I am pleased with my progress so far, but looking at the pictures of the women who are winning the contests makes me realize that I have a long way to go to achieve the shape & definition I need, especially in my legs & back.

So, knowing I have a limited time before I step on stage, I feel I need to squeeze the most from every workout & every rep, & of course–the best nutrition program possible. So while working out this week, it hit me: instead of thinking how I have to ‘get through’ my prescribed number of reps set by my coach, I wanted to make each rep count.

So my new philosophy is that every exercise I approach, I look at it as ‘X-number of opportunities for improvement’. For example, if I have 12 reps of wide-grip lat pulldowns, that is 12 opportunities to stimulate my lats into growth, carve deeper definition & cuts, improve my strength, & widen my lat spread. Wow! It is amazing how much more energy I have & how intense I feel each rep now that I am looking at it like that! Instead of getting through 15 squats, I now focus on each rep as a singular opportunity to get my legs in to the best shape possible by the time I step on stage!

When I am getting near the end of an exercise, have about 3 more reps to go, feeling the burn, & the muscles are wanting to give out on me—I think to myself—”3 more to go! ONLY 3 more opportunities to get as much out of this exercise as I can! It’s now or never, or the opportunity is lost.” Those last 3 reps, when you think you can’t go any further, is where the real growth & progress happens.

This has been so powerful for me already, I just wanted to share it. Maybe it will help motivate you when you start dreading an exercise, or just wanting to get it over with. Hey–we’ve all been there! I know I have!

There’s no points (i.e. Pro Card) for second best!

Be Defiant!

Christy

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I am reprinting this article that was featured on www.NaturalNews.com. If you are not receiving updates from this website, you are missing some of the most important information out there about your health, and one of the few honest reporting sites of the atrocities forced upon us by the FDA, Big Pharma, Big Food, etc etc. THIS is why I say you have to FIGHT FOR YOUR HEALTH, folks! If you think the FDA’s motive is to protect you, the innocent consumer, then you are sadly disillusioned.

A note here: My family owns a beef cattle farm. I am in NO WAY slighting the hardworking people who labor to bring us food for our tables. This is not an organic family farm we are talking about here–it is a huge monstrous company that operates very mysteriously. My parents know each & every cow, calf, & bull on our farm. They are named, checked twice a day, roam freely on lush grass pastures, are never injected with ANYTHING, & are treated like pets. We do sell the calves at auction, but many of them do go on to become brood cows, stud bulls, etc., so it’s not always a death sentence. I choose not to eat red meat anymore, but if I did, I would choose meat from a local, organic farm.

When I beg you to choose organic, it’s not only because of what is IN it–higher nutrition, more minerals, better taste, etc. But it’s also because of what is NOT in it!   Some have argued that with depleted soils organic isn’t much better. There is a certain validity to that, BUT (and it’s a big BUT!) if the farm is truly organic, they will begin by building the soil with compost & organic nutrients to provide a rich growing environment for the crops without synthetic fertilizers which leach the soil of its nutrients. So, TRUE organic should be vastly superior in nutrition, and there are studies that do prove that.  I.E.  Study from the JAFC & Rebuttal to the Flawed British Study.    And a GREAT one from Rutgers:  Mineral Content of Organic Food.   Just Google about research on organic food–lots of good information.

The following article will shock and disgust you.  I am not making any kind of moral judgment on eating meat or not, but the point is–if you DO eat meat, DON’T eat it at a fast food joint!  Support your local, organic farmer.  Yes, it costs more at the cash register.  But what does the cheap meat cost in sickness, disease, & death?

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Window cleaning chemical injected into fast food hamburger meat

By Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, Editor of www.naturalnews.com.

(NaturalNews) If you’re in the beef business, what do you do with all the extra cow parts and trimmings that have traditionally been sold off for use in pet food? You scrape them together into a pink mass, inject them with a chemical to kill the e.coli, and sell them to fast food restaurants to make into hamburgers.

That’s what’s been happening all across the USA with beef sold to McDonald’s, Burger King, school lunches and other fast food restaurants, according to a New York Times article. The beef is injected with ammonia, a chemical commonly used in glass cleaning and window cleaning products.

This is all fine with the USDA, which endorses the procedure as a way to make the hamburger beef “safe” enough to eat. Ammonia kills e.coli, you see, and the USDA doesn’t seem to be concerned with the fact that people are eating ammonia in their hamburgers.

This ammonia-injected beef comes from a company called Beef Products, Inc. As NYT reports, the federal school lunch program used a whopping 5.5 million pounds of ammonia-injected beef trimmings from this company in 2008. This company reportedly developed the idea of using ammonia to sterilize beef before selling it for human consumption.

Aside from the fact that there’s ammonia in the hamburger meat, there’s another problem with this company’s products: The ammonia doesn’t always kill the pathogens. Both e.coli and salmonella have been found contaminating the cow-derived products sold by this company.

This came as a shock to the USDA, which had actually exempted the company’s products from pathogen testing and product recalls. Why was it exempted? Because the ammonia injection process was deemed so effective that the meat products were thought to be safe beyond any question.

What else is in there?
As the NYT reports, “The company says its processed beef, a mashlike substance frozen into blocks or chips, is used in a majority of the hamburger sold nationwide. But it has remained little known outside industry and government circles. Federal officials agreed to the company’s request that the ammonia be classified as a ‘processing agent’ and not an ingredient that would be listed on labels.”

Fascinating. So you can inject a beef product with a chemical found in glass cleaning products and simply call it a “processing agent” — with the full permission and approval of the USDA, no less! Does anyone doubt any longer how deeply embedded the USDA is with the beef industry?

Apparently, this practice of injecting fast food beef with ammonia has been a well-kept secret for years. I never knew this was going on, and this news appears to be new information to virtually everyone. The real shocker is that “a majority” of fast food restaurants use this ammonia-injected cow-derived product in their hamburger meat. It sort of makes you wonder: What else is in there that we don’t know about?

“School lunch officials and other customers complained about the taste and smell of the beef,” says the NYT. No wonder. It’s been pumped full of chemicals.

There are already a thousand reasons not to eat fast food. Make this reason number 1,001. Ammonia. It’s not supposed to be there.

You can get the same effect by opening a can of dog food made with beef byproducts, spraying it with ammonia, and swallowing it. That is essentially what you’re eating when you order a fast food burger.

It’s almost enough to make you want to puke. If you do so, please aim it at your windows, because ammonia cuts through grease like nothing else, leaving your windows squeaky clean!

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News from Defiant Health!

Great news!   I have found several local gyms that will let me train as an independent personal trainer!  Yay!  And they are all wonderful facilities.  If you live in the Downtown/NE/SE Columbia area, I am now training at Brickhouse Gym on Huger St–an awesome, truly hardcore gym with the best array of equipment in town.  The only gym I know with sledgehammers & tractor tires!  Many elite athletes train there.  Great atmosphere.  My latest photos were taken there, so you can see how cool it is!  They also offer $10 per month discount on your new membership if you join as my client–awesome!

