To be, or not to be, Kurt Warner?

I happen to follow Kurt Warner on Twitter.  Not only is he an all-around super nice guy, he also happens to be one of the best undrafted football players of all time and his12-year career is regarded as one of the greatest NFL stories in history.  Here is how I responded to one of his many tweets:

Ok…now I know that Kurt HAD to work with great trainers in his NFL days, but hello!  I guess I just assume that it’s common knowledge that eating clean + weight training = ripped. 

How bad do you really want a ripped body?  If you want it bad enough like I did, then commit to eating clean/non-processed foods. I’m talking really and truly commit.  Read The Eat Clean Diet from Tosca Reno or The Paleo Diet book from Dr. Laura Dolson.  (I prefer to call it a lifestyle instead of a diet and no, I do not get any commissions for plugging these books.  I love them and they helped change my life.)  

Educate yourself, get rid of all the junk in your pantries, get to the gym or set up your own workout area, and make your new body happen! 

It’s amazing how many people just haven’t made the connection to what goes into your body creates HOW you look.  It really is 70% diet, 20% workouts, and 10% genetics.  Your diet is KEY to sculpting your body starting from the inside.  Weight training will mold and form your muscles to create a beautiful body.  Eat clean to get and stay lean. 

Love ya, Kurt, but just “eating better” won’t help you get ripped.

To be (ripped), or not to be (ripped)…that is the question.  The answer is up to you.

Look ma'...no hands!!

As I’ve said before, the gym is my therapy.  While I’m working out, I focus on my routine, form, physical goals, and thoughts in general.  I don’t really pay attention to what or who is around me unless there is continuous grunting or loud noises…not uncommon for a few meatballs in the gym.  However, I couldn’t help but notice most people in front of me the other day when I was on the stairmaster.  At least seven people were hanging and/or leaning on their equipment.  It’s like the equipment was actually holding them up! 

Hey, I’m exhausted after ten minutes on the stairmaster and feel like leaning on it, but I want to do the work and exert all of my effort so that I can get the most results from my energy on that machine. Whatever machine you choose to use, choose the right speed so that you don’t feel the need to lean on it.  Leaning on the machine is not going to get you where you want to be.  Stand up straight and feel the full range of motion that will utilize all of your muscles so you can get the best results.

If you’re actually holding a conversation, then you’re not working out hard enough.  If you’re reading while you’re exercising, you’re probably not utilizing that machine like you should be.  Put in real effort, sweat, and feel your heart pumping!  Don’t waste your time after you’ve actually made the time to get to the gym and commit to working out.  It’s called “working out” for a reason.  It’s definitely not easy, but so worth the trouble, commitment and end results.  

Baby Got Back!!...and back, and back...

It seems like most people, like me, ignore working on their back in the gym.  Since I competed in March and saw the photos of my backside (Omg…those shots were way to close), I decided that I haven’t given enough time working on the muscles in my back.  It appears that I have some extra skin hanging around my lower back, so I decided that I’m going to fill them in with muscle because gravity and age are never going to give up.  I was also purposely ignoring it because I never wanted big lats.  I always thought it would make me look too “manly”.  But, I would rather have a strong feminine clean looking back than one with “back-boobs” and extra skin folds. 

With the help of Bodybuilding.com, I have educated myself about my back and how to improve and sculpt it the way I need to.

Back development is extremely important to a competitor, but it's great for all women. It shows your true strength and makes your waist and hips look smaller, balancing your upper and lower body.  Who wouldn’t want that?

To balance out your back symmetry, you need to know what area (upper, middle, lower) of the back you need to bring up. Once you are aware of this, you can customize your workouts to focus on your weak points.  If your weak point is your upper back, perform your movements with wide grips. Choose wide grip pull-ups, wide grip lat pull downs, wide grip t-bar rows.

You can target your middle back by performing exercises that allow you the greatest range of motion, to really target your inner back muscles. Make sure not to go too heavy and cut short your range of motion. Good exercises include one-arm dumbbell rows, barbell rows, and seated cable rows.  To focus on your lower back, your staple should be dead lifts. You can supplement dead lifts with hyperextensions and seated back extensions.

Now, this baby's going to get back!!!

Head to therapy...at the gym!

We’re almost halfway through 2012 already.  Can you believe it?  Years really do fly by faster the older we get.  I have gone through one of the most stressful times of my life this year due to moving, job change, family members’ issues, and my own relationship issues.  Despite all the things that I have stressed over, the one thing that is a true relief to me is being in the gym.  It’s my stress reliever, my escape, my time to think, and it’s my therapy.  Hey, I may not be able to control situations that affect me, but I am in control of how I treat my body, what I put into my mouth, and how I decide to make it look.   

