Road Trippin....

Tuesday morning was an early one. Pete, myself, sweet cheeks, and aj jumped in his pickup and hit the road. Yes... we drove all the way from Washington to Las Vegas! It was a great trip and for 18 hours, it was extremeky successful. We did stop numerous times(what did u expect? I was drinking two gallons of water!) Highlights from the trip... I learned more about my team mates and Pete and am pretty sure this trip will not be forgotten. The girls and I were having a conversation about Tilapia and it being a poop fish... meaning it eats its own poop. Alot of people give us a hard time about it and this is when Pete jumped in. He says, "I have seen dogs eat their own poop " I go, "we dont eat dogs." He goes, "I would eat it if I was dieting on dog!" This is one of hundreds of random conversations that led me to cry because i was laughing so hard. All three of us girls had to go potty pretty bad but we were on this awful highway that did not have a gas station, rest stop, shoot any civilization for over 200 miles! Pete pulls off and backs up to a cattle guard. The three of us jump out and pop a squat behind the truck It was a sight to see until Pete starts honking the horn and we all jump back in the truck because a semi thst was hauling a huge tractor was coming and he was only going 50 mph! We started driving again but since I got stage fright, I had to hold it for even longer and we finally reached a town that was straight out of 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'. Scariest town I have ever seen and pretty sure the people were all mia because we did not see a soul. We finally rolled into Sin City about 10pm and got checked in before passing out.

The last two days have been filled with two-a-day lifts and cardios, eating, posing and resting. Its been really fun to travel around to new gyms and pop in for the day to workout. Side note though.... It is hot here! 106 and still rising but my body loves it here! My physique is looking lean and ready to roll. It is amazing how the weather is affecting the way I look. I am getting nervous about showtime but the best thing for me to do is to keep my head down with my visors on. I have another workout today followed by early registration and to top off e night.... carrot cake!!!!

Ciao for now, J

Discipline

“All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” Corinthians 9:25-27

I saw this quote on a girl's status and I really liked it. I have been disciplining my body for a solid 10 weeks of preparation for two shows. I have dieted and hit the gym with determination, dedication, and self-control as well as discipline. Of course there are days I would like to sleep or eat chocolate all day but I don't and once I get into the gym, I feel the energy pick up and I take the workout by the collar and get it done. I try to run with purpose each and every step, not only in my preparation but also in my everyday life. I like to make every experience a memory (some are good and some are down right terrible) but that is what makes me me. I would never ever preach something to someone if I myself, did not believe in it whole heartedly. I think that lessons and experiences are best learned by the individual actually experiencing it for themselves but if I believe in them or what they want to do, you bet your bottom I will be right behind cheering them on. I am an athlete and I will go into this weekend calm and collected, knowing that I did everything I could to be the best of my ability.

Wow... 3 days out from one show and 5 days away from my road trip to Vegas. This has been a long road and I am happy to say that after tomorrow morning, I will be done with 4 am cardio!! I will still have two-a-days but I will not have to wake up when the world is still sound asleep drooling on their pillow to go get my sweat on. The past couple days have been tough, I am not going to lie. I am doing good for the most part but with 2 gallons of water a day and depleting, my body is exhausted. It is not that I am sore, but things that should not be a task are super hard such as blow drying my hair of pushing through 45 minutes on the stairmaster. My legs just want to quit and collapse but my mind does not allow them too. My mind tells them to get their a## in gear because they are whats causing all the turmoil for not coming in as well as they should. My workouts have been short and sweet, just trying to keep my size up and my cardios have been long. When I am done for the day, I go home and prep for the next day before collapsing on the couch with my water bottle resting on my stomach (reminding me I MUST finish it) and watch some chick flick, too tired to do anything. Haha it is sure a sight to see let me tell you. I crack myself up because the thought of getting up to do anything makes me tired. I talked with my mom yesterday and she asked how I found the energy to get my stuff done. I said, "it's just something I have to do to get to where I want to go." That's really it... Mentally, I tell myself not to quit and I keep pushing, even when I don't see how I will do it, I do. Today, the first coat of color goes on and I prepare for the final couple days before showtime. Almost there!

