Filed under: alternative treatments, bodybuilding, cancer, coaching, colon cleansing, health, Hyperbaric Chamber, Inspiration, nutrition, sport specific training
I especially like the tan!
Many people make decisions at the beginning of a year to make changes in their lives. These changes are meant to improve their lives in some way. They want to lose weight, get in better shape, quit things like smoking or abusing alcohol, improve their finances, relationships, living situations (mine is eliminate clutter)…The lists are endless. My big question is always “Why”? Why do you want – whatever it is you want? What are you willing to give up for it? Is your “why” big enough to “deprive” yourself of the other?
Why are you thinking you are depriving yourself of something if eliminating it will make your life better? If you keep doing it, aren’t you depriving yourself of a better life?
Change is hard for most people. If it’s something you want bad enough, it’s a lot easier. The more specific it is, the easier it is. I’ve been told many times I have an “all or nothing” attitude. When it’s something really important to me, I do. Regarding the cancer: 7 years ago, medical treatment offered me less than 1% of hope for surviving a year. I had to rely on alternative sources of information in order to help myself to get well. All the information in the world, won’t help if I don’t get off my butt and implement it. I was going to say I have had more discipline for getting rid of the cancer than I’ve ever had, but that’s not exactly true. When I set a goal to compete in a bodybuilding competition, I do everything I know to do to prepare for the competition. My diet used to be exactly what my trainer told me to do, now it is exactly what I’ve learned to do based on past experience with my body and what I’ve learned from other sources. The competition gives me a date I have to accomplish my goal by. I know I don’t get an extra week. Once my diet, workouts, cardio and sleep schedule start, I know that regardless of the judges decisions, I’ve done my best. If I skip cardio, or “just onecookie” and I don’t do well at the show, I know I have no one to blame but me. If I don’t make the goal to compete, to get up on stage wearing an outfit that’s 6 inches at its widest point, I have no reason to push myself to that extent. Don’t misunderstand, my diet is probably cleaner than that of most competitors “pre-contest diet”, but immaculate when I’m “pre-contest”. I know that every time I compete, my body looks better after the show than it did before I started the process. I know that my confidence is improved, every time I get off the stage. I think I’m talking myself into something here. The goal is only the beginning. The end result – stage pictures – keeps me focused. I know I have to stay focused on my own, because few of my friends are going to call and say “what time are you going to the gym? I’ll meet you for an hour on the stair climber”. My kid probably isn’t going to say “no, mom, lets have raw eggs or a salad in the blender instead of pizza”. Being around people who aren’t supportive of what I’m trying to accomplish could blow my efforts. If I didn’t have the discipline I do, because my “why” is so important, my competition goal would be a lot more difficult.
Yes, my competing goal takes up a lot of time, which is why I haven’t made that decision yet. At this point, I have 20 minutes on the Body Vibe, an hour in hyperbaric chamber, an hour for Gerson coffee, oil pulling, dry brushing, hot/cold shower, food prep and getting myself ready all before work. After work, I fit in my workout, another hot/cold shower and 30-60 minutes in the sauna. I feel great and have no evidence of cancer, but since it’s only been a short time since the last tumor, still need to do it all.
I would love to get rid of the clutter in my house! I don’t know where to start. Maybe there’s someone out there wanting to lose weight. You can help me de-clutter and I’ll call you and say “meet me at the gym for an hour on the step mill”!
Make your why big enough and get up and make it happen!
Love, gratitude and blessings to you all
Susan Wonder Stone
In my very first post, I talked about not opening the mail because I didn’t have the money to pay the bills, so it didn’t make sense to open them. My health has been steadily improving. Two months ago, we had a big storm. Shingles blew off, the downspout flew off the roof and onto the ground. There was a significant flood in my downstairs bedroom. The room is supposed to be finished tomorrow. I’m very thankful the damage to the room is being covered by insurance.
