How I stopped spending every penny I made and started saving like acrazy person! Part 2

So I was broke...living in a gross apartment...single...and Sooo freakin broke!

I was fed up!

I was at my wits end!

So what did I do...

I made a plan.

I needed a new job where I was in charge of making my own money...

I wanted a commission job. 

I wanted to be solely in charge of my earnings. 

But I also needed a bit of a cushion....until I built up a clientele like I did in Flroida. 

So I started working two jobs.

I worked a 9-5 at a Derm office making I believe $18 maybe $20 an hour.

And the other days I was working in a Salon setting ...where I was paid commision only plus tips. 

Both I was doing aesthetics...skin care..peels, waxing, extractions, lasers...facials...acne care...and I was learning different aspects of business.

At the Derm office, I learned even more about acne control, peels, products, proper extraction techniques..

The salon was a totally different vibe...I learned from the best aesthetician in town! She taught me how to talk to clients...client retention....how to build a business...her friendship and leadership was so incredible! Plus she was and is an amazing aesthetician and taught me a how to create the perfect brow...how to help clients with dry skin...I couldn't have done it without her! 

I was working 6 days a week. I took Sundays off only.

I worked very long hours. 

I worked hard...smart...

When I didn't have a client at the salon I would chat with hair clients...I would call old clients that I havepdnt seen in awhile...I worked my businesses. 

I stayed late. I came in early. 

I stayed at the Derm office for less than 6 months when the salon asked me to work full time. I was making more money there anyway....and I loved the salon environment. Fun, edgy, hip, loud...and I was making more money than I ever had! 

I saved as much money as I could. 

I saved every penny of my tips...kept them hidden and at the end of the week I would count them and deposit into my account. 

I was making more in tips in one week then I was at my teaching job and and my $15 an hour job.

I was so incredible happy! 

I spent nothing.

I didn't eat out for. 

I didn't buy myself anything. 

I brought my own food every single day for lunch to work.

I completely stopped shopping except for groceries...gas for my car...I didn't have cable...I had the cheapest cell phone possible...

And I sold everything I could think of...all of my purses...clothes....anything I didn't want...I sold it. 

I saved and saved and saved!! 

And worked and worked and worked. 

I lived this way for about 3 years.

I saved enough money that I got out of my crappy apartment and bought my first condo. 

Then 2 weeks later I met my husband. 

Bad Habits ... Round 2... Overspending

I spent a ton of money on clothing in my 20s until I turned 28.

And I was BROKE!

I was making $15 an hour at a desk job and every Friday when it was pay day I would spend more than half of my check on a new super uber hip outfit. Every. Single. Friday. For. Many. Many. Years.

I would bring home maybe $500 a week and I would spend half of it on one MAYBE two outfits....from very expensive hip clothing stores. 

I had zero money in savings. 

I had no retirement. 

I had a car that was paid for and I was living in a very gross apartment. 

I slept on a twin mattress on the floor with my cat.

Above me in the crawl space in my horrible apartment lived some type of critter that would scurry out every night and my cat Lucy and I would stare up just knowing that any moment it was going to fall thru the ceiling and land on us. 

I had a couch and a wicker table. 

And a tiny tv that sat on the floor.

And a closet full of high end clothing. 

I had been out of college and working for 8 years and I had nothing to show for it. 

Nothing! 

I needed to make more money.

I was sick of renting.

I was broke. 

And I was very tired of being broke! 

I needed to get my life together.

I needed a new job. 

I had been a teacher...but wasn't happy teaching. 

I had worked in a spa doing aesthetics but then I moved...(I was on commision there which I really enjoyed)

I had worked at hospital doing aesthetics but the pay wasn't great. 

It was time to make a change.

Time to make some money. 

Time to work hard.

Save even more. 

And time to stop over spending! 

Let's talk hair products...OLAPLEX!

I love products...I am NOT low maintenance when it comes to hair, skin, and makeup.

I love to try the latest products.

I love love love to research products and see what's the best for my specific hair...or skin.  I have always done this....it's the main reason I became an aesthetician...because I wanted to learn the best products to use for my skin.

