Update for First Month

I started my goal and this blog one month ago and I have been trying to focus on it and figure out how to make it part of my normal life.  Truth be told this has been a struggle especially through the holidays.  As with most people I have gained a few pounds which have been difficult to take off partly because I got sick and partly because my nutrition and fitness haven't been consistent. Consistency is my biggest challenge to achieving my fitness goal.  I haven't been consistent and life has distracted me.  I know this may sound grim to some of you but it is the truth and the reality of why I haven't made any real progress in the past month.  I took new pictures and to be honest with you, I do not see any signs of physical progress from by physique except I look tanner but no true visual changes.  Here are the pictures to prove it:

One Month

Starting Point

I can't tell much of a different between the two except maybe the angle of the picture

Starting Point

One Month

Again I have a hard time telling the difference but I do think my legs are starting to look a little less dimpled but it could also have to do with the lighting  and there could be a slight bit more muscle tone in my shoulders and back.

Starting point

One Month

One Month

Starting Point

  

Here I can see that I am standing taller more confident and my butt may be lifted up a bit/tighter.  I also might have leaner legs, but again hard to tell. There may be a slight improvement in my legs.

If you see anything I don't in the above pictures please let me know :)

With all the challenges I have had, I am glad to report that I am still working towards my goal and I have to remember this is a process and as they say "Rome wasn't built in a day."  So changing my physique is a lifestyle change that not only impacts me but the people around me.  Sometimes I feel that I am learning to walk - I am making progress but boy have I had my fare share of falls and some have been harder than others.  

Not so I sound do gloom and doom or too critical of myself.  I have made some really good progress including working on eating better every day, reading The Metabolic Effect Diet book (which I highly recommend), working out daily and now starting to get up on my own to work out in the morning, figuring out how to get into bed early to get enough sleep, engaged in a coaching program with my health insurance and I have also started a coaching program for the next year with Jill Coleman at www.jillfit.com which I am excited about.  Being involved in the coaching program will help me continue to make long lasting progress beyond just the figure competition.  Her program isn't just about the physical aspects of being healthy but also the mental ones as well.  It is ironic in a way that I have started paying more attention and focus on the mind body connection and I found her.  

I am also still planning on competing.  The competition is only 79 days away and I have a lot of fat to lose but it is still doable with increased focus and discipline.  The most important thing is that I am learning about myself and challenging myself to grow in ways I have never done before, therefore it is important for me to be able to make changes that I will be able to stick with for life and that will increase the positive aspects of my relationship with myself and my partner, Kirk.  

Today's thought to ponder:  

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge,  but rather a lack of will." ~ Vince Lombardi

Thoughts from Yoga for 2012

Forget safety. Live where you fear to live.
Destroy your reputation. Be notorious.
I have tried prudent planning long enough.
From now on, I’ll be mad.  - Rumi (Bewilderment)


I have started taking Yin Yoga and it is wonderful. Stretches are held for long periods of time which helps the connective tissue and lots of other things.  During my 3rd class with a new instructor, she the above part of a poem by Rumi.  This really sat with me because as I thought about my goals for 2012, I realize that part of me is being safe by staying where I am.   But also that I have picked a goal that seems to be the definition of living in fear.  


Deciding to compete means that I am being risky and trying to live in fear.  By setting this goal I am forced to face my fears and overcome my challenges with living healthy and reaching my fitness potential and optimal physique.  


Recently I have been debating on continuing to try to achieve this goal and I have to remember this is a process and I am going to struggle periodically with making the changes to achieve this goal because it forces me to be in an unfamiliar place and I have been comfortable to long.  


It was helpful for me to tell this to one of my coaches and she was able to help me reflect on what my actual goal was and remind me about that I am doing this to learn more about myself and reach an overall goal - so this is a learning process.  

Refocusing and Getting Back on Track

So it has been a while since I posted on my blog.  Lots of things have happened including the holidays.   It has been a struggle so far in 2012 to recover from everything that happened during the holidays (friends staying with us unexpectedly, I got sick, Kirk switched his job which means no more getting up early to get him off to work).  With all these things happening I lost focus of my goal, however now  I am refocusing on it.

Part of my struggle has been trying to figure out if I really want to compete in the figure competition.  I have 88 days left and I feel like I have gotten no where from where I started.  I know I tend to be my own worst critic and many times are very hard on myself, so I am trying to acknowledge all the positive things that I am doing to reach my goals, because if I lose that of that, I am likely not going to reach my goal.

Here is what I have done so far:

1) I started yoga over the holidays which has been a great thing and I like it a lot, it seems to help calm me and adds a relaxation element to my high intensity work outs.
2) I also applied to be part of a Coaching Program with Jill Coleman and got accepted, so I am excited work with her over the next year to reach my goals.
3)  I stopped drinking alcohol.  In fact, this past weekend I did not have even on drink when we were out and I felt great.  It was the first weekend in a long time that I lost weight instead of gained.
4) I started reading The Metabolic Effect Diet and it is a great book.  With this book, I am starting to re-exam my workouts and tightening up my diet by looking at how I eat differently.
5) I started adding sprints into my cardio workout to help increase my lean muscle mass and improve my "fat-burning" potential.
6) I started writing my blog again.
7) I prepared my food for the next day in advance.
8) I am on track to be in bed by 10:30 which will be great, so I can wake up and work out.

These things are something I celebrate and I am excited to be back on track.  I have to remember that this is my journey and there will be obstacles in my which will sometimes lead me astray and it is part of my journey to learn how to identify distractions in order to save time.  April and the figure competition is only part of my journey.