Ciao for now,    J

A Few More...

Just 3 more days and I will be pretty much finished with early morning cardio. It should be illegal to get up at 315am to go to the stepmill! I know I complain and moan about the early mornings but I think deep down, secretly I like it because why else would I still be doing them? It allows me to clear my head and get energized for the day ahead and I am positive it is where some of my best thinking is done. For instance I will run you through this mornings session. 3:58 am, gym is already open, sweet! Time to get this over with. Wow there are a lot of people here already, why would they be out of bed already? I wanna go back to sleep. No, because then I would still have this first round to face when I got up. Ok, step mill here we go. Only one minute done? Ugh my legs feel like they weigh 100lbs each. Hey, that guy has a cool shirt on, I wonder if it comes in my size? Why do you keep looking at me Mr? Do your own cardio! Oh hey, that girl has great hair. Keep moving your butt, gotta get those legs to come in. In 5 days, you get to eat a brownie...Mmmmm brownie! Only 2 gallons of water today. How big is a 10-gallon fish tank? I would be able to fill that easily with all the water I am drinking. This is just the first 5 minutes of cardio, now imagine what the remaining 25 sounded like. Haha if only I could record it all so yall would know how random I really am. This weekend flew by and I really don't know what I did except train, sleep, eat, oh and drink water! Ugh! Yesterday started my water loading and I had 2 1/2 gallons to drink. I did it....It took me all darn day but I did it and when I was finished, I felt like my insides were floating. Not a comfortable feeling but at least I only have 2 gallons today to drink. Today also marks daily check-ins with Pete to make sure everything is on track and that I am looking as I should for the show on Saturday. So far I am feeling pretty good, tired and water-logged but I only have a little bit longer to push before I get a small break.

This point of the journey and prep always gets me feeling emotional and I had a chance to talk with my Grandpa on Saturday. He told me how proud he was of me for everything I am doing and how he just loved me. I am blessed to have a lot of loved ones in my life including my family, friends, training partners, team mates, coaches, and shoot even 4-legged friends. I want all of you to know that I appreciate your love and support and I would not be able to get to where I am with out you. I may not always say it or show you but I am grateful for everyone and everything and I hope each and everyone of you knows that you are important to me and hold a special place in my heart. I have been counting my blessings a lot lately and I do not know how I got where I did but I would not change a thing. I feel like life is falling into place and I am in shock that it is unfolding as it is. It is incredible how life happens and I can not describe how I feel...there are no words for how amazing it feels. Happy Monday and here's to the last week of training prep!


Ciao for now,    J

Dial it in

It is time to dial in the diet, dial in the physique, and dial in the thinking for next Saturday. Sunday is the day. The day I start the one week diet, the day I start my water loading, the day I start to really feel the effects of competing. I am prepared to take this next week and own it. I am excited to see what my physique does over the next few days and I am hoping and praying my legs decide to grace me with their presence. It is one of the most frustrating things, having a body part that holds almost all of your water and does not dial in when other parts have been ready to go for a few weeks. I hate this part, waiting for my legs to lose the water and show up, because I work my butt off on them yet they are still resilient to change. Well guess what legs, I'm gonna punch you in the face if you don't show up in the next week. Probably not because I am still waiting for bruises from 4 weeks to go away but still, just come in already will ya?