Here's my favorite breakthrough product in the past year! 

Olaplex....have you heard of it? 

Buy Olaplex ..(thank you for supporting my blog! Love you readers) 

About a year or so ago Olaplex was invented....by scientists not hair stylists. PHDs nonetheless. 

Basically your stylist will mix Olaplex with your hair color/developer to completely protect your hair from any breakage during your coloring/chemical process. That's right no breakage! And for fine haired girls like myself this is huge! 

And I love being a lighter golden blonde with my naturally medium brown hair....and with Olaplex it can happen without me having to worry if I'm gonna have my hair fall out....(yes this has happend at a salon to me...several times...) 

Plus and this is a huge plus....you can take hair many levels lighter without the risk of damaging the hair or any breakage occurring!! So you can go super light without any concern! Or pink or whatever color you like! 

This is huge in the hair industry! HUGE!! 

I would imagine that this is how the Kardashians go from their naturally dark hair to very very pale blonde....without the damage. 

So ask your hair stylist to use it at all of your color appointments. All!! You will be amazed at how your hair looks and feels. 

Olaplex also has an at home version. Buy Olaplex (this is the at home version you need) ..

You use the at home version before you shampoo and condition and it makes your hair like total silk! 

You leave it in for 10 minutes on damp hair and then shampoo and condion like normal...use one time per week. And note to self you only need a quarter size amount...even with my long locks I only use a quarter and a half from roots to ends. 

Even in the dead of humidity hell in the south I had little to no frizz....

This pic was taken in super humid Floirda weather...and look no frizz! 

Again Florida vaca and no frizzy mess! Just soft healthy looking hair!

It seriously is the biggest breakthrough for anyone that colors their hair....be it balagye...highlights...all over color....Olaplex is it! 

And again thank you for supporting my blog....by clicking to purchase you are helping me to homeschool! 

First grade here we go!

We finished up Kindergarten back in April....and we really don't take time off.

I have found that time off leads to more time off which leads to us getting off schedule...and then crazy train happens. 

My child needs some type of daily structure. She needs to have a daily schedule. Its what works for us.

Our daily schedule is basically this:

Breakfast outside 8:00

School time...reading...math...etc. again all outside

Play time/free play

Clean up/chores/stuff mom needs to do...

Lunch violin poems

Hike 2.2 miles

Extra curricular activities...violin, gym(for me), dance...

Dinner bath bed 7:30

So this summer we basically did tons of reading...so far since January she and I have read almost 300 books. Either her silently, me reading to her, us doing shared reading, or her reading to me. 

We also started  Life of Fred--Apples math which she loves!  

So officially the following is our First Grade curriculum...just know that we've done a ton of other things in between the ending of Kindy and the beginning of First grade.

The Orchard Book of the Unicorn and Other Magical Animals - because I find it super important for children to use their imaginations and hear beautiful fantasy stories! 

A Child's History of the World - I love how this book it written...history written in a way a child can understand

Plus-Plus  - these are amazing! Made in Denmark...super cool leggo like but better! 

The Nature Connection: An Outdoor Workbook for Kids - we spent oodles of time outside...I think it is one of the most important things for children....hiking...learning about nature...trees...birds...animals...the environment! It's the hippie in me....

Exploring Creation With Astronomy  And Junior Astronomy Notebooking - we are Catholic and I am so excited to learn along side of her with these amazing books! 

Life of Fred--Butterflies - math...but way different than just rote memory of math facts! The best! 

Handwriting Without Tears Cursive Handwriting - Grade 3 - she asked to learn cursive...so why not! 

New Catholic Picture Bible

Evan-Moor Beginning Geography Book

Colored Smencils 10 Pack - we also have Halloween Smencils Sets,  Smarker Sets, and Glitter Gel Smens. She loves all of these! Uses them daily! Draws...colors....writes notes...signs...every single day! 


eeBoo Sun and Moon - we love these sketch type books for our drawings and retellings...we also 
have eeBoo Birds and Berries...Great quality paper. 

