I didn't know what to call this one :+)

Hello Everyone!!!! 

Picture my mom gave me to hang up at school. It is my favorite bible verse {Phil 4:13} and zebra print...two things I love:)

Good Morning and Happy Saturday to you all!!!! I had a really busy week because on top of training two hrs a day and everything that goes along with contest prep, teaching full time, I also had parent teacher conferences, and my first university supervised lesson.  Everything went great! I really enjoyed meeting the parents of my students. They all said they hear about me at home which is good because that means I am doing something right :) My observed lesson was on Wednesday and I did a math lesson on fractions. For those of you that know me...math was always a challenge. I chose to take the most challenging subject and get it out of the way first. My university supervisor was very happy with my lesson and could not think of anything for me to improve on. I do not know how I will top that lesson for next time...oh wait I am already working on it :)

Today marks 9 weeks out from Fox Cities Showdown. I am happy with the way contest prep is going and I am not overly stressing about my changes right now. I know that I still have some work to do, but that is evident being this far out. I would not want to look stage ready right now because it is not time to showcase :) Although....if I am ready early it would be sweet to compete in the NPC MN Gopher again. I had the most amazing time at that show and it would also be nice to see my MN friends again. Also...to see the one and only Superman Tom Seydel as the guest poser!!!

CARDIO
As the gym is still pretty heavy with traffic flow, I have been pretty flexible on which machine I will do my cardio on. This past week it was mostly inclined elliptical but towards mid week (I  noticed these girls tend to do whatever I do the next day) so by Thursday all of the ellipticals were full so I flipped mah hair (haha Angel) and headed for the treadmill and cranked up the incline on there. Doesn't matter where it's happening...I am always doing work. Last night I went home so I was able to work out at Gold's and I LOVE their stair-masters so I hit that up.  I think it is good for my body to be switching up the form of cardio that I do.

PLAYLIST

Girl All the Bad Guys Want.....Bowling for Soup

Womanizer.....Brittney Spears

American Cowboy.....Jada

SOS.........Rihanna

Dirrrrrrty....Xtina

Can't Hold Us Down...Xtina

Circus.......Brittney Spears

Evacuate the Dance Floor...Cascada

Push It......Salt n Pepa

Hips Dont Lie....Shakira

Waka Waka.......Shakira

All I do is Win.....DKJ Khaled

Can't be Touched....Roy Jones

Look At Me Now....Lil Wayne

No Hands.....Waka Flocka

Teach me how to Dougie....Cali Swag District

Up and Away....Kid Cudi

Sound of Madness.....Shinedown

TRAINING

I have had awesome training sessions this week and I am still holding onto my strength.   

Here is my current workout schedule:

Sunday: Hammies, Glutes, Cardio

Monday: Back, 100 weighted lunges, Cardio

Tuesday: Chest, Tris, Cardio

Wednesday: Shoulders and Traps, 100 weighted lunges, Cardio

Thursday: Arms, Cardio

Friday: Quads,  added 100 squats with 100 lbs, Cardio

Saturday: Full Body Circuit or rest day

Sunday: Oh look it is Sunday again...time to give 'er hell :)

Hulkbarbie is ready to rock!!!!

 

Everyday this week I decided to curl my hair for teaching because the kids love it haha. So if I look like that all day, I am obviously going to the gym like that. I get one of two looks....one....girls giving me the stare of death....or men with their jaws on the floor as I grab the chains and head to the hallway for lunges. Whoever said you cant look good while kicking ass was seriously wrong :)

I have been training alone mostly, but I have a lot of friends I see at the gym so it is nice to gain support from them as they notice my progress. I have been training with my Vibram shoes for about 2 weeks now and I have noticed significant difference  in my leg definition. (In my calves especially) They are AWESOME! Once it gets warmer out and the snow/salt is gone, I would like to get a pair to wear for everyday wear.

DIET

GOT FAST FOOD?????  haha 3 oz chicken, orange peppers, and mushrooms. Quick meal to eat while driving from school to back home so I have energy to workout when I get to Gold's. NO EXCUSES!

