Post-Contest Wrap up

Well, this post is long overdue to say the least..... I am now 5 1/2 weeks post contest and doing really well.  I had an amazing experience in participating in this show.  The week of my show I was calm especially the 2-3 days before the show, all the hard work and dieting was done, and the week of I had to really pay attention to my sodium and my water intake and keep a record of that as well as my macros (protein, carbs and fat) which I was used to doing for the last several weeks leading up to the show.  I am glad that I decided to do this show in Liberty, MO and that I did it alone without my family with me, I know that may seem strange but for me, I just wanted to experience this first show without any distractions and just focus on the details of getting ready for this show.  There were some hiccups the week of my show including my credit card having a fraud attempt (so it had to be cancelled that week) and my husband was delayed in getting home.  I remained calm (surprisingly) and was able to just roll with the circumstances, God was with me every step of the way, why would that change now? My new credit card arrived FED EX the morning before I left for Liberty and my husband high tailed it home the night before so I could give him a hug before I left, so everything worked out.  There was a major storm here in town as I was leaving, so much that there was flooding on the base, but I was still able to get my last workout in and a pedicure before hitting the freeway to Liberty!   I made it to the hotel and got ready for my first of many spray tans, it was amazing how dark I got for that show, but it is necessary with the brightness of the lights on the stage.  The day of the show I was relaxed and it wasn't until I got my hair and makeup done that I felt rushed, especially in getting my food before I hit the stage, next time I will get hair and makeup done earlier so that I can register sooner, I was tight on time getting checked in at the show, but I made it! I got myself ready for the stage in my little suit and 5" heels and the night was like a whirlwind, so much fun!  This show is unique since it is an evening show with prejudging and the awards immediately following. Typically, a show is set up where the pre-judging takes place mid-morning then there is a break in the afternoon and awards and show take place in the evening.  This show was non-stop, especially since I had signed up for 5 Figure classes:  Beginner, Novice,  Open, Masters 40+, and 35+.  They were almost back to back so very little down time in between, I would come off the stage from one class, and be called to get right back on the stage. The other Figure competitors were so supportive and encouraging and it was an awesome experience. I was so thankful to know two other girls at the show competing next to me and we would cheer each other on, sometimes we were competing in the same class, but I felt that we were on the same team since we had practiced posing over the months together and this was our first show.  Later in the evening, the judges made their decisions of the top 5 winners for each class.  I went to this show to gain the experience and see if this was something I would like to continue doing or check it off my bucket list, I was not expecting to place, but you know what? I did! I earned 5th place in the Masters 40+ Tall class! I was so surprised and happy, all of my hard work had paid off!  What is even better is the two girls I had mentioned earlier also earned trophies so we all walked away with hardware, we enjoyed a wonderful post-show meal of pizza and a few beers, it was an awesome victory!  I was so thankful to having help from my friend backstage who was a great moral support to me and friends who drove all the way out just to see me make my debut on the stage, what amazing support!  I also was able to text my coach and stay in contact with him as needed throughout the process.  So the question you may have is, am I going to compete in another show? You are just going to have to wait and see......to be continued. 

10 DAYS until I hit the stage, wahoo!!!

Well the time has almost come, it doesn't feel like it was yesterday, it hasn't flown by, each week has had a set of lessons and I am thankful that I have been able to learn more about myself but most importantly, I have drawn immensely closer to my Savior Jesus Christ. 

There have been some dark days over the last 16 weeks where I felt anxious, depressed, shameful and full of guilt.  I have had negative thoughts knock around inside my head about why I shouldn't do this show, thoughts such as "I'm not ready," "_________ doesn't think you're ready," "Man, you screwed up eating that meal,"  "You only got 3 hours of sleep last night, your training isn't going to be strong enough."  Do you see the common bond to these statements? My negative thought was I am not good enough.  But do you know who thinks I am already good enough? God.  In fact, He thinks I am precious, unique, a masterpiece! Really? Me? A masterpiece? Yep, even without all the workouts and dieting, I am His creation and along with that, I am accepted, I am forgiven, and that is more than enough for me.

I am waiting to hear from my coach Paul Revelia what the final plan is for the next week.  I know the kids are excited for me to complete this goal so that I can return to a somewhat "normal" way of eating, they know Mommy eats healthy year round, but soon I can have a taste of what they are eating and we can share desserts or treats from time to time.  I will update as I draw closer to the show.  Stay tuned......

