What difference can you see in 5 weeks?

Hello all!

Here are my comparison pictures from DAY 1 to WEEK 5 of my diet/training.

Here's the front view

The biggest difference I can see is from the side view!
Tummy is getting flatter, legs are getting thinner and butt
is getting lifted!  

It's amazing the difference you can see by comparing photos!  Again photos aren't always my favorite but it's all about accountability and being able to look back at my development.  When I'm standing in my bikini on stage all made up I want to be able to see all the stages of my journey and appreciate all the hard work it took to get there!  I hope great people and things are filling your day with happiness and that you are finding ways to be happy with yourself!

Cheers!

Ash

5 weeks clean eating and 27 weeks till show time...

Hello all!

So today is my 5 weeks of eating clean and I'm on 27 weeks until my show.  I'm using these last few days off before I start work to get ready for my work schedule.  I can't wait till my first paycheck because the first thing I'm going to buy is my entry into the WBFF Oct. 5th show!!!!  I've been doing all this prep and committed to this journey and now it can be official and I can get my packet with all the information about the show!  The lighting in my bathroom is terrible so I apologize ahead of time and I swear one day my abs will finally show up and I will be so excited!  Everyday I'm getting closer to the body I'm putting in the work for!  So here it goes:

Yes, I am brushing my teeth and taking
a picture.  I wanted to get to the gym!

Front view.  5 weeks on the diet and 27
weeks till show time!

I already ate my sweet potato pancakes and I am always so sad when I take the last bite!  I could eat them all day!  But I figured I would update on my second meal of the day!  It's supposed to be a shake but it's so chocolatey and yummy I make it more of a pudding-ish style and eat it with a spoon :)

Here is a list of the ingredients:  Unsweetened cocoa,
BSN Dessert Chocolate Pudding protein, strawberries, stevia
Acai berry smoothy blend unsweetened.  Mix and enjoy!

Here it is all chocolately and yummy in a pudding style!
Delish and very filling!

 This shake/pudding mix is very filling!  My plan for when I work is to pre-make my shakes and freeze them and then the next morning when I go to the gym I'll pack my lunch bag and start getting the shake to defrost and by the time I'm ready for my second meal it will be all ready and unfrozen.  It will also serve as a way to keep my lunch/dinner cold too!  My diet is the same every day so each meal that I post and show is something that I am making and eating everyday.  The list of meals is also in the same order everyday too.  It might seem boring to some but it's really refreshing to me that I don't have to worry about if I'm making the right choices.  I just follow the plan and there's no changing it because every week my trainer is going to see if I've followed my meal or not!  The body will tell the story of what I've been eating!  Today is a shoulders day and a little bit of glutes too at the gym.  So I better get to it!!!  I hope that everyone is having a fabulous day whatever it brings your way!

Cheers,
Ash
  

Lunch bags, gym planning and packing for my day...

Hello world!

Today was my first day at my new job and I had no idea how long my day would be so I tried to pack for a long day just in case!  I would have been miserable if I had packed light and got hungry throughout the day.  Today was my first day to balance a cardio before work scenario.  It went well for a first round try, I should have gotten up about 20 min earlier to make sure that I didn't rush anything this morning.  I laid out my clothes for my workout and work last night in order to get ready quick in the morning (I'm not a morning person really so I gotta work at this).  I finished my 45 min of cardio and came home to make my favorite breakfast!!!  Here's a pic of my new breakfast!

Here's the sweet potato pancake in the making!

Here's all the ingredients I used:  2 egg whites, cinnamon,
1 packet stevia, BSN Desserts Cinnamon Roll, 1 tablespoon
Sweet Nibs and mashed sweet potatoes.
Mix all together like a pancake batter and get to
cookin'!

I can barely cook a whole batch of pancakes without eating
them as they are made!  I can make about 4-5 small
pancakes.  

After breakfast it was time to shower and get ready!  I quickly packed my new lunch bag.  I purchased the ebags lunchbox from Amazon.com.  Here's a picture: 

It's a pretty good size bag!  Here's the compartments and
inside of the bag too!

I really want a 6 pack lunchbox but that lunch box is REALLY expensive (about $100.00).  So this lunch box ran me about $39.99 which seems pretty steep for a lunch box but I need it to be hella durable and hold all my food throughout the day while I'm working and going from cardio sessions to training sessions.  Next post I will update with pictures of what my lunch box looks like all packed up and some pics of how I am trying to keep my fridge organized too!  And I'll post some pics of my new gym bag and how I'm packing for my day.  I have a few early mornings next week when I officially start my schedule so I am needing to plan out whether or not I want to continue to do cardio early in the morning even on the days I need to be at work by 8:00am.  I still enjoy doing cardio on an empty stomach and I won't feel as though I have SO much to do after my work day if cardio is already taken care of.  

Real quick here are some things I realized today:

• I made my shake last night and froze it so I could get it out this morning to defrost by when I need it.  But I didn't really get it out of the freezer in time so it was still only partially melted by the time I needed it.  So I need to get the timing of that down.
• I need more freezer packs for my lunch box, I don't want to take up a ton of room in the employee lounge fridge and the freezer packs I have don't really stay frozen very long (I was there 2-3 hours and they were still cold but had melted.
• I prepared my workout clothes for this morning but if today had been a long day I wouldn't have been prepared for my after work workout, I ran out of time to pack my training clothes.  Thank goodness today was an extremely short day.

