2008 Transformation Contest

Well ladies and gentlemen,

A few things to say today.  Pictures and video may be missed this week because I can not find the camera battery charger.  This is why I argued for a camera that took AA batteries but hey.   I know it is in the house somewhere and that I was the last person to handle it.  It will be in the last place I look, always is.

Let’s be frank here for a minute or two.  I am outclassed in this competition.  Maddi is looking cut.  Dare is a picture of proper form and steely resolved.  Mali is an animal that replaced an animal.  Those push-ups he did were strong and straight.  Fusion is young and has found his stride as he resets his motivational focus.  My competitors are all top notch and really class people.

I am another story.  There are some tremendous changes going on in me.  Some of the changes you can see in the pictures and some you can’t.  My journey was in full swing prior to the competition.  Starting in November I had 178 pounds to lose, give or take 10 pounds depending on what I look like near the end.  Today I have 143 pounds to drop.  That is terrific and I am very happy with that progress.  This progress is due in large part to bb.com and the members here.

What you may not see is the health improvement and strength gain I have undergone.  There are a few readers here that understand what it is like to be almost 200 pounds heavy.  Just living was an effort.  Now I am feeling strong and firm. My pants are far too large. My wife remembers what muscles feel like on her man’s arms, chest, and quads. I am moving better.  I care so much more about this than a scale number.  While the scale reads 1/2 a pound up I know that I am actually much better physically today than I was last Wed.  

So back to the competition.  Because I have so much to lose I will still be the fattest person in the group at the end even if I would lose 70 pounds.  Because I was the most out of shape I will still be the weakest in the group at the end.   This bugged me a bit a few weeks back.    Here I was in a competition that I feel I have almost no chance of winning.  I was wondering why I was even selected to be in the contest.   Yes, when I feel sorry for myself I go all out.

But that wasn’t the point of the competition and winning was never about who was chosen the transformer in the end.  The competition was setup by Bodybuilding.com and our sponsors to encourage others to join the journey to health and fitness.  This is why I was chosen and why Maddi was chosen.  We have competitors from the most out of shape to the close to very in shape and everything in between.   The thing the competitors have in common is that we are all using Bodybuilding.com to accomplish our goals and hopefully showing others how to best use the site.  I think it is in this sense that we are all winners here and owe a great deal of thanks to Bodybuilding.com and the sponsors for the opportunity.  

This is also not to take anything away from my fellow competitors.  Without their motivation and dedication they would not have improved the way they have since 12/26/07.  Just take a look at their progress pictures and you know that you are seeing people that know how to get after it.  Whichever competitor wins you can be assured that they fully deserved that win.

We see the end of the contest ahead of us and yet that ending is artificial for all of us.  The competition end is not the ‘end’ for any of the competitors.  You see, we will not fail at our goals.  I am certain that Maddi and Mali will end up on the stage.  SCT will be a great trainer.  Fusion, Dare, and myself will get our weight down and harden up to a point where we will not be embarrassed to wear a swimsuit.  

You know what?  It is good to be alive!

I got in a wonderful workout last night.  Really tore up the lower body.  It felt great since I really haven’t had a good workout in several days.  I felt like I was back into the groove of things.  

Tonight I am hoping to find a new love.  I am going to try a exercise that I found in this months Muscle and Fitness.   I was very excited when I seen it.  I have hopes it will move me towards being able to actually do a complete pull up. Its called a weighted smith machine pull-up.  Here is how it works:  You set the smith machine stops at waist height and set a bench a few feet away from the bar, parallel to it.  Take a wide overhand grip on the bar and squat down to hang under it.  Place your feet on the bench in front of you so your body forms an “L”.  At this point, a partner can add weights to you lap if you choose.  Obviously, I wont be doing that part yet.  From the hanging position, pull your chest to the bar, squeezing your lats hard, and the return to the starting position.   For those of you more experienced, you can switch hand positions to the close grip to hit the lower back. Or better yet alternate them.  

Here is my progress for the last week:

Weight: up one pound (215.0)
Body fat%: the same

No I am not disappointed.  I expected it since I had been sick and everything has been off.  I don’t want my competitors getting to cocky though.  I am back and feeling great.  Hardcore workouts continue.  Restocked the groceries…clean eating is on.  Water intake has been increased.  Got myself a little valentines gift too….a new mp3.  I am so ready to bring it…again.  

Here are this weeks pics:

Just a few signs of overtraining….or overworking.  I don’t know which.  

That darned cold Jeep isn’t helping matters much.  5 degrees fahrenheit this morning, the windshield a sheet of ice.  Rolled down the window and dumped my water bottle on it.  Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Then, dropped a blender full of my LAST peanut butter chocolate protein shake all over my floorboard.

Got the kids to school, and started my day with 20 minutes weighted vest elliptical.  

5-10 minutes stretching.

21 sets abs, the good stuff, mostly weighted, hanging, or both. 

12 sets triceps.

Put the doggone vest back on for a 10 minute jog…on incline.

Ran home for lunch and a quick clean-up.  Straight to work.  6 hour shift.  Getting IMMENSE negative energy from a coworker who has weight to lose.  Another elderly coworker fell on the way in and busted her head.  Kind of a rough day.  My heart wasn’t there.

Straight from work back to the gym.  

10 minutes weighted vest stairmill.
10 minute weighted vest elliptical
10 minute  weighted vest incline jog.

40 reps bench dips, 50 reps cable and rope pushdowns

Came home, took a pic, here I am,…

I weighed in this morning at 137.

Down 2 more lbs.  A total of 20 lbs gone now.

(108 lbs total.)

See…I’m tired.  I can’t even get excited about it.

THERE HAS GOT TO BE AN EASIER WAY.

lol

I figured you guys could find interesting to check out your biorhythm I was skeptical but we all have our ups and downs. You can calculate yours here:

http://biorhythms.perbang.dk/

Anyways I am at my lowest point right now, so I guess when I get on top you better be afraid LOL

Here are my weekly progress pictures:

Front relaxed

Side relaxed, (yeah right )

Front double biceps

Front lat spread:

Rear double biceps:

Rear lat spread:

The quality is awful I know, please forgive

Let’s talk about scale numbers and why they really don’t matter much to me.  A quick warning to all, I will get a bit crass below this line.  (more…)

So I’ve decided that for the next couple of weeks I am going to wear a shirt, not to hide my body from public view, but I hope that it will hide some progress. Give it a few weeks and I will take it back off. My goal is to surprise everyone.
Anyways here are this weeks pics. Notice in the arm flex shot, can you tell I am right handed…my left arm as you can see is for sure smaller. Even in the gym its weaker on specifically bicep work.

Strong legs, always have been always will be.

My poor left arm..LOL

Hi everyone!  Well strange events continue to occur.  Now my computer is whacking out.  Here is the deal.  The pages on this site will not UPDATE for me.  It is as if my bodybuilding.com pages are stuck in the past.  This happened to me once before last summer.  At the time I thought it was the site’s problem, but it was my computer.  It corrected itself eventually and I don’t know how!

Please one of the competitors -or- Richard let me know if this post comes through via group email!  Because it will not show up on MY computer regardless it does or not.  
This also means I am unable to see any updated pages or read any blogs at this time.  Hope all is well with everyone!  I will get on the library computer after work tomorrow night to check in and see how everyone is doing.

The very good news for me, is that despite yesterday’s zany day of excess stress and excessive calories (all protein)…I am DOWN in weight!

Last week I lost ZERO…ZIPPO!  

This week, my body made up for lost time!   I am down from the past 2 week’s weight of 142, to 139 today!  

A 3 pounds loss for the week.  

I am now down a total of 18 POUNDS since the beginning of the contest!  And I am only 2 actual lbs away from my original goal!  Meaning, if I lose 1/2 lb per week until the end, I will be more than ahead of my original plan.

