Build My Body

New Blog Alert!

2011-11-06T19:38:00.000-08:00

Exciting things are happening....

I first got into blogging because one of my best friends, Jess, had a blog of her own and I absolutely loved reading about her daily adventures in vegetarian cooking. I've always loved writing, and thought to myself "I can do that too!", so I did.

Jess and I are very alike and very different at the same time. We are both athletes, we both love to cook, we value our health, love the outdoors, and we both love each other :) But our training and diets couldn't be any more different. She's a runner, I'm a weight-lifter. She's a vegetarian, and I eat meat 6x per day. She's a workaholic, I'm unemployed..... you get the idea. Jess' blog focusses mainly on vegetarian cooking with the odd post about her running and yoga endeavors; she has a sharp tongue and a quick wit, and has a real talent for blending creativity with practicality in the kitchen.

We've been batting around the concept of joining our blogs for quite some time now. We thought it would be really interesting to have two people with similar values but different approaches weighing in on diets, recipes, and workouts.

Well, I'm happy to announce that our brain child has finally materialized - yes, we're creating a new blog! I present to you: "Tess and Jess: Food, Fitness, and Friendship"

www.tessandjess.wordpress.com

For the next little while I'll be posting almost exclusively on this new blog. Not to worry, I will still be updating on my progress towards my next fitness competition! This is simply a change of location. I'm also hoping to broaden my writing topics to include more recipes, discussion of health-related articles and issues, and some fun anecdotes about my friendship with Jess, and how we keep each other grounded. Think of all the extra reading material you're going to have! And I just know you're going to love Jess as much as I do :)

I hope you'll come to this new site and follow along with me on yet another new adventure! See ya there!

Tess

Post-Show Blues

2011-11-06T10:48:00.000-08:00

Am I right, ladies?

I think every competitor I know has complained about this issue, and that's because the post-show blues are REAL and they SUCK! Even though you may still be healthy and look great in the weeks following your show, it's still hard to look at yourself 5, 10, or even 15 lbs heavier and have the same confidence you did just a short time ago.

Last year I went a little bit nuts after the show, taking almost a full month off from the gym and not restricting anything I ate whatsoever. With my dad passing, the celebration of my 1 year anniversary with John, and my birthday all packed into one month, it was tough to stay on-track. Not only that, but I actually had no desire at all to go back to anything even remotely resembling the strict diet and workout plan I'd been on all summer. As a result, I gained 20lbs in 3 weeks after the show, then another 15 in the months following. YIKES! Lesson learned: in weight loss, the best treatment is prevention.

This time I'm trying to be a bit better. I was back in the gym Monday, doing an hour of cardio and weights, and have managed to get in 5 workouts this week :D Diet has been.... ok. I'm eating clean for most meals, but I have been having at least 1 treat per day (wine, ribs, pasta, sushi, candy corn....) and am already up 11lbs from my contest weight. (Side rant: why is it so much easier to gain weight than to lose it? It makes no sense!)

I'm ok being at this weight for now (126lbs), but I know that I have to cap it off here. Every time I gained weight last year I would tell myself "oh, it's only 1 pound" until all of a sudden it was 35lbs :S I know what I need to do: I'm confident that I'm doing enough cardio, so it all comes down to diet. I need to cut the cheats down to once or twice a week (special occasions only), and get rid of any little "extras" I've been adding to my meals (it's been raisins, honey, and peanut butter on everything lately! lol).

I've also got a photo shoot booked for the week of November 18th, so that should give me some extra motivation to clean up my diet. I'm setting a goal for myself to be back down to 123lbs by then.... TOTALLY DO-ABLE! After that, I'd like to be around 117lbs by January 1st.

Show Recap and Update

2011-11-03T20:02:00.000-07:00

Ok ok, I know it's been long enough! More pictures of the show below.

It was the weirdest thing - right before I went on-stage for the Open Fitness Model posing round, my coach gave me half of a dextrose tab to eat (gets glycogen to the muscles FAST and pumps them up). But minutes after I got out there, my face started twitching :S Not only that, but when I look back at pictures from that round I notice that my usually beautifully defined abs are basically GONE! I asked him if I could skip the dextrose for the Figure round (I was sure it was the cause of the face twitching), and not surprisingly my abs came out better for it (and no facial twitching). I'm sure the dextrose works for many many people, just not me. Lesson learned.

Morning of the show, before my last coat of tan, breakfast, and obviously hair/makeup!

Where did my abs go? (Open Fitness Model Short)

Booya! Look at that lava spewing across my butt! SO HOT! Loved that detail.

