So I officially as of Tuesday May 11 have started my 8 week challenge (I'll tell you more about it later it's really not my focus right now) Just a good little motivational tool to keep me very accountable to my goals, and if I was to be chosen it would just be icing on the cake. In any case I'll be in better shape for the summer!! AND my goal is to shoot for a summer photo shoot!! I have a friend of a friend who is a photographer just kinda starting out, but she takes beautiful pictures, and asked if I would ever do a fitness shoot with her. I was thrilled!! One... more motivation for me, and TWO sometimes working with photographers who have an open mind and creativity can result is some of the most amazing pictures!

Let me explain how the whole fitness picture scenario works as many think I have PAID for my pics like so many who want to get into this industry have. I have a portfolio, it covers fitness, competition, swimsuit, and even lingerie/ pin up. There are three different ways you can get pictures... you can A - pay a photographer for them. B - you can do what's called TFCD or TFP meaning - meaning a mutual agreement of the pay to each the photographer and the model is the actual shots (Time for Prints). Meaning you can use them in your portfolio and they can use them in theirs. You may have a look they need, and they may have a style you need. IT CAN BE a win win... I say CAN because it needs to be determined EXACTLY what the arrangements are and a SIGNED contract still needs to be established and completed. Then the third way is a photographer can PAY YOU. Meaning they hire you as a model to shoot and then in most cases have rights to your images and can make profit off of them, or use them in their portfolios or on their sites.

Everyone is different how they choose to handle photo shoots. I personally have NEVER paid a penny for pictures, with the exception of my very first photo shoot with Reg Bradford. It was money well spent and an experience as a newbie that I think I needed. It being such a positive experience and him being so great it just sent me in the right direction. Most of my photos have come from TFCD with local smocal (no offense to you guys ;) photographers and I have been able to get some great shots! Some have been featured in Muscular development (all local non fitness photographers!) Not to say I wouldn't like to eventually work with more well known in the industry, and I will when I'm ready - Lisa Brewer is top of the list for me as well as Dan Ray. Its just this is a passion/hobby for me, so I'm not willing to pay top dollar for pictures if this is not my career. Is it money well spent? Sure great pictures are priceless. But what will it do for you? I am also not willing to accept pay from mediocre photographers. Meaning $150 for a photo shoot sounds like easy money right? But if you have horrible photos of you out there floating around on sketchy sites for $150 is that really worth it? To me it's not, so I am very picky who I work with. I prefer QUALITY over QUANTITY.

I did have one experience where I was paid for a shoot. The photographer was very nice and professional, but the pictures did not come out good at all, on top of that there was a miscommunication and he thought I was also going to for extra money be the test model for his photography group. Have random new photographers that I know nothing about or where these pictures are going take my pictures for what?? for $300???? No. Just not my thing. I also don't prefer heavily airbrushed photos for my own portfolio. I mean if they're going to be in a magazine go ahead make me look like Halle Berry with a 6 pack lol but in my portfolio, the more real the better. ONE - many photographers are not as good at airbrushing as they think they are, and with my skin coloring I have seen some weird weird stuff lol Plus in my experiences of sending out photos for submissions, most PREFER under touched vs OVER TOUCHED photos. So just know what you are getting into and what you are getting out of it. This "industry" is full of sketchy people. So if you get a request for a photo shoot, don't get too excited first. Check references, Check out their work, and READ EVERY line in the contract you will sign. And ask yourself even if you are getting paid, besides that $$ what are you getting out of it, and at what cost? And remember once its snapped it's out there FOREVER - just ask Scott Brown the naked senator ;)

So back to the challenge, ironically the prize is a PHOTO SHOOT lol but a PHOTO SHOOT I would be MORE than HONERED to HAVE and its with a TOP FITNESS MAGAZINE! Again I'm not focusing on the prize at hand but MY little personal journey! My way to focus, my way to share, and my way to motivate myself and others! I took my before picture and measurents and all. I will post them probably in two weeks when I do my check in and have some updated progress. I always try to do every two weeks because honestly weekly is just too soon for me. God forbid I only progress a little in 7 days, it can get frustrating even if I feel better, two weeks keeps me focused, but not obsessed. And I always seemed more pleased because its more progress. Total head game but it works for me.

Now I'm gonna give you the short and quick of what I'm doing. Not because I don't want to share but because I'm just keeping my head above water barely as its been so crazy. I haven't been logging food or even counting calories which is BAD BAD for beginners, but I've been doing this so long I know exactly how to eat and train to start to get my body moving. Week one officially started Tuesday the 11th for me. My basic layout is as follows:

Training: 4 day split - Shoulders, Arms, Legs, Back - staying my typical style which is always at least two basic heavy compound movements, pyramiding down in reps, and up in weight, followed by usually one or two other exercises which can be anything from super setted isolations, to a giant set, to a tear down set. I am TRYING my best to do a different workout each and every time I walk into the gym in some way and NOT use a log book *GASP* I know bad girl. Again what I am doing I am not recommending for beginners, BUT I have been training/competing for almost 8 years now . I want change, I want fun, I want low pressure for a bit and as LONG as its working, I'm okay for now, until my goals change.

