"Tell me when did you forget, its your life, whatcha gonna do, the world is watching you..."

This is one of my favorite songs from Francesca Battistelli and I love every line. Especially- "Every day the choices you make say what you are and who your heart beats for" So very true! I hope you guys listened to the lyrics and enjoyed!

So HEY GUYS HAPPY WEEKEND!!! I have this weekend off so I am super pumped! Last night I saw The Hunger Games with two of my co-workers and it was awesome (i had some butterfinger minis.... i couldnt keep that from you guys but i rarely go off track). I was in bed by 10, lame I wanted to go out but was tired, and I slept in until 9! My body needed that. Then I ate my wonderful breakfast, had two cups of coffee, waited and hour and hit the gym! Shoulders and Back day- MY FAVORITE!

Molly asked me what my weekly training schedule looks like. Keep in mind my schedule is going to look VERY different from everyone elses. I keep reinforcing to you guys that I am NOT DOING CARDIO. My metabolism is in high gear and I am trying to gain muscle which is a pain in the butt actually. We all have different weaknesses and goals. I know a lot of women are trying to lose weight and tone up and I totally applaud you and will help in any way I can, but I am trying to gain 8 lbs and gain lean body mass. My body is very petite and this is not happening as quickly as I thought it would. Kristi Romero, total sweetheart, gave me the best advice when it comes to building muscle, "Be patient, it takes time..." So...praying for patience :)

On my work days (which range from 2-5 days per week, 12 hour shifts, im a NICU nurse), I wake up at 4:30 and am in the gym by 5:00am. I train for an hour then have my evenings open. On my off days, I usually try to sleep in and take care of business and lift in the early afternoon. My routine looks kind of boring, but if i could post the exercises I do than you would see they are intense, involved, and require me to lift heavy and push my boundaries.

Monday- Shoulders (Upper Body) & Back
Tuesday- Lower body & Abs
Wednesday- Shoulders (Upper Body) & Back
Thursday- Lower body & Abs + high incline (30) lunges at a 1.5 speed for 15 min
Friday- Shoulder (Upper Body) & Back
Saturday- Full body
Sunday- Rest!

Jen stresses the importance of me to lift heavy and rest AT LEAST one full minute between sets. I am loving my results and I can not wait to step on the stage in July! I will start taking weekly progress pics tomorrow ;)
So excited to share my new Satio Pic:

OOooh Wee- this is just such a fun life! Tomorrow I am attending a new church, The Flood, which I am pretty excited about and then driving up to LA to shoot with Mike Byerly! So darn stoked!!!!

As always, Ill end in prayer from our next day in A Woman After God's Own Heart: A Daily Devotional:

Lord, in You is my hope, in You is my desire, in You is my strength. I love you. Make my life count in someone's life today. Help me reach out with Your love. Amen.

I sure hope I was able to count and reach out to someone in some way today! Make this weekend a great and safe one! I am thinking about you all- you keep me so motivated!

XoXo,
Christy LeAnn

"Keep on dreamin' even if it breaks your heart!"

On my way to my workout this am I heard this new Eli Young Band song, Even If It Breaks Your Heart! I loved it and I loved the message. I definitely recommend you give it a listen. Its not a pump you up gym song but its a stay focused and dedicated at the gym type of song!

"Some dreams stay with you forever,
drag you around but bring you back to where you were.
Some dreams keep on gettin better,
gotta keep believin if you wanna know for sure.
...keep on dreamin' even if it breaks your heart"

Speaking of dreams, I think its important to keep your dreams and ambitions at the forefront. Be vocal about them so that others may hold you accountable. Get EXCITED about them- anything is possible and you obviously want these things for a reason. BELIEVE in yourself, do not sell yourself short! Your worth all of your heart desires!

