fitnessprincess’s BodyBlog

If you are like me there are some days when you really need a bit of inspiration. You need to know that it really is possible to change - to lose the weight, to put on muscle, to walk in high heels…  On days like this I visit the blogs/journals of a number of women whom I have come to admire. Some are young. Some are older like me. Some are married with children. They are all different in many respects but one: they are in my opinion role models for the rest of us. Women who speak forthrightly about what it takes and who really walk the walk. The next time you feel a bit down check out their blog and then I think you will feel as I do inspired to pick yourself up and get back at it! Have a great, great day!

A friend of mine (Heather) had this YouTube video on her blog(http://heathersfitnessjourney.blogspot.com/) and its message really resonated with me.  Ladies I think we are our own worst enemies at times.  I sure know that I am.  We have truly absurd standards regarding beauty that at times cripple us in terms of our overall health and quality of life.  This weekend make an effort to check in and listen to your self-talk.  If you find yourself uttering fat-talk, take a moment out of your day and a create a list of all of the wonderful things that you uniquely contribute to this world and the next time you open your mouth and fat-talk begins to come out pull out your card and affirm the beautiful, smart, capable, and special woman that you are!! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKPaxD61lwo

I blogged about the Farmers’ Market last summer but it bears revisiting.  Yesterday was the official opening of the Copley Square Farmers’ Market here in Boston.  I had the opening marked in my datebook about a month ago.  I so love the Farmers’ Market.  Likely you have one of these near you and they really are worth checking out.  Basically the idea is that local farmers bring their produce to a central location and sell it to the public.  You will find all kinds of different products at the Farmers’ Market:  of course fruits and veggies, herbs, coffee, tea, fresh eggs (nothing like ‘em! and well worth the price!), cheese, honey, fresh pies, bread, arts and crafts as well.  The prices are usually competitive with Shaw’s and Stop & Shop on the produce and it fresher so it is healthier definitely tastier and best of all you are supporting local farmers.  Good for everyone!

Ours is open Tuesdays and Fridays from about 9 am - 5 pm and I usually go on Tuesday at lunch time and if I plan things right I usually go Friday afternoon just before I catch the commuter to visit my mom on the weekends. 

Yesterday I picked up some fresh herb salad mix and baby bok choy as well as some middle eastern spices (I am half egyptian - my dad).  I usually steam the baby bok choy and top with a spritz of Bragg’s aminos - yum!

I haven’t blogged for a while - mea culpa! but I am still at it! This entry has been a long time coming. It is a tribute to an amazing, hardworking, generous (beyond belief!), self-effacing (I challenge you to find her in photos on the Savage website - you won’t as she is always quietly working behind the scenes) nutritionist who works behind the scenes with Cathy Savage. Her name is Jodi. She was the “voice of reason” on the other end of my emails and check-ins when I was an SOS client with Cathy Savage Fitness over a year ago. I loved her - still do - absolutely an amazing, amazing woman. What made me want to devote my blog to her today is that I had been looking forward to seeing her at the recent NPC Jay Cutler Classic as a number of Cathy’s top fitness competitors often participate. Indeed a number did participate but even though I looked and asked around I didn’t see Jodi. LOL! She was probably back stage working hard which is what Jodi is all about. I very much wanted to tell her something I know she knows - she was right! Jodi is ALWAYS right! LOL! One of my biggest frustrations when I started was my legs and in particular my flabby upper thighs. Sigh! When I became a lifetime WW one of the things about which I was most frustrated was that even though I had lost the weight, my body still (grh!) didn’t look the way I had always envisioned. I was smaller but still flabby - sigh! The classic thin but fat conundrum. One of the reasons I started weight training was in the hope that I might be able to tone my body and finally have nice legs - nice thighs! Anyway, when I worked with Jodi she told me on more than one occasion (cough! quite a few!) that it would take time - maybe two years to shape my legs. Well, she was right! and I wanted to tell her so even though I know she knows that. I wanted to thank her for being honest and telling me that. I tend to be quite impatient and I want results yesterday. Even though it took me close to two years to lose 110 lb, somehow I just couldn’t seem to get the fact that building a quality body was going to take time and it has. I am still very much a work in progress - my legs aren’t yet the legs I want but I can finally see that they are changing and I finally “get” that this is going to take time. Anyway, thanks Jodi - I did listen and you WERE right! LOL!Post script:  Recently I discovered that Jodi started her own nutrition blog.  It’s really terrific.  I highly recommend it.   You can check it out at URL:  http://jodiojo.com/blog/ 

