My mind is playing tricks on me

These past 3 weeks I have been eating a variety of foods, vegetables, fruits, salads, nuts, tortillas, whole wheat bread. My old habits are kicking in and my mind is beginning to play games on me....

I feel that since I am not in a contest diet I can eat whatever I want at what ever time I want, ugh! Just this week, I came home at 9am and although I had told myself I would come home and brush my teeth so that I wouldn't eat, I still chose to EAT! I ate 2 rice cakes (one with almond butter and the other with PB)!!! I've also indulged in SWEETS these past 3 weeks!!! I have developed a love for sweets that is beginning to really bother me. I've notices cravings for sweets much more now since I decided to compete. Also, this week at my parents house I ate an entire banana nut muffin from Porto's (http://www.portosbakery.com/content/portos-downey) all by myself. It was probably more than 500 calories. I do not do stuff like that...Why did I do that???

Eating sweet stuff once in a while is okay. Eating every day, or even every other day is NOT -- especially if you eat  too much of it. Sometimes I feel that I have this angel on my right shoulder whispering to me to be good, work hard, eat well, go to bed early....On my left shoulder, I have this little evil devil that tells me to eat,to "eat one more cookie or maybe 2 more", that I am too sore to work out, stay up a little late, be mean and lazy....I have to master my mind so that the devil disappears and my little the angel wins!

I have to re-evaluate myself and why I want to do this. I need to seriously analyze my thought process today. I need to re-set and start again with a new way of thinking and doing things so that I am able to reach my health, fitness and life goals. Come on now -- I'm a psychology major! I read a lot on psychology, human behavior and habit behavior! This should be easy! But knowing, and not doing is really not knowing....So I have to learn and DO IT!

It is amazing how one continues to learn every single day in life. Life is a never ending learning process. I will always be a student learning about ways to live my life better. I am on my way to learning how to master my mind. Here are two quotes:

• “Be master of mind rather than mastered by mind”

• “Whatever you hold in your mind will tend to occur in your life. If you continue to believe as you have always believed, you will continue to act as you have always acted. If you continue to act as you have always acted, you will continue to get what you have always gotten. If you want different results in your life or your work, all you have to do is change your mind.”

 Today, my fitness and nutrition goals today are:

• Hit the gym for 1 hour (cardio, 45 minutes; abs)
• Eat healthy fats during snacks only (post-work out shake, snack 1, snack 2)
• Eat clean at all meals today (and tomorrow so that I can enjoy eating on Father's Day this Sunday -- but I will just narrow my focus and eat clean TODAY). 
• If I get too hungry between meals, I will drink 2 cups of water.
• If I come home late today (after CPR class, go straight to brush my teeth).

I believe that the little steps I take are part of the big picture. I can do it!

Here is my food journal for day:

5:45am Breakfast
Protein pancake (1/4 cup steel cut oats [dry], 3 egg whites, 1/2 banana cut in slices and chocolate sugar-free syrup)

9:15am Post-work out shake
6 oz. water, 4 oz. soy milk, 1/2 scoop whey protein, 1 tbsp. ground flaxseed, 1/ 2 banana, 1/8 cup blueberries

11:15am  Snack 1
1 rice cake with 2 tbsp. almond butter (mmmm, so good!)
1/2 cup soy plain yogurt, 1/4 cup blueberries, 1 sample small box of Total cereal

 1:45pm Lunch

4:45pm Snack 2

7pm Dinner BRUSH TEETH AFTER DINNER!




Love,

Bea

Be Productive, and Love and Enjoy Every Second!

I feel that today I have a million things to do....

1. I am just about to head out to the gym for my cardio-bootcamp and abs session.
2. I am going to the SAESL, Scholarship Association for English as a Second Language StudentsTardeada at 12pm in East L.A.
3. Stop at the Dollar Tree to buy decorations for my bother. Javier's bday celebration.
4. Javier's birthday party and spend time with my wonderful family in Norwalk.
5. Pick up Bret in Palms and head out to Stuff I Eat in Inglewood to meet Cindy and Chris. 
6. Review the Latino Health Access Interview Questions and Orientation PPT. 
7. Pack my meals for the next day
8. Go to bed by 9:15pm!