I'll share a few of my dreams that I am excited about:

• To be a wife and mother! Believe it or not, this is my number one dream in life, God-willing. Family is so important to me and I've dreamed of being a mom since I was just a little girl with her waterbaby! Of course this means sacrificing my "fitness" body, but I would in a heartbeat. I can't imagine never feeling a little life inside me, or the love of a man who supports me and cherishes me and is my best friend. A man who puts God first and knows my heart and supports me for the reasons in my heart. The scary part about this dream is that I have absolutely no control over it. I just pray that the Lord will bless me with these things and give me strength and patience in this season. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust him and he wil do this. -Psalm 37:4-5
• To earn my WBFF Pro Card and become a role model in the fitness industry, to include sponsorships and magazine publications! I never in my wildest dreams thought life would take me here or that I'd be a "fitness model". Heck, I am 5'0'' and was probably the most insecure teenager you ever met! It is just amazing how life changes!
• To start a Faith and Fitness camp for girls! I want to encourage girls to be healthy, fit, secure, and communicate positively among one another. I want to help them grow spiritually while developing a sense of self- security!
• To go on a mission trip! Especially after writing letters to children in Uganda last night with a small group from The Flood church, I feel even more of a calling to pursue this. Its been heavy on my heart for years and I think it's time I put that in to action.
• To pursue my doctorate and nurse practioner degree. This one is definitely attainable and I made the decision to delay graduate school one more year while I pray on God's will and purpose in my life. The last year I made decisions without really thinking, I regret that BUT now I feel more grounded than ever and when the time comes for me to decide I know it will be so awesome!! Obtaining a family and pediatric dual nurse practitioner degree would allow me to be so well rounded. I could better answer questions for fitness clients down the road, I could be a better mother, wife, daughter, friend. I just love thinking about it and I LOVE school so I really can't wait.

I have more personal dreams and aspirations but those are the ones I thought I would share with you today since feeling inspired after hearing that song. :)


Training- Today I trained my shoulders and back. I am started to see some definition so I am pumped because my upper body is the slowest to show results. I do find it a little easier to lift weights that were too heavy for me to lift alone before so I felt pretty tough. I am trying to start pull ups again since I havent since my surgery. I did 4.... I used to do 10 or more beforehand so I will work up to that since that is my favorite!
Also, keep in mind I am doing NO cardio as I hold on to every ounce of muscle and body fat that I have. Everyone has different body types, keep that in mind. Well- I was missing cardio and asked Jen if I could do some high incline walking.... she responds that I can do some very slow high incline lunging! hahahah welp, i asked for it. I'll be trying that out tomorrow for the first time and hopefully able to walk for all the fun festivities this weekend.

Modeling- I shoot with Mike Byerly on Sunday in LA! I am STOKED! Hes such a great friend and person and I have always admired his work. Can't wait to finally make that a reality! FMI weekend is April 20th and I am looking forward to working with James Patrick and Noel Daganta! James and I will be doing an extra shoot one of the days as well which I am thrilled about. I feel that the photographers that I have been lucky enough to work with understand me, my heart, and where I want to take this career which is so important!  THEN June 1st, I will be doing another shoot with Wendi Satio! YAY! SO PUMPED!!!! :)
http://www.jamesmpatrick.com/
http://www.mikebyerlyphoto.com/
http://ndpix.com/
http://19362.solomodels.com/

Above image by James Patrick Photography

 Above image by Noel Daganta

Todays prayer from Elizabeth George's A Woman After God's Own Heart: A Daily Devotional:
Lord, I'm so excited about what You have in store for me. Even when I forget to turn to You, You still love me and have my best interests in mind. Thank you! Amen.

Again, chills- this so pertains to todays blog and the desires of my heart!

