British Lady’s BodyBlog

As the year is coming to an end, I have been thinking about my progress since January. Although I have made some serious changes in my upper body definition, I am certainly not where I want to be, and I feel that I should have made more changes this year. The good thing is that the year isn’t over yet. Rather than focusing in new year’s resolutions and goals for 2010, I have decided to set some goals for this year. After all, there are still over 6 weeks left for 2009 and I can do a lot with that! I’m excited to see what I can accomplish for the rest of this year so that I can enter 2010 knowing that I kicked some serious butt- even during the holidays

Here are my goals:

1. Weigh in at 180lbs by January 1st ( I have 15lbs to lose!)
2. Fit into my sexy black/white dress I bought in Italy earlier this year. I can get it on, but I can’t zip it up at all so I have  A LOT of work to do! I plan to wear it for New Year’s Eve, and it’s going to look FAB on me!
3. Lose 3 inches from my waist

There is no point setting goals unless you have a plan in place in order to achieve them, so I have decided to follow the “lose 10lbs in 21 days” plan that was in Oxygen magazine. The diet is actually very close to what I was doing  before so it’s actually not hard at all. Yesterday was day one, and it was great! I’m also going to try crossfit training (check out the videos at www.crossfit.com) it’s pretty hardcore so I’m sure I’lll LOVE it! I’m going to check out a class tonight, so I’ll blog about that tomorrow. I’ll be also doing 5 days of fasting cardio and four days of weight training (unless I join the crossfit gym- then I’ll do that four days per week).

So that’s my plan. I’m really excited about this. I’m so focused, and I’m going to work my butt off to achieve my goals.

What about you? There are still over 6 weeks left for 2009. What are your goals and plans to achieve them? Please post here- I want to know. Let’s keep each other accountable and work hard for the rest of the year!!!

I was in Trader Joes (health food/grocery store) the other day and I went to the bread section to  buy my ezekiel bread when I came across some 100% whole wheat naan bread then I got the amazing idea to make pizza! It came out soooo well. It was delicious..I almost felt like I was cheating. Anyway, here is the recipe I used, feel free to substitute for your toppings of choice:

Ingredients:

100% whole wheat na’an bread

pizza sauce ( you can also use tomato sauce, paste, or salsa)

grilled chicken breast

mushrooms

red onions

part skim mozarella cheese (look for 1%)

Use 1-2 tablespoons of pizza sauce to top the na’an bread. Add a small amount of mozarella cheese. Then add your toppings. I used mushrooms, onions, and grilled chicken, but you can use just about anything- make sure it’s healthy. When you’re done adding your topings add the remaining cheese. Place the "pizza" in a pre-heated oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes (or until the cheese is melted).

Here are some suggestions for healthy toppings: spinach, broccoli, BBQ chicken breasts, turkey sausage, turkey bacon, salmon, garlic, hummus, cilantro.

Make sure to try this recipe- you won’t regret it! Also, let me know if you have any suggestions for toppings )

I found this awesome article on the figure athlete site. There are so many tips for fat loss out there, but I thought what these ladies had to say really made sense. In addition to this they weren’t far out there, wacky ideas like "drink vinegar and maple syrup daily for two weeks"- I think Beyonce did that for Dreamgirls or something lol. The article was a combination of fat burning and  muscle building tips, but I decided to pull out the fat loss ideas- since that’s what most of us (especially me) are trying to achieve. I already have a considerable amount of muscle, but I need to lose a lot more fat in order to see the definition.

Well here are the tips:

Olesya Novik: FigureAthlete Editor, Figure Competitor, Model

Best Tip for Fat Loss

Get in the habit of weighing your food and keeping track of every piece that goes in your mouth. Diet is the single mostimportant thing when it comes to fat loss, and being mindful is the first step to getting it right.

Krista Schaus, Strength Coach, Drug-Free Bodybuilder and Powerlifter

Best Tip for Fat Loss

Patience. You must be patient and allow the fat loss process time, as often our most stubborn areas are the last to go. Often we bail out or give up on a method or protocol if we don’t see immediate results. Remember that what you see visually on the outside is a reflection of what’s going on inside physiologically, so give the process time to work from the inside out. 

Also, there’s often a “tipping point” when you’ll look dramatically different from a fat loss perspective. So from 20 to 16% body fat you may look very similar aesthetically, but BOOM, as soon as you drop down to 15%, you all of a sudden look a lot leaner. 

Lastly, be open to experimenting: You won’t find a book called “(Your Name Here)’s Best Strategies for Fat Loss.” It’s very individual. If you’re afraid to experiment you’ll not learn your best methods.

Jen Heath: Personal Trainer, Model, Mom of Four

Best Tip for Fat Loss

Keep a food log. To begin, this is the most important thing in many respects. Most people underestimate their food intake by 50%, give or take. That’s significant! Since fat loss is 90% diet, the more that gap of accuracy can be bridged, the more success an individual will see.

