Babies!

Today was double awesome!  I spent my whole 12 hour shift with a family who had their baby half hour before I was done -- great day!  (I got a little happy emotional HAHA I'm a huge suck!)

AND!

Super healthy eats!  Went to Costco with Erica after shift and stocked up!  Healthyness packed for lunch tomorrow :D!

That's it!  Just updating and then hitting the hay!

Night!

AHA!

Ok friends!  What do you think about these names??

A) Skinny Jean Life
B) Skinny Jean Confessions

I like both of them.  Short, sweet, continue what I've been talking about but make it more general.  Thoughts....?

I am sitting here drinking my candy cane lane green tea and patting myself on the back for having had such a great week!  I saw my old boss (a dancer!) at work today, and she could not stop commenting on how good I look.  Seriously, it was getting ridiculous.  There's some real life feedback for you.  Felt amazing!  She is like my second mother and took me under her wing when I came to university, so I skipped my workout tonight to go to her daughters birthday party.  I think that was some legit prioritizing.  I had NO CAKE and NO PIZZA and was very happy with my decision.  I came home and made super easy makeshift cabbage rolls by microwaving frozen brussel sprouts (thank you miss Erica for stocking the freezer with those) and textured vegetable protein (TVP) sauteed with onions and a little bit of spice and macadamia nut oil.  SO GOOD!

TVP is bland by itself but with the spice and onion it was good.  Erica is going to make some soup with it for me this week and I can't wait.  I don't know if any of you know who Tosca Reno is -- the Eat Clean Diet lady also known as one of my heros.  Anyways, I busted out her book and she uses TVP as a substitute for ground beef all the time.  So vegetarians CAN eat clean!

I have been enjoying my vegetarian meals SO MUCH MORE!  I think that is what has been keeping me going.  I have added an iron supplement at night just so I don't get low.

Dance yesterday was rockin!  My ankle didn't hurt at all and I really feel like I am improving.  This is what makes me happy.

Ok, ok...enough rambling SJ!

Hope you all enjoy the rest of football Sunday!

Day 3-6

So, somehow I missed 3 days.  Oh boy!  I'm starting to think that maybe I just wasn't cut out for this blogging world.  Or maybe I should just not make promises that I can't keep...

Anyways...on to more important things.  This week has been 200% better than last week!  I guess every once in a while you need a week of feeling crappy to remind you how good you feel when you take care of yourself.  I had a bad day on day 3, but I just let that go and continued on track on Thursday.

I started the meal plan from the competition again.  I'm not sure if I wasn't eating enough of my own plan, or the wrong combinations of stuff but since I switched I'm feeling great.  Who knows...maybe its a placebo effect.

Workouts this week...stellar!
Like I said, I did one full body, one upper body and one lower body workout.  I did cardio on all these days too.  I have not been so sore since the beginning of this competition.  It really felt good this week.  I just hope I can dance today.  Oh yeah!  I also did hot yoga yesterday...happy, sweaty!

Today is dance day!  Food is packed!  I hope you all have a wonderful Saturday!

SJ

...ps 2 weeks until Blue Mountain opens!!! Cheyaaa!

Day 2B

Sorry It's late...crazy day but yep I did it.

Stay posted tonight for more and day 3b update.

;)

Day 1B

Day 1...AGAIN!

YAYYY!

So I did it!  I was at the hospital all day and I stuck to my plan!  Even though I really wanted to have junk when I got home, I just ate my snack and had a tea and now I am ready for bed.

What I ate today:

Snack:
Protein shake and almond milk

Breakfast:
Oatmeal
Unsweetened Applesauce
5 Egg whites

Lunch:
6ish oz Tofu
Roasted Veg
3/4 cup brown rice

Dinner:
6oz egg whites
Salad
oil and vinegar
1/2 avocado

Snack:
175g plain greek yogurt
1/3 cup pumpkin
Spice and sweetener

There you have it!  Feelin good!  Hope you all are too!

SJ

Confessions!

Well it has been a week since I finished the competition, and I will have to say this week did not go as healthy as I intended.  I have a not-so-healthy all-or-none attitude when it comes to eating right.  I think I had junk every day except for one day this week, which is not the way I saw myself going after this competition.

So, I am moving on.  Yep I had a crappy week, BUT I had 6 AMAZING weeks!  Time to be amazing again!  This week I missed that feeling of feeling really good about what I have done and what I have accomplished.  Therefore, this coming week I want to get that feeling back.  It is a pretty busy week but I think that will be a good thing for me to get back on track.

