Driving Force Fitness

It is the week of Christmas and it is crazy in my little corner of the world! Ay yay yay! I know you know what I’m talking about! Last minute Christmas shopping, gift wrapping, getting recipes in order and for me…killing myself to get assignments turned in, chapters read and studying done. All the while working, working out and trying to maintain some reasonable assemblance of a social life.

BUT…I am staying on track with my eating and workouts! YAY! It is my saving grace among the chaos at the moment. With that said, I will be taking the rest of the week through January 1st off from blogging to enjoy some time with my family and friends, as well as some much needed time for studying and homework. But, I will be back before you know it! AND, I will be eating healthy and working out (I’ll give myself a little lead way on Christmas day, but nothing crazy). So, this will be my last blog for 2011.

Can’t wait to speak with you again in 2012! Let’s make 2012, our year!

Today’s Eating:

6:00 a.m.: ½ cup of old fashioned oats with one scoop of LaBrada vanilla Whey protein powder, 1 tsp. of natural peanut butter and a dash of cinnamon. 12 ounces of water to drink. 1 Venti bold coffee from Starbucks.

10:00 a.m.: 4 egg whites scrambled with fresh chopped spinach, mushrooms and a dash of hot sauce. 12 ounces of water to drink with a dash of lemon. Supplements.

12:00 p.m.: 1 whole wheat English muffin toasted, 1 Jimmy Dean round turkey sausage, 2 egg whites scrambled, 1 slice of fat-free Kraft singles (assemble to form a breakfast sandwich).12 ounces of water to drink. 1 cup of hot mint tea.

3:00 p.m.: (Post workout) Protein shake: 2 tbsp. of natural almond butter, 6 oz. of Silk Soy milk vanilla, 1 scoop of LaBrada Vanilla Whey protein, a dash of cinnamon, a dash of vanilla extract, ½ banana, 5 ice cubes (blend for smoothie). 12 ounces of water to drink. (1) 8oz. glass of iced black tea.

9:00 p.m.: Chicken Stir Fry: 4 oz. chicken breast cooked in pan with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, mixed in with steamed broccoli, snow peas, water chestnuts, chopped red pepper, ¼ unsalted peanuts, ¼ wild rice, ¼ cup whole wheat spaghetti noodles. Stir up in a Wok and add ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tsp. of Ginger, 1 tsp. of Poppy seeds, 1 tsp. of Cumin and a 4tbsp. of low-fat Kraft Asian salad dressing. 12 ounces of water to drink.

Today’s Workout: Back, Biceps and Abs

Back:

Close-grip pull-downs 3x15

Bent-over rows with a straight bar 3x15

Close-grip seated row 3x15

One arm rows with dumbbells 3x15

Biceps:

Preacher bench machine 3x15

Alternating arm curls with dumbbells 3x15

Finishing curls with cables 3x15

Abs:

Ab Crunch Curl ups on flat bench (leg up to body extended straight up in the air) 3x20

Ab Isolator Oblique Position 3x20

Ab Crunch Machine 3x20

Cardio:

45 minutes on the Elliptical with moving arms: resistance at 10 and incline at 9

Happy holidays to everyone! Stay on track with your eating and training. Make sure to pamper yourself during all of the hustle and bustle.

I will speak with you in the New Year! 2012 is the year of self- transformation and it is the time that we reclaim our health and fitness! Be sure to check back January 1st for brand new articles and our first ever “Move of the Month” video clip demonstrations!

I know you must be dying for some current pictures of my progress so far…they are coming in January! Stay tuned!

Yours in health, Tiffany Damle

Today, I began my day reminding myself to breathe through the pain.

Have you ever had a really deep massage and you find yourself holding your breath through the strokes? But as those little moments pass by, in your exhalation, you suddenly feel relief and if you’re lucky, even exhilaration.

Have you ever watched a small child fall down and hurt herself? If you notice, the child’s first instinct is to hold her breath, let the pressure build up and then suddenly…one screeching outburst of blood curdling, screaming comes rearing up through her lungs. As she starts to feel calm in her mother’s arms, her breathing slows and the pain starts to subside.

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a workout, finding the pain too much to bear? Maybe it’s in the middle of a tough run and in your in mile two of a 5K and you’re talking yourself out of running that last mile. But suddenly, you drum up enough will power to calm yourself, steady your breathing, and get those legs moving just a little bit further. When you cross that finish line knowing that you worked through the pain, nothing feels quite like the high!

As we move through our daily lives, it’s important to remember that our frustrations, diet cravings or even a little road rage can all be tempered with a deep breath. It takes a moment of realization and a few deep breaths to move through what pains us. On the other side of that breath is the reward!

Today’s Eating:

6:00 a.m.: 1 whole wheat English muffin, toasted and sprinkled with cinnamon and a little bit of spray Pam. 1 venti, bold Starbucks coffee with a dash of fat-free milk.

10:00 a.m.: 21 unsalted almonds, 1 small Clementine, 12 ounces of water with lemon to drink.

12:00 p.m.: 1 cup of homemade turkey chili (it has lasted me all week! I think today is the last of it once my husband comes home ). 18 Quaker Oats mini rice cakes in cheddar cheese. 12 ounces of water to drink.

2:00p.m.: 3 hard boiled egg whites, 1 cup of raw broccoli. 1 serving of Smart Pop 94% fat-free popcorn and 1 fudge bar (no sugar added).

6:00 p.m.: 1 protein shake: 1 scoop of LaBrada Pro-V60, vanilla whey protein, 1 tbsp. of natural peanut butter, ½ banana, 8 oz. of water, 5 ice cubes, glutamine, blended in blender. 1 tall fat-free hot chocolate, no whip from Starbucks. 12 ounces of water to drink.

