Lean Bodies - Noel Clark

Some exciting news…Jen Heath a writer for T-mag, interviewed myself and Erik for an upcoming article.  It was submitted today and might be up tomorrow or Saturday.  Along with that there will be a picture put up of me on the home page of T-nation.com  The article is about introducing girls to Figure competitions:  how someone gets started in them, different federations, judging and many other things.  Thank you Erik for giving Jen my name.  I having seen the final product, but was really excited to be a part of it and can’t wait to read it!

Tomorrow is another update with pics and measurements.  I am feeling a bit better…hoping that my measurements have dropped.  :)  I will post pics tomorrow

ok so I just realized that it is 2 weeks from tomorrow that I leave for chicago. How in the world did that happen?  That is just not possible.  UGH.  I have to say that I am very nervous about this show.  A part of me doesn’t want to even do this show….the last one was not a big confidence booster.  I am going to a Physique critique on June 9th.  This is with several IFBB judges so that should give me an idea of what they are after and what about me they do not like.  I have managed to talk a friend into coming with me to that YAY.  (Thank you Cindy).  I have started running at the track for all my SS and HIIT.  It is killing me.  You forget how much more effective it is to actually run outside then it is to get on a treadmill.  I have been so incredibley sore after doing HIIT at the track…holy cow.  I will be giving Erik another update on Friday..hoping to be bit leaner, maybe start seeing some more veins!!! :)  Nutrition has been on and training has been very tiring!! 

Ok so like I have posted before with all my goodies…I have actually done ok while baking them….but today was ROUGH!  We went to church this morning and it was ‘Church NOT in the park’.LOL  Everyone brought in their blankets and lawn chairs and everyone brought in a specific dish…side dishes, desserts, apps, and salads.  The church provided Hot dogs and Hamburgers.  OH MY THE SMELLS.  It was one of those times we always talk about…and event or a gathering where it is based around food.  Everyone is eating a laughing and having great time.  There were 4 dessert tables. DID YOU HEAR ME–4!!!! :lol:  It was so much fun and I so badly wanted to take part in that.  It was the first time that I was actually proud of myself that I didn’t eat.  I ate NOTHING.  I sat there and got plates for my three girls and we all sat on the blanket with many many other families around and had a really wonderful day.  But this was by far the biggest test of will power for me that I have had…I am glad it is over.  Now I know that the next three weeks will be a BREEZE.  That is how i look at it now.  If I missed out on that…then I sure will not cheat on anything else. 

Hope everyone else had and is having a great Holiday weekend!!!!! 

Not much to say today…

Weight is up

Measurements-some are down

Here are pics

refeed today

That seems to be my only thought at this point.  I wasn’t nearly this hungry last time before the show.  I don’t think I am nearly as lean either…maybe it is my foul mood :lol:  As some of you know, I was in a bit of a car accident yesterday…and I am SOOOOOOOOO SORE!!!  I didn’t even get hurt but all that tensing up and gripping the steering wheel and spinning ……I guess you end up banged around more than you realize.  I only had a very light cardio day today…so i actually jogged nice and slow.  Walking wouldn’t cut it.  The run loosened me up a bit and I feel a bit better.  Tomorrow is a refeed for me and I feel like I really could use it.  Again, this is a feeling I didn’t feel before either.  I dreaded the refeed.  I am going to keep it really basic though.  Tomorrow is also my Biweekly so we will see if I am in the mood for pics!!:lol:

What did I do today?

