Went to the cupboard.
Despite being close to the show.
When she got there
The cupboard should have been bare
Since she has trouble with “NO”.

Here’s a recap of the competition from yesterday.

The competition was an hour away from my house (w/o traffic) in Hollywood so I had decided I’d drive down in the morning which meant I got a good nights sleep in my own bed.  I got up at 6 am put on another coat of tan because I looked more like child who had been playing in the mud under a sprinkler than a “glamourous” figure competitor. After the tan I put on my face and Brent took a few pictures before I headed out to pick up my friend Martha.

Slowly growing some lats.

Only shot where you can see The Abbeys.

We get to to the high school where the show was being held and walk into the “athlete’s meeting”.  Which I  get a kick out of because I’ve never considered myself an “athelete”.  I’m just a girl who is obsessed with nutrition and likes to workout hard.   Right away, I notice that it was a much younger crowd than my last competition.  It’s not that I’m old but 31 and two kids definitely feels different than 20 and no kids when I am about to go onstage in a bikini.

After the meeting, I go backstage to find a space in the dressing room.  Good thing this is a small show because the dressing room is the size of a closet.  I start wishing I had a brown paper bag in case I hyperventilate.  The men check in first and then the women move out to the lobby to check in.  I notice this one beautiful girl who is walking around with her shirt held up with a hair clip to show her GODDESS abs.  Seriously.  I have NEVER seen abs like that on a woman. Miss Abs was also naturally tan, tall, with long exotic dark hair.  I’m sitting there feeling like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man’s sister and praying that she isn’t in my class.  The check-in lady calls for the novice figure women and Miss Abs stands up.  I mutter something like “Oh %$#&” and immediately start wishing I had stayed out of the peanut butter jar and did a little more cardio.  The peanut butter just didn’t’ seem worth it standing next to Miss Abs.   As she is paying I look down and notice her fancy iphone has picture of herself as the screensaver.  Normally, I’d roll my eyes at such sillyness but in the moment  I’m thinking I’d do the same thing if my tummy looked that good.  In fact, I’d probably put a billboard of myself in my front yard if I had abs like hers.  Damn peanut butter.

So I go back to finish getting ready because of the heat my face looks like my 6 year old did my make up while I was sleeping. Let’s just say I’m a little white (or fair as I call it) and getting to my face to match my body and then stay that way is like trying to freeze a chocolate bar in a hot car.

This is a drug tested competition which means I have to pay $60 to pee in  cup.  The girl gives me the cup and looks at me as if I’m supposed to squat right there in the middle of the dressing room.  Motioning to the one room bathroom I ask, “Can I go in there?”.

“Sure but I have to watch?”, she replies.

What???   She has to watch.  Give me a break.   I don’t even go to the bathroom in front on my husband and I’ve had very little water the past 12 hours.  I sit there and try act like this is no big deal by making stupid jokes.  After 5 or 6 minutes I’m running out small talk and realize God is not going to answer my prayer the way I want.  I let her know I just can’t.  ”We’ll get it later,” she says.  Yipppeeee can’t wait.

As I said this is a small show so it’s moving really fast and before I know it I’m waiting in the wings of the stage to go on.  I’m doing my best to remind myself that I did this to LOSE but seeing the young tight girl next to me is making me feel like Old Mother Hubbard who went to the cupboard too many times.  But the cupboard wasn’t bare.  In fact, the cupboard had Costco size jars of peanut butter.  They call my number and for a minute I think maybe I really am an “athlete” as I imagine sprinting through the auditorium in 5 inch heels.  I survive going onstage although I’m smiling at the judges as if they are holding loaded guns instead of score cards.  Now we have a 3 hour break until the night show.

The really nice thing about this show is the location. Not only is it relatively close to my house but it’s on the corner of Melrose and Fairfax which means Urban Outfitters (Yes I’m 31 and still shop at UO) and a bunch of other fun little stores are within walking distance.  And since it’s Hollywood I don’t feel like freak with my orange runny “tan”, in fact, I feel like I fit in even more.  Martha and I go to Crossroads Trading Company.  It’s a buy-and-sell-used-clothing store and every time I go I find something cute and cheap.   This time it was a pair of Joe’s Jeans in a size 26 (no stretch mind you) for $30.  They were a tight 26  but after walking on the stage next to “I’m 20 with the prefect body” they were just what I needed to give the ego a lift.

