Tight Curves Transformation Challenge People's Choice Award :: Vote For Me!

:: AFTER :: :: BEFORE ::

I need your help! As you know, I participated in the Tight Curves Transformation Challenge, a nearly 12 week fitness challenge sponsored by Tight Curves between December 10, 2008 and February 28, 2009. I used their products for the duration of the Challenge as well as ramped up my workouts and changed my eating with the guidance of Carlene Steenekamp who is not only my friend, but a personal trainer and owner of Mommy’s Body Health and Wellness. You can see from my before and after photos that I did work really hard and I still am. Tight Curves sponsored about 20 of the participants, including me, with products for another 12 weeks so we could transform even more. How awesome is that?!

So here is how I need you help…Tight Curves has posted the winner of the Transformation Challenge and posted the finalists for a People’s Choice vote. Please vote for me (and the two other challengers you think made the greatest improvement)! Click here to get to the voting website. You will find me a little more than halfway down the page (Lisa Mueller) and then simply make your selections at the top of the page for first through third place. This was an unbelievable experience for me and I would love to win the People’s Choice! Voting ends on May 15th so don't wait, do it now! :)

Voting website :: http://www.tightcurves.net/transformation-challengers.aspx

I will continue to post periodic updates, including my second “after” photos in mid-June!

Thanks for helping me out!!

Sugar Overload...Getting It Out of My System

Just a quick post to say that I finally gave in to my chocolate chip cookie craving over the weekend. I will be honest and say that is wasn't so much a chocolate chip cookie craving as a chocolate chip cookie dough craving. There I said it! I really wanted to make the dough from scratch but did not have many of the ingredients on hand. I think there is an unopened bag of flour in the cabinet and some crusty, old light brown sugar, but no regular sugar or any chocolate chips. So I guess I could have made a slightly sugary flour paste if I had really wanted to, but that would not have been at all the same as chocolate chip cookie dough, now would it?

So, Saturday afternoon Allan went to the store and got a package of the refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough and I made six cookies. We split them. And then I ate the dough equivalent of like six more out of the package with a spoon. Yummy! I had trouble sleeping that night and I felt kind of yucky in the morning, but do you think I learned anything from that? No!

Sunday afternoon Allan said he was going to go photograph a couple of houses for a real estate agent but he kept hanging around and wouldn't leave. I finally made him leave and then proceeded to eat, with a spoon, about half of the chocolate chip cookie dough that was left. Think I learned anything yet? No! Later that night I made the rest of the dough into cookies and ate about three more chocolate chip cookies and some more dough. Now, I finally learned my lesson!

I have never felt so crappy after eating something (except when I had food poisoning) in my whole life. I felt yucky all through the night and couldn't wait for morning to come so I could go back to eating correctly. I was so overloaded on sugar it was crazy. The craving has been satisfied and I don't know when I will want to eat chocolate chip cookie dough again, if ever. Well, let's be realistic here, I know I will eat chocolate chip cookie dough again, but it will be a long, long time.

This is why people cannot be on a "program" and eat a certain way consistently and go off of it and expect their body to react favorably. My body was mad at me...I think it still is. But I have apologized to it and I think I am making some progress mending our relationship.

So long, sugar!

The Tight Curves Protein Powder and Fat Burner Capsules Have Arrived

I am so excited to have received my 6 lb. jug of Tight Curves Vanilla Bean Protein Powder along with two bags of Tight Curves Fat Burner capsules. If you have not tried any of the Tight Curves products yet, do it now! This is very delicious protein powder and it tastes great in plain old water, but is an absolute treat when enjoyed in skim milk. It's almost like a shake!

I swear the Fat Burner (in addition to an hour of hard cardio almost each day) is what helped me reduce my fat percentage so greatly in the first three months. I am still working out hard and have been pushing myself more with my weight training. I have GOT to build up my legs and butt. Unfortunately, I was born with chicken legs (as Allan affectionately refers to them) and a long, flat butt (thanks Mom!) so I have to work harder on these areas than some people, like J-Lo for instance, do.

I will have Allan do some photographs of my 4 month progress by the end of the month for those of you following my progress. Remember, I need your comments and critiques! I am waiting to find out who has been chosen as the Tight Curves "People's Choice" finalists for the on-line voting as well as seeing the Challenge winner's photos. I need some inspiration!!!

And the Tight Curves Transformation Challenge Winner Is...

...not me, but don't think that this will keep me down, dampen my spirits or cause me to give up on my physical transformation. Ummm, hell no! It's actually going to make me work harder so that I will have a stronger and more solid physique at the end of the extended Transformation Challenge some time in June. Not only was I sponsored for another 12 weeks, but I also receive a $100 credit for Tight Curves products. Yay, now I can try the Chocolate Protein! Carlene says it is yummy!! I will keep everyone posted on the next phase of judging the "People's Choice" which will be the top 20 Challenge finishers who will be posted on the Tight Curves website and the public will vote on their favorite. You can guarantee if I am one of those lucky women you will be asked (required!) to vote for me. So, even though I wasn't the BIG winner for the Challenge I have made such great improvements that I really feel like a winner (and a little bit like a dork for making such a big deal about this whole deal)!

...and the winner is...
Congratulations to Christine Woods Team Tight Curves Member Winner and Angel Miller Transformation Challenge Winner. (Angel's photos will be posted on the Tight Curves website soon and I can't wait to see what I was up against...)

Goods News :: But Still No News on the Challenge Winner...

Today's good news is that I was one of 20 Tight Curves Transformation Challenge contestants to be chosen to be sponsored with Tight Curves product for another 12 weeks. Tom asked anyone who was interested to send an e-mail with their measurable goal(s) and a commitment to complete the next 12 weeks. I was on that offer in a second! I don't necessarily need any assistance with keeping motivated but the added bonus of being able to incorporate the Tight Curves products into my fitness plan is a definite added bonus.

I am sticking to my nutrition program that I have been on for the past three months and have upped my cardio to include actual running and pushed up my level of simulated running of the elliptical. My knee has been hassling me some but I think it is getting stronger and will eventually be less painful.

Well, I am still waiting for the winner of the Tight Curves Transformation Challenge to be announced...I didn't realize how much this competition meant to me...I just want to see who won so I can see how much harder I should have pushed myself (I have been trying not to think that I didn't win, but I kind of figure since I was given the option of continuing the Challenge that I wasn't, unless that is just a tactic by them not to give the winner away...)