I am here in Bernice, Louisisana (even smaller than Ruston) at my aunt's lake house. It is so beautiful here - they have about 300 feet of lakefront and a huge porch we have all been sitting on watching the sun come up or go down. Beautiful.
I saw my grandmother yesterday and while it was REALLY hard to see her in the shape she is in - so small and frail and weak - she knew I was there with her and I made her smile a couple times - I think I even heard her chuckle and that meant the world to me. I used to always make her laugh and smile and so knowing that I could still give her a little bit of happiness was very comforting. She could barely open her eyes and didn't get out of bed at all...but I laid down in bed with her with my head on her shoulder and she laid her head on top of mine. I am so glad I came down and so happy I got to see her.
Thanks so much to all of you for your thoughts and prayers - I can feel them. :) Her breathing has become very shallow and labored and hospice thinks she is ready and is letting go so we think it will be soon. For her sake, I hope it is - I wouldn't want to be in that much pain at the end of my life.
I am going to go for a run today at the park that is close by to clear my head. But I have to tell you I ate like CRAP yesterday. Grits, bacon, a shrimp po boy. Trust me when I say my options are VERY limited here. Very. But I love shrimp po boys and they don't have "real" ones in Arkansas so I said - why not! ;)
Love you guys! Thanks again for all your thoughts! We are coming back Saturday morning for Jody's big triathlon on Sunday morning that he has been training for 4 months for! Have a great Friday!
Jess
Showing posts with label Blog Friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blog Friends. Show all posts
Friday, June 20, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Happy Papa's Day!
Happy Father's Day to all you father's or future father's or even those of you considering being a dad. :)
Great weekend with the hubby! We went out to my in-laws house boat and hung out all day Saturday and this morning. So nice and relaxing. It is truly like being on vacation - you just unplug and that's it.
Kept off the foot all weekend - and it is now my TOM which is AWESOME! Not. I HATE Always' campaign: "Have a happy period." Are you serious? I don't care if it just lasts a day it isn't happy. Regardless, I didn't feel like working out today - I knew I should have but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. No energy.
Anyhoo, have a great week y'all!
Oh, and WELCOME BACK Em!!! We missed you and you looked BEAUTIFUL on your wedding day!
Jess
Great weekend with the hubby! We went out to my in-laws house boat and hung out all day Saturday and this morning. So nice and relaxing. It is truly like being on vacation - you just unplug and that's it.
Kept off the foot all weekend - and it is now my TOM which is AWESOME! Not. I HATE Always' campaign: "Have a happy period." Are you serious? I don't care if it just lasts a day it isn't happy. Regardless, I didn't feel like working out today - I knew I should have but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. No energy.
Anyhoo, have a great week y'all!
Oh, and WELCOME BACK Em!!! We missed you and you looked BEAUTIFUL on your wedding day!
Jess
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
"Fat Loss Is Easy....Once You Realize How Hard It Is"
Happy Wednesday y'all!! I told ya I would be blogging everyday and HERE I am! :)
The above quote is a Craig Ballantyne special and I heard it this morning while listening to an episode of The Fit Cast and it really struck a chord with me. "Fat Loss is Easy....Once You Know How Hard It Is"....think about it....really, once you know how hard it is and how much work it will really take, it IS easy because you know what to expect and you know what it is going to take. You must recognize and appreciate how hard it is before it will become easy.
The other thing he says that if you want advanced results you must take advanced measures. Another awesome quote/idea. Think about it - there are no short cuts. This is life.
Couple things I have (I am into bullet points at the moment to bear with me :)):
Happy hump day!
Jess
The above quote is a Craig Ballantyne special and I heard it this morning while listening to an episode of The Fit Cast and it really struck a chord with me. "Fat Loss is Easy....Once You Know How Hard It Is"....think about it....really, once you know how hard it is and how much work it will really take, it IS easy because you know what to expect and you know what it is going to take. You must recognize and appreciate how hard it is before it will become easy.
The other thing he says that if you want advanced results you must take advanced measures. Another awesome quote/idea. Think about it - there are no short cuts. This is life.
Couple things I have (I am into bullet points at the moment to bear with me :)):
- Worried about my family in Iowa who is getting pounded with tornadoes and flooding.
- My hubby is ROCKING it on his training for the Ozark Valley Triathlon in 11 days - he is really kicking it up a notch and even eating super good to lean up so he will be lighter and faster.
- This week I have been 100% on with my eating. I know, it is only Wednesday but it feels good.
- I need to incorporate weights more - I am getting in my runs, just not the lifts.
- Cynthia looks AMAZING and needs to keep working hard towards her goal.
- I am taking tomorrow off and I am FIRED UP! :)
Happy hump day!
Jess
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Made it Through the Week - Vein Intact ! :)
Hey y'all!
Sorry I have been non-present in blog-land. Crazier week than normal.
We are in Iowa this weekend for the DAM to DAM 20k- Jody ran it this morning! So proud of him he ran 8 minute miles - yeah Jody! We drove up on Friday night after work - what a long week. I got about 4 hours sleep Wed, Thurs and Friday night (work was killing me). I was in Account Leadership college Wed, Thurs and Friday - hence the sleep issue but was PUMPED that my eating was ON and I got in all my planned workouts. Tomorrow I have one more workout to do for the week and I have achieved all my goals. My vein is still there although it only comes out during workouts - but I will take it when it decides to show itself. :)
As for today, I woke up at 5:00am went to drop Jody off at the race, watched him hit the finish line and then came back and slept from 10am to 1:30. Ahhhh. Needed that. Then I got in a great workout and am now blogging for you cats.
I am so excited - feeling like I am finally seeing results after 3-4 weeks of good eating and good workouts. Gotta keep it up.
I also read some of the Encyclopedia of Body Building today by the Ah-Nald (Arnold). Amazing basic stuff. Got me pumped.
A paraphrase from the book: If you want to lose fat, plan on losing it over 6 months to a year....that way you will keep it off. The worst way to lose fat is to fast or do a quick fat loss.
Now, I know I KNOW this but for some reason when you read it from the legendary Arnold it hits home a bit more. :) So, the plan is to keep being patient and just let it happen over time. But the little victories like my vein showing up or clothes feeling loose are definitely keeping me motivated.
A shout out to Cynthia for her progress. YOU LOOK GREAT!
Jess
Sorry I have been non-present in blog-land. Crazier week than normal.
