I started yoga after I competed back in November 2009. Competing was a wonderful experience, but there was also a lot I did wrong. After the shows I was definitely burned out and looking for something new. Whatever higher power you believe in must have been watching out because I stumbled into yoga, the type just right for me at just the right time. Two years later and I seriously can not imagine where I would be without it! Maybe that sounds melodramatic to some, but I know many of you know exactly what I mean. I can say without a doubt that it has made me a better person. It has made me more compassionate, caring, better able to deal with stress, self-confident, empowered, I could go on and on. Really amazing stuff.

So how can yoga, a practice that is both physical and spiritual, and all about non-judgement and not competing be anything like a sport where you push yourself completely to the limit, then get up on stage 95% naked, covered in spray tan, in clear hooker heals and get judge strictly on your appearance? Easy.. they both challenge me and make me a stronger person physically and mentally.. and I love them both. It hasn’t always been that way.. let me explain..

I ran across this quote in Meditations from the Mat and it completely hit home. What I’d been feeling lately, a connection and easy synch between fitness and yoga, was put into words..

Doing your best is taking the action because you love it, not because you’re expecting a reward. Most people do exactly the opposite; They only take action when they expect a reward, and don’t enjoy the action. That is why they don’t do their best. …

Our experience of life is like that of a trapeze artist–but instead of rings, we swing from one intense attachment to the next. We begin asana practice with an eye to the results. [When you start seeing results], a whole new world is presented to us. Why not hope for more of the same? Because it is in this hoping that we lose sight of the true beauty we have discovered.

We are finding that the only result worth achieving is being here now. All other positive outcomes are by-products of our present-moment awareness. To be attached to the results, be they a tighter bum or a better triangle pose, is to place the cart before the horse and to miss the point. Eventually we will find this striving unrewarding… The alternative–doing your best as an expression of your love for life.

For quite a while I thought that if I wanted to lift weights and compete that I’d be a “bad yogi.” And not going to lie, I got plenty of not-so-positive feedback (some in friendly conversation, some not as sought) from a couple yoga teachers. Yoga had won me over 100% and as I’ve discussed, I’m never one to only “test the waters.” I throw myself in!  So you can image, hearing negative feedback about fitness from people who I really looked up to created more than a little internal conflict.

What’s ironic is that I’ve probably experience more competitive people in the yoga studio than I ever have at the gym.

But let me back up. What I now see as fantastic similarities and connections between fitness and yoga has definitely not always been. Really it’s yoga that has changed how I approach fitness.

It’s Not a Lie.. It Really is the Journey

In 2009 when I was getting ready to compete, it was ALL about the end goal. I was training solely to get on that stage and check an item off my bucket list. When you focus your energy that hard on something, and have complete tunnel vision (like I tend to when I set my eyes on a goal), a lot of things tend to get sacrificed. With sacrifice, sometimes comes a bit of resentment. It didn’t seem like it at the time.. by hindsight ya know.. And when you realize what you sacrificed in order to reach that goal, then the end result becomes even more important. You (ok me) think, “If I gave up this and that and this and that.. then I better win, or none of those sacrifice would have been worth it”.. in the immortal social media words of 2011.. #fail! When it’s all about the end goal, the purpose starts to get lost. I even remember someone asking me why I decided to compete.. and I was at a loss for an answer. How can you put so many hours into something, spend a lot of time being hungry, a lot of money, loose and semblence of a social life and not be sure why? I know, I know..

So it took a couple years of being confused about the whole thing.. and a lot of down dogs..

The actually competition is such a small part of what fitness is all about for me.

Now.. I love yoga more than ever.. I love weight training more than ever.. I love being part of a team of amazing and inspiring women, and I look forward to competing again (FAP Lonestar), and may again (TX Shredder) and perhaps again (FAP Universe)..

The difference? The REALLY BIG DIFFERENCE.. it’s no longer about the stage. Getting on stage is just an added bonus during the process. It’s a fun weekend in Galveston and/or Miami. It’s not the goal, not at all. The goal is to remember each day I step on my yoga mat, each time I go to workout, and when I’m panting for breath during a functional workout (I must look hilarious and a complete wreck to anyone watching), that I get to. That I get to do that. That I’m healthy enough, that I have the time and money to get to workout, to play with new inversion, travel hours just to cheer for friends competing, and go to ridiculously amazing yoga events, and share it all with even more amazing people.

I feel so fortunate to have now found yoga teachers who are supportive of me in every way. And I think that’s helped me realize that these two “hobbies” of mine aren’t so mutually exclusive. At the same time I’ve met some of the most selfless, caring, loving and giving people I’ve ever known through fitness competitions. I don’t do yoga to be better at fitness or to be more flexible, and I certainly don’t lift in order to be able to hold a handstand longer.. I do both, because I love both.. that’s all that really matters.

*Added after Publishing Friday night:

It’s funny, today (Saturday) during yoga, the teacher said something along the lines of “isn’t it a miracle how people come into our lives just when we need them. They may not stay long but it’s a miracle that it happens.”

I laughed to myself and thought about what I had written and published in this post. I was feeling a little uncomfortable that what I had written may have come off not as positive as I meant it to. I am very grateful for each an every yoga teacher (and fitness trainer for that matter) that I’ve had, because I know that’s exactly what I needed at that time. I’m probably at such a great place with yoga & lifting because I took that break, and being exposed to different perspectives, whether I agree or not is something I value very much as well. Hope that makes sense.. Promise a not-so-serious, mostly likely recipe-post next 

Because why wouldn’t you do handstands in the middle of a hotel lobby, on a beach in Costa Rica, while wearing a halter top, after a couple margaritas.. ?! Yes yes, and after not putting enough sunscreen on that day…

So I hardly talked about Fitness.. or Nutrition for that matter in the last post.. generally a focus of the blog, given the name and all . But as Averie always says, it’s a blog about life!

