Standing Still

I got an email this morning from SparkPeople and loved this quote. I love this saying because I think there's even more meaning with weight loss and fitness goals. Sometimes even standing still is better than quitting or going backward and gaining weight back. Sometimes standing still, maintaining weight loss and fitness goals, is tough!!!! It appears that is where America fails....we can ALL lose weight but can we keep it off? Can we stand still and maintain our weight loss? That still takes a lot of work and effort (and self control)! That still takes exercise and a maintanence level of calories.

For me, I'm struggling with how slowly the progress is happening but that's what happens when you lose it for good! When you lose it the right way it takes time. When you lose fat and not muscle it's a slow process! I'm working hard and succeeding at enjoying the process....I hope you can too!!!

Inspiration.....Me???

June 18, 2009 ~ in a hotel for work....excuse the background!
Please also forgive the morning hair and no makeup ~ it was 6 am and this is right after getting out of bed at my hotel (I was traveling for work)!

I was at the gym the other day and a man asked me a question about working out....this happens now and then. I usually refer people to the BFL book or answer their questions about what I do, if it relates or if I can give a short answer. This time, though, he said to me that he works out harder when I am in the gym because he always sees me busting my a$$!!!

Me??? Inspiring others to work harder in the gym??!!! That is the coolest thing!!!! So, think of that while you're in the gym ladies, even if others don't say it....they may be thinking it! It's nice to know that not only am I doing a great thing for myself by being at the gym, but to know that I may be motivating others while there is just icing on the cake...no, no icing at the gym :(.

I'm pretty happy with my results so far with Lean Bodies Consulting. I wish they had come faster, of course. And, I feel like had I worked harder or been stricter with my diet or cheats that it would have come faster. Regardless, I'm looking forward to the next few weeks of continued results during this cut. Thanks so much for all of your support! I truly appreciate it.

And, the BFL Challenge that I organized for the wives is starting on Monday!!!! If anyone wants to join with us for the fun of doing a challenge, it starts Monday, June 22, 2009!!!

Progress Pics - Another 2 weeks

Left June 4 * Right June 18

Left May 21 * Middle June 4 * Right June 18

I added an extra picture because of my "stance" I changed it from week to week by accident!

I apologize for the background in these images...I was out of town for business when I took them. I had to adapt. I did the best I could without a camera tripod, using the counter in the hotel room!

I am so excited about my results this 2 weeks. I really see that my waist is trimming. My thighs are leaning out a bit, but I have a ways to go before my jeans will fit. I'm still one size up in my jeans and pants for now. I'm getting much closer though and I'm pretty confident that I will be able to wear my pants again once I lean out. I know I have bulked up a lot in my lower half but I'm hoping that I still have a lot of fat to lose so I can wear my old clothes again soon!!!

I was really worried about my results this week because after my cheat meal last Saturday (full of carbs and sugar as usual) I gained 9, yes NINE, pounds overnight. I'm sure it was only water weight but I've never heard of NINE POUNDS OVERNIGHT!!! Every day after, it was slowly coming down, 2-3 pounds a day but part of my brain said, OMG...I ruined it in one meal!!! I talked to my trainer and he's perplexed as well, it seems. He thinks it might be hormonal....he's probably right! The human body, especially the female body, is amazing!!!

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Cottonelle Puppy Gets Pampered commercial

As the proud owner of a "retriever" I have to admit that I love all ads and commercials with retrievers in them....labs or goldens. So, when I saw this commercial I thought it was adorable. I know it has nothing to do with Fitness but it has something to do w/ me...FITori :)

Israeli woman mistakenly junks $1 million mattress

By IAN DEITCH, Associated Press Writer Ian Deitch, Associated Press Writer – Wed Jun 10, 3:32 pm ET

JERUSALEM – An Israeli woman mistakenly threw out a mattress she said had almost $1 million inside, setting off a frantic search through tons of garbage at a number of landfill sites on Wednesday. The woman told The Associated Press that she bought her elderly mother a new mattress as a surprise present on Monday — and threw out the old one.