We also go to our new amazing library weekly....I love how easy it is to get books from there. We at any given time have 20 books checked out...so instead of buying books this year to go along with our core curriculum ...I plan to utilize library books. 

I am more excited this year than last. She's 5.7 but children at this age can grasp so many more concepts. I can't wait to start! 

Horrible bad gross habit that I had....

Hmmm well I've had a bunch of these...A BUNCH!

But the DUMBEST one.... stupidest worst grossest most disgusting habit I had was smoking cigarettes. 

I smoked in high school...a boyfriend I had was a smoker and I thought he was super cool so one day I tried it...blahhhhhhh....and it tasted narly! I about barfed!

BUT because I was an idiot and thought I needed to follow the crowd I continued. 

Even though I really hated the taste...I even chewed orange gum to help cover up the taste.

But I still did it. To be cool. To fit in. 

I'd say on average I would smoke a pack a week...maybe a bit less. I did this for about 2-3 years. 

By the time I was 20 I was done. 

I was tired of it.

I started to really hate the smell. I started to be grossest out by bars. By the smell of smoke on my clothes and hair. So I stopped. And thank god I never did it again. 

That was 22 years ago. And I still regret doing it! 

I truly feel that it interfered with my athleticism. My running. My lung capacity. I think it is the reason I was such a bad runner for so long.

Have you read my posts on my disordered eating? Read it here. Part two is Here. And lastly Part three is Here. 

Now I am so anti smoking. I preach it all the time! 

I have told countless young people how they are going to regret it. 

How they should stop today!
How they will age faster.
Look older than they are.
Not be able to breathe when they walk up stairs.
Have horrible breath.
Yellow teeth.
Wrinkles around their mouths.
Have a raspy voice.
A terrible cough.
Lose their sense of smell. (And then they won't even notice how awful they smell)
Have high blood pressure.
And how they most likely will develop some type of cancer from smoking. Which will then lead to their early death.

These "kids" usually tell me I sound like their mom. But two of them recently told me they stopped. So I will keep preaching!

I have never heard one single person ever say that they are thankful that they started smoking! Never! 

No one is proud of their smoking. 

In fact I know so many people that hide it from their parents STILL even in their 30s and 40s...

They hide it from their children. 

Or they say they only smoke when they drink. 

That they are a social smoker. 

Don't ever start! 

Learn from my mistakes.

My regrets. 

Stop today. 

Let's talk about Bikini Shows Part two...the cost of competing $$$

Competing in these type of shows can be expensive.

Here's the lowdown on what you will pay.  

1. My favorite part was choosing the bikini itself....the itsy bitty teeny weeny sparkly bikini. I have seen many on etsy for $125 but they can go wayyyy up from there....in the thousands! My advice find one you love but don't break the bank. I love mine...but honestly I wish I had known that lilac would show up as silver on stage. *note to self very bright lights wash everything out on stage*

2. The competition tan is a must! You have to have the super darkest tan you can imagine and please don't go to a walk in tanning place the day before your show....find out who the "official" tanner for the show is and use them. Expect to pay $125-150. 

3. Acrylic super tall 4-5 inch heels....I bought mine on etsy...paid around $40. 

4. Competition makeup....I paid an amazing makeup artist $50 to do my makeup. The makeup can be tricky because it has to match your tan..... you can look super weird...lighter face and darker body or vice versa. To me this was a must! 

5. Hair...well I've done hair both ways. Paid someone $50 to do it for me...which is awesome and very low stress...and this past show I did it myself. I'm decent with hair...and I think it turned out pretty good. I first let it dry naturally...while it was still damp I twisted it and pin curled it all over my head. I took those out a few hours later and the next morning curled it with a curling iron then pinned each piece up until it was show time. 

6. Entry fees...depending on how many classes/categories you plan to enter...expect to pay approximately $80 per class. Plus for the type of shows I do you have to buy a yearly NPC card as well..they are $120 per year. 

