Shit Happens…How You React Is What Counts

The last couple of years the economy has led to a lot of people losing their jobs due to company cut backs. Many people had no idea it would hit them. Last week Chase’s position was eliminated and we find ourselves in a financial situation so many others have been found themselves in.

The key is how do we handle this. So many people fall off the wagon of good nutrition and training when they encounter difficult obstacles in their lives. Some even fall off when they encounter tiny speed bumps. I have always chosen to not let these things affect how I eat or how I train. The financial problems are enough I don’t want to add weight gain to the mix. I have the choice to stay on the path toward my goal and not let life's hurdles deter me..

I was 2 weeks into my prep for 2012 NPC USAs Bodybuilding Championships when we received the news. I had two choices. I could have given up thinking there is no way we will have all the money needed to compete, but instead I decided to stay the course. Right now there is no money that needs to be spent in order to stay in contest prep mode. The majority of the money isn’t needed until right before the show (hotel, travel, tanning, make-up etc) I have it in my mind that not only will things work out but that this door was closed because a better one will be opening. I am still in the mindset that I WILL be on stage July 27-28^th in Las Vegas.  If by chance things don't work out in time for USAs I will just regroup and go on for Nationals. Regardless I know when I next step on stage I will be my best and know I gave 100% whether times were easy or hard.

Things will be very tight and we will be making sacrifices but this would be no different if I decided to quit prep.  The most important thing is for me to not worry about what might happen but focus on the positive and helping Chase to find a new position. Us worrying will not help. We are  both staying positive, focusing on a better opportunity revealing itself and both staying 100% dedicated to our nutrition and training.

We are so very blessed to have met such wonderful and supportive friends here in AZ.  These are truly giving people who help out and support each in their time of need.  These friends are willing to go out of their way to be part of my team and help me reach my goal. I am thankful every day for the people who have entered my life in the last couple of years. Thank you!

Peanut & Jelly Pancakes – Contest diet friendly

Ingredients:

Based on my current meal macro-nutrient need

(Will vary depending on macro-nutrient requirements for the meal)

8 Egg whites

¾ c Oats

Splenda to taste (or stevia or truvia)

Walden Farms Strawberry Preserves 1-2 tbs

Walden Farms Strawberry Syrup to taste

PB2 1-2 tbs

Water

Put PB2 in very small bowl or I use 1/3 c measuring cup

Add 1-2 packets Splenda

Add water slowly while stirring until texture of creamy peanut butter

Set aside

Mix in blender

8 Egg whites*

¾ c Oats

Splenda to taste (or stevia or truvia)

Walden Farms Strawberry Preserves 1-2 tbs

Add a little water if appears to thick

Pour onto griddle and cook like regular pancakes

Plate the pancakes

Optional spray a few sprays of no calorie buter spray to each

Spread PB2 on top pancake

Add Walden Farms Strawberry Syrup to Taste

Enjoy!

·      use egg whites, whole eggs or some of each based on your meal requirements

Variations:

Substitute Walden Farms Blueberry Preserves & Syrup

Add fresh strawberries

Elvis Pancakes: sugar free/fat free banana pudding mix added to blender, Top with PB2, sliced bananas

Chocolate PB Pancakes: eggs whites, oats, splenda, chocolate sugar free / fat free pudding mix, Top with Chocolate PB2 prepared with splenda and water

 PB2  - www.bellplantation.com/

Walden Farms - www.waldenfarms.com/

I will be walking as part of "Brett's Muscle Crew" for MDA

On March 24th I will be walking in the 2012 Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Muscle Walk. I will be walking as part of Brett's Muscle Crew which includes several fitness enthuiests and competitors

My friends Dennis Aldridge and Shannon Aldridge's son Brett has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. We are walking in Brett's name have a team goal of $5000  Tax deductible donations can be made at the link below.

http://www2.mda.org/site/TR/Walk/99-H1-859-PhoenixEastDistrict?px=1129668&pg=personal&fr_id=1436

I am honored to be a part of Brett's team and doing my small part to help MDA  Thank you for helping me to help those stricken with Muscular Dystrophy.

Brett Aldridge

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) info from http://www.mdausa.org/disease/dmd.html
(Also known as Pseudohypertrophic)

Definition - One of nine types of muscular dystrophy, a group of genetic, degenerative diseases primarily affecting voluntary muscles.
Cause - An absence of dystrophin, a protein that helps keep muscle cells intact.
Onset - Early childhood - about 2 to 6 years.

