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Wow, what a whirlwind weekend! I saw tanner, and costumes and muscles, oh my! The Arnold Sports Festival 2013 was such a fun experience - I don't know what it was about this year, but I feel like I saw so much more and got to experience some fun things I missed out on last year. Here are some of the things I did and saw this year:
Ate some delicious salad. My first night in Columbus, at a restaurant called California Pizza Kitchen, I had a cleaned-up version of a Waldorf salad - chicken, goat cheese, pecans, dried cranberries and a Dijon vinaigrette. Can I have another? Then I had a to-die-for beet salad on Saturday night - three words: goat cheese mousse. Yumm... I didn't catch a photo of that one because it was gone too fast!
Watched some serious competition go down! The booth put on a Tough Love Bob challenge - push-ups, pull-ups, timed circuits and burpees. So many people came out to compete and just to watch - the booth was swarming. There were awesome prize packs to be won, and the competition was fierce!
Saw Tosca do amazing things with her fans - from signing their stomachs to posing on top of the table of books, she conquered it all! I saw so many fans walk away completely stunned by their time with her, and that's always inspiring to me.
Inspired someone to start her own Eat-Clean Diet journey. A woman was struggling with her weight and eating habits after having had gastric bypass surgery, and she just needed to hear more about The Eat-Clean Diet and what it could do for her. She walked away with three books and looked so happy! Her husband even got on board with a copy of The Eat-Clean Diet for Men!
Signed my first autograph! The lovely Michelle Reid brought along her copy of February's Oxygen magazine, and guess whose success story is in there? Mine! I signed the spread and then we took a picture - it was so much fun. Thank you for your support and for believing in me, Michelle!
Saw Andy Haman being Andy Haman. 'Nuff said. That guy is too funny - and he's in awesome competition shape!
Wore some pretty tall shoes out to dinner. I was almost 5'3"! Oh, the adventures you have when you're short.
And last but the farthest thing from least... I shook Arnold's hand! He came by the Eat-Clean Diet/Musclemag/Reps!/Oxygen booth and said a gracious hello to the staff members. I was starstruck!
And so ended another amazing Arnold Sports Festival experience. This year was so busy and crazy and exciting and fun! I'm thankful I could be a part of it and help represent RKP. Enjoy the photos!
2 months ago | By meredithECD
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I may work in fitness publishing, but I still have a lot to learn once I get to the gym!
5 months ago
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Training
| By meredithECD
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Submitting your after photos for the 4th Annual Eat-Clean Diet Makeover Challenge. Must be done ON OR BEFORE August 31, 2012.
7 months ago
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Official E.C.D. News
| By meredithECD
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Just wanted to take a minute to share a couple of non-scale victories!
First of all, I’ve been consistently going to the gym three times per week since the beginning of last week (don’t worry, I’ll keep it up longer than that!) and also jumping on my mini trampoline at home. It feels so good to be active again, or at least more active than I had been (I’d been walking about 3k a couple of times a week).
A coworker shared a great circuit workout with me, and we’ve been adding to it and modifying to fit our personal goals. My goals include toning my glutes and thighs, as well as working on my abs, so I’m doing lots of lunges, hamstring curls, squats, weighted crunches, oblique twists and reverse crunches. I already feel so much stronger!
Not only do I have more energy in the afternoons since I’ve been working out; I’m also noticing some contours starting to form in the stomach area, my arms are looking more defined, and I’m consistently upping the weight I can lift/press/squat/lunge. It doesn’t hurt that I’m also recently down a couple of pants sizes, so I’m able to fit into smaller sizes of comfy workout gear!
I already feel much better about myself since I’ve been getting more active, and I definitely have plans to increase my workouts, and maybe add a little more cardio into the mix.
This season I’m also finally joining my parents’ golf course. I’ve been golfing there for years but never had the dedication to become a member. This year, that’s changed! Since I’ll be paying a fair amount of money to be a member, I’ll have the incentive to go to the course at least a few times a week, meaning more time spent walking the course and carrying my heavy golf bag – bonus workouts!
