This is How It Begins

I've blogged a time or two before, nothing serious, no rhyme or reason just random thoughts and situations.  However, this time is different.  This time I have purpose and a topic that I want to stick with - working out and getting the body I want to have! 

A brief look at myself.  I am nearing 30 years old, I've played competitive sports on and off in life.  My active lifestyle took a back burner during my mid 20's when I was unhappy with the direction my life was going and living a sort of Groundhog Day kind of existance.  At 27 I decided to make a drastic change and join the Army.  I left for basic training at 162 lbs.  I graduated basic at 125 lbs of skin and bones.  Who says leading an active lifestyle and only being given moments to shove down food doesn't help shed massive pounds?  It was as if I had lived a crash course of Biggest Loser during my time at basic.  I had lost weight, but I don't feel I had gained but so much strength.

I'm a believer that females can do the same tasks a man can do, though you may have to go about it a different way.  I am currently a firefighter in the US Army and have learned quickly that in order to gain the strength that I need to successfully do my job it requires lots of training, time in the gym and eating right.  The eating right portion being my biggest battle I'm fighting right now.  And that is the real purpose of this blog, to chronicle my battle with eating right, in order to put on the muscle mass I desire.  I'm in no way saying I want to become some she-man kind of woman, I just would like to gain muscle and tone what I do have.

Currently I've plateaued at 147 pounds since I've started working at my current base and since I have focused on working out regularly and forcing myself to do more than the typical Army Physical Readiness Training that the Army feels is benificial.  Those workouts were good at keeping me at the whopping 125 I had gotten to, but did little to build more muscle, which is what I need the most.

I'm no nutrionalist, I'm no body builder, and I've never been this focused on something before, so this is going to be a learning experience.  Trial and error (hopefully more of the first, less of the latter).  I've already started spending tons of time in the gym, mornings/afternoons working out with people that drive me and give me tasks that before I would have never thought I could do.  Now putting that with a new set of dietary guidelines, I'm looking forward to seeing the results and hoping I can push past 150 lbs and gain the muscle I'm striving for!  This has the potential to be a HOT MESS!