Posing....

I am starting realize just how important stiking the correct poses will be for my upcoming show. lOOKING in my favorite magazines the pros make it look so effortless...hah!
It takes a lot of work...and I am just beginning.
The hardest pose is the back pose for me. Try as I might I just can figure out the lat spread. When I try my shoulder blades stick out something fierce. That is not flattering.
My trainer has tried to explain it...I have watched a dvd on the pose...but when I do it I just seem to struggle.

I'll keep practicing. Ultimately if I can't get it right I just stand up straight and put my shoulders back and tighten everything.

Yesterday I went and got my artificial nails put on, I was going to wait but I needed a constant reminder that the show is drawing near. Now my nails look great and soon with hard work and clean eating I will too.

Progress pictures, May 19, 2006

I now have just three weeks to go before my Natural Body Building Figure Show. These photos were taken today...right before my workout. At present I weigh on my new, top of the line scale 137 pounds. This scale actually weighs five pounds more than my old one. My goal for showtime will be around 128 to 130 pounds. After the show I will be happy to maintain my present weight. That way I won't have to buy a new wardrobe.

The focus during these next 21 days will be weight loss. I will be religious on my cardio and eat clean.
I will also continue my resistance training.

WHAT is your excuse?

Earlier this week a double amputee reached the summit of Mount EVEREST.

New Zealander, 47 year old Mark Inglis, reached his goal late Monday. If you are wondering he climbed 19,700 feet to reach the summit of the world's tallest mountain.

Several years ago--that was the dream of another double amputee, Ed Homer of Northern Minnesota. Unfortunately Ed (who was a hero to many here in Minnesota) lost his life while training to reach his dream.

Today I can't help but think about these men...who against the odds were determined to do what so many people can't or won't...overcome their "handicaps."

What is your dream? What is holding you back from making it a reality?

I heard on the radio the other night that Mark had trouble during his climb...one of his artificial legs broke. Did that stop him? No. According a BBC reporter, Mark took a roll of "sticky tape" and repaired his leg and kept climbing.

When faced with diversity--Mark reached higher.
Mark lost his legs to frost bite during a storm attempting climb another mountain back in the 80's. Ed, who had been a pilot...lost his in a plane crash. When lesser men would have given up...Ed didn't. He knew the dangers of pushing himself to the limits but he couldn't do less.

Lesser folks might have given up. These guys didn't.

Today I can't help think that 12-weeks of Body for Life represents "Mount Everest" to many of us...determined to improve our mental, spiritual and physical wellbeing. If diversity strikes, remember these guys and try to draw inspiration from them. I know I sure will.

Have a great BFL Weekend. Eat clean, train hard...and remember your "sticky tape."

One more reason to kick the habit!

http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/Story.aspx?type=ln&NStoryID=2835
The above link will take you to my Television Station's website and a story I produced and aired this week as part of an ongoing series on Heart Health.
One in Two Americans will die of heart disease...but that doesn't have to happen.
While we can't control risk factors like our age and our heredity...we
can eliminate bad habits.

The story is about cigarettes and their connection to heart diseaes.
If you are still smoking...I hope you take a minute to go to the website and click onto the tiny camera icon and watch this news segment.

Today---my wish for you is that you will meet your daily goals.
Eat clean, work hard....and enjoy every minute

Is your fear holding you back?

I ask that question today...because it was one that I struggled to answer last night on my long drive home from work.
What brought this question to mind was a sudden urge to stop at my favorite store and attack a container of my favorite yet deadly, toxic fat cookies.

As I drove I wondered why I had this urge. I am eating clean, I have added the right kinds of fats...I am working out regularly and I have never felt or looked better in my life thanks to Body for Life and this nurturing community.

Why do I have these thoughts of self sabotage?

Then it came to me; the fear of SUCCESS!
Somewhere deep inside I fear victory. I fear being the best I can be.
It sounds a bit silly when you consider I have spent the last three plus years trying to succeed.

But I figure that personal success on this level is relatively new to me, a bit of an unknown commodity.
Failure on the otherhand is like a sick old friend. I know how to take care of it..I know what to expect...sadly its been kinda comforting.

As I mulled this over I realized that we cannot really know what the next day or the next minute will bring. Yes failure happens. But success can happen too. It takes those little successes to train us into accepting the idea of big successes...and the joys that they can and do bring.

Most of us are fearless in some instances.
If someone threatens our child, our dog, our home or our rights....we muster up the courage to do what needs to be done.

Well--I figure our good health is just as important and we need to be fearless in obtaining it.