Closer to my home in Chapin, I am now training at Back in Shape Fitness Center in Chapin, SC, on Columbia Dr, just off Exit 91 on I26.  Also a super hardcore-style gym with a nice array of equipment.   Owned by a chiropractor/powerlifter, Dr. Ed Bull, who is a lifelong ‘gym guy’ and great at supporting overall health and wellbeing.

And I am also going to be training at Crooked Creek Park, if all goes well.  Final details are being worked out.  They don’t have a lot of weight equipment, but they have wonderful cardio, an indoor track, basketball, etc, as well as outside trails, ball fields, tennis courts, etc.  I don’t need a lot of equipment to whip you into shape, anyway.  I can give you a good workout in a 10-foot-square space with just your bodyweight!

I love all 3 of these wonderful facilities, and am so excited to be training there!  And I appreciate each of them for being so willing to work with me!

I am offering 1/2 hour & 1 hour sessions, as well as the monthly fitness plans & nutrition plans, or a combination thereof!  For example, I can work with you in person 1 day a week, & provide you with a plan for the other days to work on your own.

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Important!

I HAVE A NEW EMAIL ADDRESS!  It is DefiantHealth@gmail.com. If you wish to contact me, please use that email address.

Be Defiant!  Fight for Your Health!

Christy

“Aging Disgracefully–and Proud Of It!”

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On the way home from the gym, my favorite radio station played a tagline that said “Aging Disgracefully—And Proud of It!” I laughed out loud!  Immediately my mind started thinking of all the ways that could be applied, especially to you Defiant friends of mine.   This is going to be part of my slogan from now on!

HOW CAN WE INTERPRET AGING GRACEFULLY?

How can we interpret this ‘Aging Disgracefully’?  What is aging gracefully, anyway?  Does it mean simply sitting back and graciously accepting the ravages of time?   Does it mean meekly succumbing to the degeneration of the body, mind, and spirit without a fight?  Does it mean never lifting a finger to hold off the effects of time–if indeed it is time that is our enemy?  Is it?  Or is it what we do–or don’t do–to our bodies?

Or is it more positive?  Does it mean that we have to accept that youth is ephemeral and that nothing remains the same?  The only constant is change.   Does it mean that you love yourself no matter if you are ‘of a certain age’ or at the prime of your life?  Does it mean that you accept yourself despite a few lines and wrinkles here and there?

My thought is it could be either positive or negative.  As with anything in life, the ‘thing’ is neutral.  It is how you interpret and respond to it that makes it bad or good.  But in the way that the term is consistently used, I interpret it to mean that you accept the inevitable without resistance.

THE MARCH OF TIME

The reason the idea of Aging Disgracefully struck such a chord with me is my own natural Defiant nature. I don’t intend to grow old gracefully–I intend to fight it every step of the way! But by ‘growing old’ I mean old in spirit, too weary to fight the damages that occur to us every day of our lives through our environments, foods, chemicals, stress, and even the natural processes of our bodies. I don’t mean in terms of years. We can’t stop the march of time. We can only make the very best of the time we are given. It doesn’t matter how much time has passed, or how many years we have lived. I bet right now if I asked you to think of the youngest 80-year-old you know, you could think of someone immediately that inspires you. Now, think of the oldest 50-year-old that you know. Not such a pleasant thought, huh?

There are people very close to me who just frustrate me to no end with the age thing. They are so old–but not in years! They are old in spirit and their mental outlook. They couldn’t wait to hit a certain age so they could finally draw social security and get senior discounts. And all they talk about is how many maladies they have, how much they hurt, how old they feel, and how they wish they were younger so they could do things they want to do. In my eternal optimism, I have tried to help by demonstrating exercises–but they refused to try them. By making delicious healthy food for them and teaching them how to replicate it–but they just go though the nearest drive thru. I have been so frustrated I wanted to pound my head against a wall. But I decided to accept it and just be an example by my actions, and not try to force it down their throats. Nobody wants anything forced on them–THEY have to WANT IT for themselves. If your biggest goal in life is to get your AARP card, there’s nothing anyone can do to help you!

AGING DISGRACEFULLY

Here’s how I am aging disgracefully:

There’s nothing graceful about my workouts. Huffing and groaning under heavy weights in contorted positions is definitely NOT graceful. Jumping around like a frog or using cardio machines in ways that the manufacturer never intended is definitely not graceful, and I get more than my share of strange looks. But every one of those exercises keeps me young, healthy, strong, vibrant, and energetic. They are building the muscles, shaping them, forging them in the fire of battle.

Sweat is not graceful. Soaking wet clothes and hair plastered under my ubiquitous baseball cap is not graceful. But that sweat is burning off the fat that stores all sorts of nasty toxins, and makes us look older and feel tired and sick. That sweat is cleansing every pore and excreting toxins out of the body. I read recently that we all need to sweat an hour a day to help the body shed its load of toxins. Don’t go sit in a sauna for crying out loud! Get moving! (Although I must admit that my favorite way to sweat is lying on a float behind our boat in the hot summer sun, getting my tan and Vitamin D on!)

Eating like a horse isn’t graceful. Keeping my kitchen in a perpetual mess through constant food preparation isn’t graceful. But that beautiful, wholesome, raw living food is the key to supple skin, shining hair and fewer wrinkles. It holds the key to brighter eyes, smooth skin, and rosy cheeks. The food is the fuel that builds the full round muscle tone that gives a body a sexy youthful shape. And that food is so pure that it cannot be stored as toxic waste in white adipose tissue, better known as ‘fat’. Instead it is broken down and nourishes every hard-working cell in our bodies.

Being different isn’t graceful. No, I don’t eat like everybody else.  I smile and talk to everyone at parties, without touching the food.  I turn down the offers of alcohol and toxin-laden processed food.  I bring my own food wherever I go.   I irritate the crap out of servers at restaurants.  I stand up for my health and try to educate others to do the same.  I don’t agree with everyone, and I let my opinions be known.   Going along with the crowd and avoiding taking a stand will get you exactly the same thing the crowd is getting.  Is that really what you want?  Don’t get me wrong–I am not contentious, and I try not to call attention to my lifestyle choices, but everybody wants to ask me what my secrets are.  And then they don’t like the answers!  They want the results without the work.  Sorry–life doesn’t work that way!

