Kelly Ryan

I got out some of my old Olympia tapes last night. These are the tapes I bought five years ago, that inspired me to get involved in NPC contests. One of the first pros that really inspired me was Kelly Ryan. These accusations against her are like a bad dream. At any rate, innocent until proven guilty.

I got my nephews t-shirts from Florida. The one on the left says, "If you think I am cute, you should see my aunt." Haha!

Ahh!

I feel so great today! I took a reformer duet at Madison Pilates last night. I have been taking and teaching mat pilates for more than six years, but to work on the reformer is such a great experience for the body. With mat pilates we envision and replicate the feelings of working with the reformer and other aparatus, but with the actual equipment it really reinforces lengthening and stabilizing aspects.

Chilling out

Obviously I didn't get much meditation time in Florida, thus all the freaking out over potatoes. Anyway, now I am home and I am actually giving up potatoes for breakfast anyway. I got some new protein powder flavors -- Hawaiian punch and vanilla. This is exciting news after living on strawberry and chocolate only for the last couple of years. I used the vanilla to make some protein bars yesterday -- hello! so good! And the Hawaiian punch flavor tastes super good with just water. I totally recommend. It's amazing it only has 120 calories, yet 24 gs of protein.

I was looking at my pictures from Florida, and I guess I do look bigger. When I look at myself everyday, it's so hard to notice anything. But I think so! Whoo!

AHHH!!

OK, somehow the room service people are either reading this blog or just plain f-ing with me. Today, they AGREED to make me a baked potato and lo and behold .. when it arrives .. they had DEEP FRIED IT! WHO DEEP FRIES A BAKED POTATO! WHO KNEW THIS WAS EVEN POSSIBLE!? I give up. Well, not really .. there is a subway three miles away. It is my only hope.

Travel food woes

Eating clean when travelling is difficult, but not impossible. The hotel I am staying at is making me plain chicken breast and steamed vegetables for lunch. However, I had a very stressful breakfast yesterday. First of all, I love breakfast. I have to eat egg whites for breakfast with some kind of chicken or lean mean. When not dieting, like now, I also like to have a plain potato or squash. I knew it would be hard to get them to make me eggs whites here, so I asked for egg beaters .. whew! They had them! Thank goodness.

Then it got difficult ... I wanted a baked potato with the egg beaters... I brought Molly McButter from home for the potato thinking it would be easy to get room service to make a plain potato for me. So, I got up and had a good workout, thinking about breakfast .. does anyone else do that? Bribe yourself to work out early and hard, with eggs? Haha. Anyway, they had "breakfast potatoes" which I knew would be some fried crap. So I asked for boiled potatos or a baked potato .. at first they said yes and I was very happy. Then they called back and said that the chef wouldn't or couldn't do it. I was like what? Why not? Take a potato and put it in the microwave! How hard is that? I mean, is this room service or not!

Anyway, it may not sound like a big deal .. but here is my philosphical issue: So, they are saying my only option for potato is to take a potato, cut it up, boil it and then fry it? Well, that is more work than taking a potato, washing it (hopefully!) and sticking it in the microwave, which is healthier! Eeeeeerrr .... so today I had a protein bar for breakfast. Tomorrow I am going to want breakfast, but I am sure that they think I am making a big deal about it and the whole spitting-in-your-food thing .. you never know. *Sign* It just sucks when you try to eat clean and people insist on trying to cram grease down your throat.

Last night for dinner, I went out with my co-workers and holy buckets! we had the BEST fresh fish ever. Oh, and the place was beautiful ... a marble terrace overlooking the golf, we watched the sun set and then we walked back to the hotel along the beach. Super fun night.

Hello from Florida!

Finally, I am not freezing! I am on Marco Island in Florida where it is nearly 80. My room has a balacony that overlooks the pool and the ocean -- or is it the gulf, my geography is embarrassing. Anyway! Remind me again why I live in the Midwest where it's FREEZING all the time. Tomorrow for my workout, I am going to get up and 5 and walk/run along the water and then maybe do some basic pushups and stuff and watch the sun come up. I can't wait.

Hot chocolate

I can't believe I never thought of this before! You can make hot chocolate out of protein powder! DUH! I love hot chocolate .. but it's all sugar, so yuck. Except the no-sugar kind, but it's just like drinking splenda, so big whop. Anyway! Isn't it funny when things are obvious, but you just never think about it.

NOTE: Nevermind, you can't use protein powder. It curdles. Euwww . and I burned my tongue. Don't you hate that!

Happy 2006!

I can't believe the holidays are over! It's always a little sad, but it's exciting too because the club gets packed with lots of new people. Some of them won't stay too long -- but some do! And it's so exciting to see them work hard and make changes in their bodies and lives. I think it's interesting how people change when they get a healthier lifestyle. They are more positive .. happier .. and generally more fun to be around. Makes sense though, doesn't it? Anyway, I am also really excited because it's almost contest season, and I can't wait. This will be my fourth year of spring competitions. I think I am lot more muscular this year.