2016 Recap and 2017 Plans: 10.5-ish Week Contest Prep

I have obviously been absent from the blog for...almost a year. Without going into too much detail, last year ended up being full of change. New business endeavors, moving, lots of family stuff...just overall full of change. I don't have any regrets about not getting on stage last year outside of hiring a coach that I REALLY didn't work well with (message me if you have questions about hiring coaches. I have worked with some big teams that are really really really not worth your money or time).

Super quick recap of the past year:

Around July I switched my mindset to going purely for some big strength goals. I pulled a 315# deadlift for the first time during the summer and decided to chase 400# more seriously along with goals for a 250# squat and 200# overhead. Getting strong requires energy, so I decided to give my body more than enough (just in case) and spent a few months in a caloric surplus (around 4000 calories/day). I pulled my 400# deadlift and my bodyweight hit a personal high at 169# in December when I made a commitment to compete in a weightlifting meet (after 3 years of coercion from my weightlifting coach, Scott). 

I took a break from my powerlifting-bodybuilding type training and focused on weightlifting for 4 weeks and I missed my 'normal' training SO MUCH. The meet was fun and I got a PR of 198# overhead (just need the 2# now. Silly me) on the CJ and a decent snatch (my snatch is weak in comparison). 

Since the meet, I have been working on bringing my calories down to a comfortable level for cutting, while keeping them as high as I can. I weighed in at 162.2# this morning (so a VERY slight drop from the meet) and I am eating roughly 2500 calories/day and feeling optimistic about prepping for the stage:)

2017 PLANS:

Fitcon at the end of April (10.5 weeks) is the goal right now; however, it is going to be very dependent on how my body responds to cutting. 10.5 weeks is A LOT less time that I would like to have given myself...but I am dumb sometimes. I don't want to drop my calories below 1900 and I am estimating that I need to drop roughly 25-30 pounds to be ready for the stage. It's a very rapid and aggressive weight loss, so I am not entirely sure it will happen.

I know that I want to compete in two local shows to requalify for nationals in bikini and again to give figure a test run. The show in June should be easily within reach, I just have to decide which division to compete in. 

USAs are in July in Vegas, and I am hoping to compete nationally there (not counting my chickens...). 

After my shows, I would like to prep and compete in a powerlifting meet in the fall. I have gone to a handful of meets over the past few months and the atmosphere is so fun. It's full of energy and everyone is so positive and encouraging. 

CONTEST PREP:

I am only a few days in, so there really hasn't been much change at this point. I spent the last 2 weeks just tracking and trying not to eat like a complete dummy so I have a good idea of where to start cutting. I took my starting photos and measurements this morning:

R Thigh (10 inches below anterior iliac crest): 22"

L Thigh (10 inches below AIC): 21.5"

Hips (widest, most saddle-baggy circumference): 41.75"

Belly Button: 31.75"

True Waist (small of the waist/most narrow circumference): 28.5"

Under Bust (just under the boobs): 30.25"

R Arm (relaxed): 12.75"

L Arm (relaxed): 13"

There are a few things that I am hoping to do differently during this contest prep:

Nutrition/Diet

I have been listening to and reading articles by a biologist, Ray Peat, who has done more than half a century of research on how to optimize metabolic function by optimizing thyroid function and minimizing inflammation in the body. His approach is very very unorthodox, especially in the fitness industry. I want to go over more of the details in future blogs with how my nutrition will be different while following his guidelines, but for now I will just say there are some strange things, and I don't plan on being 100% compliant to his philosophy during the next 10.5 weeks, but probably at least 80% and whatever else is flexible will still fit with the flexible dieting philosophy (which I will also write more about in the future). 

Cardio

I have already started implementing cardio on a daily basis, but it's a little bit hard to even call it that right now. This week has been 10 minutes max of walking on a treadmill, although yesterday I did about 8 minutes of some high intensity work. I have never and probably will never actually like cardio, so the plan is to keep it minimal and low intensity steady-state for as long as possible. As soon as the weather is nice enough (for my personal comfort) I want to start walking in the mornings. It's a great way for me to get some calorie burn and I love to listen to audiobooks (I will share what I am listening to!) and get my brain working and start the day. 

Everything else is just fine-tuning. I will share more about my meals and workouts (I post a lot of them on other social media platforms...instagram, FB, and twitter).  

I have been working on switching up a few things with posing, but will definitely be focusing on getting figure posing in a more comfortable place. 

New suits are happening again this year, and possibly a new hair color again. I have colors in mind, but I like to keep them as a surprise:) 

I am hoping to blog and possibly vlog (I hate hearing myself talk...plus I am shit at editing) often during the next 10.5 weeks (hopefully at least 2x weekly). So stay tuned!