Being Defiant isn’t graceful! I will not go gently into that good night. I am definitely the one who will be raging against the dying of the light. I am on a mission to prove that we can all be in better shape in our 40’s than in our 20’s, when we didn’t know anything or care, because you could eat pizza and drink beer every day and still look relatively hot. But a few years later, we pay the price for those youthful indiscretions. We know better now. Science is so much better now. We have weapons available to us in the fight against aging that no other generation has had. I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT SURGERY OR MAGIC PILLS! I mean the internet, books, studies, videos, and all the other media that provides us with an overwhelming amount of information. We were not born with an owner’s manual. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves on how to take care of our bodies. Yes, there is conflicting information. Yes, it is confusing. Keep studying. Find what’s right for you and your body. The path will illuminate if you keep shining the light of knowledge.

Being selfish isn’t graceful. What??? Why Christy, whatever do you mean? Society wants us to put ourselves last. Wanting to be healthy, attractive and vibrant is often looked upon as selfish, because you have to spend time exercising, eating right, and focusing on your inner needs and desires. Especially mothers–the more you focus on your family and the less you take care of yourself, the more you are lauded and praised by society while you wither away inside. If you take time for yourself, you run the risk of a lot of disapproval. I feel for you. But remember what they tell you on the plane before you take off—put the oxygen mask on yourself first so that you will be able to help others. Put the ‘oxygen mask’ of exercise and nutrition on yourself now, before it is too late! How can you serve others when you are so sick that you need someone to take care of you?   It is NOT selfish to hold your health in the highest regard, to want to be beautiful inside and out, and to strive to build the best body that you can. What better example can you set?

Shopping in the juniors section isn’t graceful (i.e. appropriate for someone my age).  But if the clothes fit and look great, then who cares how old I am?  A beautiful lady, exactly my same age, commented on the fact that I was wearing a really wicked-cool Bulzeye shirt, denim Ed Hardy miniskirt (with my favorite skulls of course) and funky glittery boots.   She said, “I thought I was too old to wear things like that, but it looks great on you!”  I told her I didn’t see an age limit on the clothes, they certainly weren’t Garanimals, and that as gorgeous as she is she should wear whatever makes her feel good.   She headed out to the mall.  My point–do what makes you feel good, and look good.  Wear the bright color instead of grey or black.    Wear the cool shoes or the racy cocktail dress.  Dress for how you feel, and how you WANT to feel.  Push the limits.  Have some fun.  After all, what do the young do?  They PLAY!!!  Don’t take age seriously, for crying out loud.  Have some fun with it!  Your assignment for today is to GO OUT AND PLAY!!!

BE DEFIANT!

So, in closing, my dear friends, I want you to start ‘Aging Disgracefully’!   And be proud of it!  Fight the good fight.  Take up the weapons at your disposal and defend your one and only body.   Feed it right, keep it moving, and maintain it to perfection.  Fiercely guard your precious health!

Stand up, misbehave, play, have fun, get moving, and most of all–change your history today!

Be Defiant!

Christy

“Aging Disgracefully–and Proud of It!”

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I am going to be working harder than ever, with an eye toward improving my lat spread and continuing to carve out shape and definition overall. And I get to eat a lot more, though still very controlled and an excellent nutrition plan of whole foods. You can’t grow muscle and lose bodyfat unless you are feeding your body plenty of the right kind of fuel!

That’s one thing people just don’t get. They want to keep cutting calories and eating less, and many times the answer is the opposite. But the food intake has to be balanced with the workout routine, and if the workouts aren’t proportional then either fat gain or muscle loss can result, neither of which is desirable.

The Eleven Percent

So what are you doing during this holiday season? Are you defying all the foods laden with toxins and chemicals that are health-destroying? Are you working toward improving for the future? Or are you giving in to all the temptation around you, your willpower laid waste by the stress of the season? Be Defiant! Damage done now in the wink of an eye will take long hard workouts over a long time to undo! Of course, enjoy yourself and some treats, but keep it in moderation.

Let’s be honest, how many holiday parties will you actually go to? Three or four? Ten? And then the family get-togethers on the actual holidays? Let’s estimate high–say 20 holiday meals and parties. There are 31 days in this month, and you should be eating at LEAST 5 or 6 meals a day, so that’s 150 to 180 meals. An average would be 170. Twenty divided by 170 is 11 percent. How do people gain so much weight over the holidays on only 11% of their meals? Come on, be real. Most folks are eating badly ALL the time, not just the special occasions. Keep that other 89% of your meals full of great whole foods chock full of living nutrition, and the measly 11% won’t do that much damage.

A few other tips:

1) Eat BEFORE you go to a party! Don’t go hungry, for crying out loud! That’s a recipe for diet disaster. Keep up your regular schedule of 5 to 7 meals. Don’t skip any meals!

2) Workout HARD the day before and the day of a party or big family dinner. Set your body up to use as many of those extra calories as possible on actually building muscle! Do big, full-body movements that incorporate all the biggest muscle groups, and use weights that really challenge you.

3) Do short, high-intensity cardio sessions with added plyometrics and intervals that set your fat-burning thermostat on high, and help your body incinerate fat and build shape and muscle definition, even through the holidays. Not sure what to do? I can design a plan for you! See Team Defiance! for details! I will also give you plenty of support to get through the season.

4) Keeping your nutrition very strict except for the 11% can actually set your body up to lose even more fat. Having a ‘cheat’ meal after a few days of strict dieting will replenish your hormone levels, especially leptin, and help you burn fat! And many people report that their workouts the day after a big meal are awesome, when the muscles are fully loaded with glycogen and get really pumped.

5) Keep your carb choices to mainly green veggies the day or two before a big dinner or party. That will help with the ‘cheat’ meal cycle previously mentioned. Avoid starchy carbs, sugars, refined flours and breads. But you do that anyway, right?

6) Avoid alcohol as much as possible. There’s just nothing good I can say about it from a physique standpoint. Sugary, fatty drinks are the worst—a doubly-bad diet ding! (Yes, like eggnog!)

7) Enjoy yourself. This is a time of love and celebration. Love yourself enough to put your health as a top priority. But if you fall prey to temptation, no biggie! It’s just part of the measly 11 percent! DON’T beat yourself up and get caught in the trap of feeling guilty and then eating to comfort yourself. It’s what you do in the 89% of the meals that really counts.

BE DEFIANT!!! BE AN 89-PERCENTER!!!

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Rough Weekend With a Sick Kitty

In case you don’t know, my ’son’ is a precious white and orange kitty named “Jukebox”. I know I have mentioned him before on here. It’s just not right how much I love that cat! I probably need therapy. But he is so loving and precious, and just has the best little personality. He tries so hard to talk to me. He doesn’t really meow–he “wows”. And he “wows” a lot! Thus the name Jukebox–he sings all the time.

Poor Jukey got very, very sick last Thursday night. He was pitiful. I won’t go into the details, as it was not pleasant. I only got about 3 hours of sleep, and even ended up laying down with him on the bathroom floor to try to comfort him. It turned out to be a UTI, which was upsetting his stomach terribly and causing him great pain in his hind end. I was so worried it was more than that. He is better now, and today began eating again. He didn’t eat from Thursday night through yesterday (Monday). But the antibiotics seem to be helping and he is much more like himself again.

