Fitness Snob

Happy as can be!

2010-06-08T13:26:00.000-07:00

I am finally starting to settle down a bit and relax. I am leaving for some Dallas shopping with my mom in the morning after a job interview. I am going to shop for 3-4 days and then will be leaving for Mexico in less than 2 weeks. I can hardly wait.

I am back to eating clean and when I say clean I am talking things like yogurt, Ezekiel bread, eggs, egg whites, oatmeal, grits, lots of summer organic fruits and veggies. I love summer time and the fresh fruit and stuff that come with it. I spend Sunday indulging in some not so good for you stuff and after waking up Monday feeling as if I had a huge hangover I realized I had to get back at it because that is just poison for my body. So no sugar for this gal, just good proteins, carbs and some fats like avocados and almonds, walnuts and stuff like that.

I wanted to share this great poem that a very special friend wrote for me. It means so much to me I ask if I could share and since he does not mind, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I am going to keep it forever!

You gave your all to be your best, Now you can celebrate.

Although your time was not that long
, Your moments but a few,
Your proved your heart and mind were strong,
It made a star of you.

A champion who earned the name,
Who seized upon the hour,
A light upon the hallowed stage,
A beauty fused with power.

You showed that you are so much more,
Than some had ever thought,
You went and sparkled on the floor,
To prove how hard you'd fought.

Fought to be the best you've been,
A Lady strong and true,
A role model that should be seen,
A talent fresh and new.

Now you're making changes,
To make a another start,
Your life now rearranges,
But is guided by your heart.

For all the times you proved yourself,
To be what you are now,
You proved you have fantastic wealth,
And a youth that knows no bounds.

Today I look back on your deeds
Reflecting on your past,
As you begin to sow new seeds
To grow things that will last.

I wish you well in all you do,
For your star will never fade,
I know that heart so strong and true,
Will shine in other ways.

You've shown the best of all you are,
You've shown what you can do,
I know that you can go so far.
As I've seen so much in you.

I wish I'd seen you at your best
I wish I'd seen you shine,
But I know you more than past the test
You're a Lady of your time.

For all that you strive to achieve
For all you wish to do,
Know that I will still believe,
And I'm always proud of you.

Secondly I'd like to say a BIG CONGRATULATIONS.

Now a few more pics from my show.

Took some names this weekend!

2010-06-06T15:07:00.000-07:00

What a fabulous show this was. I am so glad I did it. The people were wonderful and I had more fun this year than last year at the same show. Maybe that is because I was a lot more ready this go around, coming in at 12 lbs lighter than last year. I am small and was smaller than all the other women. I weighed at my daughter's on Sat and it was 108 which is what the doc weighed me a week ago. Anyway, it was absolute wonderful and I really felt like I went out with a bang.I have to say I am gonna to miss it more than anything but I need to tackle some other goals I have. I will post pics as soon as things settle down a bit and I can get them all downloaded.

I took 1st place Novice, 2nd place Master's and the Oklahoma Natural Bodybuilding Title and the good news is, there were 3 other bodybuilders who were over the age of 40! That never happens. I found some new friends for life though.

4 days of dry ass tuna to go!

2010-06-01T15:18:00.000-07:00

I can handle about anything but I am really tired of trying to get tuna to go down without choking half to death. I am just gagging it down. Not much longer though and then I think it will be sometime before I am able to eat it again, same goes for fish! BLAH! Anyway, I had to send pics to Mike today so I thought I would post a few. It will be interesting to compare my pics from this same show last year to this year. I am weighing in at around 11 lbs less. I thought I was thin then so you can imagine how I feel right now. I am sure that is why my immune system is having trouble fighting off this nasty infection I have. I sure wish I had not had to miss any workouts this past week because I think it would have seen more improvements but I was just too sick. Please keep in mind, I am white! and I still have nasty spray tan on my body from Colorado. I look like I have a disease and will be so glad when all the spray tan is gone for good and I can get a real tan in my own pool. This pic was after drinking over 2 gallons of water too. Gotta love dry out week.

