If the shoe fits...

If the shoe fits, wear it. My shoes came. And now fear has TOTALLY set in. The last few days have not been amazing on eating. Stuff has been crazy at work and I am letting my emotions get the best of me. 13 weeks...can this really happen? Can I really get up on stage and not make a fool of myself? I know I am going to win the ironman and emerald cup next year, but is it possible to cut all the body fat I need to by November 19 and not get discouraged by my placement? Or do I focus on slowing cutting for next season and just dominate all year long in 2012. Definitely a conversation I need to be having with not only myself, but my trainer, and possibly a nutritionist. LOTS to think about. But for now, you probably want to know if the shoes fit...so do I. Here it goes....



Didn't try them on until after I wrote this blog...and NO, THEY DON'T! AHHHHH. I have the widest feet in the world. I was counting on these shoes to give me some motivation! I seriously can barely fit 4 toes in them...hello evil step sister trying to fit into Cinderella's shoes. On that note, I am going to bed. Hopefully I wake up on a better side of the bed tomorrow.

Dreaming Big...

Last night I was working on my life vision and goal setting when I made some some big decisions and set some BHAGS (big hairy audacious goals). I figured since you are a part of my journey for my first figure competition that I should let you know what my BHAG is. So here it is...fitness is my passion. I am drawn to figure competitors and aspire to be a professional competitor. So instead of just aspiring to be one, I AM GOING TO BE ONE. I am going to take home first place in the Emerald Cup and Ironman in 2012. Remember my name...Kelsey Venable, because you will also be seeing me in Oxygen Magazine within the next year as one of their transformations. Bring it on...HIIT, temptations, grumpy moods, and low carb days you ain't got nothing on me.

97 days...one step closer.

I am loving my workouts and diet. I have eaten 100% clean all week and feel amazing. The struggle is to believe in the process and focus on the now...if I focus on being my best in each moment I will see the results come show time. Jen's positivity is amazing and her workouts are killer. I did about 19 sets of stairs today with strength circuits in between. 19, no big deal....NOT. Huge deal. Especially when you are bunny hopping, speed skating, single stepping, and doing all sorts of crazy combinations up those stairs. After burning 600 and some calories I came home to make myself a delicious protein smoothie. Well deserved after that workout! I just finished prepping some food for the next few days, but hope to have time to cook more on Tuesday. It is amazing how much cooking I am doing lately...but boy do I love it! Have any good clean recipes for me to try? My challenge is to add more variety in my diet right now, so hook a sister up with all those secret family recipes of yours. Time to hit the showers and cozy up for the night.



Here is something to keep everyone motivated, including myself:

"Mental toughness can take you straight to the top and mental weakness straight to the bottom."

I am choosing to be tough....are you?

100 days...closer than yesterday.

Nicole Wilkins posted this on her facebook earlier today and it truly resonated with me. In fact, it is the PERFECT message for me. Believe in the process and each day I will be a little bit closer.



Today is a rest day...hooray! :) I am sure I will need all the rest I can get to prepare for my 2nd one-on-one with Jen this week. Rest days can be tricky for me to keep a clean diet...but not today, I WILL eat clean all day. I am in this 100%.

101 days out.

In it 100% now. Woke up and did my HIIT training on the stairmaster...KILLER. 533 calories burned in 30 minutes! Go me! I am surprised I even had the energy for my cardio this morning after my one-on-one with Jen yesterday. The muscle soreness hasn't hit me yet, but I am sure by this afternoon I will be feeling it.



My cooler really is my new best friend. I invested in another set of tupperware...officially the tupperware queen now. My coworkers tease me for bringing in my giant cooler filled with enough food for a small country, but the teasing just makes me feel proud. I truly look the part of a figure competitor walking around wearing my workout gear, carrying my gallon of water, and my cooler full of clean foods. I cannot wait to start seeing results, but I am going to work on being patient and believe in the process (as a few of you suggested in your comments to my last post.)



101 days out...I asked Jen last night if she truly thought I could make the change in 101 days. She said that it is possible as long as my body doesn't fight us. She suggested I start taking CLAs (Conjugathed Linoleic Acid Supplements) to enhance fat burning and increase lean muscle mass. She told me that I will not notice an immediate difference, but that hopefully it would help me in the long run.



So here is my focus...

CLEAN DIET.

100% effort in my workouts.

Take my supplements.



Oh, and the major one! BUY HEELS AND START POSING! Yikes. I bought the Tanji Johnson video the Art of Posing...do you think I can learn it enough by myself or do you think I should consider a posing coach as well!? Also, are there specific requirements for heels? Where do I buy them?

103 days.

103 days?! Only 103 days. Where in the world does the time go? I started this journey a few months ago, but never truly committed. I thought of it as a goal that I wanted, but could never achieve. I can't even count the number of times I went back and forth on my decision to compete or how I felt about myself. One day I was telling myself "Hell ya I can do this...look out world I am going to win." The next day I was staring in the mirror thinking "Yeah right! Look at you...there is NO WAY you will be ready." The last two weeks have been a major transition period for me. I am working towards a promotion at work, just moved into a new house, and went on a weekend get away for a Bachelorette party. Don't get me wrong, all of these events are incredibly exciting, but they didn't fit in well with my training and or eating schedule...well scratch that, they did fit in...I just chose to be lazy and cheat. So now...I am exactly where I started a few months ago. Back to square one. Can I do this in 103 days? I am not sure of the answer to this question just yet, but I can promise you this...I am going to give it 100% from here on. I might have breakdowns, I might need to ask for more help, and I may even have moments where I want to just throw in the towel, but that is not going to stop me. I am giving this my all.



And this is the part where I ask for help from all you fellow fitness bloggers and reach out to my trainer.

To my fellow bloggers, I need all the support I can get. Tips and tricks? Where were you at when you started this process? Any suggestions of how to stay positive and keep on pushing!?

To Jen, I have already told you this but I want to apologize for not giving you my all. You are giving me 200% and I have barely been giving you 50% these last two weeks. The way you inspire me and push me is incredible and I truly believe you have confidence in me. I am working on the having confidence in myself part, but I know I will get there soon. I am strong, I am beautiful, I am fit, and I am a competitor.

Cannot sleep

I woke up at 4am with a horrible stomach ache and burning in my throat. My throat has been scratchy the last few mornings, but usually gets better! I am hoping that after I write this post I can curl back up in bed and sleep for a few hours...if not, it might be the LONGEST Monday of my life.

