On to My Next Plan...

I'm not giving up but it sure has been a rough week to say the least...another set back with illness. UGH!!!I swear next year I plan on getting a flu shot. My kids get it and every year they manage better than me. I was so incredibly sick with I think the flu..it started out with what I thought were allergies but quickly went right to my chest. I felt like all my bones had been shattered. All I could do was listen to my body and it did not let me out of bed on Monday. I didn't even get to the gym until Thursday... Even though I still don't feel 100%, it was great to be back! Finally, I could begin my new plan.  I had just spent last weekend writing up a new diet and workout plan for the next 8 weeks. As with any new plan, I was eager to start! Instead of getting down for not being able to start because of yet another set back, I just spent my days envisioning my end results and put my focus on this weekends workshop.

It's my 2nd workshop and I'm just as excited as I was for the first, yet not 1 person has signed up yet? I've sent out emails to those I feel might benefit or just overall interested. I've posted my fliers up at my gym (someone keeps taking them down..) I've driven all over North Jersey to promote (Vitamin Shoppe's, GNC, etc.) I've posted my fliers up on Goggle+ and even started a Facebook account. Yet, still nothing???A few that are very interested can't come because of scheduling. I can't let this get me down. I know I have something great to offer...This will take time. I have to remain positive. I live for this and hope one day someone will come up to me and say "because of you, I didn't give up!" Until then, I'm going to keep plugging away and trying to figure out how to get people to attend. I've made some delicious "Clean" Mango BBQ Sauce and Crispy Cinnamon Chick Peas as my healthy giveaways for attending the workshop. Each and every workshop I give will include an example of a healthy "Clean" treat. Most people don't even know that healthy food taste amazing. I'm always trying new clean recipes and part of my new plan during the off season is to have my kids help pick out a new recipe each week to try. If they are a hit, I will certainly be posting them on my blog and my Facebook page.

I've decided to not compete in a few weeks as originally planned. Instead I will go and watch and support my friends. I'm also going to observe and learn. I'm even thinking of doing a photo shoot at the end of my 8 week plan. Its something I've always wanted to do and it gives me that push to work extra hard. At the end of the day, I just have to push these setbacks away and focus on the plans ahead!! Life is always about improvement. I'm eager and willing to do everything I can in all aspects from being a better Mom, building a better body, getting my workshops up & running smoothly, etc. With a positive mind you can do anything you set your mind on. I really truly believe that with my whole heart!

Stay Strong, Make a Plan, Believe in It and Work Hard...It's not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, & to make your "Happiness" a priority...It's necessary! Plain & Simple...

Don't Give Up on Your Goals...

Giving up on your goal because of one setback is like slashing your other three tires because you got a flat!Boy, that is how I felt two weeks ago  after my show, but only for a few days...Thank god! I'm back to setting and reaching new goals. I just can't quit, after all I am hoping to be a role model to my kids and what would that teach them, if I quit? There are so many benefits to doing what I do. I'm teaching my kids the importance of living a healthy life, I'm teaching them that just because I'm older you can still dream & set goals, I'm showing them that hard work pays off and when you set your mind on anything...that mindset will get you there just by shear determination! I'm also showing them how to pick themselves up after they've fallen and to keep at it. Because, I fell, and I fell hard... After all, your children will become who you are, so be who you want them to be! 

I grew up the 2nd oldest of 11 children... My Mother never had time for herself nor did she ever really desire it & if she did, she certainly never showed it. God Bless her! Making time for yourself doesn't have to be for everyone but I feel like it makes me a better Mom. It gives me more patience and certainly helps keep me more organized. Now, I didn't start making time for myself until I had three kids but that doesn't mean you need to wait. The most important thing is, is to have support. Even if your not a busy Mom, its still very important to have that person to keep you in check, someone to say "Hey, you look great!" or "keep it up, it's paying off". That is why I started my workshops, to be that support and to share my knowledge thus far. Everyone has to start somewhere...right? It's my goal to create a network of support for like minded individuals. You get to workout and learn what it takes to get to your healthiest body. My next workshop will be on Sunday May 19th from 1p.m.-3p.m. at Edge Lifestyles Gym in Oakland, NJ. Hope you can make it or treat someone special (Great Mother's Day gift...) It's $35 for the workshop and limited to 25 people.

Now, that I'm back to setting new goals and even more driven than before! I took some time to change up my workouts and clean eating diet. It's about improvement and working harder to reach my own physical expectations. I've got only 28 days before the kids are out of school and when they are my gym time will either come even earlier or I will be at my hopeful maintenance point and won't have to go as often. My plan is to document this new plan by taking weekly progress pictures and staying true to my exact plan.  Staying true to the diet I wrote out for myself and if I need to make little tweaks to make note of it. I'm hoping this plan gets me the results I desire. Life is all about learning and if I have to go back to the drawing boards than so be it....I will keep you posted. Check out my Facebook Page...Sonia Ryan Fitness

In the meantime...HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all you MOM'S out there...hope to meet some of you at my workshop. I will be handing out some clean treats...Clean BBQ sauce and Honey Roasted Chick Peas! Summer is right around the corner...

