Figure Competition Update: How is it May?!

The last time I posted was Feb. and so much has changed since then. For starters, I had to readjust my goals since the May show is not in the cards. Now I'm shooting for Aug. 29. So I have 16 weeks to lose 15 pounds. Nothing like a little pressure to get things moving.

As my trainer says, my weight is an enigma. I'm up five pounds, down three pounds. It's frustrating to say the least. I haven't been completely focused so I'm taking on some new tactics:

Tactic #1 -- Food prep
Since moving to a macro-based diet where nothing is off limits, I've been very sloppy. Now I'm preparing all of my food ahead of time.

Tactic #2 -- Simple and same foods
While the beauty of counting macros is having the freedom to eat a variety, I think for my purposes eating the same several foods will keep me in line. I went back to my old trainer's food plan and will use the foods she outlined, but in the quantities that my current trainer has provided.

Tactic #3 -- Weigh and weigh again
Food that is. I'm weighing every single thing that goes into my mouth down to the gram. There's no room to be loosey goosey. I need to ensure every carb, protein and fat is accounted for and counted.

Here is my current status in terms of weight, macros and workouts:

Weight
 140.8

Macros
175g carbs
140g protein
35g fat

No high carb day

Cardio
3 HIIT (high intensity interval training)
Bike -- 20 secs all-out 8x with 1:40 recovery

Weights
5 days a week
Day 1 - Legs
Day 2 - Chest/delt/tri
Day 3 - Back/bi
Repeat
Abs - two exercises every day

Here's to making some progress this week. Stay tuned...

Figure Competition Prep: 13 Weeks Out

Last week (which I missed posting about - oops), I dropped down to 139.4lbs. There weren't any changes from this diet and workout. I finally broke 140!

This week I hit a few bumps in the road...

Bump #1
Last week I began physical therapy for an old injury that doesn't seem to want to go away. I have a slight tear in my rotator cuff with calcifying tendonitis. I had been getting cortisone shots for the past three or four years, but the pain is getting progressively worse. My orthopedist would like to do surgery, but that doesn't really jive with my competition plans...or working in general. That's how I arrived at physical therapy. It's been going great, but when I asked the physical therapist about lifting, he told me to omit all upper body workouts until I was done with therapy (3 weeks). UGH!

Bump #2
I woke up yesterday with a wicked head cold. It felt like my head was in a vice. I could barely get out of bed, let alone work out. I basically vegged out all day. Last night before I went to bed, I took Theraflu and slept from 9:30pm to 8:00am. I can't remember the last time I wasn't out of bed past 7am! Needless to say, I feel soooo much better.

My husband definitely felt this way.

Bump #3
I gained 0.6 pounds this week -- argh! After I broke 140 last week (139.4 to be exact), I'm back to 140.8 lbs. Back to the drawing board. Here are this week's changes:

Macros
For five consecutive days:
Protein: 145g
Carbs: 180g (reduced 10g from last week)
Fat: 40g
Calories: 1,600 (approx.)

6th day (high carb)
Protein: 145g
Carbs: 240g
Fat: 30g
Calories: 1,800 (approx.)

Workouts
3-day split, lifting 6 days per week (adding a day to burn some extra calories)
No chest/delt/tri's and back/bi's for 3 weeks
Glutes -- Abs -- Legs
Cardio: 4 sessions -- 30-minutes steady state + 1 HIIT workout on the bike (6 sprints of 20 seconds)

I'm hoping this coming week is more productive. I will be killing my lower body over these next few weeks.

Keep warm!

Figure Competition Prep: 15 Weeks Out

Is it me, or was January a blur? I can't believe it's February 1, which means I have just three and half months before I need to step on stage.

I've been having a few great weeks in regards to energy and workouts. I seem to have hit a sweet spot when it comes to my macros. With my carbs at 210g for the past three weeks, I've been able to lose 0.5 to 0.6 pounds. Currently, I'm at 141.0 lbs., down about two pounds.

My trainer is changing things up this week. In his words, we're going to get a "little more aggressive." Here's what this week looks like:

Macros
For five consecutive days:
Protein: 145g
Carbs: 190g
Fat: 40g
Calories: 1,650 (approx.)

6th day (high carb)
Protein: 145g
Carbs: 240g
Fat: 30g
Calories: 1,800 (approx.)

Workouts
3-day split, lifting 6 days per week (adding a day to burn some extra calories)
Chest/delt/tri's -- Back/bi's -- Legs
Cardio: 3 sessions -- 30-minutes steady state (one additional session was added)

I'm also starting to do more meal prep (cooking in advance and measuring it all out) and measuring every single thing that goes into my mouth. This includes all vegetables and otherwise free food (cucumbers, salsa, etc.) Hopefully all of these changes will show up in my next set of progress pics.

