Sunday, April 13, 2014

2014 Bodybuilding.com 12 week Challenge Blog- What this experience meant to me


 "Be the Change You Wish to See in the World" Gandhi




First I would like to say THANK YOU!  After being apart of this transformation challenge, I know this has, not only changed my life, but the life of thousands of people.  I admire and appreciate the motivation bodybuilding.com brings to the world. I will forever be grateful for this experience because bodybuilding.com has lit the fire under my tail to be the change I wanted to see in the world.  I now live my life with purpose, meaning and inspiration.  I look at life through the scope of being a FIT (female in training: mind, body and spirit) Mom and realize its my mission to give back (oh and just fyi I tried reading this to my fiance and he said...  you are such a cheese ball.  I guess I should take that as a complement since he said when we first met he had no clue I would be such a cheese ball and sweet him off his feet) haha! 
Why you should win & how do you stand out?
It’s hard for me to say that I should win over someone else since I know for a fact that there are hundreds, if not millions, of people that dominated this transformation.  However, something that may be different about me is that I did this transformation while being 2 weeks postpartum and breastfeeding.  For anyone that is a new mom this is a challenge! I had to determine how I ate, not on weightloss, but on nourishing my baby and hope that in the process I could still transform my body.  I had to let go of my prior expectations to be extreme so that my transformation would be noticeable and just listen to my body.  This was a HUGE blessing because it taught me that I could be intuitive and still make progress as long as I was consistent.  I had to ditch the scale since that was not accurately showing my progress and take pictures because we all know... unedited pictures don't lie. ;p 
So before I get started in telling you what I plan on doing with the money prepare yourself...  I AM a certified Cheese ball!  I have always been and always will be.  I didn't realize it until I met my fiance (who has let me grow into my true self without any expectations or limitations) that my inner self is pretty darn mushy.  I was raised to speak my mind and I guess my mind has a lot of sensitive things to say. I'm the person that will tell a stranger they are beautiful or walk up to someone on crutches in the gym and say great job...  why the heck not tell people they are awesome!?!? ;p  So here it goes...  these are the things that I plan to do with $50,000 if I were the one to be chosen. 
1.Pay it forward and sponsor a child
I HAVE ALWAYS wanted to sponsor a child.  I can remember wanting to do this when I was like 8 years old. Unfortunately as a child I got distracted and ended up using my allowance that I had saved up to sponsor a dolphin instead.  I guess its good that I spend my money in a good place but I still have a small void that I hope to fill by sponsoring a child.
I would have done this by now but over the years I have taken in a few lil orphans of my own (my brother when no one else would take him, my fiancés friend who lost everything he had to a relationship and a friend of mine who was living in hotels because he had nowhere else to go).  I currently am still helping a friend but with this money I could fallow my childhood dream to sponsor a child.  I think that would be SOOOOO COOL!  
2. Donate more to klove
This is another situation where I feel like every chance I get to donate something comes up financially or someone needs help.  Don’t get me wrong I DO NOT allow people to walk all over me but when I know that I can help someone that is in need I will do what I can.
WOW! For anyone that has not listened to Klove I highly recommend it.  This station is nation wide and runs purely on donations.  Every time I get into my car I listen to Klove and it doesn’t matter what kind of day I am having I just sing, let go and feel grateful! I would love to give back to something that impacts me (and the world) so much!
3. Give back to The Center for Change 
