S.M.A.R.T. Goals 2014

Specific.
Measurable.
Attainable.
Realistic.
Timely.


Reflect on each word. Take out a sheet of paper and ask yourself:
What do I want to accomplish?
How will I take action?
When will I actively do this?
What obstacles will keep me from this goal?
How can I be ready for a detour?
Why do I want to accomplish this goal?

I am working on mine today.
Physical.
Emotional/Spiritual.
Relational.
Career.

Share for accountability!

Go to BodySpace @ Bodybuilding.com to join and let us take control over our bodies! >>> Lift out PCOS & follow PCOSAA on FB, Twitter, Instagram

& ME! @aura_sklenicka on Twitter, IG, FB!

Happy New Year!

No risk-no reward!

As my last post entails, I decided close to the last minute to sign up for the 2014 Bodyspace Spokesmodel Search. After much anxiety because I am not necessarily where I want to be right now, I chose a safe 'risk' of enrolling and making myself vulnerable to being let down because if I don't put myself out there, when will I ever? While I know through my journey of not only life but especially my with my health and fitness that we cannot sit still and expect change to come our way. Haven't the greatest successes in our history come about from constant failure, rejection and tough battles only to be continuously pursued with persistence and dedication? Alas, I uploaded the video, put in some progress pictures and hopefully they all meet not only the requirements but impress the internal judges @ Bodybuilding.com enough to place me in the top 20 for the females. I'll keep you posted!

Open book moment: I had to have another invasive procedure recently (which added to my above-mentioned anxiety) relative to my PCOS and did have an emotional break down. I felt like despite being strict on my diet and lifting and doing loads of HIIT at the gym, my body wasn't responding. Then more procedures and associated bloating and well, I'm just FED UP being in stirrups and doctors offices this year! I nearly fell into my old trap of starvation diet and copious amounts of cardio then fall into the depression cycle because I don't feel up to par compared to other women entering the contest. Ummm, key word: compared. I cannot be a hypocrite and tell other women not to compare themselves to others since each journey is unique and then do the same and beat myself up; it won't be the end of the world if I don't get chosen. With that said, I managed to pull away from those negative thoughts and actions as quick as possible and remembered that I'm human and I DID SAY that I wanted to do this with a focus on health versus just appearance.

Conclusion: Yes, I was training hard but I was allowing my upheaval from my home, new environment of living, being on the road, finding work, my symptoms, procedures, etc. to take center stage and really wasn't ending each day feeling fulfilled. As trivial as this may seem to some, I recognized last night that I do need more structure in my life and the only thing I can control is my fitness timeline. I am choosing to finally set down and pick a show (although Dr. Sara Solomon, who is a fitness role model for me, has been leading me to contemplate a WBFF show over NPC because they appear to hold healthier views on what a physique should look like and live healthy year-round) so that I have more holding me accountable. Finally, I awoke this morning with a fire ignited within me. Something had changed over night. I stepped into the gym with vigor and determination in my eyes. I said from the beginning that I wanted to represent women with PCOS in the bodybuilding world and that is just what I will focus on and all the women I interact with are my motivation!
Lower body insanity from today was a combination of the following:
Leg extensions
Lunges
BB Squats
Calf raises
Leg press
Calves on leg press
Single leg deadlifts
Hamstring curls
Rope pull abs
Lying leg raises

I varied my weight, continuously going heavy, varied my rep range but absolutely did not stop, no rest...who needs cardio when you just lift heavy and fast?! Also, I am trying out new videos but learned I cannot do it with my phone, so the only place it would upload to is my FaceBook. I went through a typical PCOS-friendly smoothie that is packed with everything you want for a delicious and healthy post-workout (or whenever) meal!

2014BodyspaceSpokesmodel

I just uploaded my mandatory video and my progress pics on Bodyspace (via Bodybuilding.com) were already up! I am ready to expand our voice for PCOS and show that weightlifting is beneficial and we can achieve anything we set our minds to, so wish me luck, please and thank you! Also, I created a group on Bodyspace called, "Lift out PCOS", for fellow ladies to join. It is an optimistic, judgment and intimidation-free zone!

Confessions of an Under-eater and Overachiever

A back porch, sunshine on my face, Blender Bottle full of BCAAs sweating from the heat, but a cool breeze of the wind blowing my hair out of my face; what more could a lady ask for? This is me in this moment. Instead of being grateful for the little things in life, I found myself throwing yet another pity party for how stuffed and fluffy I feel. Regardless of my intense leg workout this morning, I still find myself feeling guilty over consuming appropriate amounts of nutrition to gain muscle (hence the title of this entry). After losing an initial mass weightloss over the span of several years, I truly began focusing on only consuming unprocessed foods about 1.5 years ago and it has all been trial and error. This was about the time I discovered what Bodybuilding.com had to offer and researching every bit I could into PCOS and how I should be eating to truly lean out. Mind you, I had thought that I put on a good portion of muscle mass, simply by picking up a weight. My problem: inconsistency with one regimen. Yes, I believe that the body needs to have variety or it will no longer see results, but I’m talking trying absolutely every training program and ‘diet’ out in BroScience land and Endocrinology research websites, trying to strike a balance between being a bodybuilder and living with a hormonal imbalance-atypical of most bodybuilding regimes.

