amysuds’s BodyBlog

Yup, this love goes WAY back as far as my memory goes. Growing up in a family with six children…my mom often times made meals I didn’t like. I love ya mom…but the tuna/pea casserole was unbearable. So, my dad and I always had the jar of pb. We kind of made it our thing….we ate it all the time. He would always tell me it was a food I could live off of. I don’t know if that’s true but as I was growing…I started getting muscular at about 15 or 16 years old. Peanut butter was my main dish. My dad is also very muscular…he has abs like a rock still. Anyways, I learned early on that if I was going to eat this stuff outta the jar, the white bread and jelly had to go. That combo means nothing but a quick way for me to get fat. I have done it way too many times, especially when I was pregnant.

As the years went by, I never grew tired of this taste. As my battle with the scale continued with the ups and downs, I couldn’t give pb up for very long. I did try I finally realized how I could eat it and not have a huge gain in weight. The secret for me…is that when my carbs are low or in control…I can eat a few spoons at a time…often throughout the day. Never do I eat alot at once. But…I do eat alot of it. I don’t know why, but it is a "mood enhancing" food for me. So when I tell people my muscles are actually pb…you now know why I say that!!

My dad always calls me now to check on my training. He laughed when I told him how during comp prep…I only had one tbsp of peanut butter a day usually. He knew how hard that was for me…he said "just eat it, it’s not going to hurt you". I said, "dad, you don’t understand how important keeping the diet is right now." He still told me to eat it! Love ya Pops!

I wish I was an ectomorph. All my research I have done the past few years reading books and on this site makes me dream of what I might look like as such. I would eat LOTS of carbs, build muscle busting my butt in the gym everyday and have a tight skin wrap to start with…..I’d have killer abs and I would be able to easily drop body fat through no rest circuit training. Sounds ideal to me…..I am just jealous! LOL!! 

A friend of mine here on the site has been nominated to enter the Best Female Physique Part 2 contest.Check out this profile! http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/HauteMama_ToTwo/She is such an inspiration to moms out there! I am so impressed with her physique and she is just as beautiful on the inside.

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

Today was my son’s 8th birthday. We decided to take a few of his friends with us to an amusement/water park to celebrate. I had been really looking forward to this, with all my competition prep…there hasn’t been many family outings. So, I went all out as a mom the past few days. It’s been alot of fun just doing all the party preparation. I woke up this morning and was raring to go. I packed all the towels, snacks, juice boxes etc. I made the kids breakfast and put on their sunblock. I decorated the table for when we returned home to have birthday cake. I wrapped my son’s presents. We arrived at the park and had a blast ! A few hours later…I started to feel " weird,weak,needing to eat…etc". I realized I had not brought ONE thing for me to eat. This is the first time in SO long I have done that. I looked around and there were nothing but fast food meals. OH NO!! What do I do? I didn’t eat for awhile. My husband bought a bucket of FRIED chicken tenders and asked me to please have some. Oh geez, I can’t remember the last time I ate anything like that. I did eat…..I still cannot believe I didn’t even think to bring my food with me. After we ate and went back to the water slide, I looked down at my skin…getting all burnt. It was 85 degrees I believe. I FORGOT to put sunblock on!  Needless to say, I am looking much like a lobster as I type this….ha ha.

This is the kind of day I needed. Just a mom……I am always trying to improve. For just one day, I completely forgot about myself…..and it felt good.

I had to post this because it is a treat I have been enjoying without guilt. Basically, I make Jello Instant chocolate -sugar free ,fat free pudding to start. It whips up with 2 cups of skim milk. I then add 1 rounded scoop of Scivation whey chocolate protein (THE BEST OUT THERE, HANDS DOWN) to half the pudding and save the other half. Finally, I top it off with a  1 tbsp of Skippy Natural peanut butter. It tastes like a peanut butter cup…yum. Depending on how many carbs I can have to eat at the time, I sometimes reduce the  Jello pudding portion to stay on nutrition plan. Enjoy!!

Protein 36g

Carbs 33g

Fat 8g

Although I am not sure what is next on the agenda…one thing is certain. I am starting right back up with the workouts right away. I feel rested and ready to go….I have spent the last two days eating WHATEVER I wanted. The deprived cravings are all outta my system now, and today I am back to eating clean. I took the "carb load" to a whole new level….LOL…I may not need any for a long, long, long time!! DO WORK….NORTON STYLE!!

