artsong27’s BodyBlog

I’ve been at this since April of this year.  I’ve been a fitness professional for more than 4 years, but my goal is to be in competition  shape year round, and so here I am.  I’ve made great progress according to the mirrors, but the scale has been no help at all.  Go figure! Since the change in diet, I can really feel a major difference in my body.  I feel leaner, and I have loads of energy.  I have yet to purchase the calipers for a self assessment of body fat, but when I used the handheld monitor last week (don’t you just hate those things?), it read 22.8%!!!!!  Now, I know better than to believe this, especially when I started out at 20%.  I don’t even know why I used it, because I know better, but it was sitting there, so I just picked it up. Now all I can think of is 22.8% bf.  It can really mess with your head.

The road to perfection is a never-ending one, because there is no such thing as perfection.  And I like it that way, because it keeps me humble, but at the same time, it keeps me working very hard.  This process, although extremely challenging, is so much fun.  It’s a time for self discovery, and I have learned so much. I can’t wait to see what I’ll look like at the one year mark!  Progress pics are coming next week!!!!!

This has been one hell of a week, and I’ve loved most of it.  Had a rough start, but it’s ended quite well.

On Monday I began monitoring my carb intake (carb cycling, basically), and boy, what a difference it has made.  In five short days, I can literally feel myself getting leaner.  When I look back at my food logs I’m amazed at how different they look now.  My diet is officially under control, and it only took me 6 months!!!  I’m being sarcastic.  This journey really is about self discovery and trial and error.  So, I’m looking forward to what changes will occur over the next 3 weeks, and by week four I’m hoping to take some progress pics.  I get to carb up tomorrow and Sunday (thank God!  I can’t wait), then on Monday it’s back to the grind.  Surprisingly, I haven’t felt a drop in energy at all.  On the contrary, it has increased a bit.  My appetite….well that’s another thing.  I feel like I can eat all day long.  I am constantly hungry.  Oh, look at the time. It’s time to eat again.  Food calls, and you know I can’t keep it waiting!

Although today was not the best day for me professionally, it was a great day as far as my goals go.  Today was the first day back in the gym after a week of active rest.  I did my cardio last week, but layed off the weights.  I love the feeling that I have when I return to weightlifting.  It’s like the break gives you a chance to reflect on how far you’ve come, and how far you want to go.  I don’t know yet where I will ultimately end up in fitness.  I love where I am now.  I am eager to work hard in the gym, and more so in the kitchen!

Today was a great diet day as well.  Right on target with the macros, and I feel like I’m eating lots of foods (the right foods, of course)! I’m making some changes to the diet, because although I am not overweight, I realize now just how sensitive my body is to carbs…..and I love carbs.  The first thing I reach for at a restaurant is the bread basket, and I can eat my weight in bread, and still finish my meal.  I can eat!!!!  I realize that this journey is a lot about self discovery; who you are, what you can accomplish, and how far you can push yourself.  I had a client break out into tears last week.  When I asked her what was wrong, she said, "Nothing’s wrong.  It’s just that I’ve never pushed myself this hard before."  I have been replaying that phrase in my head.  It’s amazing what we can do when we push past our limits.

So, hopefully at the end of the week I will see changes of some sort.  I’m looking forward to pushing beyond my limits, seeing progress, and posting new progress pics.  Take care!

Well, I’m finally a married woman!  Got hitched last Friday, and have eaten myself into oblivion!  I absolutely refuse to fall into the ‘fat and happy’ category most of my newlywed friends have fallen into.  So, I’ve been eating extremely clean the past few days.  The honeymoon is this weekend, so I will enjoy it, but next week it’s back to the grind.

I started cutting back in March, and the scale hasn’t moved much.  It fluctuates up and down, as expected, but I do see great improvements in the progress pictures I take.  Much leaner, and the muscle is finally starting to show in the midsection.  I know what I need to do to, and now I just have to do it.  I’m so blessed to have a husband who cares about his health.  He is a great source of motivation for me,and I think we will help each other a lot.  I have always been an emotional eater.  When I’m happy, I eat.  When I’m upset, I eat.  I can’t allow my happiness right now to get in the way of my goals.  This is the current challenge.  I love to work out…it’s the diet that’s killing me.  Well, after this weekend is over, there will be no more excuses.  Progress pics are coming soon…

Hello fellow bb’ers!

 Man, have I been out of the loop!  I think it’s been about 3 weeks since I’ve logged on and kept up consistently with you all.  I miss bb.com when I am away, but lately it’s been hard to stop by as much as I have in the past.  So, here are the updates…

 The scale is finally starting to come down a bit..141 lbs.  The inches are steadily dropping in all the right places.  I am content with my progress, but I want more.  My lower body has always been stubborn, so I’m experimenting with different training techniques to get better results.  My upper body continues to get stronger, and more defined.  I’m loving that.  Now, if only the legs would catch up.  Yesterday, I moved to another gym with more equipment….and men!!!!  Whenever you have men in a gym, you can bet the equipment you need is there!  Because I teach at an all ladies facility, I had been working out there, too.  I knew sooner or later I would need more than what they had to offer.  And now I’m in a place that challenges me. Yesterday I did upper body, and today I did lower body.  Needless to say, I’m a bit sore, but nothing out of the ordinary.  I’ve decided to pick up my cardio as well.  I had been doing 3 times per week, and now I’m trying five HIIT sessions a week.  This will hopefully help shave off some body fat.  I had a birthday in July, so I splured big time the entire weekend.  Things are definitely back on track now.  I can’t stand to eat the wrong things for too long.  The new training job is WONDERFUL!!!!  It feels good to finally be paid what you’re worth! (you trainers know what I’m talking about) The clients are great, and they keep me on my toes.  I love it, but it’s tiring.  I’m not used to training this many people, so I think this is the main reason why I’ve been away for so long.  I promise to do better…..well, I better not make any promises.  School starts up in less that two weeks! 

