I'm sorry......

Well.....
I want to apologize if my last post may have came across negative
I suppose this IS a blog so I do not need to apologize for the way I was feeling.
BUT The week didn't go very well with that attitude if you were wondering....

I WILL say i am sorry for not having the results i should have had this week.
(start here if you're confused what I'm up too please)

I actually went up a small (.05) % of body fat, barely lost any weight. (maybe a half pound), and lost muscle.

This is because I completely went off the rails this week, had some un anticipated stress, and decided to do a little bit of running sprinting......

My husband is preparing to take a HUGE plumbing test on Nov. 6th so has had classes all last week and will have some this week as well. (horrible timing!!) not to mention I was feeling REALLY down on myself this past week & couldn't sleep well (my time of the month is due any day so hormones??).

He handles this so well...=) I'm a lucky gal!!

Needless to say I was taken out of my routine of having my husband come take over for me at home with Wyatt. He would take care of him so I was not tempted to eat any "extra" food and get to sleep at a normal time or do cardio if I needed to. He wasn't able to do that this week. =( 

If you've been following me or know much about me you know I am always trying to get people to be healthier and always keeping up with ways to go about this. I've tried  I deal with staying healthy as well which is how I stumbled into this profession.

I experimented with a thing called bulimia when i was 13 years old and it has been a struggle for me to overcome since. It's embarrassing to say the least and also a topic that many people stray away from or try to hide. When I REALLY opened up about it in this blog I had an amazing response from people sharing their stories and struggles. It made me realize what a need there is for me  people to be honest, open and sincere. It also has opened my eyes to the fact that I have NOT been that open about it because I have been embarrassed and do not want anyone to think less of me (or think it works!) if i share my current struggles so I did not go into any details, there was my first mistake.


BTW.... throwing up food does NOT help to lose body fat or even lose fat and running does NOT help with burning fat either... just muscle. (hence the results this week.... blah)


WAIT WAIT WAIT? What on earth am I talking writing about!? I was TWO WEEKS (last week) from a BIKINI COMPETITION! Why on earth would i do those things when I KNOW the outcome is not what I desire?????


This past week was one of my worst weeks I've had in a LONG time with my struggle. 2 weeks before the show? How does that happen Lallenia????

I will tell you that there are SEVERAL aspects that go into play with this kind of disordered eating (obviously stress is one for me). I would LOVE to go into details about how, what, why, where, and when but I sure don't have that kind of time to talk write about all of that right now (one day I will!) & who even knows if you'd want to read it.



I could blame it on my son not wanting to eat the rest of his apple slices so I did and it triggered an episode.... or the fact my husband left the bread and PB on the counter, or the guy at scooters who bought Wyatt & I a cookie.... BUT lets be real.... it was my CHOICE, no one else can make me eat the right way(and not give into temptations) to achieve my goals or to go workout. I have to do it. People can tell me WHAT to do... its up to ME to do it or not.

I was SO close to just wanting to quit last week. I felt as if this is stupid. It's a bad time in my life. I can't do it. I'm too ugly. I don't look the part enough. My body is gross. blah blah blah. Negative self talk was all over in my head. I'm sure we've all been there and it's AMAZING to me how many times we BELIEVE that talk until it sabotages us.

 The thing i found this week that helped me tremendously that I wish I would have done the whole time (hint hint if you're one that struggles with any kind of disorder or stress).... was embrace and use my support system. I was so upset and mad at myself Friday that I finally just let it all out to one of my best friends (famous Aundrea Annin) and i felt SO much better and back on track. Though she has never dealt with this herself she knows about my past and knows this is a struggle for me, so she listened and encouraged me. Plus it just helps when you do not feel so alone in your struggles.

It REALLY helped talking to her and her coming with me to get my stage suit (I WAS NERVOUS!!!) but even after getting my suit and being told I looked good in it I was still REALLY self conscious! (stupid self image issues and negative talk!!!!)

Then there is my other best friend (WIFEY!) who is ALWAYS one of my biggest fans and supporters who has encouraged me and kept me on track. Shannon may not realize this but her coming to be here with me has also kept me more focused following through with this whole thing. She has known since i was 16 I've wanted to do something like this. This girl makes me laugh everyday and we have a game plan coming into Saturday.....

