Meet our Group 2 Study Participant, Carlene...

Greetings! I’m Carlene Hetland and I’m 37 years old. I have a fantastic husband, three great kids and a very old kitty cat.

As a child, I was always small, always the “skinny” one. I ran track and cross country as a freshman in high school and then pursued other interests. I continued to stay thin thru my early 20’s and then suddenly began gaining fat weight at age 25 probably due not only to hormonal changes but also an unhealthy lifestyle.

I had taken a few classes toward a degree in Exercise Science and that was enough to land me a job as manager at a local gym. Being in that environment all the time inspired me to lose the weight I had put on and I began training very consistently. I was once again “skinny” but struggled to gain any muscle. I had a terrible diet, eating fast food at my desk daily. While working at this gym, I met my first husband and we were married when I was 27. Soon we decided to try to start a family and that didn’t go very well. In a nutshell, I began hormonal therapy for “unexplained infertility” and REALLY started putting on weight. Eventually, we were blessed with two perfect children, without assistance from anyone but God. However, I suffered from horrible post partum depression. My comfort was anything greasy or sweet and boy did I comfort myself. That marriage ended in divorce and then I began losing weight again. I lost enough to start to feel attractive and met my current husband. He introduced me to all sorts of wonderful things like prosciutto wrapped scallops and hollandaise sauce. Needless to say, I got fat again! But this was different, this time I felt really, really bad. We got pregnant right away. So much for being infertile! The pregnancy was horrible; I was labeled high risk and diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. I was able to control the GD with a super clean diet but because the pregnancy was making me so sick (I was nauseous all the time) I didn’t realize what the healthy eating was doing for me. I even stopped gaining weight toward the end of the pregnancy, baby was growing perfectly but I was losing weight. I still didn’t get it, I didn’t put it together.

When our beautiful, healthy baby Lily was born, I knew what to expect so I started my antidepressant immediately. But I also comforted myself with grease and sugar. I got to the point where I would go to “the golden arches” and order a supersize meal, an additional double cheese burger and a four piece nuggets and I WOULD EAT IT ALL! Oh, and I should mention that I would drench my fries in mayonnaise! I began hiding the food wrappers from my husband because I was ashamed. In addition to this healthy, almost daily, meal I would fuel myself the rest of the day with energy drinks and chocolate. I didn’t really eat much else. I spiraled out of control and by December of 2010 my tiny, 5 feet frame was lugging around about 140 pounds!

In March of 2011, I decided that I couldn’t go on like that. I was setting a horrible example for my family and knew that if I kept it up I’d never recover. So I made the commitment to change and little by little I did it. As Chelle says, baby steps are the way to go and that’s what I did. Up to this point, I have completely turned my diet around and now eat clean 97% of the time. I have lost approximately 30 pounds and am ready to take the next step. I don’t want to be the “skinny girl”, I want to be strong, sleek and buff. I am looking to Tab and Chelle for their expertise and guidance so I can put on lean, healthy muscle and maybe even one day try my hand at figure or fitness competitions. I’m ready!
LET’S ROCK AND ROAR BABY!!!

Starting Date: November 21, 2011     Age: 36           Height: 5'1"           Weight: 107.4 lbs

Date: February 11, 2012

Final Weight:  106.4 lbs!!! (Perfect for her goal!)

I had this journal entry planned ahead of time.  I knew what I wanted to write about and what direction I was going to take with regards to this being my final entry.  Well, so much for the best laid plans cause I’m tossing them out the window! 

I have never finished anything in my life.  Okay, I finished a 9 month certification course for massage therapy, but not with the dedication or gusto that I put into the Recipe For Fitness Lifestyle Transformation.  Sounds like I’m tooting my own horn here and saying “Look at what I did” but I’m not.  I am telling you this because if you have trouble committing to change, if you can’t stick with a project, if you feel like no matter how hard you try you always fail; this is the program for you.

