MAKING PROGRESS! Yes!

It was one of the worst days ever! I actually cried right before my second workout today. This has been a tough, TOUGH starch rotation.

But, after taking my check-in photos tonight I am pleased. Every time I push through a hard day like this my body changes in a positive way.

I'm still pushing! I will finish strong!
Angela

"First we form habits, then they form us. Conquer your bad habits or they will conquer you."
Rob Gilbert

19 Days until DC show

It's getting closer and I am actually excited. I am working hard but not stressing out. My workouts have changed dramatically and now I am doing cardio sometimes twice/ day in preparation for the show. The last month of this process is the hardest and I am hanging in there. The most difficult part is pushing through challenging workouts with no starchy carbohydrates. I am on a 2/0/1/0 starch rotation right now...meaning one day I can have two starches and the rest is one fruit and all proteins/ vegetables. The next day zero starches, 1 fruit and proteins/ veggies...and so on. I feel like I have eaten a forest full of peppers, broccoli, onions, mushrooms, asparagus and celery...oh, all main veggies have to be green right now.

At times I am elated- feeling pleased with the progress I have made and excited about the future days to come. This process has helped me become more focused and better at managing my time.

But, other times I want to scream, divorce the gym and all of it's natural partners- including sports bras, running shoes, ipods and workout clothes...and throw my face into my husband's yellow cake with chocolate frosting birthday cake that I had someone make at Walmart so that I didn't have to.

I told myself that I would be honest in this blog. so I am going to honor that promise. I am fighting my flesh daily right now and it is hard. But, I know without a shadow of a doubt this is exactly where I am supposed to be right now and I see the trickle effect it is having within the studio.

It is OKAY to reach! To push beyond your percieved limitations. To stop making excuses, get up and move on. It hurts. At time it makes me angry when my body "doesn't want to" do what I need it to do...but the more times I take just one more step during those moments of physical resistance and mental struggle- the HIGHER the threshold becomes! God is so great. SO much greater than our minds can perceive and when he gives you a dream and a vision it's so easy to "do it later..." and stay complacent in your comfortable place...waiting for the planets to align first before making a step. I've been in that place. I've planted a garden, and built a fence around that place as though I were going to stay in it forever.

The calling to lead has been a scary road. But, I love people and I feel an indescribable amount of joy when I see someone dare to leave their comfort zone, reach and evolve into a stronger, more balanced, empowered stuard of the beautiful body God gave them.

There are times when I see my team training people, but not just training...teaching- offering their whole hearts and the love of the Lord to thier clients and I am completely awstruck...humbled, without words by the amazing privelage I have been given...that the Lord has chosen me to be a connecting part in this beautiful community of positive change. I am such a sinner, broken but redeemed by the blood of Christ and used despite of my imperfections.

I started this process whining, but have come to realize how blessed I really am. The only way to lead, is by example. I am grateful.

Angela Sweet

Wow! It's been a while! All is very well. I made it through Easter and my monthly without binge eating on chocolate anything- that's a huge accomplishment in my book. Macro-nutrient breakdowns have been great daily. It's the FINAL four weeks before DC. A time when daily changes start to appear. The layer over my abs is decreasing and my back fat is going away. This is my trouble spot and the strict nutrition really pays off right about now. It's hard. But, I am certain that I will have visible abs by DC. I have to...my family and friends have made travel arrangements and bought tickets...I can't show up on stage in a bikini without doing the work. Ugh...I love to be challenged until it gets hard, then it's the "How bad do you want it" question and "What are you willing to sacrifice to achieve your goals" question that comes to mind. I want it bad and I will be the top fitness model for editorial advertisements in 2010. I am willing to temporarily sacrifice food indulgences and eat clean to make this happen. It's a done deal.

Today's macros:
131p/80c/31f

Workout: Savage Back/Rear Delts/Abs and 40 Minutes Cardio on Summit Machine with Push Up/ Squat Jumps/ Split Jump intervals worked in 3x

Practiced Walk for 15mins


"First we form habits, then they form us. Conquer your bad habits or they will conquer you."
Rob Gilbert

FunDay Sunday

Hit the gym hard for the first Sunday I have worked out in ages! I usually take Sundays off completely but have decided to switch my off day to Saturday. Enjoyed the break! Grilled out tonight with the family...mmm, chicken and sauteed asparagus for dinner! Managed to watch Shawn and the kids eat Hardees, Taco Bell, Cadbury eggs, oreos and strawberries (healthy but not allowed right now) this weekend without indulging in any of it. My vice has been coconut oil and almond butter mixed for my healthy fats of the day. Only problem is....I'm only supposed to have each once/week and I had it three times this week. So, it's gotta go. Being held by Lori Robins as of tomorrow. It could affect my progress so it's gotta go! My nutrition is a science right now and for the first time today I was able to grocery shop withut being one bit tempted to but junk. It's wierd. I think the sugar is finally out of my system and when I look at certain foods that would normally really tempt me I am reminded of the heavy, bloated sluggish feeling they used to give me...or with sugar laden items-the addicted, overwhelming urge to eat more that generally accompanied the splurge. Everything changes and I am very excited by how "in the zone" I am feeling today. Of course, three starch day are usually pretty good! LOL

Weight: 105.4lbs
Lifting: Savage Workout (Chest/Bi/Tris)
Cardio: 40mins (27mins outside, 13 inside)
Walk: Practiced 15 mins
Nutrition Goal: 133-143p/80-110c/31f
3 Starch Day
ACTUAL: 129.7p/109c/35f
Fat source: Flax Oil/ Almond Butter

Friday 4/3/09

Weight: 106.2lbs

Nutrition Goal:
133-143p/180-110c/31f (One Starch Day)

Nutrition Actual:139.4p/80.9c/38.2f
One starch/ Coc Oil and Almond Butter for fat today
(Fats rotate daily: coc oil/flax/salmon/Udo's)


Workout: Outdoor Start/Stop sprints, Burpee Long Jumps, Side Shuffles, Backward Lunges
Indoor Upper Body (photo was today) , 20 minutes intense in Summit Trainer/20min walk with incline. Stability Ball Ab Exercises.

