Do What Works For You

Too often lately I have seen posts bashing IIFYM (If it fits your macros)  vs Clean Eating and strict dieting.

If following a strict diet works for you… do it.

If tracking macros and making pop tarts fit them works for you… do it.

Too often lately I have seen posts bashing Cross fit or military training vs Traditional weight lifting or bodybuilding

If doing HIIT accompanied by monkey bars and rope climbing works for you… do it

If doing traditional sets, drop sets and weights focused on contraction works for you… do it.

 

Too often lately I have seen things bashing the girl that wears lipstick to the gym… “because she is obviously just looking to pick up”

If you want to wear lipstick because being surrounded by meat heads and mirrors it makes you feel good… do it.

If you want to roll out of bed and go to the gym… do it.

 

Its supposed to be about what works for you.  Because lets face it.  You go to the gym for you!  Weather it is because of health, beauty, strength… you are there to better yourself.  Do what works for you!  And please stop bashing others who are trying to better themselves.  Everybody starts somewhere.

8 + Weeks and Counting Update

8 + weeks or 61 days to go!

Wow.  8 weeks until I am on stage.   It will have been a year since my last show, and I am so excited to bring it.  Not only do I get to compete in the masters division this time (35 years and up) I am going to bring a package way better than last year.  Every training session between last year and this year is going to make my physique that much better.  Some of the little things I have noticed since I have started hard-core focusing on this show:

• Morning workouts way easier
• Still lifting heavy, despite cutting back calories
• Losing more weight without cutting all carbs
• More intensity in my training

I have never been a “circuit” girl despite competing in fitness and bikini divisions where that is the norm.  I like to lift heavy.  This time around I am still lifting heavy but have incorporated circuits into every single workout.  3 exercises, 3 sets, no breaks.  Repeat 3 times and move onto the next 3 exercises.  In an attempt to add more HIIT and hating cardio with a passion I also have incorporated a 60 second of jump rope into each of these circuits as of this morning.  Results to come.

Progress so far

I began tracking on April 1.  My goal was to lose an average of 1.14 lbs per week between now and June 21^st for UFE Showdown.  This seemed realistic, as once you are already very fit losing weight becomes far more difficult.  So far in 3 weeks I have lost 5.4 lbs averaged out to 1.7 lbs per week.  Higher than my goal, but let’s face it the last few weeks things will likely get much tougher.  The nice thing about being ahead of schedule.  So far I am not doing mass amounts of cardio, I am still eating carbs and dairy and I feel great.  No, no-carb brain going on here!

Decisions

I have now officially registered for my show.  So there is no turning back.  I posted a link in the blog to suit decisions.  So if you have not already checked it out, please do and vote for your favorite.  I believe I have decided on the style of the pink one, but not necessarily the pink color (though I do love pink!  And being a breast cancer survivor I love it even more.  Perhaps a diamond ribbon on the bum?

I will be competing in 2 divisions.  Master’s Bikini and Masters Fitness model.  Which means 2 bikini rounds and one fitness wear round.  UFE is rather known for the ladies coming up with somewhat gimmicky fitness wear and I am undecided at this point.  Last year at showdown I made a last minute decision to go with the golf look I had brought, totally not taking into account that I do not play golf.  Hmmm… swinging a golf club on stage in 6 inch heels maybe not so swift when I’d only practiced a couple of times.  I made the decision since most of the sports / fitness wear back stage at the show was fitness wear.  Think sports bra and booty shorts.  Had planned on doing my sailor look but then felt too gimmicky and too close to my bikini wear.  Ugh.  Would love to do something to do with racing as it’s my sweetie’s big thing, hmm… going to have to give it some thought.  Suggestions welcome.

The kids will not be coming to this show.  They are home the weekend of the show, at least as of now.  Though I am trying to switch weekends with the one before because the Canadian Cancer Society 12 hour relay for life is the weekend before and I would like for them to come with me.   We will see if that all comes together or not (stay posted for the link on where to donate) It’s only a morning show so I will make plans for them.  I can still get pictures with them before or after the show but tickets aren’t cheap and I’m not sure it’s the right place for a hormone crazed 15 year old boy.

 

Epic Cheat

I had planned on a cheat night this past weekend.  My birthday is a little less than a month from now and knowing that I will be only 4 weeks out I did not want to set my heart on a big night out (it may happen, depending on where I am with progress at that point) So my sweetie took me to dinner on Friday night (hey, no kids is a mark your calendar event) So, What was the epic cheat?  Burger… loaded, French fries and an appetizer platter.  Couldn’t finish even half, but man was it delicious.

 

Note to self: when you have next to no-sugar in your diet, even a small amount of alcohol = major sugar headache the next day!

Problem with the epic cheat was it carried over through most of the weekend.  While not awful for a non-competitor we visited family on Saturday in the sunshine and had a few pints.  Followed by a fire with the girls, and on Sunday after a great workout and watching the rest of the family eat their Easter Sunday brunch, and working in the garden for 3 hours I may or may not have had part of a pint.  (Hee hee oops).  Ah well.  Not going to beat myself up.  While I would have been even further ahead of schedule during weigh in this morning then I currently am, I am still ahead of where I expected to be at this point and I am going to continue with my plan.