Just some areas for improvements that I need to make!  I learned the hard way that my mornings aren't going to go smoothly if I don't plan accordingly!  Hopefully your day is going fabulous wherever you are and all your plans are working out!  

Cheers!

Ash 

Last crossfit workout...but I'll be back!

Hello there!

My membership to the crossfit gym has expired today.  I have to say it came at the right time because I've been wondering if I should stick with crossfit or get more focused on the weights in the gym.  I'm seeing improvements from crossfit but I'm ready to start building some muscle and getting some burn from the weights!  The nice thing is that if during my journey I do feel that I'm getting in a rut or need some motivation I can always go back to doing some crossfit workouts with my routine.  I think that's going to be the key during this process, that when things get boring or I feel that I've lost the spark in my workouts I can shake things up a bit and find some activity that gets me going and keeps me on my path!  I've really enjoyed crossfit and I find it to be very valuable.  I think after my competition I'm going to pursue the Work out of the Day (WOD) style of crossfit rather than Metcon (which is not powerlifting focused).  And one of my friends is coming to visit me later in April so we are def going to kill it at a crossfit class together!

So now I have to organize my workouts for the week.  I'll be going from doing one workout on my own at the gym per week to doing 4 workouts at the gym on my own.  Here is how I broke down my week by day!

Sunday:  Cardio 45 min and Back
Monday:  Cardio 45 min and Legs
Tuesday:  Cardio 45 min and Abs/Chest
Wednesday:  NO Cardio and Training with Coach Candice
Thursday:  Cardio 45 min and Abs/Bicep/Tricep
Friday:  Cardio 45 min and Shoulders
Saturday:  Off

I've made a list of workouts for each body part so that I can create a routine for each day.  I'll continue to relay the information from Coach Candice's workouts into my own workouts.  But I've been feeling like I need to take my time in the gym a step up.  It's time to start getting some soreness in my muscles ;)
Now I can take the intensity for "maxing" my reps for time or as many rounds as possible and start working on shaping the muscles.  I'm hoping to see more definition in my muscles within the next couple of weeks!

In other news I got a new job!!!!!  ***cue happy dance***  And now begins the fun on balancing my fitness and with work.  I'll start making notes so I can post about how I pack my meals and nutrition on the go and fit in my workouts too!  I start on April 2nd so I need to find a really awesome lunch box/cooler and a good gym bag between now and then so I can be prepared!  I'll update on the bags I buy and how I'm able to pack for each day!  I'm excited about this new opportunity!!!  I hope your lives are filled with all kinds of positive energy wherever you are!

Cheers,
Ash

Cheat Meal date!

Hello!

Well my friends I've put in the hours of clean eating, cardio and training for 30 days.  30 days without any cheats of any kind and on Saturday I got the go ahead from my trainer that the day had finally arrived to enjoy a cheat meal out and I was SO excited!  My husband and I haven't gotten a chance to go on a date out in a long time although we've done small dates and movie nights.  Well I had been really wanting either a burger and fries or pizza for my cheat meal.  And the winner on Saturday night was:

Yay!!!  Me (with actual makeup on, hair done and no gym
clothes ;) and the winner of the cheat meal, my delicious
burger! 

Thai Iced tea and house salad.  I didn't want to start my meal
off with any crazy cheats just yet!

Here's the winner!  Burger and fabulous french fries!!  The
burger had mushrooms, gruyere cheese, caramelized
bacon and a tangy kind of sauce.  I don't know how but I forgot
how amazing bacon taste!!!  I also enjoyed
some parmesan truffle french fries! 

Instead of having a cupcake or something from the dessert
menu (because I was a little scared to eat full on sugar)
 I have been craving this little treat!  Whole wheat tortilla
with peanut butter, a little honey and banana all rolled up!
Delicious!

I wasn't sure exactly how I would feel after my meal and how strong the cravings would be all over again because previously I used to have an entire DAY of cheats not just one meal.  I was worried about the day after and how I would feel.  But I followed my coaches advice.  I was present in my meal, I didn't rush anything and I enjoyed every bite.  At the end I was happy, full but not crazy to have more.  Then this morning I woke up put on my new workout shirt and headed to the gym to do my normal routine of cardio and training.  My cheat meal should have an impact on my weight loss too but in a good way.  My metabolic rate will raise up in order to take care of the cheat meal and with brining my diet back to normal I'll create a large enough gap with where my metabolic rate is and where my calorie intake is that I'll be in a fat burning zone for a little while.  (That's how Coach Candice explained it to me)  Today is the start of my new diet plan!  I've been taking pics today of my food and I will put up another post and list out what I'm doing now!  I hope whatever is on your plate today you are healthy and happy!  I'm headed to finish cooking meal 3 of the day for me and watch some basketball, happy March Madness friends!

Cheers!

Ash

Things I've learned along the way...so far!

Hello!!!

So I'm almost to the end of week 4 of my nutrition plan that I'm on and I've started thinking about what previous diets were like for me and how different the plan I'm on now is.  So I thought I'd make a list of things that are different or new to me so far!

