Excuses; Don't let them get in your way!

Excuses! We all use them or at least have used them in some form or other in our lives.

It is so easy to fall into this trap and use excuses when it comes to our health and fitness.

I hear it all the time from people. “I really want to get into shape but there is just not enough time; I’m just too tired. I don’t know how you do it” and so on.

There are endless excuses. Work, kids, house work, lack of knowledge, being uncomfortable, being too tired, other obligations, long hours, it’s too hard, too much pain, taking too long, etc. but these excuses will always be there. It isn’t until something snaps and your health and fitness suddenly become more important than your excuses that things change.

For me, I didn’t have what I would call an ‘aha’ moment; I mean there was no instance, in my life, that triggered the decision to finally change my lifestyle. It was just something I wanted and I woke up one day and decided this is it, today is the day. I finally had the desire to go for what I wanted and needed.

My excuses went out the window and I focused and concentrated all my energy into being healthy and fit and bam suddenly I loved it and there was no more need for excuses. I was excited to train, excited to push myself and go beyond my comfort level. I was researching clean eating, new recipes and happy about it all. Was it easy? No of course not; it was and is hard; but the hard is what makes it incredible. Lifting heavy things, seeing increases in endurance and strength are amazing accomplishments and leave me with such an amazing sense of success and achievement.

In recent weeks, I have been really struggling. Anyone who reads my blog and keeps up to speed with it knows the story; and it would be so easy for me to fall back on the old excuses. However, I will not give up! I am discouraged and having a rough time but I will not give up; because my WILL to succeed is far greater than any excuse.

I have put off competing again until we figure out what is going with my body but I refuse to give up. I have worked too hard and finally accomplished that which I have wanted my whole life, a healthy, lean, fit body.

Fitness is my passion; feeling strong and healthy motivates me to push harder.

Don’t give up on your dreams. Don’t give up on becoming the healthy, fit individual you desire to be. Give it all you’ve got and when things get tough; you must get tougher. Don’t let your excuses get in your way.

“You can have results or you can have excuses but you can’t have both”

Be patient. It’s a struggle but the reward is so worth it! Every little step is still a step toward the ultimate goal.

Until next time,

Struggling but Positive

Happy Wednesday to you all!

So I'm still having my struggles and I thought I'd update you on what's been transpiring since I last wrote.

As you are aware we got away to the mountains last weekend and had a fabulous time with beautiful fresh air and weather. Spring, it's so nice! By Saturday I was feeling so much better.

On Monday we worked shoulders at the gym, completed food prep and I had my follow up with the naturopath I have been seeing. She gave me 2 different types of herbs, added turmeric to my daily supplements and told me that she feels my body is in an acidic state so we need to get it more alkaline. This can take anywhere from 1 month to 3 months. So likely no fitness shows for me until later this year. (Fingers crossed).

The above seemed very strange to me considering how clean I eat and how much green vegetables I consume. However at this point, what have I got to lose. My body is stuck and I'm not feeling like my energetic self very often. So Yesterday I started taking both the herbs as well as the turmeric and I am still taking (choking down) the detox veggie drink every morning.

I also transferred to my new job position yesterday and had a training session with Andrew. Work was well; work is work and the gym was awesome. We trained legs.

Workout:
Barbell squats: 135, 155, 165, 175 x 10 reps each all the way down
Circuit: pistol squats, prisoner squats, step ups, jump lunges and jump squats (3 sets #1-10 reps, #2-15 res, #3- 20 reps)
Abs: Romanian chair leg lifts superset with decline crunch (10 reps, 15 reps, 20 reps and then 25 reps)

Post workout, after arriving home, I started to feel sick just like I was getting the flu. I was so cold my teeth were chattering and I had to curl up next to our fireplace, I had a fever, felt stomach sick and every muscle, bone and organ in my body felt like it was in pain and aching. Later in the night, I also got a terrible headache. Is this what the detox and herbs do? Is this normal? I wrote her an email today to get those answers.

After approximately 12 hours of this, I finally felt better but tired. No work for me again today but I wrote to my boss to explain that I am having some health issues. He understood, thankfully.

