Another Milestone!

On June 8th, 2013 - I posted a blog about reaching a milestone and hitting 300 lbs on the leg press machine at my gym. At the time this was such an amazing accomplishment and I remember feeling so incredible that I could actually do this. Last week Jan.17th, 2014 to be exact - lol- I pressed 500 lbs on the same leg press machine. 

In June if you asked me if I thought I would ever "stack" the leg press machine (stack meaning pressing all the weight on the machine-the entire stack) I would have said no way but I actually had it in my mind that eventually I was going to do it. I was going to be that girl at the gym who stacks the leg press - no big deal really - lol - actually ITS A HUGE DEAL - you just have to make those goals and follow them. It takes time and some days it seems near impossible but there it is - 200lbs heavier than in June. Your body will really go where your mind takes it :)

Easy?

I guess it has been a while since I have sat down to blog about my journey. Lets go back and see what has happened…….Christmas has passed and with the holidays brings some struggles like all the treats people make and the killer almond bark that a fellow worker brings me - OMG that stuff is great. It has now been 10 months of this program I have been on. Some days I think I should be ready by now and I just keep reminding myself that this is a long process and I need to just relax and enjoy it. 

So did I indulge at Christmas - yes I did. Did I feel guilty and beat myself up a bit - YEP - I did that too -lol! I also decided to get on a scale for the first time since the summer and I have gained 7 lbs - pretty sure its muscle weight but you have to be prepared for that and not FREAK out cause I wanna cry a little….lol! When you put in the amount of gym time that I do and I still feel I need to drop some weight then u gain weight - I now understand why I don't use the scale. I just need to trust my coach and the process. 

I had a girl come to me at the gym who was very stressed out and has some of the same fitness goals as myself and she was not in a good place. She thought she was going to be show-ready in as little as 4-6 months and I just told her to relax - give herself a break and take the time needed to do it and do it properly and its not EASY and it does hurt all the time and you do have to sacrifice a lot to do this but if you really want it you will do it. It is like having to constantly fight and push yourself beyond what you think you can handle and then handle more - you have to work for every single thing and it won't come easy and it won't last unless you keep doing it.

This training is not for everyone and I would never push it on anyone but staying active and healthily and taking care of yourself is so important. This is the message I want to send forward…….Do it for yourself and do it to feel amazing - nothing better than beating yourself time and time again and thinking wow I can't believe I actually did that.

Share the Journey!

When I was first asked to write about my fitness journey by a colleague at work, I was a little apprehensive. I asked her if I could do it a few months down the road when I was further along. She was persistent and I agreed to write something, but that it may be short and sweet. 

I was worried about having my thoughts and blog out there for everyone to see, how funny really because it is out here for anyone to see but what I mean is people close to me, friends, Facebook pals, co-workers, etc. I was worried about what they would think and worried about letting people read the struggle. Then it dawned on me……. I am writing this blog and mapping out this journey to help people. I want to inspire others and help in their journeys. 

My daughters were SO excited when this article was published - they told their friends their mom was in a magazine and tweeted it and everyone was so excited. I however was there feeling nervous again and kinda unsure if I liked all the attention it was bringing me. My oldest daughter Gillian said to me " MOM, u have worked so hard, you never post anything about yourself, you never talk about your accomplishments, post this on facebook!" She was right, I needed to be proud of where I have come and how much I have accomplished to date. I think I have been waiting until I get to my ideal "stage" ready state before I share my stuff and that's isn't the point is it………it's to share the journey!

I guess it has been 8 crazy, wonderful, exhausting, and rewarding months so far. I look forward to the future and all that will come with that. Until then I will keep pushing forward, I will keep updating everyone and if you haven't been taking the time for yourself - YOUR TIME IS NOW! Start doing something that makes you happy and share your journey!