3 Weeks to Go!

Three weeks from tomorrow is the day that I take the stage in Liberty, MO.  I am really excited and I am enjoying seeing the muscle development I have worked hard for start to show, especially in my back, arms and abs.  I had a slight setback earlier in the week where I was eating more than my allowed carbs.  Now, I am back on track after having an email conversation with my coach, Paul Revelia.  He is very helpful in being quick and to the point when I voiced my concern.  He stated simply, Less than 30 days, stay on track and kill your workout today.  That was all I needed and I haven't looked back since.  I am training hard and staying on track with my diet, when I find myself backing off during my training session or feeling a little tired, I turn the intensity right back on and say "Kill it!" and I get right back into fat-burning mode.  This is not the time to sabotage my diet or training, these last few weeks are critical and I have got to make the most of my time and really get the last bit of fat off my body, especially in my hips and butt.  So I have been taking my BCAAs more often when I need them to keep the cravings low, I have discontinued watching the Food Network and reviewing recipes on Pinterest.  I am curious to see what my coach will allow me to eat post-contest.  There is an after-party at a pizza place for the competitors post-show, but I have read of competitors gaining 10-15 lbs in days after the show and I just don't want to wreck my body, so I will keep Paul on as my nutritional guru for several weeks after the show to avoid the post-show bingeing/weight gain that is so common.  I would like to be no more than 10 lbs from contest condition in the off season, that would be ideal. 

Once I got back on track with my eating (I went off track for 2 days and nothing too crazy, but enough to know that I needed to address it and refocus) my faith and reliance in God has been stronger.  I am choosing to listen to more of my Christian rock to power me through my workouts, I am looking to God when I am hungry and asking for His strength because food is a weakness for me and this journey I am on is helping me to look at it in a balanced light of fuel for my workouts as well as pleasure upon the completion of my hard work.  I am taking a healthy meal and really enjoying its flavor and texture and how my body utilizes it.

My latest lunch that I am enjoying is curried turkey meatballs with fresh spinach on a mini pita bread with a small amount of dilled sour cream, it is heavenly.  It is not a lot of food but it is very satisfying.

Well, I just wanted to update my progress in this journey.  I am enjoying the ride while it lasts! 

5 Weeks out....What?


Well, it has been awhile since I have updated this blog, I have been doing a lot of writing in my journal, lots of introspection has been taking place.  I am back and ready to share the happenings of my contest prep.  As my title indicates, I am 4 weeks from my show date of April 19th.  I am excited and really feel I will be ready to take the stage.  The scale has been a funny thing, I have been slimming down tremendously but the scale has moved 1 lb over the last week.  It goes to show that the scale does not always represent all that is happening during fat loss, I am losing inches like crazy in my waist, hips and butt (FINALLY!) but still need to lose some more, but I am on my way.  What I have learned this week is the importance of sleep in weight loss.  Without a good night's sleep, it can really impact the hormones, cortisol in particular, here is a great article that discusses the pros and cons of cortisol http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/cortisol.htm.  I am learning on this journey that when I overschedule my day or the kids activities or saying "yes" to different opportunities, sometimes it can be overwhelming and if something comes up last minute, it really can add stress to the day.  As a wife of a military pilot who is gone half of the month, and in the midst of preparing for a bodybuilding show, I need to say "no" more right now, and keep my schedule with larger margins.  This philosophy can apply to anyone who feels constantly overwhelmed and stressed, examine your schedule, do you have moments of downtime in your day or is it booked solid until you collapse at home at the end of the day?  Stress is not a bad thing, it helps push us to move and get things done, protects us in times of risk to ourselves or loved ones, but when our bodies are not allowed to relax, stress can be counterproductive and harmful to our bodies.  So this week I am focused on getting a good nights rest, I make sure that I have some downtime before bed to unwind, and get myself and the kids to bed at a decent time.  This Saturday, we were free from team sport commitments so we were able to sleep in and get a great night's rest.

Scale, don't fail me now!

