Final Four Countdown

As the countdown winds down until Vancouver, I have to say I am still hanging in there. Each day gets a little harder to keep on keeping on for my body is extremely tired and I lack the energy that I usually have. I had morning cardio followed by a visit with Pete yesterday morning. It went well and I am happy to say that my hammies and legs are now included in the MEMO that we have a show. They have come down and have re-shaped themselves like a stretch armstrong to look like lean mean fighting machines. One of the hardest parts of the past couple days is the amount of water I have to drink. Sunday and Monday it was 2 1/2 gallons, followed by 2 yesterday and now I am thankful I am at 1 1/2 gallons today. I feel like water-logged puffer fish that is trying to stay afloat, which you would think was an easy task BUTwith low body fat and a high percentage of muscle, I sink.

I feel bad for poor Batman, Robin, and B.C. because the lifting schedule that we normally keep is all outta whack! Poor guys walked into the gym on Monday for me to chiperly say "It's Leg Day!" They have been soo great at keeping a smile on their face and keeping me motivated in the weight room. Robin said he was surprised at how feisty I still am and I am still able to lift a decent amount of weight. By no means am I Hercules, but I am doing alright. My muscles are still staying full, the water is coming out where it needs too, and the good news is I haven't compromised too much weight in the process. The big thing for me is that I need to stay big and full in my muscles so I don't look peony compared to some of the others. This girl may  look small but haven't you ever heard the say "Little dog with a big bark"? That's me. I have a big bark, a big bite, and I am ready... Ready to bring it on and fight.

Only one day until I leave for Vancouver and the nerves are starting to escalate... I have a lot to get done before I leave but I am feeling confident and with the help of my loved ones, my prep should go smoothly. I received my final 3 days of dieting for when I am down there and it is going to be hard. The schedule is crazy, staying awake and eating at midnight or 3 am and checking in with Pete in between to make sure my body is responding how it is supposed too. Oh I will keep yall posted on all the crazy things I encounter don't you worry! One experience soo far on Sunday, having a coach up close and personal gluing my suit to my booty cheeks so it wouldn't move when I walked. I am pretty sure that is just the beginning!

As a team, we launched the I AM.... campaign for Vancouver. Here is my photo and I chose VIVACIOUS because I am spirited and lively. Now I have to ask..... What are YOU?

Ciao for now,     J

"I know the outcome I desire. I hold fast to my dreams. I stay the course. I do not quit. I acknowledge that most people quit when exhaustion sets in. I am not "most people" I am stronger than most people. Average people accept exhaustion as a matter of course. I do not. Average people compare themselves with other people. That is why they are average. I compare myself to my potential. I am not average. I see exhaustion as a precursor to VICTORY!" ~The Traveler's Gift

This was given to me a while back by a great friend, written on a beautiful piece of paper, that is now posted on my fridge so that everytime I go to open it (which is A LOT when you are a competitor) I see it and remind myself of the empowering words! She re-gifted it to me this morning on my facebook as I was heading in to the gym for my morning cardio. I read it and started to cry. I do not quit nor have I through the pain and suffering and many many workouts! I did not quit when I was sick or tired or just wanted a day off. I will keep going and keep pushing on. Right now, I am exhausted, my body hurts and this final week is TOUGH!! But, I know my potential and I will not stop until I reach it!

Ciao for now,      J

Rewind and Catch Up!

It has been waaay too long since I was last on here and oh my goodness, has soo much happened the past few days! The weekend was crazy busy starting Friday after hitting the gym. A team mate came and spent the night with me. Sooo we were kinda bored and she said "Lets go sit at a bar and have a club soda." Ok, no harm in this right? Well she then proceeded to order a chocolate macadamia nut brownie with ice cream....You know what this looks like to a depleted chocolate-loving female?? A-MAZING! I took one bite and told her I would not explain to Pete why I cheated so I stopped myself and let her devour the whole thing.. We left only to have her feeling great and bouncing off the walls while my head was wedged in the couch and passed out during a movie. Next was round one cardio Saturday morning followed by posing practice, shopping for Vancouver, back to get clothes for the evening, round 2 cardio, quickly getting showered and ready for a night out, and head to a modi-cheat meal. This was full of chaos and mind you, between my team mate and I, we probably had one whole brain. I forgot one of my meals somewhere and I have yet to find it, while she forgot her keys at one of the 4 gyms we had been too that day. Saturday night was sooo great and a much needed break. There were a total of 6 of us at the Cheesecake Factory for our meal (3 had full on cheats while 3 had modi) and it was such a great feeling to talk, laugh, poke fun at ourselves since we are all going through some of the same things. The best part was watching peoples reactions to my team mate and I. We had tank tops on, showing off our big shoulders and cut arms and some of the looks were priceless. Next, Sunday was filled with double cardios, dress rehearsal with with Save Fitness Team including full on suits and heels and an audience. My mom and sister came down to watch and support which meant the world to me! Then we did a little shopping and food prep. Needless to say, I barely made it to my last meal before I crashed... I started my last diet and it is tough! I am sore, tired, weak but guess what... I am only 4 days away!!! 4 days until I am on stage in my first ever figure competition!

I can not believe it. I can not believe I am this close. It is such an incredible feeling and needless to say, I am emotional. Things I don't normally cry over, have me choking up to the point I have to spit my 2 gallons of water out sometimes. (Yes 2 whole gallons!!!!) I am so proud of all the women on my team and the incredible journeys they have all embarked on. It is inspiring to watch how their hard work and dedication has shaped and created such muscular, beautiful physiques. Watch this video and if you get the goosebumps I do every time, you will see exactly what I am talking about!