Improvement Season 2015-2016

It's been a little rough post-comp (again). I put on more body fat than I wanted to (again),  BUT there is a difference this year. I actually feel okay with it. I have been focusing more on just getting stronger while I enjoy treats and meals that satisfy my foodie side. It has been fun, I definitely feel stronger and on top of that, more sane about my off season than I have in the past (progress comes in many different forms...that is a big one for me).

I am still thinking about when I will compete this year, and it is looking like I will be competing in May or June to re-qualify for NPC USAs at the end of July. I have a handful of goals...and the most important one for me this year actually has nothing to do with how I place at my competitions. I want to spend more time moderating my post season. Don't gain as much body fat post-competition. Feel more comfortable in my skin all year long. Placing at USAs is the follow-up goal...so still pretty important, but not #1.

My off season body is holding at about 145#...which is about 10# above my 'I still feel hot, but can maintain this' body...lol. I haven't started an official contest prep, so my weight fluctuates a couple of pounds when I feel like having a little extra at family dinners or parties...no biggie, especially because I expect the weight jump the next morning. I am planning on starting contest prep in the next 2-4 weeks, and when I do  I will make more regular posts with progress pictures (not my favorite thing to share right now...but it's real...so I will).

Also, I am working on my youtube channel quite a bit more now.  I am mostly posting videos with instruction and tips for my clients, but as things get going with prep, I will update on there with prep too!

Contest Prep 2015: Check-in

It has been a couple of weeks since my last post, and a few things have happened. I am not planning on doing the March show anymore. I was feeling like my prep was too aggresive for me mentally and it was getting to my head. I am still in prep, but I am going to plan on a later show, to relieve some of the stress I was feeling. It's pretty crazy that a specific deadline can cause so much stress. I am thinking about doing a show in April, but I probably wont commit until the middle of March.

I was leaning out pretty well for the March show, but had a few slip-ups (and when I say slip-up...it was more like all-out self sabotage). I am disappointed in myself for not sticking to my plan better, but I don't feel terrible. I enjoyed myself with friends and family, and it is good for me to be able to do that sometimes:) As I continue with prep, I am going to plan better for family gatherings and nights out with friends. Future social meals will fit my macros, so I don't feel guilty or set myself back in social situations.

I have changed my meals a little bit, but am doing a more flexible approach than I had planned before. There are days that I just don't feel like eating the meals that I have planned, and on those days I am going to make my meals fit my macros (same thing with social eating...save macros on those days). When I am enjoying and looking forward to the food I get to eat, it is a lot easier to stick to my plan. My macros are 162/162/40 (1656 cal.) right now, and once I feel like I am at a comfortable place with leaning out, I will start to trade some of my protein macros for carb macros and increase macros from there. I am still dieting lower than I hae before, so I want to increase my calories during contest prep. If I can do that, I will be able to avoid a rebound and just stick with increasing macros post-contsest.

I feel stronger. My squats have improved and I am feeling like I am getting my form back to where it should be. My chest has gotten stronger, which really feels great after two years of never lifting chest (I was told it would look too 'masculine'...it really doesn't look different unless I flex...so...). Shoulders are still my favorite, but I have been having a hard time enjoying back as much as I used to...it's weird.

I still don't love cardio, but intervals are seriously the way to go. Sprints seem to pass so much faster than steady-state. I have also been doing more with the step mill, again. Usually just speed intervals, but I monitor the intensity with my HR monitor. Right now for my intervals I am doing 1 minute work intervals with 2 minute recovery intervals.

I have been spending more time in the sunshine, and I am loving it:) It has felt like spring outside for almost two weeks now, and for February in Utah it is unusually warm. My dogs and I are loving it and taking full advantage of the beautiful weather:) I have even been thinking about running in the mornings (I just have to start waking up a bit earlier...haha). That's my news ;) I will check in again in a week!

2015 Bikini Contest Prep

In October I was about 20 pounds over my most recent stage weight. Luckily I have a pretty healthy metabolism, and have been able to bring my weight back to a more comfortable ten pounds over.

Just last night I decided that I am going to commit to a competition that is coming up quickly. I have 7 weeks to prepare for my contest and feel confident that I can be ready with the proper preparation. For this competition prep, I would like to share everything I am doing with the internet :) Meals, workouts, and other contest prep thoughts.