Over the last couple of weeks in preparing for this competition.  I have had relatively steady drops in my weight with the scale, that is, until last week.  This is where I had to realize that weight loss does not happen in a linear fashion, it happens in spurts.  I went 9 days without a change in the scale, when you are preparing for a competition, that can be a bit unnerving! However, I also used photos to measure my progress and though my weight was the same, my clothes were feeling more loose, and my photos certainly showed my progress, I could definitely see the lower part of the thigh is leaning out.

Today...... I got on the scale and....... BOOM! dropped 2 lbs.  There is the drop I was waiting for.

The change in my diet and cardio this week is that I am dropping 15 grams of carbs per day and increasing my HIIT intervals to 6 from 5 during a session.  Today is my leg day, which is a refeed day, I am not able to hit legs like I would like since my left hamstring is tight and though I stretch plenty, it has some pain and I am experiencing sciatica down to my feet, grr! I work around the pain not through it and keep the weight light if need be or adjust the range of motion.  I won't let this discomfort get in my way, but I will respect my body and listen to it.  Today,  I am going to do a pyramid style training for the leg press today.  What is a pyramid you ask? I will begin with a lighter amount of weight and rap out as many reps as I can, after about a minute of rest, I will add weight and do as many reps as I can, which will be less reps than the lighter weight and keep increasing the weight and decreasing the reps until I can only do about 6 reps, then I know I am DONE.   I am off to the gym now!

ALMOST 10 weeks out! 

LISTENING TO MY BODY AND ITS SIGNALS.........

ENERGY

10 weeks from Friday I will be walking across the stage showing the judges all of the hard work I have been doing over the last year (and then some, really).  The last couple of days I have found my energy a little low, I contribute some to hormone changes, but I am trying to recognize those signals that I am not 100% and respecting my body by listening to those signals.  I was planning a list of errands yesterday but felt a little overwhelmed, so I took a step back, evaluated if anything HAD to be done, and there wasn't anything pressing, so I dialed back my day to be less demanding, I did keep my massage appointment, that was wonderful and I am so glad that I went to do that, I already set up another appointment for next month.  With all of the training and dieting I am doing, I need to make sure I am keeping my stress levels low so that I do not tax myself further.


HUNGER
 I am feeling more hungry more often, but I find if I make myself a glass of cool lemon water or a cup of hot herbal tea, that hunger subsides.   I try to avoid gum when I am hungry because I have learned that the chewing causes the digestive stomach juices to respond and prepare for food, but there isn't any food coming, so it just causes me to be more hungry! I love my BCAA's, especially Xtend in the powser form, I have the grape flavor, it tastes like Kool-Aid and helps to keep my appetite manageable between meals, not to mention it helps with protein synthesis.  I have been working to keep my fiber levels up between 25-55 grams per day and found the Quest Bar is a great source of fiber, without excess fat and sugar, they have about 19 grams of fiber!  That meets almost my daily need in one sitting.  I warm the bar in the microwave for about 25 seconds and put a small amount of canned whipped cream and voila! I have my postworkout treat, delicious!

   
 My weight is steadily coming down though today it popped back up slightly, but I may not have had enough water after my massage yesterday, so we will see what the next few days bring, I am definitely feeling smaller through the hips, which is a good thing.  I am working out every day now, whether it is a lifting workout, HIIT training (2 days per week) or cardio (no more than 30 mins.)  It is a manageable schedule and I have made "margins" in my day to provide time to spend with my family, bible study, or downtime for myself and that has helped tremendously.  I know that God is with me through this and is guiding me every step of the way, the main thing is to listen to Him, and not try to steal back the reins.  Have a blessed week!

12 Weeks Out-

Keeping the Fiber Intake Up

Since the inception of this blog I have lost 4 lbs.  My goal with this figure competition is not a certain number on the scale, because I do not know exactly what that number will be.  I am losing weight steadily though this week has hovered at 144 pounds.  Tomorrow is my weigh-in with my nutrition and cardio coach so we shall see what his thoughts are.  This past week after not having much weight loss, my macronutrients stayed the same but rather than 2 rest days, Paul had me add in a 20 minute cardio session of low intensity steady state which I completed on Thursday.  Today is my refeed day, which I do on leg days.  This day I get to take in a considerable larger amount of carbs but my protein and fat intake are lower.  I just had my 3rd meal and I am still hungry, it is funny how a refeed day I feel more ravenous, but I worked some big muscles today with leg day.  I have been working on getting my fiber intake to over 25 grams per day.  I purchased a box of Fiber One cereal and it was pretty tasty.