Congratulations to each and every one of my team mates for making this journey, for setting such a high goal, and for making it to Vancouver this weekend! I love you all and wouldn't be where I am with out your love and support. I am blessed to have such amazing sisters in my life!

xoxox,     J

Productive and Accomplished

What a beautiful day it was yesterday! I had such a productive day I don't even know what to say! I had completed 70 mins of cardio by 11am and still had energy to spare. I made it to the gym for leg day and when all was said and done, it was only 4 pm. This is the earliest I have been done at the gym for months and I had to call my mom to ask what to do! I really really didn't want to go home for my room looked like a tornado hit (in my defense they were all clean clothes, just hadn't been put away yet). But I did. I went home and got to work. I did ALL my laundry (yes that means 4 loads), I cleaned and put away all the other laundry, I spring cleaned my dresser and closet, new sheets on the bed, cleaned and scrubbed the bathroom, dishes done, food prepped for the next 4 days, amongst other things and by the time I finally sat down it was 7:30 pm. Wow! Time sure flies when you aren't having fun! The feeling of waking up to a clean house with everything ready to go for the day and no need to scramble around is wonderful! I find that I am very productive and work hard in the gym or with my training, I have a goal and I am, as Robin put it, "Full Throttle" (always on the go) yet when I get home, I crash and burn like a little kid after eating a pound of Halloween candy. Goodness am I thankful that tomorrow I do not have to wake up to an alarm buzzing at 3:20 am!

I have been reflecting back on the past few months and the many many sessions of cardio, the hard workouts, the aches and pains, the tears, the sweat, and the many many emotions that have followed as I embarked on this journey. I can not believe the stage is soo close and I am almost there! I can't believe I have been getting myself out of bed and doing cardio every morning at 4 am nor can I believe that I have forced myself to eat salmon and asparagus at 4:30 am. However, what I now believe is this... I believe that I can do anything I set my mind too. I believe that I have more determination and self-control than I ever thought before. I believe that this has been one of the hardest things I have ever done and I really have done it! I believe in myself more than ever and I am starting to believe that I am on the road to feeling accomplished. I wrote a while ago to yall about setting a goal and going after it for you will surprise yourself. Please do that! Go after something that you never thought you could! Do it for yourself! I promise you will not regret it.

Ciao for now,      J

Always give 100%

"Always give 100% and you will never have to second guess yourself." True story right there! 10 days and its showtime! Ohh golly Miss Molly am I excited but nervous! I had a 'Pete Day' yesterday and it went well. I am happy to report I am still on target and where I need to be. While posing for him, I saw things that I had never seen before and it was incredible. I have a nice striation of my quad starting to split up the front of my leg and my hammies are finally making an appearance...FINALLY.. I thought they didn't get the MEMO that we had a show to compete in. Stubborn suckers they are! We discussed the next week or so and I will be starting my final diet on Sunday followed by daily visits to Pete to check in on my physique. That part right there is where I get solid butterflies swooping around in my stomach and I almost lost my tilapia. I thought once a week visits caused anxiety, now everyday? Oh goodness! However, I am stoked to have the opportunity to go in and see him and I cant wait to see what I will look like. In his words, "You are getting shredded." Well thank you my good sir for all your help!

Yesterday was 3 rounds of cardio followed by bi's and tri's. I ended up seeing B.C. at the gym and he jumped in my workout with me for a bit. It was a good one but what I kept telling him was how much eating affects your lifting and strength. Strong=eat a lot! My muscles are still looking full and where they need to be but my strength has gone down a little bit while following the latest cycle of my diet and it is harder and harder to keep my stamina up. I am no doubt stronger than I used to be, but with less fat and food in my diet, I feel like a weakling and I don't like this feeling! I wanna feel like I can judo-chop my way to greatness and right now I feel like I can only sissy-punch. Overall, the week has brightened up and I think a lot has to do with the gorgeous sunshine we have had and another reason being after tomorrow, I do not have to wake up at 3am to do my first session of cardio. I can get up at a normal hour, more like 6, and do it! One word... Hallelujah! I made it with these early early mornings and now I can go to early mornings. What a great feeling that is! Now on to the rest of today... Another session of cardio followed by leg day (better get my game face on for this one) and a modi cheat meal... Gotta love that!

Ciao for now,     J

Be Yourself...

I love the quote, "Be yourself, everybody else is already taken." I think standing on your own two feet and living as your own individual is one of the most empowering capabilities a person can have. I have never wished to be anyone else but myself. Sure I have hit potholes and speed bumps along the way, shoot I have even crashed head on smack into the side of mountains at 75mph, but I have never wished to be someone other than myself. I believe 100% that there is a plan for all of us and that we will never be given more than we can handle! Life can be hard, harder than the 'Situations' abs (or mine in this case) haha, but you keep moving.

Yesterday was a test for me and as I explained it to Batman and Robin, I have been through some tough stuff and this journey has not been easy but these last two weeks until the show are HARD. End of story. I am hungry, tired, sore, stressed out, but I keep going. I get up, I follow my regimen, and I go to sleep to do it again the next day. I was in a bad mood yesterday (I will admit it) but once I got into the gym and started lifting hard and heavy, I snapped out of it and got back to my old self. I then pounded out 45 minutes of cardio and felt awesome! It is truly amazing how working out, getting the endorphins pumping, and getting your sweat on can uplift your mood. I encourage you to get some exercise the next time you are cranky and see how you feel after you do so. You may not like me in the beginning but you will sure thank me at the end! I have been noticing small changes in my physique since beginning the newest diet cycle and one thing I love is how my muscles pop under my clothes. You can see my shoulders or abs when I wear long sleeve fitted shirts and it is COOL. I was talking with a girlfriend last night and admitted that I am soo dang proud of myself for setting my goal and not stopping until I reach it. I am less than two weeks away, I started training in November, and I am going to make it! I have almost reached the stage and I have soo many mixed emotions about it but one is... I am proud of myself. I am who I am and I have stayed true to that this entire journey!

