One Journey comes to an end, and I take my first step onto the next!

Be prepared.... I get a little personal here!
And yes, it is long!! :)
NO JUDGING ALLOWED!! :)
So, the Mrs. Texas USA 2009 pageant was two weeks ago!
I had SUCH a great time!
I have to start by telling you that all of that sweat and tears
PAID OFF!!!
No, I did not win the Mrs. Texas USA Crown,
but for me it was something bigger!
I won 1st place in the Swimsuit competition!
I know that at first blush,
this sounds very superficial.
Let me tell you why it is not!!
Since I was a little girl,
I have battled with body image issues.
I know that we all have them to some
degree, but this manifested into
so much more!
I struggled with an eating disorder all through
my high school years.
My saving grace??!!
Austin.
When I found out I was pregnant with my
first beautiful little boy, I knew that
I had to give up my damaging Bulimic
lifestyle, and provide the nutrients
this little angel deserved.
So, to make an incredible LONG story
just a little shorter, I gained
100 LBS in 8 months!!!!!!
That is about 13 lbs a month!
My body went into shock from
keeping the food in my stomach.
SOOOO, along with all the imaginable
issues of gaining 100lbs, I had
stretch marks EVERYWHERE!! :(
My skin stretched, and just never was the same.
I NEVER went back to the Bulimia, but still
struggled with my body and loosing the weight.
For ANYONE out there that has recovered from an eating
disorder, I can not tell you enough what a struggle it
was to not revert to my old ways.
Already having body image issues, adding
another 100lbs doesn't help!!
So, after about 4 years I got the weight off.
Never really worked out, just didn't eat a whole lot.
Soooo, along came pregnancy #2!
I gained 60lbs with this one.
Once again, there I was VERY unhappy
with what had happened to my body.
My skin was a mess. Going from small to LARGE,
to small to Large again was not all that great for me!
After I had Brody, I realized that I was going to have to work out
to get this off.
Well, tried that and was FAILING miserably!!
I was dieting, exercising, and not loosing
a single pound!
After about 3 months of this I went to the doctor.
I knew that I had several health side effects
from my eating disorder, but a new one seems
to pop up all the time.
This time I found out that because of all the strain
I put on my body over the years, my Thyroid
had literally burnt out! It was no more!!
I began medication, and wow what a difference!!
Over the next couple years, I really got into going to the
gym.
I loved Spin classes, got used to running, and started
some strength training!!
All was going ok, until I realized that I had stopped making
any progress!
I wasn't really seeing any more results!
Well, that is when I came across FULL THROTTLE ATHLETICS!
I was getting ready for this pageant, and new that in order
to even be in any sort shape to compete against these girls,
I needed some serious help!
I knew from my first email from BJ, the owner of
Full Throttle Athletics, he was the trainer for me!
He was very direct, and funny about it!
So, here I am 10 weeks later!
In the best shape of my life,
and dedicated to my overall health.
Taking home this Swimsuit award was
such an emotional thing for me.
I remember that Saturday morning
before the swimsuit competition standing there
looking at these beautiful women in their
two piece bathing suits.
Some of them have NEVER had
any Children before.
I remember thinking, Jennifer,
You have worked YOUR ASS off!
Just get out there any work it!! :)
When they called my name as the
Swimsuit winner, I was a bit in shock.
You mean to tell me that these 7
Judges that not only saw me in a
two piece swimsuit standing next to
these amazing women, but that also
had to watch me WALK in heels in this
two piece swimsuit thought
I looked the best????
WHAT????
I walked away from this experience
feeling beautiful, strong, and for the first
time EVER, I felt
IN CONTROL of who I am.
I realized that I can feel and look
like whatever it is that I want.
Yes, I will always have stretch marks.
Yes, I will always have skin that is not as
tight as I wish it was.
But I am getting to be ok with that!
I have finally realized that these things
do NOT define me.
We all have our flaws, weather you can see them or not!
I truly believe that GOD urges
us to take certain paths and challenges in life
so that we come across people that forever change our lives.
I remember walking away from Mrs. Texas pageant
2 weeks ago pretty bummed that I had not won the
Mrs. Texas title. And I remember thinking,
there was a reason that GOD put me on this
path. Now figure it out, and move on! :)
So, here are the things that I encountered on this
journey that have forever changed my life!
1, I met one of my very best friends. I could
not imagine my life without her, and feel
as though I have known her forever!
2, I was reminded just how very blessed I am
to have the family that I do. I have such
an amazing support system and and so
thankful for each and everyone of them!
3, I gained a confidence that I NEVER had.
Through the AMAZING support & encouragement
from BJ and Kori, I really got to know what
I was truly capable of. BJ's training helped me
realize the silly excuses that held me back from
having the body I wanted, and taught me to
know my TRUE limits that I was always scared
to push myself to.
They both helped me
realize that the body I thought I wanted, plain, thin,
skinny whatever, was actually NOT the body I wanted at all.
I realized that I want a strong, healthy, toned body.
Not big and buff, but strong!! There is DEFINITELY A DIFFERENCE!! :)

So, this is pretty long, and I will sum it up like this!
This is the only body I will EVER have! It is
ONLY after training at Full Throttle that I now
understand how to look my best.
I will accept my flaws, and ROCK my strengths!!!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU
BJ and Kori for Everything!!