Well, the beginning of another week!  Time just flies by.
I had a good day today.  Woke up, trained a client, taught two classes, rushed home and rested up, and trained at the new place for about 7 hours.  The new job is great, but taxing.  I can’t complain too much, because the clients are fantastic!  However, this facility is not exactly geared towards serious bodybuilders, so needless to say it’s lacking some very important equipment.  Now, I’m in the process of gym shopping.  After taking a week long break from training, I trained full body today.  It felt great!  I missed lifting; it is by far my favorite part of fitness.  Took it light today, so  over the remainder of the week, I’ll be getting back into the swing of things.  The progress pics are up. I’m amazed at how much support I’ve received here.  I love it!!!!  I’ve realized something very interesting:  Personal trainers may be great at training others, but that doesn’t mean they are great at training themselves.  I’m a number cruncher.  This is a great benefit for my clients.  Not so good for me. I tend to get really discouraged if things don’t go exactly as planned.  I enjoy training so much….I just need to ENJOY it!  The results will come in time, and I am pleased with the changes I’ve seen thus far. I even surprised myself and did two (yes, I said, TWO) unassisted pull ups for the first time ever!  Talk about an ego booster!  That has been a goal of mine.  So now I am convinced that in addition to changes in body composition, I am also experiencing strength gains.  Success is so very sweet!

Today was a great day.  I got the call that I have been chosen for a training position at a wellness facility in my hometown!  More money, more clients, more autonomy…what more could I ask for?

The cop and I went to see a possible venue for the wedding…it was beautiful!  Absolutely beautiful.  I’m finally starting to get excited about this whole ceremony thing.  Up until this point, I just wanted to sign the certificate and move on, lol. Now, I’m getting really excited..and I think the cop is, too!

Tomorrow, I hit the weights again!  I can’t wait.  And, I’ll have to do HIIT tomorrow as well….not too excited about that, but it will get done.  The scale at my gym has been weighing people 9 pounds too light, so the readings I’ve been getting for the past 9 weeks have not been accurate.  We now have a new digital scale, so I weighed in yesterday at 144 pounds.  I will measure next week to see if there are any changes there.  I know body fat is decreasing. My clothing is feeling looser, and my measurements are decreasing, so I’m excited about that.  I hope the workout is a success.  I love leg day!!!

I killed it in the gym today!  I’m so proud…..the staff had to cut the light off on me so I would leave, lol.  And I still didn’t get to my my bi’s and tri’s.  Oh well, I’ll get ‘em on Friday.

I’m so focused on reaching my body fat goal right now, nothing will stop me.  Nothing.  It’s a huge challenge when you’re surrounded by folks who love to eat all the wrong things.  Then they want to question you about why you can’t eat this and that, and why you have to eat at this time, instead of that time.  I have come to realize that no one will understand what I’m trying to do unless they are doing it themselves.  So….I have stopped trying to explain the method to this madness.  I can’t allow people to put me under bondage abouth these things.  You would think I was trying to get to .0005% body fat.  Has society forgotten the meaning of healthy eating?  Did we ever learn it? Don’t try to answer that. LMAO!

It will be time to take progess pictures again real soon.  I woke up this morning, took just a few measurements, and I’m still losing!  Thank goodness. I’m not really too concerned with my upper body; that has always been the easiest part to train.  It’s the middle and the lower parts of me that are being stubborn.  So, the waist is getting smaller, and my prized possession, my butt, is slowly decreasing.  For me, it’s all about reaching my bf% goal.  So, whatever it takes, that’s what I will do.

I’m in the process of transitioning.  All across the board my life is changing.  I may be taking a new training job at a wellness facility in town.  It’s a beautiful place, and I think I could really sink my teeth into it, and use all of my talents there.  The cop and I are going to look at locations for the wedding this week.  Surprisingly, I’m not as excited as I thought I would be.  Maybe when I get there, that will change.  At this point, I could go to the courthouse, and be perfectly okay with that.  And…..check this out……the thought of competing one day crossed my mind.  I actually said it out loud to a client of mine.  What is going on with me?  I’ve been on many stages in my life, singing and performing.  Somehow, the thought of competing scares me, makes me nervous.  I have no idea why, but that feeling is what deters me from thinking I have a chance at succeeding.  Maybe it’s the same fear that keeps me off the performing arts stage.  I do hope to sing again.  I miss it more than words could say.

School has been out for a few weeks now.  It’s officially summertime, so I can focus on training, working out, and this wedding. I miss school so much.  Hopefully my grades will be good enough to get me into one of the best nursing programs in Georgia next year.  Next year will be here before I know it.  Is it possible to be a nursing student/trainer/singer/wife all at once?  I guess we will find out!!

It’s about time….I got the macros down today: 41% carbs, 39% protein, 21% fats.  That’s about as good as it gets for me.  Of course I haven’t had the last few meals yet, but they are already planned out, so I know where I’m going with it. I need to be committed to planning meals out in advance everyday, no matter what.  Today has been a success!!!  Leg day tomorrow.  I’m really pumped for it now.