1. Fruit is not the Enemy!  I used to ban fruit from my life and never eat it.  The sugars in the fruit were what was keeping me away from enjoying any of it.  What I've realized now is that fruit is not a bad thing in moderation.  I eat fruit now twice throughout my day but I keep it to a certain measured amount.
2. Healthy Carbs are A-OK!  I used to miss oatmeal from my diet but now I have it every morning after my morning cardio.  I don't really have any other carb in my diet except any I get from vegetables throughout the day or from greek yogurt which has little carbs.  
3. Mind muscle connection:   I enjoy working out and used to mainly focus on the amount of reps I was getting through.  My muscles of course would hurt but I realize now that I'm working out to build a symmetrical body.  For a competition the criteria is different because the judging is based on a body that has muscular balance and symmetry.  So I'm trying to connect my mind to engage certain muscles in order to build them and form them a certain way.  Not just mindless reps.  Each squat, lunge, hamstring curl needs to engage my glute in a way that I am aware of it throughout each rep.  If I use my quads too much just to get through reps then my body isn't getting balanced because my quads will be defined by I'll be lacking in the glute area.   (my glutes are the main muscle group I'm trying to connect with so that's why I talked about it more than others right now)
4. I don't know what the scale says:  This last year my husband and I did 6 days eating healthy and 1 day eating whatever we wanted (yeah I know, a whole day!).  I weighed myself every day.  I was ruled by the numbers on the scale.  And today it's the opposite, I am more pleased with the body I'm creating now but I have no idea what I weigh and I'm not really interested in stepping on a scale any time soon.
5. Pictures help:  I used to think that the girls that worked out and posted pictures of themselves were conceded but I understand why they do it.  Taking pictures of your progress is a good way to compare and see where your muscle development is and where there is any difference.  Especially with a muscle group you've really been focusing on.  
6. Getting my sleep:  I believe that each person is either a morning person or night owl by nature.  And we work either with or against it depending on our schedules.  I am a natural night owl but I've noticed more and more that I want sleep.  My body doesn't want to stay up very late and it's ready for rest. This is a good thing, muscles need to get their rest. 
7. You don't have to do cardio forever:   People want "quick" fixes and results and you can work yourself into the ground with cardio and achieve them but they won't be very long standing results.  There are times where I think about doing extra workouts or doing extra time for my cardio but my diet is based on doing 45 min of cardio 5X's a week and 5 training sessions and if I start doing extra right now and continue to do so then my diet won't really be balancing with my training.  I still have 28 weeks to go and if I start sprinting to the finish then I won't be able to keep up the routine until the end.  
8. Nutrition is the money maker:   While exercise builds a fabulous body if you combine that with a balanced nutrition the amount of changes are unstoppable.  Include things in your daily meals that you like and when things get boring try something new!!!  Try to find healthy recipes you enjoy or ways to make your favorite meals healthier!  Plan out your fun meals or moments and enjoy life in a balanced way!  But the key to not running yourself ragged is keeping nutrition steady and balanced.  

Maybe you find yourself learning new things from your fitness routine like I am now. And I hope this process continues for me!  Hope you guys are having a fabulous day and are a little more focused than I am right now (I feel like I'm all over the place!  But alas I know why, I'm avoiding laundry :)  

Cheers,

Ash

28 week till show accountability and favorites

Hola Amigos!


Today is my accountability day for my nutrition/exercise routine!!  I'm 28 weeks out from my contest (WBFF Oct. 5th)  and I'm feeling pretty good!  I've only had some moments with some strong cravings but once I eat my meals and don't let myself get starving hungry then the cravings don't have as much control.  So here is my picture for week 4 on the diet and 28 weeks till show:

Getting a little leaner and I'm happy with my progress but I'm excited to see MORE change!!  I can't wait :)

I also wanted to post some of my favorite things from this experience that I'm enjoying.  The nutrition protein powder that I am LOVING oh so much is BSN Dessert's line.  I have tried Vanilla but the real winner is Cinnamon Roll!!!!  This flavor is AMAZING!!!  And it's reasonably priced!  Bonus!!  I'm a huge fan of this protein powder and I use it with fruit in a blender and you might think that cinnamon roll flavor doesn't go well with Raspberries but you would be mistaken, because it goes fabulously!  Red, yellow, orange, and green bell peppers are still keeping my salads colorful and delicious!  And of course my FAVORITE meal is breakfast, I love raw cacao sweet nibs in my oatmeal (I get mine at Whole Foods)!!!  It keeps the oatmeal from being boring and gives me a little taste of yummy chocolate flavor!  The last thing I am loving is Stevia sweetner.  Whether it's in my tea or oatmeal it is a life saver!!!  Maybe if you are having some sweet cravings or looking for something new for your diet you might enjoy one of these items in your routine!  Hope good things are filling up your day today!!  I'm off to do some cardio which I can't wait to do because I get to have my favorite meal after!!! Woo hoo!! :)

Cheers,

Ash

Meal Packing and being that kid at the dinner table....

Hello friends!


