Confessions.......

End of day 3! 18 more days of trying to stay away from the devil food... processed sugar...

I figured out why I almost died yesterday and feel so gross.... take a guess?

Nope not pregnant (really sad isn't it???).... quite the opposite....

yep! My "friend" came to play this month... (Oh hey, I'm really good at the whole TMI thing FYI.)

Side note: If you're a newbie... HIII!!!!! (that's me smiling and waving like a big dork!) you may want to start with this blog first to know what I'm doing... or you can keep reading and figure it out on your own. ;-) 

Anyways if you're a chick reading this you'll probably find this amusing and relatable. If you're a dude reading this.... good for you man! Don't go away! Keep reading... as it will give you some insight on the way women REALLY feel when their lovely red friend comes to town.

If you've followed me or know me personally you know I struggled with an eating disorder for a long time (bulimia... yes the one where you throw up your food... no it didn't make me skinny so don't do it). During the time of that struggle I also worked out... a lot... like ridiculous amount of cardio.

This caused me to  never have a "regular" menstrual cycle because my body was entirely confused on what to do with me... basically it hated me and is taking it ALL out on me now that I am starting to have a "regular" menstrual cycle. But it's not "normal" it's VERY painful now due to a few disorders I've developed. I believe my ED (eating disorder) is the reason I have what is called PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome ) and Mittelschmerz (This is a very painful ovulation).

 I could be wrong, but I strongly believe if I was taught how to take care of myself when I was younger, told I was beautiful, and learned how to eat to fuel my body not just because it tasted good I would not have resorted to the ED and not struggle with self confidence issues therefor wouldn't be having these woman issues.
(But then what would you read to feel good about your life and happy that you don't deal with all these "issues" like me? ;-)) 

If you have a daughter, seriously, teach her at a very young age about eating to fuel & nourish her body, tell her she is beautiful, smart and important. Even if you have a boy make sure to tell him he's handsome, smart, important and teach him about the foods that fuel his body and the ones that will make him sick later in life... (remember what you eat today will affect you tomorrow.)

Trust me! They listen!! My 4 yr old son isn't perfect (pretty close though) yet he knows to only have a little bit of "bad food" because a lot is bad for his body and he will tell you that. (No I'm not that crazy mom that won't let him have ANY "bad" stuff) He has cod liver oil every night, drinks tons of water and even refuses to eat ice cream sometimes because it's "bad" for his body.... trust me they listen!!!

This is a VERY powerful yet extremely accurate quote I remember daily when I am with my son:

Onward with my day of trying not to eat my entire fridge and pantry... yes this is true.... When it's that time of month some of us women really do just want to stuff our faces because it just seems appropriate and oh! so comforting.

Sooooo ..... I have a Confession.....

When I was a trainer and didn't have this "normal" time of the month (due to my over exercising) I always thought this was just an excuse to eat. I never understood my clients emotional and physical battle with this. I would just think... "Man that sucks to feel that way.... are you SURE it's not just because you don't have enough self discipline?".... Don't worry... I am getting paid back PLUS interest for not fully realizing this reality for so many women.

Yes, there is a kind of discipline but I have learned you also need to recognize and know your body so you know how to approach this situation and be ready for it. (like removing all tempting foods and scheduling out workout dates)

Moral to you males reading this (if you made it this far): When it's "that" time of the month.... buy her her favorite chocolate, some cute workout shoes, and rub her back to sleep for comfort... well maybe not that last one.. I've never met a man that would only "rub" a back for comfort... Be nice and don't get mad when she freaks out for no reason.... is that too much to ask??


Diary for the day:
Breakfast: 2 Eggs & Sweet Potato... don't worry I didn't dare attempt a picture of that again... your welcome.

Snack: I came upstairs from working and was like I NEED chocolate.... So i tried to ease my craving with this savvy little coffee drink....

I made coffee then used coconut milk and sugar free chocolate sauce to resemble a Mocha from Starbucks.... not even close to being the same... but i used my imagination!

Lunch: 10 minutes later I realize I'm STILL hungry!!! Nothing sounds good... I. JUST. WANT. A. BROWNIE. SUNDAY.... instead i literally FORCED myself to eat something healthy... because of you guys.... seriously if it weren't because of this commitment I made to the WWW I totally would've gone and sat at E-Creamery and ate a HUGE brownie Sunday to myself. I settled for a cheese stick and a cucumber salad.... BARF.

