Spring Cleaning

Good morning bloggie friends,

Today is the second Sunday of Lent. Do you participate in Lent?

 I am not a Catholic, and although the tradition of Lent is historically Catholic, I have decided to refrain from eating sugar, processed foods, or "sweets" in general for the 40 days of Lent because I have quite a sweet tooth and giving up sweets is a big sacrifice to me and I want to do it to honor God.

Candyland is NOT the Promised Land

You might think,"Hey... don't you 'eat clean' anyways and follow a Team Bombshell diet plan? When would you ever be eating sweets anyways!?" Well, that my friends would be during my cheat meal. I always include either desert, chocolate, or chips/crackers/trail mix/snack mix (processed) in my cheat meal because they're just so yummy but I have decided to not do that because: it'll be hard for me, the desires of my stomach are an earthly pleasure, I don't actually need it, and I really enjoy it! So that is the sort of thing I want to give up to honor God and depend more on His joy, pleasure, and fullfilment than some silly food-joy.
 

No sweets? To honor God... No sweat :)

Let me back up... Not sure about this whole Lent thing? Here's a little excerpt explaining the concept:

~ "Lent is the Christian season of preparation before Easter. In Western Christianity, Ash Wednesday marks the first day, or the start of the season of Lent, which begins 40 days prior to Easter (Sundays are not included in the count). Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. The purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ - his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death, burial and resurrection.  The 40 days of Lent, which precedes Easter is based on two Biblical accounts: the 40 years of wilderness wandering by the Israelites and our Lord's 40 days in the wilderness at which point He was tempted by Satan. Each year the Church observes Lent where we, like Israel and our Lord, are tested. We participate in abstinence, times of fasting, confession and acts of mercy to strengthen our faith and devotional disciplines. The goal of every Christian is to leave Lent a stronger and more vital person of faith than when we entered. "

I will definitely needs God's help and a close relationship with Him to give up sweets, so here goes! So far so good but let me tell you it is NOT easy. I am treating Lent as a Spring Cleaning in my heart and spirit of all the things that hinder my close relationship with my savior. After all:

"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need." ~ Matthew 6:33

Another "Spring Cleaning" type thing I am doing is a "cleanse" to rid my body of toxins and help my digestive system move more smoothly. I am doing GNC's  "Advanced Complete Body Cleansing - 14 Day Program."

You can find it here: GNC website. It is preformed in three phases and is described as follows...

Advanced 3 stage cleanse that gently supports overall digestive health without fasting

• 1st Stage: Cleanse and purify with a liquid blend of herbs, fruits and vegetables that gently removes toxins
• 2nd Stage: Detox with a natural herbal cleanse and clinically proven Sunfiber® to improve regularity
• 3rd Stage: Restore with high potency probiotics that are clinically proven to reduce bloating and stomach discomfort

~ Stage 1 is "CLEANSE: JUMPSTART LIQUID CLEANSE (Days 1 and 2)The Advanced Complex Body Cleansing 14- Day Program begins with a 2-day liquid cleanse.
~ Stage 2 is "DETOX: FIBER AND CLEANSING HERBS (Day 3 through 7)Continue the Advanced Complex Body Cleansing 14- Day Program with a 5-day regimen consisting of a Cleansing Proven Sunfiber® Sachet and a Cleansing Herbal Pack.
~ Stage 3 is RESTORE: PROBIOTIC AND HERBS RESTORATION (Days 8 through 14)The final phase of the Advanced Complex Body Cleansing 14- Day Program is a 7-day restoration that consists of a probiotic capsule to help replenish healthy intestinal flora and a daily Herbal Restore Pack that features a specialized blend of herbs designed to help replenish the body's beneficial digestive bacteria and digestive health, and probiotic capsule to help replenish healthy intestinal flora.

I did Stage 1 over the weekend, and I am on Day #1 of Stage 2 as of today! I'll let you guys know how it goes on my athlete page on Facebook: Ruthie Harrison Bikini Athlete Fan Page.


I'm off to church... Be blessed!
~ Ruthie

Sunday Share ... Food is Fuel + We're SO Blessed

Hey ya'll sorry to not post as much lately, I've been quite busy with school and reffing... I reffed 6 games in the last 2 days alone! Unfortunately that led to me getting sick and sleeping from 4pm yesterday to 2pm today :/ I still feel quite under the weather so today's post will be short.