I had a good shoulder workout yesterday and I am still feeling strong for the most part. It is weird how everything changes in the last week from food to physique. I had cheesecake Wednesday night and woke up Thursday to have lost 2 pounds! That's crazy talk for sure but one more modi cheat meal (tomorrow night) so you bet your bottom that cheese cake is going to be amazing! Even though I am tired, sore and sometimes grumpy, when I step foot in the gym to lift and get my 2nd cardio done, I feel a second wind and get through what I need too...but then I collapse when I am done. Hehe yesterday was one of those days where I finished up, was dripping sweat, and just wanted to crash and burn. I was standing upstairs peering over the railing at Jr below as he chatted it up with the adorable front desk girl. I had just finished the Stepmill so lets just say I was soaked in sweat and had it dripping off of me. I thought it would be funny if I dripped sweat down on him, but as I stood there shaking my head trying to get his attention, I realized the joke was on me. People were staring at me, probably thinking I had some serious issues because I was shaking like a wet dog does right after a bath. Haha I ended up dropping a wipe down on Jr's arm to get his attention and he was not humored. I thought it was pretty dang funny and I was sure proud of my wipe throwing abilities! I then made a trip to see my mama and gather up stuff for my show. Oil, skin prep, glaze, my emergency kit (that has EVERYTHING anyone could ever need at a show) and a really cool shirt my mom got me. This shirt is from Nike and it says, "Every damn day.    Just do it.    Twice."  My mom had the twice added on and it is RAD. Heck, so is she! Happy Friday Yall.

Ciao for now,    J

Path Towards Happiness

"If you're feeling frightened about what comes next, don't be. Embrace the uncertainty. Allow it to lead you places. Be brave as it challenges you to exercise both your heart and your mind as you create your own path towards happiness, don't waste time with regret. Spin wildly into your next action. Enjoy the present, each moment, as it comes; because you'll never get another one quite like it."

I love this quote and it ties in really well with what I have mentioned the past couple of days. I am at a crossroads and I must be brave, embrace all the uncertainties and take this path all the while spinning wildly into each and every moment of the journey. I think I can do that!  Actually, I know I can do that and I intend to enjoy each tourist stop along the way!

I am in the single digits baby! Only 9 days to go until the first of two shows and am I excited. I am to the point where I have been prepping and training and dieting for long enough and I am just ready for it to be here already. I haven't had splenda or any nonfat milk in my coffee (UGH), I am limiting myself to 2 pieces of gum a day (well I trick myself and make it seem like 4 when I cut them in half), I am about to start drinking my gallons and gallons of water and step up my game for the next week to make sure I am a fine-tuned machine up on that stage. Yesterday was nuts! I was all over the place getting things taken care of, discussed my image for the next show, finally got my hair did (much overdue!!) and eventually got to the gym for round 2 about 6 pm. This time is no bueno at the gym! There were sooo many people all over the place and I had a wait for the stairs but one finally opened up and I went to work. It was a brutal 45min on the stairs but luckily a team mate happened to be there and she chatted it up with me which made the first part fly by. Thanks love, I owe you!! After the gym, I still had a few errands to run before getting home and doing some food prep. Did you know I go through one Costco bag of Tilapia every 2 days? That's a lot of fish and as I have mentioned before, I am pretty sure I will start to grow gills and fins soon. I can't imagine how many bags some of the men go through since their meals are double if not triple my portion size! Meals packed for the next two days, enough laundry done to wash all my sports bras (I go through 3 a day!) and my house picked up enough in order to make me feel calm and I went to bed. Funny how I wake up with texts sent at 9:23 pm saying "I know you are already sleeping...." Hehe yep I'm a Lame-O I know but what do you expect? A girls gotta get some sort of beauty rest! Two more training days and the weekend is here. WOOT WOOT!

Ciao for now,    J

"When you finally allow yourself to trust life and embrace it, you will find you dance with everything."

I may be the worst dancer on this planet and I will not claim that I can shake my groove thing because I can't but I can be a goofball and I love to turn up the radio and get jiggy with it in my underwear. If there is a lesson in life I have learned, especially recently, its this... When you allow yourself to trust, whether it be a situation you are in, an individual in your life, or yourself, everything else seems to fall into place and you can dance. Let me tell you... I am dancing! I have not been this happy in a long time and I have a lot of things to attribute it to but most importantly, I have allowed myself to trust. I feel like my life is in harmony on all different levels and even though I am still being tested on a regular basis, I am not scared. I know that if I have faith and believe in the greater scheme of things, I will be ok. It is such an amazing feeling and after such a long time of fighting the universe on things, I feel like me and the universe are BFF's. Ok, not that close but I feel like we have an understanding now and it won't come orbiting at my head. I am still standing and up to bat at the plate! Bring on the fast balls!