Happy New Year

Talk about fast forward to 2015! Happy New Year! I just looked at my last post and realized it was in Nov. Yikes! I am royally slacking in the blog department. Needless to say, writing at least one a week is one of my New Year's resolutions.

I'm still focused on a May 16 show. There are also two NJ NPC shows in April and June. I may use those as back-ups...although I wasn't particularly impressed with the NPC show I did last year. Scratch that -- I flipping hated it and swore I would never do it again. LOL! It was so unorganized, expensive and poorly run.

So what have I been up to for the past few weeks? Like everyone else, I was consumed by the holidays...preparations, shopping, decorating, undecorating...and poof, it's Jan. 4, 2015!

Nonetheless, I've still been plugging along on my diet and workouts. Here is where I'm at:

Weight: 142.4 lbs. (how funny it's exactly the same as my last post)
 Bodyfat: I'm guessing 18-20%...I should probably invest in calipers

Macros
Carbs: 200g (I just got bumped up this week -- woohoo!)
Fat: 40g
Protein: 145g
Calories: 1,700 (I try to keep it closer to 1,650)


Workouts
I;m still lifting 5 times per week, one bodypart per day. I do legs one day, chest/delt/tris, and then back/bis. As I get closer to my competition, I'll add another day to burn some extra calories.

Supplements
I'm slowly decreasing my supplements. Aside from being too many pills, it's expensive! I'm currently taking:
- Pre-workout (trying a new one -- F.E.A.R. by Clinical Labs)
- Multivitamin (Optimum Nutrition or a store brand)
- ECGC
- Fish Oil
- Aspirin (to help prevent blood clots)
- Clinical Labs BCAAs


Next Steps
I send pictures to my trainer next week, so I will also post them here. I'll also post some pictures from last year to see how things have progressed over one year.

Stay tuned for next week's post!

30-Day Experiment Update

Well, I was on a roll for a good 14 days and then I'm not sure what happened. I know what happened -- Halloween. The allure of chocolate and miniature candy bars was just too much for me. LOL!

I need to take a step back and start focusing on my macros and diet. I'm the heaviest I've been in two years, yet it doesn't feel like it. I'm definitely gaining muscle...but also feeling a little mushy.

Some old injuries have also been acting up, which have been making my workouts a struggle. The calcifying tendonitis in my left shoulder and bursitis in my ankles definitely keep things interesting. I head back to the dr. this week for both, so we'll see if they have any remedies. I've been getting cortisone shots in my shoulder for years, but I should really get arthroscopic surgery to permanently cure the pain. Who's got time for that?? LOL!

Here's an update in terms of my diet and workouts:

Weight: 142.4 (I usually like to stay closer to 137-138)
Bodyfat: I'm guessing 18-20% but haven't had it measured with calipers for well over a year

Macros
Carbs: 160g
Fat: 40g
Protein: 140g
Calories: 1,600 (My trainer doesn't give me a calorie allotment, but I'm imposing this on myself. I need parameters to help prevent me from over-eating.

Workouts
Currently 5 times per week, one bodypart per day. I do legs and shoulders twice per week, one day heavy and one day light. I also focus on quads one day and butt another. I consider those areas my weak points, so I try to hit them harder and more frequently

Supplements
I just started taking Bium-D (adipose thermagenic) this week. I'm actually trying to wean off the ridiculous number of vitamins and supplements I'm currently taking, which include:
- Pre-workout (usually Jackd, Assault or Champion Performance Amino Shooters)
- Multivitamin (Optimum Nutrition or a store brand)
- Vitamin C, D
- CLA, ECGC, Fish Oil
- Aspirin (to help prevent blood clots)
- Glucosamin Chondrotin (for joints...I don't really feel any difference on this)
- Bium-D BCAAs

Needless to say, swallowing 10+ horse pills each morning is not my idea of fun. So I'm going to finish what I have and stick with a multivitamin and aspirin. It would definitely save me some money to say the least!

I was going to try some more 30-day experiments. But with the holidays right around the corner, I don't want to set myself up for failure. The goal is to stick with my macros, get stronger, gain muscle and hopefully kick ass when I compete in May 2015. :)

Any tips for sticking with your diet during the holidays?

I'm Back...Why It Took Me Five Months

Okay, mea culpa...I know I haven't written since May. I never even posted how I finished in my competition! Ugh! Well, I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm pretty sure I've avoided posting because I was less than thrilled with how I placed. In other words, I didn't place. It was incredibly frustrating to train for a competition and know I wasn't delivering the best package I could.

Compared to my two prior shows, I was way too soft to be on stage. That said, it was good practice to go through the dieting down, tanning, posing, etc. Although, it always sucks to eat humble pie. The competition was fierce. The other girls were in amazing shape! But I learned a valuable lesson: compete when you're ready and your trainer tells you you're ready. Do not prep for a date, thinking you're somehow going to miraculously lose 10 pounds in eight weeks.