Symptoms - Generalized weakness and muscle wasting first affecting the musclesof the hips, pelvic area, thighs and shoulders. Calves are often enlarged.

Progression - DMD eventually affects all voluntary muscles, and the heart and breathing muscles. Survival is rare beyond the early 30s. A less severe variant is Becker muscular dystrophy.

Inheritance - X-linked recessive. DMD primarily affects boys, who inherit the disease through their mothers. Women can be carriers of DMD but usually exhibit no symptoms.

Why don’t you get better glasses: Life with Achromatopsia

As I squint and hold the book right up to my nose I hear “Why don’t you get better glasses?” I have heard this many times. I want to scream “Seriously! Do you think I am choosing to read this way? And never drive” but I bite my tongue and respond “I have a visual condition that cannot be corrected with glasses or contacts” They give me a strange look and walk off.

I was born in 1964 and when I was about 6 months old my parents noticed I reacted strangely to light and there was a shaking of my eyes. This shaking of the eyes is known as nystagmus. “Nystagmus often accompanies vision loss acquired at birth or soon after. In achromatopsia, it may be 3 to 6 months before the nystagmus is observed by parents. In infants with rod monochromatism, the nystagmus is usually rapid frequency and of low amplitude (fast moving, but only a small angle).”  (http://www.achromatopsia.info/nystagmus/) My parents began taking me to ophthalmologists and specialists. It was discovered and had extremely reduced visual acuity, totally colorblind and very severe light sensitivity.  The diagnosis was complete Rod Monochromatism a form of achromatopsia.  (http://www.achromatopsia.info/)  My best correct vision acuity was less than 20/200 which made me legally blind.  I was wearing glasses and sunglasses by the age of two.  If someone is 20/200 they can only read the largest E on the eyechart.

What I can and can’t see. Often I am asked what I see compared to someone with 20/20 vision. This is hard to answer since I don’t’ know what they see. So the best way is to give examples.  If I go outside without my red contact lenses and sunglasses all I see is brightness. I cannot even see a car or house. I am totally colorblind so everything is in shades of grey. In school I could only see the blackboard from the front row if I used mini binoculars or a monocular.  I could not play sports since I could not see the ball. I cannot drive.  I have to have a large monitor, enlarge the font and sit very close to my computer. I used large print books in school and still had to hold them close to my face.  I cannot read menu board at a fast food restaurant.

I have had some very hard times and I only discuss these as a way to get people to understand how things they say can be so thoughtless and hurtful and I know many other children are going the same pain. I was teased daily throughout my school years all the way through high school. I was either teased because of my vision or teased because people thought I was faking. When asking a teacher to get my test large printed again he replied you need this one large printed too as if I had a 24 hour blindness the first time.  While in college studying computer science and getting extremely good grades often the highest in the class, I went to speak to a dean about a new degree (computational physics) and the career options and he replied I can’t imagine a job you could do with your vision.  I constant got people saying “You don’t need sunglasses it isn’t sunny out” yet for me cloudy or overcast and blinding bright. I would say to a bus drive “I am visually impaired is the the #80 buss” and the reply I often got was “It’s on the front of the bus read it”.  I never understood the need for people to make rude comments.

Some of the hardest things I encounter are due to people not knowing or not understanding. An example would be if someone waved or smiled at me from across the gym I can’t see it then I hear from someone else that people think I am a bitch and unfriendly because I do not acknowledge their gesture.  I have a very hard time recognizing people I don’t know well even up close so I am unable to go up to people back stage and talk to them if I know them from the forums or other shows.  If I am at the gym working out with someone and I need to find him or her I have to walk up and down every row I can’t just scan the gym to find him or her. When I am introduced to people in a group I am not usually close enough to see them so if they come up to me at another point I usually don’t have any idea who they are. Due to the colorblindness I am unable to do my own make-up since I can’t see if I mess it up.  Before I got my red contacts I used a white cane and even had a guide dog for a short time. This was especially hard for people to understand since I had some vision. Bu tI was borderline on getting round without it and tripping down steps or bumping into to things.  The red contacts combined with dark sunglasses help enough that I can get around on my own only on occasion tripping or hitting things.  Simple things like approaching a building with all glass I can't find the door without walking all along.

