EDDIE IZZARD STRIPPED

My wonderful friend A. is taking me to see and experience Eddie Izzard tonight. He's touring with his show Stripped and tonight he will be here in the city! I am psyched! I know if anyone can, Mr. Izzard will make me forget about everything in my life for a few hours. Instead, I will be laughing my head off at his crazy jokes and be amazed over his stage presence. It will be fabulous!

Did I mention I am fortunate, and grateful, to have some of the best friends in this world??!! :))

MOTIMATE OFFER

Since the Fitness Festival, I've had this FREE offer to share with you. It's a new Swedish site where you can get all your training, food and motivation tailored to your own needs in order to stay inspired and healthy, lose or gain weight. With this offer, you will get 2 weeks for FREE to try the site out. After the trial period, you will answer 10 questions about your experience.

The site offers MUCH more than what I have mentioned, so go on over and check it out:
www.motimate.se

Use the campaign code "Fitnessfestivalen" to create your 2 week test account. This campaign expires 25th December 2009.
Good Luck!

BODY COMBAT UNLEASHED!

The crew who were the instructor's during the release filming of Body Combat 42: Angel, Pernilla (my instructor from the training!!),

Dan and Rachel Cohen (the choreographers).

My body is whiped. I feel like I've been wrung out and dripped dry! But man, oh man... I am on such a HIGH!! Adrenaline is spiking. Endorphines are flowing. I have just climbed Mount Everest! At least I probably could have with this amazing feeling...

I've just held my first Body Combat class... ever! And although it wasn't 100% perfect (for you who know my perfectionist nature... that would've been squeeky clean!)... but that's not why I became an instructor. I do it because I love it. I love the energy. The fun! The people. Plus of course, I love the class itself. In total, it was awesome!!!

Now I'm sitting here with a big protein shake and munchin on my homemade energy bars. Didn't know Murphy loved them so much as well... haha. Now shower and beeeed! Oh, and Shakti Mat!!!

Hey check out Body Combat release 42 someone recorded, track 7, which is the Muay Thai theme empowered!

MINUS 7

Holy Crapoly! It is COOOLD here today. Minus 7 Celcius, it says! It's so cold, my nose is permanently red from sticking out in between my wolly hat and scarf. I should get a proper balaclava instead!

INTERNET AND SNOW LOVE

Halleluja! I am back on the internet. Maybe not the way I wanted it to be, but maybe it's even better than before. We'll see. Let's just say the position of the computer has changed now because of the new software. And because of that, I got a good excuse to rearrange the living room. And that's always fun! :)

Went for a nice walk with Murphy before and the snow is actually still on the ground. And guess who looooves snow? Yep, that would be Murphy. Here he is sniffing, gliding, chewing, rolling around and loving the snow just like a happy dog should. Isn't he the cutest?!

WEEKEND RECAP

How can you become anything but HAPPY when looking at this face?!

This weekend has been challenging in all ways, shapes and forms, mentally and physically. One that started so well, quickly turned into complete horror of losing a loved one, and then slowly became better with the minutes/hours/days going by. I feel drained. My heart aches. Hard time breathing. Miss my soul mate. Lots of things on the agenda. Lots of perfection to be made, at least to strive for.

The only creature grounding me right now is a dog! A wonderful dog. Murphy reminds me of living in the present. To enjoy the moment and stop worrying about the future or grieving the past. To allow myself to be happy and dream. Someone once said: "Dreams are seedlings of reality." I believe they are... I believe...

BODY PUMP WEEKEND

Tomorrow is the start of my Body Pump training... 3 days of gruelling muscle beatings and gazillion repetitions of loads of different exercises such as weighted squats, deadlifts, military presses... the list goes on! Yep, it's going to be BRUTAL! I'm as usual a bit scared, but with excited anticipation. Someone who knows me really well thinks for sure I am actually looking forward to this weekend. It's a bit like pleasure and pain, innit?! :) I suppose it is. I'm going to be challenged and pushed to the brink, and when I think I'm gonna give up, I'll still manage to keep going. And this is what boosts a person's self-confidence. When you think you can't handle anymore, there's still juice left within you to pull it off, right to the end. I love that kind of challenge in life! Bring it on!