Since I cannot sleep I figured I would come check out some fitness blogs and distract my mind from how I am feeling. After reading a few blogs I started thinking about the title of my own...Future Competitor: From Binging to Bikini...although it is an accurate title I decided to change it. Why look back at the girl I used to be when I can set goals for the girl I am striving to be? At work we have goal setting sessions and we are taught that the proper way to write goals is in the present tense as if they have already been accomplished. This explains the new title "I am a figure competitor by December 2011." I know I have been saying that I feel as if I am already a competitor, but I do have my moments where I think that I will not see the results in time....it is extremely hard to trust the process! However, if I keep repeating to myself "I am a figure competitor. I am a figure competitor. I am a figure competitor." it will be stuck in my brain and every decision will be based off that identity...or at least that is what I am hoping for.

I have a CRAZY week ahead of me. I have 4 more days left in my 8 day work stretch at my job! In addition to that I have 2 boot camp sessions I am scheduled to instruct, packing for a the bachelorette trip, errands to run before the trip, cooking and prepping more food, AND my workouts for this week. Thinking about my week I was looking forward to Napa thinking I would have some time to just relax with the girls, but we got our itinerary for the trip and it looks like it is nonstop wine tours! There is a little time for the pool, but I am not sure I even want to pack my swimsuit...I do not feel great about my body yet, and the girls I am going with are skinny lil' things. Do I really want to subject myself to those negative feelings about myself? In addition, I'm not sure how I am going to fit in my workouts and all my meals! :( And then it is straight back into work on Monday. Can't a girl just workout and sleep in the sun?

On that note, I better try and get a few more hours of sleep, otherwise I will NEVER make it through my workout today let alone my closing shift at work....wish me luck. :(

Oatmeal is amazing...

Oatmeal is my go to breakfast food! I woke up this morning and immediately started looking at http://eyeitryit.com/ for breakfast recipes...but I couldn't find anything that could be prepared quick enough to satisfy my hungry belly or satisfy my cravings. So instead, I hit the kitchen on my own and prepared a delicious breakfast!

1/2 c oats
1/2 c almond milk + a little water
1 banana
2 tbsp almond butter
1 scoop jay robb chocolate protein powder

SO DELICIOUS! I should have posted a picture, but I ate it so quickly there was no chance in snapping a photo! :)

I am feeling so positive about life right now. Work is AMAZING! Training is wonderful! And I am getting a hang of this diet...in fact, my trainer told me to eat MORE starchy carbs!?!?!? Isn't that wonderful!? I knew I loved her! I am a little sore from yesterday's workout and I am sure it will get worse as the day goes on...but it is a good sore! I love it when you feel your muscles and know you had a good workout the day before! Today is a yoga day. I am going to head out for a quick walk in the sunshine, hit the grocery store for some more healthy carbs (bring on those yams, rice, bread etc!), do a bit of yoga, then head down to work! It is going to be a great day! Hope you all make the best of your days too!

Hello Eating Clean!

Having your food prepped is the best thing ever. Hit the gym in the morning, eat a quick breakfast, hop in the shower, get ready for work, and then instead of having to think about what you are going to prepare for your meals that day you just grab those perfectly prepackaged meals in your fancy tupperware and hit the road! However, it is amazing how much food a figure competitor really eats....egg whites, chicken, turkey, veggies! No wonder I have seen so many praises about Costco on other competitor's blogs. I did my first shopping trip at Costco since really buckling down and bought myself egg whites, celery, and chicken in bulk! I am sure I will be making SEVERAL more trips as I get further into prep!

Tomorrow I have a killer workout planned. Jen told me to bring my tunes because I am going to be LOTS of reps...most of the exercises are aiming for 3 sets of 25-30 reps with no more than 45 seconds in between. I recruited a friend to do the workout with me, so I am hoping we can just bust it out back and forth within the allotted 45 seconds. If I didn't love the girl so much, I might end up turning into a drill sergeant yelling at her to push it harder and move faster so we can keep our rest periods down! :) But, she was kind enough to do cardio with me today and I don't want to scare her away. I will let you know how I feel after the workout, hopefully I don't look like this....
Ok, I highly doubt I will look like this, but I will probably be just as exhausted as this poor guy!

My new best friend....

I am starting to think and act like a figure competitor. I carry my gallon of water around with me and even refill it on some days to stay hydrated. I cooked up and prepackaged a bunch of food today...check it out! I have salmon, asparagus, sweet potatoes, chicken, mixed veggies, hummus (measured out!), and buffalo! I also whipped up some protein power pancakes for quick snacks! :) I think I need MORE tupperware! I told Jen about this today and she told me I should just start throwing tupperware parties...although she was joking, this might be a good idea!!!
I also picked up this snazzy lunch box to carry around with me! This royal blue beauty is going to be my new best friend! It's FAMILY size...does 1 person really need this big of a lunch box? Well, the answer is yes. My tupperware takes up a lot of room and I need to keep my metabolism movin' and groovin' by eating every 2-4 hours!
In the work out department I am getting my booty kicked...which is good! Keep bringing it Jen! ;) I had my second one-on-one session with her today... she was trying to get my legs burning, but due to the combo exercises my arms were burning too! Hello total body workout! Looking forward to that soreness tomorrow and knowing that I hit it hard! Off to meet my future roomies at a bar, where I will be drinking ice water...or possibly iced tea if they have it. I am going to a bachelorette party in Napa Valley in two weeks and Jen told me that each glass of wine I drink is an EXTRA 20 minutes of "not so nice" cardio. I think I will save the wine drinking for my brother's wedding and then AFTER the competition.

Blueberry Cheesecake.........

........oatmeal! I didn't actually eat blueberry cheesecake. My trainer, Jen, told me about the blog http://eyeitryit.com/ The author of the blog posts delicious and CLEAN recipes. For meal #2 today, I ate Blueberry Cinnamon Sugar Cheesecake Oatmeal. AMAZING! Go check out her blog.

I am starting to view myself as a competitor. I visualize myself up on stage and looking the way I want for the competition. Doing this helps me stay focused on what I need to do throughout the day to accomplish my goals. Do figure competitors eat chocolate and ice cream all day long? No, they eat clean. (Although, I bet some days they would like to) And that is exactly what Jen suggested I do for right now, eat clean. Simple as that...just eat clean.

As for working out. I struggled a bit with cardio this morning, but at least I got moving. I have been having some lower back tightness which I am working through. It is typically fine once I get started moving, but once I stop it tightens back up. I think it might be time for a massage!

Jen has a tough week of workouts lined up for me this week. I will keep you posted on how I do! Have a great Monday everyone.

Life is beautiful.

