The Final Countdown

Well this is it! 4 more days to go and I'm competing! I can't believe it's here already. I am ready and I can't wait!!! These last few days are the hardest by far. My diet is super restricted - basically protien and veggies, very limited carbs, and no fruit. :( I will probably literally feel the sugar I eat after this run through my veins! So where do I stand now? Well, tomorrow I'm meeting with one of my teammates for my final posing/choreography practice. I've done most of the choreography myself, but she is awesome and will tweak it to make it perfect. I've been practicing my T-walk everyday...it's like muscle memory at this point. I feel very confident when I practice. I just pray that I have that same confidence on Saturday when I step on stage. My final workout is tomorrow too. My workouts on Sunday, Monday and today were pretty brutal. I'm amazed at how much I've been able to push myself physically these last few days. Today alone I ran the stadium for 20min (lap around the track, run the stadium stairs), then I ran a pretty tough 3 mile run with Kira, then headed straight to the gym for a killer leg workout followed by posing for 30min. Crazy huh? :) I just want no regrets. I want to know that I really did do my best. Tomorrow's workout will be a full-body sweaty beast followed by 20min on the stair climber and 30 on the elliplicle. Then I rest until Saturday and let my body do the rest! Tomorrow I'm picking up my suit (I had some padding put in), and buying all the last minute things - decorations for my pickaxe, jewelry, etc. Then on Thursday I go get my nails and toes done, wax - everything, tan again, and get some more rest! So there is a LOT to be done between now and Friday, but I feel good. I'm physically exhausted, but I'm pushing through. I keep picturing myself on stage doing really well, standing tall, looking great, smiling at the judges, being bubbly, winning (hey, you have to think positive). It's all helping me to not be nervous. I read somewhere that picturing in your mind how you want it to go makes you less nervous, more confident, and most of the time it goes that way! I honestly don't care if I win. Sure, it would be freaking AWESOME, but just to do this is a huge accomplishment for me already. I'm just glad I'm really doing something I've dreamed of doing for a long time. :) SO - I will be back with all the results/details after the weekend!

Patience - Enjoy the Moment

Do you ever want something so bad...and you know you can have it....but you want it right now? I'm in this situation. I know where I want to be in life. I have some goals lined up, but all of my goals are things that take time and persistance. I want to have a very small, successful business. I want to model. I want to compete at a national competition. I want to have 1 or 2 more kids. I want to get out of Fayetteville and support my husband in his career journey. So many things - and none of them are that far out of reach....they just take time. My struggle right now is with patience. I know that God is in control of my life, and I feel like right now He is letting me know that I need to work on my patience. I'm so used to wanting something, and doing it or getting it right then. I've been a bit spoiled. But this time, the things I want are things I have to work hard for, and things that will take some time to accomplish. I can't have them right now. So for now, I will try to enjoy the moment that I'm in. Enjoy the life that I have right now, enjoy the fact that I'm 25 and just beginning, that I can't have loads of success in a career that I've just started, that I can't compete at a national event witout starting at a regional one, and that we have two more years here in Fayetteville one way or the other - so enjoy it. Enjoy my daughter, enjoy my husband, enjoy being young, and to be thankful for the things that I do have right now. If I'm constantly looking towards what I want, how can I ever really appreciate what I have? I'm searching for that balance - to live in this moment that I'm given. To embrace today, because tomorrow might not ever come, and to also stay persistant in my work towards the future. Keep studying, keep training, keep working....and some day, when God has decided I'm ready, it will all pay off...and how much more sweeter will it be?