FITNESS

So it seems I’ve pretty much made the complete switch from using Yoga as a supplement for traditional “fitness” (in the competitive sense) and weight training, to using cardio and intermittent weight training as a supplement for Yoga!

So how’d all that happen? Well I guess I’ve come a long ways. Basically I finally said “screw it”.. I’m just going to do what I want and enjoy it. Because the truth is, I always kind of felt like a Fitness fake.. ok let me explain.

I love working out.. that’s for absolute certain. The feeling after a great Spin class or Leg workout is pretty awesome. But I was never one of those people who would be so excited to hit shoulders & back.. and say afterwards “ahh I killed it!” haha.. I like lifting, but I think I probably always liked the end result more than the actual process. It’s the same with Fitness competitions. I love the actual competitions and the amazing people you meet along the way, but the actual process of getting there.. not really all that awesome. There were lots of days I went to work out because I felt I “had” to if I wanted to reach an end goal (and I’m crazy competitive & stubborn), not because I really wanted to that day.

A Funny Group

Fitness competitors are a funny group when prepping for a show. I think few people will say “yes I just love being hungry all the time, so exhausted I can hardly move, being bitchy to everyone and having a non-existent social life!” BUT I think at the same time there is a sense of accomplishment and feeling of slight superiority for doing those things, and putting your body through something that few people do, in order to look a certain way. But it started to bother me when I felt like all the girls around me were in a competition to see whose diet was the most ridiculous. When you see things like “I get to eat 15 almonds today, yay! And tomorrow I only get 5″ or when someone says “I’m going 7 days at <30 carbs, then one day at 600 carbs, then back to 20. Oh you’re eating 100g, oh no wonder”.. ahh what? .. okkkk. As both a really competitive person, and someone who has had past eating disorders, this was both a completely natural and completely stupid fit. But I think after my first go-around with competitions, I started to see that. I have nothing but complete respect for competitors, but if I get to choose between doing something where I love how it makes me look and something that makes me feel good, makes me healthier and makes me a better person, better able to handle the ups & downs of crazy life.. well that leads me to Yoga..

Yoga <3

So Yoga is different. I am excited and want to go to Yoga everyday! The type of yoga I love goes by all sorts of names, but I guess it’s most often called Hot Power Vinyasa. I started practicing in December 2009, after my first fitness competitions, and it wasn’t long before I’d completely fallen in love.

The problem was, that for pretty much all of 2010 I had the idea in my head that even though I wanted to focus on yoga, that I “needed” to still do all my other Fitness workouts. But I loved yoga, so I tried to add it on top of all my other workouts, and it wasn’t long before it was just too many different things to manage. It wasn’t until this January, with a new job, new attitude, and plenty of extra weight (from months of being not-s0-happy looking for a job.. and eating chocolate cake ), that I decided to stop doing what I thought I “should” do and just do what I wanted. Soon I was in the Yoga studio 5-6 days a week, absolutely loving it, eating completely clean, and starting to get in better shape.

And as you all know, the better you feel, the more you want to work out! So I was doing cardio because I wanted to, and just recently I started adding weights back in.

I’ve really developed a more consistent practice over the last 3 months, and am continually astonished by the impact it’s had on my life. Yes, with some poses, but much more so off the mat (many future posts on that!).

Who knows what the future holds.. I might compete again someday.. but right now I’m loving exactly where I’m at!

Namaste 

Oh.. I recently purchased this piece from the fabulous Eliza Lynn Tobin. Check out her shop on Etsy!

Goodness, I have so much to update you all on.. and perhaps it’s partially because it’s my birthday and people get particularly reflective on birthdays and holidays, please forgive any particular cheesiness & wordiness in this post  

Since the last time I talked to you:

• I decided competing in Figure/Fitness is not the best option for me right now
• I marked that decision by celebrating accordingly
• I saw “Eat, Pray, Love”.. loved it, laughed and cried
• I worked out
• I had a fantastic Birthday dinner and was overwhelmed by the kindness of my wonderful friends!
• I went to a lovely brunch with friends to celebrate one of my favorite MBA-ladies being back in town
• I shopped
• I baked & ate sweets
• I’ve planned the coming week’s workouts

“Your heart is free, have the courage to follow it”

Sometimes things just come together. I believe you can learn from any experience, no matter how big or how small, and from all people, no matter how kind or how .. douchey (:p.. and I was sounding so poetic for a second there). I believe that if you do your best to pay attention to these lessons and signs, that it will lead you in the right direction, or at least make you aware of goings-on and leave you open to experiences that you otherwise would have missed.

Lately I feel like a ton of different things have come together to allow me to see things in a different way, and move in a direction that in the past I may have passed by or paid no attention to.

And the truth is..

I’m not usually so.. wishy-washy.

I’ve been trying to either lose or gain (then re-lose) weight for the last 19 months. At no point during this time was I particularly under-weight or over-weight. First I decided I wanted to fulfill one of my bucket-list items, to compete in a fitness competition. It seemed like a great way to get in shape and stick to it, for my goal-oriented self. It went fantastically  From April – September I trained, slowly lost weight and gained muscle. In September I started the “competition diet” and really lost weight. The whole process taught me to appreciate food as a form of nourishment and that I feel great as long as I’m working out, regardless of the number on the scale. After the competition, I was all pumped about the idea of competing nationally, which meant putting on a lot of muscle. So I tried to gain. I’d never tried that before, and turns out (big shout out to the combination of my parents genes) I’m a pretty darn easy gainer. I joke that I look at carbs, lift a heavy weight and gain muscle. But it seems that’s sort of what happened. This spring I was working out a lot, and eating a lot and I got bigger, a lot bigger. But over all of that my body fat % really didn’t go crazy. Then I decided to compete again, which meant it was time to diet-down to lose weight for the stage.