After some shopping and pizza we walked back to the high school for the evening show where they hand out the awards.  I’ve drank big glass of green tea so I manage to serve up the urine sample with a side sarcasm.  I seriously considered leaving but decided against mainly because I’ve spent much of my life starting things and not following through.  It’s a pattern I’ve been working really hard to break so I go back to feel like Old Mother Hubbard one more time.

Right before I walk on stage it occurs to me that this is so not me.  I love to dress up just as much as any girl.  I love to feel beautiful just as much as any girl.  But figure competitions are just not my idea of beauty and glamour.  Not that they aren’t glamourous and beautiful in their own right but unlike a lot of girls nothing about the look but the muscle appeals to me.  I have always loved old school retro glamour.  Fair skin, red lips, elegant dresses, and classic hair. That’s the style I’ve always  gravitated towards (aside from my one year as a cheerleader in high school) when I want to feel beautiful. In that brief moment, I don’t think I have ever felt more like I was somebody else in my fake tan, tiny bikini, stripper heels, and over the top make-up.  It was surreal and I started to ask myself some questions but before I could get into my deep nonsense about why I was doing this they called my number.  While I was onstage I suddenly felt a strong sense of peace and okay with who I was despite having logs instead of legs.  I looked for my friend so I could give her a smile and I smiled a real smile at the judges.  They lined us up and started to give hand out placings.  I was fully expecting to hear my number first which means I would have received 4th or last place.  When they called Miss Ab’s (The pictures do NOT do her justice.) number I was really shocked.  Then they called my number for 3rd.  The girl in the green was 2nd.  The girl in the pink was first.  (She was totally adorable btw and very much deserved 1st.)

My friend and I decided we would leave early so I rush backstage eager to put on my new jeans.  I hike them up over my thighs and button them pleased as pie to be wearing a size smaller than before.  Then I squat down to pick something up off the floor and RIIIIIIIP.  No joke.  My new ego inflating jeans just deflated my ego like someone letting go of an unknotted balloon filled with air.  I don’t know wether to laugh or cry.  I decide to choose laughter because there is SO MUCH more to life than the size of the my jeans.  Besides who needs those stupid old Joe’s Jeans when I have The Braxtons.

So how do I really feel about my placing?  You know of course I would have enjoyed winning. Who doesn’t?  I was also a little relieved not be be last but I also sort of feel like I should have been.  I thought Miss Abs looked really great and could tell she had worked hard.  Had I been a judge I think I would have placed me last.  The thing is, it really doesn’t matter all that much to me.  It never has been about winning for me.  When I say I enjoy the preparation more than the show I mean it.  When I say do this to lose I mean it.  I didn’t reach 115 but 119 feels so much better than 126 to me.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again I grow and learn from the preparation.   I didn’t give this contest preparation a 100% and that’s not good.  Not because of how I placed but because I ultimately believe in good work ethic, following through 100%, and doing what you say you will do.  Had I won it would have re-enforced my half-azz tendencies.  I’m going to hang my third place plaque in my garage right under my first place plaque NOT to remind me that 100% effort will get you a first but that a 100% effort is so much more satisfying than 90% regardless of the outcome.

So what’s next?  Well I was delighted to step on the scale this morning and see 119 so I should probably work on getting over the scale.  But I digress and I still want to reach my goal of 115.  Honestly, I’m not sure why.  It’s just the number I’ve had in my head as my “perfect” weight which is total crap because perfect is relative and happiness is certainly not found in the bathroom on my scale.   Regardless, I want to follow through and reach my goal even if it didn’t happen on my competition day.  My birthday is 2 months way so that gives me 8 full weeks to lose 4 pounds and buy a pair of  size 26 jeans for my present!!!  Totally doable and healthy.   Although I’m tempted, I’m not going to do any more shows for a while because I think I should practice managing my food and exercise better for my family, myself, and for God.  I want to face some of my struggles with food (binging) head on for no other reason than it’s the healthy thing to do.   I’ve been wanting to learn how to use kettlebells so I’m going to start incorporating those as well.  I’m going to finally buckle down and get my personal training certification instead of talking about it.  I’m going to focus more effort on my taekwondo because at my  last testing I got some good feedback from my instructor and one of the guest judges.  I think it might be more in line with my natural strengths (flexibility and speed) not to mention I’m more comfortable in my uniform than a bikini!

