Jul’s Journey

So, Now that I am dedicated to doing more cardio and have decided to just learn to "be," I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t challenge myself to something during the process.

So here goes:

For the next 30 days I will:

1) read my Bible daily

2) encourage someone in fitness or spritually

3) remind myself that the perfect body starts with the perfect heart

4) -you know I have to go here…..- eat clean. Lets see how I do with that…..(one earned meal per week)

5) increase my water intake steadily… (i have been doing soooooo bad with this and I feel it)

Sounds simple… my five point star… lets see if I can hang on for the next 4 weeks…..

So, I have been working out regularly, though my schedule is a bit different. And I have to squeeze the workouts and runs in where I can…. and the diet…. well, lets just say, i still am learning about emotional eating.

But I digress…. This week was my first vacation as a single mom…So, among other things, I planned a little get away at a local ski place and the kids and I went tubing. It was great until my youngest richocheted off the tube and I had to dive off for the rescue (back hurt, but worth being there as she began to shreik for me…) swooping her up I ran down the hill with her and into the first aid station. She was fine (whew). But I can’t help but think that if that had happened two years ago things would have been very different…. first, I wouldn’t have been able to get out of the tube, second carrying her down the hill would have been near impossible. and certainly doing it quickly as I did….well, that would NEVER have happened.  Thank goodness for my fitness.

The next day we decided to do something more familiar to us all… ice skating.  Now, I have always loved this sport. Often trying to freeze my own rink in my backyard as a child, I would skate whenever I had the chance - dreaming of being the next Dorothy Hamill. So, I love that my kids love it and my son…well, he is a budding hockey player! SO impressive and as we were ending the last few minutes of our time on the ice, we raced… now, I was in speed skating position, swinging the arm, pushing off in a crouched position and repeating in my mind–do not catch a toe pick…save your knees….. save your knees…. and don’t you know…I catch the pic…. and as I lurch forward I try to steady myself with the grace of a 500lb gorilla…and end up falling backwards and cracking my head —-HARD!   45 minutes, eye sight blurred and nauseau setting in along with the bumb that is growing on my head, I talk a client into coming to rescue me and the kids…. graciously he agreed to babysit me and my kids…. sigh……  people can be so kind.

So, my training has been easy this week, tried to run sat on the gerbil track and ended up with only 3.75 miles and a good headache…. and then lifting weights just about finished me off.  Today I just did 45 min of easy cardio and worked my back… all was good! just a little ache…..

Will see how the rest of the week goes….

Hope you are all well…

it is fun to come on here after being off for so long! you all have been doing a great job in your transformations and it has been a thrill to check up on many of you!!!!!

 Hmmmmm….I have been busy training…. and have been working…..and taking care of my three lil ones….(not in that order)….. I will hope to catch up with you all soon!!!
missing you all!

heh, heh, heh…. you know how you feel the day after a great leg workout???? yup….well that about sums up my day. It was all good and eating clean has been fine. loving the diet in fact, though I am sure my body won’t respond to all the carbs I am taking in, but I will let jas figure that one out on his own… I am not sure I have ever truly stuck to a diet that had carbs in it, so…maybe I will see great results.

Felt a bit flat in the gym, but also only had 4 1/2 hours of sleep so that certainly explains that. Did see some new vascularity in my biceps…wooohoooo! that is pretty cool…even with all this love layer on there is some veins to see…yahoooo!

Well, here I am..day one with a new training and eating regime! And I couldn’t be more thrilled. Like many here on BodySpace, I have partnered up with Jason Phillips to see if he can lead me through the next several weeks to land my spot on stage for the Buffalo Can/Am on April 4. It is a tall order, but he knows what he is doing (as shown by his clients) and I am good at following.

Let me tell you — day one whooped my arse! I HAVE NEVER HAD A BETTER LEG WORKOUT! I am actually afraid that I won’t be able to walk by this evening, but even that though has me giddy! Grow muscles —grow!!!! make the fat melt!!!

I will be updating my progress weekly and have no other plans but to simply listen to JP and do what I am told. this, as you know, is challenge enough for me!!!

Well, I know I said I was going to wait until the second week of Dec. but I have decided to do a non-carb load diet for the next 3 weeks till I start the carb load diet…. lol!! The truth of the matter is, the last few months have been devastatingly hard on my mind and my desire to sooth with food has been higher than my desire to transform.

This is it though, time to stop having fun with bread and chocolate… so, today… day one, m,y scale said 142. WOW! 5 weeks ago it was 136…a pound a week…

I am soooooo excited though!! My shoulders and arms are really showing the amount of muscle I have put on this last year. I hardly recognize my shoulders anymore and I can not wait to see what they look like when they are stripped back a bit… my legs and hammies….this is going to be interesting too. heh, heh…. lets hope I have some!!

In the end, I am just thankful that I am healthy enough to put my body through this type of training and that once i am done with this, I can look back and say I did it….

Here we go!! clean eating day #1!!!