Today’s Workout: Back and Biceps

Back:

Lat-Pulldowns close-grip (machine) 3x15

One arm rows with dumbbells 3x15

Seated rows (multi-station machine) 3x15

Bent over rows with straight bar 3x15

Biceps:

Standing biceps curls alternating with dumbbells 3x15

Preacher Curls (machine) 3x15

Hammer curls with dumbbells 3x15

Cable curls (individual cables, free motion machine) 3x15

At home Equivalent:

Back:

Bent-over double rows with dumbbells 3x20

Seated Rows using rubber tension bands with handles (sit on floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Place tubing around the outside of your gym shoes.)

Lying pull-ups (lie down on your Swiss ball, holding dumbbells outstretched horizontally overhead and bringing them together above head) 3x15

Biceps:

Standing biceps curls alternating with dumbbells 3x15

Hammer curls with dumbbells 3x15

Cable curls (use the same tension bands with handles that you used for back. Place under your feet while standing.) 3x15

Cardio:

2 mile jog (20 minutes) followed by

1 mile walk (15 minutes)

I’m trying my best to stay focused through the holidays. I keep reminding myself that by this time next year, I will be in the best shape of my life. I have been thinking about the beautiful dresses and heels that I will be strutting my stuff in next year. So far, I have had a few slip ups, but they are becoming fewer and fewer.

Until tomorrow, have a fantastic day! Keep your eye on the prize!

Yours in health,

Tiffany Damle

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about my full potential. I have been evaluating myself as to whether I am living up to even half of my potential, let alone my full potential. Sadly, the answer is no. I think sometimes the doldrums of life can take you down a path unknowingly outside of your goals. Before you know it, your best self is put on the back burner in order to take care of errands, laundry, work, and for some, children.

Today’s Strategy: I’ve realized that it’s important to make time in your life to re-evaluate yourself and your choices. It’s important to sit down with yourself and look at where you are headed. Sometimes, we need to set ourselves back on course, or even take a detour to get to where we want to go.

Being in this mind set, I have woken up the past couple of days on a mission. I am setting out to be a superwoman! In the mornings, I think about what it is that I need to accomplish, how badly I want to succeed and what strategy is going to get me there. I want to do the best job I can at everything I set out to do. This sort of attitude requires a lot of focus and dedication. But more than any of that, it requires the mind set to start your day out with confidence and determination.

I feel energized, inspired and more than anything, I am starting to remember the best parts of who I am. The journey is just beginning and it is so much more than just losing pounds of fat. It’s about losing negative self- talk and images that set me back. This journey is about rediscovering who I am and who I want to be. Thanks to a new attitude and the love and support of my husband and friends, I am confident that I will reach my goals!

Reinvention: Every woman knows how a great haircut can change your life, or at least your day. This, combined with a good manicure, and maybe even a new outfit, can make you feel like a brand new person. There is nothing quite like the feeling of exuding your femininity and embracing your special beauty. Do whatever it takes every single day to feel put together, to fee beautiful. It’s fantastic to be a woman and reclaiming this day after day is empowering. Same goes for you guys out there. I know you know how good it feels to splash on a little cologne in your new dress shirt and jeans. The bottom line is that we all want to feel and look our best. So if you aren’t where you want to be yet, there is nothing stopping you from doing the best you can, to dress up what you’ve got until you get there!

Today’s Eating:

7:00 a.m.: 4 egg whites with fresh spinach and mushrooms scrambled. 12 ounces of water to drink with lemon. Supplements.

11:00 a.m.: 1 venti bold coffee, black from Starbucks. 1 cup of homemade turkey chili with fat free cheddar cheese (See my recipe swap for this recipe. This time I made it extra hot by using 3 packets of McCormick’s hot chili flavoring, as well as adding about 3 tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce, 3 tbsp. of chili powder, 2 tbsp. of sea salt, 3 tbsp. of black pepper and 2 cans of diced tomatoes and chili peppers) 12 ounces of water to drink with lemon juice.

1:00 p.m.: 21 almonds, unsalted.

3:00 p.m.: 1 fudge cycle no sugar added. 12 ounces of water to drink with lemon. 6 ounces of V-8 with Worchestshire sauce, pepper, hot sauce and Green Vibrance supplement added.

7:00 p.m.: 1 cup of homemade turkey chili with fat-free cheese. 12 ounces of water to drink. 1 cup of mandarin orange, hot, green tea.

Today’s Workout:

12:00 p.m.: 1 hour spin class at the gym. (I am becoming an addict! If you haven’t ever taken a spin class, you definitely need to give it a go. At first I just thought it was ok. But after my 3rd or 4th time, I can hardly wait to hear the music start booming and the lights go down! It’s like a euphoric high of music and sweat. When you get off the bike and your glutes are cramping, it’s the greatest feeling ever!)

You all keep me plugging along! When I feel that I may be wavering, or my work load bogs me down, I know that you are waiting to hear from me. Your posts inspire me, and I couldn't be more grateful for your support! Let's rock this together! We have the power to change it all!

Until tomorrow...

Yours in health,

Tiffany Damle

Although I stayed on track with my eating and training today…my self-confidence waned. Accepting the reality of my current physical state is very difficult for me. At times, I can move forward and feel positive about where I am going. However, at times, it’s a rollercoaster of anger for letting this happen to myself. It’s difficult to accept that physical activity is harder for me, that I have back pain or can’t wear the cute dresses and outfits that I’ve once enjoyed. Today was a particularly tough battle though. I figured out my BMI and fell deep into a state of desperation, fear and anger. I never thought I’d be in this predicament, and worse, I never thought it was possible for me! I mean, I was at 9% body-fat for many years and it wasn’t even really that hard. I had a healthy relationship with food and I enjoyed getting to the gym and being active. If I missed a workout, I didn’t feel like myself.