The

The day before I left for Indianapolis, I got the judges feedback that I ordered from the last show I did. I will share the comments with you. It said :tighten glutes, too many striations, good symmetry, possibly too hard for figure, too much muscle, awesome, blotchy color, too golden, work on t-walk ( this is a compiled list from all the judges in one sentence). So, I knew I could adjust a few things to better myself this time. I had ordered Pro-tan to test it out at this show. I used Dream tan the last show. When I put on the first coat of Pro-tan Friday, I loved the color. Unfortunately, I had a reaction to the product and I started breaking out a little. My intention was to keep going with it and hoped the irritation would go away before Saturday. When I arrived at the hotel..I saw the promoter had set up a vendor to do spray tanning. My husband saw the sign and said to go get it done. He thought it would be one less thing to worry about. So I went in and this company called Liquid Sun Rayz sprayed me. It was FANTASTIC! Not only did the price I payed cover the tanning…but also touchups, spray sheen and suit bikini bite help at the show. These ladies were great. I recommend them…hopefully other competitions will have their service available…their website is www.liquidsunrayz.com. My tan was even and not blotchy

As far as the competition…it was so professionally run. The promoter of this OCB Circle City comp did an awesome job with the whole thing. I had ZERO stress going through the long day. I really appreciated that. I first did the Sub-master figure category, and the ladies were looking great. I placed second to a lady that had fantastic delts, back and everything else for that matter. She is to the right of me here in the red suit……I felt the judges did a fair assessment and I was VERY happy that someone with good muscle won!!

The open tall figure class was 11 ladies I believe. It was a tough competiton in my opinion. I was fortunate enough to place first. I felt better at this comp than the last one. I was a little fuller (from all the junk I ate in between these 2 comps). I only gained one pound but it was enough to change my appearance to a little less striated. During my quarter turns, I purposely did not flex my upper body in front pose. I only lifted my chest. I think I flexed too hard at the last show and it made the striations even more pronounced.

It was a fantastic day…I went home with 2 swords and inspired again!

This is probably the most often asked question to me outside of this site. My friends, family and neighbors sometimes just don’t understand. Why do I put myself through this? How do I not pig out at the neighborhood BBQ? For me, it goes way back in my life….all stemming around my work ethic. There is no "big head" syndrome in me writing this. I want to share more about me.

It all started when I was 13 years old. I worked on a tobacco farm where I spent the day tying up tobacco plants to a line and getting completely filthy everyday. As soon as I was shown how to tie, I went like a bat outta hell. I was working on a peace work deal( paid for how many rows I tied) and was able to make a few hundred dollars a week. Way back then, it was alot of money. I would fly by everyone..in my own little world, just competing against myself. I wanted to see just how much I could do. This love of hard work followed me into a retail job where I started out as a stocking clerk and worked my way up to assistant store manager. I loved to work all night, unloading trucks and packing out freight. As a manager, it hurt me a little. My reviews would be great..except that some of my bosses felt as though I did too much physical work instead of more time managing the business. But, the people working for me respected me much more…we were a team. When stuff had to get done, I was the salaried employee working 15 hours some days. I lead by example..if I could bust my butt, so could most everyone else.. And they usually did.

I worked for almost 10 years at this same job. I then decided it would be best to stay at home and be there to raise my younger children. I wasn’t able to do that years ago with my now older children…I needed the money. Part of my problem with depression had to do with self esteem. I felt like I hadn’t figured out what I was good at, and well into my thirties. As I began working out, I realized my work ethic was helping me tremendously. I could get in "my alone zone", and really push and challenge myself like I used to. Now that I am competing….the work challenge to beat my goals is the driving force. It is not so much winning..it never has been that way with me. I work hard because I love it. When I am at home, I go non stop. I enjoy seeing how much I can get done in a day. I would rather iron clothes than watch tv. I get antsy sitting still. This is one thing my hubby and I have in common…probably what brought us together initally. He has the same passion for any job he tackles. There is never a short cut with him.

My hubby said to me the other day…"Amy, I remember a lady years ago tell me she wasn’t really good at anything." " Look at you now." "Live your dream Amy". I finally found what it is that makes me feel good on the inside. I have the drive to do anything possible to keep going.

So that’s a little more about me….I leave you with this quote that my hubby uses all the time. It is from The Shawshank Redemption movie (which is one of the best ever). "you can get busy livin’ or get busy dying…"

