jcorbett’s BodyBlog

Part of the beauty of the bb.com community is the support & cheering I’ve received via cyberspace. Posting the progress photos was very helpful along with the weekly blogs which chronicled my fat loss journey. I also entered a few competitions to challenge myself and stay on point, physically. This summer I stopped posting progress photos b/c it’s a hassle to take photos and I’m not vain enough to want to jump in front of the camera every week, but I feel a disconnect and am not as enthusiastic about fitness as I was. I train b/c it’s necessary and sometimes it’s enjoyable. If I compete in Nov. it will be very low key. I’m not purchasing a suit or putting out any extra cash. Either I’m stage ready or I’m not.

I’ve had to go back to the "beginning" with diet to see what foods work and what doesn’t. I made a lot of mistakes last comp prep and was about 2 weeks off schedule when I competed in June. Additionally, training has been heavy & basic. I stopped gym cardio for about 2 weeks and just added 20 min. stair climbing to the schedule along with 15 miles per week of walking. I need to drop about 10 to 12 lbs. to be comp ready. I’ll decide in the next month if I’m going for it "one last time".

For those of you who are fabulously fit, what keeps you motivated? How do you establish new goals? Are you accountable to anyone besides yourself?

I don’t want to make my tween daughter super self-conscious, but she just hit puberty and won’t grow much taller. She is at the 80 percentile in weight and is not very active. I try to provide one balanced meal per day plus a good breakfast, but she likes snacks such as chips, cookies, cheese crackers, more than extra servings of vegetables & fruit (can’t blame her). Unfortunately, there isn’t enough during the week for sports so she is going to have to develop better eating habits. She asks about calories, she reads food labels (like mom), and is aware of the results of a high sugar high fat diet. But given the choice, junk food wins. I need to be able to suggest tasty snack alternatives that are satisfying.
My 8 year old son, on the other hand, is underweight, and needs to eat more food (he’s a grazer). He doesn’t like to eat much for breakfast (fruit & a granola bar), but is hungry by 9 a.m. I like to encourage him to eat extra crackers or chips so he can have the extra calories. He eats one balanced meal a day and likes green beans, collard greens, various fruits, french bread along with chips, cheese crackers, etc. He will also eat sunflower seeds and pistachios. I need to fill his lunch box with quality food that has good fat & calories.

Any suggestions? Recipes welcome:)

I’ve received a lot of dumb comments from men at the gym who are trying to be helpful, but yesterday I just had to laugh. I was doing seated rows with a wide bar when an older grey haired gentleman advised me, "you should be using this bar [v-bar in hand] because you don’t want to get big like a guy." He continues saying, "I once knew a woman….and she got really big…" I had to laugh b/c this comment made in all sincerity was by far the most absurd I’ve heard since working out at that gym (over the past 2 1/2 years). I wish getting bigger was that easy.

Another man at the gym earlier this summer said, "what are you trying to do, trying to get cut up like a guy?" After a few minutes I responded, "are you suggesting that I look like a guy? and What’s your problem…"  I want to know why am I being noticed all of the sudden and why do these men have the need to give their unsolicited opinion? They aren’t even in good shape (LOL).

I still love my run down gym and for the most part can get in and out without any problems.