my first figure competition part 3

Show day

Show day started for me at about 5am.  Having done one coat of tanner before bed (Jan Tana  base) I had to do 1 more coat (Jan Tana competition color).  My hair/Make up lady was coming at 6 am so we needed the tanner to be on and dry enough for me to be clothed and seated.

We applied tanner, when Lindsay showed up to do my hair and makeup, Julie went down to have breakfast. Hair and makeup took a little over an hour to do!  I guess it takes a while to make me pretty J  We were supposed to report to the show by 7:45 but we were told by the show promoter at check in that figure competitors could come later because we wouldn’t go on until after women’s physique and all bodybuilding (and boy he wasn’t kidding). 

After hair/makeup I ate breakfast which was

1 sweet potato pancake See recipe here

1 “schmear” of natural peanut butter (it was about a tablespoon)

1 small apple

5 hardboiled egg whites.

I scarfed this down (carefully to avoid messing up my lipstick, as carefully as you can scarf food!  We packed up everything and headed to the show.  We arrived late.. after 8 for sure. My husband, dad and trainer were there waiting for us.  If you haven’t read my preceding posts, I suppose I should say the show was in a different city so I had just a small group of people there with me.

This is when we began the hardest part, the waiting.  The show was scheduled to start at 9. It didn’t.  In this post I posted a packing list. I mention food.. Lots of food. More food than you think.  Seriously. BRING IT! And tell your supporters to bring some snacks too. Most these shows don’t have any food at all and if anything, they only have some supplement companies/stores selling protein bars or something small. My Dad, husband and trainer at breakfast around 7.. they didn’t eat again until dinner time.  My friend Julie shared a pump up pop tart with me but that wasn’t really a lot of food.

So basically for the next 5 hours I waited… Touched up my tan, tried not to pee on myself. Peeing while in a posing suit it quite an adventure. I suppose I could delve into that experience real quick and give my two cents.  So some of you have heard the punch the bottom out of a Dixie cup in order to direct the stream and spare your tan. Well, I did pee, once..it was much more difficult that you would imagine and although I managed to spare my tan, I think the Dixie cups are more trouble than they are worth.  See, once you put your suit on, you don’t take it off until your done. So you kind of just pull it to the side to pee.  So imagine trying to  pull your suit to the side and hold a Dixie cup in place.. mind you the Dixie cup won’t hold the suit… anyway. In the future, I’ll be using both hands to pull the suit out of the way and forget the whole Dixie cup business.

Finally around 1 pm it was time for figure.  I think I must have been pumping up back stage for 20 minutes at least. They did an intermission that gave me a bit longer time. I didn’t really know what else to do.. at this point I’m just really ready to go on stage.  I should say for those who don’t know me, I’m an introvert. So don’t think you have to be this bubbly, outgoing, extrovert personality to do this sport. Now you do have to fake it a little on stage. Appear confident and comfortable, which I am still working on.  And it would be a total lie if I said I wasn’t terrified a little bit when I walked out on stage. Really most of it was because I knew my conditioning wasn’t what I wanted. I decided to do the show anyway for the experience, but being less than comfortable with the package I brought was really a challenge.

Regardless, here I was, lined up with a group of girls wearing teeny bikini’s and 5” heels.. and I was about to walk out and be judged.  Figure does a series of quarter turns.. so you’re thinking, you go out, turn, turn, turn, turn and you’re done.  Well it’s not quite that simple.  We had the smallest class, 6 girls. I’m not sure exactly how long we were out there but it feels like an eternity. You turn, the judges move people around, you turn some more.  Your cheeks are shaking.. honestly most of you shakes. I’m proud to say mine was due to nerves as I had been practicing posing a lot. (However my stage shots show I had pulled my shoulders forward so I was a bit disappointed that my posing wasn’t on)

I entered 2 classes, novice and open. You do the same process in each. Then you do a T-walk (I was competing NANBF).  I was so so nervous during my Twalk.  It’s just you out there, ALL ALONE. I’m not sure if I looked nervous but I shook like a leaf the whole time.

At the end of the day I walked away without any hardware. I walked away with experience that I will take with me in future shows. Yes, there will be future shows. Next prep begins in about 3 weeks.  I’m excited to do this all over again and hope to bring a leaner package next show.  

