Top Ten Reasons To Join the Next TT Contest!

Here are 10 reasons to SIGN UP! Contest starts May 1st, but you have until May 31 to enter.

10. No long hours in the gym - it takes just 45 minutes, 3 days a week.
9. 100's of contestants instead of 1000's and 1000's so you've got just as much chance as anyone to win!
8. Variety - there are a ton of Turbulence Training workouts to choose from. And check out the bonuses you get when you buy TT!
7. Guys who shave their chests!
6. Support and advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on the forums.
5. Girls in bikinis!
4. $2000 Grand Prize
3. Craig Ballantyne is knowledgeable, friendly and quick to answer any question on the forums.
2. Making friends from around the world!
1. It's time to feel good about yourself by being more healthy, strong and fit!

New Turbulence Training Transformation Contest!

You've seen my before and afters. Where are you going to be in 12 weeks? Why not join the next Turbulence Training Transformation Contest? So many people have had amazing transformations and the next one could be yours! Stop wishing you were "more in shape". Sign up and you could even win $2000! CLICK HERE for the rules and everything you need to know to join! I'm starting May 5 - see you there!

What a Difference a Year Can Make!

Last week I discovered some pictures I had taken a year ago when I was gearing up to start working out again after my daughter was born. All I can say is YIKES! I found that old bikini and put it on this weekend to take a couple comparison pictures:



All I see in this picture is my big old butt! LOL

Results of 4 More Weeks of Turbulence Training

I finished my Advanced TT for Women program last week and took some new pictures on Sunday. From my measurements post-12 week transformation, I lost a total of 1.25" more and 2.2 lbs. I had gained about 3 lbs during my rest week, so I actually lost 5.2 lbs in the last 4 weeks.

On Saturday, I retested my number of push ups in one minute and got 36 (previous best: 34). Ugh! Only 1 away from my goal! I also did 4 unassisted chin ups at the gym that morning, so ignore what I wrote below about 3 chin ups. I'm almost half way to my goal of 10!

I didn't retake pictures after my rest week so I only have my post-contest pictures for comparison. And my grey shorts have vanished into thin air so I took the pictures in my new bikini:

I think I may look slightly less muffiny around the middle section! I've never owned a bikini quite like this (with a triangle top) so I was a little nervous when I tried it on, but loved how it looked!

TT for Amazing Abs

I did my last Advanced TT for Women workout this morning. Next week I am beginning TT for Amazing Lower Abs. This was April 2008's workout of the month. (Available to download when you purchase Turbulence Training HERE.) I have been really proud of myself because in the last 4 weeks I was able to lower the weight I use for assisted chin ups. I started at 55lbs, and for my workout this morning, I used 35lbs. During this time I also raised my split squats from 65 to 70lbs, and did 3 unassisted chin ups in a row for the first time in my entire life! I am ready to move on though; I haven't been getting the DOMS like I used to! Look out Amazing Abs - here I come!

For the Directionally Challenged

I got a new watch. I'm such a sucker for anything that's not quite normal. My new watch has a compass. Like I need a compass. I work in an office. It's not like I'm orienteering through the woods anywhere. Ever. I don't even hike. But I had to have the one with the compass. I can tell you that my desk faces just about due west. To get to the refrigerator, I need to go south. To get to the bathroom, I need to go east. Whew, glad I solved that mystery!

Breakthrough Challengers!

You may have noticed the new logo on my blog! A group of people from the previous Turbulence Training Challenge have formed a group called "Breakthrough Challenge" for motivation and support during the next TT Challenge beginning May 1. I'm hoping my abs will be breaking through! LOL

Eat Stop Eat Part 3

Today is my third Eat Stop Eat fasting day. I had been fasting on Thursdays, but this Thursday the boss wanted to take us out for lunch for Administrative Professional's Day. So I decided to fast today, and then the lunch got rescheduled for another day. But I'm sticking with my plan. Even if that means giving up the chocolate peanut butter pie that was brought in today. Yummm...Let me wipe the drool off the picture....OK, here it is:

Last night I combined two different recipes into one yummy meal. I used the Garlic Barley Risotto recipe from Gourmet Nutrition and paired it with the Spicy Chicken recipe from Jillian Michaels' Making the Cut. I haven't actually gotten a chance to try her workout yet. I've been very happy with my Turbulence Training workouts. But the recipes in her book are fantastic. Everything I have made has been delicious. All in all, it was a very tasty dinner. I'm counting all the tomatoes as my vegetable serving.

The Winners!

Thanks to everyone who voted for me, but I did not place. But all of the winners look super-fantastic and are really nice people, so I don't mind. (Although the $500 third place prize would have bought us a sweet new lawnmower!) Click HERE to see photos of the winners and congratulations to Emily, Steve, Kristine and Adam! Click HERE for more information on the Turbulence Training program. New contest starts May 1! Hope to see you there!

Last Day to Vote!

Just a reminder, today is the last day to vote in the Turbulence Training Transformation contest. You can CLICK HERE to vote! I'm contestant # 7! Thanks if you vote for me! Go and Vote!