On March 23, 2012 my entire life was about to change. I was sent to the Dr. Phil show for being a professional athlete (WNBF [world natural bodybuilding federation] Figure Competitor) with self destructive behaviors.  Now I tell you what... if you are dealing with an addiction, mine was an eating disorder triggered by competing for 2.5 years and my ex fiance at the time being my contest prep coach, and decide to go to Dr. Phil he will call you out!  He is really good at what he does and the entire experience forced me to get real with myself.  
After the show Dr. Phil asked me if would I be willing to get treatment if he would pay for it.  I took the offer and had 1 week to file for short term disability, hope that my job would be okay with it and leave for 8 weeks of intense treatment. This was the most influential experience of my life and I owe my entire healthy mind and body to them.  They gave me the tools to dig deep in order to unlock my happiness.  
While I was there, I saw several women be forced to leave (by themselves) because insurance would stop paying.  It is my goal to give money where I can to help sponsor other women looking to change their lives. The Center for Change is the place where I learned the quote "Be the Change you Wish to see in the World" which was re-embedded in my brain while doing this transformation. 
4. Build True Strength of a Fit Mom Business
Now here is my baby! I have created True Strength of FIT (Female in Training: mind, body and sprit) Mom January 1, 2014 because I felt like there was not a lot of support for moms in the fitness industry. When I was pregnant I felt isolated to an extent.  I’m sponsored by an amazing supplement company but still felt like people did not appreciate fit pregnancy, fit postpartum and fit moms.  I wanted to create a fun place for women to go where they could feel safe, connected and inspired.  I put together a proposal for my sponsor to create this FB page in hopes to eventually have enough followers that they would want to create a market for FIT mom Motivators.  My goal is to get my own certifications, to have FIT Mom Gear, nutrition plans, workout plans and therapy sessions. I also hope to have several moms that specialize in these different fields to contribute to the site.  Right now I have a sponsored athlete who owns a crossfit gym (new mom) and another sponsored athlete who focuses on Spartan races (new mom). Since January we are at 980 followers and I’m amazed how many people feel connected to the site already. 
5. Give money to my fiancé to build his business (I believe he will change the world)
My fiancé and I had the discussion after I was 3 months pregnant if he could quit his job and peruse his business.  This was probably one of the biggest steps for me because I let go of my ego, allowed myself to be vulnerable and trust in him 100%.  This meant that I would be the one to support our family while he got his business running.  I think in order to have meaningful relationships you must be able to put all of your faith in each other without fear.  His business is human performance coaching where they believe integration drives performance… the more complete or whole you are the better.  In order to achieve sustainable high performance in anything you not only need moral integrity, but you must find integrity between all it’s parts.  It’s not balance you’re looking for, it’s seamless integration.  With integrity you don’t have to search for stability because there’s already a strong, durable foundation set to construct the life and business you truly want. (there mission statement)
He is one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met and I have no doubt he will change the world.  I didn't know what believing in someone entirely meant until I met him.  He is the first person EVER….  To let me find me… and be okay with that. 
6. Have a wedding
Okay here is the splurge.  I kind of feel guilty even saying this because it’s hard for me to say I would spend money on a wedding when ultimately we could just go to the court house.  Although, a small part (maybe medium part) of me would be overwhelmed to think I could have an entire day to celebrate us, our future and our commitment.  When I was the maid of honor in my moms second wedding the emotions were priceless.  My mom was the most beautiful lady I had ever seen. 
*Remaining money I hope to pay off our cars, invest or will keep my eyes open to whatever god has in store for me to use it. I tend to be the person that helps people out.  I feel like god either gives us enough for ourselves or enough to help others.

