2 years ago I went to Rick’s house on a mission, I had a desire to compete.  I once had tried to fill before when I was 21 and just wasn’t really at a point in my life where I had what it truly was going to take.  In a few words…I had a lot of growing up to do…A LOT!   2 years ago this month I weight 149 pounds (wow) and my BF% was over 30%.  In 8 months I was able with much of Rick’s help compete in my 1st show the Monster Mash 2008.  I placed 5th in my class!  I was needless to say totally shocked by surprise.  It was like OMG WOW.  It was even a surprise to Rick, he said that it was the quickest transformation he had seen in his 20 plus years in the industry.  I would have kept competing in the figure division but some personal things in my life happened and I was just not able to fully dedicate the time along with the mental, physical commitment that you need to be successful with it.  This past year after things “kinda” settled down I thought what the heck!  Why not try to start competing again!  With working at Keep It Tight Fitness I thought what better atmosphere to be in while trying to obtain one of my personal goals and hopefully inspire others to see they can do anything they set their mind to.

I posted my 2008 stats on my Facebook yesterday and I kept reading them over and over in disbelief.  Never once when I weighed 149 did I think I was “overweight” or “unhealthy.”  What I did realize is that sometimes I don’t think we know what we are really capable of until we push ourselves to the limits.  I am not saying competing is for everyone because it really isn’t BUT I am saying that I know that if you think right now you are giving 75% to your diet and excercise or just overall healthy living do this… re-think ~ re-energize ~ re-act to it.  PUSH yourself harder.  At KIT we sell a shirt and on the back it says “FIT HAPPENS.”  I love the shirt it is a TRUE reminder that it does happen the key is who is wearing the shirt MAKES it happen.  I tell my girls all the time dig a little deeper because sometimes that is where you will find what it takes.  You have it in you we all do the key is just realizing it and believing in YOU!

J

On Thursday I went to Rick’s and my body fat had dropped!  Yes, I was excited but it seems like it is sure SLOWLY dropping now.  Which is just the way it goes.  Once you get to a certain % your body starts to slow down.  This is so extreme on your body that it messes with everything.  I even dream of eating food that I am not supposed to!  My diet changed also this week which has been a very hard transition for me.  Less fat and low carbs which means my body is even running on less fuel than it was before.  WOW, is that really possible?!

I wanted to send out this blog to let all of my Keep It Tight Fitness girls, wonderful family & friends and tell you thank you for all your support that you have given to me during this journey!  It has been so uplifting to have so many amazing people stand behind me while I am doing this.

My family has been SO supportive and if they were not I wouldn’t be able to do it.  It is so demanding that I have to spend so much more time in the gym than I already do!  I know that they are very much looking forward to our Spring Break vacation that we will leave for the day following of the show!

And a huge thank you to Melissa!  Wow, I don’t even know where to start.  She has been such a trooper with this.  A few months ago when I decided that I was going to compete she set some personal goals as you know!  And she has stuck with them and is meeting them which is amazing!  She made a commitment and is just as much of a fighter as I am!  I owe a huge thank you to her and her wonderful family who are feeling the “rath” of the competition as well!  Her support has been outstanding and she is STRONGER now than before!  She listens to me complain, cry, reminds me to “dig deeper” and that Johnnie you are going to ROCK!  I love her!

Video to be posted from visit to Ricks on Thursday as well as updated pics in my suit today!  And yes I ordered ANOTHER suit yesterday and it should be here by Wednesday!

My goal this week is to be a little bit closer to that “Sexy Chick” I have been headed for this whole time!  Yesterday while do MORE cardio I put my favorite song on and played it over and over!  And the video well that is a good inspiration also!  ;)

Keep your eye out for updates this is it!  18 days and counting!  WOOOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOO!!

Keep it Tight,

Johnnie

The thing about all of this is, that I made a commitment to see this through and when I commit to something I don’t go back on my word. I told Johnnie I would go on a revised diet so that I could support her but I also set a personal goal to get my body fat down between 12 & 13% and increase my muscle definition. Trust me, I have wanted to just stop all of this insanity and go back to my 1 day per week cheat day with my nutrition, which is my usual rule of thumb. My body fat has gone from 15.48% to 13.72% in 4 months. I have to really be careful not to drop my calories too low or I start to loose muscle. I am struggling with that right now so therefore I am upping my protein and calories this week and trying to lift more. We shall see! I can loose 1-2% in 3 weeks right! Sometimes easier said than done. I am having some major cravings! (Jets pizza:) Those 3 cheat days don’t last any further than the moment you are swallowing the food and then it’s over! The next day I still feel deprivation so why did I even bother?

Poor Johnnie has been a trooper and has not had any cheat days since Thanksgiving/Christmas! Her body fat is down to 11.2%!! She is going crazy but hangs onto the fact that March 27th is right around the corner! We are all helping to keep her focused and positive so she can kick butt and place/WIN at the competition! Go Johnnie!!!