Two years ago I attended my first bodybuilding/fitness show in Boston.  It was an NPC event at which Jay Cutler, a local legend and hero, was guest posing.  I went in with no idea what the experience would be like and ran face-to-face into Cutler who was standing at a table with some booklets by Chris Aceto and posters which he was autographing.  I was stunned - he was SO nice.  Like I said I had no idea what the show would be like and so I hadn’t thought to bring any cash with me.  I desparately wanted one of the booklets on nutrition.  I asked Jay if he took credit cards - nope. I think he saw something all I know is he offered to just outright give it to me and autograph it, I was dumbfounded and said no.  I couldn’t believe how kind/nice he was.  Anyway I went on in and shortly thereafter the show opened with the fitness routines.  I was so impressed with the beauty, poise, and athleticism of the fitness competitors.  THAT was what I wanted to do - still do truth be told but I don’t have the muscle or athleticism of those women - amazing!!  Anyway, next the figure competitors were introduced and I remember thinking - I love the look and maybe, just maybe I could do that.  LOL!  Still working on this as you know!  Anyway that’s when my dream was born. 

Yesterday I went to the Jay Cutler Classic Bodybuilding & Fitness Competition in Boston as it has been rightly renamed in honor of Jay.  He was there and LOL!  I got an AUTOGRAPHED!! copy of his book "CEO Muscle:  Jay Cutler’s No Nonsense Guide to Successful Bodybuilding"  He was every bit as nice and as big:) as I remembered.  LOL! 

One thing that made the show especially nice yesterday was that I knew Fern (SmartAssard) was competing in the masters Figure.  I met her at my first competition in RI - she was really nice to me and a number of the other women who were competing for the first time at the show and supportive afterward, too.  Anyways, she WON!!!  I was soo excited for her.  She looked absolutely gorgeous up there - the total package - beauty, poise, nicely muscled with wonderful symmetry - wow!  and what made me so happy was seeing all her hard work rewarded.   What she has done in transforming her body and her life is so inspiring to me (as a forty-something woman) and I guess that’s the message I wanted to communicate today.  If you look at her blog you will see that it has taken her about 4 years to transform herself.  If you are struggling, feel frustrated right now because the results aren’t coming as quickly as you might like, remember that it takes time to develop a quality physique and a great deal of effort in and out of the gym.  Fern works very, very hard if you read her blog.  She works out consistently and she doesn’t lift pink dumbells - LOL that’s for sure! 

If you any interest at all in competing, then this is pretty much the beginning of the competition season which runs through early November.  So, look around and find a competition in your local area - I am certain that there is at least one - and GO!  You will be inspired, encouraged, uplifted and gain new respect for those who do choose to compete. 

Competition is not a last minute decision.  A lot goes into competing - more than simply diet and exercise, too.  If you are competing in fitness, you have to prep a routine that includes a series of mandatory moves that aren’t easy either.  You need a costume, music, etc.  If you are competing in figure don’t think that this is the easy way out.  LOL! You have to learn to walk in 4-5" heels, do the mandatory quarter turn poses, perhaps a T-walk (also called model walk), etc.  And if you choose to compete in bodybuilding you really need to learn how to pose, prep a posing routine (you need music, too), etc.  If you attend a competition be sure to speak with the competitors and the judges (preferably at the end of the show) and ask them any questions you may have.  Could be the beginning of a new life!