 The benefit to fiber is you feel fuller and helps you to crave less when the goal is to lose weight, especially at breakfast, studies show this in an article through webmd.com http://www.webmd.com/diet/fiber-health-benefits-11/fiber-weight-control?page=2.  Some great sources of fiber are beans, I personally love chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), I also eat whole grain breads (including tortillas, taco shells, waffles and bagels) high in fiber (>5 grams per serving).  When you eat the skin on an item such as an apple or potato, that helps to provide a higher intake of fiber. 

I had a good week overall this week, I had my posing session on Tuesday and now just need to work on the details.  Flaring my lateral back muscles is something I really need to work on so tomorrow being my rest day, I will be focusing on that.  I purchased a mirror so I can see my back through my other mirror and work on that.  I am thankful to God in blessing me with this opportunity and I pray that He will show me ways I can in turn help others.  I will be in touch soon in the coming days.  May God bless you.

The importance of support

Today marks 13 weeks out from the show.  I wanted to mention that without the amazing support network of people in my life, this dream of mine would not be possible.  If you have a large goal and want to really succeed, I believe it takes a team of people and in my case, my "team" has grown through this process.  Many people in this group may not even be aware that I consider them part of my team, but I do my best to show them gratitude in how they have helped me along the way.  I am thankful first and foremost to my husband who when I made my case that this competition and the timing of it was very important gave me the thumbs up to go for it, without his support, this would be a much more challenging feat, and his support means so much to me because he believes in me. 

 I have two trainers, Daphne Mills who has been a mentor and teacher to me, she is now my posing coach and trainer for my lower body, but she was there guiding me in 2009 when I was perplexed in why I wasn't able to lose those stubborn 30 pounds of baby weight before my 20 year reunion.  Because of Daphne's direction, I succeeded in reaching that goal and attended that reunion with gusto. 

 Another amazing person on my team is Bill Haskins, he is my trainer for my shoulders and arms, he is a great friend and mentor.  Since I have known him for over 2 years, he has been an encourager to me and has shown me what friendship is really about, we always share a good laugh, which is important, the process of keeping a strict diet regimen and exercise routine can be intense, but my weekly session with Bill keeps things in perspective.

 The next group of people who are on my team are my children are a reminder that this competition is not an all-consuming event.  They keep me present in my life, they help me to stay balanced in my schedule and show me how to live life with zeal and joy. 

 My chiropractors, Dr. Sean Toner, who has helped me through what I thought was going to be a chronic case of tennis elbow has taught me to listen better to my body, how to better train myself during exercise and this injury has blessed me to become a better trainer to my clients.  Dr.  Heidi Westra, is my chiropractor who enables me to keep my immune system up with weekly adjustments.  With the heavy weight I lift for my legs, she keeps me in sound alignment especially through my sacrum which likes to frequently get out of whack. 

 I have mentioned my nutrition and cardio coach, Paul Revelia of Pro Physique, he has been an awesome asset to my team. He answers my email questions promptly and as I have said before, I trust my diet and nutrition to him and am excited to see how the coming weeks unfold.

 Lastly, I cannot meet this amazing goal without my faith in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Without God, none of this would be possible, He has lifted me up and given me wings to soar.  There have been days (and I am sure there will be more in the coming weeks) where I will have self-doubt, fear and anxiety, but I rest on His assurance through His word.  My church family, though some aren't even aware of my participation in this competition, have been a great source of strength and support through my spiritual growth. The teens who I work with in the youth group are so amazing, this is the critical generation of our church and knowing that makes this world quite a bit brighter for me and many others. 

Here is the scripture I have focused on through my workouts this week:

For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

James 1:3,4 


Though I am 13 weeks out from my show, I feel like I have already won, I know that may sound strange and premature, but the process of seeing how God's thread is woven into my life has shown me how He brings people into my life at just the right time and makes my life  such a masterpiece to unveil.  I hope that this blog entry can show you how people in your own life have made an impact, even those who you find may be a negative in your life are there to teach you something about yourself, so look at those moments as something to learn from. 

This is certainly not an exhaustive list of people who have made this an amazing journey so far, many of my training clients and friends are the best cheerleaders I could have ever asked for!
I'll be in touch soon with my progress.