ABS

Ok, I've literally had tons of emails since I posted my "ab update" photo on facebook. I, by no means, have perfect abs. I think the big response from my friends is simply because, I've NEVER had abs like this in my life, and I have a little kiddo. I still have plenty of work to do on my midsection. Besides my thighs, it's the one other place on my body that is the quickest to show me when my diet isn't up to par. :) And I'm still trying to figure out my own tricks to getting the "perfect set of abs". Here is what has worked so far for me:

1. Drink TONS of water. I drink at least a gallon a day, usually more. If you have stretch marks, this makes them less noticable too. I can tell when I'm low on water because my "stretchies" look extra stretchy. :)

2. Just say no to sugar - and probably alcohol while you're at it. I've cut sugar completely out of my diet. I rely on fruits as my source of sweetness for the most part. I do use stevia (a natural sweetner - like splenda, but natural) to sweeten my coffee and oatmeal, but that's about it. If you need syrup for pancakes - get sugar free...it only tatses weird the first few times, then you get used to it! As for alcohol....kind of a given. Sure, have your glass of wine once a week, but if you're drinking Long Island Iced Teas every weekend, it's not going to help you out on that six pack. And let's not even go to beer.

3. Choose your carbs wisely! If it's white - just put it away! If it says "made with whole grains" it's still not that good. Go for 100% whole grain carbs. Sure, I eat pasta - but I make sure it's 100% whole wheat. Not sure? Check the ingredients...if it has a million things listed, don't get it. The pasta I buy has one ingredient: 100% whole grain wheat. Seriously. This also goes for bread. I like eziekel bread/wraps/englis muffins, etc. They are in the freezer department. So good for you, and not too bad tasting either! Also go for brown rice instead of white - being married to a puertorican, this will be a tough one for me when Enrique gets home! :) Potatoes are a great option...just don't smother them with butter and salt! Cereal...my favorite food in the world. I stick with Kashi brand. They are usually pretty healthy. Just check the sugar - I try to stay with anything under 9g. I could go on and on about carbs...just don't be fooled by all the "healthy" options out there...if it's super convienent, it's probably packed with sugar. Carbs are not bad, they are very essential - you just have to choose them very wisely!!!

4. LEAN protien!! This ones pretty easy...don't go buy 85/15 hamburger! Stick with chicken/turkey breast, fish, lean red meat, eggs. I also eat a lot of greek yogurt, cottage cheese and protien shakes.

5. Think FRESH when it comes to produce! I don't even go down the aisle filled with canned fruits and veggies at the grocery store. If that stuff can sit on a shelf for years, just imagine what's in there! No thanks. Go for the fresh stuff. The produce section has so many foods that are FILLED with nutrients! It sometimes amazes me, and I'm reminded of how awesome our God is. Everything we need for optimal nutrition comes straight from the earth. Some of the most nutrient-rich foods come straight from the ground, to the store. So awesome. Maybe I'm a nerd, but I think that's pretty cool. :)

6. Good fats, good fats, good fats. You don't want a fat-free diet. No bueno. BUT you do want to incorporate good fats into your diet. What are these? I call them polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. These fats are good for you. Unlike saturated and trans fats that sit in your gut and turn your six pack into a keg and raise your cholesterol, these two actually lower cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats, in particular, help with weight loss - especially in the midsection. These fats are found in nuts, avocados, olive oil, and canola oil. This includes peanut butter!! I put a tablespoon in my protien smoothies everytime!

7. Doing 100 crunches a night will NOT give you a six pack stomach. The old saying goes "Good abs are made in the kitchen." This is so true!! Honestly, I used to do abs everyday in my previous workouts. What a drag to do all that work and still have a spare tire around my waist. It's 80% diet. You have to feed your body the right foods to shed the excess fat around your waist. Everyone has a FABULOUS set of abs waiting under there to be revealed by a good diet. Consistant, clean eating will lead to great abs. Now, I did read somewhere that whether or not you have a 2, 4, or 6 pack is all dependent on your genetics. I'm not sure of this, but I've seen some very ripped people with only 4...so be happy with what you were blessed with.

That's my main advice. Keep in mind, these are the things I've done that have worked for me...everyone is different, some people need more or less carbs, some people have to cut down on fruit to get their abs showing...but this is a good starting point for most. I'm still trying to figure out my perfect ab equation. :) Good luck!

Chocolate Banana Bread

This stuff is SO good!!! And it's good for you! LOVE it!

