Plan the…unexpected?

Only a few days away from my competition and I have everything planned…my meals, specific workouts, swimsuit, shoes, hotel reservations, tanning, nails, hair, etc. 

Then, I got the call.  My mother (in the Midwest) has been in a bad car accident.  She has a crushed left ankle and heel, broken hip, right ankle fracture, back lumbar fracture, broken femur and needs several surgeries with rods and pins.  Wow!  Not only am I concerned and upset that my mom is hurt, but I had to quickly change all of my plans and rethink everything.  The competition is reduced to nothing compared to the health and support of my mother. 

So, here I sit on the plane heading back to be there for her.  I have a flight scheduled to come back in two days, but not sure what I will do yet.  In any case, I’m still going to be in training mode with my food and workouts, if at all possible, just in case I make it back and go through with the competition on the 31^st. 

Regardless of the circumstances, I have lost the weight that I needed to, gained the muscle that I wanted to, and feel great that I challenged myself and changed my body the way the I set out to do.  It really is mind over body.  I hope my mom has the determination to and a good attitude towards heeling and getting through many tough months of therapy that lies ahead for her.  

You can’t plan for everything, but you can at least get a head start before some things that are unexpected happen.  I will keep you posted. 

No Turning Back Now!

My first show is less than two weeks away now!  I've been at this thing (training like a freak) for 8 weeks now and I feel a little worn down, but so excited for this competition.  My diet is a LOT of protein and veggies and a small amounts of complex carbs, no fruit for the next 10 days, definitely NO sugar, and a gallon of water a day.


It feels good to know that I have, and am still doing, EVERYTHING in my power to look the best that I can.  I also feels good to see the changes that I've made so quickly!  Entering this NPC show is such a great goal for me because it lit a fire under me that forced me to do what I had to do to get in shape in only ten weeks.  Trust me...knowing that I'm going to be on stage in a very small bikini right in front of judges looking at every inch of me, not to mention people in the audience, has forced me into high gear when it comes to working out and eating clean. 


~ Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass... It's about learning how to dance in the rain. ~
  Vivian Greene

You're Waiting for What?

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NOW is the time to get in shape and give your body a makeover, inside and out!  Life is so short.  The older I get, the more I realize this fact.  If you’re a procrastinator and keep putting off what you KNOW you need to do to get fit, knock it off!  Don’t look back one day and realize that you NEVER made it happen for yourself and never truly put in the effort to make your body look how you wanted it to.  Don’t deprive yourself of being fit and healthy just because you know that you might have to sweat a little bit or become short of breath and feel exhausted for a few minutes.  Big deal!  Once I’m done with a great workout, I feel great and forget about how tough it was a few minutes later.  It energizes me like nothing else!  I get even more energized by fitting into whatever I choose to wear, by looking in the mirror and seeing the results, and by physically feeling fantastic.

Make the commitment, get it in your head, and do it now!  The journey can be long for some, but at least start now!  You can’t get to the end unless you start and keep going. 

The feeling of muscle feels so much better than fat!  I know…I used to have back boobs, a muffin top, dents in my shoulders from my bra straps, and an indentation in my waist from my waistband cutting into me.  I can wear tight jeans by choice now, not because I’m getting too big for them. 

Don’t wait one more day or minute.  Set your goal, write it down, and plan your attack on fat right now.  It (fat) has spent enough time in your short life.   

~ Some people DREAM of success...others wake up and WORK HARD for it. ~

"Braking" Before the Finish Line!

I have three weeks left before my first NPC bikini show and I feel very much on track, but a little exhausted at the same time.  I’m giving my workouts and my meal planning one hundred and ten percent.  Because I’m on such a time crunch, I feel like I need to be at the gym every day and have read that most people prepping for a show do cardio at least two times a day!  My body is telling me, “Slow down…I’m sore and cranky!”  I know how important it is to give your body rest so that it can respond by building back stronger.  I feel guilty, but I took today off and ran errands, cooked, then just going to relax the rest of the evening so I can come back stronger.

I have to keep this in perspective.  This is NOT my entire life, even though I have been consumed with it for the last (soon-to-be) eight weeks.  This is my personal goal of walking on stage at an NPC bikini competition at 47 years old and trying to look the best I possibly can.  I’m looking forward to it, I feel good, and I’m excited about what I’ve accomplished so far.  J

Inspired To Keep Going!

My weekend in Columbus at The Arnold was so much fun.  This is my third time there and I hope to make it an annual event.  After watching the pros on stage, I really appreciate all the hard work that goes into their perfectly sculpted bodies.  It’s very impressive to see in person! 

As I stood near the expo stage watching fitness, figure, and bikini competitors come out for their prejudging, there were two couples near me that, I assume, were locals and had just dropped by the show.  One of the girls said, “This is so weird.”  Her friend agreed with her.  I stood there and thought that I guess it could be weird if you’re not used to being around the fitness industry.  After I looked at each one of them, it was obvious, they did NOT work out. 

I have never felt that it was weird to be fit, healthy, and have a defined muscular body.  Having said that, the woman’s bodybuilding competitors ARE actually over the top for me.  When the women start looking like men, I’m out!  I like the fitness, figure, and bikini competitor’s bodies because they still look muscular, cut, and lean, but feminine.

This week I’m very inspired to keep pushing towards my own competition – now only 3.5 weeks away.  Even with a rocky schedule over the weekend, I’ve still seen a huge improvement with my own body in the last week.  I wake up amazed and extremely happy that I have changed my body so fast and with a lot of hard work in the gym and the kitchen. 

I will incorporate this process into other parts of my life from now on because I know I can do it!

SET A GOAL, WORK TOWARDS IT EVERY DAY, & MAKE IT HAPPEN!  J

Gwen Summers with Tosca Reno

I'm at The Arnold in Columbus, Ohio this weekend.  This is the third time that I've been to the show and it's so much fun.  I’m hoping to get some tips, pointers, and inspiration from seeing the amateur bikini competition.  I'm only 4 weeks away from my first, so I need as much help as I can get!  

But, my first stop is to see my mentor, Tosca Reno at the Eat Clean/Oxygen booth.  She's always very nice and pleasant to talk to.  After all, Tosca was the catalyst for me to launch my new fit and healthy journey 3 years ago.