A Kidney In Exchange For The Perfect Body? March 5, 2011

I had an interesting question posed to me the other day:

“What would you pay to wake up tomorrow and have the perfect body?”

Immediately I wondered if the bank would give me a line of credit for such a thing.  Perhaps I could say it was a business venture.  Or I could sell all my shoes! YES! I have quite the fabulous shoe collection and could probably rake in a few hundred dollars selling them on Ebay.

I realized I would have to sell some organs on the black market to make this dream a reality.

A hundred thousand?  Two hundred-fifty thousand?  What would it be worth? Would you pay more than what your car was worth brand new?

After thinking about it for a minutes, I realized that I wouldn’t pay much at all.

I would wake up being the same exact woman I was on the inside with an outside that was my idea of perfect.  The insecurities, negative self talk, fears that I let rule my life would all still be there.  I would merely be a very hot woman that has all the same issues, problems, and psychoses.

“What would you pay to wake up tomorrow and be confident in who you are?”

That’s the real question.

The wonderful thing is that you don’t have to pay a dime.  You could wake up tomorrow and choose to be satisfied in yourself and know that everything about you is worth enjoying. Tomorrow you have the opportunity to look past the fat woman in the mirror and truly see yourself; all of your amazingness, power, and strength.

Being fully you and proud of yourself is gorgeous.

Paying to wake up beautiful is what Hollywood does…and let’s be honest, they really don’t have it together over there.

 

Popularity Isn’t As Grand As They Make It Out To Be… March 3, 2011

I go to the gym every single day, even on my off days. Yes, this is more than a bit OCD but I am a creature of habit and enjoy the hot tub, steam room, and foam rolling on the off days. Our showers at home don’t need the soap scum removed but do require a good dusting now and again.

I keep all my workout gear at the gym so all I have to do is roll out of bed, eat breakfast, and brush my teeth before I head to the YMCA. One morning I went to grab my gear out of my cubby and my shoes were missing. I happened to see a piece of paper where my shoes were supposed to be. It was a note from a woman that took some shoes home that she thought may possibly be her shoes. She wasn’t 100% sure, so she left a long diatribe about how she took some shoes and if she took your shoes, you should email her. She ended the letter with her email address and a drawing of a smiling flower.

At this point in the morning I was not a smiling flower.

I found myself standing in the locker room dressed and ready for action without my shoes.

A huffy email was drafted from my phone demanding she return them ASAP.

They were returned the next day with a very apologetic note.

I promptly put my name on the inside of my shoes and made a public service announcement to all the women in the change room about the shoe thief.

A few weeks later as I got dressed for a killer leg day my shoes went missing. One minute my shoes were there, and then two minutes later they were not.  As of that moment, I was officially upset and unsure about the kind of women that work out at the YMCA. While I got ready for work after not working out because my shoes were MIA once again, I devised a plan. I decided to go out and look at all the women’s feet that were working out and make a scene when I found the perpetrator.

My fiery intensity that was pent up from not being able to train my legs was going to be unleashed on the shoe thief.

While applying my mascara, I notice one of my friends covertly motioning to me. She quietly let me know that a somewhat confused looking woman just walked in with shoes that looked like mine.

So I staged a confrontation.

I found the woman standing next to the shoe cubby holes looking bewildered. With my hands on my hips, I minced no words and asked her if she was wearing my shoes, and if so, why?

Apparently she was. She couldn’t find her shoes, so she opted to use mine. They looked similar to her shoes and since she didn’t know where hers were she used mine. WITHOUT SOCKS.

The shoes were still warm when she handed them back to me.

The best part was that my shoes appeared to be about 3 sizes too large for her. She had to batten those suckers right down to get them to stay on, which resulted in a Ronald McDonald-esque look.

I just have one question: Who are these people and how do they not know what their shoes look like?

Apparently I have the most popular shoes at the YMCA. I’ve always wanted to be popular, but if this is popularity I think I’ll pass.

Mere DAYS Until Competition!

The few weeks before your competition a calm settles over your whole being. You are fully committed, ready to for action, and extremely disciplined. The finish line is just around the corner and you are fully committed to giving it 100% until your name is announced and your find yourself walking on stage in 5 inch clear heels and a bedazzled bikini in front of hundreds of people.

Nothing can shake you. You are unmovable. Diets are stuck to with 100% accuracy; one cracker, one bite, one morsel is NOT an option.

