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

6 week Postpartum Update- Top 15 of Why YOU SHOULD BE PROUD!

Hello Everyone, 

  Its Measurement Monday and I have decided to do things a little bit differently this time.  For the past 3-4 years I have not really been one to focus on the scale since I have always been aware that I train to gain lean mass.  My body can look completely different if I am 135 pounds of not lifting vs 150 and lifting.  I prefer to be the body type that looks like they lift.  With that being said, since doing the measurement Monday I started focusing on the scale more rather than how I felt, what my body actually looked like, how I am blessed to be progressing and that just because my pre pregnancy pants are nowhere near fitting me after 6 weeks that its totally okay.  I am energized, healthy, happy and balanced (goal is that Rachel Novello and I will start posting picture updates every other week and the week we dont post pictures we will update with improvments or things we learned that week) 

   I wanted you guys to know that if you are being consistent, if you are getting stronger, having more endurance, feeling energized, happy and healthy that you should do like I am and make a top 10-15 list of reasons why you should be proud even though it may not feel like you are progressing (as quickly as you like). Here is my list and I hope this will help you get started creating your own. Part of transforming is mind health so let this be one step towards a healthier mindset.

JZ Top 15 of Why she Should be Proud even If the Scale Wont BUDGE

1. I Birthed a Child Completely Natural 6 weeks ago (22 hours labor & 5 Hours Hard Labor)
2. I went from holding one infant a week before having Ahrianna to being a full time mom (minus my "Me Time" or if Brandon takes her when I nap/shower)
3. I lifted my ENTIRE Pregnancy even at the end when I was still nauseous, gained 12 pounds from swelling in the last two weeks, worked 12 hour night shifts in a hospital and even did overtime up until I was 33 weeks pregnant.
4. I ate clean 80% of the time throughout my pregnancy and since having Ahrianna I have ate clean 99% of the time (I had a few pieces of chocolate and ate a moderate amount of desserts yesterday at the Super Bowl Party).  For the most part I don't have any cravings. I think having a higher fat diet has helped with my hormones which is ultimately in control of most cravings (besides the mind game cravings).
5. I listened to my OB, Brandon and myself and did not workout for 2 solid weeks postpartum.  This one was tough for me because by the time two weeks rolled around I was desperate to get out of the house but you better believe I cried the entire way to the gym and even took a video to show other people that I struggle too with making myself a priority at times but if we take care of ourselves then we can be better parents.  I'll be honest the minute I went to the gym and came home I was recharged and ready for the day.  It didn't matter that I didn't have any sleep the night before, that my back ached from breastfeeding or that I wasn't able to get any of the house cleaned. I was energized, focused and excited to do more at home. 
6. For the last 4 weeks I have listened to my body. I have not restricted my calories (to the point of being unhealthy), I have trained with purpose, passion and patience (you must be patient when you are used to lifting like a beast and now have to lift like a newbie. I was back to doing bodyweight exercises but that was okay because I was able to have my "me time" in the gym and that felt AMAZING)
7. Not to repeat number 6 but I have been consistently lifting 4-5 days a week for the last four weeks and have stuck to limited to no cardio.  Its better to do less cardio in the beginning because you do not want to have to go to any extremes to cut during contest prep season. I try to do my cardio/conditioning with the purpose of increasing my endurance.  I never appreciated being able to run with ease, lift with power or do drills without wanting to pass out. I was the newbie in the gym again and I'm proud that I didn't let that discourage me.
8. I'm proud that the first week I started lifting again I struggled to do 15 bodyweight squats and now I can do 115 for 15 reps easily (full time under tension).
9. I started leg press with 90 pounds which felt pretty tough to doing 360 pounds + 210 pounds of my trainer pushing his entire bodyweight against it (for added resistance) today.
10. I DID A PULL-UP!!!!  I mean.... I had assistance but I don't care! When I was pregnant the thought of doing a pull-up made me want to cry and when I tried doing just a few I would be so short of breath I needed to rest for 3+ minutes.
11. I started tracking my food a week and a half ago which was a little emotional for me at first because for any of you that know me know that I have a past history of having an unhealthy relationship with food/exercise. Long story short I competed for 2.5 years straight without a break, had a boyfriend who was my prep coach (nutrition, workouts, bodyfat, posing, supplements, sleep, you name it), I went through some nasty hormonal imbalances from dieting too long, I was on Dr Phil on April 2012 (http://www.drphil.com/shows/show/1821) and he sent me to an Eating Disorder Facility for 8 weeks. Once I returned home I ended things with my then fiance, moved out, met Brandon, started to prep again, got pregnant, had ahrianna and now plan to pursue my passions of competing but with an ENTIRELY different level of awareness. So when I said that tracking was a little emotional it was only because I had not done it for so long, that I had to revisit that past so I could be aware of my emotions and that for the first time in a long time I felt a small sense of fear with contest prep (if you guys are interested in this topic I can go into detail with another blog about my fears, why I am determined to do a show, whats different this time and so on.)
12. I asked for help when I needed it. There was a point last week when I was so tired I was scared to breastfeed Ahrianna.  It was in the middle of the night while I was trying to breastfeed that I almost dropped her because I fell fast asleep (just fyi: I did several things to try and not fall asleep and had her on a boppy pillow). This was quite the reality check for me. Its okay if I need help and cant do it all. I have a loving fiance who wants to help.
 This is a BIG ONE FOR ME!!!  I rarely if ever will ask for help.  I tend to be the person that helps others rather than let anyone help me.  However, I have come to realize that as much as I find joy in helping other people that other people find joy in helping me.  This is something that I am getting better at it but it definitely does not come naturally.
13. I took Ahrianna to her doctor appointments by myself after the first one and then took her to the grocery store (after her 4 week appointment).  I tell you what!?!?!  I have a lot of respect for moms out there (or full time dads).  It's not easy taking kids to appointments or out on errands for the first few times while they are infants.  Kudos to everyone that is trying to be great parents!  Its one of the hardest but best jobs on the planet.
14. That I have not had any outbursts due to lack of patience with Ahrianna, Brandon or life.  I know being a new mom with CrAzY hormones we are more susceptible to lash outs and I feel like I have been very positive throughout my pregnancy/post pregnancy (Feel free to ask Brandon or people close to me.  Its funny because my mom and my best friend swore I would be quite the spit fire during pregnancy but for the first time in my life I feel like I am present in my thoughts, I am aware of my actions and I can control them both)
15. My body is curvy the way that I like, my body is getting stronger the way that I like, my body is functioning more efficiently the way that I like and that my body does NOT define who I am........the way that I like.