That would be where things haven’t really gone as planned. If my body could speak I think it would say something like “hell no!”.. actually, strike that, it would probably more of a “fuck you!” haha Over the last 6 weeks my body fat % and measurements go down each week, but my weight has hardly budged. I spend 75% of the time really hungry, and at least every couple days I have spells of feeling dizzy, light-headed and just “fuzzy-brained” (not sure how else to describe it, just got really focus or think quickly). My calories are more than adequate, and my carbs are higher than they were last time I dieted-down. So as far as the “health” side of it, I should be fine.

The Alyson of yesteryear, would have been freaking out, stressing, wondering where I could cut more calories to meet my goal, ignoring and physical reactions and feeling depressed and beaten..

The Alyson of sound mind & body, thinks.. there’s probably a reason, or lots of reasons for this. The big one being that my body’s just doesn’t want to do it.. and my subconscious mind is backing my body whole-heatedly. I’ve been under 15% bf for a year, and under 10% for a quarter of that. I have a naturally muscular build, and apparently those muscle get pissed-off when I don’t give them enough food. What “enough” is I have no idea, because it can’t be determined by an equation. It’s constantly changing; that can be frustrating, but also incredibly interesting. I’m looking forward to just being.. staying at my happy place, right wear I am with weight, fitness and nutrition/food philosophy (minimal fake stuff, indulge in moderation, clean 95% of the time).

(apologies for talking in the 3rd person.. it just popped out that way on paper )

Or level-headed.

Perhaps there aren’t always reasons for things, but I’m pretty sure there’s a reason for this. The decision, in the end, came easily. I don’t feel like a quitter because I have no doubt in my mind that I could get on stage in a couple weeks, or in 6 weeks, looking just fine. And I know I’d have fun. I struggle a little bit with the thought that I’ve let people down. But I hope I haven’t. I’ll continue to workout as hard as I ever did, and eat healthier than I did before (all the additives I consume when I diet makes me cringe). And I know I’m a better person to be around; I’m energetic and can carry on a relatively intelligent conversation (unlike when I’m feeling all “fuzzy-brained” and am quite dull I assume).

Truth is, competing in a Fitness competition was a goal I’d had for a long time. I did it. It was life changing like I never could have imagined. There is an excellent chance I’ll compete again. But for now I’m happy to not be actively trying to lose or gain, but instead just be fit & lean while eating healthy & balanced.

It’s What You Do, Not Who You Are

This was a line from the movie, “Eat, Pray, Love.” I’d picked the book up at the bookstore twenty times, but never bought it for whatever reason. Well I really should have jumped on the bandwagon earlier, because I love the movie. There was so much I could related to, and many lines and scenes really struck home. I guess I can read the book now, knowing I’l like it.. but another digression..

Back in the day, I let gymnastics define who I was, and when I was done with the sport, I was completely lost for a while. That isn’t the case this time around. Fitness is something I do that’s played a significant role in shaping how I’ve grown in the last year, but it’s not who I am.

NUTRITION & FUN

So what did I eat, you wonder, after I decided to let things be and stick with my happy place..

I took myself on a date!

This is either incredibly pathetic, or completely fantastic… I’m voting completely fantastic .. I went to see “Eat, Pray, Live” then treated myself to indulgent Mexican Food.

But I wasn’t the ideal food blogger..

After the movie, I texted friends who live in the area to see if they cared to join, but it was rather last minute, and the independent chica that I am though, no worries.. of all places to meet people it’s at a restaurant bar at happy hour on a Friday!

So I went to a restaurant I’d never been to before that called itself ‘Gourmet Mexican’ and it was the perfect choice. I sat at the bar, ordered a margarita and perused the menu. Naturally I ended up striking up conversation with the folks around me, and was completely entertained.

It took me a while to decide what to get, everything sounded amazing (I’ll definitely be going back), but I settled on the Fiesta Grill Fajitas. When I ordered the bartender laughed and said “that’s a lot of food, just warning you..” I assured him he was underestimating me.. well, he ended up being right and I took home 2/3 of it, but nonetheless. It was so good!

iPhone pics..

It had: Shrimp, Chicken, Steak, Costillas, Quail and Carnitas, along with the usual Refried Beans, Rice, Sour Cream and Guacamole

I also decided Chocolate of some sort was in order. So I made these decadent & indulgent Triple Layer Brownies. You know I have a ridiculous sweet tooth, but these are so rich you really can only eat a little slice, and you are totally satisfied.

I used a TJ’s Fat-Free Brownie Mix, Fat-Free Cool Whip and Sugar-Free Pudding, but kept with real Chocolate (makes all the difference) and Peanut Butter.

And with that..

Re-cap of the Birthday weekend celebration tomorrow. Here’s a preview..

And also, a HUGE THANKS to the beautiful & inspiring Eden who send me this lovely B-day package..

I haven’t been able to find Peanut Flour at my local TJ’s so this couldn’t have been more perfect!

Pheww, I’m spending the rest of my birthday relaxing on the couch with a movie. At first I wasn’t particularly stoked about now being closer to 30 than 20, but as my mother often says, “there’s only one alternative to getting older..” and I prefer the 2nd option  25 was amazing, and 26 will be even better!

