Getting back to normal

I finally feel as though I'm back to my old self again...thank GAWD! My mind and my body have adapted to the diet/cardio/etc. and all is well :) I have managed to create myself a schedule that is easy to follow....I could not deal with another 16 weeks of chaos..lol.... I can barely belive it...as of Saturday my show is only 16 weeks away! WOW! The official countdown begins :)

So far, my training is going amazingly well. The first few weeks were rough while I adapted to my new pre-contest diet, but now....I'm getting stronger every week and I feel absolutely fabulous! If this is any indication of what's to come over the next four months, I am truly excited!

Today I'm cooking and packing for my trip. I'm heading out of town tomorrow morning to judge our first local bodybuilding show of the season. My first order of business upon arriving at my destination is to find a gym where I can train and do cardio. Ah, the joys of travelling during pre-contest prep..... I'll be on the road by 6am tomorrow morning and I should be in the Okanagan by roughly 1pm....yup, it's gonna be a long ride. Of course, while I'm there I'll get to visit with a bunch of friends, but I'm hoping to squeeze in some time to visit with some of my family who lives in the area. Unfortunately, my departure time impacts my morning cardio so, while you're fast asleep at 4am, I'll be at the gym. I'll probably be the only one there! Thankfully, I train at a 24hr gym...I'm never stuck waiting for them to open.

I'll be back with some pics for my next update..have a great weekend!

(a pic from the gym -resting between sets)

end of week 2

As week 2 of my pre-contest prep comes to an end, I'm pretty happy with my progress.I have dropped 11 lbs. in 2 weeks! I must admit, I'm finding myself irritated by the smallest things these days. My bitchiness can not be due to food deprivation because I'm eating tons...perhaps it's due to lack of sleep...I have been getting up really early to do cardio before work...either way, I'm having a tough time dealing with myself...lol... I'm sure it'll pass. YES, you read those words correctly, I AM doing cardio. In the past, I was always able to get lean without it and this year would probably be no different, but I'm taking a different approach this time. After my four year hiatus from cardio, I am finding it difficult to adjust to regular cardio, I ache in places I hadn't thought possible.

I'm actually not much of a morning person. I can get up early, but that doesn't mean I'm ever happy about it....by nature I'm a 'night owl'. Fortunately, with my schedule, I have been able to get to the gym early enough to avoid sharing the cardio area with too many people....thank gawd! I'd hate to 'snap' at someone who didn't deserve it. You see, that is the problem..how can I be bitchy when I choose to do this to myself? I'm barely thinking clearly these days and at times I have wanted to pull my own hair out..lol... I have nobody to blame, but me so...I guess I need to suck it up and deal with it! The first few weeks of my pre-contest prep are always tough, adapting to dieting again...trying to schedule meals around work/training/sleep/etc. can get overwhelming. I'm always organized, but somehow I seem to function in 'organized chaos' while I adjust. Also, due to time constraints I must prioritize what does and doesn't get done on a daily basis. I find myself strategically planning when to do laundry, cook my food, or even go grocery shopping so that I don't run out of time each day....funny stuff.
OK..that's enough of my rambling....

Two weeks from now I'll be out of town again. Our first local bodybuilding show of the season is being held on the last weekend of this month. I'm really looking forward to it. Competition weekends like these always go by so quickly...it's just nice to visit with friends I don't get to see all that often. Speaking of travelling, I just booked a flight this morning to fly out and see my trainer in June...that's another weekend that will be an absolute blast! I'm getting excited just thinking about it.



well, it's time to eat again!
gotta run...

Happy Easter!

I hope you're enjoying some awesome Easter treats! Unfortunately, I'm not celebrating Easter this year because my pre-contest prep is underway, my family took off on a trip to Mexico....and I got left behind...lol...somehow, the idea of travelling to an 'all inclusive' resort while dieting simply did not appeal to me. I opted to stay home and relax...

I have been meaning to update this thing, but I just haven't had a chance until now. Lately, I have been suffering through some hellish migraine headaches....the pain is unreal! I used to get them frequently when I was younger and they have slowly subsided over the years, but recently I got nailed with a cluster of them....the timing couldn't be worse! If you've never had one, consider yourself VERY lucky. I'm certainly feeling better now though! I'm not sure what induced them and at this point I could care less, I'm just happy the pain is gone!
So aside from the migraines, my computer was out of commission for a few days.....what a pain in the ass! It's fixed now, thank goodness!

While enjoying a restful weekend, last night I watched the UFC on PPV....considering I watched the last UFC live in Columbus, sitting at home watching it just wasn't the same....I'll definitely have to see it live again soon. The fights were good although I was truly surprised by the outcome of the fight between Matt Serra and GSP....

The trip I took in late March was a blast! It was so nice to visit with my family! I ate a ton of food, trained at the local gym, played in the snow and I even did some volunteer work at an extended care facility for seniors. On one of my last nights in town we went out to my absolute favorite Italian restaurant for pasta....it was so good!



I probably ate more than I should have, but it was worth it.

Now speaking of food, it's that time again...my chicken and yams are calling my name..lol...gotta run!

Have a great day!