Driving Force Fitness

Amy's Journey to the Top

Wed, 16 May 2012 04:30:00 +0000

For all of the Momma’s

May 14, 2012

For those ofus that have children, we know what a blessing from above that children are. Motherhood is one of God’s highestcallings. The sacrifices are WELL WORTH the reward; even if we gain68 pounds being pregnant.

I wasfortunate to have a wonderful mother. She is and has always been a great source of strength and support forme. She’s a wonderful grandmother toPatrick. I can only hope that I do asgood a job as she has.

With God’sgrace, I am striving to raise Patrick with a love for God, self-motivation,self-confidence, a hard work ethic, self-discipline, compassion for all walksof life and a self-love for himself to believe in himself and the great thingshe is capable of accomplishing.

I involvePatrick in my exercise routine as much as possible.

We love torun together. A year ago, (he justturned 5) he ran his first mile from start to finish in 13 minutes and 19seconds. Doug and I were right by hisside cheering him on and encouraging him to keep going even when he felt likehis little legs wouldn’t take him to the finish line. If you ask him today, he remembers his firstrace and he will tell you exactly how long it took him! He is so proud.

When we goto the health club he comes along with us. He plays in the child center when Doug and I get our routine in but thenwe have family time playing squash on the squash courts. Doug loves to teach us and Patrick takespride in the fact that momma and he are learning together.

Sometimes,we have to work out at home. I involvehim by helping me count, bringing me weights and even acting as my cheerleaderto encourage me. He tries to do exercisebetter than momma. It becomes a game forhim that we play together and spend time with one another.

There aremany ways to include the little ones. Children don’t have to be an excuse as to why we aren’t working out.

Not only areyou doing something amazing for you but you are an incredible role model foryour children. Can you think of a bettergift of time together?

HappyMother’s Day from one mom to another!

Have ahealthy happy day!

Amy

Amy's Journey to the Top

Wed, 09 May 2012 02:30:00 +0000

The Scale Doesn’t Show the Whole Story

May 7, 2012

Weight hasalways been a yo-yo battle for me. I’mdown, I’m up, I’m down, I’m up, etc. etc. I have tried multiple diet programs from counting points to eating onlyproteins and no carbohydrates. All ofthese plans seem to work while you are trying to lose weight but I have neverfelt that these diets have assisted at getting to the root of why I let mysel fovereat and definitely not how to maintain the weight once the weight wasgone. I had yet to find the diet plan that incorporates a healthy blend of exercise. Further, I found myself wanting to weigh myself every single day and sometimes twice a day. I’ve learned that I was sabotaging myself. All of this changed for me when I started with Coach Tiffany.

Coach Tiffany is transforming my life. First ,she has helped me switch my mindset. This isn’t a diet. It’s alifestyle change that is becoming a part of who I am all the way down to my very core. Secondly, she is teaching me that there are so many other measurements of how my lifestyle change is progressing. There are obvious ones like how my clothes are fitting and how I feel. There are also other measurements like Body Mass Index (BMI) and Percentage Body Fat (PBF) and measurements of my body around my shoulders,chest, waist, arms, thighs and calves in proportion to my overall body. My BMI is 24.1 and my PBF is 25.8. I’m not sure exactly what that means yet. Coach Tiffany and I will be talking about that this week.

This newfacet of my mindset is important to me these last two weeks. I’ve been on an antibiotic to help me getover a sinus infection. My doctor saidit could make me retain a bit of water. It is and I haven’t seen great losses on the scale these last two weeks. I lost 0.4 two weeks ago and 0.2 this week. I’m okay with that though. I know my diet has been clean and I’ve been following the exercise plan. The little losses lead to big losses in the long-run. Further, I know my clothes fit nicely and I feel good. My muscles are doing what they are supposedto be doing and rebuilding lean muscle mass every time I work out. Had I not changed this crucial perspective ofthe scale I would have been in trouble. I’m not letting the scale dictate the person I am. That is a success to me.

Today’s strategy includes I a healthy breakfast of oatmeal and protein. I added a Chobani Yogurt to my mid-morningsnack (an apple). For lunch I had tunamixed with a pickle and brown mustard atop romaine lettuce. I have another Chobani Yogurt for amid-afternoon snack. Dinner is wild-caught halibut and grilled green and red bell peppers.