And it’s all thanks to you, my beautiful family and friends (in person & virtual)!! Thank you with all my heart!

Ok, so this accidentally became an awfully word heavy post..

First a Preview

I’d seen the various CSN Store promotions & giveaways on other blogs, but hadn’t really browsed around. I finally did, and wow, I didn’t realize they have over 200 online stores with pretty much any healthy living product (and some not so healthy, I skipped over the deep fryer) you could want, ranging from dining room sets and cookware to fitness equipment (I spent a little too much time browsing around that last one :p). Look for a product review, and subsequent recipe creations (hint hint) coming soon!

And the current going’s on..

FITNESS

Refresher

Sometimes we need little refreshers about what’s really important in life… and perhaps when pursuing such a selfish, egotistic and narcissistic ”sport” such as Physique competitions, you may need them more often (I don’t mean to offend any competitors by saying that, I am one after all.. it’s like making fun of someone with red hair & freckles.. we get teased a lot as children :p).

Nothing dramatic happened, all is wonderful in my world.. but something reminded me recently of how truly silly it is for me to ever get upset about something as meaningless as a number on the scale not going down, or whether or not a caliper measurement went down one or two millimeters this week. I mean really?! This is one of the many things I’ve been contemplating/realizing lately.. and it’s a great thing.. I’m just thankful to be able to train like I do, and it really makes me not stress quite as much about competition-prep. I can be so type-A sometimes, that I am thankful for refreshers.. they come in so many forms: talking to friends, reading blog posts and yoga.. they snap me back into what’s really important.

But with that being said.. today was..

Check-In

As of today the competition is 2.2 weeks away.. all I gotta say is, it’ll be interesting to see what happens when I cut water! Oh and don’t worry, when I “cut” water I’m still drinking more than the average person. I drink well over a gallon on a daily basis, so cutting down to half a gallon or on the last couple days, 1/4 gallon, makes a difference to me, but I’m not exactly dehydrating myself. So specifically, yet again, my weight remains the same, but my body fat % went down. It’s all relative, but for comparison purposes, my trainer had me at around 7.5% the weeks of my two shows last November (I tracked it here), and right now I am right around 8.25%. Am I really exactly 8.25%, no, of course not, but relatively speaking I’m <1% different from what I competed at last time. Weight you wonder..

Well let me say this first, I am completely 100% happy with how I look and feel right now. So this isn’t, at all, a weight complaint post, it’s more of a “what, really” post, haha… So I am actually right around 130 lbs right now.. oh I’m 5’4″. Crazy right?!  That’s up just over 12 lbs over what I was at this far out last time.

As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been going back & forth a bit with regards to whether or not I’d compete August 28th if I didn’t feel ready. Well I think I’ve decided that I will compete no matter what. I always say that I want to get on stage knowing I did everything I could do be my best up there. If my best is good enough to win, then awesome, if it’s not good enough that day, then I won’t be disappointed as long as I know that I did my best. Have a been 100% perfect on my diet the last 6 weeks.. no.. could I potentially fit in more cardio.. yes.. but have I done my best with the situation I’m in, while trying to stay as healthy as possible.. mind & body.. YES!

Over the last week I had wonderful conversations with my Dad, a close friend and my trainer over me competing in physique competitions and my future in it. I am in just such a wonderfully positive place right now, that I want to stay there, and I want to prevent any unhealthy emotions and physical issues after the show. After going to watch NPC USAs a couple weeks ago, a number of things made me think long and hard about why I do this. And I was very pleased with my conclusion.. I know I do this for all the right reasons. I have an amazing support system in the form of family, friends and all of you! I want to win of course, but for me it’s not about getting reassurance about how I look or that I’m “the best.” I truly enjoying working out, challenging myself, and especially meeting amazing people and having fun at shows. Heck I’m a Leo, and an only child at that.. there will always be a part of me that enjoys being the center of attention.. so put me in the micro-suit and give me some heals and I’ll go play on stage.. crap.. I mean that in a very, “I”m not seeking a career as a stripper” sort of way.. though they do make bank! :p I digress.. I do it because it’s fun! .. But I’d be lying like crazy if I didn’t admit that this dieting part is not fun.. no, it’s not fun at all, and I’ve definitely had a few rough moments this last week, where it all of a sudden got A LOT harder, and I seriously questioned “what the hell am I doing?” Basically, I’m hungry about 75% of the day. I’ll eat a meal, and an hour later I’m hungry again. Not “oh I could eat” hungry, but “holly crap, give me food now!” sort of hungry. It’s incredibly distracting when you’re trying to get work done, haha.. We made a couple changes to my diet today that I hope will help. After all, it’s only 2.5 weeks away, and I’m looking forward to having a blast with teammates who have worked so hard to be there!

As for after that show.. I have no idea.. maybe Ironwoman NPC, maybe Fitness American.. we shall see ..  And I’m completely ok with that.. for now..

As far as the rest of today.. I finally made it to Yoga (it’d been over a week) for a noon-time Power Hour class.. it was awesome, and just what I needed. Then there will be Spin tonight!

NUTRITION

I started making one thing, then changed my mind half-way through.. this is what I was really craving..

Savory Oats! This was 1/3 c Coach’s Steel Cut Oats mixed with 1/2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast & 1 tbsp Salsa, topped with 3.5 oz Chicken Breast, 35 g Pinto Beans and another tbsp of Salsa.. totally hit the spot

FUN

A Few Posts

Here are a few posts I’ve dug lately:

1) From Eat, Live, Run, “ELR Food Philosophy.. Again”

My comment on this post:

I think if someone glanced at my blog they would think I would be one of the ones on the other side of the fence on this one.. but that SO isn’t true! I absolutely couldn’t agree more. My biggest struggle is the moderation part. I tend to be an extremist with whatever I do and have trouble finding the off-button with sweets (alcohol, fried food, etc have never been a problem there, just sweets.. who knows why). But perhaps it’s because I do attempt to restrict myself too much. I think life is far far too short not to have a cookie when you really want one!