The next day, she said, she remembered that she had hidden her life savings inside the old mattress. "I woke up in the morning screaming, when it hit me what happened," said the Tel Aviv woman, who asked not to be identified.

She went to look for the mattress, but it had already been hauled away by garbage collectors, she said. Searches at three different landfill sites turned up nothing.

She said the money was in U.S. dollars and Israeli shekels. She refused to say how she acquired such a large sum. "It was all my money in the world," she said. There was no way to verify her claims, and she refused to disclose key details.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said he was not familiar with the case and no report had been filed.

The Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot published a picture of the woman searching through garbage at a dump in southern Israel. The picture shows the woman, dressed in a white top and black pants with her back to the camera, picking through a huge pile of trash that fills the frame about 10 feet (3 meters) in all directions.

Yitzhak Borba, the dump manager, told Army Radio that his staff was helping the woman, saying she appeared "totally desperate." He said the mattress was hard to find among the 2,500 tons of garbage that arrives at the site every day.

He said he increased security at the site to keep would-be treasure hunters away.

The woman said the money had been stashed in a mattress because she had had "traumatic experiences with banks" in the past. She would not elaborate.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090610/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_million_dollar_mattress

My Hair Throughout the Years

Childhood 1

Childhood 2

Childhood 3

Middle School

High School 1

High School 2

High School 3

High School 4

College 1

College 2

College 3

College 4

College 5

Engagement Pics ~ Summer 2004

Wedding ~ September 2004

2005

2005 - 2006 A

2005 - 2006 B

January 2008

February 2008

March / April 2008

Summer 2008 A

Summer 2008 B

Fall 2008 A

2008 - 2009

I have a friend from college who did an album like this and it was the coolest thing!! I wanted to do the same, but as always, I'd LOVE feedback from you ladies!! What do you think on length and color? I'm thinking I need to keep growing my hair out for my competition next year. I also think that with a tan on stage, that blond will be the best. I also plan to stick with my curls on stage, because that's me! What about with my pale skin??!!! Should I stick with my natural color or add some more blond? I added some blond but feel like I need to add more blond to make it show up with my curls. Keep in mind the tan vs pale differences when critiquing the images!

Body For Life

I know I have posted on BFL before but I am re-reading it again this time for my BFL Fitness Challenge that I'm doing for the wives in our squadron!!! As I was re-reading it last night, I realized that I didn't do a great Book Review or "Cliffs Notes" post (as my BFF calls my book posts) so I thought I would b/c there are some GREAT "cliffs notes" pages in his book that give an idea of what you'll get if you buy this book. I plan to get used copies for each girl who participates in the BFL Challenge...they're as low as $4 online at Amazon.com!!! You can't beat that!

Life I said before about BFL, it has all you need! It gives you the motivation to do it through the stories and before and after pics, then it teaches you a bit about how to get your head in the game. Next, you learn the tools of nutrition and exercise! It's so easy and it is for beginners and experienced athletes. This book is fantastic....and you can even do the workouts from home if you have some dumbbells and a treadmill or can run outside. The cardio is only TWENTY MINUTES!

This book is how I started my LOVE for fitness, nutrition and health and I hope that it can give others the tools they need to start on the path to a healthy and fit BODY FOR LIFE!!!

Preface: Real-World Proof
"Don't let anybody tell you that you can't do it. You can. It's up to you. Decide to do it and follow through."

Forward: The Promise
No matter who you are, no matter what you do, you absolutely, positively do have the power to change.

Part I: The Breakthrough

This section is great because it shares stories that you can relate to that will motivate you to begin the work it takes. I just picked one at random....

You can see hundreds of BFL Before and Afters here...

http://bodyforlife.com/success/beforeAfterAfters.asp

Part II: Crossing the Abyss
This is the section that mentally prepares you for the challenge. In sports psychology (I know very little) I learned that there are stages we go through when deciding to start a fitness regime. One of those phases is preparing yourself mentally that you can and will do this! Bill Phillips is a straight shooter and I think all of us need that when it comes to getting real with ourselves about what we're doing and what we are capable of doing!