Lots of HARD WORK is going into this.  I am wearing my weighted vest 2 hours per night in addition to my workouts.  With the exception of yesterday, my calories have remained in the 1000-1750 range.

This is a crazy lifestyle!  (But I LOVE it!)

Now, let’s see if those PICS will upload!!

I dare say I might be about to come into some obliques!  SOMEDAY SOON!

And for those of you who want to put me on a pedestal…

I AM ALL FOR THAT SORT OF THING!

Consistent and steady steps forward.  That is what I have been experiencing.  Each week I am melting off the fat and building more muscle.  I expected to have a decrease in strength but I really have not experienced that either.

I am also very proud of the fact that last night I benched my body weight (215 pounds).  Well, technically over my body weight. Today I weighed in at 214 pounds and 44.1% bodyfat.  Although I really love the pounds dropping, I am most excited about the bodyfat loss.  I have been carrying way to much the past few years and its time to get it down to the teens.  Since the beginning of this contest I have dropped 7.4%.   I know that I will be in the healthy low risk zone by July.  What a wonderful feeling.

I am starting see more and more definition to some of my muscles. I cant wait until they show up on the pictures.

Here is this weeks pictures:

Day 1:  

Today:

Day 1:

Today:

I cant wait until I lose more in this view.  I know I need to be patient but I want it now.  LOL

Day 1:

Today:

40 days and 40 nights of clean eating and healthy calorie restriction.
                                         (In addition to my regular workouts.)

My abs have gone from this…

To THIS!

BELIEVE! 

Because ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE…

I want to give thanks to the supporters in my life who have helped me to get to where I am today.

My husband John, for working so hard, and supporting me so patiently while I recovered my body and my life.  

My three daughters, Shandra, Neva, & Zaelia, who have given up "Martyr Mommy" in the name of "regular old imperfect mommy".  I am a woman learning to practice self love and acceptance, and hopefully teaching them to do the same.

I also want to thank Bodyspace, and all of my friends on this website, who have been there with me, watching me change and grow, accepting me unconditionally, inside and out,  for the past year +.

You are all my super heros.

Depending upon scales, I was either up 1 lb this week, or remained the same.  I will take the remained the same thanks so much.    

The good news being, that according to the Tanita Scale, I am down from 24% bodyfat beginning of this contest to 20.5% bodyfat today!  (I was 21.% last week.)

I relented this week.  I had a cheat day.   And then I had another.  2 cheat days…Nothing too horrific.  Just a few shots of tequila, a half gallon of icecream, (NO FAT!  LOW SUGAR!),…a half quart of salsa, and about 20 packs of gum.

I am ready to start anew.  I am ready to look to the stars.

Progress pics, Jan 31, 2008.

Artistic shots this week.  Next week I will return to the side by sides.

Ready?….

                   Are you sure???….

                                                    Are you REALLY, REALLY, SURE?????

Alrighty then!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!  WE ARE ALL WINNERS!  (AND GREAT BIG LOSERS!)

I have no idea what week this is? LOL Just tell me when its over I dont have time to stop and think about the weeks left, just push push push until the end baby!

I am foiled by Quiz Bowl again!  My teenagers are on a big, (important…haha), QUIZ BOWL MEET, 3 towns over.  Looks like the middle daughter TOOK MY CAMERA!

I want to say,…"HEY!  YOU!!  DON’T YOU KNOW MOMMY NEEDS TO TAKE PICTURES IN YOUR BIKINI AND PUT THEM ON THE INTERNET?    haha  

(It just sounds so funny to say it.)

Ironically, we live in the house with 4 cameras.  

1 Easy Share (which I have used for 3 years straight now), 1 worthless, battery dying digi cam that I got for Christmas, 1 worthless, battery dying digi cam that my MY DAUGHTER got for Christmas, and 1 pretty worthwhile decent RECHARGABLE BATTERY camera that THE OTHER DAUGHTER got for Christmas.  lol  

Yes, the worthless, battery dead ones are the ones they left me.

