danianne’s BodyBlog

Today I had one of those moments where the lifting isn’t just for show, there’s an actual purpose for strength.  While at a friend’s home, her cat got stuck under a wing-back chair (a fairly large arm chair).  The chair was in a corner and could not be scooted forward because it would hurt the cat.  I "She Woman-ed" the chair and lifted it up over my head, long enough and high enough for her to walk under and get the cat.  She asked, "How did you do that?"  I responded…I’m a bodybuilder.

My boyfriend and I were watching the movie "Beautiful Girls" last night- my first viewing, his 100th.  In the movie there are a group of friends, guys, and they are all involved in some sort of girl dilema.  One guy is trying to decide if he wants to marry his girlfriend.  The guys ask him to rate her- scale of one to ten- personality, face, body.  I jumped on that, I asked my boyfriend to rate me.  Really rate me.  Not just say all tens and then I saw "Awww, thanks babe", and we go back to the movie.  He rated me 10 personality, 7 body, 9 face.  I sat there, watching the movie, and thinking about my ratings.  I wondered if I would rate myself the same way and what I would have to do to be a ten in all categories. 

I got up this morning and did some hardcore cardio before breakfast, ate, then went to the gym for an hour and worked on my shoulders and biceps.  The results of the "Beautiful Girl" test have been eye opening.  I want to be a 10 in body too!

A friend of mine was telling me the other day (he has been competing for a while) there are two types of people in the fitness/body building world- people that want to promote themselves and like the "glamour" of fitness and look of being lean, and there are the people that do it as a life experiment.  I am a life experimentor.  I am an always-be-betteror.  I want to keep improving and see what I can become and see what I can accomplish.  I want to have a 10 body.  Everyone else can rate as they wish, but I have the final say in what I will accept and what I will improve. 

My job is to create plans for other people, to help them modify their behavior.  I have rarely used the principals of behavior modification to better my own life, until I started bodybuilding.  The more research, reading, and networking I do on this site, the more I realize that the only way to be successful in this life style is to modify and maintain your own bodybuilding behaviors.  

Applied research in behavior modification has proven that there are 3 major motivators for all people’s behavior- attention, escape and tangible items; keeping this in mind a person can create a plan to keep motivated and make great gains physically.  I have created my own behavior modification plan to keep myself on track, collect data on my transformation, and maybe use this information to better myself professionally as well. ?

There are small, intentional changes that I’ve made that made a world of difference in my success.  First, I choose specific rewards to be earned within specific time frames for specific behaviors.  For example, I get to buy myself something new to wear if I stick to my gym schedule for 4 weeks (this also controls recreational spending).  I collect data on my gym attendance, my diet, and my body measurements.  The graphs on this site are an example of self monitoring, a behavior modification technique that has been proven to work to modify and maintain many behaviors.  Seeing the graph spike or fall, that is a motivator.  I also attempt to replace maladaptive behaviors (mindless eating, laziness) with replacement, positive behaviors.  Again, this site has served as a replacement for dessert on many evenings; instead of grabbing a sweet snack and going comatose in front of the television, I come on here and see what other people are doing. 

This site has also been a excellent motivator because it offers attention, one of the strongest motivators for any behavior.  People on this site are so supportive and quick to compliment on any success.  Joining bodyspace has been life-changing and I appreciate all your help in my behavior modification plan.

Recently, I have no motivation to work out, I am eating what I know I should not (I am always hungry), and I feel terrible.  The other day I went into GNC, thinking that the environment would prompt a return to healthy thinking and maybe a change in my diet and routine, which would bring about an increase in my motivation and an improvement of my mood.  I was speaking with the sales clerk about what I needed in regard to number of calories and amount of fat in a protein supplement and he looked at me and his exact words "…obviously you are looking to lose more weight."   That was not what I needed.  That was not the anticipated outcome of my visit and that has made the latency between gym visits way too long.  I need a change and I need it now.

I started thinking about what I need to do to make a change and for me- working out, commitment to a diet, and maintaining the level of intesity that I need to make progress, it all has to be mental.  So, here is my plan.  I am a behavior analyst and recently there has been an increased interest in the area of competitive sports; I am going to read on effective goal-setting, effective contingencies of reinforcement for competive athletes, and I am going to get back in the game. 

 One aspect of this is going to be consistent blogging.  I need to be accountable for my actions, and that is going to start here.

On the way home from the gym today, I noticed a new little store I had never seen before.  I was curious and decided to stop in.  It was a trendy-clothes boutique.  All the clothes were thin strapped, low cut…summery.  In the back of the store I found my new motivation, panties.  Racks and racks of thongs, boy cut, lacy, silky, panties and bras.  I was like a kid in a candy store.  Ten bra and panty sets later, I was home trying them on.  Now, I never really thought about it until today, but I have been shrinking, and wearing the same underwear I wore when I was a size 12.  Seeing myself in those size six, black, lace panties…I have a new motivator.