HAPPY HOUR BOXING........

Not to be compared with Happy Hour Boozing. I wouldn't remember what that is about but Boxing is how I spent the typical hours one could be at Happy Hour at any bar on any given day.  Truthfully, I don't miss Happy Hour because I usually never made it due to gym time. I was reminded today of some of the social aspects I don't participate in at this time when I received an invitation to Yappy Hour with some girlfriends.  I don't always avoid these situations because of the temptations of a delicious glass of vino or some scrumptious appetizers that certainly wouldn't be on a competition diet, but I avoid simply because of time and energy.  I guess I am thankful my friends still send out invites when they know majority of the time I can't participate.  I've had a great support system of friends and family that constantly check on me, still include me in fun, social activities that aren't as fun when you are monitoring everything you put in your body and have even let me know that I have inspired them to make healthy changes in their lives.  I feel very lucky be surrounded by these people when I've heard horror stories from other competitors of broken relationships and friendship due to the complex lifestyle of a competitor. Many describe it as an isolating experience which I can understand being you don't want outside temptations to break your focus, so much so that you cut everyone out.........or they cut you out labeling you "No Fun" or "Complicated". I've still been able to go to dinner with friends and even some business dinners avoiding all temptations. I have also noticed that EVERY time I've eaten out with my cronies, they make healthier choices whether in fear of me judging (which isn't my style although I do often make healthy suggestions) or simply being kind and not dangling the Non Doug Approved Meal in front of me.  Someone recently asked me if I had been treated differently by any individuals and I had to seriously ponder the question.  Surely this couldn't have been accepted by everyone around me??? Really my competition lifestyle has been embraced into the conversations of all my social settings.......But then I remembered one particular comment from an acquaintance.  A few weeks ago when meeting up with some friends at a bar/restaurant, I ran into a friend (you will see why I say acquaintance) that said someone had told her about my new restrictive lifestyle.  I smiled and gave her the cliff notes version of what my goals were and she simply said to me "Sounds ummmm interesting. Well call me when you get out of jail and can grab a drink."  I don't know why that bothered me as in I probably had only associated with her a few times and I'm sure beverages were served but it still rubbed me the wrong way.  When I've mentioned my dreams to other friends, I've always gotten a response to do dinner, exercise, see a movie or meet for coffee.  I realize my lifestyle isn't the "Normal"  but what is "Normal" anyways?? I guess I'm just thankful for all of the support I'm lucky enough to receive.  

This past weekend was spent..............you guessed it Working Out! Saturday (7 WEEKS from stepping on stage and winning my PRO CARD) morning bootcamp at 7am and posing at 8:30am. My teammate Keri and her husband Dave came up from Southern Cal to work with Coach Doug and stayed with me.  We even journied out with Coach and Wife Karen for a great dinner at Il Fornaio.  And get this........Coach even made us all do a shot of vodka to celebrate Karen's scan coming back CANCER FREE which was the best news of the week. So there I was, 66 days without a drop of alcohol and my Coach was forcing vodka down my throat. I surely thought I was being set up and there had to be a camera filming this strange moment.  Keri and I then started conversing about the enzymes the vodka would produce and questioning if it would it turn to sugar and fat and even went so far as trying to calculate how far it could set us back.  So as you see mentally, we are dialed in to our diet so much so we can take the fun out of the Coach letting us be bad!! But looking at it from another perspective, Coach knows we are on track because otherwise he wouldn't have let us slide.  Sunday I actually slept in, chilled on the couch for over an hour without checking email, Facebook or my phone and even tackled an afternoon workout of stairmill, booty, and abs.  Squeezing in a movie was an extra treat too.

Keri chowing down on steak!! Coach Doug approved. Yes there is a basket of bread in front of her that none of us touch but I did catch myself staring at it throughout the night!

Monday morning's workout was a conditioning leg blast.  I weighed in Sunday afternoon at the gym at 124 and asked Coach Doug what weight I should be in 7 weeks for competition. Coach asked me to weigh in again and informed me we would be doing body fat testing again.  Naturally, I assumed my weight would be up and he would discover his body fat analysis from last Wednesday was waaaaayyyyy off. I still didn't believe I was in the 6's.  I weighed in a 122 and body fat was 6.6% yesterday.  Wow!! Still shocked that I've shed 10-12lbs and taken my body fat down at least 7%.  Of course I shouldn't have been so stubborn that first month and documented every thing but I can't reverse the past.  Now, I am trying to keep more numerical and photographic proof of this journey.  I have to admit, I have shocked myself with the results.  I've always been confident in my ability to succeed, but I know deep down I doubted my body could ever look the girls I train with or the fitness models I see in the magazine.  This masterpiece isn't complete yet but I have no doubt about the future of my success both mentally and physically in prepping for this competition.  I'm offically over the hump completing 8.5 intense weeks of this competition diet and training with 6.5 weeks left.  Are there still challenges and temptations???? EVERY SINGLE DAY. Some days are easier than others but I have to High Five myself and give myself a gold star for the effort and dedication I've shown,  Hell, if I can't be proud of myself, why should anyone else?

Last Wednesday February 22, 2012 Workout and Vogue Pose with my girls Jess W and Alice N!
Gotta say.........Look at my abs!! I honestly had no clue until I saw this picture. I can't deny the Hottness of my teammates and I do realize they will be my competition on stage later this year!