I tried the heels on the treadmill.... didn't work too well... j/k! 

Honestly if it were not for my support system (friends, family, clients, readers) I'm not sure I'd be able to finish this endeavour. I received this card this week and WOW what amazing timing! (thanks SO much Anna Marie!!!!) You have no idea how special these little things (like a hand written card, MAILED) can mean!!!!

In Conclusion: I am really sorry that I did not get the best results this week and that I have not been as open as i should have been this whole time. Had I been more open I may have NOT had so many struggles. Please learn from my mistakes if you are struggling with something. Reach out to the people that support you, love you and accept you for who you are. Then come up with a game plan to reach your (attainable) goals. If you have a bad day/week/month/year get it out in the open and keep moving forward. That's my plan.

Goals for this week:

Well my husband used our child locks on a cupboard and placed EVERYTHING that might tempt me.... even salt and honey lol in there and takes the key to work now.

see top right^^^

When I start getting anxious I am going to start journaling my feelings and remove myself away from food. 

I do have to do a bit of an extreme diet (i DO NOT recommend others to do) this last week and cardio.... yuck. Because I did not get the results desired. Please do not follow this & expect the same outcome as me if you do. This is only temporary for me to reach my best by Saturday from where I am now. 

My Diet is:

1.) 2 egg 3 whites, 1 cup spinach or asparagus

2.) 4oz Mahi Mahi 1 cup asparagus 

3.) 4oz  Ground beef/bison, 1/2 avocado, green bell pepper

4.) 4oz Cod, 1 cup broccoli or asparagus

5.) 4oz salmon, 1 cup asparagus or spinach or bell pepper 

6.) if still hungry 2 eggs 3 whites before bed. 

Cardio will be WALKING at 2.5-3.0mph 1 hour in the morning and one at night. Training is boot camp style and lots of Body weight. 

The crazy thing?? I started it pretty much Friday and I measured my tummy Friday morning to see how much bloat I put into my "pooch." it was at a 30.5. Sunday morning it went down to a 29.5. My waist went from 27 to 26 again IN 2 days my bloat went away. YAY! Now i have 6 more days to stay on track and look better. 

I wasn't going to post pictures this week and just say wait and see. BUT I want you to see the difference between today and then a week of following a REALLY strict  diet plan, drinking a TON of water, and doing my WALKING cardio. Not to mention being ALL dolled up & tanned!!! ;-)

Compared to last weeks  though not as drastic as it could have been... I can still see a bit of a difference! 

Especially in my back... can you believe my back pinch STILL hasn't budged since i started!? The only true way to measure progress is by pictures and the way you feel. Not by body fat pinches, or the scale. And even sometimes pictures can be annoying because it's about the way you pose each time and move your body. 

Here's LAST weeks to compare...

(My poses looked a little better from LAST week because we had to rush this morning taking the pictures.)

All righty folks that's all I got this week! I am re motivated and learning more about myself each day. Which is EXACTLY what I wanted out of all this. I know I'm not perfect and have struggles to overcome but I also know that no matter what I will NEVER give up on trying to get healthier, fitter and more fabulous every day. Even if that means failing sometimes or going backwards.... I always learn something about myself each time I do.

CHEERS to lean meats, leafy veggies, water, and cardio this week....... Next week will be the results if I fell on my face or not.... (dun dun dun.....)

Again THANKS to EVERYONE who is helping me through this!!! I love you ALL!!!!
XoXo

Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!

*Lallenia*

PS This is a GREAT post about Anna and Mia issues....weather you struggle with it or know someone who does.

http://www.soheeleefitness.com/uncategorized/a-call-to-arms-against-ana-and-mia/#more-1469

Lets Be Honest...

I am going to be completely honest here….. this is NOT fun for me right now….

I honestly do not know how people are able to do this multiple times in a year. I get the challenge of it and the discipline you need to own up to that can be rewarding. And maybe if I was not a wife and mother it would be different.

(start here if new to this little escapade...)