My first figure competition part 1

So I just competed in my first figure competition. It was an amazing experience. I called this post part 1 because I plan on breaking down the experience in to pieces to avoid a CRAZY long blog entry.  So let's start with "peak week"

Peak week was a bit different than the rest of my training. We did full body circuits Sunday and Monday. Cardio only Tuesday and light cardio Wednesday with my trainer. Then nothing else. That was hard. Partly because I hadn't peaked. I was far from peaking. We hadn't reached our goal. Also, working out has become an important part of my life and I enjoy it. 

So I spent my last couple days before making a list of items I needed for my show and packing my bags. The show I competed in was the Heartland Classic in Omaha which is about 3 hours from where I live.  I was going to be out of torn for less than 36 hours but I had 2 very full bags to take with me. There's a huge list of items I took with me and most came in handy. Below is the list I used when packing. 

Nutritionally we kept everything the same for peak week. I was doing a keto diet  and we kept it the same through Friday. I did a bit of carbs for breakfast Saturday morning and for pump up before going on stage. 

So let's get to the packing list. Here's what I brought with me and things I highly suggest anyone doing any kind of physique competition consider bringing. 

1. Alarm Clock

2. Beauty Blotting Papers or powder if face gets shinny

3. Bikini Bite (to keep your suit in place) 

4. Bottled Water

5. Bras

6. Camera

7. Cash

8. Clothes - dark colored  

9. Competitor Number/Contest Registration

10. Contact Lenses/solution 

11. Cooler – soft sided or hard sided

12. Copy of entry form 

13. Crazy Glue

14. Dental Floss

15. Directions to and from the venue, hotel and any other necessary locations

16. Dixie Cups with Bottom Punched Out (for peeing)

17. Extra Competition Suit – having a back up can be a life saver

18. Flip-Flops

19. Food – premade and premeasured (bring a lot more than you think you need.)

20. Hair Spray

21. Hair Ties, bobby pins, hair clips

22. Hairbrush

23. High Heels for competition

24. Jewelry (competition) 

25. Laundry stain remover stick 

26. Lock for Bag

27. Loose, dark comfy clothing to sleep in and wear around

28. Lotion (for after the show) 

29. Mini sewing Kit

30. Mouthwash

31. Nail File/ Clippers

32. Old dark sheets - tan will stain sheets and hotels will charge you if you ruin theirs

33. Organization Membership Card

34. Panties 

35. Pillow case – tan will stain sheets and pillow cases (or just bring your own pillow with a dark pillow case like I did) 

36. Plastic food wrap – for wrapping toilet seat in hotel room – tan will stain seat

37. Plastic gloves

38. Portable food heater for car if driving

39. Posing oil

40. Posing Suit / Competition Bikini – packed separately in labeled plastic bags so they stay clean and organized 

41. Q-tips

42. Razors or hair removal stuff

43. Robe – to wear after tan application

44. Safety Pins

45. Schedule for the day (received at registration)

46. Scissors

47. Small Mirror one that stands on its own on a table

48. Snacks &  Food 

49. Spare Hand & Face Towels

50. Stage Makeup (even if you're getting your make up done, extra bronzer and lipstick for touch ups are important) 

51. Sugarless Gum

52. Supplements

52. Toothbrush/Paste

53. Tubing to pump up prior to stage

54. Tweezers

55. Umbrella

56. Vaseline for Teeth

57. Vitamins

58. Wipes for quick clean ups

59. First aid kit

60. Deodorant (for after the show is over) 

61. Tanner (if you're doing your own tan, I used jan tana and I liked the result) 

This seems like a lot of stuff, but I used most of it. Didn't need the back up suit thank goodness but it's better to be prepared. 

I think that's enough for this post. I think it's good to leave off at the list. This will for sure be something I refer back to as well as tweak for future competitions. 

11 weeks out again

Figure Competition Prep Update!!

OK first.. I need to get a better way to take my progress pictures.. I'll work on that this week :)

No, you are not experiencing Deja Vu.  We are 11 weeks out.. (Actually 10 weeks 5 days or something.. but yes.. we have more time). Originally my trainer and I discussed doing a show in April.  That was our goal. Well as time progressed and my body is slowly losing fat we have reevaluated our plan and decided that the April show is not ideal for my first show. For a couple reasons. 1. It's a HUGE show and upon discussion with another coach/competitor it was recommended that it's not an ideal first show. 

