The thing about priorities

In my blog "No, I don't write plans", I mentioned how important it is to know your goals. It is as important in fitness as it is in everything else in life. Women generally excitedly answer that they want to lose weight, while men want to get big. Most of the times, it stops there. There is no clear (and realistic) objective when it comes to the physique one wants to achieve. Sometimes because one did not take time to think about it, but also because people in fact, do not really believe they can reach their goals in first place. So why bother?

I know exactly how it goes because I have been there, done that. When I first joined Bodybuilding.com in 2004, a forum member asked me what my goals were and I blushed behind my laptop. "What does she mean with that?!? I want to lose weight, that is all! This talk about fat percentage... WTH!". And sincerely, until I understood what she meant by that, I did not book any progress.

Once one determines what their goals are, they set a path and speed to achieve. The path for some it might getting a machine to train at home, while others get enrolled at a gym. There are those who want to look good in time for the summer or some celebration, while others have a show in mind.

"Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to be the person you believe your meant to be."

No matter how clear your plan is, we all have a life outside fitness and external factors might get in the way and force us to some detour. If you are consistent though, you will do any necessary adjustments and keep on doing what you have to do, no matter what.

In my case, after years complaining of extreme tiredness here and there, my body gave up on me the last months. Unfortunately, I have not been able to spot what exactly is going on with me since traditional tests are normal. However, the truth is that I can sleep a whole day and night and still wake up exhausted the day after. On my worst days, I was running out of breath just by taking stuff out of my gym bag.

I have been slowly recovering by doing major changes in my training and intake with the help of Nicole Moneer Guerrero. I am also looking for a holistic doctor where I live so that I can get some medical opinion (other than: "sleep more" or "take hormones").

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain."

My priority now is cleaning my body and regaining health. I still want to go compete, but it is not my priority at the moment. If it will be in 2014 or 2015, I do not know it yet. I set my mind in going "Figure", so after healing, I will need to do a lot of working on leaning out and building muscle. The rush is gone, so I will take all the time that I consider necessary (Masters! Here I come!).

The thing about priorities is that we may need to review them sometimes. It is not that you are giving up on things, but it is better to make some calibrations than quitting. 

Decluttering

It is going to be a slightly off topic entry, but since it is part of My 2013 Commitments (I'm not into the word "resolution"), I think it is worth writing about it.

We are already in October and for most part of the year, I did not work on inner self. I wanted, but did not really worked on it at all until really recently.

The trigger of me making this major change was my health. Even though I have been eating really clean for the last month, there were some triggers missing and I had to restart from scratch. I am still taking baby steps in reviewing my meals and workout routine, however the first positive signs are already showing.

Hormone free chicken & turkey. Real food!

So after setting my intake in a good track, it was moment to take another major weight from my shoulders: my lack of organization talent at home.

At work, I simply freak out with the slightest idea of having a messy desk. I do not bother cleaning things up every once and a while; changing places and reorganizing. But at home... It is like my brain cannot process information the same way when I cross the door.

Having chaos around me bothers me more than I can describe, still I had not found a way to work it out in a way that I could made this change permanent. I was so attached to the idea that I "couldn't"...

Browsing aleatory sites, I bumped into FlyLady.net. The fun thing is that it was the first time I felt comfortable with the approach (believe me, I have a collection of books on the subject, with different models that simply did not work for me). She writes for perfectionists, freaks like me who think that if they cannot do it all at once, it is not worth even starting. And so there is clutter.

http://www.flylady.net

I am taking one step at a time, not putting too much pressure on myself. There is only that much I can do with the 'free' time I have in my hands and not feeling 'obliged to' has also helped me so much with my training and meal plans that it is worth to expand it to other aspects of my life. 

You can't rush something you want to last forever.

Today, it has been a week since I started following this plan and since then, I have been getting rid of a lot clutter and I am excited about improving every day.


And you? How are your plans for this year ago?


Remember, there is still time to accomplish a lot before 2014 hits the door! Wishing everybody a lot of success.

Changes are good

I believe that when things are not going the way we want them to, we have to do something. You cannot expect to achieve something special by doing the ordinary. You have to look for ways while keeping your eyes on the goal. And that is what I am doing these days.

Awesome Life Tip

For the past months, my body has been acting weird. It goes from upset stomach to headaches, including exhaustion and difficulty in breathing. I changed my routine, took extra rest days, slightly adapted my meals, however, without success.