5 days till showtime

2010-05-31T18:00:00.000-07:00

Well I guess with all the hustle and bustle of the Colorado show my body got a little run down. It took about two day for it to hit me but I have been terribly sick. I have never had a sinus infection so bad. I could not even chew egg whites this morning my teeth hurt so much. I am a crank ass and all I want to do is relax and have fun with my friends. If I ever say I want to do another show back to back I hope someone will slap some sense into me. I think it would have been fine had I not gotten sick but I am sick of the food and I am gagging just trying to get tuna and asparagus down. When you have a sinus infection everything taste like crap anyway much less asparagus and tuna. It pretty much taste like that all the time. I went to the doctor 3 days ago and was put o antibiotics which I never take, I hate that crap but I was desperate knowing my show was next weekend so I decided I better do it plus I was in so much pain they could have given me anything and I probably would have taken it.

I am a big grouch! I have been dieting since Christmas and it is taking its toll on my social like and my family life. My family has sacrificed a lot too. All my friends are getting together Thursday for lunch and a movie but I will not be able to attend because I do not want to be around all the food. I am not worried about cheating because I won't but why put myself through that. I mean I am 5 days out and that restaurant is not closing anytime soon. The food will be there in a week. I am getting the "you have an eating disorder looks" from friends and I am tired of it. I am tired of the misconceptions of bodybuilding. Hell yes I have to lose a lot of weight to get rid of the fat on my ass, I am a women and that is just the way it is so I everyone just needs to get over it and stop feeling sorry for me. I am sick of it and I choose to do this but, it does not excuse the fact that I am sick to death of it. Everyone makes a huge big deal when someone in our building runs a marathon but everyone acts as if I am some kind of freak for my training. Really? I guess if I was training for a full marathon and lost 20 lbs it would be okay? Whatever! I am tired of the same foods. I love to cook and cannot wait to cook. I am going to cook all summer long. I never thought I would be anxious to put weight on but I truly do not like how thin I am, I look old in the face and my implants look funny. I weighed 108 at the doctors office so no wonder I cannot get well. I need to weigh at least 115-120 to feel and look healthy. I am going to get there too one calorie and a time.

I am not sure how the missed workouts are going to effect me as far as how I look on Saturday. I just know that this is the first time I have had to miss a workout in at least a year maybe longer so mentally it is tough on me. I will be doing the happy dance on Saturday night after all this is over and I can eat whatever the hell I want!

12 days out to Tulsa

2010-05-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

Yes, back to back shows. I had a blast in Colorado! I cannot even tell you what a awesome team I have the pleasure of being a member of. I could never do what I do without these girls. I would have never felt like I was good enough. Some of these girls I have know for a few years but never met in person however when meeting them it seemed as though I had known them for years. I love them all and they have a special place in my heart forever.

I was the only one in my classes so Boo on that! I am starting to get used to it but I still had a blast. I just decide I was going to have fun and I did. I was laughing on stage because the Diva's were cheering so loud. I just got tickled. I was not nervous at all. I think I am finally comfortable on the stage now that I am thinking this one in 12 days will be my last. I know it will be for a very long time but I am sure I will get the itch again. I just love this sport.

I could not post without telling you I ate a 1/2 thin crust cheese pizza and a big piece of cheesecake. I did not order the cake but ended up eating bites of everyone who did so I am sure it added up to an entire piece. The drive home was long and I was not in the mood for tuna at all so I ate way too may almonds. I was back on track the very next day and now am 100%. I need to stay that way for the next 12 days so I can look halfway decent on stage. This show is the same show I did last year and it was fun so this is all fun for me now.

1 week out and feeling fantastic!

2010-05-15T17:09:00.000-07:00

I am sorry I have not had time to blog at all! I have been so busy training and trying to get everything ready for next Saturday. I am so freaking excited and truly believe I will be leaner than I have ever been. My diet has been spot on except for one slip up and it was just a little almond mishap. I have not done all the cardio that my trainer wanted me to do. I have been focusing on my health and listening to my body. I am sorry I have not even had time to post anymore pics. It is getting down to the last week of school and I am super busy there too. I barely have time to fit everything in.

