Monday, April 23, 2012

How Full is Your Plate?!

Hey Everyone!

I hope this finds you all doing well and enjoying the transition into spring! :)

It has been an interesting couple of weeks for me! The last while has been filled with routine changes, personal challenges and a TON of life lessons! lol

As we all know, life is always changing. If it didn't.. well that would be pretty boring!
I've come to look at the "ups and downs" and "changes" in life as lessons needing to be learned to help me grow.

The first big change (though only temporary) is helping out my family with their business while my sis-in-law recovers from a c-section... I have a beautiful new niece :)
Many can relate to pitching in when family needs help... this situation is no different.
The difficult thing for me is juggling a new routine, my own family, my business and... gym time!

There are some things you just can't and don't let slide... and I have the insane need to keep juggling everything without dropping the ball ever... YIKES!!! lol No PRESSURE... Really?!?! :P

Funny enough, the one thing that I hear from some is... "don't worry about the gym, you've got enough on your plate". Well the gym is the ONE thing that is FOR ME!!! And there is no one else that gets that more than my coach.

So what does my Coach (Compton) do when she sees me stressing, being unsure of myself and how I'm going to handle all these things on my plate?! She hands me this...


Well not ALL this! Lol
My "allotted" food was neatly packed in one grocery bag... (side note! WHO DOES THIS?!?! lol How many trainers go grocery shopping for their clients?! Seriously, I have the best trainer on the PLANET!!!)

Along with my little bag o' food were 2 sheets of paper. One with my new meal plan and the other with my new training schedule. No nonsense, no excuses, no BS... and these words were spoken... "You've got a full plate... and I've just added more" *insert sweet yet evil Sam smile*. What I got from that smile was.... (and excuse my language lol) SINK OR SWIM B!#@H! hahahaha

I've been doing a great job of maintaining my weight. Losing a pound here and there but mainly hovering around the 140 mark. I'm still not at my "goal" weight but I was ok with taking things slower ... again, in the words of my Coach... "let your body recover".
Well it seems my body has recovered, had its "coasting" time and now its time to get back into the game!

Why now though? Why add a new diet and training onto this new crazy schedule? Well it took me about 48hours to figure it out.....

I'm the type of person that is fully invested in what I do. I'm uber social and my business revolves around me being available, flexible and "out there"... I feel out of the loop when I can't be in the mix at all times lol.

So like I said, it took me very little time to figure out why it was so important to start this new program now... ROUTINE and ME TIME!

It is super easy to disregard anything for ourselves when life and schedules get tough. Think about it... after a long day, needing to run errands and do all the things required on a daily basis.... you know you should get to the gym and eat clean, you want to! BUT... it's easier to grab something to eat while out and skip the gym in exchange for laundry. That is exactly why it was the perfect time for my new program!!!


So this is a pic of my new 6 pack fitness lunch box :D Coolest thing EVER!!! 
It has tons of compartments for food, ice packs, water, utensils, supplements etc. I pre pack everything at night and grab n' go in the morning. So no matter where I go I have everything with me....


Even when I'm stuck in traffic!!! Lol

Now as for the gym... I'm there at 5am for cardio and split up my training either on a break or later in the evening. Why? Cause it's when I can get there and I need that time to refocus and centre myself. lol 
Just do what you've got to do ;)

When things get crazy its important to take even just a little time for yourself and I didn't work this hard the last 18months to let myself slide back into bad habits just because things get crazy.



Everyone has their own story and set of circumstances, it's your choice to give in or put your game face on!

Till next time...

Excuse free hugs... Crystal :) xo

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Checkin' off my "Happy List"!!!

Hey Everyone!

Some call it a bucket list... but in my world it's a Happy List! lol And nothing feels better than checking off something on that list!
Well... that's not entirely true! Checking off TWO things in the span of 4 days feels pretty FANTASTIC!!! :D

So what did I do? Well....

First and so mind blowing-ly (is that a word?!... it is now!) unbelievable is that I got to see.... wait for it.... PITBULL IN CONCERT!!!!!!!!!!

Holy Guacamole!!! (My spanish is limited so cut me some slack! :P)

If you are unaware of my absolute LOVE for Pitbull, just rest assured that it is a HUGE love and borders on sickness! lol Seriously, I go numb from the waist down when his music comes on! (Don't judge! lol).


Here are Dani, Nancy and I waiting for the show to start... I had to scam their photos since I was too excited to remember to take some of my own! Jeeze!!! hahaha

And here he is!!! Mr.305/Mr.Worldwide himself!!! GRrrrrr! ;)


And another cause... well who needs a reason for more Pitbull?! lol



I promise to update this blog with more photos and possibly a video, once I get hold of them... cause I know they exist ;) lol
But let me assure you... I shook my money maker the whole time, couldn't stop smiling AND and giggled every time he said Dalee!!! Yep I did! *sigh* lol


Ok... on to the second thing I checked off!

Another one of my happy list "to do's" was to have my picture taken with a BIG bodybuilder man!!! 
If you think this is weird, just know that I am a) 4'11" and b) have an affection for big and or tall people... can't explain it... I just do! lol
So just four short days later I found myself being introduced (by Coach Compton) to the one and only... 4x Mr.Olympia himself... Jay Cutler!!! Oh Yaaa!!! And what a total hottie he is!!! (if by any stretch of the imagination he actually reads this... I will be SOooooo embarrassed!!! :P)

And here we are! :)

hehehe.... so cute!!! Thanks Jay for helping a girl with her "Happy List" ;)

In hindsight, I am now wondering why I don't have a pic of just myself and Mr.Jimmy Mentis?! Seriously?! OK! The great thing about these lists is that you are always adding new things... at least you should be!!!

I have just decided to add the following.... have a photo taken with Jimmy in full "gun show" pose hahahaha AND to see Pitbull again... in MIAMI!!! ;)

Yep! They are formally added to the list!

I hope if you're reading this that it has inspired you to either create a list OR add to one you've already started!
I know that even as recent as two years ago, I would've been too self conscious to do half the things I'm doing now. But I am now realizing the following...

Life is worth living... in the words of good ole Abe himself...


Til next time...

Happy list hugs... Crystal :) xo