HauteMama_ToTwo’s BodyBlog

So about a week ago I received a message saying I’d been entered in the Best Female Physique part 2 at www.simplyshredded.com. Now, I’ve never been nominated for something of this nature, but I must admit, I’m quite flattered! The voting doesn’t start til Wednesday, July 1st, but i was already prepping how I could get the word out to my friends…and hopefully fans! I think the prize is the same as the first contest, but to tell you the truth, I’d do it for absolutely nothing! I have enjoyed getting to know more of my fellow bodyspacers’ recently and hope that I’ve made an impact on you all as someone who is passionate about maintaining my figure and competing in competitions. I love my job and feel fortunate to be able to “work out” for a living! I hope I can count of your vote, I wouldn’t be here without them!! Thank you! Feel free to leave a comment if you voted, I’d love to thank you individually!

http://www.simplyshredded.com/forum/post547.html#p547

 xoxo, Ashley 

So my last show was almost 3 weeks ago now. Funny how it seems to take forever to get here, but once it does it’s over in a flash! I was so diligent afterwards to watch what I ate until I finished a photoshoot the following Monday, but it seems that since then I’ve been very lax in my diet…and it’s beginning to stress me out! I was adament about getting my offseason diet on paper and knowing exactly what I was going to do. My husband figured it all out the very day I asked and I went to the store the following day to make sure there were no excuses for not starting it…well, that was 2 weeks ago and I’ve probably eaten the way I need to 5 or 6 of the 14 or so days. Ugh. That’s about the only word I have for myself. I’m writing this is hopes that it encourages me to get back on track and stick to it! I like the diet I’m supposed to be on, minus the fact there’s no chocolate or peanut butter, but that’s what cheat meals are, right?! I just need to remember to ask myself, "How bad do you want it? How hard are the other PRO card hopefuls working right now? Are they going to show me up when it comes down to it?" And the answer to that is, "Hella freakin’ NO!"

Once again, thanks for reading my rant…peace. 

One week down in my quest to my best…I did NOT cheat once this week! Sad that I actually need to be proud of that, but I do. It’s like any obsessive vice, I’m taking it one day at a time. I worked really hard during my workouts this week and feel accomplished. I squatted more than I ever have, 165lbs. for 10 reps, so that was exciting…not at the time, more like killer hard. I also hacked more than I ever wanted to…and on a machine known to be a bit more difficult b/c of the incline. I felt a little weak during chest, but doing 5 sets of 10 w/ 10 sec rests one should not expect to be as strong…that’s what I’m telling myself. I’ve lost a few pounds since the weekend, down to 138-139 from 142. This is 10 lbs heavier than I was when I started my 12 wks last summer, so hopefully I gained a nice amount of muscle mass during my offseason/bulking period. It was not easy watching the scale go north, but it was sooo much less stressful to not worry about cardio and being "thin." Hopefully this winter was the last time I’ll need to bulk as much. I’d like to keep a leaner look between contests, but I still have gains to make, so can’t limit myself too much. It was a million times easier to lift heavier and gain more size with a few extra pounds…try 28…yes, I gained over 28 lbs since I was on stage. Not to mention I was 119 on stage, which is about 5 more than my trainer predicted. I think I managed to actually gain muscle during contest prep last time and am hoping to do that again with this one. I haven’t had to start carb cycling yet, and only have to do cardio 4 days/40 min. Not bad starting out, I guess.

Everyone’s encouragement totally rocks and makes a girl feel good, well, most of the comments…some are a bit creepy, but good for a laugh!!

I’m totally excited about competing in ‘09. I’ve picked the shows and marked all the weeks out on no less than 3 calenders. The 4 shows I’ve picked are all roughly 8-10 weeks from each other, meaning I will literally be dieting for the next 40 or so weeks…that sounds horrible until I remember that I grew and birthed two children in the same amount of time and I was able to withhold from the no-nos of pregnancy (alcohol and sushi, mostly). I can do this, I want this, I WILL do this! In the scheme of life, dieting for most of the year is not too bad. I figure if I just look at the pros to every con, I’ll have a better outlook on the situation, i.e. not going out with friends on the weekend to enjoy drinks will not only keep my waist from expanding, it will save money (lots, at times). Eating the same thing every single day is not boring, it’s a science. I know exactly how much to eat and how long it takes to prepare, meaning I spend less time at store and in kitchen and more time doing everything else I need to finish! I’m sure my point is being made. I just have to have the attitude that if this is something I want enough, nothing will seem TOO difficult!! Plus, I can’t wait to have the body changes to post on BB.com!!