I will post pics and results of my show next Saturday. I am ready to have something other than fish and asparagus. That and tuna is about all I have had since Christmas. I smaller than I have ever been. I weighed 114.4 this morning and with dry out it looks like I will be around 109 so I don't have to tell you that I have no clothes at all to wear. I am in a loose size 4 jeans. My face is looking old and my abs are popping big time. I do need to put some weight back on but not before my show in Tulsa, it will be 2 weeks after this one and then I am probably gonna hang it up for a few years. I have some other things to mark off my bucket list. Don't think that does not mean I will not be a fitness freak because I will always be one. It is just me.

Thank you to all who left comments from my last post. I miss reading all your blogs and I promise I am gonna catch up some day!

4 weeks and starting to wear down

2010-04-26T16:59:00.000-07:00

Well it was 4 weeks out on Saturday and I am starting to feel like I have been run over. I am sure it is due to lack of sleep lately. My weigh in was Saturday and I am right at 116 which is 3 lbs smaller than my last competition. I thought I was pretty darn lean then so you can imagine how I am feeling now. I still have some stubborn little fat on my thighs and just under my butt cheeks. That is where I always carry my extra weight so of course it is going to be the last to come off.

I am not eager to eat crap like I was my first couple of shows. I have learned after competing now for the 4th time that it is not worth it. The only thing I really am missing is having a cheat meal once a week. I love to cook and miss cooking healthy meals, like my healthy pizza and protein cookies. I have never been one to eat crap at all. I guess that is why the dieting down does not really bother me. I weigh now what I weighed in High School, HA! but then I did not have the fat pockets lingering around and my hips were not as wide. Welcome to mommyhood. I would not change that for a second anyway so I don't mind the wide hips and fat pockets.

I am learning a lot about myself and what is important. I am almost 90% sure that my June comp will be my last. I need to finish my Master's degree which I have been putting off and I am not getting any younger.

I cannot figure out all the new blogs but so want to change mine and get back at it. I am eager to have my summer vacation time so I can spend a little time catching up. I do have a lot planned in a short time though so I hope I don't have to keep putting that off. I remember how I loved blogging and I do miss it.

We are booked for 5 days in Mexico after the Tulsa show and I plan on enjoying some R&R. I love going on vacation right after comp because I feel so good in my bikini that I don't even feel the need to cover up.

School is out in just 4 weeks and my vacation will begin. It has been another very long year for me. If there was ever a time for me to be able to transfer it will be this next year. Fingers crossed for me on that one.

I have to send pics to my trainer next week, if they turn out decent I will post them.

Time has gotten away from me.

2010-04-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post something since I seemed to have missed posting over the weekend. I am now 4.5 weeks out and counting. I am so ready to do this and get on with my life. I am getting tired and weary from the dieting. I contemplated even doing this show and although it has been a pretty easy prep I am struggling mentally now. I am starving all the time, probably due to all the cardio I am doing and I am not doing all the cardio I was suppose to do. There was no way I could work and do all that cardio so I just do the best I can. This is suppose to be fun for me and when it no longer is fun I will be calling it quits. My sleep has not been great, it is hit or miss. I wake up starving and then cannot go back to bed. It is enough to make you want to jump off a cliff! I am sick to death of fish and asparagus. I eat tuna and asparagus at 8am everyday. Some of my evening meals are only spaced 1.5 hrs apart because I cannot wait any longer without killing something or someone.

My weight is sitting at 117 and has consistently gone down week after week. I have no clothes to wear but yet I still have fat on my butt and the back of my legs. I know it is the last to go and hell if it doesn't I am screwed because my new suit came in and the bottoms are tight. When I pulled it from the package I had to laugh because it was so tiny!

So there it is, not much else going on. I am booked for a cruise in June and look forward to some serious R&R on the beach.

6 weeks and counting

2010-04-11T17:33:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe how fast this prep is going. I am sure it is because I am staying so busy with the end of school and other stuff. Only 6 more weeks of school and I will be free. I can hardly wait! I need a break so bad and am looking forward to a Mexico vacation in June just sitting on the beach drinking margaritas.

