Sunday, October 9, 2011
Vegan Goods!
Chris and I went to dinner last night at the Blue Plate Diner. It is on 2100 South and 2100 East in Sugarhouse. Very delicious, locally owned diner that is known for their reasonably priced comfort food. I have been there before, but not as a vegan. VERY vegan friendly menu. There are actual vegan dishes listed on the menu! YUM! I ordered the hummus dip and vegan burger with cajun fries. Delicious!
It was nice to splurge out of my current diet comfort zone and have a burger and fries! I have also been looking for vegan dishes that are quick to make and HEALTHY. I am not a fan of any frozen foods, really. Prepackaged foods are generally loaded with sodium and other poisons that are poop. I was in whole foods the other day and stumbled across this 365 brand vegan PIZZA!! If there has been anything that I miss, it is cheese and pizza. They carry a roasted vegetable pizza that is only 150 calories! Sodium is high, 380 mg, but I was willing to sacrifice a little salt for a pizza. I cooked this up this afternoon and added some Daiya dairy-free cheese in Mozarella and Cheddar flavor. It was divine.
Hooray for instant vegan food! 365 also makes a gluten-free vegan pizza on rice crust. The one I chose was whole wheat.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
No NPC for me....
Everything has been going wonderfully. I met with my trainer, Tiffany Heugly, on sunday to go over some of the NPC posing. I am leaner then I was at the NGA show. I was exhausted, but ready to go on stage. Still continuing with the vegan diet and I had yet to even have as much as a sniffle from allergies in over 6 months.
I woke up Thursday morning and my right eye was as swollen. It was as though someone had cut a golf ball in half and covered my eyeball with it. My eyes were watering, my sneezing had returned. I went to work that morning, then went home early and went straight to the doctor to reveal my worst nightmare. It wasn't an infection, it was my allergies again. The doctor said that it was "quite impressive" and that even my sclera (the white part of your eyeball) was swollen. He gave me a prescription for allergy eye drops and told me to put ice on it and take benadryl. I am not allowed to put my contacts in until the swelling is gone. I can see about 5 inches in front of my face. Glasses are not an option on stage.
I told my trainer and it turns out that both benadryl and panitol (eye drops) cause water retention. I had been on a diuretic to do the exact opposite. No good. My eye was burning. I can't even put lotion on my face, let alone a spray tan and stage makeup. So, here I am quasimoto, blind, sneezing, bloated, swollen eyes and face.....beautiful. Does NPC give a sympathy award?
I pulled myself out of the show. If I can't give 100% I don't want to do it. The down side?
Today is the day of the show. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little emotional. The up side?
My goal was to be in the best shape of my life. I am. I weigh the same I did when I was 17. I have leaned out a ton and all I have to gain is more muscle from here on out, so when I compete in the spring I will give those girls a run for their money.
Chris has been wonderful. I couldn't ask for better support or a better friend. When I asked him if this made me a quitter, his response was "You've done ALL the work already. That's not quitting."
I have had more support and love from friends and family and I am overwhelmed with happiness.
Tiffany and Shane Heugly are AMAZING!! They did everything that they could think of to help me to still compete. When I left the gym on sunday, Tiffany said "whatever happens, you've already won." It was that little sentence that helped me decide my health was more important than one show. They have had nothing but positive reinforcement and encouragement.
I got to eat chips and salsa. Oatmeal. A latte. Vegan mac n' cheese. Awesome!
So, that is my story. I will continue to update you with my off-season training and some yummy new vegan recipes!
Love, Sum XoXo
P.S. My before and after pics are up on teamheugly.com under women's results and there are some more pics under paparazzi 2
I woke up Thursday morning and my right eye was as swollen. It was as though someone had cut a golf ball in half and covered my eyeball with it. My eyes were watering, my sneezing had returned. I went to work that morning, then went home early and went straight to the doctor to reveal my worst nightmare. It wasn't an infection, it was my allergies again. The doctor said that it was "quite impressive" and that even my sclera (the white part of your eyeball) was swollen. He gave me a prescription for allergy eye drops and told me to put ice on it and take benadryl. I am not allowed to put my contacts in until the swelling is gone. I can see about 5 inches in front of my face. Glasses are not an option on stage.