Wonder Woman

Some days it actually feels like I am wonder woman - I wonder how I even accomplish what I do in a day - in a day. Here is a typical day for me - 

5:30am - Wake up 

7:00am - Start work - I have a 1/2 hr drive to work each way

3:30pm - Leave work - run any quick errands in the city before heading home

4:30pm - GYM - 

6:30pm - If all went well I'm leaving the gym

6:30-7:30pm - Making dinner / eating / cleaning up dishes, etc

7:30-8:30pm - Prepping for the next day - driving girls where ever and picking them up if needed

8:30-10:30pm - Misc stuff like laundry, cleaning up house, chatting with girls, garbage out, hot tub checked, oh did the grass get cut? What about getting the groceries and lunches and folding the laundry and killing the spiders and setting traps for the mice - really - YEP - welcome to my world and that is just a piece of it. 

10:30-11:00 - Try to be in bed and check emails, etc and rest to do it all again the next day :)

So here it is - if I can do it - so can you - I am not complaining here, I am simply pointing out how crazy my life is and to some degree it has been my choice but when there is a will there is a way! So wonder woman I am.

 Here's to all the wonder women out there - keep pushing forward - the sacrifice will be worth it!

Willpower

Willpower is a very strong tool, however you do have to be ready for change. I could not stand where I am today a year ago or even 10 years ago. I wasn't ready and I was not going to make that change. I knew I wanted more from my fitness but wasn't willing to put the time, effort, dedication, and sacrifice in to get the results I wanted. Therefore, I got the results I worked for and that wasn't much. I seemed to yoyo like most people, down 10 then back up 12 then down 15 and up 10 - back and forth driving myself crazy along the way. I wished for the body I wanted everyday but I never woke up with it. 

One day something changes or you just have enough of saying and thinking and you decide to start doing - I said I would quit smoking - when I decided to quit - I quit - I was ready for change and I then had the willpower to not start again. I then decided to get into the best shape of my life and finally get strong and healthy - the stage is a goal - I needed to push myself to new levels of fitness and train harder than ever before. If I wanted it - I needed to change. 

I have people come to me now and ask me or comment on my willpower and how do I do this and how could I change my life so much and can I help them, etc. I always say the same things, YES I will help anyway I can, this level of fitness is not for everyone, you need to be ready and willing to change and make the sacrifices in order to be successful. If they are willing to change then anything is possible. I am just a regular person like you and putting in the blood, sweat, and tears ( oh yes tears - today I was a little weepy - it was leg day) you can achieve anything, weight loss, toning, build strength, and even compete on stage. 

So this really is the truth - people are not better than you or have more willpower than you - they have just embraced the change and you can too!

Family First

Thanksgiving weekend up at brothers cottage has started to become a tradition. I have to be very honest when I say it's the last place I want to go - why u ask - cause it's great food - booze - no gym - I'll be right off my program - I'll be tempted to eat chocolate - Oreos - pies - potatoes - bacon - Etc - etc -etc. 

Well this is where we need to be - family - together eating crap - playing games - laughing at papa - enjoying the amazing fall trees as they shower us with leaves. This weekend the gym doesn't matter - it will be there Monday- my diet is suffering a little but it won't kill me. The memories that we will all have together and remember is what's really important- Family is always first!

Only the strong survive

It seems like forever since I blogged and its amazing how the times flies by. I wanted to be able to express to everyone how I have felt every step of the way and I guess the last few months have been very busy and very difficult as well. 

I am still strong on the road to the stage but August had a few minor setbacks - one being a music festival in Lucknow and the other was an annual camping trip with my entire family and friends. So what that means is the diet suffers a bit. Had some drinks and some bad - but good food. 

Here is what I didn't expect - the guilt - the guilt that comes with that is terrible. I felt like I had to do more cardio and extra long days to repair what I thought was damage I was doing. It is such a mental game. 

My coach describes this journey to the stage perfectly - he says - It's a marathon, not a sprint - and I am a sprinter let me tell you and it is hard to just know that this takes a long time and tons of sacrifice to get there. So for the last few months there hasn't been alot to say except the same meal plan and still following the program at the gym, I think I was getting lost in all of it a bit and not feeling the direction that I wanted to feel.

That brings me to today and I am on a new 12 week sub-preshow prep and this changed my diet and programming so it has brought me back to life. I have completed the first week and I won't lie - it was hell - sore everywhere and wanting to give up a few times but this is when I realized that maybe I have used up all my weak and all that is left is STRONG!