11 Days Until First Bikini Contest

I'm 11 days out from my bikini competition, and my life has pretty much been absorbed by thinking, planning for, worrying about, getting excited about, etc., the big day! I have had moments where I am a complete grumpy monster and I can't stand to even LOOK at another human being, let alone speak to them. But today, at this moment, I feel calm. I am confused by this, since yesterday morning I was definitely "The Monster". Maybe my calmness comes from the fact that I just ate Meal #3 of 6 (and I LOVE TO EAT), or maybe it's because I spent extra time this morning focusing on taking deep, conscious breaths ... or maybe this last week prior to the show won't actually be as bad as I'd expected!

On Saturday, I did a fun photo shoot with a photographer named Paul Folk. He was great, very professional but also very kind. We shot at my local gym, so I felt "at home". We used issues of Oxygen and Muscle & Fitness Hers magazines for pose inspiration. Paul has put a bunch of the final (i.e. Photoshopped) images on his website, and I really like them!

Being my typical perfectionist self, I don't think my body is PERFECT in these images... I'd like my waist to shrink a little and my body fat to drop a bit, but overall, I am proud of how far I've come. But with some hard work these next couple weeks, I think I can at least look like I belong on the bikini competition stage, even if I likely won't place.

*Update Post-Competition*

Here are some pictures from my May 24 competition, the Fitness New Mexico.

Here is my competitor number, which is pinned to your bikini.

Here is me with hair and makeup done by the professionals! I did look and feel a bit drag-queen-ish. But it looks good onstage under the bright lights. Next time I don't think I'll wear hair extensions; I'll go for a more natural, "me" look.

Here I am in my suit! As you can see, I needed to be leaner for this competition. I didn't really understand this reality until post-competition. For next time, I'll be more prepared. I am just happy to have survived my first show!

Thank You Glutamine & Other Thoughts

I began taking glutamine 3 or so weeks ago because I read that it's helpful for muscle recovery after strenuous exercise as well as helping you avoid getting sick. I have to say that it's been very helpful for me on both counts!

I tend to be a person who gets sick fairly frequently. I am often stressed out, which I think contributes to that (I'm working on keeping my stress levels under control, but it's not easy!). And lately I've been at the germ-filled gym at least once per day, so the fact that I haven't been sick in several weeks surprises me -- and I am SO grateful for it. The point of this story is that I am so glad I started taking glutamine because I think it helped me avoid sickness during a time when my immune system is compromised (because I have been working out so hard).



"Your goals, minus your doubts, equal your reality." - Ralph Marston

This quote applies to me today. For whatever reason, this morning I began having crazy, doubtful thoughts about myself almost immediately. Maybe it was initiated by the Buff Girl at the gym who always makes me a little jealous with her awesome physique (and I know she's a MOM too! *sigh*). Maybe it's the fact that I have a fitness photo shoot on Saturday and my first competition in two weeks. Either way, my thoughts were crazy and I knew if I didn't do something about this, my whole day would head downhill.

So I practiced a few minutes of deep breathing and meditation after my run on the treadmill, like usual, with an emphasis on letting go of my ridiculous, self-doubting thoughts. My wonderful counselor taught me that I can acknowledge the crazy thought, but then tell it to get lost. And I can work on letting go of the tight grip of control I try to maintain on every aspect of my life. Things WILL work out, even if I don't micromanage them. Life has proved this to me over and over again.

2.5 Weeks Out! Haven't Completely Fallen Off Deep End Yet...

Like I said in the title of this post, I have not COMPLETELY fallen off the deep end (i.e. lost my mind / had a major breakdown), but I've come pretty close. Competition prep is HARD. There is no denying that. It's hard mentally, it's hard physically, and it's hard on the people close to you.

Workout routine:

- Fasted cardio (on empty stomach) first thing in the morning every day for 35-45 minutes. I switch around between the stepmill, elliptical and treadmill to avoid boredom and injury.

- Weights: After work I hit the weight room for 45-60 minutes hitting various bodyparts with various intensities. Sometimes I do only 10-12 reps with heavier weight; sometimes I do 20 reps with less weight (particularly for glutes. Come on butt, perk up!)

- Weekends: I have not been taking breaks on weekends. In fact, I have been doing twice daily cardio sessions on Saturday and Sunday, plus a plyometric workout on Saturday.

- Supplements added: I am afraid of injuring myself and losing muscle mass from all this exercise combined with a low-carb, relatively low-calorie diet. So I added glutamine and BCAA supplements to my diet. They do seem to be helping; I feel like I SHOULD be more sore than I actually am. And, it hasn't been all that hard getting up at 4:40 AM for cardio. My body is now used to being awake that early.

DIET

This is definitely the hardest part for me. I don't mind exercising all day long, but when it comes to SAYING NO to that jar of peanut butter, especially at 11 PM when I'm practically sleepwalking, it takes every ounce of willpower I have.

My diet hasn't changed much from the last time I wrote about it. But I am following it more closely than I used to. A big part of success with the diet is preparation. Here's what that involves:

- Grocery store: I'm here a couple of times a week, stocking up on the same foods repeatedly. Cucumbers, asparagus, tilapia, salmon, 93% lean ground beef, chicken breasts, balsamic vinegar, vanilla extract (I put it on my baked asparagus!), eggs, grapefruit ... these are some of the "staple" items. I go through them pretty fast, but fortunately none of them are very expensive.

- My beloved cooler: I tote my cooler with my every day now (they have cute ones at Target, for those who need one), even on weekends. It just makes me feel better to be prepared. I get tired of rinsing my tupperware containers over and over, but as the saying goes, nothing that's worth having is easy.

- Eating out: This happens rarely, if ever, during my contest prep. I did have a nice dinner with my boyfriend last weekend and it was a bit of a cheat, but for my sanity, I really needed it. If I do have to eat out for some reason, I plan ahead: I eat a small meal beforehand at home, and at the restaurant I generally just order a salad with dressing on the side and most of the "fun stuff" (cheese, nuts, etc) removed.


TEAM BOMBSHELL

I am very excited to report that today I signed up to join TEAM BOMBSHELL!

Their website is located at http://www.bombshellfitness.com

This is a team of competitors led by coach Shannon Dey. I kept hearing about them over and over while following coverage of the Olympia, the Arnold, and other major figure/bikini competitions. I filled out my application and submitted my payment today, so I should be receiving my nutrition and workout plans from them very soon. I will be sad to say goodbye to my current trainer, but excited to venture down this new path.