jmkos’s BodyBlog

Now we are talking!  I look at my profile picture and see that I really let go of myself this summer.  I looked so good, and I am determined to get back to where I was.  I think a lot of things lead to the stop in progress, first, I was working out and dieting continually for almost a year and I got comfortable thinking that I would never gain weight back.  So, I guess you could say I was cocky!  Guess what you have to work for what you want and once you reach a goal you have to keep working to maintain it.  Secondly, our finances took a turn for the worse and due to a limited budget I am eating a lot of processed foods that are contributing to weight gain.  I am starting a part time job, so that should help me buy supplements and nutritious food again.  And Thirdly, I stopped going to the gym, I was burnt out and needed a break.  I decided to just make the summer the most memorable summer for my kids that I could.  I think that I achieved that to the best of my ablilities, so back to school also meant back to the gym!!  I am excited to report that after only two days of lifting and cardio I feel like my old self and I already dropped a pound!!  So the lesson I learned here, if it is worth having and keeping it is worth working for, however, balance is in order!!  So my top five priorties in life are my main focus everyday.  I gave all my energy to preparing for the show, now it is time to focus on all aspects of my life.  I plan to maintain balance by focusing on God first, he deserves all the glory and praise and I wouldn’t be where I am today with out him!  Second is my family!!  I am in love with my family and I want to make the most of every moment we share together, I don’t want my kids to hole up in their rooms all night while my husband watches tv in on room and me in the other, we are committing to time spent together actually participating in life!  Third comes my Career, I am taking a part time job as my brothers aid and another part time job as a Mary Kay consultant and I truelly enjoy them both.  My other priorities go between fourth and fifth and they are my Lifestyle, the me time, the gym time the friend time, my hobby time, my reading time.  I find that as I focus on other things I don’t need as much attention on myself, but I will take it when I need it and then comes my house and where I live, keeping it clean, decortating it, and just enjoying it!  We live in a beautiful one acre lot surrounded by trees.  We have a wonderful patio out back that looks like it could be featured in a magazine, and we turned our ranch house into a gorgeous cape cod!  So I love to spend time adding flower beds outside and new decorations inside, there is always something that needs done. 

Wow, I know this is long, but I feel so complete today, I am a new me!  The transformation that started last year with my physical appearance has gone deep within, transforming me to the core.  I am blessed to have the oppportunities I have and the life that I lead!  I wish I could bottle up the peace and joy in my heart and give it to all!! So if you stuck it out and read this to the end, I hope I in some way inspired you to give your best to God and all you do each and every day, it will change you forever!! 

Okay, I blew alot of my hard work over the summer!  I competed in my first show in June.  The morning of the show I was 120 lb and today I am 140.  Not terrible, but I want to hang out in the mid 120’s.  I feel better when I am living healthier!  I am taking the opportunity while my kids start back to school to give myself a new start as well!  I am committing to consistent workouts and clean eating.   

Wow, this is flying by!  I am left wondering if I will really be ready??  I know I will be prepared as far as posing and a routine goes, but will my body be ready?  Oh gosh!  I have to get my body fat checked this week, my guess is that I am between 15 and 16 %, I know, it is not low enough to compete, but I have 4 more weeks.  I can see cuts lines and muscles popping out everywhere, so that is good right.  To be really honest though, I am having a blast!  I am not planning on competing any more this year, but I can’t wait to do it again next year!  I love the changes in my body!  I need to update my pictures, I can’t wait to see what changed since the begining of the month!  I went shopping last night to find an outfit to wear to my daughters dance recital today, and I was surprised to be trying on 2’s and 4’s!  Holy Moly, I wasn’t even this low in high school!  I am so proud of my accomplishment, I stuck it out, pushed through and did it the right way(without starving myself)!

Omg, I am exhausted, the cardio is kicking my butt, and every morning I wake up and think is today the day that I go to the kitchen and eat everything in sight.  But till I make it there, I refocus and have a protien shake.  I have been seriously training and dieting since I was 22 weeks out.  I had a lot of fat to lose, it is taking its toll on me mentally.  I feel like I can’t think straight some days, let alone take care of the kids.  I am just thankful that my husband is super supportive.  Now that I got that off my chest, I will lace up my sneakers and head to the gym for yet another day, because I came this far, why not go all the way.  I am in the best shape of my life, I love what I see in the mirror and it really has been worth it.  I am proud of what I accomplished through discipline and hard work. 

Well, I finally posted progress pics, and it wasn’t so bad.  I am getting the hang of this website!  I don’t know why, but it was very confusing to me at first!  I have been reading about a lot of different topics in the forum, and I might even post a few questions that I have on there.  I am 6 1/2 weeks out from my first show, and I am actually feeling like I will be ready on time.  I can’t wait!  Other than getting married and having my kids, this is the biggest thing that I have ever done for myself in my life!  I am hooked!!

My tummy is so bloated and I almost threw up yesterday!  That is not like me, usually I can stomach anything.  I guess I have been eating clean long enough that my body forgot how much Grandma likes to cook with butter!  I feel like a slug too!  I think I will be eating clean long after competition is over.  This is my first cheat after about 10 weeks, and I feel like crap.  No wonder I never had any energy before.  Ewww!  Well, anyhow, I am 12 weeks out and ready to get 110% serious!  I will be researching fat burners and practicing poses.  I am actually ready to get this show on the road!!

My background in exersice and nutrition has come a long way over the years.  After three pregnancies of gaining 40 to 70 lbs at a time and never completely loosing the the weight, I was disgusted with myself and knew I had to change.  After I had my youngest in Oct of 05, I started working out and eating right.  I was 187 lbs, which was about my norm between babies.  My pre pregnancy weight was 135.  It has always been a dream of mine to compete in a figure competition, and I am finally ready to make that happen.  I look forward to posting my journey on this website and hopefully I can learn a lot from others who have competed before. 

I got serious about finding a competition over the summer and I guess you could say that my training began in September 07.  I cleaned up my eating and made exercise a priority.  I went from 167 in Sept to my current weight of 142.  I know I still have a long way to go, but I welcome the challenge!

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