Saturday, June 23, 2012

The Home Stretch

Wow, I cannot believe it is almost here..... after many months of anticipation, the Miss Massachusetts pageant is right around the corner!

I've spent so much time reading up on my current events, mentally preparing myself to have the greatest week of my life, striving to eat healthfully, organizing appearances, practicing my dance, and dragging myself to the gym after long workdays that begin at 6am, that now I sit back and reflect on all my hard work.

As the "home stretch" approaches, I feel so incredibly blessed, calm, and happy. I've had such an amazing support system from my friends, my family 1,000 miles away, and the Miss Boston board has taken me under their wing to make me feel as prepared as possible. Not to mention, I get to hang out with 15 of the most AMAZING women I've ever met for 4 days! I feel so lucky to have met 15 new friends in Massachusetts and I'm about 110% confident we are going to have WAY too much fun this week :)

I am ecstatic to dance my heart out on the Hanover Theatre stage to "Monkey Back"- the song that took my senior dance team to State for our first time ever, and makes me SO happy!

I've spent a lot of time at the gym and along the harbor running, which is my favorite stress reliever for the most "nerve-wracking" part of the pageant: swimwear. I know that I don't have a perfect body, no 6-pack abs, but at the end of the day, I am SO proud that I have been able to live a healthy LIFESTYLE! I really believe that the "Lifestyle and Fitness" category isn't about how skinny you are..... its about the lifestyle you live and the confidence you portray because of it! And I am so happy to be going on-stage as myself, 100% happy with my body, without ever depriving myself. Of course, I had to replace my favorite cookies and pancakes with vegetables and nuts for a while, but I want women to know that starvation is NEVER the answer to "healthy" and that it is possible to lead a nutritious lifestyle if you're willing to put in the dedication. You ARE beautiful just the way you are, and I can promise that you will feel more confident as you continue to cleanse your body with healthy foods! Check out my other postings for ideas on how to get started!
Obviously, I am very excited to indulge in a juicy cheeseburger and gooey chocolate chip cookie after the conclusion of the pageant, and believe that meals like this (in moderation) are the key to happiness and sanity!

I am so excited to present my platform "Fit for Success" to the judges, and hope that they can see my passion for this subject. I try to make my platform a reality but striving to live healthfully every day, while encouraging others to do the same. Like I always say, I promise it is possible!!!

All in all, I am just so excited. I want to thank everyone for reading my blog (which has had over 3,200 views!!!!!!) and I look forward to blog some new workouts and recipes after the Miss Massachusetts pageant has concluded! And most of all, I can't wait to see which of my friends is headed to MISS AMERICA!!!

Now I need to calm down so I can go to bed before this busy week begins!
XO!
Morgan