Today’s Strategy for Success: Today, I needed to get real with myself. It’s great that I have been more consistent at the gym. It’s awesome that I have cleaned up my diet and stayed off of the alcoholic beverages. But, I know more than anyone that this is not enough. I have not been taking into consideration, the proportions of protein, carbs and fats that go into my diet. I haven’t been as good as I could about being consistent in eating every 2-3 hours to keep my metabolism burning up fuel. And, I haven’t brought the intensity that I once knew to the gym. Most importantly, I have not committed fully to knowing that I will succeed.

It reminded me of a very big challenge that I have recently overcome…

In 2005, I decided to go back to college and get my bachelor’s degree. This came after an enormous hiatus, while I was pursuing my career in modeling/fitness as well as acting as an entrepreneur in owning two Powerhouse Gyms and a healthy fast food restaurant called the Pita Planet. I had attempted college a couple of times right after high school but never really had the time (or the discipline and understanding) to fully commit and succeed.

In 2005, I remember sitting in the guidance counselor’s office at Santa Monica College and thinking to myself, “God please let this stick. Please help me make it all the way through this time.” I remember the moment when I sat in that office and fully committed to myself with a vengeance that no matter what it took (even poverty) I wasn’t going to let anything stand in the way of me obtaining my degree. In the next four years, despite countless obstacles like a full-time job, near poverty, family troubles, relationship troubles, loneliness and all of the monkey wrenches that life throws in your way…I never gave up and I never waned from the promise to myself. In 2009, I accomplished one of the biggest goals of my life; I graduated with my bachelor’s degree from the University of California-Los Angeles. I was the first in my family to receive a college degree!

I’ve realized that life can often have its own timeline. Sometimes, we have other lessons to learn before we can commit to the things that we need to get done in life. But other times, we just haven’t found the reality that is ours. We have not recognized or promised to ourselves, the very things that we deserve.

I deserve to be healthy. I deserve to be fit. I deserve to feel great about myself again and to enjoy life in a way that provides for and energizes my body. I owe it to myself and I owe it to my family. Today, I had to sit down with myself and make that same promise that I made ages ago. I promised myself to stop looking for the quick fix. I promised to stop setting unrealistic goals. Today, I promised myself that I will see my fitness goals through, all the way to end and maintain them from thereon.

Self-Realization: I have come to recognize that one of my biggest faults is my lack of patience, not with others, but rather, with myself. It’s funny how you can give so much to others, but often times, you can’t give to yourself. I can literally watch paint dry if it meant that I was benefiting another. I have the desire to help others, teach others and to motivate. Above all, I always want to be the best support system I can be when I am teaching someone something new. With this mentality, I will take however long it takes to help someone get the hang of something.

However, with myself, I have very different expectations. I expect things to happen, well, yesterday, if not before. I have this instant gratification issue. I often make unrealistic goals for myselfwith regards to my fitness, that almost always inevitably lead me to failure. I notice that I have not given myself the proper guidelines and expectations that I would give to a client in my situation. I know that this is partially because I am still in disbelief as to where I actually am. With my BMI results today, I had no choice but to take a step back and make a change about how I treat myself. I vowed to take things slow. I have given myself 6 months to accomplish my goal of losing 50 lbs. That’s about 8.3 lbs. a month. It’s a very realistic and reasonable goal for me. By taking the pressure off to perform right now, I can take the time to do it right. From that point forward, June though the end of the year, I will start focusing on competing. So the lesson is: one day at a time. Walk before you run!

Today’s eating:

6:00 a.m.: Protein Shake: 1 scoop of Labrada Pro-V60 whey protein in Vanilla, 10 frozen strawberries, ½ of an orange, Glutamine, 5 ice cubes and 5 oz. of cold water, blended in blender. 12 ounces of water to drink with a dash of lemon juice. 1 Grande, bold coffee, black from Starbucks.

10:00 a.m.: Greek Egg White Omelet: 6 egg whites, fresh chopped spinach, 1/8 cup of black olives, mushrooms, red onion, and low fat feta cheese. 12 ounces of water to drink. 1 small can of V-8 Hot and Spicy.

1:00 p.m.: 1 can of chunk white tuna I water mixed with spicy mustard, relish, chopped red onion and placed on top of two large Wasa whole wheat crackers. 1 small packet of mini carrots. 12 ounces of water with lemon and 1 large iced tea, black and unsweetened.

2:30 p.m.: Workout: Cardio only: 1 hour Zumba class at the gym.

6:00 p.m.: Mandarin Chinese Chicken Salad (homemade): romaine and iceberg lettuce, 1 peeled cutie, (1) 4oz. grilled chicken breast (marinated in lemon juice and cumin), water chestnuts, fresh ginger, 6 almonds chopped. Fat-free Asian- Asiago dressing. ½ green apple sliced and dipped into 2 tbsp. of natural peanut butter.12 ounces of water with a dash of lemon juice.

8:00 p.m.: 4 hardboiled egg whites with pepper. 12 ounces of water to drink.

Until tomorrow, have a successful day of positive thinking and most importantly…a commitment to yourself!

Yours in health,

Tiffany Damle

It’s already beginning to be a crazy week and I can feel the pressure! These are the times that I usually find excuses to falter in my routine. It’s the holidays, I’m traveling, I have finals, I have Christmas shopping to do, and the list goes on!

