Competiton Picture and Maintaining Balance

Sharing my Professional Photo from that last and final Competition!!  Yes it is my final one too.  I know people are skeptical of that answer because I said that about the last one two years ago.  Well this time I DO mean it.  My next goal or endeavor will be in a new direction.  Stay Tuned!!

So I am feeling my Leg workout from yesterday!!  I'm Loving that!!  I think my Legs are responding to the higher reps through this Buffing Phase.

Weight today 125.  I'm very happy about that.  I'm back to my protein shakes too.  I missed them.  I Love my Vanilla shake with almond milk, a huge old handful of spinach and sometimes a banana.  Gives me Energy and makes me feel strong. I made some yummy meatballs yesterday.  I'll share the recipe:

1 pound of ground beef  ( bison works too, yesterday I actually doubled the amounts and used half organic grass fed 85/15fat and another pound I used 96/4fat.  I think half bison and beef is really good)
1/2 C Oats
1 egg
chopped onions
1 C chopped fresh spinach
salt
pepper
You might need to add an extra egg white into this.  I find that once I get the stuff mixed together that if you let it set so that the oats get absorbed into the meat that it taste and works better.
So you make balls and then brown them in a frying pan.  After they're done you put them in a crock pot on low for about an hour or two.

So today I just did fasted cardio at home.  The painters are here working on the house and hopefully they'll be done today : )

Tomorrow we leave for Napa.  We're taking my husbands coworker and his wife from Washington to taste in that valley and then we're coming back to the Livermore Valley to taste.  We'll be eating at a place called Hurley's in Yountville.  Yummy food on the horizon~ Then probably out to dinner Saturday night here in Livermore.  This is Why I've been busting my butt with my workouts.  I know what's coming and so I'm trying to be proactive of my FUN.

Finding that Balance~

Accountability!!

I find that when I write out a plan and log daily that I am much more successful!!  I have 19 Days left until I get some professional photos taken.  I need to be at my possible best by then.  I do know that I have next weekend which will be a challenge for eating.  I want to put that good time in this plan.  I'm going to also have my husband get some pictures taken.  Pictures and measurements for me tell what's really going on.  The scale helps too.........but you just can't use that as your total compass for what's really going on.
So Today is Day 19 and so the countdown begins~
On tap for today
Fasted cardio for 30 min. 
Eat my first meal and then later in the morning I'll do a chest/tri/ab workout.  I am BUFFING~

Here is my POA for the Week~

Week of 10/25
 Monday- Fasted cardio in the AM and Chest/Tris/Abs at home,
Tuesday- Back/Biceps/Shoulders/Abs/ Running Intervals
Wednesday- Legs Glute and Hammie Focus and 30min SS cardio
Thursday- Full Body Workout Physique57 and later 30 min cardio
Friday- Chest, Triceps, Abs, Running Intervals- Leave to go to the Napa Valley Wine tasting with friends
Saturday - Not sure..........Depends on where we're at.  We have company that we'll be entertaining.
Sunday- Legs Focus on Quads and SS Cardio on Stepmill -  Lori's Birthday 

My Body is the Trophy, My placing does not Define Me ~~

One of the Ladies that I know just competed for her first time and this was in her comments.  I Like this and Believe it is true!!  A placing, or even how much a person weighs does not define them.  There is always someone that will be ahead or better than you.  Working toward Having a Healthy Body that you can navigate through this life is what's important.  Working toward Your Ultimate Best because we are All Ever Evolving Ourselves as we learn, grow and do more. Finding Balance of Body, Mind and Soul!  I really think it's all connected.
The person I am today could kick the butt of who I was at 30.  Someone once said that to me not too long ago as I was running the stairs of the stepmill at the gym and I thought about it and it's true.  I am in better shape and health than I was back then.  If I took who I was back then and put myself up on stage with who I am now I would for sure win now.
Just this morning I had someone look at my ATM card and ask when was this picture taken?  I said about 9 years ago.......he said you look younger now.  Working out, eating better and learning more about both are what have made the difference. 
So to all I say.........Find Balance, Be Your Best, Be Healthy, and Enjoy YOUR Trophy!!