This was how I learned to train for the past two years. Cut calories + increase cardio = bodyfat in the single digits while simultaneously destroying your metabolism. 

Here you can see the difference over my past shows:

June 2012

April 2013

June 2014

Since January 2014, I have been working with a new trainer (Team Franco). I'm following a new, healthier diet plan. It's commonly known as If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) or flexible dieting. Google it and you'll find loads of information. Essentially, I'm given a certain number of grams of carbohydrates, fats and protein. As long as I meet my numbers or macros, I can eat what I want. Obviously, the healthier and cleaner the food, the more I can eat. For example, one cup of steamed broccoli has approx. 30 calories, 2g carbs, 0g fat, 3 g protein. If I need 30g of protein during a meal, I can get it from 10 cups of broccoli or 1oz. of potato chips, which also had added fat. You get the idea.

So I competed, I sucked, now what? It's currently off-season time, otherwise known as time to build muscle. I've increased my calories (approx. 1,600) and macros (carbs 170g, fat 40g, protein 140g) and eliminated cardio. My cardio was just introduced (after at least 8 weeks of being off) to see what happens. Surprisingly I gained weight. I didn't realize reintroducing cardio could cause water retention. I'm trying really hard to not become obsessed with the scale, especially since I'm trying to gain muscle.

For now, I'm trying to eat as clean as I can and hit the weights hard and heavy.

The 30-Day Experiment

You'll see some interesting posts soon as I test different things for 30 days, such as no dairy, no sugar, no processed food, no meat, Paleo, Fighter Diet, meditating, yoga, etc. I want to see how my body responds...all while staying within those precious macros. I'll provide a weekly update. The first experiment is no sugar or artificial sweeteners for 30 days. This will not include supplements (protein powder, pre-workout, etc.) or natural sweeteners like Stevia. It means not eating or drinking anything that includes sugar as an ingredient.

Feel free to join along in this experiment and post your experience in the comments section below.

Countdown Part 2: 5 Weeks to Go

Not sure how 8 weeks got away from me! Clearly I've been horrible about providing regular updates. Unfortunately, I haven't been seeing frequent week-to-week changes like I used to during my last few contest preps. With my new diet plan, I'm focused on carb cycling, which is a slower, healthier and much less grueling process. I get to eat more and do less cardio, but the downside is very slow progress. But slow and steady wins the race, right?

To recap, I started my new plan in January and really felt like I was battling the same 1 to 2 pounds for the past 12 weeks. I still can't seem to break past 137 lbs. My metabolism doesn't want to cooperate since I basically destroyed it over the past two years by bringing my calories down too low and doing crazy amounts of daily cardio. You can see the progress I'm making in these pics:

April 2013

May 2014

Diet
Fast forward to today, I'm carb cycling 175g and 135g, three days low, four days high. It's nice to have some flexibility with my food choices. I don't feel deprived at all food-wise and I'm kicking ass in the gym.

Workouts
My weight training has also changed a bit. I used to work one bodypart a day, 6 days a week, 5-6 exercises per bodypart for 3 sets of 10. Now I either workout 3 days on, 1 day off or 5 days on, 2 days off. My workout days are: legs/calves, back/bi's and chest/delts/tri's, 2-3 exercises per bodypart, 5 sets -- two warm-up sets (12-15 reps) and three working sets (5-8 reps). Talk about a change in intensity!!! I leg pressed 250 pounds for 3 sets of 8 this morning!! Hmm, I think we might be onto something. In terms of cardio, I only have four days of cardio, two HIIT sessions of 20 min. and two steady-state cardio sessions of 30 min.

Goals
Originally I was working towards a May 10 show. Sadly, I'm not ready and won't be participating in that one. But my sites are now focused on June 7 in Elmwood Park, NJ. My goal is to compete at 130 lbs., which means I have 30 days (or 36 days) to lose 8 lbs. at a minimum. I was competing at 125 lbs., but I do think I packed on some muscle. I'm pretty sure I'd be okay at 128 to 130 lbs.

With all this change, I splurged and got a new posing bikini, shown in the photo to the right. What do you think?

Aside from some achilles tendonitis and my shoulder acting up, I'm feeling healthy and have actually been enjoying my contest prep. It's really been a physical and psychological journey. At the end of the day, it's all a giant science experiment!

Nine Weeks to Go!

I feel like time is flying by!! How did I go from 12 weeks to 9?? I feel like time is running out quickly and I need to get my butt in gear...literally!


I'm struggling with not having my body fat measured and relying solely on the scale and my measurements. I'm down to 137 pounds. I need to lose at least 12 pounds of fat. Eeek!