 I feel selfish.

 I feel like I am taking from my husband, my son, my family, my friends, my clients and my life. I know you need to take care of yourself but SERIOUSLY that doesn’t mean spending hours at the gym and ONLY cooking for yourself because your family does not want to eat dry fish and asparagus or chicken and broccoli for every meal. Then if you do TRY to cook for your family you end up ruining your diet… or a least I do! (Butternut squash never tasted so good!)
Or I have a breakdown and eat more than I should of THEIR groceries from Costco. I then beat myself up over it... No Worries. I am on a mission to find the baby lock locks we have for our cupboards in storage and making Brad take the key with him to work for the next two weeks! (Pathetic?? Um I think not)

Oh hey… yup this is the positive, encouraging Lallenia today right? Ha. Ha. Blame it on the lack of carbs FOOD.  Not that I am not eating…. I just feel hungry all day and I have been getting headaches lately. I suppose it is my body adjusting but it’s not fun.

My workouts have also been really pathetic. I do not have as much energy. Everyone is different but I like to lift heavy (for me), jump high, sprint fast, challenge myself. Not only do a set of 15 and feel exhausted. I don’t like doing a few sprints then get dizzy. I’m not a fan of NOT looking forward to working out. Right now I don’t want to workout.

 I don’t want to get up and go to the gym for fasting steady cardio then go home starving only to be able to eat eggs and 2oz of a sweet potato…. REALLY? Shoot I tried to eat 2 oz. this morning and somehow the whole 5oz ended up in my mouth…. Whoops .I guess that’s why I need to portion it out when I am not ravishing.

I miss my balance. I never thought I really had balance before. Any maybe I didn’t very well which is why I struggle with an eating disorder. So even though this really sucks it IS teaching me the value of having a BALANCE in not only dietary habits but also life in general. Its not fun obsessing over the little things and missing out on the things life is about (like running outside in beautiful weather appreciating this fall season).

Boy, do I miss running right now. Every time I see someone outside running I want to hit him or her with my car because I’m jealous. Even though I AM seeing greater results without running as far as muscle tone and strength... I miss it so much. Although, I am scared to run again because I am sure it will feel like I’m starting all over. I know I want to run at least 3-6 miles a week after this competition. Which isn’t bad compared to when I used to run 20 Plus miles a week because I thought that would get me in better shape, it definitely does NOT work that way. Running long distance i have learned only leads to having a lot of endurance (not a bad thing) and eats away at the muscle i did have (very bad if you want to be a fat burning machine).  Now I just CRAVE it for my sanity and sweat. 

It would be SO easy to quit right now. Because it IS hard. And I don't want to do this all the time. I want to go back to what was fun to me and what I enjoy...

I am sure you’re probably thinking OK Lallenia we GET IT you’re ANNOYED!! Now shut up and give us your results this week then go to bed so you’re not biting any ones head off (literally).

This week Stats:

Weight 134.4lbs (down about 2lbs from last week)

BF%: 19.07 %..... WTFlip? I wasn’t happy about only being down a quarter percent.

LBM: 108.6… urgh..... I LOST some muscle…. Not cool but to be expected

Waist is now a 26.75in (27.25in. 4 weeks ago) and my belly "love handle" bulge (measured right below my belly button) went from 34inches (6 weeks ago) to 30inches so far! Crazy (but good!!)!

My body fat didn’t go down much like I thought it would. This is because my back fat pinch isn’t changing!!!! It’s SO annoying that this is where I store my fat…. Just weird. My theory is because I hunched over a lot growing up (you JUST sat up straight right??) then have had shoulder surgery on BOTH shoulders which prevented me from using my muscles in my back for a long time. No worries, I am on a mission this week to make it go down a little bit! I will do the row machine and vertical rows like crazy.... plus my diet will be tightening up even more... If there's still no change then I don't know what to tell you.

My nutritionist told me that when you’re trying to get to a place your body has never been for the first time it’s going to be more challenging then if you’ve been there before. This makes sense. So when someone is trying to lose weight or fat the first time it’s a struggle to get it off.  Then when they do, if they steer off track it’s a lot easier for their body to gain weight again if they slip back to old habits. It’s doesn’t take as long to get there again when you’ve been there in the past. If I decided to do another show in the future it wouldn't take as long or be as hard for me to get my body fat down.

