Surviving the holidays, Filipinos and Being On the Road: Week 4 - 15Weeks Out

This week has been relatively tough with Christmas and road trip to Indiana and Ohio for a wedding tomorrow.

We got to Kansas City Sunday late morning and went straight to the Chiefs game. 

We couldn't bring any kind of food at the game but I had to eat. I settled for a veggie burger and plenty of water at the game along with my vitamins. After the game we (family and friends went out to have some Pho). I knew that I wouldn't be able to order my normal pho fave but I did enjoy my chicken pho and had asked for green veggies to go with it and I didn't eat all of the vermicelli that came with it. We went back to Tyson's house that night and I had my normal dinner. 

The next morning, Vince and I hit the park by the river and got our cardio in in 9 degree weather. It was definitely a challenge with the uneven ground and freezing temperature but it was beautiful and this is the first time Vince and I ran together since before the wedding last year. 

We got back to the house and prepped food for the week. Everyone in the house agreed to eat the same food that I would be eating (except for breakfast, they like their bacon, yolks and pancakes). I introduced the family to quinoa and had no complaints. They actually said that what I prepared is very good and not at all what they thought "health" food would be. 

Vince and I went for a run again on Tuesday morning and hit another trail, it was definitely still cold.

Later on that afternoon, our friend Joey, who was also in town for the holidays had us meet him at his gym. He and Vince have been very good friends since high school and they joined the Marine Corps together and he's actually training for a show in August in Miami. He and Vince worked upper body while I got my leg work out in. 

Later that night we went to a Filipino Christmas party. I made sure that I had eaten my dinner before leaving the house and not be tempted with all the deliciousness that is filipino food at the party. When we got to the party, the first thing was said to us was "Grab a plate and eat!" (Typical filipino). The spread looked REALLY good and all the filipino delicacies that are only made during the holidays was all laid out on the table for everyone to enjoy. I politely declined and said that I had already ate dinner and that I was training for a show and am eating specific food. Of course, this doesn't sit well in a culture where eating is a sign of respect and gratitude. I was told "there are veggies just for you". It was very sweet but I declined again. I sat at the table with everyone and I allowed myself to enjoy a (very) small piece of leche flan (custard) and ube (Filipino specialty: purple yam cake). There were definitely whispers at the table. A few even said out loud that I was anorexic. Lol. But I managed to survive. 

Christmas was a little hectic and didn't get a chance to get a workout in. I knew that I will be eating some filipino food and prepared myself to be okay with it. We got to my mother in law and the first thing she said was "I made fish and veggies just for you!". She made baked salmon and green beans. I mostly ate that but I did enjoy myself a few pieces of lumpias and a couple of bites of filipino dishes she made. Funnily enough, the one thing that was left on my plate was the white rice. I actually was craving some quinoa. What is wrong with me?!?

I felt a little guilty for veering away from my diet but i have to enjoy these little things now as Yoko said since I may not even have cheat meals as the we get closer to the show. 

The next morning, Vince and I hit the road and headed for Indiana after breakfast. I had packed all of my snacks and supplements but forgot the cooler with our lunch. On the road, we didn't have a whole lot of choices, we ended up going to McDonalds (yes I know!) and ordered the grilled chicken salad with dressing on the side. I took a bite of the chicken and it was the most disgusting piece of grilled chicken I've ever had. I ended up just eating the lettuce and supplemented with my protein shake. 

For dinner we stopped at Chipotle and I had a bowl with brown rice, chicken and lots of veggies. When we got to Indiana at my second parents house, she had a beautiful and delicious looking chocolate cake made for us on the table. Vince and I just looked at each other and felt so bad when we said that we couldn't eat that! Vince had a small piece and I had a very small bite. 

We felt really bad because it's not often that we see them and every time we do, she makes sure that she serves us delicious homemade southern food. 

This morning Vince and I went for a run before we hit the road to Ohio for our friends wedding. It was a beautiful run in the country with all the empty fields.