I am happy with the way I am looking. I know I still have about 8 lbs to drop before April, but I am not worried at all. I am keeping my calories higher because last season I deprived my body and my metabolism went to shit post season. I took a different approach this season so that does not happen. Granted the weight is taking me longer to drop, but that is okay because I am still building lean muscle mass in the process. I am really proud that I can do all of this on my own and I know my body well enough to make educated decisions with each step I take. I have not switched up the foods I am consuming other than the fact I am probably eating chicken more often than egg whites now.

BODY

I am meeting with Docta Ryce again next Sunday to see the changes I have made in lean body mass and body fat percentage. I am noticing my upper body to continuously lean out each week, with my legs slowly following. From experience, I know my legs won't make drastic changes until the last month or so, therefore I am not worried. Even though the scale is not moving a lot right now, my clothes are still getting baggier on me, and I can see more definition weekly.

upper body definition...delts n chest are getting lean!

I'm off to go see my #1 iron sister Diana!!! I am so excited! It is always nice to support each other and talk through out struggles of contest prep, school, work, and life. Later today I am working out with my mom again before I nanny for the rest of the weekend.

 Have a wonderful week, and remember, YOU are RESPONSIBLE for the OUTCOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go make it happen!!!!!

<3 SJ XO

The {Unforgettable} Day...

::8 Years Ago Today::

Every year, no matter how hard I try not to think about it, February 23rd happens whether I want it to or not. As the day approaches, I think in my head...what could I have done to make my dad stay? Or I think back in time and count down and I tell myself..."3 more days 'til my dad leaves...2 more...today..." or "He's leaving Thursday..." to try to prepare myself for the day emotionally and mentally. I try not to think about it but I find myself repeating it, and replaying that day in my head over and over.....

8 years ago today I remember coming home from high school with my older sister, Amanda in her green Dodge Neon and we pulled into the driveway, walked into the house to my brother, Josh and my mother sobbing on the floor. Something bigger was missing than half of our belongings...the man I once called my father had walked out on us. To this day I wonder why he left. I try my best to not let it affect me, because I know the situation is out of my hands.

I know that I am a strong, independent woman because of this incident and it shaped me into the person I am today. I do not put up with b.s. from anyone, I never settle, and I have have a big wall guarding my heart. People can tell me year after year, "It is his loss, Sara..." but really...in the end it will always be my loss too. Growing up without a father was extremely difficult. {and it still is} I had a lot of struggles with finding myself because I was always trying to fill an empty hole that was once filled with his love.

I am extremely proud of far I have come, but I always wonder if knows what I am up to...or what he's thinking...or how he feels. Does he know how hard I work in the gym? Does he know how great of a teacher I am becoming working with Mrs. S this semester?...Does he even know I am student teaching, and I am graduating in May? Probably not...and even if he does... I never hear about it.

I wish he knew how much I miss him. If both of your parents are still in your life, tell them how much they mean to ,because you never know when that last chance will be.  


Thank you to all of the positive male influences in my life that have helped fill in the gaps, and are there for me as I grow up and face new challenges in life. 


Take some time today to remind the ones around you how much they mean to you, and please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers today...


<3 SJ XO

Believe in Yourself..and You Will Achieve Greatness

Hello Everyone!

Motivation in my kitchen :) I truly believe that I CAN DO IT!

 It has been another busy week! I have just completed week 4 in student teaching, and tomorrow marks 10 weeks out from showtime :)

I RSVPed to my graduation..May 19th at 2:00. All I have to do is order my tickets for my family and my cap/gown then just count down. I cannot believe it is almost here! It is so exciting that I will finally be graduating from college! I am very proud.

 I had a lot of fun celebrating Valentine's Day with the second graders. My valentine bag was exploding with the cutest little notes, cards, and pictures from my students.

Gluten free competitor friendly Valentine's Day present :))

 It was also Maps and Globes week in school so I got to teach my students about different continents and animals that live there. The kids LOVE all of the different hands on animal things I bring in and teach them about. My environmental education minor is really coming in handy!

This is where I spend the majority of my week :)

Being a fitness obsessed freak, it is hard to not take into consideration my students' lifestyle choices. Just the other day they were at a presentation and the speaker was holding up different foods and the students had to determine whether it was a healthy choice or not. I was amazed by the number of things the children thought were healthy (i.e. fruit by the foot, pop-tarts, crackers etc) and even the things the speaker were telling the children to eat. He held up a Kraft single (processed cheese) and said, "Now this is healthy!" I wanted to vomit. He also told the kids to drink fruit juice and eat apple sauce (holy sugar overload!!!!)....and people wonder why children are overweight these days or have the behavior problems that they do. My teacher knows my passion for fitness and being healthy and she is letting me do a week long integrated unit on this topic. I am so excited for this opportunity so I can instil my values in my students. Whew....okay just had to vent about that!