I hope you all enjoyed my last couple posts on food prep, "eating clean," and dieting tips. My friend and Bombshell Teammate, Abby Clark, also wrote about food on her blog, "The Bikini Competitor" and it's a really GOOD article filled with information. Check it out here: Food Is Fuel.


Also, be sure to stop by my Facebook Fan Page to see all the photos from my VEGAS trip and photoshoot with Bobby Black of B2 Photography. They turned out so so good. He's an amazing man too; he'd just gotten back from a missions trip to an orphanage in Haiti with Jamie Eason and her fiance the week before our shoot. He showed me some of his photos from the trip and I was blown away. See some of the photos for yourself by clicking here: Haiti Album. 

Photo taken by Bobby Black

Photo taken by Bobby Black

We are so blessed to live in such luxury and lack of need in the United States. I mean, these kids hadn't even ever had a lollipop in their entire lives and we give them away free at our bank's tellers. I get to make a huge difference in a child's life by providing my Compassion International child, Newton, with enough money each month to pay for him and his mother's food, and enough money for him to go to school. I also get to fund the Aids Initiative Project in his village to provide the whole town with fresh clean water and fund research to help prevent aids from spreading. It's such a small sacrifice for me... only about $40 a month... but it's the WORLD to him.


I'm signing off to go sleep some more... I hope ya'll had a great weekend!
God bless,

~ Ruthie

Las Vegas Weekend Recap

Hi friends! Well, I have returned from the fabulous Las Vegas... and back to reality :p I had an amazing trip and got some incredible shots at my fitness modeling  photo shoot with Bobby Black.

The view from our hotel, the Wynn

The Wynn's gorgeous lobby

I traveled with my friend from New York city, Chris, and he was kind enough to pay my whole way and even treat me to dinner and shows on both Saturday and Sunday night. We saw Celine Dion on Saturday night and went to a really good Italian restaurant (so  Chris said, I had to be good because my photoshoot was on Sunday.. I did have steak though!)

Chris and I at Celine's show

Celine Dion's show

It was worth the sacrifice though, Sunday's pictures turned out sooo good!

One of the shots from Sunday's shoot with Bobby Black

On Sunday night we got to go to Cirque du Soleil's show on the Beatle's called "LOVE." It was totally mind-blowing. I kinda felt like the show probably looked like what it would feel to be on drugs. I don't know how that'd feel, but I think I do now!! Part of the show had rollerbladding hippies haha:

Crazy circus stuff

Sunday night we went to the most amazing restaurant and got the Chef's choice 4-course dining experience... and boy was it incredible. It started with an appetizer, then the BEST lobster pot pie, then steak, and finished with a dessert sampler of a bunch of different chocolate dishes. DELECTABLE.

Part of our dessert sampler was mini root beer floats
and chocolate chip cookies. YUM! It was all so good.

We also chose to do the wine pairing carefully selected by our chef for each course. Four glasses of wine later I was definitely having a good night :p

Chris and I after dinner

And a good night to you! I'm off to bed. As always my friends... blessings :)

~Ruthie

Food Prep: The Key to Fitness Success

The key to successfully maintaining a clean diet is planning ahead. I know this is not everyone's strong point but it is vital to first - HAVE a plan, and second - FOLLOW your plan.

Plan.. then Prepare! Here we go, today we're discussing: Food Prep

Get ready to bust out the Tuperware, or see below - plastic baggies!

I use plastic baggies to store my food to save space. It also allows me
to prepare further ahead because I don't have to worry about buying
3 weeks worth of tuperware!

I have a the benefit of a personized food plan sent to me every month by my coach, Shannon Dey, because I am a Team Bombshell athlete. I would not be able to train hard, stay healthy, and make the necessary changes and improvements in my physique if I wasn't following a solid nutritional plan. Food is the fuel your body needs to build muscle, metabolize fat, think quickly, fight disease and repair injury, which is why it is vital that you're meeting your daily calorie, protein, carbohydrate and fat needs.

My food plan is likely more strict and repetative than others (At Team Bombshell, we repeat the same day's worth of meals for an entire month - unless changes are required to meet our goals) but there's no reason you can't apply the same techniques I use to prepare my food to your own plan!


If you dont already pay attention to your diet, I strongly encourage you to jump on the clean-eating band wagon. I PROMISE you the results will floor you and you'll be happier and healthier for life! Read my last post - Fit Lifestyle: What Should You Eat? for all the details.

Eat CLEAN. Train MEAN.