Posing practice Wednesday February 22, 2012. I've already given a disclaimer that I will never look cute at the gym.........because I'm at the gym and I've been KILLING IT!

More TBA girls posing after our Friday afternoon workout! That's my sexy eyes smile!:)

Balancing Beauty and the Beast

Well here I am after a week of traveling, working and demonic head spinning but I think I've finally found "my" normal once more.  If you recall the end of last week, I was having a hard time balancing every thing I had on my plate and it was mentally overtaking me.  I was cranky and unorganized with all my thoughts of work, training, cardio, consuming a correct amount of supplements, competition information, food preparation, daily errands and chores, travel, clothing for photo shoots, suit and costume  decisions and simply returning some belated phone calls.

I took this last week to focus on my needed "To Do" list once I prioritized it. A simple list with 2 columns: Necessary Now/Necessary Right After Now.  Since I travel so often between Northern California and Vegas, I usually get a little frazzled with my schedule and making sure everything is done in both locations. However, this time I was more overwhelmed than I can recall in a long time.  I started with the simply making sure my food was prepped for my travel day because I knew I would go to the store as soon as I arrived and prepped my work list with what I could tackle at the airport and on the plane, idle time to sit around and catch up on emails and reading.  I also made the calls and decisions on my competition suit and costume as soon as I arrived in Vegas. Even though I arrived early into Vegas, I had already decided it was my day to accomplish the "To Do" list and there would be no internal arguments regarding not training. So Friday was a huge day of scratching items off on that list leaving me with my morning workout and clothes shopping on my brain as I placed my head on the pillow. I finally let out a little sigh of relief.  Sometime it takes a little prioritizing goes a long way.

Saturday morning I was up early and anxiously awaiting my workout with my trainer/training partner, Willie.  Willie has been torturing and mentoring me for over 6 years.  I always know a great sweat is in store and probably a few curse words mixed in the session.  Forgetting Willie hasn't seen me since the holidays, it was great to see his face when he noticed my transformation.  He said he was amazed at how ripped I looked, something I can't get tired of hearing.  He was even more surprised when he asked me my cardio routines these days.  He assumed I had increased my mileage and was back to being "Crazy Cardio" girl with just some different weight lifting routine.  When I told him I had cut my cardio down significantly and restructured my cardio sessions to more effective fat burning rather than muscle burning.  I even had to refresh my memory that he told me years ago I was burning my muscle off with my insane running, biking, elliptical and boot camp schedules.  Well, Willie had a killer workout in store and I even got some of it on video which I have to figure out how to download on here. Here's what it looked like:


Started with a 10 minute warm-up run
Stretch
2 minutes standing climb bike
2 minutes jump rope
Suicide/burpies/sprints
Kettle bell swings with leap frog
Pull ups straight to TRX push ups/knee ins, TRX bicycles to TRX planks
Repeat 4x

Sunday was a very long day. A fantastic and well known boudoir photographer, Critsey Rowe, from Charlotte, NC had contacted me about modeling for her boudoir seminar she was teaching in Vegas.  I showed up for hair and makeup at 11am at the MGM Grand and spent the next 7 hours posing and attempting to be sexy, natural, pretty, excited, demur, funny, exotic and comfortable.  I have to say it was actually a lot of fun posing for Critsey and all the photographers she was training. Each photographer had different and unique ideas/poses that made it fun and almost like a workout from twisting, turning, squatting and stretching.  You can check out her website at http://www.coutureboudoir.com/.  Hopefully I can post some pics soon.  After the shoot, I was exhausted and just grabbed some food and hit the couch.  I had to rest up for another fun session with Willie Monday morning.

I started Monday off with a brisk 55 minute run and then a workout with Willie. I contacted Coach Doug first thing to see what my target muscle group of the day should be since I wasn't training with my team.  Coach wanted me to hit heavy legs/booty with sprints and abs.  Willie was more than happy to help with my Coach's daily workout plan.  Here is what it looked like:

10 minute warm-up run
Stretch
Heavy Squats-5x
Heavy Plea Squats-5x
Heavy Lunges-5x
Deadlift-5x
Leg Extensions-5x
Hamstring Curls-5x
Weighted Squat jumps-3x
20 yard monster squat walk with bands on ankles-3x
Sprints-3x
100 hanging raises for abs

First thing Tuesday morning was another workout with Willie. This time I let him put his twist on things and do full body. This workout lasted about 1.5 hours.