I told my trainer and it turns out that both benadryl and panitol (eye drops) cause water retention. I had been on a diuretic to do the exact opposite. No good. My eye was burning. I can't even put lotion on my face, let alone a spray tan and stage makeup. So, here I am quasimoto, blind, sneezing, bloated, swollen eyes and face.....beautiful. Does NPC give a sympathy award?
I pulled myself out of the show. If I can't give 100% I don't want to do it. The down side?
Today is the day of the show. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little emotional. The up side?
My goal was to be in the best shape of my life. I am. I weigh the same I did when I was 17. I have leaned out a ton and all I have to gain is more muscle from here on out, so when I compete in the spring I will give those girls a run for their money.
Chris has been wonderful. I couldn't ask for better support or a better friend. When I asked him if this made me a quitter, his response was "You've done ALL the work already. That's not quitting."
I have had more support and love from friends and family and I am overwhelmed with happiness.
Tiffany and Shane Heugly are AMAZING!! They did everything that they could think of to help me to still compete. When I left the gym on sunday, Tiffany said "whatever happens, you've already won." It was that little sentence that helped me decide my health was more important than one show. They have had nothing but positive reinforcement and encouragement.
I got to eat chips and salsa. Oatmeal. A latte. Vegan mac n' cheese. Awesome!
So, that is my story. I will continue to update you with my off-season training and some yummy new vegan recipes!
Love, Sum XoXo
P.S. My before and after pics are up on teamheugly.com under women's results and there are some more pics under paparazzi 2
Sunday, October 2, 2011
NGA
It's been a while since I have posted anything. If I told you my schedule, it might make sense why. I have been getting up each morning at 3:30 am to do 1 to 1 1/2 hours of cardio. I work from 6:30 to 2:30, then I go back to the gym to do another 1 to 1 1/2 hours of cardio and 30 to 45 minutes of weights. This is my schedule Monday through Friday. I have virtually no carbs in my diet and my fuel tank is running on empty. On Mondays I have a yoga instructor course at SLCC from 5:30 to 8:30 at night. Last night I cried myself to sleep......because I was so tired.
Is it worth it?
YES
The results that I have seen, the people that I have met and the strength that I have found in myself have all made this worth while. The NGA was a whirlwind. I spent the week working out, going to the gym, going to hair appointments, going to makeup appointments, practicing posing, getting up before sunrise, exfoliating and shaving (yes, shaving) my entire body. I was spray tanned in the nude by my adorable pregnant trainer, Tiffany. Tiffany has now seen every part of my body, including the 'little miss muffet'. I had to buy black sheets so the spray tan, which turns you into a different ethnicity, wouldn't stain my nice bed sheets. I drove home from tanning wearing ONLY a silk robe so it wouldn't wear off.
The day of NGA my nerves had vanished and it was so refreshing to sit backstage with not only 50 plus people that UNDERSTAND what you have gone through, but also people that are genuinely nice. Everyone was so eager to help each other. A huge group of practically naked girls, helping fix each other's suits and hair. There wasn't even a bathroom stall, just a giant open room with a toilet so we were even doing THAT in front of each other. I can say that I have carried on a conversation with one of the buffest women I have ever met while sitting almost naked on a toilet.....peeing in a dixie cup with a hole in it so my tan doesn't smear.
You might think I'm crazy. I am. A little. We don't know our limits if we don't push the limits. We cannot become truly great or realize our true potential without pushing ourselves past our comfort zone. I have one life and I intend to live every minute of it. Perhaps a bodybuilding competition isn't something you want to do and that is okay. My advice is find that somethihg that you have always wanted to do, but you are terrified of and DO IT. Pour your whole heart into it. The reward will be worth it.