Today’s Safety Net: Today, I took extra precautions and stocked my refrigerator and my purse with ammunition. I have plenty of snack size veggies, all chopped up and ready to go in Tupperware containers. I also, went ahead and made a huge batch of my protein pancakes to make cooking easier this week. And for the really tough moments, I have protein bars, a protein shaker and fresh fruit in my purse! Welcome to the world of fitness. Your purse or briefcase is no longer filled with file folders, random papers and maybe a bottle of Chanel or deodorant, but instead, chicken and protein powder!

Questions: Over the last couple of days, I have had many fabulous questions from you ranging from supplements to at home workouts. I was asked about the Glutamine that you see in many of my recipes. I have responded to this question in my forums, the guestbook page as well as the comments on my last blog. You also asked how you could do my workouts at home if you didn’t happen to have a gym. So for you…I will be posting them here along with my gym workouts. So no more excuses for you! I will also say that for many of you that are unfamiliar with the terminology that I use to describe these exercises, it may be helpful to purchase a book that describes these exercises with photos and directions. I would also be happy to help you understand any of the exercises or information that I post, if you have questions. Some of my favorite books are: “Weight Training Illustrated” by Maran , “High Powered Plyometrics” by James C. Radcliffe and Robert C. Farentinos, “Athletic Body in Balance” by Gray Cook, and “Anatomy for Strength and Fitness Training” by Mark Vella. You will start to see a host of information on my site. I will eventually be posting monthly workout videos, new recipes, new articles, a “My Favorites” section, as well as a “New Athlete” of the month, a body challenge competition and a section for contacts and resources. These are all things that I think will benefit you and some of them are your suggestions. I love hearing from you so please keep the feedback coming and I will do my best to accommodate you!

Today’s Motivation of the Day: Today I chose to look at myself a little differently today. In the last two years, I have loathed looking at my physique in the mirror, trying on clothes, and definitely getting anywhere near a pool or God forbid…a bathing suit! This sort of attitude has been about 78% my own manifestation and the rest has been a culmination of letting others have a negative impact on my worth or identity. Despite what others may do or say about me, I know that I am my own worst enemy and I am also the one with the most power to change my life. This sort of self- loathing, often leads me into emotional eating, which obviously just adds fuel to the fire. A very good friend of mine once said to me that she “eats her feelings”. I have since borrowed this statement from her as I believe it is a very good reflection of what many of us do to ourselves. When we feel bad, we actually injure ourselves Further rather than patching up our wounds. What feels good on our lips or in our bellies for a moment, feels awful for hours and in most cases weeks, months or even years. Today, I made a pledge to reckon with this self- abuse. I stood long and hard in the mirror…cringe…naked. As I scanned over all of the things that I would like to change about myself: the wobbly bits, the large parts, the soft parts, the flabby parts and yes, even the bumpy parts…I then took notice of the other stuff. The not so bad parts! Believe it or not, no matter how much self-doubt you have or how unhappy you might be with your current physique, I promise you there are a few good things there too. You have certainly been blessed with something very special that not everyone has. So what is it? Is it your natural curly locks? Your gorgeous thick brows? Your beautiful creamy skin, healthy bright eyes, sexy smile, dimples? Whatever it is…FIND IT! And do it right this moment! Because that something beautiful is going to be what you turn your attention to the next time you look at yourself.

Have you ever decorated a room and started with an inspiration piece that you built off of? You know what I mean! Perhaps you had a beautiful painting, a stylish pillow or even a hand woven rug. You might draw colors from these items to pull a room together. Once you have the colors and the inspiration pieces, you keep building on the room and adding more beautiful things to it that go along with your inspiration piece. Before you know it, the room is rich, comfortable and exciting. It is a room that you feel proud of and want to show off to your friends. It is a room that you love to be in and feel like yourself in. Well think of that room as your body or your own skin and that inspiration piece is the beauty that you see today. We are going to add to that until all that you don’t like has been moved out to the garage…or better yet, to the curb! Today, I started to find the things that I love about myself. I’m going to start looking at myself with a loving eye instead of a critical one. Because when I start to care about the person in the mirror, I will nurture her as though she matters to me!!

Today’s Workout:

6:00 a.m.: 3 mile run/walk: 45 minutes

3:00 p.m.: Chest /Triceps and Abs

Chest:

Incline Chest Press 3x15

Incline Flies 3x15

Cable Crossovers 3x15

Triceps:

Triceps Dips between two benches with body weight 3x15

Overhead cambered barbell presses 3x15

Cable pushdowns 3x15

Abdominals:

Ab Isolator Machine 3x20

Leg Ups 3x20

Ab Bench Oblique Raise (lower body turned sideways) 3x20

At Home Workout Equivalent:

Chest:

Lying on a Swiss Ball with Dumbbells: Chest Press 3x15

Lying on a Swiss Ball: Dumbbell Flies 3x15

Using a medium strength resistance band with handles, fasten behind you: Cable Crossover 3x20

Triceps:

Lying on Swiss Ball with dumbbells: lying triceps extensions 3x15

Triceps Dips: using two solid chairs, dip between them 3x15

Using resistance band with handles, fasten above you for triceps extension: 3x20

Abdominals:

Using the Swiss ball and a medicine ball: Sit-ups over head with ball coming up to your knees.

Lying flat on the ground with Swiss ball between your feet, raise your legs to 90 degree position for leg-ups (lower abdominals raises) 3x20.

In a sit-up position, using the medicine ball, come up to either side of your legs with the ball. Alternate each side for a total of 20 in one set. 3x20.

Cardio: 40 minutes on the Elliptical with arms resistance 9, incline 10

Today’s Eating:

8:30 a.m.: ¼ cup oatmeal with one scoop of LaBrada Pro-V60 Whey Protein in Vanilla, 6 non-salted, chopped almonds, and a dash of cinnamon. 12 ounces of water to drink with a dash of lemon juice. Supplements.