Below are the pictures i took this morning. Yes, right out of the shower, no make up on or hair done like my 4 week progress picture. I see more muscle tone this week and can tell my sides have gone down and my tummy a little bit... especially my "love handles". my arms look weird but the pinch went down a lot this week so it could be water or because they aren't "pumped up." I'll remember to do push ups before my next set of pictures =)

I know I still have a lot to do in 2 weeks!!!! 

BUT I will have to say... I think I looked better in my 4 weeks (minus my butt... that looks better this week) ! I look fuller! ...maybe its just the make up and hair done... i dunno. 

On a positive note I REALLY do LOVE everything I have been learning about the way peoples my body works. There is only SO much you can learn from the books. It’s truly the experience that makes it REAL and helps a person to REALLY  understand what is going on. I see why so many trainers do these shows &  have such successful clients. I see how people who have lost weight and kept it off are great motivators and trainers for those going through the process. It is kind of like taking marriage advice from a single person…. REALLY? Um no thank you. I'll take the couple happily married for 35 years. Experience. 

Speaking of married life…. My poor husband…. He must REALLY love me…. I know he has a lot going on in his life right now with starting his own business (www.bigbirgedrain.com) but he's trying so hard to keep me motivated and on track even when I tell him I don’t like him, that he is annoying or to not touch me (he hates this one the worst).  I really am truly blessed to have him as my other half. It also helps that I downloaded the Focus on the Family Marriage Podcast to keep me sane, entertained, and loving towards my family the best I can right now.

The take away today..... If you're in the Omaha area and need a plumber... CALL BIG BIRGE!
lol you think I'm kidding? Not at all, really please do! He's the best ;-)

These next two weeks I will be eating  am supposed to be eating:

Breakfast: 3 eggs, 2-3 oz sweet potatoes
Snack: Mahi Mahi and broccoli
Lunch: Mahi Mahi, broccoli & 12 almonds
Snack: Cod and broccoli
Dinner: 4-6 oz steak or salmon and 10 asparagus
Snack: 3 eggs

I hate LOVE my life. =) Wish me luck and a positive attitude for this week please!

 I just got these Paleo cook books I will only be able to dream about now.

Is it weird that I am craving a HUGE bowl of fruit? I don't really want anything but a HUGE edible arrangement or fruit tray right now. (even over carrot cake!!! Now That's CRAZY!)

Enough blabbing.....

Good Night World.

Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!

*Lallenia*

3 Week Video and Progress update!

"It's so cool to see that you are doing this for the experience."

I was so excited when one of my friends told me that this week!  She asked how I was feeling and I told her," Not bad. It's cool seeing and feeling the changes and seeing what this is all about. Not that I don't get cravings and struggle with not wanting to eat more than I should at times but I really just want to learn the experience of it all and show people yes it can be done if you're willing to work at it and pay the "price" for it."

(confused? start here)

I, like many people, used to be so in love/ jealous of the images created by media of all these girls and guys ripped up with their shirts off showing off six packs, super tan and looked happier than anyone in the world. Like being fit "looking fit" is the only way to be happy with yourself and your life.

It's not.

There is so much more out there in life to be happy about than fitting into a certain size of jeans.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE seeing changes in my body and clients from working out and eating better. I feel more confident in myself when I workout and eat right. I also respect the people who are in the media that look that way, because if you have not had this lifestyle growing up and had to work for it, it takes a lot of work and discipline. And yes even if you've had the privilege of growing up in a fit family you still have to have the discipline to keep your body (inside & out) strong and healthy.

 My point is when I first wanted to do one of these bikini shows and get fit it was because I was in love with the media and the "idea" of it all. I honestly thought, "if only i had that kind of body I would be happier." or "If i only looked like this girl my boyfriend would love me more." and many other thoughts.

Each time I tried to train for it I would go about it unhealthy and driven to do it for selfish reasons. And each time there were other obstacles that kept me from doing so. I see this a lot with people trying to get healthier. They think it will happen overnight and go about it for all the wrong reasons!

