Dolphin Tale

Today, my mom and brother and I went to see the movie, 'Dolphin Tale."  I absolutely loved it!  It was one of the best movies I've seen, and it's a true story!!  I've always loved dolphins, and I wish I could have one for myself. :)  This is quite a heart warming story.  If you are going to the movies anytime soon, I recommend seeing this one for sure!!  Now I want to fly down to Florida to meet this wonderful creature...a dolphin named Winter. 

Family Photo

A few weeks ago, my family took a vacation to Turks & Caicos Island...Provo!!  While we were there, we had some family photos taken, and I want to share them with y'all!!!  My mom went with us as well. So, she's in some of our pics:)

They See ME

There have been several instances where photographers approach me to shoot with them, and when I mention that I have no arms, they say they didn't even notice.  At first I was wondering what is wrong with these people??  They see my photos, comment on them, approach me, but didn't even notice that there are two arms missing??  Aren't photographers supposed to see things like this?  Seriously, they'll see if there is a teeny tiny tag showing, but they don't see that two arms are completely missing??  haha  Then,  I thought, "Wow!  I guess my photos really speak for themselves!"  I told one of the photographers that I was glad he didn't notice, and when he asked why, I said,"Because that means you noticed ME, not my arms(or lack thereof.)"  It's nice to know that some people just see ME!!  I guess I still assume that my "arms" is what people notice first.  I need to quit assuming!!!  After all, there is much more to a person than just their arms! 

Photo Shoot with Rob Sims

I posted some of my pics from the shoot I did with Rob Sims in Sept.  They turned out pretty good!  I can't wait to shoot with him again in Feb. when I'm in shape!!!  Click on this link to see the photos: 
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150368198988836.367734.684543835&type=3

Different Things

     Well, we now have a new family member!  She is a short haired hamster, and her name is Oreo.  Jared is SURE his one is going to live a long time.  However, if this one doesn't live, he wants a dwarf hamster to name Midget. haha  Cute, huh!!
     Jared's football team is in the playoffs now, and they won the first game.  If they go all the way, we'll be going to Florida in December.  Oh the joys of football! 
     Jordan's football season is over, thank God.  It's been a terrible season for him.  Before they even played their first game, he got a concussion, which kept him from playing for several weeks.  Then, he came down sick, which kept him out a few more weeks.  He only played in two games this season.  Next year will be much better, hopefully!!  He has decided he is going to try out for the basketball team now!  Yay!!  I'm glad my boys like to stay active!
     Zoe is finally over being mad at me for leaving. haha  She was MAD at me for going on vacation!!  Thank goodness she's over it:)
     Monday is Halloween!!  Guess what I'm gonna be??!!!  An armless girl!!  I'm going to be in a friend's haunted house.  I'm going to wear a sleeveless shirt and have fake blood running down my shoulders like someone just chopped off my arms.  i know, I know...I have a sick sense of humor.  Get over it. lol

Feb. Photo Shoot

     Some time(I'm not sure of the exact dates yet) in Feb, Mr. Rob Sims...THE fitness photographer, will be coming for a visit!  My goal is to line up as many girls as possible to shoot with him.  So, if you are a fitness, figure, bikini, body builder, or physique competitor and would like to shoot with him here in beautiful Phoenix, AZ, contact me!  If you're not a competitor, that's ok too...the price is just a little different.  Also, if you know anyone who may be interested, please pass this info along to them!
     Rob is charging a small fee for the shoots.  You get to keep all of the pics, and this cost is whether you shoot for one day or several days.  He's only asking $600 for competitors and $800 for non-competitors.  Your money will be well spent.  You won't regret it!  Start planning NOW!!
     I will also have spray tanning available for anyone who needs or wants it.  The cost for that is $45-$55, depending on if you travel to them or they come to you.  They also have a special that's $40/person if you and a friend do it together.
     As if that wasn't all awesome enough, I'm also going to have a hair and make-up person available!  Her cost is $45 for make-up only and $55 for make-up and hair!!
     This is such an amazing opportunity that you don't want to pass up!!!