Discernment of My Fitness Pursuit

Happy Wednesday! I hope you guys are feeling happy, blessed, and sweaty ;) I woke up at 430 as I said I would and got to the gym by 5am to do the leg workout that WBFF Pro Jen Jewell created for me. WOW- I was already sore from Monday but now I am feeling it even more... but i LOVE that feeling. To me, its reassurance that something is going on inside my body, hopefully muscle growth! rarrr! I am so excited that Jen will be in town this weekend for some fun events, but we are also going to do a few workouts and I am sure she is going to put the hurtin' on me! Bring it! :P

So as you guys know, my relationship with Christ comes first in my life but I realized with great conviction that when my life changed, I tried to balance and prioritize my life based on when I could work out and socialize and I pretty much put quiet time and time in prayer and reflection last on my list. I felt so guilty! I still feel guilty looking back. On Mondays, I attend a womens' bible study group and during our prayer circles I admitted this to a few of the girls and I really broke down to them my confusion of wanting to be a role model in the fitness industry while still pleasing God and using the opportunity to witness to those who are open to hearing and learning.

The amazing woman who was leading the study that day put it best,

"Is it self-serving (self-glorifying; done to exalt our name, let us boast in ourselves etc..) or God-glorifying, in other words, reflects well upon Him as we, who claim to follow Him are bearers of His name. One good test of our hearts is, what would be lost if we lost "it"? Can we offer it back to Him in praise? Could He take it away and we would remain at peace/content. I know for myself, this is a consistent practice of confession & offering over my many ambitions, relationships, and even daily endeavors, but it is also a liberating act of worship."

This statement really gave me a lot to reflect on and also reassured me that my ambition IS to glorify Him. I just pray for boundaries and humility. I would be lying if I said seeing my results was not in a way self-serving because it does please me.... but in seeing how hard I work to accomplish my goals I ultimately hope to motivate you all and to help you understand where my strength comes from- our Savior!!

As I hold myself accountable on this blog to fitness, I also want to hold myself equally accountable to my faith. I am beginning to memorize scripture and this week I have chosen this based on the above blog and emotions:

Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of His calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith and power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. -2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Pretty powerful for me.... that he will fulfill every good PURPOSE of mine and every act prompted by FAITH.

(from my favorite tumblr fitness&faithfullness)

I know this post was less fitness oriented but it was very personal and honest for me to share with you all because its an important part of who I am and why I do this! Ill end on our next prayer from our daily devotional and oh WOW this devotionals topic reflects Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who stengthens me." How appropriate!:

Lord, help me look to You for my purpose and my strength. Lead me every day so I can do Your will and serve You to the best of my ability. Amen.

Did anyone else get chills that this is our prayer today?!?! A daily prayer in my heart for sure.

Xoxo,

Christy LeAnn

It feels good to say "I'm a fitness model and competitor" but the truth is, I dont think other people like to hear it often. People are going to talk...

This blog is adapted from one I had written on a previous blog but I thought today would be a good day to bring it up since co-workers have pointed out that my facebook posts and/or fitness comments have become a little.....i think annoying would be the word they used. So I wanted to share why I LOVE talking about my lifestyle and fitness:

My decision to compete and model  came very sudden and spur of the moment. My passion and enthusiasm for the fitness world seemed to come even quicker and it would appear that I turned in to a fitness guru overnight. Well truth be told- I DID!! The more and more I looked in to clean eating and weight training, the more and more hooked I became. I researched fitness model tips, recipes, transformation stories, competition videos, diets, supplements, bikini teams, etc… the list goes on and on. I could, and did, stay on the internet for hours admiring physiques of the athletes I admire and finding out what helped them get results! As I gained each new piece of information and as my motivation ripped at the seams with each passing photo, I wanted to share the information with my friends, family, and other girls who have similar aspirations. I am telling this background story for a reason- because as I began to transform my lifestyle in to one more positive and healthy, people who were accustomed with my old lifestyle were very confused with the sudden change. My priorities shifted a bit and how I spent my free time drastically changed. Working 12 hour shifts leaves little time for taking care of day to day business, let alone socializing and training. Suddenly the “new me” was working a ton, spending long hours in the gym, flooding everyones’ facebook newsfeeds with fitness information , and passing offers on nights out and drinking. Temptation is a very slippery slope for me. In order to avoid it, I almost have to remove myself from certain situations. With that being said, it looks as if I am distant to friends who are used to my usual free time. The radical change in my lifestyle is quote, “so weird”. I understand this, I truly do. I have felt the same feeling about other friends of mine who have made “extreme” changes in their lives. But dear friends, do know that this is something very, very positive for me. If you are a very good friend of mine and know my past medical issues then you know even more so how important and amazing it is for me to feel this healthy and full of life. Luckily, I am learning to balance! Workouts early am before work, evening for friends and socializing! Of course sometimes I am tired when I am working many shifts in a row, but I am learning how important it is to help your family, friends, coworkers understand your dreams and goals so that they can support you.