10 minute warm-up run
Stretch
Cardio Round
7 Half Burpies
7 Squats
7 Burpie to stand
7 Burpie to jump
7 Burpie/Pushup/Knee In to Jump
3x
Shoulder/leg/cardio round
20/15/10/5 squats with 25lb weight
20/15/10/5 squat with shoulder press 15lbs (nailed my nose on first round)
20/15/10/5 15lb jumping jack shoulder press
20/15/10/5 15lb overhead tricep press
20/15/10/5 15lb front lateral jumping jacks
Upper Body Circuit
20/15/10/5 Pull ups
20/15/10/5 Dips
20/15/10/5 push ups
20/15/10/5 pour the cup (shoulders)
20/15/10/5 flies (shoulders)
Leg Circuit
20/15/10/5 Squat jumps on step
20/15/10/5 Butt kicks over bag
20/15/10/5 Squat with 8lb weighted ball with shoulder press
20/15/10/5 box jumps (probably 3ft high)
Abs
1 min plank
1 min sit ups
30 second right/left side plank with hip raises
1 min bicycle
3x

Wednesday I was back in Northern Cali and ready for a team workout and posing practice. I was feeling a little off though because although I was prepared with my food while out of town, I still didn't get in all my carbs and had a few protein bars when there was no other options. I wondered how far back that had put me.  When I arrived at the gym, Coach said I looked really good and that I had obviously stayed disciplined while away.  He then decided to do my body fat which I was dreading............What did he come up with??? 6.5%. Holy cow! That's like 2 percent in a week and half.  Guess my hard work was paying off.  After hitting the biceps and triceps hard, I threw on my suit to strut my stuff for posing practice. I still don't have the strut down but I'm getting there.  After refueling, I went for a nice hour and half run with the puppy.  Keep in mind some of this was walking up hills and lowering the heart rate so I don't burn the muscle.

6 Days left in the month which means 6 more days for a chance to win my LOVE BASKET! Don't forget to refer your friends to my blog and Facebook athletic page, Lizzy McMillan Future WBFF Fitness Pro, for extra entries.

When all else fails...........run!

Well at this point in my day, I can be grateful that it's almost bedtime (closer to a new day) and this gum is doing the trick for calming my sweet tooth. But with that comes jaw issues from chewing too much gum. Some days I feel I just can't win, I can't get ahead, I can't get behind, I can only run in circles. The last 2 days have been a constant battle of being in overdrive but not feeling as though I achieved anything.  I guess I could look at the positive and realize I have been the Master of Terrible Time Management or at least the Master of Distraction, nonetheless the MASTER.  What would it take for me to actually see a "To Do List" done?? 

I don't know what is taking over me. My head is spinning and pulling a complete thought together is virtually impossible. Who knows where this blog will go tonight. 

I am 59 days aways from this competition and I have begun to have anxiety about everything. The least of anxiety is about my body but about everything else in relation to getting there and being the best. There is so much more that goes into preparing for a fitness competition and transforming the body is only a small piece of it.  I've discussed before the mental aspect of this journey and I'm now discovering all the different avenues it can take you. I have to override my mind and desires every day when it comes to food and working out but now there are other necessities I have obviously procrastinated taking care of.  Preparation is key and I've had that down with the diet and workout but my indecision has finally caught up with me and put me in panic mode.  Some of these things are in my control and some are not.  Most normal competitors would be just waiting for their final fit on their suit and theme costume when they are almost 8 weeks out.  However, I just decided on my suit color and have a vague idea of the design within the last week.  Costume you ask?? Yes, every fitness competitor has theme wear to strut around in as well. Picture super heros, playboy bunnies, etc. I just talked with a costume designer today about my ideas and she reiterated that it was crunch time which I'm assuming comes with a crunch fee. The little details are simply blowing me away. I'm guessing one of the most pressing issues is my schedule the next few weeks. Work is going to dictate me traveling a lot the 3 weeks before the show. That's a lot of food prep and cooler time.  More importantly I feel I should be in the gym and monitored by Coach so he can see every change and modify anything that needs to be worked on. I'm driving myself crazy imagining every scenario to maximize my time at the gym and on the road.  I am trying to convince myself plenty of other girls on the team live all over the country and only see Coach Doug once or twice before they compete and do everything else online. Can I do this while traveling? Once again, there is no other option. 

The next 59 days are all going to be about pushing myself to new limits physically and more importantly mentally.  Yes, some days it's so fluid to jump out of bed, crush a killer workout, sprint through my cardio, spend hours cooking and cleaning the kitchen, completing my work, running errands, washing those workout clothes and at some point sleeping.  And some days my ADD takes over and the only thing that gets accomplished is a workout (probably hindered by my spinning mind) and a lot of running back and forth asking myself what I was doing.  Can I overcome this particular challenge? Once again, there is no other option. 

Coach Doug has decided Thursday is our day off. Really that means he just wants us to do some light cardio and lay off the weights.  I was actually excited to go to bed last night knowing I didn't have to bolt out of bed, eat breakfast in time for it to digest, drive to the gym on the other side of town and run any errands after my workout while trying to make sure I returned in time for the dog to be taken care of.  The morning would be mine to complete some work items online, figure out my fitness costume, check on my suit from the designer, pay some bills, cook some meals, pack for Vegas and review my logistics for the next month.  I completed majority of these things but there was plenty of pacing and distractions to go with my efforts.  Now I am left with packing which I should look at as a blessing. Why??? I'm headed to Vegas to do photo shoots on Sunday with some photographers from the east coast.  I am very honored they asked me to model for them as I am very big fans of their work so this is a great thing. The only bad thing is how I am overwhelmed with all the clothes I need to take for shoot and trying to remember what clothes I already have at my place there. I switch wardrobes so often from traveling back and forth.  Will I have everything I need? Well it's best for me to find out now.  I told you I would be brutally honest and this is my brain today.  I'm very thankful I squeezed in an hour and half run with the puppy to clear the negativity I was feeling earlier in the day. That blog would not have been pretty and I wouldn't have felt good rereading.  Sometimes you just have to breath. I'm hoping for some calmness and clarity that comes with the next cross off on my "To Do List".  

