AMIClubWear.com Fashion N' Fun #Giveaway

 Now that summer is almost here, half the fun is wearing all those cool fashions! AMIClubWear.com can help you with the fashion part and the fun is up to you! Although, if you are the winner here, we can help you with a $50 credit to AMI Clubwear.com, free shipping, plus a $20 PayPal to start things off!
 
AMI Clubwear is a women's online fashion outlet featuring trendy and sexy shoes, intimates, dresses, sportswear and costumes! See Review Here!

 This giveaway will be open to US/Canada. Open to ages 21 and older. Remember, the more entries you complete, the better your chances are to win!
 Thanks to the bloggers who are participating in this giveaway. Please consider liking all the participating bloggers on Facebook. They work hard to bring you this event and others like it! You wouldn't want to miss out on any future events! Sponsor is responsible for delivery of prizes, not participating bloggers. A GAL NEEDS...is responsible for the delivery of the $20 PayPal. A GAL NEEDS... received no monetary or other compensation for the facilitation of this giveaway. Enter the giveaway in the Rafflecopter below. Good luck!
 
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Sourround Yourself With Positivity + Motivating Monday

One of the best ways to achieve your goals is to put yourself in the midst of positivity. One of those crazy rules of the universe is that being positive will attract positive influences and result in positive outcome. So why would you surround yourself with negativity? Whether you want to be the best mom, banker, fashion expert, blogger, doctor, scientist, entrepreneur, or basket weaver, get the first rule right!

Today is Motivating Monday!  We all need a little motivation!  I, for one, love to explore other sites for motivating, mostly non-sponsored posts, tips, pictures and videos!  If I happen to find a great one, I'll link it up and share it with you on Twitter via the #MotivatingMonday hashtag!  It's like being featured!  Sometimes I miss some amazing posts.  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize! Don't be shy--I'm really very supportive!  Remember, any link to your posts helps your blog numbers increase!

Don't Get Scammed By A Blogger--Rules To Follow!

 I just found out that one of the biggest Mom Bloggers out there, who established multiple blogs, had many bloggers "working" for her, has thousands of followers, started her own blogging network, had a huge Blog Conference scheduled for this fall, ran multiple giveaways that were promoted by multiple blogs--some with prizes that were never paid, just got taken down publicly. Multiple bloggers now have come out with horrible stories about how they were duped out of thousands of dollars, lost time, and lost wages because of empty promises of wealth, fame, and prestige. It's shocking because I was a member of this person's Facebook Group. The group itself was a good one, because it was run by other reputable bloggers, working for said blogger.

This kind of story isn't new to me. I wrote about another such incident back in 2011. You always need to watch out!
Here are some rules to follow so that you won't find yourself without a leg to stand on, your reputation ruined with companies, and your heart broken because you trusted another blogger to help you.

Bloggers are a great group of people, but as the word has spread that it can be a great way to earn some extra money here and there, many people have come out of the woodwork to take advantage of that. Some of those people are very talented posers! Here are just a few rules that I have followed since I started out as a newbie a few years ago.

For Bloggers:
1) Don't spend a ton of money investing in a blog -- Start small, try out the water. If you love it, you'll stick with it. If you don't, you can drop it and walk away with only some time spent learning that you don't love it. And that isn't time wasted because it teaches you where your strengths lie. If you are approached by those who want to charge you, first find out if there is a way to do it for free. I still haven't paid for my blog design because I'm still evolving and when I do finally hire a professional, it will be something that I  love and will stick with for awhile. Furthermore, I will pay for that design with funds that I've already earned with my blog. Yes, I'm Ms. Cheapo~but I haven't lost anything either!

2) Don't ever pay another blogger more than a few dollars, unless you know for a fact you'll get what you pay for. I was duped once 4 years ago and learned from that. Why pay another blogger when I can do my own promoting and my own blogging, keeping the whole fee? I am even hesitant to pay another blogger to be a co-host for their giveaways. Why do I need another, successful though they may be, blogger to build my blog? If I can't build my own blog, then I need to find something else. That being said, there are some great blogging networks that are great to be a part of, that actually do pay their members for services rendered. I have loved a few of these networks. Just do your homework.

3) Facebook Groups can be very helpful or very bad. When you join a Facebook Group, make sure that the other bloggers follow the rules. There are groups that run threads to exchange follow for follow, comment for comment, and other such things. If you find that the members are not returning your comments or follows, move on. It's very time-consuming to comment on multiple blogs without realizing the same courtesy in return.