And the first thing we are both having after she steps off that stage, is pizza!! (And after that…probably something chocolate!)

~Melissa

I went to see Rick the week before last and I am at 12%.  Ever since I left Rick’s I remember just how things get a little tricky for me here on out.  I play these mind games with myself everyday craving foods, drinking TONS of water to try to fill up, dreaming about food and honestly get frustrated with myself for doing all of the above.   I am sure you are probably saying is all of this truly worth it?  The answer is YES!  110% it is who I am.  Keep in mind that this is extreme and it is a compeition for ME.  But I have learned through this as an athlete things that I can apply to my everyday life as far as eating healthy and staying fit but just as important applying the mental focus during this times as well as my physical strength.  I love to see myself overcome these little battles everyday.  Sometimes they are more easy than others and I am always able to get through it with the support system I have.  In the end though it works out and being in that suit on that day I know I will feel GREAT!

This morning I woke up excited to go to church then realized it was a special service today and I hadn’t gotten tickets for it.  I was bummed and I felt like I hit a wall, A BIG WALL.  Sundays is really the start to my week and going to church bright and early is my way of getting pumped up and helping get my mind in the right place for the week.  So I had to revert to PLAN B!  Lifting with my Mike, 30 minutes of weighted cardio and a Bikini Boot Camp with my girls!  It worked and it worked well!  Mike reminded me of how I need to stay strong now physically and mentally most importantly.  A good competitor is one who has not only physical strength but who is mentally strong.  After today my body feels smoked I pushed it today more so than I have in a long time BUT that is what I needed along with surrounding myself with positive people who believe in me!

I did a little surfing on the internet, checked out some YouTube videos of past shows.  And that is the medicine I needed, I may have hit a road block today BUT a good driver knows how to take the detours and get right back on track!

I will post with updates on body fat % soon!  It will be show time before we know it!

Keep It Tight,

Johnnie

But I did make a commitment to stick to this high protein/low carb/low fat diet till March 27th and see where that gets me. I pretty much stick to that at all times anyway but with much more variety and some cheat days. I have noticed a huge difference in my arms and also some in my stomach. So thanks to Johnnie  training to compete in the Northern, I have been much more disciplined with the nutrition side of things! I have even been sticking to it when I’m out of town which is HUGE!! I plan on getting my fat measured again in 2 weeks to see where I’m at. And of course I will keep you posted!

With that all being said, I just want to say how proud I am of Johnnie . She has really been through some difficult times over the past year and has been coping with the loss of her mother which she was so close to. Most people would have gone the other direction and given up on any fitness or nutrition goals. But Johnnie has made a commitment to go the other direction. She has focused all of her attention on her fiance, her job at Keep It Tight Fitness, and her own personal journey with Project Raw. It takes amazing strength to power through when your heart is still broken.

So I dedicate this blog to Johnnie. I am so proud of her commitment to our girls, her commitment to herself, and the strength she has proceeded with, which I’m sure was instilled in her by her mother.

Johnnie, you are am amazing woman. I love you dearly. Thank you for your smiles even on the tough days.  This year will be an amazing one!

~Melissa

Overall, I have been feeling pretty good lately.  I can’t tell you how much GOOD SOLID sleep is to your training!  There have been a few restless nights the past couple of weeks and my body could REALLY feel it.  Luckily, I was able to get back on track quickly.  The diet has been going well since I have traveled a bit I have had to improvise my diets here and there but I have been able to keep up and eat clean!  It is funny the looks you get while on an airplane and  you pull a whole chicken breast out of your bag while everyone else is snacking on peanuts, cookies or pretzels!

I LOVE to watch people and there was a woman traveling who caught my eye.  She ordered 2 vodka’s asked for double of all the snacks and then proceeded to pull out homemade peanut butter crackers (YUMMY!) and trail mix.  I sat there and was thinking well she probably didn’t eat dinner…Then I thought well actually she probably did but she didn’t eat the right things so that is why she was still hungry!  Several times I thought to myself I wonder if she knows what she is putting in her body and how many calories she is really consuming in eating the snacks she did!  And the most important question of all….Does she really care?!

After my quick trip to New York for Boogie Box training (which is SO awesome) I was going to sit down with a group of girls who come to Keep It Tight Fitness and talk to them about nutrition.  I was determined to let them know how to get on track and do it fairly quickly!  We reviewed their food journals they had been keeping and went over some quick fixes.  I put them on a plan and let me tell you,  they came to class on Wednesday and they were talking about how they couldn’t believe how many calories were in this or that and how they thought twice about what they were going to eat and along with how much they were going to eat!  My reminder to them was take baby steps and remember you are going in the right direction, log your food (all of your food) and drinks and hold each other accountable!  I know I sound like a broken record but having a support system to help you get through your training process is key to success.  And finally don’t beat yourself up if you get off track, get back on!  Challenge yourself by keeping a journal to log your workouts and your diet it might really help.