I think its so important to keep your life and the people in it positive and encouraging. Don’t let the negative stuff bring you down! It's really hard to be happy when the people most important in your life dont support your dreams, especialy if it makes them resent you. I have talked to many fitness competitors and models who have gone through similar situations and its nice to know that I am not the only “weird one”. Fitness and nutrition has become a true passion of mine- I am so happy with the changes in my attitude, my body, and my overall well-being! I am very proud of myself! Thank you so, so much for all of the support and encouragement! I really am so joyful and blessed to have amazing people in my life who push me to reach my goals and dream! Your sweet and motivating messages keep me going! Life is too short to be anything but happy!
“In seeking happiness for others, you find it for yourself.” –Unknown

This made me laugh so hard, I love Paul Buceta:
http://youtu.be/Z2G1DgTdD2U

Also, I am starting over Elizabeth George's "A Woman After God's Own Heart: A Daily Devotional" I recommend this book and devotional to Christian women who follow my blog (again I dont discriminate but I like everyone to know my relationship with the Lord is my priority) I love that today's message mentions Philippians 3:13, "Press on toward the goal" So with that I will end my blogs with the days devotional prayer:

Lord, help me look to You when my day is going well... and when my day is looking bleak. I want to serve You and honor You in everything I do. Amen.


Xoxo,
Christy

One day at a time- today is a GOOD day!

Hey guys! So I am almost settled in my new place (that has been quite the workout in itself). I feel so good and relieved to be making some progress and starting to feel like I am "home". Change happens and there is nothing I can do about it but take it one day at a time and know that God has the ultimate plan for me! But I did want to thank you all for you warm wishes- they brightened my days more than you know!

I started my 5am workouts and they are suprisingly easier than expected! I have been getting to bed around 10pm (later than Id like but I have been busy) and then waking up at 430am to make it to the gym by 5am. Afterward I go to the hospital cafeteria and get 5 hardboiled eggs and oats. I feel SO happy and refreshed when I start my work day. I was afraid I would feel grumpy but I think that this new morning workout, although I hated the idea of it at first, is going to be a positive thing and is going to really help me balance life. I was so happy when I got home and was already done with my workout and could just unpack**which will eventually be relax and socialize!

Todays workout: shoulders and back! my fave!!!

My new house is amazing! I live with my two good friends and my room is actually the granny suite so it has a mini fridge and I put a conventional toaster oven in there. Yesterday was my first day to give it a try and wow, im impressed. All I did was take a fresh peice of salmon and sprinkle Trader Joes "Everyday Seasoning" on it, popped it in the toaster oven on 350 for 15 minutes and BAM! Amazing... I was thoroughly impressed with myself. Then of course I enjoyed a hearty helping of Trader Joes microwaveable green beans beside that delicious filet of fish! Just something to keep in mind for those of you who need something quick and simple or for you college girls in dorms or suite apartments!

Finished product:

My prayer today is for the babies and families that I am taking care of this weekend. They are so strong and I just hope God continues to watch over them and give them the courage to fight. When I think about some of the sad situations my patients' go through, it makes my life issues seem pretty petty. Also, I pray the Lord please continues to protect our loved ones overseas who are fighting for our country, especially the fathers of some of the babies  I am taking care of who are deployed and can not be here!

I hope yall are having an excellent Thursday!!! Dont forget to follow the blog for a chance to win a give-a-way in the next few weeks and as always, please follow and share my facebook page www.facebook.com/fitnesschristy

Xoxo,
Christy LeAnn

Life can change in an instant- but its all part of God's plan!