On our way out, Alice and John (been dying to take us) to Lord Jon's tacos (Kokomo, Indiana specialty) so we obliged and Vince and I had two tacos each. I felt so bad and crappy afterwards but Vince said it's the guilt that's eating away at me (probably is). So yeah... Overall I have been (relatively) good. I'm just really hard on myself and I just didn't expect me to cave on certain things like I have but I'm not going to let me bring me down and really focus on the good things  I've done and will continue to do. 

So here we are, on the road again! Next stop, Ohio. I'm hoping to get my upper body workout in once we get at the hotel. 

Merry Christmas

From our Family to Yours!

Life, Training and Bullies

Every time I tell people that I'm training for a competition, they always start with "that's great!" but it's always followed by some form of negativity. I've heard it all from, "I feel sorry for you." to "Isn't that kind of obsessive?"

Another misconception that people have about training is that they think that I don't have time for anything else. No time for life. Well I beg to differ. I think that "life" is however you define it. I think that what I'm doing is part of life. It's doing every thing in my power to challenge myself, better myself and push myself to be the best and healthiest I can be. Yes, working out and food prep takes time but I've learned to prioritize and MAKE time. 

The mountains, especially  in the winter, are one of the reasons Vince and I moved to Denver. Snowboarding is definitely one of our favorite sports of all time. This is how we met after all. Since the beginning of the season, Vince and I have gone up to the mountains to board and with planning, I didn't skip a meal! I made sure I had my snacks with me (well with Vince in a back pack). I had my alarms set and when it's meal time, Vince and I stop for a bit and enjoy the beautiful scenery and enjoy my protein shake, haha. 

Vince and I also hosted a Christmas brunch at our place. I mentally prepared myself that I will have people teasing me about eating all the "good stuff" that we are serving. We had our friends over and we had an egg bake, waffle and hot chocolate bar. I didn't have a lot of what we served but I also did not alienate myself with what I CAN'T eat, rather choosing what I can and not making a big deal out of it. 

We also had our company Christmas party and I made sure to have eaten dinner before heading out the door. I also allowed myself to enjoy a glass of wine at the party (while my husband and brother in law enjoyed the open bar just a tad too much) and mingle as normal. Saying no to alcohol was much easier than I thought, I think it's just me getting old and the lure of getting drunk has lost its shine to me. 

People make a bigger deal of what I CAN'T have/eat more than I do. I get a lot of people tease/mock me. They'll eat the "good stuff" in front of me and say "mmmmu...don't you want some of this? Just one bite, it's sooo goood".... But I just have to focus on me and good things that I do for me. 

Week 3 - 16 Weeks Out (Training and Traveling)

Week 3 was tough. I had to travel to Chicago (Rockford) for work. I've been doing quite a bit of traveling for work lately since my project is in Rockford but I didn't really take it into consideration when I decided to start training.

I made sure that I did everything I could to stick to my routine as much as possible. I packed my supplements, rice cakes and pre-measured my protein powders in individual ziploc bags and made sure that I had a protein shaker in my purse. 

I woke up extra early Monday to get my morning cardio in and made sure to eat breakfast before I left the apartment for the airport. I also knew that I would be on the plane when it comes to meal 2 so I had a protein shaker with premeasured protein and an apple in my purse. When we landed, it was the perfect timing for lunch. My colleagues and I went to a restaurant called Miller's Pub. I didn't have a whole lot of choices and I knew that whatever I would be ordering would not be 100% clean or according to my diet. I ordered a broiled white fish dish that they had on the menu and I had asked for steamed veggies with salad and dressing on the side. The waitress looked at me crazy when I asked her for no butter, no sauce on the fish and no mashed potatoes with gravy that came with the dish. My coworkers looked at me like I was crazy as well. I completely forgot how big of a portion restaurants give you nowadays.