I feel a change in attitude with a new day! I sent this to my friend Stevie who needed a little pep talk. She said it was perfect for her so maybe I should listen to my own advice. 

HAPPY LOVE DAY!!! 61 DAYS UNTIL I SWAGGER ON THE WBFF STAGE!
I hope it's been a great day celebrated with the one you love, the things you love doing or doing the things you love with the one you love. As I mentioned before, I love Valentine's Month because it's dedicated to CHOCOLATE and WINE, oh yeah there is that LOVE element to it but you should treat that special someone like it's Valentine's Day everyday.  You've heard it before.  However, I can't partake in the Chocolate or Wine so I will just pass on the LOVE. I am giving away FREE 2 week training sessions with me and my Coach to 10 lucky individuals. I'm ready to take it up a notch and need some PICs (partners in crime).  Just post a picture of your love, whatever that may be, on my athletic page on Facebook.  The drawing is this Friday February 17th.
Don't forget the goody basket worth over $200. Simply "Like" my athletic fan page and join my blog.  Each one is an entry.  Also, refer a friend and have them tell me, that's an extra entry. No limit on referrals.  Contest ends at end of the month. This goody basket is ridiculous and I want to win it!

My day started at 4:30am!! Cockadoodledoo! Coach Doug called a meeting for 5:15am, meaning be there no later than 5:10am. I had no intentions of working out this early. I was hoping to sleep in at least until 6 or 6:30am as I have not been sleeping well lately. This is probably due to my insane caffeine addition. I have been slurping down coffee like water and forgetting to order decaf. It turns out my Godiva coffee doesn't come in decaf anyways.  This mornings meeting was just a powwow and then a nice shoulder/ab workout.  Usually I like to eat breakfast before but due to the early hour that wasn't possible.  You may think I'm crazy (probably a good assumption) but I slept in my workout gear so I'd be ready to roll first thing.  Coach seemed serious when he called the meeting and I was not going to be late.  Usually when I do a 5:30am workout, I convince myself a nap will be in the near future as soon as I rack the weights but I'm so energized, that never happens. However, by mid day I hit a wall and usually underperform on my cardio or general work the rest of day.  Not sure why anyone would workout that early if nothing dictated the need. Sleep is so crucial to every aspect of my training that I must keep that in perspective. Soooooooo leave it to me to decide to quit caffeine all in one day.  Yesterday seemed like a great day to go cold turkey. Does this sound like a good idea to give up my last vice on a Monday etc?? Well I guess I could come up with every excuse why it wouldn't be a good day to give up caffeine.  After an awesome leg and booty workout, I decided to finish the day kickboxing.  Probably not the best idea to spend an hour whaling on a bag and jumping rope while my brain was exploding in my head.  I then decided to devise a better plan moving forward.  Did I have caffeine today? YEPPERS! Although with the 3 large Americanos I consumed, I had 2 half caffeine and 1 decaf.  Are you proud? I'm just glad the head is still attached today.

An early workout left me time to catch up on work this morning and not to mention time to clean the kitchen. It's how I spend 90% of my day or so I feel.  I managed to grab a quick jog in today and an hour of posing practice. Coach Doug seems to think my diet process is coming along nicely.  My body fat tested at 8.8% yesterday. He seemed to be really excited about the progress however I was beating myself up it wasn't at 8%.  I don't actually know where I should be just under 9 weeks out from competition so therefore I trust he is the expert.  Coach's theory is slow and steady wins the race. I guess it makes sense I can't look competition mode for 8 weeks. Now posing is a whole new game for me but I've learned how to take my mind to another place and embrace the ability to bring my A game. There's plenty of room for improvement but Coach was very complimentary of my posing style and body transformation.  I won't let it go to my head though because I know there are plenty of weeks left that will arrive promptly and plenty of things that need to grow, be tweaked, touched up and mastered before my debut! So

While most everyone was out eating a fancy, rich and tasty meal with a loved one or watching some sappy love story placing themselves on screen, I once more spent the night cooking all my meals for the next two days.  A very romantic evening I must say.  I spared myself the boredom of tilapia again and treated myself to chicken (only the 3rd time I ingested bird today).  I do hope everyone had a little extra steak, wine and dessert for me.

11:02pm means bedtime. Let's see where my day takes me tomorrow. For now SLEEEEPPPPP!!

If You're Gonna Play..........

YOU GOTTA PAY!!!! And that's what I have been doing the last few days. I feel as though all my little love affair with almond butter last week has caught up with me. Hopefully, I'm delusional but I feel a little thicker this week. It's probably a psychosomatic disorder due to the increase in carbs with my new diet. I have cut my "crazy cardio" to a minimum therefore subconsciously I have convinced myself the muscle I'm not burning off is a load of fat.  From what I've been told, the booty I ordered online has partially been delivered so maybe there is some validity in the direction Coach Doug is taking me.

A friend of mine, Heather, suggested I write on "A Day In the Life" so everyone besides competitors could understand the amount of dedication and preparation that goes into every day as I gallop towards my PRO CARD with the WBFF. I will start structuring some days and blogs towards this.