7. The first show was only 45 minutes away so I drove back and forth. Second show I stayed in a hotel...$130. 

8. Nails and toes...my advice do them yourself. First time I got gel put on and a pedicure....second show I had a gift card and had acrylics put on and a pedi but now that it's been weeks later and the acrylics have fallen off...my nails are a mess! So I suggest doing your own nails. $50 or more if you don't. 

9. My husband has been in fitness industry for 20 years. He's uber smart and educated so I am super lucky that I don't have to pay a trainer...trainers can range from $50 an hour and up. Same goes for nutrition....I did my own diet...being that I have a horrible ibs sitch. Read more about that....Here. 

10. Posing posing posing! One of the most important parts of shows! Hire a coach! Hire a professional to help you! I can't tell you how important posing is! $20 and up per hour. 

Just know if you want to compete it can be very addictive. 

Let talk about Bikini Shows part one

Now that I have two bikini shows under my belt...I am an expert. 

Ha! Not hardly!! 

But here is what I have learned thus far.

1. Just because I worked out 6 days a week...doesn't mean I am going place. Everyone there worked just as hard and everyone looks amazing! EVERYONE! So mentally it can be difficult to deal with...I trained for the first show for a full year...I went in to that show with very low expectations...just happy to be there. The second show...I truly wanted to place in the Open and I did not. That messed with me for a few days. 

2. You are in a room with a ton of beautiful and super fit women and men...but that being said we all have flaws...no one is perfect... My upper body is genetically very narrow...I also have cellulite...yep I sure do...so I have flaws. I am not perfect. And when I lean out the last few weeks my upper body becomes even smaller. 

3. People may be mean. Fortunately I have only had one person make a rude comment to me...she told me that my arms were so tiny that she could fit her fingers around them. Yep she said that to me at a show where I am being judged on having a proportionate body that is well conditioned. Oh well...moving on...people can be mean...we all know this. 

4. You will see other girls completely naked when you get your competition tan. Be prepared. The end.

5. You do a lot of waiting. The pre judging is typically in the morning say around 8:30/9:00...I was finished by noon with this part of the show.  Then there is a long break and then the night show usually begins around 6:30. But my class didn't go back on stage until 10:30 or so...so bring reading material, make friends with other girls, chill, hang out....relax. 

6. They can be very costly. From the bikini...to the shoes...tan...makeup...hair...nails...entry fees..NPC card...hotel...it all adds up quick. I tried to save some money on my second show...I had a gift card that I hadnt used for nails...and I did my own hair...but it was out of town so I had to get a hotel. 

I don't know if I'll do another show this year...time will tell...actually money is more accurate. 

Giving up sugar again!

So the sugar devil was back!

After my last show...after all was said and done...after my once a week cheat treat it started.

First it was 2x a week...hot balls, a few chocolate bars...or 3. 

Next thing I know I'm stopping by my favorite market to pick up a bag of peppermints.

Then I would go way out of my way to get these gluten free gummy bears.

Yep I was back on!

Not as bad as I used to be...

No jelly beans.

No York peppermint patties.

But it was definitely 4-5x week. And definitely several pieces thruout the day.

No wonder the scale was going up....

Show day I was about 120ish.

And post 6 weeks of candy I was up to 124/125... A solid 4.5 pounds.

So last Friday (my birthday) was D Day!

Yes my birthday!!

I knew I had to get a grip.

I knew it was a slippery slope.

So I picked a super hard day to start. 

The hardest day!

Yep I like a challenge...

On my birthdays my amazing husband always gets me a made from scratch strawberry cake with cream cheese icing...the only cake I like! 

Well he didn't know I had made my birthday THE DAY to stop...so he bought me my birthday cake.

And guess what I didn't have a single bite...not a taste....nada! 

I froze the cake instead....for when I don't know but for now it's frozen.

So today's day 6 and I am officially over the hump.

I am down 1.6 pounds from the extra sugar candy calories alone...nothing else in my diet has changed...working out has been the same. All just empty candy calories. 

6 days 1.6 pounds.

Do I still crave it yes!

Have I cheated NO!

