Sweets & A Recipe

You may think this post is pointless, but since this is my place to get it all out there during prep I am here to tell you:  I. AM. CRAVING. SWEETS.  This is weird for me.  I usually crave salty food.  Things I call "normal food."  It's not weird for me to all of a sudden crave almonds (or any nuts), pretzels or pickles.  No, I am not pregnant.  So craving something sweet today left me a bit bewildered.  I tried chewing my favourite dessert gum.  I tried filling up with cucumbers.  Nothing.  Still craving sweets.  So I tried my hand at making a "healthified" version of a chai latte.  And hey! It worked!  My craving is gone!  So I leave you with this recipe.  (If you can even call it a recipe.)

Chai Latte:

Brew a cup of chai tea
add 1 tbsp vanilla protein powder & 1 packet (or 1 tbsp) stevia.  Stir.  Drink.  Craving gone.

Anyone have any recipes that would fit into my prep for a sweet tooth?

Copy Cat: Most Recent iTunes Binge

I decided to copy Lacey's post on my most recent & fave music that keeps me going in the gym.  I love music & feel that a good playlist can really make a difference in my workouts.  I love up-beat music that gets me going.  Here are a few of my recent songs on repeat:

1. Benny Benassi ft. Gary Go - Cinema (Skrillex Remix)

2. Flo Ride ft. Sia - Wild Ones

3. David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj - Turn Me On 

I absolutely love her! Seen her in concert when she was on tour with Brit Brit & it was one of the best shows!

4. Rihanna - Where Have You Been

5. LMFAO - Yes!

6. Kardinal Offishall ft. Akon - Body Bounce



Two A Days

This week starts  hell the 2 workouts a day portion of my prep.  Yay! So excited.....

I usually don't have a problem with early mornings, but for some reason these past 2 nights I have woken up every hour from 1 am to 4 am rotating between having to use the ladies room & scared that I slept through my alarm & missed my morning cardio session.  Tonight is the night I am going to bed at 9 & sleeping through the WHOLE night! (I'll let you know how that goes.)

So prep so far is going pretty good.  I am a bit tired (see above), but my meals have been 100% on, my water intake has been good & my workouts have been sweaty.  One thing I do find a bit hard is remembering to take all my supplements.  I am used to taking 1-2 vitamins a day.  Now I am taking: multivitamin, vitamin C, vitamin D, omega 3/6/9, magnesium/calcium, digestive enzyme, & CLA.  I swear I take my body weight in pills every morning. 


I let my trainer know this morning that I will be away for 10 days in January.  First part of the month heading away for the long weekend to do some shopping for me & poker playing for hubby.  In the middle of the month we are heading to Mexico for a week to help celebrate our friends wedding! So excited! Yet so nervous and scared.  I have already checked out both hotels we will be staying at to make sure there will be a fully equipped gym.  I am a bit worried about food.  I plan on packing some frozen meals for the weekend getaway, but I don't think that's possible for Mexico.  I am hoping to bring things that will take up minimal space in my suitcase such as protein powder, oatmeal packets, tuna & than purchasing veggies etc. once I get there.  

Anyone have any tips for me on traveling during prep?

Hopefully I Can Look Back...

.....at these horrendous pictures & see how far I have come.  Please. No. Laughing.  And I have taken my face out of them because I realized how bad I look at 6 AM in the morning.  I will work on that for my next progress pictures ;)

End of Aug 2011 (Seems so long ago)
Weight - 128.6 lbs
% of Body fat - 21.5%

Beginning of Dec 2011 (So 12 week difference).  Still such a long way to go......
Weight - 120.4 lbs
% of BF - 15.05%

All I Want For Christmas....

On my Christmas list this year:  (Can someone please send this to my husband?)


Michael Kors iPhone Clutch - I don't even own a iphone, but I would if I could put it in this!  LOVE me some Michael Kors!

Michael Kors Watch - I'm hoping & praying this is underneath my tree.  I have dropped enough hints in the past 11 months. 

MIchael Kors Drawstring Sachtel - Sensing a theme??  Michael Kors is a brilliant man.  I know this purse is few seasons (2007) old, but I LOVE it!  Anyone got 1 for sale?



A Pair A Month of Lululemon WunderUnders - Try them.  You will know what I mean.

Is everyone done their shopping?  I am still waiting for a few gifts that I bought online to arrive, but I have been done for about 10 days.  Get shopping people only 13 days until Christmas!!

Prep What?!

17 Weeks out!! Holy smokes.  When I got to work this morning & looked at the calendar I'm 100% sure my face looked like this:

http://berrymii.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/weekends-at-tampines-mall/baby-shocked-face-03-copy/

But seriously, I am freaking out!! Is it really possible that my body will look like this in just 17 weeks?!