Sandy Joyce: Personal Trainer, Figure Competitor

Best Tip for Fat Loss

Don’t “wing” your diet! So many people kill themselves in the gym, only to see little or no results due to improper nutrition.  You can’t pay all your attention to what you’re expending in the gym without giving any thought to what you’re shoveling down your throat!

Proper nutrition is needed to refuel and replenish your body, as well as grow your muscles and metabolize and burn body fat.  You don’t “wing” something that important. You plan it!

Rachel Cosgrove: Fitness Coach, Athlete, Gym Owner

Best Tip for Fat Loss

My number one best tip would be to push yourself outside of where you’re comfortable. Most women are too comfortable. Their bodies are too used to what they’re doing — their training, their diet, and their whole routine.

Your body won’t change unless you put a demand on it that it’s not used to. If your training doesn’t leave you feeling wiped out because you pushed yourself hard or your diet feels "easy to stick to," you aren’t going to see results.

Lift heavier, push your intensity with your intervals, stop justifying eating foods you shouldn’t, and don’t be afraid to completely change your routine. Challenge yourself and get out of your comfort zone!

Notice that there is a lot of overlap here-especially regarding diet. Fat loss is mostly about what you put in your mouth.

Let me know what you think

p.s. I’ll be posting a recipe for delicious home made pizza a little later!

Thank you so much to all my wonderful friends who responded to my previous post. I was at such a low point, but you guys showed up and gave me amazing support. You snapped me out of it and made me realize that I CAN do this. I started to doubt myself, and when doubts come in motivation drops and the fear of failure takes over. I realize I can’t lower my standards or cast my dreams aside because I will only end up with a life full of regret.

This past week I slacked up on my diet- my friend was in town and I didn’t make the best choices food wise. I also went to a wedding yesterday where I had my fill (overfill) of wedding cake. Although it was initially fun to indulge, I ended up feeling so sick and I couldn’t wait to start eating clean again. I remembered what it felt like to be overly full, and I don’t like it! So today, I’m back on track with a renewed heart and mind. I’m going to reach my goals! I’m going after it with all that I have, and I’m not going to stop until I fulfill my dreams!!! I believe in my heart that I can do it, and I will no longer allow doubt to settle in…it has NO place here! I’m taking this journey one day….one step at a time

Thank you again my wonderful friends- you have helped me more than you know, and I appreciate each and every one of you!!!!!!!!!!

This morning my hubby and I were on our way to the gym, and I told him I was going to give up on the idea of competing. I’m just beginning to doubt myself, and I’m not sure if I can do it. Tears were in my eyes as I told him this because I do want to compete, but I’m not sure I have what it takes. My weight has been fluctuating like crazy (and not in the right direction), and I although my diet has been clean most of the time I have been having occasional treats (chocolate or small piece of cake here and there). If I can’t even stick to clean, healthy diet 100% how will I survive on a competition diet?

My hubby doesn’t want me to give up because he knows how much I want this, but how can I go on thinking I will be able to compete when I’m not even losing a consistent 1lb per week? I have a lot of weight to lose period, and lately that has been feeling like a huge mountain. The thought of being able to get into contest shape seems so far out of reach for me right now. This saddens me because I want it so bad, but I suppose goals are meant to be realistic and attainable right? Maybe I should just focus on being healthy and cast my crazy dreams aside.

It is common knowledge that there are many dangers and health risks associated with obesity. Despite this, the world is getting even more and more obese by the decade! It has even affected our children. I was appalled when I came across the story of the 200lbs 6 year old! WTH were the parents thinking????

 Anywayz, what let me to blog about this is the fact that last night a patient came into the ER with heart failure. Why did his heart fail? Because it was under the severe strain associated with pumping blood around a 500lbs body. Unfortunately this man is going to die. This is sad because he is very young and it could have been avoided if he hadn’t allowed himself to become a dormant 500lb man.

I’ll be honest, I primarily want to lose weight for aesthetic purposes. I want to look good dammit! After seeing this patient I got to thinking on a deeper level. I don’t want any disease that I can avoid- there is such a wide spectrum of crap you can get as a result of obesity (e.g. diabetes and heart disease). I won’t list them all, but when you have time I think you should google it- it may shock you!

My father died at 56 years old from complications of diabetes. He could have lost a little belly fat (which is the worse possible fat by the way!) but he wasn’t obese. At the end of his life my dad had complete organ failure and partial blindness. It was so sad to see him like this, and I miss him terribly He didn’t take care of himself when he was initially diagnosed with diabetes-he essentially ignored it. He wouldn’t have died so young if he had taken care of himself..changed his diet and exercised..when he was in his 20’s.

I have the opportunity to live my life in a healthy way to decrease my chances of getting diabetes (and other obesity related diseases), because it is an evil disease that affects every part of your body. So on top of looking good I want to be healthy..I also want to continue to live a healthy lifestyle so that when I have children I can teach them to be healthy too.

So, I commend you all for doing something about your health and working hard. Trust me, it IS worth it! Whenever you lose motivation, just remember that this healthy journey is more than how much you weigh or how your clothes fit..the healthy path you have chosen will extend your life and keep you around for a long time so that you can enjoy life’s beauty.