I hope that everyone enjoyed their St. Patricks day festivities however you choose to celebrate!!  Again I'm a huge fan of fun holidays (mainly because they come pre-packaged to have a themed party!) so I made breakfast for some of our friends.  Green pancakes with chocolate chips, scotch eggs, and potato bacon onion hash topped with fried eggs (The group consumed the breakfast before I got pictures of it!)  But here are the pictures of the cupcakes I made:

Rainbow with buttercream icing
and rainbow sprinkles

Guinness cupcakes with thin
mint cookie base and Baileys icing

We went out for our St. Patricks day to have some drinks and enjoy wearing green and I knew it was going to be a long day so I was that kid who packed her lunch.  The main thing is I don't want people to assume I'm cheap.  I mean don't get me wrong I like getting a good deal or saving a buck but the only reason I'm only drinking water at the table and brought my food with me is because I have a goal and I'm not going to get closer to it by making excuses for myself as to why I should eat or drink the wrong things.  I was worried I wouldn't be able to bring my bag in the restaurant if it had all my food so I was prepared to have to "excuse" myself from the table and go to the car to enjoy my meals if necessary.  Desperate times my friends, desperate times.  I had enjoyed my 3rd meal of the day already by the time we made it to the bar/restaurant so I just brought meal #4 with me (greek yogurt, blueberries and chia seeds).  And after a while I started getting hungry, so I got my meal out and started being that weird person at the table.  I'll just describe the setting for you a little.  I was with my husband and his work friends and I knew only one other person besides my husband at this table.  So I did get the strange looks and someone did ask me why I brought my lunch.  No I'm not cheap, no I don't have any food allergies, no I'm not a snob and yes if I could I would have the fish and chips on the menu with a nice cold Red Ale but I can't.  So I told him I was in training for a fitness competition that I'm doing and I'm on a strict planned out diet with no eating out so I had to bring my meals with me.  I still got some strange looks but for the most part I didn't care.  I had already made it past the awkward point and I was hungry.  And when I'm hungry and wait to long to eat I can have the attitude of The Hulk.  It was best for everyone involved that I eat :)

Here's the thing I'm learning through all of this.  If your goal really does mean that much to you then you will make the sacrifices or changes in order to achieve it.  You won't make excuses for other people to accept you because you are scared to stand out, be different or be yourself.  You'll make changes and choices and your friends and family although they might not understand it, they should love and support you through it.  I'm starting to get that shine back to me where I feel confident in doing what I want to do and what I want to accomplish in life, I'm starting to believe it and each day I'm choosing to live it.  I don't want to be the girl in the crowd anymore because I'm scared to stand alone or be different.  Because the truth is I am different and I like it.  Here's to you being you and the best version of you.  And when you fall short one day don't stress about it, no one is perfect.  Just start tomorrow working on it again.  Pretty soon you'll just start building a life and the main person who gets to benefit from that will be the best version of you!

****steps off soap box, almost trips....recovers nicely and smiles :) ****

Hopes for wonderful days for each of you!

Cheers!

Ash

p to the s:  I have a new meal plan starting on Sunday and I get MORE food!  Thank goodness because I've been one hungry girl lately!!!  I'll post the run down of that later and I'll update on my upcoming cheat meal plans!!!  Finally a dinner out!! yay!

What's a normal week for me?

Hello!

I had mentioned before that I would update what my normal week looks like so I'll update again what I'm eating daily and what my workouts look like for my week!


Diet/Nutrition for the week:

• 3 egg whites with Fiesta Lime Mrs. Dash, 1/2 a cup of oatmeal with raw cocoa and 1 packet of Stevia
• 1 scoop protein, 3/4 cup raspberries, flaxseed oil blended
• Green beans and tilapia
• 1 cup greek yogurt, blueberries, ground chia seeds
• Ground bison, salad mix, red/yellow/orange peppers, brocoli, and a light Ken's dressing
• OPTIONAL:  1 scoop protein shake (comes in handy now that I'm hungry all the time now :)

Here's the breakdown of my week.  I am doing 5 days cardio, 4 days training on my own (3 are crossfit and one day I train a body part) and 1 day with my trainer (for right now it is only 1 day with my trainer but within the next couple of months I'm going to start bumping it up to 2 sessions per week)

Sunday:  Cardio 45 min and Train one body part on my own (my focus rotates on these body parts:  Biceps/triceps, back/abs)

Monday:  Cardio- 45 min and Crossfit

Tuesday:  Cardio- 45 min and Crossfit

Wednesday:  Coach Candice Day (Main focus rotates between legs/glutes and shoulders for right now) No cardio

Thursday:  Cardio- 45 min

Friday:  Cardio- 45 min and Crossfit

Sat:  OFF

Currently I'm not working (although I'm hoping this changes very soon!!!) so for the time being I cook and prepare 3 days worth of food at a time.  My husband doesn't really eat the same items that are on my list although he does eat fairly clean for his meals.  Usually a protein (steak, chicken, sometimes fish) a starch or carb (potatoes rarely, sometimes a pasta salad) and veggies (he likes pretty much all kinds of veggies!)  I need to get a little more creative with his meals.

As usual with my fitness life if anything changes I will update you fabulous folks right here!  I hope everyone is having a great day/night wherever you are!

Cheers,

Ash

October is really not THAT far away....

Hello!

So for the last few days my inner warrior motivation has kind of been a little stale.  I keep seeing people eating and enjoying themselves without any worries about sticking to a meal plan, packing their meals everywhere they go, and drinking a gallon of water.  And for a couple of days I've been envious of them and wanting to be them.  Then I realized it was sad that indulgence in sweets/treats was putting doubts in my life.  I could give in but then I would be wishing that I had stuck with it, I would always be wishing for the body I could have had.  SO I started to think about how to motivate myself.  I love small goals and I enjoy having things to look forward to (vacation, holiday/anniversary, friends visiting...) and then I started thinking "how many weeks is it until my show anyways...." and then I counted....29 weeks!!!!  For some reason in my head I thought it was closer to 34ish but NOPE!!!  Then I kept thinking about the countdown and I was curious what are the rest of the dates?

