Sparklinpunk379’s BodyBlog

The day before I left for my last vacation I almost felt like I was about to have a nervous breakdown.  With a variety of clothes, bathing suits and makeup thrown all over my room, it was hard enough packing as it is without even thinking about what I was going to eat.  I realized that this vacation was going to be the hardest one that I have ever had to take, simply because planning to stay clean and exercise while I was away is not the easiest task when it comes to this whole figure training stuff!  I called my trainer to ask her how possible it was to actually carry a cooler full of chicken breasts to the airport… I decided against it and opted for a lovely assortment of flavored tuna packets!  Who knew that tuna could be found in sweet and sour, hickory smoke, and herb and garlic!  Actually taking these to restaurants with me later to top of my salads was another story all together.  Its funny to see people’s reactions to someone who actually wants to live optimally and in a way that makes them feel great.  One waitress was so put off she didnt know what to say when she came back and saw me ripping apart my tuna pouch!  Everywhere I went, I was asked "so what are you going to eat here?" and "why do you tell everyone that you are alelrgic to dairy?"  When ordering my lean protein, I always insist that I am allergic to dairy so that they will cook my food completely plain, rather than basting it in a buttery blend that is going to clog my arteries and add useless calories to my meals.  One waiter came back about three times after that request to tell me that he personally told the chef how to prepare my food…I didnt think it was that big of a deal!  I guess the point is, I realized that a lot of people are starting to think that I am weird or unusual for making such requests when it comes to my food.  Even though I could be embarassed I suppose, its extremely empowering to be such an example for other people at the same time.  Vacations are supposed to be a time when you take and break and relax from your every day routine.  Working out and eating clean has become a way of life for me.  The confidence that I have gained through this process continues to amaze me every day.  With every 530AM workout, protein shake at the airport, rice cake carried in my purse, and every batch of cookies that I make for someone without having any…figure training has become an essential part of me.  Someone told me that you have to be a little crazy to be a figure trainer and I guess they are right!

Working out is the golden opportunity to focus energy your on your body and you-nothing else!  its a good time to be selfish!  Call it working out, maybe even working through the tough times, but whatever you call it is pure indulgence to me!  Right now i am depending on training to keep me emotionally sane because at this time in my life i seem to have more demands on my time than ever before.  The answer for me is always get to the gym, girl!…and that is exactly where i go.  I know what emotional and mental pain can do to ones health; how it can leave you without passion, motivation, or confidence.  This is when i find working out to be most usefull because it reminds me that i can contribute in a constructive way to my own well-being and that i have power over my choices and the outcomes, particularly in the gym.  Breakups or failures tear away chunks of our happiness.  Failure reads like a bad script with a plot suggesting we could somehow not deliver what it took to make things work.  It has taken a lot of leanring and experience to know that life is simply like that.  There are certain things in life that simply cannot be fixed.  This does not mean to give up.  I try to take failure as a jumping off point, instead of a fall.  The gem in it is that you discover a wonderful opportunity to take a look inside yourself, wake up that little voice and build a strong, confident new you.  The gym can aid in rebuilding the new you because when you see yourself in the mirror lifting those weights, or when you have sweat dripping down your face and it is beet red from exhaustion, there is nothing more empowering.  That image is literally a symbol of the strong person you are trying to build- trust me, you will belive it.  Seeing defined curves, lean muscle, and once baggy skin replaced by firmness can make you proud to be who you are, retuning some self-respect and love to your once neglected body.  You will see all of your hard work and effort caused by time not thinking about negative parts of life.  It is a blatant display of your dedication, motivation, and passion to pick up all the messy bits in life and make something beautiful out of it.  Things are only beautiful if you love them. 

So this is the start of week number four…I have really been devoted to goin to the gym, and I actually started liking going!  If i dont go, i feel like poop for the rest of the day.  I am finally starting to see some good definition in my arms and legs.  I started taking measurements and lost inches in a few places.  I am so excited that I lost an inch and a half in my thighs…thats pretty cool.  So training is going well and it makes me so excited!  The diet is going well too…i decided to up my calories because I think i was taking in too few (1200 up to at least 1400-1600 a day) and I do not want to slow down my metabolism.  Things are going well and I am thrilled…going on vacation next and I am destined to stay clean for the weekend in Disney!

Ok, so now Im startin to get a lil frustrated, since I have been very diligent all week long and have gained weight!  I have been eatin everythin that the slim down diet suggets, which is actually lower in calories than my normal plan.  I have also been goin 2 the gym every day to lift!…i am so sore lately its crazy!  My legs r burnin n I did squats three days ago.  Its a nice feelin to know that the exercises that im doin r workin.  However, i really do hope that i start to lose weight and see muscle.  tho im a lil frustrated about gainin, i do feel a lot better about my workouts!

So last night I ate wayyy too much food since I knew I was going to start the eight week slim down today.  Now, I feel extremely disgusting and fat…totally not a good feeling!  I can’t wait to head up to the gym later after work and start lifting weights.  I have never really been serious about lifting weights before, so this should be interesting.  With this site I hope to remain motivated and start seeing some results.

As for the pictures, I cant seem to find my digital camera, and that makes me very sad

Hey guys!  I am totally excited because tomorrow I am going to start the eight week summer slim down diet/work out plan that was listed on the site.  It seems pretty flexible and I can’t wait to start it out!  The plan alternates between high and low carb day, and even allows you with a cheat day every week (including dessert)!  Sounds good to me!  Well, I’ll be staying with my boyfriend next week, so I’m sure he will be laughing at me when I bring over containers of cottage cheese, yogurt, and steaks.  As long as I cook up some of those steaks for him, I’m sure he won’t mind. 

     Well I haven’t placed any pictures up on the site yet to track my progress, but I think that I will be doing that later today or tomorrow.  Maybe that will give me the motivation that I need to get going!  Last night I went to the gym and realized that I didn’t want to be there any more…after only a half hour on the eliptical!  In the back of my head I was thinking what is wrong with me?!?  Usually, I can at least get in a good hour at the gym, but lately it seems all motivation is gone.  I’m looking forward to getting back on track!