Oh, there they are! (Open Figure Short)

Left to right: 3rd place, 4th, 2nd, 1st, 5th

Team Pro Revolution

And here is a link to a video clip of all the show's highlights. You can spot me briefly around the 4 minute mark ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PiMuMX_QLk&feature=share

I've decided not to do the second show this weekend. After mulling it over a bit, I decided I didn't want to go into a show with the mind-set that I might lose. I would rather go in thinking I'm going to win and be disappointed, than go in expecting to do poorly. I wasn't lean enough, and it wasn't something I could fix in a week. I would rather save my money, time, and energy (not to mention the money, time and energy of my family/friends who would've come to see me) and instead use this week for improving my physique so I can win next time!

I've also decided to go back to my previous nutritionist, Dave Ruel. It was amazing to work with such a knowledgeable and multi-talented person as Jay, and I'm so happy I got to experience the process through that methodology. I would highly recommend anybody considering doing a show and living in the Ottawa/Toronto/Barrie area to contact him! But it's also no secret that Dave is a very good friend of mine, and in the end I just found that his approach to dieting meshed better with mine. So I'm excited to work with him again, and see what we can do with my body this time around :D

If--

2011-10-31T08:10:00.000-07:00

Why is it that moms always know exactly the right thing to say? My mom is particularly talented at this; it would seem that raising 6 kids, teaching special needs students, and teaching piano have given her a lot of experience in giving pep talks over the years!

When I called my mom yesterday to tell her my results, she shared with me a poem by one of her favorite authors. The poem, as I interpret it, is about striving to be the best that you can be, while maintaining your humility. It's about facing the constant cycle of building, tearing down, then rebuilding of one's character, and doing so with courage and virtue. As my mom pointed out, the line about meeting with Triumph and Disaster are particularly relevant for competitive athletes ;) I thought it was a really inspiring poem, so I thought I would share it.

If--

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too:

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or being hated don’t give way to hating,

And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;

If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same:

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss:

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much:

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

(by Rudyard Kipling)

Results

2011-10-30T04:58:00.000-07:00

*Sigh* Well, there's always next time, right?

In my Fitness Model class I didn't even crack top 5, and in Figure I placed 4th (out of 5 lol). I stuck around afterwards to get feedback from the judges, and I knew before he even said the words: "you just weren't lean enough".

I knew this would be a problem for Figure, and didn't have many hopes of winning that category - especially competing in the Open division. I was, however, a bit surprised and disappointed that I didn't do better in the Fitness Model. The top 3 (back row) were the leanest on-stage, so that made sense to me, but of the remaining girls (front row), I thought I held up well against at least a few of them. One third of our mark is based on presentation, so maybe that was it?

I promise to post more pictures in the coming days. Just wanted to get a couple up right away.

Ok, so a more thorough breakdown now.

Things I was happy with:

-My tan! Wow, I was so so so much happier with my tan this year. No stressing about it backstage, it didn't rub off, and it was nice and smooth and even.

-My hair. Love the colour, love the style.

-My suits. There are a couple things I'd change (the brown of the figure suit didn't show as well as it could have, and the top of my volcano suit could have done more for my ladies!) But overall, I still love them. They're my babies :)

-The process on the day of. I felt prepared, I was all packed, I had practiced my routines and posing, I wasn't starving all day, and my time management was decent.

-The food! No, not the after party lol. I feel like I ate enough food so that I was able to keep my energy up, but not so much that I was too "full".

Things I wasn't happy with:

-My makeup. When the girl was here to do it, I asked her to match the colour of my tan, and she did. But, it looked like crap. It was blotchy and muddy looking (the face you see in these pictures is me with no foundation on at all. I rubbed it all off backstage. Believe me, my naked skin looked better than what was going on there before!). The eyes and lips looked nice, but in the end were a bit too severe for the show. And the darn fake eyelashes she put on me were poking me all night!

-My posing. I think I could have done a better job of my front pose (especially for Fitness.... I looked too tense next to the other girls). My face also started spasming at one point, for no apparent reason lol. Maybe I need to practice holding my smile more?

-My placement. Obviously ;)

So, this leaves me with the question of whether or not I should still compete next weekend. This is a bigger, more serious show, and all the big kids will be out to play... and win. Knowing that there's only so much I can do to lean out more this week, do I still go through the process (and pay all the money!), knowing that I'll almost certainly place last in Figure, and probably won't do so well in Fitness either? I'm hopeful that if I make a couple changes to my "look" and presentation, I may do better in Fitness, but who knows. It's something I'll have to discuss with my coach this week. And my mom. I know she really wanted to see me compete, and I really don't want to let her down. Then again, if she wait for the next one then maybe I can show her a trophy too!

All in all, still a valuable experience. I've learned so much more about my body and diet/training, my posing is that much better, I'm confident in my tanning now, and I have a better idea of what works for makeup and suit selection. And if nothing else, this has lit a fire under my butt to work that much harder for the next show! I never want to experience that feeling of defeat and failure again. Never. So I've just got to hold on to that feeling and run with it.