MORNING ROUTINE

This morning's porridge with orange, cinnamon and cardamom. Yum!

Amazing what an extra hour of sleep does! And yeah, it sucks getting up at 5-5:30am to go out for morning walk, but I still love my morning routine... especially the breakfast part! When I take the time, I like to sit down with a big bowl of porridge and just enjoy the morning stillness. Ground myself before the day starts.

This morning in particular I feel such a zest for life. I know it's going to be a great day! And I know everything will be ok. All trials and tribulations in my life will eventually settle. It's just a matter of time...

Here's what's in my morning porridge:

• Fiber Oats
• Wheat Bran
• Crushed Flax seeds
• Pumpkin or Sunflower seeds
• Raisins
• Psyllium Husks

If you need extra protein, you can add egg whites or protein powder to your porridge.

I NEED REST

All this training has left me sore... and tired. I don't sleep well at night. Could be because of heavy training, but could also be me worrying for my loved ones... well, especially one loved one, who is currently in the hospital recovering from a major surgery! It's hard when someone close to you becomes sick. You feel so powerless...

I am promising myself to get to bed EARLY tonight. This weekend will be packed, once again, with LOADS of muscle training when I'll be taking my certificate in BodyPump. It's with the same trainer as I had for BodyCombat, so I know I'm in for a TOUGH weekend.

Here's a BodyPump promo video from Les Mills:

GIVE ME MEAT!

I am whiped! I really LOVE this new extra job as an instructor, but it comes with a lo-o-o-ot of training. After 2.5 hours of doing the routine over and over again, plus walking to and from the gym, then brisk evening walk with Murphy, I have consumed 1430 calories. Well guess what... my BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is 1440 kcal, which makes the equation crazy!

So, let's just say, when my body was screaming for red meat today, which I haven't eaten for weeks now, I succumbed and made a juicy Jeacline style, healthy burger. What you see on the picture is rye bread with mustard as dressing, loads of lettuce, tomato, 10% cheese and finally the burger, which is low-fat mince mixed with one egg, spices and wheat bran... just to literally beef it up in volume! Now, I am nicely content and think I will hit the sack together with my Shakti Mat. Aaaah bliss!

HOMEMADE ENERGY BARS

Energy bars are excellent for when you need some OUMPH in your blood while on the go. But what's the point in buying energy bars in the shop when you can make your own, and that without the funky chemicals or additives. Here's my energy bar recipe:

• Wholemeal fiber oats
• Wheat bran
• Crushed flax seeds
• Sunflower, Sesame, and Pumpkin seeds
• Honey
• Raisins
• Crushed almonds
• Chocolate protein powder
• 2 egg whites + 1 egg
• Cinnamon
• Cardamom

Mix it all together in a bowl. Flatten the sticky "dough" on a baking sheet. In the oven at 175 degrees celcius, approx. 10-15 minutes. Let it cool before cutting it up into smaller, eatable pieces. Yummy! Great for a pre- or post-workout snack. Enjoy!

DARKNESS

This dreary weather is dragging me down in its darkness.
Wake up, it's dark.
Go to school, it's dark.
Come home, it's dark.
Go to bed, it's dark.
Asked my neighbour when it turns around, when do the days get longer again? 22nd of December was his answer. YAY! If all else fails, that's something to look forward to!

BUSY CALORIE BURNING SUNDAY

Strike a pose - Combat Guard

Busy, busy Sunday! Did get some zzz's last night so that's good. But today, I have done some heavy work with the BodyCombat routine. A few hours at home, studying and doing the choreography. Then I got to borrow one of the studios at the gym to practice the routine full out, with high kicks and forceful movements. Didn't want to almost knock the telly down in the living room again. Whoops! After an hour of kicking, punching, kneeing, shuffling and sweating at the gym studio, I joined the BodyPump class scheduled in the same room. It's a different body conditioning class than BodyCombat, so it was nice to work some muscle definition instead of cardio. But now, I'm whiped. I think it will be different once I know the whole program by heart, coz now a lot of energy is being spent on remembering the routine as well as executing it.

