Sponsor Me!

This is the picture I took yesterday after receiving it from the Meat Free Athlete company. This is also the picture I posted on Twitter last night. Within FIVE MINUTES, I had been told I was looking great by the MFA founder, a vegan cook who published five books AND an athlete sponsored by Vega (my dream!) I was riding a high all night long feeling like a mini celebrity, and it carried over to today. I kept thinking to myself, "SPONSORSHIP!!!!" and as feeling so great in my Nike outfit that I also thought, "Nike paid me to wear those clothes, and I need to do them justice!" It's amazing how far a few mind games can go...

I wish I could say everything was perfect right now, but one unfortunate thing has put a damper on me. I'm thankful that I can always turn anger into fuel and put a positive spin on things. The female trainer (we might as well just call her "nemesis" from now on...) as standing near a machine I wanted to use. Her foot was on the pad, but honestly, that doesn't mean that she was using it. I came up from behind and said, "Can I get in here?" She ignored me, although I KNOW she heard me. A second time, and then she whipped her head around and snapped, "I'm working here." Wow, ooooookay, way to prove the rumors about her poor attitude correct. So sad that she's a graduate from the program for which I now work.

I had a great rest of the workout after shaking it off because I thought to myself, "Guess what, you may be intimidated by me or not like me, but I'm not going ANYWHERE." I'll be there every day, sometimes twice. No better revenge than success, eh?

I ran into a guy who I hadn't seen in about six weeks, and he couldn't stop commenting on how my arms were "all ripped up" - love it! I told him about the Vega and Plant Fusion proteins I use, and he's totally interested in trying them! I could be an ambassador after all ;)

It's been really great to have people asking about my journey, seeking tips and following me on Twitter. I hope it keeps going! Tonight I had a fantastically clean and simple dinner that makes me feel sad for "plain chicken and broccoli" bodybuilding. Pssh, my food is way better!



Nighty night, time to recover and rebuild!

Got My Toes Wet, and Now I'm Hooked!

Officially 12 weeks out and flying high on motivation and encouragement. I even had two new wonderful things to wear to the gym this morning and kill it :) My first pair of Free trainers and my first of several plant-powered athlete slogan shirts:



The tank was a little bit,but the shoes fit like a dream. No one was brave enough to ask about my shirt, but there were tons of cute guys and I was even able to get a number ;) The guy co-owns a pizza place, so I asked if they served soy cheese. He said, "no, but we'll put it on there if you bring it!" Hmm, we have to start somewhere, I guess!

Yesterday I went to my first posing clinic and learned all the poses. We even practiced during the entire walk and individuals in heels. I was the bravest one by wearing a swimsuit under and staying after to pose in it. The coach seemed to take extra time with me and told me I was looking great. I also announced to the group that I was competing as a vegan, and one of the girls told me afterward that she thought it was awesome :) Here's two of the shots:



I feel comfortable with my core and legs at this point, but my main focus no needs to be on growing my lats and delts so I can have a nice broad V taper. I can only do so much, and the rest will just come down to genetics. I hope my legs give me an advantage, though :)

I went down to Atlanta last night to watch a friend from FL compete in an NPC bikini competition. There were some great competitors, but she only had one person up against her in the tall division, so it was an easy win for her. I was shocked at how SKINNY some of the bikini competitors were, but I was most comforted by seeing a ripped girl about my size (who also didn't have a big V back) win the overall novice figure :) The coolest part was sitting next to a couple who competed and having the guy respond with a "So, what's the difference?" attitude about me competing as a vegan. He meant it in a GREAT way, meaning I had just as much of a shot as anyone else. He even knew a little bit about combining dfferent plant proteins. Way to not be a COMPLETE meathead, or at least an educated, open-minded one! :) I had dinner at Cafe Sunflower, and I had to have a piece of vegan coconut cream cake, which was my first dessert in weeks and probably last one for 12 weeks:



I have also continued with fabulous "vegan champ" food for myself, which includes sweet potatoes, quinoa, spinach, beefless tips, broild avocados, tofu with chili paste, and "green" oatmeal with chai flavored Vega One:



I'm relaxing the rest of the day and going heavy on the legs tomorrow. I'm also getting closer and closer to those full splits!

