Sound Off

Resolution Rehash

2011-01-03T08:53:00.000-08:00

New year resolutions always get me thinking. Mainly because they are usually the same...rather it is to lose weight, keep better records or stay in touch, they are a dime a dozen and stick like Velcro on a potato. December is a month spent riding on the pretense that in January "things are changing." The justification for lavish eating, drinking, smoking, and spending all for the misconception that "this year things will be different."

Things are not different. The year will repeat the last and in a matter of weeks, the resolutions will give way to the desire of what drove you in December...longing for instant gratification.

I think resolutions fail because the gratification doesn't seep into your body like the buzz of a Long Island or the slow soothing of nicotine. Rather the satisfaction of adhered to resolutions create holes that are memories of food, drink and vices that were abandoned. When something is taken away it becomes a source of fixation. If you want this years resolution to stick, there must be a new fixation. Rather than the loss of something that made you feel good -- and did it really? Did the hangover, the fat, the cough, the bill really satisfy anything? -- look toward something else that makes you feel better. Set a small goal...rather than lose 50 lbs, shoot for 5 lbs.

You can't trade stopping something that offers immediate gratification with a resolution that will bring delayed long term gratification and expect it to work.

Set yourself up for success not failure by creating small goals within your large goal. Make the progress visual by posting a list and checking off your small goals as you reach them. The visualization of seeing checks next to accomplishments will help ensure you that your hard work is paying off. It works with any resolution. Chart the bills you pay off, the money you save, the people you call each week/month, the days you haven't smoked, the words you haven't said, the acts you haven't done.

If you mess up, it is ok, start again. Make your resolution to make it a year, not to change your behavior. If your goal is to "start working out" there is nothing to keep you going...your goal was to start, you reached it. If your goal doesn't have a timeline, it is easier to let it fade in to the background along with the satisfaction you could have with the purpose behind it.

I have never met anyone who reached a goal and wished instead they had reverted
to the behavior that got them in the predicament in the first place. Never.

What ever your proposed resolution is, if you don't start with a plan, you can rely on failing. Do yourself a favor, think it through and be realistic about your resolution or save yourself the trouble and those around you the aggravation.

Another Typical "Oh Crap" Christmas

2010-12-18T16:29:00.000-08:00

I shouldn't be surprised that there was another "blog worthy" incident this Christmas, and it is only the 19th. Late getting a Christmas tree in our little town in North Carolina, a good ole boy (well he had one foot in the grave, the other in a cast and apparently left his teeth by the sink) came out and sold us "any tree without a red tag" for $20. Well, none of the 5 tree's left had a red tag so it was buyers choice. I mean who in the bible belt waits til the week of Christmas to get a tree...ummm we do.

The man's grandson put the tree on the car, tied her down (apparently he wasn't a boy scout), and I was afraid the whole way home the tree was going through the windshield of any car behind us. Since it was so loose, mom and I contemplated accelerating into the drive way, hitting the breaks and hopefully landing the tree at the front door. Considering our luck, we decided against it. Looking at our "Charlie Brown tree" and the tree stand, that is more for a Rockefeller center tree, we weren't quite sure how it was going to work, but with all four screws fully screwed into the base, it looked pretty good. Lassoing the tree with the lights, I think we will be better off buying new ones next year than trying to unravel the mess made trying to get a light in each void on the tree. I was stretching lights from the top to fill in parts of the tree I wasn't even sure were there!

At last, the lights were up, and we began putting on ornaments...one by one with all the Christmas cheer available.

About the time we put on the last ornament, the jolly "it doesn't look so bad tree" turned into the "oh crap" Christmas tree. Sitting on the floor, I looked up just in time to watch the tree falling towards me, ornaments falling off and landing all around. The tree was down. We were laughing (and still are). Pushing the tree up right, I began looking around. The tree trunk was just too small to be anchored down, and the weight of the ornaments caused the trunk to slip back and the tree forward--on my head. My solution went through a couple of stages. First I wanted to duck tape it to the wall, but the walls are wood and tape doesn't stick too well and there is a window to deal with. I opted to shoving a tennis ball in one quadrant, a styrofoam square in two quadrants and a vacuum attachment in the fourth. Not being too confidant in that solution, I wrapped one of the loops of lights on the tree around the window latch, actually double looped...then got the bright idea to use the blind pull to wrap around the trunk of the tree and tie that puppy off. So far so good, but if in the morning the valance is out of the window, the ornaments are scattered around the room and the lights have torn a part no one will be surprised.

I think we will just put some Kahlua in the coffee and call it a Christmas puddle.

Fight Holiday Weight Gain

2010-12-15T05:58:00.000-08:00

The hustle is on. It looks like people are training for American Gladiators in the malls, fighting holiday traffic and trying to score the perfect gift (even if it means wrestling Wolf). With the craze people generally grab what is easy to nourish between shopping, work, parties and Christmas plays. Then January comes and no one can figure out how the scale is tipping a little past pudge. I want to help you out with breakfast. Lunch and dinner is generally where I get the most resistance because of parties or other poorly fashioned excuses, but I am willing to work with what I can :) Just because Cinnabon tastes good now, doesn't mean it is going to look good later.

Even though New Years is generally cold, the jackets generally shed by the time clock strikes twelve, and you don't want to look like 16 oz sausage in a 12 oz wrapper.

Aside from the aforementioned Pumpkin Pancakes, which would be the best option and great to make and TAKE with you shopping or to work (since they can be wrapped and put in a zip-lock), here are some great, easy, calorie conscious ideas:

FIVE ALTERNATIVES TO CINNABUN

One cup oatmeal mixed with 2 T chopped pecan halves, 2 packets of splenda and cinnamon (can be made with light soy milk)
2. Two reduced fat whole grain waffles with 2 T sugar-free syrup
Two reduced fat whole grain waffles with 1 T peanut butter & 1/2 sliced banana
Breakfast Smoothie: 1 cup vanilla soy milk, 1 cup frozen berries, 1/2 med banana (blend til smooth)
(Second only to Pumpkin Pancakes) Casein Pancakes: 1 scoop ON Vanilla Casein 4-5 egg whites, 3/4 c oatmeal, 1 T splenda, cinnamon (to taste). Mix well and make into evenly sized pancakes. This will give you 1.5 servings but it is hard to write the recipe otherwise.

By eating a hearty, healthy breakfast, you are more apt to make better lunch and dinner decisions (tho not guaranteed you are on your own if the "toast with eggnog" turns into Weekend at Bernies...too much nonsense to even know if you are dead or alive). It is not hard to stay on track during the holidays, you only have to apply a little thought, a little preparation and discipline. Put your New Years outfit out so you have some motivation. If you don't start now, it will just be harder later.

Pumpkin Pancake Recipe

2010-12-10T07:37:00.000-08:00

After posting on Facebook that I was so blessed to have such a great friends and pumpkin pancakes to get me through tough times, I had requests for the recipe...so here it is! These are great! They also travel well for a snack during class (or 4.5hr finals!), after workout, during Christmas shopping! So don't gain that weight this holiday season, have all the flavor without all the guilt!! Topped with a little sugar free syrup or honey if eating post workout, makes this holiday treat, one that is good for EVERY MEAL!!

Pumpkin Pancakes:
1/2 cup Pumpkin
1/2 cup Oats
3 egg whites (sometimes I add a little more)
2 packets Splenda
Cinnamon
Mix well. Spray pan with Pam, heat over med-low. Pour mixture into four even pancakes, cover and cook on med-low until pan cake is able to flip. These will not bubble like regular pancakes, but the top will begin to look 'firm,' aprox 10min. Flip, cook another 5 min and serve. Cook times will vary depending on your stove.

The Nutrition: 244 calories/ 3g fat/ 30g carbs/ 17.5g pro/ 170mg sodium

The Info You Need to Read to Believe

2010-10-11T05:32:00.000-07:00

Everyone is looking for the secret to the perfect body. We all want to know the key. Sometimes that key (or one of them) is perpetrated by friends and loved ones, but we dismiss it because "what do they know". There are a few tips that we should all adhere to regardless of the method of delivery.
Since we want info from professionals, here it is:

Drink water
Take a multi-vitamin
Include a protein supplement
Workout

Personally speaking, when I was just getting into competing, I was told to drink at least a gallon of water a day by people close to me. It wasn't until a girl down the hall in the dorm told me that the reason she lost weight was because she started drinking a gallon of water a day and stopped drinking other stuff (even diet sodas). I started on her recommendation (despite being told countless times before) and low-and-behold, inches GONE. It is true. I have the personal first-hand experience backed by the education that points to water as the top weight loss aid.

The second thing that most people don't have a problem with is the knowledge that you need to have a multi-vitamin in your diet. These days, food alone doesn't normally provide enough of the vitamins that your body needs to efficiently metabolise food. The problem lies in remembering to take it. Here is my lil tip: put it by something you need everyday (next to your toothbrush, next to your coffee pot ect), but put it next to something that will help you remember when you have eaten. Multi-vitamins need to be taken with food.

Likewise, most people do not get enough of the right kind of protein, or if they do, it is in a high fat form. Supplementing your training diet with a high quality protein, will allow your body to maintain lean muscle and take off stubborn body fat better than those with the higher fat content.

Exercise. Do we really need to validate this one? If you want a tight, tone body you HAVE TO DO RESISTANCE training in addition to maintaining a diet to lose the fat hiding your perfect body.

If you have any questions that you would like to see addressed in this blog, send me an email: lnewton@leslierae.com. I would be happy to help answer your question from a first hand account backed by years of training and education.

Attitude is Everything

2010-10-01T08:41:00.000-07:00

I made a Face Book post the other day that went something like this:

Do what I say or do as I do, either way you will improve.

One of the comments referred to me as cocky...Really? I don't think so. I am not saying that I am better than you, or that I don't have room to improve. I merely noted that I walk the walk, and within that walk, is something undoubtedly you either don't know, haven't seen in a while or could reinforce and renew your goals.

In a world filled with individuals who try tell you what you need to do in order to improve, is an overpopulation of "preachers" who haven't lived out their own "preaching" recent enough for you to even be able to tell if they ever have.

I am not that person. If I tell you the best way to work your abs is to do sprints, it is because that is what I have learned, and it is what I do. We all could use sound advice from time to time, but what good is advice on investments from someone in bankruptcy? Maybe the advice is good, but I wouldn't consider it sound. Why would you get personal training from a trainer more out of shape than you? Because of the old notion "those who can't, teach?" Maybe, but to me fitness is like a foreign language, I want to learn from someone who can speak it fluently, not point to a track on a e-learning book.

