smorgan1227’s BodyBlog

I am packing my final show items.  I have cooked food for two days.  I am praying I don’t forget anything important.

I must be doing something right this week.  i started the week completely not ready for comp.  My waist was just over 27 inches.  That is a lot for me, so it shows how out of shape I was getting.  This morning it was 25 inches.  I am not sure how much actual weight I have lost, but I know it is significant.  Today is the day I water deplete.  I will be curious to see how much more weight I lose.  I am shocked and amazed that just a few little changes can make such a difference.

Thank you everyone who has supported me and given kind words of encouragement and advice.  I can’t wait to post some pictures.

Where did I go, what has happened to me?  These are easy questions to answer.  At the end of February I was fortunate enough in this economy to land a new job that I totally love.  Of course I am in sales so we have what you would call a "ramping up period".  Basically that means you work your tail to land needed accounts to keep your job.  I have been working crazy hard.  My entire schedule had to be recreated.  This meant that I was not going to be able to spend as much time in the gym.  After a while I got a grip on time and made it to the gym at least 3 days a week.  My eating stayed clean.  Not competition clean, but clean.  However, in the middle of it all, we decided to move, so the second half of April was spent packing and moving.  I was lucky to make it to the gym 2 days a week.  As my competition date grew nearer I started to throw in the towel.  Last friday night I even had full blown sushi rolls for the first time in a year.  I told everyone I am not going to compete, maybe later in the year.

Then it happened.  Sunday I went to help my brother at a photo shoot with Obi Obadike.  My wonderful friend, makeup artist, fellow competitor, personal trainer, Nikki was there and talked me into competing "just for fun".  Well it has been a crazy week.  Carb depleting/loading/tanning/hair dressing, yada yada.  However, I have to admit.  I am completely stoked and super excited.  I am going to smile my arse off and learn everything I can.  I can’t wait to post pictures.

I want to give a special thanks for all the bb.com friends who have supported me over this past year.  Especially Controlled Labs. My everyday routine and workout would have been thwarted if it were not for my Orange Triad and Purple Wrath.  Also, I would like to thank San for sending me Blaze Extreme.  I have used it this past week and it has helped me accomplish a modicome of leaness.  And last but not least I would like to thank Gaspari for sending me Mitotropin to log.  I only made it 10 days.  I believe it is a bit strong for my constitution.  However, the competition advice, diet, workout plan, book, in the box has become a bible.  I have had to tape the pages together.  I am excited.  I am nerveous.  And I am thankful.

Lot’s of love to all my peeps at bodybuilding.com!!!

I have an interview for Personal trainer today, how the heck do I dress?  I am used to corporate.  I am sure a suit isn’t appropriate.

Does anyone need someone to share a room cost with for Arnold?  I have a last minute opportunity to go, but I need to find lodging.

Did I get your attention.  Well, it isn’t that great, but when you have been eating clean for 9 months everything starts to taste really good.

I am soooo excited.  I got my competition suit today.  Actually a friend gave me three to try.  Two were black and pretty plain. One was pink with a few jewels.  i really didn’t think I was going to like the pink one, but I love it.  I am going to put some more jewels on it.  Soon my posing practice will be in my new suit. new to me,  yippeee…

Today I decided to go for a run before I ate.  I have read many articles in regards to the fat burning aspects of running on an early morning empty stomach!

So this morning I rose early and put on SEVERAL layers.  Dawned my Controlled Labs Beanie, and my gloves, hooked up my doggy and headed out the door.  Holy Cow!!!! That was hard to stay motivated through.

I was so thankful to have my dog, because she had something to eat and couldn’t understand my sluggishness. I ran for about 20 minutes, and walked an additional ten minutes.  The whole time I just kept telling myself, you better get used to this girly, because this is what it takes to be a winner.  It won’t be my last early morning run.  I pray they are not always so hard.  Maybe next time I will at least have a cup of coffee first.

While doing my long hours of cardio (walking the dog with my daugher)  We passed a restaurant.  My daughter read the sign on the side that said "Happy Hour 3-8"  Her question was, "what is happy hour and why is it five hours long?"  I laughed and explained to her that when people get off work, often times they will stop on their way home to have a drink and relax before they go home.  That is referred to as happy hour.

My daughter laughed adn said "wow, I think dad needs to do that".  I laughed and told her there were many days in my past that I often participated in happy hour.  Unfortunately it usually turned into happy night.

These days my happy hour is the hour I spend at the gym.  There is no better way to de-stress than to pump some iron.  Besides, there is also no worries about not going home for 5 hours, lol…

Today I had practice posing and progress pictures with c_nicki from bodyspace.  Look her up.  Not only is she an awesome makeup artist, personal trainer, fashion expert, she is also a great friend. She was meeting with my brother today to do progress pictures.  My daughter and I met her to take pictures too.  She really helped me with my posing.  We will both be competing at the May 9, 2009 NPC show in Hayward.  We are competing buddies.  For today we were just posers… lol..
When we were all done taking pictures of ourselves scantly clad, we had a little fun just shooting fun fashion pictures.  I can’t wait to post some of them.

It was a good day.  Always is a good day spent with my brother.

Ok, folks, one would think that eating a few pieces of fudge and a few truffles would be no big deal.  I am sure that is the truth of the matter, because that is what I did, Christmas day, and Christmas Eve.  Now a week later I am fighting a cold.  I have not been sick since I started to eat clean.

Is sugar really that bad for you?  I think it is bad for you, but I have to admit, it was an equation of many unhealthy practices.  Here is what my holiday equation looked like.  Boy I guess when I throw caution to the wind, I do it in completeness…

Fudge + No time to take vitamins + staying up really late + lot’s of guest and constant activity + no exercise =  a cold…….

I hope I have learned my lesson…. Yikes…. I feel like crap….