Ciao for now,     J

Keep pushing forward



Posing Practice on Saturday


I did it. I survived the long weekend of craziness with only a few minor bumps and bruises. Friday was a loong day and I am glad the GRE is over! I did not do as well as I had hoped but in all reality, I did not study as I should have and I was not feeling the greatest, probably because of my diet that day. I made it up to my parents and got to visit with some family I had not seen in a long time and it was nice. The hard part about this weekend that I had to try and overcome was all the food that surrounded me including cupcakes, cheese and nuts and chips and salsa (my favorites), starting on Friday and did not get easier until Sunday when I went back to my place. Friday was the worst and I give credit to being exhausted from the long week, the stress of the GRE and the thoughts of all I had to do on Saturday. I ended up keeping myself occupied by watching re-runs of Jersey Shore, thinking how I would not want to live with Snooki. Carly graduated Saturday morning, practice Saturday afternoon and back up to my parents for the festivities with lots of friends and family. I ended up getting my cardio done outside this weekend which was awesome for I didn't have to stare at the same thing over and over and I got to really clear my head. The hills around my parents make for a good butt kicking and I was proud of myself for keeping my schedule although there was party going on that sounded a heck-of-a lot better. There is something about knowing you are less than 2 weeks from being on stage that keeps me pushing forward. At this point in the game, I can not let up, I can not let myself slack or compromise my training/diet. Another run outside followed up by a good cardio session and hamstring workout on Sunday along with food prep and a Costco run with my dad and here is Monday already.

A highlight from the weekend included a conversation that I had with my cousin (I will call her Alligator). She is an amazing woman with a strong head on her shoulders and she was telling me about her journey she is on with weight loss and starting a new life in a new city. She is beautiful, bold, caring, and a joy to talk too and I learned a lot about her that I never knew. It touched my heart in multiple ways to see her bright light shining from within and I am excited to watch her develop and grow into a confidant woman. If you ever have the opportunity to really listen to someone and partake as a spectator in their journey, I encourage you to do so! You will learn a lot about that individual that you may not have realized and you will also learn more about yourself in the process. A quote that I found that made me think of Alligator is, "Like a bird spreading their wings, you must open your mind and believe. The wider you spread your wings, the further you will fly." Alligator this is for you. Open your wings and fly girlfriend! Chase your dreams and believe in yourself. Your family and friends are behind you 100% and are soo excited for all the new discoveries you will make. I love you lady. xoxox

Ciao for now,   J

Staying Afloat

Up at 3 am, cardio at 4am, meal one at 430 am, work at 5 am, and here I am! Yesterday was an odd day for more reasons than one. I was lacking energy (which I have come to find that after modified cheat meals I am not feeling better, I feel worse than the day prior) and my body ached. It was my favorite day in the gym, back day, but it didn't feel like I got the lift in that I had hoped for. I was disappointed in myself and after getting home, I ended up getting sick. I hate throw up. end of story. I don't know if I caught something at the gym (my new M.O.) or if it was caused from stress and anxiety about the next couple days. I have A LOT to do and I really just need to make it to Saturday evening and then I can take a deep breath and unwind, at least for Sunday. I have my GRE's today which makes me very uneasy! I have not studied for them like I should have and that is not my style! I do not like feeling unprepared for ANYTHING so it stresses me out but with being sick, work, training, dieting, practicing, food prep, and all the life in between, I ran out of time. So the next two days look like this: Cardio, work, cardio, lift, GRE, drive to parents, up for am Cardio, Bham for Sister's graduation, Renton for practice, back to the Wood for graduation party, cardio/workout #2 all while dieting and keeping my sanity. Ok and GO! Yea back to needing that personal driver or shoot a jet plane would be nice! I just keep repeating to myself, "keep pushing, keep going, you got this" and I seem to be able to just plow forward. I kind of relate it to one of those horses used back in the day to work the fields. They have all that heavy equipment dragging behind them but they keep working. They keep moving forward even when the work gets tougher than usual. Yes my load is heavy right now and yes I am having mini panic attacks but I keep a smile on my face and keep on keeping on (my new saying by the way). I got this and tomorrow it is 2 weeks out until showtime! Holy moly, where does my time go? Haha wouldn't we all like to know.

On a different note, one of the things that keeps amazing me every time is the inspiration others have found from my journey. I have been told, by some who I had no idea followed my blog and others who I talk to daily, that they have found a lot of inspiration from me and the things I am doing. I do not know how I have done this but it makes me smile and gives me a sense of satisfaction. If others are motivated to live healthier lifestyles and become strong, confident individuals following their dreams, then I have done my job. I know that the road to success is dotted with many tempting parking spaces calling out your name to sit and stay a while but if you keep your eyes on the prize, keep them focused to what is in front of you, you have all the capabilities in the world to reach it! Keeping that fire alive inside you that burns soo deep it pushes you past what you thought possible, to become what you want or who you know you can be is the ultimate prize and when you get closer and closer, that fire will explode.

