Sun Warrior Protein
and Muscle Gain

A remarkable quality about Sun Warrior Protein is that it contains Gamma Oryzanol. Sun Warrior Protein is made from bio-fermented raw sprouted whole grain brown rice (with the bran and germ). The Japanese have been using and studying this natural compound for years. Gamma Oryzanol is found in different parts of rice, in particular the rice germ and rice bran. What the Japanese have found is that Gamma Oryzanol increases muscle mass, is a potent anti-oxidant and is very effective in healing ulcers, lowering cholesterol, and other conditions. Gamma Oryzanol is used by some athletes based on early reports that suggested it enhances muscle growth and sports performance. According to numerous studies, Gamma Oryzanol produces these benefits by increasing levels of testosterone, growth hormone, and other anabolic (muscle-building) hormones.

On a basic level, protein is needed to provide the essential amino acids necessary for GH synthesis. Protein is utilized by the growth hormones to build muscles. Protein is made up of amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of your muscles and muscle tissue. Without them, it would be impossible to build, repair or even maintain muscle tissue.

Sun Warrior Protein contains all 9 essential and non-essential amino acids in a perfectly balanced Amino Acid Profile. In fact, our comparison by an independent lab test confirms that Sun Warrior Protein is equal or higher in some cases than the amino acid profile of egg, whey, and beef (please refer to the website for amino acid profile comparison charts).

Sun Warrior Protein is living and more potent and absorbable than non-living animal proteins. Most athletes take high amounts of animal based protein that is not usable for the body and is actually acidic creating intestinal toxemia and other disturbances. Because Sun Warrior is predigested with bio-fermentation and natural enzymes, it has a 98% to 99% digestion efficiency. It’s completely hypoallergenic.

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Check out my feature on Sun Warrior’s new site at http://www.sunwarrior.com/experts/athletes.

Be Defiant!!!

Christy

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Here is the link:   Celery as Raw Viagara?

The title surely is an attention-grabber, but what really piqued my interest was the mention of the steroids androsterone and adrostenol. And it is high in arginine, which is the amino acid that creates great ‘pumps’ in the gym, and is in many Nitric Oxide supplements.   It makes me wonder just how powerful celery is as a body-building food? I knew its natural sodium was perfect for post-workout recovery, but maybe there’s even more!

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Defiance note:  I love my celery-kiwi-banana smoothies!   See the video HERE for an awesome post-workout celery smoothie.   Hmmmm….maybe there is another reason……

Be Defiant!

Christy

“Aging Disgracefully—and Proud of It!”

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Watch this video! You get to meet two of the owners of Sun Warrior, and Matt & Angela Monarch of The Raw Food World test out the amazing new Ormus Greens from Sun Warrior. Wait until you see what they do to a light bulb!

My greens are on their way, and I am totally psyched! I can’t wait to try these. It sounds like the energy rush will make one of those toxic ‘energy’ drinks look like flat soda!

The Ormus Greens are available NOW on the Sun Warrior website. Click any of my Sun Warrior links to visit the site (like the one flashing to your right!), and you will find it on the Products page, along with the protein and the awesome Activated Barley.

This company is poised to explode. Sun Warrior has some new products in the works that will blow your mind, in addition to what they have already. I am so proud to be associated with them!  Quality, integrity, and earth-shattering products—truly a rarity in the market!

Be Defiant!

Christy

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I just wanted to share this with you! (I like to share!) As you know, I am a huge fan of Sun Warrior Raw Vegan Protein, and I sell it right here on my site–just click on any of the links.   I use it every single day and just love it, and what it does for my physique.    It’s very new on the market, having only been introduced a little over a year ago.   Apparently I am not the only one who likes it, as it just received a prestigious award.   I posted a snippet below. The link to the full article is here: Natural News Reader’s Choice Awards

Snippet from the article:

(NaturalNews) The votes have been cast: It’s time to announce the results of the NaturalNews Reader’s Choice “Best of 2009″ Awards!

These awards are given to the top companies and products in seven categories: Best Health Products Retailer, Best Herbal Product Line, Best Natural Protein, Best Skin Care Line, Best Superfood Powder, Best Multivitamin and Best Food Bar.