2 ripe bananas
1c. old-fashioned oats
2 scoops chocolate protien powder
3/4c egg whites
1tsp. vanilla extract
splash of almond milk (optional)
1tbsp cocoa powder (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, mash bananas, add in all other ingredients and mix well. Spray casserole dish with Pam, pour batter into dish and bake for 30 minutes or until done. That's it!!
I add a splash of almond milk to keep the bread nice and moist.
You can also add some cocoa powder to really give it a yummy chocolate taste. I didn't this time and mine tastes wonderful, so I'm sure the cocoa makes it even better! :) Enjoy!

What I Ate Today

Today was about a 95% day, diet-wise. I always seem to fall off the 100% bandwagon on leg days! :)

6am

Omelette with 4 egg whites and
1/2c spinach and mushrooms

1/4c oatmeal with

1/4c blueberries and cinnamon

coffee

8:30 - pre-workout

Oatmeal Energy Bar - I think I've posted the recipe (if not, I will). I took out the chocolate chips.

1c. zucchini

1/4c grapefruit

12pm - post-workout

Protien shake with 1 scoop vanilla protien and

1/4c. mango

Another oatmeal energy bar (the plan was to have a sweet potato, but I needed something quick, so went for this).

1/2c zucchini

3:30pm

4oz chicken breast on

1 slice of eziekel bread with

1/2c romaine lettuce

and a little bit of natural mustard

6pm

40z tilapia

1c steamed brocolli (Kira had this for dinner too!)

8:45pm

Protien shake with 1 scoop chocolate protien

1tbsp nonfat greek yogurt

1tbsp ground flax seed

1/2c kale chips

I say it was a 95% day because I snuck a bite of Kira's Banana Cheerios - just to see what they tasted like. :) No one is perfect! Anyways, that was it. I usually try not to have two shakes in a day, but I didn't feel like having egg whites like usual, so I switched it up.

Tomorrow I will have 2 1/2 weeks until the competition. I practiced tonight with Katie for about an hour, and I just wasn't into it. I have my T-walk down to a T (hehe!), but I need to practice more with my pickaxe. I also want to practice with my suit on!!! It should be here any day now...I'm SO ready for it to get here, and praying really hard that it is perfect and doesn't need any adjustments.

I can't even describe my emotions at this point. I'm not doing a huge competition, but this is my first, and it's something I've wanted to do for a long time, set my mind to, and am now going to do it. I'm nervous, excited, terrified, proud, amazed, confident, scared...you name it! I'm so thankful to have such a stong web of support behind me. From my family and friends to my co-workers, I have a lot of people cheering me on, and that really means a lot. Now, it's time for me to get some rest. :)

Hungry!

How come when someone tells you that you can't have something - it becomes that much more irrisistable? I'm 3 1/2 weeks out from the competition. No peanut butter, no more cheat meals, and I'm down to 3 servings of fruit. That's not so terrible. But my MIND is working against me! I'm not supposed to have carbs after a certian time, and my mind always wants carbs right after I'm cut off for the day! It really is mind over matter with this whole thing. My mind won today. I didn't crash my diet or anything...just had carbs at 6pm. :) Here is what I had to eat today:

6am
4 egg whites
1/4c oatmeal with 1/4c banana
1/2c sauteed veggies

9am - pre workout
4 egg whites on an eziekel wrap
1c spinach salad with 1/4c strawberries and 1tbsp evoo raspberry dressing

12 - post workout
Protien shake with 1 scoop protien and 1 tbsp greek yogurt
10 Rice Works chips
1c steamed brocolli

2:30pm
1c lettuce with
4oz chicken breast
1/4c black beans and 1tbsp homeade salsa
1/4c banana

5:30pm
4oz spanikopita chicken meatballs
1c zucchini
"some" Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal - "some" as in I just ate some out of the bag - probably a handful or two. No one is perfect! :(

8:30 - as soon as I go downstairs after this :)
Protien shake with 1 scoop protien and 1tbsp greek yogurt

I also drank a gallon of water today. Not really a terrible day. I'm going to make 100% tomorrow...especially since the Kashi cereal is gone now. :)

Bought plane tickets for Chicago last night - so that's it. We're ready to go! Suits are in the mail, and now all I have to do is practice practice practice walking! I have 4 workouts a week that are fairly short and 2 that are pretty long. My goal for the next couple of weeks is to practice for at least 20-30min on 3 out of my 4 short days. If I can get in 4 practices, even better. That's all there is left to this. This is something I've wanted to do my whole life and never thought I could do it...and here I am, 3 1/2 weeks away. I'm doing it. I'm proving to myself that I can do ANYTHING I put my mind to. Ok, this lady is having a shake, and taking her butt to bed! My body needs some rest!