I am starting my meal plan on a bit lower calories than I have in the past, mainly because I have a shorter timespan to prepare...and I don't want to do as much cardio (because cardio is the pits). This is my current meal plan:

AND:

1 gallon water

2 scoops scivation BCAAs

1000 iu Vitamin Shoppe Chewy Vitamin D3

VitaFusion MultiVites Daily Mutlivitamin 

1200mg Kirkland Calcium + D3

2000 mg Kirkland Chewable Vitamin C

Probiotic capsule

2 tsp Lemon Zest Omega Swirl Fish Oil

Now, I am a complete believer in IIFYM, and over the past few months I have definitely enjoyed A LOT of treats and meals out fitting [most of] them into my macros; however, in contest prep I generally choose not to eat out as frequently in order to keep my measurements more accurate (because most places aren't going to weight all the items and ingredients in your meals for you). I also like to eat more whole foods during contest prep, because if there are fewer ingredients, there are fewer variables to effect your macros (for example...my quest bar has relatively accurate nutritional information on the back, but who is to say that it is mixed exactly to the ratios listed on the back?...but, also I am obviously allowing myself a tiny bit of flexibility with my protein powder, bread, quest bars, and turkey burgers).  

*I may swap them for egg whites, ground turkey, and rice or sweet potato as I get closer to contest to simplify my diet further.*

I don't usually eat until around 10:00 AM and try to stop eating between 8-10:00 PM. I usually try to get to the gym between 12:00-2:00 PM and lift for about an hour and a half. My split is currently: 

Monday: Legs with quad emphasis

Tuesday: Chest and Arms

Wednesday: Shoulders and Back

Thursday: Legs with hamstring emphasis

Friday: Arms and Chest

Saturday: Back and Shoulders

I usually throw in some calves after legs...but only really when my brother talks me into it. I hate [working out] abs...so I rarely do isolation work for abs (but I probably will start adding them in once a week...maybe). 

This week, I am doing twenty minutes of post-lift cardio in sprint intervals. The treadmills have cool images of a track on them so I use that to determine my intervals. My sprint intervals are the length of the track and I walk the curves. Today I did 5 min warm up walking and 15 minutes of intervals. My watch said I burned 177 calories, the machine said I burned 260 (my watch should be more accurate). 

I started taking circumfrence measurements a couple of weeks ago, and Fridays are my designated measurement/progress picture days (so I will do them again tomorrow...and probably post as my 'before' pictures).

I sleep a lot. I do need to make my hours more consistent, but I definitely get enough sleep...generally I feel pretty good with 9 hours/night.

That's my plan currently. Hope you guys enjoy following my contest prep:)

Chipotle Salad

Chipotle is one of my favorite places to grab a quick, healthy meal if I want to eat out. The hubby and I don't go there too frequently, but the past few times I have gone, I have started changing up my order a little bit to keep the calories low enough for it to be a worthwhile meal:) I usually order a bowl, and have been substituting A LOT of veggies for rice and beans...and the veggies really are delicious:) So my bowl is usually something like: lots and lots of veggies, double chicken, pico, hot sauce, lettuce, and if I am feeling extra hungry I will get light avacado (because if you don't request 'light', they will basically put an entire mashed avacado on your salad...yum). Chipotle is kinda expensive for one meal...or I would probably eat there more frequently...but my alternative salad is pretty dang good, too:)

Chipotle Salad

4 oz. Chicken Breast
1/2 sliced red onion
1 sliced green bell pepper
2 Tbs hot salsa (salsa of choice)

1 tsp Sriracha
3 cups baby romaine lettuce

To prepare the chicken:
Pre-heat the oven to 400 F. Trim and cube raw chicken. Season chicken (I use a lot of sea salt with Weber Kick'n Chicken seasoning). Bake covered for one hour. Remove and let chicken cool while remaining covered for 30 minutes.

Salad:
Sautee red pepper and green bell peppers with some sea salt. When that is finished, toss all of the ingredients in a bowl and enjoy!

Easy:) and yummy! And Macro Friendly;)

Calories: 238
Carb: 19.8 g
Protein: 29.8 g
Fat: 5 g

'No Bake' Oatmeal

I have been eating the same thing every morning for breakfast for about two weeks...simply because it is absolutely delicious. And super quick and easy:) It's a simple oatmeal recipe that will satisfy your sweet and chocolate cravings:) It tastes like no bake cookies!

'No Bake' Oatmeal

3/4 cup Old fashioned oatmeal
1.5 scoop ISO 100 whey chocolate protein powder
1 Tbs Chocolate PB2

Add water to the oatmeal and microwave to cook (about 90 seconds). Mix in protein powder and PB2. I like to add a little bit of unsweetened almond milk if it is too hot :) Yum Yum! Try it out!

Finding Balance After a Year of Strict Dieting

 First place open bikini class D, October 2013

I am mostly writing this for myself, because I know that I wont be the first to say this; however, what I say can be a reality for a lot of girls, especially as bikini competitions become more popular.

I have always had a sweet tooth...a raging sweet tooth. Luckily for me, I had an easy enough time controlling it before I started competing. I would usually only have issues with it when I was at a party or social gathering where treats were present, and even then I set limits for myself that I would almost always follow.