I had a check in with Pete yesterday and yes you guessed it, we also worked legs. First thing he says to me.."What you wanna work?" "Umm, whatever.." He looks at me, "Ok, legs it is. I am going to make this hurt for days." I wanted to cry before we even started. I survived and hit up my 2nd cardio on the step mill. That thing sure can get the best of me but I love it regardless and I am hoping the many hours of use will get this booty in tip top shape for the stage. I had a busy evening getting ready for an even busier day today and it does not look like it will calm down for the next couple weeks but that is ok. I am excited for everything to come and I am extremely happy with where life is taking me. Here is to enjoying every step of the way!

xoxox,   J

Swing Batter Batter...

Holy curve ball life! Just when I start to feel as if most parts of my life are falling in to place and I am happy with most things, a wicked curve ball is thrown at me and I am not sure if I should swing or let the damn thing hit me or duck out of its way. This could not come at a more crucial point when I am 11 days out and about to compete in the biggest show yet. I was leaving the gym yesterday after a good chest work out with BC and Batman, when I read over a very unexpected email and almost walked head on into a light pole. I re-read it again in my car and started to feel overwhelmed with emotions and yep you guessed it, I started to cry because I don't know what I am to do. (Well and I am dieting, carb depleted and not to mention plain ol' exhausted!) After trying to wrap my head around things, I did what I usually do and called my mom for advice. We didn't decide anything except I told my mom that God is testing me and trying to show me something, yet I am not sure what and why he is doing it right now. The timing of it all just seems too much but if there is one thing I do know.....I am tough and I will get through this! I am a fighter. I am full of fire (I am reminded of this a lot lately by the boys in the gym because I am a little firecracker especially when I am hungry) and no matter what I decide to do, I know God will be there by my side all the way through. I just need to put my faith in him and hold on.

As I mentioned, I am 11 days out. Yes sir.... 11 more days until I am on stage again but that is just the start. After that, I have two days to collect myself, prep food, pack for a week long adventure, and head out to the biggest show yet. Oh my goodness, I get chills every time I think about it! I have an amazing group of people that I am going down with as well as amazing friends that will be there when showtime rolls around. I was talking with A.J. last night and she was saying all the right things because after I got off the phone, I felt a lot better and I was no longer as scared but more excited. Every day is different as showtime gets closer because my diet is changing, my water intake is changing, my body is feeling different (some times good and some times not soo good), and my emotions are on a six-flags roller coaster. I do owe a huge huge thank you to all of you who are by my side right now and until stepping foot on stage! I know that sometimes I am grumpy, a little spitfire full of fiestyness, and sometimes down right a pain in the ass but with out you, I do not know how I would get through some of the things I do. Especially when you join me for cardio (Mr. T, Robin, and Batman!) when you absolutely do not have too. It means the world to me!

Ciao for now,     J

Time Flies

Time sure does fly when you are consumed with prep. This past weekend is a blur and when someone asks me what I did, all I can say is "Train." I had a solid am cardio session on Saturday morning followed by a shoulder workout and a visit to Pete. I managed to get my suit altered (or in the process of), a trip to Costco amongst other errands in time to head back to the gym for round 2 and then cheesecake. Sunday was much of the same when I hit the gym for morning cardio, Costco again and some much needed time with my mom and then another trip into the gym for quads and more cardio. Late night food prep and finally bed so I could wake up and do it all over again today. I have only 9 more morning cardio sessions before I am on my way to the big show! Prepping is such an over whelming process sometimes and as I was about to head to the gym for round 2 yesterday, I was taken back by emotions. On any given day, soo many things go through my head and I load up my plate with multiple tasks but sometimes, just sometimes, I find myself completely submerged trying to get my head above water in order to breathe. I know a lot of this is due to being so close to show time and the nerves are starting to escalate as well as all the "what ifs" but for me, I try and hold it all together no matter what, no matter when, and no matter how. I do not like showing the side of myself that can not do something and it is extremely hard for me to accept that there are just times in life when you have to let yourself crumble a little in order to stand back up, better than before. As hard as it may be, it is good to let others be there when this happens to help ya back up and dust you off and that is a lesson I will have to work extremely hard at. I am terrible at this.. Ok I down right suck at it, but I learned over the weekend that if you can let someone help you, you will end up feeling a lot better about things and you will not feel as alone as you think you are. Those who really care about you, will look at you no differently if you have a weak moment, in fact, they will probably open their hearts to you even more.