So that is where I am. Still struggling but positive because I am not giving up. I can and will see some improvements soon. Thankfully my endurance and strength haven't been affected so my workouts are great.

I am listening to my body, it's struggling obviously so I am only doing what I can.

"Every positive thought propels you in the right direction"

On another note, my friend and I just got the kingfisher spa trip to Comox, BC through our work recreation committee. We will be travelling on our weekend off in April. April 18-21...yay! It'll be so nice to be pampered and to relax.

Before I sign off, I'll leave you with some things I have learned about adding turmeric to my body.

Turmeric prevents anemia, cancer, diabetes, food poisoning, gallstones, indigestion, IBS, constipation,  parasites and poor circulation
It is a powerful antioxidant, is anti-inflammatory and reduces joint pain
It regulates the female reproductive system and purifies the uterus and breast milk
In men, turmeric is anti-inflammatory for a healthy prostate
It is antibacterial and reduces fevers, diarrehea, urinary disorders, insanity, poisoning, cough and lactation problems
It detoxifies the liver, balances cholesterol levels, fights allergies, stimulates digestion, boost immunity and enhances the complexion.

Until next time,
Stay positive.

Fresh Air and Good Times

Happy Monday everyone.

I have spent the majority of the day completing food prep, cleaning house and doing laundry. I go back to work tomorrow and as much as I wish I didn't have to, this weekend was fabulous and relaxing. The fresh mountain air makes me feel rejuvenated some how. The skiing was superb and the weather was wonderful.

We left on Thursday and I have to admit it was a rough day and I wasn't sure I would be enjoying much of the weekend. I was still tired and sluggish and I just wanted to sleep. However, I pulled myself together after our arrival at Big White mountain and my husband and I took in a few runs that evening. I was pooped by bedtime but the next morning I felt much better. The weekend just improved from there because I had more energy.

There was no gym so I did a couple of body weight workouts inside our hotel room and we skied for at least 4 hours everyday. So I wasn't without exercise but today I was craving lifting something heavy...lol

So my husband and I headed to the gym to train shoulders:
Dumbbell clean and press 50, 55lbs and I am so close to getting 60lbs I can taste it but I'm not quite there yet.
Barbell clean and press 85, 95 and again I am so close to 105lbs but still not there
Seated shoulder press 30, 35, and 40lbs
Front raise super set with upright row (45lbs)

I had my follow up with the naturopath today and so I am still detoxing and working on getting my body and metabolism back to normal. It may take anywhere from a month to three months so I'm staying patient and focusing mainly on that for now as well as my training. My competition goals will have to wait until I get my body back to it's normal state.

Tomorrow is back to work day as well as my session with my trainer. (I look forward to my workout all day long!)

Until next time,
Remember the struggle is what makes the rewards that much greater. Without struggle there is no strength.

Update

Hi Everyone! Happy hump day and happy last day of shift for me! Well actually I am not working today but I'll get into that in a few minutes.

As you all know I have been really struggling these last couple of weeks. My body is not moving, there is a lot of stress around and I am just not feeling it. I'm drained, nauseous, always sleepy, little to no appetite and just blah!

I had my appointment with the naturopath here in town on Monday and the appointment went fairly well. I have a follow up this coming Monday. So far the prognosis is that I have low cortisol levels in my body and also that my metabolism may be a wee bit screwed up. Just my luck!!

She has started me on a green shake (veggies) detox which I am actually drinking as I write this. However, this detox is making me extremely tired, almost to the point of not being able to function, and it is giving me headaches. These symptoms are apparently normal and should pass in a few days. Hence, why I am not at work.

I travelled To Calgary yesterday for work and I have to say that I suffered. All I wanted to do was close my eyes and sleep which I obviously couldn't do and my head was pounding. I slept for the hour plane ride to and from, slept on the bus from the airport to work and back plus I just felt foggy and out of it all day.

So what is going on with my workouts?
Monday I had a great training session with Andrew right after my appointment. We did an intense circuit workout plus I did 20 minutes of high intensity cardio. Had lots of energy there and felt really good. However, last night I couldn't do anything, in fact once I got home from Calgary, I was in bed by 8pm. I was so zonked! I am scheduled to have another training appointment tonight but whether or not I actually train is going to be based on how I feel as the day goes on.

