Inside Fitness...I made it!

I am so thrilled!!!  I made it in "Inside Fitness" this month.  Thanks to Dave Clow & MABBA for giving me this amazing opportunity.  There is definitely more to come from me.  Check out the mini-write up.  By the way, YES...they got the name of my blog wrong.  How sad.  Ah well.  This definitely still makes my day though.

Love you!

Cooking with Kimmy - Episode 1

Welcome to "Cooking with Kimmy" episode 1 (not too sure how many more I will put out).  

How I Cook my Extra Lean Ground Beef

I missed filming one of the steps, which is to take boiling water and pouring that over the meat to ensure all or most of the extra fat is gone.

The part of the video with the seasoning was not planned at all - sorry for the messy cabinet :D  

ENJOY!!!

What's in my Lunch Box?

I just thought I'd write a little post about my lunch today as it sits in front of me.  

PROTEIN & FATS:

My "go-to" protein is usually a lean red meat...in this case extra lean ground beef from Superstore.  As lean red meats are higher in fat content (which is one of the great properties of a fat), I am fuller for longer as compared to having a chicken breast (which I find breaks down a little too fast - getting absorbed too quickly in my body).  We normally get our lean ground beef from Safeway, as I find their process is much more intricate (moins tendons/bone chips from Superstore...YUCK).  Although more expensive than the regular lean ground beef, it's definitely worth the extra bucks.  

VEGGIES and CARBS w/ a side of FIBER :
I normally pair that with a LOT of veggies.  My go-to veggies are usually broccoli/cauliflower, asparagus or spinach.  All three have their great benefits, which is why I normally do a rotation of all three during a month's time.   Plus they are all great for their fiber content and as we all know, you need fiber to POOP.  Fiber is our friend.  :D

SEASONING: 
My ABSOLUTE favourite sauce right now to add on top of my beef is Green Valley Ranch "Southwestern BBQ Sauce", in which you can find EXCLUSIVELY at  Muscles By Meyers (my sponsor).  It is CALORIE FREE too.  Too good to be true to be delicious?  Try it.  It is excellent.

My other seasoning combo (if for some reason I do not have that sauce in stock in my fridge), is Green Valley Ranch "Ketchup" paired with dijon mustard.  Think cheeseburger without the bun & calories.  In my eyes & with my taste buds, it is a delicious treat in my mouth.    

WATER:

I consume my food with a full glass of water (or two).  After all, you need oxygen to fuel the fat burning process.  Studies have shown in cases where there are two groups (one drinking the required amount or more of water/day and the other not consuming as much), the group who consumed more water lost more weight, therefore losing more fat.  Now who doesn't want that to happen?  

Now time for a little rest before I kill it at the gym for a second workout session.

Take care.  Keep Fit and Eat Clean!

24 weeks out - Vlog

Catching up - What's new in the life of Kimmy :D

ENJOY!

Are you "Bored"? Make a Motivational "Board"!

My Motivational Board

If I am not training myself or my TeamSexy girls, I am at the computer updating this blog, client files, answering/checking emails or entering into contests.  I have been delaying this project for months now and finally got around to it the other day.  The whole reason why I wanted to start this DIY project was to motivate my girls and myself to get back into the swing of things (hardcore training/strict nutrition).  I, myself, am a visual person.  I need to see things in order to engrave them in my mind.  Enter MOTIVATIONAL board project.  I started looking through old magazine for bold statements and words I relate to.  If you want to make a board for yourself (just like the one you see above), here is what you will need (all from Staples. Click links to view products):

• Clear plastic desk protective cover 
• Double-sided mounting tape 
• Scissors
• Clear masking tape
• Dry-erase markers (assorted)
• Fitness-related magazines such as Oxygen, Fitness, Women's Health, Muscle Development
• Motivational quotes (try this website)
  
  

After that, start cracking at it.  At lot of people have asked me why I made it a whiteboard and not strictly a pinboard.  The reason why is simple.  On a weekly basis or whenever I get "bored" of the quotes, I will change it to something fresh and new.  That way, I will never get "bored".  Smart huh?

If you aren't on the creative side or just darn lazy, do not fret.  There are virtual pin boards online such as Pinterest.com (@Pinterest)

"Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the wed.  People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes and organize their favourite recipes.  Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people.  Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests."

You can share everything from fitness, recipes, wedding plans, inspirational thoughts/ideas, technology - pretty much anything you can imagine.  Love the idea?  What are you waiting for then?  

MAKE YOURS TODAY!!!  

"It's a New Dawn. It's A New Day. It's a New LIFE. And I'm FEELING GOOD"

Quick Self Interview by Kimberly Ho


Date: November 1, 2011
Time: 10:45am
Weight: 135 lbs

Did you eat breakfast? Obviously.  It is after all, the most important meal of the day.  It should more or less be the biggest meal as well.  :D

You look a little tired:  I am but I got some great sleep last night.  A whole 8 hours is what I find works best with my body.  Any less...well you do not want to mess with me.  I had a dream where Arnold Schwarzenegger was telling me to come visit him at this booth at some convention.  I really did not want to wake up.