SEE! I can't even handle it..... 

But it looks pretty!

Even the cucumber didn't even want to go in my mouth!

I have ANOTHER confession to make here.... so it took me like a thousand times to take a selfie of my "barf" face.... no joke! How in the heck are people so good at taking selfies all the time to post up on social media and look flawless???

I mean check it out... in one i have a HUGE nose... in another my eyes are crossed, yet another I look like I have mental issues (not that there's anything wrong with that) but really... this is a lot of work....

Please don't zoom in this isn't filtered! 

Maybe I need some selfie lessons along with taking pictures of my food??

Snack: After a while I come back upstairs because I still want to eat my house....

I find this Trek Mix... I reach in thinking ok I can totally eat the cashews, chia clusters and almonds out of here and just taste the chocolate chips and dried cranberries on my tongue since they are mixed together... that's not technically eating the sugar right?.... That's like a husband saying "but Honey! we only snuggled together I didn't cheat!".... RIIIGHT.... I totally had a few pieces of chocolate chips and dried cranberries.... Please don't get mad at me!! I didn't have the whole bag!! I wont do it again!

For real though... I didn't over do it.... like at all.... and I feel guilty I even thought I could get away with smelling the chocolate chips...

The cool thing... this didn't make me give up and say FINE I blew it I quit and be done or binge.... Usually that's the pattern I would follow... this time I forgave myself and said hey get back on track.

I STILL wanted chocolate 30 minutes later!! SO I came up with this....

I ONLY had 1 TBLSP of PB because 2 TBLSP has 3g sugar... I know the container would look otherwise but that's because it's almost gone anyways! (I SWEAR!!!) I was hoping the chocolate stuff would taste better later in the day... yeah... it was ok... it tasted good on the PB!! (What DOESN'T taste good with PB on it.... (if you're my close friend reading this you're dying laughing right now!)
Overall this snack curved my craving.... not too bad!!!

Can you guess I was STILL hungry an hour later.... WTF?! I am thinking... this is crazy! I hate hormones! I thought I'll eat something kind of salty to persuade my sweet tooth away. I ate about 20 of these

Dinner: Now this was delicious!!!!

corn tortilla, cheese, grass fed beef, black beans, & taco sauce... low sugar and super yummy!! 

Bedtime snack: That chocolate tea I told you about yesterday my son picked out... SOOOO amazing!!!

mmmmmm I am sipping it right now... be jealous! 

I'd give today an A-.... an A because I didn't even touch the Halloween candy no matter how bad my evil side was telling me you all would never know! That's a pretty BIG deal!

As for working out... I was super lazy today... well actually I planned to go running over lunch but I had A TON of work to get done for this system we are implementing... ok and i didn't want to... who am I kidding.

Don't worry I plan on getting up early tomorrow to go! I desperately need to force myself since i ALWAYS  feel better after I do!

No I didn't do my measurements AGAIN! and no... no picture yet...  maybe tomorrow....

Ok I'm going to take a Midol PM and go to bed... (because you wanted to know that!)

Keep yourself Healthy, Fit and Fabulous one step at a time!!

Love you all!

XoXo,
Lallenia

PS If you want some awesome recipes to use and inspiration for overcoming an ED check out one of my friends blogs here... it's totally awesome!

Posing session and Update! (not to mention a cute little craft I made!)

It’s another update on my progress for the little competition I have decided to endure in EIGHT weeks (from yesterday)!!!!!!!!!

I must apologize; last week I thought I was 10 weeks out… nope. I was 9 weeks out. Which means the progress pictures were within three weeks not two.

(confused as to what i'm talking about? Read here first!)  

I practiced posing with my girlfriend, the fabulous AundreaAnnin, this week on Labor Day…. Ha… I am SO not graceful or coordinated… let alone in heels and trying to pose my body… I bet your curious aren’t you?

Ok ok here is a little taste of how awkward I look trying to do this… don’t judge me… well ok I guess I have to be judged in 8 weeks so I better get used to it right?

