Liberty Walk

Happy Monday!

I meant to blog this weekend, but my least favorite aunt (Aunt Flo) paid me a visit and, well, I spent the weekend feeling "less than social", if you know what I mean. After taking a Tylenol pm last night, I'm happy to say I awoke refreshed and ready to start this week off great! I had my go-to breakfast:

• 1/2 cup dry rolled oats
• 1/2 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (UVAM) + 1/2 cup water
  
• 1 tbsp bee pollen
  
• egg whites
• 1 Laughing Cow cheese wedge

About an hour and a half later I headed to the gym for a "make-up" Lower Body Work Out (LBWO). This was the first scheduled strength training workout I've missed in three months and I was feeling guilty as charged for not going this weekend. Since today should be my Upper Body Work Out, I'll just tag team cardio + UBWO tomorrow and then be caught up. It'll all end up OK in the end, right? Right?! Anyway, my workout consisted of squats, weighted step-ups, hamstring curls, leg extensions, calf raises and hanging knee raises with a few other ab exercises in between. It felt great and I burned a little over 500 calories, which always makes me smile!

I came home to meet my Sweet Man for lunch- one of the many perks to my current "occupation". I'm blessed right now that I am a housewife Domestic Diva and can devote my time to my fitness goals and figuring out what the heck I want to do with the rest of my life. Long story short, I have two degrees (B.A. Public Relations and an M.B.A) and a Texas teaching certificate, but since I moved to PA after we got married I was informed I cannot teach in this stupid state unless I go back to school and get a full Pennsylvania license. Apparently my Texas license doesn't cross over because I got it by way of alternative certification, not university. Sooo, I've spent the past year voluntarily out-of-work trying to decide my next move and since then I've fallen ridiculously in love with health and fitness and I think I'd like to do something in that area, only I'm not exactly sure what yet. The good news is I have all the time in the world to research different health and fitness occupations and I'm confident God will lead me where I can serve Him best in His timing.

Anyway, moving on, I had 4 oz chicken breast plus 2 cups of spinach and half an ounce of cashews for lunch and my tummy clearly objects to the lack of complex carbs consumed. Luckily, I'm eating every 2-3 hours so I'll tame the beast at my next meal, but already I'm finding that comp diets require a lot more discipline and self-control then I previously thought. Don't get me wrong, when I put my mind to something, I'm "in it" all the way. However, I just realized all the fun weekends ahead with friends and family and need to start mentally preparing myself (and my lunch bag!) for the times when it's "mind over matter" and food is strictly fuel, rather than indulgence.

Oh, speaking of competition (which is, after all, the purpose of this blog) I've been looking at competition dates and there is a bikini body competition right here in Pittsburgh October 9th. Sounds fantastic, huh? Yeah, it would be if I thought I had a chance but I don' t think there is any way on God's green earth that I'll be ready in a little over two months. So close.. yet so far away, I say! I did some research, though, and there are competitions all over the country just about every weekend it seems. I tried to look for competitions that are 16 weeks out and did find one in San Antonio, TX (my hometown!) November 13th. It is the Lackland Classic and I'm going to do some more research on it, but I love that it is BEFORE the holidays (because who wants to be dieting over Thanksgiving and Christmas) and I could visit my family and even have them cheer me on! There is also another competition the following weekend, November 20th (NPC Mid-Atlantic GrandPrix) in Wheeling, WV, which is only an hour away from Pittsburgh, so I could do that one, too! Sooo, I think November it is! This is what I am shooting for! It feels good to finally have a date to work towards. I think just putting it "out there" has made this goal just one step closer to becoming a reality, only now I am feeling nervous...somebody hold me! HA!

Well, it's my feeding time so I'll leave you with my 'Song of the Day'--Liberty Walk by (don't laugh) Miley Cyrus. This song has really been inspiring me lately and when it plays on my ipod my workouts suddenly become a bit more focused and I get a bit more pumped up! I think about how awesome it will feel to walk on stage and do my "Liberty Walk" in....November!!!