I haven't been able to write my blog since last week due to a busy schedule. I actually enjoy writing daily because it helps me review my day of training, eating and working. This is how I decide if I'm actually efficiently delegating the needed hours to each project of the day.  Sometimes I look back at my day and feel accomplished and sometimes I feel overwhelmed with what I have yet to do.  Regardless, this blog is therapy and accountability.

If you recall in one of my last blogs, I was questioning if I would ever stick to my diet completely eating every ounce and never deviating. Last Thursday was my higher carb day (a healthy carb with every meal) so I thought that would be an easy day to stick to the plan.  Was I able to do it? Did I prepare and measure every protein, vegetable and carb serving? Yeppers, I DID IT!! Did I still want chocolate??? YEPPERS I sure did! Below are pictures of my meals, desires, addictions, etc. that I have encountered within the last week.

Wheat Thins........this used to be an addiction. You can't have just one,,,,maybe one box though. Haven't purchased these in over a year

Here is my travel buddy. This guy goes with me everyone and always packed with snacks and meals. Notice the coffee cup, water and in the background there is a jump rope and boxing gloves.

This is what 4oz of chicken and .5 oz of green beans looks like. This is typically my second meal of the day.  My coach had .5oz of green beans on menu which was literally 3 green beans. I sent him a text of the picture and my diet, then he realized he meant to put 4oz. Whewwwww because that's just a tease. I then loaded up the rest of my 3.5oz!!

This is my 3rd meal of the day. Lean buffalo 3oz with veggies and 2oz yams 

Raw green beans with me in my lunch box so I can munch when it's time. Yes it taste like you would think although my teammates might argue that they are delicious. I call BS!

Here is what .5oz. of green beans look like on my scale. This is the other picture I sent to my coach when he realized he really meant 4oz!

This is how I start my day........Egg whites, oatmeal and 2 computers. Work smarter, not harder!! 

Prepping my salmon and green beans for 4th meal of the day. Extra salmon filet for the next day. 

Ok this blog is a little random but it was written in 3 different days due to crazy timing.  So this should catch me up. Next up.....................

The Stalking of the SWEET BEAST!

Holy Heck I'm tired so I will make it brief tonight.  Just a quick check in on my progress and day.
Burned out the biceps and triceps today and I have to say they were looking pretty jacked (aka Defined).  I am starting to notice daily cuts and muscles pop that I'm not sure I knew I had on this body.  It's hard not to stare at myself in the mirror which is something I try to avoid at home and at gym. As I've mentioned before, I become obsessive if I see something off/different/unattractive, causing me to obsess on it until I exhaust/anger myself.  Hence, I don't own a scale because I don't want my internal definition to be a number which is exactly what I would do to myself almost subconsciously.  It's also really encouraging to hear that people are noticing my change.  I was actually called a "Skinny Bitch" today by another trainer Jeremy, which he quickly corrected himself and said I was a "Fit Bitch"!! Now most people would not take this as a term of endearment but this is how we all encourage and compliment each other in my world.  I proceeded to finish off my day with an hour and half hill walk with my neighbor Dawn and then a quick but powerful kickboxing class.

Me and Jeremy Showing Our Tickets to the Gun Show!

Today's biggest issue has been my ever nagging sweet tooth.  I stayed on my diet all day but did nibble on a chocolate protein bar which isn't on the menu.  I probably consumed 1/4 of it but it's still cheating.  Is anyone getting curious if I will follow the diet ounce by ounce while never deviating? I am.  So tonight I am chugging on tea, water and gum to subside the BEAST.  My brain is also spinning with the million things I need to get done but haven't attended to this week.  I honestly feel like I spend half my day cooking, heating up food or cleaning the kitchen.  I now run the dishwasher a minimum of twice a day.  I can't fully concentrate on work or anything unless I clean the kitchen and it always needs cleaning. I need to devise another strategy in the kitchen that optimizes my time and speeds things up.  Some would say that I should cook a weeks worth of meals in one day because I usually prepare two or three days of food. Regardless,  I still have to heat the meals up. It's never ending. I'm open to suggestions if you have any.

I will be headed to the gym in the morning earlier than usual with my friend Dawn.  We are very green because we carpool the 28 minute drive!!:) Below are some pictures of my day.  Sweet Dreams

All my supplements. Hard to keep up with them all. I'm an official pill popper now!

My latest addiction. I make coffee several times a day. Now if Godiva would make decaf but I doubt it has any effect on me anyways. I just drank the Carmel and my eyes are closing as I type. Is anyone immune to caffeine like me?

I would LOVE and I DROOL over Bananas. Not on the diet but I do miss them.  It's like a little torture game with them on the counter. They would be so good with almond butter.........Yummy

Here's me fighting my sweet tooth. 2 different versions of tea to attempt the calming of the sweet BEAST!

My lil monster, Vladi, chilling on the other side of the couch tonight. 

Time Isn't Important Until It's Running Out!!!