My 100% Day!

Today was one of few 100% days for me. I had an excellent workout and followed my diet to a T! Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast: 6am
4 egg whites
1c. zucchini
1/4c oatmeal with 1/4c blueberries
coffee :)

Preworkout Snack: 9am
Banana Bread Protien Bar (see recipe in a recent blog)
2oz 1% cottage cheese

Post workout Snack: 12pm
Protien Shake with 1 scoop protien
1/4c banana
1tbsp. natural peanut butter and
1/4c shredded wheat
1c. brocolli with 1tbsp. natural hummus

Lunch/Snack: 3pm
4 1oz chicken meatballs with greek yogurt dip (see recipe below)
1/4c baked potato
1c. zucchini

Dinner: 6pm
4oz turkey burger
1/2c lettuce - made into a bunless burger!

Bedtime snack: 8pm
4 egg whites
1tbsp olive oil
1c lettuce
made yummy little lettuce wraps.

Today I also made some kale chips. I got the recipe from a friend, Leslie and tried them out. I had a few and they are delicious! They are on the menu for tomorrow! :) Basically you get fresh kale, tear it into bite size pieces, place on a baking sheet, spray with olive oil and vinegar and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Bake until crispy - viola! A yummy crunchy snack...and a super nutrient-rich food. Be careful to use only a little sea salt. I sprinkled some on mine and they are a bit salty, so I will just do a dash or so next batch. Try them out!

On competition notes: I'm 4 weeks out from the big day. I'm not eating any more cheat meals at this point, and no nuts...I don't really know how life is going to be without peanut butter, but I'm about to find out. Four weeks...I can do anything for four weeks! My game face is on! My goal for tomorrow is at least a 90% day!

An Appreciation for Working Moms

What a hectic week!! Between errands, appointments, work, taking Kira to the babysitters, and training, I barely had a second to myself this past week. It really opened my eyes to a few things:
First - I have a brand new appreciation for working moms. Especially working moms who manage to squeeze in exercise and good nutrition (which can be a full-time job all in itself). I've realized that just to get yourself ready, your child ready, drop them off where they need to go, and make it to work on time, you have to start your day 3hours earlier than normal! I had to leave my house an hour before work...and I live 10 miles from work! There is a lot of work and planning that goes into everything, and I appreciate the ladies out there who have it all together and are doing it.
Second - I have a new appreciation for stay at home moms! I thought I wanted to be stay at home mom. I really did, but unfortunately, I need to work. I like buying things, and I am the only one who can support that habit. :) This week, Kira transitioned from an infant to a toddler. It was practically overnight. One day she just started getting into EVERYTHING! If I open the fridge, she's in there, a cabinet - she's in there too, under my feet constantly. I tried the pack-n-play a few times, which is great when I'm cooking or trying to get ready. But I felt bad sticking her in there for more than 20 min at a time. I feel like that's a prison. I realize that children need boundaries, and it's not healthy to let her roam around as she pleases..but the pack-n-play just bothered me...probably because I've seen a lot of mothers abuse this. Anyways, mid-week, Kira was following me everywhere, getting into everything and I'd just had enough, so I put her in her room and shut the door (don't worry, it's completely child-proof). Well, I checked in on her about 5 min later, and there she was, toybox open, toys everywhere, playing contently. Mission accomplished!! I got a baby gate set up the next day so I can keep the door open, and now when I need to do things without Kira's "help", I can put her in her room, and know that she is having fun playing, and not stuck in a little cage...just a bigger, much more exciting one. :) So my appreciation is for mom's out there who stay home, and play with their children all day, and keep them entertained. It's a very hard job, and for those out there who do it, I admire them.
Lastly, I especially admire military wives/moms. I am new to this one, and it is tough. It's one thing to be a stay at home mom, or working mom, and have a husband to help out at the end of the day...so you can relax, or go get some things done that you couldn't do with the kids. Military wives/moms don't get this luxury during a deployment. And most of the time, the military takes people away from their extended families, so it's just them...no close family to help out. There have been so many times since Enrique left where I just want to pack my bags and go home until he comes back. It's hard to not have a break from work and children. If you stay at home, you crave that adult conversation, and that chance to let your husband play with the kids for awhile at the end of the day. If you work, you want to be able to rely on your husband to pick up the kids if you're running late, or watch the kids while you go to an appointment after work or need to grab some groceries. It's very hard, and this is the first time I've had to experience it. There are a lot of women out there who have been doing this for years, and I truly, truly admire their strength, perserverence, and grace. I hate to sound cliche, but it really does take a strong woman to be a military wife...it's a tough job.
My goals over the next few weeks, are to adjust to my new life. Enjoy going to work and having a break from being "mom", appreciate the fact that Kira is playing and socializing with peers while I am gone, plan my days so that I have plenty of time to get ready and out of the door without the added stress of rushing, continue training and eating healthy, and to just take it all in stride! I know this will take some adjusting and fine tuning. Kira is growing up, and therefore, so am I.