Cardio - TOTAL 5 hours per week - don't care when, don't care what, don't car how I split it, as long as at the end of the week I have done five hours total. This is VERY NEW to me!! Normally I schedule my cardio out each week. Mornings, post workout, High intensity, low intensity, I even have exact printed programs I use to use with Mike Davies. But the fly by the seat of my pants again NO PRESSURE, NO STRESS, and once again IT"S WORKING!!!!! If I slack at the beginning of the week guess who's doing hour long sessions on the weekend? If I'm good and can get my butt up in the AM guess who has the evening off? What is the focus? CONSISTENCY! GET IT DONE!

Nutrition - This is going to come off very vague because this is JUST how I eat when I'm being good, it just IS. Hubby goes food shopping every week, and has been since Christmas and never uses a grocery list, its just what we eat. I don't count calories or measure at this point because I am comfortable with the progress I am making. But it will get more precise the further I get in. See why I hire a trainer to compete ever since I had the boys? Actually writing out and changing your food precisely TAKES TIME and energy, even if you know how to do it. Much more time than clicking on your inbox and reading eat this, at this time, DONE.

So I'm eating 5- 6 meals a day approximate macro nutrient break down:

25 grams of protein per meal (average) - it's really 30 in three and 20 in two - sources of protein - chicken, lean ground turkey, tuna, eggs, whey protein, (white fish two to three times a week), lean red meat (usually only once a week for now)

30 grams of carbs in three meals AM, LUNCH, and POST WORKOUT - two meals are starchy (usually brown rice, occasional red potatoes, or melba toast) and the other meals the carbs come from fruits and vegetables - only fruits I eat are strawberries, oranges, and apples.

45 grams of healthy fats from yolks, turkey bacon, olive oil, olives, almonds

If you do out that math it's roughly 1400 - 1500 calories with -
35% of my calories coming from protein
33% coming from carbs
27% coming from fat

Now what I have laid out her is for a transformation challenge, it is not my contest style planning/ My goal is with more tweaks, alterations and personalizing to my body and life, I want to see what I can do in 8 weeks. But also know I am not stepping on stage. I promised as many ask "what do you eat?" "what do you do?" to post actual meals and or recipes I use along the way as well as workouts and pictures. Over the course of eight weeks if you are following along you should have a good jist of ways to get your body moving! I can't promise to be the best as life is crazy but I will indeed TRY!!

I will say for sure, my BUSY will NEVER slow down, EVER! Quick run down - Friday night kids drop off at gymnastics for 3 hours and date night. Saturday - I worked in the morning, while daddy went to tee ball, and food shopping. Then we all went to a birthday party. Sunday YARD SALE at our house, cleaning moving, getting rid of stuff for the move, then time with the FAM, my brother and his wife are visiting. Monday Errands with the boys, and my daughter's dance dress rehearsal. Tuesday worked 10 hours, hubby worked even later, home, dinner, kids in bed and then gym. And of course the gym was intertwined all the other days too... so slowing down or waiting for "perfect timing" is never going to happen. So I have to learn how to roll with it. If this is any indication to how like a chicken with my head cut off it can get, I put my capris on this evening a looked down to put on some lotion and had to laugh. I felt it before I saw it actually. Rub one leg with lotion, smooth. Rub the other leg with lotion... spiky LMAO!!! Looked down and sure as crap, I somehow had one LEG shaved... ONLY ONE!!! haha it made me laugh! Talk about not taking enough time to finish a thought lol

Hence my make shift plan lol I will tell you it's working!! I know I know I said two weeks but I'm a girl, I get on the scale occasionally lol and I do know I am already down!! I won't say how much yet though until the full two weeks is up. An interesting part about my measurements, that I am fully embracing is my HIPS are the largest they have ever been at this weight. What girl would be happy about that right? lol A girl with an athletic body type. When I lose, I lose from my head to my toes. And when I get on stage my hips get as low as 35 or 34 inches!! YUCK YUCK no curves! They are 39 right now and although I know a lot of that is fat, and will go, I hope some of it is new found MEAT lol. Women usually have a hard time with their lower bodies, I usually do not. Lets put it this way Ron Harris who is a writer for a bodybuilding magazine saw me this past October in Boston and he asked me what I was doing different. Said I looked great! And I thought to myself you crazy crazy man, I'm 25lbs HEAVIER than what I compete at, I'm eating! That's what I'm doing lol But he said to me, you use to look great, but I always wanted to feed you a hamburger, you look much better with a little meat on your bones. WELL MEAT unless its muscle, is usually body fat. So as I reduce that, lets hope some MEAT is lean muscle and the squats have paid off!!

Until next time everyone enjoy their week!! And make shift what you have to to get it done!! Even if it's ONE LEG at a TIME ;)