Morning everyone! Time to hit the gym for my endurance muscle circuits. I fueled myself up with 2 protein power pancakes topped with a little plain greek yogurt and strawberries, drank my metabolism drink (apple cider vinegar, water, unsweetened apple juice, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon), and put on my favorite workout gear. I am ready to get after it!

Yesterday I bought myself a food processor so I could make all sorts of yummy Eat Clean Recipes from Tosca Reno's book. So far I made bean dip for my veggies, but I put WAY to much onion in it! Woah! Today is a new day and I plan on trying more recipes and finding ways to plan and pack my meals for the week so I always have healthy options.

I am very excited for this journey and truly believe I will be successful. I am 100% happy with my life right now and because of that it is so much easier to stay on track. Even when I do slip up and eat chocolate covered caramels (yes Jen, I ate some yesterday) I take a deep breath and instead of falling into my old ways and giving up, I move forward and focus on the next healthy meal.

Time to head to the gym and keep climbing towards the top. Life is beautiful.

First one-on-one with Jen!

Today was amazing... and boy, did I sweat! I sweat a lot anyways, but I can never complain when sweat is dripping off my body during a workout! I know all you fitness ladies out there feel the same! So how did the workout go and what did she have me do!?

I met her at her house for the workout where she has tons of workout equipment (that I am extremely jealous of). We started by taking measurements, pictures, and my weight. I stepped on the scale backwards so only she knows the number and I can't obsess over it...which is a great idea for me! She also did a few tests so she could see my weaknesses and so we can evaluate performance in areas besides the scale. She tested single leg squats for form (looking for hip weakness...which I have), abdominal planks (I held for 2:50...woop woop!), and pull-ups (ZERO, but its only my starting point)! Then came the FUN stuff!

Disclaimer: I don't remember the exact order or even ALL of the exercises off the top of my head, but I am going to try!

Warm-up: 5 minutes on the elliptical
Spiderman lunges (she loves these...and I think I might just be in love too!)
Grasshoppers
Abdominal Twists (similar to wood chops) while kneeling on a stability ball (TOUGH!)
Box jumps
Side planks with shoulder horizontal abduction (Left side is SO much weaker than right...woah!)
Russian Twists on stability ball
Downward dog with hip extension into spiderman lunge (fun one to do!)
Bench jumps (lateral hops over the bench with hands on bench)
I, Y, T exercises for shoulders and back
Lunge jumps on step
Butt squeezes (pretty sure she had a more creative name, but essentially you are laying on the stability ball and squeeze your legs up and in to activate the glutes!)
Leg lowers (keeping low back flat on the ground)
Scorpions (lay prone on the ground with arms out to the side, bring opposite leg to opposite arm up behind you...this showed that my right hip flexor is MUCH tighter than my left!)

All in all it was a good workout. She brought her A game for sure and I am even more confident that I picked the right trainer! :) I was literally cracked out after my work out because I was so hyped up. I haven't been this excited about something in a really long time...it is going to be an amazing journey and I plan on enjoying every minute of it.

Tomorrow is 30 minutes of HIIT for cardio...either the elliptical or treadmill. Running is not my favorite, but I plan on hitting up the tread tomorrow and challenging myself. I'm off to get some shut eye now, but I will let you know how the cardio goes!

To the top!

I am LOVING my new trainer! After switching I have so much more confidence in myself and really believe I can do this! She lightened up the intensity of the plan a little so that I don't hit overtraining status and so my body won't fight as the competition approaches!

Here is what we have going on for diet... 6 meals a day.
Eat within 1 hour of waking up to refuel after the night.
Meals 2-6: eat every 2-4 hours
Every meal should consist of a complex carbohydrate and protein.
Veggies are unlimited! :)
Fruits: 2-4 servings per day.
Healthy fats: throughout the day
Fiber: 25-30 grams

Basically, I am just eating clean and avoiding processed foods and any beverages besides water and homemade protein shakes.

The workouts! I have my first one-on-one session with her on Tuesday! I better bring my A game! :) Jen emails me on a daily basis giving my workout and checking in to see how the previous day's workout and food intake went. Being in constant communication helps keep me accountable and so far I am doing GREAT!

Today is my rest day...wish I didn't have to be on my feet at work all day! Good thing I love my job and everyone I work with! Speaking of work, I better go prep my food for the day and get ready! If I don't post tomorrow I will definitely post Tuesday night after the workout! BRING IT ON JEN! ;)

Where have I been!?

Hey bloggers :) I have been a major slacker on here...but I am back now and going to try and keep you updated as much as possible! I am headed to hot yoga now, so this is just going to be a quick post. I will write a longer post later and give you the details of my new training plan and diet...LOVE LOVE LOVE my new trainer Jen. I know I will be successful working with her. Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Update!

Sorry for the delay in the update! It has been a crazy week/weekend. First of all, I am officially a college graduate from Western Washington University! So exciting! After taking time off school to battle depression and an eating disorder, graduating is a major accomplishment and I am extremely proud.

In addition to graduating, I got a new job. I LOVE IT. I am an educator at lululemon athletica! It is an amazing company and my coworkers are just about the greatest people in the world. I decided to work full time at lulu because I knew it would be a positive setting filled with supportive people who genuinely want me to succeed. My fellow educators and managers will be there with me every step of the way during my training to help me accomplish my goal of getting on stage! In fact, there are a few other girls training right now as well! :)

Ready for the other update...the one that majorly impacts my training!? I am switching trainers. I decided to go with a trainer that I feel will be more invested in me. I know she believes I can do it and will do everything she can to help me accomplish my goal. I have been struggling with training lately and couldn't get out of my funk. I was intimidated by my other trainer and simply didn't think that she truly thought I would succeed... so I had this "I might as well quit mentality." Not a very good feeling. Don't get me wrong, my previous trainer definitely has the knowledge and the experience to help other athletes reach their goals, but she is simply not the trainer for me. I am super excited to start training with Jen, my new trainer this week. She is putting together a plan for me and I plan on meeting with her in person one time per week for a butt kicking workout. She has faith in me and in turn, I have more faith in myself.

This is what my trainer posted on facebook right after I asked her if she would train me...

Jen is soooo super excited about the awesome fitness competitor that I just got today to train!!! We are going all the way for the win! I love training these peeps...pure athletes full of dedication, perseverance and hard work!

I haven't been eating well the past few days with all the graduation celebrations and crazy finals schedule...but its back on track tomorrow! Starting with morning cardio...I also have to have that dreaded conversation with my previous trainer telling her that I am no longer working with her. Wish me luck!