Am I going to cheat NO! 

For how long? I don't know....I have made it thru Lent. 

And I have made it with just one cheat a week...which for me a healthy way to do it.

For now I just needed to get a grip on my old sugar friend! 

And I have once again! 

 

Children's summer reading...

These are two from our Mensa list that we had never read....and wow are they both amazing! 

Read more Here about the Mensa book list...we've been working on it for awhile now. 

I highly recommend both...for old and young alike! Beautifully illustrated!  Great morals!

The Quiltmaker's Gift teaches about the importance of giving... It is a lovely book!! 

And If I Never Forever Endeavor....ohhhh how I loved this one! It's about always trying...going for what scares you...doing the thing you want to do! Wow...don't we all need to hear this! Even at my age....making ourselves happy...doing the one thing that you want to do but you are terrified to do it....

Isnt it always better to try and fail then to never try at all!?! 

And this this gem ...Freckle Juice....I was able to share with my sweetie...takes me back to my own childhood! I remember reading it for the first time! I don't know who enjoyed it more?? 

We have 12 more in our Mensa book list! Wow what a fantastic list of books we have read this past year! 

Reading....gardening....learning...

I love to read!

I love bookstores!

I love to read to my child!

I love her love for books!

However I find it hard to find time to read adult books...

But today I finished this little gem!

Amazing! 

I love the author! I feel like we are friends! 

Check it out for yourselves....

The Good Food Revolution: Growing Healthy Food, People, and Communities

He did amazing things and built amazing gardens to help support his community.

Last summer you may remember I tried my hands at my very first container garden. Read more ....Here about how I started our first one. 

My flowers did fantastic...Pipiri and I loved it and learned together about the importance of watering, planting, pulling weeds, what works and what doesn't....we discussed so many thing together.

My veggies however didn't do so great. 

So this summer I decided to do just flowers. 

And they look great...I love them! I truly have enjoyed my little garden...it sort of makes me feel like a grown up...(as if being married and having a child don't). 

But....Will has inspired me...so our last trip to the library I noticed that they had many different varieties of seeds. For free! 

The deal with it is...once your plants or veggies have grown...you simply take some of it's seeds back to the library. What a great idea! 

So we planted a few types of lettuces.

I'll let you know how it goes. 

As always thank you for supporting and reading my blog! 

Liposuction caused me to NOT be able to compete in bikini show...what the.....?

So 17/18 years ago....wayyyyy back when I was in my 20s I had liposuction. 

I was young...and thought that it would make me look thinner.

I was not fit.

The only working out I did was the elliptical for half an hour a few times a week. 

This was post college. 

I was not at my heaviest weight but I certainly was not healthy or very active. 

I was eating total crap foods. 

I thought that lipo was the answer.

I had lipo done on my stomach, inner and outer thighs...

I didn't lose one pound. I basically looked exactly the same except now I had ripples on my inner thighs and loose skin on my stomach, 

Not one person could ever tell I had it done. No one ever!! 

Total waste of money!! 

Now jump ahead it's now 2015....about 18 years later...

I am fit. Have been for a very long time...

I don't drink ...haven't for almost 10 years...

I work out 5-6x a week.

My diet is super healthy.

I have had a baby...gained 43ish pounds. And lost every single one of them! 

I have run halfmarathons...5ks...10ks...

I lift weights.

I strength train. 

So when a new "natural" bikini show was making their debut in my town I thought yep doing this one! 

By "natural" apparently they mean no steroids...no doping...no drug enhancing...

So being that the show is in just a few weeks I was going thru the info pages...finding out when I need to be where...it's a ton of scheduling and planning.

The only "drugs" I take are BCAA powders on days when I lift ...and the week of the show I take dandelion root for water weight. That's it nothing more. 

So I totally assumed I was clear with the "no drugs" part of the show being that you have to take a polygraph the day before. Yep a polygraph. 

I went thru the no no list and can completely say that I have never taken any of those drugs. Ever!

On the very last page under miscellaneous it states that a person can't have had any fat reducing procedures ie "ab etching".