Ciao for now,     J

P.s. I want to give a shout out to L.Bug who recently interviewed for and beat out 30 people for a new job! I am proud of you and please know that I am and always will be in your corner, supporting you 110% each and every step. You got this and will be a huge success. Believe in yourself, I do! <3

Share a smile

As each day winds down and I get closer and closer to the stage, I feel more mixed emotions than Charlie Sheen on Twitter. I am excited, nervous, anxious, happy, scared, ect and I know that it is only going to continue. Yesterday was a whirlwind and somehow here I am, Thursday morning wondering where the week went. A few highlights from yesterday... L.Bug surprised me at work with my favorite flower and a handmade coupon book that brought me to tears. She is one of the most trustworthy loyal friends I have had in my lifetime and I value and cherish her more than she knows. Once again, I had to explain to my boss that I had some dang mascara in my eye and they were not in fact tears. Made it to the gym to see the gang and had a pretty good leg workout. I have changed my routine and instead of heavy legs, I am doing lighter weight but about a million zillion reps. Seriously! It looked like this yesterday: 4 sets of 12 leg extensions (48), 4 sets of 15 front squats (60), 4 sets of  15 each side deep lunge step-ups combo'ed with 15 box jumps (120+60=180), 4 sets 24 long stride walking lunges (96), 4 sets of 15 straight leg deads combo'ed with 4 sets 15 in/out box jumps (60+60) followed by 3 sets of 20 each add/abd machines (120), and 3 sets 20 sumo squats (60). That is 684 reps on my legs. Followed by abs. Now, I felt like I could keep going, I still had some energy but when I woke up this morning, I am glad I didn't? I wouldn't say my legs are sore but they are achy and tired. Cardio was a little tough this am BUT I was soooo super excited for breakfast! I didn't have to choke down salmon at 4:30am! Today was sirloin steak and asparagus and I can not tell you how good it tasted. Also, I had cheesecake last night which just makes me want to shout and jump with joy. I don't even really like cheesecake.

I love my time at the gym and when you get to see familiar faces, catch up on the day, and b.s. about any given topic, it leaves me with a smile. I push and push and make the most of every workout, but adding a giggle or a smile in between sets is a good feeling. Yesterday I was in a goofball mood and was shaking my groove thing around the gym to the awful music they play when I got to thinking.  I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think its the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. Its probably the most important thing in a person and for a person. I have been feeling really happy the past couple days (even with all the stress on my plate including my GRE test tomorrow) and that feeling is fantastic. I try to share my smile or my laugh with someone else because it really brightens the day, and around here, that is something we may need more often than not!

Ciao for now,     J

Lyrics for thought...

Halfway through the week and I have been feeling better and better. I met with Pete yesterday to go over the new diet, body fat percentage, progress, and just to flat out shoot the .... It went really well and I felt a lot better about things when I left. We had a good time joking around and talking about what is too come these final weeks until Vancouver. I am still allowed coffee WITH Splenda in it, Boo-ya! However, I now have to limit my gum intake to no more than 3 pieces a day (Very hard for me who can easily chew a pack a day, not sure why it is, maybe a nervous habit?) and I am supposed to be drinking 2 gallons, I repeat 2 gallons, of water a day. This is by far the hardest part for I can get a gallon in but then my belly distends so far out you could rub it for good luck! The diet is going good except I am hungry! It is getting harder and harder to make it until my next meal time without wanting to eat something, anything with in reach so I apply more hand lotion than humanly possible to keep my hands busy (well and soft of course!) After Pete, I ran to our team Stylist to try out my new hair... It is Sa-weet and I am soo excited to wear it in the show. It adds about 6 inches of length to my hair as well as fullness and I almost look like a Chia-pet thingy that magically grew beautiful hair (minus the fact that Chia pets grow grass and not hair but that's besides the point). I was really late getting into the gym for round 2, which made it impossible to find a parking spot AND a piece of cardio equipment but I got in there and got it done. The gym is soo busy around 6pm and is filled with the most random individuals which in turn makes cardio fly by because I am too busy people watching to pay attention to the time. I got home, attempted to get some things done, before realizing it was past my bed time and I had another early morning coming my way.

I spend entirely way too much time in my car, driving from one thing to the next and I am pretty sure I need a personal driver. Well one of those as well as a cook, a house cleaner, and a green bean/asparagus farmer. So if I can meet me one of them and marry him, I will be set. I was listening to Nicki Minaj yesterday and her song "Fly" came on my I-pod. The lyrics jumped out at me and I had to repeat the song 3 more times. The chorus is as follows:

I came to win, to fight, to conquer, to thrive
I came to win, to survive, to prosper, to rise
to fly
to fly

I love these lines! I feel like they describe my everyday life and my journey that I am on. I come to win.Win on my journey. I come to fight. Fight every food craving, every battle that stands between me and my goal. The internal battle I have with myself that I am never good enough. I come to conquer. Conquer every workout, every sweaty cardio session, every meal, every practice. I come to thrive. Thrive off my successes. thrive on the feeling of being a strong confidant woman. I come to survive. I will survive anything and everything that is thrown at me, no matter how much I want to give up. I come to prosper and to rise. Rise against those who do not believe in me and prosper from everything I have learned and experienced thus far. I come to fly. Fly as my own person. Fly with my own wings to wherever I want to go. 