2) Alison Either’s, “Europa Texas on the Horizon,” talking about Fitness and it’s demands

3) And just because apparently I’m a masochist: How Sweet It Is’ “Better than Crack Brownies“

FITNESS

First an update.. yesterday was weekly Check-In day with my trainer.. and.. finally my weight dropped a couple pounds, and my body fat % when down too It’s so crazy, right now I’m only a little over a percent above what I competed at last time (which I can definitely lose in the next 3.5 weeks), but my weight is so much higher. I’ll really be cutting it close if I’m ready to compete August 28th.. but no stress.. if I don’t feel ready, I’ll just hold off till the October 2nd NPC Show, which is the federation I’m more serious about and it has fitness!

Cardio: Just a whole lot of Steady State :/ .. but it’s all good.. I’ve come peace with it, and we’ve agreed to have a cordial relationship for the time being. Today I split it into two 30 min. sessions.. it’s just so much easier to convince myself of just a quick 30 minutes, then convince myself again later that day. Plus multiple cardio sessions is a great distraction when I otherwise might want to eat things I shouldn’t haha

Weight: Yesterday was Shoulders & Back, today was Arms.. both good workout. Overall I’ve feeling pretty good strength-wise, and have only noticed a bit of a drop of with my endurance.

Beloved Support

Today I met up for coffee (though I never actually ended up getting coffee, whoops), with a friend who also competes in Figure. Having a strong support system of a training team &/or friends who have competed is a must, in my opinion, when pursuing this crazy sport. It’s just one of those experiences, that unless you’ve done it, you really can’t completely understand. I’m super thankful that most of my family & friends have been very supportive, and I value that SO much, but I know they get tired of my training & dieting rants.. or simply complaining about being hungry &/or tired (no matter how much I try to keep it at a minimum, sometimes you just have to vent!). Any who, just having people who can completely understand is so helpful, and therapeutic in getting through prep.. most recently Julie, June and Chrissy deserve a shot out for listening to me … and of course to ALL of you who are so sweet, and motivate me everyday with your encouraging comments. THANK YOU!!

NUTRITION

I love coffee, iced, hot, you name it. Since I live in pretty much the hottest place in the country, lately I’ve favored the iced version, so when I saw this at the store, I had to give it a try..

To be honest, as much as I love Starbucks Lattes and Frappuccinos, I don’t really like their drip coffee, in store or at home. I tried the Natural flavor line recently, and didn’t like that either. But I have to say, this was my favorite so far.. especially with a little Unsweetened Almond Milk, Vanilla Stevia and Sugar-Free Syrup And it will be perfect for one of my Ice Blended Fit-uccinos!

A Few of the Usuals

It’s pretty much been the usuals the last couple days, but here are the pretty highlights..

Snickerdoodle Tofu Pudding with Almonds..

A plain & simple Protein Pancake with Almond Butter and WF 0-cal Maple Syrup..

Lemon Blender Protein Ice Cream with Sugar-Free Strawberry Syrup..

Come to think of it, I’m not sure I’ve ever listed the specific blender protein ice cream recipe.. so for reference purposes

Blender Protein Ice Cream

1 scoop Protein Powder (my favorite is MGN Ice Cream Sandwich Whey Isolate)

1 c Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze

1/4 tsp Xantham Gum

1/2 tsp Guar Gum

Stevia Extract to taste

2 tbsp Sugar-Free Syrup (optional)

10 drops Capella Flavor (optional)

Ice

Toppings: Puffed Millet, High Fiber Natural Cereal, Walden Farms Syrups, Berries, etc (optional)

Mix all ingredients, except Ice, in a blender on low speed. Add a handful of Ice and blend on high/ice crush. Top with favorite ingredients.

And continuing on

Spinach Bar +

Tilapia x 2.. one with Yellow Curry and the other with Salsa..

Shirataki Noodles + Smoked Salmon + Imitation Cheesy Sauce + a dash of Mrs. Dash..

And of course Protein Almond Milk Ice Cream! This was a Caramel version (by adding 2 tbsp Walden Farms o-calorie Caramel Dip), with a Protein Cookie crumbled on top..

FUN

Ok, no lies.. I’m totally jealous of all of the people currently at BlogHer and going to the Healthy Living Summit next week.. jealousy is bad.. but wow, it looks like so much fun! Maybe next year

Before I forget, OpenSky, the host of My Shop, made big changes this last week, and it seems many products I had before have disappeared, while others I never requested have suddenly appeared. hmm, I’ve been so busy I haven’t had a chance to sort it out, so I apologize for that.. but on a positive note, there’s currently free shipping!

Movie Time

Currently watching one of my favorite childhood movies, Labyrinth.. the song ‘Dance Magic Dance’ still always makes me smile..

What were your favorite movies growing up? Besides Labyrinth I also loved ’101 Dalmations’ (the cartoon version) and the first Star Wars movie.

Any fun weekend plans? Saturday I’m planning to do a Boot Camp class, followed by Figure posing practice, then hopefully will make it to a handstand workshop & fundraiser at my Yoga studio!

So where did I leave off.. oh, I was heading to Figure Pre-Judging..

Saturday

Long day. STS has two girls competing in Figure, so we hung out while women’s bodybuilding was on, and they practiced posing. After pre-judging we headed back to the condo for a little rest time.