 I feel like this time my head is on right and I am in a very happy place in my life. I realize that you do not need to look a certain way for someone to love you, you do not have to have a certain body type or be a certain dress size to be happy. I really just crave the challenge and the experience of it all.

The reason one should workout is to keep their body strong, mobile, and  healthy.  Then when you pair that with the proper nutrition it will to keep your insides strong and healthy. If you decide to take it farther and desire to change the way your body looks (which it WILL happen by being consistant with the previous but if you want to do more) it can happen but you need to make sure you are doing it for the right reasons and know it will NOT happen over night, It takes a lot of time and dedication. Then it takes maintenance work to keep it.





















Lets get move on to my results (i know I'm a little bit (a lot) of a chatter box..)

So I am 3 weeks from this show!!!!!! (EEEEEE..... )


My Husband cut out my salt from my eggs..... urgh REALLY? Already? how RUDE!

Yes I  call them eggies and no he is not my friend right now. 

I got into many arguments with this guy....

addicting...... =(

He won a couple times when I ate 3 servings instead of 1..... grrr..... not buying these again for a WHILE!

These condiments have been my saving grace when i get a sweet tooth....

mio, coffee, sugar free gum, sugar free syrup for coffee, almond milk, and flavored water.

I saw the sugar free syrups they use at Scooters at Hyvee & I decided to buy a couple.... bad idea. The vanilla is OK but the Irish cream (hey now I was trying to trick myself) It was gross DISGUSTING! (it's NOT baileys if you were wondering) Maybe it's just because i don't know how to make lattes and almond milk isn't the same as real milk... Whatever. I was feeling in need desperate.  BUT the Cascade sparkling "water" is really YUMMY! I'm sure starting next week they will be out of my diet due carbonation. =( 

I made a couple dishes like this One from the Paleo Comfort Food Book (AMAZING book!)

What they were supposed to look like and the recipe:

What mine REALLY looked like:

I LOVE them!!! 

All in All my results this week were AWESOME!

Weight: 136.0 (down 2lbs)
Body fat: 19.29% (1.08 % down WHOO!!!)
Lean Body Mass: 109.81 (SAME! YAY!)
Fat Mass: 26.25 lbs (I still have about 6-8 fat mass pounds to go....yuck)

This means i dropped fat again! AND kept my lean mass up!! AMAZING! I may lose a little bit of lean body mass these next few weeks I was told since I need to lose 2-3% more body fat. I am not liking that idea, we will see for everyones body responds differently to these kind of programs. I see how doing these shows can get addicting when you experiment with the different diets, workouts and see your bodies response. It's kind of cool!

You know what? I totally swear (like OMG! haha valley girl style or what?)  I was planning on posting progress pictures but just realized I didn't take any this morning!!! I had to get up for a date with the stairs and my girlfriend to practice my T-Walk.

Haha... HIGHLY entertaining for people who were setting up their body pump steps and weights I'm sure. Here is this Sassy little thing with Rhythm and moves... then theres me..... whatever. Watch the video and you'll see what i mean.

We just had some fun and she gave me some moves to do! I really hope I do not freeze on stage. I can tell i am getting better with the walking but REALLY need to work on moving with confidence, I don't mind the shoes... it's the whole half naked thing PLUS the heels that kinda freaks me out to be honest.

Well I should probably get off to bed now so I am not grouchy for my boot camp because of low carbs AND lack of sleep =)

Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!

*Lallenia*

4 weeks....

Can you believe my show is 4 weeks away?!?! (start here if you're confused?) 

AH! It seriously has been going by SO fast… I am getting nervous! I know I am trying my hardest but I always feel like I could be doing better or more… although…I am like that in every aspect of my life. No matter what I accomplish or do I feel like I didn’t give my best, be my best or I could’ve tried harder. I haven’t quite figured out if this is a good thing or bad thing yet. I hate how I am always thinking I am not “good enough” yet I like that it gives me a drive…. There has got to be a happy medium right?!