Aundrea, of course, has confidence, poise, rhythm, and a banging body…she’s kind of the whole package…. I’m just half wrapped right now. ;-)

This week…. OH boy. Well I lost another percent of Body Fat!! Yay to me…. But I also lost body weight…. Which means some muscle mass. GRRR… I am not a fan of that!
As of Friday September 7, 2012

My weight was at 137.6

Lean body mass (muscle) is 107.09

Body fat is 22.17%

This was according to JR at Elite Performance Nutrition. 

I’m really trying not to lose weight so I was sad to see this because it means I lost some lean body mass. I know I will but I do not want to until the last few weeks up to the show.

I am what they call an ectomorph. This means hard gainer (in terms of muscle not fat lol). From all my running and disordered eating I have to work a little harder to put muscle on my body.

Ok… I know this may bring up a lot of controversy and people trying to convince me other wise but with my lifestyle, background, and ‘I think I can’ personality….I’m not a big believer in the whole genetics theory when it comes to fitness, muscle, and fat loss. I think it’s partly genetics as far as WHERE you store your fat and the obvious stuff like structure of bones, face, hair, and eyes. But looking at the big picture I think that people can shape their body the way they want to IF they use the right tools, have the patience, persistence and apply it all to their life.

Yes, it’s going to take time, years even to get there but if you have a vision I think know you will get there IF you want it bad enough. Look at all the body builders who have changed their bodies and athletes that have made it pro…. Someone gave them the right tools and they ran with them. Yes some may have had athletic parents but many of them did not. They were motivated and determined to make it happen.

 I’ll use my husband as an example. He’s a BIG dude (and kinda cute too…), he has lots of muscle mass on him.  He has had to work at it for YEARS….I have seen pictures of him as a teenager…. Still a cutie but really SCRAWNY(don’t tell him I said that!)! Now 10-12 years later he’s massive (Please tell him I said that though! =))!

This was from 3 years ago! He's a lot bigger now,  I just think this is a great pic! 

 WHY? Because he keeps getting stronger year after year. He keeps track of his workouts and keeps making him self stronger and stronger. He’s parents are not big and muscular, neither are his siblings. They sure could be IF they WANTED to be but he is because having size and strength is what inspires him to work out. That’s what drives him to go to the gym after working long hours in the heat or cold working as a plumber. I can’t say I mind it at all, plus that’s how we met =) Ha… actually I’ll have to write a blog about that some day… my favorite story ever!

I bring this up because I hear people saying ALL the time, "it's my genetics, I'll never lose weight, or I'll never get a bigger butt, or I'll never be able to do a push up." Then they go back to their old ways of eating a lounging around. Never reaching the full potential of themselves.

Back to me because we all know I could talk about the hubby ALL day…

I want to tell you all that I don’t know why I lost some muscle mass and that I am doing EVERYTHING I am supposed to… but that’d be lying. My workouts are AWESOME right now; I am getting stronger each workout! Love it!

My nutrition has got to be stricter!! My mind keeps telling me oh Lallenia you still have X amount of weeks left before you REALLY have to hit it hard…SERIOUSLY 8 weeks is not far away!!?? 

I lost a little muscle mass because I wasn’t eating on the right schedule, the exact ratios per meal and I let an extra tablespoon of peanut butter slip or a bite of Wyatt’s dinner in my mouth. I’m telling you it’s crazy how precise you need to be when it comes to achieving a certain look in your body. NO, I’m not saying to look fit you have to do what I am doing by any means! But if you’re going to be judged on a stage next to a bunch of other people wearing bikinis, heels and loads of makeup you should probably hire a coach or two or three to reach your FULL potential. AND I'm not going to be one of those girls who don't follow what their trainer says then scramble last minute and try to use diuretics to get rid of bloat and puffiness. No way! I'm going to do this the right way. 

Do I think I will be at my FULL potential? Not necessarily. I think for me to look the BEST I possibly can I should be trying to gain size right now and putting on more muscle mass to look a little fuller. Then do a show next spring. BUT I REALLY want to have another baby! I’m getting CRAZY baby syndrome. So I am going to do the best right now with what I have. Then I will see how I do, perform, feel and look…. If it’s something I love I will pursue it more in the future… if not I will mark it off my bucket list! =)

As for my goals from last week....
Well lets just say I am a work in progress! I did do a couple of them but here is my list for this week and some of them may be repeated because I need to make it a habit still!