I must give a big congratulations to a couple Save Fitness girls who competed this past weekend at Team Universe. They are now IFBB Pros and I cant even imagine the emotions they are feeling as they wake up from a monumental weekend! The hard work and dedication it takes to get to that level is incredible and the fact that they followed their dreams and gave it all that they have, is truly an inspiration to all. I hope they know how proud of them we are and I can not wait to see what new doors open up in their futures. Congratulations Ladies, way to shine! Here is a video of Sheri Vucick's routine. It is amazing and her new title is much deserved!

http://rxmuscle.com/videos/rx-girl-videos/3623-sheri-vucicks-fitness-routine-at-2011-npc-team-universe.html

Ciao for now,    J

Audrey Hepburn Sums It Up...

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles."

I love this quote by Aubrey Hepburn and I think it sums some of me up in a nutshell. If you know me (or if you don't you will now), you know my favorite color is pink! I have lots of pink things right down to my toothbrush and I think it is perfect for making me feel like a girl when I need a pick me up. I love to laugh and anyone that can make me laugh, even better. I laugh at myself a lot but what feels the best is a deep belly laugh that makes you cry and wanna pee your pants at the same time. When you are gasping for air and your abs hurt because you are laughing soo hard. That is what I love most and thank you to all who can make me laugh like this! Who doesn't like kissing? A sweet kiss on the forehead or a kiss from your mom on a bruised elbow, it is a beautiful thing and shows love on all different levels. A kiss can make you forget about all the other things that are going on in this crazy/beautiful life. I firmly believe that being strong when everything goes wrong is the only way to be! Life can be unfair, it can be mean, and it can be down right dirty, but when you look life square in the eyes and tell it you are stronger than it thinks and even if you get knocked down you stand back up, you have proven not only to life but yourself that you can get through anything you want too. Have you ever seen a woman who is radiating with happiness? It is beautiful. End of story. A woman who is happy in their own skin, happy with where they are and what they have become is simply amazing to look at. She holds herself with confidence, with pride, with her head held high and looks like the most beautiful thing on earth. Happiness is good for your health! I do believe that tomorrow is another day and I will not let yesterday or the things that happened affect how I work and live today. I believe in miracles. Life is a miracle. Enough said!

Yesterday was one of those days where the skies opened up and poured rain. I felt like I could not escape from stress or drama or anything in between. I had a great day with Pete and sweet cheeks at the gym and got a great workout in. However, I have this stupid issue with one hand that landed me at the urgent care walk-in clinic to be put on antibiotics. I told the doc that I needed to get it figured out now because I do not have time to worry about it and if the meds make me hold water, they need to get in and out of my system as fast as possible. She probably thinks I'm a whacko because I told her just to cut off my finger so I could get back to training. I was at the clinic late then had to eat dinner on the drive home, which ended up with me sitting in rush hour traffic and wanting to have a melt down. I went straight to the pharmacy to get the prescription filled, which was a 30 min wait so I went and did my grocery shopping before going home. Did I mention that my complex is repaving and so there is NO parking anywhere! Ugh so found a curb, parked and went to work on food prep. Got my tilapia and sweet potatoes cooked just in time to psych myself up for round 2 cardio... I am a creature of habit! True story. I like my schedule and when it gets off, it throws me through a loop hole for sure! I was battling myself about doing late cardio but I did it  and I am dang proud for sticking to it! I was out running around town at 7:30 pm just to come home, shower and get in bed so I could get up and do my 3:30 am cardio. Yep, late night followed by early morning cardio is a brutal combo but guess what....I kicked its a$$. :) Since today is a new day and yesterday is in the rear view mirror, I am full steam ahead, foot on the gas pedal and only looking forward! 3 weeks and counting!