My roommates for this trip, one Figure and one Bikini, where so awesome! I knew them both before of course, but we’d never really hung out… and I just love these women! We had so much fun chatting (a lot about our favorite foods, haha) and just being goofy. They both have such wonderful attitudes with regards to competing, going out and giving your best, and learning from the whole process. I had the opportunity to learn a lot more about them, and was nothing but inspired.

All the competitors walk in Finals, so they headed to the venue early, and I went over a little later with my trainer and the best spray tanner ever. For Finals, all the competitors are called out by class, then they call out the top 5, then their placing. I think the whole thing took around 4.5 hours, which left plenty of time to social in the lobby :p

I was excited to meet up with a few friends I’d competed with before (check out Stephanie’s Blog, In the Fit), and Twitter friends @natalieminh and @bobby_asshurst.

Afterwards, a bunch of the team headed to dinner, where those who competed, and have been dieting hardcore for months, could enjoy a big meal! Chicken Quesadillas were ordered.. and I drooled.. haha. It smelled so good, but I stayed strong, and went with a grilled Chicken salad…

Other than that, I stuck with the meals I brought.. well that and quite a few samples of the various protein bars they had in the lobby :p

Sunday

I was up early to pack and clean up the condo a bit. Then I headed to Gold’s Gym for the HERS Muscle & Fitness Camp. After check-in they split us into 6 groups of around 10, and we went through 6 stations, staying at each for ~20 minutes. The stations were: Upper Body, Lower Body, Plyometrics, Nutrition, Presentation/Posing and Beauty. I don’t know which was my favorite.. Legs was great because it’s both my favorite thing to work and it was with Adela Garcia, a Fitness Pro whose won the Olympia 4 times, in addition to Fitness International, Europa and a ton of others. It was also really cool to chat with Nicole Wilkins-Lee who led the Plyometrics station. She’s the only person ever to win her Pro card in both Fitness and Figure in the same show.. crazy right?! Presentation/posing with really helpful as well. They had Pro-Figure (Heather Mae-French) and Pro-Bikini (Amanda Latona) women and judges who gave us pointers as we practiced posing. At the end they took a big group photo which should be in an incoming issue. It was a great event, so cool to meet some of the top pros, and all the other girls!

Back Home

I headed right from there to the airport, and all I wanted was to get on the plane so I could fall asleep :p

I mentally planned dinner on the drive home from the airport.. Shirataki Noodles with a fake cheesy sauce and 2 oz Smoked Salmon.. totally hit the shot!

Immitation Cheesy Sauce

2 tbsp Walden Farms O-calorie Onion Dip

2 tbsp Salsa

1/2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast (optional)

1/2 tbsp H20 (only needed if you use Nutritional Yeast)

Blend everything together by hand, or in a mini-blender (Magic Bullet) for a smoother texture.

And you know I’m craving Protein Almond Milk Ice Cream and a Protein Cookie.. a PB version is currently in the Ice Cream maker

FUN

I am completely honored to be the feature interview in Evolving Wellness’, Wellness In Action piece, for the month of August!

I also did a guest post over at Unmasked, where I talked a bit about what health & fitness means to me

It’s going to be a busy week.. but a great one no doubt.

How was your weekend?!

The Travels

Yesterday morning I got up around 6am to pack and make a last minute run to the grocery store to pick-up Tuna packs, and Crystal Light. With those additions my travel cooler was complete:

• 5 Diet Spinach Bars
• 6 Plain & Simple Protein Pancakes
• 6 4 oz servings of Chicken, diced
• 4 4 oz servings of Tilapia
• 3 packets of single serving Justin’s Almond Butter
• 3 packets low-sodium Tuna
• 1 packet microwaveable Oatmeal
• a whole bunch of Crystal Light
• Starbucks Via
• Sweetleaf Stevia Packets
• Sugar Cookie Tea bags
• Plain Almonds (picked up at the airport.. along with a little reading..)

I always bring a little extra, just in case.

I got into Vegas around 12:30pm and headed to the Condo to meet up with my trainer and a few teammates who are competing.

I ate this lovely mix within 3 minutes of walking in the door..

It wasn’t as good as breakfast :p..

The Show

My trainer has 4 Bikini girls, 2 Figure girls and one men’s Bodybuilder competing in the show.

Men’s Bodybuilding and Bikini Pre-judging were Friday night. For those new to the sport of Physique competitions, Pre-Judging is where they do the actual judging and Finals is just when they announce the winners and do comparisons of Overall. The different dividions (Fitness, Figure, Bikini, BB) are divided into classes by either height or weight (just for BB). On the night of Finals they announce the winners of each class, then those people compete against each other and a Overall winner is choice from those. Each national show is different, but I believe for NPC USAs the class winners of Bikini & Figure and the Overall winner of BB are given a Pro-card.

I didn’t get too many pictures yesterday, and the one’s I got where from far back.. I’ll try to do better tonight

Yeah, so these are the “smaller” guys..

The big boys..

Jammed in the car, heading back to the hotel..

Here’s a link to a recap of yesterday including pictures of all of the competitors.. http://www.musculardevelopment.com/contests/2010-usa-championships.html

I really enjoyed just taking everything in yesterday. National shows are on a completely different level. In order to compete in a national show you have to qualify from placing in the top in a regional/local show. So as you can imagine, it’s the best amateurs out there. I’m just glad I’m not a judge!

Ok.. off to cheer for the Figure girls!!