I have also decided that I need to focus on getting myself back to the normal energetic me, getting my metabolism back on track and so on. So I have decided that I am not going to push myself, at this point, toward another show like I had planned. Right now, my health is more important and so I am going to take the time to work on getting myself back to normal before I compete again.

I am bummed about it but I am also stressed, more than a little concerned and really not feeling like myself lately so working on getting myself back to the old, energetic me is very important. Hopefully, I can get myself back on track, so as to do a show later in the year.

On a brighter note, my husband and I are off to ski, big white mountain in Kelowna, BC this weekend. I am a little weary about not really feeling up to it but I think the fresh mountain air will do me good.

Don't forget how important it is to listen to your body. When it needs rest, make sure you listen and sleep when you need to.

Enjoy your day!
Until next time,

Grateful

Good Morning Everyone and Happy Monday!

If you have been following me and my blog, you know that I have been struggling and having a hard time lately.

Energy levels low, nauseous, no appetite and tired all the time so I have finally made an appointment to see a doctor; a naturopath actually. I am hoping that I can get some indication of what is going on with my body and how I can fix it.

But today, I thought that a reflection of what is great in my life and what I am thankful for is in order. It is always important to remember that no matter what is going on in our lives, there is always something to be grateful for.

And this week I am extremely grateful for the support of my husband; his encouragement, love and understanding.

My workouts; for without them, where would I focus all my stress. My improvements in strength and endurance make me feel like a strong, powerful woman and therefore make me smile.

My trainer is very encouraging and a really great listener. It helps that I have his support as well.

I love the motivation and support I am receiving from all the followers on my Fit Girls Rock facebook page. It is so much fun to read all the messages and know that I am inspiring and motivating others.

Tonight, I have my first appointment of the week with my trainer and I am looking forward to it. Really looking forward to it!

Saturday my husband and I trained together. We completed dead lifts, squats, bench press and horizontal leg press as well as 20 minutes of interval cardio.

Only 2 more days left of the shift and then we are off to Kelowna, BC for a 4 day ski trip. Super excited to get away and be in the mountains.

Hope you are all having a wonderful day!

Question: Do you ski or snowboard?

Do you feel powerful and strong when you work out?

Until next time,

Struggling!

Happy Friday Everybody!

It’s been a rough week! I started back to work on Tuesday and honestly; I am struggling.

As I mentioned in a previous post, there are a lot of stressful things going on at work with downsizing and transfers then add to that not sleeping well even though I am exhausted and it leads to me struggling.

Since I started back to work, I have been feeling extremely tired, I have no appetite, am sometimes nauseous and the only energy I seem to have is at the gym. My workouts aren’t suffering and actually I have been making some considerable improvements strength and endurance wise but this is the first time since I started eating as clean as I do and living this healthy lifestyle that I have struggled this way.

Not only that, but this coming Sunday, I will be 9 weeks out from the show that I want to do and I am seeing no changes in my body. I am stuck…grrrrr! I know all about being patient with my body and I also know that my metabolism is slow but I feel like something is off.

Although I have no real appetite, I am forcing myself to eat and eat very clean (which is as you know normal for me) and I always drink at least 1 gallon of water a day. So what is it?

I have made an appointment with a naturopath here in town. She comes highly recommended and so I am going to give her a try. I have heard she is very thorough and my appointment is Monday. Personally, I think it may all be related to stress, I (we—my husband as well) have been going through some things in regards to his ex-wife and kids as well as with work and it doesn’t help that I am not overly happy with my job, my transfer to a new area and the fact that I was denied vacation to go home and see my family until June or July at the earliest L

It’s been a rough few days!! My trainer mentioned possibly high cortisol and I have been researching that; looks like it could be a possibility. High cortisol seems to come from stress and lack of proper sleep.