Juke is 16 years old. I know the inevitable is coming. I just hope it’s many years from now. He has been doing so much better on his raw fish diet. He used to weigh over 20 pounds, and this weekend he weighed 12 pounds which is a much healthier weight for him. The vet was pleased. I didn’t go into why–vets hate the idea of raw food diets. I guess it doesn’t pay their mortgage like the prescription food does. Going to the vet is highway robbery anyway. Absolutely unbelievable!

I can’t bear the thought of life without Jukebox. I can’t really think about it or I will start crying. I know a pet is not the same as a child or family member, but for me he is, and he is as close to human as a four-legged creature can be. He gives so much love so freely. He is my shadow, and absolutely has me trained–I have to sleep on my back with my left arm (not the right arm, only the left!) out so he can curl up in my arm. If during the night I roll up on my side, he will paw at me and “wow” until I assume the proper position. He is not ‘my’ cat: I am ‘his’ human!

How many of you have a pet that you love so dearly it will rip your heart out to lose them? Have you lost one in the past? I have lost two: my horse ‘Bee” that I had for 27 years, and my first cat ‘Dooger’ who lived to be 18. I still cry over their graves (and even now I have tears rolling down my cheeks–I can’t help it). Both were heartwrenching losses, but the joy and love that they brought to my life for so long is worth it all. Leave a comment and tell me your story about your babies.

I am just so thankful I have Jukebox and all the joy and love he brings to my life. May his precious little soul continue to live in health for many years.

This is Jukebox. It's an older picture, when he still weighed 20 pounds!

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I have been making some changes to the Defiant Health site. And more changes are in the works. Soon you will be able to order many of my favorite products directly from the site, which will make things much easier. Please explore around the site, especially the Defiant Tools page, and keep checking back for new content. I am getting some help from people who know far more than I do about web design!

Be Defiant!

Christy

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Here is a video that Michael took while we were at the photo shoot yesterday. This was the first part of the shoot, and it was a LOT of fun!

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Check out my brand new page for Team Defiance! Click on the link at the top of the page! This is the information for the customized personal training and nutrition plans.

I have great new products available very soon–including one that will blow you away with how effective it is for reducing your waist size! Stay tuned–I am working hard on getting the website updated! (If you want info on the waist reducer, just email me! Cduffell@sc.rr.com)

Be Defiant!

Christy

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As you all know, unless you have been under a rock or don’t have cable, the real estate market is, well……not what it used to be. The reality of that situation coupled with the realization that I am now the happiest I have ever been, has made me want to pursue my true passion–fitness and nutrition.

Now, I am not by any means abandoning real estate! I just have a lot of time now that I didn’t have before, and have put it to good use in the gym. And in studying holistic nutrition. If I had the funds, I would pursue a PhD in Holistic Nutrition, and I do plan to someday. But I study nutrition passionately, and learn as much as I can every day. With what I learned in my studies, and with the consistent workout schedule, that led me back into competition. Which then led me to Team Bombshell, and the rest, as they say, is history.

My friend asked me last week if I was happy. It only took me a second to stop and realize–I am living my dream. I told her, truthfully, that I am the happiest I have ever been in my life. I am so grateful for everything I have—my incredible husband and soul mate, Michael; the ‘bestest’ kitty in the world, Jukebox; a wonderful family; fantastic friends; and I finally had the guts to step out there and really pursue my dream of competing in Figure. People come into our lives for a reason . ‘When the student is ready the teacher appears.’ I was ready, and Shannon and Rob appeared. And my life has changed.

The only thing missing right now is a consistent source of income. I am still working and have been blessed with much more business than most agents have in this market. And I do feel positive that good things are to come. But when I really sat down and thought about what it is I really want, I realized that I really want to work in the fitness industry and positively affect people’s lives through better health and nutrition. Basically, I want to get paid for working out!

I have been working on a recipe book for a while, although I have been very intermittent and not committed enough to it. That is going to change. I am going to work on that with a vengeance. With what I have learned, I really feel I can help guide people to health through Living Cuisine.

But the big thing right now is this:

I just became re-certified as a personal trainer! I had let my certifications slip after I moved here and got so busy in real estate. But I realized I wanted to train people again, especially because I get so many requests from this site and people that I meet in every day life. Plus, with training, I can have a flexible schedule that allows me to also work real estate. So it’s the best of all worlds!

A BETTER WAY:

But with the economy the way it is, the number of people paying 50 bucks an hour for someone to stand over them and count reps has dropped dramatically. I see the trainers in my town suffering the loss of many clients, and the gyms are letting many of their in-house trainers go. So, there has to be a better way. A way to provide excellent services to many people, at a very affordable cost.

I think I have found that way. Inspired by the way that I am trained by Team Bombshell, which works so incredibly well, I realized that this model of training could be applied to ‘regular’ folks–not just us gym bunnies in sparkly swimsuits! Come on–you know how to count. You can count your own reps! What most people need is a plan.

So here is what I am now offering:

Nutrition plans and workout plans emailed every four weeks, with unlimited email support throughout the month.

Everything will be detailed and spelled out for the client, on a daily basis. Each plan will be customized to the client, based on a thorough initial consultation. The initial consultation can be in person or on the phone. I will create the programs and send them to the client. The clients’ responsibility is to simply FOLLOW THE PLAN! Print out the plan, tuck it in your workout journal (you DO have one, don’t you?) and take it to the gym. Have your meal plan with you, and you won’t even have to think about what you are eating every day–it will all be spelled out for you and relieve all that stress!

I want this to be accessible for EVERYONE, so the fee structure is as follows:

–4-week workout plan: $100

So, basically, you get a comprehensive, customized nutrition or workout plan starting at $100 per month! That’s the equivalent of only two private training sessions! If you are serious about your health, you can save $100 per month just by following the nutrition plan and eliminating a lot of unhealthy things that are also costing you money. Heck, $100 is just one decent dinner out anymore.

This would also be on a month to month basis–no contract, no obligation. Your success will depend on the level of your commitment and motivation. 50 percent effort will be a disaster and you will say that the plan didn’t work. So don’t go there. But if you are really committed and self-motivated to achieve a healthy lifestyle, then this would be perfect for you. And remember, it is customized to you, so you don’t have to fear the plan. It will challenge you to achieve a new personal best, but will be very achievable.

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If you are interested in working with me, please contact me through this site, or email me directly at cduffell@sc.rr.com. I am so excited about this new venture, and already have been working with some wonderful clients. I can work with anyone, anywhere in the world. I am even talking to a wonderful lady who lives in Dubai who will hopefully become a client after recovering from surgery. What a cool place to live!

One big thing!!! If your goal is to compete in Figure, Fitness or NPC/IFBB Bikini—then I will refer you to Team Bombshell at www.bombshellfitness.com.