Show Day - In Memoriam

2011-10-29T07:26:00.000-07:00

Last year at this time, my dad was in the hospital and we weren't sure how long he had left to live. I was struggling with the question of whether I should do the show, or go home to be with him in his final moments. In the end, I decided to finish what I'd started, because (anyone who knew my dad knows this) he hated when people fussed over him, and would have been FURIOUS if I'd given up on something I'd worked so hard on for his sake. He sacrificed a lot for me and my sisters, and I know that's the way he preferred it.

That whole day I was a mixed bag of emotions - on the one hand, I was happy and excited to compete. On the other hand, I was scared and nervous that I would miss seeing my dad one last time. I remember thinking that the day could not be finished soon enough so that I could get into the car and drive to see him. The stage, the posing, the placements... all of it became something I just needed to get out of the way - an obstacle in my race against time. But you know, it was a useful lesson and the experience helped me to put things into perspective. In the end, this was a show that I did for fun; this was not life or death, and there really are so many more important things in life than how hard you're flexing your legs on-stage, or whether your tan smudged a bit on the back. Maybe not coincidentally, that thought process was very helpful in relaxing my stage nerves.

I mentioned before that I had a really powerful experience this summer while watching the sun rise over a volcano during my trip to Hawaii. I had deliberated what my true purpose in this life is, and while the sun filled me with a sense of greatness and hope, the mountain reminded me that whatever issues I was facing at the time were small and inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. It emphasized that this competition is not the be-all end-all of my life or career - it's a tool, and one of the many stepping stones I will walk along my path to becoming a more complete person.

I watched the sun rise again this morning and reflected on everything that's happened this last year. I pondered my journey to this point and how far I've come since my last show. I thought about how far I have to go still to achieve everything I want.

And of course, I remembered my dad. It's no coincidence that my second show has come exactly one year after the first - a year after his death. I love you, and I miss you every day that the sun rises. This one has been for you.

1 Day = Tomorrow!!

2011-10-28T06:18:00.000-07:00

Holy crap, it's Friday. How did that happen??

Today was the first time in quite a while that I woke up and didn't have to do any CARDIO!!!! Woot woot! Already I'm off to a good start ;)

I've been gradually waking up earlier and earlier this week so that I'm able to go to bed early tonight, get my full 9 hours of sleep, and get up early tomorrow fresh and rested.

I don't see too much change in my body since yesterday. In fact, I may even look a bit softer? Could it be the carbs, increase in calories, or lack of cardio? Maybe it's just me. One thing's for sure though - I am DARKER!

This morning I took my last shower (because the tanning agent comes off so easily with water, you don't shower at all the last day or so in order to preserve all the colour), and will be applying another 2-3 coats today. Possibly one more tomorrow if I'm still not dark enough. I'd ordered my Pro-Tan weeks ago, before I'd decided to do a second show, so hopefully I'll have enough to last me for both :S

Today's focus will be POSING. I'll spend a few hours throughout the day practicing my quarter turns, stage presence, and endurance. Aside from that, I'll clean the house, pick up some groceries, apply more tan, and take care of odds 'n ends like doing my nails and plucking my eyebrows lol.

I know there are a few other fitness bloggers out there who will be competing tomorrow as well:
Melissa at http://melissacunninghamifpapro.blogspot.com
and Tenicia at http://boobsbarbellsandbroccoli.blogspot.com

To those competitors and any others, I just want to wish you GOOD LUCK!!!! We're going to be tired, and sticky, not to mention THIRSTY tomorrow, but it's all going to be worth it when we hear the crowd cheering for us for doing something that most people don't even dare dream of. Congratulations in advance :)

2/9 Days Out

2011-10-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was amazing! My last workout and cardio sessions were super focussed and energetic. Sure, my strength is waaaay down, but I gave it everything I had left in me and left the gym dripping in brown-streaked sweat lol.

I can see changes again today. Sure, part of that is because of the tan, but I just feel tighter all over. You can't see it in these photos, but my lower body has also improved over the last few days.

Again, more weight loss this morning. It'll be interesting to see what happens over the next few days. Today my cardio is down to 30 minutes (as opposed to my usual 100) and of course there's no workout. My calories are up to about 1,600 with meals consisting of chicken, tilapia, puffed quinoa, and macadamia nut oil (bye bye, vegetables!). Water intake remains high (I've learned I can actually drink 10L in a day with ease) until tomorrow when it stops at 2pm.

Our guest bathroom has become tanning central. In this picture I have 2 layers of Pro-Tan on; to put it into perspective, I'll have about 6 or 7 and a top coat on-stage. Speaking of which, it's about time for me to go re-apply!

3/10 Days Out!

