What I Ate Wednesday

Breakfast-Peanut butter chocolate protein oats + coffee

Post workout-Smoothie with milk, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup mango, 1 scoop protein, handful of spinach

Lunch-2 eggs, 2 whites scrambled with cheese and salsa, 2 slices Ezekiel bread with butter and cinnamon

Lunch 2- Apple, chicken burger, 10 almonds

Dinner-Chicken breast, ~1 1/2 cups steamed broccoli

Bedime snack- 2 spoonfuls peanut butter, protein shake

Physical Strength

‎"Physical strength is the most important thing in life. This is true whether we want it to be or not.

As humanity has developed throughout history, physical strength has become less critical to our daily existence, but no less important to our lives.

Our strength, more than any other thing we possess, still determines the quality and the quantity of our time here in these bodies." -Mark Rippetoe

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

My Christmas decorations are finished! My house looks sooo pretty, if I do say so myself. :) Love this time of year!

So in other news.... I weighed myself after last week's horrible eating-and my weight was DOWN! What the heck??

This week I'm going to start my "muscle gaining" diet plan. Well, it's not really a diet plan because I'm just not a "follow a diet" person, but I am going to start tracking my calories to make sure I'm getting about 2300-2500 a day consistently. That's the only way these muscles will GROW! I'm glad I get to have more carbs, even if my abs do disappear for a few months... It will be worth it when I have lots of new muscle to reveal, or so I HOPE. ;)

Today is a rest day. Yesterday was overhead press day for strength, and then I did the CrossFit WOD "Nate", which is 20 minutes as many rounds as possible of: 2 muscle ups, 4 handstand pushups, and 8 kettlebell swings(I used a 40lb kb). I ended up with 8 rounds. Towards the end I was starting to fail on the muscle ups. They look so easy to do, but they take so much out of you! I am definitely feeling it today.

Let the Decorating Begin!

Well, I sure am glad Thanksgiving "week" is over!

In the past 5 days I have had monkey bread, peanut butter fudge, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, Thanksgiving dinner(mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, roll), more mac and cheese, dinner at Longhorn, fried chicken, and pumpkin pie!!!!!! You'd think I'd be as big as a cow after all that. I am so glad it's a new week to get right back on track!

I'm so excited it's Christmas time! I started putting up my Christmas decorations yesterday.... I love decorating, but I got a little depressed last night and wasn't really feeling the Christmas spirit. It's mostly just because I want so bad for my family to be somewhat "normal"-is that too much to ask?? We tried to have a Thanksgiving dinner with my mom, brother and sister but that ended up as a FAIL.

My mom cooked a dinner  at my house and literally dragged my little brother over here, who was miserable the whole time. He can be such a brat sometimes and so unappreciative. My sister and her boyfriend didn't come. I just don't know how I came out of that family because I am so different than my brother and sister. Oh well, you'd think I'd be used to it by now....I am just so thankful for my husband. He's the only person in my life I can rely on, and I don't know what I'd do without him! :)

So anyways.... I'm putting up my Christmas trees today, then the decorating will be finished! I love my house all pretty and decorated, and I can't wait to do all the "Christmasey" things like watch Christmas movies, ride around and look at Christmas lights, listen to Christmas music 24/7, drink hot chocolate, and have a fire in the fireplace!

I Promise

"I promise myself...
To be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind...
To make all my friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them...
To look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievement of the future....
To give so much time to improving myself that I have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of myself and proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words but in great deeds.
And to live in the faith that the whole world is on my side, so long as I am true to the best that is in me."

(*Taken from an article in Muscle & Performance magazine about Ernestine Shepherd)

Thanksgiving

My day started with a good workout-it was deadlift day! :)

I did a few sets of power cleans first, then 3X5 deadlifts. My last set was 180lbs for 7 reps(as many reps as I could get with good form). Then I supersetted weighted situps and lying leg curls(my first time using a machine in over a year, and I will never do it again!). Then I did my Thanksgiving WOD(11/24): 11 burpees and 24 double unders, 5 rounds.