Time to Update

     I just noticed that I haven't posted in like 10 months!!  HOLY COW!!  I knew it had been a while, but I didn't realize it had been that long!!!  
     So, last time I posted, I had hit a plateau, which is where I'm at again!  I did reach my goal of 62lbs lost, but I've rebounded just a little.  I am happy where I'm at right now though.  I have decided to come out of retirement, so to speak, and get back on the fitness stage!!  It's in my blood, and I guess I'm just not quite ready to give it up.  I am aiming to compete on March 10, here in AZ! 
     My hubby and I just celebrated our 2 year anniversary!!  Time sure flies!!  We were planning on going to Las Vegas during Olympia time to celebrate, since we got married there 2 years ago, but life happened:(  We ended up spending a few days at The Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, AZ.  It was very nice!!  I still think I'll keep him! haha  
     Next week, we will be taking family photos. So, today, I've been shopping the clearance racks with my boys!!  We've decided to wear all white!  We've had a successful day! I love clearances!!
     Speaking of photos, I went to Salt Lake City, Utah last week and shot with the amazing fitness photographer, Rob Sims, for 3 days!!  I had a blast with everyone there!!  I was T-totally wiped out when I got home though!!!  I will use those photos to update my web site as soon as I get them from Rob.   So, keep your eyes peeled for that!!   I plan on shooting with him again in Feb, when I'm in better shape.  I can't wait!!!  I'll expand on that a little more in my next blog:)
     Other than that, not much has happened!  Right now, it's football season.  With two boys playing, we keep very busy!!  My older boy plays for his high school freshman team, which is kinda nice!!  My little guy has had an awesome season, too.  They've won every game but one!!  I love watching my boys play, but I will be glad when the season is over. 
     Last week, we had a death in the family.  My son Jared got a cute little teddy bear hamster for his 11th birthday, and he named her Sally.  Sadly, Sally only lived about a month.  We had to put her in the ground this past weekend.  She is missed.  We will be getting another one soon.  He wants to find a black and white one to name Oreo...how cute.

I Finally Hit a Plateau

Before Thanksgiving, I reached 148lbs!  That's a 34 lb.loss!!  Since then, my weight hasn't budged. GRRRRR.....  Plateaus are so frustrating!!  I have increased my cardio (by time and intensity), added more exercises to my weight training, added a little bit of plyometric work in, and still I am 148. I'm not gonna try and lie by saying my diet has been perfect, but I honestly haven't cheated much at all!  I know this happens, and eventually I will break this plateau and continue on with my transformation!
I have gotten a little bit of flack for not being happy at 148lbs, but I'm not satisfied yet!!  I'm used to being no more than 130lbs in my "off season"..and around 13-15% body fat!  I am carrying around 20% body fat right now.  I really couldn't care less if my weight stays right where it is, as long as my body composition improves!  I would like to have no more than 15% body fat again!  So, I will keep pluggin' away until I get there!!!  My goal is to have lost 40 lbs by new years day!!! I'm keeping my toes crossed....and my body movin'!!

Something Else to Keep Me Occupied??

Over the years, many people have asked me for nutrition/diet advice, training suggestions, weight loss help, etc.  I usually do what I can to help!!  This week though, for some reason, I've had 3 different people approach me to help them reach their various fitness goals. One friend of mine wants me to work with her daughter to get her in good condition for volleyball and help with her vertical jump.  Another lady wants me to help her out with "toning up" her body. In case you don't know how I feel about the term, "toning up," I HATE IT!!!  I feel like you either want to change your body composition, change the size/shape of your muscles OR you just want to be "skinny fat."  There's a t-shirt I like that reads,"Girls Tone, Women TRAIN."  Anyway, I will help her reach her goals, and we'll work on the terminology later:)  Another friend wrote to me today, wanting me to help her with a meal plan because she wants to compete in a show in about a year!  Of course, I am not a nutritionist or a personal trainer, BUT it's nice to know they believe in me and have confidence that I can help get them where they want to be!  After all,  I KNOW for a fact that I can do better than most of the "qualified" "trainers" I see working with people everyday.  At the very least, I know how to train safely and effectively.  I am excited to do what I can to help all of these ladies!!  