If that is cocky, our world is in much worse shape than I ever thought.

Nutrition 101: Revisit the Basics

2010-09-12T13:39:00.001-07:00

There is a lot of confusion about nutrition out there. I am always asked if I've heard about this diet, or that supplement, or been to this website or read that book. The answer varies but one thing stays the same: at the end of the day, calories are calories and the body only needs so many of each calorie source. Some of you may be a bit confused, and it's ok. Nutrition is not something readily taught in today's society. If we knew, I mean really knew and understood nutrition, there would be a lot of multi-billion dollar companies out of business.

So let's start with the basics: There are four nutrient sources of calories. A calorie (k) is the unit of energy our body receives from the nutrients we ingest. Nutrients are measured in grams (g) and the number of calories per gram of each nutrient source varies. These sources may be familiar: Fat, Protein, Carbohydrates, and Alcohol. Alcohol in this context refers only to the percentage of alcohol per volume in each beverage.

Fat has the highest calories per gram at 9k/g. Protein and Carbohydrates both have 4k/g, and alcohol has 7k/g. Manufacturers estimate the number of grams per nutrient and then the number of calories. I say 'estimate' because if you take a nutrition label and do the math, they rarely, if ever, add up to the numbers posted.

According a report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), the FDA has not done random sampling to test the accuracy of Nutrition Facts labels since the 1990s. This means you may or may not be eating what you think when your meal comes from a box or wrapper. Companies are always going to error in their favor, so the bad may be minimized and the good may be embellished. This is not the end of the world; you can always prepare your own meals, a novel ideal in today's society I know. But, the basics cannot be argued. The nutrients in grams in unaltered meat, grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and virtually all whole, raw foods is not argued and can be found in a variety of calorie count websites and books. I am not saying stop eating prepared foods; I am just opening your eyes (a little) to the reality of your consumption. We don't need to become paranoid; we just need to become a population that thinks for itself. Taking things at face value only benefits the person selling the product.

Gains Aren't Made in the Gym

2010-09-06T06:05:00.000-07:00

It has occurred to me, being in a new gym, that the misconception gains are made in the gym and lifting everyday is the most important part to making those gains. That is simply false. Gains are made out side of the gym in the food, supplements and sleep you get.

Granted, without training you will not make the gains you want, but training should not be at the sacrifice of the other components. If I have a choice between getting sleep and a workout, I will choose sleep and make up the session later.

It is a lot like taking care of a plant. If you spend all your time pruning the leaves and branches to the sacrifice of properly watering, timely feeding, and the provision of adequate sunlight, you will soon find yourself with a brown, wilted plant.

The roots have to be firmly planted and cared for before the plant will thrive. Same goes for your body. This is achieved through nutrition, supplements and sleep.

We have hammered the nutrition, and I think that is pretty understood. Supplements like vitamins, recovery products and quality proteins are going to help ensure the roots of your fitness goals are cared for and have the ammunition needed to progress.

Sleep is often over looked. Muscles are not 'grown' in the gym.They are broken down in the gym. Torn down through repetitions and sets. Muscles are 'grown' when you sleep.

When your body is at rest, the energy your body needs to maintain your 'awake' activity (regardless if you are running or vegging out on the couch) can be spent rebuilding the breakdown from the gym.

This recovery is not fully possible when you are awake, and you need more than a few hours of sleep. Even at the heightened peaks of training for a show, I will skip a workout for more sleep if I have been cheating hours or minutes from my sleep.

If you continually breakdown a muscle that hasn't been allowed to fully recover, you are asking for injury and negating the progress of your fitness goals. Train smart and make sure that you aren't sacrificing the roots of your goals because you are too caught up in pruning the fruits of your effort.

Are You “Healthy”

2010-08-18T19:09:00.001-07:00

I can remember, more times than I care, being labeled "healthy." I never took it in a flattering way and don't know one girl who would.

Looking "healthy" is about like being told "you look like you've stopped dieting." This is reason enough to re-examine all the "healthy" labels on forbidden foods. Let's look at two big health claims:

#1 Red Wine is Healthy because it Contains Antioxidants

True, red wine does contain antioxidants. However, the antioxidants are a result of the red grapes. Eating grapes will give you the antioxidant benefit without the alcohol content.

The health claim related to red wine is in relationship to other alcohols. In relationship to beer, wine is healthier.

In relationship to pneumonia, having a cold is better...but, either way you are sick.

#2 Dark Chocolate is Healthy because it Contains Antioxidants

True chocolate does contain antioxidants. The coco bean is widely known to be loaded with flavonoids, a type of antioxidant that has been linked to increasing HDL (the good cholesterol). These antioxidants subsequently are present in dark and milk chocolate due to their coco content.

The news is rampant with chocolate health claims, and thus has validated chocolate cravings and splurges.

What these "health claims" do not address is the high fat and sugar content. So while you are adding to your health, you are also clogging your heart and widening your hips.

The Half-Truth Bottom Line

Finding a health claim for something that you know is on the "avoid eating" list is only a justification. It is not a free-pass. Things that are "too good to be true" often are just that.

Be aware of who's promoting the health claim, and what they have to gain from you buying into it. If the product manufacture's making the claim: scratch your head, use common sense and WALK AWAY FROM THE CHOCOLATE!

(Over)Training 101

2010-08-16T06:37:00.001-07:00

We have all done it at one point, or several points, in our lives. Sometimes we get a new workout program, met someone new, end a relationship, or get bad medical news we tend to go from 0-60mph with exercise. We work past failure and get up and do it again, sometimes training multiple times in a day. Justifying our actions by comparing our workouts with athletes who spend their days in the gym and on the field.

What we don't take into consideration is the fact that athletes have been conditioned for excessive training. They are getting the nutrients and care to support their training. We, on the other hand, usually end a fitness spree one of two ways: injured or burnt out.

Overtraining is not limited to beginners but can also affect those in an established fitness routine. Wikipedia defines overtraining as "an emotional, behavioral and physical condition that occurs when the volume and intensity of an individual's exercise exceeds their recovery capacity."

This is not to say you can't train like an athlete. You just need to live like one too. It takes the body 12-24 hours post exercise to regenerate and repair. If there is inadequate rest, the body will plateau, strength will decline and injury is just a rep away. Counter this by alternating muscle groups on different training days to allow adequate rest.

The next thing to keep in mind is nutrition. The body can't regenerate and repair without fuel from food. If you are training hard, but hardly eating, the amino acids (the building blocks for protein) become deficient and your body will not be able to keep up with your training. If your body becomes calorie deficient, it will breakdown muscle tissue to offset the deficit. You need to consider more than just calories. Your diet should be made up of a balance between healthy fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.

This gets tedious since we are repeatedly told that we need our calorie burning to be greater than our calorie consumption, if we want to be lean. But, there is a fine line between the two. And, if you have a hard time finding your balance, invest if finding some help! In the long run, you will save time, energy, frustration and injury!

Getting Workouts Form Magazines?

2010-07-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

Are you thinking that taking a weight loss supplement is going to make you look like a fitness model? Really?

The advertisements in fitness magazines would have you think that looking like the fitness model were as easy as proper supplementation and some cardio. Oh young grasshopper…it isn’t that easy.

It is true that fitness models take supplements, but they only supplement, or add to, a lifestyle that revolves around a specific look. These are not women looking to lose ‘baby weight.’ Similarly, the women in the magazines didn’t get there by going half-steam in the gym.

Story time:

I was in the gym, hard to believe I know, and there was a women working out in the weight room, awesome…at first. She was what I would consider ‘average,’ had a few pounds to lose and no more than a fleeting sign of muscle tone.
She was carrying around a issue of Oxygen as she made her way to the squat rack. Double checking the article she set the magazine down and attempted to pick up the empty bar already in the rack. Acting like the 45-lb bar were closer to 200-lbs, she put it down and left her post to get a lighter bar…the 15-lb bar.

She then proceeded to try and mimic the exercise in the article: stiff leg dead-lifts. She made a decent attempt. Putting the bar down she sits down and starts flipping through the magazine…some time later she does another set.

You are probably wondering where this is going. Here it is: People like that are wasting their time and taking up space. What was she accomplishing? Nothing…she might as well have kept the magazine in her hands and gone through the motions. A 15-lb bar stiff legged dead lift on an adult who isn’t rehabbing is pointless; It is just a stretch. Go to the stretch area and leave the squat rack open for someone to squat in.

My problem is not with people who are not strong. It is with people who go through the motions and wonder why they don’t look like the woman in the article they're following. The workouts from magazines like Oxygen are great and can be super effective, but you have to be willing to work hard if you want them to work for you.

To look like a fitness model you have to be willing to sweat, you have to be willing to push weight (you are not going to look like a bodybuilder), you have to eat perfect and get sore…a lot. Oh ya and your social life just got a lot stricter. Happy hour is less happy and now you really do have to spit out the wine at tastings.

I get asked a lot “what do I need to do to look like you.” My response is generally “I wouldn’t wish what I go through on anyone.” While I have fine tuned it and live a more normal life than my early days of competing, the fact is for me to go anywhere there is a cooler involved, a gallon of water and a hefty amount of vitamin’s, minerals and protein supplements. I work out at least five days a week and even when I'm on vacation.

Moral of the story is if you want to look like women in the magazines, you have to train like them. Just because they aren’t a sweaty mess in the picture, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be. Grab a weight that is going to do something and shut-up and train.

Workout for Fat Loss

2010-07-20T15:14:00.000-07:00

Fil’s ‘I’m gonna win and you’re not’ workout

A friend of mine, Fil, is competing in a weight loss challenge and asked me for some advise on a ‘just starting back’ workout, here are my words of wisdom. Keep in mind this is an otherwise athletic person. He plays basketball and dodge ball on a fairly regular basis. The weight loss challenge will produce a winner based on actual body fat lost.

Each week do 3-4 days of a resistance training circuit workout. Use moderate weight for 3-sets of 10-12 reps. Take time to recover between sets, but not enough to ‘cool’ down. For 1-2 of the days, pick two exercises for chest, back and one for shoulders. The other 1-2 days pick three exercises for legs, and one exercise for biceps, triceps and abs.

This will give you 5-6 exercises each day. AFTER weights, do 35-45 min of cardio at a moderate pace. You want to be able to talk but not sing. Alternately you can do 20min of moderate cardio and then play 30min of basket ball. But you don’t want to do and hour of cardio, an hour of weights and 30 min of basket ball…keep it under two hours!!