I came home and watched some of the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade(I grew up watching this every single year with my dad!), then baked my famous pumpkin chocolate chip cookies(sorry, no healthy version here!) while listening to Christmas music. I just love this time of year! :)

Then it was off to my grandma's house to EAT!

My yummy Thanksgiving meal! I had a little of everything, plus another plate of dessert!

Oh, how I love Thanksgiving, if only for the reason that it's an excuse to stuff myself! And, of course, I love to see my family. I'm so thankful to have a family to spend the holidays with and for food on the table. I really miss my dad on holidays, but it does make me appreciate the family that I do have here even more.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Be thankful, not just today, but every day.

 

"Lord, help me to be grateful for what I have. Help me to remember that I don’t need most of what I want. And that joy is found in simplicity and generosity." –Adam Hamilton

"It is not happy people who are thankful. It is thankful people who are happy." -Unknown

"If we fill our hours with regrets over the failures of yesterday, and with worries over the problems of tomorrow, we have no today in which to be thankful.”-Unknown

DESIRE

It’s all comes down to desire.

“Your desire to get stronger or lose weight has to be greater than your desire to go drinking every night and sleep in until noon every day.” (liftbigeatbig.com)

I desire to NOT look like the average person. I desire to be muscular. I desire to be strong.

My desire for those things is greater than my desire to eat bad, it is greater than my desire to skip the gym when I don't feel like going, and it is greater than my desire to give up on those last few reps of heavy back squats just because it's hard.

What do you desire the most?

Oh, My Sore Booty!

It has been so rainy and nasty these last few days...ugghhh. Makes me so tired and lazy, and that is not cool! It's not really that cold, though.  I'm thankful for that, at least! :)

So Friday I went iceskating with my best friend and her little girl. Ice skating is something that I've done all my life, since I was about 10 years old. It's so much fun! One of the few things I like about winter time.

Anyways.... after taking about 5 days off from the gym last week, I started my second cycle of the Wendler 5-3-1 program yesterday. I decided to train legs, and boy am I feeling it today!  My butt and quads are SOOOOO sore I can barely move, but I love it. Grow, booty, grow!

Here's what my workout consisted of: I started with power snatches, then squats working up to a set of 6 with 160 lbs, and then 5 sets of  walking lunges with 25lbs weights supersetted with weighted back extensions. I finished off with kettlebell swings, as many reps as I could get in 2 minutes.

I am so excited for Thanksgiving this week! I can't wait to eat some good food and spend time with my crazy family. :)

Remember to train intense and eat super clean this week so that you can indulge in some of your favorite foods or desserts(or both, in my case!). Holidays are to enjoy by eating good, homecooked food and spending time with family, but it does NOT mean you can completely fall off of your diet plan. Have a plate of your favorite foods and then get RIGHT BACK to your clean eating the next meal or next day or whatever. Don't feel guilty, just move on.

Well, I'll be posting a blog soon about what training goals I have for 2012, as well as a video of my training accomplishments this year!

‎1. Train like a freakin’ mad man.
2. Eat like a machine.
3. And do it for a long time!
- Antoine Vaillant

Love this! I can't wait for Sunday to come to get back to training....and with multiple Thanksgiving dinners coming up, there will be plenty of eating! ;) Oh yeah!

Do Something TODAY

Like maybe....

-Take a walk outside.

-Add a serving of vegetables to one of your meals today.

-Instead of having a potato or rice with dinner, have a salad or some broccoli or cauliflower.

-Eat an apple after dinner tonight instead of an unhealthy dessert or snack.

-Don't drink that soda-drink a glass of water instead.

-Do a circuit of 10 pushups, 10 squats and 10 burpees, 2-3 rounds, right now!

-Set your alarm clock for 15 minutes earlier in the morning to get in a healthy breakfast, like scrambled eggs and a fruit.