Alrighty…. I guess it is time to set the next goal…. guess it is time to see if I have gained sufficient muscle over the last year or so to lean down and get on stage. So, as of the second week of Dec. I begin my diet for an April comp. to be followed up by one in May.  After that…. new plan… still not sure what that will be, but I look forward to giving it my all.

In this last year, I have learned so much about my patterns. My hope is to take that knowledge and to finally get myself in the shape I KNOW i can acheive. So…. for now, I am doing cardio a few times a week, eating mostly clean and giving my muscles a bit of a break with some circuit training. One more week of that or maybe two and then i get to work.  and I have to say… I am very excited!!!

hope you are all well…

Here I am she shouted from the pit of frustration! Her voice seemed small, but as she worked tirelessly to climb out she found her voice getting stronger….

So, I am a little dirty from climbing through all the muck….and there is stilll much muck to get through, but I am here to say that I believe trials will refine us. My focus has been on things that matter most….my children, my relationship with God and my friends and family… Instead of fitting my life around my workouts and diet, I have repatterned my way of living to make my love of fitness to fit around my life… and I have to say, I am much happier now.

I also would be remiss in saying that when you are on this site daily you become desensitized to the garbage on it…(the constant slimy men hitting on you, the glamourization of the body, and the lack of indescretion…) I have had to even look at my pics and ask what message I am sending people…. I want to feel attractive and fit, but not at the expense of having people think I am glorifying my body above all things.  In life…I want people to see me… not my outside…. my outside, no matter how hard I work at it, will fade away and probably never be what I want it to be… but my inside… that is what makes me… me….. so my goal this time around is to make sure that people see me…. the real me.

Alrighty - so, the last week I have really been thinking about those of you who have been an inspiration to me - and there are so many of you…. so, the best way for me to handle this is to group you together with common characteristics…. (otherwise I think I may be writing these blahgs into next year!!)

So, I have decided to write about the women I started my own personal journey here with… LoveJones596 and Amyrose. I am priviledged to have these two women live in close proximity (one literally around the corner) from my home. For those of you who have live and in person friends you know how fun it can be to have friends on this site to talk to and to relate back to others that are just picture images… well, the girls and i - we have fun on this site and love discussing many of you and your progress.

Let me start with LoveJones - she has been with me since before I even thought about a lifetime of fitness. Always a person that is ready to offer solutions and help, this galpal was instrumental in getting my butt up and out the door a year and a half ago to merely walk.  I kid you not, she would call me each morning to make sure I was up to go for a morning walk.  The first week I think I only got up twice, the next week it was three times…and then it started to click… then it was the gym and workouts….She has listened to me cry, laugh, dealt with me lifting my shirt and asking do you see that???  I think that is new, do you?? Has been with me every step of the way as I prepared for my first contest and all along gave me positive feedback…. and encouragement… Never once has she said you can’t, but rather her battle cry is "You go girl!"  right now she is in week 11 of her body for life challenge….she has done amazingly well at this, but like all of us would like to have seen more results. It kills me to see her deflated, but I do know this about her - she will rally - she will find the strength - and she will conquer her quest to have her 20 something year old body back!! 

My other local gal is amyrose…. you all know that this journey is filled with hills and valleys…. I often find myself running down the hills only to pant and trudge up the seemingly endless mountainside with tears and sweat pouring off my face - amyrose is my friend that reminds me daily that these undulations will eventually becoming rolling dips - more bearable than it feels today.  She struggles with it all… food, balancing kids and a husband, a home to care for and workouts….yet, she daily reminds herself and others around her that this is a lifestyle change not a 6 week adventure….this is life baby!!!  Her resolve and excitement is contagious…. I swear she could talk all day about her new muscle popping in her bicep AND I could listen to her all day as her wonder in it is precious and fulfilling to hear as a friend. 

For me, I know each of these women hold my hands every day…. sometimes they are holding me down from floating away, keeping me grounded and othertimes they are lifting me out of the trenches…. but regardless they are forever friends - ready, willing and able to offer themselves sacrificially…:) 

Thank you Amyrose and LoveJones596 for being the inspiration you are to me!

Okay, I have finally made it to my one year mark. I have actually been faithful to the gym/working out a minimum of 5 days per week for one year.  I can not believe this….I mean, I was the queen of paying $33.33 per visit for my $99 3 month membership fee….yup, I never got past 3 days….wow….today it a big day for me!

Another thing I realized about myself….I do not like to stand in line waiting to save $50 for christmas presents.  I got this great idea to get up early and do the old black friday shopping thing.  Let’s just say, after trying it for a little over and hour, I found myself at the gym having a wonderful workout!!  No amount of money is worth my time….

Last great thing….I am starting my 6th week of building muscle.  Have been concentrating on my shoulders and arms…and I am happy to say….they have gotten bigger!!!  A week from tomorrow I will change from doing arms/shoulders twice a week to doing legs twice a week….focusing on front and back…. will do that for 6 weeks and reevaluate.

Hoping to lean out a tad for after Christmas as I have to travel for business….want to be sure I look bathingsuit worthy!!! So, going to have to really work on the diet. 

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!!!