I knew that our group would be going out to eat that night for a nice holiday dinner in the city so I determined that that would be my cheat meal. We went to this amazing restaurant called Sepia. The restaurant was amazing. I enjoyed my meal. I had the branzino (amazing Mediterranean white fish) with Swiss Chard and sweet potatoes - it seems like it's not a cheat meal at all minus the fact that the branzino was cooked with brown butter. It was amazing! Hey! At least I didn't have a whole fatty burger with loads of bacon. I also enjoyed a little bit of foie gras. 

The next day, we woke up early and I managed to convinced two of my colleagues to go to the gym with me at 5:30 in the morning for a little cardio session and they did!

At the hotel restaurant I was able to get my usual breakfast of egg whites, oatmeal and cottage cheese. At lunch, the contractor served us deli sandwiches and I had to pick out the turkey, loaded it mustard and ate it with the lettuce. Gave away my chips and cookies that came with it. Later on that night, our client had thrown us a holiday party and they served us a traditional holiday feast. Turkey, ham, green beans, cranberry sauce, stuffing, all types of potatoes and a whole lot of pies! I picked out the leanest turkey slices and loaded my plate with lots of greens, I had a bite of the sweet potatoes but as soon as I did, I definitely tasted the brown sugar and marshmallows so I set those aside. The chef came out and talked to us and noticed that I wasn't eating any dessert, he came to me and asked me if I didn't like any of the food. I told him that I was training and he told me that his trainer is training for a show as well and he is on a similar diet and exercise plan. He asked me if I would like for him to make me something special and I said no thank you since I have to lift tonight. He asked what gym I was going to and I said that I was just going to go to the hotel gym. He said, no way and that I need to go to a real gym. He gave me guest passes to his gym down the street. The chef was so gracious and said that if I'm in town again for the project and need a great healthy meal that complies with my regime, just go to the restaurant and he'll hook me up! How amazing is that??! 

I also managed to convinced one of my coworkers to go to the gym with me! 

Traveling and training was not the easiest but it also wasn't impossible. I know that I will have many more of travel days and with preparation and dedication, I know that they will be just as successful! 

Week 2 - 17 Weeks Out

I haven't had a chance to blog (I know that's really bad on my part because I would really love to journey every bit of this experience for me, to see how far I've come) but still getting in the groove of things.

I've managed to get into a routine of waking up early, enjoying my cup of green tea (with glutamine) and go to the gym for my morning cardio. I get home and cook breakfast. The other day, I was sitting at the dining table and realized that it's not typical that I cook myself breakfast every morning, sit down at the table and enjoy it (with my kiddos at my feet) and just reflect on things in my life. Just another perk of training. After breakfast, I have a good walk with the kiddos before getting ready for work. 

People at work are starting to comment on my routine. I hear "every time I look at Ronnie, she's either eating or drinking." I also hear that they hear and see the passion I have for fitness when I talk about my training. I noticed that every time I talk about it, I feel a sense of "glow" of pride radiating out of me and then I look at the person I'm talking to and they have this "you are crazy" look (if they don't say it out loud first).

I'm not really noticing a lot of physical changes this week but I definitely do feel good. I feel good about the training, I feel good about myself and just proud of what I'm doing. 

This week, I'm also finding myself having a bit of a hard time finishing all my meals but then after an hour or so I'm hungry again! Yoko said that this is good and that means that it's working and my body is adjusting. I'm also getting MUCH better at taking my vitamins. Mind over matter. :) 

Well that's all for now! 

Week 1 - 18 Weeks Out

Well training hasn't been so bad but...

Everyone knows that I dislike (hate is a strong word) cardio. Since I have to shred a lot of fat to show my muscles, I'm doing a lot of cardio. Fasted cardio. Fasted, intense cardio in the morning. 6 days a week! For this week, I'm only doing 30 minutes every morning but for a person who doesn't do cardio at all, it feels like eternity! First day of my intense cardio, I realized how much I've neglected it every time I go to the gym. I lift like there's no tomorrow but avoided cardio as if it was a plague. Well after 10 minutes on the treadmill at 15% incline at 4.0 mph (not allowed to hold on at all), I was DYING but I pulled through. The next day, I made sure to put some awesome songs to pump me up during my cardio session. I found myself really motivated by Katy Perry's Roar. I found myself listening to it over and over again along with Sara B.'s Brave. Call me a dork, but it worked!