On to the next journey!! Tactical Strength Challenge in September!!
I will update my blog as I train for this event!!

God Bless, and get your butts to Full Throttle Athletics!!!!
You will NOT be disappointed in the journey!
Jen

It's GAME TIME!!!!

So, I had my Final pre-competition
work out today!!!!
This is it! I have worked my
A** off, and it's Game Time!
I walked away today knowing that there
is nothing more I could have done!!
It was honestly a little emotional!!
I am proud of where I am, and
owe BJ and Kori at Full Throttle Athletics
more then they can ever know!!
You know, I was thinking back to being
a teenager and having that confidence
in my looks and my ability to take on the world!
I think that as women, wives, and moms, we tend to loose that
along the way.
Not intentionally, we just stop nurturing that
part of who we are!
I feel like not only have I regained that
confidence, I have it back
10 fold!!
Knowing that my health, my strength,
and yes I will say it, my sexiness is in
my hands is empowering!
AND to know that I am a wife, a mom,
a businesswomen, and a community advocate
makes it all that more rewarding!
I DID have to work my BUTT off,
and I had to fit it in where I could,
but I made the choice to do so!
I set my priorities, I set my goals,
and here I am!
I have made myself this one promise today!
I will walk out with my head high,
proud of who I am, proud of the life
I have built for my children,
proud of my marriage,
proud of the support I give
to my community,
proud of my career and where I have come,
and proud of this body!!!!
Yes, I have flaws, but what the hell!!! :)
I have switched gears from striving for
perfection, to striving for a healthy, happy,
balanced, fulfilling life!
What a difference that has made!!
And hey, my husband finds me HOT!!!
What else can I ask for!??!!
So all of you that have lost that
strut your stuff confidence, it's still there!!
I promise! You just need to nurture
it with some butt kicking at Full Throttle Athletics
to help you dig it out and dust it off!!
YOU DESERVE IT!!!!
So, WISH ME LUCK this weekend!!
I will be back to report how things went on Monday!! :)

Jennifer

It's the final countdown!!!! 2 More days!!!

2 More workouts mean
2 more days until I head to Ft. Worth
to compete for Mrs. Texas USA 2009!!!
Holy crap! :)
So, here is where I am!!
My mind, soul, health, and body
is at the BEST place it has EVER been!!!
I absolutely owe it ALL to BJ at Full Throttle Athletics!!!
Because of the knowledge he and Kori have
on how to correctly train your body
they are able to
completely transform you into this
strong and healthy person.
When your body is strong and healthy,
your mind is at it's best, and your soul
is happy and at peace!
Never underestimate the power of taking
care of your body!
It does amazing things for your complete
outlook on life!! It pushes you to continuously
challenge yourself in other aspects of your daily life
and creates an outlook that you can truly accomplish
the goals you set before you!
For those of you who know me,
you know that I have always been into fitness
in one way or the other.
I have always been open to trying new things
in the hopes of finding that thing that just clicked!!
I am thankful that part of my personality is that
of someone who is always open to learning new things,
and putting myself in new situations! Otherwise, I would
still be doing the same, boring, non-effective
workouts that I have been doing for the past two years!
Now, I am not knocking any of the other workouts,
gyms, or training methods! I am sure that they
work for some people! And when I was doing them,
I was at a level of health that I THOUGHT I was
ok with!
For me though, I now know there is a
far higher level of health and strength
that I am on my way to
QUICKLY achieving!!!
I know that I am always saying,
"You have to try Full Throttle Athletics",
and you probably think I am a walking
advertisement, but the HONEST truth
is that this is the first thing that has truly
EXCITED me in the workout world!!!
I know that so many of you work your
butts of in the gym like I used too!!
All I am saying is if you could get DOUBLE
the results in HALF the time,
WHY NOT TRY IT!!!
You can go to the Full Throttle Athletics web site
and download a 2 WEEK FREE PASS!!!
So, you can even try it out to see what you
think before making any long term commitment!!
Go on......... I DARE YOU!!!! :)
Here are a couple videos of the 6am
bootcamp that they run! Enjoy!! :)

4 more workouts and getting sick! ARE YOU KIDDING ME????