Last but not least, I’ve been working on some changes for this site.  I’m SO EXCITED and I hope that these new changes will encourage and inspire more women to “change the world by choosing health”.  (Yes, I dream big!)  So stayed tuned to be a part of the mission!!

Once again THANK YOU so much for the support (and making it to the end of this long post). I’m grateful for your readership and want you to know how much YOU inspire me.

XOXO
jenn

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Wanted to say hi before my competition tomorrow.  Unlike my first show, it’s been a really chill day.  Seriously, I’ve been so laid back.  It’s nice for a change.  Cuddled with hubby before I got up and had breakfast.  The I spent the day painting on my tan, managed to throw in a few errands, and my kids and I practiced taekwondo for bit..  I’m  pretty much sick of plain egg whites, chicken, and asparagus  which is all I’ve been eating for the last 2 days.

Well…I did have a few spoonfuls of peanut butter.  I’m incorrigible.  I’m really looking forward to my treats tomorrow: dried mango, raw mixed nuts, blueberry flax granola, a Cliff bar (the closest I get to a cookie since I’m former sugar addict), and almond butter.  I won’t eat it all.  Yeah right!

I have a post show plan set in place.  Going to enjoy a fun meal with my friend tomorrow night and another with my family the next.  Then it’s back to the star chart plan with one fun food day a week.  By sticking to this I know I’ll be able to maintain.

The last 12 weeks have been very up and down.  But that’s pretty much life.  When I start I have all the motivation in the world.  Then a few days or weeks later I’m doing good not to drive through every drive-thru from here to Los Angeles.  Then a wave of motivation hits and I’m convinced I’ll be an American Gladiator.  Then life gets busy and I have trouble finding time to brush my teeth much less get a decent workout in.  Then….and so on…..

I wish I could say I feel amazing and can’t wait to get on the stage tomorrow.  But the truth is I’m slightly disappointed in my on-and-off-again discipline because I didn’t quite reach the goals I set for myself.  Had I been on my plan 100% or even 95% I would be feeling more confident. It’s not about winning or losing, it’s about being true to your word to yourself.   I believe when you set out to do something you should give it 100% but believing and doing are two different things.  I’m not complaining and I’m not fishing for compliments…just being real.  Every choice I made was just that a choice I made.  I don’t blame anyone.  It was my choice to give 90%.  Perhaps at this point of my life that was my 100%.  But if I’m honest with myself, the small voice tells I could have been a little more disciplined and pushed a little harder.

It’s a journey.

And I’m choosing not to forget where I came from.  I used to be the girl who hid candy in my glove box.  Or the girl who was forever going to start exercising tomorrow.  Or the girl who could eat a pint of ice cream as if it was only a tablespoon.  Or the girl that cried because none of my clothes fit.  I’m not that girl anymore, even if I didn’t commit 100%.  For that I am grateful.  I still can’t believe I’m at a place where I can wear on of those silly bikinis, fake some confidence, and walk on a stage to be judged like a terrier.  For years I dreamt about getting my body back after my kids but I’ve never imagined I’d do something like this!!!

I’m also grateful more than I can say for your encouragement and support.  So many times I was exhausted while working out alone in my dusty garage and wanted to quit.  But then I would think of you and the emails I’ve received.  I would think of the struggles you’ve shared with me and I would feel like I could run one more minute or get one more rep out.  This silly little blog cannot express my gratitude for the inspiration YOU have been to me.

Thank You!! (Like the white face and hands!)

xoxo
j

I like to eat.

Less than 2 weeks to my competition and surprisingly I feel pretty good despite being far from my goal on the scale.  My friend, Martha, came over this weekend to help me with my posing.  Turn your the palm of your paw toward your bum.  Arch your back and hold you tail high.  Wipe the slobber from your cheek.  All that fun stuff.  She said that my pictures do not do me justice (so I won’t post them ) and that I’m going to look good on stage.  WHAT!!!!  Can you say that again please????  True or not I can’t tell you how much I needed to hear that.  THANK YOU Martha.

My biggest fear, next to being locked in a closet full of hungry tarantulas, is to be “that girl” on stage where the nicer audience people think, “Ummmm really?”.  I don’t even want to imagine what the less nice people might think.  For those people, I have many words, most that come in pairs.  This competition prep has been different as the scale has been stuck at 122 for WEEKS.   I’ve lowered my calories as low as I’m willing to go, played with my macros, and upped my intensity but it’s just stuck, as of last week it was anyway.  Yes, I haven’t weighed myself since then.  I tell you there IS a God.  Sure, I wish the scale would go down.  I’ll probably always have days where I wish upon the scale but I’m not willing to eat just chicken and veggies for 6 weeks.  I’m just not that hardcore and frankly my sanity means more than losing all the jigglies.  We’ll see how I feel in less than 2 weeks.