Clean Recipes...

Mexican Sweet Potatoes...

4 Sweet Potatoes

1/2c plain greek yogurt

1 can black beans rinsed

1 can corn rinsed

1/4c cilantro

1/4c red onions

1 Tbsp red chili flakes (optional)

1/4c pepper jack cheese (optional)

Bake sweet potatoes in oven for 30-45 minutes at 350*F. While potatoes are baking in a sprayed sauce pan with olive oil cook red onions, black beans and corn. Roast for 5-10 minutes. Once sweet potatoes are fully cooked  take them out of the oven and slice in half. Scoop out the middle leaving a thin layer on the skin. Mash the inside of sweet potato with plain greek yogurt, cilantro and red chili flakes. Add roasted corn, black beans and red onion to sweet potato mixture. Mix well and scoop back into sweet potato skins. Top with pepper jack cheese and bake until cheese is melted. If you decide to leave the cheese off bake for 10 minutes. Another option is to add chopped avocado or fresh salsa as a topping once baked.

Smudgies...

These aren't 100% clean because of the graham crackers but they are a great (heathy) verison of an ice cream sandwich and the kids love them too!

3-4 bananas

1/2 c natural peanut butter

low fat graham crackers

Mash bananas and natural peanut butter together and spread in between two low fat graham crakers. Place in zip loc freezer bag. Once frozen enjoy. Super easy & quick to make.



I will be making some clean BBQ Sauce and Honey Roasted Chick Peas as my little give aways  for my next Workshop to be held on Sunday May 19th from 1-3 at Edge Lifestyle Gym in Oakland, NJ

Hope to see you there. Happy Mother's Day to all you Mom's out there.

Not sure what my next plan is as far as competing goes but I do plan on trying and posting new clean eats each week. A good family plan for Sunday Dinners...

1 week Post Show...

One week has passed since my show...ugh!! Talk about roller coaster ride! The show itself was very long, exciting! Overall ,I had a really great time ,especially with all my friends backstage.  It's funny how one minute your on top of the world and the next you find yourself wiping out and landing at the bottom. For me that's exactly what has happened. Needless to say, I didn't place and I've always said at the end of the day it never mattered about where I placed and this still holds true- yet this time, I found myself disappointed?? Why was it different this time? Was it because this time I really thought in my heart I would've done better than coming in dead last in my category???? Ugh!!! Did I choose the wrong category? Was my posing not up to par? Was I not proportioned enough? These are all questions that filled my mind this entire week. I had promised myself I wouldn't get myself into a funk post show, like I had for all my previous shows. This has been a long, emotional and exhausting week, to say the very least. So, now I'm feeling like now what? Deep down I really want to figure this all out so bad. Why am I struggling with this? I'm sure we all feel this way from time to time?

Guess I'm still learning and will I ever stop? No, I never want to stop learning...I need to learn how to improve, how to maintain, and how to move on from disappointment. So it's back to the drawing boards for me. Time to pick up the broken pieces and put that puzzle back together again until I can do it with my eyes closed. Throughout all this I've learned and realized that this isn't something I can just quit or put on the back burner. I've got to pull myself out of that funk and figure it out. For me, my break is over. Back to working on improvement. I've only got a month and half before the kids are out of school. YIKES!!! I can do this!!! I need to do this!!!

Now onto the positive. At this show, I was so incredibly proud of my friends. They all looked gorgeous and some of them had placed. We all had our ups and downs for sure, yet being together in that dressing room- it was all about celebrating our own journeys that had got us there! I made my clean treats to share. It was like we were one big family down there. Helping each other out and cheering each other on. That experience is what keeps me in the game. Way to go GIRLS! Lets keep each other strong!

and so I'm going to try harder! It won't be easy but it will be worth it... Congrats again to all my friends and to all the competitors I competed with. See you at the next show.

Tomorrow is the big day...

Well the day I've been waiting for is almost here! I'm so excited and feeling great about all my hard work! I have a great feeling about this show.... I've learned so much in this contest prep. I set some goals and have reached them,what an incredible feeling to accomplish the goals I  set out to accomplish! I strongly suggest that everyone set a goal for themselves both small & big! It truly is the most amazing feeling...not to worry I'm already planning on setting new ones.

I'm so excited to catch up with old friends and to get all glamed up too! This is my celebration!  I will be posting lots of pictures of my weekend when I return home on Sunday. My food is packed and I feel like a bronze goddess... Lol! I'm on top of the world !!! Wish me luck...

8 days to "Shine"!

There's 8 days left before my show and I'm ready as I'll ever be. The topic above is worth it's weight for about 50% of all your hard earned work.(when it comes to competing, anyway...) Without believing in yourself you won't reach those goals you've set out for yourself. You could have the best body on stage, yet still fall short in the judges eyes. You've got to show them, how confident you really are! I personally will be thinking of all the sweat, tears, traffic jams, obstacles and everything else that tried to knock me down. I will be proud of myself for simply not letting those things get to me! I've learned a lot during this particular contest prep... one thing in particular is that I've learned that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different. You've got to trust in your heart and realize that, that's ok!!! We all have different opinions, different goals, different bodies, different circumstances. Yet, if we remain true to ourselves, and follow our hearts we will reach those goals we set out to reach! You never know, maybe someday that person that saw things so differently, may begin seeing the same thing? Long after we've reached that goal we will feel confident, happy and content because we listened to ourselves. We will set new goals and get back on that roller coaster yet again. It's hard to be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you into something else...Pay attention to how you feel when living a healthy lifestyle. Stay true to yourself, live what you love, and always remain strong, you never know who you are inspiring!

