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

Fitness New England 88 Days!

It seems like yesterday that my first show in September was over and I had all the time in the world to "build" some muscle before my next show.  Somehow we are approaching the big 12 week mark and I am hoping my hard work has paid off.  Building muscle is not an overnight thing but I think as I keep progressing and do more shows the development will only get better.

The pic below is when I was 12 weeks out from the September show (around July 2012).  Do you see any muscle growth within the past 7 months?

Fitness America has officially posted the event information for Fitness New England and it is being held April 27th, 2013!  Tickets go on sale February 15th as well as the discounted rooms. Fitness New England is a HUGE show.  The Boston show I did in September looks like a rinky dink compared to this event.  The likelihood of placing will definitely be a lot harder but I am up for the challenge.  I have the tendency to start analyzing all of my competition and I have to constantly remind myself that it's not other girls I need to be worried about it's myself..and that's it. You can't control anything besides the dedication you are willing to devote to the sport. 



It's that time again...checklist time...and you know how much I love checklists!

FAP TO DO LIST:
theme wear
new sportswear (top was too big)
club wear (ordered and should be arriving this week) CHECK
Bikini CHECK
model bikini CHECK
TRAIN, TRAIN,TRAIN
Create a signature walk

The good thing about this show is that I am using my two suits which saves me A LOT of money! 

Also, I am starting to take my progress pictures on Monday.  Typically I take them on a Friday when my body has rid itself of my cheat meal(s) from the previous weekend.  As much as that makes me cringe after a weekend it holds me accountable.  Plus I had Mexican Saturday OYY!

13 weeks out

Sweatin' & Struttin'

It's a little overdue but I wanted to post about the seminar I went to last weekend with my competition prep team....The Strut & Sweat seminar.

The seminar was from 9am to 5pm, jam packed with everything you need to know about the life of a bikini competitor. Since I have competed in a show already you'd think I would know all of the information and what it takes to get on stage but that's far from the truth.  Leading up to my first show I was a ball of nerves and would google, YouTube, reach out to other competitors/coach for all of my questions/information.  I think for newbies as well as veterans, the seminar was super informative and really addressed all of a person's concerns going into a show.  It felt great to listen in on the information but also to have experienced a show before an
d really know what my coach was talking about.  When you have never done a show and people talk about being on stage, tanning prep, week of show diet ect...it's a little scary and overwhelming.   Having gone through all of this, I was able to really soak all of the information in without seeing visions of face-planting on stage or showing up green from the tanner.

9am sharp we all arrived, each equip with enough bags to go on vacation.  One thing about a bikini competitors...we don't pack light.  1 gallon of water, cooler packer with 2 meals, second workout outfit, suits, heels...you name it..I probably had it.  Not to mention I was anxiously waiting to use my new LuLu Lemon bag I got for Christmas. 

We first sat together and discussed all of the federations and the differences between each one.  Fitness America is the federation that best suits me at this point but someday I may branch out and try the WBFF.  I ordered a new pair of 5...yes that's right 5 inch heels to now practice in for the April show.  My heels were only 4.5 in September so maybe an extra half inch will give my legs some extra umph. 

We were then split up into 3 groups, (45 mins of Tabata, 45 mins of Slaughter and 45 mins of chatting with suit designers and suddenly sparkly).  Luckily, I was in the group that got Tabata over with first because that's always a doozy.  I enjoy getting my sweat on but the bling was calling my name.  I spent so much money on my first show that by the time it came down to accessories I just couldn't afford to really bling it up.  I have seen Suddenly Sparkle's bracelets in pictures and have been wanting some for awhile..so I splurged!  They are not the cheapest accessories but I know they will really pop on stage! 

After everyone completed the 3 rounds we moved into nutrition.  There is still so much I don't know about food that I loved hearing all of the questions.  The one thing I really like about Janelle (my coach), is that she is so knowledgeable about nutrition. She likes whole foods/ingredients and wants us all to eat the same way.  I think the allure of supplements can definitely be tempting and let's face it, easy, but in the long run..I'd rather know how to eat whole/real foods than rely on a processed supplement. 

Finally, my favorite part of the day....the strutting.  CHILLDDD...I could strut for days if you'd let me!  (sorry inner diva comes out when I talk about strutting).  I was never in drama or super outgoing but for whatever strange reason...as soon as I put those heels on...the inner diva is itching strut & pose.  I still have a lot of work to do on my walk and posing but it's by far my favorite aspect of competing.  Since I just love the drama, I've decided to get new theme wear.  Jane Bond was good to me but I want to bring the heat for April.  My new theme wear is in the works and I am really excited to start practicing the routine!!

Here are my progress pics for this week 1/18/13...BTW..I am throwing out my scale.  A goal for myself in 2013 is forget the number.  It does not define me or how I feel.  I want to love how I look in the mirror and I don't need a number to get in the way of that!