8 week out goals:
1.) Follow meal plan as exact as possible!! We brought carbs down a little this week. I will need to make sure I am eating enough fats to keep me satisfied. Also I realized if I do not have a plan for my family's dinner then I'm more likely to eat a few bites of their tuna melt or spaghetti noodles.
I made this simple little weekly dinner plan for my family so I can be prepared with my own meals and be mentally prepared to make and serves theirs.

I'm pretty proud of this!!! I know my handwriting is horrible but its a cute set up and I didn't even use Pinterest to help me ;-) 
It is an extra kitchen cabinet door we had lying around and chalk paint on the front.... I thinks its super cute and matches our kitchen perfectly!!! 

2.) Pose Pose Pose and Walk in those heels at least 3 days a week! I'm more nervous about this then the last two weeks of my diet!!!!! 

3.) Keep up my progress in the gym and NOT injure myself! (or get preggers.... haha)

4.) Register this week and book tanning... I already have my suit picked from the stunning Tamee Marie, hair & makeup is booked with the amazing Dani Cooper at BOSS studio (she's going to do it SO early for me!!!) and my Wifey Shannon and her parents are coming!!!!!! I'm SUPER STOKED for them to be here!!!! 

As far as the competition those are my goals. I have many personal ones but I need to get to bed!! 

Oh yes! It HIT me hard yesterday when i awoke about the show in EIGHT WEEKS.... as of yesterday (Saturday) my diet has been SPOT on!! and i plan to keep it this way unless JR tells me I need a cheat meal. I even ate this concoction  for dinner... 

This is 93/7 ground beef, 1/2 cup pumpkin and green beans mixed.... it was rather scrumptious! 

Nighty night!!!! Keep me in your prayers for strength, faith and confidence please =) XOXO

*Keep yourself Healthy, Fit & Fabulous*

~Lallenia~

Small successes will equal BIG results =)

Tuesday 8-13-12
Workout in the morning!
Preworkout was one of my homemade Protein bars and coffee...yum!!!

Shoulders are my weak point. This is due to surgeries on both of them. Left one when I was in Mississippi playing basketball. I went to catch the ball from a hard throw and my shoulder suffered a partial dislocation which resulted in surgery. Needless to say I stopped playing after that.
 The other was from slipping on a boot campers sweat 2 years ago where my shoulder slipped out in front of me.

You know, I used to feel sorry for myself but then I realized, No way Lallenia! This is a GREAT learning experience for you and especially anyone you train. I strongly believe the reason my shoulders were so weak (besides me breast feeding at the time of one of them which doubled my chances of dislocating it!) is because when I used to lift in High School no one taught me how to lift to strengthen my muscles, tendons and ligaments... it was all just lift as heavy as you can. No one taught me how to lift properly, and how to strengthen stabilizing muscles as well as my major muscles. I will not get too in depth with the muscles but as you can see in this diagram there are many little muscles that need work just like the bigger muscles =)

Shoulder and Arms 

I always start off my workouts with shoulder strengthening exercises.

Scarecrows are one of my favorite to start off with. 3-4 sets of 12 reps (Keep strict form at 90 degree angles in each arm.)

Supersets:

4 sets of 4-8 rep range

Clean and press 55lb x2, 65lbsx2

Upright rows 45lbs, 55lbs, 60lbsx2

Push Presses 45lbs, 55lbs, 60lbs x2

Lateral raises 10lbs x4times

Seated DB curls 20lbs

Triceps kickback 17 1/2lbs

Cable curls 50lbs, 60lbs

Triceps Press downs 60lbs, 70lbs 

Cardio was in the evening with 25min of sprints up my hill by my house =) Growing that booty baby!!! 

But oh man do I miss my running!!! Especially during this weather! Argh... it drives me nuts not to just go for a nice 4-5 mile run with a breeze and fresh fall smells.... I keep telling my self only 11 weeks! Another goal of mine is to run a half marathon so next challenge will be that =) 

I know my workouts aren't very exciting. Many people may be thinking oh she's a trainer I bet shell be doing some cool crazy stuff.... sorry to disappoint! The best way to build muscle and strength is through consistent training, pushing yourself to get stronger each time you lift (with correct form!). Yes, you can do that with crazy exercises also but I am not about to get injured again, my focus is to keep increasing my weights and intensity. You'll see... I'll get great results! =) 

My diet was pretty close to right on again!