We are in Iowa this weekend for the DAM to DAM 20k- Jody ran it this morning! So proud of him he ran 8 minute miles - yeah Jody! We drove up on Friday night after work - what a long week. I got about 4 hours sleep Wed, Thurs and Friday night (work was killing me). I was in Account Leadership college Wed, Thurs and Friday - hence the sleep issue but was PUMPED that my eating was ON and I got in all my planned workouts. Tomorrow I have one more workout to do for the week and I have achieved all my goals. My vein is still there although it only comes out during workouts - but I will take it when it decides to show itself. :)
As for today, I woke up at 5:00am went to drop Jody off at the race, watched him hit the finish line and then came back and slept from 10am to 1:30. Ahhhh. Needed that. Then I got in a great workout and am now blogging for you cats.
I am so excited - feeling like I am finally seeing results after 3-4 weeks of good eating and good workouts. Gotta keep it up.
I also read some of the Encyclopedia of Body Building today by the Ah-Nald (Arnold). Amazing basic stuff. Got me pumped.
A paraphrase from the book: If you want to lose fat, plan on losing it over 6 months to a year....that way you will keep it off. The worst way to lose fat is to fast or do a quick fat loss.
Now, I know I KNOW this but for some reason when you read it from the legendary Arnold it hits home a bit more. :) So, the plan is to keep being patient and just let it happen over time. But the little victories like my vein showing up or clothes feeling loose are definitely keeping me motivated.
A shout out to Cynthia for her progress. YOU LOOK GREAT!
Jess
Monday, May 26, 2008
OCD
You guys know I love Oprah. Love her. I think she has done amazing things for our culture in terms of making us more aware of ourselves and our surroundings in ways we never would have without her.
Case in point - today I was catching up on my Oprah during my UFP workout and Dr. Oz was on the other day working with people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and he said we all have some sort of OCD - just at a different level. So, I started thinking about my OCD's....and at first I was like..."I don't have any OCD's.....do I?" And then I realized I do...and here they are:
1. When I purchase or receive a new magazine, I have to be the first person to go through the entire magazine page by page. I can do this pretty quickly, but if I walk through the door and someone else has gotten the mail and is looking through my new issue of Oxygen, I have a small melt down. I don't get freaky, just don't like it. I would say that is a mild OCD.
2. When we are doing something outside - going to the lake, going for a bike ride, etc. - I get a little crazy over the weather. Like checking it often, not doing something because the weather might be bad. Goofy.
Think about what you might be OCD about and feel free to post in the comments. The first step is admitting the problem! ;)
Outside of that, I am OCD free. But I will say that my thought process over what I eat and when I workout is slightly OCD, but I am working hard to change that and this weekend was a good start. I had a couple of fun workouts with the hubby and friends - running, riding and doing track work. And I got in my Ultimate Figure Program Day 1 today but I am not stressing anymore. I am working out, feeling good - and I can already feel me having a shift in my thinking about fitness.
I did update my weekly recap on my post from yesterday. Check it out YO! :)
Have a great week y'all!
Jess
Case in point - today I was catching up on my Oprah during my UFP workout and Dr. Oz was on the other day working with people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and he said we all have some sort of OCD - just at a different level. So, I started thinking about my OCD's....and at first I was like..."I don't have any OCD's.....do I?" And then I realized I do...and here they are:
1. When I purchase or receive a new magazine, I have to be the first person to go through the entire magazine page by page. I can do this pretty quickly, but if I walk through the door and someone else has gotten the mail and is looking through my new issue of Oxygen, I have a small melt down. I don't get freaky, just don't like it. I would say that is a mild OCD.
2. When we are doing something outside - going to the lake, going for a bike ride, etc. - I get a little crazy over the weather. Like checking it often, not doing something because the weather might be bad. Goofy.
Think about what you might be OCD about and feel free to post in the comments. The first step is admitting the problem! ;)
Outside of that, I am OCD free. But I will say that my thought process over what I eat and when I workout is slightly OCD, but I am working hard to change that and this weekend was a good start. I had a couple of fun workouts with the hubby and friends - running, riding and doing track work. And I got in my Ultimate Figure Program Day 1 today but I am not stressing anymore. I am working out, feeling good - and I can already feel me having a shift in my thinking about fitness.
I did update my weekly recap on my post from yesterday. Check it out YO! :)
Have a great week y'all!
Jess
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Roses are Red....Violets are Blue....And It's Time to Rock the Competition Boat
Bad poem in the title but had to give a shout out to my hubby who sent me 12 GORGEOUS long stemmed roses today COMPLETELY out of the blue....no holiday, no special occasion - shocked the crap out of me actually. I am actually not a flower type person and I have made that clear to the DH so he has never sent them to me (at my request). Except for today:
This is what the card said:
"You are the sexiest woman I have ever met. I love you with all my heart. Your Cherub"
How awesome was that????? It might have had a little bit to do with a small melt down I had last night over how I am feeling about my body right now (hey, I am definitely feeling better but still have my down days!). Anyhoo, he took it upon himself to make me feel like the only woman in the world. I love that guy.
On to the rockin the competition boat: if you haven't already, check out Krissa's blog (check out the link on the right hand side of my blog) for her (and my) thoughts on competing. Overall, I am not sure why we do it with all of the negative side effects.
Like I said in yesterdays blog, it is about having FUN! Not obsessing. Enjoying life and not thinking about how you can rearrange your entire day (and others in it) so you can workout when you have already worked out that morning! Enjoying life and not passing on a meal with friends because you are afraid you can't make good choices.
For those of you who do compete out there - BE SMART and listen to your body. Do it because it is fun and you are healthy enough (mentally) to deal with the fallout of post competition. Do it because you love to compete and you are ok with going through the struggles you will have with how to adjust to "regular" eating again. I am still in the undecided camp about competing again but I do know if I do it again, I will do it a COMPLETELY different way.
In the interim I will train like an athlete, focus on looking like an athlete - YEAR ROUND.
The week has been good so far - took today off. Much needed. :)
This posting every day is kind of fun. I know it may just be worthless babble for you guys, but it is fun for me.
Oh, and I am tracking my food again. I didn't track it for about 2-3 weeks but here is the link if you want to check it out. I am staggering calories right now (1300/1600). Would love your thoughts if you wanna share them. :)
http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/PublicJournals.html?Owner=jess%2Ebutler%40gmail%2Ecom
Jess
This is what the card said:
"You are the sexiest woman I have ever met. I love you with all my heart. Your Cherub"
How awesome was that????? It might have had a little bit to do with a small melt down I had last night over how I am feeling about my body right now (hey, I am definitely feeling better but still have my down days!). Anyhoo, he took it upon himself to make me feel like the only woman in the world. I love that guy.
