• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut up in cubes
• 1.5 quart of water (or medium size sauce pan)
• 1 tbsp / or 1 cube of instant chicken bouillon
• 1/4 cup egg white
• a few thai basil leaves for flavor (or bay leaves)
• a few squirts of hot sauce (Frank’s)
• 1 chopped green onion
• 2 tbps chopped cilantro or parsley

Bring water, instant chicken broth and thai basil to a rolling boil.  Add the chicken.  Return to boil and simmer for at least 10 minutes. During this time, add hot sauce and any other flavors you might like. Easy on the salt because instant broth is usually pretty high in sodium. Pour in egg white slowly. After 30 seconds, stir gently. The egg whites will cook and separate. This is a good thing!
Make sure your chicken is fully cooked and no longer pink. Serve up in soup bowls. Add green onion and chopped cilantro or parsley.  You can also add small amount of fresh grated Parmesan cheese for flavor - depending on how strict your diet is.

ENJOY!  Happy training!

What you eat, makes me happy

Anne-Marie xox

I need to remember that it’s just a number.  Not a state of mind.  I feel young and healthy.  Healthier than ever.  Except for the back injury…which I am currently ignoring.  Great.  I’m definately on the road to recovery.  Just yesterday I felt like one hundred and forty-six !  But this evening, I feel hopeful for another great, strong year.

I ended up in the emergency room on Sunday morning, writhing in pain. A-G-O-N-Y!  I have never experienced so much sharp and constant pain in my whole life.  And yes, I’ve given birth!  OWE  They took X-rays to make sure no vertebraes were cracked.  Potential herniated disc was not completely ruled out, but it didn’t seem to be the case.  It was more like a contusion of the spine.  Egads.  So as you may have guessed, they gave me drugs and told me to go lay down for the rest of the week.

I managed to find a flight home (no way I was getting back on a train - I barely survived the 15 minute taxi ride to airport).  Thank goodness, the last row on the small jet was empty.  I was able to lay down along the 5 empty seats.

I was very happy to get home and went straight to bed.  Only just today, Day 5 of bed rest, am I beginning to feel some improvement.  I’m walking very slowly and beginning to sit up a bit.  I can stand up for a little while and have been eating my meals in standing position.  But I think I see a light at the end of the tunnel now.  Thank goodness.  I was beginning to go out of my mind.

You don’t realize how important a flexible spine is until it suddenly doesn’t work anymore! Brushing teeth?  Washing face?  etc etc .. All luxuries!  So again, I learn to value my (usual) good health !  Take care of your body and it will take care of you!

However, after a couple of weeks of rest, I am back in the gym and more determined than ever to build the body for Fall competition.  I’ll be competing at a higher level, so will have to work that much harder.  I’ve got lots of time and feeling quite energized.  I am considering taking certification course for Personal Training.  I can do it during August.  But I need to consider whether I would really have enough time to commit. I’m already doing abit too much as it is.  Hmmm we’ll have to think about it.  If you have taken the certification course, let me know what it’s like.  I’d like to have an idea of the workload.

For now, it’s time to stop and smell the summer flowers! I wish you all well.  Remember to be happy and healthy. Everything in moderation… 

The two ladies I met at the posing clinic last weekend, who I thought were ripped and awesome took first and second place in Masters and I got third! Woot We rocked! One of them (Melissa) took the "best overall" and totally deserved it. She was great. I’m very pleased to have come away with some prizes. My strategy worked - I focused on presentation. And it paid off.

NEXT time, I’m gonna work twice as hard to get the legs dialed in properly. I think I’m aiming for November OPA Eastern Championship. That gives me plenty of time.

But for now, I’m gonna chillax for the summer months… Life is good !

This morning, although I was advised not to do any lifting and, yes I know better, I chose to do some more glute bridges. Bad idea as I have really killed my lower back. Don’t know what I did but I’ve been in PAIN all day! It better be gone by tomorrow because I’ll be standing around all day and posing! OUCH! Imma gonna suffer. This is why you must ALWAYS listen to your trainer! Did I really think a few more bridges were going to make a diff? Apparently, yes.

On the positive side, I got to eat some carbs today. Delish. I drank plenty of water up until 4:30 pm. Only sips from now on. I went grocery shopping before supper and picked up pecan pie and chips for tomorrow post-comp! I won’t be home until midnight so wanted to be sure I had treats around.

My lunch box tomorrow will consist of my signature oatmeal/vanilla casein/chopped almonds blend and a few peanut butter and banana sandwiches. I also have 2 Snickers bars. I have to be careful with chocolate and sugar as it usually gives me stomach cramps.

Woo hoo.. That’s it! I’ll get up extra early, have some brekkie and coffee and do my makeup and hair. I am packed and have my checklist of items to not forget. Registration is at 9 a.m. It’s about 30 mins drive from my house. I’m feeling pretty relaxed and tired enough to sleep well.

Time to bring it on …

Yesterday, I attended a posing clinic today in prep for Saturday’s competition. This will be my 3rd competition and my 3rd posing clinic/workshop. I think one can never be over-prepared! Every time I go to the clinic I learn something new. It was led by pro-figure competitor Natalie Waples and also competitor and dietician, Michelle Matthews. These two ladies are awesome and genuinely want us to do well. The side poses for this competition will probably be different: US style. This style seems to be increasing at the Canadian competitions. So I wanted help in getting it right. It also gave me a chance to get into comp mode mentally. Now I know what I need to practice all week.

I met 2 competitors who will be with me in Masters category. Let me tell you, these women look hawt - they are totally ripped! So that was a good reality check for me! It’s gonna be a tough competition!! So I really need to get the presentation right! 

Wish me luck… the countdown begins.  Peak week is always the toughest. 

This morning I went for a fitting of the "revised" posing suits.  Joan (www.sewingdaydreams.com) re-cut my one piece so that it fits much better and blinged it up for me.  She also perfected the fit of the pink 2-piece and blinged it up just a little more.  The fitting helped my confidence.  I think I’m ready!

I did 55 minutes of cardio this morning. 35 on the stairmill. Ughhh!  Then I worked on the shoulders.  Still trying to figure out how to get those massive shoulder caps that all the pro figure ladies seem to have.  I worked the sides, the front, the rear delts.  My traps are growing too - but I don’t really want them to grow too much.  Need to be strategic deciding which areas to enhance and which to slim down.  Fun stuff ! 

And now, it’s time eat !  Way to build up an appetite!  I may need a nap too! 

Any ideas for shoulder caps are welcome.  Thanks!

This morning I was up early and worked the legs beginning with 120 walking lunges with a 22.5 lbs dumbbell in each hand. Burn baby burn. I hate lunges but they work. Then I managed a few PRs (personal record) with the lunges, squats and front squats.  After work, I returned to the gym to do some cardio.  50 minutes (with 20 mins high intensity intervals).  Since I was there, I figured, I might as well incorporate bicep/tricep workout and abs. 

Krazy girl.  I must be feeling the pressure as next Saturday’s competition approaches.  Desperate times call for desperate measures! haha  Tomorrow will be impossible for me to go to the gym hence the extra workout today. There is a method to this madness!

Glad to be back on low-carb diet and into the swing of things.  My energy levels are rising and I’m feeling good. Had a great back/chest workout early this morning. It’s all good. In fact, I noticed the sun is rising earlier too.  I thought I was running late at 5 a.m. … but no, the days are just getting longer.  You gotta love springtime in Canada!