Prep is going great. This was my first week that was really tough with a new meal change mostly because I felt very hungry. I emailed Mike and he added some stuff so hopefully it will help this week. I was really wanting to eat something other than asparagus and chicken this weekend but of course I did not do it. I cannot wait to have some Pei Wei my favorite restaurant. I am leaning out more this time around and I hope that keeps up. I am sitting at 118.4 pounds right now and have consistently lost weight ever week but one and the week after that I lost more so it all evened out I guess. The bad part about this is that I don't have anything to wear. It would be great if I was rich and could buy a ton of cute clothes but I hate to spend the money only to be able to wear it for one summer. Although, my goal is to stay at 120 from now on. I thought 125 was perfect for me but I just feel better at 120 and I think I look good in my clothes.

Well there is the update, I will be posting pics next week. I wish I had time to post them weekly but I don't so I will do it when I can. Suit will be here this week and then off to a friends who is stoning it for me. I still need to send in my entry stuff but that is pretty much it. I am ready to rock this and meet up with all my Diva friends.

7 weeks to go.

2010-04-04T08:02:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am counting down the days. It is not so much so I can have a cheat but just that I can relax a bit. I am still feeling pretty darn good for 7 weeks out. I do have my days where I do not have a lot of energy but I am working on getting more sleep this time around even if it cuts into some of my cardio time. I know that sounds bad but I am consistently losing so I think I will be okay, I hope anyway. Although, this was the first week the scale did not budge one ounce but hopefully that means this week there will be even a bigger drop. I am leaning out slowly and my metabolism is revved up! I am starving 5 minutes after I eat so that sucks. I have had no cravings whatsoever. I am not taking any fat burners either, I never have. I figure I don't need my body screwed up anymore than what the actual dieting does to it so I only take my vitamins and that is it.
I am using this blog mostly for a journal so I will be able to look back at where I was but thanks for the comments you guys left. I hope my blog can become a little more interesting this summer when I have more time.I will try to post progress pics next week.

8 weeks out already!

2010-03-28T07:49:00.000-07:00

The time is flying by! My weight is steadily going down,maybe a little too fast, I dunno but I was 121.6 today. I still have a lot of fat to lose off the booty, hips and thighs but hey I am a girl and that is what we all have to do. Sticking to the eating 100% but have not done all the cardio. My knees started giving me fits so I took a rest day yesterday. I feel like I am pretty close to being at a good place for this far out. That is less then 3 lbs from my last comp weight.

I hate taking pics but here ya go, I am sooooo white and as you can see I still have a long way to go on the lower body.

9.5 weeks!!!!!

2010-03-17T08:08:00.000-07:00

I know, I suck at keeping this whole blog thing going but I love going back months later and reading it. I have no time for blogs, email or much computer time as it is. I am doing cardio 2x a day and my workouts are pretty long on most days. I am hanging in there though and loving the changes I am seeing. I have been 100% on the diet but have missed a few evening cardio sessions.

Spring Break is on! I am loving being off and I spent 4 days in my house and never left. I cleaned it from top to bottom and let me tell you, you could eat off my floor! I have 3600 sq ft of space and it has been neglected due to work and workouts. I feel so much better now though and it is all so organized. I feel like I can really focus on these last 9.5 weeks. Not sure if I mentioned that I am 11.5 weeks out from the Tulsa show too. So I have been super busy but the next couple of days I will try to relax a bit. I do plan on working on my routine and practicing lots of posing.

Thank you all who still come over here and read this boring blog. Maybe this summer I can make it a little more exciting!

11 weeks out and looking for the sun.

2010-03-06T06:42:00.000-08:00

The sun motivates me because it means shorts and tank tops with flip flops. That is why I want to live on the beach, so I can wear that all the time. I have no use for heels or coats or anything else although I do have to say I love boots.

11 weeks out today and I am draggin ass! I have been given lots of cardio to do by my trainer. I have a lot of work to do but I am confident I can do it but I truly feel like I am 3 weeks out right now energy wise. I need to get more rest plus I have had sinus crap so that has drained me.

I was checking out my 3 week pics from before and I was very happy with them so I know there is hope. I only started using Mike the last 5 weeks of my comp prep so I am sure in the next month I will feel better about where I am at.

Spring Break is in 1 week and I need it. I plan on cleaning my house top to bottom and getting myself organized so I can really focus for the next 11 weeks.

