The Return!

October 15, 2011

Have you ever googled your own name? I recently did so and when I did, photos from former competitions plastered the web. It felt somewhat invasive and I was rather alarmed that there was so much out there about me. I am proud of what I accomplished when I competed but I am certainly a different person now.

It has been 2 years since I have posted in this blog. During that time I have been enjoying life, pursuing dreams, and spending time with those that I love most. I have been a lot more relaxed in my diet and in my training, which is not typically

like me, but it was necessary. When I started this blog two years ago, it was a few months after my last figure competition. This blog was my therapy as I was dealing with a damaged metabolism, and a mental balance of what is healthy and what is obsessive. I had to step away from the bodybuilding forums, take down the pictures from my lean times, and focus on eating a variety of foods. I continued to lift 3x a week and engaged in cardio on occasion but not consistently as I knew my cortisol levels were very high from the stress. My body needed a tranquil environment and that is what I gave it.

I have not been a sloth but I have not been strict either. The moment that I relaxed and quit obsessing about my body is the moment the extra weight came off. When I started this blog I had been at the highest point of my weight, ever...165lbs. The only other time my weight had been that high was when I was an overweight 12 year old. Reading back and thinking back, I had been pretty strict with cardio and dieting, yet still, the weight remained. I remember how painful that struggle was, and how the doctors could not even help. Gradually, the weight has fallen off without my effort and I finally feel at peace with my body. I weighed in this week at 142lbs.

Aside from relaxing I also contribute some of the power foods I was eating to my balance in hormones. I began eating hormone free meats, cage free eggs, organic fruits & veggies, and nixed some of the artificial stuff like; sugar free jelly, smucker's natty peanut butter and spray butter. I avoided soybean oil and a lot of the really processed foods. I stuck with 100% freshly ground peanut butter with nothing else added, and occasionally consumed 'simple' jelly with no sugar added. I substituted ezekial bread for other wheat breads and tortillas. I even started eating bacon, sausage, butter, and whole eggs, fats that I had been lacking.

I have not had a bodybuilding mentality, rather, a 'normal' healthy outlook. A typical day would look something like this:

Breakfast-

• 2 organic whole eggs
• 1/2 C. Oats, 1Tbsp raw honey, 1 Tbsp butter (not margarine)

Lunch-

• Sandwich made with ezekial bread, mayo, turkey/ham
• a piece of fruit
• a greek yogurt cup with splenda

Snack-

• Someti
  mes a protein shake or a piece of fruit, maybe nothing.

Dinner-

• Turkey chili made with beans, ground turkey, seasonings, tomatoes, onions, cheese, green peppers, and sour cream.

I ate like this mon-fri but ate what I wanted on the weekends. The great thing about not dieting is not binging. I never over-did it, ate some bad things, but stopped once I had enough.

Obviously I didn't only eat these specific foods, but that has been a typical day. You can see there are not a ton of vegetables or proteins which will be a big focus for me. So begins my first attempt to slim down since my last blog entry two years ago. Becoming leaner is a wonderful feeling and I will try not to let the process consume my life, but I do owe fitness and nutrition a greater portion of my time than what I presently allow for it.