Is it worth it?
YES
The results that I have seen, the people that I have met and the strength that I have found in myself have all made this worth while. The NGA was a whirlwind. I spent the week working out, going to the gym, going to hair appointments, going to makeup appointments, practicing posing, getting up before sunrise, exfoliating and shaving (yes, shaving) my entire body. I was spray tanned in the nude by my adorable pregnant trainer, Tiffany. Tiffany has now seen every part of my body, including the 'little miss muffet'. I had to buy black sheets so the spray tan, which turns you into a different ethnicity, wouldn't stain my nice bed sheets. I drove home from tanning wearing ONLY a silk robe so it wouldn't wear off.
The day of NGA my nerves had vanished and it was so refreshing to sit backstage with not only 50 plus people that UNDERSTAND what you have gone through, but also people that are genuinely nice. Everyone was so eager to help each other. A huge group of practically naked girls, helping fix each other's suits and hair. There wasn't even a bathroom stall, just a giant open room with a toilet so we were even doing THAT in front of each other. I can say that I have carried on a conversation with one of the buffest women I have ever met while sitting almost naked on a toilet.....peeing in a dixie cup with a hole in it so my tan doesn't smear.
You might think I'm crazy. I am. A little. We don't know our limits if we don't push the limits. We cannot become truly great or realize our true potential without pushing ourselves past our comfort zone. I have one life and I intend to live every minute of it. Perhaps a bodybuilding competition isn't something you want to do and that is okay. My advice is find that somethihg that you have always wanted to do, but you are terrified of and DO IT. Pour your whole heart into it. The reward will be worth it.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Some Things I've Learned about Nutrition....
So, I've dedicated a lot of my time in the past few years to educating myself as much as I can about nutrition. Here are some little nutritional tidbits/rules to shop by that I have learned and would like to share. Maybe these are things you already know, but maybe I can help some people make some smarter choices:
1. Circle the Store First: Oldie, but a goody. Stores keep the most healthy of the healthy on outskirts of the store. Think about it. The dairy, produce, meat, seafood, whole grains....all of these things are NOT in the aisles. Do a once-around first and usually your cart will be almost full by the time you get to the 'bad' aisles. Aisles 3-11 are usually FULL of the junk. Check it out. True Story.
2. Do Lunges and Reach High: The most caloric, most highly processed foods sit in the aisles at EYE LEVEL. Supermarkets charge manufacturers for the placement of their food and food marketers use this as a way to pass the cost to you. Reach up or kneel down in the aisles and you'll find the better choices.
3. Fewer Ingredients: The fewer ingredients, the better something is for you. Usually. Have you ever looked at the label of some over processed food? There are usually about 20 things listed. #1 almost always being sugars. Yuck. That brings me to my next rule...
4. Read Labels: I taught a nutrition class at a local community center for free this last fall. What did I learn? People do not read labels. It astonished me. Not only do people not read them, they don't know how to read them. Labels list foods in order of weight. For example, if the first ingredient is sugar (aka dextrin, dehydrated cane juice, dextrose, fructose, fruit juice concentrate, lactose, maltose, maltodextrin, saccharose, sorghum, sucrose, xylose...there are even more hidden names for sugar) then what you are holding in your hand is mostly sugar. So watch "whose on first" when it comes to the list of ingredients.
5. Sugar is the White Poison: I just went over some of the names for sugar, now here is the clencher. Sugar is bad. No bueno. I'm talkin white simple sugars. This sucks, I know. This has been the HARDEST thing for me. Sugar sends your metabolism into a slow tailspin that puts fat in all the wrong places. There are, however, excellent sugar and sweetening substitutes like Stevia. Yum!
6. Stay Away from the Soda: Soda contains approximately 7 to 9 teaspoons of refined sugar. Even the diet sodas can be detrimental to your health because they are full of aspartame or splenda.