12 WEEKS ! and ready.

2010-02-28T16:16:00.000-08:00

I was 12 weeks out yesterday and I am ready to rock this thing all the way to Colorado. I am finishing up my last week of a meal plan and workouts. I just renewed with Mike for the next 12 weeks so I should be getting new meal plan and workouts sometime this week. I like to have a little time to got to the store instead of freaking out at the last minute.
I have been really struggling with sleep lately but I am going to work on that because that is what keeps me going and keeps the cravings at bay.
Thanks Matt for suggesting the Bromelain, I just purchased some and am anxious to try it for my back. I refuse to take the crap the doctor wants to give me.

Workouts are great, I am really pushing in the gym. I am already sick of cardio since I am having to do it 2 x a day. I am not sure why he started me out with that much but I am hoping it tapers off towards the end when I am really tired. It is a good thing I am only about 6 lbs from comp weight or I would be in for probably a lot more cardio.

I am sick to death of winter and cold weather. I want some sun! I need bright colors and longer days. I am just happier that way. That is why my happy little butt will be living way South someday!

Well I really just wanted to put something on my blog and hopefully can keep you update on my progress weekly.

13 weeks out, OH MY!

2010-02-21T06:09:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe I am already 13 weeks out. I am super pumped to do this show with all my Diva friends. It is going to be tricky because of work but I am doing it because it is a once in a lifetime chance. I am thinking after this show I will do the Tulsa show 2 weeks after that and then I am probably going to call it quits with competing at this point. I am really wanting to start learning Yoga and maybe get certified as an instructor. My back is really bothering me these days and I think the yoga would really help a ton. With all the workouts and my busy schedule there is no time left in the day to include some yoga. After the gallbladder surgery my back has just killed me. I think they dropped me or something because it did not hurt like this before I went in. It is all lower back and around my pelvic area. I mean it aches like no other but I push through it and just deal with it. I do use a foam roller and that has helped. My doc gave me pills but I flushed them. They made my heart race and I hate taking prescription crap.

Eating is great this go around even though I have really enjoyed being relaxed and not having to stress about having my food with me 100% of the time up until the last few weeks. I know once I hit that 12 week mark it has to be 100% and nothing better but don't think for a second I will be giving in to any food that is not on plan this week because I won't. I want this to be my best show yet!

Oh and if you are wondering about the Stove to Go! It rocks!It is lighter than my lunch backpack. I plug it in on my way to work with meal #2 and I can eat when I get to work and then put in meal #3 and it is ready by lunch. I highly recommend this especially if you are in your car a lot like me.

Week 5 over!

2010-02-13T05:46:00.000-08:00

It has been 5 weeks already since starting back up with Mike. I am so loving this meal plan right now and wish I could have it the entire comp prep. I am never hungry and I am getting all kinds of yummy food like butter nut squash and Ezekiel bread with spray butter. I am consistently losing a pound a week even with one cheat a week. I must mention that I am already doing 2 cardios a day and 1 of those is hard core. Everything I do revolves around my hips and butt since that is where most of my problem is. The cheats are gone so boo but I like how fast I am leaning out. I can already see my abs and my hips are getting slimmer. The legs are another story but I will get there.

I ordered this because my principle took away my microwave. Why? Because she can and I guess she wants to make this as hard on me as she can but you know what? I am a fighter and I will eat my fish cold and I don't care but wait! I don't have to because I just ordered this! You will find me in my car at lunchtime now while I do some fine dining so BITE me mean people I got me a Stove to Go and it will cook up to 300 degrees in my car:)

Week 4 in the bag!

2010-02-07T05:05:00.000-08:00

I ended week for with being at 100%! No deviations from my eating plan and I hit it super hard in the gym this week. The scale cooperated and I lost 2 lbs this week. That never happens to me, it is always 1 slow pound after another. I have about 7 more to go and I am 15 weeks out so I am in a good place.

My shoulders and triceps decided to come out and say hello this week. I am loving the way they are leaning out so quickly and I am wishing it was not so cold and I could wear short sleeves to show them off. There is nothing sexier than muscular shoulders and arms, I think anyway.