What are some of the solutions so everyday issues for people who are legally blind.

1)   Software to enlarge font, mac os has it built in

2)   Monocular/mini binoculars to see blackboards/whiteboards, menus at fast food, screens at airport, street signs when walking, bus number

3)   Magnifier books menus

4)   Bus or walk

5)   At school as a child all my markers were labeled with the color

6)   Red contact lenses

7)   Dark sunglasses

In my employment I have had to find solutions. When I did computer programming I provided my own 19-inch monitor and bought the software to enlarge font. I was only able to accept employment on public transportation routes and that I could get to in a reasonable amount of time. Most of my jobs my travel time was 2 hrs each way. As a Montessori teacher I had to make sure my co-workers and assistants knew I could not see what was happening very far from me on the playground, my assistants handled anything that had to do with color ie making sure all the right colored pencils were in the right color holder. I was able to be a very effective employee with just slight modifications. The hardest part about the disabled with employment is not difficulty performing the job but the attitudes of employers. 

I have not let my disability stop me. I excelled academically. I have a degree in computer science and am certified as a Montessori Primary Teacher.  I took public transportation to school and work. As a parent I tried to expose my daughter to as much as possible even using public transportation to get to these places. Before I met Chase and for several years after I got to the gym and trained alone.  I always tried to find a way to be as independent as possible.

I have not let not being able to drive stop me including living in the snow. For 5 years we lived in Buffalo Grove, Illinois during this time Chase had a job in which he traveled often so I would train alone. There were many times during prep I would walk back and forth to the gym 3 times in the snow in sub zero weather.  I had a goal and I was not going to let not driving stop me.  At one point during my weight loss the time the bus travel took for my job did not allow me to make it to the gym.  I lived too far away to walk and the bus did not run early enough to go before work or late enough to go after work so I bought enough equipment to set up a small gym in my garage. There is always a solution.

I have had some wonderful experiences that I never would have had if I were not legally blind.  In 1984 I was a member of the US Ski Team of the USABA (United States Association of Blind Athletes).  As part of the team I participated in the World Games for the Disabled in Austria. Legally blind and totally blind skiers each have a guide that yells directions as they ski. As a child I went to summer school know as Daily Living Skills where legally blind and totally blind children learned basic skills cooking etc and how to do it with their limitations but we also went on several amazing field trips in order to experience things. These trips included: helicopter flights, train to Los Angeles, flew to Los Angeles, farms, behind the scenes at Catapillar,  behind the scenes in large bakeries like Orowheat and dairies, Disneyland, Magic Mountain, Zoo etc.  Lots of really cool stuff to a 6-9 year old kid.

Why red lenses?

“Let's assume you have complete rod monochromatism. You would have no functioning cones which normally provide vision in high levels of light. You would need to use your rod receptors in all levels of lighting. However, rod cells can function only at low levels of light. Your rod cells quickly bleach out or saturate in bright light, leaving you in bright light without functioning photoreceptors. The brighter the light, the faster and more severely the rods would bleach out, and the more you would struggle to see.

At low light levels, however, you could see to function easily, because the rods receptors use a chemical photopigments that function best in low light. 

Creating Night for Day

Thus, to help an achromat see better in the light, we must turn the light level into the night so the rods can function. Night scenes in the movies are often filmed in the daytime with dark filters used to darken the scene.  

Any dark filter will reduce the light reaching the retina and may help the achromats begin to see better. However, not all filters are created equal. If we look at the spectrum of light from the sun as it splits apart into a rainbow we see that "white" light is actually made of many different (colors) wavelengths from red on the outside to purple  and blue on the inside.

Shorter wavelengths like blue light have much higher energy than red light. The red light has only 1/15 the energy of the blue light. Thus red light has less energy to bleach out the rods in the eye. If we use a red filter on a complete rod monochromat, we lessen the bleaching of the rods and allow these individuals to maintain functioning rods to see with in bright light.” (http://www.achromatopsia.info/why-red-why-magenta/)

Much more information can be found here (http://www.achromatopsia.info/) for those who are interested including videos that show how people with Achomoatopsia see.

Everybody Cheats or Do They?

I can't tell you how many times I have heard this or read this over the years on many different boards or on Facebook.