Re-Evaluate

I originally said that I would re-evaluate my plans (diet, exercise etc) at 9 weeks.  Seeing as I am about at that point and still making gains, I am going to leave the plan as is, with the addition of my new jump rope addition to circuits and set another re-evaluation at 6 weeks.  This will be just before my b-day (BIG 35!)  So it may also be where I decide to plan for or not plan for another cheat…. Just so long as I can keep it from turning into an entire weekend!

 

A Typical Day

I have made the decision to compete at UFE showdown.  That makes it roughly 80 days.  What I am going to attempt to do in the next 11 weeks is go from about 20% body fat to 10-12% bodyfat.  I figure there is no point in competing unless I can be better then my last competition.

5:00 am.

Alarm goes off.  I get dressed, while stumbling around a dark bedroom.  Then I grab my gym bag and juggle cars in the single drive driveway.  I then drive to the gym and do an hour or so of weights.  20 – 25 minutes of cardio.

7:00 AM

I get back home from the gym.  By this time my sweetie has generally already left for work.  I clean up the kitchen from whatever mess is left from the night before, make the kids lunches, eat my breakfast, pack my food for the day (I generally take 5 meals to work… that’s allot of stuff to get organized)….  I then get the kids up feed them breakfast, make my bed, clean up my room, chase the kids around to get dressed and try and get them to tidy up their rooms.  Big kid leaves for high school.  I then get about 20 minutes to get cleaned up, changed and ready for work.

8:30 am

Drive boo to school.   Drive to work which is at the absolutely other end of the city and get to work just for 9AM.  At 10 or so, I get meal #2 in.  At 1 I take a lunch.  Except because I only have about 30 minutes, I generally spend this running errands, after my lunch break I eat meal #3 at my desk.  At 3 or 3:30 I eat meal #4.

5:00 pm

I get done work and fight traffic home.  I usually end up stopping at the grocery store, gas station etc.

6:00 PM

Get home.  Sweetie likes to cook, not so much clean.  So by the time I get home from work my kids have been home for 2 hours making a mess and usually sweetie is cooking.  So I get home and eat meal #6, cleanup after sweetie, clean up after kids.  Do grade 9 homework, read stories with Boo.  Hopefully finally shower or bath (ya, there is NO time for that in the morning… body spray and deodorant is my friend!)

Around 8:30 Boo goes to bed.  This is when I load and run dishwashers, do laundry etc.

11PM

I am hopefully on my way to bed.  But unlike the boys in this house, first I have to wander around the house and pick up the mess, lock the doors, and turn off the lights.

 

I love my life! I really really do.  But I am forever hearing about people telling me that they do not have time, their kids are too important, they cannot fit it in etc.

Choose your priorities, if it is important, you will make time.  You can succeed.  In spite of how tough it seems some days I am soo proud of what I have accomplished.  This is my ME thing.  This is what makes me happy and proud.

So… What is your excuse

 

 

 

 

 

My name is not mom

My real name is not Mom by One Fit Mama In just 20 short days I am going to yet again get on stage and compete in a fitness competition.  20 days can one day seem like loads of time, I look in the mirror and think pfft I got this!  And then other days I want to panic, cancel, research liposuction and boob jobs.  Could be the crazy workouts, could be the diet, could be that I have no idea on some days why I want to do this. Why I do this to myself changes daily.  I spent much of my adult life like many other moms feeling that spending time or making an effort to invest in myself means that I am somehow taking away from or diminishing my responsibilities to my kids.   Reality is, that’s not true.  I am a person apart from being a mom.  Making myself a priority and learning to take time out for fitness has given me the ability to separate me from me-as-Mom and it gives me time to think, process and evaluate the things going on in our lives right now.   I realized not so long ago that when I was a smoker (I quit in 2007 by the way) I used to justify my breaks at work by saying that it was when I came up with solutions.  Doing something other then focusing on the problem and taking a time out (yes in a very very unhealthy way) allowed me to come up with ideas that were far more out of the box and valuable then making lists and wracking my brain in front of a computer.  For many years I missed smoking because I liked being stinky and unable to breath,  I liked getting sick all of the time and not feeling better for months. But – because I missed the excuse to take a break.  I no longer take 15 minutes every hour to myself, but I do take about an hour or so to myself a day all at once. I love how I look, do not get me wrong. The fact that after 2 children I am able to stand next to 18 year olds and feel good about my body on a stage is an absolute thrill! I encourage my kids to take part in all types of activities.  The big kid has played hockey, baseball, did tae-kwon-do and taken guitar lessons.  He likes basketball and last year played soccer.   Boo played soccer, did hockey lessons, and will be embarking on tennis this year.  Those are their activities and I will always be their number one supporter and cheering section.  I think its healthy for them to know that I have goals too and hobbies, that I embrace them and always will and that I expect them to cheer for me.  My kids go to their dads every other weekend.  I purposely picked my last show and my upcoming show because I have my children on the weekends of my shows.  One of the kids dad’s gave me some flack for this: Dad: “Why would you put yourself first on a weekend with your children?!?” Mama: “Why wouldn’t I want them there?” I get comments on the blog about how my kids must be so proud of me.  I’m sure that one day they will be.  But when was the last time you met a 14 year old boy who thought anything good about his mother?!?   Let along one that’s mom was only 20 years older and competed in bikini competitions?? That’s normal.  One day they will understand everything that I did was with the best intentions and that I did amazing things with them and because of them, but also that I did amazing things, just because. That’s healthy.