Despite my rambling, I have a point regarding my headline:

After finally completing my first (all-the-way through…not half-assed) 12-week challenge through Bodybuilding.com/BodySpace, I felt AMAZING! I was seeing abs that I had worked so hard for but had never actually seen, but I couldn’t fight the fact that I had not really changed all that much in a 12-week span regardless of the max effort I put in. So, I took a few weeks to decrease my cardio slightly but still lifted in heavy circuits, because I was not about to lose those abs! Well, sure enough, even with clean eating and limited indulgences, my abs were *poof* gone in an instant. I’m still working on figuring out if it’s my sensitivity to carbs or just the fact that my body fat percentage was not low enough. Several weeks after the challenge ended, I was approached in the gym by an older gentleman that recognized my dedication in the gym and volunteered his time to coach me for an upcoming figure show debut. Awesome, right?! It seemed that way for the first few weeks. I was getting my butt kicked but I loved that he said I was eating the right foods and portion sizes and said I would never max out over 1 hour of cardio-ever. (Annoying buzzer sound, here!) Well, sure enough, even me explaining my PCOS to him, he realized I wasn’t dropping weight like ‘most people’ would for the hours of training and food restrictions; so instead of listening to my input of trying high-intensity sprint intervals, he increased my cardio and pretty soon my life was all consumed with this and I soon became miserable. To make a long story short, I got news that a medical surgery took precedence over the show and the coach turned out to be ummm-unprofessional, to say the least- so after intense calorie restriction and all day gym sessions I was left having to have surgery and told to stay out of the gym for several weeks. Oh goody. Despite my long, leisurely walks with my husband and still doing some light cardio when I wasn’t in pain and of course, eating at a calorie deficit; I managed to gain weight right back. During this time I watched one too many of Dr. Layne Norton’s Youtube videos and read up on other bodybuilders and fitness professionals-with scientific degrees- on how to properly treat your body without destroying your mind and body, as I was doing. You see, when I am told to follow a plan, I follow it to a ‘T’, I execute everything with the mindset that it needs to be perfect and if I do not achieve what I envisioned, my psychological state begins to suffer. (PCOS women, you know all too well the cycle of stress from additional cortisol and quick onset of depression. REMEMBER: Stress will only make the fat cling and do NOT let your mind control your happiness!) When I added up how much I was eating on that prep prior to my surgery, I was down to ~800 calories/day, all of chicken, asparagus, and egg whites. Prior to that major deficit, I always thought it was recommended that I stay below 1200 calories/day to lose. Well, if you’re always trying to LOSE, eventually you have no further place to go and your body fights with you to maintain homeostasis. Putting this in perspective: I have been eating under 1200 calories/day (with the exception of family gatherings, holidays, or the occasional treat meal) for the past ummm, I’d say 3 years. Yes, that worked to get initial weight off, but I don’t know how I thought I could ever gain muscle size or cut when I have no surplus to cut from!

Back to me, sitting here fluffy and stuff… Over the past week being back in the gym I have been focusing on lifting some heavy @$$ weight and slowly increased my calories. Even my carbs. I still cannot manage to look in the mirror without being sad about lost abs or the feeling that I cannot stomach the amount of food I should be consuming to put on muscle, but my intent is to be able to stand this amount of food without putting on an excess amount of fat, so that when I do incorporate cardio again (no 2 hour sessions, I’ll be doing sprint intervals, sport activities, and yoga) I have a number to cut down from and know how to properly balance my intake to cut slowly. Perhaps I will utilize BB.com’s Cellucor challenge to lean out a bit so I feel more comfortable at the beach but nothing crazy and I’m pretty sure we’re looking at some muscle gains when my husband deploys again in the fall. I will never subject myself to an unhealthy way of life that only permits rebounds, poor self-esteem, or eating disorders. As much as it pains me not to feel comfortable yet in my bikini on the beach, living in Coastal Carolina, I know it will pay off in the long run. And, hey, my doctor said I shouldn’t be exposing myself to the bacteria from the sand and ocean yet, anyway; backyard kiddie pool with the pups, here I go!

Never forgo your happiness for an extrinsic motivator. Dig deep and know that you truly cannot succeed for long-term until you have intrinsic motivation and a deeper purpose to lead a healthy, balanced life.