Like a Ton of Bricks

Yesterday was such a beautiful day. I got a lot of landscaping done. I'm building a retaining wall around one of the back corners of the house to fill in a low-lying area that becomes a marsh when it rains.

Our neighbor is digging an egress out of his basement and said that we could have some of the dirt. So he was very nice and dumped it in our yard. Right on top of where I needed it. Which would have been fine, except I needed to prep the area first. So I had to move all that dirt first, which wouldn't have been so hard, if it hadn't been mostly clay. That had been rained on. Wet, sticky, clay soil. Any of you who have worked with clay soil know what I am talking about. Impossible to move. I asked my husband if he would come out and help even though it was only 9:30am (very early for him). I owe him a big steak.

After lunch, and after my husband went to work, the kids and I trekked back outside. I dug the trench for the first row of the wall, filled it with paver base, raised our downspout so it will go over the wall, and moved all 100 stones into place. At 19lbs each x 100 stones = 1900 lbs. Add in 4 bags of paver base at about 40lbs each and I literally moved a TON of stuff yesterday!

Needless to say, I was exhausted by bedtime. I was lying in bed enjoying some downtime TV and all of the sudden I heard my daughter making noise in her crib. I gave her a few minutes thinking she may settle back to sleep. No such luck. At exactly 11:00pm she starts caterwauling. I know it was exactly 11:00pm because HSN was just showing the new Today's Special. She chose this most holy of times to start making a fuss. (I told you I was an HSN fanatic!) So I went into her room to make sure everything was OK - no fever, no foot stuck in the crib slats - and sat on her floor, not looking at her, while she cried (Supernanny would be so proud!). Well, after 10 minutes, that didn't work. So I left and went back to bed for 10 more minutes. There wasn't anything wrong with her but I know what the problem is. She's a cuddler and Daddy is wrapped around her finger. I think he puts her to sleep holding her in his lap on many days. Sure enough, after I finally went and got her and sat on the couch with her, she fell asleep in my arms (Supernanny would so NOT be proud of me!)

Even with less sleep I got up and did my Turbulence Training workout this morning. But I am getting more and more sore from landscaping as the day goes on. Especially in my hands and lower back. Need to take a full rest day tomorrow!

They're Real...And They're Spectacular!

This morning during my TT workout I saw something that I knew existed, but wasn't sure I had seen for myself. I thought I had caught a glimpse on Wednesday during my DB rear delt raises. So today, I did a set of lateral raises to be sure and there they were! The mythical anomaly was right in the mirror looking at me - shoulder striations!

Whoo-hoo!

A couple times a week after my workouts I attempt unassisted chin ups. So today I gave it a go. I did 3. THREE! In a row! If you ask anyone who saw me leave the gym this morning they will tell you I floated out. And if you saw me in my car on the way home, you would have seen me dancing and singing along with the radio. "La-ay down the boogie and playthatfunkymusic 'til you di-ie!"

Great workout this morning!

Just a reminder, if you still need to vote in the Turbulence Training Transformation contest, you can CLICK HERE! I'm contestant # 7! Thanks if you vote for me! You have until Monday, April 21 to vote - one vote per IP address.

I'm Not Neurotic - Really!

My second Eat Stop Eat fast went well yesterday. Only one little snag. There was an event here at work that had "refreshments". Which meant lots of yummy gooey so-not-good-for-you treats. I decided that I would allow myself 1 or 2 small pieces but would take them home and have them after dinner so that I woudn't ruin my fast. So, my co-workers already think I'm nutters. Then, we got back up to our desks and I started logging the treat into fitday. I chose a peanut bar that had a cake-like crust, a layer of caramel, a layer of mini marshmallows and then peanuts on top (a very small piece). I had my ruler out to measure the size and then was literally counting the mini marshmallows when a co-worker walked by and stopped. Dead in her tracks. And gave me the "what-the-heck-are-you-doing look". I always say, "I'm not neurotic, really, just go with me on this!" And now you know where the title of my blog comes from!

Vote Vote Vote!

The TT finalists have been announced and anyone can vote! Just click here to vote! I'm a little biased - I'm contestant #7! I can't believe I made the top 8 - I am speechless (and that doesn't happen often!) I don't care if you vote for me, just go and vote vote vote! You have until Monday, April 21 to vote - only one vote per computer!

Turbulence Training Transformation Contest

Ends tomorrow! I saw a cryptic line in a Turbulence Training email about everyone getting to vote on the winners. Wish me luck! For any of you interested, there is a new contest starting May 1. I'll post more information on that when I get the details!

Eat Stop Now Eat

Yesterday went pretty well. I went home after work and made supper. (Classy Chicken from Gourmet Nutrition - see picture - yum yum yum) I didn't binge and go crazy with food. This morning I was down 2 pounds - which I know is not fat loss and is most likely water weight, but it's still good to see the scale going in the right direction. I will continue my Eat Stop Eat experiment for another couple weeks. I have 2 weeks remaining in my current 4-week TT program so I will fast 2 more times at minimum. Stay tuned!

In Case of Emergency, Break Glass...