NPC Western Regional

Last night was the 2010 NPC Western Regional, which was a particularly special show for my hubby and I to attend because it is where we first met 4 years ago!!!!   I haven't gone with him to shows in quite a while because of my own self-consciousness due to my weight/appearance.  However, since I've been able to lose 29 lbs, I was really excited to go!  I even wore a pair of capris that I couldn't button less than a month ago....now they're too big!!  YEAH!!
Anyway, it felt very different being there.  I guess maybe it's just the next generation of competitors; I donno.  Usually, everybody knows everybody. Everyone hangs out in the lobby chit-chatting and having a ball!  This time, I felt kind of like an outsider looking in.  Of course, we did get to see some old friends and other familiar faces, which was nice, but it just seems like it has really changed.  Now, there are less and less bodybuilder and fitness type people running around and more and more bikini competitors.  It's sad to me to see where this sport is headed.  There was only 1 fitness competitor at this show:(   Fitness began falling due to the rise in Figure competitors. Now, they've added the Bikini division, which is totally ridiculous, IMO.  Withing the next 2 years, they will be doing away with Female Bodybuilding and adding Women's Physique(with no pro cards given). They will also be adding the Men's Physique division.  I feel like our sport is fading away.
OK, on a happier note....my old trainer, Mike Haller, competed in the Super Heavies, won his class AND took the Overall!!  I am so proud of him, and he looked totally awesome and did an awesome routine with great posing, music, and was very entertaining!!  Congrats, Mike!!  I have another friend whose son competed, and he also did a fabulous job! Gil got 3rd place in his class!!!  His routine was great!!! He was one of the few who you could tell he actually practiced his routine and posing! I know his dad is a proud papa!!!
I had several people ask me when I'm going to compete again.  Due to my knees and other health issues, I doubt I will ever be up on that stage again, BUT I sure do miss it! Fitness competition is in my blood!! I don't think the desire will ever go away.  So, never say never, right??!!
We also got to see our friends, Scott and Diana, Elise, Brittany, Joy, Chris and a few others.  It was great seeing everyone!  I'm excited to show up at the next show in tip-top shape(only spectating, not competing!)...like my old self again!!
For now, peace y'all!!

To Eat or Not To Eat; THAT is The Quetsion

Many people have been asking me what I am eating or not eating to lose weight. So, i want to share with everyone what I'm doing...and not doing!
First of all, let me remind you that I am NOT a doctor.  I am NOT a dietician either. I am doing what my doctor wants me to do for the time being. Some may have different dietary needs. I am also very "body aware," meaning that I know my body very well. I know how my body reacts/responds to different foods. I also try and listen to my body. 
I would like to mention as well, that on this "diet" I am usually not hungry, and I have not really been craving anything.  I do treat myself to a cheat MEAL(not to be confused with a cheat DAY) one night a week.  Lately, my choice of cheat food is sushi and sometimes some frozen yogurt, but it totally satisfies me! 
NOW, for the part you've been wanting to know.  I have 2 detox/protein shakes and 2-3 meals per day.  The protein and detox shakes I use are from a company called Xymogen, which a doctor has to order.  I also take the Xymogem mitochondria supplements. They have a neat kit you can get that has all the pills you need in a little convenient packet.  My meals consist of an "ideal protein" and an "ideal vegetable," which are listed in the attachments.  I also allow myself a little bit of fruit when I want it.
I also have to take my thyroid and adrenal medications along with several other supplements: Glucobalance(basically a multi-vitamin that also helps to keep blood sugars level), calcium d glucarate, vitamin d3,  adrenal support, and a weekly very small dose of B12 and testosterone...which is administered by my doctor.  He also does blood work regularly to track progress and levels of EVERYTHING.  
Let's not forget about exercise!! I believe a healthy weight loss requires good nutrition and exercise.  I would say it's 80%diet and 20% exercise, but you still need both!  I am in the gym 5-6 days/week.  I do 45-60 min of cardio (moderate intensity), ab/core work a few times per week, legs once per week, and stretching at least 4 times per week. For obvious reasons, I don't train back, chest, shoulders, or arms...but YOU should incorporate all body parts/muscle groups!  Last but not least, REST!!  Rest is very important!!!  I usually get at least 7 hours of sleep at night, sometimes more. 

