Mind and Muscle Connection

Over the last few weeks my body had gone though a copious amount of changes, but so has my head... I've changed so much, and who the heck woulda thunk it!
It hurts a little to admit it, but I was totally weak before this challenge. I didn't push myself at all, I did ONLY what I had to do... in almost everything... ewww! But now I come from a place of YES (just like  Bethenny Frankle who I LOVE) and it feels amazing!
Last night we finished Week 8 of BeautyFit Boot Camp (that's 14 weeks straight for me) and it was so much fun, and wow, what an accomplishment! But afterwards we chatted a little bit with Jimmy Mentis (he's the kinda guy who has this ability to ask you questions that seem cut and dry until 4 a.m. when you actually start to analyse what he really meant) he asked us a few questions... "Is boot camp easier now?" and the answer is NO it isn't, but I'm soooo much stronger! Then he asked "Do you find you are 'pushing' or 'pulling' yourself" - I immediately said "oh I push" and I was pretty confident in that answer. I admit sometimes I gotta pull my butt outta bed to meet Lisa @ 7 a.m., but I push to do better every dang day!... Well as expected that question burned in my head ALL DAMN night... what did he mean? What am I not getting? What's the difference?

It's 7 a.m. I'm with Lisa ready to find out what she has planned for me and I'm like... "OH SH*T"!! I have 13 weight lifting exercises to do in reps of 10 and 15... this will be timed and done 5 times! again OH SH*T!  My first time through was 5 mins and 34 seconds... not bad and I feel freaking awesome... I get to the 4th set and Lisa tells me I've shortened my time each set... WHAT???? I'm pumped I wanna beat MYSELF! My body is screaming and I honestly feel like puking, I can't breathe ... I may even pass out... BUT, and this is the big thing, my MIND says "ROCK THIS!!" and I did... 4 Mins 39 Seconds... I "PULLED" myself through and shaved almost an entire minute off my time! And it's not over... I don't even get it yet... I have no idea I figured out what Jimmy meant... until Lisa puts me on the stair mill for 10 mins doing 2 minute intervals... I am dripping sweat, there is puke in my throat and my legs have been filled with sand.... seriously! Is she crazy, I can't even find the place of Yes here... WTF! EVERY SINGLE STEP I took in the last 4 minutes was completely controlled by my brain... lift right leg, set down, lift left leg, set down for 4 straight minutes...
I "PUSH" myself every single day and those pushes are easier every day because I have made a decision to "come from a place of Yes" but some times I gotta "PULL" and that is the hardest thing to do... make that connection between your mind and your muscles and that is training at it's best! My trainers push me, they pull me, they read me and they call bullsh*t when it's necessary but most importantly... they teach me how to do it myself! Push vs. Pull... I get it, do you? xo

Race Day

WOW! What an amazing day it's been already! If you've been reading along as I take this journey to a stronger, healthier me... you'll know that running has been a goal of mine. When I took those first steps to the new me back in March I set a goal to run a 3km race next summer... sometimes things don't go as planned... sometimes they're better!! I ran my very first race today, June 19th, 2011... that's more than a year early!!!
I can't even begin to tell you how freakin' scary it was to agree to do this (2 weeks prior to the race), but I believed in myself because I had so many amazing people standing behind me believing in me already!
So I ran today... not a 3km, but a 5km... yep a 5KM!!! and it felt amazing! As I was coming back into University Stadium to run my final 355 metres I was greeted by the cheers and smiles of the most supportive and loving women... I am so lucky to have these beautiful ladies in my life... Sheryl Gatzke the runner who inspired me and pushed me to run this race NOW, Crystal Cox, my soul sister and partner in this challenge and Sandra (Sam) Compton, my trainer and life saver. I immediately broke into tears, I was so happy and over come with emotion, that these ladies care so much about me that they would come out and make this that much more special for me was incredible... but I had to keep running... I still had to cross that finish line. While bawling and trying to keep breathing, I pass by the 2 paramedics and all I can think is "please dear God do not ask if I'm okay"... I'm pretty sure I looked ready to die... Just as I get it together from that I see my husband and 2 beautiful children cheering and waving... well I'm done, Imma sobbing mess, but who the heck cares I can see the finish line and I'm almost there... so I book it and just go for it... the time on the clock 37.22, my chip time 36.17... a personal best! I ran 5km today and beat my personal best... I rock like crazy!!!
Sheryl ran 5km in this race also and finished at 27 mins... WOW!! and Lisa Nosal, my super strong and beautiful trainer ran the 10km in 58 mins... HOLY CRAP! These ladies are great roll models for this new runner!! ... HA! I'm a RUNNER!!

