My Journey To My First Figure Competition: 8 Weeks Out!

Stats: 140.0; Body Fat 12.2% Former week was: 138.8 lbs; Body Fat: 12.69%

(My weight did NOT get back down to what it was last week, but was at 138.9 at one point.  I’ll tell you why the jump down below!)

Calorie intake: This week I drop to 1883 calories.  It came from going from 1 cup of oat bran to 1/2 cup of oatmeal.  Small changes, big differences {to come!}  I’m proud to say I hit my 2 gallons of water each day….it’s a must!  And, I salt all meals so I head off retaining any water and for the purpose of when I do go to deplete in peak weak, my body will be ready.

Cardio: 2 days of 45-minutes incline walking on the tread; 1 day running for 45 minutes in the gym alternating 1 minute walking, 30 seconds sprinting (this made me SO sore for the whole week!); 1 day of 45 minutes sprinting/walking outdoors on the hill!; 20 minutes HIIT on the step mill (was supposed to do 45 minutes, but the body was dead!)

Lifting: Lifted all body parts this week with a past line up.  I did a 5-day split of: back, shoulders, legs, chest, and biceps/triceps.  I’ve done this combo for three weeks in a row now, so I’m feeling good about mastering the exercises and going up in weight.  Change will be good soon!

Rest Day: Sunday only; lots of great sleep this week, with one night getting in bed at 8:45PM!

These are pics from 12.8.12 at 19 weeks out (green suit) and from today on 2.17.13 at 8 weeks out (pink top).

I see changes and I know it is slow progress that takes time to come in.  My waist is the hardest one to budge and I’m also built more boxy than I would like, so I’m really hoping to see that waistline come in.  I also see changes in my posing, which is due to my daily practice and monthly posing clinics.  My weight is only 2 pounds apart in these pictures, but my body fat is 6% apart.

Remember, slow progress is progress and this process can’t be rushed in order to make this a healthy, safe process.

This was my stomping grounds for my Tuesday cardio.  I asked my trainer if I could get off the tread and run laps in the gym.  I shared it with a guy who was playing basketball and ran for 45 minutes alternating 1 minute of walking and 30 seconds of sprinting.  I enjoyed the change, but what ended up happening was my body was not used to running in circles, so different muscles were engaged to handle the turns.  I was SO sore for days….but it’s just what my body needed!

Continuing with my theme of getting off the “dread”mill, I took another 45-minute HIIT session outdoors on Thursday.  The sun was out and this was going to be a great run…..but then I remembered I live in Indiana and it’s February and even if the sun’s out, it doesn’t mean it’s warm!  I walked down the hill and sprinted up….for 45 minutes with 25-degree wind chills pushing me on!   I had to bring out my girl power for this one, as it was super hard and I was till sore from my gym-run on Tuesday.  This was one of those workouts I was more than happy to be finished with (put super proud for doing it!)

This is my daily lunch.  12 ounces of broccoli (steamed in the bag in the microwave), 1 cup of egg whites, 1t of olive oil, salt, pepper, and my FAVE spicy mustard/horseradish combo (0 carbs, 5 calories per 1T serving).  I’m actually to the point where I crave the broccoli.  As they say, you crave what you’re made of!

I listen to a gal named Pastor Paula White and she speaks about practicing for your goals and dreams.  I realized I’ve been practicing for this for years!  My 5-inch heel collection is growing and it’s no problem for me to walk in them.  It’s just part of who I am.  So when I walk the stage in my clear 5-inch heels, I should be right at home!

(me in the pic!)

This week I hit a physical and mental wall (kind of!).  Physically I was SO sore after my Tuesday gym run, that the body was shutting down.  I pushed thru and even got a massage.  For me, a massage is good, but uncomfortable for the next few days.  It stirs up stress toxins stored in my muscles and I go thru a natural detox….good, but doesn’t feel good!  So by Friday AM when I tried to do my 45-minute HIIT cardio on the step mill, the bod was NOT having it.  I reduced it to 20 minutes, listened to the body, and called it a day.  I coupled it with lots of water and rest and I’m back on track now!

Mentally, I was out twice (once over Valentine’s Day) watching others eat breadsticks and pizza.  I stayed on track and didn’t want that food, but was really wanting some grains or a sweet potato.  By Saturday PM, I decided to take a mental pause and just have a treat, so to speak.  I had 4 whole wheat, homemade pancakes, some almond butter, and some chocolate chips.  It was in total like 600 extra calories, but it was the mental and physical break I needed.  Ironically, I woke up hungry at 3AM….maybe just a little extra jolt for my metabolism to keep it guessing?  The scale jumped by 2 pounds from water retention from the foreign foods, but it’s all good.  I tracked it, fessed up to my trainer, and I’m back on plan.  Sometimes you just need a little off-plan treat to feel normal….even though this is FAR from normal {but I wouldn’t trade it for anything!}

This is my very own posing corner in my 2nd level hallway.  We have all hardwoods, so every AM before my kids rise, I shower, put on the heels and get in my 20 minutes of posing.  The taller, narrow mirror is on the landing near the stairs and its full length allows me to see the entire body in all quarter turns.  The picture to the right is a decor mirror I have up on my ledge above the front door.  I use this mirror to help with my posing from a different angle, as it’s viewed to my right as I look straight ahead to the taller mirror.  Being on the hardwoods and having the two mirrors is PERFECT for getting in the practice and learning that mind body connection of what each pose “feels” like.  (No mirrors on stage….so practice is key!)

This journey would not be complete without some seeds planted along the way for my kids.  I eat a TON of broccoli and green beans and my kids see this in my daily routine.  My baby (age 3) wanted his own bag of green beans one night and I was happy to make it for him.  My oldest child also requests his own bags of broccoli when we shop.  He knows we keep it pretty clean in the home, in balance with fun treats for them, but sometimes he gets a little frustrated and longs for more kid junk than we will allow!  Just the other day he tells me, “When I live on my own, I’m going to buy and eat whatever I want.”  I told him, “Well, yes, you can certainly do that.  But what you don’t realize is that I’m setting you up with good habits now, so by the time you get there, you’ll WANT to make the best choices for your fuel that makes your body feel good!”  Well, that’s my goal anyways.  A Mom can hope!

Just a reminder of where I started in October 2009…….