I'm attaching the what to eat and what not eat sheets.  These are a basic guideline.  I wish you all the best and lots of success!!!

Weight Loss Update

Well, I've been at this since mid Aug.  It's now Nov.2, 2010, and I am down 27lbs.  A few weeks ago, I had an amazing week that I somehow lost like 4 or 5 lbs. Since then, I've been struggling.  I'm only dropping a pound or so per week. Still, I guess 27lbs isn't bad, considering all the other factors that I'm fighting against.  I am still very fatigued.  I thought the thyroid meds were supposed to help with that!  Also, I'm taking more adrenal support and cortisol(my levels were very very low.)  That doesn't seem to be helping either.  The only thing I can figure is that because my doctor lowered my testosterone dose, now down to 8mg(.04cc)/week....it's effecting my energy levels. When he gets back from his honeymoon in Bora Bora, I need to discuss this with him again.  All of this is so frustrating!!  I was feeling very good...back to my old self, and now I'm always exhausted again. 
Anyway, I wanted to update you on my weight loss/transformation progress.   I shall return in a week or so with another update!!
Wait!!!!  I have a few friends who are also fighting hypothyroidism and are keeping up with my blog.  I know they are just as frustrated as I am.  We have to stick together, ladies and encourage each other!!!  Rochelle, I see you plugging away in the gym every day. Jeanne, I see you there from time to time(she's always there too, we just go at different times.)  I just want to say.."GOOD JOB, GIRLS!! You're doing awesome!  Together, we will be victorious!!!" Keep up with the hard work and determination.  We cannot let this beat us!!!

Weekend

This should be a fun weekend!!  My boys will be at their dad's house for the weekend, and their last football game is tomorrow.  I'm going for sushi with my dad and hubby today...it's my weekly cheat meal.  Since I've somehow dropped 4 lbs this week, a cheat meal is definitely in order!!  Tonight, the guys are going to some car show or something, which means I'll have some "me time!"  Sunday morning, all of the neighbors on our street are having a breakfast outside. We are each bringing something different. So, there will be plenty of food to go around!!  I' enjoying having my daddy here for a few days.  I wish he would just move here!!  For now, I'm off to the gym!!!!  Adios!