There is a world of difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it.

• Make the decison to change.
• Identify your reasons to change and write them down.
  
• Focus on your future vision.
• Dream of what you would like to achieve within 12 weeks.
  
• Transform five of those dreams into goals by giving them a deadline, a way to measure them, and writing them down.
• Identify three unauthorized patterns of action that may hold you back and write them down.
• Identify three new patterns of action that will help you reach your goals and write them down.
• Read what you've writen first thing in the morning and again at night each and every day during your 12-week Program.

Part III: Separating Myth From Fact

He goes into enough detail in the book to give you a great deal of info on each of the following....

• Myth: Aerobics is better for shaping up than weight training.
  
• Fact: To transform your physique, you must train with weights.

• Myth: If you exercise, it doesn't matter what you eat.
• Fact: If you exercise, it matters even more what you eat.

• Myth: If women lift weights, they'll get "bulky."
  
• Fact: Resistence exercise helps women create lean, toned bodies.

• Myth: Weight training is only for young athletes.
  
• Fact: People of all ages should be weight training.

• Myth: Muscles grow while you're working out.
  
• Fact: Muscles grow whiel you're resting and recuperating.
  

• Myth: A certain number of sets and reps gets the job done.
  
• Fact: High-intensity effort produces the best results.
  

• Myth: Eating right means three "square meals: a day.
  
• Fact: Eating six nutritious meals a day is the right way!

• Myth: People who overeat lack willpower.
  
• Fact: Overeating is a natural instinct.
  

• Myth: High-carbohydrate, low-fat diets work best.
  
• Fact: People are becoming fat from a "carb overdose"

• Myth: You have to count every calorie you eat.
• Fact: You should count "portions," not calories.

• Myth: If you "eat right," you don't need to take supplements.
  
• Fact: Studies show many of us do need to take supplements.
  

• Myth: You need to drink water only when you are thirsty.
  
• Fact: Your body needs more water than it's telling you.
  

• Myth: You have to eat "perfectly" all the time.
  
• Fact: There's no such thing as eating "perfectly."

Part IV: The Training-for-LIFE Experience

The following tracking forms can be found on the body for life website.

http://bodyforlife.com/exercise/journals.asp

• Weight train, intensely, for no more than 46 minutes, three times per week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Perform 20 minutes of aerobic exercise, first thing in the morning on an empty stomach (I don't think that's absolutely necessary -FITori), three times per week: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Take Sunday off - it's your free day.
• Alternate training the major muscles of the upper body and lower body. For example, the first week, train upper body on Monday, lower body on Wednesday, and upper body on Friday. The second week, train lower body on Monday, upper body on Wednesday, and lower body on Friday. (See chart above).
• Perform two exercises for each major muscle group of the upper body, which includes: chest, shoulders, back, triceps, and biceps; and for the lower body: quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. Train the abdominal muscles after lower body.
• Select one exercise for each muscle group and conduct five sets, starting with a set of 12 reps, then increasing the weight and doing 10 reps, adding more weight and doing eight reps, adding more weight for six reps. Then reduce the weight, do 12 more reps, and immediately go to another set of 12 reps of another exercise for that muscle group.
  
• On all lifts, use a cadence of two seconds (say "I am building my Body-for-LIFE") to lower the weight and one second (say "Body-for-LIFE") to lift it, and "hold" in the top and bottom positions for a count of "one."
• For each muscle group, rest for one minute between the first four sets. Then complete the final two sets with no rest in between. Wait two minutes before moving on to your next muscle group. Complete this pattern five times for the upper body training experience and four times for the lower body training experience.
  
• Follow the Intensity Index pattern and push yourself to reach higher every week.
  
• Always plan your training beforehand. Plan what time you're going to exerices, which particular exercises youl'l be doing, how much weight youll be lifting, and how long it will take you to complete the session. Also, keep accurate records using the Training-for-LIFE Experience Daily Progress Reports (as shown above and found on the link above as well).

Part V: The Eating-for-LIFE Method
When you nourish your body with pure energy, you transfor from the inside out.