I’ll befocusing on shoulders and abs tonight followed by an hour of cardio.

Don’t sabotage your success with a lifestyle change by placing all of your reliance on your results on the scale.

Have ahealthy happy day!

Amy

Amy's Journey to the Top

Sun, 06 May 2012 01:20:00 +0000

Peel me like an Onion!

May 4, 2012

After my 36 years, I have many layers of insecurities that have built around me. I am often saying that I am like an onion and as I work at bettering myself, I have to peel away the layers. Over the years, then, this has turned into layers of unwanted unhealthy fat.

Below the layers, I knew that I was a confident, sexy, spirited woman. I do lots of praying and reflecting and I knew that the only course of action for me was to just do it and finally make the changes in my life to live healthy and begin to peel away the layers from the onion that I was.

This is what I’ve got going on today to help me peel.

I have today off from work. We had plans to drive to Grand Rapids but those changed. It’s about 80 degrees here in Chicago today. The sun is shining and hey, it’s FRIDAY!!!

I woke up about 45 minutes early and got on the treadmill for 30 minutes. It felt like a nice little way to waken to the day and get my heart going.

Following the treadmill, I ate breakfast that consisted of 1 cup of oatmeal mixed with 1 scoop of vanilla whey protein; filling and healthy. I washed down the oatmeal with a large glass of water.

Next, I was off to an appreciation breakfast for volunteers at my son’s school. I used that as an opportunity to also get some more cardio in today. I ran to school about 1.5 miles away. I had about ½ cup of mixed fresh fruit and ½ banana as my snack with water. When breakfast was over, I ran the rest of the loop back to home. It comes in just under 4 miles. I love running. It is time where I can listen to myself breathe. I like to hear it and feel the cardio working. I think the most when I run. I started running in February of 2009 after being challenged by a best friend to run our first ½ marathon together.

I’m going to make lunch which will be organic premium chicken mixed with bbq sauce. I’ll use some romaine lettuce on two slices of whole wheat bread to make a sandwich with the chicken. My side will be steamed broccoli. I’ll have a tall glass of cold water.

After that, my honey, is coming home and we are riding the motorcycle down to Lifetime to get backs/biceps, abs and cardio in.

I’ll make an afternoon snack which will be Chobani Greek Yogurt and once again some water.

I don’t drink much other than water, you will see. I have coffee in the morning but that is about it. I don’t drink diet soda anymore and I stopped drinking alcohol in January.

Dinner tonight is chicken kabobs with bell peppers, onions and mushrooms.

Peeling my onion layers is an all-inclusive priority for me. I’m revamping my mind and my body to get down to the core of who I know I am: Strong, confident, sexy and warm.

Have a healthy happy day!

Amy

Amy's Journey to the Top

Tue, 01 May 2012 17:30:00 +0000

Have Healthy Food Available

We have a committee called the FUN Committee in our department. Its sole purpose is to come up with inexpensive, simple and fun ideas to increase morale and team spirit in our department. I chair this Committee, not by volunteering to this post, but by an appointment by one of our division leaders. We do events such as Football Fridays, we administer a food drive around the holidays, we schedule luncheons, etc. Most events center around food as we know that this brings our team together. Most food brought in is usually full of sugars, processed ingredients and saturated fat. Around October 2011, I committed to bringing in a healthy snack alternative everyday at my own expense. I did this because I know that when I eat healthy, I think more clearly, I have more energy, I can focus on the task at hand and I feel happier all the way around. This idea took off like wild fire. Fellow colleagues began volunteering to bring in healthy snacks and I found that it brought us closer as a team. People in our department have access to the unclean foods if that is what they are wishing for but having healthy snacks available is a step in the right direction.

-Amy Ramer

Operation: Fit to Kill Day 17

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:50:00 +0000

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

Operation: Fit to Kill Day 16

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 02:10:00 +0000

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

Operation: Fit to Kill Day 15

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 04:05:00 +0000

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

Operation: Fit to Kill Day 14

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 04:40:00 +0000

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

Operation: Fit to Kill Day 13

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 04:45:00 +0000

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

Operation: Fit to Kill Day 12

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:20:00 +0000

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