As usual for me, the day started off on the wrong foot. My husband dropped me off at the wrong part of the high school…and I was already running a tad late for my mandatory polygraph test that all competitors have to do. On my way down the street walking, I realized I left my cooler in the truck! So I RAN back to catch him before he left to take my kids to breakfast. Luckily, I caught him. So I found the correct building and went in. I looked around for the testing room and could not find it. Come to find out, the testing is done at a hotel a mile away..oh geez. I tried to find a ride to the hotel and was lucky enough to find a kind person to drive me. On the way to his car, I saw my hubby still in the truck parked! He was on his Blackberry working…so I ran back to the truck and he drove me to this hotel. I was late for this test…and stressed already. After the test, we headed back to the school for the competitor meeting and check in. Just like the last comp I went to…there was not much time to get ready after the meeting. I can’t stress enough to anyone thinking of trying their first comp to be 100% ready before the meeting..just in case. I was not ready of course. But I did have the honor of being with my trainer Layne and his wife Isabel backstage. Isabel was also competing and looked fabulous! Layne took care of both of us, and we did very well in pre judging. Unfortunately, there were only 4 people in the class. The day went well and I placed second. The best part of the day was being with Layne and Isabel. I felt great and I knew I kept my word to Layne …in working as hard as I could for the team and come in at my best. When I got home..I started looking at the pictures of the ladies my class standing next to each other. We were all of very different builds. I guess the judges were looking for a softer look…the girl who won first looked great too. The only thing I missed out of this comp was walking away with added motivation from the person who beat me. At my first comp…I placed second to Carissa Fleming-Myers ( who is now an WNBF pro and from Team Norton)…you have to see her to understand why I went home and said to myself…WOW! she is just truly an inspiration! She has a great upper/ lower body balance with excellent muscle quality and the right quantity. She has what I want!! Not to mention her fantastic stage presence and t- walk to impress everyone. I went home from that comp with a smile. Say hi to Carissa ..http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/kiss_rythmn/     

Anyways, I went home from this comp confused….I am not a poor sport by any means but nothing in the judging made sense to me. Oh well…but it did affect me, I was kinda depressed a few days because I worked my arse off and felt unmotivated by the girl that beat me. Hope this makes sense.

All in all…a fantastic day…I am going to try again this May 30. I need to stay busy and focused right now. Alot going on in life, not a good time for me to hang out and mope and eat crap. Not because I didn’t get first place…it is me trying to deal with life’s uncontrollable curve balls that have nothing to do with competitions . I just got one fired at my head and it hurts!! Onward and upward!

As I am writing my to do list for my competition in 2 days, I thought it would be a good time to continue this blog while I have my notes here. These are observations only….just my ramblings in no particular order

1. The goal when you are on stage is to draw attention to your physique. Therefore, your hairstyle, makeup, figure suit should just compliment you well.

2. Do some homework. Research the rules for your organization, they are all different. The posing criteria may also vary. Check to see if you are required to have music and do a t- walk. I found You Tube very helpful when I searched figure competitions. Also, there is no one better than Fern, SmartAssard here on body space. She has posing videos on her page. Thanks Fern!

3. Make sure you apply for a membership card for the organization you are competing in.

4. Let’s talk about tanning. First, exfoliate a few times ,a few days before your show. You want that tanner to absorb evenly. Pay attention to elbows, knees and underarms (don’t forget your back/glutes). I had green underarms my first show because I had antiperspirant residue in that area. I stop using antiperspirants and body lotions after I exfoliate until after the show. If you are planning on getting waxed, do it a few days earlier to let the skin heal. If you shave, do it the day before also. I want laser removal!! Also, be careful of tan lines from previous sun exposure. I tried to help someone cover up a strap line on her back with self tanner, and it did not cover the white lines. As far as tanning products, I bought Jantana and Dream Tan products right here from bb.com. I liked both of them. I also bought a little shine oil to use.

5. Practice walking in your high heels at home. Once you get comfortable, it’s no problem to wear them comfortably. Also, don’t look at the floor when you walk!

6. Makeup….your foundation makeup should be slightly lighter than your body color. Practice putting on the false lashes. It helps to do your makeup in a way that your eyes "pop"…because your body is dark.

7. Warm up suit…..everyone typically wears a warmup suit with their figure suit underneath to the show. Be careful of dark colors (like new sweatsuits) that have fuzzies. They catch on to your skin and make stain your body from the tanner…it’s not fun to try to get it off. I wore a light pink sweatsuit and looked like the Easter bunny

8. Take some pictures outside in your suit! The lightening at the shows sometimes is a little dark. My pictures showed my suit much better in the daylight.

9. It’s a LONG day/night the day of your competition. Bring all your meals and water with you.

10. Here is my checklist so far of things I need to bring tomorrow to the hotel….

extra sheets for the bed, the tanner will ruin the hotel’s

towels, hand wipes

suit, shoes, jewelry

makeup, mirror, hairbrush, hairspray, barrettes

food, water, camera

tanning supplies

extra lashes and glue

tums or anti gas chews just in case ( no gum chewing, it causes bloating)

Bikini Bite

safety pins, scissors

cell phone, directions, important phone numbers

money

Once again…this is all just my experience, I am new to all this too!! Time to go get my nails fixed!! I am probably forgetting stuff for my list too…LOL!!!