First look at my new Satio pic:



I am so happy to have a computer back up and running and to be getting settled in to my new place. The past week was amazing and yet bittersweet. I had my first shoot with Wendi Satio and I could not be more thrilled with the results, I dont think I have ever felt prettier in my life! I had a great weekend with family friends (who by the way look AMAZING after making a lifestyle change to clean eating), then went home to Tennessee to see my parents and be the Maid of Honor at my best friends wedding. I enjoyed every second, every glass of wine, and a Guinness on St. Patrick's Day.

The bittersweetness of it all is that my relationship ended and I am in the process of reorganizing my life and moving. I dont regret a thing, I have learned a lot, and I am determined to not let this side track me from my training and diet. If anything, I am even more motivated and have even more time to dedicate myself. Heartbreak is a part of life and I want to show all of you that its not the END of life and you can overcome these obstacles. God has a plan and a man for me even though its hard to see that right now.

Without going in to too much detail out of respect of someone I loved dearly, dealing with me in the fitness industry was not for him. The reasons I am doing these are purely good-hearted and to inspire women and to help overcome my own insecurities while helping others do the same. I have a good character and I will always follow my dreams and aim for the stars. It is easy for someone who does not understand the good reasonings to see it as the women he loves flaunting her body for strangers. I get that side of it, I really do, and MANY people struggle with this when they first start fitness but just remember the positive reasons you are doing what you do and  the impact you are going to make on others in the process! The person you all as well as I am supposed to be with with love us for EVERYTHING that we are and support us and encourage us for our goals. I was given an ultimatum and I hate that I broke his heart when I chose my dreams, but I prayed on this for a while now and this is what I want to be doing.

SO NEW ROUTINE!!!! I am in a new house, with a new schedule, and new gym. I am forcing myself to wake up at 430am on my workdays and hit the gym by 5 before I start my 12 hour shift! I am alternating upper body and back with lower body and am currently doing no cardio as I am trying to add some muscle to my tiny little frame with the help of my coach Jen Jewell! This morning I was so proud of myself when I skipped the snooze button (I actually slept in my workout gear so that I could just pop out of bed and go). I did shoulders and back and I am thrilled to see my delts popping a bit! My body fat percentage is pretty low right now as stress is causing my metabolism to be in overdrive so I am really lifting heavy and making sure I am getting adequate protein and good fats!

Anyhow, thats an update on my life and I cant wait to share my success story as I journey to the WBFF Pro! My next endeavor is FMI Phoenix with some of my favorite fitness girls where I will be shooting with some of the best photographers in the industry! I also cant wait to venture to Birmingham again for a few more amazing looks with Wendi Satio. She is seriously one of the most amazing women, moms, photographers I know!

My prayer this week is for patience and to remember to keep loving as God wants me to. Its hard when you are hurting to feel God's love and plan for you, but I KNOW there is a reason behind this and I can't wait to see what the future holds. I pray for patience because I have learned that I have spent much of my life rushing in to things and pressuring things to happen. Now I just want the determination to work hard and let life's opportunities come to be.

LOVE YOU GUYS!

Dont forget to like and share the OhYeah! picture on my Facebook fanpage to be eligible for the give-a-way! www.facebook.com/fitnesschristy

Also, make sure you "FOLLOW" this blog to be considered for the next exciting give-a-way from my supportive family at OhYeah! and ISS Research! :)

Reminiscing on my "Carb Goggles"

While talking to a friend of mine about how great I feel eating clean and reminiscing on my past diet, I got to thinking... I wonder how many calories a day I was eating before this lifestyle change and how different my macros were. I decided to go on dailyburn.com and log a typical day of eating before I started training. OH.. MY.. GOSH! This was so incredibly eye opening. I always considered myself "skinny fat" but boasted that I could eat what I wanted and still maintain about the same weight. I had no idea the damage I was doing to my body and at that rate there was no way I was not going to pack on the pounds. I even found a picture of me in a bikini in my "skinny fat" stage. The funny thing is, when I looked at that picture when it was taken, I thought I looked GREAT! I remember posting it to my facebook proudly, I must have had CARB GOGGLES on. I had no absolutely no tone, no abs, and secret self-esteem issues. Eating clean and working out has transformed me into a lean, healthy, and confident woman!