Remember: Abs are made in the kitchen!

If your diet is poor, your progress will be slow.

So, without further ado here's how I prepare all my food for 1-2 weeks in advance so all I have to do during the week is pop it in a microwave! (or eat it cold, which happens more often than not)

I do all my food prep on a single day, usually Sundays. There's a few things that're essential to this process working smoothly: 

1) Decide what you're making - what meals will you be eating? What foods you need to buy? Do you need cooking gear (pans, baggies, muffin pans, ect)?
2) Grocery shop ahead of time and always...
3) Bring a grocery list - don't leave home without it!
4) Set aside 3-5 hours to do all your cooking - this may sound like a lot of time, but until you've done it a couple times and are good at using your time efficiently it will take longer. I recommend just assuming it will take an afternoon, and go to work!
5) Enlist help if possible - I don't have this luxury, but if you have kids/hubby/roomates/friends you can snag to help you, do it! They can chop, pre-heat, watch the rice, flip the chicken, baggie, ect... make it a fun time to bond so they'll want to help again :)

Okay, so now that we're prepared, let's cook!

 - I always start with my proteins. I usually am eating chicken, tillapia, and flank steak in my meal plan. I usually cook all my meat on the stove top. I have tried baking my fish, or slow-cooking my chicken (which is delicious!) but I've found these methods to be more time consuming.

 - Preheat your pans while you cut the meat into bite-size pieces. Also, start boiling water if you'll need it (see next step). Preheat the oven too, usually 350 deg F, if you'll be using it to cook your sweet potatoes or other vegetables.

 - Next, it's carb time. I usually have brown rice, sweet potatoes, and whole wheat pasta. On the stove top, multi-task your 4 oven burners to cook your meats and the carb that will be in the same meal at the same time as that meat. Ie, Meal #2 is chicken with brown rice and green beans; so cook the chicken and the rice at the same time. This will insure you can COMPLETE a week's worth of that meal with all the "components" - protein, carb, vegetable/oil (if any). It's a huge waste of time and space to have too many meals uncompleted at the same.

Here's what it looks like - I have my proteins: chicken
 breast and shrimp cooking on 2 burners. And my
carbs: rice and whole wheat noodles cooking on the other
2 burners.

Just a note in case you were curious, this is the pasta I usually use. You can find it at Safeway. Any whole wheat pasta will do though! For rice, I just buy basic brown rice.

Eating Right Whole Grain Penne pasta

 - Your oven should be ready to cook your sweet potatoes or other vegetables, so put those in so they can get started, and continue to cut up any other meats  and vegetables you'll be using. For example, I cut up my steak while my shrimp and chicken were cooking because I knew the shrimp would cook fast and I'd have a free burner soon. Keep an eye on it though! I've burned many a chicken breast :p

I bake my asparagus at 375 def F until they're still crunchy
but softened a bit. Remember, you'll most likely be microwaving
your food after this before you eat it.

  - Keep rotating your proteins, and set aside finished meat on cookie sheets to cool before bagging. This frees up your pan for the next protein.

Get everything laid out BEFORE you start bagging. I use: Ziploc baggies,
sandwich or snack size (depending on the meal size) and a basic food scale

 - The rest of my vegetables, besides asparagus and sweet potatoes - like green beans, peas, or zucchini, I don't cook before I bag my meals. I find they get cooked enough when I microwave the meal before I eat it OR I just eat it raw if I eat my food cold.

 - As all the "components" of say, Meal 2, get done: protein, carb, vegetable/oil (if any) you can begin to bag. Don't wait till EVERYTHING is done to start bagging. Things will still be in the oven, on the stove top, ect, but this definitely has to be a multi-tasking process to be efficient. As you can see in the picture below, I still have meat cooking on the stove as I baggie Meal #2:

Multi-tasking inproves food prep efficiency by utilizing the down time of
waiting for your other food to finish cooking.

 - If you weigh your meat, do that first and put that it the baggie FIRST. This way you don't have to "tare" or "zero" your scale between each individual bag like you would if it already had vegetables or something in it. Weigh out ALL of the specific type of protein, even if you have say 8 days worth of chicken, but only 6 days worth of rice to go with it... you can freeze the extra chicken and it'll already be weighed and ready for the next time you prep your food.

 - Then, add the carb. If it's rice, measure out a "serving". Usually 1/2 cup but varies by dietary needs. Last veggies, add a "serving"  of those- usually 1/2 cup too. Last, add any olive oil or vinegar, salsa, ect to complete the meal.