I’m actually excited to get to the gym and I know that I will feel good when I’m finished working out, not only physically, but mentally too.  According to the Mayo Clinic -

Exercise has some direct stress-busting benefits.

It pumps up your endorphins. Physical activity helps to bump up the production of your brain's feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins.

It's meditation in motion. After a workout, you'll often find that you've forgotten the day's irritations and concentrated only on your body's movements. As you begin to regularly shed your daily tensions through movement and physical activity, you may find that this focus on a single task, and the resulting energy and optimism, can help you remain calm and clear in everything that you do.

It improves your mood. Regular exercise can increase self-confidence and lower the symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety. Exercise also can improve your sleep, which is often disrupted by stress, depression and anxiety. All this can ease your stress levels and give you a sense of command over your body and your life.

Don’t talk yourself out of heading to the gym no matter how much stress you’re under.  Make it YOUR time to de-stress and focus on YOU.  Your body and your MIND will thank you!

Goals Shmoals...who needs 'em?

When I was younger, if anyone asked me about my goals in life, I was totally dumbfounded.  I had no clue how to answer that question.  I just knew that I wanted to graduate from high school and figure it out then!  My sister on the other hand, was very goal oriented and knew that she wanted to go on to college and had a specific plan of action.  I envied anyone that actually knew what they wanted to do and set out on their path. 

As I got older, goals (which became “visions”) became a lot more important to me.  One specific example is after thirteen years working as a hair stylist, I decided that I wanted to get into broadcasting. I had listened to a morning radio show and thought it sounded like fun, so I went to broadcasting school, graduated, and became an intern at St. Louis radio station.  They ended up hiring me and I have had so many fun years on the air in several different cities!  That small thought one day in the car became a huge vision for me that I never let dissolve from my thoughts.

In the last few years, my goals/visions have become more important to me than ever before.  In 2010, after sitting through three and a half years evening classes, I finally graduated from college with my Bachelors degree.  What a thrill!  I kept the vision of seeing myself walk across the stage to accept my diploma.  In 2009, I started my full body transformation with a vision of how I wanted my body to look.  After about a year and a half of eating clean and weight training, my vision came true.  Another huge thrill!  This year, I decided that I would compete in my first ever NPC bikini competition.  I trained very hard for ten weeks, competed, and came in 4^th in my division.  Another thrill!

I’m more convinced than ever that goals/visions are so important.  If you want something bad enough, SET YOUR GOAL, SEE YOUR VISION, and PLAN YOUR ATTACK.  You will accomplish your goal and you will feel SO powerful.  See yourself, vision it, and achieve!  Who needs goals?  WE ALL DO to make our visions a REALITY. J

When Life Gives You Lemons...

…MAKE LEMONADE!!

 

Since being back in my hometown still taking care of my mother, I’ve had to “make do” with what is available here.  Typical of most small Midwest towns, it doesn’t have a lot to choose from, unless you want to drive 50 miles to the city.  I did find a gym that has been ok and I’ve made it work for me.  Unfortunately, since it’s a small-town gym, they CLOSED it down for a week while the owners are on vacation.  Hey…everyone deserves a vacation, (I live for them) but I need to work out!  I decided that I wouldn’t use the gym being closed as an excuse to NOT work out. 

I went out to my high school that I have not been back to in 30 years!!  That was strange.  I ran 3 miles on the newly improved track, sprinted intervals, hit the field for pushups, and climbed the 58 bleacher steps 10 times.  It turned out to be a great workout and I really liked being outside. 

Yesterday I needed to do my arm workout.  Hmm…I had to get creative.  I weighed a gallon of water which was 8.5 pounds; not really enough weight for me, but then I found the anchor!  My mom had an old boat anchor (don’t ask me why) in her garage.  It was 14 pounds and looked almost like a Kettlebell.  I worked out with that and it was actually pretty good!  I also bought some resistance bands and Googled workout videos for them.  They seem to work ok too. 

Hey, when you are really serious about staying fit and maintenance on your body, don’t let anything get in your way.  No gym…no problem!  Find things and make it work.  J

Memorial Day Survival Guide

My friend, Kyra Williams - The Get in Shape Girl, has your Memorial Day Survival Guide.  Check it out at:


http://www.thegetinshapeworkoutplan.com/memorial-day-survival-guide/

http://www.thegetinshapeworkoutplan.com/bikinicookbook/

I Kicked My Sugar Addiction!

When we think of being addicted, the first thing we think of is drugs.  We assume that the drugs are either prescription or bought from a sleazy dealer.  Imagine if someone is addicted to a drug that is often offered to us for free, is available everywhere, everywhere we shop, at family gatherings, parties, and is given to us starting as children.  This is a reality because the drug is SUGAR.  It comes in pretty colors and packages, looks fantastic, and tastes incredibly good.  Most people think that sugar is just part of life because we eat it willingly, our taste buds love it, our bodies crave it, and its encouraged to consume.