Training and Cardio is going well. I am still holding onto my strength and endurance. I go in the gym every day on a mission, and I do not leave until I am satisfied.  I have also noticed a significant difference with upping the weight from 50lbs to 75lbs when I do my 100 lunges every other day. I am drained by the time I am finished, but I am really proud of the way the booty is looking at this point :) I am noticing changes each week, and I am happy with the way contest prep is going.

Abs....10.5 weeks out

My diet is going well also.  I am still eating the same foods...tuna, organic gluten free rice cakes, egg whites, green beans, chicken, sweet potatoes, organic natural peanut butter, and almonds. After meeting with my good friend Docta Ryce, he did my bf% test on Monday to find that I was at 14% for 11 weeks out and I have put on 4 lbs of lean mass since December alone. Wowza! I was pretty proud of that. I have about 8-10lbs to lose to be at my goal for showtime. I am not worried at all. I am fortunate to be eating as much as I am right now compared to a normal competitor. Let's just say..life is good! We are going to check my body fat again in 2 weeks to see if I need to adjust anything. I am not going to eat less if I am not where I want to be. I told myself I cannot sacrifice energy or lack of brain power while student teaching. I will simply do more cardio if needed.

I am looking forward to this weekend. Tonight I am going to a hockey game with my good teacher friend Mizz Parris and tomorrow I am heading home for a posting clinic! I am getting up at 5:30am and heading home first so I can spend a few hours with my mom. We are going to enjoy our morning coffee and make some chicken n yam stirfry...Mmm Mmm!! I am excited for the posing clinic in the afternoon. My girls Diana and Cassandra will be there!! I am also looking forward to making new competitor friends. It will be a good time. Sunday I will be living at the library finishing up my big lesson for the week because I am getting observed by my supervisor on Wednesday. Fingers crossed it goes well!!!

Have a super weekend!!!!!!

<3 SJ

*Great Rewards come from Great Sacrfice*

Hello Everyone!!

Another week has passed, and a lot of great things have happened for me. Life is good in all of the areas in my life. I am exhausted beyond belief, but it is the burning fire inside me that keeps me going. Every day I wake up at 5:30am, start the coffee maker and then take a shower. I eat my delicious egg whites and yep you guessed it...green beans. I eat my breakfast, and drink my coffee while going over the lessons for the day. I usually go to school 2 hrs before the students arrive so I can make sure everything is organized for the day, and plan for lessons to come. I like to be organized and have a plan to follow. I am with the students every day until 3:35, and after they go home, my day is not over. I help clean up the room, organize the desks that are completely out of place from the morning, redo the daily schedule on the board for the following day, and put a worksheet on the students' desks to do for a.m. seat work. Once everything is done at school for the day, I go home and eat and get moving to the gym. I have to work some nights so I either Lift, work, and then go back for cardio after work..OR I just lift and to cardio and can call it quits sometime after 9pm. By the time I get home I shower and it is usually time to eat again. After I go over student work from the day or work on lessons, I finally am able to get into bed around 11pm if I am lucky. My weekends are far from a break. Aside from training and working, I am constantly researching something new and fun to teach my students or working on lessons to teach for the following week. I love every minute of it though.  I am excited that I get to do this for the rest of my life. I definitely picked the right career for me!

I had the opportunity to come home today for a short 24ish hour visit. I got home early this morning and my mom had the garage open and coffee waiting for me. I opened up the refrigerator and she had chicken seasoned with Mrs. Dash table blend (my current favorite) cooked and ready to go! It is so nice to come home to such great support. Today we went to Gold's Gym together. It was nice to see familar faces at the gym, and train with my mom again. She is the best!!!! I am looking forward to going to Gold's again tomorrow with my mom, and meeting up with my iron sister, Diana Kersten before I head back to Point. Diana is such a blessing to me. I am so excited to compete with her again in 11 weeks. Keep it up!!!!! I am so proud of you!!!! <3

TEACHING

(I thought I would add another subject to my blog since this takes up the majority of my week)



