How to Help me Achieve my Dreams!!!

Just wanted to share the website you can go to to donate to my competitions. I feel like I have found my niche, I feel this is part of my calling, and I invite you to donate and be a part of that. Here are a couple pictures my coach put together which have inspired me, helped me to keep moving forward  and believe that dreams are possible!
I want to keep competing and see how far it can take me, but the funds to compete come second to the monthly bills. Dreams shouldn't have to wait for money, but sometimes they do. If you want to help and donate, go to this website and make your contribution. I promise it will all go to necessary competition funds!
http://www.gofundme.com/2dczqc

Thank you!!!

2 Weeks Out!!!

I am two weeks out now from my competition. Got my hotel room, all registered, and have my tanning session set!!! I am officially done with school now (until the fall) and I have time to just train! I have been struggling with leaning out for this competition, probably the stress from having four classes AND having to spend about 2 hours in the gym daily! I also have been learning more about my body and listening to it more. I am gaining knowledge on food and nutrition, and also lack of nutrition. I have made a decision, without getting into the details, to eat clean and well rounded. No more "depletion" of anything, except junk food :) My body was responding very negatively to low carbs and low fat so I have made the decision to eat clean, up my good carb and good fat and keep my protein where its at. This decision was hard because I may not be lean enough for the show on the 30th, BUT I will feel better and look healthier! 
This is my goal and promise to myself as a bikini competitor!
*I will eat clean year round!
*I will not starve my body of nutrients it needs to function and then binge on junk because I am so depleted!
*I will fight against pressure and popular beliefs in the competitor world to avoid an eating disorder!
*I will treat my body right, and listen to what it is saying to me!
*I will get better and better every year, by doing all of the above!
*I will enjoy my body in the process, and be proud of how far I have come!

Here are my most recent progress pics: NEXT pics will be after the competition!!! Be looking for them!!!

5 Weeks Out & Carb Depletion!

Exactly 5 weeks out now and I am officially starting to feel the effects of having low carbs and low fat. I am tired, irritable and just downright hungry! I wanted to ask my coach today if it's normal to want to just punch people :) Right now my macros look like this (macro nutrients are protein, carbohydrates, and fat for those who don't know):
Protein: About 160 grams
Carbohydrates: About 40-48 grams
Fat: About 20-30 grams
Here are pictures of my meals for the day in order:

Breakfast: Egg whites, Cucumber, and Tofu Cream Cheese (No fat, very low carb)
Snack 1: 1 Scoop of Pure Protein, Sweet potatoes
Lunch: Two cans of Tuna (from Whole Foods) with soy mayo (No fat, no carbs)

Snack 2: 1 Scoop Pure Protein, 1 String Cheese (Reduced Fat, no carb)
Dinner: Casein Protein pancakes (Casein, egg whites, almond milk), and low fat smart spread.
Snack 3: Almonds

By the way, this is not a sustainable diet, meaning that it is only meant to prepare me for the competition, not to make a way of life. After the competitions are over I will go back to somewhat of a "normal" eating behavior. "Normal" for me does not mean eating a bunch of crap though. I still stay pretty clean with my eating normally, because that is how I like to eat. But I will enjoy an occasional ice cream after dinner, I will be able to "eat out", I won't be as strict  with the timing of my meals, etc. There is no reason to go from one extreme to another with food, it's just not healthy. 
So for anyone wondering what a bikini competitors diet looks like, here it is! Each competitor does things a little different from the next one, but this is how I do it. It can be hard at times, I have visions of fluffy white pastries (litterally this happened the other day), but I know that it will all be worth it on stage, and it's not forever!

5 1/2 Weeks Out & Learning to be Patient with my Body

Almost 5 weeks out and I am seeing some progress. My body has been responding slower then I expected, but there is progress! I think at the 12 week point, I expected to get to the competition looking like Jaime Baird but I don't think it's going to happen :) I am realizing that since my body has been this way since I was 13, it might take more then 12 weeks to whip it into shape (ya think?). My biggest challenges have been my lower back (love handles), butt, and thighs. Although, I have seen change in the back end. I take periodic pictures of my backside to track my progress, kinda strange I know :) There has been transformation but not as fast as I would have liked. If I keep doing the work I am doing, and eating right, I will get where I want to be with my body- even if I am at my top physique by next March.
I have to learn to be OK with taking my time as a physique athlete. The girls I see on stage have done hard work, year after year. They show up on stage, year after year, and they work for their placing, year after year. I may not place top 5 this year, but next year I will, then the year after that, 1st place here I come! Although if this can happen faster I wouldn't mind :)
Here are some recent progress pictures:

The side by side pics are from January (on left) and today, February 21st (on right). The picture, when transferred onto the computer, kind of smooths out my muscles, the picture on my phone shows more definition. The tops of my shoulders have become bigger and my arms have more definition, especially my forearms. You can see more definition in the single picture I posted to the top right. Also, my legs have gotten smaller and more shapely. I am losing fat and gaining muscle, exactly what is supposed to happen! I am getting there!!! I will post more pics in a week or two. Wait for it....

8 Weeks Out

So I am at the 8 week mark, I haven't been taking progress pics like I would have liked to but I will start this Saturday and then publish them in before and after pics after the competition with pictures from the competition on my blog. Here are some of the things I have been doing lately:
Heavy leg and glute days. These are my "problem areas" where I still need to lose fat. I have learned an amazing stationary bike routine that has kicked my legs into gear. It rotates between 2 minute, high intensity cycles and after 30 mins your legs are BURNING! I have also learned a routine for training the legs and specifically the butt. It seems to be working really well.

 I have been practicing my posing with my coach and having my husband critique me as well, they both do a really good job!











I got a brand new scale from Costco to measure out my food.
8ozs of green veggies
6ozs of protein
Per meal

I am just having a ton of fun in the gym! I love it there, its a second home to me right now. I am spending about 2 hours a day there right now training.
I will keep you posted!

My Bikinis!!!!

My Bikinis are DONE!!!! I ordered them last weekend and the owner of Sewninthesun.com worked around  the clock to get them done! Her name is Cara and she is the nicest most helpful person in the world. She was prompt in emails and sent me pictures of examples of things I wanted on my bikinis. She also had me send pictures of myself so she could see my body type. I am SO pleased with the final outcome! She sent me the pictures and shipped them off! Can't wait to see what they look like on me!!!

Feel free to leave your comments and let me know what you think!!!

10 Weeks Out

 These are my newest photos 10 weeks before the show. I have been training hard and eating well. I am staying on my program and should see the results of it on the stage. I still have some fat to lose but in the last two months I have lost 2% body fat.
 I got my measurements done the other day by my coach. Here are the current stats compared to my stats two months ago:                               Body Fat (11/22/12)- 17.6%
Body Fat (01/22/13)- 15.6%
Shoulders- .75" Growth!
Right Bicep- .15" Growth!
 Bust- .05" Growth!
 Waist- 1.10" Loss!
 Belly Button- 1.5" Loss!
   Hips- .45" Loss!
Thigh- 1" Gain!
Calves- .25" Gain!

My goal is about 10% Body Fat and 110-114 lbs for stage weight. This will most likely go up after I am done preparing for my competitions but I have another competition coming up on April 13th and I am doing the Emerald Cup on May 3th and 4th, so I will be staying at my goal weight for those competitions and will not switch into off season diet. Wish me luck!!!!