I was wearing my heart rate monitor today while doing all these activities... well, I forgot to press the continue button a few times, so really I burnt more than I have calculated from the watch. A total of 1300 calories burnt today! I rewarded myself with a big portion of whole wheat pasta and chicken with vegetables. Hahaha! Not really what you had in mind, huh?!

In 10 days, I will be holding my first class in BodyCombat together with gym colleague Maria. I am getting nervous! But it's going to be so much fun. If you're in the neighbourhood on Thursday 17th December at 19:00, let me know. And I will make sure to get you into the class... and of course, whoop your butt! :))

Getting ready for the workout and the gym

FITNESS, BODIES AND FACES

What a fantastic day I've had! Draining, but so awesome! All the fit people, all the performances, interviews, meetings with new personalities, meetings with known faces already, mostly good and high spirits... I'm knackered, but what a day!!! Loved every minute of it. I'm still buzzing!

Johanna and I by the Expo scene at the Fitness Festival 2009.

Good ol' boxer and martial arts champion Paolo Roberto.

Trying to qualify for... some kind of lifting. Didn't have the right shoes on though... hrm. :)

Body Fitness and Bodybuilding champion Camilla Öhman.

Here with Magnus Samuelsson, a Swedish strongman and former World's Strongest Man. Magnus has also been Europe's best arm wrestler. In a famous match he broke the arm of professional wrestler Nathan Jones.

Mariusz Pudzianowski is a Polish strongman competitor. He has won more World's Strongest Man titles than any other strongman competitor, winning the event in 2008 for his 5th time. He will make his mixed martial arts debut at KSW XII in Poland in December 2009.

Rich Gaspari is a former professional bodybuilder, who started his own supplement company. Gaspari was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame in 2004.

Upstairs checking out the Expo Centre from above. Lots of people!!

FITNESS FESTIVAL 2009

I am soooo excited. I am so psyched! Tomorrow I will be mingling with some of the world's biggest and baddest people in fitness. It's the yearly Fitness Festival at the Expo Centre and there's gonna be celebrities within the industry from all over the world. It's gonna be awesome! All the competitions. All the beautiful bodies. All the glam. All the sweat. All mixed up together. Can't wait!

GOING ORGANIC

Organic seems to be the catchword of the day, and fruit/vegetable sections at the supermarket are sometimes dedicated to organic produce. One section that’s near and dear to every health fanatic and bodybuilder is the dairy section, which is also rich in organic products such as milk, cottage cheese, cheese and yoghurt. Yet there’s some debate over whether organic foods offer any real nutritional benefits over conventionally grown products. Studies have shown that many fruits and veggies grown organically have higher contents of certain nutrients compared to conventionally grown produce. And not to forget probably the most important that they are grown without pesticides.

For example, organic tomatoes reportedly contain higher levels of antioxidants and vitamin C than conventionally grown tomatoes. Organic berries and broccoli have also been found to provide higher levels of antioxidants than varieties grown conventionally.

While fruits and veggies are fine and dandy, what about solid dairy? Data from the UK and Italy suggest that every time you purchase a dairy product, you may want to reach for the organic option.

But just what is organic dairy? After all, dairy is produced from lactating cows, and how can a cow be organic? Organic dairy is what’s produced by cows fed 100% organic feed, and scientists from the UK wondered whether organic milk had any true benefits over conventional milk. They performed a three-year study at the universities of Liverpool and Glasgow that analyzed the essential omega-3 fatty acid content of organic and conventional milk from more than 400 samples produced between the years 2002 and 2005. Organic milk was found to have about 70% more omega-3 fatty acids than conventional milk, results that confirm those found in a 2004 study from the University of Aberdeen.

Another study conducted by UK scientists found that organic milk has 50% higher vitamin E levels and 75% higher beta-carotene (which our bodies convert to vitamin A) levels. And an Italian study reported that organic milk contained significantly higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than conventional milk.