4) Don't rush out to every blog conference you get wind of. I didn't attend my first blog conference until this year. It was something I had wanted to do for awhile, but I wasn't willing to travel out of state, on my own dime, to something I really had no idea about. What would I learn, who were the speakers, would I really get all kinds of great sponsors? I finally went to my first conference, a local conference, they sponsored me in exchange for a few posts, and I knew the company sponsoring it to be reputable. It was a wonderful experience and I hope to attend next year. 

For Blog Readers:
1) Entering giveaways with huge prizes, like the ones the blogger in question ran, is a risky thing. Non-fulfillment of prizes is something that can and does happen.

2) Bloggers usually have affiliate sites on their pages, which are totally legitimate. Bloggers go to great lengths to find the best deals and shops to purchase from. Most times, buyers wouldn't know where to purchase without the research of bloggers! You don't pay extra when you click on those links. But when you are purchasing a product specifically produced by a blogger, make sure it is linked to a reputable purchasing site and that there are money-back guarantees in place.

3) Check out what others are saying about a blogger. Is the blogger personable, transparent in their business dealings, and free from other bad business deals?

4) Do they get their information from reliable sources, or do they just spout off? Sometimes it's good to check out facts against what is said in a blog. You know what they say, just because it's on the internet, doesn't mean it's true!

Again, most bloggers are totally up-front and doing what they love to do--connect with their readers in creative and constructive ways, providing a great service to all who come in contact with them! Just use good judgement and don't be duped by the few flamboyant, flash-in-the-pan frauds, who use your trust to get what they want.

AMI Clubwear With A 45% Off #Sale

 Do you have AMI Clubwear on your short-list for fun, fashionable, sexy, and bargain-priced clothing? They are based out of California and they are known for their huge inventory, that is updated daily. They recently reached over 3 million followers and celebrated with a huge 45% off sale!
 
I looked through their site --I'm a fairly modest person, not wanting to show vast amounts of skin--and found the following pieces at great prices! I would probably wear tights or leggings with the first dress and a flowing shirt over or T-shirt under the other dresses. So there really is something for everyone! I'd encourage you to take a look and find a few things for yourself!  You're gonna love it!

My friend, Lei, is modeling some active wear that she ordered on AMIClubWear.com. You must know that they seem to be phasing out their active wear line. She had some trouble finding things that weren't out of stock. They do have a huge inventory of dresses, shoes, swimwear, intimates, and costumes, though! Doesn't she look great? She recently entered and placed in her first Figure Competition. See her story here!

Look at this cute swimsuit!  You can get 45% off entire stock by entering SALE45 at checkout!

Get updated on all the new arrivals, sales, and promotions at AMIClubwear.com! Follow on:
 Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Google+

Disclosure: This site receives compensation in the form of product or cash for some posts. All opinions at A GAL NEEDS...are honest, fair, and my own.

The World Of Figure Competition - One Mom's Journey Part II

Here is the 2nd part of Lei's first figure competition experience. You can read the 1st part of her journey here!

Now that the hard part, the training, was done, it was time for the competition prep. Lei was committed and ready to put her all into it, even though the fear of failure loomed ever present in her mind. But she had confidence that she could succeed because of her  initial  twelve weeks with Maria, her trainer. She had met her goals and it gave her hope and confidence.  Now she was on a more disciplined program, if you can imagine, and didn't want to let Maria or herself down.  Maria told her that she was a stellar client - "I am continuously impressed with your hard work, and consistency. KILLING. IT."   

The next obstacle to overcome was to perfect her posing skills.  Posing is so vitally important that, if lacking, women with great physique's have not placed because it.  Since she had never done it before, she had no idea of how to do correct posing. Lei completed six practices with Maria to feel somewhat confidant.  "She is a beautiful poser so I was taught by a great teacher. "  

Peak Week Each week Lei consistently followed her program - nutrition and workouts.  She did not miss any.  Her cardio increased from 25 mins to 30 mins of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and she continuously lifted heavier and heavier.  Finally the week of her competition arrived.  Peak Week was a little more rigorous.  By the end of the week she needed to drop water weight, so her water intake decreased from 150 oz. on Mon-Wed to 80 oz on Thurs, and 20 oz. on Fri and only sips on Sat.  Also,  the day before competition, you have a carb day and one on competition morning, to fill up the muscles.  Taking water out of the body shows off the muscles, and the carbs fill out those muscles so they are fuller.  "It was not as difficult as I expected.  I was not grouchy or irritable as some people get.  I just lacked energy." 