Ciao for now,    J

Officially Official!

As of yesterday, it is officially official! My registration for my big show is in the mail and on its way. I am not going to lie...I am nervous as heck now but as I was handing the envelope over to the FedEx lady, a HUGE grin spread across my face and I thought to myself, This is it. This is what I have been working my butt off for and now is the time to bear down, put your visors on, and push forward for 3 more weeks. You got this Jamey, do not think otherwise. The spark that burns inside me is now a full-on hungry fire looking for fuel to rip wild. I can not believe that I will be on stage at such a big show nor can I believe that I am just a couple weeks away from doing so. All the hard work, hours of pushing weights, thousands of ounces of Tilapia, and down right brutal 3:30 am cardio sessions will be worth it when I step on stage and realize that that is exactly what I had worked for. Just thinking about it gets me smiling and visualizing myself under the lights, in front of the judges, with all my friends and family support behind me!

Yesterday I ended up getting through my second cardio just in time to quickly chat with Robin and BC and run a bunch of errands. We were trying to figure out the rest of the week and our lifting schedule when they mentioned Batman probably would skip out on leg day. We have concluded that his bat mobile is too good for leg days because he is always skipping out...Just had to call you out my good sir! :) Today is a Pete day and lets just say I'm shaking in my boots! It is a leg day and I am pretty sure it is going to be H-E-double hockey sticks! If I cant walk the next couple days, I may need a designated wheel chair pusher so I am accepting applications now...facebook me! LOL! Sweet cheeks signed herself up for this day with me (she said she wanted to join in...the more the merrier). Do not blame me if you can not sit down after today dollface! This mornings cardio was a good one except with the nice weather outside, it is hotter than heck in my apartments little gym and I am sure I lost a solid 3.7 pounds from all the sweat. I almost suffocated. I would love to go for a morning run but at that hour, it is probably not the best idea and plus, I would miss out on all the sweet infomercials that are on...This morning it was Flirty Girl Fitness. Oh my, do not get me started! I will leave you with this video because I can not even begin to explain it. I almost fell off the treadmill because I was laughing soo hard.

Ciao for now,   J

Refuse To Sit Back...

"People who soar are those who refuse to sit back, sigh and wish things would change. They neither complain of their lot nor passively dream of some distant ship coming in. Rather, they visualize in their minds that they are not quitters; they will not allow life's circumstances to push them down and hold them under."

As the final countdown begins, I have a lot going on in my head. How will my posing be? Will I achieve what I have worked hard for? Did I do enough cardios and did I push myself hard enough, each and every time? Did I do everything I could have to get here? What am I going to eat when I can eat anything? And the list goes on and on and on. The final push is hard for my body hurts and I am tired but that does not stop me from getting up and doing what I need to do in order to get to the stage. I dislike 3:30 am cardios and sometimes I want to punch em in the face but I do them and afterwards, I am very glad I did. My body is not recovering as quickly anymore but I am still lifting as heavy as I can to keep my muscle size up. There are definitely times I would much rather do anything and everything BUT my second cardio, but I lace up my shoes and go for it. I will  not let my weakness' overpower my strengths nor will I let my competitor out do me in the gym. I do not know who she is or what she looks like but I do know that I will not let her beat me or push me down on the way up. I refuse to sit back and take a break when I know she is not taking a break. If she is out there doing 30 mins of cardio, I will do 31. If she is doing 10 reps, you bet I will be doing 12. This prep phase has been good and I am still feeling strong, well as strong as I can be 2 weeks out. This is what I like to call the 'home stretch'. Just a little bit further and I will be on stage. Just a little longer and I can eat a brownie (oooh I cant wait!). Just a few more early morning cardios and I can go back to one a days. I will keep chasing that dream, running as fast as I can for as long as I can and even then when I think I am out of gas, I will push a little bit more. Here's to the final push and a blessed training week!