Here is the latest picture I took of the The Abbeys a little over a week ago.

The lower Abbeys are really stubborn.  They get cold easy and don’t like to let go of their “blankies”.  We’ll have to see if they make it out of gestation.  My glutes….those are an entirely different animal.  One I don’t know if I’ll ever tame.  Those stubborn stubborn glutes.  It may take a few years but glutes beware I WILL win.

xoxo
j

11 weeks out at 125.  It’s the thighs once again.  Always the thighs. It’s so much fun being a mismatched Russian nesting doll. Humpf. 

I’ve been agonizing for days on wether or not to post this picture.  Okay, so I don’t think I look bad.  (However, I did cut my head out for a reason.)  But honestly it’s slightly embarrassing to not have maintained since my October pictures. But that’s life.  And I’m all about being real.  Which brings me to this thought. I know it may seem like I want people to look at my pictures. I do have them sprawled across the top of my blog. But that is NOT the case.  So please be nice.  :) Because frankly, it’s somewhat humiliating. I’d much rather have only nice photoshopped pictures of myself looking my best (and maybe a tan) instead of what I looked like a year ago.

But I  know I am motived by people who change their bodies through hard work and discipline not the genetically gifted (I’m not) or the photoshopped.  So there you are 11 weeks out from my competition and 9.5 pounds to go.  Americans just love before and after pictures.

xoxo
j

Starting a competition diet and going on vacation the same week is not the best idea.  Humph.  We spent the week in Palm Springs with my grandparents.  We ate out every meal and I did my best to stick to my plan even if it meant wringing napkins under the table a few times.  I took two free meals.  Chips and salsa are evil.  So are fries and ranch.  Aside from those meals I did pretty good.  Of course, I wasn’t the iron-willed-queen-of-self-control that I had visualized myself but I could have been worse.   Much worse.

I did do my workouts.  After lifting weights with the spiders in my garage the hotel “gym” felt like I was working out at the Sky Sport Spa even though it was really just an over-sized closet with some free weights and treadmills.  And they were good workouts with I’m going to “complain-50-times-a-day-so-everyone-remembers-I-workout” soreness.

This was the first time I went on vacation and didn’t mentally check out for the week and eat a year’s worth of fun food.  Instead it was just a day or two’s worth, almost a stay-cation food wise.  I think going on vacation and sticking to a moderately healthy eating plan is not only possible but even enjoyable.

Hugs and High Fives,
jenn

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Today I’m 12 weeks out from wearing my silly sparkly suit and heels.  I admire the hard work and discipline of all figure competitors, but I can’t help it, I just sort of feel like a goof walking around in a bikini and heels on a stage.

Then why in the world am I doing another??  A few reasons.  One, setting a date adds a level of intensity to my workouts.  ”Memorial weekend” just doesn’t do it for me.  Two, I enjoy the challenge of the journey. I discover my mental weakness and my strengths.  Three, I actually enjoy lifting weights and the two go hand in hand.  Four, as much as I actually dislike walking on the stage and feeling like a beagle in heels, it is rewarding to reach a goal after months of discipline. And lastly, The Abbeys.  Of course. I could set a goal to do a mini-triathlon or half-marathon (both things I’d like to do at some point) but I can train for one of those and still eat big buttery soft pretzels every day.  I shouldn’t but I could because I wouldn’t be judged on appearance. Ruff ruff.  In fact, I think I might use that sort of endurance training as a justification to eat mounds of refined carbs.  After all, I would need fuel for that long run so that muffin from Starbucks might not be a bad idea. Not with a figure competition because those muffins will turn into muffin tops.  Yeah, I have issues.  Self-control is one of them.

