Happy Halloween!

So after just reviewing all my pictures from tonight I realize I am totally going to have to dress the kids up again tomorrow to get better shots of their awesome costumes! It's a good sign that the kids were having so much fun with their cousins they couldn't be bothered to pose for me. Bat Girl and Super Tuck made a killing with their cousins tonight. They were all so cute I wanted to eat them up! Gabe really outdid himself with Tucker's costume and I just loved Pen's whole ensemble from Etsy. Love, love, love, Halloween! It's such a gift to relive the magic of childhood through your children. Hope everyone had a safe and fun filled night!!

Reflecting on blessings

Today was a rough day. Just one of those days that get you down...kids were really hard, had a bad headache, laundry list of to do's that weren't going to get done, etc. After the kids were settled in to bed, I fell asleep and had a dream about my Down syndrome aunt that really put my "problems" in perspective. I don't remember the specifics but I woke up just hurting for her. Her health is very poor and her doctors recently gave her 6-9 months to live. I've watched my mom care for her, her entire life, and since her health has declined so rapidly in the past year, this prognosis is bittersweet. My sweet aunt will no longer suffer, and she'll be reunited with so many loved ones that are definitely anxious to have her home. But watching my mom mourn for the loss of her baby sister, who has been more like a child than sibling, has been heartbreaking. My Aunt Jeannie's life has never been easy, and the hardship of living with a disability has extended to her caregivers. Witnessing my Mom's constant worry for her, I can only imagine what is was like for my grandmother(who passed away years ago). Anyhow, the point of this story is, life is really, extremely hard for so many people. When I have a hard day I am not alone, and in perspective my hard days are simply not that bad. My Aunt Jeannie's life has shed light into an entirely different level of "hard". It's important for me to meditate on my life; the incredible health both my children enjoy, my supportive and gentle husband, and the many comforts we have been blessed with. I may have a bad day here and there but I have been given so much, I simply am not entitled to excuses. I will wake up tomorrow and achieve my goals and dreams. I will be grateful for all I've been given and in gratitude I will make the very most of the life I've been given. Good things are going to happen...

Cardio for dayzzzzz

I'm fiercely in love with my yard but these leaves are a freaking beast to get rid of!!! This project should definitely count as enough for cardio for a week, right?? My coach will see this calorie burn only as "extra credit" so I'll just stop dreaming and keep on keeping on with my scheduled cardio...

Simple Eats

Enjoying some quiet time while the kids are resting. Lunch is sweet taters and extra lean ground turkey with reduced sugar ketchup. May look gross to some, but I'd eat it on or off prep! I've got to gear up for some intense cardio tonight. Wednesdays are dedicated solely to cardio. I'll get my Real Housewives of New Jersey(so not my favorite season but I watch it religiously none the less) and possibly some True Tori to watch on the spin bike. Trashy reality TV can get you through any cardio, that's a fact!

on the mend

Penny is 8 days post surgery from having her tonsils and adenoids out. For anyone that says this is a simple recovery for kids, that just wasn't the case for us! It's been a rough ride for little woman. I think her aversion to lortab plays a big role in that, it literally made her have demon fits. I was SO thrilled that her pain was under control enough to take her off it last night. I'm so happy she'll be well enough to enjoy Halloween!  Halloween is a BIG deal in the Anderson home!!! Can't wait to share the kids insanely adorable costumes!

It's officially go time

Here's to Day 1 pics of the official start of my prep. I'm so excited to have a baseline for my next show. Competitions should always be about ME vs ME. I know who I have to beat, and its empowering to just keep progressing and to be control of that outcome. At this point I'm up about 4 pounds from competition day. I've got an amazing workout program to follow that will keep me building a little bit of muscle but my macros are still low to ensure I'll be stage ready by January. My ultimate goal is to move into the figure division, so I need to continue to put slabs and slabs of muscle on!! Some may ask why I don't just take an off-season now and focus on building, I just feel strongly that I need the structure and timeline of this upcoming Jan show to keep me mentally in the game. Like I said before, competing means SO much more than a medal to me. Competing for me at this point in my life is about setting a goal, a big, intimidating goal, and then crushing it. If anything else competing is about my mental strength than physical. It has truly given me ownership of my life  over this past year. 

Upping my supp game

For this second prep I'm excited to implement some new supplements. Fit girls can't get enough supps, right??! I'll have to post a pic of my supp cabinet. It's almost embarrassing. Almost...I've taken BCAA's but haven't tried creatine and glutamine before. *4-5g of creatine every day  *4-5 g of BCAA's pre and post workout *8-10g of glutamine pre and post workout. Need all the help I can get to build some She-Hulk muscles!!!

Food Prep Sunday

Food Prep Sunday! For my proteins I've got: protein pancakes, chicken tenders, and ground turkey. My carbs: sweet potatoes, brown rice, spaghetti squash, and dried apples(my prep candy!). This'll last me through Wednesday. I don't like to prep any farther ahead then that bc I'm really sick of the same meals by then and it not being fresh makes me dread eating it! Prepping my meals ahead of time allows me to focus on feeding my family through the weeks. Its so inconvenient to have to make separate meals for myself when we're already in a rush(and we are always in a rush). I'll add some veggies into these meals, and I like to add in some salsa, low sugar ketchup, or light laughing cow cheeses to add extra flavor. Since I live the "If It Fits Your Macros" lifestyle I can keep my prep diet tasty and varied. In my opinion IIFYM is the only way to do it!!!

Let's get started

Hey fit fam!! I am SO excited to share my life prepping for my second bikini competition and what it's like to do it as a Mom of 2 young children, all the while working as a small business owner. The prepping process for a show has been a tremendous blessing in my life, and I'm anxious to share my enthusiasm for the journey! It's quite the journey too! I did my first competition after prepping for an entire year. I am now getting ready for my second show on Jan. 31st 2015. It seems like forever away right now, but I've got a ton of progress I want to make before then! I really hope to inspire others, I'm an extremely passionate person who has BIG dreams! I have been married now for 8 yrs. I'm an adoptive mom to 2 beautiful, and perfect babies-(3 &1). We own a small restaurant, we're about to open a second and on the verge of launching my hubbies furniture line in NYC. Life is so crazy right now, but somehow prepping has given order to all the chaos. Here's to dreaming big, facing fears, and making the very most of the life we've been given!! Welcome to my life.