Tanning Appointment  Friday night was her tanning appointment and a meeting with the other women competitors.  Tanning was quite the experience.  She had never done spray tan before.  The hotel was filled with contestants--men and women all tanned, or soon to be.  It was quite the thrill for Lei to be with all those young people. 
   

             
No one knew my age, so I pretended to just be one of the girls, when I could have easily been a mother to many of them!!  The tanning company had individual tents up and we all had to strip down to nothing.  Each girl got into the tent and they sprayed us down the row.  We couldn't see each other, but you gotta let go of insecurities and shyness at this point.  A woman sprayed tanned us, so it was fine.  

Pre-Judging  Early Sat morning I had my hair and makeup appt.  It was fun to be pampered.  Then I headed to pre-judging.  All this happened at Cottonwood High School.  Figure girls were the first group after the men's pre-judging.  So at 11:30 we were ready to go.  My number was 301.  Because of my last name I was first.  Funny story:  So all during our line up the leaders were telling us, "ok walk to this X, do your poses, walk to this side"  "Don't worry, just follow the girl before you or the first girl"  So I was like ok, that works, I will just do what she does.  Then they called out number #301 you are here, meaning first in the line!  I was like "WHAT?" I am suppose to follow the girl before me......now I AM the first girl.  Boy was that stressful.  But I just said to myself, just do it and have fun, I have been taught well,  just be confidant!!....So I went out there and smiled at the judges and did my posing.  

The judges took the longest with our group and we had to stand in our poses for what seemed like a very long time.  I entered three categories: Figure A (up to and including 5'4") Figure Masters 35 & older, and True Novice A (Never competed & up to 5'4")  Pre-judging is where the winners are selected.  The Final is the show in the evening. At the evening show, all participants are showcased, whether you placed or not.  Everyone walks out and poses.  However, you are called to stand on stage as a group only if you placed and earned a trophy.  I figured since I had not heard anything in between pre judging and finals that I didn't place.  I told myself that it was OK because I transformed my body and had a great experience.  But I didn't know that they don't let you know if you placed, it is a surprise. 

The Final  After going home to rest and then driving back up to Cottonwood HS, I planned to just enjoy my evening.  Figure Competitors were called to gather on one side of the stage.  The leaders called out the numbers of the gals who placed, to line up to walk on stage.  I didn't hear my number for Figure A, which I kinda expected.  However, when they lined up Masters A, I thought I could of had a chance.  But they didn't call my number.  Lastly they lined up the True Novice winners. I thought I heard my number, but I didn't want to assume, so I never  lined up.  All the four other gals did.  Finally the leader said I need number 301, I was like....so happy...ME?  I am 301!!  So funny!  Of course I was first in line cuz 301, 302, 303...etc.  So all five of us walked out and stood waiting to hear our placing.  For fifth place #301.  I waved and walked to the fifth place trophy.  I was SOOO happy! 

It was a very fun evening.  Many of my friends wanted to come, but just a few made it.  My family was screaming for me when I was on stage.  After the placing, I walked out to the foyer and was met by my friends and family with leis they ordered from Hawaii.  It was a magical time.  We went back into the auditorium to watch the rest of the show.  Then we all went out to eat at Smash Burger.  I had the works and a shake (which I normally don't have, but deserved!) It was so much fun and I was not as nervous as I thought I would be.  It took a lot of confidence for me because I am more of an introvert, but maturity does something to you and you decide, "I don't care what people may think.  I am doing this for me and because I want to."

I planned to compete again but did not know which show...Aug, Oct, or Mar `16.  When I looked at the schedule, I noticed that the Aug show is on my 52 birthday!  To me there is no better way to spend my birthday than doing something I love.  What is even better, is my sister and her family are coming up to Utah the night before the show Aug 14.  I asked her if she wouldn't mind seeing me compete.  She said it would be great.  So now not only will i celebrate my 52 birthday, but my sister and her family will be there too. 

I have been working hard on building up my back more and getting my legs more cut.  My trainer is working me good right now.  I will call Maria soon to be accountable to her as well 12 weeks out to Aug 15th.  I love having new challenges.  First dropping body fat, then competing, and now building more muscle and competing for the second time.  It is great to be where I am right now!!  The fifties are AWESOME!!