Sherly, Sam and I... BeautyFuel'd!

Sheryl, Lisa and I... RUNNERS!!

This HAWT new bod!

Funny thing happened today, it's my birthday so I thought I'd go out and spend some birthday money on some new under garments... It's really weird and uncomfortable when your underwear are saggy so it was kinda exciting to buy smaller ones... but then tonight I got my bday present from Jim and the kids! Jim's card acutally made me cry... he said that he loved me and he hoped that I enjoyed my new body in my new "expensive" lulu sweater...  I was sooooooo badly wanting this hoodie from Lululemon and I got it!! So I tried it on, it fit like a glove and I felt awesome wearing it... Jim took a picture of me and when I looked at it I said "Oh My God! I look Skinny!!!"... what a strange feeling, to look at yourself and be pleased with the picture! And I even smiled and posed because I KNEW I looked pretty good. I immediately posted the picture on Facebook and sent it to Sam... This is a picture that I want to show!!
This is amazing because for the last few weeks, people have been saying really nice things about how I look, but I honestly wasn't seeing it... I even thought maybe people were trying to "make me feel good" to encourage me, which is sooo nice, but I wanted to feel it rather than hear it... Well guess what?!? I FEEEEEEL IT!!! I feel thinner, and leaner, and stronger... and I feel pretty dang HAWT!! Happy birthday to ME!!

Woohoo Half way there...

Guess What, guess what?!?!? It's week 6!! That's right, you heard me, I'm at the half way point! I'm still alive and well... getting stronger by the second! This is a very exciting point in the challenge because now the heat will get turned up, so to speak, and I KNOW I can handle it! YAY ME!!
So last week was freaking crazy!!! Between Monday and Friday I had 3 boot camps and 3 training sessions with Lisa... Holy smokes! In case you missed it, that's 6 work outs in 5 days (not to mention my running) so my Friday Fun day was SUPER FUN!! Lisa had me doing Pushing and Pulling... this may not sound too terribly hard, but let me tell you it IS!!! Annnnnnd I had Sam come and do some videoing of my Wednesday Pull... no pressure... both my t-t-trainers (yeah I stuttered) in the same room, at the same time and "ME" as the focal point... ummmm yeah, that sucked! There was a lot of smiling,... and laughing,... and weird facial expressions (my lip kept doing this crazy Elvis curl with each "Pull")... Nice!
Friday night Sam had an invite only "Free FRALL Boot Camp" that was DJ'd by 91.5 The Beat... It was so much fun!! Someone gave Sam a Megaphone... I'm just not gonna comment on that...
A side from alllllllll the hard work I'm doing at the gym, I've also decided (with a little help from Sheryl Gesinghaus-Gatzke from World Gym Kitchener) to enter the Waterloo Classic 10K Road Race... I will be doing the 5K run and am SO FREAKING NERVOUS!!! This will be my first race, and since I only started running 2 months ago its a HUGE deal to me!! Lisa (my WGK trainer) will also be doing this race, so I'll be in great company and I'm pretty excited!!
SO Here we go Week 6! Race day is Sunday and I'm feeling Grrrrrrrrreat!! So Bring me whatchu got!