I am not referring to refeed or cheats that are supposed to be in your diet or when a trainer says have a cheat meal.  I believe 100% in refeeds and/or cheats while in contest prep. I am talking about when people cheat when they are not supposed to whether it is one bite of peanut butter or eaten entire boxes of cereal or even just a cookie or two or skipped WOs or cardio. The issue I have is when they post in their journals they have cheated on their plan then tons of people come in and pat them on the back and say "Oh it's OK everybody cheats" even when a person has repeatedly cheated. This is pertaining to unauthorized cheating on a contest plan.

How is this helping? I don't get it

1) Not everyone cheats, I do not cheat during prep and I know others who do not cheat.
2) I assume my competitors do not cheat which makes sure I don't cheat
3) By allowing yourself to think "everybody cheats" you are already giving yourself permission to do it by assuming it will happen because you believe EVERYBODY CHEATS

Do I think people should post anything mean in those journals? of course not but the words should be maybe to ask the person how bad they want this, remind them it is a competition and others aren't cheating instead of enabling the person in their cheating

When i go into prep I remember I CHOSE to do it
I chose to follow a diet
I chose to do the WOs
I chose to do the cardio
I chose to do whatever sacrifice it take to be my very best

And when you get through a prep without ever cheating or missing a workout or missing a cardio regardless how you place you can say you did your very best and you gave it 100% there was nothing more you could have done that alone makes you a winner

Often I am misunderstood when talking about this subject. I am not asking:
is it ok to cheat? Do cheat meals have their place?
Why do people cheat?
The purpose of cheat meals and refeeds?
Do we support people in their thread when they do cheat?

I am asking specifically why people chose the words EVERYBODY CHEATS when they respond in the thread. Is it because they believe everybody does cheat? Is it because they just don't know what else to say and feel saying that is being supportive? Is it because they themselves can't stick to thier diet? Yes people do fall off but no not everybody cheats.

My feeling is that saying "everybody cheats" is detrimental Why would the person think they can be strong enough to stick to their plan if everybody else cheats? how can one stick to a plan if they go in thinking everybody cheats? 

Go into your diet knowing you can stick to it 100%. Know that you will be standing next to others onstage who did not cheat.  Have faith that you are strong enough and can dot it!

What Does It Mean To Win

Below is something I wrote about winning about 5 weeks out from my show in 2009. As it turns out I not only won my class at that show 2009 Jr Nationals but I also won the overall and it was the first time ever I looked at myself and really saw a bodybuilder.

Since that show I have competed in 3 others I placed 4th at 2 and 1st at the 3rd but whether I was 4th or st I knew each time I stepped on stage I won - i was better than my previous show, i gave 100% every day.

Outside of the physical there are other ways to "win". Over the years in the sport I have met so many people that have become good friends. We support each other through prep and celebrate each others victories. I have won a circle of friends who work hard, who I am inspired by and who are there supporting me. They will be there no matter how I place.

Pushing through the struggles of prep and frustrations that can come in the off season and celebrating your accomplishments and victories you grow as a person and "win" by becoming a better person.

So when the show is over and you ponder am I a winner put the trophy and placing aside and really look deep at the whole picture and what you did to get there and who helped you along the way - then you will know you are a winner!

(written May 2009 during prep for 2009 Jr Nationals)

What Does It Mean To Win

"We all want to win, to place first but is that really what is means to win? To have a

subjective judge tell you whether you prep was a success or failure?

If coming in first is the only way you will view your prep as a success then more

times than not you will be disappointed. You can't determine what the judges will

like that day and you can't determine who will be standing on stage next you. I had a

friend on stage with 54 other girls in her class at Jr Nationals one year if coming in first is

the only thing that doesn’t suck then 54 of them failed.

I see people post in others journals when they aren’t first “You will do better next

time” why dismiss the success they made by saying winning is the only thing that

matters?

If you come in with a better look then your previous show.

If you made improvements you wanted. More muscle. Tighter conditioning. Better

symmetry.

If you gave it your all every day.

If you NEVER cheated on your diet. NEVER missed a cardio.

NEVER missed a workout.

If you gave it all you had each and every workout.

Then you have won and the trophy, if you get one, is icing.

With this mindset you can be a success regardless of the subjectiveness of this sport

and enjoy it so much more.

I see so many people stressing in their journals and not enjoying the process and the

journey. I see people not enjoying life and avoiding friends and family just because

food is around. What does it mean to win a trophy if your life has been miserable for

12, 16 or more weeks?

