strong body, stronger mind.

"The human body can stand the stress of training and nutritional structure. It’s the mind that’s the weakest link. Conditioning the mind is so important. Where the mind goes the body follows." -Kim Oddo

The quote above holds so much truth especially in my weakest moments. I do not have the strongest mind in the world, nor do I ever claim to. At times it is a daily battle pushing myself through a workout or even worse saying no to foods I used to love. I read this quote and immediately posted it on my facebook status because of how much I relate with it.


I'd like to share what occurred to me about 3 hours ago. Well, first I'll begin with how my day is usually planned out. My training program is quite structured, meals are timed and pre-chosen, cooked and portioned so that all I have to do is walk out the door with a lunch box filled with only my days meals. It makes things simple and convenient and keeps me from drive thru lines and corner stores for snacks. I have "emergency snacks" also pre measured that I take with me usually if I know I will have an extremely long day. Today was quite the easy day, I didn't even have to carry a lunchbox. Its finals week, so classes are shorter, I have less clients to train, I really had no reason to even pack an "emergency snack."
I walk into the gym for today's last class. This class is a coaching class and our final was group presentations of different curriculums. I smell the most amazing smell coming from 4 pizza boxes in the corner of the gym. Our lovely teacher thought she'd treat us to pizza on our last class day. How thoughtful of her. I look in my bag, and all I have is a pack of sugar-free gum and my Meal 4 which I still had 2 hours to wait on eating I didnt even pack an emergency snack. Normally 2 hours doesn't feel very long between meals and it's not hard to wait, it isn't my favorite meal, so I don't crave it nor run to it. Its just plain old Meal 4. At this point in time the boxes are still closed, students are still entering the gym and everyone sorta corrals around the boxes. I take a seat against the wall, take 2 pieces of gum, one deep breath, and grab the cell phone to text every person in my contact list trying to distract myself from thinking about the pizza. The only thing between myself and that pizza was one person. I could have easily reached for my slice. Asked her to pass me a slice. Talk about torture, it was torture. 


One of my favorite friends and a fellow competitor was the first to respond to my texts and I'm ever so grateful for her "words of wisdom." She says: 'Think sexy, be sexy. How bad do you want it? You're the only one that can take yourself there. You're the only one that can keep you from getting there.'  She was right. She is right. I take one more piece of gum, another breath, and just sat there. My mental strength was tested today. Crystal-1 Pizza-0. I don't feel like I'm losing when I miss out on that tastey goodness, at that exact moment I might just a little, but in the end, I'm really the winner. Or that's how I see it. I have a goal to reach. Every morning when I wake up, its the only thing I think about, and I refuse to let anything get in my way. Even greasy, cheesy, pizza. 


Anyway I had to share that. I almost choked when I saw what I was going to have to turn down. haha, it hurt my heart. Oh well, 6-pack coming soon....