Jul’s Journey

Wow, I am feeling so much better but all the people around me are getting sick of smelling me.  Okay, I realize this is not a normal thing to post about….but I am so gassy that I am killing myself and those around me…. this is just crazy….. so why am I posting this????   I guess I am because it is real and I am looking for any suggestions on how I can minimize this…. is this normal after changing diets???   I seem to rmember this happening when I first started eating a lot of protein, but please…..

 So, heavy weights are going good. I am good and sore…. I am trying to decide how I feel about being a softer version of the self I previously was.  I see so many women who - from their pics - never seem to get real "soft" as they work on gaining lean muscle….  Not being able to fit into clothes I wore two weeks ago or feeling like my body is not mine…. wow, it is so weird.  If anyone has any thoughts or has gone through this - please…..share?????  would love to hear how you get beyond this.  I think the issue for me is, it took so long for my body to transform to what it was that now I feel like I am undoing all my progress. 

Well, hate to be a complainer, would rather offer positive and encouraging thoughts…. but today, I think I am in need of them…

My best to you all…..

j

Alright, I should have listened to Chantie and Meredith…. I am sick….they said it would happen….said if I didn’t get the rest my body needed and to take a week off I would create problems for myself….so, here I am to eat my warm humble pie….. you girls were right and you obviously know your stuff….

I desperately want togo do my shoulder routine, but my body is saying no…. so, guess today I will focus on stretching and clean eating and start again on Monday…..

BTW, today was chest and abs….good workout…..again sore and again hitting much heavier weights than I had.  Guess I wasn’t pushing myself enough the last few months….. or maybe I am stronger????Nah…..

Will do cardio triathlon tomorrow….try to burn off the calories and maybe do a few more abs???  Will see….but definately the cardio….yay!!!

That’s right….9 pounds since Sat. and let me tell you I have not gained that eating a ton of junk….. I can’t tell you how shocked I am that this has happened so quickly.  I told myself I would stay within 10 pounds of my comp. weight, but whoa…..

So, what is a woman to do???  I want to gain lean muscle, but clearly I need to control my calories a bit more.  Tomorrow I plan on hitting some serious cardio and no weights and see if I can burn off some calories….will go back to my 10 week out diet too…. still lots of carbs and protein, but not as many calories as the last few days… and water….gotta get back to my gallon….silly me.

Now I understand why some women go off the deep end after competing…I just don’t want to be one of them.  Can I bulk for a few weeks and then lean for a few and keep going back and forth? or will that prove to be counterproductive to my goal of gaining muscle???  Oh, boy…. what to do, what to do…..

any advice….besides "put down the peanut butter" is appreciated…..(I already know I have to do that…) yes, our love affair picked right up off where we left it!!!!!     Gotta learn to be strong….gotta tell pb I am not that kind of girl anymore…that I have plans, and pb is just not included in that future…… lol…..I’m losing it!!!!!

Here we go, day two of my clean bulk….

Yesterday wasn’t exactly clean….the morning crew at the gym set me up with some amazing treats and I had to show my appreciation by trying the cookies and sorbet!!! YUM!!!

But I did have a killer shoulder and arm workout.  Started lifting heavy….yup….heavy…..and though I didn’t feel it yesterday, I sure feel it today! Yay!!!!!

Have a 6 week plan in place - no trainer….. will see what happens with that…..will start this way and see if I can do it together with a few friends….

Today was legs.  Did good ole fashioned squats, lunges, leg curls, leg ext. and calf raises.  Want to see how my legs respond to the heavier weights doing classic leg moves. No more than 10 reps and 4-5 sets….(last set I did drop sets to burn them out completely).  Not feeling them yet…. will see later today.

Eating clean so far. 

5am: 1/4 cup cottage cheese w/1/2 banana

7am: protein shake w/frozen banana

9:30am: ezekial bread english muffin and 5 egg whites and 1 egg…

oh, coffee and water too….

thats all for now….

So, there I was in the thick of it - Girlfriends Amyrose and LoveJones with me in support (and lil’ lovejones) - btw, thank you both for being there with me….. i can’t imagine having done this and not having two loving friends there for me….you have made these last months all about me and I am sure that has been BORING….I am back though…here for you both…. done with the me stuff and on to the youstuff!!! I love you both ——  

okay, back to my story….there are women and men all around in the pump up/oil area and I am focused on every other female person, but my self…and I noticed not one man….which, I was later told was a mistake because there were some men that had trained amazingly and it showed….  I was just amazed at how these women had developed their bodies…. some were very kind…. met an amazing woman from Erie….Patti C. and she was such an inspiration in everyway.  And another woman from Blasdell…. she was also kind and approachable….  Many women gave me this vibe….that vibe you get when you know you should run….run far away……  I listened to my inner self and kept my distance.

I also found that getting ready in the quiet of the dressing rooms was better for me….away from the craziness…. next show I will definately hit the dressing rooms early and stay put till it is time to go on stage…. (or find some quiet corner to be alone)

I was shocked at how many people were eating crap that day too…. potato chips were flying….gummy worms…. candy bars….tons of candy….. ?????? 