Turks & Caicos Vacation

I guess I should begin ... at the beginning.  Last year, when Q and I honeymooned at a Sandals Resort in St. Lucia, we wanted to book a family trip for this year.  They told us and showed us pictures of this beautiful place called the Turks & Caicos Islands. Sandals/Beaches has a resort there!  So, we booked it and didn't even tell the kids until about a week before we left. They were very excited!!!
So, because I kept forgetting to book our flights, we ended up having to fly into JFK, spend the night, and fly out the next morning to the island. We were supposed to stay at the JFK International Hotel, BUT the wonderful taxi driver took us to JFK Inn.  We had to spend $140 for 1 night/ 1 room, and this notel motel was the most disgusting motel I have ever seen.  However, we were very tired, and just wanted to eat something and get some sleep. Well, so much for eating. The only place that delivered there was closed. We open the motel room door, and there is a HUGE hot tub in the middle of the room, surrounded by mirrors. The hot tub, however, was filthy and out of order.  The walls were disgustingly dirty, the ceiling was caving in and brown. Half of the lights were missing. AT LEAST the bathroom was clean. Needless to say, we were all kind of worried about getting unde the covers, and nobody slept much. We couldn't wait to get the heck out of there in the morning. We grabbed breakfast at the airport and were on our way to our destination!
     The boys absolutely loved the resort!  They never stopped smiling, and they must have thanked us a hundred times a day. It's really nice that they are at ages that they can really appreciate things.
     There were 16 restaurants, a water park, a video game place(The Game Garage), a gym, a spa, several pools, bars, water sports, teen night club, adult night club, teen billiard room, and let's not forget the most beautiful beach and water!!!  The water was so clear and blue. It was absolutely beautiful!!!  The water was so clear that we could see the reefs at the bottom when we were up in the airplane! Amazing!
Aside from breakfast and dinner, we hardly saw the kids. They were having a blast!  They made new friends and spent most of their time on the surf simulator, water slides, and hanging out and eating at Bobby Dee's!  Bobby Dee's is a 50's style diner that actually had pretty good food. The kids' favorite thing was the ice cream cones. Between the 2 of them, they had about 40 or so ice cream cones during our 1 week there.  LOL   
Jordan got to go on a 3 hour cruise, saw the other islands, went snorkeling, and the boat even had a slide on the back!  He had fun and got some good pics of him on the ocean floor!
Jared took a DJ class and even got to perform and show off his new skills at the teen night club. We forgot to bring the camera, but he looked so cute up there!  He really enjoyed doing that!
Q and I took a snorkeling trip, but didn't see too much. I got in trouble for swimming too far out, but dang it..I wanted to see some fish!!!!  We also celebrated our anniversary(a few weeks late) with a candle light dinner on the beach. It was beautiful!  We also finally got each other anniversary gifts:)  He got a watch, and I got earrings!!  I call them my Turks & Caicos earrings because(aside from the fact that we bought them there)they are blue diamonds, and they are the color of the water there!
We all got to go to the beach party on Fri night, where there was lots of good food, great entertainment, and a good time had by all!!  We also took the paddle boats/water bikes out for a ride. Those were fun...and a good workout!!
Sat morning was departure day. The kids wanted to stay, but we were kind of ready to get home. We had to be up bright and early to get ourselves ready because they were picking our luggage up at 8am.  We then went to breakfast, booked our next trip, and did a few things on the resort before it was time to leave.  Around 1pm, we took a shuttle to the airport.  Now, their airport is a tiny little place, and it was a mad house!!  We FINALLY got our bags checked and through security. We sat on the floor and waited for our flight to board. However, they kept telling us we would be boarding in 15 min. About 3 hours past the time we were supposed to depart, they tell us that anyone connecting in Charlotte to Phoenix will have to stay in Turks & Caicos another night because we have already missed our connecting flight, and there are no more until morning. On top of that, NASCAR races were in Charlotte; so all hotels were booked. GRR....  We said, NO!  Get us to Charlotte!  We don't care if we have to sleep in the airport for the night!  Anyway, we finally boarded the plane and headed to Charlotte, 3 hours late.
We got to Charlotte, and they told us we are flying to Minneapolis, staying the night, and flying to Phoenix in the morning. We were late, and they were holding the plane for us. There was another family heading back to PHX as well.  We decided after all we went through together, we had to consider each other family. LOL  We made some new friends anyway. We still had to go through customs, get our luggage, recheck our luggage, go through security, and run to the plane that was waiting for us!  Our plane was at gate B1. We ran past gates D and C to gate B, just to find out it was locked, and everyone had to go through gate C. So, we ran back to gate C, and had the absolute worst TSA people at security there. I guess they thought they were on a power trip or something. They were very rude and had attitudes like you would not believe. Anyway, we finally made it through and found our plane. We got to Minneapolis around midnight. We still hadn't eaten since breakfast. We were freezing.  It was like 50* there, and we were in shorts and t shirts.  We then had to wait..get this...15 min, for the shuttle to the hotel. Thank God there was a Denny's attached to the hotel!  At that point, even Denny's sounded good!  We got most of the way done with our meal(the other family was there too,) and Jared stated puking on his plate. he couldn't even stop puking long enough to run to the bathroom.  He just kept throwing up until it was splashing onto other people's food. It was so gross. I finally got him to run to the restroom, where he left puke trails all along the way.  After that, he felt fine!!  

We were able to sleep for MAYBE 2 hours before we had to get up and get back to the airport.  As you can imagine, everyone was exhausted.  Everything went smoothly from there on out...until we landed.  We actually landed 20 min early, but there was still a delayed plane at the gate we had to go to. They said we would have to wait....15 min. LOL  Somehow, we arrived at the gate 20 min late!  Now, we were worried about our luggage.  We spoke to a US Airways employee, he told us where to find our luggage. Thankfully, it arrived at the same time we did on a flight from Charlotte. We did make it home safe and sound!  We are going back next year and taking my mom with us!!  Hopefully, the trip home will go better next year!!
     I almost forgot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Even with all the food that was there, I managed to eat pretty clean most of the time. I did splurge a few times, but we went to the gym almost every day, and we were very active....walking, swimming, water bikes, etc.  I weighed myself this morning, and I managed to lose 1 lb while were gone!  I have officially lost 20 lbs.  It's coming off very slowly, but it's coming off!!!!!