Workouts
It's funny how you never stop learning when it comes to working out. I joined Retro last year and never took advantage of the free personal training session. I finally had the chance last week. Here's what I learned:

• 1/2 reps -- I always thought full reps were the key, but maintaining muscle tension by only completing a rep halfway had me sore and really feeling the muscle I was working.
  
• Hold & squeeze at the end of each rep -- instead of flying through my reps, I had to consciously hold and squeeze the muscle at the end of each rep. Wow!
  
• Negative reps -- In all the years I've been working out, I've never really done negative reps. We did this using a preacher curl. I was forced to try to keep the weight from going down. My biceps were crying two days later.

Diet
My macros have been modified to 145 grams of carbs, 140 grams of protein and 35 grams of fat. In terms of cardio, I'm doing 20 minutes of intervals three times a week and steady state for 30 minutes two times a week.

To crank up the intensity, I'm working my abs in between sets. I'm also doing walking lunges, step-ups and deadlifts every day (except for rest days and leg day).

I also went from 5 days on/ 2 days off to 3 days on, one day off. Now I'm trying 6 days on, 1 day off. It's all about burning calories at this point!

Now I just need to get a new bikini, start practice posing and get my tan on. Stay tuned...

Where Did 2014 Come From?

Yikes! I didn't realize how long it's been since I posted. Lots to report as I prepare for my third figure competition on May 10, 2014.

I switched trainers. Long story short, it came down to needing a change and wanting more for paying more. That said, my new trainer is based in PA, which means all my coaching is online. Still adjusting to this since I was pretty much addicted -- and motivated -- to having my bodyfat measured religiously each week. Now I check in via email and send pictures every four weeks. As usual, the beginning is slow going. I definitely feel like I gained muscle during the off-season and my butt is perkier than usual (not complaining).

I'm tracking my macros (carbs, protein and fat) much more closely and have many more options in regards to what I eat. This is good and bad. I think I need more structure, so eating the same thing every day may soon be happening to keep myself sane.

I've been lifting heavier than I have in the past. I joined Retro Gym in April 2013 and still use my basement gym on snow days. If you live in the Northeast, you know we've had way too many snow days this winter.

Here are some pics of where I'm at right now. While I feel fat, I know this is
I'm where I'm supposed to be. Changes will come slowly but surely...

Back to Square One

Not sure where I fell off the wagon exactly. Could it be the job I loathe, the one-hour-each-way commute, the holidays, or some combination of all of the above? I was doing so well and staying focused. Then suddenly, I threw caution to the wind and began stress- and binge-eating. Some baklava here, some dark chocolate truffles there. It's no wonder how I gained 7 pounds! UGH!

I need help stat! I'm supposed to be starting my competition diet very soon. My trainer, Jodi, is going out on her own so the cost of her services have gone up. I really want to stick with her since she's grown to know me and how my body reacts to food and workouts. The uncertainty with my job makes me a little wishy-washy.

*Sigh* So I broke out my Fighter Diet ebooks and I'm in detox mode. In a nutshell, the Fighter Diet is all about veggies. If you're hungry, eat veggies. But you do have to track everything. I'm hoping to drop a few pounds before I meet up with Jodi. Since the show I want to do is May 10, my goal is to start my diet no later than Jan. 5. That means I have 10 days to get into some resemblance of shape. LOL!

That said, I'm still working out like a fiend, lifting heavy and limiting my cardio. I definitely feel like I added muscle. The question is: how much? Did I gain 7 pounds of fat, muscle or some combination. I'm hoping at least half is muscle!

Stay tuned as I once again embark on this crazy journey...

How did you do with your eating and working out program during the holidays?

Did You Turn Your Clocks Back? I Forgot One...

The first thing I do when I get up and it's Daylight Savings Time is spring into action fixing every clock in the house, my watch, the clock in the car...I was fairly sure I updated them all. I forgot one important one. My alarm clock. That would be why I'm writing a post at 3:30am on a Monday morning. I'm still trying to get past the fact that I just lost an hour of precious sleep in my cozy bed.

I'm not sure how two months quickly escaped since my last post. Not too much has changed. I'm still trying my best to eat clean and train consistently. I visited with Jodi about two weeks ago to check on my bodyfat level and get some direction for my off-season training.

I was thrilled to be at 17.6% bodyfat, which means I'm maintaining (last time I was 17.4%, which was in July). My weight is up 5 pounds. I'm hoping it's muscle, but it could be some water weight. My period is still screwed up from coming off the pill and the creatine I'm taking is known to cause water retention. Jodi pulled back on my cardio and had me add Ezekiel bread at lunchtime. Here is my current diet:

Breakfast -- 5 egg whites, 1/3 cup oatmeal, 1/4 cup berries
AM snack -- 1.5 scoops Core Post-Workout protein powder
Lunch -- 3oz protein, 1 slice Ezekiel bread, 1 cup veggies
PM snack -- 1 scoop protein, 1 Tbsp peanut butter (or 10-12 almonds)
Dinner -- 3 oz protein, 2 cups veggies, 1/3 cup rice
Evening snack -- 1 scoop protein, 1 Tbsp peanut butter (or 10-12 almonds)

Cardio -- 20 min. 4x per week
Weights -- 5 exercises per bodypart, 3-4 sets, 8-12 reps
Supplements -- added 1 scoop creatine back into my glutamine drink during my workout. I'm taking a multi-vitamin, CLA, BCAAs, biotin, calcium, and fish oil.

My goal right now is to add muscle. The plan is to do the same show I did last year, which is on May 10. I'm about 6 months out. The competition diet will start right after the holidays on Jan. 5.

Here's to an easier adjustment to the time change! Do you have any Daylight Savings stories to share? I'm all ears. ;)

Where Did the Summer Go?

How on earth are there only two weeks before Labor Day and the official end of summer? While I've had an amazing summer, it always seems to go by so fast!!

So what's happened since my last post about a month ago? A whole lot! Let's see, after returning from Napa, I received a job offer. I took a week off between jobs and spent it in Cape May with the family. It was wonderful, to say the least. Then I about two weeks ago, I started a new job, which is always stressful. Between another vacation and a big life change, I was nervous about meeting with Jodi for a weight and body fat check-in. I can honestly say I've been 95% clean in my eating habits.

I weighed in at 134 lbs. (no change) and 17.9% (a half percent increase). I was over the moon!!!! Granted being near 18% isn't my personal ideal (I'd rather be closer to 15%). Given how crazy the summer was, I'm very happy with where things stand.

I have one more training session with Jodi before I'm officially in off-season mode. In preparation for my April 2014 show, I won't start dieting down and meeting up with Jodi again until around October or November.

I've been dying to the try the Fighter Diet, so for the next two weeks that's what I'll be doing. Here's what a typical day looks like:

Breakfast
1 cup wheat bran
1 scoop protein
2 tbsp flax seed
2 tbsp Truvia
1 tbsp cinnamon
(add water and mix together)

AM Snack
1.5 scoops protein powder
10 almonds

Lunch
5 egg whites
1 pound broccoli
PM Snack
4 oz. canned chicken
1 pound green beans
Dinner
3 oz. chicken
1 bag shirataki noodles
1 pound veggies:
   2 cups broccoli slaw
   2 tomatoes
   1 cucumber


Evening Snack
6 oz. Greek yogurt
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp Truvia

With this plan, there are no carbs. Vegetables are considered your carbs. Then after 1-2 weeks, you have a re-feed day that consists solely of carbs. You may be wondering why on earth I would do this. I'm just interested to see what the impact will be (fat loss, muscle gains, etc.) Plus, this diet is known to curb cravings. I'm always hungry at night. Stay tuned for updates -- not sure how one pound of veggies at every meal will go.

In regards to exercise, I'll be doing 25 minutes of cardio 5 days a week and lifting like a crazy woman!

Any training or diet tips you picked up this summer that you'd like to share? I'm all ears!

Post-Contest -- What Happens Now?

If you remember my show last year, I couldn't wait to go back to "normal" eating. Well, that eating led me right back to 25% bodyfat. I was so thrilled with my bodyfat level and how good I looked, I just couldn't bear the thought of going back.

Needless to say, I signed back up with Jodi for another 12 weeks. My goal -- get back to 15% bodyfat and maintain it. I'm also looking at doing another show in October in the Bikini Division. Since that category is a bit softer than Figure, I most likely wouldn't have to diet down so hard.

Mondays are my Jodi days, so here's this week's update:

I weigh 126.4 (less than show time) and 11.8% bodyfat. Here is my diet:

Diet
Pre-workout/Breakfast -- 5 egg whites + 3 oz. sweet pot
Post-workout/AM Snack -- protein shake
Lunch -- 5 oz. tilapia + 2 cups veggies (can be anything like cauli, brocc, zucch, etc)
PM Snack -- 3oz. chicken + 3 oz. sweet pot
Dinner -- 3 oz. chicken + 2 cups veggies
Night Snack -- 3 oz. chicken

Workouts
Cardio -- 60 min./ 6x week (no plyos, no intervals -- steady state only)
Weights -- back to going heavy

I'm contemplating joining a proper gym. While I adore the gym in my basement, I'm running out of weights/plates. I also belong to a gym where I work, but they literally have three leg machines -- leg press, leg extension and leg curl. I want access to a variety of exercises so I can really up my game.

I asked Jodi for her feedback as a judge (and I'll be getting the other judges' feedback since the show promoter sent me their email addresses). She wants me to gain 10 pounds of muscle. Not sure how I feel about that. I definitely need more muscle mass, but as a woman, it's difficult to think about gaining weight.

I just received my official show photos, so as promised, here you go:

One Week Out & Final Show

My apologies for skipping a week. I had all these great intentions of posting, but between work, workouts, kids sports, and a host of other things, it was like I had monkey wrenches flying at my head all week. On top of depleting, I'm surprised I even know my name anymore. LOL!!

One Week Out
I met with Jodi the Monday before the Saturday, April 27 show, so it was actually less than a week. I weighed in at 128.8 lbs. (down 1.2 lbs.) and bodyfat was 10.1% (down almost 2%!!!!) She tweaked my diet, and my workouts were ending:

Diet

• Monday's night snack changed from 3 oz. of chicken to 3 egg whites.
• Wednesday's breakfast was now 4 oz. tilapia (no more egg whites...buh-bye favorite pancakes).
• No condiments, spices or gum (i.e., the start of Allison's 72-hour hell...you can take my food, but don't take my gum!!!

Workouts

• The Friday before (Apr. 17, 10 days out) was my last leg workout.
• Continued one-minute plyometrics in between sets.
• Wednesday, April 24, was my last workout (weights and cardio)

I began taking Expel (i.e., depleting) on Wednesday, which also meant drinking one gallon of distilled water Wed. and Thurs., and half a gallon on Friday. Friday at 5pm, I stopped drinking anything.

Friday
I definitely tried to pack too many things into the day before the show (note to self). I really wanted to take the day off, but things were so crazy at work that I couldn't. I had a mani/pedi scheduled, still needed to pack, practice posing, and, most importantly, get hand-tanned by Jodi and check in one last time. Jodi won't weigh or measure the day before a show. Most of the weight lost is water and she doesn't like to get caught up in the numbers. She can read bodyfat by just looking. She guessed me at "high 8s", so I'm going with 8.8%. LOL! It's definitely lower than last time when I came in at 9.5%.

My instructions for Friday and Saturday included some unexpected treats. Friday dinner was 3 oz. chicken and 8 oz. asparagus. My evening snack was 2 oz. of cooked lean beef (or 3 oz. raw). WOOHOO!!! I did weight myelf when I got home out of curiosity, and I was at 126.5. I think that's the lowest I've been since 11th grade. LOL!! My weight measured 26 inches.

Saturday -- Show Time
Boy, did I miss coffee on Saurday morning!! Good thing I packed lots of Excedrin and Advil.

Here's what I ate the day of the show (although the pre-judging and finals timing threw me for a loop):

• 4 oz. tilapia, 4 oz. sweet potato
• 4 egg whites, 4 oz. asparagus
• 2 oz. beef, 4 oz. asparagus, 2 oz. sweet potato
• 3 oz. chicken, 3 oz. sweet potato

As I mentioned, the show was in Burlington, NJ. My good friend, Janine, who graciously joined me as my trainer backstage, trekked over 90 minutes to attend. It was such an organized, well-run show -- what a nice surprise. You knew what time you were going on, no surprises. Lots of room backstage. I loved every aspect.

I entered two categories -- Novice and Open. Drum roll please...I won 4th place in the Novice group!!! I was on cloud nine all weekend. Even the T-walk, which I was so nervous about, was easy-peasy. I just loved every minute of it.
 
Final Thoughts
I honestly can't believe I placed. It was a very large show, and the other girls blew me away. They were gorgeous with bodies to match. But everyone is so friendly and approachable. I love the sportmanship of the sport and I'm really excited to do it again. And yes, I am thinking about doing another show. I may test out the bikini category, even though I just love the muscular look.

One important lesson I learned, there is no off season. You have to embrace this as a lifestyle, not I'm on/off my competition diet. It was incredibly hard for me to get to this point, much harder than last time. And I'll be damned if DQ is going to mess it up. LOL!!

That said, I did go out for a celebratory meal afterwards. Janine, my parents, my mother-in-law and I all went to Friendly's. I had an awesome burger and an even better Oreo ice cream treat. Plus, my family insisted the staff sing "The Trophy Song." What a great way to end an awesome day!!!!

NOTE: Having some technical issues. I promise to post pictures very soon!

Figure Competition 2 Weeks & Counting

With the first competition originally scheduled on April 13th cancelled due to lack of participation, all of my focus is on the 27th.

Just two short weeks left, here are this week's changes:

Bodyfat -- 11.9 % -- Down 1.3%!! Can I get a woot-woot?? Very excited to be nearing single digit country. Fingers crossed that I can bust through 10% before April 27.

Weight is now 130.0 lbs even -- down 1.4 lbs!! Yippee!

Diet Changes
- Morning snack is now 4 egg whites instead of tilapia (did I mention how tired I am of tilapia??)
- Lunch tilapia is now 5oz. (down from 6oz.) and no more green beans, now it's 8oz. asparagus
- Dinner tilapia is also now 5oz. (down from 6oz.)

Check out my new green bikini.

Evening snack is now 3oz. chicken (no tilapia -- woohoo!!)

Workout Changes
- Cardio is now 80 min. 7x per week
- 1 min. of plyos between sets
- Bleachers & sprints as much as possible
- Wed. is my last leg day (10 days out from the show)
- Fri. is my last day of walking lunges and deadlifts

This Week's Focus
- More tanning
- More practice -- need to focus on the walks and turns
- Create my pack list and start gathering
- Make a mani/pedi appt. and take a half day off work on April 26
- Mentally start prepping...lots of visualization :)

Until next time, eat meticulous and train ridiculous...

3 Weeks "til April 27th Figure Competition

Sadly, the April 13th figure competition was cancelled due to a lack of participation. Somewhat of a bummer, but also sort of glad since I don't feel quite ready.

I had a great visit with Jodi this week, and the progress -- and changes -- continue...

I weighed in at 131.4% (down 1 lb.) and bodyfat was 13.2% (down 1.2%). Woohoo!! Jodi and I were both very happy with these numbers.

This week's diet and workout changes:

Diet

• Morning snack is now 5 oz. tilapia and 4 oz. asparagus (buh-buh chicken, hello morning fish -- blech)
• Afternoon snack, the almonds go away (boo!!)

Workout

• Cardio is now 75 min., 7x per week
• 45 seconds of plyos stay put
• Try to do as many bleachers/sprints as possible this week. 

This week is Spring Break, so I'll be off Wednesday through Friday. With the warm weather finally here, I'll hopefully be able to get 3-4 times in. We're heading to Great Wolf Lodge with the kids, so the Thursday workout will be interesting. I may split my cardio into 3x on that day (25 min., 25 min., 25 min.). I'm hoping the gym is more impressive than what it looks like online.

I posed for Jodi with my new green sparkly bikini. It's growing on me and I think I may end up using that one after all.

Also, I found out the show has a dedicated photographer, so hopefully I will get some great pics to share!

It's hard to believe only 19 more days, 2 more appts. with Jodi and it's go-time.

Until next time, eat clean and train dirty, Fit Mommas!!

Figure Competition Countdown -- 4 Weeks Out

After having a run-in with my kids' Easter candy, I was nervous to see what today's weigh & measure appointment would bring...

Bodyfat
14.4% (down 0.5%)

Weight
132.4lbs. (up 3.2 lbs.)

I'm glad my bodyfat went down, not happy about my weight going up. I could be retaining water from my little candy splurge. Back to the drawing board. Here are this week's changes (there are a lot of them): 

Diet Changes
Morning snack is now 3 oz. chicken and 4 oz. asparagus (sweet potato is gone)
Lunch is now 8 oz. green beans (vs. 4 oz.); sweet potato is gone
Afternoon snack now includes 3 oz. sweet potato

Workout Changes
Cardio 70 min. 7x per week
Keep 45 seconds of plyometrics between sets

There were so many change to my diet, I need to repost what the whole looks like again. I can't keep track! Here's what my diet now looks like:

Current Daily Diet

Breakfast - 5 egg whites, 4 oz. sweet potato

Post-workout - 3 oz. chicken, 4 oz. asparagus

Lunch - 6 oz. tilapia, 8 oz. green beans

Afternoon snack - 3 oz. chicken, 12 almonds, 3 oz. sweet potato

Dinner - 6 oz. tilapia, 8 oz. (2 cups) asparagus

Evening snack - 4 oz. tilapia

Whew! Let's see what these changes bring. I'm still working on my tan lines. I ordered my Expel (diuretic for the last few days before show). I need to order Jan Tana tanning gel and see if I can find foundation to use on competition day. I was contemplating hiring a make-up artist, but the one recommended by the show is booked solid.

I thought it would be interesting to see how much food I'm consuming in a week. Food shopping is a regular occurrence -- at least 2x per week. Here's what I need to buy and consume in a typical week (7 days):

• Tilapia -- 14 pounds
• Chicken -- 2.6 pounds
• Sweet potato -- 3 pounds
• Green beans -- 3.5 pounds
• Asparagus -- 5.25 pounds
• Egg whites -- 3 dozen eggs
• Almonds -- 84 almonds

As promised, here is an update pic. I'm on the fence about the new green bikini. I'm feeling a bit self-conscious in it. It will really depend on what I look like closer to the show. I'll work on posting a pic so you can tell me what you think.

Until next time, eat clean and train dirty!

3 Weeks 'Til Figure Competition -- Yikes!

We're getting down to the wire and I'm happy to report this week's results:

Bodyfat
14.9% (down 1.3%)

Weight
129.2 lbs. (down 5.0 lbs.)