My Back and Forth Mojo

I've taken a little break because I've been trynig to get myself together. I had no idea that my motivation would flip flop so much. I think I was on the edge of mental burnout, because I am still giving 150% to each workout and meal, but then it was like my motivation was completely drained after the cool down. It's great to be committed to my goal, but I can't let the rest of my life fall apart in the process.

I love sharing my lifestyle and my goals with my students and encouraging them to chase after their own. I am rearranging my eating schedule to where I'll be eating plated dinners at work around 5:30 or 6 on Tuesday and Thursday nights. I brought this in on Tuesday, and I almost had to fight some of them off it. I also loved that they thought there was steak on the kabob (I think some of them mistook both the tempeh and mushrooms for meat, ha!)



I've been so proud of myself for my eating, because I have not put a single thing in my body that wasn't natural or whole since I paid my registration fee. I am definitely getting to that point where my body is craving the good stuff and I'm not tempted by anything. Feels good!

I'm also adding to some of my previous records - I'm now up to 27.5 lb dumbbells in each hand for overhead presses and five wide grip unassisted pullups! One of my students saw me in the gym while I was doing them, and he said, "Wow, I have never seen a woman do pullups like that with so much control!" I also got the compliment of my life that morning: an older woman was being trained, and she walked over to me to say, "You look great! I told my trainer I want to look like you." That alone was awesome, but then she leaned in and said, "You know that tall trainer here? Who would ever want to look like that? Too skinny!"

To whom was she referring? My nemesis, of course! Score!

The other thing that is really weighing me down lately is that I feel like when you stand for something, you often stand alone. There is a pattern of men bailing on me before they even give anything a chance because they have that incredibly stupid closed-minded viewpoint that they can't live without meat (or even worse, are Paleo, ugh.) I'm just tired of people saying I'm so wonderful and blah, blah, blah, yet not wanting to accept everything about me. I was down about it last night, but I took myself back into the gym and hit 45 hard minutes on the elliptical (I had already done an hour of plyo in the morning.)

The one other thing I don't quite know how to handle is when I tell someone "I'm competing as a vegan" and they give me the blankest, "uh-huh" look. Come on, people, it's 2013!!!

My student trainer has been such a lifesaver in this process. He told me I should quit beating myself up over being perfect and just give the best I have. That's all he wants, and THAT, I know I can give. I came in frustrated and with a mental block on Tuesday, but he took me to the point of being completely physically done by the time we ended. I'm not sure I can remember the last time I've felt that way!

I guess all I can really do is keep doing what I'm doing. I'm going to bring in some beefless beef tips today and totally blow my students' minds!

Kiss Me, I'm Irish!

I haven't said much about Jezabel, but she's my sweet, wiggly, eight-year-old Cocker. I got dressed up in some St. Patty's swag to take her to the dog park with a girl who I met here.



It was another gorgeous mid-70s day here, but I had to spend some time inside in the gym. I went to Anytime, my "old" gym that I don't go to much anymore. I knew it would be practically deserted, and I was right. I also had to check the scoreboard, and yes, it was confirmed that I won last month's challenge with 57 burpees in three minutes!

I saw something that helped me train harder this morning. It was the story of a pit bull whose ears were clipped with scissors and who tried to chew her own leg off to get out of a chain. I bought the "Rescue" shirt to support her recovery, but I was so angered that I was able to turn that into fuel and increase weight on a couple exercises. I also did the heavy ropes longer than intended. Thinking about the pain that animals endure reminded me that any pain I go through will never be that bad. Poor babies :(

On a much lighter note, the staff member was encouraging when I told him about the competition. Everyone else has an (unsolicited) opinion, but he basically said, "You have the muscularity, you're just trying to lean out now, right? You should do great at that and have fun. If nothing else, it'll make you better." And then...he asked if I had sponsorships and said to tell them if I needed any help. I was already thinking I'll make a pitch to both gyms, but really I want to be part of Team Vega more than anything else!