My affirmation for today "I am beautiful, strong, and will be successful at competing."

Major update!

Major update on training, life, and school coming later this afternoon/tomorrow morning! Be excited! :) So many positive changes! Bring it on world, I am on my way to the top.

Get back up.

"It does not matter how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get up." Vince Lombardi

Time to pick myself back up and get back to it again...geesh, if only this journey was easier!

Early weigh in!?

I really want to weigh-in tomorrow morning....so I think I am going too! I am scared to step on the scale and see that 3 digit number. Who knows if it has gone up, stayed the same, or gone down. My legs look leaner to me, but I have been extremely bloated in my stomach the last week or so since I have stopped hot yoga. I was supposed to get back into this week, but with my work schedule at my new jobs (which I absolutely LOVE) it is hard to fit it in!

I had an entire day of training for work today in Seattle (1.5 hours away). It was a great day, but very long. We left town at 8am and didn't get home until 7pm...luckily I had two of my new coworkers in the car with me to make the ride much more enjoyable! :) After I got home I knew I wasn't going to be productive with homework, so I ate a few nuts and sushi and headed to the gym to get in a back/bicep workout and 65 minutes of steady cardio (30 on the stairs, 30 on the bike, and finished with 5 on the tread).

Tomorrow I have another long day. I plan on doing my cardio in the morn before class and lift my legs tomorrow night after I get off work. The plan was to do intervals 3 days a week, but I haven't been able to get them done on any machine except the bike. My goal for tomorrow is to complete 20 minutes intervals on the treadmill with a 1:1 ratio and then do 40 minutes steady on another machine. Wish me luck! I will try and get a more detailed post in tomorrow!

P.S. I am doing pretty well on my no sugar! I have had a few dark chocolate almonds and that bbq rib the other day, but other than that I think I am doing wonderfully. Keeping up the no sugar through Saturday and going to hit up my trainer Yolanda for my new diet plan so I can start that on Sunday or Monday. :) Exciting things happening!

Feeling great!

Hey all, this is going to be a quick post...it is past my bed time and I want to get a good workout in before class tomorrow.

Here is what I ate today:

6:00am
3 catalysts
LEG DAY and 30 minutes on the bike...I wanted to do 60 minutes of cardio, but my tummy was rumbling!
8:00am
4 egg whites
1 yolk
2 c spinach
1 oz salami
1/8 onion
EVOO spray
1 bbq rib (yes, I know bbq sauce has sugar in it...but I saw it in the fridge and I couldn't resist....MEAT!)
vit B, vit D, Multi-Mineral

10am
1 oz nuts
Americano

12:00pm
turkey burger
1 oz steak
3 celery stalks
1/4 avocado

5:00pm
1 hard boiled egg
4 oz ground turkey
1/2 cucumber
2 tsp mustard

8:30pm
3 catalysts
60 minutes mixed cardio
10:00pm
5oz chicken
1 tsp mustard
passion tea

Tomorrow is intervals, shoulders, and hot yoga! :) I am stoked for my shoulder workout...Jamie Eason's shoulders are my inspiration right now...time to bring out the delts! It has been a while since I have done hot yoga, so I am excited to get back to it!!! Overall, I am feeling great and excited to get on the scale...can't wait to see some results!

Protein and veggies for days!

Ok, so apparently I am not good at making promises. I promised I would post yesterday, but am not posting until now! Sorry...I am sure you were all just dying to see what I was up to yesterday! :)

Here is the update on my workout split for June.
Monday:
Interval Cardio
Full Body Lift

Tuesday:
Legs
Hot Yoga
Long Slow Cardio

Wednesday:
Interval Cardio
Shoulders
Hot Yoga

Thursday:
Back and Biceps
Hot Yoga
Long Slow Cardio

Friday:
Interval Cardio
Legs

Saturday:
Hot Yoga
Chest and Triceps
Free Cardio

Sunday:
Rest or Hot Yoga :)

As for the diet...I think I can handle a week no sugar! Here was what I ate yesterday:

8:00am
6 oz turkey (couldn't finish it all)
1 c. cauliflower
vit B, vit D, zinc, multi-mineral




11:00am
8 oz americano
1 oz nuts
3 branch chain amino acids
1:00pm
3 egg whites
2 oz shrimp
1/4 tsp coconut oil
2 handfuls spinach
3 mini sweet peppers
iced passion tea
multi mineral, zinc, macca


4:45pm
5 oz chicken
3 celery stalks
4 mini sweet peppers



6:00pm
1 oz nuts
8:00pm
5 oz ahi
1/4 tsp coconut oil
10 asparagus spears

That's all for now...time to hit the gym! Have a great Monday everyone...hope you have the day off work and can find some time to relax.

I'm Back!

I am back and ready to rock and roll. This week was by no means easy, but I worked through some stuff and my motivation is back. I went out of my way and asked my trainer for help. Definitely scary to ask for help, but it is something I needed to do and still need to work on. It is amazing how many people are willing to help you accomplish your goals...all you need to do is ASK! I still haven't weighed myself, nor have I been strict with my diet, but I am ok with that. I am going to weigh myself again on Monday June 6 and then every Monday after that. Bekah and I will also be taking measurements and pictures on that day so we can start to see progress that is not related to a 3 digit number. I will get my body fat tested again the first week of July and hopefully will see a decrease in that area as well! :)
My friend Lelia suggested I look at the Art of Posing DVD by Tanji Johnson to get started on the basics...so I went and ordered the DVD. My trainer figured I would be fine to learn the poses closer to the competition, but I wanted to get started now. I think it will be good motivation to pop in my DVD whenever I am having a tough moment and practice posing. After all, practice makes perfect, right? I have already started practicing the front pose...boy, do I have a lot of work to do on my lats!!!
As for the diet, I have a few days left on the current diet Yolanda put me on...and then it is time to get stricter! Yikes! :) Bekah and I are challenging ourselves to a week of ABSOLUTELY NO SUGAR (including fruit) in hopes to shock our bodies a bit. Strictly protein and veggies! Should be a tough week...and warning, I might be a little bitchy! At least none of you will be around me to experience this! :)
I figured out my workout plan for June and will give you more details on that tomorrow. But I must say, I am FALLING IN LOVE with the stairmaster! I did 30 minutes on it both yesterday and today! (Don't worry though, I did another 60 minutes of cardio after for a total of 90 minutes) I am extremely proud because I have never done 30 minutes without stopping...GO ME! :) Time to go to Bekah's for a little fun and relaxation! I will post again tomorrow...PROMISE!