Well ummm I have had lipo but it certainly didn't "etch" any abs for me! 

I thought well certainly there's a time limit...certainly being that it's been 18 years...I have given birth...certainly that would count for something...

Ummm NO! 

It doesn't....

I am "Ineligible to enter"! 

That's right folks...I can't enter because I had fat removed from my body in the 1990s!!!!!!!!!! 

I understand that they have rules...truly I do...

But even people that do steroids can enter after 7 years of being clean. 

But nope not me...not lipo girl...I can't enter! 

Yeah because this body was made from lipo....NOT! 

I made myself look this way thru clean eating day in and day out...

Lifting tons of weight...

Drinking 100 ounces of h20 everyday!

Cardio...

Repeat repeat repeat....

So what am I going to do? I was 2 weeks out from this show...

I'm not sure? 

Still working on it...maybe another show without these stipulations like the last one I did. 

I had such a fantastic experience at the NPC show...I will for sure stick with them!  

They accepted me lipo and all! 

Next Bikini Show...?

After my first show I knew that I wanted to do another one...but only after I took home second place. I knew then that I wanted to try to bring home a first and do better in the Open category (I got 6th in the Open in the first show)...(Open Ctaegory is against all other contestants). 

Having to balance homeschooling... being a family... working out... being a mom...having adult friends...cleaning my house...the list never ends...errands...sick kiddo....bank....grocery...grocery...grocery....doctor apts...hair apts...

It's tough. It's life.

Prepping for a bikini show is very time consuming.

For me I workout 5x a week year round. About 1-1.5 hours per day. 

I eat clean everyday. It just works for me. I prefer living a super clean lifestyle. And eating super healthy works for me.  Except my one cheat meal a week..(lately I've had two cheat treats instead of a full cheat meal.)

So for the last show I had to amp up my workouts the month prior to the show. 

I worked out 6x a week. For 1.5-2 hours per session. 

Stopped all cheat treats and meals 3 weeks prior. Which is super hard!! 

So I am prepping now for my next show.

I have one more cheat treat next weekend. Then none until after the show.

And starting this week it's 6x a week at the gym. 

I also hired new posing coaches. I'm loving my new routine!! Which I will continue practicing daily until it feels perfect. (Posing is the hardest thing for me! And it's a HUGE part of these shows!!!! HUGE)!!!

Soooo.....

Here we go show number 2!!! 

I can't outwork my fork

When I finally realized that I couldn't out run.....out lift.....out step mill....out workout....my food and fork...

Everything finally clicked!

My husband....the fitness guru...had been telling me this for years....

I had had many trainers tell me this in the past including Dominic and Tarik...

But 

A. I didn't want t hear it

B. I didn't believe them

C. I didn't want to hear it 

What this means is I can't eat a whole pizza and then go run 5 miles the next day to negate the pizza calories.

I can't eat 1400 calories of jelly beans and then do the step mill for 90 minutes to try and burn off the jelly beans.

It just doesn't work this way.

That's why I have a cheat meal or treat once a week read more about that Here...so I don't feel deprived of my favorites.

It also allows me to workout and feel so much better. I don't have the sugar highs and bonks like I used to.

It's is such a simple concept with a huge meaning! 

Once it clicked with me everything started to fall into place. 

The Importance of Cheat Meals

To keep me sane I have one cheat meal a week. 

I do this not only during "show" prep but just life.

I eat healthy. Clean. Fresh. Organic. No soy. No gluten. Tons of veggies. Fruit. Fish only. Day in and day out 5x a day. 

But on either Friday or SaturdaysI have one cheat meal and/or treat. Occasionally both. 

I honestly would rather have a cheat "treat"....chocolate bar than a cheat "meal". 

Post show I had a full week where I had a chocolate bar or two every single night! 

Plus 2 cheat meals...one right after the show of chips and artichoke dip and one Pei Wei salt laden yummieness. 

I fully believe that once people reach their goal...whether it's a weight loss goal or a fitness goal....marathon ...whatever ....that you deserve a cheat meal or treat. 

