Amazing Pizza and my Leg Routine

Hi There!

     It's so late in the day and I still haven't reached the gym yet, ugh.  Not to worry, I'm making it there this evening for my leg day.  I hear so many people complain about working out heir legs but it's actually my favourite muscle group to work out.  Watching how my calves and quads and minor muscles develop over time give me the sense of such power and boldness that I feel like I could sprint up a mountain and take off flying.  I actually get a small high off of it, strangely enough.  Everyone also has their problem areas and my legs used to be one of mine.  I used to hate them.  I dreaded the idea of wearing shorts and skirts, so I lived in ill-fitting jeans and baggy sweats almost totally year-round.  If I had to wear shorts I pulled them very low on my hips so the hem would hide my upper thighs and give me the illusion of slimmer thighs.  I sat in certain positions and edged my butt to the end of chairs so gravity would pull at my hamstrings, making my legs look thinner from the top...because you know, you never know if you will be talking to someone standing above you while you sit.  That's just a few of the crazy things I would do to give the impression that I was okay.  I wasn't. I was making my life stressful, obsessive and unhappy.  I will admit, however,
that I was a bit of a chunky monkey back in the day.  I didn't eat a terrible diet, but I wasn't taking care of myself and my well-being like I am now. And I think people seem to forget that it's not ALL about diet and exercise. Those are important too, but what about emotional health?  Where is your mind at during all these changes?  I worked out, very vigorously, I cut calories (wasn't eating the right calories, although it was less), sometimes skipping dinner, but I wasn't getting smaller.  In fact, I was getting bigger, and it took me years to realize why.
     I didn't realize how an unhappy and unfulfilling home life could drastically affect everything, including my weight and the image I had of myself.  Fast forwarding to where I am now; after years of yoga practice, finding my center, eventually finding myself and then moving on to what I do now, everything I've done to physically improve still applies.  Anything that has helped me before, I keep it, update it and combine it with new things to make it better.  This journey is personal, for every one of us, and that's what makes it special and so amazing when you realize you have become strong enough to move on to something even more challenging.
     I stopped caring about how much I ate, I threw away the scale (for the most part, but I still check it every couple of months to make sure I am the right weight for my height and activity level), and I wear anything I want, with confidence, my shoulders back and a smile on my face because I know what I've achieved and how close I am to getting what I want.  I'm not perfect and as much as I work out, I'm no fitness model.  But it's not all about that.  It's about being truly happy, and happy with what you've got and making it work for you, to your full potential.
 
Here's the leg work-out that made booty-shorts my favourite thing to wear ;D
(Adjust the weight according to your current fitness level and strength.  Below are the weight amounts that I use.)

-Barbell Squats (95-120lbs) - 4 sets (10-15 reps each)
-Barbell Lunges (80-100lbs) - 4 sets (8-12 reps each)
-Jump Squats - 4 sets (10 reps each)
-Lying Leg press, with hip elevation when legs are straight - 4 sets (15 reps each)
-Calf raises (90lbs.) - 3 sets (20 reps each)
-Hamstring curl (100lbs) - 4 sets (10 reps each)
-Single Leg dead-lift (50-60lbs) - 3 sets (10 reps each)
-Goodmornings (50lbs) - 4 sets (10 reps each)
-Cool Down - 10 or 15 minutes of light cardio and stretching

12x12 and all for me, YUM

     Now I can show off the amazing pizza I had for lunch yesterday.  Driving around, not knowing where to go, and I spot this little restaurant next to the bank that I've never noticed before.  We go in and it looks really nice inside and the menu looked great.  Until I started craving pizza instead of the grilled veggie wrap.  I got worried they wouldn't be able to cater to my needs and I'd be stuck with salad.  But when the woman who was serving us assured me that they could set me up, I gave in an ordered.  I got this masterpiece, made with 95% gluten-free (spelt) pizza dough, Diaya soy cheese and grilled veggies with fresh avocado and crispy arugula.  They also do not own a deep fryer and all theire food is grilled or baked, including their wedges which were fantastic.  The name of the place was "Play".  It's the only one I've seen around the GTA so far, but If there's more in Canada and you see one, go check it out!  I'll definitely be going back when I have a pizza craving.