How many times do you workout a week?  6 of the 7 days of the week.  I allow myself a day off to fully rest (without cardio).  My split days are as follows:

Offseason training split:

Monday: Bicep/Tricep
Tuesday: Chest/Core
Wednesday: Legs (Glutes/Quads)
Thursday: Shoulders
Friday: Back/Obliques
Saturday: Legs (Hamstrings/Calves)
Sunday:   Off 

 
Fav Body Part To Train: Wheels baby (LEGS)


How many meals do you eat each day?  I eat about 5-6 small meals a day.  This ensures I keep my fat metabolism system working all the time.  You never want to wait too long to eat something.  After all, who doesn't want their fat loss to be optimal? :D

When is your next competition?   I step onto the big stage again on April 28, 2012 at the 2012 World Qualifiers at the McPhillips Street Station Casino with my fellow competitors from all across Canada.  I am so excited!!!  Make sure you come and support me.

Well that is all for this morning.  Stay tuned.  There is definitely more to come.

I am a SUPER FREAK!

One of my "jobs" as a sponsored athlete is to try and test out new products for you.  I adore doing this whole trial & error bit to see what works with my body the best.  Cue "Super Freak" by PHARMAFREAK.  Soon to be on the shelves at Muscles By Meyers, this powerful pre-workout is packed with stims & is one sure fire way to get your going at the gym.

The fruit punch flavour was quite tasty as compared to some (think Fruit Punch Kool-aid).  I was also very surprised at how well it mixed (no big clumps at the bottom of my shaker cup).  Because we had just come from visiting Meyers, I actually took my pre-workout at the gym.  A good 10 minutes later, I started to feel the effects of SUPERFREAK.  With my heart racing, I was ready for an impeccable & insane LEG DAY. After only finishing off my first set of super wide squats (my fav), I was already sweating up a storm (cue moins shirt LOL).   Now let's rate this sucker:

Taste: 10
Focus/Concentration: 10
Price: Unknown as it's not on Muscles by Meyers shelves yet

I have to say this pre-workout is equivalent to Purus Labs Muscle Marinade (one of my fav pre-workouts). On a taste level, it is truly amazing.   I loved how well it mixed; ensuring I NEVER waste product.  My concentration & intensity was remarkable, which I believe is necessary (especially now since my workouts are even more intense then ever before). 


But overall, GREAT product!!!  


Keep checking www.musclesbymeyers.com/ for its availability.  A must-try!!! 


That is all.  Goodnight y'all :D

Progression...ALWAYS!

"Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals." 

Martin Luther King, Jr. 

26 weeks out and here is one of the many progression pictures towards my journey to the CBBF World Qualifiers in April 2012.  My muscles bellies are rounder - could be the creatine had I have been taking, but so far it's doing it's job.  So let's start listing the changes that have happened since my last progression pics:

1.  My outer bicep muscles are starting to show higher peaks than ever before, which I am so thrilled about.

2.  Sam has recently pointed out that my rear is more round than it was say 3 months ago.  I have definitely worked hard for my once pancake/flat derriere.  :D

3. My midsection is FINALLY getting the definition that I so longed for in the past.  Sexy lines here I come.

4.  My serratus muscles are coming forth - something I have been working on for sometime now.  I've been seeing a lot more bikini competitors with heavily defined ones.  Mind you, I do not want to look too hard, so that will get me steering away from Bikini and more so towards Figure.

Once I start depleting again, the fat I had gained off-season & those many "treat nights" will just melt off this body of mine.  I am so ready for what the coming months have in store for me.  If I am seeing results now, just you wait a couple months from now....or even say a month from now.

Always growing....always changing for the better...always progressing.   Mission Sexy Bikini is underway.  No more time for talk...more DO!!!!

New Beginnings

Let me just first start off by saying I have a NEW BABY NIECE. 

Kiana Ariel
Born at St. Boniface General Hospital

October 17 at 2am

7 lbs - 8oz.  

She is too cute for words.  I just cannot wait to play with her.  I am just so excited.  Words cannot express it.  Congrats to my sister Mabelyn & Patrick for bringing us this tiny miracle.

When I held her for the first time, my first thought was "please god, do not let me to drop her."  It's quite scary how fragile they are after birth.  She got a LOT of hair...kind of like me.  I hope to get a chance to visit the hospital with my boyfriend Sam once more before they bring her home.  That's when the fun really begins.  Time to get a transit pass to visit on a regular.  Fun times lay ahead.  
   
It's amazing - the miracle of life that is.  Everything is fresh and brand-new.  No corruption of what's "really" out there in the world.