Over three years ago, I went cold turkey and gave up sugar.  After I read the book, The Eat Clean Diet, I decided that this was what I needed to do to cleanse the inside of my body and I wanted to see if I could make myself look and feel better by giving it up.  I had battled the weight roller coaster and migraine headaches for most of my life and was motivated to change for good.

If you’re thinking that this was easy, it definitely was NOT.  It was the hardest thing that I have EVER done, but SO worth the benefits.  I used to eat M&M’s and candy every single day, I studied the dessert menu before entrees at restaurants, and I would eat the mound of cake icing that people slid off their plate onto mine!  I didn’t take this new venture lightly, but I knew that I was destroying the inside of my body by continually eating junk.  I remember one night, after I polished off a whole bag of Sour Patch Kids candy, I felt strange rapid heart palpitations and got really scared.  I got tired of always feely guilty after eating junk, but never felt the desire to stop until I got scared that night and was sick and tired of feeling and looking like crap.    

So, I cleaned out my pantry and threw away all the garbage containing sugar, which was just about everything.  I learned through the book, and my own research, how to shop and what to buy so I could make my own healthy sugar-free meals and snacks.  But, after a couple of weeks of giving up sugar, I truly thought I was losing my mind.  I went to the doctor and had a complete physical because I was so jittery and hungry, even though I was eating more clean (unprocessed) food than I ever ate before.  The doctor said I was healthy and that my body was actually going through a withdrawal process.  It was only a few days after that, things changed for good.  I no longer felt the need for something sweet after each meal, I didn’t go near it in stores, and I started noticing that my fat and migraines were disappearing.  Hallelujah!! 

I had a relapse after two and half years.  I lost my focus and thought I could sneak in a few Life Savers mints, then Coffee Nips, and then all kinds candy of holiday treats!  Before I knew it, I was back on the white stuff, craving it nonstop, and ballooned up ten pounds!!  THIS is how I know that I truly am a sugar addict.  My taste buds were back in control and I felt like crap.  Thank goodness I got a grip, refocused, and gained control of the situation.  My new goal was to get back to being sugar-free and get fit for my first ever NPC Bikini contest in less than three months. This time it was a lot easier because I had experienced the benefits.  I knew I could do it again and I did before it got totally out of control.  Whew!  Now, I’m back to feeling wonderful and being in control of what I choose to put into my body.   

Just because the entire world pushes sugar in everything we see, eat, and drink…you DO NOT have to participate.  Look around…the majority of our nation is fat and unhealthy because people choose to ignore the obvious.  Having a “sweet tooth” is just not cute any more.  If you think giving up sugar is impossible, then you’re not trying hard enough or you’re still making excuses for yourself.  Cutting out sugar is one hundred percent worth it.  Make the choice, commit to it, and do it.  Trust me, you’re body will thank you for it.  

My Daily Meals and Workout Routine

Even though I like this saying, I believe it's really 80/20 and abs can absolutely be enhanced in the gym with weights.  But, you have to melt the snow so your peaks and valleys can show!

I've had many comments wanting to know my daily meals and workout plan, so here you go:

After adjusting meal plans from Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet/Cookbook, along with Bill Phillips' Eating for Life recipes, I came up with food that actually works for me.  I eat small meals every 2-3 hours, protein shakes after my workout and during the day, and I drink a lot of water, about a gallon a day.  I eat a lot of protein, (chicken breasts, tuna, turkey, salmon) a vegetable, (spinach, brussel sprouts, broccoli, asparagus) and a complex carb (sweet potato, couscous, quinoa, farro) in each meal.  I also try to squeeze in small amounts of fresh fruit and protein shakes after my workouts and other times during the day.

Example day:

7-8am - Banana, oatmeal with 1 scoop of protein powder, flax, cinnamon, nutmeg, blue agave nectar (1 T) water & coffee

10:30am - Protein shake or bar

12pm - Chicken breast salad with hard boiled egg whites, tomato, mushrooms, spinach, quinoa, (1/2 olive oil ½ red wine vinegar dressing) & water

2:30 - Protein shake or bar

5pm - Tuna, salmon, or turkey, hb egg white, brussel sprouts, sweet potato, water

7:30 – Greek yogurt w/berries or a protein shake

Workouts

Day 1 – Legs & abs

Day 2 – Arms & obliques, cardio

Day 3 – Butt, chest, back, cardio

Day 4  - Rest or just cardio

Repeat

Shoulders - Shoulder press; Front raises; Lateral raises; Reverse flyes

Biceps - Dumbbell curls; Hammer curls

Triceps - Triceps kickbacks; Bench dips

Chest - Dumbbell incline press; Dumbbell incline flyes; Push-ups

Back - Dumbbell rows; Back extensions; Pull-ups

Abs - Hanging knee raises with ankle weights; Floor crunches; Oblique floor crunches; V-ups

Hamstrings & Glutes  - Dumbbell lunges; Straight-leg deadlifts; Lying leg curls & weighted kickbacks.