Now that being said I don't think it should be a cheat day! 

A day is too much...it's too easy to go crazy...that's a whole days worth of calories...food...nutrition...fats...carbs...

I think that once you are where you want to be weight wise...that you should allow yourself a cheat meal/treat. 

I believe it helps you to 

A. Not go crazy

B. Reset your metabolism so that your body doesn't get used to eating the same thing day in and day out...

C. Gives you something to look forward to

D. Helps you to not feel deprived 

E. Did I mention not go crazy? 😉

Now I will say that during show prep I cut out all cheats 3 weeks prior to the show. 

So pick your day...pick your cheat meal and go for it! 

Then your next meal you should be right back on your regular schedule. 

Photo on left was 1 day before first show...weight 119.4

Right photo was after many cheats 3 wks post show...weight 122.

I took off 10 full days. 

Photo on right is after 1 week of working out again, 

I had no heels on and bikini is straight across making body appear wider. 

So waist wider. Abs not as tight. Legs a bit puffy.

Show ready photo was first thing in am.

Right was after 2 meals and 2 snacks. 

Overall not bad. 

Let's get Real about food!

So going into this show I knew that I wanted do it as healthy as I could being that I have such a horrible stomach...read more about that...Here I didn't want to do any crazy things that would mess up my metabolism. I didn't want to starve. I wanted to eat whole real food.

I also knew though that I needed to add more protein to my diet but how could I do that without eating beef, pork, chicken, or turkey...as I only eat fish. 

So let's go back in time to when I decided I wanted to do a NPC bikini show...

June of 2014 I tried many many many different kinds of protein powders to mix in with my daily smoothie....whey and vegan. All they did was blow my stomach up to where I looked 6 months pregnant. It would then take a week to get my stomach readjusted. It was awful!

I did the same with protein bars...tried vegan and whey versions and all they did was wreck my stomach. 

I also tried adding more food to my diet...more calories...but again it just messed me up. 

So after about 6 weeks of trial and error I just thought well I'm gonna do the best I can with my current diet and see where it takes me. 

I then just threw caution to the wind and decided to do it my own way. 

No beef.

No pork.

No chicken. 

No turkey.

No protein powders.

No protein bars. 

No extra food.

Nothing. 

Nada.

I did it my own way. 

My own food.

My own diet. 

So many of these competition diets/preps don't allow most of the foods that I ate and currently eat.

For example fruit...I ate it every single day thruout my entire prep time...even Peak Week! 

Here's an example of what I ate during my prep and what I currently eat.

Breakfast 

Food For Life Baking Organic Ezekiel 4:9 - Cinnamon Raisin Whole Grain Flourless Bread, 24 Ounce 

Kerrygold Naturally Softer Pure Irish Butter

Mid morn snack

Banana

Enjoy Life Decadent Bars

Lunch

Tuna

Slice of horizon cheese

Cup of organic berries

Fage yogurt

Mid afternoon snack

Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

Food To Live ® Organic Cashews

Dinner

Two whole organic eggs 

Horizon cheese

Two cups of kale, spinach, arugula 

Thank you for supporting my blog. By clicking on the links and making purchases ....you are contributing to my little life. And I thank you! 

Road to my first bikini show Part 1

Why on earth would I want to parade around in a sparkly bikini and clear very tall heels....in front of an audience at age 41????

I asked myself this over and over again during this year of preparation for this show! 

That's right a full year of prep time! 

The only reason I came up with is ......to prove to myself that I could.

So last May I started to follow a friend of a friends journey on social media to her first Figure Compettion. 

And.....

It just went from there. 

I have another super close friend that does Figure Competitions and I started asking her a ton of questions. 

I then found out another acquaintance that did bikini shows...

Then I started to research (BC that's what I do) .....I researched to find out the ins and outs of everything on bikini competitions that I could.

What I needed to look like.

What I needed to eat.

How much muscle I needed to gain.

Posing.

Bikinis.

Coaches.

Jewelry. 

Shoes. 

I researched it all! 