I know all of this is easier said than done…I should try listening to myself sometimes HAHA!  I love having the opportunity to share my knowledge and help all these wonderful women in my life!

Keep It TIght!

Johnnie

Before the holidays Johnnie did my pinch test and I was at 15.6% and on Jan. 11th with Rick I was at 15.9%. I was not really that disappointed or surprised because I did have several cheat days between Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years in New York. Usually I am up much more than that after the holiday’s because I love to eat all the wonderful goodies that the holidays bring. This year I am much more focused and I have this little thing called “Keep It Tight Fitness” that I am trying my hardest to make successful so I can continue offering you girls a wonderful place in which to accomplish your fitness goals! So thats that! Made it through the holidays and ready to kick butt!

Now for my next topic! And this is purely my opinion and recommendation. Do as you wish with this information.

Approximately 8 months ago my husband and I came across this supplement called Resveratrol. We watched many shows that were discussing this product including 60 minutes, and The Oprah Winfrey show. (you can google it and watch for yourself) Anyway…….we started taking Resveratrol daily. And by “we” I mean “I” because my husband never really sticks with taking his vitamins or supplements. I was skeptical at first because I usually am with products that claim what seems to be the impossible. Just to give you a small list of what Resveratrol claims to do……it works at a cellular level to inhibit cancer cells from dividing, has estrogenic activity to help prevent post-menopausal bone loss, stimulates the “longevity gene” to slow the progression of aging, extends lifespan, decreases risks of heart disease and diabetes, and boosts your immune system through the roof which decreases instances of colds, the flu, and many other common illnesses. This is just to name a few.

During these winter months ALL of my children (including my husband who stopped taking Resveratrol after the first week because he could not remember to do it) were sick NUMEROUS times. And although I helped to take care of them and was in close contact with them and even cleaned up vomit, I was the only one in my family that has not been sick this season! Usually I at least get multiple colds during the winter months but NOTHING. Not even the slightest little common cold. Go figure. I guess it cold be luck or maybe I’ve been a good girl this year and so God blessed me. Just joking. God does not play favorites. Or maybe it’s this amazing new supplement I have been taking called RESVERATROL!!!!

I never recommend products to people that I have not taken and tested myself but I must say that after 8 months of taking this product I highly recommend it to all of you ladies! And I also recommend that YOU recommend it to your husband. Or do what I did and buy a little pill organizer and sit it by your husbands bathroom sink so he remembers to take it every day. After being the only one in my family that has remained healthy this season my husband has become a firm believer and has vowed to get on the Resveratrol band wagon! I am happy to say he takes it every morning!

So read up and do your own research and come to your own conclusions. I’ve heard the best most absorbable micronized Resveratrol you can buy is by RevGenetics and can be purchased online. I recently just started the Resveratrol made by this company. There are also other forms sold at Whole Foods and many other websites but beware that the quality and absorbability are very important and many other companies are trying to copy cat this wonderful product at a much lesser quality and absorbability.

Here’s to an extremely healthy and ageless 2010!

~Melissa

Keep It Tight,

Johnnie

After eating clean then having Christmas and New York in the mix it felt like I was on a roller coaster ride.  You know how it is eating great one day and then eating like crap the next.  And when I say eating like “crap” I don’t necessarily mean that I ate the cannoli in NYC or all the yummy breads and desserts that were being served around me.  I mean eating protein bars which I don’t normally eat on my diet or not eating enough period.  My diet is so strict to a T.  I eat the same thing everyday now sometimes Rick will give me a couple of diets to choose from but everything on the paper, the amount etc. is my fuel for the day.

I had told Melissa before we went that I had a feeling I was up in body fat and go figure I sure was up.  It could be for many reasons my diet, my workouts being a bit different or even me being near “that time of the month.”  Regardless, I left a little frustrated with myself and then I thought why should I be?  My body fat on Dec 22 was 13.6 and on Jan 11 it is 14. 6.

I am seeing Rick next Thursday at 11 which I am shooting to be down below the 13.6 .  After I got home last night and was talking to Mike he said to me “Why are you being so hard on yourself?”  My answer was “If I wasn’t to hold myself accountable from here on out then I wasn’t doing MY part.  I want to place in the show.”  You have to stay consistent in your diet.  No matter how many times you are working out what truly matters is your DIET.  It can put a huge kibosh on everything very quickly.

Overall, I will take a 1% in body fat.  I had what I can’t say will be the most memorable trips to NYC!  I came back engaged!  Maybe it was my new accessory that changed things up!  ;)

Now it is game time….

Keep It Tight,

Johnnie

Check out the video to see where I am at!

Keep It Tight !