• 24 weeks- April 20th ~ My friend is coming to visit around this time and we are going to hit the pool and go to a Rihanna concert!!!
• 18 weeks- June 1st ~ This is our anniversary month so I really want to plan something fun to do!!
• 12 weeks- July 13th ~ My husbands birthday is the 14th and we can plan a night out!!
• 8 weeks- Aug 10th ~ Nothing planned yet but there is still lots of time! :)
• 6 weeks- Aug 24th ~ Nothing planned yet but I think the excitement of it almost being "show time" will be enough for me!!!

I've started to plan other things for the show too.  I'm in the middle of designing my suit (picking design, colors, connectors), I've got an awesome girl doing my hair for the show!!  She did my hair for my wedding so I definitely trust her to do an amazing job and transform my gym hair into something beautiful!  It makes me feel motivated to have things to look forward to and keeps the timeline from feeling like it will be forever!  I hope that if you are feeling unmotivated you are able to find some way to break the cycle and keep going!!!  Those blah days happen to all of us but heres to breaking through them!!!  

Cheers,

Ash

Something new.....

Hello!!!

Well I've just had my 4th meal for the day and I'm noticing a trend the last two days.  I am hungry.  I am hungry all the time.  I woke up hungry and was ready to get my cardio over with so I could eat!  And breakfast is my favorite meal of the day!  But after each meal today I am still hungry.  I am not feeling full much at all.  I'm drinking my gallon of water down each day.  I was a little worried about why I am so hungry but after a little convo with  my coach it seems like I'm reaching the next point with my progress which means my metabolism has kicked up a notch!!  I've been ready to eat my last meal of the day since I finished my blueberries and greek yogurt but I'm going to finish my water first so I give myself a little bit of time in between.  I'm guessing I will start using the 6th meal protein shake option now!  I will update on how the meals go this upcoming week and how this up kick in my metabolism changes my routine.  I can be cranky when I'm hungry so my mood hasn't been too upbeat as of late.  I went to an event for my husbands work and there was plenty of dips, chips, cookies, cupcakes, guacamole, and I was very much questioning my goals, the length of time I will dedicate to this goal and if I can make it.  So I'm going to my motivation to keep me going.  There's more to life to keep me happy than food and I've found several clean cheat meal options to look forward to and my husband has been encouraging me.  I just need to take this one meal at a time, one workout at a time, one event at a time.  I just need to give myself something to look forward as a short term goal or event and continue to do that until I finally reach the end goal.  Well I'm almost done with my water and I'm ready for my bison salad!  Till next time!

Cheers,
Ash

Day 21 of 21

Hello hello hello!

Well today started off with me sleeping in more than I wanted to, I've been trying to get up around 6:45am and get straight into my cardio before breakfast and today I woke up more around 9:30am.  But I got dressed, took my accountability picture and went to get my sweat on with my cardio workout!  So I'm going to post a pic from day 1 and then today's pictures too.  Again I have NO idea what I weigh right now, but I know I look and feel different for sure!  So here's the updates:

Day 1 of diet

Day 1 side view

Start of day 21

Side view Day 21

I have to buy a standing mirror soon so I don't have to stand on top of my bathtub haha but for right now it works!  I can def tell a little difference in my legs and mid section.  But this is where I'm at now with only more changes to come!  I'll continue a weekly update because it helps me monitor the progress!  I won't get a cheat day till next weekend so I'm pretty excited to see what I look like come next weekend.  This is the longest I've EVER gone without a cheat day or treat and to tell you the truth there's only been a few moments it was difficult but for the most part I'm loving what I'm eating and it keeps me happy and healthy :)  

The rest of my day will be spent cleaning and doing laundry, I know you're jealous!  And going grocery shopping too because I'm making some Guinness and Baileys Irish Cupcakes with thin mint cookies and some Buttercream Rainbow cupcakes for my husbands work because I love festive holidays and St. Patricks Day is Sunday :)  (I'll take pics of how they turn out!) I won't get to eat them but I love being in the kitchen!  Hopefully we can host a St. Patricks Day breakfast on Sunday before festivities start!  Green pancakes, baileys syrup, scotch eggs and Baileys milkshakes on the menu?  I think so!!!  I hope you too are making the best of your day wherever your journey is taking you!!!  

Cheers,

Ash

Day 20: Trainer time, cheats aren't what they used to be and life stuff

Hello my friends! (this one is gonna be a long one with lots of updates!)

There's been a lot going on so let me get to updatin'!  Today is day 20 of my 21 day diet!  I am really excited and I am loving the changes to my body, especially this last week!  I'll post a picture tomorrow of my progress but just know that I have NOT weighed myself but I feel totally different!  Although I've had some pretty strong cravings these last couple of days for cupcakes, donuts, sweets and the occasional french fry, the joy of a cupcake does not compare with the joy of how I feel about myself right now.  And it only gets better if I stick to the plan!  So the only new things that I am taking are supplements/vitamins, I'm adding in fish oil and I am taking a liver detox.  The supplements/vitamins I'm taking right now are pretty basic:  Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Multi-vitamin and gluetemin.  Right now she is layering on the changes a few at a time.  Which is good because I have built a routine and with each layer I'm able to balance a little bit more at a time rather than being overwhelmed from the beginning.  And some other good news is that I get to switch from chicken and green beans to fish and green beans!!!  Yeah I know, I'll probably be wishing I had something different after a while but I'm excited for the change and to use my lemon pepper Mrs. Dash!!!  I swear it's the small things in life that can bring happiness!

