Shelley

I was and yes it was very difficult!! We were there in winter so we ended up eating a ton of spaghetti and trail mix (nuts, seeds, dried fruit). We had our family ship us some pantry necessities because it was hard to find what we like to eat there. I'm glad it's getting better now! I can't imagine it being much worse. lol It's awesome that Vienna is vegan friendly!

+1 You really are very beautiful! Thank you Julia! You are too! My husband and I spent some time in Telfs, Austria and Innsbruck. It's a very beautiful area. He speaks pretty good German but I never learned any.

I'm glad your wrist is doing better now! I had a trainer push me too hard a few years ago and it really messed me up. I'll get it strong again. Just have to push past the pain.

Wow! Has it really been a year and a half since I've been on here?!? Oops! lol I've been moving around a lot and staying busy with work and school. Well, my diet has been good but I'm on and off with the exercise. I just got done reading Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins. Great book! So I'm all pumped up about getting committed. And I just quit my job so I have lots of extra time to do it. lol I want to get the definition back in my muscles! This is the last picture taken of me a week or two ago. I'll post another one in a few weeks.

I got the recipe from: http://kristensraw.blogspot.com/2008/01/heavenly-cookies-coming-up.html They are just cookies to make for fun and it's easy to substitute any of the ingredients to your liking. I started making them to replace my donut and candy bar cravings which had no nutrients at all. So for me it's a good transition recipe towards a healthier diet that I can keep improving on.

I'm into raw vegan cuisine. Here's a great recipe for a sweet tooth! Heavenly Cookies Yield approximately 10 cookie balls ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons raw nut butter (almond, pecan, or walnut) ½ cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened, dried coconut ½ cup raisins 2 tablespoons raw agave nectar (I prefer the light agave) ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract pinch Himalayan crystal salt dash cinnamon Stir everything together in a bowl. Using a 1-tablespoon measured amount of cookie batter, roll them into balls. Store these in the refrigerator or freezer. Fun Variations: ~Stir in 1 tablespoon of raw chocolate powder or raw carob powder ~Roll them in dried, unsweetened coconut or ground nuts

Thanks Tasha! I totally agree! I'm into raw vegan cuisine and finally got another blender. Making green smoothies again has taken care of my sweet tooth and I found a cookie recipe online that is super yummy too! I thought I'd share it. Heavenly Cookies Yield approximately 10 cookie balls ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons raw nut butter (almond, pecan, or walnut) ½ cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened, dried coconut ½ cup raisins 2 tablespoons raw agave nectar ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract pinch Himalayan crystal salt dash cinnamon Stir everything together in a bowl. Using a 1-tablespoon measured amount of cookie batter, roll them into balls. Store these in the refrigerator or freezer. Fun Variations: ~Stir in 1 tablespoon of raw chocolate powder or raw carob powder ~Roll them in dried, unsweetened coconut or ground nuts

It's been quite a while since I've posted anything. I reached 30 minutes on the elliptical though! That's one goal that I met. And I just got the Tracy Anderson dvd's so I'm ready to step it up a level!

I went to the gym tonight and did 20 minutes or 1.5 miles on the elliptical!! I'm so excited because I started out just doing 5 minutes so I have improved a lot in just a month. My old wrist injury has been acting up since I started doing weights again so I've only been working on my lower body the past week. I'm not sure what to do about my upper body but weights are out of the question and any exercises like push ups. I may try kickboxing or something. Air punches should be okay I would think. I also read about Tracy Anderson today. She went on tour with Madonna as her personal trainer so you know she's gotta be good. She has three workout DVD's that I'm going to get when I have the cash. I found some things on youtube of her too to get me started. DVD's are a good option for me because it's just too cold to walk to the gym most days. When will it stop snowing?!?

Thanks for posting! I've been trying to find some new simple recipes for beans. I really enjoyed the video!! You did a great job putting it together! Shelley

That's awesome! I've read a few of her blogs. Good luck with all your training and thanks for leaving me a message!!

I haven't had time to post all my workouts and meals but I've been making it to the gym three days a week since I signed up. I'm going to try to make it four times a week from now on.

That sounds perfect! Thanks a bunch! I skipped the gym today because I was too sore from working out yesterday. I did some stretches and yoga poses this morning. And this afternoon I went to the health food store and got some organic pumpkin seed butter. It has 10 grams of protein per serving! So I'll be back at the gym tomorrow to do my legs and cardio. Can't wait!!

I'm so glad the green smoothie worked for you!! I just posted a comment on your myspace page. Good luck with your workouts and studying this week! Talk to you later!

I started a new gym membership. I'm really excited to get back in shape! I haven't been active in SO long and I've lost all my muscle definition. It's easy for me to be lazy and sleep in or just hang around the apartment because it's SO cold outside. But if I can make it through the first couple weeks I know I'll get addicted to working out and want to go everyday! I got a fitness program from a personal trainer today! He made it for 4 days a week. We ran through the exercises for all 4 days doing just a couple reps each. And I did 10 minutes cardio. Cardio will be the hardest part for me! It's really hard for me to do 10 minutes straight on the elliptical. The past week I've been breaking it up doing 5 minutes on the elliptical then 10 minutes on the bike. I can't wait to see how far I've come in a month!!

Hi Lina! I just signed up on here and started a gym membership last week. I used to just workout watching FitTV when I had more channels. I liked Gilad the most!! I hope you enjoy your videos and they work for you! I wanted to comment on you trying a raw food diet. TheRawDivas.com has a free 7 day detox that you might like. And I think drinking a big green smoothie a day would really help you feel energized instead of tired. Greens are a VERY important part of the diet! I hope you have a great week and I'll talk to you later! xoxo Shelley

That's cool! I'm more into learning Tai Chi or Bagua. Some type of internal martial art. I watch the UFC fights on tv sometimes and I like Gina Carano too.

Thanks everyone for the Hello's and encouragement!! I really appreciate it! You're all so great!

Thank you for the kind words! I don't speak any French yet but need to learn if I'm going to be staying in Montreal! I really like to go to Crusessence on Rachel Street. It's a small raw food restaurant that has the best raw lasagna and smoothies! My husband does Kung Fu too. What kind are you doing if you don't mind me asking? Talk to you later!

OH WOW!!! I'm SO jealous right now! It was -4 in Montreal today and you get 80...not fair!! :b Your pictures are really beautiful! It's neat that you saw the bus with your name on it too! Have a great time and congratulations on your success!!

Hello! I'm Shelley and I live in Montreal Canada. I've been a vegetarian/vegan for four years and it's one of the best decisions I've ever made! I haven't been physically active in a LONG time! I live a very sedentary lifestyle spending most of my time in front of the computer or on the couch watching dvd's. After receiving this months Vegan Bodybuilding newsletter I decided enough is enough and I went out and signed up for a gym membership! I'm really excited to get back in shape and to get my long lost muscles back!! I'll probably keep track of my progress on here so I'll post a current picture with my weight and measurements soon. Thanks for reading my intro!! =D xoxo Shelley