Staying True

This week has been hard...I moved my original plan on having no carbs about 4 weeks early, and I'm dying inside.  I changed it because I read all these articles and most of the time I get scared I won't be able to look as good as the girls in the article.  I've re-thought this, and I'm going to back to my meal plan I originally had and cut back a lil at a time. I have 6 1/2 weeks left, I can't go at this level, because my exercise sessions will be useless, and my mood will get worse from here. 

High on Life

Today's workout was amazing!!! I just went into that Gym and OWNED IT! It felt great.  I think it was because I used my new workout clothes (had to get smaller ones..hehehe) and it showed my improvements...seeing your improvements while you workout is the best motivation ever!

The closer I get to competition time, the more questions/tasks I have...

-Finding a Make-Up Artist: I think I found one :)
-Tanning: I starting fake n baking..I know to get spray tanned the day before and day of, however, the tanning salon I go to will only charge me $15 (member rate) to get spray tanned versus $100 for the day of, and it's on site.  Which one? Would I be ok if I got spray tanned the night before?? or do I need to do both?
-Cutting Water: Drink lots of water 3-4 weeks before, then cut water AND/OR water pills?
-The information on the NPC website is half finished, so I don't even know what time the Bikini Pre-judging is :(...emailed the coordinator, hopefully I'll hear something soon

** You will never know your limits until you push yourself to them** 

7 More Weeks

3 Words: 

No More Carbs 

....and I have lost one inch in the following areas in ONE week...

-Widest part of my waist aka Kangaroo Pouch ... Boom Baby

-Narrowest part of my waist...oh YEA ! 

-and-

My thighs....HEY!!! 

Gotta Love Change

As you can tell this past week I have had to deal with a lot of stress.  It's amazing how my new adventure of FITNESS is helping me through this path in life.

I'm a Christian woman and I have dedicated my life to God.  I listen to him when he guides me in the direction he intends my life to go in because I believe he has drawn my life out already for me.  This week, I've had a struggle with my goals I was setting for myself.  My main goals go in this order: 1- Be the best Mom I can be to Jaedon and Omarion 2-Give my school my all, because the better I do, the better J-O-B I get to support my family...aka MoJO (MO-Jaedon-Omarion) and 3- transform my body into the best it can be and challenge myself to compete in a Bikini Competition :)...A Lot, huh? yep I know.

Every night I go to bed, and I ask God, is this where you want me to be? I was thinking of a certain someone that was in my life for about 8 months and helped me see that I CAN be Monique, and that I CAN think for myself, and I asked God, why am I thinking of him all of sudden? (well maybe not 'all of a sudden', because I did love him, so I think of him often)

It all came together today.  I was talking to my biggest cheerleader, my safe haven, my sister today and let me just tell you, I love that girl, she just lets me talk and talk, and she asks all the right questions to really get what is on my mind out in the open-with no judgement, and that's the best!!! Well, she started asking all the right questions, and all the pieces I was receiving this week from God were coming together and after having the revelation I felt free of my stress, I felt free of worry, it was A-MAZING.

...and then to top if off, my devotional that I read last night, read this on the last line: "Are you holding on to something God has intended for someone else ( a possession, an opportunity, a dream, a role, a calling, or a title)? Release it, and see what cup full of love he has in store for you." and recalling that line from the devotional was the cherry on top :D

I know you're probably saying, well what is it?  It's actually in the works, and I don't want to spoil the news, so I'll wait until it's the right time...I needed to write this out, and tell the world how awesome it feels to really listen to your heart and listen to what God has in store for you, because he will take you to places you never knew you could go.

Much Love and Happier ~  MO 

Week 7....in a nut shell....well kind of....

End of Week 7...the ending was not like the beginning.  In the beginning I was happy, excited about my adventure, and taking a double look at my life saying, 'wow, I'm doing it, raising my two energized boys, going to school-full time and to top it off training for my bikini competition with no trainer.'  I had it all figured out, and then out of blue, God wanted to teach me a lesson that he's been trying to teach me, 'Slow down and read what's in front of you.'  How did he do that? We'll let me break it down for you.  On Friday, I'm looking at my grades for my Visual Basic class (class is on-line) and noticed that the past 4 weeks I've received ZERO points.  I looked at my professors comments (side note: since it's online I rarely look at my grades) and he stated I was doing the wrong assignment.  I all of a sudden go into panick mode, 'What I'm i going to do? will I pass this class...AHHHH'.  I emailed my professor, and he's letting me do half of the assignments that I did wrong.  And all I need to say is, 'Thank You God, Lesson Learned!'   

Number 2 stressor (yes there is a number 2), I'm trying to find an internship for my last semester in College and I'm having a hard time finding one, that worry turned into, what if I can't find a fiull-time job come December when I graduate, what will I do???..then it occurred to me, I don't have control over this, God does, and I put it in his hands, because I know he has my best interest at heart.

Wow! That was a lot in my week 7....I'm learning to control my stressors, because it does no good for my body, especially my body fat.!!! 

Look at my side view comparison for week 7...not bad eh? 

Looking ahead at week 8, there are a lot of changes this week:

-2 NO CARB days

-4 days of Cardio 

-Start tanning :) 

-Practicing my Walk and Posing...which I did today. and two words .... Oh YEAH :) 

***When You Feel Like Qutting, Think About Why You Started*** 

I like big butts!!

First...I have decided to delay doing two-a-days until after finals (May 12th), for two big reasons: my first workout would be early in the morning anywhere between 4:30 and 5:30 in the AM, I'm not a morning person and two, with getting up early, I'll need to go to bed early, that can't happen while I'm going to school, I won't have any time to study :(..I figure that's two week pre-competition, perfect timing to shed the last of the 'unwanted' fat.

Second, I looked at myself in the mirror after getting ready this morning, like most women, and found that my butt is getting to be BJO (Before Jaedon & Omarion).  I took a pic, and originally sent it to my sister to share with her, but I thought, nope I'm posting this on my blog, I'm proud of it!!! 

YES!!!

End of Week 6, and I've seen results in my kangaroo pouch!!!! It feels great!!! Lost 1.4 lbs this week...I feel wonderful and motivated! 

This week I have also started doing 2 a Day Cardio sessions. I've read several articles that say for women the 2-a-days help women with their trouble spots (stomach and thighs-hello that's me!!)  My second cardio session will be low-intensity for 30 min....let's see what the results will be at the end of the week :) I love experimenting :) 

**if it's important to you, you'll find a way, if not, you'll find an excuse **