I worked out with Coach Candice today and it was nice that the first thing she said was "You're getting small!!"  Yay!  She is still focused on my mind body connection in my glute/leg workouts.  I go in and out of  being able to feel my glute working and it's getting a little frustrating.  I feel my knee getting exhausted very easily but not my glute.....But by the end of the workout we slowed down the pace of each movement and made sure that with each squat, lunge and press my range of motion was deep enough to exhaust and access my glute muscles.  Basically I had to drop it low!  And it started working!  Instead of worrying about getting through the reps I started focusing on the quality of the reps.  We also worked out my shoulder muscles and it was exhaustive.  I need to build them up quite a bit to build the shape I want.  So while Coach Candice takes control of working out  my shoulders and legs on a regular basis I can focus on back/abs/bicep/tricep on my own(although abs are made in the kitchen!).  Along with my crossfit workouts, and cardio I should continue to see building and changes in my physique.

Turns out cheat meals aren't going to be what I thought they would! :/  I was picturing a lovely hamburger, maybe the fancy kind with a special kind of cheese, bun and bacon with a side of french fries that are all warm and goldenly crispy.  Maybe a pizza with it's carby crust, cheesy goodness and plenty of meats and veggies, some frozen yogurt with rainbow colored sprinkles....but alas what I heard from my trainer was something more along the lines of planned cheats that aren't crazy.  No such burger or pizza in my future just yet.....But it sounded like more of a steak and potatoes kind of meal can be arranged.  Which I understand because the second I taste something super sweet I will want more.  I don't want to have crazy cravings again.  And right now I would love a baked sweet potato!  I'm a country girl and love a well cooked Rib-eye with some horseradish!  And this cheat meal won't be happening till next weekend!  So another week of my meal plan but I'm guessing that I won't have anything to complain about when I finally get it :)  All in good time my friends!

On another note we have done some decorating!  When we moved we got rid of a lot of things that were still from our college days including the entire dinning room set.  SO we haven't really had anything, but we like to entertain at our house and I love the open floor plan and I wanted something that was unique and a litte different than a normal dinning room.  I love going to coffee shops and bars that have areas that are like a little "nook" so I decided to make that space in my house.  I basically thought "What would Zoey Deschanel's dinning room look like?"  I imagined it then took it down about 5 notches because lets face it, my husband has to like the space too :)  And bam, the idea was born!  Here's what we have so far:

We still need wall decorations and more chairs but it's
a good start!

All our favorite books are down stairs, that way when we fix the office we won't have a TON of books upstairs.  I love the couch!!!  We are going to start getting chairs and I want to do a mix of colors/patterned chairs.  At first my husband had no idea what my vision looked like and after some sketches and reassurance he is starting to really like the space!  

On the other news front looks like there is some "next step" with the job front.  The company I applied offered to interview me for another role, which I was kinda bummed about because I really liked the first role I applied for but it's a fun and creative work environment and a great company I want to be apart of so I'm going back for a follow up interview.  I don't count my eggs before they hatch so I'm just enjoying the moment for now!  I hope that kind and good things filled your day today, and if not I hope it all turns around for you!  I'm pretty sure life is all about the attitude you bring to the table each day :)  I'm off to eat the last batch of chicken! (yay!)

Cheers,

Ashley 

What's been in my house

Hello!

Just wanted to post a little weekend update on my journey!  I've been challenging myself to be around food I would normally have overindulged in BIG time!  But I made some sweet treats for our neighbors, because I didn't think a veggie tray said "welcome to the neighborhood" as much as lemon blueberry cupcakes do :)

My newest Pintrest recipe! 

I baked all of these and did not get to test any of the batter or icing during the processes.  So I had to wait till my husband got home so someone could test them and let me know if they were good enough to give to other people!  Kinda made me sad that one of our neighbors are out of town so I have to wait a few days to give them away!  Here's another thing that's hanging around our house too:

Girl scout cookies!
Who remembers when they
were called Samoas??!!

It's girl scout cookie season and my husband (and I) love these ones!!!  We had two boxes and now have one left (thanks to my husband's amazing metabolism he can have a whole box in one day haha) So when all these sweets are in the house the one thing I can turn to and put one packet of stevia in and it gets me through anything and has become my new "treat" is:

This is a mint green tea and it's delicious!!!  I haven't been a hot tea person ever really but I can drink this tea everyday (and I do) and enjoy it!  I never knew it would be possible to have sweets in the house and I wouldn't be able to eat it.  But looks like my husband might be able to have his normal snacks in the house if he wants.  I haven't had anything made with sugar in a long time it's almost like the cravings are gone.  The only time I find myself REALLY wanting something is when I can smell it or see it.  I haven't spent time at home dreaming and having cravings of cheats.  Once I get a chance to eat the cravings really don't bother me anymore.  Now I'm off to get my greek yogurt and blueberries on!!! :)

Cheers!