 - Wash your hands and close all your baggies at once. This may seem like it doesn't matter but it saves time if your brain only has to focus on "zip the top, zip the top, zip the top" at one time instead of: "open bag, add meat, adjust weight...zip top... open bag, add meat..." Wash your hands so you don't get food on the outside of the bag or in the zip top. 

 - Write the meal number on the outside of the Ziploc with a Sharpie pen.
Like so:

- Repeat this process: bag protein, add carb, add veggies, add oils/misc, close bags, label - as all the "components" of your other meals finish cooking. Ie: the fish and noodles finish cooking... bag meal 3 - fish, pasta and 1/2 cup peas. And so on.

 - Stow finished meals in the fridge to keep them food-safe and keep them out of your way as you finish. Finally, when ALL meals are done you're ready to assemble each day's worth of food.

 - I use a gallon size Ziploc bag for each day, I place one baggie of meals 1-6 in the Ziploc bag and freeze them. I leave 2 days worth unfrozen in the fridge and replenish the fridge from the freezer as the week progresses. Here's what my freezer looks like right now:

Warning: your roommates may not appreciate you hogging the freezer space :p

A note on carbs - It's often hard to gauge how much rice/pasta or how many sweet potatoes you'll need, so if you have too much rice or noodles it's okay to put them in a Tupperware and freeze them until you need them next week. Just be sure to plan ahead and thaw them out before you need them!

Whew! I feel like I just prepped for the week by writing that! Oh wait, I already did that :) I'm set for the next 8 days and I don't have to cook a thing!! Okay, I DO cook my breakfast fresh every morning. This is because it's usually egg whites and oatmeal so it's easy to whip up. If I'm traveling I'll make breakfast ahead of time too by making a protein pancake out of the egg whites and oatmeal in a bowl in the microwave a baggie-ing it like everything else.


Good luck preppin'! Let me know by commenting below or contacting me via Facebook if you have any questions on my methods :)

Blessings,
~ Ruthie

''It's not the will to win, but the will to prepare to win that makes the difference.'' 

 - Paul Bryant

Food Fight

Gooood evening friends! I hope you're about to roll to bed so you can really to attack the day tomorrow ;) I love Sundays because they mean I get to be re-filled with God's power and fellowship with my friends at church. I really recommend you take the time to soak up some of J.C.'s lurve too, aka go to church.

Tonight though, I want to cover a topic I have been "battling" with for years... I told you this week was WAR, and this is one of the reasons ... Dieting.

I know the word "Diet" it's not any one's favorite topic except maybe my sister who is a Nutritionist, but before you immediately click off this page and run off to the fridge screaming for an ice cream bar or leftover pizza I want you to know that this post does not give you all the answers (I wish I had them!) but I just promise to be transparent in my own struggles and failures; and share what I've learned from them since I've been on a strict diet for competition.

Sadly, this is NOT how to eat to get a bikini body!

I totally believe in celebrating with a "cheat meal" after competition. I mean, I worked HARD!! I had a cheeseburger (w/ fries!) on the night after competition, and it was delicious!

Reeeed Robin. YUM.

I'm not gonna lie, when I was out and about with my dad and brother I even had some ice cream, candy, peanut butter (yay!), fish and chips, and a fruity cocktail throughout the course of the weekend and the following week ... but I knew it was time to get back to eating clean since I started to actually really miss salad and "clean eats."

Yummers! Fresh, crispy greens :)

The reason I'm writing about diet though is because I hardly have a stellar track record when it comes to knowing when to stop/start eating on a strict diet plan, and the meaning of moderation. I hate to say this but...

I am well-qualified to discuss food-related issues.

From the various stresses I've been through in my lifetime (which would take far too long to describe in length) I have been a:

 - Obsessive-compulsive, calorie counting maniac

 - "Catch-up" fitness junkie who elipticals for hours to negate a binge 

 - "Light" "Lite" "Diet" "sugar Free" "Fat Free" fanatic

 - Frantic "I give up!" binger... followed by self-punishment and fasting

Any of those sound familiar? You are not alone. You name it... I've probably been there. Every carb-depleted, over trained, "skinny-fat" girl with low self esteem, huge guilt issues, a closet full of workout clothes, a magazine rack full of Oxygen Mag and Women's Health, and a pantry full of supplements is squirming in their seat right now.