Reader’s Choice – Best Natural Protein = SunWarrior
SunWarrior protein was in the lead from the very start of this survey, and they never let go of their top position. SunWarrior is a raw, fermented rice protein that’s taken off among the raw foods community over the last 18 months or so. It has also been well accepted among the “natural” bodybuilding community (as well as with extreme athletes).

The top five winners in the Best Natural Protein category are:

#1 – SunWarrior
#2 – Nutiva
#3 – Vital Greens
#4 – Ruth’s Hemp Foods
#5 – Living Fuel

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Give the Sun Warrior a try!

I’ll be back with some interesting new developments when I have a little more time.  Right now, I have to run to the gym to blast my legs and booty! 

Be Defiant!

Christy

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This goes right along with the information on my page,  So Where Do You Get Your Protein?

Visit the Defiant Recipes page for great ideas on incorporating greens into your nutrition program!

Be Defiant!

Christy

Aging Disgracefully–And Proud of It!

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This weekend was just wonderful. It was a great experience all the way around. We were never rushed or panicked. Everything was very well planned and organized, down to the last detail. That’s a great testament to Shannon and Rob. Backstage, all I had to do was get a glaze put on by the tanning people, and wait my turn. No problem!

I know deep in my heart that there was nothing else I could have done to get any more ready than I was, given the time I had to prepare. Am I as ready as I NEED to be? No WAY! But considering I just started this journey in August, with the plan of training for a small regional show, and then ended up at the biggest, most prestigious NPC Nationals show–and PLACED!!!–I am absolutely thrilled with my progress.

If you haven’t seen it online, I placed 12th in my class. That may not sound very impressive, but it was a big accomplishment. First of all, none of the judges had ever seen me before, didn’t know me from Adam’s housecat, and had not seen me progress over a series of shows. That’s a big deal. Human nature dictates that when you see a girl over and over, and she improves every show, and there a million good physiques on the stage in front of you, you tend to gravitate toward those you know have been on the circuit and working hard for a long time. Rob told me before the show, that even though I looked great, to expect to not even be called out, and certainly not to place in the top 15. He said it was just a matter of unfamiliarity, and that next year, when I am on the circuit, I would be a recognizable face and stand a much greater chance.

I was perfectly OK with that, so I went on stage with no pressure, just wanting to pose my best. And I ended up in the third callout, and I DID get noticed! Considering half of the girls in the top 10 have been in all kinds of magazines, websites, etc, and I held my own against the best bodies in the business–I felt great! Rob and Shannon were thrilled with the results. I didn’t even hit my back pose well , and I still made top 15! I am going to GET that back pose, if it KILLS ME!

One reason I screwed up one of my back poses was a bit of a mishap on stage. When we are doing our quarter turn comparisons, when we move from our side pose to our back pose, we are taught to step out a bit with the left foot to make the turn to the back. Well, when I stepped out, the girl beside me stepped RIGHT, and put her clear high heel right into my left foot! It hurt, and bled, and we both tripped a little. So I was way late on even getting turned around to pose! Oops! But you never know when something like that is going to happen, so you deal with it, and we both laughed about it back stage afterwards.

I definitely need to add size to my shoulders, back and legs. But then again, that is what I have known all along. I have come so far, and feel very confident that given the next 6 months to work on them, I will present a totally revamped package next season. I will be focused on adding size for the next few weeks, not dieting down for a competition, so it will be much easier to gain the muscle I need. Plus, I have all the faith in the world that Rob and Shannon will put together the perfect plan for me to make the gains I need to make. I just can’t wait to see it, and get rocking!

Shannon told me not to work out for an entire WEEK. Arrrggghhh!! That is SO hard for me! I actually feel really rested and recovered, since my final prep week was very laid back, and I am raring to go.

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The Westin Diplomat Resort was the host hotel and venue, all in one, for the Nationals. Wow! What a gorgeous place! Our room was the corner with a balcony overlooking nothing but miles of the beautiful turquoise waters of the ocean. Our room was very well-appointed and comfortable. The convention center was attached, and a simple elevator ride and short walk from our room. So convenient. The hall was HUGE–both the contest and the Expo were all in the one big room. They had big screens up and we could even see the contest while we were backstage on the screens.