Here is one article that I found:

http://www.womentowomen.com/adrenalhealth/effectsofhighcortisollevels.aspx

Then we discussed over training as a possibility but that doesn’t seem to fit either because my performance and strength aren’t down; in fact, as I said above those things are improving and I get a burst of energy at the gym.

On a brighter note; I had a great shoulder and cardio workout last night. Did an 85lb barbell seated overhead press (personal best) for 5 reps then 4 and then 3

I also received my “I sweat glitter” tank from https://www.facebook.com/Fitgirlsrock?ref=hl#!/TheProteinPrincess?fref=ts <3

I have been putting in more time studying for my personal training certification as well and my husband and I are heading out tonight for a St. Paddy’s Day Event.

So there are still positives and always things to be grateful for.

Don’t forget to follow me on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/fitgirlsrock

I am glad I started the page because all my followers and the other pages I have hooked up with keep me even more motivated.

So Question: Has anyone ever experienced what I talked about in this blog? And if so, what was the cause?

How do you deal with the stress in your life?

Until next time,

The 'Bambury' Workout

Good Morning Everyone!

Last night I completed a workout written, developed and tested by my trainer, Andrew Bambury wbff pro. It is, in my opinion, aptly named because no workout Andrew creates is easy and this one took the cake.

I have been training with Andrew since October of 2011 and he has only made me feel like puking a couple of times; last night was one of them.

In 29 minutes, I completed the following:

-1 mile run

-25 dead lifts (100lbs)
-25 barbell thrusters (50lbs)
-25 assisted chin-ups
-25 barbell clean and press (50lbs)

-5 burpees at the top of every minute as soon as the run is complete

The ultimate reason this is so tough is that you don't really get the opportunity to recover from anything because of the burpees.

Needless to say once I was complete, I laid on the floor for a few minutes to catch my breath and revel in the accomplishment of having completed it.

We then moved on to a quick ab circuit. 20 mini crunches, 20 lying leg raises, 20 jack knives, 20 stick crunches, 30 sec side planks per side and 1 minute front plank.

I got home and I was completely spent. I dragged myself around the house to complete a few things but before long I was in bed and resting.

Today I feel great; body is a little sore but I love that feeling.

Make Time; It's a Prioirity

I got asked today how I find the time for everything; work, training, cooking and eating clean, keeping the house going, etc.?

The answer to that is actually simple—you have to want it. There are no excuses when you want something bad enough. “Be stronger than your excuses”!

I work 11 hour days for 9 days straight before getting any time off. I am up at 4:30am every morning and I don’t get off work until 5pm. There are even mornings where I get up at 4am just to add in a half an hour of cardio to my day. Every night I pack my gym bag so I can go directly to the gym from work and I generally spend anywhere from 1-1 ½ hours there 6 evenings a week.

Every Sunday (usually rest day) I cook enough food to last a whole week or longer so that I can come home from the gym and just grab something, heat it and eat. Every night I also plan my meals and pack my lunch for the next day.

We (my husband and I) aren’t home enough to make the house overly dirty so I usually leave the major cleaning for my days off and stay on top of the laundry throughout the week.

I don’t find the time for this lifestyle, I make the time. In order to make it work, your training and health need to become a priority. It’s the only way. “When you want to succeed as badly as you want to breathe, you will be successful”.

I’m not going to pretend that I always feel like training or that I always feel like cooking every Sunday or even that I never crave unhealthy food. I am human and so of course I do; however I very rarely give in.

The sad thing and one reason why people are still choosing to live on fast food, etc. is that those types of foods are so much easier to find than the healthy stuff. I am willing to bet though that once you start leading the healthy lifestyle; you won’t go back to fast food again. Once you understand and realize how much better your body feels through clean eating and fitness; you’ll think twice about the feeling of bloatedness you get from a fast food fix.

Remember on this journey; preparation is the key to success. If you are not prepared it is so much harder to make a healthy lifestyle work.

“Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did”.

Until next time,

Training relieves Stress

Good morning everyone!

Well, it has already been an exhausting shift and I am only on day 2 of 9. Oh NO!

It is so hard to get back into the routine of the buzz, buzz of the alarm at 4:30am and also of the 11 hour work day again.