On to the rockin the competition boat: if you haven't already, check out Krissa's blog (check out the link on the right hand side of my blog) for her (and my) thoughts on competing. Overall, I am not sure why we do it with all of the negative side effects.
Like I said in yesterdays blog, it is about having FUN! Not obsessing. Enjoying life and not thinking about how you can rearrange your entire day (and others in it) so you can workout when you have already worked out that morning! Enjoying life and not passing on a meal with friends because you are afraid you can't make good choices.
For those of you who do compete out there - BE SMART and listen to your body. Do it because it is fun and you are healthy enough (mentally) to deal with the fallout of post competition. Do it because you love to compete and you are ok with going through the struggles you will have with how to adjust to "regular" eating again. I am still in the undecided camp about competing again but I do know if I do it again, I will do it a COMPLETELY different way.
In the interim I will train like an athlete, focus on looking like an athlete - YEAR ROUND.
The week has been good so far - took today off. Much needed. :)
This posting every day is kind of fun. I know it may just be worthless babble for you guys, but it is fun for me.
Oh, and I am tracking my food again. I didn't track it for about 2-3 weeks but here is the link if you want to check it out. I am staggering calories right now (1300/1600). Would love your thoughts if you wanna share them. :)
http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/PublicJournals.html?Owner=jess%2Ebutler%40gmail%2Ecom
Jess
Sunday, May 11, 2008
DON'T MISS OUT ON THE VLOG BELOW!
Hello friends!
For those of you just tuning in, there is a pretty silly VLOG of me and the hubby below. So check it out if you haven't already.
Big shout out to the mama's out there - HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! And another super huge shout out to Cynthia - congrats on your new job. You are gonna rock it!
Had a pretty good weekend...worked today for about 3 hours trying to get ahead of the week (which will be nuts by the way). I got another client last week in addition to my current client (work at an agency). This means more responsibility but it doesn't necessarily mean I have to work harder or more - just smarter! Right EM? :) And EM, thanks for your post earlier - I am going to ATTACK Tuesday. It isn't going to run me - I am going to run it. What a change of perspective! :)
Goals for the week are as follows:
1. Stagger calories 1350 to 1600 with 40/30/30 macro ratio. Monday is 1350 day.
2. Track all food on Fit Day.
3. Complete UFP Monday through Sunday as schedule outlines (3 days on, 2 days off, repeat).
4. Add in 3-4 HIIT sessions (20-30 mins) in mornings.
Weekly recap is below. Feeling pretty good about the workouts - just gotta get the food nailed down.
HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE! Remember, your body = the only thing you will have with you your whole life so TAKE CARE OF IT!
Jess
Monday:
Day Off
Tuesday:
Day 1 of UFP - w/leg/glute emphasis - 80 minutes/1000 calories
Wednesday:
Day 2 of UFP - w/upper body emphasis -70 minutes (no HR monitor)
Thursday:
Off - I had narcolepsy
Friday:
Day 3 UFP - w/upper body emphasis - 75 minutes
Saturday:
Day 4 UFP - w/upper body emphasis - 65 minutes
Sunday:
Day 5 UFP - cardio - 65
Plus a lot of house work - whew
For those of you just tuning in, there is a pretty silly VLOG of me and the hubby below. So check it out if you haven't already.
Big shout out to the mama's out there - HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! And another super huge shout out to Cynthia - congrats on your new job. You are gonna rock it!
Had a pretty good weekend...worked today for about 3 hours trying to get ahead of the week (which will be nuts by the way). I got another client last week in addition to my current client (work at an agency). This means more responsibility but it doesn't necessarily mean I have to work harder or more - just smarter! Right EM? :) And EM, thanks for your post earlier - I am going to ATTACK Tuesday. It isn't going to run me - I am going to run it. What a change of perspective! :)
Goals for the week are as follows:
1. Stagger calories 1350 to 1600 with 40/30/30 macro ratio. Monday is 1350 day.
2. Track all food on Fit Day.
3. Complete UFP Monday through Sunday as schedule outlines (3 days on, 2 days off, repeat).
4. Add in 3-4 HIIT sessions (20-30 mins) in mornings.
Weekly recap is below. Feeling pretty good about the workouts - just gotta get the food nailed down.
HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE! Remember, your body = the only thing you will have with you your whole life so TAKE CARE OF IT!
Jess
Monday:
Day Off
Tuesday:
Day 1 of UFP - w/leg/glute emphasis - 80 minutes/1000 calories
Wednesday:
Day 2 of UFP - w/upper body emphasis -70 minutes (no HR monitor)
Thursday:
Off - I had narcolepsy
Friday:
Day 3 UFP - w/upper body emphasis - 75 minutes
Saturday:
Day 4 UFP - w/upper body emphasis - 65 minutes
Sunday:
Day 5 UFP - cardio - 65
Plus a lot of house work - whew
Saturday, May 10, 2008
And I Vlog...I Vlog So Far Away!
Hey y'all. Tornadoes down here in AR-kansas. ;) But we survived. Some hail - lots of wind but all is well.
Here is a Vlog featuring my hubby with messages to Cynthia AND Krissa.
You guys rock! More tomorrow on other stuff....like what? I don't know. I am working on it. :)
Jess
Here is a Vlog featuring my hubby with messages to Cynthia AND Krissa.
You guys rock! More tomorrow on other stuff....like what? I don't know. I am working on it. :)
Jess
Saturday, May 3, 2008
AHHHHHHH! I Got a New Attitude!!
Blame it on finally getting out of my late onset post competition blues (LOPCB), Cynthia getting crazy with her not so subtle comments and/or blog posts involving ME and me finally letting go of the idea of competing this year.....and just when all of those things happen....BAM!
I mean....
BAM! Everything has changed for me.
I found Scott Abel (thank you Cynthia) and discovered his forum, a few of his products and A LOT of his methodologies and everything has changed for me. Most of all though, Scott's ideologies over training and dieting and metabolic damage are ground breaking and really speak to me.
Here has what has changed for me:
I want to look like an athlete EVERY DAY. Not just for the 2 days I am stage ready.
I want to look great 365 days a year - not incredible for 2.
Scratch that:
I WILL look like an athlete EVERY DAY. Not just for the 2 days I am stage ready.