Anyone else have a non-scale victory to share?
11 months ago
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Training, Motivation
| By meredithECD
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Well, I've never really taken part in Lent before, but I've decided this year I will give up something for Lent. Except I'm not actually giving up anything but being lazy. I've decided to make it my mission to get to the gym at least three times a week. I've been neglecting that poor gym for quite a while, but still paying for a gym membership - what a waste of money!
Having said that, my eating habits are pretty great lately, and not likely to change anytime soon. I've cut out most sugar (except the occasional fat-free chocolate pudding for a treat), I'm a pesca-pollotarian, which means I'm a vegetarian that also eats fish and chicken sometimes. For me, it's only chicken and salmon - no other types of fish. I eat plenty of beans, chickpeas, nuts and seeds to make up for lost protein, plus I've found a great vegan protein powder that I put in my oatmeal every day. I never feel deprived - I'm actually surprised at the number of options I've got.
So now the missing piece is just exercise. I'm determined to get into a gym routine and feel fulfilled. I've been going through some hard times in the past few weeks and did a little too much wallowing, and not enough activity. Today that changes. I will get my mind in the muscle instead of dwelling on the past. Wish me luck!
1 year ago
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Training, Motivation
| By meredithECD
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Information about submitting your entry for the 4th Annual Eat-Clean Diet® Makeover Challenge.
1 year ago
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Official E.C.D. News
| By meredithECD
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Congratulations to the winners of the 3rd Annual Eat-Clean Diet® Makeover Challenge, and to all of our worthy entrants!
2 years ago
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Official E.C.D. News
| By meredithECD
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New gym - all is well.
2 years ago
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Training
| By meredithECD
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I recently bought new rollerblades, since my old ones were just that - old, tired and in disrepair. The new ones are awesome! They're so smooth and shiny and new. I used them this past weekend in Waterloo and loved them, but sadly the roads and sidewalks I used were not so smooth. My solution? Stick close to my neighbourhood in Rockwood! I'm in a newer neighbourhood with more recently paved roads and without any crazy city traffic - the perfect conditions for rollerblading. My street connects to two other small courts, making it a pleasant little network of streets to travel. And so cute and quaint, too!
My plan: rollerblade at least three times a week (after work) along with my other regular workouts at the office gym and with my free weights at home. I've strayed a bit from those free weights lately so I'd like to get back into using them at least three times per week.
As an added bonus, I get an alumni discount at my university's athletic complex in Waterloo, so I can pay $20 for 30 days of gym membership! Not a bad deal! I can go twice or three times a weekend (Saturday and Sunday, Friday if I get to Waterloo before the gym closes), get my money's worth, and get in shape according to my plan!
All is well :)
2 years ago
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Training
| By meredithECD
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Well, since my last post about the elliptical, I've gone on it again and again and enjoyed every minute of it. My workout buddy Brittany keeps seeing me after my elliptical session with a red face and sweating buckets and grinning from ear to ear, and I couldn't feel better!
Today, I thought I'd change it up a little. Normally I do two 16-minute sessions on the elliptical using different preset programs (all of them with hills for extra resistance!) and then I'm done. Today, I did one 16-minute session, switched over to the treadmill and did 8 minutes of interval training by playing around with the incline and speed, and then went back to the elliptical for another 16-minute session. It felt so good! My only problem is the treadmill; I used to think I was making an excuse when I felt like I couldn't run, but I've discovered that I have weak ankles, and the impact is really hard on them. That's why I love the elliptical so much!
I've decided to keep working my way up to the treadmill, since I'd like to be able to run around my neighbourhood this summer when the weather is nice. I know I can compromise and keep up my indoor workouts alternating with outdoor brisk walks, but it's not enough for me.
Time to set a solid goal: run on pavement by the end of June. I think I can do it.
What are your goals for the summer?
2 years ago
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Training, Challenges
| By meredithECD