A few of the fabulous Bikini Or Bust Competitors have their competitions this month and have found themselves with mere days left until they achieve their audacious goals. They are coming down the home stretch like champions!

This month we get to journey to the stage with Faith, Chantelle, Lisa, and Liz on as they finish as strong as womanly possible. They have battled through travel, injury, self doubt, extra cardio sessions, and intense lifting and come out the other side stronger than ever. They have not faltered, wavered, or given up in their resolve to live out their dream.

When you find yourself in the last few weeks of contest prep odd things concern you…things like elbow and knee fat; but far the most hilarious comment I have heard from this group of women is, “I need my butt to come OFF my legs!“.

Yes, that is what every woman wants; a clear distinction between her butt and legs. Once we figure out how to conquer this, we will attack the cankle epidemic!

It is your time to shine ladies! We are all so proud of you and are cheering you on as you race to the finish!

Dreams Hidden In Your Heart March 2, 2011

We all have dreams in our hearts. Some may be planted deep inside, hidden away from the world; but they are still there and cannot be denied.

I had a dream in my heart to compete in a Figure Competition and I hid it as deep as womanly possible in my heart. I was afraid and had no resources to make it grow. Luckily I had people around me that watered my dream when I had nothing left. My husband gave me the push and incredible support to start working with a personal trainer and chase all of my dreams in life and fitness, my life coach lead me on a path of self discovery to find out who I’ve been created to be, and my friends and family rallied around me and cheered me on when I thought I couldn’t go any further.

They watered my dry and barren soul and now I have a garden of dreams growing in my heart.

I am incredibly grateful to have been given so much hope, love, and support in making my dreams a reality.

I am blessed to live in Canada where I can spend hours a day training, chopping vegetables, and obsessing about my muffin top. There are people in the world that WISH they had my problems.

They dream of not having to worry about feeding their families, having a roof over their heads, and a means to provide for their children past today.

The seeds for these dreams have been planted deep in their hearts, but now they need water to make them grow. How can we not water these dreams?

I believe that together we can change the lives of 5 people in the month of March by lending them the money they need to start or increase a business to support their families. I believe that collectively we have enough extra to give life to 5 people’s dreams. I decided to work with Kiva because they are a non-profit organization that gives micro-loans. Each entrepreneur is responsible to pay back their loan over a specified term. When the money is paid back, you have the choice to reinvest your money or get it back.

Imagine the impact that we could have through the reinvestment of the same funds over and over! For as little as $25 you can bring hope, life, and health to people all over the world time and time again.

It is amazing to me that $275 can give life to someone’s dream and create a better future for their tomorrow. Read about the brave and courageous people who have declared their dream out loud and are waiting for the rain to come.

Let’s be rainmakers and change the world!

Here’s how:

1. Join the Bikini Or Bust! Kiva Lending Group. Currently I am the only member and feeling rather lonely…who’s going to be the first person to step up?
2. Spread the word. Once you’re a member you can send invites out to your friends and family.
3. Give. The minimum loan is $25 and you will be paid back when the loan is repaid.
4. Help me CHOOSE who to give the funds to. Everyone that is part of the group will be able to vote on who we change the world for on March 31, 2011.
5. Double your investment. For the first $1,000 that is donated, a very fabulous man has committed to matching the funds. Your $25 is now $50.

Let’s empower those who have a dream in their heart but no means to make it grow. Let’s bring a flood of hope and impact in the month of March. Let’s show the world what a group of fit, strong, and amazing people can do.

“How wonderful it is that nobdoy need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

– Anne Frank

Let’s change the world today.

Turbo Boost March 1, 2011

I love being ‘Camerican’. I can cross the border with ease, one moment I am American and the next I am Canadian. It is absolutely perfect.

Growing up in America I enjoyed the benefit of a healthcare system that gave you the help you needed immediately; the down side being that you paid for it out of pocket.

Now that I live in Canada I enjoy the benefit of a healthcare system that you don’t have to pay out of pocket for; the down side being that you don’t get the help when you need it.

To get in to see a specialist is an excruciating and character building experience. I already have a lot of character – I grew up with the name Donloree Dickau for pity sake!

After being diagnosed with Hashimoto Thyroiditis (I always feel like I should clasp my hands together and bow when I state my disease) I was put in the cue to see a doctor that is very skilled in this area of medicine, but not a specialist. Thus began my 9 weeks of waiting…and I am still waiting. And just in case you thought 9 weeks was long, to see a doctor at the Endocrinology Unit at the U of A Hospital the waiting period starts at 16 weeks!