Team Bombshell offers so much more than just the plans–it’s like having your own PR or modeling agency, coaching you in every detail for competition. They own their own magazine, and just do so much for the Bombshells. It’s a comprehensive, incredible program and they have so many connections in the industry to help launch their athletes. For example, Bombshell Cheryl Brown just was awarded a sponsorship by GNC!!! Wow! (What I would give for something like that!!!) I cannot offer that kind of environment, and the serious competitor needs to be in a place that can maximize their exposure and career. So I will send you directly to Shannon and Rob, do not pass Go, do not collect $200!

I am looking for the person who wants to be in their best shape and health. I especially want to work with people who want to explore the Living Foods lifestyle in more depth and still be fit, toned, and not stick-thin and gaunt like so many people perceive vegetarians to be. But I can work with anyone–you don’t have to go raw vegan for me! I promise! I WILL teach you about the power of whole foods, though. It’s your choice what to do with the education.

So here is my pitch–I want clients! I am available and eager to get you on the road to beautiful health and a gorgeous body! Please contact me, and I will go right to work for you!

Be Defiant! Fight for your health–and I will be right there fighting for it with you. I got your back!!!

Christy

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I just had to share my experiences from today, as I felt I made a major breakthrough on overcoming fears and being intimidated by false obstacles.

First of all, this morning, I shocked myself. Remember back when my big goal was to do 3 full sets of 10 pullups at full bodyweight? I got that goal one time, but only once. And I was using a ‘neutral grip’ where my hands were just slightly wider than my shoulders. I found that I was far weaker on the wider grips, and couldn’t complete many reps, even though I need to work wider to expand my lats. Anyway, I have been doing these really wide-grip pulldowns that Shannon calls “Billy Jacks” 3 times a week to work on widening my back. They are named for the guy who invented them, and they said his back is freaky wide. Plus of course, I have been doing all the other back exercises, but no pullups. They just aren’t in our regimin, so I haven’t attempted any in a while.

This morning, I got a wild hair and decided to try my Billy Jacks as pullups instead of pulldowns. I just wanted to see if I could. Not only could I—but I busted out 5 full sets of 10 reps each! No spotter, nobody around, just me and the bar. And this was using the widest grip possible on the apparatus! The first set was so easy I was amazed. The fourth set was tough, and I did struggle on the last 3 reps of the fifth set, but by golly, I got them!

A similar thing happened last week, as I was able to do 10 sets of 10 Dumbbell Presses for chest at a weight that, prior to Bombshell training, would have been difficult for me to even do three sets. Michael spotted me on that one, though. I tend to fail quickly, without much warning because my muscles just don’t get much of a burn, and I didn’t want to drop a heavy dumbbell on my face.

I was so proud of that accomplishment, but not nearly as proud and happy as I was this morning! Pullups are a big deal to me, especially because so few women can do them. I encourage each of you gals to get thyself to the pullup bar and just do what you can. Work up to it! Start with one, then two, and so on. Believe me, I started out barely able to get more than two!

This just goes to show how wonderful this training is! Since we move so fast, we don’t use very heavy weight, so I had no idea that I would gain this much strength. I am continually impressed by how effective Shannon and Rob are with their training routines and diet.

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The other thing I wanted to tell you was that when you have a big obstacle in your way, face your fears and just bust through it! I had received my pre-contest workouts late last week, and when I read the first one–today’s workout–I was so intimidated. I had to start off with a giant set of four tough exercises, back to back with no rest, and three times through the sets. And then (cue scary music here) I was supposed to do a ONE-HUNDRED-REP set of Leg Presses (yes, 100!), followed by a set of 50 Smith machine wide squats, then 30 step ups on each leg, and then 50 plyometric jump squats. I was seriously dreading this workout, and I usually look forward to legs. I just was so doubtful of being able to get through 100 straight reps, and really had a fear of it. I had heard of pro athletes using 100-rep sets, and it makes grown men cry. Even Terrell Owens does them, thinks they are brutal, and he is an animal.

Well, I didn’t load much weight on the leg press, because I knew it is much more important to get the reps in, with good form, than how much weight we use. Shannon always says it’s not how much weight, it’s how you are working the muscle. I found a thumping motivational song on the iPod and unracked the weight. The first few felt great. I got through fifty without too much struggle, then started counting down by tens. I kept telling myself, just get through the next ten, and then I would stop for two deep breaths and start the next ten. And by the time I got to eighty, my legs were burning but I knew I had it in me to finish strong. So I pushed through the final 20 without stopping. Boy, it felt amazing to be counting 96…97..98…99…100!!!!

I racked the weight and realized I could probably have done more. I could have pushed myself harder and gotten more benefit out of the exercise. But I still had all those other high-rep exercises to go, so I didn’t feel it was a good idea to have nothing left after the first one. Plus I had NO idea how much weight I could push for 100 reps, so I guessed. I then made it through the 50-rep set on the Smith with excellent form, squatting deeply, and really felt each rep. But it didn’t kill me. I wasn’t puking or laid out on the floor, as I was afraid I would be. I made it through the step ups well, and then got through the plyo squats, although those just about got me. The last 10 on those, I couldn’t feel my legs! They had just gone numb, but I was still jumpin’!!

The moral of the story is: don’t let your fears stop you! You may have an intimidating task or obstacle in front of you. The fears are most likely blowing it up to be a much bigger monster than it really is. When I took that deep breath and plunged into that 100-rep set, I was so afraid of failing, of not finishing, of not being strong or good enough, of hurting myself, of losing my lunch on the gym floor, and of embarrassing myself if I dropped the weight or something. (I had no spotter, so I was on my own.) But those fears simply turned out to be mirages; misty ghosts that dissolved into wisps with each passing rep. As I realized I was actually doing it, I then felt stronger and stronger, and finishing the drill was complete elation!

Now, I wish I had pushed harder. I wish I had challenged myself more. I am not only not afraid now, but I am looking forward to doing it again and challenging myself! I don’t know when I will have that opportunity, but I know I am ready. This was such a rush, and an amazing feeling, and I couldn’t believe how fearful I had been. I had a real break through today. I shattered that paradigm of limitations that I had subconsciously placed on myself, and I broke free. What a feeling!

Talk about being defiant! Defying your own ghosts, demons, and fears is probably the hardest thing of all. Defy your fears. Look them in the eye, grab them by the throat, throw them down, and use them as a stepping stone instead of a stumbling block. After today, I will be less fearful, because I can look back at this experience, and say, “Hey, if I can do that, I can do anything!”

I just had to share this with you. First, to show you I am totally human and not some workout machine. I have fears and insecurities just like anyone else. I am not trying to brag here. In fact, I am a little embarrassed to expose my silly fears to you. I hope you understand what I mean by the elation I feel. And second, to show you that your body is capable of much more than you give it credit for! Go out there and challenge yourself. Be better than the best you thought you could be!

