From Jack in the Box to Jacked

   So as the days tick away and Europa draws closer, I've been busting my ass and am starting to see some great results. The love handles i have neeeever loved are slowly but surely melting away, my abs are flattening out and i have officially stolen the thunder from my thighs. While a lot of it came from many whiny hours in the gym, 80% of it was born in the kitchen. I always used to ask trainers how to get rid of any belly fat or slim my thighs and was always told--diet. Back then, I immediately thought they were pompous jerks with natural born six packs, laughing away at the fat girl by giving her false hopes for flat abs. I thought you're either born hot with hip bones popping out of your jeans or you're not. Plain and simple... and if this so called 'diet' didn't include sonic blasts & kit kats, i wasn't really that interested anyway. Truth be told, genetics only have about a 10% influence on your body's structure. It will determine where you store fat, how easily you store it as well as how easily it burns it. What it doesn't determine, is the food you put in your mouth. You determine that. Once I got away from the thought that i was genetically predisposed to have a fat ass, i opted to give the whole clean eating thing a shot. Prior to May, I've never seriously dieted. I would finish teaching a class and go get ice cream (ice cream calories aren't real calories anyway) and spent more money at jack in the box a month than i would have on a new car payment (soo sad, but true). Sure, i would eat good at the gym...but I'm a trainer who works with other trainers so i thought that was pretty much mandated. Once i was off the clock, even if  i had the tiniest craving for anything, I would have it. I'm not gonna lie, dieting is the harrrdddest thing i have ever done and i have been whining NON-stop. It's not even a little bit easy for me but i am thrilled with the progress.....so i may have to place a cease and desist order on my whininess. Here's a peek of what the early weeks of the Europa diet looked like:

• 1st Breakfast: 1 scoop chocolate myofusion blended w ice & instant coffee...amazing. OR Isopure- Green Tea flavored.
• 2nd Breakfast: 2 eggs, 3-4 egg whites (or egg beaters) scrambled with1/3 cup of Jimmy Dean turkey sausage crumbles OR turkey bacon, 1/2 cup of oatmeal w/ 1 packet of splenda & 2 tbsp of ground flaxseed meal.
• Meal 3: 4oz of chicken breast or some other lean protein source...ie; tilapia, ground turkey or sirloin steak, 4oz of baked sweet potato or 1/2 cup brown basmati rice ( nina turned me on to this...so much tastier than reg brown rice)
• Meal 4:  *same as meal 3
• Meal 5: *same as meal 3 except in place of sweet potatoes or rice, i'll sub in asparagus, green beans, or zucchini
• Meal 6: Cottage cheese in some form of mixture with chicken or ground turkey

  Im a big believer in breakfast. I make it a point to make it my biggest and most carbed up meal, and taper down as the day goes by and my activity level decreases. Somewhere in between meals 3 and 5 i work out and have another Myofusion shake, post-workout. At the end of the day my calorie intake is somewhere around 2400-2800...not so much a typical "diet". It is super high in protein (close to 300g a day) and is geared toward building lean body mass so, definitely not in the cards for an extreme dieter (think HCG/500 calories a day...not so good) or if you're not doing the weight training to accompany the high levels of protein. I have yet to ever eat one rice cake, piece of celery or salad and i'm NEVER hungry. Do i miss ice cream? Hell yes. I'll sit at Chili's with the menu open to the dessert offerings, staring and drooling more over the Paradise Pie than i do the hot bartender. I may or may not have had the occasional dream about totally dominating at a cupcake eating contest only to wake up in a panic clutching my abs, thankful it was just a dream. Although Europa is a short 14 days away, I have learned a lot nutritionally and I'm sure after a couple days worth of a straight pizza and cupcake diet, I'll be right back on track with this diet with a whole lot less disdain towards it. I know the meal plan is rather boring but it makes grocery shopping soooo easy!

Burn, baby, buuurrrn.

   No one likes fat. Ok, well if its in a dessert or fries-who doesn't love it, but if it's on your hips, thighs and abs...right back to hatred. Which would make sense as to why fat burners are such a popular supplement. I am a self-professed caffeine junkie, so when it comes to the topic of fat burners; there's not a whole lot i haven't tried. Bear in mind- with any supplement, it is NOT a magic pill. It won't work unless YOU work. This is merely a list of the fat burners I have tried, am currently taking and have seen great results with-- not a shopping list for insta-abs. In combination with a hardcore diet & hardcore workouts you might walk away with a hard core. (too cheesy? I'm gonna run with it :)

