Mental Toughness...4 Weeks

Mental toughness is the key to success as a fitness competitor.  My emotions are on a very up and down cycle right now due to my fluctuations in carbs.  There will be moments when I have a crap load of energy and feel like I am going to conquer the day.... and then my coffee wears off.  My last show prep I went through the same sort of emotional ups and downs and I know that once the day is here I will forget they ever happened.  This is the tough part and this is where the mental toughness has to come into play. No matter who you are...at this point in the show prep...you're tired.  I am drained and my body is exhausted but you just have to push through.  Making the most of my rest days are a really important aspect of my prep right now.  For instance, this weekend was my best friends birthday and I went into Boston for the night to celebrate.  Granted there was no drinking involved but my body is sooo not used to being up until 2am.  Sunday, my rest day, I felt like I was hit by a truck.  I was sooo exhausted and lazy that I went to whole foods and bought all my meals to eat for the day....expensive...and not something I recommend on a weekly basis!

My vaca approved option menu

I am just 11 days away from being on vacation and holy shalmoley it really can't come soon enough.  Even though this will be a BIG challenge it couldn't have come at a better time.  My body is yearning for a break from my routine.  Some sun, r&r, and not having to prepare dinner is just what the doctor has ordered.  I found a 24 hour gym within miles from my hotel so I am thrilled to be able to get my workouts in early and relax for the rest of the day!  Being the absolute type A maniac I am, I have researched all the restaurants I am going for dinner and have made a list of "approved options" to send my coach for review in my next check-in. 

My boyfriend and I also need some much needed vacation time! Between both of our hectic schedules we are lucky to see each other for more than an hour a day!  We will also celebrate our 3 year anniversary on vacation which is always my favorite since we eat outdoors and watch the sunset.  I will have to cheers with water but ...what can ya do!

In show news, my theme wear is just about done and I am dyiingggg! It's so fab on so many levels! Once I reveal my theme, I will show you the insane PowerPoint slide I put together as my drawing board for ideas and it has really come to life! Type A personality strikes again.  Had my one on one posing session with Janelle which really got my excited since we came up with a great stage walk for the show! I dropped off my sports wear and model dress with a seamstress last week which really put me at ease.  I was going to either buy new sports wear for model or get mine altered and altering was definitely the smarter and cost saving solution.  My dress was not cheap so thankfully I think she is going to be able to fix it.  It really stinks when you spend a butt load of money on a dress and the fit is soo awful and completely unwearable.  I can't return it so I am praying she pulls through for alterations.  Besides stoning my bikini ...i am DONE with purchases...and that my friends is a GOOD feeling :)

Progress Pics 3/28/13
134.3

Can't say that I am over excited about my progress pics this week..don't see much of a change.  I will say that I was half asleep in these photos..not even kidding.  My bf had to leave early for work so I kept my suit and shoes next to bed and had him wake me up before he left....then returned to bed LOL

5 Weeks...Abracadabra

5 weekssss!!! Now we are talkinggggg!  This is my favorite part of the competition prep.  You're probably thinking to yourself...high cardio, low starches...why the heck is this your favorite part?  Besides the fact that I hate cardio and love my starches this is the time when the magic starts happening.  At 10 weeks out nothing really changes and the big day seems so far away.  Once you pass the half way point things start to GET REAL!  When you are almost in the same month as your show..you know..it's go big or go home time.  I am noticing changes in my body and things are starting to tighten up.  My good ole' abbies are bacck in town and it's nice to see them again.  My cardio as well as diet has switched up this week and I am interested to see how it goes. 

I am very excited about the next upcoming weeks!  Why, you ask?  Well, for starters, I have a private posing session with my FABU coach Janelle.  I can't wait to come up with something special for my theme wear.  I am also visiting my best friend for her birthday in Boston on Saturday night :).  No booze for this girl but some best friend time is all I really need anyways!  I am also meeting with a tailor this week to make some much needed alternations on my model club wear dress as well as sportswear.  I am obsessed with my dress for model but it needs some alterations so I am praying that she can work some magic!  THEN...Dun Dun Dun...VACATIONNNN!!!!