Diet fads and quick fix promises all sound so good at first,
 but don't offer lasting results. Or more often, ANY results!

Before I get too into the topic of "dieting" though, let me explain what my current diet is. The quantities and specific foods on the Team Bombshell diet plan is strictly confidential, but I can tell you the general structure. With Team Bombshell, you get an exact meal plan emailed to you every 4 weeks,and a that vary depending on what Shannon Dey had determined you need: fat loss, muscle building, slimming down for a contest. Before a contest your plan has lower carbs and decreased cals.

What IS my diet plan?

Each plan consists of 6 meals with given quanities of food for each meal. I have X oz. of protein (chicken, fish, lean  beef, ect), X oz. of carbs (oatmeal, sweet potato,ect), X cups of vegetables, and X tsp. of healthy fats (flax or olive oil) at each meal. One meal per week you are allowed a "refuel meal."  At this meal you replace one of plan's meals with an approved "cheat" meal.

So, why am I doing it...is it effective?

 - Yes. Definitely. As evidenced by my win, it works! If you follow your plan you WILL fuel your body correctly to build your muscles, have enough energy, and stay lean.

Bombshell Progress :D

The diet hypothetically allows me to satisfy crazy cravings for "normal food" at the refuel meal, instead of being too strict all the time and freaking out and having a binge. Of course, I am human and I have not been 100% perfect with this. I struggle with emotional eating when I am stressed from work, moving, training, being away from family, ect. But I am conquering this one day at a time and learning new tactics to avoid binges! If you've ever struggled with this you may find these articles helpful: 

• Dealing with Hunger and Food Cravings
• Overcoming Overeating

What surprised me? 

 - I never though it would be, but the hardest time to stick with the diet is the weekends! I struggle with sticking to my plan on the weekends because I don't have the structure of a workday to keep me chugging along without the chance to binge, snack, or skip meals. With Team Bombshell, your "refuel meal" is also supposed to be on a Saturday night which makes it hard for me to stop at just the approved cheat and then get right back on track with my next meal. It's harder to flip the switch back to diet mode after getting negative momentum ya know?

Read more on how to Stop Emotional Eating Before It Starts at SparkPeople. The New York Times also did a story on the adverse effects of late-night eating based on scientific research.

Late-night food zombie.
Don't let this happen to you!

Late-night eating is a huge health goal sabatoger. I am going for scare tactics on this one: According to the study done by Northwestern University, mice that ate when they would normally be sleeping increased their bodyfat by 48% versus only 20% for the mice who overate the same calorie amount during normal hours. That had better scare me away from the fridge!!  

This mantra is written on my fridge!

What have I learned?

 - As far as actually accomplishing all the meal prep for my meal plan... it's all in the name: Plan, plan, plan. I don't try to do everything at once. Every week, I make a shopping list, and then set aside one evening to do my shopping, one afternoon to do my cooking/weighing/bagging, and every day I put my meals #1-6 in a cooler to take with me where ever I am going that day. If it's not packed in the cooler, I don't eat it! Snacking is off limits and everything that goes in my mouth must come out of that cooler except water, coffee or tea.

As far as actually sticking with my meal plan... that's a whole new ball game. I have 3 main players: Coffee, Gum and Spices. Coffee for the energy and something hot, gum for something for my mouth to do, and spices to add some flava and make my food satisfying. Coffee is pretty self explanatory, I keep it simple: black coffee w/ a dash of almond milk.

I cook with LOTS OF SPICES! No butter, oil, dressings or sour cream, but you'd be suprised what a little Cumin and Garam Marsala can do for a plain old hunk of Tilapia. YUM! Thank yoooouu Kinjal for introducing me to Indian flavors :)

Yummers, and SPICY!

One thing I learned from eating Indian food is their creative use of spices! They really know how to make dishes satisfying and decadent without adding fat or sugar. Win. Win. Here's some tips to add some spice to your life.

My last secret weapon: Gum! This is my most effective defense when sugar cravings hit: Desert Extra Gum.

Kari over at FitnessRx shares my love of this gum, and recommends
it to fight 'cake in the office lunchroom' induced cravings. Heard that!

What's the hardest part?

 - The mental aspect of the diet is pretty taxing. You know how you always want something when you can't have it? Try overcoming that with every food commercial you see on TV, every restaurant you pass, and every plate of home-made cookies a coworker brings to work. Ahhh!! It's a battle for sure. A week of that and I am practically screaming for a cheat meal.