The point of this list is to NOT TOOT my own Horn but to show you that when we take the time to look outside our physical expectations that we can really see the beauty and value in the Journey to reach those goals.  I hope you join me in making your own list so that you also can feel proud of where you are..... EXACTLY IN THIS MOMENT!

This video is proof that there is so much more to life then physical expectations (this is not me saying those goals are not important but that we can start to prioritize where our energy is used. Its a shame if we spent our time feeling upset for not being thin enough, lean enough or muscular enough when we can HAVE A BLAST just knowing that our goals will come if we stay consistent, listen to our bodies, stress less and love more!

 

My first workout Postpartum-JZ

January 12, 2013

My First Time Lifting Postpartum

​The morning started off great!  Ahrianna slept through most of the night, we woke up, I had my normal Green Tea, 1 Tbsp of Coconut Oil and lemon as I breastfed her.  I was really excited because today was the day that I could return back to the gym (with making modifications based on how I felt).  A part of me was a little nervous because I knew that my body felt like it was out of shape based off my home workout that I did on Friday but I was ready to start the change I wanted to see for myself.  I wanted to workout inspired to build strength, add lean muscle and to be healthy.  All of which, I feel like I accomplished from this workout.  

​So many of you are probably thinking…. “Well, what did she do in the gym?”  I decided to focus entirely on form.  It was important to start this transformation with a strong foundation of great form, mental focus and passionate drive.  Since I am a fitness competitor I feel like I have a good mind body connection and if I was overdoing it I would stop (just like I did during my pregnancy) So here is my workout

Lift: Glutes/Shoulders/Abs

*Dynamic Stretch Warmup

1)

Deadlift 3 sets of 15 (Form Focus and Body Awareness to make sure I didn’t hurt myself. I kept my weight VERY light and took a small break afterwards before starting my shoulder press)

1)

Standing Dumbell Shoulder Press 3x15

1)

Ball Crunch 3x15 (*TRIPLE SET* Breaking when I felt like I needed too. Also this was the most challenging for me due to my weak abdominal muscles)