Reptile display for my 2nd graders

Last week in school was reptile week with the second graders. I really enjoy all of the trust my teacher gives me to teach with my own style and share my passion of environmental education with the children. We had a lot of fun! I love going to school every day and knowing that I have such a huge impact on my students. I enjoy making a difference and helping them succeed :)



From a student in my class:
Dear Miss Libom. I like you. Your the Best techer in the howl world... YOU ROCK!
:) made my week

Along with the kids, I also have a super awesome cooperating teacher. She is not only supportive of my teaching abilities, but she also supports my competitor lifestyle. Not only did she put a mini fridge in the room for me to use, she filled it with foods I can eat during contest prep. She also filled the cupboards with organic gluten free rice cakes, TUNA!, and organic natural peanut butter. It is so nice to have food on hand just in case when I need it. She is also coming to the show on the 28th to watch me kick some booty on stage :) It should be a wonderful experience for her to see me in this atmosphere.

TRAINING/CARDIO

Vibrams!!!

I got my Vibrams on Sunday and I started to wear them right away. What a difference they make! I love wearing them both for training and cardio.  I was so excited to go to the gym right away and I was ready for dead lifts. I was with my friend April that night, and she told me the desk worker wears these shoes sometimes too. We started talking to him and he was going on and on, and I said, "I am sorry to interrupt you but I am super jacked to so try deads in these so we are going to have to talk later!" April thought it was pretty funny :) We had a killer workout and I did my cardio with an even bigger smile on my face.

In general training and cardio is going good. The gym has just been jam packed this semester, even if I wait later in the night to go, I still am waiting around for certain machines and cardio equipment. With that in mind, I have been doing different types of cardio all week since the treadmill is not always open for incline walking. I have also been doing a lot of StairMaster (my one true love) and inclined elliptical training.  I do not really have a preference, although I think it takes me the longest to burn calories on the elliptical, no matter how much I switch up the resistance and incline.

I have continued my 100 lunges every other day, but instead of doing them down the hall with 50 lbs of chains around my neck, I was looking for more of a challenge to I bumped it up to 75 lbs. What a difference that has made! The first night I did them, they weren't easy, but I had April on the other end of the hall rooting me on. She always tells me to pretend there is a piece of sushi at the end of the hallway, or a chocolate rice cake with peanut butter on it. As silly as that is, the imaginary food makes me smile and I push through. It is fun working out with her as we continue to push each other past our limits.

Overall, I am still maintaining my strength and endurance thus far in my contest prep. I am proud of how far I have come already!


DIET

Nothing has changed for my diet. I am still consuming a mass amount of green beans, tuna, egg whites, gluten free rice cakes...etc :) I am staying on track and not distracted. Last season I remember constantly having cravings and driving to the store just to stand in the candy aisle and dream. (Reeses Eggs were my enemy last year). I know how bad I want I want the overall title this time, and I know that will make me happier than sugar ever will so it does not even phase me anymore. It also helps being allergic to gluten because the things I would once crave, I am not able to eat anymore anyway. A blessing in disguise:)



BODY




11 weeks out back lat spread...just for fun :)

I am still seeing great changes in my body. I feel great for how I am looking at 11 weeks out. I am not going to list measurements today as I am going to include an extra post early this week. On Monday I am meeting with my good friend Docta Ryce and he going to give me an updated bodyfat% measurement. In December before I started contest prep, and having a very poor fall semester that included drinking on the weekends with friends and making bad decisions on diet, I was at 18%. Since January 1st, I have lost 12 lbs and I know that I will feel great with the results I get from him. Even though I lived my life as a normal college student last semester, and was unhappy with my body, I was able to make the change I wanted to, because I am responsible for my own happiness-just as you are too!! Never forget that. If you are not satisfied with the way you look in the mirror...then DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. You are responsible for the outcome.

Go make it happen!!!!! Stay tuned....
<3 SJ

Are you READY?

Hello Everyone!

:) Live by this

I hope you are doing well. I have been extremely busy with student teaching, training, and working. I am staying on top of all my goals, and taking steps to reach my dreams each day. Today marks 12 weeks out for the ::2012 NPC Fox Cities Showdown::. I am very excited for this show as I have made a lot of great improvements since last season. I started my contest prep January 1st, and I am continuously making progress, dropping in body fat %, and still gaining muscle while holding onto my strength.