Quadriceps - Leg presses; Leg extensions       

Calves - Standing calf raises

Cardio - 30 minute intervals  (treadmill, stairmaster, or recumbent bike)

Living to eat?

Since I’m staying with my mother until she can walk again, I’m having to physically take care of her, cook, clean, do laundry, and run errands.  Yesterday, I went the store to pick up a few things and as the young very heavy girl was ringing me out she said, “How do you stay so skinny?”  Normally, the word skinny would sort of offend me because I’ve worked so hard to be fit…but it was obvious that she was nutritionally uneducated so skinny was a positive word for her.  I said, “Well, I work out a lot, I don’t drink soda, only water, and I don’t eat sugar.”  The lady behind me said, “She’s just not living is she…ha ha ha!” 

I guess to most people, eating sweets and dressed up garbage qualifies you to “live”.  In reality, I’m eating so I can actually live…a long time.  I don’t want to be in the hospital with complications from diabetes, I don’t want to have a heart attack from clogged arteries, and I don’t want to be fat, unfit, and unhealthy.  I AM LIVING.  This is how I choose to live and I love it. 

Eating clean IS the answer to fueling your body the proper way and never depriving it of food.  Weight training IS the answer to sculpting your body into any way you want to look.  Live so you can eat?  I think not!  Eat so you can LIVE. J

Fit or Fat...It's YOUR Choice

As we go through our lives, we all have choices that we make every single day.  We choose when to get up, what to wear, where we go, and what we need to do to lead productive lives.  To stay alive and healthy, we also have to make food choices every single day.  For most of us, it seems like easiest thing to do, but it truly can be the hardest decisions we make.  Let’s face it, “bad” food looks and tastes great!  That’s why it’s so darn hard!  Cupcake icing looks and tastes great…dips and sauces look and taste yummy…cakes and pies are pretty and taste fantastic!  We all acknowledge that.

So when it comes time to eat and we have to make food choices for ourselves, whether in the grocery store or on a menu, why do we make quick, easy, and sometimes stupid, choices and collapse under the pressure?  We’ve all been there and live to regret it later; sometimes, just a few minutes after we’ve devoured a bag of chips, cookies, or any junk food. 

I’ve said this so many times and will say it again. Plan, plan, plan!  Plan your meals out; cook ahead of time; know the menu and what you’re going to order; think ahead about where you’re going to be and what the food situation might be.  Choose to NOT buy junk food because you know you’re going to eat it!  Always have some kind of emergency “healthy” food with you if at all possible.  Lord knows my purse is always weighted down with extra protein bars, a premade protein shake, a bag of almonds, a tuna pack, etc.

Look, it’s just not sexy to order and eat clean/healthy to other people, but I can guarantee one thing…if you eat clean, you’ll be looking sexy!  Then, all of your smart everyday choices about what you CHOOSE to put in your mouth and into your body will be so worth all of your planning and the effort that you’ve put in to it. 

I made countless stupid food choices for most of my life until three years ago when I started eating and cooking clean.  I’m in control now from my smart choices.  Choose wisely?  Absolutely!  You WILL reap the benefits.

~ One Step Ahead ~

As many of you know from reading my blog, my mother was in a very serious car accident on March 26, 2012.  She suffered many broken bones, including a broken hip and femur, crushed right ankle and heel, fractured left ankle, and fractured lower lumbars in her back. She had surgeries on her hip, back, and ankles.  She will not be able to walk again for at least three months with intensive therapy and is currently at a rehab center.  My mother is 68 years old, not overweight, and was in reasonably good health.  She rode her bike on weekends, took long brisk walks, and stayed physically active most of the time. 

Because she was proactive with her health, she has been a real trooper through the surgeries that she’s had so far with no complications.  Things would’ve been a lot worse had she been overweight and not watched what she ate in all the years leading up to her crash.  The healing and recovery will be very difficult, but not as hard had she not watched her diet and stayed active.  With that, and her good attitude, I hope that my mom will be back riding her bike and taking long walks within a year. 

It’s just another reason to eat healthy and work out.  God forbid, if something like this happens to you, you’ll be one step ahead in the healing process.

I love you, mom.  I will be there for you every “step” of the way.