YES! Please! I sure as hell hope so!  

Well as some of you may have guessed it has been decided that I will compete in the bikini division.  My trainer thought I didn't have enough muscle in certain areas of my body, *cough* bum *cough*, as I would need to compete in figure.  I was a bit disappointed at 1st because I have always looked up to Nicole Wilkins and Erin Stern & absolutely loved the figure division.  But she reassured me that it doesn't mean I will never be able to compete in figure, maybe something to build up for next season. 

This weekend was my 1st weekend back home at my parents house since I've been on "prep."  It was hell.  At my house I just don't put things in my pantry that I know may entice me to cheat.  While my parents on the other hand have chips, Christmas baking, full fat peanut butter, candies, crackers etc etc.  Although I only slipped once on Sunday for my Grandpa's 85th birthday - I had a slice of date cake (dates are healthy righttttt?!).  I was pretty proud of myself.  It could have been A LOT worse.  My family even ordered Chinese food for supper & I sat & ate my chicken and veggies. 

Most annoying question of the weekend came from my mom.  Surprising.....(sense the sarcasm).  She asked "Are you ever going to eat like a normal person again?"  I really had no idea how to answer this question, because I don't know what her definition of a "normal person" is.  Am I ever going to eat crap again.  Ya, I am sure I will allow myself to have some cake, ice cream etc once in awhile in the future.  But am I ever going to eat crap all the time again?  No. Freaking. Way.  I love eating healthy & clean.  I love how the foods I choose makes me feel good & fuel my workouts.

I am thinking I may actually put my before pictures up next post.  Ekkk, kinda scary.  We will see if I chicken out!  Happy 17 weeks out everyone!

Once Again A Student

"Back to school. Back to school, to prove to Dad that I'm not a fool. I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight, I hope I don't get in a fight. Ohhhh, back to school. Back to school. Back to school. Well, here goes nothing.." - Billy Madison

Never thought I would say this, but.....I have once again enrolled myself in some sort of schooling.  Thankfully the courses I have enrolled in don't take me away from my everyday job, my home or my gym (although I did love my university gym).  Just thinking about university gives me a hangover I swear.  Anyone else?

Now on to the announcement:  I have enrolled in the ISSA Fitness Nutrition Certificate.  I am pretty excited for many reasons.  I have always been interested in fitness and nutrition and am constantly reading articles in magazines and online. So I figured I might as well learn some more AND get a certificate out of it.  My love for cooking and food may also have something to do with my enrolment. 

I also thought it would be a great idea to learn more about nutrition, technically, if I am going to be taking on a contest diet.  Now when I am eating certain things given by my trainer I will be able to make the connection to why I am eating these particular foods. 

I also like the idea of the ISSA foundation because they have a lot of courses that look interesting to me that hopefully I will take at a later date.  Maybe even get my Personal Training Certificate! 

You know what else this means?  Not only am I going to be a gym nerd prepping for my 1st competition, but I am also going to be a book nerd studying for my 1st certificate.  I always seem to pick the perfect time to do EVERYTHING!  Let's pray for a stress free next few months!



Total Gym Nerd!



You Know You Spend Too Much Time At The Gym When....

5 signs I spend too much time at the gym:

#1. I have nightly dreams about the men and women who are at the gym at the same time as me.  My dreams used to be made up of Christian Louboutin shoes, rice krispie cakes and trips to Vegas.  Now yellow shirt who grunts when he lifts, the lanky 16 year old and the old lady who needs to learn what a thong is, spend their time with me from 9:30pm til 6 am.  And oddly enough my dreams don't include these people at the gym, they have intruded on my daily life - at work, at the grocery store and in my house! I have to admit I prefer to dream about shoes that I can never afford.

#2.  I have started to wear my gym clothes to work.  Thank goodness my office is pretty lack on the dress code or else I'd be SOL.  I find myself wearing my Lululemon Wunder Unders and tank tops as "office casual" more and more.  What can I say they are sooo dang comfy & pretty much contoured to my body. Bonus - I don't even need to change from my work clothes to my workout clothes.  Anything to save time, I'm in!!

#3.  I find myself wiping down things at home.  Anyone else find them self walking around with an old towel & a spray bottle wiping the door knobs, faucet, cupboard doors and remotes after each use?  Ya, enough said......

#4.  Making dates with friends always seem to include the gym.  Terrible when my girls ask if I want to hang out & my response goes something along the lines of: "Sure.  Gym @7?" or "Okay want to hit the steam room tonight?" 