I have less to lose this time around.  Less fat.  Less depression.  Less low-self esteem.  I hope that doesn’t make me boring.  Last year I got to 118 but I had set a goal of 115 and this year I want to reach it.  This means I have 10 pounds to go or roughly a pound a week. I’d like to reach 115 the week of the competition before my water drop and have the answers to all psychological issues like Dr. Phil but less annoying.  As before, the competition for me is about losing.  Losing some more of the baggage that keeps me from being the woman God calls me to be.  And I’m not just talking about saddle baggage.

xoxo
j

If you decide to compete in a figure competition you will need a sparkly suit or two depending on the federation you compete in.  You have a few choices on getting a suit.  The most sane (and pricey) choice is to buy a new custom suit made just for you.  You can also buy a used suit, rent a suit, borrow a suit, buy a simple suit and add stones, or (the least sane choice) make and stone your own suit.  Of course, I went with the least sane choice because I like to nurture my craziness and I’m a cheapo.  This is how I did it.  I’m not an expert.  It was more of a fly-by-your-pants and hope- for-the-best project. Luckily it worked out and my suit didn’t split while I was doing my t-walk.

Before you stone a suit you need a suit.  So I dug through a box of old fabric in my garage and found some royal blue stretch velvet (Yeah I’m the kind of person who has stretch velvet in the garage) that I thought would work and called my mom because I can’t even sew a straight line to hem a curtain panel.  My mom used the KWIK SEW Pattern 3239, pieces C and G.  C worked great for the top but we needed to alter G, the bottoms, to fit more like a posing suit.  I brought over a bunch of figure girl pictures who have butts that I only dream of having and we did our best to alter the pattern.  Basically, what we did was narrow the back and front, put a “v” in the front and back waist band, and make the legs more high cut.  Think 1980s. Then we sewed two little swimsuit hooks on the back so I could cross and attach the straps to the bottoms.  We also used elastic in all the edges on the bottoms (not the cups) and in the straps to give it A LOT of stretch. Oh and we lined it with swimsuit lining and I put little slits in the the liner at the top of the triangle cups so I could put (a lot of) padding inside.

We thought about making the one piece but after careful consideration I decided I didn’t want to go back to therapy so I had  Amy from Posing Wear make my one piece. She was really nice, affordable, and helpful.  I highly recommend her.  (On a side not I’ve heard one federation has axed the one piece division so check with your federation before shelling out cash for a one piece. If anyone has the detail feel free to elaborate in the comment section.)

Once I had two suits, it was time to glue on some bling or sparkles.  First I needed to decided on a design. I spent a lot of time looking at pictures online of suits.  I decided I wanted a swirly design on my one piece so I went on  dreamstime.com and found a swirly christmas tree graphic that I though would work for the body of my one piece if I turned it upside down.  I hope that doesn’t make me a heretic.  I printed it out and laid my rhinestones out on the pattern.  For the cups I drew a few different swirl designs on paper until I made one that worked.  Then stretched and pinned my suit to a sturdy piece of cardboard and I sketched the design on the suit with Crayola chalk.   I looked at the pattern I had made on the paper and glued one rhinestone at a time to the fabric matching the pattern.  While I was doing this I found it more helpful to pay attention to the placement of the rhinestones in comparison to each other and the pattern I had laid out on the paper instead of following the chalk lines.  The chalk lines were just rough guidelines.  In other words, I’d glue on one rhinestone in the middle then glue one or two on the right side of the design and then make sure the rhinestones on the left side mirrored the ones on the right.  So for hours I’d go back and forth from the one side to the other being super careful that the rhinestones on each side were being laid at the exact same angles mirroring each other on both sides.  In the beginning, I started out using a pair of tweezers made for rhinestones but quickly realized that my angled tweezers that I use for my baby mustache eyebrows worked better.  I held the tube of glue in one hand and my tweezers in the other.  I’d dip my rhinestones in the glue directly from the tube.  Every so often I’d have to clean the glue buildup off the tube.  Also I kept a few toothpicks nearby to push the rhinestones into the exact spot I wanted them and press them down into the glue. Toothpicks are also handy to wipe up little pieces of glue that string out on the fabric.  And this is what I did for hours and hours.

For my two piece I was a little more precarious.  I put my two piece top on a sewing mannequin.  I had found a leaf pattern I liked in Oxygen magazine so I used chalk and sketched it onto the fabric.  I didn’t bother laying the design out on a paper pattern first which may account for my my leaves looked more like flames.  That’s also probably why I ran out of rhinestones and had to order more.  I just took my time going from one cup to the other laying one to three rhinestones at a time making sure they were in the exact same position on each cup. It’s not perfectly symmetrical but you can’t tell unless you look really close.