68 Days and Counting!!! I can't believe how fast time is flying. I started this journey with 105 days and that seemed like an eternity.  Now, it I'm nervous that 68 days just isn't enough time but I'm left with no other option but to kick it in high gear and take myself to the next level.
Sunday I headed up to Tahoe to watch the Super Bowl with the hubby and friends.  I assumed this was going to be a big challenge with all the Super Bowl food but it wasn't really a challenge at all.  Remember  "If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail"! Saturday night was spent cooking my meals and snacks for the next two days.  I packed my cooler Sunday morning and off to the casinos we went to place our bets and find a sports bar with viewing ability for the big game.  The booze was flowing all around me as I slurped down crazy amounts of coffee, water and Diet Coke. Yes, I had Diet Coke. That was my cheat and I think it was the lesser of evils than consuming beer, wine or liquor.  Actually, I think the alcohol is probably a better option as in soda is so terrible for your insides, but I made the logical assumption that it was better for my diet, muscle building and fat burning ability.  I won't be too hard on myself though because I avoided all the other temptations.  The highlight of the night came when Joe Fan sitting at the bar beside me was gorging on his Fat Burger and fries.  It was really more like inhaling the burger because I think I only saw his jaw move twice. No need to chew I guess??!! At this point, I was basically drooling at the bar thinking how good that burger must taste and of course the fries had to be ridiculously fantastic.  Coming to the only sane conclusion, I opened my purse and discreetly began chomping away on the cucumber I had stored in my zip lock bag in my purse.  My friend turned over to me and began laughing hysterically asking what I was eating out of my purse. She then proceeded to question why couldn't I take the food out of my purse instead of putting my head in to eat.  Yes, this had to look a little funny.  I managed to eat my other prepared food throughout the day and even had fish at a steakhouse for dinner. For once, the server didn't looked annoyed when I ordered my no butter, no oil, no salt, no dressing, no fun meal.  After dinner, I left the party people to attend the poker room and I headed to bed.

Monday, I was up and at it early so I could hit the slopes at Heavenly as soon as it opened.  When preparing my gear, I realized how hard it was going to be to take my food skiing with me. I didn't want to be completely ridiculous so I packed a protein bar (not on diet but better than not eating at all), set my watch alarm to remind me every two hours to eat and was on my way up the mountain.  In reality, there is no need to set my alarm because I am always hungry when my two hours rolls around.  Lunch wasn't ideal but I made it work with a turkey wrap minus the wrap and some lettuce (I would say salad but it was really just a bowl of lettuce).  I also managed to slam some coffee and water several times on the mountain.  Conditions were pretty good considering this has been the worst year for Tahoe regarding snow fall.  I was a bit worried that I would somehow hurt my knees because it was a little icy.  Just what I needed after all this hard work, break a leg or blow out a knee. I'm cautious regardless because I know the dangers after having four knee surgeries.  I like to think of them as my BIONIC KNEES! So a full day of skiing, a quick dinner and in bed by 8pm. I was exhausted and I had to be on the road by 5:30am to make my morning workout.  It would have been nice to walk around and enjoy the town but some things take priority, like my booty! I knew I had a double workout today of shoulders and legs/booty.

Today was basically spent working out and catching up on everything else. I was given my new diet today which really increased my carb intake.  I don't doubt Coach, but told him I needed a more detailed explanation because in my head I was convinced he was trying to fatten me up. Logically, I know to have faith and he's got a plan (he wants to grow my booty)! He's the expert, I'm just always looking to pick apart a proven theory and insert some crazy logic that chocolate carbs fit in every meal perfectly.
I've also spent most of the night cooking for the next few days and just like I do yams, I left the chicken in the stove for entirely too long. Hope it's still good.  Tomorrow is an early and busy day as well so I might as well hit the hay.  Plus, I'm starving for chocolate again and I forgot that I had a teaspoon more of almond butter than allowed today.  There's only one thing to do when my hunger monster takes over..........go to bed.  First I will slam some tea in hopes that kills the craving and makes me sleepy then I will sleep and wake up to another day closer to my PRO CARD with the WBFF!  Night Night Sleep Tight

DON'T FORGET TO JOIN MY BLOG AND "LIKE" MY FACEBOOK FAN PAGE TO BE ENTERED INTO THE DRAWING FOR THIS AWESOME BASKET:

1 bottle of Noceto OGP (The Original Grandpere Vineyard) 2008 Zinfandel from Amador County

CHOCOLATES

Gift Certificate to Sports Authority

Lush Bath Products

2 Lift Tickets to Sierra at Tahoe or Gift Certificate to Spa Finder (something for everyone....options are good)

Drawing will be February 29, 2012

Skiing on Heavenly! What an amazing view!

This is my monster, Vladi, sleeping on my lap while I type my blog. He's also snoring but you can't hear that. Love the O Face!

BODY CHECK!! WHAT WHAT??!!