Ciao for now,    J 

Test of Toughness

I am soo glad it is Tuesday and yesterday is behind me. I had a rough day to say the least and it was definitely a test of how mentally tough I have to be in order to pull my head out of a not so pleasant place, and get my mind back to the important things such as training, dieting, and practicing. With less than 3 weeks until Vancouver, I am starting to feel overwhelmed and like my Superwoman Cape is not tied on straight nor is it flying flamboyantly like usual. I felt bad for Batman, Robin and B.C. at the gym yesterday because I came in ready to duke it out with something or someone (which in turn, allowed me to lift heavier than normal on my shoulders). I almost burst into tears during one part of our session because I was overcome with stress and anxiety with all the things I have on my plate and trying to keep them all balanced and organized (I have done a great job thus far, if I do say so myself). I pounded out 6 miles on the treadmill, the majority being sprint work, before leaving at 5:30pm. I was later than usual and as I was driving home with sweat still dripping down my face, I did it... I had a breakdown and turned into a hot mess, literally. I had tears rolling down mixed in with the sweat and I just felt defeated for the first time since I started training in November. I wish I had more hours in the day or as many arm-thingys that Octopus' have, then I could manage to get everything done. I took my time with things when I got home trying to half unwind and half calm the internal storm, which seemed to help. I snuggled with Stella for a bit and completed food prep, 2 loads laundry and packed my bags for the morning. Late last night, I got an email from Pete with my 2-week out diet and thank goodness the Tuesdays were about the same so I didn't have too much to change for today.

I have been having a tough time with my a.m. cardio, partly because it is at 3:30 am and the other part being that I have been battling this sickness for the past few weeks. So today, with the advice of Batman and Robin, I tried something new and it was just what I needed! I took a different approach to my cardio session and was able to bang out 4 miles at a higher intensity than normal and be more prepared for my work day. It is a great feeling especially after yesterday and I am not as fired up as yesterday, I am feeling more like my normal feisty self. It is a Pete day though, which makes me nervous but other than that, I am ready to attack the day and hit the gym hard later this evening. I need to keep swimming as someone reminded me last night, and thankfully with my new found fins and gills from all the salmon and tilapia, I will do just that!

Ciao for now,     J

Weekend Blitz

The weekend went too fast, but as is the case every time! Saturday was busy rushing from one appointment to the next and never missing a beat. The highlight was a photo shoot with a good friend of mine. We had a great time coming up with different poses, different outfits, and at one point I am outside in the freezing cold in a swim suit trying to capture just the right shot. However, I am not very good at making the expressions that she was asking for. Half the time I have a dumbfounded look on my face and the other half of the time...Well lets just say those pictures will not be used. EVER. I practiced posing with a group of girls which was a great experience and I am starting to feel more confident with each practice. I hit the gym and got back on my regular schedule for cardio, which in one set I thought I was for sure going to pass out and hit every step on the way down because my poor lungs were not keeping up with the rest of my body. I have to thank Too $hort- cocktales for getting me through that session. The song came on during my last few minutes and I am pretty sure the woman next to me was not impressed with my singing (I thought I was mouthing it but the dang headphones in my ears just made it seem that way). Sunday was cardio followed by errands, food prep, team practice, more food prep, more cardio, more posing, and even more cardio. During my first session of cardio, there was a spin class going on in front of me so it gave me something to watch instead of the timer on the step mill (which seems to sometimes stand still as if it is broken!). I started giggling when the instructor was doing a seated pedal session but she was peddling so hard and fast that her bottom was catching air off the seat. Her poor bum has got to be sore today! For team practice, we are posing in our bikinis this month so I felt a little strange running errands in the POURING rain with my swimsuit on underneath my clothes but also excited to see all the hard work my team mates have put in over the past few months. The next thing I knew, I was trying to get laundry done, food packed for today, Stella bathed, and all the other things before hitting the hay.

One thing I thought about a lot this weekend is how I feel alone sometimes on this journey. I know this is not the case but when you are so consumed with daily training and the other things you still need to manage, you find yourself always by yourself. This weekend was one of those times in which sitting with a good friend conversing over coffee would have made all the difference or even a phone call from a close friend would have brightened the otherwise dark gray sky. When the weather is always the same (in our case RAINING) and by the way, I am pretty sure I will need to trade my car in for some type of motorboat in order to get places, it also has an effect on how I feel and it causes me to feel a little blue and lonely. By all means I am thrilled with my progress and how hard I have worked and the journey I have embarked on, but sometimes just sometimes, it would be nice to have that close connection with loved ones.

On to Monday and all it has to offer (well besides more Tilapia).

Ciao for now,    J

And another...

Here is two other pics from the weekend....

Glimpse from the weekend

I am not able to write a full entry right now but here is a picture from a mini photoshoot I did this weekend... There will be more too come....

Time sure does fly



Me and My Dad. Now there is a face to go with the big man :)

 Ahhh the way, "it's finally Friday" rolls off my tongue is soo delightful! This has been a crazy week with many ups and downs but I have made it to the end of the week and am looking forward to a couple days off from work to regain myself and get things straightened out. Yesterdays work out was bittersweet. It was leg day and we pushed it. Some felt like puking, some were cursing at how it burned, and some were laughing at the reactions of the others in the group. That's the thing I have come to love about training. Its hard. I look back at some of the workouts and cant believe my body does what I ask of it and my favorite reaction is when people approach us at the gym and say, "You are crazy. That looks hard!" Duh, well yea it is hard, but that's how we like to train. I sometimes hate the exercise I am doing or when Batman and Robin add large amounts of weight to my lift because they think I can do it (and I tell them I can't), or how I am extremely sore for days after but I know that it is only helping me to the stage. Over the past week of this new diet, I have seen big changes in my body and it amazes me at how Pete knows exactly what to do to make these changes happen. I am seeing definition in areas I never thought I would (such as my thighs) and I am really starting to thin out but still look "big and cut". It really excites me because I cant wait to see what I will look like come showtime! All this hard work and dedication is paying off and it is such a great feeling to know that I have worked soo hard for something that I really want. I am not back to 2x/day cardios just yet because of this cold but I will be starting tomorrow and then 3 weeks to go! I cant believe how fast time has flown by nor can I believe that since November, I have put on over 20lbs of muscle (LBM). Craziness! In the final countdown to the stage, I am looking forward to practicing my posing, keeping mentally focused and driving myself towards that goal. So here is to a great weekend ahead and to the final countdown!