Diet Changes
Morning snack is now 3 oz. chicken and 2 oz. sweet potato

Workout Changes
Cardio 65 min. 7x per week
Keep 45 seconds of plyometrics between sets

Here's what my diet now looks like:

Current Daily Diet

Breakfast (eaten before workout at 4:45am)- 5 egg whites, 4 oz. sweet potato

Post-workout (approx. 7am): - 3 oz. chicken, 2 oz. sweet potato

Lunch (noon-ish) - 6 oz. tilapia, 1 cup green veggies, 4 oz. sweet potato

Afternoon snack (3:30ish) - 3 oz. chicken, 12 almonds

Dinner (6pm)- 6 oz. tilapia, 8 oz. (2 cups) asparagus

Evening snack (9pm) - 4 oz. tilapia

I submitted my entry forms and fees for the April 27th show, and I'll finish the April 13th paperwork this weekend. Now it's starting to feel real.

After I even out my tan lines from my tanning booth mishap, I promise to post some pics. Until then, eat clean and train dirty!

4 Weeks and Counting...

I just realized that I never posted this week. Ooops!!! Work was a bit crazy, so my apologies.

I made some progress, but not as much as I'd hoped. While I was visualizing 15%, my measurements came in at:

• Bodyfat -- 16.2% (down 0.9%)
• Weight -- 134.2 lbs (up 1.2 lbs.)

Jodi was nervous that I hadn't lost more with just four weeks to go, but then she took a look at me. For some reason I'm carrying the extra bodyfat differently. I should be at 12-13% right now. She wants to focus less on the numbers (easier said than done for me) and more on how I look.

With that, here are this week's changes:

Diet
Lunch -- 1 cup green beans
Dinner -- 8oz. (2 cups) asparagus

Workout
60 min. 7x per week
45 seconds plyometrics between sets

Other things I need to focus on this week are:

• Get comfortable in my new bikini -- I provided a sneak peek of my new posing suit. I'm a little self-conscious of my butt in it. There's a lot less fabric than my other suit. Luckily, I'm glued in!
  
• Practice posing and t-walk -- I think I've picked the song I want to use, which is Nicki Minaj's Starships. Not sure why, but that tune just makes me happy.
  
• Tanning -- I accidentally fried myself this week. In trying to even out my color, I went in a more powerful stand-up booth. I'm fried from my armpits to my butt cheeks. Oops!
  
• Nail appt. -- I had a Groupon for a mani/pedi, so I scheduled it the day before my first show.
  
• Hair & Make-up -- I'm going to do my own hair and make-up (*gulp*). I have a good idea from last year on how I need to look. I also chopped my hair, so there's not much styling to do, other than flat-ironing the heck out of it.
  
• Need to submit entry forms -- I consulted with Jodi on which categories I should enter -- essentially, all of them. She said the more categories, the more chances to win. So I'll be entering Novice, Masters and Open for both shows.

Until next time -- eat clean and train dirty! ;)

5 Weeks to the Tri-Cities Figure Competition

I'm still chugging along as the time winds down. This week my bodyfat was 17.1% (down 0.8%) and my weight 133lbs. (up 0.6). While I'm always secretly wishing for at least a drop of 2%, I'm just glad that I'm going down.

To come in at around 9-10% bodyfat, I still have a good 7+% to go! EEK! I should also note that I'm bigtime PMSing. Jodi thinks I'm retaining water, which is why my weight is slightly up. It could also be why I didn't drop more bodyfat. With that, here are this week's changes:

Diet
My evening snack is now 4 oz. of tilapia, and the nuts are gone. (My only source of fat now are the almonds during my afternoon snack.)

Workout
Weight training stays the same. Still doing plyometrics between sets.

Cardio is now 55 min., 7 days a week. Still doing walk/run intervals. Currently, I run 4.0 mph and then 8.0 mph. If I start to drag, I change the 8.0 mph to 7.0 mph.

I also ordered a new posing bikini, which should be arriving any day. I'm very excited!! It's emerald green and has more bling than my current suit.

I began tanning this week, too. It helps to get a solid base tan before they make you super-dark before the show.

This week, I'm going to be gathering forms, practice posing, finalizing my music for the T-walk, and nailing down the T-walk. It's been awhile since I've sported those 5-inch heels, so I need to get comfortable walking around in those again.

While I'll be doing the 2013 Tri-Cities Bodybuilding, Figure & Bikini Competition on April 13, 2103 in West Nyack, NY, I'm also planning on doing another show two weeks later. The OCB Jersey Natural Open is being held in Burlington, NJ on April 27th. I figure if I can get even leaner by that time -- all the better! This show is also a IFPA Pro & Masters Qualifier. Woohoo!

Stay tuned for next week's update. I'm hoping to post a pic of my new suit!