11:30 a.m.: 3 hard- boiled egg whites with a little pepper and a dash of sea salt. ¼ cup of raw broccoli and a little non-fat Italian dressing to dip it into. 12 ounces of water to drink.

1:00 p.m.: 4 oz. of baked chicken breast marinated in non-fat Italian dressing, on top of a large salad: mixed organic dandelion greens, cherry tomatoes, chopped celery, chopped cucumber, chopped carrots, a sprinkle of 6 chopped, non-salted almonds and non-fat Thousand Island dressing (2 tbsp.). ½ grapefruit plain and peeled. 12 ounces of water to drink. 1 Venti Bold Coffee from Starbucks, black.

4:00 p.m.: 1 protein shake: ½ banana, 1 scoop of protein, 1 tbsp. of natural peanut butter, 5 ice cubes. 8 oz. of water, blended in blender. 12 ounces of water to drink.

7:30 p.m.: 4 oz. fillet mignon with a little A-1 steak sauce, 3 oz. of lightly steamed asparagus, 3 small, red baked potatoes with garlic powder and a little Pam cooking spray. 12 ounces of water to drink with a dash of lemon juice.

Until tomorrow, have a fabulous day! Stay strong and motivated. Remember to look for the beautiful parts today!

Yours in health,

Tiffany Damle

It was an exhausting weekend at school; I’m tired and worn out but still pushing forward to stay on track.

I came to a beautiful realization today. Whenever, I lay my worries aside and try to stay positive on how things will work out, they almost always do. When I work hard to do the right things, despite tremendous obstacles, I feel that God has always pulled me through. Whether or not you believe in God, is of course your own choice, or decision. But no matter what your belief, you must believe that when you work hard, there is benefit.

Today's Motivation: An extraordinary thing happened over the weekend. I have been contemplating for about two years now, to do a figure competition again. Sometimes for me, it helps to set an extreme goal to get me back on track. However, in the last couple of years, I have struggled for anything to push me through my physical funk. I think I inherently know how hard the road is ahead of me and the sacrifices that I will have to make. For some reason I haven’t been able to muster up the strength despite my desires.

But…a very old friend contacted me out of the blue. She had been a dear friend for many years all the way back to my early childhood. She is a friend of mine again on Facebook and had been following my blog. Recently, she has asked for my help in competing in a competition for the first time. It’s a crazy coincidence if you take into consideration my last blog or even the conversations that have been going on in my home. But as it turns out, I am exactly the person to get her to where she wants and needs to be. And without her realizing it or not, she is the same for me. I am going to help her get into the best shape of her life and compete in her first contest, of which she will chronicle on my site. In addition, I am going to join her in this endeavor, and I am going to compete as well. So stay tuned for an enormous transformation! Let this be the motivation you were waiting for or perhaps someone close to you! Join us! The best is yet to come and this is a free ride!

Today’s Eating: 6:00 a.m.: ¼ cup old fashioned rolled oats, 1 scoop of vanilla whey protein (LaBrada Pro-V60). 12 ounces of water to drink with a dash of lemon juice and a Venti Christmas Blend Starbucks Coffee, black.

11:00 a.m.: 5 egg whites scrambled with spinach and mushrooms. ½ grapefruit. 12 ounces of water to drink.

12:00 p.m.: WORKOUT: 3 mile run/walk: I am still fighting to find love in running again, so I began today with a run/walk. I ran until I lost my breath or my will which was a toss- up of which came first. I completed this in about 40 minutes. I am going to try and to this around this time every day until I have run the whole thing without loathing every minute of it.

3:00 p.m.: 1 whole wheat piece of bread toasted with (1) 3 oz. can of chunk white tuna in water mixed with mustard, chopped red onion and a dash of relish . 1 ¾ cups of steamed broccoli. 12 ounces of water to drink with a dash of cayenne pepper.

7:00p.m.: 4 oz. lean cut, grilled fillet mignon, 3 oz. of steamed asparagus, 1 cup of red, white and blue, small Idaho potatoes baked and sprinkled with garlic powder. 12 oz. of water to drink.

Until tomorrow, have a fabulous night. I hope you wake up tomorrow with a vigor for health and fitness!

Yours in health,

Tiffany Damle

It’s getting easier! Another great day today!

I have noticed that for me, it makes my will power and control a lot stronger when I work out first thing in the morning. I am not always able to do this since I have clients very early in the morning. However, when I can, I find that working out in the morning sets the tone for my day. I am consistently aware of how hard I worked out and my mood is elevated.

I know not everyone is a morning person. Trust me, there are mornings when my alarm goes off that I actually want to cry. But, I will say that once you are up, it’s so peaceful and meditative. It’s a great feeling to walk into the gym in the early morning and everything is already buzzing along. And I don’t know about you, but waiting until the end of the day, makes excuse finding a whole lot easier.

Today’s Motivation: I purchased a couple of healthy cook book options to keep me motivated throughout the holiday and I highly recommend them if you like to cook. These cookbooks are also, good if you are just looking for something to freshen up your meals. I will refer to these meals from time to time and I will let you know what book I got them from. Currently, I am using these four: “Eating for Life” by Bill Phillips, “The Best Life Diet” by Bob Greene, “Shape Your Life” by Barbara Harris, and “Making the Cut” by Jillian Michaels. Each of these books is a quite a bit more than just your run of the mill cookbook. They are full of eating and dieting philosophies, motivation and theories. Yu can choose to take from it whatever you like. I happen to love the recipes and little motivational tips. “Shape for Life” also has some beautiful pictures, skincare tips and even a page or two on meditation, yoga and overall wellness. If you have a book that you like to pull from, please share the name with me. You can never have too much information or inspiration in my opinion!