I’ll hopefully have a non-speed demon post of today’s events tomorrow.. Have a beautiful Saturday

FITNESS

So today was check-in. Like I mentioned yesterday, I was a little nervous because I really didn’t feel like, and it didn’t look like, I made much progress this week. With the increased Carbs, I noticed that I looked “fuller” and was just feel bloated all well. Well as it turns out, it was a little more of the same.. my body fat % went down (yay), weight didn’t budge (boo). I’m thankful for the positive changes, but gah, it’s frustrating. It’s great for me to be holding onto muscle, but I have to get rid of some of the weight in order for judges to see that muscle when I’m on stage. So more nutrition adjustments are being made..

Weights: Arms & Shoulders & Abs .. Chin-Ups, Tricep Push-Ups, Bench Dips, Bench Plank Toe Touches, Inclined DB Curls, Pulley Curls, Tricep Pressdowns, Lat Raises, Reverse Delts, Front Raises, Incline Crushes

Cardio: 60 min. Spin

NUTRITION

The latest shipment of MGN Cake Batter is back to it’s normal formula.. yay! And it reacted much differently in the waffle maker .. :p

But still tasted great

Protein Waffle topped with 1 single serving packet of Justin’s Natural Almond Butter, and WF 0-cal Maple Syrup..

A Diet Spinach Bar with a Turkey Burger and Fake Queso (1 tbsp WF Onion Dip + 2 tbsp Salsa)..

For an afternoon snack, I went with the usual Slimmed Down PB Protein Ice Cream..

For dinner I ended up going to one of my favorite restaurants, Green, for dinner with a friend. Their vegan pizza are unbelieveable.. and I drooled over the BBQ version my friend got. I stuck with a plain salad with mock chicken. It tasted good and all, but half of it was these crispy chip things, which I wasn’t able to eat, so it wasn’t too filling.. I had ~3 oz of Chicken Breast approximately 45 seconds after walking in my front door :p

Desert was Nutella Protein Almond Milk Ice Cream (used 1 tbsp Unsweetend Special Dark Cocoa and 2 tbsp Sugar-Free Hazelnut Syrup) and a Protein cookie of course..

FUN

Big weekend coming up! I’m heading to Vegas Friday morning to watch NPC USA’s and go to the Muscle & Fitness HERS Camp.

I’m bringing all my food with me, but since I’m staying in a condo with a few friends who are competing, I’ll have a full kitchen too, which rocks! When I was in Vegas for Fitness America last November I had to just keep refilling my cooler with Ice.. not the best system, haha.

I’m really excited for the camp too! I think there will be a lot of girls, and I’m just looking forward to meeting people and getting to learn from such amazing competitors, judges & indjustry experts.

Pheww.. I still have a project to finish up tonight.. so off I go..

Have a wonderful Thursday!

FITNESS

Wrapped in Plastic

I enjoyed your comments on the last, however brief, post..

Spot on:

“Its like some sort of show where no one is themselves for the time they are on stage BUT with that said, they work damn hard and are doing their best to show it off! you just have to believe in yourself and let the rest just happen!”

“is anything real? the muscles. that’s about it ”

It is funny about physique competitions… you put crazy work into looking a certain way, and when it comes down to show day, as a couple people pointed out, half of the actual package people see is fake: hair, nails, tan, chest, jewelry. But to be honest, aside from the fact that it gets expensive to pay for all those things, I love going to the spa getting my nails & hair done.. and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a little more confident with a tan (clothes just look better.. admit it!).. so those things really don’t bother me. Really, it’s no different from many people walking around on a daily basis. I think those activities are really just icing on the protein cake. You can’t hide a less than prepared physique with a new hairdo, but at the same time, if everyone looks amazing, having a suit that compliments your shape and features can help a tiny little bit to help set you apart.

Which brings me to a not previously mentioned topic, but I’d feel remiss if I didn’t address it. Unless you are a member of that 0.0001% of the population (and are likely Brazilian, hehe), you probably cannot have <8% body fat and still have a C+ sized chest.. boob are fat.. it just doesn’t work out.. so with that being said.. yup I have implants :p I actually got them years ago before I thought about doing competitions, and before I lived in Arizona (aka land of the tan, blond and implanted.. no offense to fellow Arizonians out there, but if you live in Scottsdale, you have to admit, it’s pretty much the standard). I got them for reasons I can go into in another post, but long story short, I know I did it for all the right reasons, and I’ve never regretted it for a moment.

Over time I’ve come to one conclusion that can be applied to so many aspects of life.. if you don’t like me, or judge me for that choice, then I probably don’t really want to be friends/associated with you anyway! It seems to me we shouldn’t be making assumptions about people based on any aspect of their physical appearance, whether that’s them being clinically obese or having obviously enhanced features. I guess they suit me, because for whatever reason, more than once, I’ve had someone go off about their negative opinion of people who have had plastic surgery, expecting me to agree.. I enjoy informing them of my opinion ;) At first I wasn’t sure about posting this, but it’s honest and I’m clearly not embarrassed. If you have any questions/concerns shoot me an email

As far as the relation to Fitness.. I don’t know specific numbers, but sufice to say they are very common. In Fitness, Figure & Bikini divisions, you are suppose to still have a feminine look. But as mentioned above, it’s hard to have very low body fat and have “womanly” curve, hence many people making the choice to get enhanced. At that point, I think the topic becomes much more of an ‘American standard of beauty’ issue, and that’s just a whole other can of worms.. that can be opened in a future post..

Workouts

Weights: Shoulders & Back.. I got dorkily (not a word, I realize :p) excited that I could see the muscle definition in my back better during pull-ups.. it’s the little things that keep me motivated :p

Cardio ended up being super lame today. I fell back asleep about 30 min. after posting that 3:30am blog and slept until 8am, just in time to get up, Shower and head out to meet my trainer. After various appointments I didn’t end up getting home until 12:30-ish, then proceeded to do desk work and client calls until 8pm. Thank goodness for apartment gyms!