2011..had lost some weight but had not
 discovered clean eating just yet

2012 discovered the Get in Shape Girl..
clean eating, circuit training and HIIT

I have two more Monday wake-ups and then I will be leaving for Florida for one of my favorite vacations of the year.  This will be my fourth year going to Anna Maria Island with my family and 3rd year bringing the boy toy along.  As anxious as I am about the food situation I am more excited to RELAX!  Seriously, between work, workouts, food prep ect...I am beat! We rent a condo while we are there so I have access to a full kitchen which I will be spending some time in prepping some meals for the week.  We will be eating out for dinner every night but at that point I will be 3 weeks out from the show...I have NO choice but to make smart decisions.  Will it be hard...um YA!  Will I be sad to watch my bf drink my fav Tommy Bahama's pina colada and coconut cake...YA but in the end, it's one week of my life...suck it up. The upside of going on vacation 3 weeks before my show is the fact that I just bought 4 new Victoria's Seceret bathing suits and I can't wait to wear them!! If I can't eat anything bad on vacation I sure as hell will be sporting some cute clothes.  I am excited to compare my pictures from this year to 2011 and 2012.

One my teammates made a good point the other day.  We look at ourselves in the mirror everyday and over analyze our bodies so that sometimes we don't see the progress being made.  She compared her pictures from January to now and it was amazing. It's not like I had a ton if weight to lose this time around.  My focus has been more about building and tightening.  Below are my pics from January to now. The difference is not earth shattering but it's a nice reminder that hard work pays off.  Nothing changes overnight and we have to be patient with our results.

Jan 2013 - March 18th

Progress Pics: 3/21/13 
weight: 133.4 (droppin' it like it's HOT)








6 Weeks...Cut the SH*t

Alright...enough already.. it's time to cut the shit!!! I'll be honest here ..to the joe schmo off the street I eat really well but I have been noticing these little extras here and there that I have allowed myself.  I totally caved at Melting Pot on Monday night and gave in to some dessert and other little tid bits here and there.  I wouldn't say that it's one massive cheat meal..it's more like flirting.  Reality is all of these little flirting incidents add up and I would hate to get to the point where it's irreversible. 

You may be thinking..what is she really eating here? Is it that bad?  To the average healthy eater, no.  An extra I had this past weekend was Greek yogurt, granola and fruit..GASP!!  Not on plan right now....I had one crab Rangoon GASPPPP and 2 slices of turkey bacon...HOW DARE SHEEE. It's not like I am making pants splitting decisions here but I need to cut the shit.  I have 6 weeks left until I step on stage and I want my hard work and dedication to shine and not think to myself..damn If only I had cut the shit earlier.  Head is fully in the game and I am playing to win.  Win meaning, yaa you bet your ass I want to place.  Win meaning, I want to get on stage looking my very best.  Win meaning, have no regrets. Placing is not everything but you don't just spend all this money, train for 12 weeks or longer and have a restricted diet all for fun.  This is a huge show and like I have mentioned before the likelihood of placing is a lot harder.  If I don't place the world won't end and I won't give up competing but I might shed a quick tear and head for the almond butter ;)

On the upside, after close to a year changing my lifestyle, I feel like I finally have batch cooking down to a science.  I can bang out 8 meals within an hour and a half.  They key for me is planning two solid proteins and two veggies for meals 2 and 4 for Mon - Friday. This weeks' protein included crock pot chicken with Ken's no sodium lemon pepper marinade and egg white muffins.  I chopped up a mixture of pepper, sugar snap peas and cucumber and zip locked in 5 baggies and then roasted asparagus.  Starches are always my favorite which consisted of boiling two sweet potato's and mashing with cinnamon as well as quinao.  Typically, I always eat breakfast at home so meal 1 is never on the go and I usually pack leftovers from dinner for my lunch the next day.  Meal 5 and 6 are always at home so no need to prep.  Voila!  easy peasy!

In show news,  one of my suits is done and I am LOVING IT.  I would post a picture but I am going to keep everyone in suspense until show day!! My list of things to do has dwindled ..a tad.  Let's see here:

- Pay suit designer
-Order/buy crystals
-Order more Jan Tana
- Model dress alteration
-sports wear?
-Color hair extensions

Not THAT bad.  I am hoping to everything at least finalized before I leave for vacation in April.

Progress Pics: 3 14 13
Weight: 136 (upside..i have not gained)

7 Weeks

Saturday will be the 7 week mark until the show!  March will either go by really fast or reallly slow.  My food has not changed a whole lot which is great since I am able to get my starches in and really push through my workouts.  I can't believe within the past few months how much I have improved in my lifting.  I am hoping that once my diet starts to cut down I can still bring the same energy to my workouts. 
 