I truly feel like this is going to be my best show ever. Not only are a lot of my Diva team members going to be there but I can just feel it. I feel like my head is in a good place right now. I have changed my mindset to be constantly thinking like a competitor. If I don't feel like getting a workout in, I change my mindset and say to myself, "I am a competitor and a competitor does not miss workouts or eat crap so get to it sister" and it really works. May sound crazy but just try it and see. Even if you have never competed you can still get your mind to think this way. It is all so mental! So you can control your brain and it is free, what are you waiting for?

Week 3 down but.......

2010-02-01T05:24:00.000-08:00

It so could have been better! I struggled this week with being stuck in the house for days. There was no school on Thurs, Fri or today. It makes me crazy! Dave has been home with me and I swear all he wanted to do was cook. We cooked healthy stuff but it was not stuff on my plan. I hope Mike does not ask for pics because I don't think I made much progress this week. This is a new week and the beginning of a new month. I love February. It is a short month and then March is Spring Break month. I love Spring Break, that is when I take all the boring stuff from my house and bring out all the bright and cheering colors and it just cheers me up!

I am like 15 wks out and have 9 lbs to lose so I am not too worried. I am sitting at a really healthy weight right now and I am not looking forward to my face looking super old again. That is what happens when I drop 10 lbs. It is terrible and my face takes a beating with all the up and down.

The snow has been terrible this year. The Colorado show I am doing is May 22 and I was scheduled to leave on the 21st. Now that we have make up days at school I am not sure how I am going to pull this off. I will figure it out but I am a little worried. We have had some terrible weather this year. I leave you with some snow pics.

Week 2 down

2010-01-24T04:07:00.000-08:00

Well, since having surgery and taking a month of from the gym, I now have 2 solid weeks under my belt. I am back into my small jeans already so apparently there was a lot of bloat going on there plus the scale dropped about 7 pounds fast so definitely bloat! I am going to try to blog at least once a week so I can look back on this experience. I have had to ditch the idea of competing in the Liberty show but I will be ready to compete in Colorado by May, no problem. There was just no way I could be ready for the Liberty show in time.

When you take time off for whatever reason I think it is harder mentally to get back at it. I have struggled mentally with cravings and just wanting to be "normal". I know me though and I am not "normal". I like to be different so, I am back at it and got my new meal plan and workouts. I stuck to my plan for 2 weeks and I can tell slowly but surely it is all coming back. I will be glad to have 2 more under my belt. I am like 16 or 17 weeks out right now. I think it is good I am starting early though, I have some ground to make up plus it will not put me at my last few weeks and having to do brutal cardio.

I have always tried to plan my comps around holidays, birthdays and vacations just to make it easier on myself. I become anti-social for 3 months barely even seeing my family. I know Valentine's Day is not really a problem for me and we have decided on a June vacation right after the Tulsa show. I know the Super Bowl is coming up but I am aloud a cheat so I am going to be making some healthy snacks. I will leave you with one of the recipes. Enjoy!

Spinach-Walnut Dip

* 2 cups spinach
* 1/8 teaspoon Swanson Organic Garlic Powder
* 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
* 1/4 cup Swanson Organic Walnuts, chopped
* 1 teaspoon tarragon, chopped
* 1 teaspoon Swanson Organic Dill Weed
* 1 teaspoon cilantro, chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* Swanson Himalayan Crystal Salt, to taste

Puree spinach and garlic clove. Mix with Greek yogurt, finely chopped walnuts, chopped tarragon, dill and cilantro, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt.

Makes 48 servings. Serving size 1 tablespoon.
Nutritional Breakdown (per serving):

Calories 7, Fat 0 grams, Protein 1 gram, Sodium 15 mg, Carbohydrates 0 grams, Fiber 0 grams

Tis the season... the competition season that is.

