Liza Laura’s BodyBlog

Thankfully the weight is just falling off now that I am eating clean.  I actually sent in for my NPC card and emailed bev’s gym for an application for Team U since things are going so well (baby steps! …

I always know that I am in serious diet mode though when a few funny things start happening -

1) I start to dream about food - especially in those last early morning dreams right before you wake up.  My hubbie says he actualy saw me chewing this morning in my sleep.  I was very upset when he woke me because I was dreaming about eating Spaghetti bolognese - meatballs with lots of parmesean cheese and meat sauce - and boy was it good!!  (What can I say I am Italian)!  I also dream about cookies a lot.   I am still allowing myself natty peanut butter in small amounts so I haven’t had any dreams about that -YET. 

2) I have trouble sleeping.  Not so much falling asleep but staying asleep -with the weird dreams, growling stomach and night sweats I feel bad for my hubbie.  I am quite the thrasher and I think I freeze him to death with the AC in our bedroom because I  can’t stand being hot at night!  I know this is from the lack of carbs and therefore low seratonin levels but it still sucks!  Probably one of my favorite things after eating is sleeping! 

3)  My plumbing starts to get backed up.  I know, not a pretty picture but my body definitely has its ways of getting back at me for forcing it to shed its fat.  I swear it really likes to be at a certain weight (around 165 - hey I am a big girl) and really starts to fight back when I mess with its status quo.  The first contest I did I actually developed exercise induced asthma and ocular migranes.  Man the things my body will do to try and keep the FLUFF! LOL

In any case so far so good I continue to drop the weight at a pace that has kept me motivated, everyone is starting to notice at the gym and my skinny clothes are starting to fit again.  Happy happy joy!   Keep training strong and BELIEVE me it is so much of a mental game so stay positive.  I like to actually visualize my butt getting smaller and tighter as I slave away at the cardio but that is a whole nother blog!

First of all I have nothing against yoga.  I think many of the moves are actually strength moves and if there was a way to progress - i.e. add weight as you gained strength I think it could be really good.  BUT it is not going to get my physique in the shape I want it to be.  Simple as that.  So when I moved back out to the East End of Long Island aka "The Hamptons"  I was panicked.  Central PA where I grew up is a mecca for bodybuilding (esp guys and more recently figure girls).  I really enjoyed having the commaraderie of people who were training with the same goals.  But out here everyone is afraid of lifting heavy (esp the women) so they do yoga and pilates and look like skeletons.   So after three months of looking I found what I think is the ONLY BODYBUILDER trainer on the east end of Long Island - CHRIS COSICH!!  And when I say bodybuilder I mean the real deal - placed 2nd in the most recent Eastern USAs.  He has been instrumental in helping me maintain lots of muscle even while I got fluffy!  And now he is going to help me get lean for the Team Universe (already lost 11lbs) and just maybe I will give womens bodybuilding a try at the Eastern USAs!!  I can’t help but want to give the routine a try!  I figure I can get "soft" lean for Team U and then spend the two months after that just getting shredded!   In any case I wanted to give a big THANK YOU to Chris who has stuck with me even when my eating was crappy.  Not only is he a great motivator but he encourages everyone to do old school bodybuilding moves like deadlifts and squats AND encourages people to grunt and sweat and make some noise!!  Of course it horrifies many of the more "delicate" members of the club but I am so proud to be one of the noisy ones and to have a trainer who encourages it!  THANKS CHRIS!!

Ok so I have long lurked and admired all you folks who keeep us all motivated and amused by your blogs, esp msfitness and dvness so I thought I’d give it a shot and maybe help motivate others in the process. 

I am a 44 year old gal who came to the figure party late but haven’t let that stop me!  I was always sorta athletic but never really into any particular sport - always kind of a loner I guess.  But the love of banging around weights has been the one constant.  I have always put on muscle very easily for a female and have the classic southern Italian tiny waist and big butt.  I have also always been the yo-yoer.  I can gain and lose weight fairly easily but always required some sort of motivation.  When my Mom died in December of 2003 I proceeded to drown my sorrows in food and inactivity.  Needless to say I became the heaviest I’d ever been (check out my before pic in my profile!)

So after seeing that dreaded pic and coming down with a severe case of gout I decided something needed to be done.  My mom wouldn’t be happy to see how I’d let myself go!  So I started training hard with the goal of getting into a bikini for a upcoming vacation.  I hired a trainer and he helped me shed about 25lbs.  Here is one of the keys for me and maybe you too - START OUT WITH SMALL ACHIEVABLE GOALS - mentally if I don’t see progress or get frustrated I am liable to give up so I need small quick goals to keep me motivated.

Anyhoo fast forward and achieving that goal led to me trying my hand at figure - small regional show, 1st place tall class and overall masters and I was hooked!  Two more national qualifiers, 3rd place and 4th place (not bad for an old gal)  and now I need to pic a national show.  I feel some pressure to do it soon (I sure ain’t getting any younger and it is hard competing against girls that could be my daughters) and yet I really don’t have time with my job, or funds with my recent move to travel much so that leaves the Team Universe in 12 weeks.  CAN I DO IT??  I had planned on doing the Arnold Amateur - got accepted and everything but couldn’t get my sh*t together - millions of excuses that I won’t bore you with!  (OK, One was the lack of a trainer but I finally found the one bodybulider on the east end of long island so I don’t have that one anymore - more on this in a seperate blog - I now live in the land of yoga and pilates and miss my friends of iron!!)

I have until the beginning of August to submit my application so I am going to give it my all and try and do this.  I am in good shape as far as muscles go but need to lose about 15lbs to be competitive.   I will post some progress pics soon and hope to see a bunch of you at the show - I hope to eat some pancakes aferwards with Vanessa!!  So for all you who think you’re too old - sorry you need to come up with a better excuse!