My diet wasn't exactly on target, because I was only really focused on eating 'healthy' food and I wasn't eating for calories or for growth (I did a lot of cardio and some bodyweight resistance exercises then...but not as much lifting as I should have been doing).  When I was taking a sports nutrition course for school, we had to do a diet analysis for ourselves. That was the first time that I logged my calories for myself. I was eating meals every two to three hours, but at the end of the day I was only eating around 1200 calories and most of the calories were from carbohydrates (bread...lots of bread). I started to learn more about macronutrient ratios and specifically protein.

I didn't start implementing what I had learned until the summer, but when I did, I noticed some changes. I lost a few pounds that I had gained from eating out too much when I moved to a bigger college town (lots of social events...lots of free 'food'...pizza). I am definitely my own worst critic, so I hated those few extra pounds and I was really hard on myself for gaining them (and I got married, so I wasn't the only one seeing all of my 'flaws' anymore). When I started to lean out a little bit, I was much happier. I was logging my calories and making sure that I was getting enough protein every day, but I wasn't paying attention to the sugar that I was eating...it was coming mostly from fruit sources, but if you haven't heard this already: sugar is sugar is sugar...no matter the source. So I was still a little softer than I wanted, and my abs refused to show.

Last fall, I started lifting a lot more. I started talking to my buddy, who was preparing to do the March 2013 NPC bodybuilding show and the more I talked to him, the more interested I was in doing the show. I knew that I would need a coach for my first show, and after looking around a lot, I found someone that I really liked and I began training. The biggest change was the diet. I was eating a lot more protein and a lot more calories. Because I was eating more, the first few weeks were awesome. I didn't get hungry, but it was also the holiday season so, as before, I struggled at family parties where all of our traditional treats were being served. I leaned out pretty quickly and I felt so good. I had energy and I felt good about the way I looked. I did cheat a few times (really big cheats...think sugar binge), and I always noticed how ill and lethargic I would feel the next day.

After doing 3 competitions throughout the year, I finally placed where I wanted to. I qualified to move on to national shows:) After a long year of very strict dieting, I was ready for a break. I was ready to be able to experiment with my meals a little bit more. I thought it would be easy for me to continue to eat well and maintain a lean figure, while adding muscle. It would be simple. Increase calories a little bit at a time. Gradually decrease cardio. Lift heavier. Grow. 1-2-3. Easy.

Like many things, it has been easier said than done. I get extremely intense cravings for junk food now. Food that I never even liked before. I have been pretty good about staying aware of my cravings, but I have given into them more often than I should. I tell myself that it's okay because I know how to lose it and I have a lot of time before my next competition. The thing is, I have gotten softer than I would like to be from too much sugar in my diet. I am harder on myself than anyone else, but I have a hard time being positive about the way I look, especially when that crappy feeling after eating crappy food is still there. My energy is lower and I am less motivated (even though this is when I really need the motivation). I have found that after competing I have a harder time choosing healthy food to satisfy my hunger. It is a lot harder for me to look at food for it's micronutrients and health benefits. It seems like the first thing to cross my mind is simply, 'how many calories does it have, and how will it affect my macros today?'.

I have been experimenting with my diet a lot during the past month and a half. I don't have much trouble with keeping it clean at this point, but I am now trying to find a balance that makes me happy. I wanted to do all paleo (and I still really do). I realized that until I have established something clean that I can maintain, paleo is a bit too drastic for me right now, though. My house is void of treats, so I really just need to focus a little bit more on my self-control at the parties, now;)

I took the overall for the open bikini division October 2013

If It Fits Your Macros: IIFYM

IIFYM is becoming more and more popular in the fitness world. The IIFYM diet is pretty simple. Eat the right amount of calories in combination with the proper ratios of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

The appealing thing about IIFYM is that it allows you to indulge in some of the foods you love. If you are planning to go out with your friends for pizza you can track the carbs, proteins, and fats from your pizza and eat the rest of your meals to keep your macro ratios balanced for the day! AND while you live a little, you can look good...and when I say that, I mean it is possible to maintain the nice abs and toned body that you work so hard for.

SO. How many calories should you be eating? It varies from person to person. One of the best ways to find out how much you should be eating is to experiment. The first place I would start is with your BASAL METABOLIC RATE. Don't go below that number. In fact, you should generally be at least a couple hundred calories above that number (this does depend on your circumstances...hiring a knowledgeable trainer or coach ;) will help you to really dial in on the details). 

Next, what should your macro ratios be? Again, this will vary from person to person, and I repeat that the best way to find out what works for you is to experiment. I like to start people off with a 50% carbohydrate, 30% protein, and 20% fat ratio.

What?! You don't like math? Well, my friends...there is an app (website) for that:) and it's free. I use it myself to track what I am eating and it has a really cool feature that breaks your macros into a really pretty little pie chart for you:) 

If you think this is something that has potential for you, I hope that my tips can help!