Summer 08 Contest Prep

So I decided to take this week off from training and diet. I’ve been beating and breaking my body down for months to prepare for the spring comps. I’m in Washington today for work and just went out for dinner to a local Mexican restaurant. I was GOING to order the salad with fajita steak and vegetables on it…not contest friendly but definitely the best choice on that menu…instead I went with the "Tacos Santiagos" house specialty - carne asada in a tortilla, smothered in cheese, sour cream, and guac. The thing was as big as my face and I ate it ALL. I shouldn’t care, right, it’s my week off and I’ve done relatively well all week anyway. I FEEL SOOOO GUILTY. My boyfriend is disappointed. I’m disappointed. I want to run out and find a grocery store so I can pack a lunch to take into work tomorrow and eat some fruit or something good for me. It really hit me when Brian said something. I should be taking better care of myself. I KNOW BETTER. I know what tons of sat fats do…I know why to avoid processed foods. I should be making better choices not because I’m in bodybuilding but because I care about my body. OK. Fine. I’m back on. No more candy. No more Mexican pig-out fests. I’ll clean it up through my trip and the weekend and back on, 100% as planned, Monday. Target about 1970 cals (180 g Protein/200 g Carbs/50 g Fat) to start, adjusting from there. Will post up planned supps/training soon.

I will definitely be competing in an NPC event this fall.  I work hard for a lean, hard physique, I am going to freaking work it where it will be appreciated (see my Contest Results rant for more info…)

This past month has been quite the learning experience, and now I feel sure what direction I need to go to continue competing in figure.  INBF, OCB, and NPC seem to be organizations that I will work well with so I will focus on them.

My off-season starts nowish…I’m shooting to eat clean ish this week with the whole week off from the gym (I NEED IT) and to start up on a bulking routine next week.  I will begin dieting for Yorton probably after Labor Day, so I get to enjoy my summer!  YAY!  Once I finalize my diet/supps/training plan I’ll probably post it up here, I’m always open to suggestions/advice/corrections.

Thanks for all the well wishes through my first ever competition season!

Last night a girl at my gym started talking to me about competing and she was so sweet and so easy to talk to and SO knows what I’m going through and I think she may have convinced me to do another competition on June 30.

This is getting ridiculous!  AAACCCKKKK

I eat this every morning on my way home from the gym.  It makes egg whites and oatmeal work!  Usually I cook up the whole week’s worth on Sunday night.

In your Magic Bullet blender (I LOVE THIS THING!) combine 4 egg whites, 1/2 cup oats, sweet n low (splenda does NOT get it sweet enough), cinnamon, and vanilla.  Mix for a couple seconds to get a slightly chunky batter.

Cook it over Medium or Medium-high heat just like a pancake - I make 3 pancakes about 5" in diameter out of this.  When it starts to bubble flip it.  Store them in a tupperware or baggie in the fridge.  I eat them cold when I drive home from the gym every morning, so yummy.  Kind of like a dry pancake…

Calories: 222

Fat: 2 g

Carbs: 31 g (4 g Fiber)

Protein: 20 g

Check the contest history for my writeup on the VA Open.  I won the Figure Tall class…but I’m bitter about the overall, check it out so I don’t have to write again.

Sunday morning I was up bright and early to prep for my photoshoot with Ben Bryan of 1129 Media.  This is my first shoot ever, I have no idea what to expect.  I pack up makeup and outfits and head up to DC.  He was a totally sweet guy and I had a really good time with him.  I can’t wait to see all of his pictures, my new Profile and Progress shots were some of the samples he sent me in an email last night.

The great news about all this was that at one point I was fixing my hair before we went outside to take some pictures and another photographer working in the studio came up to me and asked if I was a professional model.  Ha, yeah right.  Anyways, turns out he’s interested in shooting me to add fitness model to his portfolio.  I was so flattered! 

After the pics I went out for breakfast with my mom and didn’t really cheat on my diet that badly.  I did get some peanut m&ms for the car ride home, but was back on my diet by 2 pm.  It feels great to be able to just drink all the water I want!

Overall, it was a great weekend and a great motivation to get me to really be my best for Kumite as well as the shows I plan to do this fall.  Seems like I’ve found something I’m pretty good at!

I decided to invent my own peak week this week…last Saturday morning I was very happy with the way I looked and almost wished I was competing then.  So I decided to just repeat what I had done the previous week to see if I could maintain that for the show on Saturday.

Basically what I did Mon - Wed:

500 - one scoop whey

30 minutes on stepmill

Abs, stretching

700 - 4 egg whites, 1/2 c oats - supplements (Multi, Vit C, Calcium, Glucosamine, Fish Oil)

1000 - 3 oz chicken 2/3 c green beans

1300 - 3 oz chicken 2/3 c green beans

1600 - 8 jumbo shrimp or pouch of tuna

1900 - 3 oz chicken 2/3 c green beans - Glucosamine, BCAAs

2000 - weightlifting workout (mon - back, tues - arms, wed - shoulders and calves) followed with a good stretch and 30 minutes of posing

2100 - one scoop of whey

2300 - 1 T natty PB to snack on while watching TV

Drinking about a gallon+ of water throughout the day

So today I am repeating everything up through my "dinner," not lifting, adding another chicken and green bean meal before bed.  Tomorrow I will sleep in, eat egg whites and salsa for breakfast, chicken and spinach all day and 1/2 my water intake.  Then Saturday…we’ll see what happens…..I am happy with the leanness in my legs and even feel my arms and shoulders look slightly improved over the CNN show.  I just may be ready…

This Saturday I’m competing in a small local show, kind of as a warm up for the Kumite Classic.  My boyfriend can’t come.  All my navy friends are gone.  I don’t really want to ask a neighbor or coworker to spend all day sitting around an HS auditorium with me.  I had decided I would just go it alone and make the most out of the experience…

 Well I found out that my mom is on her way to Virginia to help me out!  This is huge.  My mom doesn’t really like driving on highways, over bridges, in tunnels, and long distances by herself (with good reasons, long story).  Anyway, she’s venturing out on the 300 mile drive from Allentown all by herself, just to support me at this dinky little show this weekend!  (Or maybe she just misses my dog!).  I can’t believe she’s going to do this for me, I almost cried.  She’s just the best mom.

 I’m so glad I have her and Brian.  This sport is so challenging, what would I do without a support system like that?  I owe her SOOO much.  Please keep her in your prayers today that her trip goes smoothly.

I am now 4 days out from the VA Open (NASF) and not nervous at all.  I don’t know what it is, I just feel overly confident going into this show and that scares me.  Because what if that makes me slack off?  I’ve got the rest of the week planned out just right and for some reason it just seems like no big deal.

Three weeks ago I was in a complete panic over the Core, this makes no sense.

And while I’m not stressed about THIS Saturday, I’m panicking hard about the Kumite Classic.  I make no sense.

ANYWAY if you are in the area - 7 pm Saturday at Great Bridge HS in Chesapeake VA.  Come support your fave Figure Tall(est) competitor!