I was starving when I left, but the scale said 126! I'm on my way to leanness!!! I cam home to a slightly more green than normal lunch, which included guacamole stuffed poblanos. That was after I downed my double-the-beets spinach smoothie. I downed half pre-workout and half post, and I think that'll be my new approach.



Speaking of beets, I purchased a "powered by beets" shirt today, along with some meatfree athlete and dog rescue shirts. I love being a walking slogan :)

I've been thinking a lot about motivation, and it seems to align with some of what I'm reading in Brendan Brazier's Thrive Fitness (autographed copy from eBay, what what!) I have incredibly high intrinsic motivation, but it seems to run out immediately. There's not slow decline - I'm on top of the world and then a total sloth. I try to remind myself that I'm an unstoppable, save the world every day, type A perfectionist and should cut myself some slack once in a while, but...it's hard. The two things I don't want to happen during this journey are 1) injury and 2) burnout. I'm hoping this isn't a bad sign of things to come...

Going to bed early so I can wake up even earlier than normal for heavy leg day before an 8:00 dentist appt.

Spring is in the Air

I finally got to wake up at 7:15, which is definitely considered "sleeping in." Saturday is the one day that I'm glad it's still dark at that time. I was excited to hit the gym because I knew I was going to wear my new favorite slighty dressy/sexy purple satiny Nike spaghetti strap tank. I must say I enjoyed seeing my upper back muscles popping out! :)

The most interesting thing I think about my gym is that the female trainer is seriously threatened by me. She shouldn't be, because I'm one of the most anonymous people in there. I may wear girly clothing, but I mostly talk to no one and read my book while stretching. The most saddening thing is that most of the members have terrible form and that a lot of the staff don't correct it. I have to remind myself that it's not my job and not my problem (unless I wanted to spending my time helping everyone and not getting my own workout...)

I was excited to dive into another Svelte drink immediately post workout:



It was a high of 76 today and the first time I got to wear short sleeves, capris and sandals today. My nickname is Sporty Spice, so naturally my biggest fear about competing is the heels. One of the previous competitors even suggested I got for 5-inchers! I bought these shoes this winter on clearance, so time to rock them!



I went to an olive oil bar for olive oil and vinegar tasting and politely opted out of tasting the dark balsamics on the (nonvegan) ice cream. I'm a sucker for truffle oil, which is very expensive, but I think I just made the absolute best ever pesto with it. Ohhhh my yummy! I also found a pineapple vinegar that I'll be mixing with soy sauce to make a marinade for tempeh veggie kabobs. I swung by the St. Pet-rick's Adoptathon at the animal shelter to drop off a few donations and see the animals. It will probably be one of the organizations for which I try to raise funds :) I bought a couple clearance small belts for my now-looser pants, yay! I also finally ended the dessert tea saga by getting peppermint chocolate Republic of Tea from World Market, and I couldn't resist a big bottle of sugar free white chocolate Torani syrup.

My dinner is random but delicious:



I'm trying to shave my dog (which usually happens in installments) and want to get to bed early, so let's hope some tea will do it. I have two clever mugs, the one on the right for daytime and the one on the left for night time:

Oh My Soreness!

I've been nicknamed "T Rex" before at a physical therapy tech job because for some odd reason the outlets were placed so high on the wall that I had to get on my toes and reach my arms as high as possible. I'm 5'4.5", but I'm mostly torso with shorter limbs. It's funny now that I would love for days that I look and feel like a T Rex.

Why, you ask? Because that means I blasted my biceps so hard that I can't straighten my arms! Truth to told, every inch of my biceps, triceps and shoulders are sore. It hasn't even been 12 hours post workout, so I'm terrified for tonight...

I realized one of the most amazing things about my job is that I can't even call it work. I go in every day and feel like I'm hanging out with my friends, and I can see so much of myself as a student in them. Their excitement excites me to become a better teacher, trainer and person, and the college gives me excellent professional development resources to improve my skills.