Ciao for now,    J

Recap of the Past...

Yesterday's entry was brief and I did not go into detail about the comments that were made or how I responded to them. I can usually laugh at them or let them roll off my shoulders but sometimes, just sometimes (probably on carb depleted days LOL) they really hurt my feelings and get under my skin. In most cases, I will come back and say something like "I am living a very healthy, active lifestyle and I like the way I feel and look" or I just smile. Smiling not only confuses the person uttering the comments but I think it actually kinda makes them mad. Haha I will just keep smiling. The final count down has begun and I am 2 weeks out from one show and 3 weeks out from another. This past week was filled with lots of cardio, training, eating, food prep, and as much sleep as I could fit in. I felt really relaxed and honestly pretty darn calm about the shows. This prep has been much different than the last because there are not soo many unknowns for me and I have a foundation to build upon versus starting from scratch. I did a lot of running outside in the beautiful weather and lifted with all the boys.. Batman, Robin, B.C., Mr. T and Jr. Yep I am pretty positive they are sick of working out with a girl but I wouldn't change my training partners for the world. Little do they know, they are my family now (whether they like it or not) and I appreciate each and every one of them. I spent the 4th doing lots of cardio and spending time with my mom and dad. While we were sitting outside eating, my mom looks at me and says, "It is soo funny to watch your mood when you actually eat something you enjoy!" This is not the first time I have heard this and it cracks me up. She says, "when you eat tilapia and then another tilapia meal follows, your mood stays the same but when you eat something you enjoy, it is like you are a whole new person." Haha the food she was referring to was bbq'ed asparagus and sirloin steak. Sure beats raw asparagus and tilapia! If I actually took the time to cook all my veggies, I may like eating them more but that also requires more time and really I would much rather be sleeping or doing anything else but food prep!

Vegas Baby....

Ok so I am loooong over due to update yall on what has been going on... Not that any of you were worried about it. I went to Vegas with my mom and sister and had the opportunity to see Garth Brooks live. It was AMAZING. Hands down, the best concert I have been too in a long time and I would easily do it again. However, I will try my best to not go on vacation while dieting again...First is first. I had a whole cooler packed with frozen Tilapia, Salmon, Sweet Potatoes, and Asparagus. Yes the TSA was not pleased with me especially one mean ol' lady who made me wait a solid 10 minutes just to be checked over and over. I told her to throw whatever out if it would get me through the system faster, she was not impressed. The man who checked my cooler was like "Oh you are a competitor? A competitive chef who takes their food with them? That is awesome!" Well no my good sir because if I was a chef, I would not be eating frozen Tilapia!! I survived the 2-a-days and dieting but I am pretty sure my mom and sister will not take a trip with me when dieting either. It was a challenge for sure, when the sun is shining and everyone is sipping on some type of deliciousness! Oh well I know my hard work is worth it and I have a much bigger goal in sight than a fruity drink.

I have to say that I am still not used to some of the things people will say nor do I think I will ever get used to it. I had random things (some good and some down right rude) said to me but it is part of the territory I suppose. I was riding up in the elevator with a guy and he looked at me over his sunglasses and slurred "Your biceps are bigger than mine.. Wanna arm wrestle?" I giggled..."Sure I will take ya on." Lucky for him, the elevator opened up and I hopped out on my floor. Another instance was in the pool when I was sitting soaking up some rays when a guy walked by and told me to flex. I looked at him like he was nuts then he said, "How do you get those arms to look so good?" I totally pulled the "I use the shake weight" comment and he believed me! He was beside himself and even called a friend over to tell him about the shake weight...Dummy. The last comment I will mention that made me very upset was from a girl that told me I was disgusting because of the way I looked and my muscles...I was seeing red after that comment for sure. Think what you may but leave the comments to yourself please!