Lots of "F's" and "W's"

Taking time to catch my breath!!  It’s been a busy week of “F’s” FUN, FOOD, FRIENDS, FAMILY and “W’s” WINE, WORKOUTS, WORKING!!

We’ve been wine tasting and celebrating my friends 25^th Wedding Anniversary at some Wineries in Livermore.  Marlene and Cindy in this picture both friends from gradeschool~

Enjoying the Release of the new “Lineage” Wine from Steven Kent Winery

Heading down to Monterey for 3 Days of more Wine, Food, Bike Riding, Hiking, Relaxing and Massage

The Sardine Factory~

Now back for Damage Control!!  All that fun ends up taking its toll!!

I’ve had some Amazing workouts!!  Yesterday I killed it with Legs!!  I haven’t been this sore in a Very Long time!!  Feeling it in all the right places!!  Today was Chest, Abs and Stepmill Intervals. 

I am BUFFING!!  IT’s all about loosing weight and maintaining my muscle.  Today I was @ 126.  Taking away some carbs and cycling them.

People ask me all the time what are you training for now.  I tell them the “Competition of Life”!!  I want to maintain a strong and healthy body so that I can do the things I enjoy like Hiking, Biking, Swimming, Running, Playing with my grandson, and anything else that requires some action!!  I Love Action!! 

This month is going to be Very Challenging!!  I have some FUN stuff on the calendar that will for sure be testing my Will!!  Then I’ll be doing a Photo Shoot on Nov. 12^th!!  I need to try and keep that FOCUS!

Tomorrow I am planning on doing some fasted elliptical cardio at the house and the Physique 57 Full body workout and then having the family over to celebrate my youngest childs birthday.  Janine is 25 years old today!!  Happy Birthday Janine!! 

My Daughters Jessica when she was pregneant and Janine the Birthday Girl today!! 

EVENTS!!!

Big BuffMother!
Gathering- November 11-13th, 2010

The Main EVENT- free for all…open to all women!!:

FREE!! Healthy Lifestyle Seminar! (For women only)

Author, Entrepreneur, Fitness Guru, Mother of 4, Michelle Berger and other TEAM BuffMother leaders,  will inspire and energize your fitness life with tons of helpful information.  Our mission is to help you be healthy and happy!!!  Come learn more about healthy diet, exercise, supplementation, your hormonal cycle and MORE….
When: Saturday November 13 @ Noon
Where: Pleasanton Marriot
How: Dressed casual eager to learn and inspired
Why: You deserve it!! And it is FREE!!!
For more info visit www.BuffMother.com
or email Teresa Williams  teresaew@sbcglobal.net

TEAM BuffMother! Events:

Dates: November Thurs. the 11th, Fri. the 12th and Saturday the 13th- the main gathering is on the 13th @ noon.  We’d love for you to come the entire 3 days weekend, but understand if you can only come 1 or 2 days. The big main event is on the 13th at Noon.

Hotel: Marriott of Pleasanton, CA-
http://marriottpleasanton.com/location.htm
Room rate is $69/room for up to double occupancy, $10 more for 1 additional person per room.
Teresa Williams will be coordinating roommates and available to help you with your travel and event questions
please don’t hesitate to email her teresaew@sbcglobal.net
Airport: San Francisco or Oakland both work nicely- check for best rates.
Transportation:
BART to Pleasanton
Shuttle to Hotel
*We’ll have shuttle use the entire stay at the hotel plus we have Julie’s car and I may rent a van- depending on how many women come. Plus if it is nice we could rent bikes for an afternoon!!  That’d be fun!
More Details:


We will be meeting up for morning and afternoon workout/boot camp/informational sessions on Thursday afternoon, Friday and Saturday.  In the evenings of the 11th, 12th and 13th we will gather for dinner and even dancing afterward!!  It will be a fun bonding time for all.
PHOTO-SHOOTS!! Michellle's  photographer The GREAT Emily McArthur will be traveling with her!! Don’t miss your opportunity to have a personal professional photo-shoot done while you are in California!!!  MORE INFO HERE!!


