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!:)