2011 NPC Schedule

The newest schedule is out!

I am seriously considering the Ronnie Coleman Classic first off. This is April 2nd. This is really just around the corner so this will be tough. 16 weeks out is December 4th and 12 weeks out is Jan 1. So it will definitely make holidays a little harder but at the same time it gives me a reason to stick to my diet through the holidays.

I am looking at doing back to back shows in October. It is actually easier to do back to back shows because you are already lean. You just don't get to pig out after completing the first one. But if they are back to back it isn't a big deal. There is one October 1st in McAllen and then Texas State is October 15th this year. Doing both of these would be cool because you can learn a lot in a short time.

So I'm talking with Amy right now about getting in order for April 2nd. Another plus to doing that show means that I will be in Dallas where she lives and we can be together for it.

As for my off-season, right now the only things to note is as follows:
Daily calorie intake: 1600
new supplements: Beta-X muscle builder and ALRI Proanabolic
Giant Set workouts
Cardio 40 min/day, 6 days a week.

I'm slowly backing off the cardio. If you remember there were a lot of two a days before and now they are all gone. I'll be down to hopefully 4 days a week of 35 minutes per day soon and that should stay that way until I really need help leaning out. 1600 cal/day on the diet seems just perfect although I'm definitely hungry still.

I've cheated a lot since the show. I've been gaining 1 pound a week since then which isn't too bad but I wish I could control myself more. I was 111 going into cheat week. I am now 114.5. It has been a little more than 3 weeks. But starting this week I'm for sure back on one day a week cheating and hoping to make it through the holidays like this. I just don't want to get bigger than 116 in the off season because it will make it that much harder to lean out for the show in April.

A Complaint

I would like to file a complaint and the only place I knew where to do it without bitching out too many people was this blog.

If someone you know loses a ton of weight and they are very happy about it and proud of their accomplishment...I think it is complete Bull shit to go tell them that they are "too thin and don't look good". I have been told this now by TWO family members. This is complete SHIT. Technically these people are not blood relatives, but they are family. First, I never came to these people and said "how do I look" so I didn't even ask for their opinion. Second, I just don't know where anyone gets off telling someone that went from 30% fat to 10% fat that they are too skinny. Listen....I may be small but I am not "skinny". 10% fat means I have a ton of muscle. You can't be anorexic and have muscle. The only way to have this much muscle is to eat enough food to fuel the muscle, so I think it is so stupid for anyone to say that I'm too skinny like I'm unhealthy. And if these people had actually spent any time with me, they would know I eat all the time, as that is the only way to keep my metabolism going.

The one comment that bugs me a lot too is about how my face has lost a lot of fat. Yes, it has. This is not an untrue statement. but sometimes when people say this to me it is like they are grossed out by it or something. There was a lot of fat in my face before and now I lost a lot of it. I don't think my face looks muscular or hard. I still have dimples in my cheeks. But I guess some people are weirded out because my face was fat for so long. So let me just say this about my face: I LIKE IT BETTER NOW! I HAD A DOUBLE CHIN BEFORE AND I NO LONGER HAVE IT. I FEEL LIKE I DON'T LOOK 12 YEARS OLD FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE. SO LEAVE ME ALONE ABOUT THE FAT IN MY FACE BEING GONE.

Look, I'm happy with how I look. Please don't give me a negative opinion when I was so unhappy for so long, and now I finally like what I see in the mirror. It's like me telling you that I think you are too fat and need to lose weight. Which by the way, I think many people I know could stand to lose about 10 pounds. But I don't go around telling them this. It's the same thing with the "too skinny" remarks. So cut it out.

SHOW

I'm very behind on updating this. So I'll try to give a quick overview of the show day.

First, let me say that peak week was far crazier than I expected. I was hungry the whole time. But every day I worke up weighing less and feeling amazing. I was loving that final week of transformations.

I was 111 pounds going into peak week. Stepped on stage at 106. So I definitely benefited from peak week. BUT, there was some minuses...I was so freaking little that nothing fit me and I looked amaciated in normal clothes. Then by the time I was spray tanned, had my hair done, makeup done, I just didn't even know who I was anymore. It's like I was living in another body for the day.

Spray tanning sucks by the way. I hated this part of the show. I did not like that I was worried about going to the bathroom and sweating for like 24 hours. That just sucked. What a freaking pain in the ass. That is the only way to explain it.

I did great at prejuding as far as presenting myself. I was very happy with how I always smiled and looked at the judges. I did horrible as far as placings go. I was in 3rd callouts so I knew right off the bat that I did not place. But it is what it is. You can tell that I was compared to some not-so-hot girls in my group:

I'm not surprised that I did not place. When I look at my photos, I know that I need a stronger upper body and that I could have had a six pack, and that I should have got water off of my legs. I really did not look as ripped as I could have. Amy said I looked great (as did Steve) which meant a lot to me. All I'm saying is that I know I could have looked better and I agree with the judges putting me at the bottom. I was not upset about this at all.

I was upset about how the show was run. It was a mess. This made me emotional for the few hours afterwards because I felt like I worked my ass off to get there and was very disapointed. But after about 48 hours of everything sinking in, I was ok with what happened and knew that I would rather just pick myself up again and get to busting it in the gym all over again so that I can better myself and try to come in looking even better again in a few months. Even if the show was going to always be a crappy run show, the show is the least important part of this whole bettering my physique journey.

So, I am going to compete again. I am hoping to do the Ronnie Coleman in April up in Dallas. This way I can be with Amy. I already talked to her and she was excited for me and wants to do my makeup for that show. That will be awesome. I would love to have my coach with me the next time I'm going to step on stage.

Here are some photos that are pretty good of me from the show:

Packing for the Show

Well, I'm busy getting last minute things together. So glad I took this week off from work because I have been non-stop. Between beautifying myself, running errands, packing, and cleaning for family to stay here....well, I'm glad I have the extra time and no stress from work!!!!

So, packing....here are some of the things I have to bring to the show!

1. The obvious: Suit, jewelry, shoes

2. Food. Duh. But you have to bring it all prepared because you will be in a hotel and at the civic center.

3. Supplements. Duh again.

4. Bikini Bite - this is what glues your suit to your ass. I'm not sure if the backstage crew will have it or not, so I'm bringing mine.

5. other tanning products. I'm getting spray tanned there on site. No need to bring tanning stuff, but I do have a "muscle sheen" that I will be putting on so I'm bringing it.

6. Makeup/Hair Stuff - not going to really be needing this other than for touch ups. I have professional hair and makeup getting done at 6am on Saturday. So I'm bringing this in case I am backstage and need something.

7. Sheets/Towels - you will get tanning product all over the hotel stuff and then you will be charged. So I'm bringing my own.

8. Resistance Band - to pump up before stepping on stage

9. Scissors/Glue/Rhinestones/sewing kit - you never know...hopefully my suit holds up but this would be good to have in case of an emergency

10. Camera - for backstage action

11. NPC Card - just in case I need to prove I can compete

12. Magazine/i-pod - to entertain myself backstage

13. Sweat suit/flip flops - you have to wear long sleeves and long pants after you get tanned so you don't leave any weird marks on yourself. So I am bringing quite a few pairs of dark loose clothing (and yes, I have to go commando in them!)

14. Towels: 1 big and 1 small - these are for backstage. small one is in case I need to wipe my face. Large one is to sit on.

15. Cell phone fully charge - will need to text Amy and let her know what is going on!

16. Yummy food for after the show!!!!

That is the gist of it. Of course I always freak out and I'm packing a whole heck of a lot more than I need to I think. That is just me.

Peak Week - What's It All About?

I have been going on and on about peak week. It starts TOMORROW, so it is about time I blog about what to expect.



What the heck is peak week?



Doing a show is all about reaching a "peak" with your physique. You workout and train hard and watch your nutrition. And then it all comes down to this final week where you make sure you will look your ultimate best on stage.



Everyone has different tricks to the week. The main thing is you pull all your water weight off your body. This means you could shed anywhere from 3-7 more pounds in the one week. Me, I'm not too worried about whatever it is I shed. I'm hoping for the 3 pounds. I'm shorter so I'm not expecting much.