I WILL look great 365 days a year - not incredible for 2.
If I can compete considering all of these things...great. If competing means compromising my health, my attitude, my life - I won't do it.
That said....I think it is possible. No, I KNOW it is possible. But still don't know what the future holds for competing. HIGHLY considering a November contest. :)
Hope you are all having a great weekend!
Jess
P.S. Amber/Jessica workout reunion today. We did hill repeats (see the right side for my workout) 8 times and let me tell you, this hill is BRUTAL. Then we did a set of legs in between hill repeats - we did walking lunges and then we did a couple variations of step ups with over head presses. Then we did abs. TOUGH stuff. Always love the Amber reunion.
I mean....
BAM! Everything has changed for me.
I found Scott Abel (thank you Cynthia) and discovered his forum, a few of his products and A LOT of his methodologies and everything has changed for me. Most of all though, Scott's ideologies over training and dieting and metabolic damage are ground breaking and really speak to me.
Here has what has changed for me:
- I no longer obsess over what I eat. I plan my meals and my calorie staggering but I don't feel guilty if I miss a meal or feel awful if my macros are off by 5%.
- I no longer have to do cardio in the morning on an empty stomach. I know that at some point in my day (usually planned) I will get in an awesome workout - 70-80 minutes of ass busting hard work. And if I can't, I know I will tomorrow.
- I no longer have to lift a body part and then do cardio. My workouts incorporate both.
- I no longer obsess over cardio with friends or family as too much, too little, not enough. I can run or bike with them and ENJOY myself. Who knew?
- I no longer freak out over eating _____ before a workout or _____ after a workout. I do my best to have good pre and post workout nutrition however I no longer freak out over it.
- I no longer freak out over planning my workout. I push myself hard and have a great workout. Nuff said.
- I haven't been on a scale in 3 weeks but my muscles feel tighter and I feel leaner.
I want to look like an athlete EVERY DAY. Not just for the 2 days I am stage ready.
I want to look great 365 days a year - not incredible for 2.
Scratch that:
I WILL look like an athlete EVERY DAY. Not just for the 2 days I am stage ready.
I WILL look great 365 days a year - not incredible for 2.
If I can compete considering all of these things...great. If competing means compromising my health, my attitude, my life - I won't do it.
That said....I think it is possible. No, I KNOW it is possible. But still don't know what the future holds for competing. HIGHLY considering a November contest. :)
Hope you are all having a great weekend!
Jess
P.S. Amber/Jessica workout reunion today. We did hill repeats (see the right side for my workout) 8 times and let me tell you, this hill is BRUTAL. Then we did a set of legs in between hill repeats - we did walking lunges and then we did a couple variations of step ups with over head presses. Then we did abs. TOUGH stuff. Always love the Amber reunion.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Weekly Recap, Test Results and Scott Abel Kicking My Ass
Howdy peeps!
So, as most of you have come to learn, Mondays and Tuesdays are TERRIBLE! Hate them, but at the end of the day, blogging here with you guys always makes me happy! :) I just feel bad you get very little love on Mondays and Tuesdays.
I got my tests back from my full nutritional analysis and here are the notables:
1. I am hypoglycemic.
2. Deficient in Zinc.
3. Deficient in Alpha-Lipoic Acid.
4. Deficient in Vitamin D.
5. Deficient in Oleic Acid (didn't even know that existed).
6. Deficient in Coenzyme Q10.
The results were very interesting - as I understood it from reading the lab reports, basically they take your blood and remove the nutrient they are testing for and then introduce it to see how it responds. Based on this, they tell you if you are deficient and if you have special needs. The only real surprise for me was the hypoglycemia. But it does make sense for how fuzzy I get and wacked out I get when I don't have food - good to know.
How do I correct?
1. Eat every 2-3 hours - CHECK!
2. Take a Zinc supplement or eat lots of oysters and wheat germ (there is more but those were the two funny ones).
3. Take a supplement - can't get this through a particular food source.
4. Get more sun. Duh.
5. Eat more avocados, use olive oil, canola oil, etc.
6. Take a supplement (note to self, high dosages = diarrhea which leads to FOF syndrome - fear of farting).
All of the things I was deficient in were immune boosters and protectants so the good news is if I can work on some of these deficiencies I can boost the immune system.
Cynthia (a.k.a. Visionquester and man-boob-lover) turned me on to Scott Abel and after perusing his website and reading more and more about his philosophies and credentials, I decided to purchase the Ultimate Figure Program DVD series (yes Jody, I know this drives you crazy - and I promise you this - if you are reading - that I will sell every non used workout DVD and make back double what these new DVD's cost - promise my cherub :)).
The DVD program focuses on MET training which stands for Metabolic Enhancement Training and is basically super intense conditioning and strength workouts all in one which for the 5 day series all focus on different body parts but those specific to what figure competitors need to focus on. Let me tell you it is bad to the bone! And I cannot imagine what my body is going to look like in a month of this training - seriously! I bought it for a number of reasons (my DH, please pay attention here): Scott has a very loyal following and everyone who uses him attests to massive transformations through his high intensity weight lifting and cardio combinations. And the other reason is our gym membership ran out and we are not sure if we are going to renew - we have a great home gym and this is a program built for the home plus our gym is almost a half hour from our house.
Check it out a video of the program:
It is INTENSE! I highly recommend it!
I will give more details on the program in my next post but the idea is to do high intense workouts 5 days a week with a focus on full body function and multi-plane movements. I LOVE IT and I am smoked after every workout. I started on Sunday (see below on weekly recap) and I can't wait to share with you guys where I in two weeks (that would be around May 15th). Can't wait - it VERY similar to Debbie workouts but even harder because of some of the full body core movements used.
Again, more details to follow. Also, see below for my week last week - another great training week.
As for my nutrition, I STILL haven't had time to add back in my food over the last week so I am pulling the link for now. I am staggering my calories for every other day and will also get you more details on that later in the week.
Have a great week everyone!
Jess
Weekly Recap:
Monday:
6 mile trail run - PM Cardio
Biceps/Triceps
Barbell curl - Olympic Bar Only super set with
Overhead French Press - 20lbs 4x12
Hammer curls (20lbs) super set with
Tricep push downs - 70lbs cable rack 4x15
Swiss Ball Preacher Curl (15lb slow reps) super set with
Tricep kick backs (10 lbs slow reps) 4x12
Tuesday:
Planned day off - SORE all over
Wednesday:
HIIT Intervals - 10 minute warm up, 20 minutes HIIT 1:1 intervals plus 10 min warm up and cool down.
