Cleared and ready to go!

So, here's an update. We arrived at Fort Polk and got stuffed into some seriously shoddy temporary lodging. After about a week, I developed an absess and my rump, not the best way to spend the 4th by the way. I had to have it surgically drained and the er doc thought it was a brown recluse bite so he didn't give me any antibiotics. After a few days, it just flat got worse. I was in a lot of pain despite the painkillers I was given, and it was itching and throbbing like crazy. So I went back in, got it checked again, and this time the doc decided to culture it instead of assume, and put my on some seriously strong antibiotics and referred me to the surgery clinic. After a week I got into the surgery clinic and started getting decent care. Yesterday I had my follow up appt where they let me know it wasn't a brown recluse, it was MRSA. It's just about compeltely healed now, nothing a bandaid won't fix and I was finally given the go ahead to go back to the gym.

During this time we also got a great house (( five bedrooms! woohoo!)), found the local GNC to replace our supplements that we couldn't bring with us from overseas, and yesterday we drove all the way down to New Orleans to get our van.

So what this all means is that I've been SUCKING. Finally I get to go to a real gym today. Yes you can make do with bands in a pinch, and machines are all fine and well, but nothing and I mean NOTHING beats the feel of some dumbbells in your hands. So here's my POA for today.

Upper Body
Lat Pull downs or pull ups ((depending on availability))
seated cable rows
Bench Press
DB Flyes
AIO Arms, DB


I'm going to go progressive with my weights today, try to gauge where I'm at. I'm also going to do cardio, maybe intervals on an elliptical.
For those of you who don't know what AIO arms are, let me share this with you.

ETA: Gym time went great. I lost strength in some areas, but not all. I also got in 20 minutes of HIIT running. 1 minute sprint, 2 minutes recovery. I'm on the first day of a mitotropin cycle and the first day of buffmothers "40 days to fit".

I weighed myself today and took my measurements and I am NOT happy.
137 lbs, 24% bodyfat. These last few weeks have really done a number on me, but they have also seriously motivated me to get my act together. I'm going to try to post here every day for 40 days to keep myself accountable. you keep me accountable too!

I hate housing, and back day

Really, the housing office at Fort Polk is getting on my last nerve. I submitted our housing application two months ago. We were told our wait would be 50 days. it has been 52 days, and we are still only number 28. This would not make me so mad if we were not number 27 earlier this morning. And this is not the first time this has happened. Every time we take one step forward, we take two steps back. And in the meantime we are stuck in the middle of nowhere, in crappy temp housing with four children sharing two beds in a single room, with giant cockroaches roaming and ants going insane. Call the front desk to complain and they send someone out with a can of raid. That's it. I'm going to SCREAM!! I want my freaking house and I want it NOW. We can't even go off base because there is nothing to accomadate our family for less than 600 OVER our housing allowance. it's insanity. And we've just finished our ten days that the army will cover so from here on out every day we're stuck in this nightmare of a hotel, is coming out of pocket. I'm going to cry. Seriously.

Another reason I'm frustrated is because there is no neighborhood center where they've stuffed us. No gym, no nothing. So I'm still stuck using my bands to get by and I can only fit cardio in on the days my hubby is home and even then it's limited to running or walking. Yes, I know that there are videos and such i can do, but we're upstairs and the people downstairs complain when our kids walk across the room let alone when I'm bouncing along trying to keep my heart rate up.
I will admit that I'm PMS'ing today and that's got a lot to do with my foul mood. But hey, only 3 more days and I can get back to buffing!

My other rant for the day, asking my help to set up a program. I don't mind setting up programs for people. I love to use my knowledge to help others. But don't ask me to set you up a detailed program if you aren't going to follow it. If you've already asked me if it's safe to go to the gym twice a day for an hour each time in hopes of losing a few extra pounds before your event, and I've already explained that I've got you on a low cal diet, and that if you push harder than I've laid out for you, you will ruin your efforts, don't turn around and start asking other people. It's obvious you just want someone to tell you its okay regardless of what you've been told. I helped a woman on a forum I frequent with a plan for a ball she has to attend. I detailed supplementation, diet, weight programs and even cardio. What to do on what day, for how long based on where she is in her cycle. Now when she's soliciting advice on said forum, she's not mentioning her low calorie diet, or the amount of cardio she's doing, or anything other than she wants to lose a few pounds before an event. And of course guess who she'll blame when she runs herself into the ground. Don't ask me to set you up a program, for free no less, if you aren't going to follow it.

Okay, I think I got all my ranting out for the day. SO, here are my stats.

Cycle Day 1
BF% 21.1

Back Day

Pull ups. I don't have a bar to do it here so I pulled the hotel desk out, layed underneath it, grasped the edges and used that. It's just as effective and good in a pinch.

Lat pull downs: This is why I say you can do anything with bands. I attach the soft ankle straps to it and run a broom stick through it. I also do this with anything asking for a barbell

Seated cable rows: again with bands. I get mine from www.Aylio.com

one arm bent over rows
rear fly.

Post WO nutrition is so important so I had a banana creme muscle milk protein shake with some yummy caramel corn rice cakes for my fast burning carbs. So fantastic!!

((in case you were wondering, my tat is flipped because I had to take the second pic in a mirror...lol))

FireCRACKIN' HOT!

It's gonna get hot by the fourth ladies and gentleman. And you have Michelle Berger, aka The Buffmother to thank for it. I've been a member of her Rally Room off and on for a few years now, and let me tell you, you'll never find anyone nicer, kinder, more determined, or motivated than she is. And she motivates others too which is one of the reasons I love her so much. If you've caught the SlimChick Solution infomercials, then you know who I'm talking about and all about the GENIUS that is Hormonal Timing ((more on that later)). So from the 4th of June until the 4th of July, we are in the middle of the Fire CRACKIN' Hot for the 4th contest. I'm loving this. I'm good with mini challenges. I kicked my butt doing the Count down to Memorial Day challenge. I dropped a few percent body fat as a matter of fact. I'll have to post the before and after pics on that one.

So here's the POA for today. ((poa is plan of action. I'm going to have to do a whole post on acronyms and such..haha)). I woke up this morning and did a Metabolic Circuit. Which kicked my booty and got me revved up and ready to go! I did a lower body circuit this afternoon with my resistance bands since everything else has been packed up by the movers, and let me tell you ladies, you can do a lot with bands. Don't have money for a gym, don't have a lot of room for equipment? no problem! Get yourself some bodylastics and you can really kick your butt with them. Even my husband gets a good workout with them.

So here's my circuit:
Squats 3x12

Calf Raises 3x10

Stationary Lunges 3x12

Deadlifts 3x15

adductors: 3x10

abductors: 3x10

kickbacks: 3x15

ham curls: 3x10

leg extensions: 3x10

bridges: 3x10



I did my abs on monday so I didn't do any of those today. I'm going bowling tonight too. What's really awesome is that all the work that I've done over the past few months, I've had to bump up from an 8lb ball to a 9lb ball! The 8 lb is just too light now! Talk about unexpected side affects!



The plan of action tomorrow is some cardio in the am, either some tae bo, some sprints or some kempo. Not sure yet because it depends on what mood I'm in and whether or not the hubbs can keep an eye on the kids while I run. The afternoon will involve an upperbody circuit targeting my arms, chest and back. And lots of anticipation because on saturday we leave for cologne and UFC 99!



And here's a fun question for you, those of you who have been to a UFC fight before, what's standard dress code?? I hate looking out of place...