When things are like that, the only solution is turning routine upside down. 

The time has arrive to question everything, go back to the draw board and restart from scratch. It is not easy to get out of the comfort zone, mainly for a Taurus like me. We move our buts only when there is no other way. I love routine!

One of the changes I am slowly implementing is going gluten free together with adding bio veggies and fruit to my diet. I have been eating 'real food' for the past year and it has already major changes in my body (not only what meets the eyes). Now I am taking a step further into this healthy lifestyle of mine.

Bio fruit and gluten free muesli

Today, I went to a local bio farm and got some fruit and gluten free cereal. Afterwards, I got some hormone free meat. The substitution will be gradual. As I need to buy new items, I will looking forward 'cleaner' alternatives.

There is a lot of information on the internet about the subject, including recipes. I am not the most skilled in the kitchen (that is my shy way to say that I cannot cook), but I am looking forward testing my skills soon.


And you? Have you introduced new habits in your life recently? Thinking about it? What would you like to change?


Whatever it is, if it is where your heart is pointing to, go for it! 

It has been longer than I remember

Time flies, doesn't it? I thought I was just a month or two behind with my entries... Shame on me AGAIN!!!

Anyways, a lot happened in the meantime, but I will not drop everything here just like. Let's catch up little by little.

So far this year, I have participated in 2 competitions. They were my first under the umbrella of Team Bombshell. And even though the results were not I expected, I am extremely happy and proud of the progress I have made in the past months.

LEFT : October 27th, 2012

RIGHT : April 6th, 2013

Of course that everybody wants to win (or at least, I hope so...), but the final result, the medal, the trophy, is not something we can control. It depends a lot on what the judges want, how other competitors look (odd ones rarely win shows; and if they are not first, last they will be), promoters expectations, etc. 

However, against all odds, you win every single time you go on stage knowing that you did EVERYTHING you had to do in order to place 1st!

Knowing oneself, doing what it takes and being in peace with things you cannot control are the keys to your success. And if others don't see it right away, no sweat... Your time will come!

June, 2013                                 August, 2013

No, I don't write plans

It is interesting how many people have been asking me about help with their diet and/or training. I understand their reasons. I am a regular, full-time, working person who despite the odds, is slowly achieving the figure of my dreams.

The thing is: I do not write plans to anyone. And my reasons are very simple.

The tips I give are based on my own experience and they never go further than "watch you sugar intake", "don't exaggerate with supplements", "watch your form" etc. To go any further than that, I would have to know the details about your goals, habits, general health (chronic diseases, high blood pressure, heart problems etc) and understand your level of commitment. Without one of these items, any further attempt to get you in shape would be irresponsible.

When wanting to transform your body or improve your condition, the most important thing is to look for professional advice. I cannot stress it enough! When you go the gym, there are a lot of people who look fabulous and that have been working out their "whole life". Still, believe me or not, that does not per se suffice to give you qualitative advice. They might even do it out of friendship or to help you out, however, remember that they do not always have all/enough knowledge to provide the guidance that you really need.

It is true that hiring a Personal Trainer is not cheap and that it does not always guarantee that they more than just a certificate. The thing is that each person is unique and it is imperative to your health that you work with someone who sees the big picture (not just your winning about wanting to get big).

Why is their knowledge not free? Because it takes months of studies and years of experience to acquire basic information and a life-long learning process to develop oneself as a Personal Trainer. New techniques and products come out every day. There is always something new that can be incorporated in traditional methods. Real Personal Trainers know they are worth their fee and that is why there is a price for their services.

I am not saying with that you should not listen to anyone anymore. The same way that there Personal Trainers and personal trainers; there are also a lot of people out there with much more knowledge and experience that you may first think. The tip here (yes, I'm giving you one) is becoming a sponge of the game. Use and abuse of sites like http://www.bodybuilding.com, http://www.fitnessrxwomen.com, http://www.muscleandfitnesshers.com and others, to learn about nutrition, training and supplementation. Do not waste your money with the new big thing just because you have heard some big dude/gal has been using it. Understand your body: What is your ultimate goal? What is your body type? What is your lifestyle? What is your diet? How many times a week do you train? And the questionnaire goes on and on...

Remember, you are unique. Your body is unique! What works for a person, might not have the same effect in you. Or even worse! Be realistic about your objectives and work step by step to achieve them. There is no finish line and the only adversary you have in this race is your own limitation. Learn, put your knowledge into practice and shine!!!!