Seriously Dairy Queen? Seriously!? Get outa my head!!

One tactic I started recently is instead of scheduling a cheat meal I will just have one cheat meal a week, at an unscheduled time. If I set a date, then I am building up anticipation and cravings all week and by the time the day comes I just want to go nuts and eat way too much  because I have made such a big deal of the meal. Not good. Now, instead I will just stick with my diet for as many days in a row as I can, and have my refuel meal as life happens. This way it might be a Monday one week, and a Friday the next, or a Sunday then Monday on a particularly stressful 2 weeks :). I bet I will always have it on a weekend anyway, because weekends are waaaayyy harder for me, but this way I don't go nuts waiting for it all week!

Funny, but also sooo true.

I struggle DAILY with food related issues. If you learn one thing about me from reading this blog, let it be this: I will not only show you the good side of me... my successes, my goals, desires, aspirations and victories. No, I am not perfect!!! Not even a smidgen perfect. There's other issues besides cravings that get me, for example, the "I-Only-Want-It-Because-I-Can't-Have-It" syndrome that commonly attacks during the final week of contest prep, or when I get your new month's diet plan and (gasp!) there's no protein powder on the menu!! I without fail seem to crave foods only when I specifically am restricted from having them. This problem is the underlying root of the self-sabotaging binges many women in the competition field deal with. It's a viscous, viscous mind game :( BUT, Victory is obtainable! I AM STRONGER THAN A JAR OR PEANUT BUTTER!

There's a ton of blogs and articles written on food disorders, but here's what I have found to be effective tactics to shift my mindset from obsession over food to a much more healthy viewpoint. I have not yet mastered this, nor do I expect to ever be perfect (that is NOT a healthy goal!) but I strive to forget about food as "pleasure" and instead make eating a mindful and thankful experience.

 - Winning the Fight: Conquer Cravings

• Chew gum when cravings are instantaneous... usually they'll pass before the flavor even runs out!
• Focus on what you CAN have. I love sweet potatoes just as much as peanut butter, and I get to have them every day!
• Don't be unrealistic. Food will NOT fix any problems. When it all boils down to it, you're still the same person before and after a binge and before and after a good day. Food is merely fuel; if you need to do some mental housecleaning and/or deal with issues food cannot do it.
• Team up with an accountability partner and be HONEST! I just started this on Tuesday, and I am already doing better. The idea is that you'll be more motivated to meet your goals, of not eating in the middle of the night for example, if you have to tell someone else how you did. My partner and I text eachother every morning and every night to remind eachother to "win the night" and to encourage or praise eachother in the morning :)
• Love yourself and forgive the past. Don't play catch up, it's a viscious cycle and no matter what you tell yourself it will never end... let alone end well! Learn from your past mistakes and remember this:

If you also struggle with eating, try putting this on your fridge and read it ALL THE WAY THROUGH before you put anything in your mouth... still hungry?

Change is not easy.

 Give yourself time to make the adjustment to more balanced eating. Strive to make small changes every day and over time you will get to your goals.

Eat Like Every Day Is Thanksgiving

What?? No, not your portions... your mindset! I believe the key to overcoming overeating is being mindful and thankful of the privilege of  having an abundance of food. Reverence to God, instead of worshipping food as some great indulgence to be sinfully and gluttonously enjoyed.

The apostle Paul had it nailed when he wrote the following in his letter to the Philippians:

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

For the ladies, the site justbetweenus.org has great verses and daily devotions. We need to daily remind ourselves of the important things in life and of our many blessings; then have contentment in the blessings we DO have!

I hope you're not struggling with a food related disorder, but if you are I want you to be encouraged and to go forth and live in strength, God's strength :) Be blessed.

Goodnight,

~ Ruthie

Not so FAST

It may be contoversial to mention religion, but I do it all the time on my blog and I haven't scared you away yet :) So....

Today's subject is Spiritual Fasting. 

Empty Stomach, but full Spirit.

Today marks the first day of the holy month for many religions. For Hindus, Shravan starts today; and for Muslims Ramadan starts today. For both religions, today marks the beginning of a 30 day period of modified food habits to honor God. 

Note that there is a distinct difference between the two fasts.

