You go girl, start diggig out those clothes and wearing them. Its such a great feeling to be able to get rid of old clothes because the are "TOO BIG" ! .... hmmm its also an expensive thing too. LOL!
I think this is the weekend you are leaving for your vacation, is that right? If so I wish you the best of times next week. You are going to blow everyone away with your transformation. I am sure you will have a great time doing all those activities you missed out on last time. Go kick butt and show them what you've got!!
Just a quick note on Darrins space - I love it! Its too nice for the gym! You most definitely don't feel like you are in any sort of fitness facility once you walk through those doors. As far as the prepackaged meals go, I think its a great idea. I always thought that if you had a trainer and someone cooking your meals for you that there was really no room for failure. I mean my goodness how much easier than that can it be??!?!?
Wendy, Shelagh...I am not gone yet. We don't head out for Marco Island until Thursday morning, which means I still have 3 more workouts before I hit the beautiful beaches!
Things are going great - especially after the COLTS WIN last night!!!!!!!! Are there no other football fans in the house???????!!!!!????? Our entire household was glued to the TV last night. It was such a great game and I am so happy for Tony Dungy! What a deserving man....
After staying up way past my bestime due to the game, I overslept this a.m. I didn't wake until 4 a.m. so I decided to do my workout on an empty stomach. I did a quick 50 min. curcuit and was wupped by the end! Let me tell ya - my post workout shake NEVER tasted so good!
All things are good! Today is going to be a GREAT day!
I'm back!
And if every sense of the word. I am back to work, back to my hectic mommy schedule, and back to my workouts! YEAH!!!! I say back to my workouts because I came home TOTALLY sick from my trip. We got back Tuesday and I ended up taking the rest of the week off from all workouts as my body was just not up for it. In fact, I could hardly breathe and my head felt like it weighed 100 lbs. for about 4 days. Not fun.
As for my trip it was completely bitter sweet. More on the sweet side, than the bitter. I ended up with the worst case of the flu on our last day there, so the initial 4 days were complete bliss. We had a FABULOUS time!! The weather threw some of the activities off, but we took full advantage of everything the resort had to offer. Even though I have been a resident of south Florida for over 6 years, I still have such an appreciation and awe for the beauty to be found here; especially along the coastal lines. My appreciation is like that of a tourist, noticing every little detail of nature’s brilliance. It seemed to be everywhere in Marco Island from the sounds, the sights, and even the smell of the gentle breezes coming off the waters. I elected to do my cardio outdoors everyday while we were there. I was so inspired and stirred by the remarkable sunrises each morning. I had forgotten my MP3 player, but I rather preferred the sounds of the ocean and birds immediately anyway. I got to sleep in everyday till 5:30 a.m., which believe it or not, was actually difficult to do. My body is so used to my 3:30 a.m. routine that I woke almost like clock-work everyday at that time, trying to force myself back to sleep. I would have gotten up had it not been for the resort fitness center not being open until 6:00 a.m. Speaking of the resort fitness center…so you are staying in a resort-style room, paying $500+ per night. You’d think that the fitness/spa center would be pretty decent, huh? Well, you’d think! I was sorely disappointed. They had more cardio equipment than they had weight training equipment. That was to be expected. However, the area in which they shoved the weight training equipment was so small, you were literally on top of the person next to you, if anyone else at all was in that section. I worked out every day that we were there and all 5 days there was not a single other female besides myself in that area of the fitness center. Not a one. Every female that came through those doors headed straight to the cardio equipment. ??????? Is it just me???? I’m thinking why would you waste the beauty and splendor of the beaches to do cardio INDOORS??????? Daily, after weight training, that hour along the coast was the best part of my day. It was the most tranquil, yet intense time of my day. I would not have spent that hour indoors if you had paid me.
As for the rest of our stay, so much to tell. We did everything there was to do and I felt totally comfortable the entire time. Comfortable maybe is not the most fitting word. Maybe “content” would better articulate how I felt during our stay. Even poolside with the “skinny” chicks I felt great. I felt muscular and fit and surprisingly self-assured. It was surprisingly easy to stay on track with my nutrition while there. The resort had lots of fresh-food choices and some of the most amazing seafood. We were also within walking distance of a local fresh market. I walked down to the market every morning after my cardio for fresh fruit. I really didn’t feel like spending $20 every morning at the resort for a bowl of oatmeal and egg whites.
The last evening was the Awards Dinner which was a formal event. This is the night I usually love most, or dread most – all depending on my physical state. Although my cold/flu was coming on, we had a ball. It is always so fun to see everyone dolled up, and looking like they just came off the run-way. From head to toe, everything came out perfect. My dress fit flawlessly, my make-up just as I wanted it, and my hair – LADIES, we all know how important the hair is – it took me 1 ½ hours to do it, but it came out just as I wanted it to! My husband looked incredible to boot! I was all cheese that night , even though I couldn’t breathe! LOL…
Having had an extraordinary time, we were very anxious to get back to the boys and our normal routine. As hectic as our lives are, we love it. It works for us and we always seem to better appreciate our circumstance when we take time away from it. This time was no exception. The day we got home it was back to homework and football practice – life as usual.
This week, I am back to my workouts and really glad to be feeling better. We took lots of pictures which I’d love to share. I did realize from the pictures that my arms are HUGE! It’s not a fat huge, but a very muscular huge. I do still have a layer of fat covering the tricep area which makes it look even that much bigger. I am not sure I like the look of such big arms. I am going to re-vamp my upper body routine to try and lean these puppies out. New goals…
I have missed journaling here and checking in on everyone. This is the first chance I have had to do so. I hope everyone is going strong and keeping safe and healthy under the recent weather conditions.