As I continue through this journey, I have been stressing organic, raw, and natural as much as possible. I am not a vegetarian, as I grew up on steak and potatoes as a Midwest girl. However, I don’t eat much red meat and I am open to the idea or substitution here and there is not all together at some point. In the interim though, I am starting slow, by first just trying to cut the junk and adding in as much nutrition as possible. You will see this reflected in my eating habits (hopefully) as I move forward.

Today’s Pitfall: I knew that I would be going out for dinner tonight with my husband and some of his colleagues, so I did a sort of “saving up” of calories. I never recommend doing this as it is much better to eat smaller meals more frequently. However, I am still having some tummy troubles today of which I am having checked out by the doctor tomorrow. But, in addition, I knew that even if I chose the healthiest option on the menu, I wouldn’t be sure what I was actually getting. Trust me, from a seasoned competitor, I have had to eliminate restaurant eating all together at times. Even if you order a grilled chicken breast and lightly steamed vegetables, it is going to be cooked in butter. If you were to ask them not to use butter, then they use oil! You can’t win! If I had been feeling better, I would have eaten a few small high protein meals over the course of the day and just saved myself by cutting my carbohydrates and fats to provide for a little dinner out. I think I have really done a job on my stomach over the holiday weekend. I think my enzymes might be out of balance. SO, a BIG lesson learned at the expense of my health. Definitely not worth it!

Today’s Workout: Plyometrics, Core and Stability Training

6:00 a.m.:

Balance board holds 30 seconds each 30 reps while holding 10 lb. dumbbells over- head.

10 repetitions of body planks on forearms 30 seconds and uprooted to hands for 30 seconds each

Medium height jump-box 15 jumps both feet at a time

Step ups to shoulder press using a bench and 10 lb. dumbbells 3x15

12 half- moon asana each side

Lower abs lifts, lying on back flat on floor using Swiss ball between feet for raises 3x20

3x10 Burpees (a.k.a squat thrusts)

3x15 T-turns (in a push-up position, turn your body to the side and raise your arm off the ground so that you are looking at the ceiling. Do this exercise with dumbbells if you feel comfortable enough, alternate each side and return back to the push-up position in between each rep.)

Cardio: 40 minutes on the elliptical: resistance 9, inclines 10

Today’s Eating:

8:30 a.m.: Protein shake: 1 scoop of LaBrada Pro-V60 vanilla whey protein, ½ banana, 1 tbsp. of natural peanut butter, 1 scoop of glutamine, 8 oz. of water and 5 ice cubes blended. 1 Venti Christmas Blend coffee-black from Starbucks. 12 ounces of water to drink with a dash of lemon juice.

11:00 a.m.: Spicy Green Machine: 8 oz. of low sodium V-8 juice, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, a few drops of Tabasco, a little black pepper and 1 scoop of Green Vibrance (vegetable supplement with probiotics from Whole Foods). 12 ounces of water to drink.

1: 00 p.m.: 3 oz. of whole wheat, cooked rigatoni noodles with a dash of olive oil, a sprinkle of garlic salt and oregano. 1 cup of steamed broccoli. 12 ounces of water to drink.

6:00 p.m.: Dinner at Red Lobster: Parmesan crusted tilapia, steamed broccoli and a ¼ of a baked potato. Water with lemon to drink.

I’ll speak with you again soon! So glad that you are doing this with me!

Yours in health,

Tiffany Damle

It was a fairly easy day today to stay on track. My guess is that 70% of it was motivation and the other 30% was a result of still not feeling that great from my Thanksgiving extravaganza. My stomach is having a hard time regulating itself. Let’s just say that Ginger ale and Tums have been good friends of mine the last couple of days.

I’m feeling very excited about really getting on the ball and hearing all of the enthusiasm from the readers! Thank you so much for your support. It really makes writing these blogs an enjoyable process. Don’t be shy, please post your comments on here as well as sending me your e-mails and posts.

My Pitfall for Today: I actually broke down and began eating an impulse buy 3 Musketeer bar today! Half way through the bar, I actually through it in the trash. So while I wasn’t perfect, at least I am improving on corrections.

Today’s Motivation: Have you ever had a jealous sort of motivation for getting yourself where you need to be? It’s strange how we operate sometimes. I mean, I could actually have someone tell me I’m fat, or I might get disgusted with myself when I look in the mirror or don’t fit into my favorite clothes. And still, a few hours later, I would eat something to sabotage myself further. But sometimes, it takes a sort of jealousy to arouse the motivation I need. Now, I don’t mean that I go out and hate on people for being in better shape than me. I mean, I kind of feel left behind and envious of where they are going and what they have accomplished when I’m still eating big icing topped cupcakes and ice box cookies. In my latest example of this, I will share with you a shamefully true story.

So I had this acquaintance awhile back, let’s call her Cindy. Cindy came to me not having any experience in competition and was interested in competing in figure and fitness competition. This is something I have done myself personally many times as well as helping many others to do the same thing. So of course, I said I would help her. Every morning we would Skype and practice her poses. We worked vigorously on getting her diet in order and finding an appropriate show for her. We used this show to set up our timeline in regards to training and diet. Cindy was transforming right before my eyes and her discipline was unwavering. She never once missed an appointment or was late. Because she was motivated, I dedicated myself to her success. However, about 8 weeks into our 16 week journey, Cindy dropped off the face of the Earth. Suddenly, Cindy became too busy at work and couldn’t meet up anymore. She actually had mentioned that she would have to perhaps look to compete at another time. So, I let Cindy go and hoped that she would check back in when she was ready to go again. But, a year and a half has gone by and I have not heard from her again.