So the first three days, you eat pretty normal. I'm going to watch my carbs but not worry about it too much. And I'm doing something most people don't: I'm sodium loading. This is a trick that helps with sodium depleting. If I put on extra sodium, it will just shock my system that much more when I pull it out. This is one of my more "liberal" competitor tricks. Talk to most of them and they will be like "oh, no you can't do that!"....whatever people. If there is one thing I learned through this whole thing, it is that most of the dieting is a bunch of BULL SHIT. No joke. I will blog some other time about how stupid it is to starve yourself to death and how much work is just thrown down the drain by overdoing it. I have done better in the weeks I gave myself more breaks and less cardio and a cheat meal. So there. Anyway....I'm sodium loading despite what Nathan told me to do. I'm going with Amy into peak week. Sorry but Nathan isn't a figure competitor, and Amy's only done this a million times. I think I have the right person beside me in this....



SOOOO.... after the three load days, I pull out the sodium 100%. And at that point, I add in a diuretic to help shed water weight. You still drink water, but it helps pull it out from under your skin. This helps show off your muscle definition and vascularity. I have been blessed with huge veins so I don't need help in that department, but I do want to show the striations in my muscles, which the water is covering up currently. You also take added potassium during this time which is mainly a health thing so you don't hurt yourself in the process. This may sound kinda scary, but it is normal. Don't worry!

As for the diet itself....I'm eating the same amount of calories as always. Only this week I'm not putting as much protein into it. Why? Because I'm not going to be lifting very heavy at all. And also, there is a belief that if you eat more carbs, they can give you a more "full" look. Not full like fat...full like roundness to your muscles. Something that is great for your shoulders and legs. Which is what figure is all about! Anyway, once again it is a myth that you can't eat carbs while training in figure. Yes, you should watch them when you are leaning out...but this last week...I'm not going to lose weight other than water weight! So it's not like I'm going to spill over eating carbs!!!

Now, the best day of all is contest day. I think most competitors are stupid about this day. They don't eat carbs all week and go to the show starving to death. And then they have to eat fish for breakfast which is stupid. Me? Just look at what I'm eating on contest day:

Breakfast:
1/2 cup oats
almond butter
banana

Snack:
frosted mini wheats (dry)

Snack:
m&m's (prejudging..will get some sugar into my veins! make them pop!)

Lunch:
potato
steak
salt free ketchup

Snack:
rice cakes and cashew butter

Snack:
Trail mix

Then I get to eat whatever I want after the show and Sunday! YAY! What an absolute thrill that will be.

What is funny is none of the foods above have sodium in them so you are still keeping the water weight off all day. But you aren't eating ANY protein...because, why? What do you need it for on contest day??? This is something other competitors do that is retarded. I'm telling you...I have discovered that this competing thing does not have to be so freaking complicated. Again, more on that later.

As for workouts, I'm taking it lighter this week. Still doing the same amount of cardio through Wednesday. Thursday I'll just ride the bike on a level 1. Not trying to kill yourself on Thursday when you are sodium depleting. Posing practice every day this week. As for weights...last leg day is tomorrow. This is because your legs hold the most water. You don't want to work them out really hard later in the week because they will just retain that water. All other weight days will be back, shoulders, and abs. Abs I'll train every day up to Thursday. Obviously Friday, I won't work out at all.

Additionally, I will go tanning this week. Some people say to tan, others say there is no point. I'm going to go a couple times because there is a belief that it not only makes your spray tan go on a little easier, but that it also helps tighten up your skin. Something I want in my midsection most. I'll only tan up til Tuesday. Then, on Wednesday, I'm going to get an all over exfoliation at the spa. You want to make sure your body is very smooth for when you get the spray tan. AND, I'm going to use extra lotion all week to help with this as well.

So...other than all the training and tanning and eating...I'll be running errands and packing! Lots to do since there is a lot of stuff to bring! But I am very excited and looking forward to this week!!!!

I Can Not Believe I am TWO Weeks Out

If you look at when I started this blog, it was in October of last year. Which means, it has been one year since I publicly decided to compete and make my goal known.

I am here 1 year later in a little bit of disbelief that this day is just around the corner.

So much has changed in the last year. At one point, I would have never imagined that this would be what I was doing. I didn't think it was possible. Even when people would tell me that they believed I really would do it, because they know how determined I am...even then, I didn't really know that I could do it. I wanted to try. But just like when I ran the marathon in 2004...I thought I would just go as long as I could, but not necessarily make it to the very end.

So, here I am! And I think, that I am sooooo different than I was a year ago. And I don't want this to sound egotistical...but I really do think now that I could do anything I wanted to. So few people put themselves through what I have been through in the last year. It is one of the most physically challenging goals to have, but more so it is such a mental struggle because of all the temptations you have to resist, stupid comments and questions you have to deal with, nutritional commitment and willpower to have, and sometimes even just enough strength to psych yourself out and pretend you didn't feel that last hunger pang, or light headed, or dizziness...or to push through an afternoon in your intense career running on complete empty and no energy.

Now, what I feel is important to reflect on (even though I'm not quite done), is what I have learned from the experience. After all, if I can't learn from it, then there wasn't a lot of point in it other than to say I did it. So, here are my top 10 things I have learned through this:

10. Never say "I could never do that". I can't tell you how many times I heard this in the last year. Actually, the real statement is "I do not want to do that". Because anyone could do what I have done. Most people follow this statement up with "I don't like the gym" or "I can't eat eggs"...these are excuses for why you don't change your ways. The real point is, if you WANT to do something bad enough, you can and you will.

9. You do not have to starve to death to lose weight. And even more shocking, you do not have to eat 100% Clean to be a Figure Competitor. I played around with my diet a lot, and more freely at the end...and I realized that I make more progress on more calories. And sometimes I even saw the biggest changes after allowing a cheat meal and a rest day from the gym. What will make you successful is to be aware of what you eat, how many calories you eat and what works for you. Pay attention closely, track what you do....and you will figure out your equation.

8. Everyone has to start somewhere. The more I meet people in this industry the more I realize my number 10 learning is sooooo true. People are not born superhuman. They all started somewhere, and it was most likely just like you and me.

7. Stop doing a gazillion sit ups to get a six pack. I only work out my abs one day a week. Abs look amazing already, it's the layer of fat covering them up that prevents you from showing them off. The only way to get that off is to rev up your metabolism and burn calories.

6. The Show is not the end goal. If you starve yourself to get in shape for a Figure Show, then you are just looking at the show as the end goal and not the larger picture. You will gain back what you lose. You don't have to starve and then lose like 20 pounds, only to gain it right back. If you lose the weight slow enough and have a post-show plan...you could easily live at 12% body fat. While I have not implemented this plan enough to see it happen...I too have my plan in place to ease off cardio, add in calories, and get off the fat burners. I do not plan on stopping once the show is here but instead figure out how to maintain this hard work that I have committed to over the last year. Off-season is not a vacation. Actually, I don't even want to think about a difference between on and off.

5. You are going to be a freak if you compete. Get over it. Otherwise, don't compete. I say this because if you want to be in this shape you just have to figure out how to make it work into your life, and that might not always be easy and it may even draw some attention. In my case, this means always being prepared with food so I can go wherever I want and not be hungry or give into temptation. One time (and it was only once), I had to eat quinoa and chicken at a restaurant because I couldn't order other food. That sucked, but I was prepared to deal. It doesn't have to be this extreme...and if you are always aware of what you can and can't eat when you eat out then this problem really doesn't exist.

4. Women, you will not get bulky from weight lifting (unless you take steroids). Please get over this. In fact, weight training is an amazing workout and helps your bones. Weight training gives you shape. More and more people are realizing that a toned body is the new sexy and not the thin look. I have heard it A TON of times. And NO ONE has called me huge. Everyone has said I look like I only weigh 100 pounds because the muscle takes up so much less space on my body.

3. Stop thinking and do something. Don't just go through life thinking about what you could do or wish you would do. Just go do it. We aren't getting any younger. This is what life is about: trying new things, seeing how far you can push yourself. In the end, you will have gotten so much more out of life to look back and see what you accomplished. Plus, we could all be gone tomorrow.

2. Embrace Yourself. Stop looking at what other girls have and wish you had it. For years I wanted to be a little stick figure. But I knew I always had a ton of muscle. I started training for this show and realized I was cut out for this type of look. I have had lots of other girls tell me they wish they could do what I'm doing. As a result, I finally realized that being "buff" and not a "stick" is not such a bad thing. And now, I really love that I have muscles. I think it is super awesome and am so much more proud of what work goes into my figure. I never want to look skinny now. I actually LOVE the way that I look.

1. Say Thank You. I am very fortunate for the people in my life. Yes, there have been a few that have shown that they aren't that great of friends after all. But for the most part, I am blessed to be surrounded by supportive people. These people only need to say one or two things sometimes and that is what has helped me mentally make it through the day. So for that, I owe tons of thanks. And in that respect, I can't say I did this completely on my own. I had help. And it is very important to remember the help you had and be grateful.

Speaking of grateful...I will have to blog again to thank everyone who has helped me make this happen. Long list of people. But everyone on that list has a special place in my heart to have helped me get to this place.

So....2 weeks to go....and I feel like I'm cruising rather than suffering! Great feeling!

AMY

There has only been two times in my life that I met someone and immediately felt connected to them. The first moment was when I was in college and I was rushing new girls for my sorority house. I met Stacy, and we instantly became friends. We were BEST friends. She had to move away after we could only be sorority sisters for ONE year. But we have stayed friends ever since. She was in my wedding and I was in hers. We have always enjoyed the same things, and were always there for each other.

The second moment, was last Friday. When I finally met Amy face to face.

I guess this was a little different because we have been sorta "pen pals" to put it into words. She and I write each other on email weekly and we text each other a few times a week and every now and then call each other. She has really kept me sane through this whole process and I have appreciated her so much. When I rolled up her driveway, I saw her getting out of her equally impressive to mine sports car. She is only about 5'2", and the smallest "buff" girl, I have ever met. She looked at me with the biggest smile ever. I couldn't believe how big her smile was. She looked great for just getting home from work. As I got out of my car, she came to help me with my stuff, and exclaimed "hey you bring as many bags as I do when I go places!". After all, I had a gym bag, backpack, overnight bag, lunch bag, cooler, and purse. Ridiculous.

She led me into her adorable town home which was decorated in all creams and browns. Everything looked super clean and new. She took off her platform Jessica Simpson wedges and exclaimed when she saw my even taller, same size 6 Guess platforms. She immediately grabbed them and put them on her feet.

That evening, her husband Steve cooked us dinner. This guy is the body building version of my own husband. He apparently is "half chef" as Amy says, and cooked us a dinner that any competitor could be proud of. He ground up chicken breast and cooked it with salsa and tomatoes, then seasoned it. This we ate on top of some baked tostada shells with low fat cheese. He had squash and broccoli seasoned better than anything I've ever tasted. It was a great meal. Plus, Steve loves jalapenos and seasoning just like me (one thing Amy and I don't have in common)...so we made our "Mexican plates" extra hot. It was great!

That night we sat around just chatting and called it an early night. The next morning Amy and I rushed off to do cardio which was conveniently next door at a place called "snap fitness". I really wish we had this place in Houston it was too cool. Open 24 hours a day and you just walk right in with the key. Way cool. We knocked out our cardio (we both HATE cardio) and then came home to eat breakfast and get ready for more workouts.

We ate and Amy spent about an hour putting makeup on. We definitely don't share this in common....I can not work out in makeup. I don't know how she does it. And she really LOVES make up. I like it and want to go out with it but I can not spend this much time on makeup! Anyway....we went off to the Post Office and picked up my suit. As many people know by now this later turned into a disaster...but at this moment we both ooohhhed and awwed over the suit. It is beautiful!!!

We went to the gym and had a great plyometric bootcamp workout with a guy named Jeff Dewelle, who was Amy's posing coach. He kicked our asses to say the least. We did so many lunges I could not believe it. We did them going up and down hill. That totally sucked. Then we had to do sprints and that made my legs feel like jello after all the lunges. What really cracked me up is Amy complains just as much as any other normal person working out. It's not like she really LOVES doing the hard work...but she wants the results. So she puts the time in. She really complained a lot, it was funny.

Then we had posing practice. This was great. I was one of 3 figure girls. All the other 7 were bikini competitors. If anyone is going to my show you will die when you see this group on stage. I swear it is hard not to laugh at them. They walk and act like strippers in their presentation. Hot bodies for sure. I could never act like that though. I did my posing and presented myself and got some amazing feedback. Jeff is hard core but totally awesome to work with. While I was posing there was another body builder watching. Amy heard him say "look at those calves...they are amazing... I want to TRAIN those calves!!!!" Amy smiled and was like "that's my girl!"...

Then i met Jeff's wife Liz. She makes jewelry for competitors. She said that my suit matches the set of jewelry that Nicole Wilkin's wore to the Olympia and that I can have that set if she gets it back in time! WOW!

Then it was off to the mall. Amy and I went shoe shopping and looked at jewelry....we got like 3 refills on our half diet coke half coke zeros from Chick-fil-A, and we also must have peed like 7 times. We also got hungry at one point and both plopped down on a bench in the mall to eat our rice cakes and peanut butter. I felt 100% normal doing this. Weird.

Then we went to MAC and had our makeup done. Amy put all my purchase on her MAC card so she could get me 30% off. That was great!

Then we rushed home to dump off all our stuff (Amy loves to shop and she totally is a bad influence on spending money)...I realized at this point that we were non-stop talking all day long. It felt like I have always been friends with Amy. She told me at one point that she doesn't have many friends. I guess it is hard to find other people that just want to hang out and eat healthy with you. After all, Amy goes to bed pretty early and spends all her time at the gym. I know the feeling. At least she is married to a body builder who is on the same schedule.

We had dinner at Pei Wei. I didn't know I could even eat there. Amy ordered for me and apparently you can get the bowls steamed. Poor, poor Pei Wei. There were 5 of us....3 of us are within weeks of a show. Me, Steve, and his friend Greg (Steve and Greg will be at my show!)...and then Amy who is in competition shape and then this girl Tanya who is a bikini competitor. Our orders were all "hold the sauce", "add extra veggies", "steam", and "add extra meat"....disaster ordering. Not to mention everyone was looking at Steve's 265 pound size...he is kinda a celebrity in Plano. He has only been in Flex magazine like 10 times. You need to go buy the latest issue of Flex to see him...he just came out in a new feature! (btw this guy is absolutely the nicest guy you will ever meet and he has the cutest little baby face...I love him!!!!)

We got so freaking excited about the damn coke machine at Pei Wei. I can't explain it but i hope Houston gets some soon. it was way too cool. I think Greg got like 7 refills. He wanted to try all the flavors of Fanta Zero. I felt so bloated when we left there. I had a diet coke overload by that point.

We were pooped after dinner. We went back to the house and pretty much straight to bed.

Next morning Amy was dragging so I went to snap fitness by myself. Came back and she was still in her pj's. But she didn't have a 4.5 hour drive looming over her.

We then worked on my "what to bring" for show and "what to eat" peak week. Both will need to be future posts because they are very interesting topics.

We tried on my suit which also was very horrible... another post as well as my saga on this continues.

Anyway, at the end of the day....I love Amy. I felt like I had a close friendship with her for only having met her for that first time. It was amazing. I felt so welcome and that we shared so much in common. Maybe it was just that I enjoyed not thinking about what I couldn't do and instead just felt like everything I was doing was so normal. Maybe that's all it was. But i think in a way it was more than that because Amy and I talked about everything, not just competing. We share a TON in common. And I just love her overall personality. she is really funny and sweet and has a little mean streak at the same time. And she can go from friend to nutritionist to coach in a minute. She would be pissed at anything not going right for me...and I realized...this girl wants me to succeed just as much as I do....and I was in total shock to have someone be so close to me over Figure Competing....it goes to show that she LOVES this sport with all of her heart. Even if she quit competing for her own reasons (which I feel is not appropriate to share as that is getting into her personal life and this is a blog about me after all). She will always be connected to the sport. And therefore she is connected to me as she sees that I want it so bad.

I couldn't have asked for a better weekend. It was amazing. Now, just less than 3 weeks to go. I can not believe it!

SWAG

Now it all comes together.

I have dieted hard core, trained my ass off....and now, time for the finishing touches. Of which I like to call: My Swagger.

You have to bring it after all to the stage.

So I am leaving for Dallas in the am to meet Amy (finally!). We have a busy weekend planned. Going to the gym as soon as I get there to fit in cardio. Then we are going to the Shakira concert.

Saturday morning we are going to boot camp and then posing practice. We will then go to MAC for some makeup appointments.

Then another workout Saturday evening.

Then Sunday morning workout again, and a mid-morning posing practice.

Then I come home.

One of the most important swag items is in the mail as we speak, meeting me in Dallas: THE SUIT. It was completed just in time and I haven't seen it yet. But the suit designer says she has it on the way to my coach and I should have it for the weekend for my posing practice. I am sooooo excited about that. I can not wait to see it on. I hope I don't die of excitement. That is when I know I will feel like a figure competitor. YAY!!!!

Now for all of you out there wanting to see this glorious $740 suit that I had specially designed to replicate Ava Cowan's latest look....well you will have to wait until October 23rd. I am leaving this to the surprise of me on stage. I want the entire stage package to be something no one could have pictured coming out of little 'ol me. So you will not be seeing it beforehand. Plus, I really don't think suits look the same off the rack as they do on the figure competitor. So too bad!

More to come on my weekend in Dallas, the body building Mecca.

My Current Workout Schedule

I realized today I haven't shared my workout schedule in a long time. Here is how it goes:

Monday Morning:
1 hour of legs:
50 walking lunges
One leg curl superset with barbell good mornings
one lying leg curl superset with dumbell deadlifts
leg press - 100 reps
jump squats
jump lunges
calve raises
45 minutes of sprints. 1 minute sprint followed by 1 minute walking.

Monday Afternoon:
55 minutes of lsd cardio

Tuesday Morning:
30 minutes arms:
skull crushers superset with barbell curls
incline db curls superset with tricep pressdowns
dumbell hammer curls superset with overhead extensions
45minutes of cycling

Tuesday Afternoon:
45 minutes cycling

Wednesday Morning:
45 minutes sprints (like Monday)
Abs - 300 crunches of different variety

Wednesday Afternoon:
55 minutes lsd cardio

Thursday Morning:
60 minutes cycling
stretching
posing practice

Thursday Evening:
Back - 1.5 hours
High MTS Rows
Seated cable rows
Lat pulldowns
One arm rows
Cable rear delt pulls superset with peck deck machine

Friday Morning:
Crossfit class (plyometrics and circuit training) - 45 minutes

Friday Afternoon:
45 minutes lsd cardio
calve raises and calve presses
Abs - 200 crunches of variety

Saturday Morning:
45 minutes of lsd cardio

Saturday Afternoon:
45 minutes lsd cardio

Sunday Morning:
Shoulders - 1 hour
one arm lat raises on fit ball superset with machine lat raises
one arm overhead press superset with 2 arm overhead press
one arm peck deck superset with two arm peck deck
rear delt pull on knees
leaning lat raises superset with front raises
30 minutes of cycling

So.....if you are tired from reading all this, well....Welcome my friends to my real world "insanity".

Progress Pics at 5 weeks out!

Here is a progress pic, at 5 weeks out. 114 pounds flat, 13.5% body fat. I'm not seeing that much difference than 2 weeks ago, but I guess my body fat hasn't changed a whole lot either. My abs and shoulders are looking great and you can't see the definition in my legs in the phot, but my quads are separating in multiple places.

Latest and Greatest

Just a quick update.

I haven't been blogging much which I can only assume is because I'm getting used to just spending time alone and thinking about the show and I'm starting to accept that it is a lonely bit of a ride....and I'm ok with it. Really. Not complaining. I have had so many emotions through this whole thing and now that I'm finally getting to the end, I look in the mirror and am so amazed and happy all at the same time, that I am glad I have made the sacrifices I have. I never ever thought I could make it this far. Yeah, it sucks to be alone a lot of the time, but there is more to life than just going to work every day and then eating like crap all the time. It is way cooler to say you have actually done something huge.

Speaking of...I ran a marathon in 2004 and I was so surprised at myself then. I cried when I finished because I was so happy. I was thinking about this the other day....I got to eat whatever I wanted during all that training, never lost a pound. But I trained my ass off (nothing like now) but it was the most I ever trained in my life at the time. I was so proud. I am here to tell you as a marathon completer (and there is only 1% of the population in this category)....training for a figure show is 10 times harder than running a marathon. Hands down. So I just hope I don't burst into tears when I get off the stage on October 23rd! But I probably will! LOL

Anyway, things are coming along as they should be. I'm down to 13.5% body fat. Haven't lost a bunch more weight, I'm still hovering around 113.8-114.6 pounds. Looks like I might be where I will stay until the last week of pre-contest. Which is PERFECT. I hope to lose 3-4 pounds the last week in water. My suit will fit a 110 pound body perfect. So I THINK everything is right on track. I wish my body fat was a little lower, but that is ok.

Speaking of my suit...it will be here next week! YAY!

And then in 2 weeks I'm making a trip to Dallas to work one on one with Amy for a little pose and presentation. I've been working with Mary who is really amazing. But Amy is a pro figure competitor and she has been so helpful to me these last few weeks. I spoke with her on the phone on Monday and she really made me feel good about my progress. She was going to try and make it to my show but she can't because she is booked for another event (she has her own makeup business now). Anyway, I'll spend a couple days with her and then come home. So from now until show I just need to stick with my diet and keep up the cardio and training. And everything should fall into place just fine.

AND Amy and I started talking about my diet post-show. I will not be going immediately to pig out with anyone just yet! Yes, Sunday I will cheat. I need to reward all my hard work. But then, I will be back on a diet so I don't just BLOW up overnight. The plan is to slowly back off my cardio, then start adding in more calories, then start backing me off the fat burner. I'm hoping to only gain a couple pounds and hopefully be able to stick to 115 pounds. And maybe 15% body fat. I know this sounds crazy, but I would really like to find a way to make this my weight and body fat with working out 6 days a week with 4 days weights and 4 days cardio for only like 30 minutes. I think I can do it. It might seem crazy but I started this journey out of shape and now that I'm there I should be able to make it happen. THEN, if I do want to compete ever again, I would hopefully only need 8-10 weeks prep time and not another 16 weeks. Wouldn't that be amazing!!!!?????

Ok enough for now. I'm going to attempt to get caught up on chores this weekend and live somewhat normal. I already had a nap this morning which was amazing! Relaxation is key at this point!

Tickets to the Gun Show

If there is anyone out there who wants to go to my show, let me know. I'll get you tickets. I mean, they aren't free but I'll make sure I order a bunch together so you can sit in my fan group. :)

AM prejudging begins at 9am for $20. This is the best bet to see most of me. This is where the majority of judging is done and I will be compared to every girl in my class.

PM show starts at 6pm for $45-55. This is a huge show so there is balcony seating and regular seating. I will not be on the stage long for this part unless I actually win something (let's not get ahead of ourselves here).

I would love it if anyone who has been following this blog can make it. But otherwise, you will see plenty of photos post show. I guarantee there will be tons of photos to share my moments with all the supporters out there.

SIX weeks to go!!!!

A big big uh-oh moment

I had a horrible horrible moment this week.

My body fat has been dropping but it has not really been just FALLING off of me. I started pre-contest at like 17.5%. I wanted to be 16%. But it took me all this time (12 weeks) to move from 17% to 14%. what the heck???

well, I was taking a fat burner when I started pre-contest. And then Amy told me to wait to get on this T-X supplement, which is actually a pro-hormone (I know, everyone is probably shuddering right now...)...anywho....so at 12 weeks out I went on the T-X. Now, I THOUGHT it was a fat burner. I was already on a fat burner, but I thought the T-X was just a higher strength fat burner. Amy explained to me that it would not give me a stimulant effect so I would not curb my appetite with it. Well, I've been like perfect on my diet for the last 6 weeks. But for some reason my body fat has barely moved. So then Amy says something like "is the fat burner giving you any energy?" and I'm thinking, what the heck is she talking about, she TOLD me T-X wouldn't give me any energy...see where I'm going with this???? I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE TAKING BOTH SUPPLEMENTS AND I'VE ONLY BEEN TAKING ONE!!!!!!

CRAP.

SHIT.

YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME.

When I told Amy we both started freaking out. She said she was going to have a heart attack. I'm like...well I've been shrinking...and she's like, yeah but it is not all fat coming off of you, it is obviously just that you are burning a ton of calories and not focusing in on the fat!!!

So, I'm trying to stay positive. Because now I have to get back on the fat burner, but it will take my body a couple weeks to get used to it. So I'm hoping and crossing my fingers that the fat burner just shocks the hell out of my system and I get a whole bunch of body fat off in the next couple of weeks.

The other kinda good thing is (I guess, I'm trying to find the silver lining to this whole thing)...is that I'm at 113 pounds now. Well I only wanted to get to 110 for show. Amy actually thought I would be like 112 for show. So I guess I'm pretty much at the weight I wanted to be at, I just now have to get this fat off of me and not worry about getting little because I'm already there. But I think this is still kinda bad because it is highly unlikely I will just lose 3 pounds of fat in the next few weeks. I will most likely lose 2 pounds of muscle also to lose those 3 pounds of fat. Hopefully that happens and I fit perfectly into my suit.

Ugh. Like I don't have enough stress dealing with this whole thing. I just have to tell myself it is yet another test of will power and that when I make it to the end I will be that much more proud of myself.

Also, check out the post prior to this for a sneak peak of Before vs After. I can not wait to have the dreadful before photo with the competition photo. And the before photo in the post is when I weighed like 137, so I wasn't even the heaviest (150lbs!).

Show pics will really make some kind of before vs after.....

I was looking through my old pics today. WHOA. Here is a before vs after deal....

as far as I'm concerned, I won my internal contest. Enough said.

I'm AHEAD of my schedule...AHEAD.

I have felt like I am behind this whole time. Because I'm the underdog here. The fat girl trying to make it to a Figure Competition.

Then Nathan and I talked on the phone. He was like "oh you are right on schedule since you only have 5 weeks left" and I had to remind him that I have SEVEN weeks left. He was like..."SEVEN! You need to eat something today!"....what? Basically I'm losing weight much faster than he thought I would and my body fat is changing rapidly. At this rate, I won't fit into my suit if I'm not careful and we don't want me to look frail and bones showing everywhere. The last thing I want is to lose all my muscle!

So anyway, everything is going better than planned even though I am still very tired and worn out.

I believe I found my hair/makeup artist as well. Her name is Melinda. I met her at the FEM Camp I went to in June. She said at that time that she wouldn't be doing anything for my show. but now my show is having a Pro Show as well. Well, Melinda and her company ENG Beauty will be there. So I am making an appointment with them! They did a great job for me at the FEM camp and Monica Brant even uses them. So, that is one more thing to cross off the list!

And for the show....HERE IS THE POSTER!!!

7 weeks out!!!!

Wow, I can not believe I only have SEVEN weeks left until my show!!!

I am so excited!!!!

And nervous and anxious and I'm sure I don't know much about what I'm really getting myself into...

But, I do know this: The hard work I have put in the last year and a half is really paying off and has finally lead me to this point. I am trying not to be emotional about it but it really is hard not to get somewhat emotional. I am so excited to be able to achieve this, and when I think about how I used to feel about myself and how easily I gave up on diets all those other times....wow. How completely different I am now. I can honestly not imagine going back to that way ever again. And it is a little weird because I really think that I work 10 million times harder now to have this body and healthy lifestyle, and I've given up a ton to be here. But I still wouldn't trade any of it back.

To the point where today I started thinking about how my 30th birthday will be here in a few months. And how I all along said I wanted to have a HUGE party....and now? Not so much. I mean, I will definitely celebrate my 30th! But I don't think I really want to celebrate it with a big alcohol/food fest. I mean, really? Pay all that money for a bunch of pure CRAP that I refuse to eat regularly!?? Hmm.....If I really do end up doing anything, I think I will take the few really good friends I have to dinner somewhere and my splurge will be a big piece of chocolate cake. But otherwise, I think I'd rather spend my money on a new workout outfit or purse or something I'll use rather than consume. Guess I really am showing my age after all now.

But about the next 7 weeks. They are not going to get any easier. They will be tough. I'm down to 114 pounds and 14% body fat. And I feel and look great but the punishment to get these last few pounds off is killer. TWO workouts a day, EVERY day!!!! WEIGHT training 4 days a week, plus a plyometric workout, and a total of 7.3 hours of cardio in the week. The total time I train in a week is about 13 hours. Add on to that travel time to the gym, and it is easily 16 hours a week. And then I spend about 6 hours a week getting food prep done. So, that means 22 hours a week is just for show prep. That is a lot of time.

FOOD BREAK

Do you know that my Saturday still feels like a complete CHEAT day to me, and this is what I ate last Saturday:

Egg beater omelet for breakfast with a slice of Ezekiel toast.
1/2 cup oats with 1 scoop whey and 1/2 blueberries for lunch.
2 low fat waffles with sugar free syrup and 1 tbsp almond butter for a snack.
Whey protein powder and powdered peanut butter for a snack.
Steak, potato and broccoli for dinner.
A granola bar.
Dessert: whey protein powder with 1/2 cup pumpkin, 2 tbsp cool whip, and 1/4 cup granola.

I mean, if I could eat that every day I would be ecstatic!! But no, I only eat it on Saturday and I actually feel kind of GUILTY!!!!

IMPORTANT DISCOVERY!

I have discovered some amazing sugar free items this week too that I just have to share:

Walden Farms makes a sugar free fat free caramel dip, chocolate dip, and marshmallow fluff. You can find this in the specialty section for diabetics at the grocery store. I have not yet tried them, but I bought them. I plan on using 2 of them tomorrow and seeing just how good they taste. Check it out: http://www.waldenfarms.com/products/dip_marshmallow.html, I found mine at Kroger, but you can buy online.

I always use a sugar free syrup in my coffee or egg/oat pancakes. Well, I ran out of my vanilla. I went multiple times to both grocery stores to find it and they have not restocked. this really irks me. I LOVE that vanilla syrup and I'm kind of lost without it. Well, I went online to see about it...you will never believe what I discovered. there are only like 50 different flavors of that brand of sugar free syrup. The brand is Davinci. Go online and you will see: http://www.davincigourmet.com/. I ordered peanut butter, white chocolate, cookie dough, chocolate, caramel, vanilla, and macadamia nut. I could not believe all the choices. I was having a hard time picking them out! My coffee is going to be absolutely amazing from now on!!!! I can not wait to try them all out!!!!

See, it's these little things that keep me going and excited about my food. Once you are hooked on being healthy and trying new things, you just can't quit!!!

Oh Carbs have never been so amazing....

I have had a ROUGH last few days and that is putting it mildly.

not to put anyone through a "pity party" because after all, this is what I wanted to do...BUT....In the last 3 days I have

1. Sobbed in my bathroom to the point I couldn't breathe
2. Felt dizzy like I could possibly pass out on more than one occasion
3. Practically OD'd on a pack of gum
4. Almost fell asleep at my job
5. Went through some actions without really remembering what I just did in the last 15 minutes.

So, it is suffice to say that I have lost it mentally. Or at least I had. Now I think some clarity is coming back. I went 3 days in a row low carb. That is the longest I've been on a low carb cycle. Usually it is only 1 day. 1 day is easy. THREE days totally sucks. Because I'm only eating like 1200 calories on those days. But I work out twice a day so I easily burn 600-700 calories. SO...not running on any fuel. Plus a stressful job.

Now today I'm back on my "normal" meal plan. Which is still very low carb compared to what most people eat. But sheesh....at least today I can have half an apple and green beans with my chicken for lunch! And I get to have more volume for dinner tonight as well. Thank the lord.

So I am feeling better.

I didn't have any weight change last week or body fat change. But I am not discouraged. I see changes taking place and can tell I will be ready to take the stage. I have just under 8 weeks now to perfect my body. I think it is all coming together. I just need to hang in there!

In other BIG news... I found a photographer to take my photos on Wednesday before the show. So I have a couple hour shoot with her (Robyn). She takes really un-traditional photos so I thought that would be great. I am going to take a couple photos in a bathing suit and another couple in a mini-jean skirt and crop top. I figure those will help show off all my hard work. I definitely wanted to have some professional photos taken to capture everything I've worked so hard for all this time. I mean, who knows if I'll be able to ever do it again? Especially after this crazy last few days. Ha!

I need to check in with my suit designer this week. I'm going to pay off my balance and check in to make sure I'm going to get it (hopefully by the end of the month?). I want to make sure it is going to fit after all!

Other things to do at this point is really to focus on what I need to bring to the show with me. I will be needing to pick up little things here and there over the next couple weeks. Oh, and I also need to figure out who the heck is going to be doing makeup at the show so I can book an appointment with them! Very important because I really don't know how I would be able to make my face match the skin tone of my body! It is going to be SOOOO Tan!

In food news, I discovered my new favorite dessert that I'm going to be eating as much as I can between now and the show:
pumpkin pie treat:
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/4 cup low fat granola (I like the Bare Naked Fit Vanilla almond)
2 packets splenda
pumpkin pie spice
cinnamon
fat free cool whip

You blend the pumpkin, spices, splenda, and whey in a blender. Then transfer to a small dish. Mix in the granolla. Then top with cool whip. I put this in the fridge to keep real cold for a couple hours then ate it right before bed. It was a delicious treat. It has about 300 calories, but all good for you and very low fat, high protein. I can eat this on Saturdays.

I have to be very careful now on Saturdays because there is no such thing as cheat/reward meals. I basically have to keep all sugar out of my diet. So when I pick foods to carb up on, it is like oatmeal with blueberries. This weekend I'm looking forward to having an omelet made with egg beaters and veggies, oatmeal with chocolate whey and almond butter, my pumpkin treat, and a baked potato and steak. I have to really watch the sugar content, so I'm trying to keep the amount below 50 grams on Saturday.

That is all for now. I'm off to eat half an apple. YAY!

9 Weeks Out - No time to Slack Off!!!

Here are the latest progress pics at 9 weeks out, 116 pounds and 15% fat:

So at first when I took them I couldn't really see a difference from the last set (see 11 weeks out). But then I did notice my quads are starting to NOT touch together. I'm getting a slight gap between my thighs. I also think my shoulders and arms are getting super cut, and my butt looks pretty great.

But, I did some work with Mary Friday and she pointed out that now my body fat is low enough to see what "weak" areas I have. Everyone has them, by the way!!! For me, it is my hamstrings and my rear delts. The hamstring problem is best seen in my side view. My quads have a perfect swoop in the front and my booty does something very similar. but my hamstrings don't curve out very much. And they are almost flat as they meet my ass. This needs major work so I'm going to work hamstrings twice a week now.

As for rear delts that may be harder to see in the photos above. These are best seen in the back photo and side photo. You can see how ripped my shoulders are getting from the side, but towards the back they aren't as ripped. That is the rear delt issue. So these will now get worked on shoulder day and back day. I'm going to push it really hard.

Mary said it is still possible to get them worked up in 9 more weeks, so I'm going to push it as hard as I can.

Workouts are really intense now, but I'm not as hungry anymore and I have been feeling pretty good. Just excited that everything is really coming together. The next 9 weeks will be tougher than ever, but I'm really excited to see what else I can do to my body. I also am getting more and more confident that I can maintain this level of fitness as long as I work with my trainers/coaches on getting cardio to a manageable level of maintenance (I'm hoping for about 4 hours a week instead of the current 7).

I also always love when i meet with Mary. She makes me feel really excited about my progress. She told me that my skin has really bounced back from losing the 34 pounds that I've lost. Said that I should be very excited about my transformation. I even met a girl doing my same show and that girl told me that Mary told her all about me and that I had transformed myself! WOW! I can't believe a bodybuilder like Mary was excited for me and telling another figure competitor about me!

Oh, and one another note....I was posing in the gym in my bikini and heels for all the world to see....Stage Fright? Hopefully not at this point!

Nutritious Kitchen

I finally cleaned out the majority of the junk food left in my house. I'd been keeping some around for Andy but I now have him on the health kick too....so we finally have a fridge and pantry that I LOVE to see:

The fridge - full of figure competitor staples: eggs, rtd's, egg whites, water, veggies, diet sodas, "free" sauces, and protein

The freezer - full of veggies, more meat, and of course the "cheat" favorites (ice cream and chocolate cake!)

The pantry - all kinds of peanut butter (I LOVE peanut butter), whey, oats, protein bars, quinoa, brown rice, and more "free" condiments.

If you come visit me, just know that you don't have much to choose from that would be a good midnight snack!!!

Here's My Hand

One thing that amazes me about this sport is how nice everyone has always been to me along the way. You would think it being a competition that people would not want to share secrets or lend a helping hand.

Not True!

I am by nature extremely competitive. This is not the sport to be that way. It is only a competition with yourself.

I had to learn this and it is humbling once you do.

I find myself now always trying to remember all the help I have received along the way, and that it will be my turn to pass along help to someone else one day. That is what real winners do.

Because...I have had 2 amazing nutritionists (Amy and Nathan) help me get my food in order. Before them, I never had a clue about how many calories I should be eating, how to work carbs into my diet, how much fat is enough, etc etc. I didn't have a clue what supplements to take.

Because...without Amy I would never know what types of workouts to do. I was working out all my muscle groups when really I needed to focus in on particular areas.

Because...without Monica Brant I would have never found Nathan. Or Sonya who is making my suit.

Because....without Sonya, I wouldn't have a suit, or have a clue what design or color to go with.

Because...without Jonathan I would never know what % body fat I have. I also wouldn't have a clue how to build a plyometric workout routine.

Because...without Mary I would never have a clue how to pose on stage.

Because....without all my supporters I would not have small reminders that I am capable of doing this.

Because....without Andy I would not have someone to vent to every day, and share my small victories.

There are a bunch of people who have really helped me stay motivated and figure out how to get organized. It will be my turn one day and I will return the favor.

This morning in the gym a girl told me she has watched me transform over the last year and she is completely inspired by me. She said she would like to get my info so she can find out what I do and eat. I will happily help anyone that wants help. Ultimately we all must recognize that we can only change if we want to, and at the end of the day we have to take action on the information we receive. But, I will never turn away someone who is genuinely trying to make a change and is crying "HELP". I have been that same girl. And I have looked at other girls and wished and wondered how to do it.

It is important that while I'm proud of where I've taken myself....I need not forget where I came from.

Highs, Lows, and Growth

I follow all the latest news in the NPC on facebook. I came across this excellent interview with a girl that is one of the newest winners. I really enjoyed the article because the girl being interviewed seemed so normal and I could really relate to her.

http://www.rxmuscle.com/rxgirl/rx-girl-articles/1855-beth-polisson-qim-not-in-competition-with-anybody-but-myselfq.html

One thing she said that made me think was how the first time competing experience is so rewarding because you grow as a person. And that a lot of growth comes from low points or letdowns. I kept thinking about how this could really be true. I mean, I have definitely had highs and lows. A lot of my lows have been general frustration and worry that I'm really not doing something right and maybe I won't be ready to compete. This turns into stress which gives me anxiety, and I just hate feeling like I can't breathe or I'm going to have a panic attack. These are major mental let downs, but I'm not sure how these have helped me grow during this experience.

And then I think I realized (at least partially) what was really meant by it. Most people would quit this whole process when those let downs come on. I'm having the serious "mental letdowns" and figuring out how to deal with them so that I can continue towards my goal. That is resisting failure and not allowing yourself to quit. This is where the whole correct mental mindset comes into play.

So, last night in an attempt to keep some of my "normal world" life, I went with Andy to Rob and Chandra's. It was like the old times where it was just the Williamsons, Wells', Thomas', and Stevensons. All of us are super busy now with different things going on that it is very very very rare that we should all be able to get together under one roof. I don't know how long it has been since all 8 adults have been together, but I swear it used to be all the time and now this was probably the first time in the last year. I had a great time visiting. And the whole situation made me realize how my diet is so permanently different now. For one, I was the only one not drinking alcohol until 6 month pregnant Apryl showed up. And it never bothered me that I wasn't drinking. Secondly, there was nothing I could have ate had I not brought my own food. Typical. I of course had my own food and was just fine eating it. I sort of missed having my "cheat day" where I could have done whatever, but really it didn't bother me so much.

But more than just being able to deal with the situation, I realized: I would rather be doing what I'm doing than doing what they are all doing.

Whoa.

It surprised myself to have that thought. I no longer feel like I have to get home to go to bed...I want to get home to go to bed. I was not jealous in the least once everyone started getting a buzz from drinking too much. Instead, I was tired and full and wanting my own bed so I could wake up on a quiet Sunday morning.

So, today, I'm reflecting a little on what this all means. And I have to remember what the above interview had said and how it relates to my current life.
1. It is a mental low to realize that you are a bit of a "social outcast" when you used to be party girl central. This causes some identity confusion on your part as well with others wondering who you really are now. It's not like others are mad I'm not joining in, but they definitely can't do anything to make me feel included (like when everyone is drunk in a hot tub and you are just tired and ready to go to sleep)....
2. I've obviously grown from this entire process to realize that my health is one of my core values now in life. My diet is dictated by this value and not altered to fit in with what everyone else is doing.
3. It is a high to realize that my mind is stronger than it ever used to be. A year ago, I would have said "just this one time won't really matter..." and would have forgot my diet and caved. Now, I know that reaching my goal is far more important than any junk food could ever be and I don't even have to worry about feeling tempted. That is mental strength.

Progress Pic - 11 weeks out

Here are pics 11 weeks out. Changes are very subtle at this point, but I feel good about what I'm seeing. 118 pounds and 15% fat.

I had a good talk with Amy this afternoon also. She was excited for my body fat, since this is where I'll really start seeing changes fast and noticing contest shape coming on. Which is funny that she said this because this last week I really noticed changes happening.

I always feel good talking to Amy. She reminded me that competing is a "lonely sport", so it is ok to sometimes feel alone in what I'm doing.

So I kinda feel like even though this is crunch time, that a calm is over me. I finally feel like I'm able to compete, and that the fat is going to come off between now and the show. This is the first time I have really felt that relaxed about contest prep. And the diet isn't even getting on my nerves that bad anymore. I'm feeling much more ok with just doing what I'm doing, and knowing it will all pay off in the end. In fact, I'm getting more thoughtful about post-contest, and ensuring I don't blow up after this is all said and done with!

Carb Cycling and Cardio

Nathan emailed me the new diet. We are going to try and cycle my carbs. This is pretty common, and I probably should expect my diet will stay like this until contest. It is a pretty cool thing really, I've been reading up on carb depleting and loading and what benefits it can have on weight loss and also your contest look.

So now, on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, I'm eating what I have been eating:

Breakfast
1/2 grapefruit
6 egg whites

Snack
whey
1/2 grapefruit
1 tbsp almond butter

Lunch
40 grams quinoa
3 oz chicken
2 cups green beans

Snack
100 grams shrimp
2 cups green beans

Dinner
whey
2 cups cucumber

Snack
3 oz chicken
1 bell pepper
2 cups green beans

+ a before bed shake (with whey and fruit) and a postworkout shake

Now, on Tuesdays and Fridays, the carb depletion diet looks like this:

Breakfast
instead of grapefruit now there is 0.25 cups of oats

Snack
Now it is just whey and 0.25 cups oats (I'm going to try and cut some of the whey and replace with egg beaters to make my oat pancakes since that is easier to pull off at work)

Lunch
no green beans, just the chicken and quinoa

Snack
Substitute quinoa for green beans

Dinner
whey
10 almonds

Snack
3 oz chicken
2 cups cucumber

+ post workout shake and a pre-bed shake (only no fruit in the last shake of the day)

Basically what this does is on the "normal" days, I'm eating about 100 grams of carbs. Now on the depleting days, I only have about 60 grams. That is going to make the workouts pretty brutal on Wednesday morning as well as Saturday morning since I won't have a ton of energy. Plus, my cardio on Tuesday is 75 minutes, so I'm probably going to have to do a morning and afternoon workout now to fit it all in, so my gas tank will really be empty doing cardio in the evening! It will be a really interesting week seeing how I respond to this!

If you are wondering about Saturday, well it is still my day to fit in a cheat meal and so it is a carb load day. I believe this day is going to change in about 3 weeks because I'll have to eliminate all sugar and junk from my diet completely.

As for the workout...here is what it currently looks like:

Monday
70 minutes of steady cardio
Glutes/Hams/Abs

Tuesday
75 minutes of steady cardio
Shoulders/Arms/Calves

Wednesday
60 minutes Interval Sprinting: 1 minute sprint:1 minute walk

Thursday
Back/Calves
60 minutes of interval sprinting

Friday
Plyometrics/Crossfit class (45 minutes)
25 minutes of steady cardio

Saturday
40 minutes steady cardio in am
40 minutes steady cardio in pm

Sunday
Rest

Cardio comes out to be a little more than an hour each day on average. It's only 3 weight workouts, but plyo/crossfit usually is a strength training workout as well since weights can be involved. But mainly the only weight workout I gave up was quads and the thing is sprinting and plyo is really geared towards working your legs, so it isn't like I gave up much.

It's a lot. Plus I have 2 days a week at a minimum to work on posing. I've really only been getting one good day in on this because on weekends is when it is really easy for me to use the cardio room at the gym to pose. I guess I'll have to make myself do it in the mornings as I get to about 8 weeks out from contest. I'm feeling a LOT better about posing though since I've had two sessions with Mary and really can see my shoulders and quads leaning out now.

Now, tomorrow I'm calling Amy to chat. I'm hoping to make a trip to Dallas to see her before my show so she can help me with some last minute details on posing and overall presentation. She is amazing at stage presentation so I really care about getting her to give me some one on one pointers.

And hey...today is Saturday! So guess what I get to eat today? I ate oatmeal for breakfast which was super exciting. And I'm going to eat a luna bar for a snack, and for another snack I'm going to have 2 rice cakes with peanut butter (real peanut butter!). As for the main cheat meal, I'm fitting in a sweet potato, broccoli, and steak followed by chocolate cake. Oh, how this contest diet has made me appreciate healthy foods even! It is only a 2200 calorie day after all is said and done and I know I'm going to cherish every moment of it!!!!

11 weeks out! Great Progress!

I am 11 weeks out as of tomorrow.

I have crazy emotions going on. but they are all good people, no worries! I am super excited that I am seeing amazing progress with my body. Today, I look in the mirror and seriously hardly find anything I don't like about myself. That is a feeling I've never had before. Competing or not, that is an accomplishment. My arms are the best part I think. I have always HATED my arms and now they are super buff.

I got my body fat checked this week and I'm right at 15%. A miracle if you ask me. Especially after my horrible cheat day on vacation last week. (Did I mention that I threw up 5 times at the airport the day after? Yeah, might have to re-think the post part splurge of food after contest).

I don't have a progress pic to share because Andy is gone today and I'll have to take it tomorrow I guess. But seriously, I am amazed at my abs right now. The lower abs of course are my week spot. I noticed that with my body fat readings. The caliper measurements are going down like everywhere except my lower abs. This seriously will be one of the last places I lose fat, I am sure of it because it is so driven by diet. BUT, on the UP side....I have abs in my lower lower abs coming through very clearly. Cuts that usually are only observed on men. THAT is super cool.

Oh, and my old navy size 2 jeans are too big now. So I'm very thankful I didn't use my old navy gift card from Diane (birthday gift) because it looks like I need to run over there for some size 0's. I was wearing the size 2's to work yesterday and by about 9am they were stretched out and falling off of me...not very flattering.

Now, for the interesting part that I'm waiting on....I emailed Nathan this morning and told him that I thought this was a great week. Especially considering that my diet has been so miserable and I'm hungry all the freaking time. But surprisingly I was a nice person this week the majority of the time, and I was not overly tired like usual. I thought I felt pretty good overall! He emailed me back that it was great news. But then he said...."let's keep up the momentum. Are you ready to kick it up a notch?".....Oh god. I shake my head at this. Because people, I am working my ass off. I think everyone is fully aware of this, but I'm telling you this is the hardest thing I have ever done. I mean I've got it in a groove/routine now to where it is not so bad, but it is still just brutal. Because I really am hungry all the time. All the time. I work out for 2 hours in the morning and then only eat these meals that are 175-250 calories each. So I am ALWAYS hungry. Plus, I'm taking the T-X (side bar to the right) and there is no appetite suppressant with it.

Back to Nathan. I'm scared. I mean just as I'm feeling pretty good...he scares me with this comment. Oh dear lord I just hope he doesn't cut my calories anymore. And I really hope he doesn't add any more cardio yet!!!!

Just so everyone knows my reply though. It was this: "Oh Nathan. You kill me. Every week seems to be kicking it up a notch! But, do you really have to ask? You know I want this more than anything and will do whatever you tell me to do. Bring it!". I guess for a girl shaking in her boots about getting her ass kicked even more, I sure do put on a good front.

As soon as I get the new diet and workout, I will share. Please do not attempt unless you are already pre-contest.

Oh, and one more thing. I went to Crossfit this morning. The workout was excellent as always. Had extra time at the end of class so J had us do 4 rounds of 20 walking lunges followed by a run. You had to run around this building back to the start line and then go right back into another set of 20 lunges. Well, I was the first one off into the run in the first round. Then, after the second round of lunges, I passed two people on their run. So needless to say, I finished first, before any boys, and one girl was yelling "Misha, are you godzilla?"...I thought that was pretty cool.

Now, today is my day off. And Andy is gone. I believe I'm ready to just get in bed and take a long nap with Thelma and prepare myself for a double round of cardio tomorrow, posing practice, and my cheat meal of chocolate cake.

Travel Required

I'm going on vacation on Friday. We are going to NY for a party and then heading to Niagara Falls. Not my first choice for vacation, but something that Andy has always wanted to do. I would have pushed back harder saying it is a bad time to be traveling pre-contest, but I realize that part of this journey is figuring out how to maintain as normal of a life as possible while dieting and exercising this much.

So....

I will be bringing workout clothes. 6 pairs for 6 different days. (Sunday is my day off after all)
I have already figured out kinda sorta how to do workouts with free weights only. I booked the hotel, so I know there is a gym. But pictures indicate only 3 cardio machines. Which means I'll have no problem getting the cardio in, but may be a problem for weight training. However, since we are DRIVING from my dad's to the falls, we are probably going to be able to bring his weights. I know this sounds crazy, but it is actually easier to do than you would think because he has those stackable-adjustable weights. So, I made my workouts planned around using these weights only.

As for food, I have already sectioned out all my protein shakes into snack bags for each day. 3 shakes a day! I put glutamine into 2 of the 3 each day to make sure I get 10 grams in the shakes. Then I'll need to still pack extra glutamine somehow for my other 15 grams a day.
I also sectioned out 4 snack bags of oatmeal, pre-mixed with sweetener and apple pie mix. Just add water and viola! Then, I grabbed 4 luna bars and 3 bags of tuna...these are in case of emergency. I may be traveling and have no other option. Otherwise, Ellen and my Dad have promised to pick me up some egg whites, chicken and green beans. That should work out easy for their house. In Niagara I'm counting on everywhere we go to have chicken breast. I think that is a pretty easy assumption, but if they don't, I will have my emergency back up plan snacks.

I also bagged up enough supplements for 7 days.

I believe I have everything. What is really great is about 4 months ago, the thought of going on this trip really freaked me out. Now, I feel like I'll be in control as long as I bring my lunch bag and all the back up plans. The worst feeling is to be somewhere and not have an option. So as long as you make sure there always is an option, then that really is no longer a problem.

Wish me luck.

P.S. I'm hoping to get an updated body fat number tomorrow. Will post with a progress picture if there is improvements.

Competition Suit

I think I have explained on and off what is going on with the suit. So here's the full scoop.





At Monica's camp, I met Sonya Davis, and she was super nice. She is from Alabama and has this twang in her voice. She also is a judge for contests, so that was cool to talk to her and get the scoop on what judges are looking for. But what really impressed me is she designed this suit for Ava Cowan:

Ava wears this suit in a Gaspari Nutrition add, and I saw it recently as the first ad when I opened my Oxygen Magazine in May. I immediately thought she looks freaking gorgeous. And I LOVE the suit. Well, Sonya designed her suit!!! At that point, I was sold on getting a suit from Sonya and her company "Bambi Boutique" (check out her link to the right).

At first, I thought I would go with a teal. Everyone has told me I would look great in blue because I do when I wear just a normal top. So I picked out an aqua blue. I told Sonya I trust her design work so she could just do whatever style she wanted with the rhinestones. I paid for the most stones I could get without being too over the top (after all, this is the amateurs people!).

Well, then I spoke with Amy on the phone. She said that light colors just don't look as good on stage. She can't explain why, but they just don't. She said if I were going to go with a blue, to go with a navy or a royal blue. Can't say I like either of those blue colors very much. So then I told her about the suit Ava is wearing and we went to Sonya's website together and Amy said it was PERFECT. So she was like "well if you like it so much, why didn't you just get Sonya to make you one that is similar, but in your budget?". Well, aren't I stupid. That was a pretty obvious question and I probably should have just had the same suit made for me!

So I emailed Sonya and she said, "no problem" and now we are making a mini-Ava Cowan suit for me. It will be in my budget though. And if anyone is wondering what is the budget...well, get ready to shit your pants. My suit is going to cost $680. With shipping, that is $700. Yes. you read correctly. Probably the suit in the picture of Ava, she is most likely wearing a $1500 suit. So, yes, mine won't be as wonderful. But very very pretty I'm sure.

So, how on earth am I supposed to know what size I will be to have already ordered the suit??? Well, that is an interesting point. So when I met with Sonya, she took my measurements. And then we discussed what we thought my competition weight would be. At the time, I was about 125 pounds. And I knew I had 102 pounds of lean body mass. So I told her I didn't anticipate being any smaller than 110 pounds. She agreed because she said she could tell that I have a lot of muscle. So that is what we ordered. BUT, I am 118 pounds right now. And 14 weeks till contest. So I may be less than 110 by contest. Which isn't a super bad deal as long as I'm not smaller than 105 pounds. If I get too much smaller than that, then well, I may have a problem. See I will need the suit altered to fit me if I am too much smaller. But it is better that way than the other way around. Let's say I stay at 118. Well, that suit is never going to fit me right then. I'll just be screwed. You can't make a small suit fit a big body. You just can't. So that probably won't be a problem at this point.

So, that is all that is going on with my suit. So many people seem to ask about this and think it is a regular bathing suit or something I'll be able to wear again and again. NO! Only if I compete again will I wear it again. Otherwise, it is getting put in a shadow box and hung in my house. LOL. :)