In this last week before I head up to my competition, I still have a few more days of heavy training & sweating. It's time to get organized, pack my bag & check it twice. Then onto all the other little details, shaving, waxing, tanning, hair coloring, & nails....I also have to make sure the kids are set for their weekend with their Aunt Julie...She's my life saver. I can't thank her enough...I will feel at ease just knowing she's watching my kids. One less thing to worry about!

I will be taking lots of pictures next weekend and I can't wait to fill you in with all the details! Wish me luck...

Another note...my next workshop is scheduled for Sunday May 19th, 2013 from 1 p.m.- 3 p.m. Mark your calendars. Also check out Sonia Ryan Fitness on Facebook for more details....It's still under construction...lol

2 weeks out...

It's the final stretch...Monday, I was back at the gym and BOY did that feel good! I was back on track , just being home and knowing exactly what I needed to do to get myself stage ready. My motivation was at an all time high! I was looking forward to the week ahead. Upon arrival at my first day back at the gym, I walked into the ladies room to find that the sauna was working again!!! This just added to my excitement- as it had been broken for quite sometime. The long cold, nasty winter had me longing for that thing to function. Everyday I checked to see if was working.  So, needless to say, now I was completely overjoyed...yes, finally, everything was positive and working in my favor. At the end of my kick ass workout, I stepped into that sauna and there I met an amazing woman. In the past I was always been in it alone, sweating and doing crunches while sweating. Yup, you guessed it...I love to sweat!!! Anyhow, my point is we started talking while we were both enjoying the fact that it was working again and she shared her life history with me. She spoke of how she came to this country from Mexico, without speaking any English. She explained her struggles, she shared with me how she found success and ultimately finding something she loved and that was her job. She started working in a hospital as a cleaning lady at night because she was a Mom.  She managed to work her way up in the hospital, from cleaning lady to nursing, to then end up working alongside the Surgeons, handing them their necessary tools as they performed surgery's. She was passionate about it and wanted to learn everything she could.  I found her story fascinating! At the end of the day, she truly loved what she did and it had paid off! She is retired now,but was able to put her boys both through College, and now she's making time for herself. Ultimately, she was able to get that far because people believed in her, they noticed how much she cared, they noticed how hard she worked and in the end -she has had a very happy, and successful life thus far.  My reason for sharing this story with you, is that I'm realizing that when you love what you do and you continue to work hard it-It will all pay off ! Soon enough, people will slowly start to realize that about me. They will notice that my hopes and dreams are in helping others achieve a fit and healthy lifestyle. I'm not just in this for myself. This journey for me started out as being a role model to my kids and then really I took it more seriously when I attended my Uncle's Funeral, He was just 51 years old when he passed of cancer. Things really hit home for me as I watched his son cry ( who happens to be the same age as my son..)! Those are the things that began this journey and the desire for living a healthy lifestyle.

It's funny how things work out. I needed to have this conversation with her, because I was about to host my very first workshop this weekend. Of course, I was a little nervous and excited at the same time. Yet after having that conversation with her, everything seemed to be put into perspective for me. I just needed to trust that things would work out.  I wasn't sure what to expect? How many people would come? All I could do was put my heart and soul into it and just hope for the best. I didn't want to stress and freak out. Stressing, just isn't good for your body, anyhow! That would only hinder my progress in getting show ready.

The rest of the week, I just took  in stride. I took each day as it was and gave it my all! I'm finally at that point now, where I've realized that I can only do so much. I used to stress if I couldn't get my workout in and that would lead to diet mishaps, which would lead to further frustration. It was like a vicious cycle. One of my goals at the beginning of this journey was to figure out how to maintain after my show and not to fall into that now what Rut. I'm 2 weeks away from getting on that stage and I've realized this week that I've reached that goal I set out in the beginning of the year.  I finally have a better understanding on what to do after my show. Afterall, this is my lifestyle. The less I stress, the better. It's about doing what you love and doing what you can.

With that being said...My workshop didn't have the biggest turnout but it felt amazing to share my knowledge and I just know in my heart it will grow. I will have bigger turnouts in the future.I have to believe in that. Everyone has to start somewhere. Every Pro was once an amateur, every expert was once a beginner. So Dream big and start now.. My next workshop is scheduled for Sunday May 19th, 2013 from 1p.m.-3p.m. at Edge Lifestyle Gym in Oakland, NJ. Hope you can make it.

Now, It's time for me to dive into Chicken and Asparagus! Remember, STAY STRONG, STAY FOCUSED, EAT CLEAN, TRAIN HARD and take it day by day...