1 Week Down, 2.5 To Go! :)
I have one cleeeeeeeeean week of eating behind me, complete with a solid week of brutal circuit training/lengthy cardio sessions! I am definitely on my way to leaning out, although I will not be taking any form of measurement until June 19th. To help encourage a friend who is very new to clean eating, I challenged her to a little competition to see who could lose the biggest percentage of inches off the waistline. Even though my workouts are pretty brutal and my diet couldn’t be cleaner, I am anticipating losing this round, and I think I’m okay with that. But I’m still giving her a run for her money. 
The loser has to send the winner a care package filled with goodies (she’s in Alberta), so we’ll see how that goes!
Thanks to those of you who resisted the urge to give me advice on how to deal with Mr. Umbrella. 
LOL!! I know how hard it can be to listen to someone vent without trying to ‘help’ them. I am fighting this very urge with my new gym buddy I met a few weeks ago. Since meeting her, we have been to lunch several times, and spending a decent chunk of time together. We really clicked and I think we’re going to be good friends. Here’s us at a country club luncheon last week.
She is a special person. I am drawn to her sweetness, her utter transparency, and her ability to talk frankly about subjects that most people don’t discuss with near strangers! She is … like… my opposite twin. With almost everybody, I (think I) am a bit distant, hesitent to share my true thoughts, and extremely reluctant to share matters of the heart. I am quite certain that I met her because I need to learn from her. And I think there are some things that she is currently struggling with where I may be able to help. She is a busy little butterfly when it comes to her social life, and in her own words, she is a pushover. A doormat. After listening to some stories about how some men have treated her, I couldn’t stay quiet anymore. Like many of the uninvited problem solvers in my life, I burst in with my well-intentioned advice and told her what to do. LMAO!
(I am just venting right now). She tolerates men treating her poorly. I just cannot bear to even listen to these stories, and know that the behavior is likely to continue. It kills me to hear them. I know that there are lessons we need to learn the hard way, and that no matter how adamantly someone tells you to do something, I know experience might be the only way to learn. I just … have never been in this situation before, to tell you the truth. I have never had the honor of having a friend who is able to be THIS honest with me EVER. I have so much to learn from her. And I hope that I can show her that she definitely deserves a guy who can treat her the way she should be treated.
Isn’t life a blessing? I am so thankful to have met her. I can tell great things are going to come from this friendship. 
I took my first ‘booty’ shot yesterday, and posted it for a few minutes in my progress pictures, but took it down because I was too self-concious of it. But, I am too DAMN PROUD of this shot, so I am going to post it here! From a formerly booty-less gal, I looked at myself in the mirror, and realized that all of my squatting, leg pressing, lunges and hamstring curls earned me a booty. Damn right I’m proud! 
June 3, 2008 at 11:56 am
You go girl. Nice booty! **whistling**
June 3, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Now you got it… flaunt it! You earned it!
June 3, 2008 at 2:02 pm
woo hoo you should be proud! You’re looking great!
June 3, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Great booty shot!
That’s so great you found a good friend. They are hard to come by:)
June 3, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Nothing better than a nice round, firm booty! Great job back there! LOL!
Ah yes, the plaque of unwanted advice. I can’t resist providing it either. That problem/solution compulsion trait runs deep through the Markus gene pool. Awhile back I took to posting a lot of my "valuable advice" to friends and family in a deeply hidden computer file titled "letters not sent." That way I don’t have to feel like I’m going to explode because I get this stuff out and off my chest. But it’s tucked away safely where it can’t hurt or offend anyone. I should have done this years ago. But with age and a slower metabolism comes wisdom, I guess.
June 3, 2008 at 5:11 pm
You were self conscious of that picture??? You look fantastic!
June 3, 2008 at 6:38 pm
AN what a booty it is : ) LOL looking good Janet and yes i am climbing back on the clean eating wagon. I glad you found a new friend thast you can relate to. You deserve it
June 4, 2008 at 4:55 am
Nice butt!! (…said in the least pervy way possible! LOL!)
Way to go on the clean eating! …so the care package will include only non-edibles, right? (Or is this the way the loser gets back at the winner - making them eat bad food! LOL!)
June 4, 2008 at 7:31 am
You earned you a booty!! LOL!! that is too funny!! It’s great to see what your hard work has paid off to, isn’t it??!! WAY TO GO! As for your friend, you are right, you two met for a reason. Be patient. Bad stuff doesn’t go away overnight. And remember to take as well as give
But you already know that.
June 4, 2008 at 8:30 am
Girls with big white circles for faces are a-okay in my book!
June 4, 2008 at 9:38 am
Awsome pic / body…. you should be proud!! Hell I’am proud for ya!…lol Okay Janet you used the word transparency when speaking of your new friend….. um hun… I’m just stating a fact here from what I see. I’m not sure if it’s transparency or white-out but the girl is missing a face….lol Just joking…. thats awsome you have found a friend you can relate with! Keep on Keepin!
Oh and a Bulldog is ….. when I preform the fine art of Male Malipulation….. transforming my Male member into the shape of a Finally ecthed Buldog (disclaimer: do not try this at home…. only trianed professionals can master a true Bulldog….lol) So when I say Bulldog @ ya…. you decided if you move or collide…lol Bulldog @ ya! Whatcha gonna do?…lol
Real Men Have Mass!
June 4, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Holy Hotness - you look awesome in that pic!!! Very bootylicious, my friend - and your legs look great!!
Great to hear that you clicked with a chick there
As someone who tends to go for jerks, too, I know it’s probably hard to not give advice since you want the best for the person, but hopefully she’ll figure it out and find someone that will treat her right. You’re a great friend for just listening. 
June 4, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Isn’t it great! i was the president of the flat booty club! okay! let me tell you, squats, lunges, steps, all of it works, it just takes time and patience! i have people compliment me on my ass now and i completely love it, because i had NO BUTT! YOU LOOK GREAT!
KEEP SQUATING!!
June 4, 2008 at 5:54 pm
great booty pic! your looking great.
Congrads on the new friend. your such a great person that you deserve many great friends.
June 5, 2008 at 10:14 am
You look great! And you are SO cute about being self conscious and pulling down the pic!
June 5, 2008 at 4:46 pm
CONGRATS!! That’s a SUPER cute pic, be proud girl!
June 12, 2008 at 11:51 am
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww dangit. I just licked my monitor, and now it is all gross. Thanks a lot! Sheesh