The best part of today was working out with my new friend Samantha. It's so much easier to work out when you are sharing the experience with someone else. Its easier to push harder and a few good laughs go a long way when your muscles are burning. Thank you Sam for your time and for sharing your passion for living a healthy lifestyle.

Spoke with Jodi today and it looks like next week is my last week with dairy and coconut oil. Will be living in a sort of "nutritional box" for the last 4 weeks before show, decreasing my weigh training and increasing my cardio to create muscle separation...especially in my mid section. Everyone has their "trouble spot" and that's mine. Cardio increases to 6 X40mins next week. Staying on 1,2,3 starch rotation until next Friday. Thank God for GREEN TEA! Oh, and I did slip in a massage and Diet Red Bull today. Mmm...

This lifestyle is actually helping me get a lot more done and feel better than I normally would with moe freedom to indulge. Since I am intensely focused on adhering to a plan that creates clean, healthy habits I am finding that I am much more productive with my time in general. Less drifting aimlessly...more completion of tasks/ projects. Of course nobody is meant to live the pre-contest lifestyle for any long length of time...it's overly demanding and would drain the life out of someone if done for too long. But, right now the stategic, progressive process is creating a positive momentum in my life that is transfering over to so many other areas. Thank you God...please give me the grace to finish in a way that gives you glory.

Angela Sweet

Feeling Leaner! (:

Feeling Leaner! (:

I had the opportunity to be interviewed live by our local ESPN radio station. Amber Ameredes (very accomplished fitness competitor-top 3 in nation for fitness and runner up for bikini division last year-also coached by Cathy Savage) and I ha a great time talking to Nick Sekkas about the realities of our lifestyle right now...going to the gy twice/day to fit it all in...falling in love with green vegetables and paying close attention to macronutrient breakdowns. It's a science like anything else. I am intrigued by the process and by the challenge of it all- learning to discipline my flesh.

Today was pretty good but definitely not perfect-I ate too much salmon and broke down and had a bar late tonight. I will be speaking with Jodi tomorrow about my new nutrition plan. I have a feeling it's going to go to a whole new level!

Daily Accountability:
Goal 133-143p/80-110c/31f
Actual: OUCH! 143p/126.5c/44.8f

Completed 4o minutes cardio and practiced "T" walk 10 minutes...it was a lighter training day.

God Bless you! Ang

"A setback is just a setup for a COMEBACK"

I don't know everything...ugh!

At the beginning of this process I remember telling myself that I would "completely commit to whatever my coaches told me to do, without reservation or hesitation..." After all, Cathy and her staff are the top in the nation and have helped produce some of the best fitness models and athletes in the industry. Perhaps I was not aware that at some point my fleshly stubborn nature would kick in and I would try to do things "my way..."

Truth is...I should have been tracking my specific macro-nutrient details daily for the past several weeks. I have not...I've made proper menu plans which I have done very well with but all in all I have missed the boat when it comes to specificity. So, today when I checked in and was looking for very specific, dramatic changes I was very disapointed. Although I have made progress...being five and a half weeks away from gracing the stage this is not where I want to be. Why? Because I was lazy and thought I could skip "some" of the details and get the same results. WRONG. Lesson learned and I'm moving on.

So, I tracked every gram today of everything I put into my mouth and realized that...oh, I was quite off. LOL. Oops...

But- I corrected it and am committed to doing it the right way now. Thank you God for that humbling lesson. I pray that it will teach me to have more compassion toward my clients when they do not follow my directions completely. I will simply love on them and do my best to encourage positive changes.

ACCOUNTABILITY:
Weigh in: 107.2lbs (-2lbs from last week)

Measured food and tracked appropriately...a 2 starch day with 133g protein/90g carbs/ 31g fat
Huh! It feels great to know that I am not guessing and that's what I really ate! Jodi is going to be so proud of me! (Jodi=The Savage girl nutritionist)LOL

My husband had pizza and I wanted it reallllllly bad. And, there were several yummy things speaking to me at the grocery store. What-you didn't hear it? Hmm, that's wierd it seemed very loud.LOL Didn't do it!

100+ oz/ water

Forgot vitamins...):
Can't take in evening or I won't sleep. Oops.

Did light upper body workout from February Savage series

Did 20+ min workout outside walk followed by intense Hay street hill sprints. My time has improved dramatically from last week. Personal record was 15 seconds...decreased to 12 seconds today! Woo-hoo

Practiced T-walk for 20 minutes. There was one time early on I thought my ankle was going to snap...but it didn't! I am FINALLY getting the "hang of it!" I feel really tall and sexy now that I am not stumbling everywhere! I just keep telling myself...okay, don't LAUGH!
I pretend that I am Angelina Jolie in the movie Wanted. She is so flippin' mysterious and her movements are so gazelle like...it makes me walk better! I heard that Beyonce has a stage personality she channels named Sheila or something like that to make her lose her injhibitions and have more stage presence. Anyway...it works! Try it! LOL


God Bless You! Thanks for listening!
Angela