This morning I went in for my standard 30 minute cardio while reading session. I don't "allow" myself to read unless I'm moving, so that's my reward for when I'm walking my dog (yes, I just said that - been doing it about 4-5 years now) or on the elliptical. It's similar to how I tell myself "You're just going to go out and listen to some music" when I go for a run. Similar to how I say "You're just going to go hang out with a friend" on a first date (low expectations = no harm if it's a dud, extra excitement if it works out.)

Today's post-gym treat was another Svelte drink with another sassy slogan:



This afternoon I'm catching up on little errands, such as the huge ordeal of changing all my auto stuff over from FL to SC, cooking up a storm and testing out some ab workouts on Hulu and/or going to Friday night Zumba. I'm even going to give Walmart a chance to weigh in on the tea selection. Ingles, one of the local grocery stores, also disappointed me yesterday. I didn't want to resort to Amazon or drive across town to Whole Foods or World Market, but I will if I have to.

(I'm picking this up tonight from this morning) - I'm officially a SC resident!



I'm spending the rest of the night cooking, lounging, Netflixing, maybe playing piano, and going to bed early so I can get ready for a beautiful Saturday!

Maybe It is Mental...?

You know what I ate today? My words from the other post about this not being a sacrifice. I think I needed to have these feelings today, though, because a have a new level of appreciation and awareness. I also bonded more with my student trainer, and I can tell that our relationship growing is another integral part of this journey. He knows what to say and when to say it, and I couldn't be more proud as his instructor to know that I'm helping groom someone who will be excellent in his future career.

It was a "I wonder what the girl who is going to beat you is doing right now," to which I replied (without even thinking, really), "No one will beat me," that got it started. He sprinkled in some others, such as "If you want it, you have to go after it." My favorite was during plyo push-ups when I sat back for a second and said, "You know...if I put as much into each and every workout for the next 12 weeks, it's going to be so challenging." My thought wasn't done, but he filled in where I was going - "...and so rewarding." He was taking me to a new level of muscle failure. The twitches were lingering long after the reps ended, and several times I made that awkward sputtering sound that occurs when you are drained and possibly want to cry (or maybe that's just me.) I mean, I was curling the 50 lb bar with ease. I'm not a weakling.

All the more reason to be in it to win it.

I was able to sneak to the grocery store during my lunch break, and not a single thing tempted me. Nothing made it into the basket that wasn't on the super clean list. Grapefruit was on the list, but I didn't intend to buy 18 lbs of it until I realized it was only $8. If you don't know what 18 lbs of grapefruit looks like...



I brought a bowl of the date/avocado/cocoa "mousse" and offered it to all my students. Instant love! I also really tested the theory of drinking ice water to keep yourself cooler during exercise. I accidentally left my water bottle in the freezer all morning and got it on my lunch break. Being able to drink water with small chunks of ice while sweating it out was a nice reprieve.

The thing on my brain now is how to make sure I'm incredibly successful for Spring Break in a few weeks. It will take a ton of prep and diligence, but I have already reminded my parents (my companions for the trip) how important this is. They met the guy I was dating last summer about a week before his first show, so they now just how strict it can get.

I'm full (just to the right amount) with recovery drink, quinoa and avocados, cinnamon tea and ACCOMPLISHMENT!

The most progress happens while you sleep, so I'm going to get after it!

Sweet Success!

Now I know that yes, I can eat a vegan jerk tofu salad at a pizza place in downtown Greenville and not feel like I'm missing out on anything (even when I surrounded by humongous calzones and pizzas!)



The date was with a carnivore who sounds totally on board with the amount of commitment I'll be putting into my training, and he even said he wants to try any and every vegan thing that I'd make for him. His birthday is next week, so I'm going to make a deep dish cookie cake from Chocolate Covered Katie's blog . It is made without sugar and with chickpeas, but he won't know until AFTER eating it :)

I was excited to have a couple bites when I came home of date/cocoa/avocado/almond milk "mousse." My coworker made this for me a couple weeks ago, and I was proud to say that mine turned out just as tasty :)



The perfect solution when you've gone to Sam's Club and purchased far too many avocados and dates for one household. It really does taste like chocolate pudding, too!