After some recent investigation, I came across Cindy on the web and found out that she has competed several times in the last year and has been doing great! Very exciting! She has even found a sponsor and has created opportunities for herself that are spectacular. Here is a lady that had an inkling of an idea to try something outrageous. She dedicated herself and sought out he proper tools and resources. Despite getting busy with work, Cindy picked back up and accomplished her goals. I was overwhelmed in happiness and excitement for her.

But, shamefully, I was also thinking to myself…what the hell?! What am I doing with myself? I helped this lady get where she needed to be, why am I not doing it for myself too? This is my playground, my territory. I had a very successful career and was heading up the ladder when I had a change in priorities. But, you know what? I found inspiration in Cindy just like she found it in me. So, no matter where it comes from, or how you need to drum it up…for goodness sake, drum away!

Today’s Workout: Legs

6:00 a.m.:

Squats on the Smith machine 3x15

Leg Press on a plate loaded leg sled 3x15

supersetted with

Calf presses on the same machine 3x20

Leg Curls- lying leg curl machine 3x15

Cardio: 35 minutes on the recumbent bike and resistance 7.

Today’s Eating:

8:30 a.m.: Post workout shake: 1 scoop of Labrada Pro-V60 Vanilla whey protein, 8 oz. of water, ¾ cup frozen blueberries and strawberries, and glutamine. Blended in blender for smoothie. 12 ounces of water with a dash of lemon juice to drink. Supplements. 1 cup of hot mint, caffeine free tea.

12:30 p.m.: 6 pieces of a spicy tuna roll without mayo. (purchased from Publix grocery store). 1 small side salad including lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and carrot shavings with fat-free Italian dressing. 12 ounces of lemon water to drink. One Canada Dry Diet Ginger Ale.

2:00 p.m.: 21 non-salted, raw almonds…and ½ of a 3 Musketeers bar (grrrr, bad!) One Canada Dry Diet Ginger Ale, 12 ounces of water with lemon to drink.

7:00 p.m.: 6 lean turkey meatballs with ¼ cup spaghetti sauce and a large salad including: romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, chick peas, chopped celery, and a sprinkling of dried cranberries. Lemon juice with ginger and cumin for dressing. 1 Ginger Berry Kombucha to drink and 12 ounces of water.

8:00 p.m.: 15 small pretzels with spicy brown mustard for dipping. 12 ounces of water to drink. 1 cup of hot mint, caffeine free tea.

Until tomorrow, have a fantastic day. Remember that a mistake doesn’t mean the day is wasted!

Yours in health,

Tiffany Damle

I’m back! I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving…I sure did!

So, I’ve come to a few conclusions about the way I’m going to handle these blogs. In order for me to be consistent but still have some moments outside of “work mode”, I will be posting Monday-Friday only. If I happen to leave town for a holiday or some other extenuating circumstance, I will give you a heads up. I will still be journaling on the weekends, just not posting. This will help me to keep control of that “balance” concept I was telling you about.

Anyway, I know you must be anxious to hear about my holiday foibles and mishaps…and there were many! Let me just be honest and say this, I picked a very difficult time to get me eating under control and get myself in shape. But, I did so intentionally!

One of the biggest excuses I have heard from my clients who fall off the wagon or choose to wait on getting in shape is, “it’s the holiday season, it’s impossible to eat clean or workout!” While I am the first to admit that not only did I fall off the wagon, but I think I took a tumble or two under the wagon as well! However, just because I indulged myself for a few days while on vacation and visiting with family, doesn’t mean that for two months, the trend will or should continue.

My Holiday Pitfalls: I don’t advise indulging yourself like I did and I certainly don’t advise doing that for a few days. But it happens, and I did it, and that’s why this is a reality blog, and not a fabricated, fairytale, fitness book. I indulged just about every craving I have ever had in about a three day span from sweet potatoes, to pie and cocktails. The only exercise I got during this time was the walking I did around the mall! I went to bed most nights with a stomach ache and feeling bloated and irritated with myself. However, each of the days I was away, I did the same thing all over again! What gives? Why would I continue to do this to myself after feeling so awful about it the day before?

I spent a lot of time contemplating this very idea today. It’s quite apparent how festivities and so-called celebration can wreak havoc on your will power. Not to mention relatives and friends offering you food every couple of minutes as though you had been without for months on end. But the biggest reason I believe is that I had mentally given myself permission to “slip” or “treat” before I ever got on the plane. The mindless eating was very thoughtfully planned out before my feet had even hit the pavement in Chicago. It went something like this, “I only go home once a year and they don’t have Portillo’s anywhere else in the country, so I’ll go there for and Italian beef sandwich. I mean after all, Chicago is all about the food and that’s my home town. Then the next day we will go to Lou Malnati’s for deep dish Chicago pizza because nobody does it like Chicago. And of course, you must have a Blue Moon to wash that down.” And so the story goes…

There are lots of problems with this sort of thinking, obviously. It is a heart attack waiting to happen and it’s murder on every one of my organs, not to mention my backside. But, one good thing did come out of it, and that is, it made me brutally aware of how reckless I can be and have been with my health. To have consecutive days of this sort of behavior, proved to make me nearly ill and feeling awful. Lastly, I quelled the urge for just about anything under the sun that I could dream of wanting.

Therefore, today, all I wanted to do now that I am back home was to get to the gym, cleanse my body and nourish myself with water, vitamins and vegetables.