This past Saturday I drove to meet with Christine Summer, suit designer of Body Ambition, to finalize my theme wear.  My cape came in and I couldn't be more excited about it!  Creating a solid theme wear routine is absolutely crucial to pull this cape off! I am going to schedule a private posing session with my coach so she can help me create something special. 
 

With all the exciting things happening I have to say I am freaking tired.  We started March workouts this week and my body is hurting!! I love going to the gym and find it really de-stresses me after a work day but I wish there were more hours in the day! For instance, Tuesday is my leg day.  I get to the gym around 4:30 and do my 30 mins of cardio whether it be HIIT or steady state before my friend arrives.  5pm we start our leg routine and finish that up around 6:10 - 6:15pm...6:20pm we start our ab circuit finishing everything up around 6:35pm.  I am not crying a river here but some nights it feels like by the time I eat dinner and shower...it's time for bed.  I could get up in the morning before work at 5:00 am but I don't have the energy to do some of the lifting without having a solid meal and water in my system.  WAMP WAMP..my debbie downer speech is over...ultimately hard work pays off and if you want to be a fitness competitor it takes hours in the kitchen and hours in the gym!
 
Ohhh...almost forgot!  I got a mystic tan last Friday because I just couldn't deal with my pale self for another day.  I have to say it came out great!! Minus one hand being a shade darker than the other I am sooo doing it again. It's pretty fool proof since it tells you where to put your feet and when.  The only thing I didn't like was feeling that sense of anxiety when the sprayer is about to hit your face.  It's like...do I take a deep breath? What if I panic and open my mouth? Overall, I recommend.  I used medium since the girl told me dark would be a little tooo much color given it's March!
 

Progress Pics 3/7/13

8 Weeks... Broke but FABULOUS

I think I am behind the 8ball on my countdown since this Saturday will mark the 8 week countdown until Fitness New England. 
 
I am feeling pretty good with my checklist since I managed to get registration taken care of...YIKES...$350 smackeroonies.  All to strut my stuff on stage for a matter of minutes.  Seems a little crazy when you break it down but I'm young and don't have a ton of financial responsibilities on my plate so ...swipe goes the debit card. 
 
I also purchased my suit for our team photo shoot that will also be held that same day.  Upside of purchasing a VS suit is that I can sport it on my vacation 2 weeks prior to the show and all through summer!

I also received my theme wear bikini in the mail this week!!! I am bringing it to suit designer, Christine Summers, to add finishing touches so it will be stage ready.  I found the suit on Esty (omg love this site) and contacted the designer to see if she could make it for me in a special fabric.  It was probably the easiest transaction I have made to date!  I sent the paypal payment once she received the fabric and literally within days she shipped the suit! 
 
Check her out....not so much fitness comp suits but for a rocking swimsuit she makes some killer stuff!
 
http://www.natalyatoporova.com/ 
 
and if you are wondering....my theme wear suit is featured on the page :))))   She had mentioned the fabric I sent probably wouldn't be suited for the beach and I had to laugh because....OMG...this is not a bathing suit I would rock at Hampton Beach!
 
Still wondering what my theme is ehh?  I will  have to keep you waiting to reveal the theme!

Progress Pics 2 26 13..totally made the saturation on these darker LOL...i am so pale I can't even stand it!!!!

A New Body...10 weeks

After really stepping up this past week on my diet and making sure I had a wide variety of protein, starches, veggies and fats, I am feeling great!  Just within the past 2 weeks of monitoring my diet a little extra I have noticed results.  It can be difficult to compete because your body goes through fluctuations in weight and it's hard to find the balance of your normal body in everyday life and the one that steps on stage.  I am still a little ways out from my show and my diet has barely changed from how I eat on a regular basis but with monitoring my lax meal and keeping it about 85% clean I am finally seeing this hard earned muscle I have been dreaming about. I have a ways to go from what I ultimately want in terms of muscle but I am liking what I am seeing!  