You know, I always say that lives challenges
are what make us better people! :)
Not that this is a huge ordeal,
but getting sick this week just wasn't in the plan! :)
It's funny, because I feel like all of my
thoughts on life and balancing it are
being tested!! :)
I understand that things don't go as planned,
and that we can never perfect our situation.
We have to adapt and make it work to our advantage!
In hindsight, I should have done more of the
preparation for the pageant instead of thinking
I could get it done this week!!
See, I am already learning
and growing from this!! :)
(positive thinking Jen, positive thinking! :) )
Enough venting!!! :) Let's talk about my workouts this week!:)
So, yesterday I overslept and missed my 6am class!
Boy, did that create chaos in my perfectly planned
schedule for the week! :)
BJ at Full Throttle Athletics was so sweet
to let me come at 5:30pm, WITH BRODY!! :)
Oh Boy!!
So, Brody had a great time!!
Pulling everything off the racks, jumping on the boxes,
playing with the Kettlebells.......
I can tell you that is was NOT easy to concentrate! :)
He ended up pinching his fingers on between the concrete and the bells.
The screaming started, and my workout halted!!!
On top of the Brody interference, my chest was burning,
and I was having a hard time catching my breath!
Which I now know is because I am SICK!!!!
This is supposed to be my SUPER KICK BUTT week!
So, keep your fingers crossed!!! I will get through it,
I will readjust accordingly, and make it work to my advantage!!
Can I get an AMEN!!??!!?? :) J/K
4 more days till competition time!!!! WoooHoooo!!! :)

BIG CLOTHES - A double edge sword!!!

Have you ever had this happen???
About 12 weeks ago, I realized that
I needed some dress clothes!
I have the luxury of dressing VERY CASUAL
at work, so don't need them that often!
But, needed them from time to time
for meetings.
So, bought my dress clothes....
I was proud that all the pants were a 2 or a 4,
and hung them in my closet until I needed them.
WELL...... Today I needed them.
I laid out my clothes last night for today.
Got up, got ready, then went to get dressed!
DISASTER STUCK!!!!
I put the shirt on..... so far so good,
then went to put the belt on around my
waist for that slimming, trendy look.
The belt fell down!
I literally messed with it for about 5 minutes
thinking that I must be doing something wrong.
I have worn this belt several times.
Then I realized.... my BODY IS SMALLER.
So then, I put on my dress shorts, size 4.
TOO BIG!!!! WHAT THE HECK??!!??!!
So, I tuck the shirt into the shorts, put another belt
around my waist, and decided this would have to do.
The whole way to work, I was sooooooooo
upset that all of these new clothes were too big!!!
Then it dawned on me,
they are not TOO BIG.............
I am just AWESOMELY SMALL!!!! (not sure if awesomely is a word!!)
So yes, I will have to take all of these
clothes in to get them taken in,
and yes that kind of sucks!
But the fact that they must be altered because
I have COMPLETELY transformed myself
into a leaner, stronger, healthier person
IS TOTALLY WORTH IT!!!!!!!!
So, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?????
You have got to try the Boot Camp at
Full Throttle Athletics!!!
Your clothes might all fall off,
but you'll look hot this summer swimsuit season!!!
Here is a video of me doing a Kettlebell swing!!
AWESOME for your BUTT!!! :)

OMG.. Only 9 workouts left!!!

So, Only 9 workouts left till competition!!

HOLY CRAP!!! :)

Part of me is TOTALLY EXCITED

while the other part wants

8 more weeks!!! :)

I think at this point, I have to

be proud of what I have done,

get on that stage and OWN IT!!!

I know that in two weeks, I

can still make some big changes in

my body, but

I also think I am just going to have

to accept some of my flaws!! :)

I was looking at some video from my first day

at Full Throttle Athletics ,

and where I am today and was just BLOWN AWAY!!

The transformation has been amazing!

I have always worked out, so am still

in AWWEE over what BJ has done in just 6 weeks!!!

AMAZING!!! I am so thankful for the

work and encouragement I get from BJ and Kori!!

I always thought that a trainer had to yell

at you and be mean to get you to push harder!!

NOT TRUE!!! BJ does not by any means let

me sell myself short, but he does it in an

encouraging, self motivating way!!

He gets in my head to make ME push myself to the limits! :)

Well, I am getting ready to head to the gym.

A little nervous today since it's Monday!!

Need to get a butt kicking workout in today! :)

Check out this video from last week!! :)

Mrs. Frisco 2009 after training 4 weeks @ Full Throttle Atheltics @ Yahoo! Video

Boot Camp Happy Hour Rocked!!!

So, last night we had a Boot Camp Happy Hour
at Full Throttle Athletics!!!
IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!
It was the first time that I had
worked out in a Group setting
since hooking up with BJ and Kori.
It is a lot of fun to be in that setting with
a bunch of friends!!
A little competition is good for you! :)
We did a full Boot Camp workout,
followed by some sled dragging!
(My idea on the sleds!!!) Had to make sure
they all had the complete
Full Throttle Experience!!
I did not want them to feel cheated in any way!! :)
It seems like everyone totally loved it!!
Lots of sweat!! We all walked away
KNOWING we worked out A** off!!
BJ is working on some film footage,
and I will post as soon as it is available!
In the meantime, are you up for the
Full Throttle Challenge??!!??!!
I totally encourage ANYONE that is looking
to get in shape, or get in better shape to
give it a shot!!
By the way... only 11 more workouts till
competition time!!!
My oh my how time flies!!! :)