• Eat six small meals a day, one every two to three hours.
• Eat a portion of protein and carbohydrates with each meal.
  
• Add a portion of vegetables to a t least two meals daily.
  
• A portion is the amount of an authorized food approximately the size of the palm of your hand or your clenched fist.
  
• Consume one tablespoon of unsaturated oil daily or three portions of salmon per week.
  
• Drink at least 10 cups of water a day.
  
• Use performance-nutrition shakes if necessary to mkae sure you're consuming optimal levels of required nutrients.
  
• Plan your meals in advance, adn record what you eat, using the Eating-for-LIFE Method Daily Progress Reports (shown above and available at the link provided above).
  
• Plan your grocery list.
  
• Once a week, on your free day, eat whatever you want.
  

Part VI: Staying on Course
Life, the ultimate challenge, is not a race to the finish but rather a process of continual growth.

• Expect adversity and be prepared to transform obstacles into energy.
• Honor self-promises by finishing what you start.
  
• Harness the power of positive pressure by embracing challenges.
  
• Focus on progress, not perfection in order to build confidence.
  
• Practice the Universal Law of Reciprocation by giving unselfishly.
  
• Let our Body-for-LIFE Support Team help you succeed.
  

Afteword: The Gateway
The Dream: Change the world...one life at a time.
The Goal: Transform one million Bodies-for-LIFE by 12/31/01.

Appendix A: Questions and Answers

Appendix B: Terms and Jargon

Appendix C: Exercise Guide
This is an exceptional guide to exercises. You can get an exercise ball and a set of dumbbells and do this workout completely at home, with a few occasional gym visits to change it up if needed. This book gives you ALL of the info you need!!!

Appendix D: Daily Progress Reports

Appendix E: Real-Life Success Stories

Dad surprises daughter with return from iraq

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

You all may know that my husband is in the Air Force....I saw this and just LOVED IT!!! And, had to share.

PROGRESS PICS - Another 2 weeks

Excuse the red tummy on my pic on the right from today...I took it right after I got out of bed, hence not showing my face!! :) I do see a wee bit of a difference in my stomache looking a bit flatter! Only time will tell.....keeping it up!!!

Photos on the LEFT were taken 2 weeks ago, today, on 5.21.09 and the ones on the RIGHT were taken today 6.4.09

This has been a crazy week so I apologize for my photos this week sucking!! My BFF suggested that i get a camera tripod...it's on my list of things to go get but haven't done it yet. So, like the past few weeks I have been stacking up books on a dresser and making it work. So, I apologize for the pics being a bit of different sizes this week and my side shot was a different stance also - leg out vs in! Sorry! You can see that there was a bit of a difference though. I had an extra cheat meal last week due to circumstance (those of you who know me personally know what was going on...but not internet-worthy info). And, this week LBC changed up my workouts and diet and "kicked it up a notch" which is awesome! I know I will see even better results coming up!!! I'm excited! The numbers on the scale and the measurements are not that drastic, but I feel and look better. I'm still gaining muscle mass and getting stronger while I am also cutting...so it is the best of both worlds!!!

Courage

Enough said....This was out of the June 2009 Oxygen Magazine

Preparing mentally for the work out

I love this image and think it's a great idea for a pic of me at some point....but I think it shows in one image what she is thinking, mentally preparing for her next lift. To me, she is "talking" to herself saying something like... "You rock!" "You're a beast!" "Light weight" "This is easy" "You can do it" She is getting mentally prepared to lift more than she ever has before.

Take the time to spend 10 seconds before your next set to get mentally prepared and syked up for the next lift!!

YOU ROCK!!!!

Naturally Thin

I have mixed emotions about this book, like many other friends and bloggers. But, like ANY how-to book or political book, for example....I don't think we have to agree with every word in the book in order to pull something from it to apply to our lives or to learn something. So, my opinion on this book is that it is well worth the read, but you have to look past some things in the book to get to the part that is relevant and applicable to your life.