• Oxyelite Pro-- One of my favorites. Pros: Kills your appetite, energy to burn..powers you through killer workouts and makes you actually want to clean & do laundry. or maybe that's just me? Cons: This might be the same for all of these but i have a (minor) heart condition called SVT...this fat burner tends to trigger episodes more than any other so i can only take it periodically, but any client i have recommended it to, loved it. Definitely not for the weak of heart or caffeine sensitive.
• RoxyLean--My current fat burner..Pros: intense thermogenic that increases your core temperature so you can literally feel it scorching away extra calories, gives you high energy without feeling too cracked out and jittery, also helps decrease your appetite. Cons: you have to take one first thing in the morning when my brain functions at it's worst. I have accidentally taken two at once and felt like someone set me on fire from the inside out. I literally had to lay down on a bed of frozen veggie bags just to keep from calling an ambulance. Well, that may not be a con so much as it was a user error but just feel like i should cover all the bases...ha! :)
• Redline--My favorite pre-workout energy booster. Pros: You can take it at anytime so you don't have to plan it around an empty stomach. I love this one the most because it gives me insane energy but has yet to ever trigger an SVT episode, so this one gets two high fives in my books. Cons: this kind of goes along with any fat burner but your body gets acclimated to it rather quickly so the longer you take it the less effective it is.
• Spirodex--A literal happy pill. Pros: Its a lot more mild so i like it for later in the day so that I'm not awake reorganizing closets at 4am, and its a mood enhancer which definitely helps on super low carb days when you're at your snappiest. Cons: it's kind of weak sauce. I like my fat burners to be on the cracked out side...but if you are caffeine sensitive it might be a good choice. Pretty sure i was pounding espresso in my sippy cups, so fat burners need to bring their A game to impress me.

   Did i mention that i am the furthest thing from a doctor? I am. So please, don't take this as a prescription of how to lose a muffin top. It's not. However, I get asked about fat burners allll the time so this is just what I am taking (and not all at once either)...what's right for me may not be right for you, so proceed with caution! Also, don't think that you can get away with eating garbage food, skip the gym then pop an Oxy and call it a wash. I used to do that and i can tell you from experience...it DOES NOT work!!

Now...Where to find them:
     I hate GNC with a passion that should never be directed towards a retail store. It's right up there in my books with Walmart. If you know me, you know that i rarely make sense on a good day, i confuse my rights and lefts while teaching and i coooonnstantly get the "did-you-really just-say-that" face from my better half ...so with that in mind i have a rather (semi) high tolerance for random acts of stupidity. However, GNC takes it to levels unknown. The last time i went into GNC, i went on an emergency Myofusion run straight from work. I went decked out in my 24 Hr Fitness training jersey, with "Personal Trainer" printed across my back, 24 Hr Fitness hat, and name tag with my name and occupation-- also with 24 Hr Fitness engraved into the tag. The dingy sales clerk then follows me all around the tiny store, spouting off her clearly memorized sales points. When i asked a question about different types of protein, you could almost see her brain flipping through a mental handbook and freeze when she came up short of a correct answer. Then she hits me with the question to end all questions; "Sooo, do you work at 24 hour fitness, or do you just workout there?" Really?? No one has ever worked for 24 hr fitness MORE than i clearly did at that point. How do you even respond to that dumb of a question without being completely rude? You don't. So, i paid for my protein and left.
     After being introduced to Olympia Sports Supplements...i refuse to go anywhere else. Ryan & Chris up at Olympia might be some of the sweetest, most knowledgeable men i know in my fitness circle. Instead of just trying to push expired calcium chews on me every time i go in (damn you, GNC) , they have helped me with every issue I've gone in for. When i was having trouble sleeping they steered me in the direction of all the right sleep aids, recommended proteins to match my needs, carry and/or order any hard to find supplement i want (i haaaate ordering things online). I'm huge on customer service and they know all their regulars by name, fitness goal,  right down to fave smoothie flavor (did i mention it's a smoothie shop too?), i LOVE that. They've been in the fitness game a while so you know your not just getting the most expensive recommendations just because that's what is best for them, you're getting what is best for you. Check 'em out for any and all extra-curricular supplements, they're located on 7th st right next to Lucky Strike...

Check out their facebook page for fitness tips, active things to do in Ft. Worth and any extra motivation that might ever be needed :)

http://www.facebook.com/GETOLYMPIA


...and if you ever have questions on any supps, ask away!! I'm always happy to help :)
  

If you're gonna talk the talk...walk the walk...

 Funny how no one informed me that walking the walk was THIS hard!! Now that were getting down to the nitty, gritty, final 4 weeks... the workouts that seemed sooo easy several weeks ago now seem daunting once carbs fell by the wayside. I miss them. A lot. I can safely assume that those closest to me miss me having them as well...high five for you guys being such troopers! :) Now that sodium is cut, artificial sweeteners are cut, wheat is cut...all my favorite "treats" (which btw...you would have to be good and brainwashed to think that a protein shake left in the freezer too long is a cheat treat) are also long gone. I always thought before i ventured into the world of bikini competing that i would do anything to get a body like the pros! I am quickly biting my words. Buuuut since I'm in too far to turn back now, here is what my week looks like in the muscle factory!