Ciao for now,    J

Keep on keeping on

I have been hit... I have been hit by this dang head cold thingy that's going around and I am not happy about it! I made it into the gym yesterday for a back workout and by the end of it I was both exhausted and cranky. I am frustrated that I am sick again and it does not help that in the gym, I cant keep up the same intensity in my workouts that I feel I should be. By the end of it yesterday, I am sure Batman and Robin were ready to kick my butt out of the gym and outta their way because I was in prime form (sick and no carbs)...awesome. The night ended up getting better for L.Bug came over with Reece's Peanut Butter Cheesecake and I also made the most A-Mazing loaded baked potato. For my Modi cheat meal, I am allowed to have 6oz of cheesecake and 6oz of loaded potato. I put soo much cheese, sour cream and bacon bits on that baby and it was heaven on Earth just to be followed by cheesecake! I was one happy girl until my stomach started churning and making the most obnoxious noises because of the sugar-high I was about to experience. I finished my meal prep for today and popped 2 Nyquil only to wake up with the same dang nostril clogged! I am feeling a tad better but I am also on every cold medicine/herbal remedy you can think of because I have to get rid of this! I must keep on keeping on in order to get to Vancouver.

I found a couple old pictures and I wanted to share them...  One is my last year of college rodeo on my little peanut. I miss her greatly and she was such a great horse! The other is a picture from a few months back from a wedding I was in. I love the rain boots we wore because it was pouring (gotta admit it makes the outfit though :)

Ciao for now,    J

Not going to happen...

Yesterday was a Pete day... I was excited to see him because I had started my new diet and I was feeling lean AND I tried on my suit for him. Half the time I think my body knows I am going to see Pete, so it plays tricks on me and will bloat up like a Thanksgiving day parade blimp or in most instances, my right calf will hold water (for who knows what reason) which makes me soo angry. I even asked my sister if she would trade me calves and she said "sure if I can have your abs." Still to be negotiated. We worked on posing and my presentation routine and worked on getting my suit to sit just right. Looks like I will be using a lot of glue to hold that baby in place. Now I have been feeling just a tad funky and I now know why! As I was driving home I felt my throat get scratchy, my body start to ache and my nose stuff up but only one nostril which is really inconvenient! I went straight to the pharmacy, got my 2nd dose of antibiotics filled and loaded up on all the cold medicine I could think of. I went home, popped my first dose and a ton of vit. c as well as some herbal doctor stuff that hopefully works and Nyquil. If this doesn't TKO this crap outta me, I am going to be one angry girl and that is something no one wants to see! I can NOT afford to get sick again with only 3 weeks to go. I asked Pete about it and since I am still losing body fat and sticking to a really strict diet, I am more susceptible to catching this nastyness that is going around. Well here is a little word for my cold:

Dear cold,

Go kick rocks.

Thanks,
J

On another note, I got a call at work today from B.C. (bonecrusher). It was such a treat! He pretended to be someone interested in the program and was giving me a hard time when the light bulb went off and I recognized his voice. It was pretty funny and made me laugh, exactly what I needed!

Ciao for now,   J

Unexpected Surprise

Isn't a surprise always considered unexpected? Hmm oh well! Day 2 of getting up and having Tilapia and green beans at 4:30am and....This.Is.Going.To.Be.Hard. I think that this is one of the harder things thus far in my journey for the fact that I am starting to grow gills and fins from all the fish I am eating and pretty sure I will be searching for my long lost sibling Nemo! Yesterday was a tough day and I felt really low on energy and I am not sure if it was just because it was Monday or what my deal was but I made it through my shoulder workout and cardio to treat myself with a massage. I don't know why I only get these once in a blue moon because today I woke up and for the first time in a while, I was not nearly as sore! My body is probably telling to me cool it and start treating it better for all it does for me. Ok... point taken.

So here is where the unexpected surprise part comes in and this gets a little personal but I promised to share this journey and I will keep that promise. My whole life (since I was in middle school) one of my biggest insecurities has been my backside. I have always felt that it is disproportionate to the rest of my body, I feel like I have a huge bubble butt, and I have never liked that I have to buy my jeans a bigger size just to fit it in em. It is an area where I carry my weight, so if I gain weight it goes right to my behind however, if I lose weight, it comes off of every area EXCEPT there. How frustrating I know! When I started training to be a figure competitor, I knew it was going to be a lot of heavy lifting and time spent in the gym but I will tell you the biggest thing that has changed for me...I love (yes I said it) love the fact that I have some booty. I love squats, lunges, and although I whine about it on a weekly basis, I love leg day because it is helping build and sculpt my backside. Over the course of the past few months, I have had numerous conversations with women and even men about the rear area and how difficult of a time some have trying to get a little curvage here. I have it and now I am trying to perfect it, which I find is a tad easier than starting with nothing and trying to build to something. This morning something really funny happened and I had to giggle. I was at Starbucks grabbing a coffee before work (in which I wear my yoga pants) and there were a few gentleman in line (one a Policeman in uniform and the other a gentleman in medical scrubs). I had seen them both walk in and as I was putting a little nonfat in my drip, I caught them out of the corner of my eye looking over my way. I walked through them as they stood in line and watched their reflections in the windows as I headed towards the door. Both gentleman turned and watched me walk out. Not sure if it was the beautiful half-moon they were staring at or what but case in point... You may have an insecurity or something that really bothers you about your body but it can turn out to be one of your best assets (literally!)

