Good morning all! I firstly want to thank you wonderful women for all the support 🙂 It truly means a lot. And while I know the cereal won't kill my progress (as was visible this morning when I could still see all my abs 😉 hehe), the thing that concerned me the most is that I was blindly eating and more than I knew was necessary (we are talking a BIG bowl here, with 2nds of that monster to follow). The way I was eating reminded me of how I felt and ate when I used to binge. The amount may have been MUCH less, but still the attitude and approach and thought processes that went into it are what scared the (you know what) out of me. I have not done something so self-sabotaging in so long. Even in times this past year I have eaten a bit more than I should have or eaten something extra/"off-plan" it was never in such a secretive, guilty, spiteful, negative manner. I do NOT want to go back there. I REFUSE to go back there. 


So, what now? I realized a few things yesterday after sharing what happened with Peter and talking out my thoughts, hurts, etc. with him. The past couple of months I have been very driven by this competition. No one can deny that planning the food, organizing the details, getting the workouts in, taking time to practice posing/research online/etc etc etc takes a lot out of a person. Despite all that, I have not let this all get in the way of my responsibilities as a wife and mother. Peter says that he doesn't see a difference in attitude or how I treat him, he doesn't see an excessive change in my time with him and M, and overall doesn't notice a change in those general aspects of my life. But deep down, I knew something wasn't right. I knew something wasn't aligned right with my life. And when taking a closer look - it hit me smack hard across the face that what I claim is the most valuable part of my life is what was slipping into the very spare moments I could grab in a day instead of the focus of my day. My relationship with God - my faith. 


Now to some that may seem cheesy or superficial. But I can't ignore the fact that every tough time in my life I was only able to come through it by putting it in God's hands and turning my focus back to Him. From small things such as stresses of school or work, to big things like a changing relationship with my father, He has been the only true help I could count on and that would suddenly help everything seem right and manageable. I have to get that part of my life in order so that I can get through the remainder of prep. Otherwise I very well could end up back in a very dark place, which would in the process be spitting in God's face after He has already helped me out of said "dark place". So here goes - 


God, 
50 days left in this prep. 50. That's it. Right here, right now, I recommit these next 50 days to spending more time growing my faith and getting back to my solid habits that sustain me there. I put my focus on YOU the next 50 days, knowing that by doing so I will make it to that stage fulfilled, happy, with more to my life than pride. These next 50 days will be a whole lot less about me me me and what I can do and whole lot more about YOU and knowing it is only through YOUR will, support, and guidance that I can do anything. I am going to try refocusing how I look at each day. I will begin each day a few minutes earlier so I can have some time to be with You in prayer and get my thoughts aligned with You for the day. I will pray before workouts, before meals, at night after devotional reading with Peter, all day - every chance I get. After all - we are commanded to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). I will turn my radio to 104.7 (sidenote to readers: the popular Christian station - and no it isn't all gospely crazy music like you may think - I actually enjoy this music a LOT and its my 1st preprogrammed station anyways - even if I have found myself slipping off it more recently). I will focus more on the lessons I prepare for each Sunday's lesson, instead of just going through the motions to get it done. I give these next 50 days to You, God. Help me use them as a way to honor You. And knowing your great love for me, that You will bless me and honor me in return by putting me on that stage on November 7th strong, confident, happy, and beaming with the love you have for me. 
Love, your daughter, 
Christina


This may seem tedious to some, but I can guarantee you that if you gave realigning your focus a shot, once you got into the habit it would be seamless and so incredibly worth it. That is the truth for me and that is what I must do now. 50 Days. It's a gift. I must use it wisely. Which even includes resting my back today 😉 

No, not the movie. No, not bad as in cool. Yes, bad as in BAD! I am in excruciating pain right now 🙁 I have done something (really no clue what) to my lower back and it is KILLING me. Top that all off with today being another one of those days of me not being in the best of moods and it isn't pretty. 


My back started hurting last night on the way to the hospital. It was raining, in the afternoon, in Atlanta...all 3 of which equal serious traffic and it taking way, way, way too long to get to the hospital. We brought our nephew with us so he could see his new baby brother (who is so cute btw!!) and his carseat was behind where I was sitting. In my little Corolla, that left me sitting at a very odd angle and pushed up to the dashboard. I was very uncomfortable and couldn't adjust for the over hour drive. We finally made it and then visited with our family for a bit before heading home. Heading home took just as long because for some reason traffic was going until 9 last night?!!? I was sick to my stomach from a lack of food at this point and just overall felt awful. So headed to bed after gobbling up my salad and watching our DVR'd So You Think You Can Dance.


This morning I woke on the wrong side of the bed again (obviously) but once again forced myself to the gym for legs & shoulders. It was a beyond irritating morning there. I had someone come and take over the machine I was using with my supersets not once, but TWICE...even with my TOWEL AND WEIGHTS  racked up ON the equipment!! What in the world people!? And then, me trying to be patient decided to scratch the superset and try to come back to the move later. Well, one time it was the leg press that was taken from me and I had to wait forever to get to it because the dude who stole it (that is seriously what he did - tossed my towel on the floor and everything) he SAT on the machine TALKING for 30 minutes! And then the squat rack when it was stolen left me to use the Smith Machine for my front squats which wasn't so bad, except for the trainer standing in my way so her client could do lunges right on top of where I was working out. Right after telling another man that she was stealing the equipment he was using even though he said politely he still had 2 sets left. Oh, wow! And it didn't help that with each rep my back was hurting more and more. 


After the gym, we headed quickly (or what was supposed to be quickly) to a consignment sale to get a few extra sized 18months things for Makenzie this winter/early spring just to be sure she has some warmer clothes in a bigger size. The lines there took forever and Makenzie decided to be needy and have me hold her, so by the time we finished there I was about in tears in pain. I came home and put her down for a nap, actually took one myself hoping to feel better, and woke up even worse - go figure. Sadly, at this point, I found myself in the kitchen eating a very very big bowl of cereal 🙁 There, I said it. I was honest. I know I could do worse - much, much worse - but I still know that I HAVE to do better. And I will. No more of this! Time to pick myself up by the bootstraps and move forward. Even if it's hard knowing you feel like a bloated mess from all the diet coke you drank yesterday trying to overcome your crazy cravings, then topping it off with cereal, all the while needing to take at least off from spin tonight to rest your back. *sigh* I'm still going to make it to stage....I'm still going to make it to stage....I can do better...I will do better....don't look back...move forward....I'm still going to make it!