darcidawn’s BodyBlog

So I got all dressed up and went out with some friends last night. I wore a red halter top (as seen in my first progress picture) and a pair of black shorts with and heels. I would say I had more than 20 different people men and women comment me on my legs. I had one woman walk up to me and tell me “I would kill for legs like that”. It was nice to have people just wowed by hard work. It was a great feeling for me too knowing I can wear whatever and not worry about it being too tight or hugging me in the wrong way or worried about whether or not the lighting illuminates the cellulite that once was on my legs. It was really good to have guy friends with me to deflect the drunken pickup line guys. Ha ha . I guess the only way it could have been a better night is if my quads weren’t killing me from heavy leg presses the day before. Just more motivation to roll out of bed and hit the gym and keep going strong and not lose sight of where I want to go.

2 days left till I make my beach appearance 20 lbs lighter than this time last year. I’m really excited and have put forth so much effort to make this the best trip yet. I’m not going to be another chubster chick strutting around thinking I’m hot stuff when in actuality I’m just another round faced girl who thinks she can eat anything and it shows.

                I’m going to the grocery store tonight to load up on my favorite lean turkey burger patties and frozen steam bag veggies. I’m sure my friends who are going might think I’m nuts going on vacation and still sticking to my clean eating, but that’s why I feel confident about wearing a skimpy swimsuit and not having to worry if my butt eats my bikini bottom. Lol (we’ve all seen that). I just feel accomplished, like I did something great and have my first chance to really show off my hard work. Like I said on my profile I want to turn heads and be envied, well darn it I’d say I did it.

Well today I took my last final and presented my last project for the semester. And after sitting on my butt for 3 hours taking my finance final (oh it was terrible) I hit the gym and exhausted myself with lunges and squats then wrapped it up with 30 mins of hardcore cardio. Of course to get my summer kicked off right I went ahead and hung out at the pool at my school and strutted my efforts. Now that I have no more distractions I feel I can really focus on my workouts and get back in my routine of “project fit”. So I’m setting my alarm early so I can get up and “earn breakfast” 2 weeks from tomorrow I’ll be working the new bod at the beach, can’t wait!!

                So I inspired a friend to make a difference. That is a great feeling. It all started last week when she came across my new progress pic. She told me how she has polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS and one of the major side effects is weight gain or obesity which growing up as a slender person, the weight gain has made her depressed. So I got to talking about fitness and becoming active and how that would make her feel better. So because of this she had her first treadmill experience, at 24 years old she had never been on a treadmill. Well a week went by and I didn’t hear anything and so I shot her an email and asked if she was keeping after it or if it was just a one hit wonder. To my great surprise she said she unfroze her gym membership, bought new running shoes, had a consultation with a personal trainer and even planned out her lifting and cardio day to day. I told her how proud I am and that I know she will see great results in no time. I’m very happy for her and hope that she sticks with it. But for someone to say that I have inspired them to get involved and take control of the way they feel and look, that is a great feeling. And like I said I know she will go far!

As I have become more conscience of my eating habits I find myself circling the grocery store checking out people’s baskets of groceries. I’ll see people loading their carts with the weight watcher meals, lean cuisines, and other “healthy” frozen dinners in the same cart as their hostess Twinkies, cupcakes and other delicious nutritional valueless foods. I catch myself saying to me “well that’s why they’re fat”. I know that seems mean but it’s the associations I have formed in my head of certain food with the visual appearance of certain people. Some days I just want to walk up to someone’s cart and just start tossing out everything that I would not allow myself to eat, cookies, out, chips, out, sodas, out…  I guess I would like people to realize the “bad” they are putting in their bodies. I am especially concerned with a child who is raised on skim milk, candy and kid meals but that’s another story.

The past 3 months have been exceptional; I realized I wanted to bring out the real me. The me that is proud of the work that has gone into my physical appearance and mental abilty. Like I said before it’s one thing to starve yourself to be thin and have that “super model” look about you, but when it comes to putting forth effort, time and the strength required to push your body to do something you thought it never could, that is something many people will never experience in their entire life. The ability to completely change your own mindset and have the will power to say no when that piece of cake or pizza is yelling at you to eat it. I’m in the best shape I have ever been in but know this will not always be the best shape because I have a journey to continue on to be the best me that I can be.

Man I started taking my glucosamine yesterday got in a new order of Hydroxycut max took my nitric oxide and had a great cardio session this morning. My knee didn’t hurt for the first time in a long time; I was able to run as much as I wanted without my legs and knee telling me to slow down. I felt so good knowing I gave a little extra this morning. I’m really excited that the new jeans I bought 2 weeks ago are fitting so much better after being a little “snug” when I bought them. I know change is happening and it makes me more motivated. I’m passed the point of making myself feel like I “have to” get up in the morning for my cardio to “I want to”. And all of you guys who have been so positive and encouraging, I just want to say thanks!!