Chalk lines.

Half Stoned

Close Up

So if you are still crazy enough to stone your own suit here are the materials you’ll need.

To make the suit
-Stretchy fabric. A yard was plenty.
-Thin elastic.  I  think it was a 1/4 inch.  You’ll need quite a bit.  It’s really cheap so get at least 4 yards
-Thread
-Swimsuit liner
-Padding (optional for some…not for me!)
-A pattern (depending on your sewing skills)
-Two swimsuit hooks

To do the bling
-Rhinestones.  I like the swaroski crystals but there are lots of cool crystals out there.
-Tweezers
-E6000 Glue
-Toothpicks
-Old wash cloths (to clean toothpicks and dripping glue from the bottle)
-Firm piece of cardboard or sewing mannequin
-Pins to keep your suit on the cardboard
-Chalk

Websites

Suit By Amy (she made one of my suits)
Passion Fruit Designs (Suits)
Merry Christine Bodywear (Suits)
Jagwear (Suits)
Lydia Conti-Bodywear (Suits)
Vandella Costumes (Suits)
Bikini Guru (Suits)
Fit Wear Designs (Suits)
Cynthia James (Suits)
Dream Wear (Suits)
Cherry Bombs (Suits)
Competitive Edge (Suits)
Nina’s Competition Suits (Suits)
Tremblay Designs (Suits)

Diva Exchange (Used Suits and Stuff)
Lydia Haskell’s Pro Consignment (Used Suits)

Shoes (There are some real doozies on this site)

Tami’s Place (Rhinestones and glue.  I thought she had the best prices.  HUGE Selection.  Fantastic customer service.  She even sends them in scented fabric pouches.)

Stretch House (HUGE selection of stretchy fabrics of all kinds!)
Spandex World

Some other tips
- Someone recommended NOT using any stones smaller than 20ss.  GREAT ADVICE!
-Don’t wait until the last minute.
-Take your time.
-Don’t sweat small mistakes because you won’t notice them when you are done.  (Pictures of the finished suits)
-Draw or print out your design on paper and draw stones on it so you can get a rough idea of how many to order.  You can print out the actual sizes of the stones from the website that sells them.
-Hang a punching bag next to your workspace so you can take out your frustration on it instead of your family.

(That’s my FBFF (feline best friend forever) Sunny Life on my lap.)

xoxo
j

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Finally I’m back to healthy.  I don’t think I’ve been that sick for years.  It makes me GRATEFUL for my health and even more motivated to continue to nourish and strengthen my body and encourage others to do the same.  I’m itching to get back to the gym too…hopefully tomorrow.  I’ve lost 4 pounds this week.  I sure hope it’s just water and not muscle.  Okay…I really hope it’s fat but I know that’s it’s probably a combination of all three mostly being just water.  Whatever it is The Abbey’s are looking like they did pre-show week and that’s fun!

In response to a reader’s question I like to share with you what supplements I am taking or took during my competition prep.  Choosing a supplement or supplements can be confusing.  Just walk into any supplement store or health food store and you’ll have hundreds of choices each claiming to be the secret to a sculpted butt, 6-pack abs, smooth face, or a cancer-free life.  It’s easy to walk out of those stores overwhelmed and broke.  I’m not an expert on this subject all I can do is share what worked for me.

Personally I like to keep it simple.  Right now I’m only taking a whole food multi-vitamin and a whole food B-complex (so I don’t end up in jail during a very specific week of the month). Not sure if I’d call these supplements but I also like to drink a shot glass of apple cider vinegar and 1-4 cups of green tea a day.  I do this for the anti-oxidants, caffeine, and I happen to enjoy it (the tea).

When I was preparing for my show I was taking glutamine (when I could remember) post workouts. This assists in muscle recovery. But more often than not I would forget to take it just like I forget to pluck my eyebrows.  I also drank whey protein for convenience to get my protein in when I was on the go.  I like EAS 100% Whey.  Lastly, 5 weeks before my competition, I tried creatine for 3 weeks. Creatine increases the production of ATP.  ATP is the energy your muscles use for short bursts of energy, such as weightlifting. In other words, when you are taking creatine you can lift heavier weights or more reps before your muscles hurt because they have greater energy stores available to them.  As a result you get more muscle growth.  At least that’s my understanding.  It did work for me as far as my strength.  I could lift heavier but it wasn’t like I doubled my weights.  It was a matter of a few pounds or a rep or two depending on what body part.  Naturally I can lift more with my legs than my shoulders so I saw the biggest increases in the larger muscle groups.  I don’t think I used it long enough to see a visible difference.