Monday food prep for meals 2 and 4
for the rest of the week

As I had stated in a previous post I have ditched the scale mentality.  This has really helped my mindset and I am really loving what I see in the mirror regardless of what the scale says.  Since I was having a SUPAA FLY moment this weekend I decided...what the heck...why not just jump on for kicks and see what I weigh.  It has been at least a month or more since I have stepped on the scale and I had mixed feelings.  I got on and ....137.8.  I had a few different reactions to this number.

1.  Not the number I have been used to seeing for the past 6 to 10 months
2.  Around the 10 weeks mark prepping for my first show my weight was around 132
3.  Is this muscle, fat, both?

After taking in the number and digesting it...I have to say I was indifferent.  I am in a totally different body than I was back in July 2012 and I can't expect to build muscle weighing and looking the same as I did then.  I have really increased my lifting..lessened my cardio...and dang it...I think it's muscle.  Before I had stepped on the scale I was admiring my arms and the definition I was seeing and I was starting to see some abs again....seeing that number did not defeat me...it let me know that the hard work I was putting in was paying off.  Who cares if the scale is higher/lower ect..whatever..if you are happy with what's staring back at you in the mirror then that's all that matters. 

Show News:

• Foxwoods rooms are booked for Friday and Saturday night YIPEE!
• Theme wear is coming along...getting my suit made from a designer in Miami and then snazzed up by Christine Summers.
• Ordered another bikini...I swear...I have a problem...I don't need a new bikini...I just want one
• Working on my registration for the show...if I wasn't broke now..I sure will be after I register
• Sportswear for model shorts came in...holy beyonce, jlo, karsashian.....there is a lot of tush going and I don't even have a tush ...YIKES...I suppose when you order shorts off of discount stripper...what do you expect eh?

This second time around competing I am feeling amazing.  I am not as stressed since I know what to expect ..for the most part.  I absolutely love my coach and BA Team and our Slaughterday's.  I will have a few obstacles coming my way in the next few months but I am determined to get on stage looking and feeling my best!

BA girls and I getting our practice on!

Progress Pics:

12 Weeks.. The Body Ambition Foodie

This Saturday marked the official 12 weeks until Fitness New England. 

Now, this doesn't mean I need to give up everything at this very moment but I do need keep a watchful eye on my portions/water/workouts ect.  This was the first weekend in awhile where I felt I was able to really stay on track.  I had my lax meal on Saturday night but other than that I was able to stick to my meals. My self control went on a bit of a hiatus after the show and I think it's finally starting to come back..and just in time!



GISG coconut walnut chicken

I have been trying a lot of new recipes lately which has been a great way to switch things up! So much so that I was formally given the title, The Body Ambition Foodie :)  I just refuse to eat chicken and veggies all day.  Since i have made this into my lifestyle versus just competition prep its a must that I find things that still taste delicious, not too time consuming as well as clean. 
Some of my favorites sites I have been using for inspiration lately are:

www.eatcleandiet.com/
www.littlebshealthyhabits.com/
www.powecakes.net
www.1fitfoodie.com/
www.busygirlhealthylife.com
www.thegetinshapegirl.com/
www.thegraciouspantry.com/
 

Eat Clean Diet - Protein PB Cup

Whenever I am craving something I pretty much just google....Clean "  " and then browse the recipes until I find one that best suits my ingredients on hand. 
 
If you are looking to make the switch to cooking/baking "clean", some of the key ingredients to have in your kitchen are:
 


Lori Harder's broccoli/cheese
stuffed chicken

Healthy Fats
coconut oil
extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Almond butter or nut butter of choice
Ground flax seed
Chai seeds
 
Dairy
unsweetened almond milk
coconut milk
non-fat Greek yogurt...I like Fage
egg whites
protein powder ( i am currently using Optimum Nutrition Natural Whey (vanilla) - no artificial sweeteners ect...so far I really like it! I order from www.netrition.com
 
Starches
Rolled oats/oat flour/ whole wheat flour/coconut flour ..as long as you have one of the following you can make it work
 

1Fitfoodie's maple PB muffins

Sweeteners
unsweetened applesauce
baking stevia/ agave nectar/ honey/pure maple syrup
cinnamon
unsweetened coconut - fun addition of baking
 
There are a ton of ingredients you can have at home but I find when I have the items above on hand...I can really whip up a ton of different/healthy/clean recipes.  I find all my ingredients at Market Basket so don't think you need to go to some fancy grocery store and spend a boat load. 
 
 
Progress Pics: taken 1/4/13