I definitely want to enjoy this experience and that means feeling prepared and not being overwhelmed during the show. We decided what had been our "back up" show would be a better first show for me. 

The other reason 2. Since I am progressing a bit slower than we would like the April show was more stress on us both.

Again we want to enjoy this and perhaps continue competing for a while to come so killing myself trying to drip 10-15 pounds in 7 weeks was just not the game plan either of us thought would be the best. 

So we are now focused on the Heartland Classic May 23rd. That's goal 1.  In addition to that show. We also will be competing at Muscle Mayhem June 6th.  These are 2 different organizations so we can get a feel for each one and determine where we want to go from there.  

One thing I want to stress is that it's hard to plan weight loss. Believe me.. I am a planner.. I have spreadsheets and charts outlined with how I thought this process should go.  Sometimes your body has other plans. When you ask your body to do something it's never done before.. well, it doesn't always comply. As much as I really hate to report to all my supporters that I just wasn't going to be ready to compete when I originally wanted to, I know this is a temporary setback.

I will keep going. I will still compete and I will look amazing on stage.  I'm far from perfect. (And still will be when I compete) But, I will look the best I have ever looked.  I will be leaner than I have ever been. I will enjoy the experience and hopefully inspire you to do something outside of your comfort zone. Go for something you've always wanted to do.  Nothing is off limits. It's never too late to chase your dreams. Things don't always go according to plan.. so change the plan. 

 Keep moving forward! 

BCAA gummy recipe

Happy Monday everyone. 

So I'll post this update with more details in another post but we've switched shows and I am just under 11 weeks out from the stage! That means 11 more weeks of prep and reduced calories.. actually 13.. but again that's another post.  So last week I messed with my meal times.. It was a horrible idea! I was saving carbs for post workout (I had been carb loading in the morning previously).  So I stretched out the time between my meals earlier in the day and there were a few days were I was STARVING between meals.  

One day I ate a handful of giant mints.. which turned out to be about 30g of carbs total! yikes! So I decided to look around for some alternatives for snacking between meals. (besides gum which also has sugars and piece after piece can add up during the day) 

So I had seen a few posts about BCAA gummies. So I looked into them a little more. I really had no idea they had no added sugar and it was just gelatin which is protein.  I used watermelon flavored BCAA powder and they are yummy! They were pretty easy to make too. I have plastic molds so I dusted them with cornstarch but still had to fight a bit to get the gummies out. I think I will use silicone next time as I think it's a little easier.  I don't have small silicone molds but I think I can just dice up the gummies into pieces once they have set.  So here's the recipe

Ingredients:
1 scoop BCAAs ( I used watermelon Rescue)

1/2 cup water

3 envelopes unflavored gelatin (3 tablespoons)

Procedures:

Mix the above ingredients together and let sit a few minutes

Heat mixture until gelatin is dissolved.

Pour into molds 

Freeze for 20 minutes

This made a lot of gummies. I didn't do a macro breakdown per gummy cause they weren't the same size (because my molds were different) but for the entire recipe the macros are:

Fat: Zero

Carbs: Zero

Protein: 24g 

Casein protein truffles

Hi Everyone,

I am seriously the worst at keeping up with things! Really I am an accountant first (that's what pays the bills) and we are in the midst of busy season. Meaning I Work, Eat, Train, Sleep. I am having trouble finding time for much else. Of course EAT is one of the things I MUST do.. And I really enjoy that too. :)  So of course with eating comes cooking/preparing.  So I have a couple recipes I've tried that I want to share.  The one today is Casein protein truffles.  

If you are like me, you love chocolate.  Does anyone not love chocolate?! But clearly having a box of Russell Stovers or a bag of mini Reece's PB cups is not in the plan right now. Sooooooooooo.. I improvise.  Luckily there are some genious people in the world who create and share recipes for those of us that are a bit challenged in the kitchen. And this one is adapted from Proteinpow.com is already a favorite.  I've made them twice this week.  (and drooled over her website for days and days)  

So first these are a snap to make.. if you can mix, and roll "dough" you've got the necessary skills. Did I mention I am challenged in the kitchen? :) If I can make it, a 5 year old can.. but seriously, you could make the kids make these for you.. if you trust they won't eat them. 