For Hindus -  Only the first day is a fast; and it is of all prepared foods and any meat; so you can eat fresh fruit or vegetables with no sauces or dressings. Then you also can have one actual meal that day, and as much water as you want. The rest of the 30 days you eat normal meals, not fasting - but you still don't eat meat.This information is all from my roommate, Kinjal, who is Hindu and starts the fast today. You can also read more about Shravan online.

Yesterday was the day before the holy month began, which is when you could eat meat for the last time if you want before the vegetarian month begins.

You eat one big meal, and after you drink your water and get up from the table the meal is over and the fast has begun.



My portion from last night's meal of traditional Indian cuisine,

Kinjal will not be eating meat for the next 30 days and begin the

holy month with a fast today.

For Muslims -  The entire 30 day period is devoted to fasting. But they fast during daylight hours only, so they can eat in the morning before the sun comes up, and at night after the sun goes down. However, during the day they refrain from eating and drinking as well. Read more about Ramadan online. The reason for the fast is to deepen their spirituality, increasing patience, submissiveness, and a connection with God.

On Facebook, Jamie Eason started a discussion on fasting for spiritual reasons and how people change or don't change their workouts to accommodate their lack of fuel and energy. I strongly encourage you to read the ongoing discussion, but here's some highlight comments:

"I started fasting today. First time in my life that I am experiencing them during the peak daylight hours. My exercise is down to 45 mins before we can break the fast. That way as soon as I am done, I can eat. I only do cardio, no weights. The hardest part is trying to stay awake with such little energy, but then again its supposed to be difficult, teaches you the importance of the many blessings we take for granted everyday."

 

 "I normally don't work-out when I fast. I figure if I can give up food for a few days I can devote the other time (working out) to God too! It's harder when I'm training for a run though. Since i have a 1/2 marathon a few weeks away it would be a bigger challange to give up my runs."

"Fasting makes things happen faster,..in a dietry sense can help body rebalance..helps cleanse..drives hunger on..and in the discipline of focus thinking of the spirit rather than bodily needs to blend in with the oneness of everything else..and to train for one day not need ing a body...same as old people preparing themselves for death,,.some self medicate for death as thinking the leaving of the physical body is painful into next form..so by starving body i also saw a programme where temporary starving shocks the body into survival mode which makes the body live longer..it showed the brain sending chemicals in to the body which aided the heart youthening somehow."

"Fasting for a month not only cleans our spiritually but also our physically..i teach us so be moderate in eating.some times we ate too much than our body needs.im into body building well ive been doing this for years we only lose 1 to 3 kg of muscle in a month.on workouts we only do 50% effort and still manage to go heavy.the reason why is that we need to be careful of body water.ive been fasting 1 month every year it did not effect my performance.trying for a few days does make a different because u are not used to it the condition."

I personally do believe in fasting. By voluntarily giving up something we have come to expect as a given, you are honoring God by acknowledging that it is only by His generosity and gift that we can eat in abundance. We are a people who easily forget how blessed we are, and active reminders such as fasting are necessary to re-teach ourselves to not give in to our gluttonous tendencies and over-indulge in food just because it is so easily accessible.

We need to lean on GOD as our comfort, not Food; and depend on GOD as our Strength; not Food.

I hit the "reset" button on my Determination, Perseverance, and Expectations today. This means I am renewing my Determination to reach my end goals; getting rid of all the junk that was degrading my Perseverance; and re-evaluating my Expectations of myself and others. I'm trusting in GOD. No more beating myself up/worrying/self sabotage! ... I just gotta follow the plan. The weight is off my shoulders and onto HIS capable shoulders! ...

TRUST AND LIVE IN THE PRESENT!! :)

The truth is:

WITHOUT God our week would be: Sinday, Mournday, Tearsday, Wasteday, Thirstday, Fightday, and Shatterday ....Seven days without God makes one Weak.

I think we can give Him one extra day - once a year, am I right?

Be blessed,

~ Ruthie

  

Training Tweaks

~ Happy Friday :D
This morning's post is about some of the changes I've made in my life recently. While I did make a lot of the changes due to my Bikini competition training, I really needed to make some of the changes no matter what I am currently going through in my life. Live and Learn... and if you blog, Share! 

~ My coach and I have made some tweaks to workouts, and I have applied my will-power with full force to my diet plan and mental stamina. 2011 NPC WA Open Championships is in... 15 days!

 How I've Focused my Efforts for Competition Prep:

  1) I workout like there's no tomorrow (and no "Cardio #2 later...)
  --  My coach said it perfectly in her 'Quote of the Dey' on Facebook:

"Going through the motions will not spark change!"