I took the 9 weeks and ran, or more accurately stated, sluggishly proceeded.

Finally I decided to take action! No more waiting around, it was time to demand that I get in sooner to see someone.

I resolved to get some momentum, so I called my doctor’s office to ask for help.

DLH – Hello, may I speak to the person in charge of referrals please?

*after 15 minutes of being on hold I was transferred to the grouchiest woman on the planet*

Grouchiest Woman On The Planet – YEAH?

DLH – (In my most cheerful voice) Hello there. I am just calling, well, I need your help. I know I got a referral to see a specialist-esque doctor, but I am desperate. It is so far away and I am wondering if there is another doctor in the city I could see. I need some help. Can you help me? I feel horrible all of the time. (tears start to well up at this point)

GWONTP – First of all what is your name? Secondly we already referred you. I can’t do much else.

DLH – I’m Donloree. Donloree Hoffman.

GWONTP – Yeah. I see you already have an appointment for the end of March. So what do you want?

DLH – (The tears and desperation are making my voice wobbly now) I want to see someone as soon as I can. I want help. I want to be better. Can you please ask for another referral?

GWONTP – (SIGH) I don’t think that she’ll do it but I can ask. I will call you back when I hear from her. *Harrumph*

*Then she proceeds to hang up on me*

Two weeks pass by and I hear nothing. The extreme brain fog and tiredness make it hard to remember to call back and see if I have a referral to a doctor that could see me earlier. Finally desperation sets in again.

DLH – Hello, this is Donloree Hoffman. We spoke a few weeks back and you were looking into another referral for me. I was just checking to see if an appointment has been booked.

GWONTP – (SIGH…HUFF…) No. I have not heard back.

DLH – Can you look into it please? I will take anything.

GWONTP – Fine. I will call you back this afternoon.

*No call back occurs*

DLH – Hello, its Donl…

GWONTP – Yeah, I know. I called and can get you in to see another doctor 2 weeks earlier, but I don’t see the point. I mean you already have an appointment for the end of March, what’s a few weeks?

DLH – PLEASE! I will take anything. Even 4 days sooner is 4 days closer to a solution than I was before I am desperate. I need help.

GWONTP – Yeah, ok. FINE. I will call and see if they will take you.

DLH – Thank you?

This afternoon my phone rings and a very pleasant and kind hearted woman from the new doctor’s office called with an appointment for March 14. If I had the energy I would have hopped around my living room. I thanked her profusely and also noted that her kindness was appreciated.

Two more weeks until the next stage of health and healing begins. Project ‘Get Donloree Healthy‘ just got a turbo boost!

What do you need a Turbo Boost in?

15 Foods Left, Give Or Take February 28, 2011

Its official. I am completely dairy-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, and random vegetables that bloat the heck out of me-free.

Apparently there about 15 things left that I can eat.

Oddly enough, I feel better than I have felt in a long time. I wasn’t eating a ton of dairy or vegetables that bloat the heck out of me, but it was enough to make me feel sick and horrible on a daily basis. Even ‘just one bite’ or a ‘smidgen’ was way too much for my body.

I didn’t want to give up that dollop of cottage cheese or yogurt with apples, cheese which is a glorious invention that I enjoy WAY too much, butter on my morning kasha, and tomatoes! I mean come on, tomatoes?!

The food seemed harmless enough but it was hindering my goals and progress every single day. As soon as I cut every single bit out of my diet, I started to see results.

What you put in, even in the smallest amount, matters. It matters more than you realize.

Not only is this true about our bodies, it is true of our minds. We put things in our minds  in small amounts every day that hinders our results and progress in life.

Doubt –> “I am not sure, so I am going to be cautious and wait.”

Fear –> “Its important to be realistic about life and the possibilities. If it can’t be done it can’t be done.”

Self loathing –> “I am ugly, fat, and stupid and don’t even deserve what I have now. I hope no one else figures this out!”

Discouragement –> “Its too hard. I gave it my best and I didn’t succeed. I apparently just can’t.”

Discontent –> “When I achieve my goals I will be happy and fulfilled, but not until then.”

I didn’t want to ‘lose’ all these tasty foods that I enjoy so much, but in actuality my loss is my ultimate gain.

What would happen if we gave up the daily, tasty morsels of doubt, fear, self loathing, discouragement, and discontent? What amazing results would we start to see the very next day?