I told you last week I was going to go this week without using the myfitnesspal app to keep track of my food… WELL I did not use it for about 2 days, then I became really antsy and wanted to know how I was doing so I logged a couple meals here and there… and today (also yesterday) I have logged every meal again. I suppose this is not a bad habit but after the show I would like to practice being more aware without having to log my food.

 I did have a lot of success in not snacking on stuff and slipping bites of Wyatt’s food into my mouth. I became MUCH more aware of that =) those little sneaky BLT’s (bites, licks, & tastes) sure do add up even if you do not have a child.

This week was actually REALLY great for my diet and training!! I felt strong and I can feel my body getting tighter. To be honest when I went in to get my measurements Friday I expected to see another week of amazing results….

Much to my dismay….

Body fat went down barely to 20.33% from 20.77%… WhatTheFudge? (Oh how I want fudge…. Yummy)

Weight was 137.9… ha-ha yes down .1 of a pound….

Lean body mass stayed the same.

The only explanation for this result was that I didn’t poop (yes I said poop) for 2 days, which means I am holding bloat in the areas he pinched. My iliac crest and my Axilla went down in measurements but not my ab pinch, which proves that it was indeed bloat according to my nutritionist. (This makes sense so I didn’t argue.) We will see for sure this week if there is another big drop (ha-ha get it?).

While I am on the topic… lets talk about body fat…

I have gotten many messages, emails, and questions regarding my body fat. Everyone says you do NOT look like you’re 20% body fat, that seems so high… well I believe it. I am NOT ashamed of it!!!! Take a look at the body fat percent scale and tell me if you’d be ok with 20%?

(This is taken from Wikipedia)

Description	Women	Men
Essential fat	10–13%	2–5%
Athletes	14–20%	6–13%
Fitness	21–24%	14–17%
Average	25–31%	18–24%
Obese	32%+	25%+

Heck yes I am ok with being on the athlete end now finally! That’s been my goal! Anyways the judges do not care about your body fat at these shows it’s all about presentation and the way your body LOOKS…. The scales and BF%'s are obsolete, I just like to use BF% as a measure of progress since we know the weight scale is not the best thing to use. 

Lets go back to my constipation issue since I’m sure you are all sitting there hoping I would talk about my poo. My body is adjusting to this change of diet and is not really sure what way to take it. I have upped my water and am looking into pro-biotics to help because at this point I am not going to mess with my diet much more if I want to stay on track. I feel like I’m 2 months pregnant when I don’t go potty… and I get gassy… (Aren’t you so happy I told you this?) This has got to change in the next 3 weeks!!!!!

(Ha-ha, saw this and thought it was funny! I sure wouldn’t poop in front of him! I’d be constipated for weeks!
 Clearly we know this would be lust because true love you’re able to poop in front of each other right??? )

 I’ve had many clients look at me like I was crazy when I’d ask about their pooping schedule… after all I am NOT a doctor why do I care?? Well to be honest I am a strong believer that everything starts in your gut and digestion system. Diseases, cancers, depression, eating disorders, leaky gut syndrome and many more I believe all have a correlation to your bowels. Call me (maybe?) crazy… but think about it…. You eat food…. It goes somewhere and does something…

It HAS a purpose right? It’s not just meant for taste… (WAIT what!? It’s NOT?!) Your body either uses it to fuel your muscles, skin, hair, nails, teeth, organs, bones, etc. or it stores the food as fat if it cannot be used or there is too much.

Not to mention your hormones (think pimples, menopause, rashes, etc.) have a direct correlation to what you are putting in and ON your body…. When you eat bad meat you get sick… when you roll around in Poison Ivy you itch like crazy… how is anything else different? You body reacts to it in someway... why not let it react in a positive way by treating your body right?

I am IN LOVE with this lady (Dr. Lauren “Lo” Noel) and her podcasts/radio show lately… try listening to this on your next walk… LOVE!

This one is all about pooping!! (Go figure…)
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/drloradio/2012/08/29/pooping-101-with-dr-lo
 She even talks about how the way you sit on the potty can help your digestion… she is amazing and I highly encourage you to check her out for any health issue you may be having or if you just want to learn!