Workout fairy, where are you!?

So here is the deal. I have been HORRIBLE this weekend. Relapsed with the eating disorder and ate WAY too much of all the WRONG things. I had a decent workout today, but still ate too much. I plan on getting back on track tomorrow with my 3-a-day workouts and sticking to the diet plan Yo gave me. Bekah wanted to borrow my scale so she could keep a better track of her weight loss. When I have the scale around I weigh myself like 20 times a day...which is good and bad. Good when I am kicking ass at everything and bad when I am eating junk and laying on my ass. So now I don't have a scale at my place....hopefully I can survive without it! I am pretty sure those 5 pounds I lost came right back on this weekend! :( I know I just got started, but I am going to take a break from blogging for a week to just find the joy in working out again. Lots of changes have been going on in my life lately and I need to reflect on what makes me happy. I need to find my confidence again and remember to love myself. I am also planning on talking to my trainer and potentially taking a step back from her. I need to keep myself accountable in one way or another, but seeing her every morning at the gym is stressful to me. I have this horrible habit of thinking that other people are analyzing my body (even when they probably aren't). So if I am having a bad day and someone looks at me, I instantly assume they are judging me and focusing on all my problem areas. Which at this moment in time feels like every inch of my body! Every time I see her I feel like I am a failure because I am not up to par with the weight loss! Maybe the Ironman isn't the right show for me...only time will tell. For now I will just try and keep my head up....one foot in front of the other.

Hittin it hard...

Ok, so here is an update like I promised. So far this week I have been killing it in the gym. Triple workouts everyday! Gym in the am for some cardio or lifting, hot yoga in the evening, then straight to the gym again to do some more cardio or more lifting.


Monday:
60 minutes cardio: switched between running and the bike
90 minutes hot yoga
30-45 minute walk

Tuesday:
10 minutes bike
Quick leg workout
90 minutes hot yoga
45 minute walk
Finished the leg workout
Abs

Wednesday:
Shoulders
60 minutes cardio: 15 minutes stairclimber, 20 minutes treadmill, 25 minutes bike
90 minutes hot yoga
Abs
30 minutes bike

My diet has been pretty clean this week too. In fact, I haven't really been eating that much. My last big meal of the day is usually around 4:00pm. I try and eat after hot yoga and my night workouts, but I am not typically hungry. Tonight on the way home I picked up some fresh spring rolls from the grocery store with salmon and tuna in them. They also had carrots, cucumber, and avocado. Carrots are not on my list of "ok" foods, but I am hoping the small amount won't hold me back. Like I said earlier in the week, my goal is 3 pounds this week, but I am fearful that I won't lose anything. Extremely frustrating. Trying to keep my head up and focus on the changes I am seeing in my body. I am full of energy and love working out...just need to keep that in mind. The number on the scale is NOT everything. In fact, I am not supposed to weigh myself more than once a week to avoid the eating disorder thoughts...perhaps it is time to get rid of the scale at my house and just stick to Friday morning weigh-ins with Bekah. Then, regardless of the number on the scale I have Bekah by my side for support. :)

Tomorrow Bekah and I are going to a concert at the Emerald Casino...we won free tickets! :) Should be a great show! We are planning on getting a good workout in the morning and then going for a walk as well. To stay on track with eating we are going to stop by Trader Joe's and get ourselves some healthy foods! Protein and veggies baby! Cannot afford to get off track the night before our weigh-in...worked way to hard this week to let it go to waste now. :)

Have a good night everyone. Thanks for your support! And I would love any advice you experienced fitness gals can provide!

Wherer does the time go!?

This has been a crazy busy week. I started training for two new jobs, have been training like a mad woman, and am still attempting to get a little studying done. With everything going on I have been slacking on posting! I am hoping to get some time to give you a full update tonight on diet, workouts, and my mental state! Off to class...rush, rush, rush!

Early to bed...

Early to bed, early to rise, makes Kelsey healthy, happy, and wise! I have been craving carbs all weekend...and guess what!? I gave in. So, I am drinking a big glass of water, climbing in bed, and setting my alarm for 5 to get up and start my week off right with at least an hour of cardio! Hoping to lose 3 this week, but would settle for 2.

5 lbs down

Sorry for the delay in posting. Blogger was not allowing me to post for a few days and then yesterday I was simply lazy. :( But I'm back now.

I weighed in yesterday and told my trainer I was down 5 lbs. She told me to just keep doing what I am doing, which felt great. However, then I had one of the worst workout days of my life. It was beautiful out yesterday, so Bekah and I decided to go for a run. She is much faster than me and I struggle running outside because I do not want to slow anyone down. After I saw her get farther and farther ahead of me I got this mental block and just quit on myself. For some reason, my brain was saying "You may have lost 5 lbs, but that is not good enough. You need to be able to keep up and perform at the same level as everyone else." She ran to her house and I ran/walked. We grabbed her dog and then ran back to the gym where our cars were parked....well she ran, and I WALKED. By the time I reached the gym parking lot I was almost in tears. Breakdown time. Overtraining maybe? Lack of sleep? Change in the diet? Bekah is super supportive and helped me through my moment of weakness. After I went home and ate a little more I felt much better. I also ate lots more carbohydrates yesterday. Which maybe me super HAPPY at first, but now I am feeling a little sick....not sure if they are related. Let me tell you though, those rice cakes and apple hit the spot yesterday afternoon and somehow gave me a huge mood boost.

Last night after hot yoga, I came home and ate a Larabar and drank LOTS of fluids. I also ate TONS of popcorn. Although I feel it was not the best decision, it was also not the worst and I am not concerned about it. As long as it doesn't happen everyday I think I should be ok. Afterall, I did tell myself that I would allow Friday to be a little bit of a cheat.

I am headed to the gym in a bit to lift upper body and then spending the day relaxing with my Mom who is visiting. Hope you are all having a good start to your weekend. I will give you a little diet update tomorrow evening when I post again.

Making Progress

Wow, today has been a long day already and it is only 6:30pm! My day started around 5 am when I woke up (before my alarm...craziness). I got to the gym about 6am to start intervals with the hope of busting my intervals out quickly so I could go give my rumbling tummy some nourishment. Plans changed rather quickly when Bekah showed up and suggested doing biceps, triceps, calisthenics, and then finishing up with intervals. Two and half hours later we were finally leaving the gym! GREAT workout.