****Rough Draft of  Weekend Agenda***

Thurs,  November 11th, 2010
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm	Arrival day- afternoon activity and evening dinner/dancing
Friday, November 12th, 2010
7:30 am to 9:00 am	Gym Time/Breakfast
10:00 am	Morning activity time Hike or Bike or Bowling
12:30	Break for the afternoon
3:00 pm to 5:00	REST or Workout time- afternoon run, lift, swim or activity
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm	Meet to go to Dinner then Dancing
Saturday, November 13, 2010
7:30 am to 10 am	Breakfast
8:00 am to 10:00 am	Gym Time
10:00 am-11:30	Brunch
11:30 am to 12:00 pm	Group Photos for Team BuffMother
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm	Presentation: BIG EVENT- Seminar
1:00 pm to 1:40 pm	4 Break-Out Groups 15 mins @ each
1:40 pm to 3:00 pm	General Mingling
3:00 pm to 4:00 pm	BuffMother Group SPECIAL AWARDS
4:00 pm to 5:30 pm	Closing BuffMother Group Dinner

More group fun ideas:

• Bike rental
• Video scavenger hunt
• Group runs
• Group training
• Interviews
• Photographer
• Posing clinic
• Booty boot camp
• Abs
• Model Mom
• Chiro care
• Testimonials
• Gift bags- make up, lisa, suits, soap, toffee, push ups, Noah’s  naturals, samples (nrgx)
• Dinner out
• Dancing
• 24hour fitness- Julie’s said OKAY @ $10 per person
• Peir 39
• Warf
• Bowling
• China town
• Wintay Winery
• Julie’s house

Plus!!
Professional Photo-shoots will be available @ BuffMother Gathering!!

I am very excited to announce that professional photo-shoots will be available at our Team BuffMother Gathering!!!  Please book now so that you can get a spot with Michelle's awesome photographer- Emily McAurthur!!  Emily is booking shoots for November 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th.

Emily’s Website: www.EmilyMcArthur.com

Emily and Michelle Berger have had several photo-shoots together over the years and most of the photos you see of her online and in her book are by Emily!!  Don’t miss this chance to shoot with her while you are at our BuffMother! Gathering in Beautiful Northern California! Purchase now!!  Oh and don’t forget photo-shoots are a great motivator for you to get buff!! Lock in your photo-shoot goal now, Hit is hard for the next several weeks to be photo-shoot ready come November!!!

Purchase Options:

#1-

$300 for a 2 hour photo-shoot- all images  are yours to keep including 10 beautifully edited photos (disc sent to you of images), 4-5 outfit changes, option of change of location (inside/outside) and option of change of background for more info about Emily please visit www.EmilyMcArthur.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

#2-

$170/1hour shoot-  no edits, disc of images, 2- 3 outfits

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

#3-

$85 for a 30 minute photo-shoot: 1-2 outfits & all raw images are yours to keep

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once you purchase Emily will be contacting you to schedule your shoot.
If you have any questions please contact emily@emilymcarthur.com

Plus…

Event photos by Emily will be also be available  for sale on an individual basis after the event.
Purchase  now so you get your spot!!!

Thanks!!!!

p.s. feel free to join Emily’s Fan page on face book also :http://www.facebook.com/posted.php?id=111737352189067#!/?ref=home

Where there's a Will there's a Way!