Feeling a little out of it this week...

Today is "Hump Day". Meaning, if the week were a hill, this would be the peak, and the rest of the week is a downhill slope. I sure hope that's the case. I'm one of those people who need to have a good Monday in order to have a good Tuesday, and a good Tuesday to have a good Wednesday, and so on. Well, Monday was off, therefore so was Tuesday and now today. By the looks of my schedule for the rest of the week, it's not going to get much better until this weekend. I'm just in a slump again. I had one of these about 5 weeks ago too. Just sort of out of it, not as focused as I should be, feeling overwhelmed with the competition. I know it will pass...I just wish it would pass now!!
Anyways, other than that, training is going ok. That's the one part of my day that is usually on point. My diet this week is only about 75-80% though. I started the week off low on my water, and I can really tell. I get really bogged down if I'm not hydrated. So I've been chugging the water today in hopes of being refreshed.
On a positive note, I'm getting my hair done tomorrow. That is always fun for me because I usually never stick with the same hair-do too long. I will be saying goodbye to the summer honey locks and going back to my roots - brown. This is a good change I think with fall right around the corner. Plus, I'm a brunette - I'm not fooling anyone with this hair. :) I'm telling my stylist the key is "rich, chocolate" and letting her do her thing! As far as the style - I'm telling her to leave it long - but change it up, and make it different! We will see what she comes up with. :)
Ok, that's all from me today - no inspiring thoughts, just updates. My brain is fried at this point, and I need my rest!! Let's hope for an energized remainder of the week, and a rockin new do tomorrow!

Another Great Recipe

Here is a great Greek-style Chicken Meatball recipe:

1lb lean ground chicken breast

2 "handfulls" of frozen chopped spinach, thawed

2 tbsp parmasean cheese

or

1/4c feta cheese

2 tbsp minced garlic

1tbsp grill seasoning - I used McCormicks Montreal Steak seasoning

1tbsp olive oil

Dip:

1c greek yogurt

1/4 cucumber, peeled and chopped

1-2 tbsp fresh dill

1/2 lemon, juiced

1tsp each of coriander and cumin

salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine chicken, garlic, seasoning, and half of cheese in bowl. Wring water out of spinach and add to meat. Mix well with hands. Form into meatballs and place on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Cook for 15-20 minutes until done. Combine all the dip ingredients into a bowl and serve with meatballs.

I made these on Sunday, and they are FABULOUS! I got the recipe from a google search, and made some minor adjustments to it, and they turned out great. I measured all the meatballs into 1oz portions, so I can just grab out 3 or 4 and that counts as my protien. I love that they are packed with spinach too, so I get some of my veggies in there. A very yummy, convienient protien option. Enjoy!

Source: www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachel-ray