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!
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