...and bring a protein bar to work! I'm 19 hours into my fast and I have to admit I'm not near as hungry as I thought I would be. I'm not shaky, and I'm in a pretty darn good mood. Missing breakfast was no problem, even missing lunch was fine. I went to the cafeteria to get a diet soda and didn't dive headfirst into the condiment bar. But now it's that time of day when the afternoon munchies can creep in. This can be a hard part of the day even when not fasting. I still have my protein bar in my bag, just in case. There's something psychological about just having it there. It's power and control over food. It's saying, "I have it, but I choose not to eat it". It's the same way when not fasting. You can choose to eat the blueberry muffin, or not. Perhaps fasting will teach me to be more disciplined with my nutrition in general.

OK, OK, I'm gonna try it!

Everyone on the TT Member Forum has been raving about Brad Pilon's Eat Stop Eat Program. I never thought I would try it because I get irritable and shaky if miss just 1 meal, so fasting for longer than that seemed impossible. My husband thinks I'm crazy because he knows how I get! I read the Eat Stop Eat promo that came as a bonus when I ordered Turbulence Training and I like how the author has references for everything. I went to PubMed and looked up some of the articles to make sure a) they existed; and b) that they said what he said they did. As far as I could tell, they did! Some of the texts were a little dense, but I think I got the gist. So I'm going to give it a try...starting after dinner tonight! Stay tuned tomorrow for how it goes...

Mushrooms and Chocolate Muffins

Last Friday night I made the Portabella Mushroom Pizza from Gourmet Nutrition. I've never eaten a portabella mushroom in my life. So at least I'm trying new things! It looked really good, and it tasted pretty good. But the texture of the mushroom got to me. I ate about 2/3 of it before I had to give up. But if you like mushrooms, you'll probably like the recipe. I paired it with the Baked Chicken recipe. That was really good. And the kids liked it. We'll be having that again.

On Sunday, I made the Gooey Chocolate Chip Muffins. They were dense, like other protein muffins I have had. Even though I'm not a big chocolate cake fan, these were not too chocolatey. I did leave out the extra tablespoon of cocoa powder, though. I ate another one today - but first I popped it in the microwave for a few seconds. The chocolate chips melted and they were just as advertised - Gooey!

Turbulence Training vs. Body for Life

In 2005, a year after my son was born, I entered the annual Body for Life 12-week challenge and got pretty good results:

Then I got pregnant again and gained a lot of weight. About a year after my daughter was born, I competed in the 1st ever Turbulence Training transformation contest in early 2008. If I had to choose between TT and BFL, it would be TT all the way. BFL worked well, but with TT, I spent MUCH LESS time in the gym and I think my results are better! Even though I am heavier and more out of shape in my TT Before picture, I look BETTER in my TT After picture than in my BFL After picture. And that's with less time working out!

Roping cattle?

I made the Rancher's Omelet from Gourmet Nutrition last night. (Yes, for dinner. We often eat breakfast for dinner.) The book says it takes 5 minutes prep, and 10 minutes cooking time. I put the sausage in the pan at 4:56pm and was sitting down to eat at 5:08pm. Now, having said that, I did change the recipe a little bit. They say to cook the sausage and then dice it and then you add it back in later. Not sure if they use breakfast links or what, but I used the sausage that comes in a casing. I opened the casing and crumbled the sausage in the pan. Then I added the veggies, then the egg, and finally the cheese. I didn't use all the veggies they suggest so if I had it probably would have added about 2-4 minutes of chopping time. It was tasty! I think of cooking as a method. I don't always follow recipes exactly, but they give me great ideas. Oh, here's a picture of my omelet. I made the "small" serving. To keep with the breakfast theme, I added the grapefruit half.

B-A-N-A-N-A-S

I was reading my new Women's Health magazine last night and there was an article on what women say to themselves for motivation when they feel like quitting before they finish their workout. One woman's answer was to sing (to the tune of Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl) "This run (or hill, or whatever) is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S." Which means that I spent the rest of the night getting the kids' milk (This milk is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S), putting them into their pajamas (These pajamas are bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S), and doing the dishes (These dishes are bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S). I have to admit, it made loading the dishwasher more fun. I can't wait to try it in the gym! LOL

Guilty Pleasure of the Week

I did the Advanced TT for Women Workout B this morning, followed by interval training. I like to put my hand on my abs while running because my abs are engaged, which makes them feel strong and firm, which makes me feel like a supermodel. It's a little boost in my day!

Last week, we went to the Body Worlds Exhibition. It was really fascinating to see the muscles "in action". And now I know what my abs look like up close and personal. I hope to see them better in my own body very soon!

Moons Over My Hammies

I completed the first workout in the Advanced TT for Women program yesterday and today my hamstrings are so sore. It must have been from the Waiter's bow; that's the only thing I can think of that would cause my hamstrings to be sore. Overachiever that I am, I also did the optional torso work. I feel it in my abs today! It felt really good to be back working out after my rest week. I get grumpy and my nutrition goes haywire when I'm not working out. My husband is probably glad I'm working out again too!