Honestly, although I’v tried a few supplements, I’m personally not a big fan. For one, they are really expensive and I’m really frugal. And two, I agonize over taking a Tylenol or aspirin. I believe plenty of water (I drink a gallon a day), the right nutrition, an effective workout plan, and a good nights rest are all you really need.  I don’t think there is a weight loss supplement out there that will get you results you want if you are not feeding your body the proper nutrition or pushing yourself at the gym.  I know the magazines are full of advertisements for fat burners and the like with these beautiful buff fitness models but remember  these girls work their butts off at the gym and eat squeaky clean for weeks leading up to their photo shoots. “Fat burners” are misleading they don’t actually burn fat but stimulate your nervous system therefore increasing your metabolism a little or give you more energy for more cardio.  No thanks.  I’m not a fan of endless hours of cardio.  If energy if what you’re after, you can get that from caffeine without the risks. I was going to research the risks but instead I came this post from an clearly well informed and not to mention funny blogger.  She shares her story of taking an ephedra product (weight loss supplement) and ending up in the cardiology unit.  Enough said.

I’d also like to add if you need to take supplements for energy all the time then there is a good chance your training is out of whack. If you are not getting the results you want I think the first step is to be painfully honest about your nutrition and workouts.  I always find being honest with myself is really tough but necessary.  Often times I look at my diet and see that I need major improvement if I want to see the changes I’m aiming for.  Then I have to re-evaluate my reasons and motivations for setting these goals and make sure they are goals I really want.  Here are the basic questions I ask myself.

Are you eating too much?  Little bites here and there may not seems like much but when you are down to the last few pounds they can hold you back.

Are you eating too little?  This is can slow down your metabolism and slow down fat loss.

Are you timing your meals and not skipping meals?  I rarely go more than 3 hours without at meal.  If I do disaster strikes and I will turn my kitchen into the Hometown Buffet of carbs.

Are you REALLY pushing yourself in the gym?  Can you lift heavier?  Can you run faster on your HIIT cardios? Are you tracking your progress? Have your weights been going up?  Is your speed increasing?

Are you getting enough sleep?  If not you can seriously hinder your progress.

Are you overtraining?  Muscles need time to recover after they have been worked really hard.  I usually rest a muscle group I have worked out at least two days before working the muscles again.  Too much cardio can eat away at hard earned muscle.

Are you getting in your post workout nutrition at least 30 minutes after exercising?  This helps with muscle recovery.

This are the questions I start with when I hit plateaus.  And what worked for me for the majority of my 5 month figure preparation.   That said if someone really wants to add supplements to their plan I would recommend glutamine, creatine, and a whole food multi-vitamin.  Some people don’t like creatine because it can cause water retention.  I didn’t have a problem but then again I only took it for 3 weeks.

Hope you find this helpful!  Since I’m clearly lacking in supplement experience I’d love to hear any of your experiences or recommendations.

xoxo
j

I just got back from the gym and planned to only do 20 minutes of  cardio but when I was done I was surprised that I wanted to lift.  Why? After 5 months of intense training I thought I may want to take some time off.  But I realized I love it. At least today I did. Some things are just that way and it’s hard to explain.  It’s similar to my love for acting. I know some people wonder why I just don’t give up.  I rarely get parts and it’s so hard to find the time to pursue anything with all the other life things.  I don’t give up because I can’t.  It will always be a part of my life in some small way because I love it for what it is.  I don’t care if I ever “make it”.  Sure it would be nice but I don’t do it with that goal in mind. I do it for the pure joy of make-believe, getting lost in the moment, the experience of connecting, and the thrill of creative discovery.  I workout for reasons other than results.  Had I ended up coming in last this weekend I realized I would still be at the gym this morning.  It is just an amazing feeling to push through another minute of running when I feel like I might collapse. Or to push out another rep when my muscles are shaking and I think I can’t.  It reminds me that I was created by and I am sustained by a Creator that is bigger and more powerful than anything I can imagine.  My workouts are a time for me to get lost in my thoughts and discover more about God and who He created me to be.  Sometimes I have meaningful discoveries other times I just simply enjoy being a person created in His image and the possibilities that come with that.

