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! 

Progress

So it's very hard to post a progress picture when your not "there" yet but this just shows the progress along the way. So as off Aug.1 - I'm down 20lbs and my body fat is now at 17%. Weight is 135. I guess weight really doesn't matter and my coach doesn't go by weight or measurements - he goes by look - however after 4 months I wanted to see where I was. I won't get on the scale again for another 12 weeks then I'll update again. It is amazing to visually see the change - it's hard to see when it's my body. The hard work and clean eating is paying off and I look forward to my new program that is coming next week :)

PUSH

This road is not an easy one and you have to constantly PUSH yourself. You push through the hurt, push through the tears, push through the setbacks, push through the good days and push through the bad ones. It seems all I do is push and push, however things are happening. I have been off the scale and no weigh-ins or measurements for some time so I can't update you with my results but I can say this, I feel good, I know I have lost weight and I have tightened up forsure. I have people telling me all the time now that they can see the results. They see the muscle definition and the loss of weight. I think it is harder for me to see a huge transformation because I see myself daily but I can see the shape in my arms, shoulders, and legs - oh and abs are really coming - 4 pack and working on the 6 - lol. My next weight and measurements I'll be sure to post however I don't really know when my coach is going to do that. My advice is even if you have a week or two where you don't feel or see any results just PUSH through it and PERSIST UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS!