Supplement Explanation

I get a lot of questions about my supplements because I take so many. So I figure I can break it down here:

L-Glutamine:
I take 5 grams of this before I workout, after I workout, and before I go to bed. This is to help me maintain the muscles I have. You don't want to lose it while you are doing cardio or resting. I'm also supposed to take 5 grams before cardio. But I haven't worked it in yet.

Creatine:
Currently I'm taking monohydrate creating which is in powder form. But I'm going to be switching to a krealkaline capsule form, which is per my nutritionist's request. Supposedly it is better to prevent bloating and upset stomach. I'm taking 5grams of this before working out.

Clomex:
This is a testosterone booster. Helps gain muscle. I'm taking 3 tablets before I workout.

Yohimbe Fuel:
I take one capsule with breakfast. This is a fat burner.

Beta-X with methoxy:
Also a fat burner and muscle builder. I take 3 tablets with breakfast.

Multivitamin:
I take one with lunch. I don't take it with breakfast because I drink coffee. Coffee already is like a diuretic and I don't want to just pee out all the nutrients I just took. So I wait until lunch.

Calcium:
I take this at lunch. Right now I take 750mg but I need to be taking 1200mg. I have been resistant because I still seem to eat plenty dairy. But I'll work it in over time.

Joint Doctor:
This is basically glucosamine. I take 4 capsules of the joint doctor at lunch. It is to help with your overall joint health which is important for lifting as heavy as I do. You know how sometimes you feel like a slight pop while working a specific muscle group? Well I do occasionally in my hip and shoulder. So this helps with that.

Probiotic:
I take one tablet before bed. This helps flush toxins out of your system and move the digestive tract.

ZMA:
This is zinc and magnesium. Specifically zinc is great for building muscle. I take 2 tablets before I go to bed. This also helps me sleep really well for some reason.

The above is my core supplement regime. All in all, I take 16 pills a day. You get used to it is all I can really say. Thankfully none taste bad. I hate taking pills and I've had to get over that! The glutamine and creatine are powders that don't taste like anything. Just gritty in your water.

In addition, I usually get 1-2 scoops of whey or soy protein into my diet each day. Usually in a meal like a protein shake or with my oatmeal. Whey is the best protein supplement. Also if you take some right after working out it is good to help your muscles recover. I actually put it in my coffee in the morning on the way to the gym and then drink some more on my drive to work. Helps you easily reach your protein goal for the day.

Thank God the Holidays are Over

I am so glad to be back ready for my normal schedule! I do so much better in routine mode!

I got the off-season diet from Amy. So here is the plan for the week on nutrition:

Pre-workout:
Coffee with myoplex lite vanilla
1 tsp glutamine
1 tsp creatine

Post workout:
1 tsp glutamine

Breakfast:
1/3 cup oats
1 scoop chocolate soy protein powder
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 multivitamin
3 clomex testosterone boosters
1 yohimbe fuel fat burner

Snack:
Lara Bar

Lunch:
turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with lettuce, tomato, and mustard
apple
4 joint doctors

Snack:
1 scoop vanilla whey protein
1/2 cup chai latte concentrate
1 cup skim milk

Dinner:
Amy's easy lasagna recipe
side salad with 2 tbsp low fat ranch

Snack:
skinny cow ice cream sandwich

Pre-bed:
1 tsp glutamine
2 ZMA tablets
1 probiotic

I have emailed Amy with a couple different questions but overall, I am really excited about the diet because there is still a lot of freedom on it. This is 1600 calories a day.

Also, I get one free day but really it is just a free meal. Amy says I can have 3 light beers and 3 pieces of pizza on my day off. Otherwise all other meals have to be just normal like any other day.

Working out: I already posted the new workout routine. I am really excited about it because it is really really hard. I am doing weights 5 days a week and focusing on every muscle group except for the chest. I'm a little worried about losing pec muscles but I am going to be doing the perfect pushup at night before bed (don't tell Amy! Yikes!)

Off Season Diet is In and Has Begun!

I got my package from Amy just before I left NY. It is not that surprising really. There are some really good recipes that I can't wait to try out. Obviously, this week is not really going to work to follow the off-season diet perfectly, as I am in New York! I will have to go shopping to start the plan for real, when I get home. But thankfully, here in NY, I have oats, tuna, apples, protein powder out the ass, and veggies. It isn't too hard to make sure I'm eating something on my diet when those foods are around. We went out for Italian last night and that really sucked. I had to order salmon which had a ton of butter, and then had a side salad with a little bit of olive oil. Otherwise, my travel day was ok because I had a protein bar on hand and rice cakes in my purse.

So, this week I'm doing my best to eat good but really I won't fully start my off season meals until next week. As I've said many times before - if I can just maintain the weight I'm at through the holidays, I will be ecstatic. Today I weigh 131, and that would be perfect if I could stay there throughout next week. Then that will kick off the first of the year in the best spot to do this off season diet to the fullest!

On another note - the new workout plan is killer. I was about to die doing hams and glutes yesterday. Today my arm workout was just ok. But when I was doing tricep kickbacks, I could totally tell that my muscles and veins are popping out of my arms! AWESOME!

Oh - I took progress picks before I left. Will have to upload them. They already look better than the few I took just about 4 weeks ago.

No sign yet....

No sign of my off-season diet yet. I have been going back in forth with Amy and she emailed me late Monday to tell me she was putting my package in the mail Tuesday. I would have thought it would be here by now considering it is only traveling from Dallas. I am really hoping it comes today because I am leaving for NY on Monday! If I don't get it I will have to wait another whole week to start my off-season training. Which may not be a bad thing because then I'll be back at work and it is actually really easy for me to stick to my diet at work now.

I do however know the whole new workout routine she is putting me on. The best way I can explain it is like doing all supersets. She wants me to work 2-3 different parts a day. Each part gets 4 different exercises. But say you are working back and calves - you do one back exercise as hard as you can do, then move right to calves for one exercise - no rest in between these 2 sets. Also, she only wants me to do 4 days a week of 35 minutes of cardio. This makes me super happy because I HATE cardio. The pre-contest will be super hard for me because of this fact. I guess once I get on the machine I am ok but I just get so damn bored.

So, the new routine is as follows:

Monday - Hams, Glutes, Abs
Tuesday - Calves, Arms
Wednesday - Abs, Traps, Delts
Thursday - Cardio only
Friday - Back, Calves
Saturday - Quads, Abs

Very different from what I'm currently doing which is a very good thing!

THIS is my Nutritionist!

I have to post some pictures of Amy so that people will know who I'm working with. I just LOVE her body!!

Some people think I am a total freak for admiring this body type. But I just LOVE Amy's arms and abs. She is my nutritionist people!!! Also, she is only like 5'1" or something. So she is not a tall girl. I hope I can be as buff as her one day!!!!

Off-Season Diet Coming Soon

I sent in all my paperwork with Amy today to get her working on my off-season diet. I had to tell her what I do and don't like as far as foods go (which I like most everything). I also had to give her a 3 day rundown of what I will typically eat. I gave her two week days and then a weekend day to show her what I would be doing good and when I'm cheating.

So I am super excited to find out how much stuff will change!

My prediction is that I have to start eating before and after I workout because I'm not really doing that right now. I also think that she is going to make me quit my "cheat day" and make it a "cheat meal". Big difference because I probably can't drink alcohol anymore. Oh well, I'm alright with it because I want to do whatever it takes to be in the contest.

Amy's flat rate for helping me in off-season is $400. She will get me an off-season plan and help me up to 8 months. I don't plan on having her help me that long. I want her to help me until May and then have her build me the actual competition diet.

A lot of people think of off-season as the easier part of training. But it really is not. See, when you start the competition diet, your main goal is to loose as much fat as you can. I want to get down to 10% body fat to compete. Well, your body is going to want to hold onto that fat, so it will likely shed some muscle in the process. Therefore, the ultimate goal in off-season is to build as much muscle as you possibly can! You need to get really buff because you aren't going to be able to build much more muscle in pre-contest phase. So the off-season diet is actually very very important.

So I'm super stoked. As soon as I hear what my plan is I will post about it. I'm sure it will be an interesting journey. I also have to take pictures every 2 weeks for Amy, so I will be posting progress pics much more often.

Meal Plan 38 Weeks out From Contest

Because I am still not on the official off-season diet, I'm trying to just eat as clean as I can this week:

Breakfast:
1/2 cup oats with 1/2 cup pumpkin

Snack 1:
1/2 cup oats with 1/2 cup egg beaters, 2 tbsp pumpkin

Lunch:
Clean Minestrone Soup
(I made a ton of this a while back and froze it. It's just a bunch of veggies and broth and some turkey breast tenderloin)

Snack 2:
3 caramel rice cakes with 1 tbsp natural peanut butter

Dinner:
1/2 cup whole wheat pasta
Turkey meat balls
Asparagus
mushrooms
spinach
Mushrooms

Stats - 38 Weeks out from Contest

It sure does feel good to weigh in the morning after a cheat day and have good numbers!!! There is something about drinking beer that really makes your body fat look really good! I don't understand it at all because you would think that alcohol dehydrates you, not makes you more hydrated therefore making the scale think you have more water and less fat in you.... it is really weird so I wish someone could figure it out for me!

I'll weigh in tomorrow just to double check the numbers...but I believe these are actually not too far off from what I would expect them to be on a regular day:

Weight: 130.0 lbs
Body Fat: 21.0%
Water: 57.7%
Lean Body Mass: 97.6 lbs
Physique Rating: 6
BMR: 1393
Metabolic Age: 13
Visceral Fat: 2

Not too shabby.... if I lose more body fat this week then I think my physique rating will change. Because I believe if you have less than 21% body fat and still the lean body mass that I have, the scale says you are an athlete status. So we will see next week when I check in!!!

I am anxiously awaiting Amy to put together my off season diet. I need to build as much muscle as I can so that when I go on contest diet I can just worry about losing the fat. I'll post what I'm eating this week today or tomorrow, but I'm hoping soon I won't be having to think about it anymore and just eating what Amy tells me to! She emailed me the other day but she was more wondering about how I'm getting my body fat numbers. I think she will want me to get a trainer at the gym to double check them so that she knows exactly where I'm starting from.

New Friends!

It is currently 7:37 am and I am having one of the best mornings ever!

I went to the gym for cardio this morning. I did the treadmill for 50 minutes and the stair climber for 15. Pretty good, but I could have done better. I've just been feeling sick this week and not totally into it. I was hoping to find some motivation.....

Well afterwards I was in the locker room and I mixed my glutamine up and started chugging. This girl says to me "it's all about the protein shakes, huh?" and I said "well actually it is glutamine." And then she was like "oh! well what is your overall goal?" So I told her that I want to do a figure competition. She got all excited and told me she just did her very first figure competition 2 months ago, and got 3rd place. Now, I've seen this girl at the gym before and she looks good. I'm not even surprised that she did one... but what was so cool is that we launched off into an entire conversation about this and that about competing. I told her I don't know where to begin and she said stop sweating it and just do it because it is going to be a disaster the first time (because you don't have a clue what you are doing anyway!). Then her friend comes up and they both start talking about how they are doing one in April! They said I should do it with them and get it over with so that I have a better chance of placing in August.

Anyway, we had this great conversation and I feel so good this morning. They both gave me their names (Tiffany and Louanna), and said that they would help me with anything that I need. It was really refreshing to meet people at my very own gym that know what I'm going through. They were so reassuring too - they told me to just focus on eating clean and that I look great right now, so don't worry about losing the fat. What is really surprising is that they said the hardest part is building and maintaining the muscle mass I have - I would have thought burning the fat would be the hardest! AND, they said they don't have coaches! They just do their homework - said they can't afford fancy trainers and all that so I should not worry. And ALSO - Louanna said she won 3rd place in her very first contest! I can not believe that.

One thing they did convince me of is that my final goal should be 10% body fat. Most figure competitors get down to that. So that is my new goal. I'm super excited about this competition. After having such a crappy feeling week, this was exactly what I needed to get motivated!!!!

YAY YAY!!!

Progress Pics

I took these pics on Saturday the 28th to send to Amy. I haven't heard back from her yet.

The pictures are not the best quality but you can definitely see a difference from the ones I took at the first of the month. It is amazing how your body can transform in such short time.

I always look so much wider than I feel when I take these pictures. But I think these actually look pretty darn good compared to 6 pounds ago. You can see my abs coming in, and see how buff my legs are. Unfortunately it is not as easy to see the definition in my arms and back. So I guess I'll have to keep working to lose fat in those areas.

What is super cool is see the last picture on the right? Look at my hand. There is a big 'ol vein popping out. That vein goes up my forearm but you can't see it in that picture. I am super excited to loose so much fat that veins will start popping out, so this is cool. I can't wait until you can see that in my stomach or the upper part of my arms. I know I sound like a freak to most people but I thin, it is super cool.

Weekly Stats and Nutrition Changes

Here are the weekly weigh in stats:

Weight: 132.4 lbs
Body Fat: 21.9%
Water: 57.1%
Lean Body Mass: 98.2
Rating: 6
BMR: 1404
Metabolic Age: 15
Visceral Fat: 2

So, I'm kind of sad that the weekly stats aren't more impressive, but I have to say that I am getting really really close to reaching a new level of fitness.

I say that because:

1. I weighed myself yesterday morning and was 129 lbs. Why I am heavier tonight, who knows.

2. My lean body mass is definitely increasing now, and you can see that my body fat % is down 2% from the beginning of November. I want to be 19% by the end of the year... well on Thursday night I was 20.9% and then yesterday it was 19%... I was really extra hydrated which is why I don't think it was as great today. But if I get to 19% in the next couple weeks I will be super stoked because that puts me right where I want to be for starting out 2010 in Contest Prep.

3. My body rating is always a 6. Well, when my body fat dropped to 20.9% on Thursday, it changed to a 9! A 9 means that you have lower body fat than normal and higher muscle mass than normal. It is technically considered athlete status. That makes me more excited than anything.

4. My visceral fat was a 1 yesterday when I weighed. That is as low as I can go on the scale!

So you can see that if all of this happened over the weekend, I'm getting really close to seeing it on the weekly weigh in. Super exciting!

Also, it is time to get extra serious. Soon Amy will be putting me on an official off season diet. But also, today was the first day of me taking some new supplements: Yohimbe fuel for energy, Creatine to build muscle, and Glutamine to help build muscle. So my supplementation is full on with me taking about 14 pills a day and 3 tsp of powder, along with 2 servings of whey or soy protein a day. I'm definitely getting used to having all of this extra stuff to keep track of.

Success!

So, I have to brag a little because I was dreading last week and I feel like I really beat Thanksgiving down to a pulp this year.

Thanksgiving was great. I cooked healthy options for myself and I didn't go crazy. I had a glass of wine and some popcorn to cheat a little. Same thing Friday - I ate well all day but still cheated at the very end of the day. Saturday I didn't eat hardly at all and drank some beer and Sunday I decided I could eat what I wanted as an official "cheat" day.

Well I wish that I was actually supposed to report my progress yesterday and not today. Because when I weighed myself yesterday morning I was 129 pounds! I broke 130! I can't believe it. Then, when I came home after eating bad all day and drinking, I weighed 132 (you always weigh more at night anyway) but my body fat % was like 19%!!!! Holy crap!

So I will report back when I get home after work and weigh myself. I'm expecting that I'm not really going to weigh 129 pounds. But I'm hoping if I hydrate myself all day today I will still have the lower body fat %. People, if I really am 19% body fat, I'm going to be stoked. That was my goal to make by January! I was hoping that I would be ready in January to push my body fat from 19 to about 15% before starting contest prep in May. I am so stoked.

Also, thank you to everyone that told me yesterday how skinny I looked. Compliments are wonderful and really make you realize how much body fat you have lost. I officially was in the skinniest pair of jeans I own yesterday. If I loose more weight, I won't have a single pair of pants in the closet that fit. Darn, I'll have to go to the mall!

And finally, I will have to post some progress photos later today. I took some on Saturday when I found out that I was 130 pounds. I took them for Amy Peters since she is going to help me build an off season diet and she needs to see how I look to start a plan. I look much much better in these photos than the last set. you can actually see my abs coming in and some real definition in my legs. I'm not as happy with my back still, but at least you can tell my shoulders and traps are really built up.

One of the Best Supplements!!!

I just love this supplement I am taking. It is called "Z.M.A." which stands for Zinc, Magnesium, and Vitamin B6.

So supposedly, it is really meant to help you with recovery, mental alertness, and strength. Ok, all of that is great... but you are supposed to take it right before bed. I swear to god, when I take this and get into bed, turn on the TV... man I start drifting off to sleep almost immediately. It is wonderful!!! I have the worst time trying to get enough sleep in and when I take this, I feel so rested the next day! And I don't really wake up all night long! It is totally awesome.

I love you "ZMA"!!!!

Nutritionist and Coach

Well, I have decided to work with Amy Peters to actually get me really started in training for the competition. There is just so much information out there that I really do want to have someone that knows what to do to kinda coach me through things.

So, she is going to get me set up on an off-season diet. The purpose of the diet will be to lean up as much as I can but also build my muscles as much as I can (which is really hard to do when you are dieting). She is going to help me with my workouts too. Since I have been training for quite some time, it's not as though I need her here with me in the gym to see what I do. We are going to work long distance to get myself going on the weight loss. Then hopefully I will be set up to start contest prep in May.

What is great about working with Amy is that:
1. She lives in Dallas so if I wanted to, I could meet up with her.
2. She is a short competitor! Therefore she will know a lot about my body type issues!
3. She is a regular competitor at the Houston Pro Am... which means she may be coming to the same contest I will be in!!! Wouldn't that be awesome to work with her and then us both be in the same competition? (well, she will be with the IFBB ladies, and I'll be a NPC newbie, but stilll!)

Exciting Exciting. I promised her that I will do whatever she tells me to do. I can't wait! She wanted me to start after the holidays and I was like, no let's start now! Depending on what she is doing for this time of year and how much time she has to work with me, I am hoping we get started before January. But if not, I'll just keep trecking on my existing plan that is working out ok.

Survival of the Fittest (litteraly) Week

Officially, the holidays are here.

As I mentioned before, I HATE this time of year for one main reason.... FOOD. Every year this time of year just kills me. No matter how hard I try, there are always these couple of days here and there where you say, I'm just not going to worry about it...I'm just going to enjoy myself...it is the holidays after all...

Bull shit.

After you say all of that, you weigh yourself on January 1 and find out you weigh 5 pounds more than you did in October. You think just like everyone else that you will have a new year resolution that you will lose the weight and more... it takes until April for you to lose the holiday weight by which time summer is basically here in Texas and partying starts even more and you are disgusted because you have to wear a bathing suit and you haven't lost any of the real weight you wanted to....

Ugh.

So this year, I will not be a victim to the holidays. I am going to the gym every day like I usually do. I found out this morning that the gym is open until 2 pm on Thursday and re-opens on Friday at 6 am. So there is no reason why I can not go and get in my good workout like always.

As for food - I am cooking a "clean" thanksgiving. Yeah, Andy will cook some food to indulge in, but I'm not having any of it. I am bound and determined to LOSE weight this holiday season. It will be a first and not one many people accomplish. But just like I quit the training for the half marathon: I did that because the training would set me back from my goal of the Figure Competition. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years - these are just bariers trying to get in my way. I will not have it!

In case anyone is wondering what the heck I'm supposed to eat on Thanksgiving...this is the menu of "clean" food I have planned:

Baked Turkey
Leek and Mushroom Stuffing
Sweet potatos
Green Beans
Cranberry Sauce
Gravy
Pumpkin Mousse

All of the above foods are clean and can be eaten on my diet. Some people may think they are too healthy and won't have all the gooey goodness they are used to eating at the holidays. But, as I said, Andy is cooking some indulgent foods and I told his family they can bring whatever they want to dinner. I am being only slightly selfish here and looking out for myself. Actually you could look at it that I'm bringing some balance to the dinner table this year, so we don't all just go off the deep end. I'm hoping to surprise everyone with how good healthy food can taste and that we don't have to eat all bad for you stuff just because.

Also, just because we are going to be eating a big meal does not mean I will be skipping any meals. I still plan on eating every couple of hours so that I keep my metabolism up and don't over eat at dinner. I can always eat some of the dinner food again a couple hours later! So I'm going to keep the portions really small and just eat often. What is good about this plan, is I should feel like I'm eating all day like everyone else. The only difference is I will be eating my healthy version of their meals.

So.... let the Survival of the Fittest begin! Bring It!

Good Week

This was a very good week for me. I didn't miss a single workout and didn't mess up once on my diet. I was allowed a cheat day, and I really didn't need it. I feel like I'm really getting into the swing of things.

my stats for this week's weigh in are as follows:

Weight: 132.0 lbs
Body Fat: 23%
Water: 56.3%
Lean Body Mass: 96.4 lbs
Rating: 6
BMR: 1385
Metabolic age: 16
Bone Density: 5.2
Visceral fat: 2

I have to say I'm pretty happy with these numbers. If you look back at previous weeks, I'm down from the start of November by 4 pounds and 1% of body fat. My lean body mass says it has gone down some... which is bad...I need that to be increasing! Or at least staying the same so I can just lose fat! I think the extra cardio I'm doing should finally help. And the weightlifting this week really kicked my butt. I was sore A LOT of the time this week. So hopefully I'm pushing myself as hard as I can.

Next week's challenge is THANKSGIVING. Most people look forward to the holidays, I normally dread them because I gain every bit of 5 pounds which takes me at least three months to lose, putting my at my October weight in April.... pathetic. This year is super different because I am determined to loose weight through the holidays. I'd like to get my body fat down by another 3% by New Years... may be pushing that goal but I'm sure going to try.

So next week will be interesting... I've got to try to cook for other people as well as myself and somehow stay healthy. I don't think I'll have a problem making it to the gym. Thursday is really supposed to be a rest day on weights anyway, so I don't miss out with the gym being closed that day. I'm going to try to remain positive and motivated and hopefully report back next week with more progress!

Saturday Workout

Ok, this is the last day of the week to tell you about my workout. Everything that I wrote about this week will stay the same for the next 4-6 weeks, except for cardio (topic for another time).

I love Saturdays because I get to take my step class. Most people would probably think that is crazy because they want to sleep in and enjoy their day off. Well, I'm kind of the opposite. Actually I sleep until about 6:30 (which is SO sleeping in for me when I usually hear the alarm at 3:30 am!!) and I take my time doing chores and eating breakfast. Then I leave for the gym at 9:00. That gets me there at 9:15 to do an hour of weights and then 1 hour of step class/ab work.

The muscles to work out with weights on Saturday are Quads, Glutes and Abs.

Glutes
Side Lunge (holding 30 lbs) 4 sets x 10 reps
Glute extension 4 sets x 10 reps
Walking Lunges 1 set of as many as you can do

Quads
Squats (I like the smith machine so I can go up heavy in weight) 4 sets x 10 reps
Hack Squats 4 x 10
Extensions (I usually do about 70 lbs) 4 sets x 10 reps

Abs
Lying pelvic lift 4 x 25
Butterfly crunch 4 x 25
Decline sit up 4 x 25

Friday's Workout

By the way.... Thursday was only cardio. It really is supposed to be a rest day, but come on? Rest? I don't need 2 days for rest. I will take Sunday off and that should be plenty!

This morning was only delts and calves. This seems a little weird to me, but I guess these are two areas that need extra focus for most women. I can see the delts. What is funny is that this is my FAVORITE body part to work. I just love the way my shoulders look in tank tops and halters right now. I would work these 3 days a week if I could. But then I'd probably look weird I guess.

Also on the irony of things... I have HUGE calves already. HUGE. I don't need to work those suckers 2 days a week. But, I'm going to follow the plan like I'm supposed to... if in a couple weeks it doesn't look like they are getting any more leaned out, I'll probably cut down to just my body weight for the calve exercises. Figure is all about Symmetry so I don't want to have my humongous calves for competition.

Delts
Dumbbell overhead press (max out at 32 lbs)- 4 sets x 10 reps
Arnold press (max out at 30 lbs) - 4 sets x 10
Lateral Raises (max out at 24 lbs) - 4 sets x 10
Rear Delt Pull (max out at 20lbs) - 4 sets x 10

Calves
Standing Calve Raises (holding 32lbs) - 4 sets x 20 reps
Seated Calve Raises (with 25 lbs) - 3 sets x 20

For cardio I did another 20 minutes on the stair climber and then 15 minutes on the elliptical. I upped my stair climber to a level 8 today... I hate that machine which probably means it is the one I should be using as much as possible.

Skinny Jeans

I have been realizing that most of my clothes do not fit at all now. Especially my jeans.

So last night, just for kicks, I decided to try on the skinniest pair of jeans I own. They are Abercrombie and Fitch jeans - which I would never even bother shopping at that store today because they make jeans that I guess should fit a straight legged 15 year old. I've had these jeans for 4 years and haven't been able to wear them for most of that time. Heck, I probably bought them without really trying them on and just had wishful thinking. They are a size 6 and if anyone knows about ABF - they make there jeans like 1-2 sizes smaller than everyone else. So even if it says a 6 - it is going to fit like a 4.

THEY FIT.

Not just like I was able to pull them up and button them... THEY FIT. NO muffin top, and my butt looks freaking good in them.

Now THAT is how you measure progress.

Also exciting... when I got home from work I weighed myself. No real major loss this week.... but my Body fat was 21.9%!!!! I am really hoping to get to 19% by New Years and that is a big goal with all the food barriers of the holidays. But that was exciting to see! Maybe by Sunday my body fat will be an even 21%. I'm going to post progress pictures then as well.

It's FIGURE not FITNESS...

Ok, I need to explain the difference because far to many people are confused....

When I say I am entering a FIGURE competition, yes, it is an entry in the body building world. However, it is NOT body building. This is what a body builder looks like:

Next - I am NOT doing a Fitness Competition. That is where you do a whole dance/gymnastics routine.... hello, I need to take this one step at a time!!! While I would love to do that, that requires a whole other element to the contest. That means not only would I be worried about getting into great shape and not eating anything unhealthy, but I would have to practice a routine 3-5 days a week. Ok that is a little too much to take on!

So, when I say Figure, I mean this:

Muscles, but still feminine. Also, you just mainly look pretty on stage but try to show your physique off. THIS is what I'm doing.

So now you know. So please stop thinking I will either look like a man, or be dancing to Britney Spears on stage.

Competition Date - Mark it on the Calendar!

I have picked a contest. It is extremely exciting! I hope that everyone can try and come. Tickets won't be on sale for a long time, but when they do, Andy is going to buy a bunch so I can have a cheering section.

The date is August 28, 2010. It is the Houston Pro Am Figure Competition.

This is both Pro's and Amateurs competing. So you will get to see a little of both. And it includes body building, fitness, and figure. Lots to see. Also, I will be entering in the short category. This is up to 5'2. So I will still be pretty short in my category, but at least I'll be judged against the other shorties.

More details to come. But this is a big deal that I actually have the date picked!

Wednesday's Workout

Back is one of my weaker areas. Well, actually I really don't know because I still have too much fat on it. It is my favorite body part to work out besides biceps and triceps. For figure, you HAVE to have a V-taper. Which means I need to trim up my waistline too, but ultimately you need to work all the back muscles: Delts, Lats, rhomboids, and middle back.

Back:
1. Chin Ups (I use the pull up machine because I'm still weak to pull up my entire body weight- which means I'm only pulling up about half of my weight) - 4 sets x 10
2. Close grip pull downs (60lbs) - 4 sets x 10
3. Dumbbell bent over row (32lbs) - 4 sets x 10
4. wide grip row (40 lbs) - 4 sets x 10

Triceps:
1. Overhead extension (12 lbs) - 4 sets x 10 each arm
2. Press downs (40 lbs) - 4 sets x 10
3. Decline Skull Crusher (30 lb barbell) - 4 sets x 10
4. Triceps Dip (106 lbs) - 4 sets x 10

Abs:
1. Stomach Vacuum (4 x as long as you can hold it)
2. Jack Knife Crunches (4 sets x 25)
3. Swiss Ball Crunches (4 sets x 25)

Cardio:
20 minutes HIT on treadmill. Full on sprint at the end.

Tuesday's Workout

My butt hurts so bad today.

And the worst thing is, Tuesday workout is supposed to be all about Hams and Calves. But I will always take extra work to the glutes!

Hams:
Stiff Legged Deadlifts (50 lb barbell) - 4 sets x 10 reps
Barbell Split Squat (30 lb barbell) - 4 sets x 10 reps, each leg
Lying Leg Extensions (50 lb) - 4 sets x 10 reps
Walking Lunges (20 lbs) - 4 sets x 14 steps
Step Ups (using 20 lbs, medium step) - 4 sets x 10 reps, each leg

Calves:
Seated Calve Raises (25 lbs) - 3 sets x 20 reps
Standing Calve Raises (20 lbs) - 3 sets x 20 reps

Cardio:
20 minutes on the stair climber - not the StairMaster but the actual stair climber! Level 7.

I was about to die when I was on the stair climber. My legs were already burning and then I had to do 20 minutes of level 7!!! I was sweating my brains out but I just kept thinking "Eat....Sleep...Breathe Figure!!!"... that's how I made it through.

And like I said, usually it takes 24 hours or more for me to feel the new workout...oh no. My butt hurt by the time I got home from work.

New Workout

I try to change my workout every 4-6 weeks so that my body doesn't get in a rut.

I think each day I'll tell what I'm doing.

Today was Chest, Biceps, and Abs.

Chest
Incline Dumbbell Press (50lbs) 4 sets x 10 reps - 1 min rest
Chest Dips (I take 60 lbs off my body weight) 4 sets x 10 reps - 1 min rest
Pec Dec (max out at 50 lbs) 4 sets x 10 resp - 1 min rest
Push ups - as many as you can do one time - 1 min rest

Biceps
Narrow Grip Curl - (30 lb barbell) 4 sets x 10 reps - 1 min rest
Wide Grip Curl - (30 lb barbell) 4 sets x 10 reps - 1 min rest
Hammer Curls - (20lbs) 4 sets x 10 reps - 1 min rest
Incline drag curls - as many as you can do once - 1 min rest

Abs
Decline push crunch - 3 sets x 25 reps - 1 min rest
Cable Crunch (15 lbs) - 3 sets x 25 reps - 1 min rest
Twist Crunch (using 6lb medicine ball)

I followed all of this up by doing 20 minutes of High Intensity Training (H.I.T.) on the stair climber.

To be honest, I couldn't have done any better on the biceps. But I could have pushed harder for abs. Good thing I'm going to be working them for 3 days a week now! I also am going to do the real deal stair machine tomorrow for my cardio.

Oh - and everyone should love the motto I was given today:

"Those who die in the gym....will be resurrected on stage!"

This guy that I work with that was training for a competition told me this today. I love it. It is pretty funny sounding but I think I will keep that in my head during the next 200 days of training!

This Week's Nutrition

I should mention that in all of my research, I finally came across some really good tips. One was a e-book that basically tells all about the Figure world.

You need 16 weeks for contest prep. And you shouldn't even consider it unless you are at least 24% body fat or less. So I am right on the cusp of being able to do this.

Therefore, I am going to spend the next 12 weeks on basically a Body-For-Life diet to trim down. These diets are amazing for anyone who is not familiar. They really really work - If you follow them!!! They are also perfect for anyone who is completely new to the Figure Competition world. So here is my plan for the week:

Breakfast:
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup water
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
2 packets sweet and low
1 scoop whey vanilla protein powder

Snack 1:
low fat tuna salad - made with 2 oz tuna and 1 tbsp low fat mayo
7 whole wheat crackers (I like Kashi brand)

Lunch:
Whole wheat low carb wrap
3 oz low sodium turkey lunch meat
1/4 avocado
lettuce. tomato

Snack 2:
1 scoop lean dessert whey protein
1 tbsp peanut butter
6 oz skim milk

Dinner:
3 oz ground turkey breast cooked in taco seasoning
1/2 cup brown rice
1/4 avocado
lettuce, tomato, salsa

I should mention that one of the things I found out is that there is a true formula to my needs right now. Basically, I am supposed to have:
Total Calories per day: 1862
(this is my weight times 14 to lose fat)
Then the breakdown is:
140 g of protein
186 g of carbohydrates
62 g of fat

Obviously this will have to be re-visited every 2 weeks to check on my progress. As I lose weight all of these numbers will change! If I don't lose weight in two weeks then it will be time to carb cycle... (a topic for another day).

And if anyone is wondering, I keep a food log at www.myfooddiary.com. That is what helps me know how many grams I have actually ate as well as calories.

New Shoes

Anyone who knows me knows that I am crazy about shoes. Well, one of the perks of entering the figure competition is that you need to have very special shoes - therefore giving me a reason - no a NEED - to purchase a new pair of shoes!!!

The competition shoes have to be a certain way. They should be clear so they don't distract the audience from your figure. And they have to be very tall. I mean like 4-5". That is so you can show off your calves and hams and quads! They probably remind you of stripper shoes honestly because there isn't a whole lot of places you will wear clear, 5" heels!

Well, I went ahead and purchased my shoes. That is probably a little funny that I am shoe obsessed and bought them now and not near the contest. But I had a good reason!!! I need to start taking my progress photos in the shoes and practicing walking in them (they are 5" heels after all!). Also, I need to practice posing in them. There is really not such a thing as buying them TOO EARLY. So here they are:

I think they are gorgeous! I just love them. I think they will look freaking cuter than hell on my feet. I will take a picture when I get them (will be another week or so).

Amy Peter's DVD

I don't think I ever commented on what I finally figured out from Amy's DVD. Here is a list of things I realized while watching it:

1. Nutrition is going to be the number one thing to carry me to competition. This has to be perfect. Amy prepares all of her meals daily just like I already do, so I am confident I can make this happen as long as I stick to the plan. But I better get a nutritionist fast.

2. Oatmeal is going to forever be in my life.

3. Posing is ULTRA important. I am really going to have to find a posing coach. You can make your body look fabulous but if you don't have a coach you won't be able to show your body like you should.

4. My body fat goals are probably wrong. Amy's body fat in the off season is 12%!!!! Wow, I'm at 22%.... so I basically need to concentrate on losing losing losing before competition training really begins. I am going to step up my cardio this week!!!

5. I was right about McDonald's Diet Cokes!!! This was perhaps the funniest thing of the entire DVD. Amy drinks diet cokes which really surprised me because I basically gave them up and have been drinking water. But she only goes to McDonald's for her diet coke - Just like me!!!! She says the fountains are Magic! I totally agree!!!! The diet cokes that come from McDonald's taste so freaking good. I can't believe I was able to give them up. I still can't believe that Amy even drinks them!

6. I will definitely need a makeup artist for the competition. Fake lashes and nails are a must.

7. I should plan on spending around $400 for a custom made competition suit.

8. There is a girl named Elizabeth Dewell that designs competition jewelry. Something else to consider for contest.

9. Amy's role model in figure is Monica Brandt. Funny how even someone who is a pro still has a role model just like them.

10. And this may be the most important... you have to surround yourself with other people that support your goal to be successful.

#10 is a hard one for me. All the others I can overcome but it is definitely hard in my group of friends to make people understand that I don't want to drink or that I would rather just stay home than be tempted. Amy said it pissed her off to go through the McDonald's line and they know her so well yet sometimes they still offer her an apple pie. Like, really? Do you think she is going to take an apple pie? Come on people. Steve tried to get me to drink a pina colada last night.... right.... I eat what I hate all day to ruin it with a 15 grams of fat drink. No thank you!

Good DVD overall. Made me understand what I'm in for and that it is going to get pretty tough at times.

Star Struck

I am having the hardest time realizing that all these other Figure competitors are really a lot like myself.

For instance, I visited Amy Peters website and ordered her DVD and she sent me a personalized Thank You note with my DVD. And emailed me multiple times to see if I needed any help with anything else. And Jenny Lynn was the same way. She emailed me to ask for my pictures and wanted to give me help in any way she could. Then yesterday I ordered another DVD - this time it is a very well known DVD that Tanji Johnson made on Posing...well this morning I have a email from her asking about when I'm going to compete and is it in Fitness or Figure! This is the weirdest thing to me because I see these women in my magazines! They are celebrities in my mind. They are PRO Figure competitors! The fact that they give a crap about little 'ol me and what the heck I'm doing is so freaking weird!!!

So then it makes me realize that these girls are just that amazing. They obviously are some of the most dedicated and motivated women on this planet to do what they have done. But to still be real people even because of their fame in the industry really shows what kind of people they are. Heck, the worthless personal trainers at 24 Hour Fitness act like they are "better than thou" just because they are personal trainers (which isn't saying much by the way... they could use a few lessons themselves).

It is so inspiring to be dealing with these women. I am so thankful that they want to help me. And for being so new to this and having so many people around me really unsure of what I'm doing... it is super nice to have the best of the best encouraging me.

I May Have Found a Coach!!!!

Cross your fingers for me PLEASE!

I heard back from Karen, my friend who teaches classes at my gym. Her sister was a body builder and won 1st place!!! She works out at 24 Hour Fitness in Friendswood and lives in Alvin! I emailed her this morning and I may have just found my coach! I am so excited!!!!

Like I said, cross your fingers... this is the best luck I have had so far. I knew I could count on Karen, she is amazing!

Yay Yay!!!

Figure Coach Search Update

Not really any new update on the search for a figure coach. Every day I try to work on this at least some.

I sent an email to my friend Karen who teaches step classes at the gym and the YMCA. I'm hoping she knows someone in her world of teaching that may also do some coaching.

Kimmy also got me an email to South Shore Fitness Center. I know that one of the instructors there has done some fitness competitions in the past. But I don't work out there so I don't know if anyone will actually email me back or want to work with me.

I'm really concerned just about finding someone to help me with posing. I think this is the area I am going to need the most help with. I am also going to try to find some workshops early next year because the more I search for the coach the more I find that this is a possibility. But it's not the same as having one on one help. I just think for my first competition I'm really going to need someone! There has to be people out there that do this stuff!!!

Apparently Dallas is like the MECCA of figure competitors...once again I feel like Houston is a fat lazy city compared to Dallas.

This Week's Nutrition Plan

Off the no carbs... phew. While they really bumped up my weight loss, it was really difficult. This week, most of the carbs are earlier in the day. Protein at every meal, but I cut out the carbs for the last two meals.

Breakfast
1/2 c. oats cooked in water
1 tbsp flax seed
1 tbsp wheat germ
1/2 cup nectarine halves
2 egg whites

Snack 1
1/2 apple
5 oz 0% greek yogurt

Lunch
1/2 cup brown rice
3 oz grilled chicken
2 tbsp salsa
1/4 cup low fat cheese
top with lettuce, tomato and 1/4 avocado

Snack 2
Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake:
1 scoop lean dessert chocolate fudge whey protein
1 tbsp natural peanut butter
6 oz skim milk

Dinner
3 oz grilled chicken
2 cups romaine lettuce
2 tbsp fat free Cesar dressing
1 tbsp reduced fat grated Parmesan cheese

Supporters and Sceptics

I told a couple more friends this week that I want to compete. Jayna was totally awesome about it. She thought I could do it and was excited for me to do something the last little bit of my twenties (recognize that a lot of women start this idea when they are like 21!). So that was cool to hear someone be excited for me.

Most of my regular hang out friends... not so much. Well, Chandra actually has been cool about it. Or at least she keeps her opinion to herself. But BW and Diane thought it was a crazy idea. Actually Diane wants me to do a fitness competition so that I can do the splits and high kicks and be all smiley cheerleader type. Well, I don't think I'm going to do a fitness routine, just a figure competition. The fitness requires a whole other level of focus and choreography. And most of those girls are gymnasts. But both BW and Diane are worried I will look like a man. I think that is what a lot of people are worried about. Oh well I guess they will just have to think that until I can get far enough along into it where they realize that isn't going to be the case.

Amy Peters' Nutrition

I started watching her DVD. It is not too surprising but pretty good.

The nutritional part doesn't surprise me. That girl eats 3 rice cakes and one tbsp of peanut butter for one of her meals. Another meal was oatmeal and whey. Another meal was some interesting looking oatmeal cookies that I'm going to have to try.

What I did like is she uses a multigrain cereal made by quaker instead of oatmeal. She said it has to be purchased online, but I think I'm going to try it. Eating oatmeal is one of the worst things about trying to be a competitor. You can't eat the instant flavored stuff that is sold at the store because it has too much processed junk in it. So to eat clean oatmeal, you have to flavor it with cinnamon and a natural sweetner...and honestly it is not awful, but still not GOOD. It is the one meal I just choke down each day and try not to think about at all. And everyone knows I hate it... they are always asking why I eat it if I hate it... they don't really understand.

Amy also uses a TON of supplements. It was good to see what she takes because I need to start figuring that out. Looks like I need some stuff for amino acids, natural testosterone booster, and energy. I already take some pretty good calcium and daily vitamin supplements.

I think I figured out that it will cost me around $800 for a nutritional plan catered to me for competition. I'm pretty sure I can sell Andy on that. He has been very supportive so far.

Week 1 Stats

Ok, it is the end of week 1. So I took some measurements today:

Weight: 132.4
Fat: 24.1%
Water: 55.6%
Lean Body Mass: 95.4
Rating: 6
BMR: 1374
Metabolic Age: 18
Bone Density: 5.0
Visceral Fat: 2

The scale is very dependent on what time of day you take your measurements. These were at 9:30 am and I'd already eaten breakfast. If you weigh yourself when you first wake up it will say you are even smaller (I was 131lbs) but you are dehydrated so it's not that accurate. I think this is for the most part pretty accurate.

So yes, that means I shed 4 pounds this week. I think in reality it was more like 2 because I told you I had a major cheat day last Sunday so I was probably just a little bloated from that.

My clothes definitely don't fit right now. It is hard to know what to go out and buy because I want to lose so much more. I'm glad that I work in the refinery and can wear my nomex every day!

Also, I can't take a progress picture this week because Andy took the camera to the deer lease. But next week I will take one.

First Taste of Mind over Matter

Yesterday sucked.

I've been low carbing it this week so it's not like I have a ton of energy. But yesterday was definitely pushing my limits.

I woke up at 3:50 and was at the gym by 4:30 as always. But it was Wednesday so I was off to do cardio. I did the stair climber for 15 minutes and then the elliptical for 30. Then was abs. I did hanging leg raises and the decline super set with reverse crunches... then over to the step to do v-ups followed immediately by hip thrusts... followed by regular crunches and scissor kicks. So I finally wrapped up right at 6:00, hit the shower and got to work right about 7:00.

Well my day at work was crazy! I mean one of those days where you have tons of work to do but no one will leave you alone because they are all having an emergency. I jump around all day trying to get caught up. About 2:00 or so I realize that I am just really tired. I see Lisa and she is like "what is wrong with you?" and I'm like "Man, I am mentally and physically drained today".

Then I have an intense meeting at 3:00, it ends at 3:45 and my boss says - oh yeah, we have a meeting at 4:30 in Heidi's office... HELLO? When was he going to tell me this? So I wrap up a couple other things and head to the 4th floor. By the way, on Wednesdays I always try to leave at 4:00 so I can have dinner with Grandma. I knew that was out of the question so I call Andy and rush to the meeting. This meeting lasted until 6:00! Then I had to fix my entire presentation which is due today at 3:00!!!! So I worked until 6:45 and finally gave up. I got home about 7:15. By the time I ate dinner and packed my gym bag, it was 8:00. I still had to make my lunch for today. Well, lunch is really 5 meals: 3 snacks, breakfast, and lunch. I made it to bed by 9:00, watched TV for an hour and fell asleep.

So, my day was 18 hours long and I was busy the entire time. Well not that last hour of watching TV. And I only consumed 1100 calories. That is insane.

I really started thinking that maybe I am completely crazy for wanting to be in a competition and actually having a career at the same time. Maybe if I had a JOB, but I have a CAREER.

And it is just going to get worse. If the competition was around the corner, I'd have to do another 45 minutes of cardio before bed.

My figure dvd from Amy Peters should be in today. I can't wait to see it.

Hormones

I'll try not to make this too weird...

I am not taking any kind of hormones. 6 weeks ago, I stopped taking birth control pills. Without getting too personal about this, there were two main reasons:

1. It was just making me really weird and I wasn't happy after replacing my own hormones for 10 years (that is probably just too long)....

2. AND officially a study came out saying that basically, if you are on any type of hormones for birth control - well you won't gain as much muscle mass as someone who is not.

Number two made me so mad when I found out that I made a doctor appointment one month later. Basically, there was a study done and proved that women not taking any kind of hormones gained 60% more muscle mass than those that were in a 12 week time frame. So basically all this time that I work out, I wasn't getting my full benefit. That just plain pissed me off.

So now I'm hormone free. But man is it weird. After 10 years of not really feeling my own hormones, there is one hormone in general that is messing me up: Testosterone. It was hidden away for awhile and now that it is coming out, it is really crazy. Like I get mad. Not just mad, but enraged. It is really weird. So, I really don't know how women can take steroids to be in body building. That must make them really messed up. No good.

Hopefully the testosterone is going to help me lift that extra weight and be extra pumped up. I'm counting on you, testosterone.

Update on Figure Coach Search

Well, I am making progress on the figure coach search.

1. Amy Peters who is an IFBB pro emailed me today. She has a dvd called "Eating, Sleeping, Breathing Figure". You betcha I bought it right when I got home from work.

2. Jonathan (my ex-trainer from 2007) text messaged me to say that he is still chasing down Stacy from Pasadena 24 hour to get me some info. She competes and also is a trainer herself. Probably one of my best bets at this point since I belong to 24 hour. There is another guy that is a trainer at that 24 hour too that I'm hoping could maybe help...but I am preferring a woman at this point.