Thursday:
Monkey Bar Gym Fit Class
4 sets of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off super set rounds of the following & then 2 rounds of 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off
Push up burpees (push up and jump up - power)
One legged dynamic hops - 5 each leg until 30 second mark
Around the world - planks with alt arm and leg in air
Medicine ball sit up and reach
In place sprints - high knees and arms pumping
Burned 600 calories in 1hr
Friday:
Monday Bar Gym Body Power Class
Prisoner reps - 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 of the following:
Alternating super sets of Renegade Rows using 40lb kettlebells - lean on kettle bells from a plank position (legs spread) and then row alternate arms - super set with one arm kettle bell chest press with 20lbs
Alternating supersets of Hamstring roll ins on stability ball with box jumps (16 inch box)
Ab roll outs on power wheel
WOW! 400 calories burned
Saturday:
Took day off with the sis - we walked around a bunch in Madison but no real workout.
Sunday:
Day 1 of Ultimate Figure Program (legs emphasis) - HOLY CRAP!
So, as most of you have come to learn, Mondays and Tuesdays are TERRIBLE! Hate them, but at the end of the day, blogging here with you guys always makes me happy! :) I just feel bad you get very little love on Mondays and Tuesdays.
I got my tests back from my full nutritional analysis and here are the notables:
1. I am hypoglycemic.
2. Deficient in Zinc.
3. Deficient in Alpha-Lipoic Acid.
4. Deficient in Vitamin D.
5. Deficient in Oleic Acid (didn't even know that existed).
6. Deficient in Coenzyme Q10.
The results were very interesting - as I understood it from reading the lab reports, basically they take your blood and remove the nutrient they are testing for and then introduce it to see how it responds. Based on this, they tell you if you are deficient and if you have special needs. The only real surprise for me was the hypoglycemia. But it does make sense for how fuzzy I get and wacked out I get when I don't have food - good to know.
How do I correct?
1. Eat every 2-3 hours - CHECK!
2. Take a Zinc supplement or eat lots of oysters and wheat germ (there is more but those were the two funny ones).
3. Take a supplement - can't get this through a particular food source.
4. Get more sun. Duh.
5. Eat more avocados, use olive oil, canola oil, etc.
6. Take a supplement (note to self, high dosages = diarrhea which leads to FOF syndrome - fear of farting).
All of the things I was deficient in were immune boosters and protectants so the good news is if I can work on some of these deficiencies I can boost the immune system.
Cynthia (a.k.a. Visionquester and man-boob-lover) turned me on to Scott Abel and after perusing his website and reading more and more about his philosophies and credentials, I decided to purchase the Ultimate Figure Program DVD series (yes Jody, I know this drives you crazy - and I promise you this - if you are reading - that I will sell every non used workout DVD and make back double what these new DVD's cost - promise my cherub :)).
The DVD program focuses on MET training which stands for Metabolic Enhancement Training and is basically super intense conditioning and strength workouts all in one which for the 5 day series all focus on different body parts but those specific to what figure competitors need to focus on. Let me tell you it is bad to the bone! And I cannot imagine what my body is going to look like in a month of this training - seriously! I bought it for a number of reasons (my DH, please pay attention here): Scott has a very loyal following and everyone who uses him attests to massive transformations through his high intensity weight lifting and cardio combinations. And the other reason is our gym membership ran out and we are not sure if we are going to renew - we have a great home gym and this is a program built for the home plus our gym is almost a half hour from our house.
Check it out a video of the program:
It is INTENSE! I highly recommend it!
I will give more details on the program in my next post but the idea is to do high intense workouts 5 days a week with a focus on full body function and multi-plane movements. I LOVE IT and I am smoked after every workout. I started on Sunday (see below on weekly recap) and I can't wait to share with you guys where I in two weeks (that would be around May 15th). Can't wait - it VERY similar to Debbie workouts but even harder because of some of the full body core movements used.
Again, more details to follow. Also, see below for my week last week - another great training week.
As for my nutrition, I STILL haven't had time to add back in my food over the last week so I am pulling the link for now. I am staggering my calories for every other day and will also get you more details on that later in the week.
Have a great week everyone!
Jess
Weekly Recap:
Monday:
6 mile trail run - PM Cardio
Biceps/Triceps
Barbell curl - Olympic Bar Only super set with
Overhead French Press - 20lbs 4x12
Hammer curls (20lbs) super set with
Tricep push downs - 70lbs cable rack 4x15
Swiss Ball Preacher Curl (15lb slow reps) super set with
Tricep kick backs (10 lbs slow reps) 4x12
Tuesday:
Planned day off - SORE all over
Wednesday:
HIIT Intervals - 10 minute warm up, 20 minutes HIIT 1:1 intervals plus 10 min warm up and cool down.
Thursday:
Monkey Bar Gym Fit Class
4 sets of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off super set rounds of the following & then 2 rounds of 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off
Push up burpees (push up and jump up - power)
One legged dynamic hops - 5 each leg until 30 second mark
Around the world - planks with alt arm and leg in air
Medicine ball sit up and reach
In place sprints - high knees and arms pumping
Burned 600 calories in 1hr
Friday:
Monday Bar Gym Body Power Class
Prisoner reps - 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 of the following:
Alternating super sets of Renegade Rows using 40lb kettlebells - lean on kettle bells from a plank position (legs spread) and then row alternate arms - super set with one arm kettle bell chest press with 20lbs
Alternating supersets of Hamstring roll ins on stability ball with box jumps (16 inch box)
Ab roll outs on power wheel
WOW! 400 calories burned
Saturday:
Took day off with the sis - we walked around a bunch in Madison but no real workout.
Sunday:
Day 1 of Ultimate Figure Program (legs emphasis) - HOLY CRAP!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Would the Real Tony G. Please Stand Up
Dear Visionquester,
You should run for politics because you clearly are an expert at spinning things to your advantage. This poll you have on your website is not representative of Tony Gonzalez. So, in fairness to him and the voting population, I am including pics of him that actually LOOK like him.
This is how he really looks when he is not squinting at the sun:
Here is my boy hanging with his friends:
And your boy looks like this: Does he have a comb??
Now, you can vote on www.visionquester2.blogspot.com for the real hottie.
And I think you just love your guy because he is a chef and you used to watch cooking shows while you worked out. Sad, sad stuff.