CARDIO

I have made some changes in my cardio as I am only able to go in the evening after I lift. The first few weeks I was doing 2-a-days and now I am doing 40minutes on the treadmill (incline 15, speed 4.1-4.5 mph) followed by 30 minutes on the elliptical (incline 16, resistance 6). It is going well, and I feel too guilty to miss a day of it. I remember last season when I would count down the clock for 30 minutes once the time said 27...and now I am just going..and going...and going with a smile on my face. There is no stopping me!

LIFTING

My shoulder is feeling much better, and I am able to lift again. I am still holding onto all of my strength. My lifting splits consist of: Back, Quads and Abs, Shoulders n Traps, Hammies, Chest and Abs, Arms. Every other day I do 100 lunges with 50# chains around my neck down the hall at the gym. I can tell that the lunges are SIGNIFICANTLY helping and I am going to continue doing them. My good friend April has been coming to the gym with me a few nights a week too which makes it a lot of fun. I enjoy teaching her new things and we share encouragement with each other. I'm proud of you chica!!!

DIET

My diet is going pretty good. It is challenging to get my meals in during the day at school because the students are my #1 priority. Unfortunately I cannot put a hold on class to scarf down some chicken and sweet potatoes :)  I am sticking to egg whites, tuna, lightly salted gluten free rice cakes, green beans, natural peanut butter, raw almonds, and chicken. I enjoyed my last cheat meal with my good friend Diana. We had sushi and it was amazing :)

BODY

Chest: 33inches (same)...TOTAL LOST .5 inches

Waist: 25.5 inches (down .5 inches) TOTAL LOST 1.5 inches

Hips: 34 inches (same) TOTAL LOST .5 inches

Quads: 22 inches (same) TOTAL LOST 1 inch

Biceps: 11 inches (down .5 inches) TOTAL LOST .5 inches

Calves: 15 inches (same)....TOTAL LOST 0 inches

I am noticing changes each week. I can tell by the way my "teacher" clothes are fitting, and I am definitely going to need to buy some more dress pants because mine are falling off. My spandex workout capris are also getting loser in some areas. I decided to add the total number of inches lost for each body part measured since January 1st. After looking at that, I am even happier with my progress. Do the work, and you will be rewarded!

LIFE
I had the opportunity to come home this weekend to visit my family and friends. I was very happy I got to see my iron sister, Diana. I love ya chica and I am so proud of you! We are going to blow the roof off in 12 weeks!!!!! I was so happy to see my mom. I came home and she had made chicken and sweet potatoes for me already. She also had almonds, rice cakes, and green beans on hand for me. She is the best :)) I am so thankful to have such a great support system <3


I am extremely happy right now. I love getting to the school early every day to continue planning ahead for lessons for my students. I love changing the lives of my students every day, teaching them new things, and learning new ways to help them succeed. I love learning from my cooperating teacher how to be the best teacher I can be. {She is amazing. She supports me in every way possible, and I am so fortunate to work with her another semester} I love being in ::beastmode:: in the gym for 2+ hours every night. I...well...I don't love going to work haha... but it is an easy job and it helps add to the bikini fund...which in the end helps me get closer to my dreams so I suppose I love that too :) I am so fortunate to have a supportive family and friends. Everything is falling into place for me, and I couldn't be more thankful to be on this journey.

Make it a GREAT week!!!!!

<3 SJ xo

{Obstacles make you Stronger}

Hello Everyone!

From Oppermacher apparel photoshoot. Photo by Diana Marie Photography

.

I hope that you are still on top of your new year’s resolutions and working hard! I did not get a chance to write last weekend as I was moving back to school for my final semester of college.  My winter break ended, and I was very satisfied with how it went. I was able to spend a lot of time with my family and close friends, and spend hours every day at the gym. I lost 9lbs January 1^st-January 21^st. I was very happy with the progress I made.

 l started student teaching on Monday, and it is going great! I love every minute of it, and I have an awesome mentor, and I look forward to learning from her so I can continue to become an even better teacher. It is going to be a very busy semester, but a great way to end my college career.