To be honest, also, I did not read the second half of the book, which is the first week's plan on her "diet" because I am working with a trainer and can't apply this diet to my life yet anyway. I AM trying to apply some of Bethenny's principles to my life as I am working on "healthy eating habits." I am working on a healthy relationship with food and some of the items in this book have helped give me a great perspective on some aspects of food and eating.

I think some of the aspects of this book are a bit obsessive and I've heard that the last half of the book has Bethenny eating so little that it's almost sickening. I also do NOT envy her physique. As you have all seen on my blog, the ideal body type that I envy and am striving for is muscular, strong and lean, not skinny fat! BUT, that doesn't mean that she doesn't have some principles that apply to my life and my relationship with food.

She has some great "Heavy Habits" and "Naturally Thin Thoughts" that are neat and though provoking. She also has some great recipes in her book that I have yet to try but will blog about them after I try them!

As you can see on Amazon under the Table of Contents, the Rules are as follows:
1. Your Diet Is a Bank Account
2. You Can Have It All, Just Not All at Once
3. Taste Everything, Eat Nothing
4. Pay Attention
5. Downsize Now!
6. Cancel Your Membership in the Clean Plate Club
7. Check Yourself before You Wreck Yourself
8. Know Thyself
9. Get Real
10. Good For You

Some great quotes from the book that I have highlighted for myself...

* "I don't believe in eating mediocre food just because it will supposedly make you thinner. It won't. We should all aknow that by now" (p. 4)
I apply this to my cheat days when I don't waste my cheat meals on anything I'm not truly craving.

* "They [Europeans] value food more than Americans do, but obsess about it less." (p. 11)
I find this interesting because I find that those of us who try to stray from the American way of eating are looked at like we're crazy though other countries have discovered that there is a better way to eat and a healthier relationship with food exists.

*I LOVE her "Point of Diminishing Returns" (p. 28) "The point of diniminshing is what I call that point when a bite you take isn't quite as good as the bite before it." I am really working hard on apply this and I have been successful with some things....but not my trigger foods (more on that in a later blog entry on food addiction).

* "Pick what you want, what you really want most, and enjoy it." (p. 35)

* "If I can't stop thinking about it, I probably want it, so I decide to have a small portion. The key is that I decide to have it. I'm in control...If you decide you really want somethikng, then indulge. Otherwise, you will eventually rebel against the unfair restrictions you are putting on yourself, and you'll end up eating twice the calories you would have eaten otherwise. But (here's the key), when you do indulge, really enjoy yourself....And if you don't stop? Give yourself a break. Shrug it off. Chalk it up to experience, and move on." (p. 36-7)

* She spends a lot of time in chapter 3 talking about Italy and their eating habits. It is so interesting! Americans use fat-free and sugar substitutes, while Italians use real sugar and full fat millk but they don't eat the quantities that we do! And, the idea that I don't have to finish everything shouldn't be that hard for me to grasp but IT IS!!! I have to work very hard at this one!

* It's a give and take...I have often said that I don't choose to drink because I'd rather have dessert and it's the same principle applied in her book.

* "(Celebrity Secrets) To me, it makes a whole lot more sense (and costs a whole lot less money) to eat right every day. Then you never need to go to such extremes." (p. 46) It's true that it'd be WAY better to maintain your weight rather than splurge and gain 10 pounds and hate yourself and then diet that 10 pounds off, be happy with reaching your goal and then going back to eating everything in sight and gaining weight again. This is a goal for me to work on...maintenance!

* Conscious Eating....spend time preparing beautiful food, take time to take your food and enjoy it, chew your food, be ok with being a food snob, sit down and enjoy your food.

* Downsizing your food says it all....I have to work on this when it comes to filling a plate or bowl with more food than I need because I'm starving or it looks good. "There is never any reason to eat a huge oversized portion of anything. There is never any reason to stuff yourself until you feel sick." (p. 65)

* A great point that she made is how you disrespect your dinner guests (meaning ME) when the food comes and I am so obsessed with the food! "If you focus on your friends and having a good time, you'll focus less on the food." (p. 67) It's a great point!!! "HEAVY HABIT: Are you a person who stops everything the second the food arrives and focuses entirely on eating? Well, stop it. It's just rude, for one thing. And think about it: is food really that important? You can relish and enjoy every bite of your food without acting as if you are having hte last meal of your life. If you focus on the company, the conversation, the environment, the atmosphere, and having a calm and relaxing time, you will have a much better experience, and enjoy your food even more. Balance your dining experience. It's not all about the food." (p. 80) [bold/underline added by FItori].

