My journey takes another turn….

I cannot believe I am about to put this out there to the world but if you know me, when I make a decision to do anything, once my mind is set on something, I am 100% all in, no matter what.  I don’t believe anything in life is worth doing if you aren’t putting you blood, sweat, tears, and most of all… your heart into it.  I figured the best way to keep myself totally accountable from this point on was to lay it all on the line here because once I do that, I have to do my best and follow through.  Hopefully anyways… I have no idea what’s in store for me but I am ready to begin another chapter in my fitness journey.

Never in a million years would I have thought I would end up where I am today with a food/lifestyle blog, a growing number of followers on various social media sites, getting messages and emails from random women who need help & advice, and moreover seeing myself inspire ANYONE to do ANYTHING.  I started this journey earlier this year with the intent of getting this 35 year old body into shape and educating myself on nutrition, over all health & well being, and strength training to better MYSELF.  However, it seems to have snowballed into an even more amazing experience than I could have imagined.  I have learned so much.  I have grown new friendships with amazing people who probably support and encourage me more than many others currently in my life. I have literally shed tears over messages, posts, and emails from people letting me know their own stories, ideas, struggles, goals, and their own small triumphs.  And most of all, I realized that although very small (like really small, minuscule or baby sized is more like it), that I have a platform here to inspire and help other women.  I decided that I am going to run with it.  Even if it’s only a handful of girls/women who I reach, I can still smile ear to ear knowing that in some tiny way, I perhaps motivated or taught them something.  It’s been a great journey so far and it’s about to get even better.

That being said, I have decided that I am going to begin a full fitness competition/contest prep over the course of the next FIVE months!

Oh My God. What on Earth am I doing???!!!

Here are the specifics:

The WHO?

I will be working closely with an actual coach for this entire prep.  This means getting nutrition and weight training in order for the next 2 months, a reverse diet phase, a diet/cutting phase, a “peak” week, and then my “stage” day.  I chose Will specifically because we share a lot of the same beliefs when it comes to nutrition and training.  He’s also a huge family man which means a lot to me.  The love he has for his wife and daughters shines just as hard & bright as his commitment to his body, his sport, and bettering himself every single day.  Will understands my short term and long term goals but also understands the demands of having multiple kids, a significant other, work, etc.   I am confident that he will help me bring out the best overall package in me.  This will be a100%  healthy prep that does not resort to a set meal plan, hours on end of cardio, or starving myself.  We will be focusing on building a healthy metabolism first and foremost.

The WHY?

1. Bottom line is I want to push my body and see what it can really do.  My original goal this past March when I started my journey was to build a better body and get healthier.  This will simply just be a continuation of that journey except it will now become MUCH more focused with concrete goals in mind.
2. To educate myself.  I want to see first hand what goes in to the entire process (prep, building your metabolism, cutting, etc.).  I want to see what these athletes really go through (but in the healthiest way possible).  I’m hoping that the next 5 months will lay an even greater foundation for me and my future health/goals.
3. ** VERY IMPORTANT GOAL**  Depending on how things go, I’m hoping to spread the word that contest prep and getting lean does NOT have to be completely restrictive and miserable.  You have no idea how often I see girls wish they had NEVER done a competition simply because they had bad coaches/trainers who A. completely messed up their metabolism over the whole course of their prep  B. inadvertently caused them to have a very unhealthy relationship with food which lead to bingeing and other eating disorders  C. got them to initially lose weight quickly, then they hit a plateau, felt stuck & defeated, and were then blamed for not working hard enough or not being truly dedicated to sticking to their “plan” and/or D. because their metabolism was so messed up by the end of their prep, they ended up gaining a lot of weight back post comp when they went off the meal plan and incorporated otherwise “off limit” foods.  No carb, no fat, “clean” foods only, cookie cutter meal plan consisting of tilapia, sweet potatoes and asparagus…. there will be non of that on my prep as far as I know.  Will has assured me that over the next 2 months, we will be focusing on putting on quality muscle, building my metabolic capacity and getting my calories up fairly high so that when the time comes to diet down, it should be easier than what most go through.  Please don’t get me wrong though… if YOU are in a prep and YOU like having the same meals every day with little variety because its just easier or you like the food set up by your trainer, by all means, continue on your journey.  To each is their own and I’m choosing to not pick that course for my journey.  
4. I’m 35 years old.  I have two kids in school full time. I have an amazingly supportive husband.  I created and maintain 2 successful businesses..  I have a huge fire in me to do this.  I’m ready to take things up a notch and show women that it’s never too late or too early to be in the best shape of your life regardless of work, kids, having a busy schedule, or all of the other excuses we have used in our lives.
5. It’s nice to have goals, I think everyone should have their own.  However, sometimes you need a “deadline” and a firm plan to reach those goals.  Much like people who do marathons, knowing the “date” helps you lay out a blue print and schedule.  This is a journey for me and mine won’t end in March but having that looming “date” in mind will help me focus even more and work harder to reach my goals.