#5.  I see the 17 year old working the front desk more than my own husband.  True story. 


Can anyone else add anymore in?

Thoughts I Agree With

Some thoughts that I think really ring true.....





http://fitgurl4life.tumblr.com/



http://tumblrgym.tumblr.com/post/9720044502/get-more-fitness-motivation-here




http://eat-sleep-run-repeat.tumblr.com/post/3906882771




http://skinnyyogagirl.tumblr.com/tagged/quotes/page/3



http://www.leahremilletblog.com/?p=1640



http://motivationintohabit.tumblr.com/page/4

Reading these really remind me why I am doing this journey.  For me.  I want to be the best I can be & push myself farther than I have ever been pushed.  I love how I feel, I love the strength I have & the determination I see in my eyes.  It's okay to be selfish once in awhile & do something for yourself ;)

Falling Behind

So it's been an interesting past few days in our household.  Both hubby & I came down with a bad case of the flu.  That nasty lil' bugger caught us late Friday night & today I finally started feeling better.  I missed work yesterday, thus meaning I also missed my workout.  I like starting out my week with a kick ass workout to keep me motivated all week long.  And since my weigh in days are Wednesday mornings, that means I only have tonight's workout to do some damage.  And I am going to go ahead & make a logical guess and say that my workout tonight will probably be sub par.  Mostly because I hardly have any energy from the lack of sleep over the past few nights & the bonding time with my new porcelain bff.

I am trying not to get down about this minor glitch in my week, but I hate when something comes up & ruins perfectly laid plans.  What can I say I am a woman of routine.  I like doing the SAME EXACT thing at the SAME EXACT time every day & I like eating the SAME EXACT THING at the SAME EXACT time every day. 

Ya, I'm a bit off.  Not like I haven't been told that before....

Anyway I've been getting bored on the ol' cardio machines lately so I decided to spruce it up a bit & 3 times a week I have been making up some HIIT exercises to do. (Mostly for the treadmill, although I've done a few stepmill & elliptical ones as well)

I usually just sit on the treadmill for 40 seconds before I start & decide how much energy I have that day & what I feel like doing & jot it down in my notebook.  Here are a few of the latest ones I have done.

Time	Speed	Incline	Rest
2 minutes	7.0 mph	2%	-
1 minute	7.5 mph	2%	-
1 minute	8.0 mph	2%	30 secs
1 minute	8.5 mph	2%	30 secs
1 minute	9.0 mph	2%	30 secs
45 secs	9.5 mph	2%	30 secs
30 secs	10.0 mph	2%	30 secs
30 secs	10.5 mph	2%	30 secs
2 minutes	7.0 mph	2%	-

Repeat this same sequence at 5% incline. 

Time	Speed	Incline	Rest
2 minutes	7.0 mph	2%	-
1 minute	7.5 mph	2%	-
1 minute (repeat 4x)	8.0 mph	4%	30 secs
1 minute (repeat 4x)	9.0 mph	4%	30 secs
1 minute (repeat 4x)	9.5 mph	6%	30 secs
30 secs (repeat 4x)	10.0 mph	6%	30 secs
1 minute	7.5 mph	2%	-
2 minutes	7.0 mph	2%	-

Time	Speed	Incline	Rest
5 minute warm up	7.0 mph	2%	-
30 secs	8.5 mph	5%	30 secs
30 secs	8.6 mph	5%	30 secs
30 secs	8.8 mph	5%	30 secs
30 secs	8.9 mph	5%	30 secs
30 secs	9.0 mph	5%	30 secs
30 secs	9.1 mph	5%	30 secs
30 secs	9.2 mph	5%	30 secs
30 secs	9.3 mph	5%	30 secs
30 secs	9.4 mph	5%	30 secs
30 secs	9.5 mph	5%	30 secs
30 secs	9.6 mph	5%	30 secs
30 secs	9.7 mph	5%	30 secs
30 secs	9.8 mph	5%	30 secs
30 secs	9.9 mph	5%	30 secs
30 secs	10.0 mph	5%	30 secs

Make your way back down until you get to 5 minute cool down 7.0 mph @ 2% incline

They are sure to make you sweat! Believe me I'm usually a nice shade of cherry tomato at the end.  I love workouts that make you sweat, feel good & that are quick! 

I start my 2nd Crossfit class tomorrow.  The 1st class was a real doozy

6 kettle bell swings

6 push ups

(and than while your partner was completing this) box jumps. 

I am definitely looking forward to it, but if you never hear from me again you know why!  I didn't make it....

Happy Tuesday everyone!  Have a great week!