Thursday, December 8, 2004 (the countdown begins… 58 days to go!)
This week has gone very well, I’ve been eating totally clean (well, except for a few twizzlers here and there!) and working my butt off at the gym! Two things are worrying me a little about being ready for the Maritimes Fitness competition that’s coming up in less than two months… 1) standing on stage in a bikini (ie: my bod), and 2) the fact that I haven’t really even started working on fitness routine yet! I’m hoping my strict diet, heavy weights, and increased cardio will take care of number one. As for number two, I will be using the first 40 seconds of my routine from my routine in May, but I need to have new music mixed for the rest of the routine, choreograph it, and work on my strength and flexibility moves. Speaking of flexibility, my short sessions of stretching on my own after cardio sessions just isn’t cutting it, so tonight I tried out a bikram or ‘hot’ yoga class… I don’t think I’ve ever had such a strange experience in my life! It was 90 minutes of yoga postures and breathing done in a heated studio where the temperature is a HOT 100 - 105 degrees! I’ve never sweated so much, it was just dripping off me and when I was done - it was like I had gone swimming in my clothes! I got out of there and was feeling pretty tingly and high. Still not sure if I liked it or not, but I’m going to go back and try it again on Monday!

Friday, December 9, 2004 (57 days to go!)
I finally got in touch with someone to mix my music for my routine… I’ve been putting it off for about two months ‘cause I really wasn’t too sure about who to get it done by. Last time, Sylvia Tremblay did it for me, but she doesn’t do music anymore. I asked Liz Curtis if she knew anyone who did that type of thing, she recommended some people, and luckily, one of them was able to squeeze a session with me in today - Yeah!!! I’m so glad that’s done and I can start choreographing! Today was my rest day from working out, but I did some cardio anyways and it felt great! 

Saturday, December 10, 2004 (56 days to go!)
Today I hosted an open house at the fitness/dance studio I own and run. I taught 3 demo classes (Salsaerobics, Bellydance, and Boot Camp), plus one full hour long Boot Camp after the open house. I still didn’t feel like I had got enough cardio in and planned on getting to the gym for a bit of running or something, but didn’t make it on time (they close at 6:00pm on Saturdays!) I’m very tired anyways and should probably take a nap before my bellydance show tonight. Between classes I tried to work on some impossible (well, at least to me) strength moves for my routine – they didn’t go very well, but I guess I’ll just try to keep practising them till I have a magical breakthrough! I’m driving all my friends and family nuts by trying to show them all the moves I haven’t yet mastered at any moment when I have a captive audience (during dinner, in the middle of conversations, etc., etc.) … my mom said I look like I could be doing a comedy spoof of a fitness routine! As for the diet, I’ve been getting the Zone diet delivery 5 days a week, but that leaves the weekends up to me (scary!) I did pretty good on my own today eating egg whites, cottage cheese, fruits, vegetables, and chicken… but then there were the crackers and full-fat mozzarella cheese (oops!) I must get to a grocery store tonight so I can do better tomorrow!

Sunday, December 11, 2004 (55 days to go!)
Well, let’s see… today was less than perfect! Again I taught a few dance and fitness classes at my studio, then I rushed off to check out the bridal show with a friend (since I’m getting married in September), since I don’t have food delivery on the weekends and I didn’t really plan my meals today, I barely ate anything all day (which could’ve been kinda good, except the few things I did eat were pure carbs, and not just any carbs – BAD carbs!) I’m wondering what I’ll end up eating for dinner (which usually means it won’t be too healthy a choice). I’m not feeling too guilty though for a few reasons: 1) I know tomorrow I’ll be eating perfect again because of the meal delivery service, 2) It was supposed to be a rest day and I still ended up doing tons of exercise in my classes, and 3) I have a session with my personal trainer tomorrow morning to change up my program and she’ll whip me into shape!