A Little More Kindness + #MotivatingMonday

I just read an article about how emotional abuse could be the invisible marriage killer. The definition of emotional abuse is "any nonphysical attitude or behavior that controls, intimidates, subjugates, demeans, punishes, or isolates another person by using degradation, humiliation or fear."  It might be a roll of the eyes, consistent criticism--even in the form of a joke, constant corrections, isolation, disrespect of personal space or things, humiliating comments in front of others, sarcasm, and so forth.  This is a continuous pattern and it ebbs and flows. It may be better for awhile but then the pattern picks up again after a time. Men or women can be guilty of this pattern and it brings unhappiness and lack of self-confidence in its wake. It is a relationship breaker.

Sometimes we can be guilty of participating in it ourselves and be unaware that we are doing so. It comes naturally to some and many times people do it to feel smarter, quicker on the draw, and have the upper hand. They don't realize that they can destroy someone's spirit by their actions. When children are treated unkindly and condescendingly by parents or caretakers, they develop a defense system. That line of defense is to be meaner than the person you are with. It is a  way to not be hurt.

We have a national epidemic of unkindness. We are on the offensive when it comes to being mean. We need to stop it! Here are a few questions to ask ourselves when we are in a relationship or even in public.

1) Is what I am saying constructive or is it aimed to tear someone down?
2) Am I being funny at someone else's expense?
3) Is my body language insulting towards someone else?
4) Am I rude to someone who isn't in control of what is going on?
5) When I am upset, do I unload verbal abuse?
6) Do I let someone know by my actions that I don't want to be with them?
7) Do I give off an air of superiority to those around me?

Refraining from doing these destructive things not only will help our own moods and give us a reality check, but we will be possibly preventing others from also being unkind and the epidemic that we see around us can be slowed down or stopped!

Today is Motivating Monday!  We all need a little motivation!  I, for one, love to explore other sites for motivating, mostly non-sponsored posts, tips, pictures and videos!  If I happen to find a great one, I'll link it up and share it with you on Twitter via the #MotivatingMonday hashtag!  It's like being featured!  Sometimes I miss some amazing posts.  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize! Don't be shy--I'm really very supportive!  Remember, any link to your posts helps your blog numbers increase!

The World Of Figure Competition - One Mom's Journey Part I

I met Lei 14 years ago, when I had just moved into the area. She was a friendly, out-going gal and had definite ideas about what she wanted, in all situations! She and I did a few things together, like hiking up to a waterfall, going on a bike ride, doing a Hawaiian dance class together, and going out to lunch. She was born in Hawaii and is very proud of her ancestry. Every Sunday she brought the most beautiful bouquets of flowers to set on the podium at church. It was a really special touch. 

I knew her to be very active-- into physical fitness, running and weight training specifically. We were members of the same gym at one time. We worked out at different times but each of us pretty regularly.  Those were the days when I was fairly hard-core (for me!), doing yoga, dance, weights and cycling. Time has passed, and now I am doing great when I walk my dog a couple of miles and do some of my exercise CD's!

Lei, on the other hand, took physical fitness to a whole different level after I moved out of her neighborhood a few years back. Before I left, I remember her stating that she wanted to do something cool before she turned 50. She is now right around 50 and yeah boy, she is showing what 50 looks like!

Lei just competed in her first body-building show and
walked away with a 5th place trophy in True Novice Figure A. She also placed 8th in both Masters A and Figure A! That is crazy good for the first time!
Here is her story and proof that it's possible to do anything you want and age doesn't have to be a factor!

In 1987 Lei became interested in body-building. She felt especially weak one day, as she tried to move the bed in her dorm room, making a hole in the dry wall in the process. She wanted to get stronger, and thus weight lifting was what she was drawn to. Back in the 80's Cory Everson was very popular.
"I looked up to her, even though I never aspired to become a bodybuilder at that time.  I just wanted to become stronger and toned.  I continued to lift weights and run from that time forward.  Back in the `80's it was thought that a woman should not lift while pregnant because the blood would be diverted to the muscles instead of the baby.  We know better now. So I would take time off  of lifting when I was pregnant with my first two.  Later, I lifted and ran when I was pregnant with the last two."

Lei with two of her 4 children

Lei continued lifting weights, but never went heavy. She always felt that running was the gold standard for getting fit and toned. She continued with that routine for years--lifting light and running for miles daily. She was a member of a local gym and her girlfriend was her trainer. She noticed miner changes to her body, but nothing major. But, she says, "Deep in my soul I did want to become more muscular, but never quite knew how to pursue it. I love muscles on individuals, especially on women. I wanted defined muscles and to look like a bodybuilder."