Food should be your medicine… really. I seriously would talk about this ALL day…. Try me I dare you… BUT we aren’t here to talk nutrition you want to see my progress pictures and secretly want me to fall on my face don’t you?

I don’t mean that to be rude but haven’t you ever thought about that…

Many people like to see people fail and that makes me SO sad! That is part

Of the reason I became a personal trainer and (hopefully) one day a Physical Education Teacher and coach maybe. I really want to help and see people succeed and reach goals, especially the teenage girls.

I grew up without very much positive reinforcement or support, which really hurt my confidence, & self esteem. I want to change that. I believe people need to be believed in and loved no matter what. It seems whenever people fail or go someplace that they didn’t like or got horrible service they talk about them/that place more. Yet, when people are successful or they go to a great place of service it is not as talked about. 

This week one of my clients really made me realize how people need to reach inside themselves and realize they can make their dreams reality. I do not just mean losing weight or getting fit (although that helps with many aspects and self confidence levels). I mean realize that if you want something & are willing to put forth the work and efforts you can make it happen.

During a session one of my clients looked at me and said,

 “Don’t take this the wrong way but I’m not that different from you… you just have a lower body fat percentage.” I haven’t told her this (until now) but that comment made me SO happy and really appreciate my job even more because it shows just because someone may (so you think) look better than you does not mean they ARE better than you.

 Honestly I am at a point in my life where I am realizing EVERYONE has their struggles and strengths weather they drive a Lamborghini  or a beat up little Mazda. =)

love love love this quote!!

 Some people have certain strengths that they are given to help others reach their potential  in certain aspects of life, weather they use those strengths for others or not is ultimately their choice. I strongly believe God placed us ALL on this earth to love and help one another. 

What makes you any different from me (besides the obvious)? I may have a lower body fat percentage (and I may not), I may eat chicken and broccoli for dinner instead of lasagna… why can't you?  I may chose to get excited about working out and seeing results… you can too if that’s what you want to do.

You may need to use a different approach than me because we’re not all the same but you can still make things happen if you want them too and are willing to put forth the work… not just the effort but really try, be willing to fail and try again.

Whew…. Ok so last little bit before I go eat my chicken and broccoli…. again.

Another client of mine developed this awesome idea for staying on track for 30 days. She used pieces of paper or note cards maybe. She wrote one quote on each of them, then chained them together and hung it up. Each day she pulls down one piece of chain and that's the quote or task for the day to help her reach her goals! How GENIUS is this??? I wish i could take credit! Not only is she counting down the days but it will also keep her in the right mindset ALL day!!! LOVE IT!!!

So here are my progress pictures for this week. I just put these 3 together because I was getting annoyed trying to fit them all together and have some programs to write up still. 

oh how fun my hair is even down =)
(dont get used to that!)

Many of you may be saying but you don't look much different... I see it and those of you who are into this kind of stuff probably see it too. I am not trying to lose weight and get skinny. I want to look fit and toned. There's a BIG difference in the two. So I know i am still on track and I also can tell I am retaining water weight in my triceps. My triceps pinch great so I was told i have water and sodium there and of course my curves at the hips and abs are holding a little too. I am not worried because I know these next few weeks my body will catch on and be what it is able to be at show time. (lets just hope it's what the judges want!!!)

I am actually starting to really appreciate my body and growing to love it, Even if God decided not to bless my upper half. I have worked hard to grow a butt and shape my back and it's working!!! That's why I love the pictures. My weight hasn't really changed much but my shape has been!  Remember the point of me blogging about my experience is so people see this doesn't happen overnight and there are many other factors you need to put into getting in the shape needed for fitness shows and modeling. I am still learning all of them!!!

My goals for this week: 

1. Up my water to 130oz a day...started this yesterday! Yes I am peeing a ton!!!

2. No change in diet except take out my aftershock drink post workout and just use amino acid drink. (XTEND!!!)

3. Start adding more fish to my diet

4. Keep practicing my POSING!!! (I still looked awkward but better than last week yes??) 

There you have it.... 4 weeks away!!

Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!

*Lallenia*