 I vow to blog EVERY NIGHT this week so stay accountable.

As for exercise, It has been going well.  I tried that plan last week and I have to say I really really really missed the cardio.  Today I made some changes.  I am not going to not do cardio because I don't want a body builders body.  I would rather a more ballerina-ish look (especially after going to see the Romeo and Juliet ballet this weekend) which means some weights and cardio.

I made 3 workouts.  One upper body, one lower body, and one full body.  I will combine this with cardio, hot yoga, and dance to make me happy.  Today I did the full body and cardio and it felt GOOOOOD!  I am going to be a sore puppy tomorrow!  Good thing I have two days of rest with my two 12-hour hospital shifts!

This was the workout for you curious bunnies...

Supersets (3 sets of 12 reps) of:
Bench press and dead lifts
Chest fly and abs
Cable Rows and stability ball extensions
Leg press by itself

20 minutes of cardio with intervals
-3 minute warm-up
-7 intervals of 8.0-9.0 and 3.4
-3 minute jog/walk to cool down

I think I want to start doing more running...I would like to be doing 10ks again, but I will have to see with my ankle (I was practically limping leaving the gym today :( )

SUCH A RAMBLE!  Oh well...its sunday - you have time!

Catch you tomorrow for accountability central!

Happy week!
SJ

A New Chapter

Hi Friends.  Nice to see you on the other side of the competition.  I promised a big fat reflective post yesterday, but I never got around to i tand for that I am sorry.

So I wanted to say I surprised my self to no end to be able to keep that up for 6 weeks.  Those who are close to me know I've struggled for most of my life with disordered eating.  I'm usually quite good at planning healthy meals but I often throw myself off by bingeing in the afternoons and evenings when my guard is down.  It's only been in the last year that I have really been able to talk about this with anyone.

For me to be able to go 6 weeks without a single episode blows my mind really.  It just proved to me that I can do this and showed to me how good I can feel.  I really think I have made a lifestyle change by sticking to a plan like this for 6 weeks.

This blog and being able to talk about my progress really helped.  It provided an outlet as well as an accountability.  I am going to continue to write about my journey because it helps me so much to have all of this support.

That being said, I am on my 2nd cheat day in a row!  Even though I felt like crap when I woke up and working out at the gym this morning, I just couldn't resist the few treats that were sticking around this morning left over from yesterday.  After today I am going to accept these past 2 days and move on.  I have a plan that I will post as I go.

So, the title of my blog really doesn't work to well anymore...any votes for a new title??  Keep the comments coming because I really appreciate the support!

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

Happy cheat day number 2 two ;)!

SJ

Results.

So close friends.

2nd place.  But I still reaped all of the benefits so its not a terrible thing.  I am still going to continue on and keep on winning in my books.

Now how about you all put in money and make me $1500. :)

Thanks so much for your support!

SJ

The END!

SOOO!!!  I weighed in!  Super exciting news!

Down another 7 lbs!  Down another 4 inches around my waist from the last 2 weeks!  AND THE BIGGIE...down ANOTHER 8% body fat! HUGE!!!  I started at 44% body fat and I am down to 27%!   27% is within a normal female range!  Friggen LOVE IT!

She told me she thinks I have done the best she has ever seen for this contest!  She wants me to do a testimonial and a before and after picture!

So needless to say, IM PRETTY STOKED!

Results when I find out!

Love Y'all!

SJ

The Final Count-Down

Duh nuh nuh nuh, nuh nuh nuh nuh nuhhhh!  Haha!  Every time I hear those words I can't resist!  You're welcome for getting it stuck in your head now too!  Tee hee :).

Now for more important matters....12 FREAKING HOURS!

I am spun!  It feels like Christmas Eve!  You know when you want the morning to come so fast that you can't wait to go to bed?? -- This was me ALL DAY!  It didn't help that I had no energy at dance.  So stoked for tomorrow!

So I haven't had anything to drink since dance except a tea.  I will be sufficiently dehydrated for the weigh in.  Hope it helps.  I will be off to starbucks right after for some much needed (after 6 weeks of deprivation) COFFEE!!

I will post the results as soon as I am back to a computer with junk food :D!  That's right, I'm having one cheat DAY before I get back on a new plan on Monday.  I wont know the winner until tomorrow afternoon probably so the refresh button on my gmail is going to get some serious action all day.  Once the winner is announced I will post.

Get excited because you will be getting a good heart to heart/reflection post tomorrow.  Definitely needed.