This was taken in April of 2014... Right after I had lost about 7-8 pounds from stopping eating candy. Remember that? Read more about that ...  Here... I  weighed about 120/122ish...

Notice my completely flat as a pancake booty and very string bean arms. 

This was at the end of May 2014 right before I started to change my lifting and cardio. 

So no I certainly didn't look "bad" I realize that.... I was fit...cardio wise...very fit...and had about 100 pounds of lean muscle at this point from years of lifting...

But.....

I knew that this was going to be a huge challenge. 

I knew that I was going to have to work really hard.

I knew that I may get last place. 

I knew that I wanted it really bad!! 

Finding True Health After Disordered Eating And Over Exercising Part 2

If you haven't read my first post Part 1 check it out ...Here.

I joined my first Golds Gym back in 1997. I had been in the working world a few years so I ponied up and bought a membership.

I started doing the elliptical for 30 minutes, taking body pump classes, and lifting weights with a few body builder guys I met. I thought I was a fitness buff! Ha! 

I didn't know the first thing about food or diet. I did however read a ton of magazines and the newest thing to do was to drink H20... The old 64 ounce rule. So I did this.

But my horrible diet stayed the same. Very southern mixed with Mexican queso and chips everyday after I got off work. Tons of sugary foods. Lots of desserts. I had stopped eating fast food at this time...did this back in 1996. But nonetheless my diet was still really bad. Really bad! 

This was 1997. Lots of elliptical and bad nutrition. 

I decided I wanted to run my first 5K ...I thought well I've been doing the elliptical surely I can run! 

Hahaha! How stupid was this! I literally had never run a block...but I signed up to run 3.1 miles! 

About 1/2 a mile in I thought my heart was going to explode and I had to have the golf cart pick me up...so I never even finished! 

This was from that very first race! (Thank goodness fitness apparel has changed!)

I wore the wrong shoes...1full size too small....non running sunglasses...they used to slip all over my face...I used to not even wear a hat...omg the sun damage!! 

I soon realized running was wayyyy harder than I thought. Wayyyyy! 

And I knew nothing about running! Nothing!

I ordered a subscription to Runners World. And made running my goal. 

When I first started I couldn't run a block. I would run from mailbox to mailbox. After many months of this....I was able to run a mile...then 2 ....then 3.....

And then that's what I did...for years ...many many many years. I ran. 3miles. 5ks. 5 milers. 10ks. 1/2 marathons. Treadmill runs. Outside runs. Long runs on Sundays. Races races and more races! 

Run. Run. Run. 

I ran in rain. Snow. 

I ran out of bad relationships. 

And into new careers.

Running was my constant. I was in control. 

And I got thin....very very thin....

I ran 4-5x a week for 16 years! 

What was I running from? 

Stay tuned...part 3 is coming...

Penguin Unit Study

We started a new Unit Study these past few weeks...as we school year round...it helps to keep her focused. We love doing unit studies in the summer...instead of sticking to a curriculum. It takes us on such great rabbit trails!

Check out our new unit study on PENGUINS!

We read Mr. Popper's Penguins...it is just the greatest book ever! Our friend the librarian told us he wrote his very first book report on it! We watched Mr. Popper's Penguins...not as good as the book but still super sweet. 

We also read Antarctic Antics: A Book of Penguin Poems...
Penguins!...
National Geographic Readers: Penguins!

Face to Face with Penguins

Pierre the Penguin: A True Story

She drew penguins...we like to use really nice drawing pads...Strathmore 9-Inch by 12-Inch Spiral Drawing Notebook, 50-Sheet 

And I prefer for her to use these colored pencils...they make beautiful pieces of art...

LYRA Waldorf Selection Unlacquered Triangular Giant Colored Pencils, Set of 12 Super Ferby Pencils, Assorted Colors (3711121)

She acted out and has played "trapping" penguins for weeks now! Cutting, glueing, and making her own penguins.  

She uses this Penguin Popper and this cutie Wooden Emperor Penguin  as part of her imaginary play!

Happy Summer to you all!