For the last few days I have had this nagging, stupid cold. Even when I'm not training for a competition, I am "bad" at being sick. I admit this. I deny how sick I actually am, and convince myself that I'm all better before I really am better. These tendencies have been even worse since I am a little over seven weeks out from competition. My brain tells me, "I don't care that you're sick! Do you want to look lean onstage or not?!" I realize how irrational and unhealthy this is, especially considering that diet is 80 percent of the equation anyway. I have just felt encouraged lately because my weight has dropped a little, and I want the scale to keep moving.
This morning (5 AM to be exact) on the elliptical, I must have looked pretty pathetic. I could hardly climb above level 12 before getting wiped out. I only did 30 minutes of half-assing it, instead of the 50 minutes I had planned to do. I guess my body was just not ready yet. It frustrates me so much, but sometimes I think this is the universe testing me ... can I love and take care of myself to listen to my body? Can I accept that it's not ready for hardcore training yet? *sigh* I'm workin' on it ...
I sent new pictures to Julie Lohre yesterday, and she seemed pleased with them. She said I looked "great"! I look at them, and my first reaction isn't that I look great, but then again, I tend to be harder on myself than is necessary. I am trusting that if I keep following the diet closely, my stomach will get lean and tight by the time May 21 rolls around. My legs look pretty good; I'm less concerned about them.
That is all for now. Hopefully today will be the finale of my stupid cold, so I can train hard once again.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
8 Weeks Out Until Showtime
My first bikini contest will be on May 21, 2011 in Albuquerque, NM. I have a little less than 8 weeks left to tighten up and be ready to strut my stuff onstage!
I have been working with trainer Julie Lohre through email communication since November 2010. She took me through a muscle-building phase where I was eating what felt like quite a lot (and enjoying it!) but now, in March, we're trying to cut body fat to show off my hard-earned muscles. This means I'm on a strict, low-carb diet that I do not enjoy very much.
I have to confess that this diet is HARD. It consists of mainly lean meats, eggs, protein powder, and veggies. I get half a grapefruit in the morning, and that's the only fruit during the day. I really miss berries ... especially now that the weather is getting nice and they're less expensive. The diet is just repetitive and bland. I rely so much on sugar-free jello with fat-free Cool-Whip to distract me from other sweet, carb-laden foods.
I definitely haven't been "perfect" on this diet. My family doesn't make it easy for me. None of them eats very healthfully, and for whatever reason my mom always has some sort of cookie or baked good sitting on the counter. But I know that when I really strictly follow the diet, it works. I've lost a few pounds, so I'm closer to my "contest weight" now. I'm not sure what the final weight will be ... Julie probably has a number in mind.
My workouts as of late have consisted of 5 weekly high-intensity interval sessions (mainly on the elliptical or treadmill) plus 4 pretty hardcore workouts that have lots of reps with lighter weights than before, plus zillions (or what feels like zillions) of plyometric moves. Lots of bench jumps, frog jumps, etc. These workouts are exhausting, so it's nice that there's only 4 per week now.
In terms of getting ready for the show, I have purchased my clear high heels. I have ordered two suits (red and blue) from another bikini competitor. I have paid for my makeup to be done by a MAC makeup artist, and I've made my tanning appointment. I paid for two nights at the Hard Rock hotel. I have Julie's DVD explaining how to pose and other aspects of the competition.
In terms of what's left, I still need an outfit for the "themed sportswear" round. The lady running the show told me this is like a "sexy Halloween costume" round. I am considering a "sexy baseball player" outfit that is pretty cute (does anyone care that I've never played baseball/softball?). I need to decide whether to get my hair done professionally. I need to seriously practice my poses and transitions. But that's about it!
I have been working with trainer Julie Lohre through email communication since November 2010. She took me through a muscle-building phase where I was eating what felt like quite a lot (and enjoying it!) but now, in March, we're trying to cut body fat to show off my hard-earned muscles. This means I'm on a strict, low-carb diet that I do not enjoy very much.
I have to confess that this diet is HARD. It consists of mainly lean meats, eggs, protein powder, and veggies. I get half a grapefruit in the morning, and that's the only fruit during the day. I really miss berries ... especially now that the weather is getting nice and they're less expensive. The diet is just repetitive and bland. I rely so much on sugar-free jello with fat-free Cool-Whip to distract me from other sweet, carb-laden foods.
I definitely haven't been "perfect" on this diet. My family doesn't make it easy for me. None of them eats very healthfully, and for whatever reason my mom always has some sort of cookie or baked good sitting on the counter. But I know that when I really strictly follow the diet, it works. I've lost a few pounds, so I'm closer to my "contest weight" now. I'm not sure what the final weight will be ... Julie probably has a number in mind.
My workouts as of late have consisted of 5 weekly high-intensity interval sessions (mainly on the elliptical or treadmill) plus 4 pretty hardcore workouts that have lots of reps with lighter weights than before, plus zillions (or what feels like zillions) of plyometric moves. Lots of bench jumps, frog jumps, etc. These workouts are exhausting, so it's nice that there's only 4 per week now.
In terms of getting ready for the show, I have purchased my clear high heels. I have ordered two suits (red and blue) from another bikini competitor. I have paid for my makeup to be done by a MAC makeup artist, and I've made my tanning appointment. I paid for two nights at the Hard Rock hotel. I have Julie's DVD explaining how to pose and other aspects of the competition.
In terms of what's left, I still need an outfit for the "themed sportswear" round. The lady running the show told me this is like a "sexy Halloween costume" round. I am considering a "sexy baseball player" outfit that is pretty cute (does anyone care that I've never played baseball/softball?). I need to decide whether to get my hair done professionally. I need to seriously practice my poses and transitions. But that's about it!
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