A great and productive Saturday.  Once again, I started off my Saturday before sunrise, which is a lot different than ending it before the sun rises just for reference. I met my teammates at the gym for our Saturday morning crazy cardio/bootcamp which was followed by posing practice.  Now before I ever engrossed myself in this powerful and sometimes exhausting industry, I would have never thought one would need to practice to strut their stuff on stage in order to get some numbers thrown at them for their detailed physique........Well guess what??? It actually takes practice and even more bizarre, it's as hard as a workout.  Really??? YES!! There's so much twisting and turning to get the right angles along with remembering how to stand, smile, move, breathe and not fall over in your ridiculously high heels.  It's always fun to watch my teammates fidget around, act shy and embarrassed and then bloom into the confident women they exuberate daily. Something about strutting your beautiful assets in a few pieces of string can make one nervous but there is also a very exciting aspect in the revelation of confidence with the transfer of energy from the group (aka support system).  Every girl in that room today was a voice of encouragement and support for each lady that bravely faced the daunting practice of posing.  It was amazing to see how much everyone's dedication has paid off over the last few months, or in my case one month.  I haven't seen myself in a suit since this summer and there was no way I would have strutted around in one this fall in front of anyone.  I really wasn't even planning on checking myself out in the mirror today but my teammates made some very nice comments and I decided that I had to check out the goods.  DRUMMMMMM ROLLLLLL!! I was pleasantly surprised. I think I'm subconsciously playing a game with myself. The rules (unbeknown to my conscious self) entail me not viewing myself in a bathing suit so I can be bolted by the excitement of shock and awe.  In other words, it's fun to surprise myself with the change. Would I notice if I looked at myself every day? Maybe/Maybe not.  I was amazed to see some definition in my abdominal area that I thought must have been lost before Italy and never returned. Maybe that's what I got in the mail the other day?? Slowly seeing some progress in the glutes too which really gets me excited.  Working on no more "Flat Ass" disorder.  This definitely gave me the boost of encouragement and motivation I needed. I think each of us girls got an extra boost from the energy that surrounded us.  After practice and errands, I found myself laying on the couch not wanting to do my evening cardio.  It only took minutes to remind myself  of the dedication and results I had produced. Before I sunk deeper into the couch, I called my neighbor Dawn to go on a long, super speed walk up some significant hills. Always booty building!

I'm now finally finishing off my Saturday night cooking. I have been prepping and packing the next two days worth of food. Tomorrow, I am headed to Tahoe to hit the trails hiking in the morning and then watch the Super Bowl.  Traveling doesn't mean I can't be prepared especially since tomorrow is one of the most debaucherious days of the year with food.  If I'm prepared, I set myself up for success. I won't give myself any option to fail after being courted by temptation.

Below is a comparative picture from August (just back from a relaxing week in Maui) which is my profile picture, the end of my Italy trip in November (15 days of pizza, bread, gelato, wine and repeat) and this week after my first month of hard core dieting.  I can't wait to post and compare my professional pictures from 3 weeks ago and only 2 weeks into my diet.
Have a great weekend and don't forget to live a little!

Oblivious Impact!

TGIF!!!! I'm so glad it's Friday because that means 2 things for me.  I am excited about my Crazy Cardio session tomorrow with a great group of ladies and Sunday is the Super Bowl! Unfortunately, my team (Titans) isn't in Indianapolis but I do plan on going to South Lake Tahoe to watch the game and get some skiing in this weekend and Monday! I am guessing I will venture around the casinos which should make me feel like home in Vegas.
This morning's 5:30am workout was all core/lower back so it was a good change.  After the workout, My girls Emme, Erin and I decided to do extra credit booty but realized after one set we were cashed out for the day.  There is something to be said for rest. As I write this, I am mentally prepping for kickboxing in 45 minutes. I still need to get my cardio in and this class makes the time fly while brewing up a great sweat.
A very cool thing happened to me yesterday that I would love to share.  I once again headed out to the grocery for probably the 100th time this week. Somewhere in between the asparagus (yep it's making me gag right now) and broccoli (still gagging), I was approached by a very gentle and concerned looking woman.  She started off by asking me if I had just been for a run. I would have thought she was stalking me if I didn't realize I was wearing my running gear and looking as red as the delicious apples I was drooling over (nope, can't have apples on my diet). I was also wondering if it's offensive to the produce that I stroll in huffing, puffing and glistening like an angel (ok so I look like a drowned rat usually)? So I acknowledged I had just finished a run when the lady started telling me how she sees me running all the time, sees my dog running me a lot and that I'm sometimes oblivious when crossing the street (I'm seeing a theme this week with the whole car accident thing).  I really had no idea where this conversation was going at that moment.  I could only stand there smile and politely nod.  Quickly the tone of the conversation changed and she began to confide in me that she noticed me exercising often and admired the dedication of the community of runners. She continued on to tell me that she wished she could get her twelve year old daughter to do any activity and often pointed me out to her daughter when they saw me running. Her daughter would always reply that she would never be able to do anything close to running. When I asked her why her daughter would say such a thing, she proceeded to tell me that at twelve years old her daughter was 250 pounds. She had slipped into such a deep depression that she only made it off the couch to attend school and majority of the time she would skip her classes because of peer torment.  I was shocked and in awe at the cruelty of teenagers from the stories she was telling me. Then Betty, by now we had introduced ourselves, told me she just wanted her daughter to have a chance. She wanted her to have a chance at life, health, homecoming dances, dates, first loves and best friends.  My heart was breaking right there in the produce department as this lovely lady shared some of her deepest emotions with me.  I assured her there is always hope and opportunity each day for her daughter. The toughest part was just taking that first step in the right direction. I asked Betty if she would allow me to talk with her daughter. I told her I would love to take that first step with her could walk with her daily to get her started.  You would have thought I gave Betty a million dollars with her overjoyed reaction and thanks.  Betty said she didn't have a phone at this time so I gave her my information and told her to please call me. Before she walked away, Betty also told me she had seen me in the same grocery several times and had actually copied some of the items I was putting in my basket even though she didn't know really how to prepare some of it.  I just laughed but it really made me think deep inside about how I had influenced someone without saying a word or even noticing.  I was oblivious that someone was paying attention to how I lived my life.  Coach Doug always says live like someone's watching you because you never know when they are.  I guess people really are paying attention.  I can only hope that Betty calls because I would really be honored to help her daughter.  More than likely, you've been an inspiration and not known it. That's a great feeling!
So have a great weekend, be safe and keep working towards your goals whatever they might be.
Also, don't forget to "Like" my athletic page Liz McMillan Future WBFF Fitness Pro on Facebook and join my blog to be entered in my LOVE YOUR BODY MONTH contest with over $200 worth of LOVE goodies for your body! My loss can be your gain this month!