The Expo was awesome, and star-studded. I saw one of my heroes, Jennifer Nicole Lee, who is just as gorgeous in person as in her pictures, and taller than I expected. Miss Figure Olympia, Nicole Wilkins-Lee was there, as was the current Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler and last year’s Mr Olympia Dexter Jackson. We met Dexter’s fiancee, Gail, in the fitness center, and she was one of the sweetest, most outgoing people I met during the whole time we were there. What a great lady! We scored some great deals at the Expo, and I even made some great contacts with VPX Sports, and hope to be hired to represent them soon for modeling in some shows and booths at various places.

I met the awesome owner and creator of my FAVORITE supplement Sun Warrior Raw Vegan Protein, Nick Stern! He is a fireball in person, as I knew he would be. This new product is so amazing, and really needs to be more well-known in the marketplace. We discussed some possible strategies, so look for some cool new videos and things coming out soon featuring me and the awesome Sun Warrior products. They have some really cool things on the horizon too, so stay tuned for more muscle-building foods to come! You can order Sun Warrior by clicking the link to the right of the page. It’s an absolute MUST in my nutrition program, and I highly recommend it!

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I want to also thank my incredible husband and Soul Mate, Michael, for all his support, encouragement, and unwavering love throughout my journey. He is my rock, and I appreciate him so much. He was by my side the whole weekend, helping me any way he could, the entire time we were there. Many of my Bombshell ’sistas’ commented on how great he was, and I am so proud to be the one on his arm. He is a true treasure, and the answer to my prayers. If I lost everything else, and still had Michael, I would still be the luckiest, most blessed woman in the world. I love you, My Baby!!!

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So now begins my new journey, through “Improvement Season”, to next year’s competition circuit. I hope each of you will join me on this great adventure of self development, and self-discovery. Your friendship, support and encouragement means the world to me! You can support me even further by joining Team Defiance, and I will support YOU in turn with great workouts and superior nutrition plans! See the Team Defiance tab at the top of the website page.

Have an incredibly blessed Thanksgiving, full of love and laughter, and be grateful for all your blessings. Your health is your greatest gift! If it’s not where you want it to be, Be Defiant! Defy all the forces keeping you down, and let’s get going on YOUR new adventure to vibrant health!

Be Defiant!

Christy

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Sun Warrior really is a godsend, and an incredible product. I highly recommend it. I use it several times a day! Even if it weren’t raw vegan, it is still far superior to whey or other proteins out there on the market.
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And the incredible Raw Beauty, Lauren Michelle Kinsey, also known as Sweet Raw La-La on her VERY popular blog, Awakening Raw Beauty, was kind enough to include me in her “Raw Built Body Project”. Her site is wonderful and extremely informative. Here is the link to my post:

http://laurenkinseynaturalbeauty.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/an-update-from-christy-duffell-seguin/

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Today was a three-workout day, but comparatively very easy. Rob and Shannon said they want me to recover and rest this week, as I have done all I can do to prepare my physique, and they want me rested and on my A-game come this Saturday. I did really bust it on back and arms, though. I was jelly by the time I was done. The cardio was a piece of cake!

We leave for Florida on Thursday morning. I will keep you as updated as possible!

And THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! To all of you who have shown interest in Team Defiance and have sent me some incredible comments. My heart is filled to bursting with gratitude for each and every one of you, and just knowing that I somehow make a positive difference in the life of others is the best gift I can get. I am humbled and honored to be a part of your life. And I promise to keep working hard and hopefully inspire others to be the best they can be.

Be Defiant!

Christy

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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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At the end of last week, I finished my first 4 weeks of Bombshell training. I am thrilled at the changes in my body so far. I can really tell a difference, and now I am getting comments from a lot of other people as well. This is definitely the best my abs have ever looked–by far–and I am still 8 weeks out from my show. My shoulders have really come up and are starting to actually have nice delt caps. And I am proud to say I have built some booty!!! The only thing I am frustrated with are my lats. They just don’t seem to be spreading out like I want. They are strong–I can lift crazy weight, but they aren’t giving me the V-taper I need. I told Shannon how I felt, and she told me to be patient, but also suggested I add a certain exercise 3 times a week that is specifically designed to build lat width. I know it works–I can really feel it!

OK, here are the progress pics for this week:

Can you tell a difference?

