3 weeks...bare with me...

I've titled this blog bare with me b/c these last few weeks are when things get tough.....Mentally I'm tired, fatigued, moody, ect. from dieting so long and showtime being so close! But on the flip side this is a time that I am very motivated to give it all I got these last few weeks and fine tune everything that needs to be done! I got my suit in the mail and LOVE IT!!! However, I need some adjustments made so sending it back in tomorrow for alterations....No diet changes at this point b/c I'm still progressing, my lower half is still waiting to lean out, damn ass of mine is being stubborn! Everything else is right on course so hopefully the butt will tighten up in the next few weeks! lol....I am giving up my crystal light this week which to most people may seem like not a big deal, however, crystal light does give me some bloating issues so I want to make sure and get those artificial ingredient type things out of my system for a few weeks so I don't retain water. Yes sounds dumb but true....and damn I'm going to miss diet pop and crystal light! lol....Well like I said I've got 3 weeks to go and no matter what I will be ready! Even if the lower half doesn't cooperate like it should, I have no doubt that I will be ready to go on show day...it's about doing the things I need to do day in and day out. I am following coach's orders and we will see what happens. Here are my pics from this weekend in the suit. Definate changes this week. Still need some posing work but it's coming along!  Until next time, NO EXCUSES! Just work!

4 weeks progress pics

4 weeks and counting! So I spent the weekend in Des Moines working with a posing coach, who is absolutely amazing by the way:) Last year lets face it, I didn't know what the hell I was doing and posing was a HUGE downfall. I feel like I'm FINALLY starting to get it! Even though I still need LOTS of practice and lots of work, I'm still 100x better than last year. I know it will take a few more shows before I get more comfortable, but the more I practice, the more it will come. I guess I didn't spend a whole lot of time last year on posing b/c I was so worried about the other stuff like how my body looked, dieting, working out. This year I realized that stage presence plays a HUGE role in figure competing. Posing is MUCH MUCH MUCH harder than it looks and believe it or not, makes me almost as sore as after a hard lifting session! LOL no seriously...Anyways as far as current stats:
Weight: 97.6
Waist: 30.75
Naval: 25.5
Hips: 32.5
As far as these last 4 weeks, this is when alot of noticeable changes should start to happen fairly quickly. Right now diet and workouts are still the same. No I don't cut carbs, only eat fish, do 4 hours of cardio a day, ect. ect. Believe it or not I have done no formal cardio for about 7-8 weeks now. Crazy huh? Glad I work with a sane coach who doesn't believe in killing yourself to look stage ready. Yes you can probably get the same results eating 700 calories per day, cardio 3x/day, ect...but I'm not going to kill myself nor am I going to ruin my body and rebound 20-30 lbs like most girls. Contest prep should be done the right and healthy way. Sad to see so many girls ruining their bodies, doing metabolic damange and killing themselves for these competitions. Thankful for my sane prep! As far as pics, here are the ones from posing on Saturday. Upper body feeling very lean and lower body starting to wake up! Ready for the next 4 weeks.....BRING IT!

5 weeks...getting close! Motivation required on a daily basis!

4.5 weeks to go already, I'm a little frustrated with my lower half not quite as lean as I would like it to be at this point but I know fat loss happens top down so not too concerned yet bc the top half has really leaned out over the last 1-2 weeks...Trying to work on posing as much as possible. I've noticed some noticeable Left to Right side assymetry which my Coach believes is due to my shoulder injury back in highschool. Something I will definately  have to take care of after competition season. It's very frustrating to try and compensate and figure out how to pose so it's not that noticeable! It may or may not hurt my placing, regardless I'm going to still do the show. I need to get experience if I want to continue to do shows in the future. So I guess if they want to give me last place for a problem with symmetry then there's nothing I can do about it. I'm just going to continue to work hard and see what happens...I've made alot of progress since last year and my first show, I won't quit now! Gunna do my best with what I got!!!!! Progress pics this weekend!!! Work hard and earn your results!

6 weeks-now it gets serious!

Ahhh the 6 week mark.....This is when I really  have to be dialed in. The next 6 weeks are crucial in my progress....There is no room for error in these next six weeks. I've been concentrating alot on my posing b/c that was a HUGE downfall last year and it's something I just didn't take the time to learn and practice. Now knowing how important it is, I'm doing my best to get everything in place! Current stats are:
Weight: 98.8
Waist: 31
Naval: 25.5
Hips: 32.5

Feeling good about where I'm at right now. Current workouts remain the same, 4 days of lifting; 2 ab/core circuits, and 2 metabolic workouts, and oh yeah no real cardio;) No crazy, insane prep. That's why I love the coach I work with. There is no need for crazy 2-3 cardio sessions per day...One will ruin their metabolism that way and also experience a hell of a rebound post show. It's all in the way you train! Diet right now hasn't changed yet; A current sample of my daily meals are:
Lifting days:
1-Egg whites/oatmeal/fruit
2-Post workout, protein shake/low fat carb (usually cereal)
3-Chicken breast/sweet potato
4-Fish/veggies
5-Salad with veggies/lean protein
6-before bed-cottage cheese or egg whties
This isn't set in stone and I do switch my foods some, but for the most part you get the idea;) Yes I do eat, and I eat often! Small meals of course b/c you gotta create a calorie deficit to lose fat, however you need to eat enough to maintain muscle. It's a science at the end of the day. Right now things are working and I will post updated pics at the end of the week. Good night everyone! Remember...NO EXCUSES just WORK!!!!!!

