A figure competitor’s path

So I am not a vain person. I work out hard, but it’s not something I flaunt openly all the time. BUT…10 days out from my show, I am feeling good and tight and lean and pretty ready, this is the time I let myself get a little vain. This is the only time you’ll see me in the gym with just a sports bra on, but also the one time i can be proud to do it. Hey - I have worked really hard under cover for 13 weeks. Why not just take a week to show it off? Is that so wrong??

So I have cut all aspartame and fake sugars out of my diet and I am just drinking water now. Not too bad, but seriously…I have a small bladder as it is and WOW! Someone just needs to set up my office in the bathrom! Forget cardio, I walk a mile just back and forth to the bathroom every day. It’s amazing to me I even have spit left to talk!

I am so hungry, I think I could eat my fist off, so I decided instead of reaching for food, I will reach for my other tool…words. So as I nibble my peppers, I write. I lost my workout partner yesterday. She was my biggest fan and she is moving far far away from me 6 weeks before the show. I am very much going to miss her. I’m hoping that part of my motivation didn’t move with her. I’ve been so driven this season and part of it I think has been seeing her in the gym and having her push me as hard as I push her. I am definitely going to miss that. But she has inspired me to put my everything forward this season and get on stage the best I can.

 Plus, I got a rockin, kick ass suit from CCFitwear. It’s absolutely incredible and I can’t wait to debut it on stage. I have to have the body to fit the suit. See, now I feel a little better. This should help me get through my next hour of cardio after work. It’s not bad really. Just 20 minutes, then 20 minutes, then 20 minutes…I can do that. No problem. This one’s for Michele!

Hey everyone,

 I am thinking of adding a fat burner to my supplements to try to get rid of some of this stubborn leg fat, does anyone have any recommendations? Thanks!

OK - so I am 7 weeks from my show, plenty of time, I know. But I was wondering if anyone out there had some advice for leaning out my legs. It’s always been a struggle for me. I do tons of jump squats, air squats, walking lunges, box jumps, mountain climbers, treadmill sprints, stair mill, very leg concentrated movements. My legs always feel fatigued and tight, I very rarely let up on them. Is it just something that is going to happen as time passes or is there anything anyone has done that’s tried and true for them? Thanks!

So the other day, there was a slice of frozen pizza in my fridge that my husband had made up this weekend. It was early morning and it was looking so delicious. (I’m really starting to crave good tasting food). Well as I was packing my lunch, I was in and out of the fridge and every time I opened it, it looked better and better.

So instead of eating it, I pulled it out, put some dish detergent on it, shook it up in the bag and threw it in the trash. That’s the only way I could guarantee that I wouldn’t fish it out of the garbage, pull it out of the bag and eat it!

Gross, I know, but alas, I did not cheat!!

I didnt’ completely fall off. For the first time in 5 weeks, I almost had a complete all out binge. But I definitely kept it in tact and stayed on a pretty even keel. It wound up being a sliver of lasagna and garlic bread and 4 Italian cookies… but I wanted more, oh so much more! Back on track today!

So I started my diet today. Now I usually do protein powder in the morning because I am not a food in the a.m. sort of person, but for the diet, I wanted the purest form of anything in my meals so it starts with 4 egg whites in the morning and a block of shredded wheat cereal. Well the shredded wheat wasn’t bad, but let me tell you… The egg whites took me 25 minutes to eat!!! I sat down at 7:40 this morning to eat them and was still munching them at 8:05. I am going to have to cook them fresh in the morning instead of eating them cold and hard boiled because clearly, this just ain’t workin!!!

Just wanted to let everyone know I received notification from the NPC today that as of January 1, 2009, they will not be using 1-piece figure suits anymore. Apparently there is rumor of a bikini category instead. Thanks.

That’s not my ambition I’m talking about - seems to be my weight. UGGH! Did I ever mention I hate off-season! Ridiculously HATE IT! And now that it’s 10 weeks from diet, I just feel like I am getting bigger and bigger. I think I am going to have to diet for like 20 weeks to shed all this body fat this season!!! Arrrgh!