10 minutes treadmill (5 min warm-up and 5 minutes intervals)
15 minutes bike intervals

Tricep pull downs
Dumbell bicep curls
Single arm tricep extensions
Overhead tricep extensions
Reverse grip modified ring row using smith machine bar
Bicep bar curls

10-10-10s x 5 sets
squats-burpees-mountain climbers (10 each leg)

endurance shoulder raises standing on the bosu ball

plyo push-ups over the bosu ball

3 minutes continuous abs

(I think I need to start writing down my workouts sooner...because I know we did more in calisthenics, but I cannot think of them for the life of me...I just know I was TIRED.)

At this point in the workout our trainer walked by and looked at me, pointed, and said "you're looking smaller already!" Boy, did that feel good. Hard work, lots of sweat, and eating right pays off! This put enough fire under my butt to do 30 more minutes of intervals!!!

10 minute sprint intervals
20 minute bike intervals

Then we finished out with a nice stretch! Add 90 minutes of hot yoga this afternoon, and I would say I have met my workout quota for the day. :)

FOOD INTAKE
6:00am 2 catalysts

9:00am
6 oz ground turkey and onions mixed
2 strawberries
gluten free english muffin
Vit B
Vit D
2 Multimineral

12:00pm
6 oz salmon
green beans

2:15pm
3 oz chicken sausage
cauliflower

6:00pm
protein smoothie
2 calorie crystal light
hemp protein
fish oil
1/2 cup raspberries
splash of almond milk

8:30 (if I am hungry...which I most likely will be!)
4-6oz ground turkey and onion mixed
kale
Magnesium

Now that I filled you in on my day, I am going to go relax. Two more days until I have my trainer standing over me as I step on the scale! Hoping to have lost at least 7 lbs! :) Need my R & R so I can keep hitting it hard at the gym! Have a great night everyone.

Healthy Girl Time

Hey everyone,

I am going to make this quick because it is way past my bedtime and I need some shut eye to prepare for tomorrow's long day.

Today's Workout:
Leg Day! (LOVE IT)-not in this exact order, I was trying to remember everything we did off the top of my head and think I might have even forgotten a few!

• back squats
• sumo squats
• lateral lunges
• lunges
• front squats
• lateral steps over a bench (keeping one foot on the bench and transferring your other foot laterally across)
• calf raises
• leg extension
• leg flexion
  
• abduction
  
• adduction

Then 10 minutes of intervals on the bike and a walk....should have done more intervals, but my legs were pretty fatigued already.

Hot Yoga this evening with 2 of my friends, who also joined me for dinner this evening. We had a great time together, got a great workout in, and ate wonderful and healthy food....which brings me to my diet for the day.

5:30am
3 oz chicken sausage
2 catalysts

8:30am
5 oz chicken breast
2 calorie crystal light drink
Vit B
Vit D
Multimineral

12:00pm
4 oz turkey and onions
4 oz yam
1 c romaine letuce

3:00pm
apple
3 oz chicken sausage
multivitamin
multimineral

6:00pm
2 catalysts

9:15pm
~5 oz salmon
cauliflower
green beans
3 strawberries
2 calorie drink

11:15pm
Magnesium


Ok, bed time! I will put more time into my blog tomorrow! :)

Hot Yoga

Just got back from hot yoga and I feel AMAZING! My goal is to do it everyday this week to give myself a little kick start :) I was planning on switching to just regular yoga after I finished up my remaining 8 hot yoga sessions, but my friend purchased a 2 month unlimited package for herself today and requested I continue going...guess I will have to sweat it out a few more months! :) In addition to hot yoga, I got my booty out of bed at 6am and was at the gym by 6:30 to do intervals and plyometric training. 10 minutes on the stairs, 10 minutes on the treadmill, plyometrics, and then finished up with 15 minutes on the bike. My trainer wants me to bump up the intervals...between 45 and 60 minutes! Shoot, I am EXHAUSTED after 10 minutes! I think I can do it if I break it up a little more. Perhaps 30-40 in the morning and another 20 at the end of my lifting sessions? What do you think? Will that give me the same results?

Ok, so I told you I would start tracking my food on here again. This time I am going to try and continue it for more than a day :) I am going to include my supplements too so you can see what I am taking and offer any advice as to timing and such! I know you fitness gals out there are much more experience than I am!

6:15am
2 Catalyst (amino acids)

8:15 am
3 egg whites
2 egg yolks
asparagus
2 multiminerals
Vit B
Vit D


11:00am (I was STARVING at this point)
5 oz cod
1/2 c brown rice
asparagus

2:00pm
protein shake
1 c. almond milk
1 serving hemp protein
1 tbsp agave
fish oil (orange swirl flavor from Barlean's)

3:45pm (really hungry again and wanted to make sure I ate several hours before hot yoga)
2 chicken apple sausage (6oz total)
1 gluten free english muffin
romaine lettuce
2 multimineral supps
1 multivitamin

6:00pm
2 catalysts

8:30pm
protein shake
2 calorie flavored sparkling water
1 serving hemp protein
SF coconut flavoring
3 strawberries
1 Magnesium

How did I do? I need to ask my trainer about a few things...berries, cod, gluten free bread, peppers, and sf flavoring. These items are not exactly on my "ok to eat" list...but I figure the list is not all inclusive. There are lots of other veggies and fruits that will probably work for my carbohydrate options, I just do better with a YES and NO list. So I will ask her and report back! That is all for now, time to go relax and rest my body for tomorrow's interval, leg day, and hot yoga session!

Out on the town!

Good morning everyone! Happy Sunday and Mother's Day for all of you who are Moms! :) I am having a great weekend so far. I have been fairly productive with homework, followed my diet (mostly, I will get to this in a second), and had a great upper body workout yesterday.

Workout:
Incline Bench
Cable fly
Reverse dumbbell fly
Seated row
Single arm dumbbell row
Tricep pull downs
Overhead tricep extensions
Bicep bar curls
Modified bicep drop set (more of a pyramid style...start with a moderate rate do 5 reps, then move up in weight, do 5 reps...continue until you reach max and then repeat the process and decrease the weight again)
Dips
Abs (My abs have not been sore in forever and they finally are! Definitely going to keep hitting it hard in this department!)