The Magic Pill

Everyone is always looking for the easy road on any journey. It's not a bad thing, in today's crazy life style it's no wonder we have time to do anything! That's why it isn't a surprise that there are so many products available for weight loss, management and control... but how the heck to you pick the right products?? It isn't easy... in fact it's nearly impossible for someone like me, except I was lucky! I wrote in my first blog entry how I became acquainted with BeautyFit... getting my nails done, was offered a free sample of "BeautyFuel", blah blah blah... One could say that that very day my life changed... my magic pill for health and well being... well that's kinda true.
I had no idea what supplements I should or should not be taking and with this challenge I've been lucky enough to use the entire line and I have to say I really have never felt better, but if I had to choose my favourite product, I would have to say it's the BeautyFuel.
BeautyFuel gives me what I need to power through my day. I've been telling you all how HARD I'M WORKING for 5 weeks now, so I'm sure you're wondering why I'm not exhausted and burning out... I don't know the science behind it, for that you'd need to visit www.beautyfit.com but I do know that I have loads of energy with out being jacked up, I am alert and awake with out being jittery and shaky, and my energy is positive not stressed and manic! I take 2 capsules in the morning as soon as I get up and two more mid afternoon. I don't really feel anything that I can put my finger on because I'm taking BeautyFuel but on the rare occasion that I forget to take my afternoon capsules... I feel as though I've hit a wall doing 90km/h!
I'm a mom with a 7 year old and a 3 year old, I run a business out of my home and hit the gym at least 5 times a week, I take my kids for walks, bike rides and to the park and try to fit extra cardio in where I can... Thank you BeautyFuel!

Support... it's more than just an undergarment

I spend a lot of time getting my butt kicked lately and I'm not complaining cuz I signed up for it so I had it coming! But I also spend a lot of time reading text messages, emails, facebook posts and talking to people who are all saying the same thing... "You're doing a great job". What Crystal Cox and I are doing is hard! I'm not gonna speak for her, but its definitely one of the hardest things I've ever endured! Physically... nothing I've done in the past can compare. I really truly don't think I would have made it through the first week without the amazing and overwhelming support and love I have received! It's really difficult to put into words how much all of YOU mean to me... Thank you, is all I got!
I have the most amazing trainers... Sandra (Sam) Compton has completely changed me and how I see the world! It doesn't just stop at the gym, either! She puts her heart and Soul into BeautyFit Boot Camp and makes us all a family!
Jimmy Mentis, President of BeautyFit is a wealth of information (the man knows EVERYTHING) and he makes you feel so at ease, really takes the time to make you understand what the heck your body is actually doing... and why it's doing that... This is a family I am so blessed to be a part of!
Lisa Nosal my resistance trainer @ World Gym Kitchener has completely and totally dragged me outta my comfort zone and tossed me into the "lions den" but she's done it in such a way that I'm completely at ease. I actually love my sessions with her because as much as she's training me (and she never ever lets me slack) she's funny and smart and has become my friend!
Rebecca LeBlanc my nutritionist @ WGK is amazing! She's brilliant! Really she is! This woman understands how to feed a body!! Everyone thinks you can just go on a diet and boom the weight comes off... I did! But you need to eat for your body type, as well as the kind of life style you lead. Rebecca listens to everything so she can make my daily food intake work specifically for me. It's a science and this lady knows her Sh*t!! She's been where I am now so she gets it!
Then there are all the BeautyFit beauties... it is absolutely amazing how in such a short time these ladies have become like sisters to me! They greet me with words of encouragement, they cheer me on when I feel weak in boot camp, they hug me when I've done well... or just to say hello or goodbye! Thats what Sam and Jimmy have created with BeautyFit... we're family, and I love each of these ladies!
Everyone else who has supported me... my family, friends and even strangers... you get me through this each and every day! It means the world to me that you read my blog, send me messages and cheer me on! Imagine how great the world would be if everyone got such amazing support?!?!
I get stronger each day, and not just physically either, so thank you all so much for being in my corner! xoxo