Jessica
You should run for politics because you clearly are an expert at spinning things to your advantage. This poll you have on your website is not representative of Tony Gonzalez. So, in fairness to him and the voting population, I am including pics of him that actually LOOK like him.
This is how he really looks when he is not squinting at the sun:
Here is my boy hanging with his friends:
And your boy looks like this: Does he have a comb??
Now, you can vote on www.visionquester2.blogspot.com for the real hottie.
And I think you just love your guy because he is a chef and you used to watch cooking shows while you worked out. Sad, sad stuff.
Jessica
Monday, April 14, 2008
Food Goodies
I hope everyone is having a glorious start to the week...I am still feeling great! And not too sore from the 7 mile run yesterday. Yeah!!!
Good news!!! Wal-Mart is now selling Oikos Greek Yogurt. It is AWESOME! My cherub, this post is for you....you said it was blog worthy! :)
This stuff is amazing! Really. Check out the breakdown:
Calories: 130
Fat: 0
Carbs: 9 (sugars)
Protein: 22g
Do you see that ladies????? 130 glorious creamy custard calories and 22 grams of protein. If you are like me, you didn't eat yogurt much b/c it was low protein and high sugar or when I did eat it, I would mix protein it...no need with this yummines. This stuff has 9 grams of lactose sugar and tons of great natural goodies like live active cultures. And you can get it at your local Wal-Mart in the yogurt section - but, let me warn you, they don't carry a lot so find out when they get their deliveries and buy all you can!! What can you do with this goodness? 1. Use it in your shakes. 2. Make dip - it is plain so you can add ranch for a yummy dip. 3. Add vanilla and splenda and sliced strawberries. 4. Use it in cheesecake (I am going to make a cheesecake this weekend and will let you know how it goes).
I love hummus. Like LOVE it. But, what is the best thing to eat hummus with? Chips, of course. Chips not so good for what I am trying to achieve so here is what I did:
Jessica's Pepperoni Chips
Turn oven to 425
17 Turkey Pepperoni slices
Spread slices out on cookie sheet and cook for 10-12 minutes or until crispy
Let cool and use like chips
The pepperoni slices have 70 calories in 17 pepperonis and 10 grams of protein - 3.5 grams of fat. :) Dip those bad dads in the hummus and you have a fairly healthy snack. High sodium and you have to be careful not to eat too much of the hummus but I was in heaven.
Happy Monday everyone!
If you haven't checked out Cynthia's HILARIOUS vlog today, check it. GOOD STUFF! Get ready to laugh.
Me
P.S. Was gonna take tonight off from working out but I said to myself: "Self - you are NOT going to get ripped taking a night off" so I worked out. And I feel great. My biceps are blowed up!
Good news!!! Wal-Mart is now selling Oikos Greek Yogurt. It is AWESOME! My cherub, this post is for you....you said it was blog worthy! :)
This stuff is amazing! Really. Check out the breakdown:
Calories: 130
Fat: 0
Carbs: 9 (sugars)
Protein: 22g
Do you see that ladies????? 130 glorious creamy custard calories and 22 grams of protein. If you are like me, you didn't eat yogurt much b/c it was low protein and high sugar or when I did eat it, I would mix protein it...no need with this yummines. This stuff has 9 grams of lactose sugar and tons of great natural goodies like live active cultures. And you can get it at your local Wal-Mart in the yogurt section - but, let me warn you, they don't carry a lot so find out when they get their deliveries and buy all you can!! What can you do with this goodness? 1. Use it in your shakes. 2. Make dip - it is plain so you can add ranch for a yummy dip. 3. Add vanilla and splenda and sliced strawberries. 4. Use it in cheesecake (I am going to make a cheesecake this weekend and will let you know how it goes).
I love hummus. Like LOVE it. But, what is the best thing to eat hummus with? Chips, of course. Chips not so good for what I am trying to achieve so here is what I did:
Jessica's Pepperoni Chips
Turn oven to 425
17 Turkey Pepperoni slices
Spread slices out on cookie sheet and cook for 10-12 minutes or until crispy
Let cool and use like chips
The pepperoni slices have 70 calories in 17 pepperonis and 10 grams of protein - 3.5 grams of fat. :) Dip those bad dads in the hummus and you have a fairly healthy snack. High sodium and you have to be careful not to eat too much of the hummus but I was in heaven.
Happy Monday everyone!
If you haven't checked out Cynthia's HILARIOUS vlog today, check it. GOOD STUFF! Get ready to laugh.
Me
P.S. Was gonna take tonight off from working out but I said to myself: "Self - you are NOT going to get ripped taking a night off" so I worked out. And I feel great. My biceps are blowed up!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
First Vlog w/New Camera (Had Issues)
Hey guys!
It's my first Vlog with the new camera! Thanks Krissa cause it ROCKS the house! Although it is about 2 minutes shorter than it should have been b/c I guess the memory on the camera itself is SUPER tiny and we are going to have to buy a memory card. I was just chatting away, his stop and apparently it had stopped long before that.
I just woke up so apologies for the bed head and the no make up. WHOA! But ladies, this is how we roll - this is who we are and if we can't do a vlog with no make up here, what's the point?? :) And quite frankly, it is kind of boring - I promise more Superstar personality next time. It is like I am giving a work presentation or something. SNOOZE!
I gotta tell you guys my mood is SO much better and even though this food poisoning thing is getting me DOWN because I feel queasy all the time, I am so glad to feel better and be in better spirits. WOO HOO! Thanks to all of you guys for telling me to snap out of it! :) More later have a great day!
Oh, and the rest of my vlog had these major points that were cut off:
It's my first Vlog with the new camera! Thanks Krissa cause it ROCKS the house! Although it is about 2 minutes shorter than it should have been b/c I guess the memory on the camera itself is SUPER tiny and we are going to have to buy a memory card. I was just chatting away, his stop and apparently it had stopped long before that.
I just woke up so apologies for the bed head and the no make up. WHOA! But ladies, this is how we roll - this is who we are and if we can't do a vlog with no make up here, what's the point?? :) And quite frankly, it is kind of boring - I promise more Superstar personality next time. It is like I am giving a work presentation or something. SNOOZE!
I gotta tell you guys my mood is SO much better and even though this food poisoning thing is getting me DOWN because I feel queasy all the time, I am so glad to feel better and be in better spirits. WOO HOO! Thanks to all of you guys for telling me to snap out of it! :) More later have a great day!