It sounds like your vacation was everything you wanted it to be. I have to say I am sooo impressed with your dedication to your workouts and eating on you holiday - one of my weak points to say the least. I know its totally a way of life you are living it, that is awesome!
I wish I could see a picture of you in your dress!! Why don't you send one to my email?? lovetorun7@hotmail.com It sounds like you were dressed to the nines and beautiful. Its nice to do that once in a while.
So with your arms Rena do you think your muscles are too big then?? What are you going to do to slim them down?? I love seeing muscles but at the end of the day everyone has their own comfort level with the size of their guns!! LOL! I am finally getting some guns - yeehoo! I think it will be a while before I think they are too big.
Sickness seems to be all around me now too. Last night I had the sniffles and stuffiness and I thought ok here it comes, this morning fine?? Go figure. Sucks to be sick!
Keep posting rena, I will check back more often. Seems we kinda got out of our posting routines.
So much to say...
I'm not even sure where or how to begin...so I guess I'll start by commenting on Wendy's weekend.
GIRL!!!!! Sounds like you got quite the dose of INSPIRATION!!!! I am sure it was overwhelming and so exciting all at the same time. How awesome that you got to meet your idol - Maggie! Way cool! And she is even more beautiful in person???? Is that possible??? Your little strut down the catwalk sounded like it was a hit. Way to go, Wendy! I am so glad you had fun and took that experience for all that it was worth. Getting to see the athletes up close and personal can be a bit of a shock when you see how truly lean they are. Under the stage lights, they don't appear as tiny as they truly are. It really is an eye-opener to how much dedication each individual has put into their training and prep.
So...onto what's been going on with me. There is truly so much to tell and I am not even sure how to delve into it all. I am not even sure that I want to, but I think it is best for to me get it all out in order to work through it better. First, I have been AWOL with Darrin. I have not sent him a detailed update in quite awhile. No stats, no measurements, nada. Part of the reason has been my hectic schedule. Having been out of town, getting things done pre and post the trip, and all our life commitments. The part of me that reasons "there simply is not enough time in the day to update Darrin" knows deep down that you make the time for the things that are important to you. With that said, I had to come to grips that there was another "reason" behind why I stopped my updates with Darrin. Why I cut the lines of accountability. It didn't take me long to be honest with myself. The truth is this - plain and simple - my updates were less than I expected of me. I have not been put on any weight. In fact, I have continued to lose, but at a very slow pace. The dramatic difference I was noticing from week to week in my clothes came to a halt. My size 9/10's are where I have been for weeks now. Occasionally a size 8, but for the most part its 9/10's. My workouts are as intense as ever and as my strength increases and impresses me, my nutrition has been eventless. I have not spiraled out of control with binges or even the occasional cheat, but I also have not been 100% committed to plan as spelled out. I have been eating all things prescribed by Darrin, but not always timing my meals precisely - often eating late, skipping a meal, etc. I know that if I sent Darrin pics, he would be able to tell. With all the workouts I do, there is no room for error or slack in regards my nutrition. Now after all the strides I was making, why in the heck would I allow myself to get stuck in a rut of just maintaining????
My emotions have always played a big part in my physical state. There are so many people who rely on me, friends and family alike. I love being able to be there for those loved ones, but so often it drains the life out of me. Although I have become so much more aware of when and if this is happening, I have not perfected the ability to remain in the shallow end of the waters. Somehow, I always find myself in the deep end trying to keep afloat.
I have so much more to say…but for now, I just have to step out of what I’ve always done, quit the excuses – because Lord knows I hate excuses!!! – live up to my own expectations, and get my head back into me. In a week, I am sending Darrin an update with all stats, and am moving past this rut of simply maintaining.
I had a GREAT workout today and my nutrition will be on spot! Guarantee that!
My suit of armor
I wear many suits during my day, but my suit of armor is certainly that of my workout clothes. There is something about putting on those clothes, tying up my training shoestrings and standing up...suddenly, in that moment, I always feel like a super-hero. Seriously...I realize it sounds SUPER corny, but I do. Every morning, as I drag myself out of bed, I have a certain sense of dread; but the very moment I suit up and stand to start my training, I feel transformed into this elite athlete. Something takes over me and I feel tall and strong and full of life and vigor. I wish I could bottle that feeling to keep with me throughout the day. I'd keep it for those times when I hit the wall, or just want to fall over for a moment's rest. Imagine if that feeling was with me throughout my entire day - the things I could accomplish!!
I used to work in a gym. The pay wasn't great, but I loved going to work. Absolutely LOVED it. Sometimes I think about getting back into the gym in some capacity regarding my career. I have a great paying job now, but I have little passion for the role I play in the office. My heart says I need to follow my passion and the income will follow suit. To be able to wear my suit of armor all day, even while working...powerful thoughts.
I am finally getting some guns - yeehoo! I think it will be a while before I think they are too big.
Your little strut down the catwalk sounded like it was a hit. Way to go, Wendy! I am so glad you had fun and took that experience for all that it was worth. Getting to see the athletes up close and personal can be a bit of a shock when you see how truly lean they are. Under the stage lights, they don't appear as tiny as they truly are. It really is an eye-opener to how much dedication each individual has put into their training and prep. 
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