And then there was my own victory binge…. after the prejudging round the girls and I went to get a salad and to the mall and I started to get soooo sick….hot flashes, sweats, dizzy….called my old trainer and in true form, Trevor saved the day.  He suggested juice and some carbs w/ protein….. the juice did the trick!   After the show…. it was steak, mashed potatoes, white bread with butter, & ice cream…. today has been two pieces of chocolate birthday cake, more steak, chocolate and cheeze-its…. fyi, not so sure what I ever saw in cheeze-its… and I am so sick right now, I can’t wait to detoxify and eat oats and egg whites….  

So, today is day one of my clean bulk….gonna hit the weights hard in a few hours and eat clean!!!   Hope all of you have a great day! and a better workout!!

I was shaking like a leaf the moment that I walked into the auditorium.  The rain was a pourin down and my Jantana was spotting…. couldn’t believe I was actually doing what I was doing…

Gave them my name, they measured me…5 foot 6 1/2 inches…. and then I watched them come in….one by one…. I wanted to run. If Lovejones hadn’t been there…I would have.  The women were so small little, tiny absolutely petite.  I felt like a giant in every way. Relax, stand strong….this is not about them…it  is about me and how far I have come….(i tried to tell myself)

They called us in and there were 15 girls, and they made the decision to break the classes into three groups.  My group had only 3 people, the winner from last year and another woman who was to be the overall winner for this year…. (HA) That was my show… So, i placed third….out of three….and got a REALLY big trophy…… I think the only thing I did not want to happen was to place last.  And it did…. so, this is what I learned……

1) I can place last when I know that I tried my best.

2) I am making that trophy a symbol of reaching a goal that I set for myself.

3) Women that compete against each other can be amazing (and sadly, some not so amazing).

4) I know that I don’t want to take time off…I want to get in the gym on monday, start my clean bulk and develop some muscle….real muscle…. not the mainstream stuff I have, but the kind of muscle that women who compete have.  YAY!

5) When you ignore cleaning your home for several weeks….it feels good to actually start cleaning it!! LOL

I will write more on this, but wanted to let those of you who have been cheering for me know what happened….

more later on:women who compete, the ambiance, the crazy things women do at comp., and food festivals!!!

love you all!!!

Jul

Yipppppeeee!! when I wake up tomorrow I will be on my way to my first figure comp.  How cool is that?  I was chatting with lovejones tonight and I realized that I set this goal 27 weeks ago.  And finally I am going to be able to say that I completed my goal!

Will be sure to post pics and let you all know how i did….pray I do not fall on my butt….and that I remember to lock my poses in…. oh, and that I be myself out there on the stage….

Thank you all for listening to me….for coaching me, inspiring me and encouraging me to do this thing….. there are days when this site was the only thing that kept me going on this crazy road!  thank you , thank you ,thank you!!!!!!

What a day…. enjoyed a photo shoot with a local photographer….very fun! Documented this time of my life….you never know when ho-hos will become a food group again for me….so, at least there will be some concrete remembrance of this time of my life.

Lovejones596 darkened me up again…tomorrow we will go for two more coats…. funny…. but necessary!  Can’t wait to post pics of that!! 

Tomorrow is a big day for me….workshop at a local college, then time with manager and customer service guru…. more color…..pack bag for the big day and then more color…. hopefully to bed before 11…..   oh, my…..what have I gotten myself into…..??????   Should be fun…just hope I can nail my poses….I seem to have trouble with remembering to tighten one thing or another…… crazy!!!  

Just made my tilapia for the day tomorrow and will pack spinach to take too…. need to pack kids lunches and review my presentation for the next day…. fun!!!  hopefully I will get in bed before midnight so I can run over to the gym at 5:30 for a quick pose time…. will see…..

night all!!!

So, yesterday I was changing from my gym clothes to my reg. clothes and there in the corner of my eye I saw them….the elusive abs….I couldn’t believe it, though it was probably due to the fact that I was contorting my midsection in some odd way that they popped…. regardless, I dug around for my phone and tried to get a shot of them to send to my friends…. and as I stood there trying to recreate the position they could be seen in, a woman walked in……talk about feeling like a goofball…..though, I am not the kind of person that won’t address an awkward situation, so after confessing my story, we laughed and I snapped the pic.  Sorry to say, I won’t be posting this, because the pic is pretty bad….

However tonight lovejones596 and I got together to put on my first coat of competition color….. LOLOLOLOLOLOL  this was absolutely hilarious…..you need to know that I am a white girl….VERY white….she is dominican….nicely dark….. let’s just say….as we worked our abs laughing, my teeth kept getting whiter and whiter…..  I can’t believe we have to put more of this on…..how funny!!!!!!!   Though, you can see the definition better in the muscle, so that is nice…. duh! I am getting dense in my old age….