calm and collected

Well, the title of the post does not describe my current emotional state in any shape or form. You see, fitness has encompassed me and I'm having some major anxiety and guilt over the overload of sugar I had today! Yeah- I'm supposed to be off that crap til March, and I had a moment several moments of weakness today, so I am anything but calm. It's gonna be a rough workout tomorrow =(

I'm resuming my decorating post today because honestly, I kinda miss it.

I've been loving the look of neutral spaces, that look like they've been collected over time, and not planned out. I think to myself, could I actually do that? I feel like I always want everything picked out and planned just right in a room, but most of the fun of decorating is doing it as you go.

I just love that wooden masculine desk, with the gold tufted chair and touches of glam in the room.

 From what I can remember, this was designed by Jonathan Adler.. love every single thing about it

 Via the decorista blog. Such fun, eclectic pieces in here

 Those chairs look hairy. I kinda dig that. Via decorpad

 I think this bedroom is so awesome for boys. Via decorpad Kristen Buckingham

 So lovely. French settee with cow hide rug and mid-century modern coffee table. It works. Via visual vamp

In action

If you are following blog because of decorating, sorry. Fitness contest prep has consumed my life, and I've learned so much, and have been asked so much, so I love to share.

Someone recently asked me if I take supplements.

The answer is yes and no- yes to some basics, and no to extremes.

First off, I have an awesome sponsor, and friends who have educated me and provided these wonderful supplements, on Mixers Nutrition so if you're in the market, check out their blog, and also their shop!

I have one or two protein shakes a day. And they're usually smoothies blended with fruit cuz that's how I like em.

The vanilla protein powder is awesome with almond butter, or I made a pina colada smoothie the other night that was amazing! These smoothies have kind of become my night time dessert.

I take a women's multivitamin, which is really important if you're trying to lose weight and are eating less/burning more calories. Your immune system is compromised.

I usually throw in a scoop of this ProFiber in my smoothies.. everyone can use the extra fiber =)

Jack3d is my pre-workout, but only on days I feel sluggish. I LOVE this stuff. It gives you a boost without the jitters, but I like I said, I don't want to feel like I need it every day.

I have a "fat burner" called RoxyLean. I think it works really well, but I don't love how I feel when I take it, so I rarely do. Some of you might try it and love it!

*Note about thermogenics/fat burners: they work with proper diet and exercise, which is what it says right on the bottle. But most people are perfectly capable of getting lean and healthy on their own, just FYI.

(I take nothing as far as muscle-building creatine, or any other leaning out substances)

So, I'm not a fitness model, and my husband with his iphone is no photographer. But I wanted to post just a couple of exercises that have been included in my workout.

Low squats

Your glutes are engaged even more when you get lower. My trainer showed me how to use this bench with leg rest to squat over it. It's an unconventional way to use this, and it helps if you're short =) PS I put weights on my shoulders when my grip gets tired.

 Pull-ups

My fav. I used to be a pro at these back in my gymnastics days, but I've had to really work to get them back! Nice lats gives the illusion of a smaller waist. Score. You can build up to this point, by starting with lat pull, or the assisted pull-ups machine.

 Cables

There are a lot of different exercises you can do just by lowering and raising the cable. I like a simple trunk rotation.

 Bicep curls

Instead of lifting one, then the other, keep both arms curled, then lower one at a time. Your biceps are engaged the whole time.

While I'm lifting, I'm rarely resting. I swap between 2 exercises back to back, 3 times.
For example:
Low squats, then bicep curls. Then repeat. Repeat again.
Lunges, then push-ups. Then repeat. Repeat again.
Leg press, then tricep dips. Then repeat. Repeat again

Get it?

I've listed some of my daily foods and workouts on Mixers Nutrition today so check it out for some more tips!

Help wanted

Ladies. I need your input. This is crucial.
I have the worst time picking things out on my own, and of course, my husband is of no assistance in matters like this...

So I thought I had a suit picked out, but I've still been looking around, and now I like 4 and can't decide. And let's be honest.. I've never put on a blinged-out crazy suit before...

Initially, I decided on this purple number.

 and they have something very similar in red.

 Then I found another website, that's slightly more expensive but I feel like they look better...

hot pink?

Green- my life-long love. I'm really liking this green one, but it is the most expensive.

So I welcome and encourage (and am telling you!) to give suggestions! Does it matter that much? I have no idea.. but ya know how you look at things so long that your judgment is clouded? That is me. 

Now go!

Funny fitness

K guys, don't be turned off by the title, but Jamie Eason, who is freaking awesome....

posted this on her facebook page, and you might not get it or think it's funny.

BUT if you have any experience in the fitness competition industry, you can relate to some of these things, as I now can =)

I realize this looks really, ummm inappropriate, but I promise it's just funny

Anyway, I thought it was hilarious =) I can relate with the... "is it time to eat yet??"

So here's some of my progress since a few weeks ago.. we're getting there!

 My freaking legs are taking FOREVER to lean out... I guess that's my "weak spot" and wear I carry most my fat... doesn't help that my legs are so short! Here's to 7 more weeks though... I CAN DO THIS!

Issues:resolved. And a little fitness update

Broken mouse ----> no blog posts -----> I actually got stuff done this week!
Sorry though, to disappoint.