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Well, I am proud of the progress, but the party is now over. It’s time to get serious. I received my new diet and cardio workouts from Shannon this week. Whoa. Good news, bad news. The good news is I get to eat more food and the cardio is pretty much the same type of routines, just changed up a little bit. The bad news is that the ‘more’ food is a lot more broccoli and added mushrooms. OK–I just hit a wall. I think mushrooms are fungi that taste like dirt. Yuk. And the cardio got doubled up on me. Now I have to do cardio TWICE per day, once in the AM and again in the PM. Plus the weights, of course. Wow, that is going to be hard to fit all that in, just in terms of time. I am going to really have to work on my scheduling, especially with all the stuff I have going at night.

But the worst, for me, is that the ‘cheat meals’ now are very specific, and I can only choose from 5. And since 3 of them are red-meat-based, that leaves me with a choice of two—2 slices of pizza or 3 pancakes with 2 eggs. Two slices of pizza for me is a joke–a mere appetizer. I can easily eat a whole pizza and still have plenty of room for dessert! So that leaves the obvious choice for me–PANCAKES!!! I have always said that if I had to choose a ‘last meal’ it would be pancakes. And I can make pancakes fairly healthy–not raw of course, but with some great whole grains, etc. And I can add blueberries, peaches, apples, etc etc. Yum!

In fact, I have all my stuff laid out right now to make my first batch of pancakes this evening! I have a very healthy stone-ground 7 grain pancake mix, blueberries, and Grade B maple syrup which is much healthier and has tons of vital minerals in it. And since it is a cheat meal, I also have real butter and molasses! And I am going to scramble my eggs with Soy-rizo, which is a wonderful vegan version of Mexican chorizo sausage. It’s great protein and not very high in fat. YUM! I can’t wait!! I have to eat another couple meals of fish and vegetables, and then I am going in on the pancakes, right before the Bulldawgs kick off!

You know, I didn’t crave sugar at ALL when I was on my high-fruit raw diet. Even then, I knew I had to cut out fruit before my shows. Now I am on several weeks of almost no fruit. My 1/4 grapefruit was cut out on the new diet. And suddenly, now all I can think about is sugar! I crave sweets–and not the healthy kind either. On the regular raw diet, I didn’t miss cakes, pancakes, all that stuff, at all. Now it’s so tempting to me it’s ridiculous! I have heard many people say they eat a raw diet with little to no fruit or sugar–no dates, honey, etc. I don’t know HOW they do that! I think my body runs well on good healthy fruit sugars. It is definitely letting me know it misses the green smoothies and spirulina pies and puddings!

Now is when I really have to Be Defiant! I am having to defy my own body telling me what it needs. That’s not easy, let me tell you. I am not craving unhealthy things. I would kill for a banana! But I know that the competition is not real life, so although many foods may be very healthy, they are just not conducive to achieving my goals. And my goal is to WIN the Gold Cup on November 14th!

Would you believe my breakfast consists of 12 asparagus spears & 3 prunes? I also get oatmeal and egg whites. Here’s how I make it raw–I use the raw egg whites (totally safe–don’t even start with me on that one!), and blend them with my sprouted raw oat groats and barley, with pumpkin pie spice and stevia. It makes a nice cake-batter-type blend. I really enjoy it, actually! I eat the asparagus spears first, so I save the good stuff as a reward. That’s how I do all my meals–I eat the things I don’t like first to get them out of the way so I can eat the things I do like. Works for me!

Several of the girls from Team Bombshell are in NY for the Team Universe Championships this weekend. Shannon has been very busy helping all the girls get ready for this BIG show. So she hasn’t gotten my new weight workouts to me yet. So I got a little bit of leeway this week to make my own workouts up. I went back through all I have done so far at camp and my first workouts, and picked out the exercises that I felt were the most effective and targeted the areas that I want to work on the most. Wow–I think my versions were actually harder and more intense! Especially Booty last night–I was sweating my booty off, and boy is it sore today!

Tennessee is holding its own pretty well right now. I am eating one of my tastiest meals, with my little 1/4 apple as the high point. I do love the sweet potatoes. I cut them in sticks, put them in a baggie and shake with cinnamon. Yummy. It’s almost time to get ready to make pancakes and then settle in to watch the Dawgs kick some Razorback butt! I am also following the results of the Team U Championships on www.Siouxcountry.com as well as Shannon’s very timely Twitters right from backstage! Go Bombshell Sistas!!! I hope we take down several more pro cards tonight!

Be Defiant!

Christy