Believe me I am competitive. I thrive of beating the person next to me in the gym. I

WANT to win but I can’t control judges or what type of physique is next to me on

stage. I have came in first and won an overall and was miserable the entire prep

worried if I would be good enough. Was it worth it? No.

My prep for Nationals 2007 was the hardest one ever I made no changes in weight,

pictures or measurements for the first 6 weeks. But I stuck with it, I never cheated, I

pushed to complete workouts when I was tired. I placed 10th of 12; yet I am more

proud of that accomplishment of pushing thru and not giving up.

Now my current prep; the most I have ever had to drop about 30lbs. I have never

dropped more than 12 in a prep. I have really just let go and enjoyed it. I have

complete faith in Jeremy and I know I will be my best ever. Will it be good enough

for first maybe, maybe not but I have won because I did make the improvements I

wanted, I put on the muscle I need to balance my physique. 

Taking this mindset the cardio does not bother me. I have had zero problems with diet including going outwith friends and family and enjoying time with them while they eat my favorite foods. I haven’t missed a second of cardio or a workout. Do I have hard days – sure

as hell do! I have had cardio sessions where I was lightheaded and dizzy, I have had

workouts that I felt extremely weak but I pushed through. I know that the reps that

are the hardest where you feel you can’t move it are the ones that count. We have

discovered things about how my body works and I totally look at the scale as a mere

indicator of what is happening but I don’t base my mood on what it is doing.

I can look back on this prep with no regrets.

I am thoroughly enjoying this prep and am a winner regardless of my placing!"

2011 Looking Back, 2012 Looking Forward

Happy New Years to all my friends!! Today many people will be posting resolutions but I do not believe in New Year's resolutions. I believe in making changes and choices when the time arises not waiting for a specific day. When I quit smoking years ago I did not wait to make it a resolution. I woke up and said no more and quit that day. When I decided it was finally time to do something about my weight I did it. Everyday we have choices we can make to better ourselves and our lives. Do not wait for New Year's or next month or Monday or tomorrow. Always work on being the best you can be each and every day.

2011 had some struggles but was mostly very positive. 

I would say the greatest struggle was that my contest prep started off very badly with no progress for several weeks. My original plan was to compete at USAs but at 7 weeks out I had not really made any progress. I had a choice to make my trainer suggested I try lower calories and increased cardio for 10 days then decided if we should change to another show.  I gave it a lot of thought since I really wanted to do USAs but when I thought about it I realized I did not want to push my body that way. I thought if we were doing this at 7 weeks out what would i be doing at 5 or 2 weeks out and how would my body react after the show. I talked it over with Chase and Jeremy, my trainer, and decided to not do USAs but to focus on North Americans which was 14 weeks away.  Jeremy Minihan ( Size & Shape Fitness ) and I made changes and it turned into my best prep ever. I was in much better condition further out than ever before. We learned that I did not need tons of cardio. I ended up doing lees than half the amount of cardio each day yet was my leanest ever.  In all my previous preps I had gotten up to 2 or more hours of cardio but for this prep I did 60-75 min and it never increased those 14 weeks.   We actually cut it back started 2 weeks out and that was never done before.  I believe what we learned by completely changing the approach was the best thing that could have happened.  At North Americans I placed 1st in Middle Weight in both open and over 35 my best placing at a pro qualifier.  My body also responded the best ever after the show.

Many wonderful new people came into my life in 2011: My new coach and friend Dusty Hanshaw, and so many others from House of Fitness fit/physique club that have become our friends. I teamed up with a wonderful supplement company, my sponsor, iForce Nutrition and I hope 2012 brings them great success with their new products. I feel very blessed to be surrounded by such positive and supportive people.

2011 ended with being able to enjoy my entire family over the holidays.  I had not seen my mother, who lives in Maine since 2008. Everyone was together for the first time in years.

I plan on bringing lessons learned and the successes of 2011 into the new year and continuing to grow and improve as a person, friend, wife, mother, daughter, sister and body builder. My physique goals are to continue to maintain a leaner physique this off season and to add some muscle where it is needed.  I plan on bringing the very best Suzanne to the stage at the USAs in July with the help of my wonderful supportive team especially my best friend, soul-mate and love of my life - Chase.

May 2012 bring you health, love and success in all that you do!