-Find a healthier alternative to a favorite dinner recipe and make it tonight.

-Plan out some healthy snacks and pack your lunch for tomorrow, rather than getting fast food.

-Turn off the TV, and go to sleep an hour earlier tonight.

What I Ate Wednesday

Just in case anyone is interested. ;)


Breakfast: Peanut butter chocolate protein oats(3/4 cup oats+spoonful of pb+scoop of Syntha-6=yumminess!!!) + coffee(w/cream and stevia blend)


Lunch: 2 fried eggs+2 whites, 1 slice Ezekiel bread with all natural, no sugar jelly, 1/2 cup cottage cheese


Lunch 2: 3 & 1/2 turkey meatballs with 1/4 cup NO sugar spaghetti sauce, 1 apple


Dinner: Crockpot chicken breast with salsa, 1 1/2 cups steamed broccoli and cauliflower mix, a small handful of pistachios


Bedtime snack: All natural whey protein shake, 2 big spoonfuls of peanut butter

Motivation

Everyone talks about motivation. Some people seem to have it and some people, well, just don't!

It's a hard thing because you can't GIVE someone motivation; you can't make people want to better themselves. That can be frustrating for me at times as a trainer.


All I know is that this is what motivates me:

~Wanting to be the healthiest that I can be so that I can enjoy my life now and when I'm 70!
~Getting stronger
~Setting performance goals(like increasing my weight on a lift) and creating new challenges for myself
~Looking good and having a lean physique
~Knowing that all of these things gives me confidence and makes me feel good about myself!

It's also motivating to me to look at photos of my favorite fitness models. I know that they don't look the way they do by skipping workouts and not eating right. It takes dedication, determination, drive, focus, and sacrifice to look that way. And if that's the look I want, then I have to do the same.

Knowing that I want to have that physique is enough to keep me motivated every day, along with the things I listed above. I know that I can't stray off of my healthy eating plan or not be consistent with my workouts if I want to keep improving.

So here are some pics of my favorite fitness model, Erin Stern. Maybe they'll give you a little motivation to get to the gym today. :)

I had a great, fun-filled weekend!

Saturday was my hubby's birthday, and we celebrated by going to Spinelli's, his favorite pizza place. Then we went to church and afterwards came home for some of this yummy pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting. It was SO. GOOD. I was told it was the best cake he's ever had. :)

Sunday we were getting our house painted and wanted to stay out of the painter's way, so we loaded up the jeep and headed to Dirty Turtle Off Road for a little trail riding.

It was my first time ever "off roading", and it was really fun! It was a nice day, and Asher enjoyed coming along for the ride and spending a day in the woods. We didn't do any crazy hard trails, but we did get a little muddy anyway!

So anyway,  I decided that I'm going to take this week off from training, as much as I hate doing that! Last week was a deload(light) week on the Wendler program, but I still did some CrossFit met-cons that made me pretty sore. So I feel like I need to take a rest week from everything. 

I did workout today, though. I wanted to max out on the bench press, since I haven't ever really done that. I got 135lbs, which was my goal! yay! Then I did a short metcon WOD-5 rounds for time of: 8 handstand pushups, 12 situp medicine ball throws, and 16 walking lunges with 25lbs.  I guess that'll be my last workout until next week! :(

Start NOW

I was just thinking...most middle aged people who are overweight now were thin when they were kids and teenagers, or even young adults.  Then, the years and years of inactivity and bad eating habits finally caught up with them...and they ended up 10, 20, or 50 pounds overweight.


There are many people who are young and skinny now, who don't have to exercise or eat right. But one day it WILL catch up with them. They will be the ones looking at themselves in the mirror 20 years down the road, saying, "What happened to me? How did I get here?" 


Well, I can tell you how you got there. You didn't make your health a priority. You thought you could always eat the way you have and never have to suffer the consequences. You were wrong.