I have been obsessed with sauerkraut, sweet potatoes and ground beef... YUMMY!

Seriously myfitnesspal is the BEST!!! (and free!)

Wednesday 8-14-12 

A day that started off on the wrong foot but had ended up making me proud. 

My alarm was set for 3:45am...I pushed snooze. Woke up at 4:45 just in time for boot camp. That won't be happening the closer it gets to Nov. 3rd don't worry! 

I did AMAZING with my nutrition and was craving a PB&J sandwich after my son had one this morning. So i had this along with a protein shake and it turned out to be the perfect little meal as far as fats, carbs, and protein!! I was EXCITED! 

What we have here is a PLAIN rice cake,
ONE tablespoon natural PB,
 ONE tablespoon sugar free preserves. Delish!

 I have been measuring out 2-3 oz of sweet potatoes because i love them so much! Weird I know but i really enjoy them with chunks of meat. I have found if I do a little bit at a time I get to have them 3 times a day opposed to 2 times. As it gets closer and if i am not receiving the results I am aiming for i will change it up to exactly what the meal plan calls for. Rice cakes are another option in place of starch. i really like them  for tuna! Quick, delicious and simple meal preparation, great for school/work. 

Ok so here's where it was rough... i already ate my post workout meal. My husband made a ham and cheese roll up for my son and him after he was off work. Then he had to leave because he had another call. My son asked if i wanted a bite I said no thank you. Then he said "my mommy need one,"... so I took one... then ended up eating the whole thing because he gave it to me.

 I know many of you are thinking and so what? Well, for me, recovering from a binge/purge type eating disorder that's deadly. I am one of those ALL or nothing type personalities, I started freaking out in my head. At that moment my brother walks in with PIE from Village Inn.... REALLY??? how does that work?? Of course he offers me some. I decline but then he leaves and puts it in the fridge.

Here i am stuck on the house with pie in the fridge and already "ruined" my dinner because it wasn't on my plan. At this point I am battling in my head and am nervous. I get up, open the fridge, pull the pie out and grab a fork. Open the container, took a look at the chocolate, caramel slice... and told myself... "you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Since you cannot seem to tell yourself NO or STOP then ask for help. Do this for the people who are cheering you on. Do not sabotage yourself just because you want the taste." 

Not kidding I said ALL those things to myself and put it away. I grabbed some jerky to snack on to keep my mouth busy but not add crazy amounts of calories.

I will tell you even if this seems like such a little accomplishment... it is these little accomplishments that will make the big difference in reaching my goals. Besides the final numbers for the day weren't all that bad. The ham and cheese wrap did not take me on a detour  where I couldn't find my way back.

I was only up 82 calories and my carbs were 30grams higher =( but I'll take it!
 Couldn't imagine what the pie would've made it! eeeeek!

Workout today was LEGS!

4 sets of 4-8... ok not for all of them but that WAS the plan. 

Squat- 95lbs, 115lbs, 135lbs x2 sets of 4. 

Backward lunges- 35lbs 8 reps each leg 4 times through. 

Wide leg Stiff legged Dead lifts- 55lbs... form focus 2 sets of 10 reps

1 leg dead lift- 55lbs 2 sets of 8

Then my husband came in and said let me see your squat. So I showed him my 135lbs 5 times. He said I needed to get deeper. SO i dropped the weight to 95lbs and did 2 sets of 10 deep squats.... lets just say my butt is numb as I type. I'm scared to wake up and move in the morning. I wanted to keep going but my legs were shaking. 

It was a little random because I was interrupted but I can't complain. He kicks my butt and knows how to keep me motivated. =) 

I went to bed tonight proud of myself for having control and confidence, instead of regretting eating a piece of pie or going back to old habits. I really believe you just need to tell yourself you can do it and believe in yourself no matter what your goals are. 

The take away for today:
Workout the stabilizer muscles... don't ignore the ones that assist the bigger ones or you're setting yourself up for injury!

You don't have to do crazy workouts to get awesome results! As long as you're getting stronger, have great form and are challenging yourself, that is what matters and you will get results.

Celebrate the small successes, when the battle starts in your head always listen to the side that will give you a positive outcome and help reach your goals. You do not want to live your life wishing you had control. It's up to YOU to take that control! 

Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!

*Lallenia*

August 13, 2012

August 13, 2012

I am going to consider today the official start date of my diet for my competition on Nov. 3rd 2012.
I get many questions regarding my diet so I am going to tell you what it is I am doing until my nutritionist changes it on me. Keep in mind EVERYONE is different. What works for me may not work for you which is why I HIGHLY recommend going to a professional for your goals. Preferably one who gets a lot of referrals and isn't just trying to "sell" their supplements.
I had my body fat pinched (always go to the same person & use the same tool) and weight tested to determine the best diet for me.
I switch up the meals from my plan but I keep the macro nutrients the same.
So for me i need to have:
2029 calories.... Yes! Thats a 2 NOT a one! (feed that muscle!)
 67g of Fat
191g of Protein
167g of Carbs

Todays meals ALMOST hit that RIGHT on! i was so proud!
I use myfitnesspal app to log all my food and I freaking LOVE it!!!!! You can even scan your food in! It's easy, cheap and free... whats better than that?? Heres a pic of the summary for today!

 Here's what my day was like today:

Wake up at 3:45am...blah. I was NOT feeling it this morning and couldn't figure out why (then later found out my "friend" came to visit this month! I know TMI!!!)

 I literally had to force myself out of bed for cardio. I drank my coffee mixed up my amino acids then headed to the treadmill for 35min on an incline of 10 (my treadmill won't go higher =( ) and a slow speed of 3.0-3.2.

 (Remember I am trying to keep lean muscle on not burn it. Coming from being a runner it's a hard concept to comprehend BUT I am seeing a rounded rear which is rewarding and making me a believer!!)


4:30 am- 2 hard boiled eggs and 6oz sweet potatoes. Then off to teach my beloved bootcamp!!!!

7:30am- 2 eggs 4oz broccoli... it's so yummy mixed together!!!

10:30am- 1 serving of these oatmeal pancakes I attempted that turned out horrible because apparently grounded up oats do not cook like regular flour....ha but I ate it with 1 tablespoon of almond butter which made it better!

12:30pm- 6oz extra lean turkey breast, 4oz sweet potato, 4oz broccoli  (I make this ALL ahead of time and stash it in the fridge for easy access!)

3:30pm-
2 hard boiled eggs, one white (wyatt ate my yolk... I won't complain!)
1/2 of one of these yummy protein bars I made yesterday! (wyatt ate the other half... lol my little stud!)

3 cups oats
8 scoops Elite Whey protein
1 cup Crunchy natural PB
8oz unsweetened apple sauce
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix it all together and mold into a 8x13 pan rimmed with parchment paper
Then i placed in freezer for an hour.
Popped it out onto another piece of parchment paper.
Cut into 12 pieces, wrapped them up and placed them back in freezer for a nice, quick yummy nutritious  treat!

1/12 bars

285 calories

12g fat

23.5 carbs

21g protein 

My pre workout is (when I remember it!) D-stunner.... it tastes GROSS! My husband tells me to chug it... I'll try that next time! I forgot to take my creakline creatine =(  I feel a HUGE difference in strength when I use this stuff!

Workout today was chest and back

Keep in mind i have been lifting for a while so this is just what I am doing right now and don't expect anyone reading this to compare themselves. I feel I have come a long way and am getting really strong for a chick but I also work really hard to get to where I am! 

ALWAYS a warm up of jump rope, dynamic stretching, shoulder work, push ups, vertical rows and spider mans =) 

Set= consists of a series of repetition of one particular strength activity 

Rep= (repetition) how many times you repeated same lifting action.

Bench Press - 65lbs x12 , 85lbs x10, 95lbs x5 for 3 sets!!! 

(it helped my husband was pushing me... he's so freaking sexy, especially in the gym!!! even if its in our basement ;-))

Incline DB Bench press- 25lbs x15, 30 x12 for 3 more sets. My shoulder was talking to me so I didn't push it like  usually do. I can get 37 1/2 sometimes! 

DB Pull overs- started with LIGHT 10lbs then moved up to 15lbs. 4 sets of 15reps.

 I could go heavier but it places my shoulder in a awkward position so i need to be careful! 