So today I had my workout all in hand and went out to the garage to hop in the car to get to the gym to discover that there is something wrong with the garage door and so I couldn't get my car out!!  I had to ride my bike to the gym. Where there's a Will There is a Way......Also...One way to get my warmup in : )

Leg workout went like this:
BB Squat
10,8,6,4,10        95,135,155,165,135
SLDL
10,8,6,4,10              95,135,155,165,135
One Legged Romanian Lunge Forward Focus
25 DB x 8 x  3
Glute Ham Raises......Hard!!  Assisted
8x3
Drill Side Lunge....Very Low Army Stance
40 steps x 3
Kick Backs inbetween
20 min Fat Burning on the Stepmill
Rode my Bike home~
To no electicity.......didn't get my favorite shake with spinach : (

Kyle came and we've been hanging all day.  I've been making him food and he feeds himself now.  He's eating like grandma now............eggs with spinach, squash, bananas, etc......yesterday we gave him some grapefruit.  The look on his face was priceless. 
Eats today:
1) 1/2 C oats, pumpkin, raisins, almonds,  and 4 egg whites on the side
Worked out
2) pshake, almond milk, 1/2 TBSP Total Omega Oil
3) Brown Rice cake and Almond butter
4) Spinach, Romaine Lettuce, Basil, chicken, Brown Rice and Walnuts
5) Chicken and applesauce
6) Atkins Bar
7) Spaghetti and salad

Yes, I am BOOSTING!!!! 

My weight today was 127 and so I'm holding.  I am looking forward to BUFFING now......yep about 2 weeks is all I can handle of eating so much. 

So I found this picture of me that was taken 4 years ago.  It's right when I joined the Buffmother Rally Room.  I have for sure made a drop in weight since then.

What do You Believe?

Today was Back, Shoulder and Bis with some Running Intervals on the Treadmill
Trying to keep my Fitness Level UP UP UP!!!!

So today's workout went like this:
10 Min warm up on the Stepmill.....Got to get the Blood Moving
Asst Pull ups 65# setting x10x3 sets  Warm Up
Pull Ups
4,4,4.....the last two Lori did have to spot me on the last one....a little push on the tush!!
My Goal is to get to 6 at least unassisted
Widegrip Pull Downs
90,100,110,120,100       10,8,6,4,10
Dorsi Flexor Machine 21's 7 Narrow, 7 Medium, 7 Wide Grip
60,75,90
Hammer Front Lat Pull Downs
90,100,110,110           10,6,6,6
Hammer Shoulder Press
50,60,70,80,60         10,8,6,6,10
Side Lateral Raises
15# DB one arm at a time for 6 ct each side
Paired this with Bent Over Flys
15# DB x8x3
Incline Bench Bicep Curls
25# DB's x 8 X 1 set
30# DB's X 6 X 2 set
Running Intervals on the Treadmill 5 low end and 7, 7, 8, 8, 8.5, 9, 9....I think that was the progression and then ran to cool down and finished it off with a walk.

Eats so far Today:
1) 1/2 c oats, organic pumpkin, spices, 4 egg whites
2) Protein powder, Unsweetened Organic Almond milk, Big Handful of Organic Spinach, 1/2 Tbsp Total Omega Oil, and 1/2 Grapefruit on the side
Lunch will be a big salad with Organic Spinach, Organic Romaine Lettuce, Organic Chicken, Walnuts, Organic Cucumber, Basil
Snack:  Organic Chicken and Organic Applesauce will sprinkled sliced almonds
Dinner:  Bison NY Steak, Salad, Organic Asparagus

Today's thoughts while on the Treadmill........Believing~
What do you Believe?
What is your Brain Telling you?  Does it tell you that your too old to get started, to out of shape, to busy, to whatever~  You know that our Brains are very Powerful and what ever you tell yourself you will Believe.
The GLORY of it is THIS.........You can tell yourself Positive things too.....And Believe it!!
It's Never Too Late, You CAN find time to workout because you are that important, You CAN feel BETTER with just a few minutes a day of Devotion to your health, If there is a body part that is causing you pain you have other parts you can work on until you feel better.  You catch my drift............
Go after your Goals to feel and look Better!!  You can DO it!!  Just Believe and take it a Day at a time............Patience because Rome wasn't built in a day and it will take TIME for you too.  The effort is so worth it!!  Think of the alternatives........Choose to Live, Feel BETTER and BELIEVE in yourself!!