Ingredients: 

1 scoop Casein Protein (I used chocolate of course but any flavor would work)

1/2 tablespoon of coconut flour (I might have used a touch more)

2-4 tablespoons of almond milk (or milk of choice)  

about a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder for coating the truffles

(at Proteinpow.com they dip these in dark chocolate.. so that's an option too)

I started with 2 tablespoons of milk, mixed and then added a bit more until you get a consistency which will form a ball but isn't TOO wet. (if you add too much milk, add a little more Casein or coconut flour) 

Procedure:

1. Add dry ingredients to a bowl

2. Add almond milk

3. Mix

4. Form into 4-5 balls. I did 4 as you can see below

5. Roll the balls in cocoa powder

6. Chill in the fridge 20 minutes or so.

7. Enjoy the deliciousness!

(if you wanted to dip these in chocolate, I would chill after step 4, melt the chocolate, then dip and chill again to set the chocolate)

I made these before work and brought them as my afternoon snack/pre-workout so my plating is phenomenal.   Ninja turtle containers, hell yeah!!  (Yay 80s kids!!) .. But for the record my husband bought these ok. :) 

Macros for the WHOLE recipe using cocoa powder

Calories: 160

Fat: 2.5g

Carbs: 10g (2.5g of fiber, 5g of sugar)

Protein: 25g

Resisting temptation

So we are 15 weeks out today. I'll post my progress picture at the end of this post. A huge part of this process is sticking to your nutrition plan and resisting temptation. First let me say I have a HUGE sweet tooth. I love candy, pastries, chocolate. I might be part Elf (candy, candy canes, candy corn and syrup) I also enjoy baking. I've honestly quit baking because along with baking comes eating. Eventually I plan on making healthier yet still delicious baked goods. For now, I try not to tempt myself. It's not easy. I don't live alone. I have 2 kids and a husband who aren't preparing for a figure competition. There are cookies and frozen pizzas in my house. Today my husband made grilled cheese for him and the kids for lunch and they smelled AMAZING. It's no exaggeration to say I am tempted to deviate on a daily basis. It's a struggle to say no. Here are a few pointers to dealing with temptations.

1. Find healthy alternatives to your cravings. 

Fruit is a great alternative to other sweets. Just be mindful that fruit has sugar too so stick to a serving. 

2. Gum 

I chew gum often. I eat when I am bored. So chewing the gum keeps mouth busy and my stomach quiet. 

3. Eat frequent small healthy meals during the day. 

If you've eaten something recently you will be less likely to be tempted by evil naughty sweets that want to derail your progress. 

4. Give in, a little. 

If you're craving chocolate have a small piece. And choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate. But 1 Hershey kiss or 1 small peanut butter cup might help take the edge off. Just beware of this option if you're likely to go back for more. I sometimes keep some mini size candy bars or Hershey kisses in the freezer for a treat. But this takes will power. 

The most important though is 

5. Be prepared 

Plan ahead. Prep your meals and have them ready to go. Snacks too. It's so much easier to eat healthy when it's right there. It's easy for me to avoid eating out at work when my snacks and lunch are easy to grab and go in the morning. 

And finally 

6. Indulge. 

Be smart. Plan your cheat. Make sure it's worth it. If you follow your plan all week. One reasonable treat will not distroy your progress. 

I stuck to my plan all week and brought my own dinner to my nieces birthday party so I could have this amazing ice cream cake. It was delicious. 

It's good to cheat occasionally. Your body can't continue at a calorie deficit indefinitely. Just don't let that cheat turn into a daily habit. Try not to go nuts with your cheat either. I didn't have the same food as everyone else at the party AND cake. Just cake. So I can stay on track.  

Also, if you aren't preparing for some kind of competition. Don't be too hard on yourself. 90% healthy eating and 10% indulging is a good rule to follow when living a healthy lifestyle. You don't need to miss out on fun or family gatherings to live healthy. You just need to make smart choices and plan ahead.

So here's my update pic. 15 weeks to go! A little less fluffy than last week. ;)