I will try my darnedest to get pics up by midnight tonight.  

Pretty disappointed.  

I am currently wearing my eldest daughters’ pirate/skull bikini for today’s pics.  

Makeup on, the works.

Oh well!  I have 2 orders on their way from Bodybuilding.com.

Maybe the UPS man will come…!

This morning I ran with a fellow St. Louisian, Nelly.  That’s right.  His music kept me running and pushing.  Today was a long steady so I didn’t have to make the speed and hill adjustments.  I just ran free.  Nelly kept me in the zone.  Today was a pleasure run.  Felt great.  The only thing that would have been better is if I could have done it outdoors-to cold for me.

I was pretty excited about today.  It’s progress day!!  That’s right. Today is the day I weigh, take pictures, get measured and then post them for all the world to see.  How can I be excited about this?  When I posted my very first picture back in July, I was very embarrassed and ashamed of how badly I let myself go.  The worst part, I had already lost weight when that picture was taken.  I told myself that it would be my last fat picture and by posting it I am holding myself accountable for the changes to be made.  I promised myself that I will never be that overweight again. I kept that promise.  Every time I take a new picture, I know I am smaller and healthier than the last picture.  It feels fantastic.  One day a picture will be taken and the woman I feel like inside will be smiling back at me.  That is going to be a day to celebrate.

Here is this week’s progress report:

Weight:
12/26/07:  227.4
01/30/08:  215.8
Down:  11.6 pounds

Body Fat %:
12/26/07: 51.5
1/30/08:   45.1
Down:  6.4%

Measurements:
Chest
1/2/08: 44 7/8
1/30/08: 43
Down: 1 7/8”

Right bicep
1/2/08: 16 1/8
1/30/08: 15 7/8
Down: 2/8”

Left bicep
1/2/08: 16 ½
1/30/08: 16 3/8
Down: 1/8”

Hips
1/2/08:  50 ½
1/30/08: 49 ½
Down: 1”

High Hip:
1/2/08: 50 ¼
1/30/08: 48
Down: 2 ¼
This is very exciting news.  The high hip makes the difference between miss and womens clothes.  When your overweight this is the spot that fills in to give that straight up and down look.  This means I am starting to get that hour glass figure again.  Woohoo.

Waist
1/2/08: 38 ¼
1/30/08: 38
Down: ¼”

Thigh (left)
1/2/08: 29
1/30/08: 28 ¼
Down: ¾”

Left Calf
1/2/08: 17
1/30/08: 16 ¾
Down: ¼”

Down a total of: 6 ½ inches

Pictures
12/26/07 Front

1/30/08 Front

12/26/07 side

1/30/08 side

12/26/07 back

1/30/08 back

I’ve received a number of emails and messages asking where my photos are at and what’s happening with me. One of my goals it to motivate people here in a variety of ways. Lately I’ve been using music to help motivate others. Don’t be fooled, that doesn’t mean I’m hiding or I’ve fallen off the workout wagon. My man Jumbo asked me a few questions and check out my responses below. I’ve also posted my progress photos that were taken on Monday, ya nothing like a few days late eh? As a reminder I am not competing against the other five for the prizes but rather lend a hand at some advice and inspiration while going through the same transformation process. Aight, enough babbling. Here are the questions/answers and my progress photos.

Jumbo: I was wondering if you would give us a little more information about yourself. I see that you got into tremendous shape and competed on stage. What was that like?
Me: Yes I have competed in bodybuilding contests 2x. I work with a number of the top fitness, figure and bodybuilding personalities. Many times clients would say "oh I’m dieting" or "I can’t worry about this now". I decided to go the extra step and find out what it would be like to compete. Are these people full of crap or is it really that tough? If you haven’t stepped on stage to compete, you really truly have no idea what is involved. I am 5′11" and weight 167 my first show, the second show I weight 176 on stage. Both times I was ripped and I had fun. It was an experience that was unlike any other. Lots of people can look good in the gym or in street clothes but to be on stage in nothing but a speedo is an : entirely different experience. I gained perspective on what my client went through and while I never claim to be a bodybuilder I do understand what my client go through by having lived through it and followed through.