Monday:                                                                 
AM Cardio: 45 minutes  (low intensity)
PM Strength Training
PM Cardio: 45 min

Tuesday:
*45 minute (circuit training)Boot Camp
PM Strength Training


and now added to the repertoire: posing practice!! way harder than it looks!

 PM Cardio 30 min
*45 min Zumba (cardio)
Late PM Cardio: 30 min

Wednesday:
*60 min TKB (cardio)
PM Strength Training
PM Cardio: 40 min
*60 min Cardio Dance Party (cardio)

Thursday:
AM Cardio: 45 min
PM Strength Training
PM Cardio: 45 min

Friday:
*60 min Zumba (cardio)
PM Strength Training
PM Cardio: 30 min
*60 min Cardio Dance Party (cardio)

Saturday:
*60 min Bootcamp
PM Strength Training
PM Cardio: 45 min

Sunday:
sleeeeeeeep :)


   For cardio i have been semi-obsessed with the elliptical lately... due to the limitations my attention span places upon the amount of the time i can spend on any given machine...i switch it up a lot between the elliptical, the stepmill, the treadmill and i looove H.I.I.T.( high intensity interval training) i prefer to jump rope next to a treadmill for a few minutes then jump on it and walk at an incline. I am also lucky enough to have a significant other that introduced to me to the business end of hardcore the first time i ran treadmill sprints with him. For the record,---running intervals on the treadmill SUCK. The thing i love about H.I.I.T is that you're in and out with your metabolism  fired up in 20 minutes or less. A typical interval session is a quick warm up, walking at a quick pace (4.0ish) for 2 minutes then running to the point your legs fall off (typically a 10.0) for about a minute. Repeat till your time is up OR your legs give out and you face plant on the belt and become Daniel Tosh's newest Web Redemption.  Whichever comes first.The first time we ran sprints together i was sprinting at a laughable 7.0. After a lot of (encouraging) trash talk i eventually bumped my speed up slowly till i am now running sprints at a 10.5 (most times at least).  The trick with cardio is finding what you like...or at least what you can tolerate. My days in the gym are looooong but so far they are proving to be worth it! Note that any workout with an asterisk (*) is a class that i teach at 24 Hour Fitness...feel free to come get a beatdown from me for free!!

Bikini Bliss or Bust!

   While being a Southern California native and having the privilege of growing up with the Pacific Ocean a short drive away, i have neeeeeveer been 100% excited about being in a teeny tiny bikini in public. Ever. Every year around February, when the New Year's resolution fueled workouts have stalled and the holiday pounds set up camp around my abs, walking into Target and seeing displays of bikinis is enough to induce panic attacks in me. The only time it was ever two piece time in my books, was either after the street lights came on or if the activity of choice was laying down flat. Preferably, face down.

         So, with that in mind, what in the hell would ever compel me to sign up for a bikini physique competition? Still not quite sure...sometimes all you need in life is someone to have more (a hell of a lot more) faith in you, than you have in yourself. In my job i am blessed to work with some truly amazing people. When one of  my co-workers/ closest friends told me i had potential to compete, i proclaimed her to be drunk. or high. or blind. or all three. I would never in a million years think that i would be able to walk around on stage in a bikini and heels while not completely making an ass out myself and/ or offending the general public. Nina saw something in me (abs?) that i for damn sure didn't see in myself. She believed in me sooo much that it made me believe in me. Enough to sign onto the Europa Expo 2011....bikini division. That's happening. I've been pretty reluctant to blog about it or really talk publicly about it so that on the off chance i opted to drop out, you all would be none the wiser. We are now about 4.5 weeks out from the show and there's really no turning back now...I will be posting way more regularly with some diet & supplement tips and progress reports.



11 weeks out 5/28



5 weeks out 7/9



  The last 6 weeks have been ROUGH...My diet has taken a turn for the obnoxious.  After 86-ing the Sonic blasts, french fries, and Saturday night binge drinking, my abs have slowly but surely been coming out of hiding. Luckily, I'm not in this alone! With 3 of my co-workers on board to do the same show, our support circle is strong. The last 4 weeks are bound to be the hardest so I apologize in advance for the next month....carb deprivation does not make for a happy camper!

 If you're struggling through a rough patch or plateau, do NOT throw in the towel. Five weeks ago I was convinced that my body was in the best shape it could ever get into and that i could not change it for the better. I have come along way since then and still have a ways to go, only now i know that it is indeed possible for me to make major changes in myself. Don't ever settle for contentment, you deserve the best so fight for it. Make it happen!! Europa is Aug 12 &13th...wish me luck! :)