Ash

Two week update

Hello all,

It's been two weeks since I began my 21 day diet!!!  So it means that it's time to update the masses and show my accountability!  So here is the collage of my progress pics, you know this is my favorite part! (Said with heavily sarcastic undertones... :)

Side view L-R- Day 1, week 1, and week 2

Front view L-R- Day 1, week 1, week 2

So that's my progress so far, I do see some changes to my body.  Even today I feel like I look different from yesterday.  I'm not feeling so hot right now, a little bit of cold but I've gone to the gym each day for my cardio and I'm going to crossfit today to!  No excuses for me right now and my body isn't telling me it needs more rest, so to the gym I go!  Today I've made one hell of a mess in the kitchen with these cupcakes I am baking for our neighbors to welcome them!  Lemon Blueberry cupcakes, I got the recipe from Pintrest.  I didn't snack, cheat or try anything in the process, but boy did I want to!  I can't wait to put some icing on these puppies and give them away!!!  I will keep one or two for my husband because I know he likes them, but I'll just put them outta sight till he gets home!  Happy days to you guys and if you're having a cupcake think of me :)

Cheers, 

Ash

So why the WBFF?

Hello!

So there are a lot of different competitions out there and federations/organizations that host different fitness events.  I personally don't think that one is better than the other.  But when I was looking for a competition to do I had some criteria that I wanted to meet.

• First I wanted to travel some place I would like to go.  If I'm going to be working so hard I'd like to spend time in a place I would want to be!  
• Next is that the time line would have to fit.  I wanted to have enough time to build the body that I wanted to step on stage with and be proud of.  I didn't want to fit 7 or 8 months worth of training into a 4 month period of time.  
• And lastly I wanted the timing of the competition to not have as many holiday/birthday/let's eat to celebrate kind of moments.  I knew that trying to train through Thanksgiving/Christmas/my birthday would be really difficult and I wanted to enjoy those moments.  

So when I saw that the WBFF competition in my home state fit all the requirements I was pretty excited!!  My family and friends would be able to support me if they want, I would get to travel back home too, it was far enough in advance for me to plan and there weren't as many distractions within the time frame. So I started researching what the WBFF was all about.  I wanted to do the bikini division in whatever competition I did.  But I wanted to look like the girls on the cover of Oxygen magazine at the end of this journey and the WBFF offers a Fitness Model Diva bikini category and it met all the requirements.  I don't want to have a Figure athletes body but I do want to build a good amount of muscle mass and definition.  Also I started following some athletes that are with the WBFF and I admired their physique, I liked that there were 3 different rounds to the competition too.  Bikini, Theme/creative category, and evening gown too.  And each athlete I followed looked amazing, the show looked like it was entertaining and fun also and the federation seems to be excited to promote the shows.  So that's why I chose the WBFF over the other options!  I also like the way the WBFF is inviting to armature athletes!  They post pictures from athletes in all stages of prep and at all levels!  I just wanted to give a little back story as to why I chose the show that I did.  I just keep imagining myself at the end of this long road in October and on stage!  Keeps me excited and motivated!

Cheers,
Ash

I will get a cheat meal....one day!

Hello World!

I had a training session today with Coach Candice and we worked out some upper body shoulders.  Now I might be able to get through a lot of exercises in crossfit but those are usually whole body workouts so I'm not really focusing on one muscle group.  Well with Coach we are definitely focusing on one muscle group, most of the times I'm not even sure I'm going to be able to finish the set!!!  She pushes me to the very end of my strength and then asks for at least 3 more reps!  I couldn't get to sleep last night and apparently it was noticeable because she told me to get more sleep!  No more really late nights, I've got goals and my body needs enough rest to go through the fat burning process from my workouts.  When I cut my sleep short then my body doesn't go through the whole process.  But on a good note my jeans are starting to fit better and I've noticed changes in my body!  Some jeans I haven't fit into in a while are now regulars in the wardrobe.  So when I'm out with friends thinking about how I wish I could eat the way I wanted to, I keep reminding myself that it used to take me 3 months to get down to a jean size I wanted.  Now in 2 weeks I'm wearing the jeans I want!  So I am still motivated to keep this going!  Although I do miss enjoying some goodies in my life!  Another thing she let me know is that I after I am done with my 21 day strict diet of no eating out and planned meals, which ends on March 14th by the way, I will be able to enjoy eating out or cheat days!  They will be planned in advance but I have made a list of several things that have made it to the possible cheat day menu!!!!  So I'm pretty excited because I miss going out to eat with my hubby on dates or going to movies and enjoying a snack  :)

Another thing I did this week is I made some homemade potato chips, cooked a fabulous rib-eye steak, grilled asparagus and made some peanut butter chocolate chip cookies!!!  And I didn't eat any of it :)  I miss cooking and getting creative in the kitchen so my husband gets to benefit from it!!!  Do you know how hard it is to cook and not "test" everything???  I have no idea what anything I'm making taste like haha  I'm also making cupcakes for our neighbors as a welcome gift!  They are freakin' amazing Lemon Blueberry cupcakes, delish!  I have a busy day of running errands and baking ahead of me so I best get to it!!!  I hope things in life are going your way today and you are enjoying all the little things life has to offer!!!

Cheers!
Ash

Spotify my workouts!

I don't know what music or tunes people use during their time at the gym or how you go about acquiring said music but I just joined Spotify and I'm liking it!  I'm kind of a music junky and I really enjoy finding new bands and songs but sometimes with itunes you can rack up one hell of a bill so I had to limit my new music, sad face!  Let's just say when I signed up I loaded my iphone up with songs/albums/artists like crazy and they have given me a little kick start in my workouts!  So I was just going to post some of my favorites!  They range through lots of genres and types so maybe you already have these tunes on your playlists or maybe you don't but they are worth checking out to see if they fit your fancy!

