that he uses to get out of the hip/leg sled, its pretty legit. Kind of looks like a 200+ grown man rolling around like a weeble wobble. One of my favorite things about training with the boys is that they push me. They add weight on to things that I otherwise would consider unmovable and they expect me to do it as if it is just another day on the job. I can not express how thankful I am for Batman and Robin and all their support.

Ciao for now,   J

Do work!

Wow what a whirlwind 2 weeks it has been. Some good and some well, not soo good but I am back and ready to attack! I have a great story to share from Sunday and I know yall will appreciate this especially those who have been on low to no carbohydrates.

Sunday was crazy busy. Started at 7 am with dragging Stella around my apartment complex (no I was not literally dragging her but her max amount of cardio is about 500 feet there and back) and a scoop of protein powder in the shaker with pre-cardio vitamins. 8:15 at the gym for 45mins of cardio before sprinting out the door, still sweating to pick up a girlfriend and her daughter to sign them up for the gym! Yay, she just had twins and is all signed up to get back into shape, very proud of her! Next, drop them off and race home to quickly shower and pack meals for the day before jetting out the door to Costco. I felt like a New York Taxi driver at Costco weaving in and out of carts and people standing in line for cookies and bagel bites while I had salmon and asparagus on the brain. Completed the Costco run in about 20 minutes, loaded up my car and hit the road for Save Fitness Practice. Practice was awesome! Our team Image Consultant presented about quick and easy hairstyles you can pull off after gym sessions... Let me tell you, Dry shampoo and headbands have become my best friend! After posing practice, I skated back home to start food prep for the week and with a friends help we did better than Rachel Ray in the kitchen and I will show Emeril BAAMM. I had the oven and George Foreman going while she had the stove top and several batches of Broccoli steaming. Hey, we only set the smoke alarm off 3x in the matter of 45 minutes, not half bad! Throw all the food in the fridge or freezer and head to the gym for round 2. 30 minutes of Cardio, attempt to not look like a hurried gym rat and back in the car I go to meet a team mate for a cheat meal! This is where it gets good...



Stella after her walk.. Yep, sleeping while sitting up



We both had cheat meals, mine at 6pm and hers at 7:30pm so we compromised and met at 6:45pm. On my way there, she called to check my status and I kindly asked her to have an appetizer ready. Both of us had been depleted on carbs and lets just say our "sweet" side was starting to show. We ordered mozzarella sticks and asked the waiter to put a rush order on them in addition to her chocolate milkshake. Mouth's full of cheese sticks, we ordered a black and blue steak sandwich (with fries of course!) and a mushroom/swiss burger. The food came, we devoured like it was going out of style and the waiter just looked at us. Not sure what his thoughts were at this point but we decided to split a piece of peanut butter ice cream pie. The ooey gooey goodness was fantastic and the waiter's true thoughts were finally revealed. Just before placing the bill in front of us he asked, "Is there anything else I can get for you chubsters?" Bahaha we looked at him and my team mate offered him tickets to her gun show (she had a short sleeved shirt on). He said he was impressed to say the least and wondered how he could gain muscle himself. Nothing beats a big ol' cheat meal and a couple compliments from a gentleman.