Don't think it won't happen to you! Even if you have great genetics and are able to stay thin as you get older, you will still find yourself getting a "saggier" year by year, because it is inevitable that you lose muscle as you get older. It's just a fact. If you don't use it, you lose it. So...you may stay skinny, but you'll be flabby(aka "skinny fat")-NOT a good look, in my opinion.


So why let yourself ever get to that point? The day IS going to come sooner or later when you are going to have to make the choice whether to continue to do the same things that have gotten you to the point you are at, OR you are going to change and start making better choices for your health, now and in the future.

So...why not make it a little easier on yourself and start NOW?  Don't wait until you are fat and out of shape. Don't let yourself even get there. Because trust me-it WILL happen eventually, and it will be much harder to lose all that weight you've gained over the years than to start making some changes now and never getting to that point in the first place.

What Do I Fear?

I Want It All!

I want to be strong. I don't just want to be strong for my size-I want to be strong compared to anyone. I want to be as strong as a powerlifter.

But...I also want to be fit and conditioned; to be able to fly through CrossFit WODs; to sprint and jump and run!

I want to be big. I want MORE muscle! I want a bigger butt, bigger arms, and bigger legs!

But... I also want to be lean. I don't want to gain fat in order to gain muscle. I don't want to lose the abs that I've finally uncovered!

And there's more! I want to be flexible, I want to be good at gymnastics stuff like handstands and muscle ups, and I also want to be good at Olympic lifts.

But what do I want the most??

The thing is, I'm not so sure it's good to want to be great at so many things at one time. Too many goals or wants at one time turns into not focusing on any one thing and not really getting much better at anything, and then you end up not being that great in anything! (Did that sentence even make sense?lol)

So I have to figure out what I really want more than anything and focus on that for a while.
Really, I think that's getting stronger and bigger.  It doesn't mean I'll neglect all the other things, but that I will put most of my effort into getting stronger and gaining muscle.

I want to focus on increasing my weights on bench press, deadlifts, overhead press and squats, and that is going to be my number one goal right now.

Make no mistake, I always want to win, but I never fight with an opponent. My fight is within me -- it is the struggle to be the best I can be at whatever I do.
~Coach Wooden

Back To Normal

Whew, it feels so good to have our life back to normal! It's like a weight lifted off of my shoulders! Even though I wasn't even the one dieting, I still felt the stress of Matt being on such a structured eating plan. I mean, I even lost a couple pounds!  (Goes to show how the eating habits of the people around you can rub off on you!)


It's such a relief now that he can just eat anything he wants any time he wants.  It felt like the diet was our LIFE for the past couple months, and I am just glad it's over. I have my husband back!  Although I have a feeling that he'll probably do it again...


So after Matt's show, everyone kept asking me, 'so when are you gonna compete?'  My reply: NEVER.  Getting up on stage just to have someone critique every inch of my body does NOT appeal to me. I just want to look good, look like a fitness competitor maybe, but...that doesn't mean I want to be one! 


Being in front of a huge crowd of people with everyone staring at me is actually terrifying to me and one of my biggest fears. It does NOT sound fun at all!  Now, doing a powerlifting competition or something and actually showing off what I can DO-that would be a different story. That's what I call fun! Not strutting around on stage in a tiny bikini. It makes me shudder just thinking about it.


So anyways, I can't believe the holidays are almost here!!!! I'm SO excited for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have most of my Christmas shopping finished and even wrapped! (I don't really have that many people to buy for anyway.) I can't wait to put up my Christmas tree and decorate the house-it's so fun, I love it!


And of course, I can't wait to stuff my face on Thanksgiving! Yes, I said stuff my face(I do, however, suggest that you do not follow my bad example, haha). It's the only time of the year really that I get to eat good, homecooked comfort food! And I'm definitely NOT going to pass on that, thank you very much. :)


For me, one day of indulging(or 2 or 3 or 4!) out of all the days of the year, is not gonna hurt anything, and it's one of the things I enjoy in life! Of course, I have a few techniques I use on days when I know I'll be splurging-I'll try to get a workout in on the day of the "feast", whether it's at the gym, or just a bodyweight circuit I can do at home, and I'll keep the carbs low the few days before and after if I can. 