Cardio: 45 min. SS Elliptical Resistance

NUTRITION

I mentioned last week that we changed up my macro ratios a bit to add carbs and cut down on protein.. and I must admit, I’m struggling a bit with it. I’m use to a high protein diet, so it’s taking me longer than usual these days to plan meals in order to make sure I’m coming in at the right ratios. And I’m hungry! haha I told my trainer that it’s like giving an alcoholic a sip of alcohol then telling him ‘no more.’ Even though I know this route might be better & healthier overall, it’s almost just easier for me not to have any carbs at all. Having some just makes me want more, and I’m so use to eating lots of protein, that I’m craving more protein than I’m able to eat right now. But enough of my whining..

A Protein Waffle with 1/4 serving Tofu Pudding..

Chocolate Oats (1/3 c Coach’s with 1 tbsp Unsweetened Special Dark Cocoa + 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract + Stevia mixed in at the end) with Slimmed PB Protein Ice Cream (made with 1/2 scoop MGN Peanut Butter Whey Isolate)..

Just a few minor adjustments..

Slimmed PB Protein Ice Cream

1/2 scoop MGN Ice Cream Sandwich OR Peanut Butter Protein Whey Isolate Powder (or Vanilla)

1 c Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze

2 tbsp Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Syrup

8 drops Capella Peanut Butter drops

1/2 tsp Guar Gum

1/4 tsp Xantham Gum

Stevia Extract

Ice

Mix everything but Ice in the blender. Add Ice and blend until smooth.

*Note: I just really like the taste of PB.. but you could take out the syrup or the drops, or substitute for a different flavor too

A lovely Salad lunch with 3 oz Baby Spinach, Artichoke Hearts, 1/2 c no-salt-added Pinto Beans and Salsa..

I’ve also reconnected with an old love..

I forgot how fantastic this stuff is! You can find it at Whole Foods, Sprouts, Sunflower Market, etc..

Dinner was Spinach Pasta Slim with 1/2 c diced Tomatoes, 3.25 oz Tilapia, sprinkled with 1/2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast..

Protein Ice Cream and a Protein Cookie of course! Tonight’s version had 1 tbsp Unsweetened Special Dark Cocoa (guess I was craving chocolate today), and for the Cookie I used the usual Coconut Protein Cookie recipe, but used 1/2 tbsp Udo’s Oil instead of Coconut Oil..

Reviews

Recently I tried MGN Peanut Butter for the first time. I agree that the PB flavor by itself isn’t strong, but it’s pretty good when you had a Capella Drops in PB flavor or a tbsp of Sugar-Free PB Syrup.

Speaking of Capella drops, I tried both the Waffle and Chocolate Glazed Donut flavors… neither has me particularly impressed. I couldn’t taste the Waffle flavor at all, and for the Chocolate flavor I ended up adding Unsweetened Cocoa Powder anyway to get a good chocolate flavor, so there was really no point.

FUN

One of my very favorite Arizonians gave this to me, and I just LOVE it! I’m so fortunate & thankful to get to do what I love everyday

As always, would love to hear your thoughts on my various rantings today..

FITNESS

Man, rest day yesterday really did me good! I was re-motivated and got in great cardio! I randomly woke up around 4:30am, and after lying in bed for 45 min. or so, I finally thought “screw it, might as well get my Steady State done early.”

AM Cardio: 30 min. Incline Treadmill walk

Weights: Mix of Upper Body.. Shoulder Presses, Lat Raises, L Pull-ups, Push-ups, Rear Delts, Tricep Press-downs, Pulley Curls

PM Cardio:

• 5 min. warm-up walk at incline
• 25 min. Incline Intervals: 10% incline, walk at 3.5 for 1 min., jog at 8.0 for 30 sec., repeat
• 10 min. on the Adaptive Motion Elliptical

pheww, those Incline Intervals kill me! Even though 8.0 isn’t that fast, it’s amazing what an incline does. At the end of each 30 sec jog my legs were on fire!

I was writing this post when I looked down.. more evidence of lots of good cardio.. sorry sock :p

NUTRITION

I made Pancakes this morning with a new mix of ingredients in order to adjust to my new macros.. they tasted good, but turned out really flat and were not filling at all.. boo..

Post-workout I was so ready for this.. a PB Protein Ice Cream Sundae. I used 1/2 scoop protein powder and the last of the Puffed Millet..

Lunch was.. beautiful! And it actually filled me up .. Baby Spinach with Tomatoes, Artichoke Hearts and Pinto Beans (love the 365 brand no-sodium-added kind).. love love!

Of course I brought a snack with me to the movie, though I’d finished the whole thing during the first two previews :p .. it was right after Intervals! .. 1/3 c Oats with Blackberries..

Dinner was a great combo:

Shirataki Noodles with Humnut Sauce (2 tbsp Hummus + 1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast + 2 tbsp H20) + Sundried Tomatoes + Basil + 3 oz Wild Alaskan Salmon..

I’m hoping to crash early tonight, but dessert will be the usual Protein Ice Cream & Cookie. I just got 2 new flavors of Capella drops, Waffle and Chocolate Glazed Doughnut, that need to be tested.. I’ll letcha know how they are tomorrow!

FUN

NPC Show all day tomorrow. I’ll be tweeting throughout and hopefully uploading some pics. Good Luck to all the competitors!!

Weekend plans?

Have you seen “Inception”? Did you like it?

And what’s your favorite butt kicking cardio workout? I’m always looking for new ideas!