J: Did you find the last few weeks leading up to competition to be harder on your body than the previous months of dietand workout?
Me: It wasn’t harder because I was "in the zone". I still went out with friends but I would drink diet coke and water while they got wasted. I’d disappear to go have chicken and rice while they ate fries and onion rings. I also did Yoga a couple times a week which improved my strength and flexibility. Guys in the gym asked me if it was to pick up women but ah no, it was to improve me mentally and physically. The last week going into the show was tough. I wanted to quit more than once but I knew it would be worth it. I would get up at 5:30am and walk on the treadmill (yes walk as to not loose muscle at that point) and then go back in the afternoon, workout and do more walking. This was only for the last 3-4 weeks. The thing I grew tired of was eating. If I went longer than 3 hours without eating I was not fun to be around.

J: How much gym time were you spending?
Me: 1 hour or less. I’d run around the park in Denver in the morning and then hit the gym for an hour of weights. The last 4 weeks I did cardio 2x a day and stopped running and went to walking on an incline. I was boring ass hell but it worked for me. As I leaned out I spent more time in the gym because people would constantly be talking to me. Asking me what I was doing, what I was eating, etc. Even the trainers in the gym would hound me for tips. I started going at different hours to avoid crowds and have my space back.

J: You said that you had gotten out of shape, though we have no real proof of that…  Was it the work or family that caused a slide?
Me: Jumbo see the photos below. This is my out of shape. Last year I traveled at least 2 weekends every month. Photographing shows for bodybuilding.com and occasionally FLEX magazine kept me busy. My downfall was not planning and resorting to airport food or going all day without eating. If I eat 2-3 meals a day I pack on the pounds. I have to eat 6-8 small meals to keep my metabolism sped up. I let my workouts slide and in the process found myself at a weight where I wasn’t comfortable. That’s all changing now.

J: How did you get into the Lift Studios thing? Did it blossom out of your gym work or did the lifting blossom out of you studio work?
Me: I read FLEX and Muscle and Fitness mags growing up and at one point tried weight gainer 2000. How funny thinking back on that. I was very active in high school sports and then went into the Army National Guard. I was in awesome shape coming out of basic training. I tried my hand at college football but after pulling my hamstring and being too small I hung it up. I only weighed about 170 at that point. I proceeded to drink a bit too much and eat like crap for a few years. I found myself eating ramen noodles and vending machine food when I was attending art college. I decided to do Body-for-Life and lost a great deal of weight. That motivated me to not be complacent. At the time I was working at a large ad agency with a great career. I was tired of living in Omaha so moved to Denver. Worked for a small design firm as Interactive Creative Director working with outdoor/sports related clients. My boss at the time thought I was conspiring to steal her clients with a former co-worker and friend of mine. I went in one morning and she told me I was fired. This was the best thing to ever happen to me. I had been procrastinating on starting my own business like I had about my weight for some time. It took a drastic change and challenge to force me to put up or shut up. I took the challenge and ran with it. That was nearly 6 years ago and since that time I’ve combined my love for fitness and sports into my other talents of art, photography and marketing. I believe in the cliché “everything happens for a reason”. Fired from a job for the first time turned into a career I love with my business Lift Studios.

J: Is there a food you must avoid because it would start you off on a crazed binge?
I LOVE a number of foods but it is all about balance. My vices are chips, Italian and Mexican food. I love to eat those foods but I don’t buy them and only have healthy foods in my place.

I’ve babbled long enough here. Thanks for the questions and if anyone has any others feel free to email or post them here. This has been a very productive month for me both physically, mentally and with my business.

My progress pics:

Da back.

Da Front.

Where will I end up? I know this much, much happier in all facets of my life. Rock on!