What did you do to accomplish your goal?
Support:
The love and support from my faith, family, fiancé, friends and of course bodybuilding.com. There was an awesome support between everyone that was doing the challenge and the weekly videos from bodybuilding.com where fun, motivating and genuine.

Mind Prep:
As strange as this might sound prior to the challenge I decided to have a natural childbirth (no epidural).  It was a choice I made because I felt like 1. It was healthier for baby and I, 2. I needed to do something so mentally challenging that it would propel me into a place of knowing I can do anything and 3. The recovery was faster so that I could get back to kicking butt in the gym (started lifting 2 weeks postpartum which was approved from my OB)
*Just a side note I am the kind of girl that is terrified of pain and needles.  I think I was 18 when I called my mom to talk me through getting a TB skin test shot.  It was in that moment that my embarrassment trumped my fear of needles but still to this day I have to psych myself up to get shots.  Not very many people believe I could go through with natural child birth but I tell you what it has made me extremely tough, mentally.

Fitness:
Workouts:
Mon: Glutes/Hams
Tuesday: Back
Weds: Shoulders
Thursday: Off/Cardio
Fri: Legs/Calves
Sat: Arms
Sun: Off/Cardio

Nutrition:
I tried to fallow a plan several times just to realize that I would lose my milk supply or I would constantly need to increase my food.  I decided to do this challenge 100% on intuition which has been extremely hard.  It’s hard to be aware of your mind vs reality when it comes to cravings, mood changes and hunger.  It was nice to have something like my milk supply to help me pay close attention to what was true hunger and what was a craving because if I fallowed my hunger pains my supply would be fine and if I fallowed cravings (I ate nutrients based foods and 1 indulge meal per week) then my supply would be overboard and I would not lose weight.  After 2 months I felt like I had finally found a happy place where I was able to have a supply and still lose weight.  I hope I can be an advocate for other moms going through a similar journey. I can teach women the importance of mindfulness and give them the tools to find their balance. 

*I steadily started adding in more cardio but paid close attention to my milk supply.

Supplements:
Optimum Nutrition Multi Vitamin
Optimum Nutrition Fish Oil
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey
Optimum Nutrition Casein
Probiotic
Phylum Husk Fiber

   Overall, this was such an incredible experience and it would be an honor to represent bodybuilding.com as a fit mom transformation so that together we can inspire, motivate and encourage moms in all phases to be a FIT (female in training: mind, body and spirit) mom.
*I can totally help motivate guys too.  What guy doesn’t think it’s impressive that a woman can squat 135 pounds while being 37 weeks pregnant, going through natural child birth or showing the entire world her journey from 200+ pounds to where I am today?  :p

“At Bodybuilding.com, we change lives. We empower, facilitate, and cultivate positive change. We are more than a site, more than a store, even more than information, motivation, and supplementation. We are your personal trainer, nutritionist, supplement expert, lifting partner, and support group. We are the technology and tools you need to burn fat, build muscle, and become your best self. Join us! I WANT TO HELP YOU CHANGE THE WORLD!!!!!” ;p


Thursday, April 3, 2014

How to love your body through Pregnant or Not

    Da...Daa....Daaaaa!!!!!  So  you are pregnant.  This is supposed to be a happy time in your life. You start to take on that glow...  well!  Not everyone! I think that might be more so showing off your happiness rather then a glow. Although for my situation, I was actually glowing from the increase in oil production on my forehead!  One thing about pregnancy that I was not prepared for was the way my body changed from just looking pudgy to, "she might be pregnant" to "WHOLLY MOLEY! Are you having twins"  I swear I heard that at 12 weeks and at 18 weeks I was told, "You must be delivering soon."  So with all these changes in our bodies how to we adjust to the transition?  
  
    After receiving lots of emails on this topic, as well as, dealing with the battle of the Bulge (actually multiple bulges) I decided to write out tips on how I coped.  It wasn't easy with everyone telling me, "Oh, you workout. You wont gain much" or "You will be all belly."  Not sure if they got the memo from my jeans but they stopped fitting after 6 weeks.  Pretty sure my entire body began to grow ASAP!  I started growing very quickly into my new pregnant body despite my efforts to eat clean and workout.  There were many times when I had to reset my mind to focus on the reality of being pregnant rather then.... OH MAN! I had to buy a size Large Maternity Pants (means my hips are a 45-46 inches). 
   
    After my, what seemed like a million, mind reset moments I figured out how I made it through pregnancy loving my body and how you can too! 

How to love your body through Pregnant or Not



Focus on how you feel and not what you weight
    Does your weight really matter if you physically feel good? I quickly realized that I allowed myself to feel a certain way based on how much weight I gained.  I started to get frustrated that my weight skyrocketed because most people were telling me that you were only supposed to gain x amount of weight per week. What I didn't realize is that everyone gains their maternity weight differently.  Our bodies will do whatever they need to do in order to prepare for the birth of a miracle its creating. 
    In order to live an energetic life while being pregnant we must eat to nourish our bodies because our bodies will take what it needs to grow the baby first and leave us with whatever is left over.  I knew I needed to maximize what I could do to feel energized because I had to work to support my family. My baby depended on me to feel good, to get the nutrition we needed, to rest, exercise and think positively.  
*Try putting yourself in your daughters (or someone you cared about) shoes. Would you want her getting down on herself because her body is changing or would you rather her focus on how she feels and resetting her mind to cope in positive ways?  So why should you act differently? 