1.  Calvin Harris- Drinking From the Bottle:  Fabulous song for cardio and gets me ready to sprint!

2.  Shwayze- Get U Home:  I've had a few songs by them before but this one is def a faster beat and good for cardio and lifting!  Makes me think of pool party times!

3.  ZZ Ward- Put the gun down:  A soulful vintage voice with upbeat drums in the background.  The second that bass drum line starts I'm ready to go!
 
4.  Fall Out Boy- My Song Know What You Did in the Dark:  Fall out boy and their notoriously long song title names but the beat is good and built for cardio!

5.  Imagine Dragons- Radioactive:  I'm loving everything by Imagine Dragons!  Awesome beats and vocals, like a mix between EDM style electronic beats and some hip hop kind of moments.  Pretty dang good!

6.  Imagine Dragons- It's Time (Passion Pit remix):  Mixing two of my favorite songs of the moment into an interesting mashup!  Good for moments where the resistance on my cardio machine is a little higher, helps me power through those tough moments!

7.  Passion Pit- Sleepyhead:  I am enjoying everything from Passion Pit!!  But this song is kind of fun and a different range of sound that is nice to hear on my workouts and when I'm cruising around running errands!

8.  Pumped up Kicks- Foster the People (Remix):  I'm digging this remix, not so much for cardio but it has good moments when lifting weights for sure!

9.  2 Chainz-  I'm Different:  I love the beat of this song, makes me want to bounce around and do some cardio.  And it instantly ups my street cred :)

10.  Calvin Harris-  Sweet Nothing:  Nothing like an EDM mix with a fabulous female voice for the hook with one hell of a club mix behind it, this can def help you build your cardio as you go!

11.  No Doubt- (seriously any songs):  I've been on this No Doubt kick and I think it's because Gwen Stefani seriously looks as good now as she did at 19!  I'm reliving Tragic Kingdom and Rock Steady albums with some Push and Shove album mixed in.

12.  The Royal Concert- World On Fire:  Awesome drum beat throughout the song helps me keep pace throughout the workout!

13.  Los Rakas- (anything by them):  This is one band I've had on my playlist for awhile but I love some spanish hip hop songs and they have cool beats as well no matter if you speak spanish or not you can def vibe with this band!

For right now these are the new songs in my mix with other songs that I love as well!  My cardio mix is only one of four current playlists right now (the other three are a singer/songwriter based and then more of electronic happy beats and the last one is a hip hop playlist.  Next on the list I need to build my country music playlist)  If you have any suggestions for music I'm always open to hear about them!  I hope that you have an upbeat kind of day with music by your side!

Cheers and happy listening!
Ash

Updates for my cupcakes...(I wish :)

Hello friends!

I know I haven't updated in a few days but I've been a little busy bee and just been sticking to the diet, workouts and cardio along the way!  I had a couple tough days this weekend while visiting and going out with friends.  There were no cheats, no yummy goodies to be had by me what so ever so no worries my friends I am still on the path towards my goal!  But DAMN did EVERYTHING look SO good!!!  My friends had pizza, amber ale beer, sandwiches on pretzel bun, and cookie, sweet goodness!  My mental strength was put to the test and my inner fat kid wanted to enjoy it all!  Now here's the part I have to own up to.  I did not do a good job planning out the timing of the meals.  I ate my 4th meal before we went out and by two hours later I was pretty hungry and without any food!  I had to tough it out for the rest of the night and enjoy a protein shake when I got home to curve my intense hunger.  SO I will need to have a better plan for our "going out" nights where I am the designated driver.  I'm totally investing in a bigger purse to carry my meal with me :)  Call me crazy but I want to have a balanced life and I'm not able to eat on the go so I gotta compromise!  The other thing I need to do is start my workouts by at least 8:00am!  I gots to get motivated earlier!  AND I'm hoping my new Tazo Green Mint tea will be just the kick to my morning!  I don't really like to drink coffee too often so maybe I can join the masses with caffeine in the morning to jump start my day!  My other "big deal" in my life is that I cooked a meal for my husband that I was not able to eat!!  I cooked spaghetti!  Now I didn't go so far as to cook any buttery garlic bread, I'm not trying to test my inner fatty that much!  But it was nice to know that my husband can enjoy the things he likes!  Small victories along the way that matter!  As far as how my body is doing I'm starting to see a little more muscle definition since my diet and cardio are burning away the layer of fat that has been hiding them.  I'll post my 2nd weeks progress pics on Thursday this week.  Between some of the moments where I'm scared about my chances to see this through till October I am also filled with happiness, excitement, and nervousness.  I try to break the months down in my mind.  I've got a lot of things coming my way to look forward to!  In April my buddy is coming to visit and we are going to a Rihanna concert (yay!!!), June is my wedding anniversary, pool season starts soon, I'll need to start designing and picking out my suit for the show, I'll need to find a gown to wear in the event, my cousin's wedding in Mexico, once you break that down then the time for my training is just going to fly by!

In other news- I have a follow up for the job opportunity I wrote about earlier and I could use good vibes and thoughts sent my way!  Keep my little heart in your minds this week!
I hope that everyone is having a great day where ever you are!  Thanks for the suport and for reading!

Cheers!
Ash