7. The Truth about Deli Meat: Another 'look at the label'. Most processed meats contain a chemical soup of nitrates, nitrites, sugar, sodium and preservatives. Many of these have been found to lead to cancer. Yucky.
8. The Truth about Carbs: Ok, we all know someone who has lost weight on the Atkins diet. Why? Eating too few carbs puts the body in starvation mode and muscles begin to burn their own protein for energy. Sound like a good idea still? Here is another carb-fun-fact. Sticking with a consistent diet of high protein, low carbs over an extended period of time causes calcium loss and kidney damage. Stick with yummy complex carbs like whole grains, potatoes, broccoli (my favorite), oatmeal, apples....the list goes on. These are GOOD FOR YOU!
9. Lots of Color in your Diet = Fatloss: I'm talkin greens and reds and yellows and oranges. Your meals should look like a rainbow and I'm not talking about the package on the food. Eat clean and you'll never have to count another calorie again.
9. USE YOUR NOGIN! There are a billion books out there about losing weight and nutrition. We see tons of commercials each day and advertisements in magazines about what we should and should not eat. There are countless numbers of documentaries on foods. The bottom line is, use your head. You KNOW what is healthy. I am all about research, but frankly, I don't agree with everything I read and hear.
That's all for today! I hope this sheds some light or at least reinforces what some of you already know. I'm off to the gym. Again! XoXo
1. Circle the Store First: Oldie, but a goody. Stores keep the most healthy of the healthy on outskirts of the store. Think about it. The dairy, produce, meat, seafood, whole grains....all of these things are NOT in the aisles. Do a once-around first and usually your cart will be almost full by the time you get to the 'bad' aisles. Aisles 3-11 are usually FULL of the junk. Check it out. True Story.
2. Do Lunges and Reach High: The most caloric, most highly processed foods sit in the aisles at EYE LEVEL. Supermarkets charge manufacturers for the placement of their food and food marketers use this as a way to pass the cost to you. Reach up or kneel down in the aisles and you'll find the better choices.
3. Fewer Ingredients: The fewer ingredients, the better something is for you. Usually. Have you ever looked at the label of some over processed food? There are usually about 20 things listed. #1 almost always being sugars. Yuck. That brings me to my next rule...
4. Read Labels: I taught a nutrition class at a local community center for free this last fall. What did I learn? People do not read labels. It astonished me. Not only do people not read them, they don't know how to read them. Labels list foods in order of weight. For example, if the first ingredient is sugar (aka dextrin, dehydrated cane juice, dextrose, fructose, fruit juice concentrate, lactose, maltose, maltodextrin, saccharose, sorghum, sucrose, xylose...there are even more hidden names for sugar) then what you are holding in your hand is mostly sugar. So watch "whose on first" when it comes to the list of ingredients.
5. Sugar is the White Poison: I just went over some of the names for sugar, now here is the clencher. Sugar is bad. No bueno. I'm talkin white simple sugars. This sucks, I know. This has been the HARDEST thing for me. Sugar sends your metabolism into a slow tailspin that puts fat in all the wrong places. There are, however, excellent sugar and sweetening substitutes like Stevia. Yum!
6. Stay Away from the Soda: Soda contains approximately 7 to 9 teaspoons of refined sugar. Even the diet sodas can be detrimental to your health because they are full of aspartame or splenda.
7. The Truth about Deli Meat: Another 'look at the label'. Most processed meats contain a chemical soup of nitrates, nitrites, sugar, sodium and preservatives. Many of these have been found to lead to cancer. Yucky.
8. The Truth about Carbs: Ok, we all know someone who has lost weight on the Atkins diet. Why? Eating too few carbs puts the body in starvation mode and muscles begin to burn their own protein for energy. Sound like a good idea still? Here is another carb-fun-fact. Sticking with a consistent diet of high protein, low carbs over an extended period of time causes calcium loss and kidney damage. Stick with yummy complex carbs like whole grains, potatoes, broccoli (my favorite), oatmeal, apples....the list goes on. These are GOOD FOR YOU!