* My favorite chapter, I think, is the one on binge eating. I have recently realized that I have a "food addiction" towards certain foods and "binge" on those particular, favorite foods. I plan to blog on that later.

* "improve your relationship with food, so you never have to waste another day immersed in negative thoughts. I want you to be able to enjoy food and not be chained to it like a prisoner. It is posible to get there. I know, becuase I did it." (p. 92)

* "I was also obsessed with food. I used it for comfort and to dull strong emotions. It took me a long time to realize that food was not my friend or my enemy...It's also not your girlfriend who will always be there for you when you are feeling stressed out, depressed, or emotional. It doesn't love you and it doesn't hate you. It's food...I always know I can stop, and I always know tehre will be plenty of other chances to eat french fries again. I quit my bad habit by recognizing that it's OK to eat, but it's not OK to hurt myself with food. Binging is self-lothing, anxiety producting, and bloating, with no upside." (p. 93-5)

* "It's a great feeling when you first learn how to stop binging, especially when you recognize that you are in the situation where you might have binged, but didn't. When you can taste something good and stop, or when you decide not to eat at a certain moment because you are particularly anxious, or when you learn to fill up on healthful food first and they calmly and happily enjoy something that once would have triggered a binge, you'll know you've made a huge step in the right direction." (p. 96)

* "Obsess about more important things--cleaning your house, wearing a great outfit,...long-distance running,...or whatever it is." (p. 96) This is so true! I'm learning to put the focus on things that are SO much more important! It has been freeing to me to have a plan written by LBC so that I just follow it and quit obsessing over what to eat, when, how much, etc!

* "It's time for you to make your own peace with food. The journey toward a healthy relationship with food can start today, but it won't end today. Be kind to yourself, and if you slip up and wreck yourself with a binge, forgive yourself so that you don't make it any worse. Step back and look at where you are going and what role you want food to play in your life, and then gently return to thep ath." (p. 97)

* "You can't be a size zero when you are six feet tall." (p. 101) Hello! Why don't tall girls realize this??!! We will never be 100 pounds!!! Our 145 pounds is shorter girls' 125 or whatever!

* KNOWING YOUR TRIGGERS!!! This is a huge one for me. I'm learning I have a few dessert triggers that I simply cannot control myself around! I tried on one of my cheat meals to see if I could handle it b/c I have done really well with a lot of items during my cheat meals, but I'm learning that there are some that I cannot control myself around. I did not beat myself up!!! I learned this lesson about myself and may try again later down the road.

* "One person might not be able to keep chocolate in the house because she knows she can't possibly control how much chocolate she eats. Another might be able to keep it in the house with no problem because the simple recognition that chocolate is OK is enough to put the brakes on. Which one are you?" (p. 103)

* I get made fun of for this all the time.....I have portion-controled baggies of foods in my pantry. It's a great way to watch your portions!

* "If you follow the ten rules, you'll be able to participate in anything life thows at you without fear that you are breaking your diet." (p. 137)

Order Naturally Thin from Amazon.com

New Monica Brant Photo Shoot

As you all know, Monica Brant placed a whopping 6th at the Arnold!! But, these are some of the amazing photos she took around that same time. Talk about inspiration!!!!

Boden

I started getting these catalogs and I like the clothing...it's kind of like J Crew. I wasn't sure if you all had started receiving these catalogs yet. They're a bit pricey, but like everything....they do go on sale.

Bodenusa.com

Believe in yourself and all that you are

Last page of the May 2009 issue of Oxygen Magazine

A smaller you. In a much bigger world.

Forget that it's a Hydroxycut ad and read the text...think it at the gym and BE THE PERSON YOU IMAGINE YOURSELF TO BE.

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