We are in the midst of 14 weeks from my competition as of last Friday.  The best thing I have done is hire a nutrition/supplement and cardio coach.  His name is Paul Revelia, owner of Pro Physique.  He is a natural Pro bodybuilder and has worked with some great people including Layne Norton who trained Paul for his bodybuilding shows.  I like Paul's philosophy in that he won't drop my calories super low and have me do a ton of cardio to drop body fat.  I asked him A LOT of questions before I determined if he was a good fit and I have absolutely no regrets and will keep my faith in his guidance now until the show on April 19th (and a few weeks after to avoid post-competition rebound).  I started with Paul last Monday and I lost 4 lbs over the period of 4 days.  I could tell from my photos I sent him between the beginning and end of the week that I lost most of the weight right below my bustline.  That is typically where the weight comes off first, I don't have as much "back fat" which is a plus.  I can see more definition in my lats from this.  Last week, I felt satitated as Paul was instructing me to eat every 4-5 hours.  The funny thing is this week, I am STARVING! I don't know why, I will ask him later in the week, so I am going to drink more water, herbal tea and keep drinking my BCAA's (Branch Chain Amino Acids) which will helps with protein synthesis and keeps my appetite at bay.  I just ate my pre-workout and I feel I could eat more, but I need to stay within my macros, today is a refeed day and I am going to go hit legs then follow it up with 30 minutes of low-intensity steady state cardio.  I am curious to see what progress I make this week.  I sent Paul my progress photos and my scale weight and he instructed me to continue on the same macro plan as last week.  It is just interesting how my body is really hungry, maybe it is my metabolism churning and burning, we shall see.  I am thrilled that one of my friends is competing in the same show with me so she and I are going to work with a mutual friend who has her Pro card and help us with posing.  I refer to my friend and I as the Dream Team.  She and I are keeping in touch each Friday and sharing our weight loss updates via text, which I love.  One more source of accountability, at this stage of the game, that is of the upmost importance, the more support I can give and recieve, the better.  I will update in a couple of days my progress.  

Today is an exciting day, I am revealing to the world (though some are already aware) that I am competing in my first figure bodybuilding competition.  I registered for this competition in November, knowing that this would keep me committed so here I go!  I have toyed with the idea of competing since losing my last 30 lbs of baby weight in 2009, I have even been approached by figure competitors, but my answer was, I don't have enough time, my kids are still young, I have school to finish, well they were valid excuses, but really what my real excuse was, I was scared.  It is not about the teeny, tiny suit that I will be wearing as I confidently walk across the stage for all to see, it is the changes, the discipline, the focus on so many aspects (balancing family, nutrition, training, my business, my faith) all at one time.  Well, I will tell you one thing that comes first in this journey and that is my trust in God.  That is why I decided to take this journey.  I have read that only a very small percentage of people embark on this type of challenge and I can see why.  It is a matter of the mind, to take a finite amount of time and sculpt your body into the condition that many people can dream of.  I have a tendency towards anxiety and I am aware that this competition will push me to my limits in so many ways, but rather than being self-reliant and freak out, I am going to let God shine in this and He will be glorified through the process, I can feel it!

So first, I decided before anything else that I needed to prepare my mind for the next 15 weeks.  I have already gotten in the habit of getting up early and having a cup of coffee with God, it is before anyone else in my house is awake (if you don't count the black and tan dachshund in my lap).  After the holiday, I knew I needed to get myself in gear mentally for this show (I know that 16 weeks seems like a long time, but it goes by lightning fast, and there is not a lot of time to waste when you want to drop 10% body fat!) I was feeling a bit anxious, like a whirlwind was going on in my head and I knew that needed to stop ASAP.  I decided to take that early morning time with God and focus it on what I wanted to strengthen in my life.  This week, the focus is on COURAGE.  So beginning yesterday, I went to my bible, and searched for scriptures about courage.  The first scripture that came up was in Psalms 31:24 which reads:  Be strong, be courageous, all you that hope in the Lord.   I decided to write down my verses on an index card and focus on that verse for the day.  Each day this week until next Sunday, I will locate another verse on courage, write it down and pray it over my life for the day and keep it with me throughout the day.  I will keep you posted on my progress over the course of the next 15 weeks.  Thanks for tuning in, God bless you!

-Kristin