Seasons of Change

Many bodybuilding and fitness competitors have 2 different yet unique times of year: 1) competition season and 2) the off season. During the competition season, we are under way with our training in the gym - we are in a regular routine and sticking to our workouts and you can most certainly count on our cardio kicking up a notch. On top of the training, our diets are also in full force. We are eating many small "clean" meals throughout the day in order to lose any unwanted body fat, which will showcase our physiques and get us "stage ready". In the competition season, our daily lives become routine and it can seem like 1 day blends right into the next. You can expect us to go out less frequently and spend more of our energy at the gym or at home sleeping haha.

Now the off season is another story! Most people like to think that when we are not competing, our diets no longer exist and we are free to do whatever we want whenever we want. Boy is that far from the truth! The off season is a very important time of year. This is where we are allowed to take the time to make those significant changes to our physiques - we can eat more and therefore workout harder and more efficiently. We can also switch up our workouts to have more fun, maybe try something new. The last thing that we want to do is to gain all the weight back that we just tried losing for our last show - that doesn't make for an enjoyable experience the next time we have to diet down!

I am currently in my off season - my next show being in April 2010. Although I've just started my off season, I feel that so far it's been my most productive yet. I am having fun with my training, switching it up and already seeing and feeling changes. I know what lies in store for me next year and I know I need to work harder and stay focused in order to get there. I am enjoying new foods, new workouts and a new outlook on my future goals. I am determined and feel a fire inside of me like none other before. I am loving this off season and doing everything I can to be productive for the stage next year! I'm enjoying it now because before I know it...it's that time of year again - competition season!!!!

Need a New Dinner Idea?

CURRIED APPLE MEATLOAF

Ingredients
½ Apple (small peeled/chopped)
4oz. Lean Ground Beef
¼ Cup Onion (chopped)
1 Egg White
5g Oats
¼ Cup Tomato Sauce
½ tsp. Curry powder
¼ tsp. Garlic powder
Salt/pepper (to taste)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350
Sauté apples & onions in pan over medium heat until onions are lightly browned (10-15 minutes) In a large bowl, combine onion mixture with remaining ingredients, using only ⅔ of the tomato sauce, mix well
Spray individual casserole tin with cooking spray and place meat mixture into pan
Top with remaining tomato sauce
Bake, uncovered, for 50 minutes

Proud to be a Savage Girl

Many people often ask how I got involved in fitness competitions as it is not a very common hobby. After I had graduated college, I started working very closely with a personal trainer. I had always gone to the gym and worked out, but needed someone to guide me and show me some new things in order to see some significant changes in my physique. While working with her, she would constantly copy recipes and articles from various magazines for me. One magazine in particular, Oxygen Magazine, stood out one day. I had never heard of this magazine before. I decided to go to the nearest store and grabbed the latest issue. Needless to say, I was hooked by the first issue! The magazine explores everything from training, dieting, clean eating and....figure/fitness/bikini competitions. This is where I first learned about the sport! As I continued to read on every month, I noticed that some of the same names in the industry would keep popping up, and 1 in particular caught my attention...Cathy Savage. Cathy stood out because she is very reputable in the industry. All the women that worked with her looked athletic, fit, feminine and most important, healthy. And the best part - she was right in my backyard in Massachusetts and I had no idea!

From there, I proceeded to contact Cathy to learn more about the sport and what it took to prepare for a show. What possessed me to contact her?! I have no idea! But from there, she invited me to come check out one of her "Sunday Sessions", where all the local women would meet for 2 hours a week and workout together then practice their walking/posing for shows. It sounded so funny to me at the time, but I accepted the invitation and was on my way to my first "Sunday Session". From there, the rest is history!

I have been a part of Team Savage since 2006. I have the most wonderful coach, trainer, "mom" and friend. Not only that, but I have the support, motivation and love from so many other women around the world who also work with Cathy and are in the same boat as me. Although the sport can be very competitive individually, we all unite together and are there for each other 100%. Together we make up a team, a great team and I am so thankful for reaching out to Cathy, meeting her and having her welcome me with open arms to her program and family. It's been by far the best decision I've made for myself in my life.

I am proud to be a Savage Girl!

Check out Cathy and her services at www.cathysavagefitness.com

Life is About Creating Yourself

The picture above is just 1 of the many pictures taken during my vacation last week in Aruba. Now that I'm home, I look back and feel that I was so consumed with work and making a difference in a lot of other people's lives every day before vacation, that I never really focused on making a difference in my own life. Last week was just what I needed - to unwind, relax, have fun and just be me and be free.

It's the little things in life like having your friends throw you up in the air only to splash into the clear blue water in Aruba that make you see that you were not really enjoying life to the fullest. Doing silly things, such as something like this, makes you relax, unwind and just be carefree. It's a great feeling!

