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! 

New Year "cleanses and detoxes"

It's that time of year to make new year resolutions for 2015. A lot of people will have lose weight, get fit, get healthy or the like. Even my list includes achieving my goal weight and getting lean enough to compete in a figure competition.  I've made some kind of weight related resolution for the last decade at least. It always starts pretty well but fizzles out by the end of January.

Why does it fizzle out? Because we all want a quick fix, instant gratification. When it doesn't work that way, it's pretty easy to get down on yourself and give up. Weight loss TV shows make you believe you can lose 10 pounds a week. While you MIGHT be able to do that the first week if you are very very overweight and drastically change your diet and activity level, it is much more likely you'll lose 1-2 pounds a week. That's about 4-8 lbs a month. Which could add up to 52-104 pounds in a year. That is a hugs change!  While we all would like to drop 20 pounds in a month, it's unlikely and that's not the right way to go about changing your life to a healthier lifestyle. 

Another downfall is fad diets. Again, there is no quick fix. No easy way. No magic pill or juice or tea. I hear a lot about cleanses and detoxes and I've even tried a couple myself. One was this juice, you mixed it with water and it's all you had all day. First, it didn't work. Second, that's not healthy. Your body NEEDS food. It's fuel, it's energy. Drinking only juice is going to throw your body in to starvation mode and wreck your metabolism. A "detox" I tried that I felt was successful really involved eating whole foods. And I modified it to get balance I felt my body needed. But, the truth is, I could've gotten the same result by just eating whole, unprocessed foods with the "detox" label. I went from eating poorly and over indulging on calories to eating healthy and at a calorie deficit. So, yeah, I dropped some weight. Don't fall into the cleanse and detox trap. If you want to change your habits, just make healthy choices. Plan and prep your healthy meals. Eat whole single ingredient foods. And drink plenty of water. No expensive cleanse pills, teas or juices needed. 

Before starting any new "diet", do your research. There is so much information available for free these days. Albeit there is some conflicting information. Everyone is different.  Something that works for one person might not work for someone else. Read about what you want to try. Decide if it makes sense and seems like it would work for you. When you find something that's healthy and works for you, don't give up. Focus on your end goal. Recognize and celebrate your progress, but don't lose sight of why you started this journey in the first place. Let that always be a source of motivation for you.