Figure Competition Prep: 18 Weeks Out

This week begins my official countdown to May 16, 2015 -- my contest goal. I've been working with my trainer, Joe Franco, for exactly a year now, and I can definitely see progress. If anyone tells you that the off-season doesn't matter, they're dead wrong. Here is a comparison from last year to this year.

Dec. 26, 2013
138 lbs

Jan. 11, 2015
143 lbs.

Excuse the mess in the mess in the background. LOL! I can definitely see a difference in my waist and legs. Here's the crazy part: in the left pic I'm 138 lbs. and in the right I'm 143 lbs. Who knew an extra five pounds could look like this?!

Below is the diet and workout that I'm currently following:

Macros 
Protein = 145g
Carbs = 210g (I got a 10g bump this week)
Fat = 40g
I try to keep my calories at around 1,700 and track everything on the My Fitness Pal app.

Workouts 
3-day split, lifting 5 days per week
Chest/delt/tri's -- Back/bi's -- Legs
Cardio is two 30-minute sessions of steady state (keeping my heart rate around 120-130)

I'm excited to see how things progress. Stay tuned for more updates.