Today's workout was an hour of plyo in the morning. I had the ladies' area to myself (this is a pattern), and the women who were "cruising" on cardio were facing right at me. I kept thinking to myself, "C'mon, ladies, THIS is how you change your bodies, over here, not cardio machines only!" Of course I do cardio, too, but it's always focused and always has a plan/goal.

One of the things I'm enjoying the most is that I'm now on the last hole of my belt. I'm probably going to take a trip to Stein Mart to buy some fun new belts. I feel between sizes in pants, but I'm not ready to buy a whole new wardrobe just yet...

Before I gave my exercise physiology students a test, I asked them the question, "To weigh or not to weigh?" I love that they immediately launch into explaining how body fat percentage and clothing size are more important and that clients should not have an unhealthy obsession with weight. We have taught them well! I spent the afternoon on our other campus in a professional development meeting about facilitating group meetings, and I stopped by Fresh Market on the way home.

What a disappointing tea selection :( I was dreaming of some fancy $12 organic, fair trade gourmet dessert tea, but the section was smaller than in any store I'd seen. It was mostly matcha, rooibos and green teas, and most had caffeine. I ended up with some type of "good night" tea with lavendar and other floral nights. I hope it will help me ease into bed more easily, but I'm still holing out for some dessert tea. World Market and Whole Foods are right near each other, so I'll probably head there tomorrow.

The posing suit designer was going to order the fabric swatch, but then she found out that wasn't possible. We're back to square one and keeping our eyes peeled. I"m wondering if I can contact PETA or Pamela Anderson directly for help?

Pain is Temporary, Beastin' is Forever

My student trainer said this to me while I was doing pushups with each hand on a medicine ball. Every time I feel like I have already hit my max, he makes me do more. I laughed right when he said it, but I was able to crank out a few more reps. This will be my new mantra! I also liked when he said "Be Fergielicious, or be forgotten!"

My morning started with some heavy chest and back, and I was able to enjoy this on the drive from gym to work. Thanks, Svelte, I was thinking the same thing ;)



Work was rewarding today, including seeing my students improve in praticals. They "teach" exercises to me, explaining them in intense detail, and they started to sound less memorized and more conversational. I also ended the night with a career talk for prospective students. I had a small group, including one person in a wheelchair. It will be a struggle for us to figure out how to adapt the program for him, but it will be a rewarding one :)

My afternoon session with my student trainer went fabulously (I had Skillet on the iPod, woo!!!), and the news that I am competing spread through the rest of the students. We're talking about a field trip to see one student's MMA fight in May and then my competition in June. Did I MENTION that I love my students and my job?!

I ended the night with some elliptical. I could be left alone on an elliptical with a book forever, but I'm one of the few people I know who can still do intense intervals and read at the same time. Believe it or not, I'm one of the most motion sick people ever. Ironic? I'm reading Dewey's Nine Lives, and I teared up a little. Love animal stories :)

I gave one of the participants in our clinic a stack of vegan recipes for Lent, and she said she's ready to start whipping them up next week. I love encouraging veganism just by people seeing how strong I am in the fitness center :)

This entry has been a little short and choppy, but it's late again. My goal was to eat dinner a little earlier (I don't get to leave work until about 7:40 Tues/Thurs), so I had it ready to go before I came home. Talk about maximizing a salad plate!



I'm going to bed with incredibly sore glutes and burned out forearms, but I'm still feeling great. The posing suit designer sent me a picture of a fabric that may be perfect for the "lettuce leaf a la Pamela Anderson PETA ad" posing suit, so we'll see. I'm also contemplating plant powered athlete slogan shirts, and I just realized I'm about to run out of dessert tea. That will be one of the biggest treats and motivators I will have during this time, so I may splurge and buy some really fancy stuff. I had the Gypsy Tea cacao raspberry before, and it was divine!

Next thing to tackle tomorrow night: first date since undertaking this journey. Let's see how Greenville treats vegans who want to eat clean and live lean :)

How Long Can This High Last?