Then for two days, do HIIT cardio (high intensity interval training) only. This is 30 sec (or so…anywhere from 20-90sec) of super high intensity, the intensity will increase as your fitness does, so if ‘intense’ right now is a jog it doesn’t matter. Just do about 80% of what you can, then bring it down to a recovery walk for 60-120 seconds and repeat for 30-40 min. This schedule will give you 1-2 days of rest. You need to take at least one day a week of rest and let your body recoup.

Fil: What does circuit mean!

LeslieRae: In this case, that you are doing more than one body part. You can also do a circuit by doing one round of each exercise and then going back around and doing a second and third round.

Fil: This high intensity cardio sounds no fun.

LeslieRae: HIIT actually helps the time go by...because you are only focusing on 1 minute at a time.

Fil: Do I stay on one exercise or move around while doing it.

LeslieRae: I would recommend, for you, to just do the exercise. Your heart rate will elevate during lifting and the point of lifting is to work the muscle, so don't worry about constantly moving like some people do. By working each muscle, you will burn more calories through out the day...the same is true with HIIT...it is proven that the body will burn more calories following a HIIT session than a 'fat burning' cardio session. You get hours of fat burning following the HIIT, but you don't want to do it every day...you need to have buffer days so your body can recover and you don’t end up burning muscle...which is another reason why you HAVE TO keep your training under 2hrs.

Weight Loss Problems?

2010-07-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

When talking to various people through the years, often people who are overweight credit a slow metabolism for their inability to reach a healthy weight. While there is such a thing as a slow metabolism, it's rare, and it's usually not what's behind being overweight or obesity. The culprit is generally the lack of attention to diet and exercise.

For arguments sake, let’s look at what metabolism is and how it affects your weight and life.

Dr. Donald Hensrud, with the Mayo Clinic explains metabolism as “the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. Even when you're at rest, your body needs energy for functions such as breathing, circulating blood and repairing cells. The number of calories your body uses for these basic functions is known as your basal metabolic rate (BMR).”

In order to determine how many calories you need, generally speaking, multiply your weight by 10 (150 pounds times 10=1500 calories) then for each decade past 20-years-old take off 2%. That is your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). That number will adjust for activity level and lifestyle. You will want to determine which of the following groups you fit into and multiply your BMR by the affiliated percentage.

• Sedentary (sitting most of the day, with very little physical activity)—20% or 0.20
• Light activity (walking around campus, basic cleaning, cooking, walking the dog)—30% or 0.30
• Moderate activity (heavy housework, gardening, spend most of day on your feet)—40% or 0.40
• Very active (prolonged physical sports, regular training, outdoor work, manual labor)—50% or 0.50

Once you multiply the two numbers add them together and multiply that number by 1.10. This will add the appropriate number of calories needed for digestion. Now you have your base caloric number.

Several factors determine your basal metabolic rate:

Your body size and composition. If you're larger or have more muscle mass, you will burn more calories, even at rest. (So overweight people are more likely to have a faster metabolic rate — not a slower one.)
Your sex. If you're a man, you probably have less body fat and more muscle mass than a woman of the same age, so you burn more calories.
Your age. As you get older, your muscle mass decreases, which slows down the rate at which you burn calories.

Rather than a slow metabolism, the factors that are more likely to contribute to weight gain include:

Eating too many calories
Not getting enough exercise
Certain genetics and family history
Taking medications
Participating in unhealthy habits, such as skipping breakfast or not getting enough sleep

If you still think your metabolism is too slow, your doctor can check it or check for rare conditions that can cause problems with metabolism. But, chances are if you make some lifestyle changes, look to natural weight loss solutions and start picking up your activity level, you will start to see the weight drop off.

2010-07-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

Looking to lose weight?
Tired of over dosing on diet pills?

The solution seems easy: cut calories and lose the weight.

However, it sounds way easier than it is. Every part of you is in to the idea except your stomach.

Researchers say that the reason your stomach protests, and you feel like you can eat everything in sight is because when you diet too hard your body goes on the offense. In doing so, it pumps out more of the hunger hormone ghrelin to remind you that you need to eat (in case you just forgot that your body needs food to survive). However, just because you have an internal alarm system, doesn’t mean that you can’t beat it and lose weight in a healthy manner.

Lean protein has been in the spot light for a long time now and for a good reason. Protein keeps you fuller, longer than other nutrients, partly because it takes your body longer to digest and absorb the nutrients. Purdue University did a study that found that eating lean protein (such as lean turkey bacon, egg whites, or protein shake) at breakfast keeps you fuller longer than eating it at other times in the day. Try to get have about 20-30grams of protein at breakfast.

Working out doesn’t just help to burn calories. A study published in the American Journal of Physiology found that 60 minutes of high-intensity cardio can reduce your appetite for up to two hours afterward.

"Aerobic exercise lowers ghrelin levels and increases the amount of an appetite-suppressing hormone in your body," says study author David Stensel, Ph.D.

To get the most out of this insert HIIT (high intensity interval training) or plyometrics into your cardio workout; that is do short bursts of speed with periods of rest in between.

Another way too keep your calories in check is to make sure you are getting in enough fats. Too often people cut out all the fat from their diet, but that can backfire. Oleic acid, an unsaturated fat found in olive oil, nuts, and avocados, helps keep hunger at bay, according to a study in the journal Cell Metabolism. When you have Oleic acid in your diet, it's converted into a substance that can trick your body into thinking it isn’t hungry anymore. However, don’t go crazy! Unsaturated fats should only make up about 20 percent of your total calorie intake. Incorporating about two tablespoons of natural peanut butter, an ounce of nuts, or a quarter of an avocado into your daily diet will help.

2010-07-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Alcohol has long been recognized as “non-diet friendly.” Terms like “beer-belly” have been coined to reflect the outward effects of drinking. But what you may not know is the damage it does inside. I’m not talking liver or health, although those are important; I want to expose the muscle damaging properties.

Alcohol is a toxin, a muscle sabotaging toxin, and your body can not use it for any function. Every other calorie, rather from fat, carbohydrates or proteins, can be used for something in the body. When the body has enough from each of the three primary sources of calories, then the calories are stored as fat in the body. Alcohol’s calorie content (7 calories per gram) is “empty” in that no calorie can be used to maintain body tissue or function and because of that, every calorie from alcohol must be “burned off,” where as only the excess calories of the other three have to be “burned off.” Alcohol has also been proven to slow down the body’s metabolism (ability to “burn” existing fat).

Alcohol is particularly bad when you are in-training mode because it slows down protein synthesis, by about 20%. Protein synthesis is when the body combines amino acids to form complete protein chains…EVERY protein chain has to have EVERY amino acid before the body can use it in building and maintaining muscles. When you are already killing it in the gym trying to gain precious muscle you don’t need anything else slowing down the building process. And, when you finally get the muscle mass you desire, you certainly don’t need anything undoing your masterpiece.

If there is not enough protein synthesis to maintain the muscle you have or are training to build then the body will break down the muscle it can not support, or not repair the muscle you just destroyed in the gym.

That’s right, just like little Pac-Mans running around eating up the good stuff and undoing all that work.

As if that isn’t enough, Alcohol lowers testosterone and increases estrogen. This should be a no brainer and eye-opener, but let’s elaborate anyway. Testosterone is the single MOST important hormone needed to build muscle. This is why men have an easier time then women developing muscle. The amount of muscle a person can gain is directly related to their level of free-flowing testosterone.

Drinking alcohol=Lowering free-flowing testosterone
Lowering free-flowing testosterone=Lower ability to gain muscle
Lower ability to gain muscle=Wasted gym time

Depletion of water and important vitamins and minerals associated with alcohol consumption doesn’t help either. Muscle tissue is approximately 70% water, taking away such a vital part throws everything off balance. Like wise, vitamins and minerals are important to keep cells healthy and the body functioning properly (including building muscle).

Bottom line, every drink you have puts your goals a little further away from being reached.

Have goals, but have a plan

2010-07-07T11:20:00.001-07:00

One of the draw backs of the American marketplace is that we are inundated with the unlikely. We are romanced by lives and looks and careers that most of us will never have. Chances are you will not be a supermodel, NBA star, an Olympian or make the Forbes list.

Often we hear about Cinderella stories and long for a fantisful story-tale life too, and when we don't get it we feel gypped. We have to make the most out of what we have, but at the same time that doesn't mean what we have is the most we can. There is difference between thinking that we will be the next Bill Gates and settling for a 9-5 we hate. A big difference. There is a difference between thinking we will be the next Victoria Secret Angel and settling in with that post high school weight gain. A huge difference.

We don't have to quite dreaming about "making it," because obviously there are some people who do. However, our dreams need to be more practically tailored. If you want to model, you can not go from fat to fabulous with out steps!

I always dreamed of modeling, but the reality is, I am not model material. I am too big for fashion, too flat for fitness and not striking enough for couture. However, that doesn't mean that I can't model, it just means I don't expect to land the next big BSN campaign. I have to take steps. I have to build up my name and reputation in the fitness industry. I have to maintain a physique that BSN looks for, I have to build up my portfolio...oh and it wouldn't hurt to start winning a few shows! HAHA! All of which are possible, but it is those steps I have to focus on, not my ultimate goal.

It took me a while to realize that. I think the defining factor was in 2006 when I turned pro. I had dreamed of turning pro, but that wasn't my focus at shows because I thought it was a lofty goal, a dream that was never supposed to come true. Really what were the chances? My focus was on each show and improving in each show. That is what I did, and the result was my dream.

What is your dream? What have the people who have made it done? Do you want to be an actress/actor? Are you doing any local productions? If you are, have you pursued the next level? and the next?

I could have stayed competing at the local/regional level in fitness and done well, but I wanted to move up and compete with girls who were better than me. I probably wasn't ready when I started competing at the national level and I was defiantly scared, but I was ready to learn and improve. I took a chance, I put my money where my dreams were and made sacrifices. The result was one step closer to my dream of being on the glossy pages of fitness magazines.

Happy Birthday America

2010-07-02T09:40:00.001-07:00

July 4th is my favorite holiday! It is the holiday with the least pressure and still holds so much meaning. Now, when i say July 4th is my favorite holiday, I am referring to the reaction it has on people....Christmas and Easter significance by far out weights that of July 4th for me, but people have corrupted the days as far as I am concerned.

With July 4th, there is not pressure to spend time with people you avoid the rest of the year. You aren't trying to impress in-laws with dishes you can't cook or pressured to buy gifts for people you hardly know because "they got you something." All you have to do is get together with the people you normally spend time with, throw some food on the grill, enjoy the freedom of America and all the joy that comes with it and remember the sacrifice and courage that paid for it...God Bless the USA!