Oh, and the rest of my vlog had these major points that were cut off:
- Cynthia - props to you for the bad a$$ website! Love it!
- I am going to Vlog this weekend and have DH video me doing some cool moves I learned from Debbie for you guys.
- Hitting the gym today for a workout and cardio - cross fingers I will keep enough food down to get something accomplished.
- Will update my Fit Day log - been pretty much nothing followed by nothing. :)
- HAVE A GREAT WEEK!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Doc and Gym - HAPPY BIRTHDAY Cynthia!
Happy Tuesday everyone!
Couple updates for you...
Went to the doc yesterday (man, these last two days have been so long at work I can't believe it was just yesterday that I went) and they drew about 7 or 8 vials of blood (literally - no joke) and they are testing me for everything: mono, hepatitis, hypothyroidism, anemia (although my blood was gushing out of there so she didn't think it was that) and whatever else they can try. I feel a little paranoid getting tested for all this stuff but at the same time I KNOW MYSELF and I know this isn't normal for me to be sick this much. I would much rather eliminate things that could be wrong. Otherwise I would just spend a lot of time wondering.
My energy has been low the last few days - I think the prednisone he has me on makes me very sleepy. It has been hard to get up and I get really tired in the afternoon which I normally never get tired. But overall I feel 10x better - voice is back and my sore throat is gone. YAYY!
The doc is also running my blood work through for a complete nutritional analysis which will tell me if I have any nutrient deficiencies. Plus it will give me the scoop on my metabolism and glucose sensitivity. Why everyone wouldn't want to do this, I don't know, again, we take better care of our cars than we do of our own bodies. Here is the chart of what they test for:
Cool huh? That will take 3 weeks to get those results but how awesome will it be to know how much of each of those vitamins and minerals my body needs?
Has anyone else done this type of testing?
And I totally April Fooled my DH today and told him the doc called with results from the test and that I was preggers. Kept him going for about 5 minutes. Good times. Funny stuff.
I also went to the gym over lunch today for the first time in a looooong time and I was so happy to go back. I love working out over lunch. It is such a great break in the day and you feel so good! I even decided that although I can't get all sweaty and red faced cause I have to go back to work, I can do that at home at night and still focus on upper body at the gym. So, leave my night time workouts for legs/plyos and cardio and the day for lifting. Love it. Smart.
And finally, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Cynthia who also made a HUGE announcement that she will be competing this year! Congrats! We are all behind you!
Check it out at: www.visionquester2.blogspot.com
Hope everyone is having a good week so far!
Jess
Couple updates for you...
Went to the doc yesterday (man, these last two days have been so long at work I can't believe it was just yesterday that I went) and they drew about 7 or 8 vials of blood (literally - no joke) and they are testing me for everything: mono, hepatitis, hypothyroidism, anemia (although my blood was gushing out of there so she didn't think it was that) and whatever else they can try. I feel a little paranoid getting tested for all this stuff but at the same time I KNOW MYSELF and I know this isn't normal for me to be sick this much. I would much rather eliminate things that could be wrong. Otherwise I would just spend a lot of time wondering.
My energy has been low the last few days - I think the prednisone he has me on makes me very sleepy. It has been hard to get up and I get really tired in the afternoon which I normally never get tired. But overall I feel 10x better - voice is back and my sore throat is gone. YAYY!
The doc is also running my blood work through for a complete nutritional analysis which will tell me if I have any nutrient deficiencies. Plus it will give me the scoop on my metabolism and glucose sensitivity. Why everyone wouldn't want to do this, I don't know, again, we take better care of our cars than we do of our own bodies. Here is the chart of what they test for:
Vitamins | Minerals | Amino Acids | Antioxidants | Carbohydrate Metabolism, Fatty Acids & Metabolites |
| Vitamin A | Calcium | Asparagine | Coenzyme Q10 | Lipoic Acid |
| Vitamin B1 | Magnesium | Carnitine | Glutathione | Oleic Acid |
| Vitamin B2 | Selenium | Glutamine | Cysteine | Choline |
| Vitamin B3 | Zinc | Serine | Spectrox™ (Total Antioxidant Function) | Inositol |
| Vitamin B6 | Fructose Sensitivity | |||
| Vitamin B12 | Glucose/Insulin Metabolism | |||
| Biotin | ||||
| Folate | ||||
| Pantothenate | ||||
| Vitamin D | ||||
| Vitamin E |
Cool huh? That will take 3 weeks to get those results but how awesome will it be to know how much of each of those vitamins and minerals my body needs?
Has anyone else done this type of testing?
And I totally April Fooled my DH today and told him the doc called with results from the test and that I was preggers. Kept him going for about 5 minutes. Good times. Funny stuff.
I also went to the gym over lunch today for the first time in a looooong time and I was so happy to go back. I love working out over lunch. It is such a great break in the day and you feel so good! I even decided that although I can't get all sweaty and red faced cause I have to go back to work, I can do that at home at night and still focus on upper body at the gym. So, leave my night time workouts for legs/plyos and cardio and the day for lifting. Love it. Smart.
And finally, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Cynthia who also made a HUGE announcement that she will be competing this year! Congrats! We are all behind you!
Check it out at: www.visionquester2.blogspot.com
Hope everyone is having a good week so far!
Jess
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Rolling with Life
One of the things I have found most challenging over the last few months is rolling with what life throws at me in terms of busyness and scheduling. If I don't make my lunch workout, I just skip it all together. My attitude now is that I workout no matter what - if not over lunch, at home that night in my incredible home gym. That way, I don't feel like a failure if I don't make it at lunch. I still know and trust that I will get it done! So simple, yet so liberating.
This is a quick one! A big congratulations to Visionquester for losing 5lbs! NICE JOB! So proud of you chica!
And check out my workouts on the right side of the blog - I have two days behind me! WOO HOO!
Jess
This is a quick one! A big congratulations to Visionquester for losing 5lbs! NICE JOB! So proud of you chica!
And check out my workouts on the right side of the blog - I have two days behind me! WOO HOO!
Jess
Saturday, February 9, 2008
You Asked For It! Nutrition and Diet (And I Changed My Blog Template - You Like??)
As we near the end of voting, I see a common thread of requests in the form of learning more about nutrition and diet. I am assuming this is MY nutrition and diet plans with perhaps a little sprinkling of general knowledge.