I did have a GREAT weekend. And it had everything to do with my friend and nothing or at least very little to do with the competition. We had so much fun on the drive down, admiring the hard work of the other competitors, hanging out at the hotel, waiting around at the competition, getting ready and, of course, eating afterwards. True friends are such a gift and I will do my best to never take those who are vulnerable enough to share who they really are with me and love me despite my flaws for granted.

The competition itself was interesting. The bodybuilders are amazing. I am so inspired by their hard work and discipline.  Since this was a drug-tested all natural show there weren’t any (in my opinion) grotesquely large Hulk-ish chaps and lasses. Instead, the bodybuilders were more like a pumped up versions of Michelangelo’s David wearing velvet Speedos or bikinis. It was very cool and beautiful in an odd sort of way.

People are asking me if I plan on continue to compete.  I’m undecided.  Truth be told I feel a bit silly walking across stage in a bikini.  Not to mention, there was A LOT of waiting around and a few rude girls.  One girl hissed, “Me first, I walk first.” at me on stage as we walked to the middle for line up.  I suppose it’s not much different than trying to get a nearby parking space on a rainy day aside from the fact I’m already feeling insecure wearing a bikini that would fit a child.   I’ve never been totally comfortable with my body.  In junior high I was the girl taking showers with my towel on so it was really hard for me to be backstage with lots of half naked women.  Most people there seemed so comfortable with their bodies.  I am not.  Years after junior high, I am still really nervous to change in front of other people.  I found myself going to the bathroom to change in the bathroom stalls.  At one point, I had to leave the dressing room because I couldn’t hold back my tears.  I grabbed my sunglasses and rushed out.  This is what happens a lot when I’m sleep deprived.  There was this one woman in particular who had these freakishly large botched breast implants.  Never in my life had I seen anything like it (and I’m not that sheltered).  It made me really sad.  I wondered what had made her do that and felt so sorry for her.  I was angry with our culture and the pressure it puts on women, so much so, that some women go out and mutilate their bodies such as she did in an attempt to reach some unnatural ideal. (Sigh)

I’m really thankful that I did this to LOSE because five months of preparation was a lot of work for 5 minutes on stage. At first I was a bit disappointed. I thought of of the hours I had spent in the gym and all the yummy food I had “deprived” myself. But then I also remembered something else I really believe (I think I blogged about it before) it’s the journey not the destination that really matters and this journey has been an incredible one. I have enjoyed, well maybe not always enjoyed, but have learned so much during this preparation.  I love the intensity of knowing I’m going to compete adds to my workouts. I learned some life lessons that I (hope) plan to let spill over into other areas of my life such as: consistency not perfection will get results. I messed up on plenty of meals and missed workouts but I stayed consistent and always got back on track.

Speaking of pictures. I forgot to announce the birth of The Abbey’s.  They were born at 5:30 am on November 15.  Unfortunetly they didn’t survive and 16 hours later were drowned in salt and cheese at Miguel’s Mexican Cantina.  But here a picture of their birth.  RIP dear ones.  Soon you will be resurrected.

Before I conclude this post, I want to thank my precious most wonderful best friend.  Brenton, I love you more than I could ever express in words. You make every cell of my body feel like it has it’s own beating heart.  I would have never been able to do this without your support and encouragement.  Your patience inspiring. Your encouragement bewildering.  Your love unwavering.  It is an honor to be your wife and best friend.  Thank you for believing in me and reminding me that it wasn’t in my best interest to eat half a jar of almond butter.  Also a big thanks to my parents for sitting through a 4 hour show to watch me for 5 minutes.  And to my in-laws for taking care of the boys this weekend.

To those of you who made it to the end of this looooong post and who have followed this journey.  THANK YOU!!!  All the emails and words of encouragement these past few months have meant so much to me.  I’m really excited to keep learning and sharing about all things health related.  I hope you continue to follow the blog as you strive to reach your own fitness goals.  I really feel like if I can do this ANYONE can!!!  Good luck!!  YOU CAN DO IT!!!

xoxo
j

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I won. Go figure. Now, I what am I going to write about? I had this, what I thought was going to be , really great post on losing ready to go. I need some time to think about it so instead I post a few pictures which are probably more fun than my silly “profundities”.  Tomorrow I’ll post more about the experience itself and some more pictures.

Getting ready.

Backstage

One piece round - my least favorite.

Post-comp dinner

xoxo
j