Ciao for now,     J

Food for thought...

I found this quote and I had to save it and share it with y'all...

"This is a very important practice. Live your daily life in a way that you never lose yourself. When you are carried away with your worries, fears, cravings, anger, and desire, you run away from  yourself and you lose yourself. The practice is always to go back to oneself."  -Thich Nhat Hanh

I stumbled across this and it made me think about how in life, we can be overwhelmed with the everyday things and things that may be worse in our thinking than in real life (my common practice). For me, I have to remind myself that I am ok and always will be ok no matter what is on my plate. I live my life in "go" mode and at times this is a challenge for me. I am always racing here and there, usually eating my meals in the car or so quickly I don't even taste the food anymore (which isn't a bad thing when I can barely stomach Tilapia as it is). I guess what I am feeling today is that no matter what, where, when, who, whatever is going on in life, if you always come back to yourself and know who you are, everything will be ok.

J

Weekend Rewind

Cheesecake of Champions!

Back to the grind I call Monday Funday. The weekend was great especially because I started my 4-week competition diet and it still contains a "modified cheat meal". How can a cheat meal be modified you ask? Ha well I still follow strict guidelines meaning 3oz salmon, 6 spears asparagus, but I also get 6oz of cheesecake and 6oz loaded baked potato (and no not sweet potato!) Saturday started with round one of cardio followed by an arm session that left me unable to lift my arms the past couple days. I met my family up North and did a Costco run with my dad. Now this wasn't your average J/Dad Costco run (in which he and I jet through Costco for everything in 20 minutes or less). My cart contained 7 bags of Tilapia, 2 bags asparagus, 1 bag green beans, eggs, and new socks. The thing is.... Those 7 bags will probably last me maybe 2 weeks since I eat fish 38 of 47 meals (the rest consisting of protein shakes and one egg meal). Once we finished at Costco, I met with my mom and sister and we had a great time getting our toes done and chit chatting about my sister's upcoming college graduation. Raced from North back home to unload all the Costco stuff and headed into the gym for cardio session #2. Two 45-minutes sessions and a lot of sweat later, I practiced my posing in the group exercise room before meeting my team mate for our 'modified' meal. Let me tell ya something, she has the exact same meal for Saturday night which made for one heck of a time! We ate our salmon and asparagus then jumped in her truck and headed to Cheesecake factory. After grabbing a table in the bar, the Waiter asked if he could bring us something to drink and I said "water please and I will have a piece of Reece's peanut butter cheesecake" Team mate "make that two!" Waiter "Cutting straight to the point huh?" He returned with our cheesecake when my team mate ordered a side of mashed potatoes loaded, I mean LOADED with goodness! It was a sight to be seen that's for sure! Two buff girls stuffing their faces with gooey potatoes and cheesecake. Yep it was RAD. Afterward, I was in a sugar coma and my team mate was bouncing off the walls so we went for a walk around Seattle before heading home. What a fantastic night. Sunday consisted of am cardio, A LOT of food prep and pretty sure my house smelled like a Tilapia factory and I don't know how many candles I will have to go through to get that smell out of my house (but Stella doesn't seem to mind). You know you go to the gym too much when one of the employees asks if you had even left from the first time he saw you that morning. Headed to the gym for cardio session #2, practiced my posing and headed home to get my gear ready for the week. 6 Tupperware containers and and 21 ounces of Tilapia later....Here I am! Happy Monday Y'all.


 Ciao for now,     J

She's Like Texas

Happy Friday! This has been a long week and boy am I happy to see the weekend. This will be the first weekend in months that I have nothing really planned and it is also the last until May that is not filled up. I am excited to surround myself with friends, family and do things for me. I was talking with Batman and Robin at the gym yesterday and I was explaining that I forgot what it feels like to not be sore. I live my life in soreness! I wanted to blame it on the fact that I was sick but now that I am feeling better, I can not figure out why I am sorer than ever ALL THE TIME. I am not complaining, but it would be nice to get a nights sleep without waking up due to soreness when I roll over. After a good back workout yesterday, I headed home and I have no idea what got into me but I LIKE IT! I felt very productive (usually I just want to sit and do nothing after a long day) but yesterday was a different story. I should of had a superwoman cape on or something because I am one multi-tasking motha! I had laundry going, dishes done, tilapia baking all the while giving Stella a bath, re-organizing paperwork and bills, cleaned my kitchen top to bottom (literally I was on my hands and knees scrubbing the floor and finished the night of with food prep for today and shooting off emails that have needed attention for a couple days. I was then in bed by 9 and up at 315 am for cardio. What a great feeling to wake up and have some organization, which usually I feel like I live my life out of my car and by the way it looks like that sometimes! Don't judge me on how the back seat of my car looks because that is not fair!