This does work!  It’s not a scam, there’s no hype or crazy drugs to take; it just works.  The Recipe For Fitness program is science based and healthy to execute.  It heals the body from the inside out with whole, grocery store ingredients and exercise.  It is personalized to meet your needs; you wanna work out at home?  You can work out at home!  You wanna skip in circles and then hang from tree branches while singing Oh My Darlin’ Clementine?  Tab will work it into your program.  Do you have food allergies or foods you just HATE?  Chelle will plan your menu around those things. 

There is no such thing as “one size fits all” in the realm of fitness.  We are all different and Tab and Chelle realize this and appreciate people for who they are as individuals.  With the Recipe For Fitness program, you will never be forced to follow a “one size fits all” program.  You know when you see someone wearing a really nice suit and it fits so well you’re positive it was custom made, just for them?  That’s the Recipe For Fitness program; it’s custom made, just for you.

Don’t let this pass you buy.  Don’t let us girls finish our programs and say “Wow!  Look at them.  I could never do that.”!  You can do this!  With Tab and Chelle’s help, you can change your life; one meal, one workout, one day at a time.   

Date: February 4, 2012

One week to go.  One more week before I have to put on my big girl pants and walk out into the big, beautiful world of bodybuilding on my own.  Am I scared?  Yes.  Am I ready?  Absolutely!  I had to make Week 11 about personal reflection on what I’ve accomplished and learned over the last three months. 

Participating in the case study was kind of like going to school and taking, let’s see… maybe 18 credit hours at once!  It was a lotta work!  But I knew that going into it, I knew that I was hungry for knowledge and that I would never reach my goals if I didn’t acquire the knowledge necessary. 

Tab and Chelle answered every question I asked them.  They were there for support, encouragement, and education.  They gave so much of themselves including their time and their expertise.  

When I started this program, I had no idea how to sculpt my body into anything that I’d be happy with.  All I knew was how to be skinny.  I had no idea just how much food I really needed to fuel my machine.  I have learned so much over these few, short months.  I’m in better shape than I’ve ever been in and have more muscle than I ever have had before. 

I am going to be ok.  I know that I will make mistakes and that the learning curve is steep but I can do this.  I will take what I have been taught and cherish it and utilize it to the fullest.

That is what you do when you want to be a champion, you soak up all of the knowledge and positivity you can, add your own glow to it and let it shine for the whole world to see.

Date: January 28, 2012

Current Weight:  109.4 (+1.2 lbs)

Week ten marked more positive changes for me, physically as well as mentally. I did a good job of leaving my perfectionism behind me and pushed to the end of every set with determination. A couple of times I heard this low growl escape from my throat while I was struggling to finish a set! It was funny each time because it took me by surprise. Talk about being in the zone, I scared myself! Anyway, it feels great to be doing cardio again and I'm enjoying the challenge of the extra activity. I'm still fine with my calories being lower, the way Chelle figures my meal plan leaves very little room for being hungry. The next two weeks won't change too much for me, I just need to stay on task and push my absolute hardest and see where I end up.

Date: January 21, 2012

The theme for Week Nine?  PERSEVERANCE!  It was a crazy week and seemed as though I met obstacles daily.  A couple examples of the chaos included the gym not opening on time, my husband’s work schedule being rearranged, thus requiring me to rearrange mine, and my middle daughter having two half days of school necessitating yet more flexibility!

All this occurred the same week that I began doing cardio again and my calories dropped!

Wheeee!  What a ride!  :D

I have to admit, it shook my confidence a little bit.  Everything had been going so well and suddenly it felt like it was falling apart.  I took that doubt and fear and let it fuel me to continue on.  Just like when I had to travel during the case study, I just had to persevere.  I had to work with what was available, where I was and succeed.  No excuses, no limits. 

I’ll leave you with this final thought:  “You must not allow an obstacle to remove or destroy an opportunity.  You must take the obstacle, reshape it, work it and build it into something you can use for your cause.”  

Date: January 15, 2012
Current Weight:  108.2 (-0.4 lbs!!)