First, let me set the record straight...unlike my friend Cynthia (www.visionquester2.blogspot.com), I do not have a personal training certification. It IS on my list of things to accomplish this year along with an additional certification in 2009 for nutrition however my knowledge comes from three areas:
EVERYONE is different. EVERY BODY responds differently HOWEVER there are some universal truths. I have found these from reading the diets of hundreds of competitors over the years. In fact, I have a notebook that has them all! :)
Today, I would ask each of you to think about your food and how you view food.
More on my diet tomorrow.
Jessica
First, let me set the record straight...unlike my friend Cynthia (www.visionquester2.blogspot.com), I do not have a personal training certification. It IS on my list of things to accomplish this year along with an additional certification in 2009 for nutrition however my knowledge comes from three areas:
- I read A LOT. Anything I can get my hands on related to diet and nutrition - blogs, websites, magazines, books, forums etc.
- Personal experience. I have competed twice at this point and feel like both of those experiences gave me excellent insight.
- Friends/family experience. Anyone that I know who trains or workouts or who is passionate about what their fitness goals, I quiz. Lots of questions.
EVERYONE is different. EVERY BODY responds differently HOWEVER there are some universal truths. I have found these from reading the diets of hundreds of competitors over the years. In fact, I have a notebook that has them all! :)
- You must eat as much whole, natural food as possible.
- You must give your body ample protein - especially when training and building.
- Diet is AT LEAST 75% of your success (it took me a very long time to believe this but now I do - without a doubt).
- Fat is not bad if it is healthy fat.
- You MUST, MUST, MUST be consistent.
Today, I would ask each of you to think about your food and how you view food.
- Do you think of it as FUEL for your body or do you think of it as a pleasure point?
- Do you understand how it digests in your system and how it fuels your workouts or do you just think of it as something you put in your mouth?
- Do you expect that 95% of your meals will be for fuel and only 5% will be for pleasure?
More on my diet tomorrow.
Jessica
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Intuitive Living + STAYCATION
My friend and fellow blogger Cynthia has discovered a new eating program focused on intuitive eating....meaning you eat when you are hungry until you are full and eat the things you want and that your body craves. Eventually, you will get to a point where you know your body well enough that you don't over eat.
I am going to try Intuitive Living. This involves listening to your body and responding to it appropriately. Right now I am working too much and too many hours...not getting enough sleep....and not eating enough or at proper intervals....as a result, I am starting to get sick again. Woke up in the middle of the night last night with a headache and sore throat and when I started to really think about why I was feeling bad again, I recognized that I am not listening to my body. I am not living intuitively. I KNOW that if I do not get enough sleep and am too stressed out - I will get sick. This 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night and long, stressful days is just not healthy - not good at all. This turns into missed workouts, crankiness and bad eating. Not good.
I am making a commitment to live intuitively from this day forward. I am listening to my body and listening to the choices I make to not go to bed earlier, not prepare my food or drink enough water because I am too "busy". By body is my temple and I have to respect that temple.
Sorry guys - I know this isn't a super fitness related post but is all interrelated. If I don't take care of my mental health and my overall well being my fitness suffers and so do my muscles. It is a vicious cycle and one I am breaking now.
As for STAYCATION (a vacation where you STAY at home...Stay-cation :))...starts tomorrow! Woo hoo! 12 glorious days off! Well, 11 glorious days completely off and whatever time I choose to work! :) I cannot wait to start my STAYCATION! I am going to wake up smiling tomorrow. And it will be wonderful! What do I plan to do? WORKOUT! Lots. And while I have been working out - mostly in the mornings, I haven't been consistent...and my lifts have suffered. So, lots of workouts, eating consistently and clean. The usual. I actually have three sheets of large post-it easel paper with lists of things I am going to accomplish during the staycation - I can't wait!
Working out with Debbie has truly been life changing. I have a completely different perspective on how I will work out from now on...now, I will still lift heavy on body parts however when I train it will be conditioning and abs focused. She is such an amazing trainer - her goals are to SHOW you how to lift and workout with proper form so you can do it on your own. This way you aren't dependent upon her as the trainer - she truly believe in the philosophy: give a man a fish, feed him for a day - teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime. Debbie - thanks for peeling back the layer and showing me I am an athlete!
While I have been slacking on frequent blogging, you better watch out! I'm gonna blog every day on the staycation! :) Tune in!
Jess
P.S. AND I promise picture posts at least twice during staycation. YIPPEE!
I am going to try Intuitive Living. This involves listening to your body and responding to it appropriately. Right now I am working too much and too many hours...not getting enough sleep....and not eating enough or at proper intervals....as a result, I am starting to get sick again. Woke up in the middle of the night last night with a headache and sore throat and when I started to really think about why I was feeling bad again, I recognized that I am not listening to my body. I am not living intuitively. I KNOW that if I do not get enough sleep and am too stressed out - I will get sick. This 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night and long, stressful days is just not healthy - not good at all. This turns into missed workouts, crankiness and bad eating. Not good.
I am making a commitment to live intuitively from this day forward. I am listening to my body and listening to the choices I make to not go to bed earlier, not prepare my food or drink enough water because I am too "busy". By body is my temple and I have to respect that temple.
Sorry guys - I know this isn't a super fitness related post but is all interrelated. If I don't take care of my mental health and my overall well being my fitness suffers and so do my muscles. It is a vicious cycle and one I am breaking now.
As for STAYCATION (a vacation where you STAY at home...Stay-cation :))...starts tomorrow! Woo hoo! 12 glorious days off! Well, 11 glorious days completely off and whatever time I choose to work! :) I cannot wait to start my STAYCATION! I am going to wake up smiling tomorrow. And it will be wonderful! What do I plan to do? WORKOUT! Lots. And while I have been working out - mostly in the mornings, I haven't been consistent...and my lifts have suffered. So, lots of workouts, eating consistently and clean. The usual. I actually have three sheets of large post-it easel paper with lists of things I am going to accomplish during the staycation - I can't wait!
Working out with Debbie has truly been life changing. I have a completely different perspective on how I will work out from now on...now, I will still lift heavy on body parts however when I train it will be conditioning and abs focused. She is such an amazing trainer - her goals are to SHOW you how to lift and workout with proper form so you can do it on your own. This way you aren't dependent upon her as the trainer - she truly believe in the philosophy: give a man a fish, feed him for a day - teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime. Debbie - thanks for peeling back the layer and showing me I am an athlete!
While I have been slacking on frequent blogging, you better watch out! I'm gonna blog every day on the staycation! :) Tune in!
Jess
P.S. AND I promise picture posts at least twice during staycation. YIPPEE!
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