Onto the details of prep…

CARDIO

Now that I am back at school, and teaching, I had to drop morning cardio because I have to be at the school too early in the morning and the gym does not open in time. I do cardio when I am done lifting until I burn 500 calories. I have mostly been sticking with the incline treadmill walking but I mix it up with intervals on the Stairmaster and on the elliptical as well.

I injured my shoulder earlier this week so I could only lift legs. After that occurrence I bumped up my cardio to burning 700 calories for the session to make up for it.

DIET:

I am doing a good job staying on track with my diet and getting my meals in. I am basically eating egg whites, chicken, or tuna for protein sources and plain rice cakes for carbs. I eat green beans with every meal and consume almost 1 lb. every day. They are a great filler and keep me tied over until it is time to eat again. It is a challenge getting my meals in at school while teaching but tuna and ricecakes have been a savior for that. If I have a cheat meal it basically consists of me eating more rice cakes (flavored kinds :)) my new favorite is White Cheddar!!!) or I let myself have a Lara bar (an gluten free treat that is basically made amazing up of: dates, nuts, and coco powder). I am not going to change anything yet as I am still seeing progress.

TRAINING:

I was killing it in the gym every day until my recent shoulder injury. I took Tuesday-Friday off of lifting anything on my upper body and I just trained legs and glutes. It kills me to have to take off lifting, but I do not want to injure myself more. Now that I am back on campus, I have been doing a lot of lunges with the 50# chains around my neck. I do 100 minimum a day. I love my lunges :)

BODY:

Chest: 33inches (same)

Waist: 26 inches (down .5 inches)

Hips: 34 inches (same)

Quads: 22 inches (down .5 inches)

Biceps: 11.5 inches (same)

Calves: 15 inches (same)

I have only dropped .5 inches in my waist  and quads since my last measurement, but I know if I continue to work hard, it will slowly come off. 

Tonight was my first full body workout since I injured my shoulder. I did 5 sets of 10 for each of my muscle groups, 100 weighted lunges, and 700 calories burned for cardio. I'm baaaaaaack!!!!!

LIFE

I am satisfied with all of the areas in my life.I am feeling great about my body again and how hard I have been working in the gym. I am so happy to be student teaching right now, and every day is a reassurance that I made the right decision for my future. I am so thankful to have an amazing family and friends that support me always.

Have a super week!!!!!! No excuses….:)

<3 SJ

Just when I thought my life couldnt get better...BAM! :)

Hey Everyone!!

A little surprise I got on Monday when I went to the gym. Nothing like a little added motivation!

2 weeks down...15 to go until I step on stage again. A lot has changed in the past week that I am excited about! The exciting news of being in Gold's Gym advertisements was an exciting moment for last week. This week I was asked by a Wisconsin based athletic apparel store to model for their website and advertising. The company is called Oppermacher and is based out of Stevens Point (small world!). They sent me a lot of awesome clothes, and I am excited to try them out and promote a great, local business. Please go on their Facebook page and LIKE it. I appreciate the support!!

Clothing that I get to model for Oppermacher

My body is responding well to the diet, and I have already made a few changes in it. I am leaning out, and still hanging onto  my strength.

CARDIO

I am continuing my two-a-days for cardio, and I am still enjoying it. I created another "Cutting Playlist" that helps get me through every session. It amazing the difference meaningful music can impact your workout.  A lot of the songs I listen to are from my good friend and lifting partner, Corey, from last semester. He made me some CDs to download onto my ipod with songs we use to lift to in the gym.

Some of you ask what gets me through my workout...so here is my current playlist:

All I do is Win......DJ Khaled

Black and Yellow....Wiz Khalifa (this one is for you Mo baby!)

Look at Me Now....Chris Brown

No Hands......Waka Flocka (My lil nacho burrito, April!....here's out fav dancin song!)

Pursuit of Happiness....Kid Cudi

Teach me How to Dougie....(haha this one is for you, Corey! No one can dougie like you! cracks me up every time)

Transform Ya....Chris Brown

Up and Away....Kid Cudi

Wake up and Fight....Shinedown

Hips Don't Lie...Shakira

Shake.....Ying Yang Twins

Waka Waka....Shakira

Gasolina......Daddy Yankeee (Can't forget the lil Zumba in me)

SOS....Rhianna

Evacute the Dance Floor.....Cascada

Push it...Salt n Peppa (haha Diana....this is only for the sexy people)

Sometimes I go to shuffle and listen to other random songs to mix it up, but these are the main ones that have been keeping me fired up. For cardio I am still sticking to the treadmill maxed out to an incline of 15 walking 3.5-4.2 miles per hour. In the morning I do it until I have burned 500 calories (which takes me about 35 minutes on average) and in the evening I do another 30 minutes after I lift. I also did a lot of shoveling this week, and did it with a smile on my face. Nothing I like more than a reason to burn more calories...natures free cardio. THANK YOU! Life is all what you make of it so I take every situation and turn it into a positive.