2010-01-17T16:11:00.000-08:00

Yes, it is that time again! I actually love this time of year when all the holidays and stuff are behind us. It is nice to have a little break but it is so easy to get lazy and when you are surrounded by bad food constantly, it makes it really hard to stay on track. Add a surgery and no workouts for a month into the mix and, need I say more?
I have actually done pretty well considering. I tried really hard to eat clean when I could not work out. I ended up with 3 lbs on top of my 10 that I had put on after my June comp last summer. I had promised myself not to gain more than 10 and that is what I will do this season as well.
I think prepping this go around will be pretty easy. I am actually doing an NPC show in Colorado with some of my Diva peeps in May. I am about 15-16 weeks out I think. I got my official meal plan last Sunday and ended the week on a perfect note. When it says get all your cardio, workouts and stay on plan and you can have a cheat meal on the weekend, you can bet your sweet booty I will follow orders.
I ended up with homemade pizza and my homemade brownies. I only ate one and set back a few for Dave and sent the rest home with my mom today. She said she would give them to my brothers tomorrow. At least they are out of the house.
After the Colorado show I will be 14 days exactly out from the Tulsa show so I figured what the heck, I might as well. Then we are leaving for vacation which is TBA (to be announced). My little brother is getting married and it will either be a cruise or somewhere in Mexico but should know in the next month or so, so we can start planning that. I am waiting on them to make up their minds.
I am going to try to at least blog once a week to keep track of my count down to Colorado. I am super excited about this show and meeting everyone.

I finally got my kitchen completely finshed, pot rack hung, hardware on the cabinets and it looks so good. The rack holds like 25 pans but I did not hang that many on there. It sure did clean out 2 large cabinets though that I can use for other things. I have used the crap out of this island. We have no regrets for the amount of money we spent on it. I think it will be a great selling point if we ever decide to sell. Here is a pic, it is hard to tell how large it is in the pic but trust me, it is super heavy and ginormous. Dave had to get in the attic to reinforce it on the beams. Everything turned out exactly like I had it in my mind too.

HO HO HO Back to work I go.

2010-01-03T08:12:00.000-08:00

Well, today is my last day of Winter Break and with the surgery I have been off for 3 weeks. Dave has been off the entire month of December and will be going back to work tomorrow too. We have had the best time together, well at least I have. He might not be saying that since he is the one that did the entire honey do list over the break. We got so much done though. Notice I said "we". I tried to help a lot but probably was not worth a darn.

I have never been so ready to get back to working out in all my life. I feel like such a blob. I have one more week to go so I am really getting anxious. I know I will not be able to go in there and start back where I left off, no way. I still have some pain just vacuuming . We spent the evening with friends, there were 14 of us and they are all teacher friends. My friend Janet who had her gallbladder out last year says it was a piece of cake and she was back to work in a day or two. I was out 5 days with it and she has 15 yrs on me and a little over weight and out of shape so WTH? This has been harder for me than I ever thought it would be. I thought I would be back in the gym in a week or two, HA, no way!I feel like such a wuss.

I will let you know how the workouts turn out. I am suppose to be getting new workouts and diet from Mike this week. I go back to the doc this week and I have to get my tooth drilled on tomorrow and HO,HO,HO back to reality I go.

Sometimes I feel like such a scrooge!

2009-12-26T17:31:00.000-08:00

I know I suck! I said NO to Mexico but you guys do not understand, I look like I was about 4 months pregnant at least! I am so much better now but still have bandages on my stomach. I so would not have had a good time but after this blizzard we got over the holidays I think I should have said YES! I was stuck in the house for 2 days straight. I cooked a ton of food for my family and they all had to cancel. Nobody could get out on the roads, all interstates were shut down and the airport. It was awful and we are not used to that here at all. We got 14" of snow which never happens. I walked outside and it was just about to my knees in some places, super high drifts from the 50 mph winds.

I have about 2 more weeks and then I can begin my workouts again, I can hardly wait! I feel like such a big blob but I have been hitting the cardio a little heavy. So far my plans are, a April show, a May show and a June show if I can talk hubs into all three with 2 of them being out of state so the expenses are pretty high and since this is just my hobby I have to put my lower lip out a little further so he will go for it.

Here is my island, not sure if you can tell but it is gigantic and I love it. I have room to do everything on it. We put a flat screen tv on the wall in front of it so when I am home alone and cooking at least I can watch tv while I do it. I can also watch my favorite cooking shows while I am in the kitchen. I spend a lot of time in this room so I wanted it to be perfect for me. I was in for a rude awakening when it came to buying the hardware for my drawers and cabinets. I am going to have to spend about $350 more just for the hardware. The drawers are so large that it will take at least a 12" drawer pull and those sucks are not cheap! UGH! I may have to just buy one at a time at that price. So, there is no hardware on it yet so it looks kind of plane but you get the idea.