I think back when I was first diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.  These are the things that were going on in my life:
My diet was poor.  I was drinking at least 3 diet Cokes a day, too much wine almost every night to help with the pain, lots of white stuff....flour and sugar, not enough good nutrients, Night shift work with too many poor sleeping nights and the biggest evil of all was STRESS in the production work that I was doing.  7 weeks of nights, 7 weeks of days, 12 hour shifts, 4 days on. 4 days off and mandatory OT.  I was a TOXIC MESS!  You know what the Doctor wanted to do.......add more Toxic to the pool with some anti-depressants.  I'm not saying they're bad and some people need them, but it's not what I needed.  He asked me nothing about diet or was that concerned with the Stress.
I am so Glad and THANK GOD that I CHOOSE to research and find out more about our bodies and what's worked for other people to have a symptom FREE life!! 
My Steps toward that were (I repeat Steps....It didn't happen overnight):
1.  I joined a gym and started out walking on the treadmill a little bit each day.  You need to move to release Toxins in your body.
2. I started taking Vitamin supplements and was religious in taking them. 
3.  Quit drinking Diet COKE!
4.  Took white stuff out of my diet
5.  Quit the Stressful Job
6.  I continued and continue to try and learn more!
7.  I try and eat mostly organic these days
8.  Eat more Greens
9.  Limit Dairy and Grains
10.  Drink Lots of Water

These Days I have a Symptom Free Life and as a result of all these steps have incorporated have shaved some years off my age.  Many people think I'm at least 10 years younger than I am and that's the side benefit to these new ways.

I know many people in our society eat the way I used to and that is why we have such high rates of disease out there.  I have people all the time ask me what I do to have a symptom free life as many people these days are diagnosed with Fibro or other immune problems.  So this is how I Choose to Live a Better Day and my Goal is to at least inspire others and share that a Healthy Life is there's if they Choose.  God brought us into this world to be Healthy and Alive and to be able to LOVE and Be LOVED.  To Love others we need to Learn to Love and take care of ourselves!! 

Great Weekend of Wine and more to come~ SO POA in Order!!

I'm remembering my commitment to myself.....Not to gain the weight back!!  It's hard work loosing weight..........Easy to gain!!  So sad but true.  As you get older it becomes increasingly harder to loose too.....You really do need to work at it!!  So I've gathered another POA for the rest of October because it's a busy month of social wine events taking place. 
It started with this Wonderful Wine and Food pairing at Izzy's Steak House and the Wine was from our own Livermore Valley Occasio Winery and Sotto Voce lives up to its name.  You drink it and nothing at the beginning but sneaks up at the end and goes down nice and smooth.  Very Nice Wine as well as others presented that night with wonderful food.  That's my mom and dad sitting across the table from us too~

This is my partner in crime of 31 years.  He Love his Wine and so I share his hobbie : )

So to keep up with this hobbie I have a POA- Plan OF Action!! 

Week 10/11 - Boosting- Eating More, Resting in between Sets and Pyramiding Weight
Monday- Off
Tuesday- Back/Biceps/Abs/ Running Intervals
Wednesday- Legs Glute and Ham Focus and 30 min cardio on the Spin Bike
Thursday- Shoulders, Abs,  Sprints
Friday- Chest, Triceps, Abs, Running Intervals
Saturday - 5 k Run and Abs  Going out this Day with Friends Wine Tasting and Dinner in Livermore
Sunday- Legs and SS Cardio on Stepmill-  Steven Kent Wine Release...Be the DD