Update Time

So, last week, I fell off the wagon a little bit. I guess I am human afterall. LOL.  I went to The Cheesecake Factory with my hubby on Sunday. I ate a very clean meal, but then decided to share a slice of cheesecake with Q. I actually gained 2lbs from that, and then it took me 4 whole days to get rid of it!!  Was it really worth all that??? NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!  We will be going on vacation soon, and I am really going to think twice about everything that goes in my mouth while we are gone!!  I am 19lbs down from where I began. I want to keep the weight falling off, so I will not be a cheater!!  My goal is to be down another 6lbs AT LEAST by the end of Oct!  I will keep you posted!

Weight Loss Update

Woot woot!!!!!!!  I weighed myself this morning, and I'm now down to 165lbs!!!!  Now, that's still more than I weighed when I was a hundred months pregnant with my last baby, BUT it's 17lbs. down from where I started this time!!!  What's even awesomer(good word, eh?!!) is that I haven't even been having any cravings or a desire to cheat!  I'm on a roll, and I'm gonna keep on rollin'!!!  I'm on my way to the gym again!  TTYL, peeps!!!

FACEBOOK

Just in case, you want to find me on Facebook, you can find me at http://www.facebook.com/fitbarbie  
I just found out today that someone else made a Fan Page about me.  There isn't much on it, and there's only 1 picture. No harm is being done, but I did not create the page. What's worse is there are only 2 fans!  hahaha  I don't know which to be more upset over!  Just kidding. Anyway, now you have the link to MY Facebook page. If you want me to add you, please write a little message to me so I know who you are!  Thanks!  OH! BTW, I was down another pound today!! WooHoo!!

Anniversary

Today is the 1 year anniversary of the day I married my best friend!!!  I can't believe it's been a year already!!  This is only the beginning. We expect to have at least another 50 anniversaries in our future!  I love you, baby!!

WooHoo!

As of this morning, I am DOWN 13 pounds(so I'm 169lbs now)! My goal is to get down to at least 130lbs(preferably 120-125.) So, only(haha)40-50 more pounds to go! I'm hoping to be at my goal weight by March/spring break so we can take the kids somewhere fun, and I will be totally comfortable showing off my bikini ready bod!!! I'm keeping my toes crossed anyway! So, it's time again to hit the gym. Let's see what fun things I can come up with today to do on the treadmill!! LOL. See ya!!

11 lbs Down....5 Weeks In

Time for an update!! I've been doing this detox diet for almost 5 full weeks now, and I'd love to tell you that I've dropped about 20 pounds! Unfortunately, that isn't so:( I have dropped 11 lbs though. The weight is falling off MUCH slower than I'm used to, but at least it IS coming off. I feel like I'm fighting an uphill battle, but I will prevail!! Since I've gotten my fat ass back in the gym, I'm finding that I'm getting more and more tired. Today, I felt like I couldn't even drag myself out of bed...after sleeping for over 12 hours!! This is exactly how I felt before I started my thyroid meds. GRRRRR.

Anyway, my doc did another blood draw so we can see where all my thyroid, adrenals, hormones, etc levels are at now. I'm pretty sure he's gonna have to increase my thyroid meds. I will know for sure in a few weeks. It's like a battle because I need to workout to drop even a tiny bit of weight, but working out seems to be affecting my thyroid and/or adrenal function again. Hopefully, this will be resolved very soon. Until then, I will keep doing what I'm doing!

On the bright side, we had a birthday party for my son today at Jumpstreet, which is a place that is full of trampolines! I was able to jump a little!! I didn't do any flips or anything crazy, but I did jump a little bit. It did start to bother my knees, which is when I stopped. I know it wasn't much, but a few months ago, I would not have been able to jump at all with my knees the way they were. So, at least they are starting to get better. A small victory is still a victory!!!! BTW, I even stuck to my diet, except for a few bites of his giant cookie:) Also, I cannot believe my baby is 10 yrs old already! Time sure flies!!! Happy birthday, Jared!!!!