What I found challenging so far is eating all the food I'm supposed to eat. I'm having a hard time finishing all my meals. I feel like by the time I finish meal 1, it's time to eat meal 2. Yoko said that this is normal and my body will adjust.

By far, the hardest part of the training is taking all of my vitamins! I did not expect this at all. I never had a problem taking pills but when you take so many of them, it gets tough (for me anyway). Right now, I'm taking multivitamins along with extra calcium, Vitamin B, Probiotic, Vitamin C and fish oil. I take about 5g of L-Glutamine with my green tea in the morning before my cardio. I eat 6 meals a day, every 3 hours. I have set alarms on my phone to remind me when to eat since I tend to lose track of time when I'm at work.

For my workouts, I do 30 minutes of intense fasted cardio in the morning and strength train 3 times a week (after work). On Saturdays, I attend one of the classes offered at the gym. Sundays are my rest day and I get to enjoy a "cheat" meal once a week!

I've decided not to post my before picture (yet). I was not very happy with it (who is anyway with their before picture?) but in my defense, it was right after Thanksgiving and coming home to Dallas where I ate everything decadent and savory that I could possibly eat... okay no excuses but I will post it after a month next to my month progress. :)

Challenging Myself

I don't think it's a surprise to anyone that I love being active and challenging myself. Well this is taking it to another level!

Well, I've decided and started training for a bikini competition. The show is in April. I thought about this long and hard and after all the contemplating and doubting, it really boiled down to why not?

This wasn't out of the blue at all. It's been on my mind for a few years now but it was reignited when my friend Megan (she and I became good friends after Wellness at Gensler program where she was my personal trainer for 12 weeks) said that she wanted to do a fitness competition. It was always on the bucket list. I encouraged her and told her that I would do the workouts with her and will support her. She and I worked out together every day and we did food prep Sundays at our house. Then we moved to Denver.

I joined a gym in Denver (www.gym303.com) and was inspired by all the athletes around me. I talked to a few of the athletes and told me how much they love competing but  not as much as the journey and that if I ever decide to do it, I'm in the right place to do so for coaching, motivation and support. I thought about it for a couple of months and one day after talking to Megan, I told her that I would do it as well.

The following week, I talked to Chris (owner of the gym and an IFBB Pro) and he said that if I'm committed, he will help me get there. Since he's extremely busy with owning two gyms and competing, he recommended that I train with one of his trainers Yoko (who's also a Figure IFBB Pro). Last week, was my first day of training.

Chris and Yoko, wrote a training plan for me and we're going to meet every week to take progress pictures and measurements and see if we need to make any adjustments to my plan. I will be working out on my own for the most part and I will have one work out session a week with Yoko. Chris will be overlooking my progress as well.

Yoko and I had a great conversation from the very beginning. She said that we will make sure that I enjoy the journey and slowly build my body to the best that it can be naturally. We don't want to shock it or anything. She was very honest and frank. She made sure that I knew that what we have to do to get me there is very simple yet very hard. I need to make sure that I look at the positive and make the journey as memorable (in a good way) as possible. She encouraged me to keep a journal of my journey. So here it I go!

Yoko and I (after kicking my ass)

Wait what? No Driving?

Since we've moved to Denver, I have not driven to work. That's the beauty of living close enough to work and in a city that encourages alternative transportation.

Vince and I live in a neighborhood called West Washington Park. Just west (duh) of the very popular and sought after neighborhood. West Wash is apparently the new up and coming neighborhood. We live in an apartment building now, no rush on purchasing a home. We'd really like to get to know the city / state and really decide where we want to live. But our apartment and neighborhood are great!