Every time I hear Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA, I cry.

I'd gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today...Gladly.

Goals Come and Go, but Health is Forever

2010-06-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

Depending on what time of year it is, or who is hot in Hollywood, has an impact on many people’s goals. When the Hollywood socialites were the main faces in entertainment news, skinny was in. During the Kim Kardashian craze, women were pushing to boast voluptuous curves. The battle between body types dates back to Marylyn Monroe and long before.

Rather it is a size 00 or a fuller figure that is in demand, one thing that stays the same is the longing for a youthful glow and tight look. The radiant look of health builds confidence and hides flaws.

When you go out, you are naturally drawn towards those who radiate the glow of health. You can kill yourself in the gym and on diets, reach your goal and never look good.

Exercise is important, very important. It will help you reach optimal health and release endorphins that not only combat stress and depression but also revive the production of hormones that will help your overall glow. But there is more to the equation.

Proper nutrition is a big key! And, there is nothing proper about fast or processed foods. The question that remains is: Can we get all the nutrients we need out of the foods we eat?

I don't think so. I think that our resources have been so contaminated and altered that truly complete and nutrient rich foods are few and far between. If you have ever researched the requirements for organic foods you know that just because it is certified organic and free of pesticides, doesn't necessarily mean that a few years ago the soil wasn't drenched with chemical fertilizers or that they aren't subject to pollutants from rain runoff, other outside sources or proclaimed natural fertalizers.

I am a huge advocate of taking vitamins and minerals. I know that in order to get the nutrients that I want and need, I could never eat that much and wouldn't like the results if I did!

At the bare minimum, I take a multi-vitamin, joint support, omega's and collagen (the supplement not the lip injections). I live in Phoenix, AZ where the air is full of pollution and the sun beats down hard. I train hard and as a result put more wear on my joints and muscles than most people.

Even though I go through the motions to look the way I want, I work equally as hard to not look like a dried out desert rat. The internal and external affects of sun, pollution and life can leave you looking much older and worn out. Placing additional stress on my joints requires me to take extra care in offering them the specific nutrients they need to stay healthy.

Rather I am in my "lose fat" or "build muscle" phase, I am always in stay healthy mode.

Just Takinig Diet Pills to Lose Weight?

2010-06-21T13:08:00.001-07:00

Becoming the size and shape you want to be is not just about taking diet pills. While they help, they are not the end-all, be-all. It is like having a bar-b-que and not turning on the grill.

You can’t just have good intentions; there has to be follow through. You have to think about is what behavior got you to the place you want to leave.

Were you training hard and eating right? Chances are no. So, why would a continuation of that behavior result in any permanent change in the right direction? You will have to make a drastic lifestyle change in order to make a drastic physical change.

Exercise and good nutrition are two must have’s in any weight loss plan. You could probably drop a few pounds without the two, but chances are that you still will not be where you want to be physique wise. This is why there are so many companies out there developing the next great diet pill.

Many people who do not get the results they want with one pill, simply try another one, or take it more often. You have to look at the big picture. If you keep the same life style you had that got you where you are, there is little to believe that you will change much without changing the cause of the problem in the first place. This doesn’t mean that you have to drop everything and start training like a professional athlete! You just have to start.

Proper nutrition, and exercise, combined with a quality diet pill will make a much larger impact on your results and the speed in which you receive them. You can check out some great tips for diet and exercise free from STG.

Your first step should be making a plan. It doesn’t have to be super detailed or intricate, but it does need to be a conscious awareness that there needs to be change. Find a friend who has the same goals and help keep each other accountable.

Do some research and make a smart decision about the diet pill that you want to help you jump start your fitness goal. There are many out there, some with Ephedra, some without. Some that are stimulants and thermogenics and others that are stimulant-free.

If you are jus starting your new life style, start with a mild diet pill. You are already making several changes that your body will be adapting to and rewarding for, wait until you hit a plateau to pull out the big gun diet aids!

Leaning Out for Your First Show?

2010-06-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

Losing fat is difficult enough under regular conditions, but trying to lose enough to step on a figure/bikini stage is a whole other situation. It is often overwhelming for first time competitors but interestingly enough, can get harder from show to show.

It can get harder for a couple of reasons. If you dieted too hard the first time, there could be some issues with your thyroid acting properly. If you took “off-season” too seriously, there could be more fat than the first round. And, unfortunately, as we get older dropping the fat gets harder and harder. But if it were easy, the majority of the population wouldn’t be overweight.

Getting started in competing takes a huge lifestyle change. It requires a degree of dedication and attention to detail that, chances are, has never been done before. Typically, when you are trying to drop some fat, you hit the gym a little more, the bar a little less and throw in a diet pill. But, if you want to get on stage and do well you will have to do a lot more than that!

The number of women who don’t have to change their life to prepare for a competition are few and far between…and we hate them. The rest of us have to work hard, very hard. In addition to strength training, there is exhausting cardio, relentless dieting and killer restraint.

My first show was pretty easy to stay on track because the process was exciting and I was scared not to. I was so meticulous about my diet I picked the shredded carrots out of my salad because they had “sugar.” I spent a minimum of two hours a day at the gym. I did a major rebound! Cheese biscuits, pasta and cookies were regular on my menu. Not to mention, I took some advice to the extreme, and during prep for the next show thought I could slack off a bit with the diet. The results were not good.

That seems to be a constant though…a lot of competitors go through a roller coaster of shows they hit and shows they miss. I had to come to a place where I stopped taking everyone’s advice to heart and learned what worked for me. What I could get away with and when I had to put my nose to the pavement.

While taking a fat burner is a part of nearly every competitor’s preparation, it doesn’t make the training any easier. There is a huge misconception that taking a fat burner means that you don’t have to work as hard. It is an aid, not a solution.

Spend the time and do the research to find out what works the best for you! The diet and training that Monica Brant uses is not what works for all of the pro girls. Listen to your body (but not your stomach!) it will help you know if a regime is working or if you need to try something else.

Are Your Healthy Foods Packing on Pounds?

2010-06-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

One of the top misconceptions of people who are trying to lose fat is that all they need to worry about is eating healthy foods. This is a train of thought that can not only sabotage your fat loss, but end up packing on excess weight instead. Getting trapped in the “it’s diet” mind set has many people over eating and sometimes even getting further off course than when they started. But, better planing and education can put you right back on course.

A study at Cornell University found that people, who were consuming snacks that carried a low-fat label, ate 50% more calories than when they ate the regular versions.

It is easy to think that you can have extra because it is low-fat, sugar-free or healthy. But the reality is that low-fat foods are usually higher in sugar, while sugar-free foods are higher in fat. Keep in mind that manufactures only put what you want to see on the front of the packaging. Turn the product over and read the label so you are not a victim of ignorance.

Some of this century’s most popular foods, which are paraded as healthy, are full of calories that consumers are not aware of. Sushi and salads are two diet friendly foods that often end up being diet disasters. The problem is we are told that these two are good, safe options to order out, that they are low in fat, and calories. But what they don’t tell us is that there is a whole world of sushi and salads and that only part of it is actually healthy.

When you think of sushi, generally, you think of steamed rice, lean seafood and veggies. But what you often get in those specialty rolls or tempura that has become so popular is fried fish, mayo-based sauce or even cheese. One shrimp tempura roll is 540 calories (the calorie equivalent of a quarter-pound burger). Stick to the sushi basics and pick ONE simple roll with tuna or another lean fish and pair it with miso soup, small seaweed salad and half a cup of edamame. All of these will offer your taste buds satisfaction, your stomach fulfillment and only adds up to around 450 calories.

Salads are tricky. There are so many versions and spin-offs that it is no wonder people are misguided! For example, one grilled vegetable and chicken salad from California Pizza Kitchen is loaded with 1,044 calories! Taco salads are just as high if not higher. But, a great way to reduce the amount of calories in taco salads (by 450+) is by using salsa as your dressing and skipping the sour cream and cheese all together.

Keep your salads basic. Include raw veggies and lots of them! Top it with lean protein, typical tuna or chicken salad is not lean. Use plain grilled chicken/fish, plain tuna or other lean meat. Keep your other add-ons to a minimum. Where salads get calorie expensive is when you start adding nuts, cheese, croutons, fruits and dressing. Just because a dressing is low fat does not mean it is low calorie. Just because it is reduced calorie, doesn’t mean it is low calorie. Stick with a light vinaigrette if you can, that way the fat content is generally from good fats and the sugars are typically low too.

Road Blocks: Learning How to Bend

2010-06-14T14:57:00.000-07:00

Life offers a series of twists and turns that seem unrelated and like directionless road blocks. It never fails, when everything is going great, something happens to ripple the calm waters. We often blame the moment on "it figures" or "this is my luck" type references. But the truth is, not many people experience many totally calm waters. If it appears like they do, chances are it is because of how they respond to the ripples, not the absence of ripples.

Choosing how to respond to a situation is a reflection of you, not the situation at hand. That is not to say that you should embrace every turn with open arm and gratitude. I have not had the best response to every event that has come in to my life, and don't expect to but that doesn't mean that you have to fold at every sign of struggle.

Hang in there, ride the wave and clear your own path. Most often the reason for failure is lack of perseverance. Now, there are times when you do need to look at the whole picture, swallow your pride and cut your losses, but not all the time.

The people who "made it" did so in spite of trials and road blocks. Some times you need to learn how to bend. While a mild storm can break down some of the strongest fences, but a flag can still blow through some of the strongest storms.

When you feel like you are alone in a tough situation, it can be easy to lose sight of the value in hanging in and moving forward. Help yourself by having a plan, by talking with someone who has been in your shoes, or keeping a journal and finding within yourself the limits and the boundaries that you need to make. Sometimes it is a simple modification and sometimes it is a new plan.

If you are struggling with your fitness goals, the chances are you have either not given yourself enough time or are not working with the right information to make the right changes. I have a workout guide to help you get started and be armed with information to make a difference.

If it is a personal or business situation, take some of the same principals as you would in anything else. Write down your goal and how you see yourself getting there, map out a time-line and see if it's reasonable. Write the pro's and con's associated with success and failure. Be honest with your ability to make it happen. So many dreams are disillusioned. Just because someone with your skills made it easily, doesn't mean you will. You have to know that your journey will be independent of everyone else's. Your struggles will be unique and your success will hold different value.

Summer Blues

2010-06-10T13:29:00.000-07:00

With all the hype getting ready for summer and the excitement of warm weather and sunshine, it is easy to get romanced by plans and forget the reality. The reality is that summer means shorts, tank tops and bathing suits. If you neglected your fitness during the winter months this could keep you up at night!