Some say "meditation" is to be calm and do not think, etc.  But meditation can also mean being self-aware of what you are feeling, thinking and being at any given moment. I gotta seize the day, be productive, love and enjoy every second of the day.

Love,

Bea

Some plans...

Ever since I posted my picture wearing my purple bikini competition suit and photos, I got a lot of positive and sweet comments from many friends. I posted the picture because I worked hard to get in the best shape of my life. As a result I am healthy and strive to be healthy in every single aspect I can. My profile picture is my nicest bikini pose wearing y bikini suit. How would I not post that picture? My bikini was $100 (including shopping) of course I was going to post it! LOL

I have been wanting to get my personal trainer certification for years... I think the time has come and I will begin studying for it. Bret suggested I do it this summer so that by the fall I start training people. Becoming a personal trainer I can help people become healthier by exercise and eating well, two things that I love! I am mostly interested to help other women get in the best shape of their lives and be healthy and the best selves they can be in this moment.


By choosing this his career path part-time I will be addressing two of the most crucial problems this country is facing: overweight and obesity by teaching and helping people eat better and being physically active. I want to provide the right support in women and young girls journey to change into a healthier lifestyle.

It will take some time to plan carefully and develop methods to executing my plan. It will not come easy, but I am ready to do the work. Before I do that though, I need to continue staying focuses on....

1) Begin the first stages of my thesis, (Dr. Rios-Ellis wants me to have 2 chapters done by the end of the summer) and;

2) Start studying for the the GRE which I will take by the end of September. Perhaps a week before my next competition. I will also sign up for a GRE prep class that is 5 weeks long from UCLA Extension (from August 5 - September 8).

I have not laid out a contest pre-plan. I will create my plan very soon!

After my competition I need to start gathering my application materials so I can apply to Schools of Public Health for, my PhD and meet the December 1st deadline.

Monday, June 6, 2011: Heavy Leg Day

Legs - HEAVY

SuperSet 1 - 3X's
Squats: 8reps (50lbs. B [barbell])
Plie Squats: 8 reps (30lbs. DB)

SuperSet 2 - 3X's
Jump Squats: 15 reps (no weight)

Stiff Legged-Deadlift: 8 reps (50lbs. BB)

SuperSet 3 - 3X's
Squats: 8reps (50lbs. B [barbell])

Plie Squats: 8 reps (30lbs. DB)



SuperSet 4 - 3X's
Leg Extension (only 1 time): 15X 75lbs
Leg Press (2 X only): 15 reps (75lbs.)
Walking Lunges: 20 reps each leg (2-10 lbs DB)

SuperSet 5 - 3X's
Stationary Lunge: 10reps (50lbs. BB)

Lying Hamstring Curl: 8 reps (60 lbs. )

Standing Calf Raise
15-100lbs
12- 110 lbs
10- 120 lbs

CARDIO: 20 minutes
5 min warm-up
HIIT X7 (30 seconds at 8.5; 60 seconds at 3.5)
5 minutes cool down

May 28th, competition day!

So it has been over a week since my first bikini competition!

 The morning of the show I was so ready to put on my bikini and walk on stage. I packed my stuff, my meals and 1/2 gallon water (to drink after the show) and Bret and I walked to my car and head out to Brea (Orange County) at12:30pm. As we drove I was feeling like an actual competitor. I was feeling the excitement of showing my hard work and diet on stage. My weight-loss journey, my ups and downs, my depression and euphoria from working out, my self-control and will and tenacity to be in the best shape of my life brought me to that day.

On my way to the competition location I ate a medium banana, 1 rice cake and almond butter. I didn't measure the almond butter because it tasted so good I wanted to enjoy it and not worry about it. I had read that eating carbs and fats on contest day is a great idea to keep your energy levels up.

The girls at the show were gorgeous and had great physiques. I was in no way intimidated by them -- as I appreciate what I have and what I have worked on. I knew very well that the reason I was there to compete with myself and see what I have accomplished. I happily shared with people that it was my first time competing! I was overly excited to see fit bodies, meet great people and was ready to do this.

Love,

Bea