 

January 5, 2013

New year's is over...thank goodness...honestly I could not deal with another food get together.  My self control was lacking big time and I am just glad the holidays have passed.  With that said, I did post that I would now start to track my progress until my April show.  I am not super excited to be posting pics because my body is not where I would like it to be BUT...you have to be honest with yourself.  When I look in the mirror and get frustrated  I think to myself...how has the diet been?  Have you been sticking with the cardio plan?  My diet for the most part is not bad but I really want to work on my weekend relaxed meals. 

Another mission is my abs.  After browsing some fitness FB pages I noticed a few 6 pack challenges that I thought seemed really interesting.  The women would take a picture everyday of their abs and it was amazing to see the progress over the course of weeks.  I don't know if I would take a picture everyday maybe once a week.  It didn't really say what they were doing to get their abs but I would assume their nutrition in on point as well as some solid ab exercises a few days a week. I did an ab day on Saturday and all I can say is OUCH!!  Don't you hate after an ab day..you wake up so sore..and it really feels like you should have a six pack...and you look down..and it's the same ole mildy toned stomach you had yesterday. 

In Body Ambition news, we had a team outing this past weekend for drinks and dinner.  I carpooled with a few girls from my gym and thank goodness because my navigation skills are horrendous.  Competing can be a somewhat stressful environment and very focused around the nutrition and fitness aspects that you rarely get to mingle with your teammates in a different type of environment.  It was really fun being able to order some drinks and have some cheats with the people you are normally complaining about food with!

This upcoming weekend I will be attending my teams' Strut and Sweat seminar.  It's an all dayevent where we will be doing all of my favorite things.  We will be working out, posing & walking, eating (healthy food of course), talking about nutrition and looking at some bling!  Seriously, what could be better!  I will make sure to post about the event and take some pictures. 

Okay, so here are my progress pictures from this past Saturday 1/5/13.  I have not been weighing myself mainly for the fact that the number messes with my focus.  If I can stay on plan with my food and workouts than I should not have to worry about the scale. 

1/5/13

LIMITLESS

The new year is just a day away and I can't help but think about how much life has changed.  2012  was the year I discovered clean eating, circuit training, competed in my first fitness competition, PR'd on my 5k time and moved out of my house and in with my boyfriend.  When I look back at last January, I remember thinking of how excited I was to get started with the Get in Shape Girl.  I had never done anything like it before and was really anxious/excited to see if I would have results.  I never imagined the day I signed up would really change my life forever.  As dramatic as that sounds...it's the truth.  I had a void in my life and starting on this new fitness journey has really made me feel complete.  Creating goals and pushing the limits with my mind and body have really expanded my outlook on life, friends and relationships. 

When I started the GISG my body literally had zero muscle tone whatsoever.  A year later I can look back and see a girl who was really clueless at the gym.  I had a trainer but the days I trained alone I felt lost and afraid of looking stupid trying to figure out the machines.  I was eating Way WAY to much processed "low fat" foods and probably not even eating enough calories per day.  In a lot of ways I feel bad for girls at the gym that look like how I used to be.  Treadmill forever..then moved to the elliptical in hopes of burning more calories..maybe a sit up or two.  I would watch some of the females at my gym that would circuit train in awe and wonder how the heck do they even know how to do that...or where to learn how to do that but now i know. 

It is SO liberating going to the gym and not even have to look at a treadmill.  Of course there are days when I will do HIIT sprints or steady state but I don't depend on one for my workout.  I have my agenda and feel like a woman on a mission.  Tabata, HIIT, jump rope, burpees, box jumps, planks you name it...i can do it or at least attempt it!  Going from a girl who wanted to ask other women about their routines to having girls come up to me is mind blowing.  Ladies, liberate yourselves from the dreadmill!! The best thing about this journey is that there is no end point. My advice to women who may feel clueless in the gym is go online and do some research.   I pay for a program that provides monthly workouts and nutrition support but there are lots of free training tools that you can utilize.  Bodybuilding.com has some great training plans that are free.  Luckily my trainer provides full videos of her exercises but YouTube is a great resource.  Yesterday I was at the gym and forgot what a high grip rope pull was...so I googled it and watched a video...and went on my merry way.  Never be embarrassed when you do not know how to do something.  I have asked trainers, people at the gym, googled, texted a friend if I can't figure something out. 

As much as I learned in 2012 I am even more excited to see what 2013 holds.  Some of my fitness goals for 2013 include:

Day to day goals:
drink a gallon a water a day
Keeping track of my weights (example dead lift) and increase my weights. 
Practice moderation on weekends
Practice posing/walking 2 a week
Focus less on the scale and more on what I see in the mirror
Build the booty/leg muscles
unassisted pull up

Bigger goals:
compete in Fitness America Foxwoods in April
Diva Dash 2013
potential second competition
possible tough mudder

Next week I will start taking progress pictures/check-in on a regular basis.  I have a strut and sweat seminar next weekend which will really kick off the 2013 competition season and I am excited to see what the new years holds!