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And now I have to go do my second cardio session, while watching my Atlanta Falcons try to beat the undefeated, awesome Saints. I don’t think it will happen, but ‘Bird is the Word’ tonight! Go Falcons!

I want to close with a great quote I just saw:

Today is the time of your life, to have the time of your life.

Think about that one for a few minutes!

Be Defiant!

Christy

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I have been running so hard (literally!) the past week I haven’t had much of a chance to update you. Things are going well in my training. My calf is MUCH better, and I have been able to return to some of my plyometrics and even some treadmill work, such as walking lunges, side lunges, walking backwards, and that type of thing as long as it doesn’t involve running. Dr. Renick hasn’t released me to run or do any weighted calf work yet, but I should be able to get back pretty quickly. Honestly, the step mill FEELS much more difficult than the treadmill, from an intensity and exertion standpoint to me. But I know my coach, Shannon, wants me on the treadmill for specific muscle-building reasons, so I am looking forward to being able to get back to my prescribed routine. She has been great through my injury, always stressing that health comes first, and that it is better to substitute than to risk a worse injury. She always says that I am in this for the long haul. I sure hope so!

I must tell you how invaluable the A.R.T. work was for me. I talked to two different people, one man and one woman, who had the same injury I do. They both said that it was three MONTHS before they could get back to doing any kind of running. I was distressed when I heard that, of course. But I have made incredible progress in less than two weeks. I asked Dr. Rennick, and he said they probably didn’t receive any kind of soft tissue therapy, and that I had been smart in getting therapy within 24 hours after the injury. I am continually amazed by the difference the soft tissue therapy has made in my body. So many of the chronic pains I had just come to accept as part of my life are now non-existent. My flexibility is so much better. And the obvious speed in healing after what I thought was a debilitating injury is incredible. (I do think my raw diet has a LOT to do with that, too!)

I have to say that I am SO glad I got the therapy, but it HURT! You know in the Western movies, where they have to cut a bullet out of someone, and they give him an arrow to bite down on? I was wishing I had an arrow when I had that first session! Whew! But considering I could barely hop into the office on one leg, and was walking normally within 48 hours afterward, I would say the pain was definitely worth the gain!

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Nationals is now three weeks from yesterday. I have a new set of meals, cardio and diet. I was supposed to start tomorrow, but I already got a bit of a jump start on it. I jsut want to be the best I can be!

We worked out yesterday in The RUSH! Fitness complex in Knoxville, at the East location in Knoxville Center Mall. That is one of the most radical gyms I have been to! We really enjoyed it. The people were all so nice, and when they found out I was competing, went out of their way to make sure I had anything I needed. One thing I really liked was that all the weight equipment was arranged according to bodyparts–a ‘Legz’ area, ‘Shoulderz’, etc. (Everything has a ‘z’ on the end, which was cute.) I was doing cardio and didn’t get to really test it out, but it seems to me that would be great for the superset and giant set type of workouts I do. Michael did work legs, and he loved it. We did go to the ‘Abz’ area and did a great circuit, one of the best I have ever done.

RUSH! had so many off-the-wall features, too. They had this ‘Dunk-oline’ thing which was a trampoline with basketball goals and curtains around the side so you could jump ridiculously high and dunk basketballs. Awesome! And the coolest feature was this big tall rock-climbing wall rising right out of the middle of the gym. Oh, how I wished I had time to tackle that thing! I LOVE climbing stuff!

So if you are traveling in the Knoxville, TN or Asheville, NC area, definitely stop in at a RUSH!. They are great, and very reasonable on the fees. I just wanted to give them a shout-out in appreciation for a great workout and exceptional hospitality!

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Another shout-out must go to my FAVORITE place in the entire world–Litton’s Market in Knoxville, TN. Michael and I have eaten at many fine places in great cities, including a restaurant rated in the top 10 in the world in the Bahamas–the Greycliff. But I wouldn’t trade fifty of those places for one meal at Litton’s. It’s just a down-home ‘burger joint’ that is so relaxed and fun, but has the best of everything. I don’t care what we get there, it’s always the best I have ever had. Even the coffee! You know how you just drink coffee and may say, ‘Oh that was good’? This is like, Wow, every sip has to be savored, holding it on my tongue as if it were a fine wine. It’s just that delicious. And that’s just the starter!

How good is Litton’s? Well, it has been featured in Southern Living Magazine, among many others. It gained national notoriety as one of ‘Todd’s Taste of the Town’ Features on a ESPN football game a couple of years ago. And, as luck would have it, when we were there Friday night, Todd Blackledge, Erin Andrews, and the rest of the ESPN Game Crew had just left from having dinner. Darn! I would have loved to meet them! Eric Litton, son of Barry Litton the owner and founder, talked with us for a long time, and is always delightful and a good friend. Barry is recovering from rotator cuff surgery, so best wishes for a speedy recovery to the man who makes many thousands of people blissfully happy! I told Michael as I took my last bite Friday night–It will be a year before I am this happy again! I was good, though. Yes, I had my ‘cheat meal’ but I didn’t blow it out like I normally would have. Hmmm…….maybe we should drive back after the contest. It’s worth a four and a half hour trip!

They now have a website where you can order their incredible desserts. Visit Littons Mail Order to have their incredible treats delivered to you, wherever you are. I cannot recommend their desserts highly enough. Your taste buds will think they died and went to heaven! Definitely try their Red Velvet Cake, if nothing else. Put it on your ‘Bucket List’—it’s that good!!! The Italian Cream Cake is a close second. For you chocolate lovers, the innocent-sounding ‘Cream Cheese Brownie’ is a chocolate explosion with a shot of Almond that sends you into the stratosphere! OMG! I am making myself hungry!

Come to think of it, I think I may do that for Thanksgiving. Having a Litton’s cake would be out of this world, and since Thanksgiving is a few days after Nationals, it would be perfect! Although, I may still have to give the nod to my Mom on the German Chocolate Cake contest. Mom’s is the best!

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I did put a house under contract last week, so please pray that inspections go well this week. My client is a first-time home buyer and we need to close before the end of November to get him that $8000.00 tax credit. (And for me to continue to make a living!)

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Michael took a big step last week, and resigned his position with his current company to take advantage of a wonderful opportunity as the Major Accounts Manager for Digital Office Solutions. His role will be expanded also, to include implementing a new printer program and software programs. He is very excited and so am I. It’s a great company with dynamic ownership, and has been growing, even during the recession that has hurt the office equipment business so much. So, to my Soul Mate and Best Friend—I love you and support you on this exciting new adventure!!!

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I am so ready to kick this week into high gear on my pre-National workouts! I am raring to go! I am going to work harder than ever before, and just be the best that I can be.

