I'm so excited!

So roughly three and a half weeks in, and I am feeling great!  I had my first weigh in last week with tremendous results!  I dropped my BF 2.3% and lost 3lbs!  My biggest fear was that I was going to gain weight, but eating the right foods and smaller meals throughout the day works!  I am seeing gains and I see the stage in the distant future....170 days to be exact! 

My first competition is at the end of April; The Charlotte Cup.  I am pumped to be doing something out of my comfort zone.  I struggle everyday with temptations.  I get through them knowing my end goal is to be  golden tan standing on stage in front of my friends. I have a game plan to do this show, with the next one being the All Eastern Military Classic in June.  It will allow for a small break and then get back into training. 

I know I did the right thing by when I talk about my plans and goals and my gains to my friends, I light up! I get so excited and I get very eager and happy to talk about it!! I just hope I can remain focused and calm through the holidays.  I am very proud of myself for the hard work I have put in.  There are days where I care nothing about working out but I get through it, and some days I just can't wait for it to get here!! I am changing for the better and never looking back.

I am glad my friends have been so supportive during this phase of my life, and I just hope they continue to be.  I have heard excuses on why people don't go to the gym....I suck it up and go anyway! No more excuses for this guy here!

Survival of the First Weekend

Surprisingly I survived my first weekend gathering with friends without alochol!  Yes, I survived on a night of drinking lots of water!  I expected a lot more flack or a lot more peer pressure, but the only thing I got was support.  I was blessed and thankful to get that support too.  With friends that do lots of heavy drinking this was no easy feat.  Once they realized what I was doing, they were quisitive and curious.  This mostly coming from another friend of ours competiting also.  It was nice to have someone there going through the same sacrifices as you.  They made pulled pork, and I can't say no to pulled pork. I think 2 heaping tablespoons I had of it won't hurt.  Remember moderation. I will say I was hesitant because while I may be able to eat it, I felt guilty knowing I shouldn't be, so I restricted myself to the amount I had.

After the first week of the new lifestyle change, I can say I am glad I decided to do it.  While there may not be physical signs of change yet, I know what I am putting in my body now is better than what was going in there before.  No more processed or boxed foods for this guy! Sometimes I have to force myself to eat because I am not hungry while other times I cannot wait to stuff food in my mouth. 

Week one complete, looking forward to the future gains I will be making and the transformation I will go through.

Day 1.5 challenges

It has only been a day and a half since starting my lifestyle change (I refuse to call it a diet..more to follow) and I am already cheating.  It's not my fault.  I blame Sasha for making delicious Pumpkin Roll. I was good and only had two and after finding out they weren't that great for you, I said no more!  I am having a hard time consuming all of my meals.  This plan will not leave me hungry that is for sure!  I could barely finish breakfast, and I was unable to get my last meal in because I woke up to late.  Excuses already...couldn't be.

I refuse to call this a diet because dieting is something you do everyday.  A lifestyle change is for the better and will improve your well being.  I feel like I will gain wait eating this way. It is all new and still adjusting.  Not to mention the amount of water I have to drink! I go to the bathroom way to much!

The journey begins.

It is the eveing of the 13th of October, and I have begun my journey in which I am calling From Couch to Stage.  Over the course of the next several weeks I will be transforming myself and preparing for an incredible life changing experience.  Today I had my last Iced Grande Skinny Caramel Macchiato...it was a sad moment.  There will be a lot of sacrifices that I have to make in order for me to experience this change.

I decided to set new goals for myself and do something out of the norm.  Being in the fitness industry for the past few years, I have grown to love it.  I still have a lot of work to do and I am willing to put forth the effort.  After seeing the Hendershott Big Shott Classic and seeing my friends compete, I finally saw all their hard work pay off.  This event sparked such a great feeling and emotion with in me, I decided to move forward with no excuses. 

I was tired of excuses and having no accountability.  So after that weekend, I made some decisions and did some thinking.  I thought if I joined TEAM F.I.T, I would have that accountability, that support, that dicipline that I lacked.  So, I joined.  I am a proud team member who is excited about the transformation my body is about to experience.

While it is the off season, I feel that I have plenty of time to ready myself for the stage.  I have been given the tools, it is now up to me to follow through. If I fail, it will be because of me, and no one else.  This is all me, and I need to stick with it.  My friend Sasha told me once "You will do it when you are ready, and you will know when you are ready."  I can honestly say that I am ready now.