This actually strings right along what I have been meaning to blog about.  I recently met up with an friend, whom I had not spoken to in a year or so.  The reason for the fall-out is personal, therefore I will not go into detail.  I have know this friend for more than a decade and over the time span of our friendship, he gradually changed for the worse; losing his grounded personality along the way.  Only thinking about money, power, status and being "Top Dog".  I expressed to him (when we were friends) that ALL OF THAT is not the meaning of life.  One has to be happy.  To be loved and to express your love for others is key.  He never heard me up until now.

We did the whole small talk at first but then dug into the real pressing matter..."why he wanted to meet in the first place".  He said he had come to the realization about what it was I was trying to relay to him years ago.  He claimed his re-building of friendships and any one who had helped him get to where he is today; that he should not hold grudges or shun them out.  He had also mentioned some things in conversation, which were quite flattering (abt a job interview question)...again in which I will not discuss further but know it was quite heart warming.

Although, I felt blessed to hear his new revelations, there were some points where the "old" shone through.  Actions speak louder than word after all.  Is it possible for someone to completely change?  Start fresh again after so much hurt and pain?

At the end of it, I told him to not be a stranger and we went our separate ways.  I suppose time will have to tell in this situation.  Anyone can change.  It's just a matter of how BAD you want to change.

Being happy is the key to life.  Do not let anyone else tell you otherwise. <3

Pump...Pump...Pump It Up!!!

I sent in my grant for permission to compete at the 2012 CBBF World Qualifier & this was the response I received:

Hi Kimberly,
MABBA executives all agree that you will represent Manitoba well at the 2012 CBBF World Qualifiers.
This email is our official "yes" for you to compete.
Good luck with your training!
Sincerely,
Carrie Carriere
Tom Heffner
MABBA Executives

As soon as I finished reading it, I screamed, started jumping up & down for a good 5 minutes...hugging Sam with a ear-to-ear massive smile on my face.  I was speechless.  I guess the letter I wrote was very convincing.  I am so blessed.  Thank you so much for this AMAZING opportunity to compete with competitors not only in Winnipeg, but ALL ACROSS CANADA.  Even people who have made a name for themselves in the industry will be on the big stage and I get to grace the stage alongside them.  Wow!

So with that, I now have a "real" goal date set in my calendar.  Leading up to this letter, I was training for the MABBA Provincials June 2012, but now the new deadline is April 2012.  2 more months of carbing up and building, before depleting and a ketosis nutritional plan are set (YAH *sarcasm).

The title of this blog correlates to the song I am currently listening to and what I need to be doing for the next couple of months...PUMP IT UP, eat clean, get plenty of rest.  Build, build, build!!  

"Do your thing let me do my thing." - Joe Budden's "Pump It Up"

6 months of going hard...even more so than ever before.  Let's GO!  April 6th, Are you ready for me?     

Monday Morning Blues

I know most people dread Mondays, but for me it's a promise of a new day (Paula Abdul :D).  Its a chance to start off fresh, make a change for the better.   Just outside that doorstep is a world full of opportunities just waiting to be taken.

I started my day off with the BEST and MOST IMPORTANT meal of the day with my regular oats, cinnamon, apples (you can add fresh blueberries or even strawberries), Walden Farms 'Apple Butter' mixture (just delicious) & Cookies & Cream ISO100 Protein Shake by Dymatize.

NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST.  There is a reason why they call it breakfast.  Let's break down the word - "Break" & "Fast".  You are essentially "breaking" the "fast" for those 6-8 hours of sleep you are getting with the meal.  You never want to wait too long to have it.  Otherwise, when you FINALLY do feed your body with food, that food will get absorbed and some of it stored as fat.  Not a good thing, especially if your goal is fat loss/weight loss.  Think of breakfast as a good thing, as it will actually help you in the long run.

I hate it when people tell me they skip breakfast or they wait a couple hours after to eat.  How is your body going to change if you are not willing to make the small changes?  Yes eating less than your caloric intake of the day will help you loss weight but is damaging your body at the same time.  YOU NEED to make sure you are not starving yourself.  Afterall, those carbs...those proteins...those fats are the nutritional building blocks of how your body composition actually turns out.  Make a change this week.  

EAT BREAKFAST!

Dear Junk Food...

Dear Junk Food:

I just first want to say not only are you amazing but my mouth & tongue thank you from the bottom of my heart.  We have celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, hot summer days, and cold winter nights together.  You have been there for me through rough patches like break-ups, family issues, friend fall outs and fights with boyfriends.  There were also times when I'd be bored and you would be there to pick me up, even if it was just for a short period of time.  You always knew how to satisfy me and put a huge smile on my face.  I just always thought that you would never ever let me down.

UNTIL....

You made me overweight, depressed, sad about my body image, tired, lazy, and not confident. You made me fill big on the outside and small on the inside.  You made me unhealthy and as much as I didn't want to admit it, you were the one reason why I was unhappy for so long.  With that being said, it is with the greatest sadness that we need to break up.  Please do not fret.  I will not be gone forever.  Just know that right now in my life, there isn't a place for you.  I have goals that cannot be reached if I have you lingering around.  Please understand.  

Sincerely,

Kimmy Ho :(