For now I am off to occupy myself with something before I go crazy!

Happy last sleep!

SJ

Last Workout!

I'm done my workouts!  And time it was! It was a good last workout, but my legs were so done at the end that I could barely do my cardio intervals.  I can honestly say I've pushed hard enough at the gym to give this competition a run for its money.  Don't fret though...I'm not going to be a lazy bum until Sunday now :).  The plan is 60 minute hot yoga tomorrow morning to sweat everything out then double dance on Saturday.  Hopefully then Sunday I will be announced the winner!  I've picked out an outfit for my weigh in.  It equals basically no clothes lol (clothes weigh a lot friends!  especially when we're talking differences of point something)!  I will get one of my roomates to take a picture of me on Sunday to post.

I was really struggling with energy at the beginning of this week.  I think extreme lethargy is a good way to describe it.  I couldn't even hold my head up!  But today my energy has miraculously returned!  I just got a bunch of stuff done around the house so I can jump in the car back to Oakville tomorrow afternoon.

Alright, I am off to the grocery store to get the last bit of meat and veg to last me through until Saturday night!

If I don't get another post in before sunday...WISH ME LUCK!  (I'm going to need it I think)!

SJ

4 days (to go!)

That is right friends...only 4 more days!  And it's time.  Even my pills are counting down :)

Teehee...sorry for the bad joke but I giggled to myself when I realized this this morning and I just couldn't keep it to myself!

I can honestly say I am tired of this right now.  I think its the meal plan for these last two weeks.  Not terrible food, but honestly...no carbs!  I'm hungry, and tired, and lacking energy and on top of all of this i am PMSing...of course!

So I am counting down the hours right now!  I wish I wasn't but this last meal plan is KILLING ME! I am excited to be done this but I've been doing a lot of thinking about what is to come afterward.  I am honestly scared I wont be able to continue on the same path, but I really want to.  So, hopefully for once in my life I have enough inner motivation to keep going.

I have organized a little get-to-gether with girlfriends on Sunday night where I am going to have some treats.  They say not to reward yourself with treats after an accomplishment like this, but I am just thinking of it as a planned cheat day/meal.  This way I will be motivated to get back on track on Monday.  We will also be playing some board games so that is another little fun thing on top of the treats.  I think I should reward myself though...maybe a new workout top or something :).  Or the new yoga mat I have been dying to buy.

As far as Monday goes, I do have a plan.  I have visited the wonderful website of bodybuilding.com  thanks to the advice from my super roomate Erica.  There are a bunch of nutrition and workout plans that look great!  It's really a great resource for you weight trainers out there.  I am going to be following the Jamie Eason 12 week plan, as well as I can with Christmas and my move to shift-work-in-the-middle-of-nowhere in January.  But I will keep you all posted with my progress!

This has been such a great way to outlet my feelings as well as keep me motivated.  I hope you have all gotten as much out of it as I have and continue to do so.

So I leave you with 4 more days, 4 more days, 4 more days, 4 more days...

xo
SJ

Icky Sicky

Yep!  It happened!  I got a cold!  My immune system cannot handle anything even when I am treating my body like a princess!  Apparently when you are me you can still get sick even if you are eating super healthy and working out!

The good news, I only missed one workout.  The bad news, I MISSED A WORKOUT!  There was no way I could do it!  And this weekend is nutso so I wont be able to get it in on Sunday.  The plan..?  Workout 5 days in a row next week!  I can do this!

Being sick was rough.  All I wanted was soup and crackers and tea with milk, but I had to have broccoli and chicken -- didn't cut it!

But I did it! As hard as it was, I stayed on track.  After this plan is done...IN A WEEK!  I am going to be looking seriously at some other protein options -- pork tenderloin, egg whites, tofu, ground chicken balls...any other ideas??  I just cannot stomach the chicken anymore!

So I think the time is now to start a countdown...basically 8 more days!  I'm not counting next Sunday because I weigh in at 8AM on Sunday.  I'm seriously doubting my ability to win right now...but you never know.  Maybe this cold knocked everyone down!  We will see.

On another note, my scrubs that I could barely squeeze into on week 2 of this competition fit like a glove on Thursday!  I was the happiest little pre-nurse on the planet!  That is pure motivation to keep up this work!

I think I may continue the blog as time goes on...then I can post my workouts and meals as well because they will be my own.  Do you guys want to hear about my journey as it continues?? Honestly the blogging has been a huge help and release!

By the way, I am feeling better today -- no longer death sick!

YAY!  Happy Weekend!

SJ