Apparently I Became An Athlete Somewhere Along The Way… February 27, 2011

Today I realized that I do a lot of weird things….things that people only do if their life revolves around fitness. I don’t know when it happened, but I have become an athlete. This may seem like a, “Uh…yeah Donloree…” kind of a statement to you, but to me this is a big deal.

I grew up spending recess helping out in the library, not because I was in trouble, but because I wanted to avoid having to play soccer, foursquare, or tetherball. The only active thing I liked to do at recess was jump rope, but after second grade it just wan’t cool anymore. I hated standing on the field in line with my skinny, fit friends only to be picked last for the team. Every. Single. Time.

And to top it off I was the tallest girl in my class AND wore glasses.

The library and I got along much better. There at least I got to do the picking, of the books that is.

Now that I have morphed into an athlete of sorts, I have found that I do odd things and don’t even think twice about it anymore.

1. Eat odd food combinations right after showering while only wearing a towel.
   As soon as I am finished my workout and shower I am usually ravenous. I don’t think twice about plopping down on the bench and eating while wearing nothing more than a towel. And utensils are optional. Today I forgot my spoon, but that didn’t stop me I just ate with my fingers like a 1 year old…I was hungry!
   

   Apples, walnuts, an EPIC amount of cinnamon, and a protein drink. Perfect post workout meal...and it CANNOT be eaten fast enough.

    

    

2. Put signs up in my house to remind me of things I may forget due to lack of carbs.
   Not having a lot of carbs in your diet makes you forgetful sometimes. Many times I have found myself eating peanut butter straight out of the jar only to think, “Hey, I am not supposed to be doing this…wait a minute!”
   

   This is at eye level and every time I read it I think, "Right. That is right. I DO NOT eat Jon's peanut butter." It has saved me from finding myself with a spoon in the jar about 48 times already and the sign has only been up for 3 days.

    

    

3. Cook meals that don’t resemble the name.
   Chicken noodle soup usually has noodles in it, but not at my house….and since when does it have TONS of mushrooms in it? 
   

   Noodles? Nope! There is a wee bit of quinoa in there just to make it noodle-esque.

4. Get excited about things like protein shakers.
   I haven’t been drinking protein supplements, but need to now that I can’t have cottage cheese or yogurt after my workouts. Today I hummed a happy little song as I put in my protein powder and glutamine. Then when I realized I left it at the gym the happy little song died….
   

   Who wouldn't be excited about this shaker? It even has a mini whisk to ensure all the protein is mixed appropriately.

5. Rarely have people in my car, but ALWAYS have something riding shotgun.
   My super cute Core 360 workout bag and epic sized purse are usually front and centre in my car no matter where I am going. If I start to strap them in, we’ll know I have officially gone over the edge!
   

   I love my stylish bags! Got to look cute while I haul around my meals and workout gear.

Should I be concerned or is this normal behaviour?

Out Of Our Weakness February 26, 2011

When you weight train failure is not avoided, it is sought after and desired. Failure is a signal to the muscle that it needs to grow.

Competitors give their workouts everything they have in order to see growth and results.

Our weaknesses become our strength and power.

I want to be the strongest and most powerful woman that I can be so that I change the world. I’ve realize that this will only happen if I continually push myself past what I thought I was able to do to a point of weakness.

I don’t just want to be a Pro Figure Competitor one day; I want to be a Pro Figure Competitor that is strong in her mind, body, and soul.

Right now I don’t have that much, but if I don’t give life everything I will only get weaker. It’s time to give it all I have and not just at the gym. It’s time to change the world Bikini Or Bust! style. I am going to give out of my weaknesses and watch strength grow and I invite you to do the same.

Living with a dream in your heart with no means to make it a reality is one of the worst feelings in the world. I challenge you to join me in empowering people all over the world with the resources they need to live out their dreams by making yourself a little weaker.

It’s time to give it everything!

Kiva is a micro finance organization that funds entrepreneurs in poverty stricken situations to live out their dream of running their own business and providing for their family.

I have a goal of empowering 5 entrepreneurs in the month of March to live out their dreams and I need your help to do it.

How to be involved will be coming soon. For the time being you can check out the Bikini Or Bust lending page that I set up and the Kiva website to learn more about how micro finance works.

I envision a group of committed and strong competitors that purposefully make themselves weak to build life altering strength in others.

On March 1 we will be pressing the ‘go’ button on Operation Change the World Bikini or Bust Style!