7 week progress pics

7 Weeks to Go!
Current weight: 99.6

Took two week progress pics this morning. It's amazing what two weeks of consistency can do! My body is starting to tighten up and the abs are starting to form. Energy levels are still good right now and workouts are going great! How much cardio am I doing......NONE! Yup that's right, no cardio.....4 days of lifting, 2 ab/core circuit workouts, and 2 metabolic workouts per week.  So I am currently working out about a total of 6 hours per week. Many people i'm sure think I spend hours upon hours at the gym...Nope sorry I don't....When you lift as hard and heavy as me and work your ass off and stay consistent to your diet, you don't need to spend countless hours in the gym. Get in, go hard, and get out..that's my motto in the gym.  Anyways, moving on, here are 7 week out progress pics. I am definately feeling the fat loss top down. Face is starting to thin and chest *cough* is no more...lol..never really was anyways ha ...just waiting for the bottom half to catch up now...it will....patience is key....until next time...No Excuses..just WORK!

8 WeeKs OuT!!!

yesterday marks 8 weeks out until showtime! Current stats:
Weight: 101.2
Naval: 26.5
Waist: 31.25
Hips: 33
Right now I'm feeling good, measurements are down which shows I'm heading in the right direction. I got a new training program this week along with a slight change in diet, a little less food but not much to make a difference really. I've been very creative with my meals lately and have really enjoyed the new things I'm trying! My coach gives me an amount of food I can have for each meal on my plan and I have the ability to substitute foods as long as I stay with the same calories/macros. For instance my meal #3 is 85 grams of chicken and 100 grams of sweet potatoes, but if I want to have different foods I utilize an online calculator my coach provides to see what my other options are and what the weight of the food is, so I'd type in that I want to sub my chicken with egg whites and it will tell me how many egg whites I can have to equal 85 g chicken. Very nice feature! The point is eating on a contest diet doesn't have to be boring and bland like many would think. Another thing people probably have a misconception is that I don't eat carbs or fat or whatever, when in reality I will incorporate all food groups throughout the training, including CARBS! Yes they tend to get a little lower as we get closer but never taken out. This week I will take you through a day of my eating so you can really see how much I actually do get to eat! Now bc I'm so small to begin with I do get a little less food than most bc when you are trying to lose fat you need to be in a calorie deficit which means I need to be burning more than I'm taking in, but I also need to eat enough to maintain my muscle as well. It's scientific but simple!:) this goes for anyone trying to lose fat....I've noticed my body starting to tighten up just in a week of consistency and staying the course..still have a ways to go and 8 weeks to bring it! Progress pics next week! Thanks for reading and remember no excuses just WORK!

Food Prep!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday....ahh the day of food prep for the week. Today was a typical Sunday for me which means grocery shopping and prepping my meals for the week! I currently work with a coach who does my diet for me so all I have to do is follow it ;) Very simple :) Now many of you are probably thinking, "God how can you eat the same thing day after day...." Well honestly I am a person of structure, I don't get bored with the meals, I like to know what I'm eating every day. Yesterday is yesterday, why should it matter what I ate YESTERDAY? Today is a new day it doesn't matter what I did yesterday..what matters is TODAY! Anyways to answer the questions, i don't HAVE to eat the same foods everyday, I choose to....However I do like to switch it up sometimes, especially on the weekends. I use a food calculator that my coach has given me to make sure the foods match up calorie wise and macro wise. So yes I CAN eat different foods, but I need to stay within the plan that I'm given. I usually make my meals 3 and 4 for the week all on Sunday. Now my breakfast (Meal 1) I usually will either make the night before, the morning of, or sometimes I will make on Sundays. It just depends on the mood i'm in;) My post workout meal also varies. Supper which is meal 5 and before bed meal which is meal 6 I usually don't prep in advance b/c I'm home.  Once again I use alot of seasonings, salsa's, spices, ect. so things DON"T get boring! Planning for the week in one day does take some time to master, however, in the long run you will do nothing but succeed in doing so b/c everything is right there! No tempted trips to the vending machines, gas stations, ect. I carry a big enough cooler around so all my meals fit. Back to the original question, do I get bored eating the same things everyday? No, I know what I have to do to achieve the look I want to achieve and that takes one meal at a time and being compliant with what I'm suppose to do. You can't look back on yesterday, just b/c you do the same thing tomorrow doesn't mean you should get bored with it, it means you are going to take tomorrow and do what you need to do to get one step closer to your goal...and with that I say good night and here's to chicken breast and sweet potatoes! ;))))
9 weeks baby!