Giving Up Veganism

After being vegan for a year, about 6 weeks ago I decided to take a break. After looking at my diet and my goals, the vegan lifestyle was doing more harm to my health than good.

Here is how it came to this point....

While dieting for the Alamo Showdown Classic, I hit a serious weight loss plateau. I was eating about 1500 calories a day, and burning more than 1000 and the weight wasn't coming off. Now, I know what you're thinking, that I was building muscle, but no one builds muscle that fast! After being stressed out for weeks, I came across an article that talked about the dangers of eating to much soy. It can have some negative long term effects on your health, including thyroid issues and cancer. This was shocking to me! I was eating Tofu 4 times a day and the protein powder I was drinking was also soy based. All together, about 90 percent of my diet was made up of soy, or a soy based product. Once I read this, I knew I had to do something, so I immediately gave up soy and started to eat chicken, tuna and eggs. Almost immediately I started to feel better.

It's important to note that there is nothing wrong with eating soy. Eating it a few times a weeks isn't going to hurt you, but having it make up almost all of your diet (like I did) will. I would like to go back to the vegan lifestyle sometime soon, but I can't until I find a way to do it without eating soy for every meal.

Also, I decided to become a vegan for health reasons. Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes all run in my family. Being vegan forced me to look closely at labels and scrutinize everything I put into my body. I've made huge lifestyle changes that have helped me become a healthy person, all thanks to being vegan!

Learning How To Compete.... By Competing

The INBF Alamo Showdown Classic was an amazing experience. I was the only fitness competitor and didn't place in bikini, but that's okay. I learned that I have to take my training to the next level if I ever want do well in the professional bodybuilding world. I've decided to take my time and train hard for my next competition. The girls that beat me in bikini were a lot leaner than me. They had abs and great arms.... things that I'm still working on. If I want to be competitive I need to put the time in at the gym. So that's what I plan to do!

Alamo Showdown Classic

I'm doing my second competition in October called the Alamo Showdown Classic. This competition will be bigger and badder than the one I did in July, because it's a pro qualifier. That means, the people that win there will get a pro card, which allows them to compete for money!

There are a dozen or so different divisions people can compete in, I'm entering the fitness and bikini categories. I have no idea how many people I'll be up against, but I'm sure it will be a lot more than last time (which was none)!

I'm still in pretty good shape from my last competition, so getting ready shouldn't be as stressful. But, my fitness routine needs to be jazzed up! So that's what I will be working on!

Wish me luck!

Girl in a Boys World

I love being the only girl lifting weights with the boys. Nothing makes me feel better than picking up a weight that's the same weight (or more) as the guy next to me. They look at me like I'm an alien! lol Most of the time when you see a girl in the gym they are there spotting their boyfriend on the bench press. Not me! When I hit the guy, I mean businesses.

With that being said. I wish more woman took going to the gym serious. There have been more times than I can count, where I see a woman come into the free weight room, pick up a weight, do a few reps and leave. There could be a lot of reasons for this, but I'm sure the main one is intimidation. It's hard to sit next to a guy that's 250 pounds and lift weights if your not confident in your skills.

My advice, look up different free weight exercises and practice them in the mirror. You might feel a little silly at first, but it can give you the confidence you need to lift with the best of them.

My First Competition!

I did it! I competed in my first fitness competition and loved it! I met so many amazing people and had a great time.

There is nothing like the feeling of accomplishing something you've worked hard for. This was 4 and a half months in the making. I worked out 2 hours a day, my diet was insane at time and I was sore for more days than I can count. But, I loved every minute of it!!!

I've already decided that I want to continue competing. I love lifting, I love the way it makes me feel. I love standing next to the "Big Boys" at the gym and lifting more than them! Eating healthy and working out is my new lifestyle and I can't wait to see where it takes me!


Here is a link to my Facebook page for work. I posted bunch of pictures from the competition, so make sure to check them out! :)
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.193333177392861.47499.154152207977625&type=1

Almost There

It's hard to believe my Ms. Fitness competition is Saturday! I've worked so hard to get here and it's only a few days away. It's starting to sink in that I'm going to be on stage, in front of a group of strangers, who are going to criticize my every move. I'm a little freaked out, but ready. I've put in countless hours at the gym, closely watched my diet and pushed my body to the absolute limit. I'm so proud of everything I've done. Sure, there have been good days and bad days, but it's all about how you deal with them. I'm so grateful I was given this opportunity to train for this competition. The chance to push myself out of my comfort zone and try something new. I plan on doing more of these competitions in the future, because I want to see how far I can go. I want to earn my pro card and someday compete with the big dogs! :) Thanks to this competition, I now know I can do this and I'm ready to take it to the next level!

Wish me luck! I need it!

24 Days to Go!

I have come a long way from the person I was 4 months ago. I have lost 12 pounds of fat (at least) and gained a ton of muscle. I've learned just how much you can achieve with A LOT with hard work and dedication.

With that being said, I have hit a very serious plateau. Despite my best efforts, I have been at the same weight for the last 6 weeks! I have done everything I can think of to make the weight come off. I have changed my diet 5 times, upped the amount of weight I use and messed around with the supplements I take. It's starting to stress me out!

The good news is that I can tell a difference in my clothing. Almost everything I own is lose on me and a couple of things don't fit at all! Trying on clothing is fun again.... which is something I didn't like to do a few months ago.

My competition date is fast approaching (July 30th). I only have a little over 3 weeks left to get my body in the best shape possible. While I realize winning probably isn't going to happen, getting in the best shape of my life has made everything worth while. I have dropped 6 dress sizes, toned almost every part of my body, and have more energy than ever before. Even if I come in last, I wont care, because I have already gained a lot from this experience!