Caramel Apple Cin streusel Muffins

Top Left Choc Chip Peanut Butter Bread

Bottom Left:  Ginger Bread

Right The yummiest Coffee Cake ever

Choc Flowers on Pretzels (for Jamison’s Luau)

Jamison’s Cake for school

Someone Please Shoot me!! LOL

Another cardio day today–.  I have been feeling pretty weak the past few days.  Am looking forward to some yummy oatmeal in the morning to help perk me up .  I have stayed 100% on plan the past few days…even with all the stuff going on with the kids.  It will be another tough day because we are taking them to the movies.  I don’t know what it is about going to a movie theatre and smelling that delicious popcorn and the kids having a small treat.  MMMM.  I told my husband to watch me like a hawk :) 

Last night was a lot of fun.  I went with my Sister-in-Law to go shopping for some clothes for upcoming photoshoots.  It was hilarious.  I don’t typically wear stuff that is that revealing, so everytime that I put on something that showed my midriff I would open the door a crack and let Elizabeth come in and see.  How am I suppose to be in front of people if I can’t even come out of the dressing room.  BUT it did get easier as we went along.  Not to mention that we had some really good laughs and long talks too. 

One of the things that we talked about was other people that we saw at the mall.  I hadn’t been there in a while and was surprised to see that the majority of people are overweight.  And I mean really overweight…kids and all.  It seemed much much more the norm to me and to Elizabeth.  It was kind of sad.  I kind of felt like the odd ball.  I don’t consider myself really really big and muscular–but people looked at me like I had a third head.  I really started to wonder how our society had come to this being as ok as it is.  And I am speaking more from a HEALTH standpoint than a happy with your body standpoint.  I will give you an example.  While we were shopping I saw a little boy–LITTLE—maybe 2—drinking a Dr Pepper???? Then Elizabeth saw this other little girl walking around with a Starbuck’s Frappuccino???  What exactly are we teaching these children?  It just really surprised me!

Sent a mini update to Erik this morning and feel a little more at ease about where I am.  This past week I dropped about 3 lbs.  Last week’s weigh-in was off a little because of TOM.  But I am a few pounds off of my JR USA weight and feel a bit more confident about things.  Got to the gym ready for my Cardio this morning.  It was definitely hard today.  Felt very tired by the end and almost nauseous, but made it :)  Got home to eat and looked at my plan-part of it said OPTIONAL VEGGIES.  I just laughed and then ate them.  optional hahahaha.  I am starving here.

 Weekends are definitely hard right now.  Birthday treats, end of the year baking for teacher’s gifts, movies, and all the fun stuff seems to be surrounded by junk food.  In the end, I will have to put the quote in here from ALI “The feeling of failure is worse than the feeling of hunger!”

 HAve a great weekend everyone!

On a new plan.  Seems pretty intense which is what I am needing right now.  I have been looking at inspirational photos and reading comments that have definitely sparked that competitive fire in me.  I think I am ready and it is time to put my game face on.  I step on stage 4 weeks from today and have a lot of work left to do. 

On a more upbeat note…I have been contacted by a Photographer out of LA.  He is putting together a photography book on Bodybuilders/physiques  and has asked if he could put me in it.  He isn’t a ‘physique photographer’, he is more of a celebrity photographer.  He has shot many actors, musicians, editorial spreads and even some war photography.  You can check out his stuff at Fergusgreer.com  He wants the shoots to be completed by the end of the year, so it looks like I will either be making a trip to LA or NYC to do that.  Should be fun.

If you are reading this to get some inspiration…you might want to keep moving   This is definitely a first for me.  My push, my drive, my oomph is well,      I am 4 weeks out until I leave for Chicago and Jr. Nationals.  You would think that I would be jacked and ready to really buckle down and take on these last few weeks.  NOPE.  I feel like I have no real direction.  I am not even sure what a figure competitor is suppose to look like at this point.  I do know that my vision of one does not fall in line with most people’s.  That is shown to me over and over again.  Not to mention that I don’t feel like I look four weeks out.  That might also be due to the fact that I am not really gung ho about this and am not seeing myself accurately.  (gosh I hope that is what it is)  With all that being said, I am going to take my own advice and just buck up and put one foot in front of the other-what is four weeks?  I guess that is the only thing that you can do when you aren’t feeling it..just do and hope that the ‘want’ catches up with you.  So instead of going to the pantry and grabbing that jar of Peanut butter and plopping down on the couch..which is what I would like to do, I am going to go get some more water -oh yum- and keep busy.