Getting back to normal

2009-12-22T16:49:00.001-08:00

Well it has been 12 days since surgery and it has been a slow process. Everyday is a little bit better with the first couple of days being the worst. At least now it does not hurt to sneeze. My weight is all over the place within 5-6 lbs depending on what day of the week it is. I am still really bloated and I have read a lot about this and it is due to them having to fill your abdominal cavity with gas to do the surgery. It has really messed with me mentally though because I am used to having a very flat tummy and now I look like I am about 4 mths pregnant. I cannot button any of my clothes, it is just too tight in the waist. I started back doing cardio yesterday and made it 35 minutes before starting to hurt a little so I called it quits. Today I made it to 40 min so I am slowly getting back into it but still have two weeks to go until a weight workout and then I am sure I will have to ease back into that.

Dave actually wanted to take a little weekend trip to Mexico over the holidays and I said, hell to the NO! I would never put on a swimsuit in this condition, I mean I still have bandages all over my tummy much less looking pregnant, I nearly fainted when he suggested it. He took the whole month of December off so he has been a great help around the house. He does a good part of the cleaning like vacuuming and stuff that I cannot do right now. He has done so much around the house and I am loving it.

My kitchen is done other than getting hardware for the cabinets and drawers,don't even get me started on that. It is not as easy as it sounds. I wanted to post pics but my battery is dead on my camera and I left my charger at school so either I go buy another charger or just wait until I go back after the first of the year but either way I will post pics soon. I love, love, love the kitchen!

Thanks to all of you for the cards and emails while I was recovering! It really did cheer me up on those long days:)

Recovery

2009-12-13T06:59:00.000-08:00

Well, apparently that little thing called a gallbladder can really make you feel like poo. Who knew that little organ could do so much? It has been 3 days since surgery and I am slowly getting around. This was not as easy of a surgery that I thought it would be. I can tell you I sleep like a baby now, 12 hrs last night. I am ready to be 100% and get back into my routine. I am super bloated and can only eat soft things like egg whites. I am ready for some real food. I did not tell a lot of people about this surgery including my dad. Yes, I did not want him to worry so I just didn't tell him. I know that is bad but I just did not want all the fuss. My mom is not all fussy like that. Anyway, I am hoping that my life will be back to normal soon. The leg pain is gone. It was the worst bone pain I have ever felt in my life. It was kind of like growing pains but 100 x worse. My doctor said that was a first for her. She had never heard of leg pain with gallbladder disease. It even hurt down into my feet. I pretty much hurt all over. So I guess I can go down in history as having leg pain. I knew if I woke up and the leg pain was still there that there was something terribly wrong. I was so relieved for it to be gone!

My kitchen has been a wreck! They delivered the island and it is beautiful! The granite top is suppose to be here hopefully by the end of the week. I hope so since we are doing our annual cookie baking this weekend. The island is 4 x 8 and it even has a plate rack where you can slide all your dinner plates in and huge deep drawers and tons of cabinet space. Just the top alone is over 6oo lbs! I still have my old smaller island in the corner of the kitchen. I cannot lift anything so I have to wait until my brother can pick it up this weekend. I had to order new bar stools because the new island is taller. I ordered them off overstock.com and got a super deal. I love that place. I will post pics if I ever get my kitchen back to normal.

Surgery!

2009-12-09T17:18:00.001-08:00

I have not had a chance to update but since my last post a lot has happened. I found out that my gallbladder is only working at 8% and has to come out. I have been miserable but still managed to get in 2 cardio sessions this week, HA,I will teach that gallbladder to mess with me, JK. I am really bummed because my workouts have suffered. I am a little concerned with the pain though, the leg pain is unbearable. It sometimes shoots down into my feet and I have even had a terrible pain in my left arm that radiates down into my hand. It is the worse pain ever. Behind my right knee feels like someone is stabbing me. I am assuming this is all gallbladder related. It has gone from bad to worse in just a few days. I met with the surgeon today and it is coming out first thing in the morning. Wish me luck! I will be back with a vengeance soon. Hopefully recovery will only be 2-3 weeks and I will be back at it.

*Fitness Snob*