Let’s give until it hurts and then watch the dreams grow and the lives change!

 

Opportunity Knocks February 25, 2011

“When opportunity comes, its too late to prepare.”

– John Wooden, Hall of Fame Basketball Coach

People don’t just wake up one morning, stretch, and after a long soulful yawn think to themselves, ‘Gosh, today is a great day to compete in a bodybuilding competition”, and then grab a skimpy, bedazzled suit, some Bikini Bite, and a rice cake and out the door they go to compete.

It is just not done that way.

There is a reason that very few people in the world compete in bodybuilding. Its intense and requires more preparation, training, focus, and self discipline than most people are willing to give.

It is all encompassing at times. Going to the gym and training hard, eating a clean diet 95% of the time, and resting as hard as you train becomes part of who you are, not merely something you do. I never used to have self discipline or understand this mentality. Mornings used to be the most loathed time of my day and I wafted through life like a lost soul.

Finally I realized that competing wasn’t something I would like to do, it is something I must do. After a year of preparation I competed for the first time and was bitten by the bodybuilding bug.

The discipline, perseverance, positivity, willpower, mental stamina, focus, self esteems, boldness, adaptability, and strength that I have gained has prepared me for what’s next.

When opportunity comes knocking I am going to be ready!

How are you preparing for the knock at your door?

Brownies Figure Competitor Style! February 24, 2011

I count every single calorie that I put in my mouth every single day…and I have been doing this for nearly a year now. I think my brain may be evolving into a food calculator. If you put a plate of food in front of me I could probably tell you the calories and macronutrients of the dish within a 15% margin of error.

Needless to say I don’t eat things like chocolate bars, cookies, cake, ice cream, or brownies…until today!

Enter brownies made with black beans. Huh?!

Exactly.

This recipe came to me via twitter from a cohort in healthy living – @monolithdigital. He builds websites and is apparently a baker of competitor friendly foods. Today he gets the Donloree stamp of approval!

I can’t have flour or sugar in my life due to my Hashimotoness, so brownies that are low carb, no sugar, and flourless…YES PLEASE!

First, I threw caution to the wind and decided to give this weird sounding recipe a try.

What the heck?! I have nothing to lose and everything to gain, right? RIGHT.

Then I gathered all the ingredients.

No flour, sugar, or butter; but a can of beans. This promises for interesting times!

• 4 eggs (of 1 cup egg beaters which is what I used)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil)
• 15 oz black beans (1 3/4 cup)
• 4 tbsp cocoa ( I used the fabulous dark Dagoba drinking chocolate!)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup Agave (or 1 cup sugar or sweetener)
• 33 grams pecans (or a good sized handful)

Note from Bakerloree: At the store they only had 19 oz cans of black beans, no 15 oz cans. I finally broke down and just purchased the 19oz can. Then when I got home and started baking I did many calculations to figure out how many cups 15 oz is equivalent to because the darn label has both metric and imperial measurements. After converting to percentages, then to number of servings as per the label, and then coming up with 1 3/4 cup as the serving required for the recipe…after you rinse the 19 oz can of black beans you end up with 15 oz or 1 3/4 cup. So don’t torture yourself, just rinse the 19 oz can of beans and use all of them!

The front of the label is in mL and ounces...but the serving size is in mL and grams. I appreciate that they are embracing both Imperial and Metric, but please give all the information. Gracious!!

Then you put al the ingredients except the nuts in a blender and blend.

This does not look anything like the brownies I am used to. *nervousness*

Add nuts and bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes if you used agave and 350 degrees and 25-30 minutes if you used sugar or a sugar substitute.

I wasn’t quite sure if I should try the batter or not. It was rather soupy and made from beans, but I gave it a go anyways!

I gave it a tentative lick and it was rather tasty...beans, eh?

35 minutes later my house smelled divine. It hasn’t smelled this good in months AND I get to eat one of these!

They look like brownies and smell amazing....

The true test came later after they had cooled.

Result?

Pure and absolute bliss.

I am the happiest woman on the planet in this moment...

I cut them into 16 squares. The macros are as follows:

Brownies made with agave: Calories 138.75 Protein 3.875 grams, Carbs 22.1, Fat 3.875

Brownies made with artificial sweetener: Calories 106.85 Protein 3.875 grams, Carbs 14.125, Fat 3.875

*The coconut oil gave it a fabulous flavor and perhaps next time I will try putting some instant coffee in as well!