Lack of early physical preparation is not the end all for your summer plans. You may be able to still make a difference and enjoy the warm weather more comfortably.

Make a Plan
Schedule at Least 30Min for Working Out
Keep a Food Journal
Find an Accountability Factor

With out a plan, you are planning to veer back off course. Map out what time line you are working on (when is your summer vacation, reunion, or party). Figure out how many weeks there are and if there is anything happening between now and then. Armed with this time-line you can really see how important each week is in your progress. Every week matters, every day matters.

Find at least 30 minutes, more if you can, each day for exercise. Your exercise should include both cardio and weights. Even if you are only doing 10 minutes of full body workout and 20 minutes of high intensity interval training cardio.

If you are working on a 30 minute plan, the 10 minute full body workout should have less than 10 sec breaks and maintain a elevated heart rate and go right into your cardio. If you have more than 30 minutes, divide the extra time between the two (for example if you have 40 min, do 15 min weights and 25 minutes cardio). Once you get to 45 min of cardio, just add the time to weights until you have 45-60min of weights BEFORE your cardio.

Keep a food journal. You may think you are eating clean, but when you write EVERYTHING down that you put into your mouth, it may shock you how many places you could clean it up. Focus on including a lot of lean protein and veggies with good carbohydrates and healthy fats!

Find an accountability factor. If you are like most of the population, you can easily talk yourself into or out of anything. If you have someone that is keeping you accountable, being a little tired or getting an offer for "better plans" will not be as tempting. And, if you can find someone who is serious about training to workout WITH you, that would be even better. Just make sure that if you do enlist a training partner, you don't end up talking and taking breaks. You should be pushing each other to work harder.

Armed with a detailed plan and the motivation to execute it, you should have some visible results when your done! Good Luck :)

Weighing in for a New Start

2010-05-21T10:22:00.000-07:00

Taking your life seriously means taking all aspects of it with pride, the inside and the outside. An education and what you know is very important, it will keep you in the door, but what gets you through the door is who you know AND what you look like, not just on paper. The visual presentation is an outward display of the pride you take in presentation. If you don’t take pride in the way you look, why would an employer invest in taking the chance you will show the same indifference to your work?

We aren’t talking about looking like a model, or having a body like a swimwear model. We are just talking about taking pride in what you present to the world. The first impression is all you have to make a statement. Unless you never meet your employer and work from a remote location, the way you look makes a difference. Two equally qualified applicants applying for the same position will no longer be equally qualified when one of them has physically taken not pride in their appearance.

Taking pride in your appearance doesn’t need to be another job. It means making some better nutrition choices. You don’t need to have a strict diet or be a certain size, but there are few and far between people in the top of any industry that disregard their outward appearance.

There is a grave difference between slaving in the gym and slaving at the buffet. Finding a balance where you lifestyle reflects your ability and not apathy. In an economy like the one we are wading through, employers are looking at everything. Don’t lose the job for reasons that have nothing to do with your aptitude.

There are plenty of people who will help if you don’t know where to start or how to make the first step. You can email me, and if I can’t help you directly, I can point you in the right direction!

lnewton@leslierae.com

Training is a process, not an event

2010-05-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

The reality is that people who want to make a dramatic change to their body, did not get into their current state from an hour every other day for three weeks. So working out for an hour every other day for three weeks is not going to 'fix' the problem.

This news may be discouraging, but it should be encouraging. The fact that you are not at your goal after a few weeks is not surprising. If it were possible to have dramatic results from minimal effort, America would not be in such a health crisis.

Instead of looking for a new body in the mirror every morning, try tracking progress that is real. Celebrate (not with cheat food or alcohol) making it to the gym an extra day, or lifting a new heavier weight, or making it another half mile. After 4-6 weeks, notice your clothes fitting different; feel the difference in your energy.

The changes will be as fast as your dedication is to your goal. You can't go into a program for 45 minutes three days a week and continue the habits that got you there in the first place, and expect much. Before our lives will change, we have to be honest with ourselves and with our dedication to our goal. Partial commitment will yeild partial results.

Even once you get to your goal, there is work to be done. We can't abandon the process that gave us results unless we want to forfeit those results. How many competitors have we seen (I know I have been there a few times) who look AMAZING on stage and a month later look like the 'before' picture in a weight loss ad? Lose the dedication and work ethic and you will lose the progress.

It took me many, many shows to give up the 'off-season' mentality. I would finish a show and turn around and finish a buffet! I had it in my mind that I needed to "eat it while I can." What a horrible mentality, it lead to depression and long up hill journey's. After I finally recognized what I was putting myself through, I chose health. I chose to have a cheat meal, not an all-access card. I stay within 10 pounds of where I want to be on stage and have found a balance. We all need to find that balance.

2010-04-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

Time to vent...I am so over some people. Just yesterday, to add to my list of people I want to punch in the mouth, a women, who I wouldn't normally point out as over weight (we aren't talking a mere five pounds either) decided to inform me that she would never want to look like me and would never want to be that muscular...if that wasn't bad enough, she asked why I would ever want to look like I do. Really? Really lady? This time, I refrained from telling her I would never want to look like her and would never want to be that fat.

Yes I workout; yes I have muscles; yes I take workout supplements, including fat burners; yes I tan. I understand it is not everyone's goal to be on the cover of Oxygen magazine (funny how some of the haters buy that magazine), but it is mine. I understand that some people would rather go to happy hour than to the gym (some days I would too, but I don't). I understand that society thinks fast food is a dietary staple and veggies are for garnishing not eating.

I don't tell people how I would never want to look like them because I think it is gross, so why do over weight women feel the need to tell me, yes me, that they would not want to look like me because it is manly? Really? Since when did not being fat and out of shape and weak become manly?

I wear a size 6. I am not a bodybuilder. I am not a lot of things people have said to me. But, I wonder...who would the world rather look at? and if how I look is so undesirable, why are physiques just like mine on the cover of so many magazines?

The Next Leaf

2010-04-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

Having a plan is only successful if it is flexible. There are few and far between that play out like planned. Glitches and detours are so common, they are expected; you have to know how to deal with them when they arise. You may not always know what to do, or do the right thing, but you cant be afraid to try.

Fear of failure is a disease that rots the soul. It takes away hope, success and life, but it is common. Too common. I think most people, if not everyone, has been crippled by some type of fear. You know what is worse than failing? Not trying.

If it doesn't work, it doesn't mean you are a failure, it means it is time to turn over a new leaf. Regroup, refocus and redirect.

There is nothing wasted in life, except time. Every fall, each stumble, teaches us something if we choose to learn it. I have been crippled by doubt, and I have failed at many things I have attempted, but I have learned. Learned about myself, my capabilities and my limitations. I have streamlined my goals and my journey.

Changing corses doesnt mean you have to change your goal. I have learned that I will not be a great tumbler. My fitness routines will never rival others on a gymnastics level, but that is ok. Having difficult gymnastics in my routine isn't the only way for me to achieve my dreams in the IFBB. I have to go with my strengths.

Learning to take my eyes off the path I thought I wanted to take, to see the path I need to take, was hard. I wanted to be good at tumbling, because I am so impressed with girls who are good. Fixating on that was not helping my ultimate goal. Fact is, I am never going to be as good of a tumbler as a gymnast, and trying to, only showcased the fact that my gymnastics skills are so juvinal. Taking my strengths and para-mounting them has changed my career and my attitude. It will change your too. Take a chance, dream big and never stop learning!

Strength Training vs. Cardiovascular Training in Fat Loss

2010-04-27T14:51:00.001-07:00

There are so many misconceptions out there as to the best way to lose fat, tone up, build muscle and get in shape. The debate on rather strength training is better than cardio has gone on for a long time! The tug of war between the two is nothing new, but completely unnecessary.

Strength training and cardiovascular training are not independent of each other. First off, let’s lay out some of the myths:

#1 Muscle turns into fat/fat turns into muscle
#2 You should lose the fat before you work on muscle tone
#3 The best way to get toned is to just do cardio
#4 Resistance training will make you ‘big’

#1 MYTH: Muscle Turns into Fat

Muscle and fat tissue are independent of each other and in no possible way interchangeable. You are just as likely to change the stripes on a zebra than you are to change fat into muscle or visa versa.

They are not just different tissues; their differences go down to the cellular make up. The structure of each tissues’ cells are very different and as a result, make up two different tissues.

Sometimes, when an individual decides to get in the gym and change their eating habits the result is loss of fat and muscle gain. Outsiders sometimes confuse this process and feed into the ‘fat turned into muscle’ bit…but perhaps more often is the reverse: Someone who used to be muscular and in shape, gives up the gym and clean diet and sadly becomes overweight.

I have heard, on several occasions, people comment about this less desired transition and say, “see what happens when you stop working out? Your muscle will turn into fat.”

Their body changed, that is no doubt. The individual may look bigger than a you would think for someone with a few extra pounds but that is because there is now more fat on top of the remaining muscle tissue, creating a ‘big’ physique.

#2 MYTH: You Should Lose the Fat Before You Work on Muscle Tone

This is a biggie, more so with women than men, but never-the-less affects many gym goers. Sometimes it is tied into the previous misconception, but does have some myth busting backing of its own.

In addition to muscle and fat tissue being different in composition, it is different in performance. Muscle tissue is highly active. It takes considerably more energy (calories) to maintain. Fat on the other hand, takes very little effort to maintain. This is where the saying muscle burns more calories than fat comes to light.

(on a side note…)

Skinny fat is another example of this phenomenon. When someone is on a restrictive, low calorie diet, or is unable to get the adequate nutrition they need, their body is unable to maintain all the tissue in the body. As a result, it begins to break down the tissue that requires the most nutrients (muscle) and uses the nutrients in that tissue to maintain organ function and integrity. Since fat takes very little to maintain, the fat is untouched, and while you may be down to a smaller size, your body fat is still high.

(…back to the point)

Doing cardiovascular workouts is the best way to directly ‘burn’ fat. However, resistance training supports fat loss too. Since muscle requires more energy (calories) than fat, having and maintaining more muscle will burn more calories and fat regardless is you are training or not.

Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., director of research at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts, breaks it down like this: "For every 3 pounds of muscle you build, you'll burn an extra 120 calories a day -- just vegging -- because muscle takes more energy to sustain. Over the course of a year, that's about 10 pounds of fat [if you do not change your diet].”

You won’t just be burning more calories and fat, you will be building the foundation for what you will reveal after the excess fat is gone.