I really am in it to win it. "It" is not first place in the figure competition. "It" is so much more. I feel incredibly strong and unbelievably dedicated to the cause. Before I get too mushy, though, let me say what I've been thinking after a weekend of cooking amazing food: if a man can keep me interested long enough to share a kitchen with me, he will be a lucky man! I'm currently drowning in food and storage containers, but I have so much self control that I'm going to go through it slowly.

This morning was a little rough to get started, I'm not going to lie. It was still pitch black at 7:15 when I walked into the gym. After peeling off the top layer, I was strutting in the same tiny blue shorts from the other day. Hey, I didn't sweat in them and they made me feel like a champ. I've been working out in the ladies only area for a bit because the weights and functional fitness area are usually open, but I took it back to the regular part today. One of the other reasons I don't usually use that area is because there are a ton of LOOKIE LOOS and a rude female trainer who constantly gives me dirty looks. What could of look did she give me today? A jealous one when she saw my legs. Score! She may have even kicked the stepmill up a notch after seeing me, but I can't verify that ;)

I upped weight on EVERYTHING, so it was something like this: 270 lb leg press, 110 lb leg extension, 25 lb db in each hand walking lunges, 20 lb one-legged stiff legged deadlift. I always do drop sets, so I worked my way down in weight in each set until I couldn't take it anymore. Two rounds of that with a round of db woodchops, russian twists and plank variations with elbows on a stability ball and I was doneskies. Except that I still had time. Hmm. 10 minutes on the stepmill? Why not? I'm one of the few people in the gym who actually doesn't lean her entire bodyweight on the handles, so I wanted to show the person next to me how it's done. I kept my headphones in ("Go Hard or Go Home" playlist, of course!) and did intervals of 130 steps/min for 30 secs, 110 steps/min for 30. I wanted to quit after about two minutes but stayed for the full 10. I've tried to step up my flexibility game and regain full splits on each leg (a throwback to dance team years), so I read while stretcing for a full five minutes.

I knew the scale would be my friend today, because I put on a pair of size 2 pants I hadn't worn in a while. Not only did they not have the tightness around the waist that they had before, but I got to cinch the belt in to a notch that I just recently achieved. 126 lbs, which means I'm down about two from two weeks ago. When you're already about 15% body fat, that's a pretty big deal. I couldn't be more happy that all my clean eating in the last week has already started to pay off!

I loved my Vega One vanilla chai shake after teaching class, and I had lots of other great food today. Broiled avocados with almond pepper jack cheez,



chickpea curry,



groundnut stew, a baked apple,



soy yogurt with blueberries/walnuts/coconut



and other stuff. I met some cool plant powered people on Twitter and got a retweet for an awesome vegan recipe I posted. My coworkers gathered around and talked about how they are going to make a cheering section for me on June 15, and my trainer is proud of me :) I even got word from the suit designer that she's going to start looking for lettuce leaf-like fabric.

Next item rolling around in my mind - buy gear from www.meatfreeathlete.com!

I'm off to do more deep stretching so I can walk tomorrow!

Another Day, Another Step Closer!

Today is my first time living in EST, and it was incredible to see this at 7:30 pm...



I did things differently today, and I have to say I liked it. I'm usually a "first thing in the morning" exerciser, but I decided to hold off until the new gym I joined opened up. I still have my Anytime Fitness membership, but I joined Pivotal because it's two blocks away, is huge and has a ton of group fitness classes. They just got new K2 stepmills that I got to break in last night, and they are sturdy enough to run intervals on (literally RUN for 30 sec at a time - quick way to get the entire gym to look at you...) I live in an area that has some of the most churches per capita, so no surprise they don't open until noon on Sundays. No biggie, because I finally got the furniture in my living room arranged the way I wanted (I moved here Dec. 18. Don't judge!)