Then in 2012 she saw an ad for a 90-day challenge.  Both she and her husband signed up as a couple.  Unfortunately the trainer did not know how to train individuals that already had a pretty good knowledge of weight training.  She did well with clients that were new to weight training.  Lei knew she needed to get to the next level  Her girlfriend referred her to a trainer that was an MMA fighter.  She started training with him and noticed a huge difference right away.  He was very knowledgeable and made her work hard.  She progressed under his tutelage, dropping body fat and weight. Her goal was to lose body fat, but she did not want to just become skinny or thin.

 "I didn't want to be a skinny fat.  I wanted muscles.  My trainer knew what I wanted and did things to help me achieve my goals.  When I grew enough that I could train on my own, I found that I plateaued. I stayed at this weight and body fat for about a year. It was a good weight, but I wanted more. I started subscribing to Hers Muscle & Fitness magazine.  I would follow their workouts and nutritional guidance.  I found some success."

But mainly her success was through having a personal trainer and nutritional coach. This was news to me because I really thought one could go the distance on their own, if they had the discipline and knowledge. Obviously, you need an expert to help you if you want to pursue the course of building lots of lean muscle. And that is what Lei found out. She says that even trainers have trainers because it's all about accountability and support.

 She chose someone she knew at a local gym, who had actually competed before in the Masters Division and placed. She felt like she would be a great fit with her objectives and personality. They met weekly and she gave her an individualized nutritional plan, tweaking it every week to help her meet her goals.  She was the one who said Lei should compete.  "When someone believes in you, it is hard to resist", she said. Truthfully, she DID want to compete.  That is why she chose her in the first place. So to have her say she should compete was motivating and what she wanted to hear.  

Her initial twelve weeks went from 26.3% body fat and 130.3 lbs. to 19.1% bf and 119.0 lbs. Of course she was dedicated to the nutritional plan and never deviated.  "I continued following my nutritional program even though I stopped meeting with Maria.  I knew the NPC (National Physique Committee) was having a show in March 2015; I had attended the show in Oct 2014 per Maria, just to see what goes on at competition.  I really liked the show.  I also knew that I needed 12 weeks to prep for a show, so I contacted Maria in December and told her I wanted to compete. "

 









Lei started her transformation Dec 18th.  "I was happy that I maintained my body fat and weight at 119 lb. and 19% Body Fat. This made it easier to train, because I was already pretty lean, muscular, and conditioned. I got down to 111.1 lbs and 12.1% bf.  This is important to record because in the future, we will know where I need to get to to be competition ready.  My biggest inspiration is IFBB Pro, Erin Stern.  I love her philosophy and she is so down-to-earth.  Besides, she works hard and I love her physique." 

Not all Lei's family was supportive at first.  Her oldest son was from the start.  Then her youngest son quickly became supportive. Her daughter struggled a little, then got on board.  Her husband had issues through the training, all the way to the competition.  "I don't believe he really was fully invested until the night of competition.  But when I started getting praise and congratulations from people, he changed his mind!"  

Since this was her first time competing, Lei and her trainer didn't know what body fat % she could get down to and be lean, but not too lean.  So Maria, her trainer, wanted to see how close to 8 or 10% she could get.  During peak week, the last week she got down to 12.1%  So that is now her base line.  They felt that if she got any leaner, she would look skeletal.  Everyone is so different, and someone can get to 8% and be good.  "My body was good at 12%  So in the future that is my goal."  The BMI is really just a calculation based on a persons height and weight.  It is not a measurement.  One focuses on body fat.  The weight will come off and is not as important as the % of fat.  "I gained 2.69 lbs of lean mass (muscle) and lost a total of 18.1 lbs.  I lost a total of 14.2% bf and 17.5 inches off my body.  I am so pleased with my results!!! I could not believe the numbers.  Every week I would drop.  Sometimes I gained, but it was oz. not lbs. and less than 1%! Then the next week, I would drop what I gained and more.  I would often forget what the numbers really were.  I was so stoked. "

Some people would be amazed at just seeing themselves transform into a lean, athletic speciman. But that wasn't enough for Lei. She had come this far and now it was time to compete! 

Check Part II of Lei's personal journey into the world of Figure Modeling Competition!