Find what's missing or lacking in your life and do something little to break the mold - to find out who you are and what makes you happy. Do something so little that just makes you smile and maybe say "that was fun". A smile and many laughs go a long way in life!

Recharged & Refocused

I'm officially back from a wonderful vacation with friends in Aruba. Although the week before my trip was comprised of some unexpected & hurtful news, the trip itself was thoroughly enjoyed. I was able to kick back (on the beach), relax, read and spend some quality time with good friends. Vacations like that don't happen very often for me, so I was very grateful for the opportunity and the timing of it.

Now that I am back to reality (although with a small case of the post-vacation blues), I am feeling recharged, reconnected and refocused. I had a lot to think about in my downtime on the beach and in the sun, and have realized that I need to focus 100% on me, my family & my friends. There is nothing out there of more importance. I was able to indulge on my vacation and enjoyed myself to the fullest. However as soon as I got back, I emailed my coach to talk about my preparation for the pro stage next year. I am so ready to jump right back into my training and to throw myself into it 110% in order to make significant changes for next year. I'm upping my game and cannot wait to see what is in store for me.

Stay tuned!!!

Jetsetting

As I come home from a girls night out, I'm sitting in my apartment thinking that my vacation is finally here...I'm officially leaving for sunny Aruba in about 8 hours. I cannot wait! This vacation has been planned for about a year now however I've just recently realized how much I actually need this vacation within the past week. I've been working nonstop and been giving my all for the past 6 months and I'm ready for a little down time, a little "me" time. As horrible as it may sound, I'm ready to not have to worry about anyone other than myself. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my job and wouldn't want to be doing anything else. But I've been giving my everything and my all for the past couple of months and I'm ready to just unwind and relax with some friends and the beach.

I'm ready to unwind yet recharge the batteries at the same time. When I come back, I'll be refocused, recharged and reconnected with myself and ready to roll. Watch out cause this girl is ready to make some changes and ready to take on the world when she comes back!!!!!

Fall Breakfast

APPLE BLUEBERRY PANCAKE

INGREDIENTS:

4 egg whites

1/4 cup oats

1 small apple (chopped)

1/4 cup blueberries

Cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix egg whites, oats, blueberries & cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside.

Cook chopped apple in a skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray.

Once apple has browned, add egg white mixture to the skillet.

When pancake is set, flip over and cook thoroughly on other side.

Enjoy!

What's For Dinner?

HEALTHY "FRIED" RICE

Ingredients:
4oz extra lean ground turkey
1 whole egg
½ cup brown rice

1/2 cup cooked broccoli
1 sliced onion
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce

Instructions:

Spray nonstick pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Add ground turkey and cook until browned.

Move around turkey to one side of pan and add 1 whole egg (slightly beaten).

After egg is cooked, mix with turkey. Add brown rice, broccoli and onion.

Mix all and add soy sauce.

Dust It Off

Yes - I have been awful recently with updating my blog and I apologize. There's been a lot going on and I'm finally trying to get back on track. As I sit here and write this today, I'm certainly not in the best of moods. I'm down in the dumps and I hate feeling like this. I like to be happy and outgoing, I like to smile and I like to make other people smile.

I'm no stranger to losses, that's for sure. For those of you that don't know me well - my biggest loss occurred when my mother passed away unexpectedly when I was just 10 years old. My whole life has constantly been a struggle with adapting to growing up without a mother, relying on other family members but mainly myself through difficult times and wishing on every special occasion that my mom was here to share it with. Lately I feel like I've been wishing she was here more so in times of sadness - here to give me advice, to console me and to make me smile again.

Through the past year or so, I've experienced other types of losses that have left me feeling alone and questioning who I am, sometimes even asking myself "what's wrong with me?". I'm currently going through another loss that is leaving me feeling speechless, numb, dumbfounded, sad, alone and disappointed. I find that I continue to put myself out there, showing my emotions and feelings and therefore becoming very vulnerable and in turn, I end up getting walked on and hurt. It's hard for me to play the games of going back and forth - I like to be me and be real. I'm getting sick and tired of exposing myself for others to see to only hurt me in the end. I have so much inside and so much to give. I keep feeling like I'm being put through some test to see how much I can take...I'm just getting sick and tired of it.

When we get pushed down, how long does it really take to dust it off and get back up again? How long does it take until we can feel like ourselves again? How long will we feel hidden with walls up before we can let them back down for someone else to see the real us? These are all questions I constantly seek answers to. Until then, all I can try to do right now is to continue on this bumpy road we call life and hope there are no more bumps ahead. I'm holding on and driving.