Can you hear the applause, the roaring of the crowd?  Can you feel the excitement in the air?  Do you sense the suspense that surrounds all of the participants of this case study as we enter the last trimester of this program?  Oh my gosh, we have four weeks to go! 

For me, it’s bittersweet.  I’m so proud of all I’ve accomplished but broken hearted to see it come to an end.

The next four weeks will be very interesting and SUPER challenging.  Up until now, I’ve been eating a ton of calories and not doing any cardio!  All that’s about to change.  I’m about to experience what it’s like to lean out for a competition – sort of.  It won’t be quite as extreme since I don’t really have a competition until July.  The goal over the next four weeks is to see how my body responds to the “leaning out” process and also to see what I’ve accomplished muscle building wise.  I’m really excited.  Because my muscles are immature, they should show up much better after a little leaning out.  Right now, they’re still kind of hiding under a LOT of water and a little extra body fat too.  The goal of this process won’t be weight loss but merely to continue the flip flop of my body composition.  While my caloric intake will be reduced slightly, it’ll still be at a nice healthy level that will maintain the majority of the muscle I’ve earned so far.  What we see at the end of these next four weeks will be an indicator of where I really need to focus my training over the next seven months.    

This week, I had to open my heart and my mind and embark on the journey of healing my perfectionism.  I was allowing perfectionism to thwart my progress by giving it a foothold in my training.  Did you know that the last repetitions of an exercise you complete should not look as good as the first reps?  DUH!!  So, no more of that silly stuff.  As long as I’m doing the absolute best I can do and my form is SAFE I will continue to rep it out until I can’t do anymore.  That’s when the magic happens!  Of course, I’ll always be a perfectionist but there’s a time and a place and perfectionism has no place in my workouts!
 

Date: January 7, 2012
Week seven was exciting! I started training at the gym and that helped my push past some equipment related limits I had run into when I was working out at home. My calories are still high and I'm looking forward to the leaning out process so I can see what's hiding under my little bit of fluff. I know I'm building muscle because I'm getting hungry in between meals now. It's gonna be fun to see what comes to the surface in the next few weeks! My homework for week 8 is to create a workout plan for Tabitha! Mawahahahaha!!!!! :D Can you feel the heat from me rubbing my hands together???

Coaches Note (From Tab):  Careful what you wish for Carlene ;)  While I am soooooooo up for the challenge and can't wait to see what you come up with, don't be surprised if your circuit you create shows up in your next routine :D  Remember my motto.....I would never make my clients do anything that I would not do myself!  Mwahahahahahahaha!
 

Date: December 17, 2011  
I’m four weeks into this study.  In four weeks I have gotten stronger, leaner and more intelligent.  I have developed a deep trust for two wonderful women who have reached out to many, many people and said, “Here, take our hands, we’ll show you the way.”  I have become empowered and more confident because of the healthy living skills I have learned.  You know what else they are very gently teaching me?  The art of MODERATION!  They are teaching me that in order to really call this “healthy living” I have to be able to relax a little.  To be able to accept my own personal best as plenty good and keep going.   All these fantastic things have taken place in the last four weeks.

The sense of empowerment and the new confidence I feel are also helping me be more decisive.  I have taken a dream and made a decision to turn it into reality.  I am going to compete.  I am going to start working on a realistic timeline and map out what I need to do in order to achieve my dream.  You’re hearing it here:  Carlene Hetland is going to be a Figure Competitor! 

In the next phase of the study, my focus is to build strength and we all know what comes with strength: MUSCLES!  I welcome the challenges I have ahead of me.  I know that “every rep, every set, every day, every meal, EVERYTHING counts!”  Tab said that and it sits in a quiet place in my heart, waiting for those moments when I want to screw off.  Repeat that to yourself five times fast!  Bet you’ll wanna do your best after that! 
 

Date: December 11, 2011  
 

What does Goal Weight Mean to Me?