My current goal macros per day compared to what I was consuming prior to competition prep:
Clean Eating
Calories-1300
Fat-30g
Protein-100g
Carbs-158g

Prior to Clean Eating
Calories-2833-3000
Fat-100g
Protein-130g
Carbs-375g

Wow- like I said, it was bad. And to be terribly honest, this is an understatement of what I was eating and only included main meals and not snacks. As you can see I was eating minimal protein in comparison to the monstrous amount of carbs and fat I was consuming. Typically I ate a bagel with sausage & cheese for breakfast (not always the works but typically a bagel and this is NOT counting when I have sausage biscuts and breakfast burritos from Mcdonalds for breakfast at work), a panera chicken sandwich and soup for lunch, & a french dip sandwich with fries for dinner. This also included ONE starbucks white chocolate mocha but I would oftentimes enjoy TWO of those in one day which would take my calories up by 500, fat by 14g and carbs by 80g. I can not imagine the days that you add In & Out to the list but as I said, I had "carb goggles" on. I knew it wasn't a great diet but I didn't know it was THAT bad. I don't think I could ever go back to that lifestyle and am so pleased with my current results and cant wait to see more in the next three months!

originally posted skinnyfatfitness.com

Christy's Grocery List

Somone once asked me what I picked up at Trader Joe's and Ralphs so I wanted to pass this on to you guys as well:

Trader Joes:
Fresh Produce section-
2-3 bags sweet potato spears
celentro
green onions
microwaveable asparagus
apple slices
bananas grapes
There are also a ton of saute veggie packs here that I just bought to try!

meats-
2 packages ground turkey (for meatloaf muffins)
balsamic and rosemary chicken breast (I usually get two)
lemon pepper chicken breast (one) *these two are the chicken breasts that are already cooked and marinated that I love*
They also have some fresh fish in this section and I like to pick up the feta and spinach stuffed salmon from time to time for a nice dinner that night. Hal LOVES these, we had them last night. Just pop in the oven on 350 for 20 minutes and oila! yummy dinner!

Cheese/dairy-
fat free feta cheese (for my egg whites mmmmm)
nonfat milk
greek yogurt
nonfat cottage cheese
fat free half and half (for my coffee, sometimes I have to get this at ralphs)

1st aisle-
almond butter (natural, unsalted)
1 can organic diced, no salt added tomatoes (for tilapia recipe)
"just a handful" raw almond packets

1st frozen aisle-
2 packages of organic broccoli florets
frozen marinated ahi tuna fillets
frozen chimichurri marinated salmon fillets
frozen tilapia fillets

next aisle-
frozen steel cut oats (I just have these on stand by in case I dont have enough time to cook my oats when I am getting out the door)
trader joes quick cook steel cut oats **MY FAVORITE**
Yogi super antioxidant green tea
lindbergh cinnamon brown rice cakes


Ralps:
Produce-
I get two packages of the chopped onion and celery (its on the left hand side...makes cooking the turkey meatloaf muffins a breeze)
lime juice

dairy-
they have a huge 5 dozen eggs crate. I like this because I eat egg whites every morning and I use them in all of my recipes

miscellaneous-
splenda
baby food applesauce
crystal light lemonate (2 qt size)
uncle bens 90 sec brown rice
whole wheat tortilla
10 grain whole wheat bread
cumin
paprika
sea salt
cayenne pepper
cinnamon
baking soda
garlic powder
Mrs. Dash poultry seasoning
pepper
raisins
Jiff-to-go packs

I am at work and just typing this off of the top of my head, but this is the jist of it! Happy Shopping :)

First published on skinnyfatfitness.com

My first Arnold Sports Expo aka The Fitness Oscars

The Arnold Sports Expo- or as I like to call it, the Oscars of the fitness and sports industry. I was so honored to be asked by OhYeah! nutrition to represent the company as an OhYeah! Girl. This would mean I would get to work beside a few of my idols such as Amanda Adams, Sarah Hoots, Dela Baldwin, WBFF Pro Kelly Klarich, Kelly Smith, and Michelle Avila... needless to say I was nervous as heck! I had no idea how these women were going to respond to me and to be honest, I felt so inferior to all of their fitness accomplishments.