The roof. It’s not covered. All of the estimates have been $12,000, with the exception of the one by the guys who painted my house but haven’t ever done a roof. Aside from the fact that I don’t have $10,000 in my back pocket either, I don’t think saving $2,000 to have someone do a job they have no experience doing makes a lot of sense. The chapter 13 bankruptcy court doesn’t allow me to have a loan until it’s completed in 24 more months. The roof won’t last 24 months. Competing in the Northwest Bodybuilding competition kept me busy. The last several weeks before the show were really intense from continuing the cancer treatments, increasing cardio, changing my workouts, meticulous tracking of my diet, forcing myself to drink water as well as being a single mom and working full-time. It kept me from worrying about the damage.
After the show…
About a week after the show, the lump in my head came back. If you’ve read my past blogs, you remember I’ve been dealing with recurrent melanoma for the last 9 years. Along with the lump came daily headaches – feels like I used a ponytail holder as a headband, blurry vision in my left eye and an overall yucky feeling. I still get up at 4:30 and do 2 hours of treatments before I get ready for work. I still go to the gym 5 days/week. I still go with my dog and my kid on walks almost daily. I worked overtime on my day off this week. I’m still eating fairly clean. Too clean for most!
I know the stress of the roof is contributing if not completely causing me to get sick again. Some days the pressure is so great it makes me think “is living really worth it?” It only lasts a minute, then I find something to be grateful for to pull myself out of it. I got a “door tag” yesterday for not paying my water bill. I have the money to pay my normal expenses, but the roof thing has spiraled me back to not opening my mail again. Now that I’ve recognized it, I pulled out the unopened envelopes and will take care of them tomorrow. I know not to worry about things, but haven’t figured out how to do it.
Gotta go to bed. Gonna have fun, exciting dreams!
Love, gratitude and blessings!!
Susan
Filed under: alternative treatments, bodybuilding, cancer, coaching, fitness, health, Inspiration, sport specific training
This video came at the perfect time! Yesterday happened because I needed to figure out what I was afraid of. Just because I’m afraid of something doesn’t mean I’m going to stay away from it! I don’t need obstacles, but welcome the small challenges because they are the things that allow (well, kinda force) me to grow. I hope she inspires you too!
Check it out:
http://muscle-balance-training.com/blog/424/susan-stone-female-body-builder/
Another competition. I know, in 2007 I said I would never compete again. But that was before I broke my back. I felt like I had to prove to myself I could get my physique/fitness/flexibility better than it was before the accident. Then after the Emerald Cup in April, decided I could get myself in even better shape. I worked hard, improved my fitness level, my cardio, decreased my already good blood pressure and resting heart rate and consumed over 1200 raw eggs – yes since the beginning of May! Taking 2nd place at the show tells me I can do more. Actually, I believe no matter what the topic is, we have room to improve. Why put limits on anything? I wouldn’t be here if I believed in statistics. No specific plans to compete again, although having the deadline of the show date keeps me focused on my goal. What areas of your life can you improve? What are you willing to do to get it?
Love, gratitude and blessings
~
Susan
Someone told me it’s what’s inside that counts. I understand that. My inner strength is much stronger than my physical strength. The outer is visible. My belief is that the inner determines the outer. My thoughts determine my feelings, from that come my actions. It’s my inner thoughts that drive me to eat the way I do and take care of my body the way I do. If I were eating what everyone else eats and sitting on my but the way most Americans do, I would look like everyone else does. I focus my attention on what I want and expect it. I don’t settle for less in any area of my life. Until it shows up, I continue to do what I do, keep striving for my goals and love my life (okay, so sometimes I get a little grumpy).
I’m less than 2 weeks from another show. I’m hungry, tired and packed with attitude! Those who know me well – know I toned down the previous paragraph! Bye for now…
Love, gratitude and blessings
Susan
I did it! I made the decision to compete in the Emerald Cup, did everything I knew to do, and accomplished my goal! It was great to be on stage again! I took 4th place. No one would know I broke my back less than 2 years ago. Working my abs hurt a lot more than I thought it should have, working my back, definitely hurt, but I pushed myself and did it anyway. It wasn’t a “I’m hurting myself” hurt, but a “this has been injured, but moving it might make it better” hurt.