I feel exhausted because I haven’t been sleeping well either and the atmosphere at work these days is more than a little stressful. There are a lot of changes happening; a lot of uncertainty and people are stressed and anxious; including me. I am getting transferred into a new area; one that I am not so sure about.

Needless to say my first day back yesterday was a tough one. All I thought about was getting to the gym to relieve the tension but then when I got home all I actually wanted to do was eat a big bag of chips and crawl into bed. Fortunately, I didn’t do either of those things. I went to the gym and pulled out a fantastic, sweat dripping leg routine and felt so much better after. I left the gym with a smile on my face.

Last night’s leg routine:

3 sets of straight leg dead lifts (90lbs) superset with hamstring curls (60lbs)

3 sets of squat thrusters (20lb dumb bells, 25lb dumb bells and 30lb dumb bells)

3 sets of step ups holding 20lb kettle bells

3 sets of bench jumps superset with 3 sets of split squats with a 45lb plate overhead

3 sets of 40lb kettle bell swings

Bike circuit: 20 sec pedaling as fast as you can, 40 sec regular pedaling continuing for 10 minutes.

Nutrition wise I am eating well and incorporating some carbs here and there as discussed with my trainer. My metabolism is so slow and it gets frustrating because I don’t see changes for a while but I have learned to be patient with my body and give it the time it needs to adjust.

Oh yes; I almost forgot my exciting news. My training session on Monday was fantastic and I was so pumped after. We did back and I made some great improvements in some lifts.

Dead lifts: 225 x 1, 245 x 1, 255 x 1, 225 x 3 and another 225 x 3

weighted chin ups: completed 2, 4, 3, 4 with 10lbs attached to me and another 4 with only bodyweight

15 single arm rows superset with a 1 minute to 1 minute, 30 second plank x 3 sets

Here is the video of my deadlift:

Overall; workout, nutrition and energy wise I feel great. I am looking forward to my appointment with my trainer tonight as well as a good night sleep which I really need.

My body is sore which makes me happy…lol; back, arms and abs are all feeling the effects of training and I love it!

Here’s to another great workout tonight.

Until next time;

A Week of Progress

Hi everyone!

It's been a fabulous week of training, of clean eating and of beating personal bests.

Got right back into training and clean eating on Monday after getting back from vacation plus I had my first appointment with my trainer, Andrew.

This week I began my competition training, although there hasn't been much change in my diet, my training sessions are still quite intense. I have been sore from head to toe all week long and am thrilled about it.

The only change we did make to my eating later in the week was to start adding some starchy carbs to all my meals. The point here is to once again trick my body because I have plateau'd and nothing seems to be moving the extra layer of fat I have...lol. Adding the extra carbs should help me lose in the long run once we start cutting again, etc.

My workouts this week were phenomenal, I was still off from work due to the shift schedule i follow and so my first day back isn't until Tuesday which made this week easier and more convenient for working out anytime of day.

Monday: leg circuit (with Andrew)
50 pistol squats each leg (5 sets of 10 per leg)
15 step ups, jump lunges and jump squats then 20 and 25 of the same
Plus an ab circuit

Tuesday: quads are so sore I can hardly walk properly, back night (with hubby)
Cardio: 45 minute walk/run
Back: deadlifts (135, 155, 175)
Pull ups: 6, 5, 6
Straight arm pull down: 45lb x 3 sets
Seated rows: 105, 120, 135, 150

Wednesday: chest and shoulders (with Andrew) btw...quads still hurt
Chest press: 95, 105, 115 and 125
Chest dips: 25lb plate, 35lb plate x 3sets
Cable flyes 45lbs superset with atomic push-ups
Shoulder circuit
Cardio: 10 minute treadmill, 10 minute stepper (intervals on both)

Thursday: biceps and triceps (on my own; chest, shoulders and quads all sore)
Concentration curls
Tricep overhead extension superset with bicep curls
Single arm tricep extension superset with single arm bicep curl
Tricep push ups superset with zottman curls
Lying tricep extension superset with 21s