#3 MYTH: The Best Way to Get Toned is to Just do Cardio

Cardio will do very little for your muscles except reveal them. If you are trying to get a toned, tight look you can not achieve it with cardio alone. You have to train the muscles, under the fat, to develop something worth unveiling. Enough said.

#4 MYTH: Resistance Training Will Make You ‘Big’

If I had a peso for every time I heard a woman say she didn’t want to train because she didn’t want to get ‘big,’ I could retire in the Hamptons. Let’s make this super clear

YOU WILL NOT GET BIG OVER NIGHT

There is no way you are going to start training one day and stumble into a bodybuilder’s body the next! Some people do build muscle faster than others, but it doesn’t happen without their knowledge.

In order to build big muscles, you have to train for it. You have to lift heavy, and often, and supplement your diet with the products needed to fuel your goal. That said, train for your body and your goal. If you don’t build muscle easily than you can train with heavier weights and burn more calories without having to monitor your build. If you do build muscle easily, train with lighter weights and higher repetitions. If your body is developing too much, lower the weights and examine your routine and diet.

Wrap It Up

I think a lot of people buy in to myths because it is easier; it offers an excuse to cut corners. Don’t cut corners. Use your head and feed the tissue you want to keep. If you want to keep the fat but get into a size 4, skip the gym and starve yourself. If you want to be a size 4 that looks good in a bikini, eat a clean moderated diet and combine cardio training with resistance training!

Another Step

2010-04-21T16:49:00.000-07:00

Visiting the doctor yesterday, it suprised me that I am only 7weeks out from surgery. Man, I thought it had been A LOT longer than that! But, no, not even 2months in to a 12-month recovery. However, I am walking almost normal! I am doing limited cardio! I am doing modefied exercises! Modified, meaning two sets of stiff-legged dead lifts with the bar...only. But, fact remains, I am starting to feel muscles again, and I am sore :)

I think by the time the pavement stops melting here in Phoenix, I may just be able to run again...start hitting the track and finally get back on stage. I am planning on competing in Figure the first of next year. Probably the Phoenix Pro. Then, it will almost be a year and I can start working on my next routine and find my way back to Fitness.

Every show that passes is one I wish I could have been a part of! I have so much ground to cover! I have so many improvements to make, but I also have a story to tell, a journey to share and a memory to honor.

The Next Day

2010-04-09T17:19:00.000-07:00

I am officially six weeks out from hopefully my last surgery! I have been off crutches for two :) Physical Therapy is just starting to make the shift from purely painful to semi-productive. In fact, today was the first day I left thinking "I could have done more exercises" instead of "I wonder if I could have taken more pain!" It was a good day indeed!

Some of you know that I have begun working for SupplementsToGo.com. I am still there. I miss training and the environment. It is a huge adjustment, but I am making it! Thank you all for your thoughts, messages and prayers. We are making it back to normal, one day at a time!

Maybe I will be doing handstands next week...ok, maybe two weeks ;)

Red Light

2010-03-14T01:12:00.000-08:00

Sometimes in life, you wonder how you will gather the courage to make it through one more thing, how you could possibly get tested one more time. Then tomorrow comes, and you made it. You made it through, and for some reason you are still breathing. The world is still turning while you are at a red light wondering how.

How can life look so normal? How can all those people walking around, driving in their car, talking on their phone, be so oblivious to the world that is crashing down around you...I've been there too.

The thing is, every person walking, driving, talking, living, has...we all have been there. And, we will all be there again, but more often, we will be the person on the phone, driving the car or in the cross walk.

Finding clarity in crisis is not normal. But, if for one second you can latch on to the belief that the light will turn green, it may remind you that few things last forever. Not pain, not joy, but faith can. Faith can last forever and get you through anything. My faith has and will, forever...yours can too.

2010-03-06T21:38:00.000-08:00

3/06/10

Today I lost a father. Not by legal terms, but by life terms. I lost a man I respected and loved. A man who treated me like one of his daughters, with firmness and love. A man who displayed compassion and authority in moments of teaching.

He taught me accountability and the value of a job well done verses a job done. He taught me a dollar is worth as much as you worked for it...and the work and value could be seen in how you spent it.

I learned that family doesn't have to be perfect to be right or to be sought after. He gave me courage and taught me to be tough. He loved me through the thick and thin. I have lost a father, but will not lose the memory or the lessons learned.

My heart breaks. It breaks for his wife, two other daughters and his new little grand-baby. I love you so much...I miss you, I'm sorry. I am sorry for all the time I wasted not calling enough, not writing enough and not visiting enough. I'm sorry for not reminding you enough how much you mean to me and how you changed my life and made me a better person.

How do you go on

2010-03-02T13:07:00.000-08:00

This morning, during my tax appointment, my accountant asked, "how do you do it? how do you go on surgery to surgery?" I told him it is easier to come back from than a broken heart or a broken home.

True it is hard and scary to go back to the very thing that hurt me so bad. Again. But, is it any different from having your heart broken and eventually getting strong enough to seek a new love? I say no.

So, tomorrow I will re-enter the sterile hall of healing. I will close my eyes and drift off into the a surgical slumber and awake in the light of a new start, a fresh start. Once again, I will take the healing day-by-day until I am strong enough to step back out and take another chance.

People who give up on love, living a life of bitterness, only rob themselves of happiness. I will not rob myself of happiness by giving up on my dream because I have been hurt. I will put my heart and my dreams on the line time and again.

So should you.

Take off the blinders

2010-02-11T16:41:00.000-08:00

Sometimes there are situations in life that need changing, and that is obvious. It is even obvious where everything went downhill. But, where so many go wrong is having all of the pieces before them and still not seeing how they all go together. I have always wondered why some people can't see, even when their eyes are open.

It's like we go through life with blinders on, and it takes something profound and special to shake us out of the tunnel vision that is ruining our life. But just having the blinders removed isn't enough...it takes courage and pride and faith to step out into a position of change. Change is so hard; not just physically, but emotionally. It make us vulnerable because we don't know where we could be attacked.

When I moved to Arizona, it was against everything I wanted. It was a change I was terrified to make, but it was what I needed to have a chance. I felt scared and alone and so very vulnerable. I remember saying to my mom "this is bigger than me, and I don't want to go." It was true. I was small town. I was used to the comfort of familiarity. But when it came down to it, I was less comfortable living in a life that was sub-par than taking a chance at seeking something better.

I knew what I should do, but it took people who loved me to make the change. Finding someone to help you take that first step is vital. Getting the ball rolling in the right direction is the hardest part for most. Don't let yourself fail before you have a chance to succeed. There is someone who will help you remove your blinder and put the pieces together. Don't be afraid to be vulnerable...that's when you will grow the most.

Have A Little Faith

2010-01-28T08:12:00.001-08:00

Waking up at 4:19 in the morning, wide awake, has a few up sides...more down sides though...it's a great time for cleaning, thinking and reading. All of which I did.

I had begun Mitch Albom's book, Have a Little Faith, some time ago, and actually forgot I hadn't finished it. Reading in the dim light, on a morning so still I wondered if it had begun, I came to a passage that captured my soul. "When the world quiets to the sound of your own breathing, we all want the same thing: comfort, love and a peaceful heart."

I was so convicted, I left the warmth of my blanket, crossed the cold tile floor to find a pen. As I transfered the passage, my mind wandered. How long had it been since I had allowed the world to quite to the sound of my breathing? It can be a lonely place. Sometimes too real, too close, too hard to go to a place so honest it's hard to look at yourself. Because if you do, you may just find that all the effort, all the daily pursuit of happiness, has brought you no closer to comfort, love or a peaceful heart. In fact, it merely distracts you from the void created by a misconception of want.

I began to wonder if I was working towards or away from comfort and love...if I was creating an environment that could give my heart peace. I didn't come up with an answer, but I did come up with a plan. I will quite the noise of the world each day to look at my progress and create a path toward a future of happiness rather than one that travels circles around a past.

Depths Of My Heart

2010-01-24T12:59:00.000-08:00

Working on the computer, listing to music, Indescribable (Chris Tomlin) began to stream through the speakers. It is a familiar song and often plays with little attention from me, but not today. Today my heart listened to the words as though I had never heard them before. "You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same."

How amazing for someone to know the true depths of my heart and love me anyway? Can you imagine someone knowing every detail of your heart and soul and still, only has love...

The Effort of a Champion

2010-01-21T07:31:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about what is the difference between someone who 'makes it' and some one who doesn't. There are many differences on a superficial level. Some may even say it is the difference between those who want it enough and those who just want. I'm not sure that is fair. I know many people who want it enough. I know plenty of hearts who have given all they have only to be met with adversity at each turn. Adversity that would cause most to quit, yet they get back up to try again.

The effort of a champion is not always evident in those who are 'at the top of their game.' Some times it is in the heart of the single mom getting up at 4am to workout before having to work on everyone else's needs. Sometimes it is in the eyes of the 80-year-old woman fighting to walk on her own. Sometimes it is in the mind of a Veteran trying to reunite with a world that doesn't understand him.

Done Competing?

2010-01-15T21:21:00.000-08:00

I have had so many people ask me if I am done..."with what?" I ask..."competing," they respond. It is true, I have had my third knee surgery in three years and yes, I have another one to go. It is also true that I have come back after two surgeries; I have overcome odds that should have kept me on the bench all my life. This is no different.

I am different than I was after the first two. I am older, true; my body has been through more, true; the surgeries are more invasive, true. But what is also true is my heart is different. I don't wonder if I belong...I know I do. I don't wonder if I can come back from something seemingly horrible...I know I can.

I have learned a lot too. I have learned that at the end of the day I am the only one who will ALWAYS be there. I am the only one who will ultimately live with my choices and carry my burdens. I have learned that nothing in life comes without risk or disappointment. And, that which you work the hardest for may very well be what ends up hurting the most.

I compete because I love it, not because it comes easy, it doesn't. I can't control it, but I can control how I react to what happens. My answer is no, no I am not done.

Hello 30's

2010-01-12T12:06:00.000-08:00

Today I wake up 30-years-old. Not too long ago I professed that I wasn't going to turn 30 easily. As my birthday came closer, I resolved that there was nothing left to do in my 20's. So many people have told me repeatedly that the 30's is the best decade. I was told that the mistakes of the 20's are countered with wisdom and confidence in the 30's. I think I agree. My 20's were full of foolish mistakes and wavering dedication. My 30's are beginning with the knowledge that I will not succeed at everything; I will fail at most things. But, I will learn what is important and worth my time and energy, and those things, I will get back up and try again and again until I perfect them.