3. Kimmy went back to her gym today (South Shore Harbor). She has been away a couple weeks because she sprained her ankle on one of those Bosu Balls. Reminder to stay away from those stupid things! Anyway, she forgot to talk to Christy for me. But she goes every day and I'm sure she will get to it sometime this week. Otherwise, I know that Dave guy there was some kind of iron man. Surely these people have connections.

It's progress. I just have to keep searching. Someday I will find someone who can coach me in the right direction. If all else fails, I have the DVD coming to get me started and of course Jenny Lynn's online chat/forum stuff.

Some people also know that there is this one girl I am obsessed with at the Pasadena 24 hour gym. (BTW apparently no competitors work out at my League City gym, or else they go during the day and not at 4 am). I am obsessed with this girl. She has the best looking body I have ever seen. And I found out she competes. Maybe I will have the guts to talk to her (I'm super scared of her because she looks very tough and I also don't want her to laugh at me). Who knows. I'm not really resorting to talking to strangers yet.

Awful Progress Pictures

If you are looking at this, try not to laugh:

Pretty awful. Man, I wish I had saved my actual FAT pictures, because maybe then it wouldn't look so bad. Point is, I have a long way to go. Even though my fat % is totally healthy, that body is not going to even come close to stepping on a competition stage at this point.

But I'm glad I started this blog so that I can remind myself of how far I have to go. Andy says I should still send these to Jenny Lynn to get her opinions, but I am just so disgusted with these that I need to wait until I think I'm at a good weight to really kick it up to the next level. At this rate I have been on I know I can still lose more weight without professional help.

What is really good about these pictures is it shows me what I need to work on. Ok, I know biceps and back is a really week area of mine. I have been working those 2 days a week now. Obviously abs... although what you can't see in the pictures is that I really do have great abs... there is of course some love handles that need to come off and some more fat to show the six pack.. but it is there. Believe me, if you could FEEL the pictures you would see it. And I know this may sound weird but yesterday I saw veins on my stomach. Obviously not popping out yet, but we are getting close. Andy thinks that is so weird that I like that. And lastly, I need to work my abductors more and I've kicked that up to 2 days a week as well.

This Week's Diet

Breakfast
3 egg whites
1 egg
1 cup green bell pepper

Snack 1
1 cup celery
12 almonds

Lunch
3 cups salad
1 tbsp fat free dressing
1 cup asparagus
1 cup zucchini
4 oz chicken

Snack 2
1 cup celery
12 almonds

Snack 3
2 oz tuna
1 cup red bell pepper

Dinner
6 oz fish
3 cups salad (no dressing)
1 steamed tomato
1 cup zucchini

And if you are absolutely starving in between all these meals, you can have one more snack of a hard boiled egg.

Drink 1 oz water per pound of body weight (136 oz) a day.

As you can tell, I'm no carbing it. This is not a good diet to follow for more than 2 weeks. I'm only following it for this week to kick start weight loss. Eating every 2 hours is a must for the metabolism. I have VERY low energy. But you just have to push through it.

This Week's Stats

Yesterday was a complete cheat day, so I'm a little disappointed in today's stats:

Weight: 136.6
Body Fat: 26%
Water: 55.7%
Physique Rating: 6
BMR: 1416
Metabolic Age: 18
Lean Body Mass: 98.2
Bone Density: 5.2
Visceral Fat: 2

Ok, so the disappointing part is that I really thought I would be 134 pounds. But I think I still need to flush out yesterday's cheating. Also the body fat % is up a percent from a few days ago... also contributing to the cheat day. HOWEVER, what is wonderful is that my visceral fat is down to a 2. When I started dieting hard core back in May, it was a 4. A 4 is not terrible but it went down to a 3 and then hasn't been moving. So I'm excited about that.

Also, to explain the cheat day: I had a melt down yesterday. I took my progress pictures (will be posted soon) and was so disappointed in how they looked. Like I look at myself in the mirror and feel pretty good, but on camera I look like a fat cow. I started crying because I so wanted to send them to Jenny Lynn...and then I felt like she was just going to laugh at me. So now I don't know if I will send them in or not. Andy says I should. But I think they are too awful. So I think I might wait until January to send in ones when I am finally to 124 pounds. That is my new goal because that will put my body fat at 19%, assuming lean body mass doesn't change. But to get back to the cheating.... I was feeling so bad that I didn't want to go to BW's because I knew I would cheat...and then I caved in because I thought having a cheat day after working so hard is not the end of the world and it would be better than sitting around the house feeling sorry for myself.

But you know what? I didn't really feel any better having a cheat day. All day I kept thinking "I can not believe how much junk the normal population puts in their mouth". When you have been eating clean for as long as I have, it all tastes completely different. Like, TOO buttery. That is what all that non-clean food tastes like to me: Butter and Oil. It's disgusting. Which is a good thing. I'm back on track today and not wanting to cheat at all. I'm looking at today as the first day towards competition weight.

Getting Started

Where do I begin? Well this week, I finally let the cat out of the bag and told some friends and family that I am going to do a figure competition in 2010. So far, not too many reactions... although I don't know how many people really believe I'm serious.

So where and how do I even get started?

That I really don't know the answer to yet. This week, I tried contacting as many people I know in the fitness world. I emailed ex-personal trainers of mine. I even asked Kim to hit up Christy at the South Shore Harbor Gym which I worked out at over 5 years ago. I'm trying everything in hopes of finding a coach. Not necessarily a trainer, just a coach to walk me through the steps, take a look at my nutrition, point me in the right direction. And I only managed to come across one good lead: Jenny Lynn.

Thanks to BodyBuilding.com I was able to post to one of their forums and a lady who makes competition suits emailed me with a few names. Jenny Lynn was one of them. I emailed Jenny and she emailed me back almost immediately. She lives in the Dallas area, but says she coaches people around the world. So this may be a great place to start at least. She needs me to send in pictures of myself and then she can help me pick my contest and figure out how far I really have to go with my body to make it happen.

This really seems almost too good to be true at this point. If you investigate more about Jenny Lynn, you will find out that she is a major, I mean MAJOR, fitness/figure pro. She is the IFBB Figure International winner like 2 or 3 times in a row. She is amazing. So if I can actually get her help - well I am really off to a great start. Andy is curious how much it is going to cost me... but so far she is willing to just talk to me over email. And on her site it looks like I can pay about $15 a month to get in on recipes, forums, and other advice... so honestly if I only do that it is a pretty good deal.

So that's a start at least. I'm going to be sending in my pictures tomorrow in hopes of some expert opinions. I'm just crossing my fingers at this point that she doesn't shoot me down completely and tell me that 2010 is an impossible goal.