I popped off an email to the posing suit designer who attended the meeting yesterday, and she wrote back quickly to say that she would think about some ideas and get back to me. Will I end up with my dream suit? I might, and it will be an interpretation of one of the most clever ads I've ever seen. I used to have this as my desktop computer background about 10 years ago in college:



I started out with a typical "breakfast," but it'll be the last one like it for a while. I finished off my tub of VegaOne nutritional shake in chocolate (pictured here thickened with an avocado) and am excited to open my new favorite flavor, vanilla chai. Seriously yummy.



I am also enjoying my first experience with wheatgrass, deliciously packaged with aloe vera and smooth and sweet going down:



Today couldn't have been more gorgeous, so I rocked my favorite shiny black capris, a coral UA top (loose fit) and layered on my $6 steal from NY & CO yesterday, a coral (although it looks pink in this picture) bedazzled zip up hoodie. I was so excited to throw it on that I didn't realize until coming home that I left the "XS" sticker on it. Doh.



I had what I used to call in FL a "no drive day" because I lived within a mile of my work, gym, dentist, vet, airport, mall, movie theater and tons of restaurants. It took maybe 10 minutes to walk to Pivotal, and I had sidewalk for most of it. It's amazing the looks of pity that you receive when walking. Clearly when I have my purse packed and my headphones in, I'm CHOOSING to walk. It's not "aww, poor girl," it's "yay, awesome girl!"

I snagged a bike for Spinning (which you have to do 30 minutes before class), and I tried to decide what to do. I wasn't going to be stupid by doing cardio before class, and nothing needed to be strength trained, so I mellowed out and went into the ladies' only area for some yoga. I created a flow that I think is perfect: warrior 1, warrior 2, reverse warrior, right angle, triangle, reverse triangle, pyramid, warrior 1, warrior 3, back to warrior 1 to repeat. Five times on each side feels wonderful :) Also threw in some down dogs, cobras, and a chair/sun goddess/half moon combo alternating sides. I was able to walk into class feeling limber and centered, and I was greeted by at least two other women, out of only about 10, wearing coral/black combos. Interesting. I heard the gym just got new bikes, but I had to see it for myself. We had the yellow Lemonds, which are a smooth ride but give the rider NO feedback or information whatsoever. Because I'm a former fitness director and Spinning instructor, I was interested to see what the staff chose. It looked big and awkward, and I kind of wanted to get off after the first couple of revolutions, but I made friends over the 60 minutes with this thing:



I'm also making friends with these two - a fancy, expensive recovery formula containing quercetin that I needed just to be able to move the next day when I was teaching a ton of group fitness classes, and vegan creatine. I know the first one works, but the jury is out on the other one.



I ate the same meal twice today, and I didn't manage to take a picture before eating. Gah! I've been using my mom's old stone plateware with cute bright flowers on it, and I've been using the salad plates to maximize the "volume" (search the Volumetrics Eating Plan.) I sometimes put random things together, but they work. I had a "nutloaf," which is the vegan version of a meatloaf, with crushed tomatoes on top, mixed with cilantro/pecan pesto and a baked apple with pecans, raisins, coconut and cinnamon. I'm sure I'll have plenty more posts with plenty of food. You can also find all the food on my Facebook page,

I'm hoping that I can keep riding this high, because I feel 1,000 committed and optimistic. The biggest challenge that I'm conquering right now is not nibbling before bedtime. I have noticed, though, that if I am still feeling hungry, I crave good food instead of junk. I got some vegan dark chocolate calcium candies to savor one a day for 30 calories, and I am planning on expanding my line of dessert teas to satiate me before bedtime. My melatonin is kicking in, and I'm striving for a big day tomorrow. Heavy legs, heavy calf work (which I never do because my calves are naturally beast, ha!), a lecture on the respiratory system at work and a trip to Asheville for my silks class.

Before I part, I must say that another highlight of the day was realizing that I couldn't remember the last time I took the trash out. Not because I'm a slob, of course, but because I am so obsessed with recycling that I pull stuff out of the Dumpster when I toss in Jezabel's poop (in biodegradable bags, naturally!)

The Day That It All Comes Together...