Wear clothes that fit and don't freak about the size
Omgoodness!!!!  This one is HUGE!  I can't express to you enough to buy clothes that fit.  Stop trying to fit into your pre pregnancy clothes and buy clothes that accent your growing tummy.  It was really hard for me to feel good about my body when I was trying to squeeze into clothes that really didn't fit.  Once I bought clothes that fit my body I could start to embrace the transformation. 

Change your Mindset
Your thoughts are everything. They form your mindset, moods, attitudes and habits. This is why when you lead change, your success is directly dependent on your mindset.  Something I did to help create a happy place in my mind is whenever I had a negative thought I would say 3-5 positive affirmations that would debunk that negative thought.  I've been doing this for 2 years and now its almost like instinct for me to say something positive soon after a negative thought arises.  I'll be honest some days it takes a little more time for me to feel the positive thought but with consistency it creates a happier environment in your mind.  
Example: 
Statement: 
"Seriously! Its been 3 months and I am still in my maternity pants." 
Positive Affirmations: 
"It took me 9 months to gain this weight so I need to be patient. Its only been 3 months" 
"If my daughter were in my shoes would I want her beating herself up" 
"I may be in my maternity pants but I feel Strong."
"I may be in my maternity pants but I am healthy and I'm a great mom"
"I may be in my maternity pants but I've lost 40 pounds already" 

Surround yourself with positive reinforces (be careful to not be around negative mental enablers)
This goes for anyone!  The minute I decided to Detox and divorce my negative friends was the moment that my life changed.  I went from living a dramatic lifestyle to stress free in a matter of weeks.  I had no idea how much being around negative people could change your own mindset.  You can be a positive person but if you surround yourself with people that do not promote personal growth then you will remain a floater in life.  You will just float along without direction, a specific goal or passion.  Divorcing friends is hard but it is 110% worth it.  It has allowed me to set up boundaries that I never had and the time to create new amazing relationships.  

Keep a picture of your ultrasound with you (or something that represents your baby) 
I know for me having a baby has been THE MOST valuable thing I have ever done in my life.  I think we can get caught up in the negative self talk that we forget what is actually happening.  WE ARE CREATING LIFE inside ourselves.  Having a picture to remind yourself of the reason behind the body will ZAP those negative thoughts and reroute you to a place of peace.   

Yes! Stare at yourself naked before you shower and tell yourself 3 things you love about your body.  
This is another big one! At first it was a little difficult but I went from saying, "I'm glad my arms are still small" to "I LOVE my Giant Belly!" To hear yourself say that you love things about your body and to view your body in a new light is a beautiful process. Don't hide from the transformation.  A lot of women told me that they never looked at themselves naked but this is the only time you have to look at yourself as a Miracle Maker. Plus how can you expect (hope) that someone else will find your body beautiful if you can't stand the way you look?  I know for my situation, I was understanding that my body changing could be weird for Brandon but I hoped he would see the beauty behind my body. Not only did he see the beauty but he appreciated the confidence and self love I had for myself. 
*If you go around complaining about your body don't you think that opens the door for other people to look for the "flaws" you are complaining about?  Have you ever thought someone was beautiful and then they mentioned something they didn't like and you were like, "Oh, yeah! I see what you are talking about." When in fact if they had never mentioned it you would have never even realize it.  Your perception would have been, "they are beautiful".  

    So whenever you are having a hard time loving you body try a few of these tips.  All of them apply to pregnancy/postpartum but I feel like these tips could help anyone in the journey to self love. 


*IF THAT DOESN'T WORK THEN LISTENING TO THIS SONG WILL: "Happy"