1 bottle of Noceto OGP (The Original Grandpere Vineyard) 2008 Zinfandel from Amador County

CHOCOLATES

Gift Certificate to Sports Authority

Lush Bath Products

2 Lift Tickets to Sierra at Tahoe or Gift Certificate to Spa Finder (something for everyone....options are good)

PS-BTW, I will be paying more attention when I cross the street now on my runs as well as yellow/red lights while driving!

LOVE YOUR BODY MONTH!!

It's February and now you can probably get on a machine at the gym a little easier, tempting candy is popping up in most stores and office cubes and reservations have already been made for richly prepared dinners and desserts all around town for that special day devoted to love in 2 weeks.  I guess most people either love Valentine's Day or hate it which is mainly based on if an individual can check the box single or not.  Well, just for the record, I LOVE VALENTINE'S DAY and FEBRUARY and have in times of stark singledom or in a loving relationship. The month is a marketed towards my favorite vices of choice, chocolate and wine, which I can't really partake in at this time and my favorite color pink is showcased everywhere.  

So I started thinking maybe I should share the love this month with anyone that wants to follow on this journey with me. I'm a very competitive person and love a challenge but since I can't participate in my own challenge, I decided to create my own cool contest with a fantastic prize all based around LOVE!

I'm hoping we can all learn to love ourselves, love others, love our our abilities, love our success and failures because we learned, love our minds and love our bodies.  We are all works in progress so it gives us somewhere to start.

Today was a pretty good day in general. I started off my day with an intense and long training session. I was all by my lonesome because I came in at a different time so it was just me and Coach Doug for half the workout. This gave him plenty of time to praise/pick on me and even catch me checking out my shoulder striations in the mirror. Hell yeah I'm checking them out, they are crazy looking. Where did they come from??? Oh probably the salmon, chicken, yams and green beans along with copious amounts of water, no bread or wine! After a great arm workout, I did some booty extra credit.  I guess I should mention some of "weaker" areas I have to work on hence the extra credit.  I have had "Flat Ass" disorder well since forever. Even if I had been lifting and squating heavy enough to built a J LO Booty, I would burn it off with my mass amounts of cardio. So I'm working on building the booty 3-4 times a week. Now with that comes many heavy squats, lunges etc. that I believe makes my quads bigger at the time. So maybe the jeans are getting a little tighter but the legs are ripped and I'm getting some cushion on the backside.  I've graduated from a garlic clove to an onion. I will diagram the pictures later.

 I'm also doing a lot of work on basically every body part but the booty and brain are my main projects.  Why my brain? I mentioned before, this is a mental game more than it is physical. From talking myself into 5:30am workouts, that extra round of cardio when I want to crash out on the couch and down to that extra tablespoon of peanut butter I'm talking myself out of daily. This war starts inside the mind and it's straight willpower. I know that tasting VICTORY winning my PRO CARD with the WBFF will taste far better than any piece of chocolate, bread, glass of wine, pizza or chips and salsa.  

After working on various projects  today, it came time for the stair mill but it was 5:30. I am not a fan of evening workouts but I pushed through. Dinner tonight was a struggle. I was literally gagging with every bite of chicken and green beans. I even found myself feeding the dog my veggies under the table like a child but I ate my directed ounces and called it a night with food. After this it's bedtime. 

Now to the important part..............my LOVE YOUR BODY MONTH.  I have compiled an awesome goody basket for those that want to play.  The rules are simple.  Please go to my athletic page and "Like" on Facebook under Liz McMillan Future WBFF Fitness Pro and Please join my blog (the one you are reading now)!! You will get 1 entry for each.  Also, feel free to share any of your thoughts and stories about your journey, whatever that might be! Now for the good stuff.............

This basket contains:

1 bottle of Noceto OGP (The Original Grandpere Vineyard) 2008 Zinfandel from Amado County

CHOCOLATES

Gift Certificate to Sports Authority

Lush Bath Products

2 Lift Tickets to Sierra at Tahoe or Gift Certificate to Spa Finder (something for everyone....options are good)

VALUED AT OVER $200!

I think that someone should enjoy all the goodies this month brings. If I can't, than I hope you can with my help! 

So happy "Like"ing and Joining my Blog!