But ultimately, I really don't worry about it or stress over it too much. I eat healthy every other day of the year so that I can have a few days of indulgence here and there, and Thanksgiving and Christmastime is one of them!

Mentality

I love this post, and I love her blog! Check it out!

http://beheavy.wordpress.com/2011/11/08/lifting-like-you-mean-it/

Results

Well, it's finally over.

After all of Matt's hard work, dieting and sacrifice, it was time to show off the results! Friday evening he got his spray tan. Lookin' good and ready to go!

Whew, was Saturday a long day! It started with pre-judging at 11:30, which took quite a while being that there were around 200 competitors at this show, and Matt was one of the very last groups to go on. Then it was back for the finals at 7:00 that night. 

I was so nervous and excited for him! He looked awesome up there. I thought he looked the best out of his class, of course, but...I admit am a little biased. ;)

Finally it was time for the results! Matt ended up getting 3rd place in his class, which was 5'8 & under. One of the judges later told him that he was basically tied for 2nd-only one point separated them!

 I was SO happy and proud of him!! He got a cool sword to show for it.

After the show, it was time to eat! He had some barbecue pulled pork, reese cup ice cream, and a couple of cinnamon rolls. The next day we went out for pizza-that was what he what he was really waiting for!

I'm so relieved that it's over!  But even though it was stressful and hard at times, it really was worth it in the end just to see him up there on stage, after all that he was been through. It was a great experience and also a great chance for Matt to get his story out there to inspire others. Him being up on stage was about so much more than just showing off his physique.

My hope is that his story shows what can be accomplished through FAITH and hard work. No matter what you are going through or have been through, you can always overcome it and do anything you set you mind to. I give all the glory and praise to God for what He has been able to do through us, and I am so thankful that my husband is alive and healthy.

What's Next For You? -Guest Post-

Most of you don't know me, but I'm stepping in to hijack my wife's blog for a few minutes! My name is Matt Cappotelli, and I promise to only make one entry so everyone can get back to reading Lindsay's Ramblings, not mine!  I enjoy reading her entries because she writes so openly and honestly about her thoughts. She's very transparent, and I hope you all can feel that through her blogs.


I've never been a blogger, but I've been through some crazy challenges in life in the past several years. The newest challenge I'm stepping in to face on November 5th,  inspired me to write this entry. The 2011 Kentucky Muscle bodybuilding show is being held tomorrow, and I'm entering.


I grew up an athlete, played football in college, then went on to the world of professional wrestling for 6 years. Around Christmas of 2005, at the height of my professional career, I was diagnosed with Stage 2 brain cancer. I don't remember that being an item on my Christmas list! Needless to say, that was the end of my career and the beginning of the biggest struggle in my life.


Following brain surgery in 2007, I endured 30 radiation treatments and 2 years of Chemotherapy, which culminated in November of 2009. Since that time, everything has remained stable, and I'm so thankful for God's hand in my recovery.


Now, 7 years later and almost 2 years to the day of my last Chemo treatment, I have my sights set on a new challenge - bodybuilding. Over the years of my fight, I constantly think back about all the football games I played, the pro wrestling matches I wrestled, and the years and years that I've trained in the gym...what's next?


The sports have come and gone, but the gym is one place that has never left my everyday life, starting from the time I was 11 years old with my dad, until today. Even through my chemo and radiation, I managed to make myself hit the gym, even if it was for only 10 minutes, even if I was embarrassed to use the 10 lb dumbbells (talk about a shot to the man ego!!)


Triumphs bring new challenges, and I wasn't going to back down from something new. So, just over 3 months ago, I decided to start dieting for my first ever bodybuilding show. Being only one day away from my show, I look back at the last three months of dieting and training in preparation for this bodybuilding show.


