Back On Track (And This Time It Is Not A Roller Coaster Track)

Ok, so I am going to be totally honest my "best laid plans" for my birthday and thanksgiving were a bust. I must have ate my weight in mashed potatoes. They were soooo yummy. I don't like pecan pie or pumpkin pie, so I did not indulge in any sweets, however when I got home I sort of forgot how to get to the gym....I took four days off. Unheard of!!!! UGH!!!! And I also had to bake cookies and cupcakes for my husband's MIDNIGHT MADNESS SALE at his store, and of course I had to sample them as they came out of the oven. I could hear Nicole's voice in my head - "NO SWEETS AND NO ALCOHOL!!" Fortunately, I do not like alcohol, but I LOVE SWEETS!!!!

So, I am back on track as of Monday Nov. 29th. This is the end of my second day eating clean and working out and I am down 4 lbs (funny how that works.) I usually fall off track after the second day, not sure why, but I am excited to see what tomorrow brings. I have to get rid of this fluff. I HAVE TO!!!! My sanity rests on it! So, just checking in. Hope to be in the mid 140's by Saturday. :) Just being honest!!!!

Birthday's + Holiday's = Disaster

Ok, so my birthday is in 3 days and Thanksgiving is in 4 days. I have a few invitations for dinner out with my friends and family and I am headed to Hickory, NC to enjoy Thanksgiving with my Brother and his family (whom I haven't seen in a year.) I don't want to ruin it by trying to find a gym and packing my food, but I have to stay on track. So, I will start my week off right with clean eating, and my normal workouts (and lifts) and try to plan my days off from the gym on the days that I am away. I plan on packing my jump rope and outdoor running clothes (I am glad I am starting to enjoy running outside) because you can truly run anywhere.
So, my tips for making it through the holidays or any special occasion that is either planned or unplanned.

1. Try to plan ahead or prep enough food for unexpected events.
2. Have a backup plan for your workouts (either a workout you can do indoors at your house or hotel, or pack something to take with you - an Exercise DVD, jump-rope or bands.
3. Don't change your eating schedule - if you eat every 3 hours stay on track and use a small plate for your holiday dinners.
4. if you must have some sweets let it be something you can't get everyday like your grandmother's fudge (not chocolate chip cookies).
5. Drink plenty of water. When you get thirsty your body sends out hunger cues, because there is water in our food.
6. DON'T OVER INDULGE!!!!
7. REMEMBER YOUR GOALS AND HOW FAR YOU HAVE COME!

Where To Start?

My name is Lisa Lutz, and I am an IFBB/NPC Amatuer Bikini Competitor. I started competing this past May and won my first show and placed 7th in my height class at NPC Team Universe in July and 3rd at NPC Nationals in Cleveland, OH in September. It has been a roller-coaster of a ride, including losing almost 30 lbs, and tackling 3 shows in 6 months (both first time achievements).

I am currently in my so-called "off-season," but for me that means building up my lower body (glutes, quads and hamstrings) and learning how to eat clean and enjoy it. See -- there really isn't an off-season for figure, bikini, or fitness competitors. To maintain your physique you have to maintain the diet and the training. I currently feel like I am stuck in a vortex, do I indulge (knowing that my next show isn't until June) or do I reign it in and stay focused so that I don't undo what I have accomplished with my physique thus far. UGH!!!! Such a mental mind struggle. I have decided to cronicle my up's and down's on this blog as I try for my pro-card in 2011. So, stay tuned!