Tri-set of rows! 3 sets of 8-12reps

Bent over Rows- using curved bar 65lbs

Vertical Rows- body weight.... LOVE these!

Prone Rows with Push up- 30lbs using power blocks.... probably in my TOP 5 Favorite exercises!!!

Power set of 3 rounds of 10, 6, 4 reps heavier each time

Trap Bar deadlift- 102lbs, 122lbs, 132lbs, This surprised me at how easy that weight was for me!!! My core felt SO STRONG!!! I will definitely be going heavier next time =) 

Post workout is 1 scoop dark matter... again... yuck! But I did it.

7:30pm Dinner was a HUGE spinach salad with 2 egg whites (wyatt ate my yolks again!), some red onions & balsamic vinegar with salad vinegar.
Also 5.5oz of 93% beef along side 1/2 cup sauerkraut... I really like this stuff lately!!! And it's awesome for your body!

9:30pm- 1 cup Liquid chocolate egg whites... OMGosh! SO YUMMY!!!!! seriously I love this! Its like dessert!

My husband is tossing, turning and grumbling at me.... time to say good night world!!

Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!

*Lallenia*

Average doesn't cut it

Average doesn't cut it.

Average doesn't cut it anymore these days. If I'm going to keep changing my life and other people’s lives, I have learned I need to keep growing as a person and fitness professional. I want to be above average in all aspects. With that said I've decided to take on an adventure for the next 12 weeks to be in the best shape I can within that time frame. I have wanted to do some kind of fitness competition since I started personal training 7 years ago, and I do not want to regret not doing one. 

It had been a dream of mine for the first 4 years… Then one day I decided ok I’m going to start training and just do it! I didn’t know what to expect but I knew I wanted to do it. Well… lets just say God had other plans for me…

But I sure as heck wouldn’t give up this little boy for the world!

Wyatt Scott
January 12, 2010
5 lbs 8 oz 19in. long

Six months after giving birth to Wyatt I made up my mind to start training for a fitness show again… (Urgh! God kept getting in the way of my plans!) I ended up dislocating my right shoulder, after slipping on one of my campers sweat, while demonstrating a bear crawl (note to moms: while breast feeding your body’s joints and ligaments are much looser than normal). That was one of the most (if not the most) painful moments I have ever encountered, yes it was even worse than giving birth!

I do not quit very easily! I had surgery in January 2011. I had 3 anchors placed in my shoulder and they cleaned up other bits and pieces. 

Here I am during my babies FIRST birthday a couple days after my surgery. =(

I did my physical therapy religiously because my goal was to get to do chin-ups again and “real” man pull ups. (Those just make me feel strong!) I was tempted to train for a show 8 months after surgery but was told that would be silly and to focus on getting strong again.

Here comes 2012… Dust myself off and try again. 

My girlfriend, one of my best friends and biggest fans, Ms Aundrea Annin, competes as a fitness diva in a federation called The WBFF. She is an amazing woman! We are always motivating and inspiring each other to better ourselves and reach goals personally and professionally.

(C'mon now...how amazing is she?!)

Aundrea found a show in May 2012 for me to train for...ahhh, perfect!

I had my meal plans, supplements and training program. I was rocking it for 3 weeks straight dropped 4% body fat and right on track… then BOOM about 10 weeks away from the show, I was doing assisted ("real man") pull ups with a band, the band slipped from under my feet causing my right shoulder to sublux. It was swollen and bruised for 6 weeks. (insert cuss word here) I couldn’t believe that could happen AGAIN!! I had already paid for 1/2 my suit & had it fitted, paid for my tanning, a booked my hair and hotels...oh I was sad devastated.

Back to the drawing board and physical therapy. I first thought "ok Lallenia, really? Why do you want this? It seems something always keeps you from succeeding at this goal. Just focus on being healthy."

 After thinking it over and one of my friends/amazing client telling me about this 30 Day challenge of eating nothing but whole foods. I took on that adventure instead (I blogged about it, check it out in previous posts if you want).

I LOVED having the discipline and focus of not (pretty dang close to not) eating anything processed. I feel that challenge has changed my life in many ways. It taught me so much about food and the way the body uses it more than ANY certification I’ve ever received, showed me how what you eat affects inflammation in the body, proved to me that my body doesn’t do well with heavy dairy products (bye bye Ben & Jerrys cheat meal!), and gave me the control and discipline I needed to pursue my next adventure… 

A Natural Bikini Competition on November 3, 2012. (eeeeekk!! I said IT!!!!!!)