Whew!  That’s a tough one!  For years, I didn’t worry about what I weighed.  As a matter of fact, growing up, we never had a scale in the house and when I was on my own I never bought one until I was 31 years old!  I was much more concerned with how my clothes were fitting and whether my stomach was perfectly flat than a number on the scale. 

It was when I had my first child that I began to think about my weight.  Being weighed at each doctor appointment and watching that number continually creep up really started to freak me out!  Although the consistent increase in my weight was really worrying me, I was of the mindset that gaining lots of weight was just an unavoidable part of pregnancy.  So I suffered silently and thought about my weight more than ever.

For me, dealing with post-partum depression and goal setting didn’t exactly jive.  So, while I knew I was overweight, I chose to eat more junk and get fatter. 

I set my first “goal weight” in March of 2011.  That was the first time in my life that I realistically assessed my body and decided what I was going to weigh.  I set my “goal weight” by doing some reading, to learn what someone with my build should weigh, and also by thinking back to a time in my life when I was the most comfortable with my body.  I decided that my first “goal weight” would be 110 pounds.  By October of 2011, I had reached that goal. 

I didn’t feel, at all, how I expected to feel.  I was actually a little melancholy.  I mean, the number on the scale said exactly what I wanted it too but my body didn’t look at all how I wanted it to look.  I was still flabby and squishy.  I needed to reassess my “goal weight”. 

As I started trying to figure out what I needed to weigh in order to look how I really want to look, I realized that IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT I WEIGH!  I have no earthly idea what I will weigh when I finally have the physique I truly desire, nor do I care.  When I have Ava Cowan’s physique, I will dance on the scale!  I will laugh at the scale!  It will be what it was intended to be, merely a device used to measure one variable in a very large equation.  Of course, there’s still a little devil on my shoulder that frequently whispers, “Hey, be careful!  You’re weight’s going up again!”  But that’s when I give the big “brush off” and re-focus.  My body’s tight, my abs are coming in and my clothes are loose.  Soon my muscles will begin to pop out and I guaran-darn-tee you that no one will look at me and say, “I wonder how much she weighs?"
What they will say is, “Wow!  She looks good!”
 

Date: December 10, 2011

Current Weight:  108 (+0.6 lbs)  - This is right on track for Carlene's goals

Week three is complete! I never thought I was capable of doing the things that Tabitha & Chelle have me doing. I am so strong & so healthy and it's only been three weeks! I have more energy and my brain works better too! I am eating SO MUCH food & yet I don't feel over stuffed. I can't say enough about the differences in my life already. I didn't realize how much help I really needed. I just thought I wanted some muscles but there were pieces of the puzzle missing that Tab & Chelle have found & put back. I will never be able to thank them enough for this opportunity. I feel like a car that had a broken down engine, went to the auto shop for repair & came out with a new paint job too! It's awesome! This program is changing my life, one work out & one meal at a time.

Date: December 3, 2011  

Weight:  106.6 (-0.8 lbs)

YES!!! This week, my mantras were: "I am NOT AFRAID to do EVERYTHING it takes!" and "NO MATTER WHAT!". After having my first review, via SKYPE, with Chelle and Tab, I felt empowered with knowledge and the confidence necessary to persevere. At this point, I have no doubt that I am going to surpass the goals I set for myself. Something really INCREDIBLE is about to happen!
 

Date: November 27, 2011  

It's been an awesome first week! I feel strong and can actually see little changes in my body already. I started out tired and sore because I had to get off my energy drinks and thermogenic. Now that I have "detoxed", I feel great! The workout plan is very challenging but easy to understand. Likewise for my food plan, I enjoy my meals and they are easy to prepare.

Because I felt like my body had gone thru enough in the beginning of the week with getting off the stimulants, I decided not to take a cheat day and stuck with my plan. I don't regret this decision at all. While all the food looked and smelled delicious, I really didn't miss out on anything since I still got to see my family. My joke on Thanksgiving was that "I am thankful for Icy Hot and Tylenol."! I'm over the hump now though, and I feel fantastic. I'm really looking forward to the next 11 weeks with high expectations!