We are 2 blocks away from the light rail station, which I take half the time and other times I bike to work. Denver has over 850 miles of paved bike lanes / trail and I take advantage of this as much as I can. I get a good 6 mile bike ride before work in such pleasant weather! Biking in a cool 57-60 degree weather through quite streets lined with trees and seeing fellow bikers on the trail is just amazing. I love that Denver is such a bike friendly city. Living just over 3 miles from work has had a great impact. Not having to sit in traffic for an hour just to get to work is truly a blessing! 

My view during my commute via light rail.

My view during my commute via bike trail.

I'm back! (Yet again) with New Beginnings

It's been over a year since I last posted. Well a lot had happened between then and now. So why the come back? Well, I've been laying in bed for 2 hours now, surfing the net, social media and looking through pictures since I can't sleep after my trip from Chicago. I got bored just browsing through stuff so I thought why not "share" (not that I think anyone is reading my blog) what's been going on. It's also a good way for me to clear my head of many thoughts like I used to.

So here it is. 

First of all, Vince and I are now married. I thought I'd state that since I was still engaged when I last posted. 

The wedding was beautiful. Didn't go as smooth as planned but wouldn't change a thing (well maybe a few things, come on, I'm Ronnie..) We celebrated our union at the beautiful Interfaith Peace Chapel by Philip Johnson and we continued the celebration at the Design District in Dallas. We were surrounded by family and friends that traveled from near and far. Friends and family that we've not seen in ages. The day was a blur and 9 hours felt like minutes! Nonetheless, it was one of the best and unforgettable days of our lives. 

I'm also proud to share that our (delicious) left over food for dinner was donated to the homeless and Vince and I delivered fresh flowers centerpieces to a nursing home the following day instead of it going to trash.

We were supposed to have our honeymoon in St.Lucia but got to Miami we had a change of plan, well American Airlines did. They somehow oversold (like they always do) the one and only flight to St. Lucia by 10. Yup, I said 10! Oh for the next 3 days! Luckily, we were able to transfer all of our reservations to Antigua. Once we got there, it was paradise! We were on our own schedule, relaxed and enjoyed each other's company in this tropical island for a whole week!

Getting back to "normal" routine after a month of celebration. You know, turning the big 3-0 the first weekend of October followed by bachelorette party in Vegas and a quick trip to the Grand Canyon the following weekend followed by a wedding weekend, followed by a trip to Antigua the following weekend.

After a few days back in the office, I couldn't wait for Thanksgiving break. Of course, I prepared the spread again this year. And you know, every Christmas Eve, we have Christmas with my family and make the drive to KC right after to spend Christmas to New Years with Vince's family. 

We started the new year great! Both Vince and I are excelling at work, busier than ever. One February night, while working late and waiting for my documents to print, I thought I would get on our Intranet and check out our Denver office. See who I need to start to get to know to get that connection started after all, Vince and I will be moving there in 2-3  years. Well I saw that there were 2 openings for designers and I meet all the qualifications. Long story short, I applied for the job after talking to my boss, interviewed, felt good about it, Vince started applying for a job, got an offer within a week. 

Since we already had a snowboarding trip planned to Breckenridge, I stopped by the office to meet people and that's when they made me an official offer. 

The day before Vince and I got job offers in Denver, this was Vince's fortune cookie:

Less than a month later, we sold, donated, threw some of our stuff and packed up the rest and hit the road and moved to Denver! We've been here since April and loving it! And this is where I thought I could start blogging again. 

I've read a few times that "Fortune favors the bold" but I prefer "proceed and be bold and fortune will follow" 

Vince and I took a leap of faith and followed our hearts. The transition was so easy that it couldn't be wrong. We've never felt so home and a sense of belonging. While we miss family and friends terribly, we're focusing on making new friends and focusing on our little family and our new adventure with our new beginning in Colorful Colorado!