Starting out, I didn't grasp how tough it was going to be to be so strict with my diet. I had to constantly be conscious of portions, weighing my food, nutrient timing, preparing all my meals for the week, water intake, sodium, etc, etc. It's exhausting and one of the most disciplined things I've ever had to do. Lindsay and I always eat very clean, but this became so much more than we were both used to - I can see how some people get obsessed and even develop unhealthy habits.


We stuck it out for 3 months and we both helped each other make it through (I think Lindsay was the one who needed the most help, especially when I was not eating carbs!!) Not sure if I will ever do it again, but it's just one more experience that I can check off the list.


The purpose of this challenge is not only for myself to conquer something else, but I want to inspire others through my story. God has placed these challenges on me to overcome, not to let then defeat me. So tomorrow night, November 5th, I will step on the bodybuilding stage for the first time ever and attempt to conquer my next challenge, what's next for you??

http://notafan.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1:matt-cappotelli

During a match at Ohio Vally Wrestling 2005

After announcing the news about having brain cancer and surrendering the OVW Heavyweight title 2006

After having the tumor removed May 2007

July 2011

Dieting for the show October 2011

Never Take For Granted

‎"I will NEVER take for granted the ability I have to walk into a gym with my own two legs without help. I will NEVER take for granted the ability to do anything I choose in the gym with no limitations. I will NEVER think of working my body as an obligation again. It is a privilege and a blessing."
-Marsha Christensen

It is much easier to achieve this look:

 Than it is to achieve this look:

There is nothing wrong with either one(it's all personal preference), but I just want to make the point in this post that  a "thin" or "skinny" body is much easier to achieve than a lean and muscular one.

The girl in the red bikini has much more muscle mass than the other, and her body fat percentage is much lower as well. Getting lean like that is a much different goal than just losing weight, and many people don't understand that.

It's easier (note I'm not saying EASY, but easi-ER) to simply lose weight and get smaller than it is to build muscle and "lean out".  To be lean and muscular takes a lot more than just doing what the average female does to get thin, which is usually tons of cardio and low calorie intake.

It takes eating a lot of quality food(more than most average women), making sure to get adequate protein intake, and focusing on lifting weights. Aerobics, bodypump classes, running, and/or yoga will probably not get you a lean and muscular physique like the girl in the red bikini. I'm just sayin........You may not want that look anyway, and that's completely fine. (But who wouldn't?) Just kidding. ;-)

So... basically what I'm trying to say is that if looking like a fitness model is your goal, just know that it is very hard to get and then to maintain that look, and it will take years and years of building muscle, then careful and sometimes strict dieting, to get there.

It takes a lot more dedication that what most people are willing to make, and to some it's just not worth it...and I can understand that. It's hard, and you do have to make some sacrifices. It's a lifestyle that you have to commit to 100%. It will be a long and slow journey, but you'll get there if you truly want it bad enough.

Train For Your LIFE

I couldn't tell you how many times people come up to me at the gym and ask me what I'm training for.


I always tell them I'm not training for anything, just for fun. So far I've been asked if I was a bodybuilder, a gymnast, and a volleyball player.

I guess I shouldn't say that I'm not training for anything, because in a way, I am training for something. I'm training for LIFE. 


I'm training for a better life, now and in the future. I'm training to be stronger than the average woman. I'm training to feel GOOD, both physically and mentally.  


I'm training to be able to handle anything that comes my way. If I have  to run, I can run, if I have to jump onto something, I can jump, if I need to lift something or carry something heavy, I can do it. I'm ready for anything!


Don't think of exercising as just something you have to do to look good or to lose weight. There's SO much more to it than that. 


Train for a better LIFE. 

‎"You owe it to yourself to be able to carry your own groceries, change the bottle on the water cooler yourself, and just generally be useful at life rather than an ornament that needs someone else's help to open a pickle jar."
-Wildgorillaman.blogspot.com