LIFTING

I am still killing it in the gym during my lifting sessions. I have my days split into: Quads and abs, Chest, Back, Shoulders/Traps, Hammies and abs, and Arms. I am still hanging onto my strength and feeling satisfied after every workout.   I am lifting heavy and sticking 5 set of 10 right now (it's workin', Oz!). It is nice to work out at Gold's, but I am excited to go back to the Strength Center where they have more than one squat rack (haha) and the little things that I like...the chains I wear when I do lunges or the chalk so I can have a better grip when I lift heavy.  The Strength Center will always be my favorite gym. That is where I have spent the most time and have the most memories.

Since I have been home I have also been training my mom and teaching her more about lifting weights since it is more beneficial then just doing cardio on its own. She is doing a great job also, and I am very proud of her! Go, Mom, go!!!! :)) xo

DIET

I have already switched it up since last week. I am experimenting a little and I am doing lower carbs with higher fat. My diet is currently made up of egg whites, chicken, green beans, almonds, and the occasional salt free gluten-free plain rice cakes. For how little carbs I am consuming, and for how many hours I am spending in the day, I am not hungry between meals. I eat a ton of green beans (literally almost a pound a day to be exact!) and that keeps me satisfied. 

There is is...favorite meal! Egg whites and french cut green beans seasoned with Mrs. Dash seasoning: table-blend

I am still loyal to my Extra Dessert Gum: Strawberry Shortcake flavor. I chew it every single day in the gym (it helps me get through cardio!). I am doing a good job, and staying on track. Today I had a "cheat" meal since it has been two weeks since I have had one. It wasn't so much as hardcore cheating, just mixing it up. I made grilled Caribbean Citrus salmon with green beans (of course!) for my mother and I after our workout this afternoon and she made me some homemade rice krispy treats (one of the only treats that is gluten-free without buying special ingredients). The salmon was amazing...not going to lie. I enjoyed every single bite. The rice krispy treats were good but unfortunately I got a headache after eating them. I am not use to consuming sugar, and when I do, it makes me sick.

Overall, I would say the diet is going well, and I am staying positive and not letting it negatively affect me in any way. I am in control :)

BODY

15 weeks 1 day out

 I am feeling great with where my body is currently at. I am leaning out as planned and I am seeing changes each day...nothing too drastic yet but enough to keep my motivation levels high.

Here are my measurements:

Chest 33.5 inches (same)

Waist 26.5 inches (down .5 inches)

Hips 34 inches (down .5 inches)

Biceps 11.5 inches (same)

Quads 22.5 (down .5 inches...they are huge...they can afford to shrink a lil haha)

Calves 15 inches (same)

I am making changes  for the better, and I am happy for where I am at with being 15 weeks out.

LIFE

I am still enjoying winter break and the opportunity to spend time with my family and friends. I only have a few more days left back home and I will return back to the apartment on Wednesday the 18th. It will take a few days to get settled and prepared for my 18 weeks of student teaching. I will want to get a schedule together for work, training, prepping meals, posing, and of course school work. I am going to miss seeing my mom every day, and all of the people who have surrounded me this past month. I always enjoy making new friends at the gym and gaining more support. There are always opportunities to look forward as I continue on my journey.

Tomorrow I will wake up and go to my best friend, Brooke's apartment so she can do my hair and makeup for my photo shoot for Oppermacher tomorrow. She also did my hair for the FCS last April. It means a lot she is always there to help me out. My iron sister, Diana (Diana Marie Photography) is going to be helping me accomplish this task as well and go to a gym and a few other locations with me to capture some good shots for the company. I am so thankful to have such wonderful friends!

Have yourself a wonderful, evening.  
Remember...train like you're in 2nd, Compete like you're in 1st!
<3 SJ XO