I've been in this place before, where I thought I was going to do a figure competition and posted a picture to Facebook announcing my decision. I was well on my way, but I never put any money into it or fully committed. Today, I committed. I handed over my $75 check at the free informational session of the Caronlina Supernatural, which will be June 15, and I left with a handful of resources and a swell of pride.

So what's different now? I have proved to myself several times again within the last year that I can do ANYTHING that I have my sights on and that HARD WORK PAYS OFF. I had no idea when I prepped for the other show that I would spend most of the summer traveling for job interviews and getting my heart broken after being first runner-up again and again. Now I've landed my dream job, and I couldn't appreciate it as much if I didn't have to struggle for it. I've decided to go back to being 100% vegan, too, and I've been loving the resources I have here between Earth Fare, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. I've been scouring Twitter and Pinterest, and I'm realizing how deeply the roots run between like-minded people around the world. They impress me and inspire me, and I want to make them proud :) I also hope to be featured in vegan publications and maybe land a sponsorship???

I told the show organizers that I was nervous and terrified to show up today. I thought for sure I would walk into a room of perfectly sculpted, perfectly poised pros. Wow, was I so wrong... I think it was summed up best when one of the speakers said, "3/4 of you in the room have not prepared for this," and I screamed in my mind, "Heard that!" Seriously, most of those girls clearly have no clue how hard you have to work to get that kind of definition. There are only figure and bodybuilding divisions, not bikini, so they have to be be built (not just skinny and chesty...) I have to think that many of those women realized they are in over their heads and went home tonight thinking maybe next year would be their year. I also loved the attention that I received (in the form of sideways glanced and raised eyebrows) when I returned to the room in my tiniest-I-can-legally-wear sky blue Nike shorts. That's right, ladies, I lift heavy on my legs. I have to start somewhere, so this is my "baseline picture."

The veganism is going to be a huge part of this journey. I am already a HUGE fan of Brendan Brazier's Vega products, specifically the Vega One shake (chocolate blended with an avocado for a thicket consistency) and the Vega Performance Protein in vanilla (added to my insanely gross looking but super delicious spinach/strawberry/sunflower seed smoothies), and I am going to keep experimenting around with other things. I've been cooking up a storm and love how clean I'm eating. It's amazing how quickly your body responds when you decide to NOT eat the way the average Americans do. As always, my hair is thick and shiny, my skin looks like I'm still 24, and I have so much energy that I constantly hear "you're a machine!" Fifteen minute plank and 57 burpees in three minutes?! Yeah, I did that. Especially now that Paleo has taken off (which I think is such a joke, because typing in "paleo" in Pinterest brings up chocolate frosting - that I guess went on the cavemans' cupcakes???), I think it's that much more important that I prove vegans are just as strong as meat eaters. The huge difference is that we are BEAUTIFUL INSIDE. We don't use ridiculous supplements that "get you all jacked," we don't complain about our bland food while mindlessly chomping down on huge amounts of animals, and we aren't the people in the gym who make other people not want to be there. We live compassionately and resourcefully, and there should simply be more people like us.

I was touched by how much money I was able to raise for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society before I did the Nation's Triathlon. I know that most people won't open their wallets as quickly or as deeply for animals and the environment, but I am going to see what I can get. None of the money will benefit me personally. I haven't chosen a cause yet, but I will make sure that it goes to something that all the benefactors can see.

The last thing I can't get out of my head today is how the speakers mentioned sacrifice. They swore the next 13 weeks will be grueling and slightly miserable and that we will make many sacrifices. I don't think I'm going to be on the same journey as everyone else. I'm not making a sacrifice; I'm making a STATEMENT. My life has shown a pattern of me getting something in my mind and not abandoning it until I've seen it through. I think about how traditional minds will be blown when I stand on stage at my strongest with things like tofu, peas and spinach running through my veins. I think about how each day that I speak out and stand up for what I believe it, I become less and less of the minority. I think about all the sweet animals of the world and how they need people to speak for them.

This may be my chance to step up and make a difference. Regardless the outcome, my feet are at the bottom of the staircase and facing forward.

Also, my delicious dinner of Moroccan groundnut stew over quinoa and braised kale with garlic and almonds :)