Friday: legs (with Andrew) quads better, shoulders, chest and arms all sore
Barbell squats 135, 185, 225 x2sets, 185
Pistol squats of bosu ball
Hip thrusters 110x3sets, 115x1 set

Saturday: active rest day, cardio only (on my own) buns very sore
Run/ walk intervals outside

Sunday: (on my own) buns still sore
20 sets of stairs at home (10 running, 10 carrying 30lbs)
Ab circuit (2 min plank, 20 jack knives, 1 min plank, 20 lying leg raises x 3sets)

Yep, that's my week in a nutshell. To be honest, it feels great to be back into it full on, to be sore everyday and to be challenging myself with heavy weight. Loads of personal bests accomplished this week <3

I'm 10 weeks out! Scared shitless once again because my body is so damn hard to figure out but excited all the same. Let's see what the next 10 weeks can bring!

Until next time.

Question: I am looking to buy a treadmill for my home. Any recommendations, advice, etc? It would've helpful. Thanks

Healthy lifestyle benefits beyond weight loss

I have been thinking lately about all the additional benefits, beyond just the weight loss, that come with leading a healthy lifestyle.

I wrote on my facebook page a few days ago that I still see so many people living the unhealthy lifestyle and it is truly sad.

"It is a true shame that there are still so many people out there who do not know what a positive difference eating clean and working out does for the body, mind and spirit.

Get lean, get fit, get confident! Feel good inside and out!!"

I thought I'd share some of the benefits I have noticed both inside and out since I started my journey.

The most obvious one is weight loss and lower body fat but there are really so many more additional benefits that come with living this way.

More confidence and better self image which by the way leads to better sex (wink, wink...lol)
Feeling better overall. Emotionally, physically and mentally (mind, body and spirit)
Fewer migraines
IBS symptoms all but eliminated as well as fewer PMS symptoms
More energy; yes even at 4:30am (and I'm not a morning person AT ALL)
Healthier in general, feeling well
Cold and flu happen less frequently (very rarely sick) knock on wood!
Increased endurance and strength
Stronger hair and nails
Skin is clearer
A brighter, more positive attitude
Happier
Improved focus and mental clarity
And last but not least; Shopping for clothes is so much easier, fun and more enjoyable

I personally am loving my lifestyle choices to eat clean, be fit and healthy. I feel like a powerful, strong women; constantly learning, trying new training methods and recipes.

My goal is to motivate others to do the same. Even one small change is week can lead to huge rewards; and Remember it's a lifestyle not a diet!

Until next time,

Competition Prep begins again

So it's official. I am now on day 2 of competition prep again. How do I feel? Excited, nervous, anxious and determined are just a few things that come to mind.

At least, now that I have done this before, I know what to expect. However, this will be with a new organization so the rules may be a little different. This time I will be competing with the NPAA in Calgary, Alberta on May 19th. I am currently a little less than 11 weeks out and looking forward to pushing hard and seeing how lean I can get in the coming weeks.

Yesterday I started back on an 1100-1200 calorie diet consisting of mostly protein and fats with a little carbs. Also, I had my first session with Andrew, my trainer, since being on vacation. We did legs and tonight my husband and I did back plus I incorporated a 45 minute brisk walk today as well.
My legs are very sore today and my back may very well be sore tomorrow too.

But it's Day 2 and I am feeling great...lol only 75 more days to go....haha

So I have been MIA because as you know we went on a cruise. We had a fabulous trip and I was impressed with how much healthy food options there were; tons of veggie and fruit options, omelettes and lots of other protein sources. There may have been more sodium then I am used to but overall we stayed fairly clean. Throughout the week, we did have some wine and some deserts but that was it and we trained everyday except 1. The fitness facilities onboard were awesome and we pushed hard.

Super excited to have my husband so into the fitness journey now as well. He is truly enjoying himself and pushing hard. It's great to see and now we can keep each other motivated.

So that's my update. I'm off to bed as my rest will become even more important in the coming weeks. I am still on vacation because due to my shift being just about over; I took the extra 3 days. I go back on March 12. Yay me!

Anyway, Stay tuned for my progress and my prep toward the stage.

Have you ever competed? Share your best tips to help others.

Until next time.