My mom read me a quote from a book she is reading, "...beginnings are often disguised as horrible endings..." How many times has something ended in my life that I thought was devastating only to look back years later and see how God's plan was better than my prayer?

Tomorrow I will wake up knowing that nothing will take away the trials of life, but I will be more ready to meet them with the willingness and hunger of someone with dream.

New Hope

2010-01-06T20:52:00.000-08:00

Last years headlines were stricken with loss and doubt and worry, yet we made it. We survived doom and gloom to find ourselves turning over a new year offering a new hope. Presented with a clean slate for a fresh start, we truck on in the quest of the American dream, but what is easily forgotten is we already have it. Even in the hard times, we walk in freedom on streets void of persecution and limitations. We are the American dream.

I have stepped into the new year shedding the sadness of the past year and embracing the lessons learned and growth made. Last year, the good and bad made me stronger and wiser. I will turn 30 on the 11th and cherish the start of a new year and new decade. My life is not a combination of tragedy and happiness. It is a linear, progressive transition toward the life I am to live out. This year, I choose to look at the things I can change: my attitude, my outlook and my behavior. Those I will expend energy on, and the rest I will deal with as they come.

For too long, I have allowed myself to be consumed with problems that were out of my control yet fixated in my being. With my mind frantic with useless worry, I too often lost sight of the big picture.

This year I choose to fixate my eyes, my heart and my mind on my actions. My actions are a reflection of me, not my environment. Worry and sorrow is infectious, as is hope...I resolve to spread hope. Hope offers life and transforms souls. Hope is what gave me the courage to peruse my dreams and hope is what I offer you.

New Year's Resolution: Dry-Run

2009-12-18T07:34:00.000-08:00

At the gym yesterday, I did something out of character, and was called on it (I was nice and lacked my usual dry humor, totally outta character). My response was "I'm trying something new." My friend said it wasn't even New Year's yet, I had a few more week for my 'old ways.' I told him I wanted to try it out before I had to commit to a whole year! A dry-run so to speak.

I got to thinking: wouldn't that save a lot of failed resolutions? If we tried it out for a few weeks (or in my case once) maybe we would go into the new year a little more confident about the resolution we decided upon!

I know part of the whole new year resolution is a 'cold turkey' start, or stop, to a desired behavior, but isn't the cigarette industry still thriving because cold turkey doesn't work, for long anyway? You are thinking, but 'tobacco is addictive.' So is any habit.

Not going to the gym is a habit, not eating right is a habit just as spending money, drinking, and partying are habits. What ever joy you receive, or pain you avoid, is the addictive ingredient. Going to happy hour rather than doing cardio is a drug. The questions from your friends, the thought of what you are missing while slaving away at reaching a seemingly phantom goal are the withdrawal symptoms. It starts with 'I'll go earlier' or 'I'll just do half, at least I came,' or 'I'll do extra tomorrow,' and tomorrow turns into next week, which turns into after March Madness, which turns into after vacation, which turns back into after the holidays.

My solution? Start today! Do what ever new behavior you want to adopt, or stop what ever you want to quit, for two days this week. Do it two days next week. Can you do it two days a week? Start there, continue it, when it becomes the 'new habit' go to three days, until you have succeeded in your resolution...it may take a week, it may take a year, but you have succeeded.

Cold turkey is exciting in the beginning. It gives you power, it gives you hope, but it sets you up for failure. Make 2010 the year for success!

New Blog

2009-12-17T21:32:00.000-08:00

We are close to the end of the year, and with that comes thoughts of the new year, new goals, new opportunities and new dreams. I am excited about my new "blogging" spot! A year ago I would have never thought I would have such an organized system. Five years ago, I never would have thought I would have a website. Time change, people grow and things evolve. I am one of the lucky ones.

This year has been full of excitement. Some happy and some life changing. I am two months out from my knee reconstruction. I have been off crutches two weeks and am regaining my strength and mobility. I still have a realignment to go on the opposite knee and then I am back to the IFBB drawing board. My dreams of the Olympia stage haven't changed, just the time line.

Holiday Hopes

2009-12-17T18:01:00.004-08:00

The theme behind this time of year is no secret. It is a time we give thanks for all the blessings in our lives. But how thankful are we? Do we only give thanks for what we consider blessings? Do we by-pa$$ such blessings we feel are inadequate?

So often we are not able to objectively see all the blessings we are given. Some things seem anything but a blessing at the time, but bring us to a better future. Do we remember to “go back “ and “give thanks” for the very events we cursed as they happened?

Life is an imperfect, puzzle perfectly placed together.

We are not an accident. We are perfectly designed and placed in the only environment that could sustain life. What ever you believe, that can not be denied.

We are also a product of our choices and actions. And too often we chalk up good fortune to luck and misfortune to bad luck. But what is the good without the bad? Not to say we deserve to go through tough times. I just hope that at some point during them, we will examine things.

I hope we will think back to other hard times and see what we learned and the life we have since making it through each of them. While you are gathered around the table this year, remember to be thankful for what was good and what you have yet to understand.

Remember that each moment is an opportunity to live and to love.

We only have one shot at today...let’s make it count, let’s make it memorable and let’s be thankful for every minute.

BodySport & Rx Muscle Coverage

2009-12-17T18:01:00.003-08:00

Original Post: 11-05-2009

Hey there!

Wow, this has been a roller coaster of a month! My healing is going well, but I am still on crutches and am not allowed to bear any weight on my right leg for several MORE weeks! Physical therapy is going well, and I have begun to work this week. I have also written an article for bodysport.com about my injury and Terry Goodlad wrote a touching forward. You can read it here. I did a radio interview with bodysport as well that will be aired next week. You would think that it would get easier to tell and read my story, but every time, I get choaked up...

Muscle Girl Inc. also did a radio interview about my injury and that can be heard here. I am the second guest, and it was a blast.

Knee's out, Spirits up

2009-12-17T18:01:00.001-08:00

Original Post: 10-13-2009

This past weekend, at the Ft. Lauderdale Cup, I had the misfortune of blowing out my knee at the beginning of my fitness routine. I have had my left one reconstructed before, and know the right one will go through the same treatment.

In a very short time, I have been reminded who I am, and who truly cares about me. I have found out how strong I am and how weak some friendships are. I have been reminded about the true essence of a strangers concern and the devastating result of a friends apathy.

My journey will be slow, but it will be over. I thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers and encouragement. I hope that this experience allows me to encourage and motivate others. I believe that one can not truly touch a broken spirit until they have been broken themselves. I have been through a lot and no doubt will go through more, but with each struggle I become stronger. With each fall, I find out further who I am and what matters. And at the end of the day, my story will touch someone, lift their spirits and re-charge their belief in themselves, and that will make it all worth it!

Final Week

2009-12-17T18:00:00.003-08:00

Original Post: 10-5-2009

On the last leg of show prep for the Ft. Lauderdale Cup...I am finally experiencing something Jen Hendershott said all of her shows were: It is just another Saturday....

I always wondered what in the d#$@ens that would be like ...not changing anything the last week...no carb depleting or loading (although I love that part)

So here I am, the last week, right where I want to be and eating the same thing I have been for the past few months! Hopefully it will present the 'right' package come Saturday...

__________________
May your day bring light to your smile, hope to your heart and joy to your soul…

~LeslieRae Newton

Looking Forward

2009-12-17T18:00:00.001-08:00

Original Post: 9-9-2009

Life is so interesting and full of so many unforeseen twists and turns. I guess that is the point and without them we would perhaps be bored. Never-the-less I am continually learning that how we respond to these occurrences are what determines our character.

Character, at the end of the day is all we really have. It determines who we are, and why we are. Our character is bound to be flawed and within those flaws we grow or we fester.

I am reading a book a friend gave me, The Dip, about "knowing when to quit and when to stick." It urges the reader to take inventory and find the one thing he/she focus on to be the best. If your direction in life looks through a kaleidescope, you will never have a focus and you will be come a jack of trades and a master of none, which isn't a bad thing so long as your dream is not to become a master of anything. I think this applies to me in so many ways...

First, I pushed and focused so hard on my fitness career that I had to (for the time being) give up a lot of my other 'quests' (like going back to school) because to be the 'best' in fitness it required my up most attention. It is not that I am more talented than the girls I competed against. It is that my determination was relentless. I believed in my ability to make it. With my belief, and the support of so many, like you, I made my dream a reality. You can too. You just have to want it more than you can stand to give it up. You have to want it more than it is hard. You have to, in the most discouraging moments, see it, and work until those moments are shadowed by victory!

Second, I have had to reflect on my character. I have had to understand that I can not, and never will succeed at pleasing everyone, even though I am a 'people pleaser.' My strive to not create ripples has cost me in several points of my life. This book has further driven home the point that I, YOU, need to be true to yourself, to your heart and your dreams. Go after the most important things. Fix the most important things, one at a time.

I know that this speaks to some of you more than others. I hope you will take it at face value and take from it something positive...life should be positive and will be if you allow it.

2009 Dallas Europa

2009-12-17T17:59:00.002-08:00

Original Post: 8-18-2009

Well another show has come and gone. The Dallas Europa was a blast. It always is!! I was surrounded off stage by friends and loved ones, and I was honored to compete on stage with Olympia champions! My physique is coming up in placings, but I still have routine work to do before I am the package the judges want to see.

However, I had more compliments on my progression than a girl could ask for from top figures in the industry. I am moving in the right direction, I just wish it were with more horsepower :) Haha, but I am back and ready to work even harder. I want to be better so I will train to be better. It is my second year in the Pro ranks and I have so many to go! My dream was not to become a Pro. My dream is to become an Olympian!

Thank you for taking the journey with me! Your support is so important and gets me out there even when I am having an 'off' day!

Superbowl 2009

2009-12-17T17:59:00.001-08:00

Original Post: 1-31-2009

Happy Superbowl weekend! This is one of my FAVORITE holidays (yes I think Superbowl is a holiday). It is one of my favorites because it revolves around spending time with friends and family. It isn’t a forced holiday to invite or be with people you may clash with; it doesn’t require you to spend money on presents or worry about if the event will be perfect (ok so there are some of you out there that worry about that regardless of the event!) AND, not to mention it is one of the biggest games of the YEAR (I don’t know which would win in a BCS Championship or Superbowl importance poll; I know I would be split). I may live in AZ now but I am a huge STEELER fan and look forward to BOTH of my teams (FL Gators and PA Steelers winning the Championship this year, the second in the 2000 decade!)