Diet:
I need to start recording my food again. That way you all can keep me accountable! :) So make sure to ask what I am eating! However, even though I haven't been recording I have been doing great. Protein at every meal and trying to eat as many veggies as possible! Last night I was in a snacking mood and probably ate 5 rice cakes...but I figure, it could have been WAY worse. And now there are no more rice cakes in my house, so that won't happen again...at least not with rice cakes. :) I also went out on the town last night for my friend's birthday. I drank WAY more water than I did alcohol, but I did order 2 vodka sodas. I only drank my first one and barely sipped on my second. I know I will need to completely cut alcohol out towards the end, so for now I will enjoy a drink out with friends from time to time. Any other drink suggestions that are good for our goals? (Well nothing can really be GOOD for our goals, but not extremely damaging to the diet)

Here is a picture of my dinner, I am so proud of this!
Seared ahi tuna salad...I got the recipe from Fitness Magazine, but I left out the pomegranate seeds (couldn't find them), replaced pine nuts with sesame seeds, and used coconut oil instead of canola oil. Yum!




















Today is my rest day. Which is good, because I have LOTS of studying to do. However, I will probably take a walk to get out, stretch my legs, and get some fresh air. I plan on hitting it hard in the gym this week and doing hot yoga 4 times this week. I am already excited to weigh-in next Friday and I know that after another week of tough workouts and clean eating I will be HAPPY with my results! And hopefully my trainer will be too! This is the first weigh-in where she will be standing right beside me as the number pops up...yikes! Well, you know what they say, "Hard work, pays off!" Time to get after it this week.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. My goal is to try and post my food on here everyday as well! That way I can receive feedback from my fellow fitness blogger gals about what changes I can make! :)

The diet for 4 weeks!

I just received my diet from my trainer. Here is the plan for the next 4 weeks.

6 meals a day
Protein: 4-6 oz of protein at each meal
Carbs: Limit high starch foods because they are high glycemic and convert quickly to sugar
Fats: top 3 choices include olive oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil

Here is a picture of the diet plan food choices:


















Sorry for the quality, I am not sure how to upload it so it isn't blurry! Any suggestions?

The diet plan is based on a set of questions I filled out about my typical eating habits, my energy levels, my moods, and bowel movements. After evaluating this information, my trainer placed me in the Fast Oxidizer category...which means LOTS of protein! Bring on the meat! :) I am extremely excited to get started with this diet and see more results! I will start being strict tomorrow with my food options, but tonight I am going to use up some of the food I have left. I am thinking some protein and a little squash for a post workout snack. For dinner I was thinking some brown rice, veggies, and lean beef, similar to a stir fry :) Sounds yummy to me! Ok off to the gym, today is supposed to be calisthenics, but Bekah and I might lift heavy instead...we are craving some major time with the weights today! Have a great start to your weekend and thanks for all the support.

Changes...

Sorry it has been so long since my last blog, I have had lots of changes in my life recently and couldn't find the time to post on here. But not to worry, I found the time to hit the gym hard and eat healthy! Today for breakfast I had 2 eggs over mixed veggies and 1/2 apple! SO delicious. I am even starting to crave healthy/fresh foods!It will be much easier to stay on track if I am craving jicama and not cookies! :) I am super exhausted at the moment and am actually skipping class today so I can get a little more rest. So, for now it is nap time! I will be sure to post more later :)

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!

This is harder than I thought...I don't know if it is just the self sabotage that I am doing or something else. Whatever it is it stops now! I reached out, asked for help, and got what I was looking for. Two fellow fitness gals (Laura and Lelia) both sent me supportive messages telling me to stick with it! Knowing that I have been struggling with this, my friend Bekah suggested I write out a pro and con list to see if participating was the right thing for me at this time in my life. So here it is:

PROS OF COMPETING

• Reach my fitness goals
• Conquer my fear of getting on stage
  
• Lose weight
  
• Gain muscle and strength
  
• Resume builder for a career in the fitness industry
  
• Build stronger relationships
  
• Be part of a team
• Boost my self-confidence
• Look better in my clothing
• Feel better on a day to day basis
• Inspire others
  
• Look DAMN good in a bikini (which, lets be honest ladies...that is SUPER important when the sun actually shines in the PacNW)
  

CONS OF COMPETING

• Fear of failure
  
• Issues with my eating disorder may surface again
• Fear people may tell me I am not good enough, lean enough, strong enough...etc. (More self-esteem issues)
• Not reach my full potential in the 5 month period and be told that I am not ready to get on stage

So do the pros outweigh the cons? Or do the cons outweigh the pros? Taking the easy way out would be to quit now, because that I couldn't possibly fail, but if I do that am I really going to succeed at all in life? I might as well shy away now and hide in a corner! Instead, I am going to accept the challenge. Yes, it will be hard. Yes, I have already made mistakes. Yes, I will make more mistakes and slip-ups. Does that make me a bad person? No! Does that mean I will never accomplish my goals? No! Lesson to be learned here...do not let fear dictate what you strive to accomplish in your life. For the last few days I have been letting fear take over and that horrible little voice in the back of my head dictate my life (I like to call him "The little green man"...aka my eating disorder thoughts). That nasty little voice has been telling me to avoid the gym, sleep longer, and reach for junk food because after all "You never are going to accomplish your goals and will never be a fitness competitor."

This is what I have to say to that voice, "This is my life. I am strong, determined, beautiful, and most important I have friends and family that love and support me. So **** (you can fill in the profanity here...keeping it PG rated) OFF little green man. I am doing this competition and I WILL SUCCEED!"

And now it finally makes sense what the title of my blog should be. Before I borrowed the title from a clothing company, but after coming to the realization of what is truly holding me back, I have settled on "Future Competitor: From Binging to Bikini"

I will get more into the eating disorder as I continue to blog, but for right now...just know that I am in the recovery process. I was diagnosed with an eating disorder last year with an emphasis on binging. I have been MUCH better lately and with the help of an Eating Disorder Specialist, I have found a good balance in my life. So now, I am challenging myself and that little green man in my head as I work toward my fitness goals.

143 days left
20 weeks
2-3 lbs per week
lose 10 % body fat (my personal goal...I am sure my trainer would like lots more!)

Sunny Sunday

A beautiful day in the Pacific NW? No way! But it was sunny enough for me to get a little pink! I spent the day with my family and watched my brother's bicycle race in Elma. Talk about low body fat...those guys are THIN, but they have tons of muscle to power them up those hills. Maybe one day I can get my body fat down to those percentages!

Ok so as for eating...I did much better, but I definitely was not perfect. It is hard unless you pack food for yourself. My parents do not understand the concept of eating every few hours and eating

4 Week Slim Down

The diet is the most important part. Of course, that is the part that I struggle with. Notice how I didn't post my food intake today? That is because I was horrible. A handful of popcorn here, some chocolate there... you get the point. If I want to be successful at this I need to clean up my diet...AND QUICK. 5 months is NOT that long...and I am definitely not stepping on stage looking like this. In fact, my trainer will not let me get on stage unless I am ready. Although that is a scary thought to have some one tell you that you are not good enough, I think it is the pressure I need. I want to prove to myself, my trainer, and others that I can challenge my body and transform into a figure competitor. Tomorrow is May 1 and I plan on being close to perfect this month in both the diet and the workout.