Stay healthy my friends

I know, I know…yet ANOTHER pumpkin recipe! I can’t help it coz I love it…I hope some of you were able to try the pancakes because they’re absolutely yummy

Anyway, here’s a recipe for a yummy smoothie. It’s sooo delicious and almost tastes like kinda like egg nog, but not hmmn. You can even make a pitcher of it and bring it for thanksgiving dinner. Let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

1 scoop vanilla casein or whey

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup skim milk

1/4 cup non fat plain yogurt (or greek yogurt for more protein)

1 teaspoon pumpkin spice

2 tablespoons splenda or stevia (whatever sweetner you use dammit LOL)

5 ice cubes

Calories: 290, Fat: 1g, Carbs: 31g, Protein: 36g, Fiber: 5g

If you want to cut calories/carbs you can use water instead of milk, but it may not be as tasty

Without milk: Calories: 200, Fat: 1g, Carbs: 18g, Protein: 27g, Fiber: 5g

Music is everything when it comes to working out. There is NO way I’d be able to make it through cardio without my ipod. Sometimes, when I’m weight training, I play certain songs to help me push through and complete my set. So here is my list of songs that get me pumped:

• Go Hard by DJ Khaled
• Damn by East side boyz
• Holla at me by DJ Khaled
• Diva by Beyonce
• Get busy by Sean Paul
• Amazing by Kanye
• It takes two by Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock
• Electric feel by MGMT
• Animal I have become by Three Days Grace
• So Fine by Sean Paul

There are more, but that’s all I can think of for now.

So…tell me your list- I’m always looking for new workout songs. You might help others update their playlists too

Firstly, I must give a huge THANK YOU to all my wonderful friends that responded to my previous blog! You guys are so supportive and encouraging- every comment means so much to be, and I appreciate you guys I am feeling much, much better. I think I just needed some rest so I slept in the next morning and took my rest day one day early. That helped tremendously!

Today, I went for a 6 mile hike with a friend. We went to lunch after and I had grilled shrimp tacos with all dressings/sauces on the side- it was delicious AND under 500 calories- which is major for restaurant food. Think I’m kidding??? Go check out the nutritional information for your favorite restaurant…seriously…DO IT…still here? Go do it- you may be shocked! Anyway, we really, really, really wanted to indulge in a Pizookie (a delicious freshly baked cookie with vanilla bean ice-cream on top- just incase you didn’t know LOL) BUT that is NOT going to help me achieve my fitness goals so I suggested we go to golden spoon instead for a small serving of fat free yogurt. This was that best idea ever- not only was this delicious, but I didn’t have any guilt about it because I didn’t stuff 1000 calories of crap down my throat!

I recently discussed the ketogenic diet with my trainer- in great detail. He thinks this is the WORST possible diet in the world- for ME. He know’s that they work because he got the most shredded using the CKD for one of his bodybuilding competitions, but he was miserable and rebounded in the worst way ever. The thing is, I used to be a binge dieter and I have to be extremely careful when it comes to dieting because I sometimes srtuggle with contemplating binges in my mind. Of course, I haven’t binged in an extremely long time, but I still have to be aware of the triggers in order to avoid binging for the rest of my life. My trainer reminded me of this, and it’s something that I often forget since I haven’t struggled with it in a long time.

My trainer wants me to lose fat in a way that’s best for me so that I don’t want to binge or lose control…he want’s me to be healthy. Although he does want me to eat plenty of carbs throughout the day (one serving with each meal) he has stressed the importance of me eating the right carbs at the right times…i.e. Low G.I. carbs. As I continue to lose fat he will adjust my portions etc, but it’s about time I start trusting him completely. It’s almost as if I can’t believe that I can eat carbs on a regular basis and still get into competition shape even though deep down I know that I can (my trainer also informed me that he got shredded for his last comp eating fruits- and he wasn’t miserable haha). I have lost 35lbs so far, and guess what I ate carbs regularly! Everyone has to do what’s best for them, not only from a dietary standpoint but from an emotional standpoint too… Anyway…that’s what’s been going on in my world. Progress pics coming soon

….I’m sure I’ll be back to my old self in no time, but I’m feeling a little low. Maybe I’m just tired- I haven’t been sleeping enough lately. It’s my own darn fault though. Every night I tell myself that I’m going to bed early- I need that GH for fat loss, but I end up in bed by midnight WTH! I need to stop this…I think it’s finally taking a toll on me because today I have no energy at all

I sure as heck didn’t feel like working out this morning, but I did it anyway- I’m competing next year darn it so everyday counts, and today is NOT my rest day so I killed my cardio! I felt a little better after working up a sweat, but boy do I feel crappy now. Maybe I need some chocolate (haha that’s my answer to everything!)- I won’t be indulging though so don’t worry.

Anywayz, hopefully I’ll be back to my old chipper, super motivated self tomorrow…I hope all my wonderful bodyspace peeps are doing well…love you guys!