Why bikini? Why not Fitness or Figure? Why am I doing this?

Lets be real… I am not built for a fitness or figure competition. I have been recovering from a shoulder surgery PLUS I have long lean legs and have to work my butt off  um, work my butt UP to build my glutes, HA! or any muscle for that matter!  

I am not one that cares about the glamour of it.... it's just been a goal I've set and haven't done yet. I will do my best and be my best but do not expect to win or lose. I just want to do it for the challenge, the discipline, the adventure.

This is going to be hard work, consistency and dedication. Just like anyone wanting to better themselves and reach goals… you have to work for it and WANT it. 

To be honest I was and still am slightly nervous about putting all this out there… I mean heck, now people can judge me and criticize as much as they want. So why am I going to blog about it? I mean seriously… why do YOU care so much as of what IM doing?

After blogging about my Whole30 challenge and receiving all the questions and curiosity, I realized people (including me!) need and want to know what the journey is like… not just the end result. SO many people do not realize the work it takes to get into (yes even if it’s only bikini) shape for these competitions. Especially coming from a REAL woman who hasn’t been fit her whole life, whose had a child, and who has had several injuries and many objectives to overcome.

This is going to be real..... this going to be raw (just like 80% of the food you eat right?)

Whew! With all that said typed, I’m going to share everything I'm doing, be 100% honest & up front. If you'd like to support me & follow along please do! If anyone is going to be negative or wants me to fail I'd prefer you to stop reading now and let me live my own life. I'm not a fan of negativity nor will I surround myself with any of that crap. 

Here are my before pictures and stats: 

My starting point as of August 9, 2012 SHOCKED me! Ok I’ll be honest…. Brought me to tears (lots of them)… I had my measurements taken and I had to face the fact I was injured and had lost much of the progress I worked so hard to get 7 months prior. 

I didn’t expect in my wildest dreams to ever see the percent body fat on my stats report, that I saw… it said 26%. I knew I lost some lean mass during my recovery period but never imagined that much! I have some work to do… lots of it! I can care less about my weight. 

Measurements: 

Weight: 141.5 on Elites Scale (137 on mine)

BF: 26% (AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!)--> I pray this is just a wrong pinch which I will find out this week!!! 

Waist:27in

Hips: 37in

Chest: Really? Non existent! Well, except when I wear Victoria Secret wonder bras ;-) 

Goals:

My nutritionist (JR at Elite Nutrition) says don't worry about setting a goal for weight because he wants me to have lean muscle mass and muscle is going to cause me to weigh more than most people will think. (Ladies... take note!)

Waist will probably get to 26 so not too much of a change, The hips will hopefully stay about the same... the shape and definition of them is what we want to change.  

Body fat for Bikini is usually a little higher than the others so I will probably be about 13-16% depending on how my body reacts to my diet and workouts.

Here are pictures as my starting point….(these were taken July25th)

Keep in mind these are just me! I am NOT tanned & oiled up nor do I have heels on. And Urgh… my weak point as far as where I carry my fat is my mid back and “love handles”… I wish I could put 50% in my glutes and 50% in my chest…. *sigh* 

Side view

Blah my weak point my back!
Hehe, see Scoobys nose? (bottom right)

Front....with a visitor!

"Ima getchya mommy!"

My inspiration & motivation!! 

Well I am all typed out all though my brain is telling me I can do more.... BUT I need to go run sprints before breakfast! 

 I will tell you about supplements, diet, and my training soon!

 I will give you the details of whats going on & every 1-2 weeks pictures & progress! =) I cannot promise I will everyday but I will do my best to get a post up once a week at least!  

I'm still trying to convince myself I will be able to walk in 5 1/2 inch heels.... ahhhhh so NOT me! 

A new adventure promises new things, gives you hope and experience. This is just me learning and growing to become a stronger person mentally and physically while being able to share what it's REALLY like, something i can look back on to remember my journey and to become ABOVE average in my life. =)

The quote on my phone that keeps me strong each day right now...

Keep yourself Healthy, Fit, and Fabulous!!

*Lallenia*