2) Bodyweight Step Ups 3x15each (FORM FOCUS and tried to keep my core tight)

    2) Barbell Shoulder Press 3x15 (Light Weight and focused on keeping my core tight)

    2) Russian Twists-Abs 3x15each (*TRIPLE SET* goal is to try and strengthen my core because in  the past I rarely trained abdominal muscles but plan to train them twice a week)

    3) Lateral Raises 3x15 (Slow, easy and focused on form)

    3) Physio Ball Roll-Ins 3x15 (*SUPER SET* Glute and Hamstring Focus)

*For those that are not aware I lifted throughout my entire pregnancy up until a few days prior to delivery.

​This worktout felt challenging enough that I felt like I got a good workout but easy enough that I didn’t feel any abnormal strain, pain, or increased bleeding (Most moms know that there is vaginal bleeding for a significant about of time postpartum).  I did get frustrated for a minute realizing that I was so far from where I once was but immediately thought aboutAhrianna, that I made it to the gym and that I was looking forward to seeing so many cool changes.  I know from personal experience when you have a lot of muscle and you are lean from being into fitness your gains typically are minimal and it takes a long time to see your work pay off.  However, I am given an opportunity to see changes weekly if not daily. HOW MOTIVATING IS THAT?!?!  When you are at your worst physically (strength, body but NOT MENTALLY! I’m great there) then there are so many awesome things you can see if you are willing/able to put in the work.  I know for me, in the on past, I have always been one to focus on adding muscle and increasing my strength so I will continue to have that focus and watch the numbers on the Bar go UP!

​My energy level throughout the workout was phenomenal and my focus seemed very clear!  Not going to lie…  even deadlifting a WHOPPING 45 pounds felt empowering…  BECAUSE I was 2 weeks out from being pregnant, I was Able to Be There, I was Able to Get Excited and I was Able to move THAT WEIGHT (Even though prior to pregnancy I was doing 185 for 15 reps) If you are at a cross road about enjoying your workouts maybe you should change your focus? Instead of lifting or workout to lose weight or gain muscle…  why not think about lifting as I am getting stronger physically? I am capable of seeing Gains and that I am allowing myself to be healthy.  I look at the gym as a privilege. Not everyone is given the gift to be able workout or the ability to see changes but most of you are! Therefore, I like to Take advantage of the privileges that god has given me and MAXIMIZE THEM.

​Its funny how you purposely try to eliminate distractions when you know that you onlyhave a two hour window to run a few errands, workout and get home.  That is the agreement that I set up with Brandon so that while I am not working he can get his work done and I can get my guaranteed ‘Me Time’ to do what I would like to do.  Speaking of which I need to set up the massages my mom got me for Christmas which will be done during my two hour allotted time.  I saw so many people, like I used to be, socializing half of the time instead of working out.  Many workout plans are designed with a specific rest period in mind to increase your gains while you are there but as I could see (and used to do myself) most people did not fallow them. I know now that I having a baby will help me focus more on my rest period times and less socializing.  I love to mingle but in order for me to maintain my fitness and be a great mom (for OUR SCHEDULE) I will have to keep the longer conversations for my light cardio days.

​My goal is to start out slow lifting 3-4 days a week and adding in cardio as I feelnecessary.  I’m at a beautiful place in this transformation because if I do this right I should be able to do less and see more results.  Wherever you are at in your transformation make sure you maximize your time so that you don’t 1) Burn yourself out and 2) Plateau quickly and feel likeyou have to do something extreme! Our Goal Is Balance While Being a Mom, Not being a Slave to your Fitness.

​Post workout I still felt great but within an hour started having flu like symptoms which after talking to my trainer it may be my muscles releasing toxins (Praying it’s not the flu).  If that were the case, LADIES watch out postpartum because it does not feel good and I’m hoping it goes away here shortly.  I’ll keep you all posted and let you know how I am doing.  I’m heading to bed with Ahrianna since she is sleeping like a rock I was told that I need to try and sleep when she does.  It may be 6:45pm but who knows how the night will go.  She has been great sleepingthroughout the night but I’m keeping my mind open that things can change from day to day.  

Have a Fabulous Night and Keep Kicking Butt….  Be a FIT (Female in Training…  could be mind, body or spirit) Mom!

JZ