Blessings to you all, and always remember—you have to FIGHT for your health! Be Defiant! Stand up to the forces that conspire to keep you down. YOU are in control, not the fast food joints, Big Food companies, Big Pharma, your cravings, and even your family. Only you are in control of every bite that goes in your mouth, and you are also in control of whether you make the time to put your health first and get to the gym, or at least get in some good exercise. You can do it! You are worth it! Fight!

Be Defiant!

Christy

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P.S. Watch for a big announcement coming from me very soon!

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And that brings me to the big news! I AM SO EXCITED!!! MY DREAM FINALLY CAME TRUE AND I WON AN NPC FIGURE COMPETITION!!! I was so fortunate to win the Overall Title of the Masters Division at the Fort Lauderdale Cup last weekend. In Masters, I am competing against women my age–35 and over. But in the BIG SURPRISE of the evening, I also won my class, Class B, in the OPEN Division–where I have to compete against EVERYONE!!! That blew me away. I won everything I entered, except the Overall posedown for the Open Title. My teammate, and great friend, Andrea Lyons won that–and deservedly so. She is awesome, and has been top 10 nationally for at least the past couple of years.

Explanation: In Figure, you compete according to height (and also age in the Masters). I am exactly 5′4″, so I am in either Class B or C at each show, depending on how they have the classes broken down. This one had 4 classes, so I was B. In the National Shows, they have 6 classes, so I am C.

Check out info and pics at www.BombshellFitness.com. You will have to scroll down INSIDE the window at the center of the screen. Look for results from the Fort Lauderdale Cup.
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This was a whirlwind and totally unexpected, because I went down to the show ONLY to be in the team picture and to watch and learn, since I was getting ready for the November 14th show. Michael didn’t even go with me, because I had no plans to compete yet. I didn’t think I was even CLOSE to ready!

When I arrived and saw Shannon, my coach, she gave me some of the highest praise I have ever received in my life. She is a tough cookie! Not easily impressed. But the second I saw her, she grabbed me and said that she was so impressed with my work ethic and the amazing improvements I have made in such a short period of time. She took me up to Rob, her husband and my diet guru, to be evaluated. They both said they wanted me to get on stage and compete. I was shocked, and said ‘No way, I am not ready yet!’ They said ‘Yes, you are, and at the very least it would be great practice and a learning experience. Get on stage and let’s see what happens.’

One thing I have learned is to trust Shannon and Rob’s judgment implicitly. So I agreed. I did have my suit and heels with me, because I was scheduled to attend a posing seminar, so all I really needed was a tan. So they sent me to the spray tan people–which is a Godsend! WAY better and tons easier than painting myself with Pro Tan! They sprayed me down, greased me up, and put me out on stage. I practiced like a mad woman at the posing seminar Friday night, because I totally was not any good at posing my back lat spread. Several pro competitors worked very diligently with me to help me, and they were such a blessing. I finally ‘got it’! And lo and behold, I won both my classes, and the Masters Overall! And I even heard comments about my back looking really good–whoo hoo!

Poor Michael was so upset that he wasn’t there to see me win my first show. But even when I called Friday night to tell him that I was going to compete, I had no inkling of winning, so we didn’t think much of it. I really was only looking at it as practice, so I wasn’t stressed at all. Maybe that was for the best! I was totally relaxed, joking around and having fun with the ladies backstage, and just really enjoyed all of it. But when I called him to tell him I won, he was so happy but so upset he wasn’t there to see it. I feel horrible, but who knew?

I even had to ship all my trophies home by Fedex! I couldn’t carry them, as I flew by myself. They just arrived here on Wednesday.

If it were not for my dear ‘Bombshell’ Sista Angela Firkins, I wouldn’t have even been there. With all our travel and facing a long lean winter of probably very low real estate sales, I didn’t think I could justify spending the money to go. She said she was going, and that if I could just get down there, I could stay with her and save money. So I wouldn’t have even been able to be there for the team photo or anything if it weren’t for Angela, much less compete. So I wanted to give her a big shout-out, and a heartfelt ‘thank you’ with my utmost, humble appreciation. I love you, Ang!!!!

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There was also a Pro Figure and Fitness competition at this show. That was awesome. I was able to meet some of the amazing women that I admire from the magazines all the time. For example, Erin Stern. Her recent 6-page spread in FLEX magazine was awe-inspiring and so motivational. I told her I had her picture in my office for motivation! She was SO nice and gracious. Truly beautiful inside and out. Two of my teammates, Gennifer Strobo and Cheryl Brown, placed in the top five of the Pro Figure–and it was both their debuts! Yay for them! I was so thrilled for them–in their first Pro Show, too. Wow!

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So now even more big news—by winning the two titles, I qualified to compete at the National Shows!!! Shannon has entered me in the upcoming NPC National Figure Championships, held in Hollywood Florida on Nov 21st. So it’s a big ‘wham-bam, thank you ma’am!’ and I am now in training, not for a regional show in November, but a full-on National showdown. Whoa! I can’t wait to see what that entails–I will probably have to work out 6 times a day! It’s all so sudden, but I am going to give it all I have.

I cannot take any of the credit for my success. Shannon and Rob tell me what to do, and I do it. And I trust that the results will come. I will say, however, that when I stepped on stage Saturday night, I knew deep down in my heart that I had done absolutely everything to the best of my ability. I never slacked or skipped workouts or cheated on my meals. I do have to substitute in some exercises for ones I can’t do due to injury, but I always make sure my substitutes are just as hard if not harder. For example, my knees won’t tolerate hack squats, so I substitute Smith machine squats. But I go heavier with the Smith. And you know that I do a good bit of rearranging on my diet to keep it as raw as possible. I am certainly not vegan anymore, but I do eat probably 40% vegan proteins and keep it as raw as possible with sushi and sashimi otherwise.

So I didn’t have any nagging feeling of “I wish I had tried harder” or knowing deep down that I didn’t give 110%. I KNOW I did, and that is the one thing I can take credit for. And it was such a good, calming feeling to know that I brought the absolute best I could be at that point in time. The outcome is subjective and out of my control. But being the best I can be is ultimately in my control and that’s what I did. It is certainly not the best I WILL be, because I am getting better and better! So my goal for Nationals is to add size on my shoulders, lats and thighs and come in even better and leaner than I did for the regional. Will it be enough? Who knows? But I will know that I did all I could, and that’s all I can do! Getting in better shape takes time and patience. And especially persistence and consistency. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.

Blessings to you all!!!!

Be Defiant!

Christy

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So I guess I will do what I like to do on a fall Saturday anyway—glue my rear end to the couch in front of the TV and watch a lot of college football! But I thought I would take advantage of actually having a few minutes of spare time and give you an update.