The HOW?

1. 100% commitment
2. Building a stellar metabolic capacity with carefully calculated macros
3. Properly balanced nutrition and nutrient timing
4. Heavy strength training with minimal cardio (hopefully hahaha)

My plan as of right now is that I will be documenting this ENTIRE journey here on my blog and via Instagram.  I would like to be as transparent as I can be so I will be keeping a daily journal of food, weight training, exercises, my cardio, etc. all on a single page that can be found HERE.  I will do more complete check ins and progress reports here on the blog as well in the form of regular posts either weekly or biweekly (need to see how the first couple of weeks go).  I would like to document all of this fully and completely, NOT so others can follow what I did (because everyone needs their OWN plan), but to illustrate that I can still maintain a “regular” life, have flexibility with my food, not be miserable, and still reach MY goals.

The TWIST?

Here is the kicker where you may look at me sideways.

There actually will not be a contest/competition at the end of these 5 months.

What in the world is she talking about?

Let me explain…

My “end of the line” won’t actual be in the form of me hitting any stage at all.  I have chosen 3-21-14 (my 36th birthday) to be my official “end” date and I’m hoping to put together a little photo shoot to bring everything to the table.

The WHY NOT?

So why not just hit a real stage and actually compete?

1. First and foremost I am doing this for ME.  I don’t really feel the need to be on any stage.  Would it be nice to be recognized even a little bit for my hard work and possibly place, get a trophy, and maybe get some applause?  Sure, absolutely but this isn’t about that for me.  I’m in competition with myself, thats all.  I don’t feel that by choosing not to be on an actual stage, I am working any less hard or am less dedicated than those who do compete.  Again, I have committed to this challenge and whether or not I am 100% “stage ready” by my 36th birthday, I will know I gave it my all.  That’s what it’s all about.
2. Ultimately this is not about making myself fit into a particular class or division that competitions have.  I respect ALL of the girls who hit the stage regardless of what category they are in but in all honesty, I don’t think my goal physique fits into any one division… I’m aiming for more muscle than the bikini division, but with a little more “fluff”.  I want less muscle & less striated than the physique division… more like figure division but maybe with a little less muscle, more “fluff”?  Definitely more like the fitness division some competitions have, but not quite.   Hard to really pinpoint and explain, but I have an idea in my head that I will be aiming for.  Again, I love how ALL women look in each division and have SO much respect for their dedication and discipline, but for MY ideal body I want for ME… it would be hard to fit myself into any category and be 100% happy.  Again, this is for me, thats it.  I would hate to go through this prep aiming for something I don’t want in the first place and then getting judged on it.

And with that… it is now spoken and out there!  No going back now!!!!  I have made a decision.  Set a date.  I have specific goals.  I have a plan.  And I am now all in!

You can find my official 5 month diet and training journal HERE.  I hope to keep it as updated as I possible can throughout.  Most quick updates and pictures will be posted on my Instagram account if you want to follow me there.  Otherwise, be sure to check back on longer, more in depth posts here on my blog.

LET’S DO THIS

March 21, 2014!!!!