Sunday, August 21, 2011

Guest Blogger: Author Jenn LeBlanc from Team Tenacious (Team 10)

Hello fellow winners!! My name is Jenn and I am on Team TENacious. I’m a new author and a photographer, actually, I illustrated my novel because, well, why the heck not. 

I love what I do. LOVE LOVE LOVE. The problem is that it can be difficult to do sometimes, because of my weight. I recently attended RomCon and while it was incredibly fantastic and fun it was difficult to run around willy nilly and not notice how much work needs to be done. I am a fairly active girl, I’ve never let my weight get in my way, but it does rear it’s ugly head at times. 

It didn’t much help that I spent the weekend with the 24 year old hot model from my book, in my room, going to events with me, taking pics, running helter skelter. It was an awakening though this past weekend when I went out to California to do some work with him on his modeling portfolio. 

We went up the coast on the PCH climbed mountains and beaches, ran the city, went non-stop for 12-18 hours a day (once 24 hours) for five days. It was insane, and fun, and just incredible. What really opened my eyes was the food though. I’m used to being the slow one, the last up the hill, the one out of breath, whatever. But sitting down to meals with a fitness model will change the way you think about eating. 

Not once did we buzz a Mickey D’s because we were in a hurry. Nope. Never. Meals were sit down and think about your food. Read the menu. Figure out what you can eat and then how it needs to be prepared to be even healthier. I learned a LOT from Derek. He would order our food and explain the reasoning behind certain choices. He would read menus before we walked in to a restaurant. He was AWARE of what was going in to his body. I have never in my LIFE been aware. 

The funny thing is I also felt better because the combination of extreme exercise and healthy eating had me feeling better in days. It didn’t take a long time. It took hours. HOURS. The second day I was stronger, though feeling every inch of my muscles, and more resilient. The third day I was climbing down inclines and not complaining, and the fourth day I didn’t take any pain meds for my back which I injured years ago. 

So here I am back home looking at these images of Mr. Fit and thinking about what I learned. I’ve already texted him five or six times with questions, because the last thing I want is to fall back into my speedy who cares routine and lose all the hard work of the last two weeks. 

As I drove around town today trying to think of ways to eat better in my regular life, not my extended life, I realized why it is so difficult. My life is GOGOGO. All the time. Transporting kids, taking care of my dad, handling our household, writing, photographing, everything. But I’m learning, and I will find ways to stop and to be aware.

I realized the best part of the weekend was I never thought about food, not once. I was excited, having fun doing what I love to do. I decided today that I will not be fulfilled by food, but by LIFE instead. 

As a little incentive...here are the abs I was staring at all week, and continue to stare at in my edits. I’ll never have these abs, but mine will be my own and I will have worked hard for them. 


12 comments:

  1. Great post Jenn. Very motivating. I think if it was me going out to eat with Derek I would have just been so self conscience that I wouldn't have eaten anything at all. I think it's great that he's giving you tips and making you aware of what you are eating.

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  2. Thank you Danielle, I wish you could have met D at RomCon. He is the most incredible soul, never, never judgemental. He is amazing, and why I love working with him. a week later I'm sticking with it and, while not as active as I was out there, I'm doing very well.

    I just keep thinking about the trip, and saying I will not be fulfilled by food, but by life instead.

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  3. That is so awesome! <3 I'm happy you had such a wonderful time and was inspired by D! I know how you feel when you said you felt stronger. I have noticed when I exercise regularly I feel stonger and better! Great job, Jenn!!

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  4. Thank you Hillary! We should all get out of our houses together. Power walks/brainstorm sessions!

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  5. Oh Jenn. If I only had my own personal Trainer Derek.

    This is such an inspiring post. I did notice how D would read the menu carefully and the stuff he ordered. I'll have to follow his example from now on. Brown rice on sushi. No oil or seasoning. An occasional milkshake. =)

    Keep up the awesome work Jenn (writing and shooting the smexy AND feeling stronger and eating better)

    <3

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  6. Thank you Kati! I feel great today, long shoot with awesome people and working hard. I am so excited right now, and feeling good is a BIG part of it!

    <3 <3 <3

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  7. What a great post! I love your new mantra - be fulfilled by LIFE and not by food.
    And D's abs just cemented that in my brain! lol!
    Thanks for this!

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  8. You are welcome Pamela, thank you for stopping by and taking the time to comment. :)
    J

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  9. Can Trainer Derek come help me? It's so hard when you're on the go to really stop and think about what you eat. I know that's a problem with me because I'm always in a rush, but I'm working on it.

    Go Team Tenacious!

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  10. Jamie that's my biggest problem. I started carrying Think Thin Protein Bars with me because they are gluten free and sugar free. They're ok. I can deal with the taste, but it keeps me from stopping at the usually horrible places. (and D recommended them, so by proxy, there you go.)

    Keep it up Team TEN mate. Let's do this thing!!

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  11. Hi Jenn

    Those are very nice abs lol. For me i used to run by drive through alot because i was in a hurry. I've discovered eating at home i eat alot better because i don't have a zillion unhealthy choices. I eat less and better too. I've also learned to not make a snap decision on what i'm going to eat when out and take my time and really think about it. Helps some. Good luck!!!

    Lisa B
    team 9

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  12. Thanks Lisa! It makes a huge difference doesn't it? I have been eating healthy for all of August now and went to lunch with a friend today, we got nachos. I now feel like...well...poo.

    I talked to Trainer Derek and he said it was because my body had already adjusted to eating good stuff, and all that crud really affected me physically. It's incredible how these choices can effect our bodies not just drastically but immediately.

    This is all new to me, I must seem like a total nerd, but I'm geeing out at how it all works.

    J

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