For some reason, my computer and Shannon’s computer were just not talking to each other, and I had not received my new weight workout schedule. I emailed Shannon several times and she tried to send it several times, but it just wasn’t coming through. So I had been making up my own weight routines based on the workouts from camp and from my first 4 weeks of Bombshell training. I think I did a good job—I kicked my own butt everyday! I would make up the routine beforehand and then make myself stick to it just as if Shannon sent it. Things don’t sound as difficult on paper as they are when you are trying to do them in a circuit routine—whew!

Knowing we were going on this trip, and that I would have no hope of being able to work out while we were here, I only rested one day last weekend, and started my five days of workouts on Sunday. I got in my two cardio workouts every day, in addition to the weights. That was tough, no doubt. Boy was I glad they upped my food intake!  I received my new weight workouts on Wednesday, and all the body part splits were completely changed around, so Shannon said to finish what I was doing and start the new ones on Monday.

The new workouts change the splits completely. Instead of focusing on each bodypart individually, like legs, back, chest, etc., now legs are split up with everything else blended in. So it’s like: hamstrings, calves, shoulders one day and quads, back, biceps the next day. Basically, I will be working legs almost every day and there is a lot less focus on upper body. I assume that’s because I am on the final countdown to contest, and of course legs are by far the hardest body part for women to bring in hard and cut. I am excited to see what the results will be, because I have never been able to get my legs in the condition that I want then to be, no matter what I did. Wow, I am so grateful to have Shannon and Rob’s experience and expertise guiding me now. I realize more and more every day how much I needed a coach and some help on this competition thing!

I totally forgot to take my measurements on Wednesday like I normally do. This week was so crazy, trying to fit in 6 days of work into 4, on top of the 3 workouts a day! So things slipped my mind all week. I did finally remember to at least measure my waist before we left on Friday morning. I had my big, awesome cheat meal on Thursday night, because I didn’t want to haul all the pancake stuff on the trip, and I felt the best time to eat a cheat meal was when I was the most depleted after the five days of intense workouts. So when I got up Friday morning, I was thinking I would be at least a little bloated or retaining water. So I was very surprised when I easily measured a solid 24 inches on my waist—down a half inch! I was thrilled with that! My waist hasn’t been this small since I was in college, and back then I was just tiny-skinny, not muscular like I am now. In college, I got down to only 103 pounds, which for me probably looked anorexic.

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I have to give a shout-out and some love to gorgeous Lake Jocassee. This pristine lake lies on the border of South and North Carolina, nestled in the mountains. It’s so pretty–the mountains literally drop directly into the waters of the lake, with big mountain boulders lining the shoreline, and there are only two small areas on the lake where there are even houses at all. Otherwise it is just Mother Nature’s unspoiled beauty at its best.

A really cool feature of Lake Jocassee is all the waterfalls. There are several scattered around the lake, of varying shapes and sizes. Whitewater Falls is a huge wide rushing waterfall that steps down massive boulders gradually as it boils noisily into the lake. Then there is a very tall falls where the water drops from a high cliff, and near that one, another rocky falls easy to climb up to see the beauty of the water as it rushes through the woods. But the most fun falls is one that drops down a sheer rock face into deep water, and you can literally run your boat right up under the falls! Our dear friends Jack and Deb are with us on the trip and we had a blast at the falls. Check out the following video for our waterfall experience!

It is pouring rain right now. I am so glad that I got all my workouts in before we came up here. I was thinking, well, I could go for a run and do my intervals out on the mountain roads which would be challenging with the steep hills. But I decided it was best to actually get some rest and rejuvenation, and I am glad. There’s no way we can do anything outside right now. Sadly, there will be no boating today. That’s a shame, with all the work and preparation it takes to make one of these boat trips. And we have a great group here of at least 30 people. But we will make the best of it. There will definitely be football involved, as well as some investment strategy groups working on their Texas Hold ‘Em portfolios. (I may have to do some investing myself—I love Texas Hold ‘Em!) And later, we are all planning to pack into our friends’ cabin, fire up 3 grills, and cook out. There will be lots of adult beverages involved too, I am sure! I am just eating my little meals out of my baggies, and not even a sip of adult beverages for me! Fortunately, I could care less about drinking—not even a slight issue for me. But that birthday cake they had last night for one of our friends……….I just had to stay far, far away!

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Back home today–watching a little more football. I am so happy–the Detroit Lions just won their first game in two years, behind rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford from my beloved University of Georgia. So glad to see Matt having such quick success in the NFL. He was great here–and I wish him all the best.

We had a great time last night at a cookout with all our Power Squadron friends. Michael took some beautiful tuna steaks and just barely seared them on the griddle so they were just seasoned outside and completely sushi-grade inside. Wow! Delicious! I didn’t feel deprived at all among everyone else’s steaks. I had my sides that are ‘prescribed’ on the diet, and enjoyed the evening very much. The rest of the group made s’mores. Yum–they smelled so good. I haven’t had s’mores in years and years. Still didn’t, but it was nice just to enjoy the aroma.

For those of you who aren’t familiar, I have been almost completely raw vegan for two years, but with the Bombshell training and diet protocol, I made the difficult decision to re-incorporate some meat into my diet. I still try to do as much raw as possible, and I had still been eating a little sushi anyway, even over the past two years. Now I eat a lot of sushi. Raw is always better, if possible. And I have discovered that some people even promote a ‘primal diet’, which consists of a lot of raw meat, especially beef and chicken. Interesting, but I haven’t gotten that brave yet. I do have a friend that is completely raw, and I was very surprised to see him eating raw chicken one day. He swears it’s great and helped him tremendously as he was struggling with raw foods without meat. He said it didn’t matter what he ate or how much fat or calories were in it, on only plant foods he was a walking skeleton, and now is a very healthy weight. But I do enjoy my sashimi. I also enjoy blending my raw oat groats with raw egg whites—mmmmmmm, tastes like cake batter. It’s even better with one yolk in it, but I can’t do any yolks right now.

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I am going to jump back on my cardio tonight. We are leaving Wednesday to go to Texas to visit Michael’s stepmother, who is bravely battling cancer. He hasn’t seen his family in a long time, so we are excited. I am also excited to get to work out with my really cool niece Angelique, who is in the Army, and is also a personal trainer. And I will get to see my dearest Bombshell ‘Sista’ Angela, who lives near San Antonio. Hopefully, I will get to tell you all about it. But with the travel schedule, I want to make sure to get ALL of my workouts in, so I am going to get a head start. Plus I can only sit still for so long–it’s time for some active football watching. Oh, and tonight is the new season premiere of ‘Dexter’–my FAVORITE show. Yes, macabre I know, but man is it good!

It was a little tough to be Defiant of all the food this weekend, but I am proud to report I made it through almost perfectly, with only the slightest taste of a homemade dessert just to avoid hurting a dear friend’s feelings. It was good–I could have eaten the whole thing, but one must defy those things to keep one’s eye on the goal!

Be Defiant!

Christy

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