Since omega-3 fatty acids and CLA can help you drop fat and gain muscle, and vitamins E and A can help enhance muscle recovery, it makes sense to shell out the extra cash for organic milk, cottage cheese, yoghurt and cheeses. Not to talk about ALL the massive amounts of antibiotics non-organic cows are being pumped full with, I would suggest to only buy organic dairies.

FAITH IN HEALING

Sometimes in life, you get thrown a curve ball. You see it coming at you in slow motion with spinning threads, you don't know how to deal with it, which way it's going to land, whether you should hit it, bunt it or let it go past. We make choices in life, but sometimes life makes the choice for you. You might not predict or have any power over the situation, but you sure have power over how you DEAL with the situation at hand.

I'm going through some difficult times right now, through a person who's very close to me. Somehow I'm sad about it. Lots of questions running through my mind. Why did it happen to her? Why now? What is the message? On the other hand, I am trying to be a trooper, keeping the spirit up and carry this for her. In troubled times, wouldn't we all do that for the people we love? And what's carrying me through this is FAITH. Faith in goodness. Faith in miracles. Faith in healing powers!

FAST RESULTS

I must be doing something right. I must know my body so much better than what I think I do. I must be taking the right steps, in the right direction, toward my current short term goal. Gotta love it! Gotta love the dedication and discipline!

Day 2 of my X-mas challenge, and I am down 1,4 kilograms / 3 pounds. Say what?!! Could it be the 2 long walks, 30 minutes of Body Combat or 60 minutes of Body Pump I did yesterday? Or the immaculate, organic, low-sodium, vegan-ish diet I'm holding? A combination of all and you get fast results perhaps... Either way, good going Jax! :))

BAD THINGS

Heard this song on the radio today and was hooked immediately! This kind of song doesn't play on Swedish radio very often. This kind of country style. Although there was a time in my life, living in outback Kansas, when I couldn't stand country music... Now, I love it! There's a certain charm to it.

Here's the song I got hooked on this morning, Jace Everett with Bad Things, theme song from True Blood:

STARTING OFF THE CHALLENGE

So, it's the first day of the X-mas challenge! Here are a few guidelines I like to share with you, something to help you out with being in the right mind-set as well as tools to guarantee your own success story.

DIARY
A notebook where you can write down your foods and drinks during the day, how much you eat, how often, how you felt before and after eating. Monitor your progress for exercise routines, weights, cardio, anything active. A diary is not only helpful to keep track of your day-to-day activity, but also an excellent tool to see success or plateaus. If you're confused over why you're not progressing the way you want, a diary is a perfect reference for you to be able to pin down the problem... providing you're being honest while writing everything down... EVERYTHING! :)) In addition, you can use online websites such as http://www.shapelink.com/ to track the calculation of your calories.

BMR
Whether you want to lose weight, gain weight or maintain your weight, you need to know what your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is. This formula is the calories your body burns if you stayed in bed all day. Check your BMR with this calculator. On the same page you can also figure out your Active Metabolic Rate (AMR) which determines how many calories you burn going about your daily business. Both BMR and AMR are really important information for you to have if you want to change your body composition.

GOALS
Be specific when setting your goals. Whatever they are, you need to know what YOU want to achieve. How else are you going to reach it if you don't know what you're striving for?! Write down the goal or goals you want to achieve in your diary, and when times get challenging, read them over and over again to focus yourself on the mission. Make sure you set realistic yet challenging goals. It's more appreciative when you're actually able to reach them, but it shouldn't be too easy either. Remember... Challenges Create Character!

JUST DO IT!
Although your goals are outside of your area of expertise, or you've never tried it before... Do it anyway! Try and learn. That's what challenges are all about. You have to try in order to succeed... or fail. People are so afraid of failing. Why? After all, winning as well as failing builds character. By failing, you always have room to improve. So whether it's the 1st or 50th time you're trying something out, change your attitude about it. Stop contaminating yourself by doubting your own ability to succeed. Instead of saying: This is impossible! Turn around and believe in yourself. If you believe it, you can be it! Start today by saying: I CAN DO IT!

Now you've got these starting points, there's only one more thing to say...
Go heavy. Go hard. Go for it!