Week 10/18- Buffing Off Creatine, More Reps, Paired Circuts, More Cardio, Eat Less Carbs
Monday- Full Body workout Physique57 amd later 30 min SS
Tuesday- Back/Biceps/Abs/ Running Intervals- Leaving for Monterey for a couple of Days
Wednesday- Off
Thursday- Full Body Workout Physique57 I'll bring the DVD with me to the hotel
Friday- Chest, Triceps, Abs, Running Intervals
Saturday - Running outside-  Janine's Birthday Dinner....My baby turns 25!!
Sunday- Legs Focus on Quads and SS Cardio on Stepmill 

Week of 10/25   More Reps, Paired Circuts, More Cardio, Eat Less Carbs
Monday- Full Body workout Physique57 and later 30 min cardio
Tuesday- Back/Biceps/Abs/ Running Intervals
Wednesday- Legs Glute and Hammie Focus and 30min SS cardio
Thursday- Full Body Workout Physique57 and later 30 min cardio
Friday- Chest, Triceps, Abs, Running Intervals- Leave to go to the Napa Valley Wine tasting with friends
Saturday - Running outside while in Napa
Sunday- Legs Focus on Quads and SS Cardio on Stepmill -  Lori's Birthday 

This gets me to the end of October and then I'll Buff my way to our Buffmother gathering in November.  Goal for the upcoming photoshoot will be 123.  Looking for a little softer Look.

Thanks To Buffmother Michelle Berger Today!!

A Young mother to so many Mother's~ She's been a Great Blessing to so many of us. This is an essay that I wrote 4 years ago and thought I'd share. A lot of people ask me how I am able to stay fit and young, avoid the symptoms of Fibromyalgia, and so forth.........Michelle and the women in the Rally Room have surely helped in where I am today...........So THANK YOU and........I'm sharing~

Why I love the Team BuffMother Rally Room by Julie Laughery April 2007

My name is Julie Laughery and I’m a 46 Year Young mother of 3 adult children. I’m hear to share my journey with you and let you know how I came to find “Buffmother” and how it’s changed my life and made me who I am today.

I had my first child at the age of 20 and my other two by the age of 26. I gave all I could to my children and their upbringing. I “Believed” that I needed to put them first and I always put myself and my husband second. I was that soccer mom, Girl Scout Leader, Den Mother and Childcare Provider. Intertwined in my being and all these hats was the desire to be fit, feel great and have back that same body I had before children. Along my road I would try and try to achieve this with some form of exercise video or aerobics in my living room, but I never could seem to follow through and meet my inner desired longings.

Then at the age of 39 something happened to me that changed the direction of my life as I knew it. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. It’s a syndrome that effects your muscle and joints. It was at this time that I decided I needed to make changes in my life. I gathered up all I could and found out that working out, nutrition, and supplements were important in combating the symptoms. I started to go to a gym and so begins the fitness journey.

I started working out and feeling better and this became my life. My health was my number one goal. I at first started with cardio and gradually worked my way into the weight room. It was all a process and over the course of the years in the process of feeling better than I ever I had lost body fat and gained muscle. The gym became a way of life for me. It was a lonely life though as none of my friends had this life and they just didn’t understand the new evolving me.

Then one day while surfing the web I found “Buffmother” and life changed for me even though my kids were all now young adult children. As I was reading her Introduction on “Believing” I realized that I “was” that mother that she was describing. I was that mother that had the belief that if I tried to give myself that extra time in the day for “Me” to reach my desires that I would have been selfish. I had the belief that as you got older that you were just destined to “look” a certain way and age. This was a real light bulb moment. I realized that I wasted a lot of time and there was no more time to waste. I could achieve a New and Improved me!

I immediately joined “Buffmother” and I’ve now been a member since the Rally Room first opened. The reason I stay and have become addicted to the Rally Room is because of all the wonderful, positive support that you receive. We all have the same goals. We all want to be Buff and the Best person that we can be!! You receive so much LOVE and SUPPORT for whatever you’re going through good or bad….It’s an AWESOME, POSITIVE and INSPIRING place. It feels so good to be a part of a movement that is for the improvement in self and inspiring and encouraging others. I strive to do this now in and out of the Rally Room.