Anywho, WOW it's been a good week! As far as my figure training goes, I am really starting to get excited. Things are FINALLY looking better, I'm feeling good, and feel like I'm starting to look good.
I've been waiting to get down to 15% body fat, because that's when definition really starts showing... and drum roll........
Nailed it! Got it measured yesterday and I'm down, where I should be, and my weight is starting to come down too. This most likely has to do with another dip in calorie consumption. I'm down to around 1250 cals a day, and have started to cut out carbs. (Not all, just some). The diet's getting really strict, where I have to watch sugar and salt intake, so that means I'm getting quite creative with my cooking! But I have to tell you, I've tried 1200 cal diets before and I can never last... but when you're eating the RIGHT foods, and space them out right, it's totally doable; I'm not hungry. I will post some pics asap of the progress =)

Here's a sneak peek at some of my meals and snacks, and I'll put some links if you'd like to try them!
Cottage cheese... good thing I love the stuff.. but now I gotta lay off a little because it's got lots of sodium. But I threw in some fresh raspberries and some flaked unsweetened coconut and it was a good variation.

 I have not perfected this recipe yet, but when I do I will post it! It's stuffed bell peppers with quinoa and turkey. My husband and I LOVE it. It's got a little secret ingredient.. if you're interested, leave a comment or shoot me an email =)

 Protein waffles. Okay, these were not so great. The idea of eating some "normal" food was appealing to me, but the recipe sucked. I still ate it, but will not make it again. I wanna find a better one for ya'll =)

 Typically lunchmeat is not a healthy choice. It's processed and loaded with sodium. But this is probably one of the best I've found, from Costco, of course. It's got reduced sodium, is lean, and it tastes so fresh and flavorful.

And oh my gosh I am in love with this salad. It's spinach, pear and quinoa.. with (reduced fat) feta and pecans. I didn't have any more quinoa so I used couscous. And instead of the pomegranate vinegar, which I'm sure would be delicious, I just used red wine vinegar. It was still great.

And this lemon chicken was amazing.. I tossed in some red potatoes with a TBSP of olive oil in with the marinade and it was money

lemon chicken

SO on that note, I just ordered my stripper figure posing heels! I'm setting up a posing session to figure out what exactly I'm supposed to be doing with my body up on that stage.
Here they are... not cheap, and scream hooker a little bit, but that's what they wear.... I mean, they're pretty. I can see my husband liking them......

And here's the potential suit! These things are freaking expensive. You thought a normal swimsuit was expensive?! Try not being able to find one of these for under $200!! I heard that pro figure competitors are known to spend more on a competition suit than on their wedding dress. Crazy industry I've gotten myself into huh?

 So let's talk about the hideous cut of these suits. 

THIS, my friends, is the reason you have to do about 100000 squats and lunges!!! Your butt is mostly hanging out, and look how high up the bottoms go on your waist! So ugly. And the criss cross back? Barf. But alas.... Here I am about to throw down some $$$ on this thing.

It's MONDAY

Hello. My bad, I've been a slow random poster.
Just reporting on my weekend, because it's been pretty fun:

Been workin on my son's room update. He's two and still in his crib (I'm not complaining) but I'm excited to switch to real bed eventually because I have some good plans!
This pic is crappy, but I'm kinda unsure about the colors in here.. they're kinda weird! I'll take some better ones once I'm done with the room.

I bought Carter a sweet fedora, taking the chance that he'd probably take it off and throw it on the ground like he does every time we try to get him to wear a hat. NOPE!! He loves this thing! Wore it all through church! $10 at Gymboree, total score

I found this hilarious picture on pinterest and had to share because, well, I'll be getting some spray tans here in the next couple months and I hope to high heaven that it does NOT TURN OUT LIKE THIS GUY!!

On the subject of working out... I need a new gym bag! Anyone know of a good and affordable place to find a cute one?? I'm kinda digging something like this but it's pricey. Boo

 And, me and some friends threw one of our besties, Paityn a baby shower! So fun, and she's the cutest prego girl ever...

 Yummy grub... wish I could share the leftovers with ya'll cuz they're STILL in my house, tempting me and sabotaging my fitness goals!

 How was your weekend?

simply smarter

NEWS!
This summer we are moving to HOUSTON!
We are always on the move, so this isn't a huge dramatic thing for us, but Texas is pretty rad and I'm pumped!

This leads me to throw in a plug for my husband's company...

Vivint (means live intelligently) has transformed from merely a home security company to advanced technology in home automation and energy savings, including solar panels. This video is pretty funny that shows some of the cool, newer features compatible with smart phones to control your home:


Cute right? =)
We've been with this company since we got married (almost 4 years ago!) and it's been an amazing experience. While it's been great financially, we've also gotten to see many parts of the country that we otherwise wouldn't have.

If you are interested in a fun and unique job experience, or know someone who is, please email me at crandallqueen@gmail.com. It's good for you, it's good for us... as long as potentials have a clean record and know how to work hard! In a down economy with low employment rates, good jobs are hard to find. But Vivint is expanding even outside the U.S., and offers great employment opportunity regardless of your age, where you live, or what stage of your life you happen to be in.

FURTHER, if you are in the market for an alarm system or any of the other features, check out vivint and email me =)