Lessons Learned: As long as you can learn from your mistakes, sometimes it’s ok to make them. It’s important to truly grasp the lesson and make a commitment with yourself to make the change. I have also learned that when you are in a relationship, you have the power to not only help yourself, but also your partner. Your influence on one another is a very powerful force. If you are hurting yourself, you can better believe that this is also hurting your partner. Be better and stronger for the both of you!

Back in the driver seat of the wagon and ready to take the reins!

Today’s Workout:

6:00 A.M. Workout:

Shoulders and Abs

Inside Grip Shoulder Press machine 3x15

Super-setted with

Outside Grip Shoulder Press Machine 3x15

Side Lateral Raises Machine 3x15

Pec Deck Reversed for rear delts 3x15

Upright Rows with a cambered bar 3x15

Lower ab lifts with a Swiss ball 3x20

Ab crunches on Swiss ball 3x20

Oblique raises on dip machine 3x20

Ab Isolator 3x20

Cardio: Elliptical Machine: Incline 11, resistance 9, duration 35 minutes.

3:00 P.M.: 1 hour Zumba cardio class.

Today’s Eating:

8:30 a.m.: Power Monster Smoothie: 1 scoop of Vanilla Whey Protein (LaBrada Pro-V60, 1 scoop of Green Vibrance vegetable mix, 1 tsp. of glutamine, 4 oz. of water and 4oz. of frozen blueberries and strawberries. Vitamins and 12 oz. of water to drink.

9:00 a.m.: 1 Grande Starbucks Christmas Blend Coffee: black. 12 oz. of water to drink.

12:00 P.M.: 1 large salad: 5 hard- boiled egg whites, romaine lettuce, chopped celery, carrots, cherry tomatoes, 8 almonds unsalted, cucumber and broccoli florets. Lemon juice mixed with cumin and a dash of ginger for dressing.

3:00 P.M.: 1 low sodium v-8 vegetable juice and 1 cup of raw broccoli florets. 2 hard-boiled egg whites. 12 ounces of water (after 1 hour Zumba Cardio Class).

7:00 p.m.: Homemade Indian Vindaloo dish (if you have questions about this dish or need the recipe, let me know) with basmati and grilled chicken breast. 12 ounces of water to drink.

Dear Julia,

If you only knew how you touched me with your comments today! I was beginning to feel as though I was alone in my journey and sometimes struggle. Thank you! Thank you for letting me know that someone is listening!

Day 8! It has been 4 days since my last post as Julia has pointed out, and by her inspiration, it won’t happen again. In fact, I am bringing my laptop with me to Chicago for the holidays just to make sure that you hear from me! Let the holiday games begin!

Today’s lesson of the day: So much has happened in the last couple of days and it has all been spectacular! One of the biggest and most enlightening moments has come from my husband. I have always been a creature of habit. One of my biggest mottos has been to do things the right way and to give it my all. In doing so, I have always been an “all or nothing” sort of gal. I am finding that this sort of mentality has led to much of my demise. It’s a dangerous game to give all of your attention to one area of your life and to neglect the rest. If you have read any of my other posts, then you will see how this has affected me in full force. Balance, balance, balance. This is what my husband tells me each day. “Tiff, you have to have balance.” I know it more now than ever before. If only he had been around all those years when I needed to learn this lesson! Anyhow, I know it now and I am practicing every day to instill this principal. I have a lot going on in my life at the moment. I am juggling between a full-time career in the health and fitness industry as an owner, inventor, creator, coach, wife and full-time student in a professional MBA program. In the past, I would have focused hard on one area at a time a let everything else fall to the wayside. In the past few weeks, I have learned to divvy up my time. Now when my husband goes off to work, I train my clients and then head to the gym for cardio. I come home to work on my business until 3 p.m. and head out to check on my boot camps and employees. From there, I’m back at the gym for weights and more cardio and then…homework until midnight. It’s a tough schedule, but I’m getting used to it. As I go, I’m finding that I feel much more relaxed and I sure am sleeping a whole lot better!

Today’s motivation of the day: Today I purchased insurance in my future health and happiness by placing a deposit down on a Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy. My husband and I don’t have any children currently as we just married in July and I really have been craving a baby of sorts! We have both been talking about bringing a companion into our family that could hike with us and perhaps…even get me to run (imagine that!). After many hours of searching and anguish…we found him today! He was born on 11/11/11 and we will get to take him home on January 9th. So stay tuned to find out more about our adventures with this high-spirited angel. Until then, here is what I accomplished today!

Today’s Eating:

6:00 a.m.: 6 egg whites scrambled with mushrooms, fresh cut spinach, red onion and a sprinkle of low fat feta cheese and a dash of Tabasco sauce. 1 Venti Christmas blend with a dash of fat-free milk from Starbucks.

11:00 a.m.: 7 turkey meatballs and 4 tbsp. of Ragu spaghetti sauce. 12 oz. of water.

3:00 P.M.: Went to Altoona, FL to meet my new puppy! (ate 4oz. of Teriyaki turkey jerky and a protein shale with 1 scoop of vanilla LaBrada Pro-V60 protein and 8 oz. of water in a shaker cup). 12 oz. of water to drink.

6:00 p.m.: Salad with 1 can of chunk white tuna in water mixed with 3 tbsp. of spicy brown mustard, 1.4 cup of red onion, 1 tbsp. of relish and 1/2 tomato diced. Olive oil and vinegar with a dash of Ginger for flavor.

8:00 p.m.: WORKOUT:  Walked 3 miles outside briskly while contemplating my day and what I needed to do the next day. Almost felt meditative. The walk took me about 40 minutes. Loved it!

8:50 p.m. : 12 oz. of water to drink and 15 pistachios.