I have made lots of friends in the Rally Room over the course of a year and I’ve had the pleasure to meet up with some of them in my travels. I’ve now met Melissa from Washington, Tracy from Utah, Tracy from Idaho, Jamie from California and this coming October will meet many others on the Buffmother cruise.

Becoming a “Buffmother” I for once in my life finally “Got It” what “Buffmother” Michelle was preaching….It’s “Believing” you can make changes and reach the goals that you set for yourself as long as you “BELIEVE” you can. I not only feel like this with my body now, but also with life in general. You can do anything you want and be anything you want. You just need to “Believe” and you can achieve this and be a good mother, daughter, friend to others in the process.

Since joining “Buffmother” I’ve entered my first NPC Figure competition. By being in the rally room through my competition prep I received SO much support. There were times when I wanted to quit and I would throw up a Blog to that effect only to hear my “Buffmother Friends” tell me….You CAN DO IT!! I needed that extra push when that little devil was in my brain telling me to give up. I will be speaking soon at a Rotary Lunch about my competition and so the journey still continues.

I had the honor of becoming one of the “Buffmother” Success stories. I have entered Challenges from Buffmother herself and received the reward of the “RELENTLESS” Challenge. I’ve learned to set my own challenges as well. One of them I just completed. I had professional portraits taken for my husband, a goal that I’d had for fifteen years and finally I felt like I had the body I was looking for.

I now BELIEVE that I can do anything I set my mind to. I’ve learned to set fitness goals. I’d never really done that before. I’ve learned to set challenges for myself. I’ve been working out for many years, but with no real goals and no real diet. I now know how to fuel my workouts, how to CHALLENGE myself and receive the results that I’m looking for. As “Buffmother” always says….Challenge=Change…I really BELIEVE that!!

It's hard to Believe that 4 years have passed since writing this~ Time passes Quickly!  Since writing this I just competed again in my 3rd NPC Figure Competition and was also one of Michelle's Success stories for an infomercial taping down in LA in 2008.  While there I got to meet many of the women that I had developed friendships with in the Rally Room.  It's been a Great Ride and it still continues as we gear up for our first Official Buffmother Gathering here in CA!!

Goals Are Great!

It's been a full week now since Competition. 
Here I was again on the day of Competition.  I'm sporting my Buffmother Tank Top!! 

Todays weight..........127  Time to get that back in control.  I know alot of it is just junk weight....water and glycogen but still....My goal is 124 with all that in me.  I just signed up for a photo shoot with Emily and so BIG motivation now to get them eats under control.

  Today for a workout I'm going to do a fullbody Physique57 workout.   I've done this workout one time before and it really is a good workout!!  It's different and Change is good when dealing with the body.  You know our bodies are smart and they need Change in routine.  Challenge=Change!!

I signed up for a Photo Shoot five weeks from today when we have our Buffmother Gathering (Buffmother.com).  I have another Goal besides just good Health!!  Goals are Great for keeping and holding us accountable!!  So tonight while I'm at this wine and food pairing that I'm going to at Izzy's Steakhouse I'll need to have that Goal in my sights.  I still plan on enjoying myself but.....watch them carbs!!  They're Sneaky!! 

So What are your Goals? 

My Journey to the Stage~~Results 7th in Masters, 6th in Open

 A picture of the Two Amazing Women that I met at the competition.  On the Left is Kristy and the Right of me Aneeta.  Not only are they Beautiful on the Outside but on the Inside too!!  Meeting them was really the Win of the Day!!