So here is the workout.

Monday
AM Interval Training
PM Plyometric Training/Calisthenics

Tuesday
AM Interval Training
PM Leg Day

Wednesday
AM Morning Interval
PM Calisthenics
Hot Yoga

Thursday
AM Interval Training
PM Full Body Training

Friday
AM Interval Training
PM Calisthenics/Misc. Lift (lift any body parts I need to hit harder)

Saturday
AM Hot Yoga
Upper Body

Sunday
AM Active Rest

I will break down my workouts farther during this week and detail my exercises and sets. Feel free to give me advice if you have any suggestions for me. :)

As for the diet...I am going to stick to the gluten, dairy, and soy free plan I am currently on until I speak with my trainer again. I plan on eating as clean as possible and limiting added fats. However, I will allow myself one cheat on Friday afternoons/evenings. Ok...4 weeks and we will see what progress I have made. Here I go! :)

Trail Mix and Tacos

Ok so today has not been the best eating day....

Meal 1:
3 egg whites
2 yolks
spinach
yam

Meal 2:
chicken apple sausage
carrots
2 oz trail mix

Meal 3:
apple

Meal 4:
LOTS of trail mix! I was in the snacking mood! :(

Meal 5: (I haven't consumed it yet but this is the plan)
TACOS!
ground beef
mixed veggies
homemade guac :)

On a more positive note, I kicked butt at intervals this morning! 40 minutes! Boy, did I SWEAT! Also, my training partner and I developed our plan for the next 4 weeks. I just need to do a little organizing and then I will post it up this weekend so you can see what we have planned! Time to go enjoy tacos with friends! Have a good weekend :)

Food :)

I am a bit tired tonight, so all I am going to post is my food intake. Promise I will get more up this weekend.

2 Catalysts Supplements before the gym

Meal 1: 9:00 am
2 slices turkey bacon
2 cups spinach
yam

Meal 2: 12:30 pm
4 oz chicken with ginger
yam
asparagus

Meal 3: 3:00pm
1 serving hemp protein
1 cup almond milk
1 Tbsp agave
1 pump SF coconut

Snack: 4:45pm
apple

Meal 4: 7:45 pm
4 oz chicken with ginger
green beans
steamed and mashed cauliflower with some spices and a little almond milk (mashed potato consistency...YUMMY)

Waking up to hit the gym early! Time for some shut eye...need my energy for those intervals!

Keeping me accountable...

So yesterday I wrote that I would make sure to post my food intake today...and sure enough, the first words out of my friend Jackie's (and hopefully soon to be training buddy/teammate also) mouth were "Ok, so what did you eat today?" Talk about holding me accountable! Thanks Jackie!

So here it is:

2 Catalysts (amino acids) before the gym

Meal 1: 8:00am
2 egg whites & 1 yolk
1 piece turkey bacon
2 cups spinach
3 strawberries
FRS energy drink + greens supplement
Vit B
Vit D
Mixed Mineral

Meal 2: 12:00pm
3 oz grass fed beef
asparagus
carrots

Meal 3: 3:00 pm
4 oz ground turkey
Mixed Veggies Sauteed in A LITTLE coconut oil

• mushrooms, onions, peppers, spinach

Mixed Mineral

Meal 4: 7:00 pm
1 serving hemp protein
1 cup almond milk
1 Tbsp agave
1.5 pumps SF vanilla

Meal 5: 9:00pm
1 chicken apple sausage
carrots

Meal 6: 11:30pm
Decaff chocolate hazelnut tea with earth supplement

My trainer doesn't have me on a strict diet yet, just eliminating gluten, dairy, and soy... definitely manageable, but since I am NEW to the competition process, I am eager to learn more about the diet component and how it can help me achieve my goals.

In addition to the diet, I want to learn more about posing. I had a great conversation with my friend Lelia today about "The Art of Posing." She was telling me about this video and how it is extremely helpful...however, I already forgot the name of the trainer... Lelia, help a girl out and remind me please? :)

Time for bed! I have a friends puppy as a house guest for a few days and he is asleep in my lap...I should probably hit the sheets myself. Need to be rested for those intervals tomorrow!

Game Plan

Still need to plan out my official workout schedule with my training partner, the Beautiful Bekah, but here is what I have running through my mind right now.

Cardio:

• M-F Morning Cardio: 30-45 minutes of HIIT (working my way up to 60 minutes)
  
• T & R will be double cardio days with HIIT in the mornings and Hot Yoga at night
• Saturday and Sunday: Variety of outdoor cardio (stairs, walks, hikes, runs

Weights:

• My lifting days will be MTWFS
• I haven't decided on my split just yet, but this is what I am thinking

1. M: Legs
   
2. T: Back, Biceps, Shoulders
   
3. W: Chest and Triceps
4. F: Legs
5. S: Upper Body

Anyway...this is just a start. Gotta tackle the diet a little harder and focus on the body fat %. I will start tracking my diet intake on here tomorrow...I know you probably don't want to know every little bite of food that goes into my mouth, but it keeps me accountable! So tough...just skip that part if you don't want to read it. :)

Initial Stats

The BodPod is quite the experience. Not that I am happy with my results, but I am ready to kick it into gear now that I know my initial stats. I ended up getting tested twice because the first test was not getting accurate results.

Test 1:
Weight 184.8
Fat Weight 64.6
Lean Weight 120.1
Body Fat 35.0%

Test 2:
Weight 184.7
Fat Weight 56.9
Lean Weight 127.8
Body Fat 30.8 %

I definitely like the results of the second test better, but have LOTS of work to do regardless. After my protein shake and apple digest I will head to the gym and do some interval work. Time to step up my game with the cardio. :) Thanks for all the support ladies (you know who you are)... I will need you along the way!

152 days...Day 1

Tomorrow is when the training officially is starting for me. Waking up and meeting with my training partner/teammate and trainer to get my body fat % and starting weight. Can't say I am really excited for people to know these stats, but it can only get better from here. Of course, it would have been nice to get this done before I ate copious amounts of jelly beans and goodies from the Easter Bunny! :)

"Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose.”

I should also say that "Shut up and Sweat" is a phrase I adopted from the clothing line available at noexcuseswear.com. Whenever I need an attitude adjustment I just remember to "keep telling those negative influences to SHUT UP AND SWEAT."