I’m about 17 weeks away from my planned competition in October, and I’m only down 3lbs so far with a questionable number of body fat percentage down. I have 5-6 more pounds to go, and they seem to take forever! Mainly because as a caterer and chef, I have to taste everything I cook – and let me tell you, not everything is “clean”! Additionally, I’ve been more involved in the wine arena than last year, having to taste upwards of 50-100 wines per week and even though I spit, there is always some residual “juice” finding its way into my system. That being said, I will have to deal with this – because that is my other passion, and how I make my money. Hopefully, with some additional cardio and being extra strict everywhere else, I can make up for it!

While I’ve been going through these past week, I’ve realized the importance of keeping a diary and writing down everything. Not only your food intake and workouts (obvious musts if you want to improve and track your progress), but just as important;  your GOALS. In order for me to envision what I am working for each and every day, I need to visualize it.   That means writing down every single detail on a piece of paper and looking at it every day. It keeps me focused, it keeps me grounded, and it reminds me why I do what I do.    Whenever I fool myself to think that I don’t need to do this exercise, is when I fail.  A little of this and not enough of that, will add up in the end, and not get me the results I want. I also remind myself that in order for me to feel accomplished and satisfied, I have to big goals and set the bar high.

Another mistake is to compare myself to others.  I read something the other day which I thought was perfect: “Why are you trying so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out?” You can go nuts if you look around at everyone else and their achievements, bodies, ways of working out, eating, etc. and think “am I doing something wrong?”. You need to stick with what feels right and where you see progress – and switch it up only when you become stagnant and don’t see improvement.  Right now, I feel I have a lot to learn still about the world of body building and fitness – so I take what I can from the best in the field, and will make my own program eventually once I have enough knowledge and experience to do so. Currently, I am working with Erin Stern online, as previously mentioned, where she is designing my weight and cardio program, and I am still following the Fighter Diet, which I felt gave me the results I wanted and helps me stay lean, and not looking “bulky”.  That being said, if I feel like having a piece of fruit here and there, I will- so I suppose I am not the strictest follower but I do believe that the diet compares like no other and is easier to follow than others, because I’ve got a big appetite and the amount of vegetables help me fill up when nothing else will.

My goal today is to start writing down my new cardio workouts and what time I need to do them. Sometimes I’m not diligent enough with the time of day when I should be just getting my shoes on and getting out there, and if I don’t do it at the allotted time, sometimes I won’t. I’m lucky in that I don’t need to do a lot of cardio as I’m already pretty lean, but that is not to say I couldn’t use it, since I’m still struggling with those last few pounds. My body responds really well to cardio so in fact, that is all I have to do to improve!  I love the sprints which Erin has me incorporate, which helps me also with my core, but gives me a sense of rush and accomplishment that regular jogging does not do. I also have incorporated some plyometric workouts and I am also walking more, and when doing so – I bring my lovely boxers, Thor and Dallas with me, and they get super happy with that second walk a day! 🙂

What goals will YOU be writing down this weekend??