Did I stop for my cookie binge last night? After my heart to heart self talk I did not. I drove home. When I got there...I went right into my kitchen and had a couple of ounces of clean protein and a big glass of ice cold water.
It was a trade off. But it actually empowered me and today I'm one baby step closer to facing my fear of success.

Thanks goes out today to John, Deana, and Jesse for being my special BFL Buddies.

Have a powerful BFL day---eat clean and train hard....keep your eye on the prize!

Personal crises....

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
...We all face them.
Are you mourning a death in the family? Are you struggling in a relationship, personal illness, loss of a job or a beloved pet?

Most of us will face one or more of these hurdles and depending how we handle them can make the difference between success and failure in this exciting lifestyle program,called Body for Life.

During my BFL Challenges I faced many personal crises. I won't list them...but rest assured they were real and they nearly derailed my on going efforts to gain and maintain optimum mental, physical and spiritual health.

In the olden days the tinest problem would have lead me to overeat and withdraw into myself. Any positive gains made would be lost and I would soon be spinning my wheels, stuck in the town of Selfpity.

Today I work hard to remain a member of a new community, one of self reliance and self empowerment...support and fellowship. That worldwide community is called Body for Life.
As with any successful community, residency requires we embrace cetain responsibilities to ensure a strong and healthy atmosphere for all.

They include but are not limited to the following:
--working hard to be the best we can be.
--focusing on being an optimist.
--supporting others who are working toward their goals.
--offering a hand to those who are struggling with this personal crises.
--leading by example.

If you are struggling thru a major loss today I am sorry you are feeling pain. But don't let that pain erace the hard work you have put in to feel the joys of life.

Rather than grab that bag of chips, that slice or two of cake...or the tub of fat laden ice cream...count to ten.
Review your goals and move forward.

Reach out to others for support. Treat yourself with dignity. Take care of your personal needs. Find the beauty in the moment. String those moments together until you have an hour...turn those hours into a day.

When this day has passed...repeat the process until you have 84 days of success.

Don't sit and and spin in that town of Selfpity. I tried it...it nearly killed me.

Yet another picture....

As you can see I need to work on my posing! This again was taken on 4/18/06

This picture was taken 4/18/06

This Picture was taken on April 18, 2006 one month into training. I will soon be posting a more current one...
Please excuse the hair and lack of tan.

I have just been to darned busy training!

Training continues.....

It's been awhile since I have posted here. I've been pretty darned busy...since my last entry.
For months I had been on a plateau, unable to drop those final ten pounds that have haunted me ever since I began the Body for Life Program.
Finally it dawned on me that in order to take it up a notch I would have to create and new, and big goal to work towards.
Enter my Friend, Cindy...who has competed in some Minnesota BB Figure shows.
I attended her first show last fall...and was amazed at her transformation.

For months I couldn't stop thinking about her success.
Then I started to think about doing a show myself.
Well, when the thought first entered my mind so did a lot of excuses.
Heck I'm over 50!
Heck I don't know if I can do all of that training!
Heck....Body Builders eat way to clean. They don't take a free day when they are in training.

As you can see I put lots and lots of roadblocks up.
But eventually, I began to dismantle them one by one.
In March I made a commitment to myself to enter a show.
I filled out the entry form, sent in my money, ordered my suits and my high heels....ordered a posing DVD AND ultimately hired a trainer who could show me the ropes.

Since March I have lost 13 pounds. The Show will be held at the Bloomington Jefferson High school on June 10, 2006.

I just turned 54. That will probably make me the oldest woman on the stage.
Does that scare me?
Nope!
As I continue to reach for this newest goal...I see that taking the stage will be a victory over all of my fears and self doubts.

Training, eating clean...staying motivated. Yes its pretty hard. But rewarding you bet. Each day I look forward to my time in the gym. I make sure all my fuel is on hand.
If someone would have told me three years ago when I was 190 pounds...that I could do a Figure show I would have dropped by Ben and Jerrys and fallen off the couch.
I cannot say enough how much Body for Life continues to improve my life, mentally, physically and spiritually.

Today my posing suits arrived. They are really neat.
My good friend gave me a big mirror for my 54 birthday last friday so I could practice my poses.
My husband is my cheer leader.
Each day we just laugh out loud wondering where this second part of our lives together will take us.
We just celebrated our 25 year of very, very happy marraige.

Between now and June I'll be training like a fiend. While I am working as hard as I can...I know I am not working a fraction of what the stars in the Figure world do day in and day out. I have a whole new appreciation for women who grace my favorite fitness magazine.

I hope to continue updating this board frequently between now and June.
Check back.
Love,
Michelle