I have to share something with yall. So if you have ever listened to any red dirt country, there is a band, Josh Abott Band, and they have this song "She's Like Texas". This song is one of my absolute favorite songs and it just so happened that when I streamed Pandora this morning, it was the first song to play. This song is absolutely amazing and I think parts of this song describe me to a T. There is a few lines that really inspire me and if you ever get a chance to listen to it you should! You wont be disappointed and if you are, well tough luck. A few lines that I LOVE are:

"She's as bright as the Dallas sky
She always holds her head up high
She loves the company of her family
She has faith in God's greater plan"

I love my family more than words can explain, I believe God has a master plan for me and will guide me along the way and no matter how well I do or where I place when I hit the stage in 4 weeks, I will hold my head up high! I know how hard I have worked and I will keep shining bright and be proud of what I have accomplished. I feel that by holding my head high no matter what, shows true strength and I am soo strong that I could make snow angels in concrete! Just kidding (but not really)  :)

Ciao for now,    J

Here. We. Go.

Last night was officially my last cheat meal for the next 2 months! Sad day I know! I met my family up North and had a bacon cheeseburger and a Carmel brownie... We were sitting at dinner, about to finish up and leave when my dad asks "J, how was your burger?" My mom looks at me before I can answer and says "Wait, where did your burger go?" Dad "She ate it while you were talking" Mom " YOU ate the WHOLE thing?" Me "Umm yea its now considered a food baby and I am going to name him Charles." Yea so I shocked my mom that I could put down a whole burger which actually shocked me too but I figured go big or go home right? because it is the last one of those I will see for a while. Of course I had to give Charles (my food baby) some chocolate because in case you don't know me... The way to this girls heart is Coffee and Chocolate! When we were leaving I told my family I needed to be carted out in a wheel chair but didn't know if it was because I was soo full or if it was because I couldn't walk due to heavy leg day! I got home and snuggled up with Stella when my phone rang. It was a team mate and a really good friend of mine who needed to talk. Now I know we all have those days when you just need to clear your thoughts and by talking to someone, especially someone who will just listen and let you get out what you need to say, can make a HUGE impact. So as I lay there listening and chiming in when I felt appropriate I realized this... It feels soo great knowing you can be someone others can turn to when they need someone. Someone others can trust, rely on and overall be a great friend. I appreciate and love all those in my life who are there for me when I need to talk, cry, yell or what have, and I am just as thankful for those relationships in which the other person can turn to me. I stayed up late on the phone with her which made it a little challenging getting up this morning or should I say more like peeling myself out of bed only to find Stella digging through my clean laundry. All I can say is "Hello Thursday, nice to see you, what do you have in store for me today?"

Ciao for now,   J

Double Double Trouble

Yesterday was a Pete day. Enough said. It went better than I had expected and I am about to start my 4-week out diet plan. That means no more cheat meals, and basically I will eat fish and sweet potatoes with a side of green beans or asparagus everyday. Jealous? Yea I thought you would be... After Pete, I jetted for the gym and met a team mate to pose in the group exercise room before doing my afternoon cardio. It was a good time as always except at 4ish in the afternoon, there are ALOT more people (ahem men) that will "need" something from that room in particular. I'm on to you, don't think you can fool me. Cardio actually was rock solid and I ended up doing 30 min of intervals on the stepmill at a higher level than normal and an additional 10 min at an even higher level. I was soaked with sweat and very content. Sounds gross but in all reality it was rad. Earlier in the day I had been asked by a good friend to watch her twins while she did some grocery shopping and after racing home from the gym to grab my tilapia and green beans, I went to get my fix of 2-month old babies. They are the cutest dang babies and have such unique personalities even at such a young age. In addition to the twins, I was also watching her adorable 4 (or 5) year old daughter who is soo stinking funny and a little diva. The quote that made my day came from her little voice telling me "Today is Justin Biebers birthday and I like him and so does my best friend". WOWZA at 5 they have Bieber Fever?! I thought keeping the regimen I had was difficult...But I give major kuddos to my friend for having brand new twins and a young girl because at one point in the evening I think I was sweating more than I had through my entire 40 minutes of cardio! When one baby would fall asleep, the other would get fussy so I would give him a bottle to have the other one wake and fuss. I looked like I was doing some type of acrobatic move with one baby in my arms and my chin holding the bottle while I had one in his swing and my other hand was trying to prop his bottle up with a blankie. Then trying to get both of them burped and back to sleep... That is another story in its own. I had a great time and would do it again but man is it hard work! So this goes to you Ma and you truly are an amazing woman for how you manage it all!



Starting to get the posing down

 Ciao for now,    J

Energizer!

March 1st already?! Where has the time gone because I remember when I first started on this journey and it was the week of Thanksgiving. Who starts a diet on the week of Thanksgiving? Yep, this girl! It is getting down to the wire with less than 5 weeks to go and I am getting nervous to say the least. Yesterday in the gym was a weird day... It was not a bad workout but it did not feel like a good one either. It was shoulder day which I have grown to love and I am pretty sure my shoulders are starting to look like small boulders when I work them, which by the way is RAD! I have to admit I am in a funk the past couple days and on top of that I am worried about too many things to list which is probably the reason for the mediocre work out. If you know me, you know that I am always on the go and as Batman once said to not only me but to Robin as well, "You are like the energizer bunny, do you have a D battery in your behind that keeps you going and going?" Why yes, I just might! Kidding but seriously when it comes down to it, mental focus and positive self-talk are what keep me going even when I feel like giving up. More than anything, I have learned that I am one tough chick both mentally and physically and bad days aside, its time to bear down and push forward. Thanks to all of you who have been with me and behind me this entire time! It really helps knowing that there is love and support all around especially when you feel like leaning on someone.

Ciao for now,      J