I arrived on Thursday day and waited for my roommate Sarah Hoots to arrive (I was too afraid to leave the room alone because everyone I saw was an amazing face I had only seen in magazines). When Sarah arrived I was so relieved to see the bright, smiley, friendly face that greeted me. We had messaged eachother before the event and I felt like we were already close friends. This lady is beautiful inside and out, I was blown away when I saw her. We decided to make a grocery run to get some healthy eats for the weekend. Next thing I know, someone knocks on the door... AMANDA ADAMS. Now I have been following her page for a while and am truly inspired by her daily. I was nervous to meet her.... but in she walks, looking adorable as ever, greeting me with a ginormous hug and a warm welcoming. I instantly felt like part of the OhYeah! family and was instantly relieved!

Friday, I flaunted my dark spray tan, freshly curled hair, and walked in to the expo proudly wearing the OhYeah! outfits I had only dreamed of. This is the morning I met the rest of the team and again, the only word to describe the connection was family! We worked our butts off all weekend!!! OhYeah! had an amazing prize wheel, free samples, and my favorite RTD protein shakes! We launched two brand new flavor OhYeah! bars and let me tell you, they are INCREDIBLE! Butter toffee crunch and chocolate caramel candies (with M&M pieces). All of the feedback was positive and I loved watching peoples' faces after they stuck the sample in their mouths. Immediately their faces lit up and I believe the most common thing I heard was "Wow!!" OhYeah! really outdone themselves this time!
Friday night I had the pleasure to have dinner and spend time with my OhYeah! colleagues. I had a blast and laughed (or snorted) nonstop :)

Saturday was the longest day at the expo but it went by pretty quickly!! More fans, more athletes, more samples! We had an amazing italian dinner after the expo and sadly, began to say goodbye. I can not thank ISS Research and OhYeah! enough for the amazing opportunity to work with some an amazing company. It is truly a pleasure!

Sunday was much more laid back and thanks to a successful weekend, we were low on inventory. Amanda was nice enough to walk me around to meet a few of my idols such as Jenna Renee and Tosca Reno. I died! what an incredible experience. She did not have to go out of the way like that for me, but she did. It spoke volumes to her character. On my flight home, I had the utmost pleasure to sit with MY IDOL Chady Dunmore (In the metaphor of this being the Oscars of fitness, Chady would have won the equivelant of "best actress" three years in a row). She was so gorgeous, down to earth, and helpful. She mentioned the word "ripple effect" and I dont think she will ever realize the ripple effect she had on me that day. Chady, than you so much for your kind words of encouragement and for chatting with me like old friends.

Girl Talk- I think I will take the girl talk amongst the OhYeah! girls more than anything from the expo. I feel so much less anxious knowing that these girls, as amazing athletes and as inspirational as they are, are REAL women. They enjoy good food from time to time but know how to get on track. Sarah, Amanda, and I even enjoyed some wine our first night in town. It was nice to let loose and get to know eachother. The top thing I took away from our chats is that EVERYONE HAS INSECURITIES! While one person is working hard to lose weight, there is another person who is beating themselves up to build muscle and gain weight. Ladies, we have to support eachother and stand by eachother. We have to build eachother up and make sure we point out the positive attributes our friends have. There is so much we can learn from eachother and with honest female support, we can change the world and how we look at ourselves! So I challenge you to compliment every woman you see today- it can be subtle or noticing a large change. I promise you will make them smile and it will not go unnoticed!

XoXo,
Christy LeAnn