Anyway, along with that excitement, I am diligently getting ready for my next two shows, both in April. I am preparing a new routine that I am sooo excited about; I have begun a new and thus far successful newsletter: Move The Chains; AZ H.E.A.T. Camps are in full swing and a blast to be a part of! The year is already amazing and I hope this finds you in a positive place too...even if the economy isn't what we would like it to be, we are in control of our state of mind. We have the option to be grateful for what we have, even if it is simply our loved ones, and continue to work for what we want and where we want to go!

Time Out

2009-12-17T17:58:00.001-08:00

Original Post: 11-5-2008

Hey friends!!! It has come to me that my "off season" has fed into a lack of communication. Even my mom has been disappointed by my lack of correspondence. So after a long talk with her, I decided there were many people who I wanted to share what my life has been like the past few months. I finished Atlantic City Pro by tieing for 10th place, which I will claim as breaking the top ten!! Since then, I have been enjoying football season and my Fla Gators in there SEC domination (who's counting a fluke loss to KU, other than the BCS?). My training has continued, but is focused differently. I am spending the majority of my time and energy on my strength move training at North Valley Gymnastics. I hope to have some very impressive skills in 2009, and if not maybe ya'll could pretend to be impressed hahahaha. I am ALWAYS sore and have a new affinity for the training of gymnasts! No wonder they are so lean and amazing!!!

I will be applying for the 2009 Arnold Cla$$ic, to be held in Ohio the first weekend in March, but we will see if I get accepted this year. After that, I plan on competing in NYC, Orlando, Houston, and Dallas...I know it is a full schedule and damage will be done! Also Fit Camps are beginning in Dec/Jan, so that is quickly receiving a lot of my attention and is generating so much excitement!

I appoligize for the bright pink, but I couldn't help myself!!

LeslieRae

One more to go...

2009-12-17T17:57:00.002-08:00

Original Post: 9-2-2008

September? Already? Less than 2weeks until Atlantic City Pro/Am. The Europa (Dallas, Aug 15-16) had me leaving with mixed feelings. I felt great; I was in the best shape to date and my routines are coming back to speed. But, the judges did not share in my self critique. They thought I was too lean (your eyes are reading correctly too lean) and need more taper. Translation: less cardio and dieting to look softer. Never thought I would have to train less, but I would rather have to train less than more! So for the next show we have increased my diet and reduced my cardio. My body has really taken to the extra calories (up to 1700+) and I do look fuller. However, now we are concerned that even though I am just a little softer that I may now look to muscular. It is such a fine line because I among, if not the tallest girl there. So 5'9" standing next to a 5'2" girl is so hard to compare. If I'm around her size I look too lean, but if I'm around her body fat I'm afraid I will look too muscular...ahh well, we will see!!! The plan is to always feed to the critiques from the judges and try to pin point what they want from me, because it will be different from the next girl.

This summer has been a whirlwind of training, dieting, cardio, ch$%#ography, posing, sleeping, healing, traveling, tanning, meeting up with old friends and making new ones. It is hard to believe that in 2weeks life will return to 'normal.' Weekends will revolve around Florida football, cause what else is there, and NFL Sundays, instead of workouts. So, in a few months when the SEC and specifically Flordia, is sweeping college football worry not. I will be among the few SEC fans in PAC 10 country screaming joyfully at the BCS standings!

Dinner bell

2009-12-17T17:57:00.001-08:00

Original Post: 7-29-2008

Going out to eat with a competitor is never much fun for the easily guilted. I personally don’t mind if my friends or family eat a juicy, perfectly seasoned, char-grilled steak paired with cheesy potatoes and green bean ca$$erole...(hold on my mouth is watering)....in front of me. I really don't. In fact, I live vicariously through them. I often try and influence them to order what I would if calories didn't count. But, I can see where ordering the alfrado, when I am ordering grilled chicken salad no this, no that, hold that, take off ANYTHING that tastes good (I have, in fact, told a server only half joking "if it tastes good, I'm sending it back") could make you feel gluttonish. Some of my friends like going to eat with me when I am dieting. They say it helps them to stick to their ‘I’m always trying to loose 5lbs diet.’ So salads it is for everyone. And we are forced to live through other tables menu choices (which is embarrassing getting caught boldly staring at a neighbors bacon swiss cheeseburger.)

There was a time when I didn't want to be around people eating and drinking things that were not on my diet. It was too hard to remain disciplined. But, that was selfish of me. I am in a sport that I CHOSE, which requires me to make sacrifices to reach the goals I WANT. The 'sacrifices' I have to make are voluntary, and that is the clincher. I can eat whatever I want, but I choose not to; each competitor chooses not to. Another choice I have made is not to superimpose my self-imposed restrictions. Moral of the story: eat, drink, and be merry (if you want).

One Down, A Career To Go

2009-12-17T17:56:00.002-08:00

Original Post: 7-10-2008

We did it! My 1st pro show is in the books! It was wonderful. I had over come so much to even get there. So many years of stumbling blocks on a foundation I built as I went. So many shows wondering if I was chasing a pipe dream and then getting just enough to tell myself it was a 'sign' to keep going. Rather they were 'signs' or just the fuel I needed to drive on, I made it pro, only to blow out my knee and maybe 'never be the same.' Well, that was ok; I didn't want to be the same. I wanted to be a competitive IFBB Pro Fitness Competitor. And on July 5th, in Houston, Tx. I was just that. I didn't place, but what did happen that day was wonderful. Surprisingly, I wasn't nervous; I was excited. I felt like I was among my own. I remember telling my family after my first national show that I felt like a kindergardener in a high school, well this time I felt like a 9th grader in a high school. The show wasn't without incident (is it really ever?). Standing back stage, we were in line getting ready to be introduced, and because of the way the curtains were I couldn't see the stage. I asked the girl behind me "what are we supposed to do out there?" She told me, "what ever you want. Have fun with it!" Haha, I hadn't practiced 'what ever I wanted' which meant I surely was not going to 'have fun with it!' I managed some model turns and thought it was amusing that I had gotten this far and was so ready and prepared on so many levels, but my introduction (the judges first look at me) wasn't one of them. Then (there always seems to be a then with me) we had gotten warmed up for our 45sec routine (consisting of 6 mandatory moves which have to be executed in a specific order) and were back stage awaiting our turn to perform. Watching the first girl go I noticed a MAJOR difference between our two routines: the last mandatory move. I asked another girl from Phoenix what our last move was supposed to be, and it wasn't the one in my routine. I had 12girls, 45sec a piece (they were going back to back) to re-choreograph the end of my routine. I was no where near flawless, but it was 'legal.' Even though my stumbles, I did really well. I don't just think I did well. I did well. The promoter of the show came up to me and complimented me and my 2min routine. An IFBB judge found me in the lobby and told me "you had better not quit. You are going to do really well. You looked really good." Stop? Ya, no. I have barely gotten started.

On Deck....

2009-12-17T17:56:00.001-08:00

Original Post: 7-3-2008

Hi ya friends! Technology has allowed me to write while waiting for my plane to take me to Houston for my show. Fascinating! I feel ready, heart and soul. My cla$$ has 25 girls. 25 huafrican americany, beautiful, fit, accomplished girls. I am among my own; I am so happy. My dress rehearsal went well but not with out fault. Mid dance we had a major wardrobe malfunction. Actually, it was quite funny. We had an audience of little kiddo summer campers, and not that there is much left to the imagination in a routine costume, BUT they nearly got more than their lil eyes, (or their parents money) bargained for! Needless to say, that’s why we do dress rehearsal, and the hitch is out of my giddy-up :) (a.k.a. problem is fixed for ya'll not fluent in southern lingo!) I will be sure to let you all know how the show goes on Saturday. Until then, keep me in your thoughts and know that I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Little bit of cardio soul searching

2009-12-17T17:55:00.000-08:00

Original Post: 6-17-2008

While doing cardio, this morning (anyone who knows me is fully aware of this significance, but for my new friends: I HATE mornings) before I ate (another obstacle) I tried to think about all the things I have learned since I began competiting. My mind was blank. I choose to attribute this minor detail to my dieting and not my relentless aging. However, with some effort I began to remember just who I was before years of dieting and training. And because of the lifestyle changes I experience year to year and month to month, I have learned about myself, and life for that matter, faster than most. Perhaps the two most influential lessons have been 1) the world is NOT out to get me (I’m just not that important); 2) how I choose to respond to a situation is a direct reflection of me and not the situation I am in. Learning these lessons, and more importantly implementing them into my day to day living, has saved some relationships and broken others. Having learned this about myself, I have learned it about others. And as a result my ‘victim’ friends are no longer people I choose to surround myself with. I learned if I am going to live a positive life I must surround myself with positive people. Learning these has changed (not to be confused with entirely fixed) my potential to respond negatively to situations. Dieting has a tendency to make one notice a lot of negative and seemingly annoying things. My friends and family, bless them all, can testify that in the beginning I was not pleasant to be around when focusing on the negative and annoying. However, much to their and my relief, I have begun to focus instead on my reaction. This little shift in attention has not only made it easier to be around me but it makes it easer to be around myself. I have begun to welcome the dieting cycle into my life and have stopped using it as a crutch for unhappiness. The one area I have not been successful in applying these two principles is morning cardio. I think that may just be the exception! Haha, anyway, I digress…I hope that these lessons will be something I can pass on to my friends and loved ones and that your life too will benefit from these lessons.

1 month out from first pro show!!

2009-12-17T17:53:00.000-08:00

Original Post: 6-8-2008

Time, such a finite measurable thing, has so many meanings. A month waiting to see a loved one seems like forever, yet a month leave from deployment is so very short. The same is true for competitors. A month is so brief in relation to getting a routine and physique perfect, but the same month drags on forever when talking about dieting or number of cardio sessions yet to endure. This is my month out mark, and like anyone else, I struggle with the dichotomy. My ch$%#ographer Mario, who is amazing, and knows of my struggle, had a surprise for me this week. My favorite show, well one of them, is So You Think You Can Dance, and my favorite dancer Lauren (from season I) is friends with Mario and surprised me this week at my practice. I was star struck. I was star struck by girl 8 years younger, 6” shorter and 50 lbs lighter. I felt silly but elated. How motivating it is to be inspired and then to meet your inspiration...it was a good week and a turning point in my training. This is my first pro show and the beginning of a whole set of new dreams. But, meeting Lauren, a regular girl, reminded me people who achieve their dreams are regular people who have extraordinary dreams and don’t accept that they are regular. I do not accept where I have landed. I want more. I can be more. I can do more. I will achieve more. And then, I will have new hopes and dreams.