I met someone 3 months ago who told me I should be eating all raw to drop body-fat and prepare for the show. What bodybuilder eats raw? I’ll never know why, but I listened and did it. I didn’t eat the recommended amount of raw eggs, and did cook the whites, but everything else was raw. 8-12 cups of veggies/day. Dr. Schultz’s superfood mixed with maca root and a scoop of whey protein 6-7x/day. It worked better than I thought it would!
The bigger bonus: the lump in my armpit has shrunk (hard to find), the one in my breast is no longer visible and the one on the back of my head not only shrunk, but doesn’t itch or hurt anymore! Wow! Aside from the bag of “cheddar goldfish” I finished off today, back on the raw stuff. Feeling better than I have in a long time!!
Love, gratitude and blessings Susan
I’m competing again this Saturday. A good friend -haven’t seen him in 22 years, but still a good friend, sent me a link to a song he thought I should use for my 1 minute on stage. I had Cameron download it to his Ipod, so I could listen to it over and over to decide which 1 minute I would use. Cameron downloaded a lot of songs (and R rated comedy). We had been watching “Die Another Day” in the cardio theatre at the gym. I had never listened to the song. Sorry Phil, for not using your suggestion, but when I heard Madonna’s words – had to change it.
Sigmund Freud
Analyse this
Analyse this
Analyse this, this, this….
I’m gonna break the cycle
I’m gonna shake up the system
I’m gonna destroy my ego
I’m gonna close my body now (not sure what that means)
I think I’ll find another way
There’s so much more to know
I guess I’ll die another day
It’s not my time to go
For every sin, I’ll have to pay
I’ve time to work, I’ve time to play
I think I’ll find another way
It’s not my time to go
For those of you who don’t know my story, read the archives, for the rest of you – could there be a better song? It’s my first competition since breaking my back. I’m so grateful for the rebellious attitude and determination I was blessed with! Thank you God, Thank you God, Thank you God!
Love, gratitude and blessings Susan
Filed under: bodybuilding
April 22, 2007, I competed in the Emerald Cup Bodybuilding championship. It’s been 3 years. Shortly after the Emerald Cup in 2004, I discovered that the cancer I knew I had, was quickly spreading throughout my body. It’s been 3 years of riding the biggest roller coaster of my life. In January of this year, I decided I would continue my treatments, but find something bigger to focus on. Cancer or not, it’s time to live again. I started my pre-contest diet and increased my cardio. February was a rough pre-contest month, but awesome otherwise. I spent the first week in Mexico, sunbathing on the roof every afternoon when my treatments were done. I continued to eat what I needed, both for nourishing my body and competing. Then after an awesome week home with people (and dog) I love, I was off with a friend for the “Ocean of Gratitude” cruise. She paid for everything. Wow!!! What a blessing! I’m sure the food wasn’t organic, but I decided I would eat what I needed and know it would be okay. I had my ozone generator to purify the water, and myself if I needed it (but that’s a different story!) We had workshops every day with spiritual leaders, coaches, and Dr. Emoto who wrote “The Hidden Messages in Water”. I’ve never heard anyone describe the ocean as I saw it. Again, that’s another story, but absolutely amazing how much water is out there. Looking on a globe or map is nothing like being on the open sea, moving for hours, seeing no land, then seeing a bird fly by. So, back to the competition. There was a weight room, a track, and a sauna on board, so I was able to keep up with my goal.
There are lots of ways to get ready for a competition, and when you find something that works, you usually stick with it. This time would be different. I didn’t do cardio with the intensity I’ve used in the past, I’ve used “fat burners” that now would interfere with the treatments I’m doing to be healthy, and diuretics were out of the question. You never know who else is going to show up, or what they are willing to do to prepare. My main focus was – getting on stage again, looking great and feeling great too. I was probably the healthiest person in the auditorium, even with a hole in my leg. Regardless of thinking I would be okay with whatever the outcome, I was bummed out not making the top 5. I know now, with all of my being, that the accomplishments I’ve made are worlds above the satisfaction of another trophy. Would I have figured that out if I had come home with a trophy? I hope you find the blessings in your “disappointments”.
Love, gratitude and blessings
Susan Wonder Stone