True that Momma. I have been thinking "recklessly" treating each workout as my last. No, that doesn't mean I've been killing myself by adding miles or extra exercises (or not wiping down the equipment after I'm done ha-ha). This just means I am present and focused on exactly what I am doing in that moment. Each rep of Squat Jumps and each stride on the Cybex Arc can bring me hat much closer to a winning physique if I put my mind to the muscle.

Train SMARTER, not HARDER.

  --  A benefit of working out "in the moment" is I don't stress myself out thinking about how many sets I have left or how many more minutes I have to log on the stair-stepper. Worry = Wasted Energy. Now that energy goes to good use fueling my workout :)

  2) I quit "faking it"
  --  Out goes the artificial sweeteners (even 'natural' Stevia), the Sugar Free   syrup I was putting in my oatmeal, the Sugar Free pudding mix I occasionally added to my smoothies for a thicker texture, the Sugar Free/Fat Free Popsicles I'd have when I woke up in the middle of the night to 'natures call,' and any other miscellaneous sauces or condiments.

  --  My teammate, IFBB Bikini Pro Ali Rosen, talked about the dangers of "faking it" on her blog too, read it here: Sweet Never Seemed So Sour.

Ali obviously knows a thing or two
about how to eat for a killer body!

  --   I also cut out my beloved workout supplement Jack3d, and Creatine. These are two workout supplements I LOVE but aren't good for me at this time in my training. Jack3d is mostly caffeine, with some Creatine and other ingredients shown to benefit muscle growth and recovery as well; but it is a processed product; therefore, no more!

   --  Benefits? Less cravings!! Hallelujah. I actually don't miss them at all, and I feel good knowing I'm not cheating with these 'calorie free' alternatives. Another benefit is my abs are so much flatter! No bloating, and no gas (ummm, not like I ever had any before...) My body will be running like a well oiled machine with out all the synthetic additives floating around. Put good in, get good out!

  3) I'm eating exclusively "on-plan" 
  --  This may seem like a no brainer, but I am making sure I only eat what's on my diet plan. it's easy to grad an extra handful of baby carrots here; a few extra ounces of chicken while doing meal prep there; then maybe two Popsicles instead of one; you get the picture... when you're eating 6 meals a day there's a lot of chances to eat just a little too much... which adds up. Eating "on-plan" is more than eating what's written in the email I get from Coach Momma Bombshell every month. It's eating only that, only how much is listed, and eating the meals in their entirety, together.

  -- A benefit of this is I actually sleep better now that I quit eating in the middle of the night when I wake up. Who knew! I just drink some water now instead. Another perk of watching my food volume? I don't run out of spinach near as fast. Also I don't spend $$ on expensive soy/almond milk because it's not on my plan. More $$ to spend on shopping! Jk jk...Speaking of spending...


  4) I'm spending more "quality time" 
  -- It is definitely super stressful to watch every little thing I eat and to work out like there's no tomorrow; in the past, my remedy had been a frantic-self-sabotaging food binge. Good for my "plan?" No. Good for my self esteem? No. Good for anything? NO!
  --  Now I am making an effort to be kind to myself and nourish my body with things other than food. For example, last night I spend 20 blissful minutes in the steam room after plyos.



Can you say "ahhh spa?"

 
I've also been nourishing my spirit by starting a short Bible study that will finish the day of my competition: 21-Day Plan for Busy Women: A Rich and Satisfying Life. The best therapy is Jesus :)

) I've been SLEEPING
  --  This one is so simple. Night = No TV, no distractions, no snacking, no Facebook(!) . Get into bed and turn off the lights. Like my dad says: "Get your beauty sleep... 8 hours; 9 if you're ugly."

Ooo 'la snooze :)

   --  Sleeping enough is vital for people who are doing intense exercise because that's when we recover. Other Benefits include having more energy, being more focused during the day, and keeping your hormones (like the ones that make you want to EAT) in check. Tons of scientific research shows that Sleep Makes Your Skin Better too. Bonus!


~ So that's what's new with me and my Bombshell life...
Make today the day you get one step closer to a goal. Pick one think and Just Do It (as Nike would say). Speaking of Nike, in the picture below check out my new kicks with MUCH better foot support so I won't repeat my little Achilles fiasco. I'm back to work to do more of this:

ICE ICE BABY.

Have a great Friday guys!

xoxo Ruthie