Here is my Journey~


First I’ll start with the night before and getting my tan.  I was instructed to call once I got to the hotel where they were spraying so I could find out what room they were in.  I knock on the door to find two girls and a guy spraying girls.  I think there were a total of 8 of us in there with workers and competitors.  I walk up and the guy says to me……this is your lucky day.  You got the best.  I train all these other women.  I’ve been doing this for 20 years.  Told to take my clothes off and put them in a pile and so the spraying begin.  I was a bit surprised but thought of child birth and pretty much related it to that.  These people see hundreads of naked bodies…….it’s nothing to them.  The guy is the same one that is pictured on their website and I had also seen him in the utube video with Ava Cohen.  So after I got my tan and stood there waiting for it to dry I was thinking……..Why am I doing this again??  Yes, the part I really don’t like.  I was rolling my eyeballs at myself.  I drove home in my car on a sheet and it took about 45min……having to go pee most of the way home.  I was ready to die when I walked in the front door.  I was exhausted and went to sleep around 930pm.
Got up at 5am and Sheri was at my house by 6 to do my hair.  My weight that morning was 120.5.  I had woken up at 1am and still hadn’t released the 2lbs and so I took a couple more of the Diaretics and it worked by the time 5am was there.
I had been feeling kind of flat the past couple of days and not having much experience with this part of it I was kind of uneasy as to what to do and when to do it.  It’s hard for me to look at my body subjectively in this state.  So I just kept with the program.  When we got there for check in I noticed it was BUSY…..all the makeup counters were full and girls busy at work getting themselves ready.  I grabbed an empty small counter spot and asked the girl if I could squeeze in there.  She was really nice and said yes.  I had actually situated myself between someone who I was competing with.  Her name is Kristy and she’s 49.  She competes often and was a big help to me and it was nice to hang out with her.  She lives in San Jose and has one child.  She’s an HR for the University of San Jose. I couldn’t get over her muscle and got a lot of great ideas from her.   On the other side of me was Joy….and what a JOY she was!  She was 35 and looked Awesome!!  She had 4 kids and was a Dental Hygenist.  Now on the other side of Kristy was Aneeta from England living here now.  WoW!!  What a beauty!  40 Years old and also has a 16 year old like Kristy.  She’s of Indian descent and has the most amazing skin.  Her husband is her dietician and what I found fascinating about her is that she doesn’t dehydrate down.  She had the day of the show already drank 1.5 gallons of water.  She looked really healthy!!
So it took forever to get on stage.   They were running late and kept changing what exactly they wanted us to do once we got on stage.  They were going to take away the T pose and just have us go out there and do one pose and then stand in our lines.  Then they changed in and had us go out there and do our T pose with a threat that if it took more than 10 seconds to do that we would be dinged for that.  So we all went out there and tried to be quick.  They had us form the two lines on the stage.  They Called out five girls who got out there and did one round of ¼ turns and then the next round of us.  I didn’t even get my front pose in because they went so fast.  They made their minds up and we were off the stage.  I couldn’t believe it!!  I know a lot of the girls that were competing do this all the time and so maybe they just had their minds made up before we even got out there.
Oh Well……..so after that I really didn’t even want to do the open figure.  But of course I did it.  We were finally done at 2 and then left for so much needed lunch.  We went to Mimis and I had a steak, some salad, some of my dh’s muffin and some of his fries.  Then we drove to my MIL who lives close to where the comp was and I took a nap while DH went into work.  His work is close to there too.  Then back to the show for briefing at 5:30.  We were out of there at 10pm which is better than what I feared.
My friends Lori, Nancy and Susie came to see me as well as my DD’s and my DH.  My DH took pictures but they came out awful!!  He was too close and had the wrong lens on and so nothing too great to share.  I did buy the package where they take pics of me and so hopefully they got some good ones.
After the show my dh and my dd’s and I all went to IHOP in Livermore and I got grainy pancakes, sausage and eggs.  It was good……..I was beat!  There eating was a man and his wife who had just been to the show too.  Just to watch and see if it’s something she might want to do in the future.  I told her she should at least try it……overcome her fear and do it once.  It might be for her.  Nice couple……..
The Comp is over and now it's time to get ready for our gathering~ and meeting more Amazing Women in November!!  I think that is for sure the best part of the competitions!!