Competition Prep Update

Drumroll please...I received my diet on Monday evening and have completed almost two days of dieting -- woohoo!! Gotta celebrate the baby steps, right? LOL!

The competition I picked is on June 30, 2012 in Tarrytown, NY. So that's my goal date.

To give you an idea of where I'm starting, I'm going to *gulp* post some "before" pictures (shown below). I'm starting off at a weight of 138 lbs. (I'm 5'6") and my bodyfat is currently 25%. I'm really excited to see the transformation and be able to compare before and after pictures.

My "before" picture.

As promised, I'm going share exactly what I'm eating and how I'm working out.

Diet
Breakfast -- 1 small banana, 100-calorie english muffin, 4 egg whites

Morning snack -- protein bar (120 calories)

Lunch -- 2 slices 100-calorie bread, 4oz turkey, mustard, lettuce, tomato, 1 small apple

Afternoon snack -- 2 scoops protein powder mixed w/ water, 1 tbsp peanut butter

Dinner -- 4 oz chicken breast, 1 cup broccoli, 1/2 cup brown rice

Evening snack -- 1 small container non-fat Greek yogurt

Bonus -- 1x/week (preferably Sat. night) -- all-out cheat meat (drinks, dessert, etc.)

I have to say that I'm not hungry at all. The whole day equals approx. 1,500 calories, with less than 20% fat. I try to keep exactly 3 hours between meals. I feel good so far. I'm allowed diet soda, Crystal Light and artificial sweeteners. Currently I use Splenda, but I'm going to try Truvia or Stevia since it's more natural. Obviously, unlimited amounts of water are allowed. I also try to keep coffee to two cups and a cup or two of green tea in the afternoon. I have a hard time having coffee without milk, so I measure out 1 tbsp per cup.

I packed lunch for work today and freaked out a little when friends wanted me to join them for lunch out at the local diner. But I figured I have to learn how to deal with these types of scenarios in the future, so I decided to join them. I actually felt empowered ordering a very particular lunch -- the low carb grilled chicken salad. Since I can have unlimited greens, tomato, cucumber, green pepper and celery, the salad was perfect. It was about 3 cups of greens with diced cucumbers, tomatos and onions. I asked for it without any salad dressing. I'm allowed to use plain balsamic vinegar, so I requested it for my salad, too. (Other unlimited condiments include salsa, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, mustard and ketchup (within reason since it has sugar). 

Workouts

• Cardio -- 25 min. 4x/week -- steady state
• Weight training -- one bodypart per day -- 4 exercises per bodypart, 3 sets, should be difficult to get through 10 reps

The goal is to build muscle while losing fat. I'm sore the next day, which is a good thing. It's been hard to reduce my running. But Jodi mentioned that I may be up to two hours as I get closer to competition day.

My next check-in with Jodi is on March 10, and I'll be sure to provide updated stats at that time.

Stay tuned for more updates, and if you have any questions, let me know -- fitmomsofnj@gmail.com.

Ever Compete in a Fitness or Figure Competition?

 

For more than 10 years, I've wanted to compete in a fitness or figure competition. If you're unfamiliar with what kind of competition this is, it's not as intense as bodybuilding (you get muscular and lean, but not huge). But it's not a bikini contest. The contest judges muscularity, leanness, presentation and overall package. It's a bucket list item that I continue to come back to year after year.

When I was 25, fitness competitions involved a gymnastics routine. As someone who has never participated in gymnastics, starting at 25 was a struggle. It was also interesting taking classes with 9-year-old girls. LOL! I had a trainer and was the closest I had come to competing. Then, for reasons I'm not entirely sure of, my trainer was fired from my gym and my whole program proceeded to fall apart.

Fast forward to today. I've found a trainer who not only trains competitors, but also competes herself. So she knows firsthand what's involved and how best to prepare me. I'm determined to achieve this goal. 

With that, I'm excited to say that I have my first training session on Saturday. I'll be posting my journey to reaching this goal, so stay tuned for regular updates, including workouts, diet, supplements and preparation. You'll find out firsthand what it's like to prepare and compete. I'm tickled pink to begin this journey towards a goal I've had for so long. It's going to feel absolutely amazing to accomplish this goal.

Stay tuned for more updates!!!