9. Lots of Color in your Diet = Fatloss: I'm talkin greens and reds and yellows and oranges. Your meals should look like a rainbow and I'm not talking about the package on the food. Eat clean and you'll never have to count another calorie again.
That's all for today! I hope this sheds some light or at least reinforces what some of you already know. I'm off to the gym. Again! XoXo
Monday, August 22, 2011
Monotony...monotony....monotony
I spent the last week in Marysville, Washington assisting my little brother following an ACL and double meniscus surgery on his right knee. He is 19 and helpless. I was able to get all of my workouts in. Apparently having a VIP Golds Gym membership only works in Utah and does NOT transfer to other states. The super-ghetto Golds in Marysville, however, was gracious enough to give me a one week free membership while I was up there. I learned a few things. Staying across the street from a Starbucks. Bad. Golds Gyms in Utah. Good. If I hadn't known better, I would've guessed that the Golds Gym I was working out in was the original and it had never been remodeled. There was an average of about 10 cars in the gym parking lot at any given time, sometimes less. This explained to me the amount of morbidly obese people I saw bumming around Northern Washington. Thanks to stress, I was able to get 100% of my workouts in and then some. Unfortunately, the monotony of the diet is seriously getting to me. That and PMS. I ate healthy, but what I was eating was certainly a far cry from the broccoli and protein shake diet I have been so loyal to. It was nice to get a break, but now that I am back I am meeting with my trainer this Saturday in a bikini to discuss if I am ready. I am thinking, probably not. I am continuing to slim down, but I don't think I am close to what I need to be. My trainer continues to text me positive vibes and has been fantastic the entire time. We will see. Stay posted to see if I actually get to compete on September 10th! Dun dun dun!
Friday, August 12, 2011
Why Not a Marathon Too?
So, I have been working out like crazy. It is starting to get to me. I am tired most of the day. I am doing 2 a days of 1 hour of cardio 6 days a week. So, I started thinking......
Why not train for a marathon too?
I am hoping, that with all of the weight lifting I have been participating in, that my IT band will resolve. My ass was virtually muscle-less, resulting in severe IT in October of 2009 following the Other Half in Moab. The furthest I have been able to run since has been 6 miles. Maybe, with all this lunging and squating and pressing, I will have the muscle to "back it up". I have wanted to run another full marathon since I graduated nursing school, but my IT has gotten in the way. 26.2 is calling again.
If this all works out, I will be ready to run the Tuscon Marathon on December 11th.
With all of that being said, I will attempt for the first time in almost 2 years a 7 mile run tomorrow morning. Wish me luck!
Why not train for a marathon too?
I am hoping, that with all of the weight lifting I have been participating in, that my IT band will resolve. My ass was virtually muscle-less, resulting in severe IT in October of 2009 following the Other Half in Moab. The furthest I have been able to run since has been 6 miles. Maybe, with all this lunging and squating and pressing, I will have the muscle to "back it up". I have wanted to run another full marathon since I graduated nursing school, but my IT has gotten in the way. 26.2 is calling again.
If this all works out, I will be ready to run the Tuscon Marathon on December 11th.
With all of that being said, I will attempt for the first time in almost 2 years a 7 mile run tomorrow morning. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Keep strong and carry on....
Last few days have been more difficult than ever. I am currently continuing to lift 6 days a week, which equates to about 30-45 minutes each day. My trainer has increased my cardio to 2 hours a day, 6 days a week. I am tired 100% of the time. I am attempting to wake up at 4 am each morning to get 1 of my 2 hours of cardio in, but sometimes my body rejects the early morning rise. I am beginning to crave carbs like crazy! First competition is 31 days from today. I received my heels in the mail and I have picked out my suit, just waiting to meet with one of my trainers on the 26th to approve the suit so I can order it. Taking it one day at a time!
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