2011-10-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

I need to stop looking at what fitness bloggers call "food porn". Specifically, the naughtiness on http://cookiesandcups.com/ and http://ohsheglows.com/. Some days it doesn't phase me at all to see all those fresh, delicious looking meals, knowing that someone somewhere in a magical (read: normal) place are actually getting to enjoy what I'm fantasizing about, hunched over my keyboard and face thisclose to the drool-covered monitor.....

Nope, some days it doesn't phase me at all. But I would say the majority of my days are the "other" kinds of days.

Also, is there anything better than the smell of freshly baked bread? I think not.

Moving on.

I woke up to a bit more weight loss this morning, and I can definitely see some more definition in my abs. The only thing I didn't like about this picture is how little my side delts look. I think that my shoulders are one of my best - if not THE best - body parts (abs come in a close second), so I'd love to see just a little more size on them. Hopefully by the time I shed water the extra definition will really make them pop.

Today is my last workout (woot woot!), at least until next week when I do this all over again (DOH!). The tanning process will begin today as well, and carbs are getting increased tomorrow. I've purchased all of my show-day supplies, so I can basically just focus on myself and polishing up the next few days :)

Finally, just a quick shout-out to John who's been putting up with my crankiness/fatigue/moodiness the last few days, and for holding down the fort at home. Thank you hun, love you! xox

4/11 Days Out

2011-10-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

I apologize in advance if there are any typos or nonsensical sentences in this post. I've been low carb the last couple days and it's definitely been showing! Today I forgot my keys twice - once on my way out the door (got all the way to the lobby of the building before realizing I hadn't locked the door), then again at the gym, along with my sun glasses. I had gone grocery shopping after my workout and got all the way home (on foot, by the way, carrying a backpack of food and 2x 4L jugs of water) when I realized I couldn't get into my apartment. DOH! Yesterday I met up with Tanya for a visit and thank goodness she knows me well, because I'm pretty sure I wasn't even completing my thoughts at some points lol.

On the bright side, lookie what I got! This is basically my diet: tilapia, green vegetables, and quinoa puffs. I may complain about being low-carb, but I've been eating so many veggies!!! About 24oz throughout the day. Hmmm, which one will I start with today.....? Maybe the kale.

So to go back to yesterday, it was..... interesting. I started my Water Shed pills and, as I mentioned, was on very low carbs. Towards the middle of the day I got really tired and foggy, but at the time just chalked it up to having a busy morning. But then in the evening I started experiencing horrible shakes, dizziness, and got really really sweaty! It happened a couple times, each "episode" lasting about 30 minutes, and going away after I ate something. I emailed Jay and asked if it might be the Water Shed pills, but he said that it was actually because of low blood sugar. So I Googled "hypoglycemia" and wouldn'cha ya know it, I had all of the symptoms associated with a hypoglycemic attack! Makes sense then why I would feel better after eating. Unfortunately there's not much I can do about it.... just gotta stick it out. And I've been told to eat a bit of quinoa puffs if it becomes unbearable. So that was an interesting little bodily experiment lol. Can't say I've ever experienced that before!

ANYWAYS, moving along to what you're more interested in: progress pictures!

I don't see any changes since yesterday, though the scale does read 1.5lbs lighter again. I don't know where it's coming off, but no complaints here!

Every day has been a bit different so far, so I'm interested to see what today brings....

5/12 Days Out!

2011-10-24T05:32:00.000-07:00

Woke up this morning another pound lighter.... wait a second.... *rub my eyes*.... nope, that's right - another pound since yesterday. This is friggin' awesome lol! I definitely saw some changes in the mirror too:

Sodium and aspartame are officially out of the diet, and I'm supposed to drink between 6-8L of distilled water (though I could easily drink 9).

Now, I'm just going to quickly rant about something if you don't mind, and people who know me well have heard me rant about it before. If the weight you're using is too heavy to lift with proper form, then use a lighter weight! And along those same lines, if you don't know how to do an exercise, don't do it! There was a man who came into the gym the other day, all decked out in his workout wear (lifting gloves and all) and proceeded to do every single exercise wrong. I hate to generalize, but it seems like men are especially bad for this because they want to seem impressive by using heavy weights. Or novices who want to look as though they're experts. Well, newsflash! You don't look strong, you look silly! Particularly to everybody who does actually know what they're doing. So if you think you may be one of these people, please please please, for you own SAFETY, go ask a trainer to show you how to do the exercise or look it up on-line (at a trusted source like Bodybuilding.com) and lighten up! There's no shame in starting light - we all had to start somewhere.

6/13 Days Out

2011-10-23T06:06:00.000-07:00

Here's what I've got today:

Nothing drastically different. I've lost a whole pound since yesterday though, so something must be happening! lol

This week in the gym I'm doing 2 sets of every exercise and holding each rep for 5-10 seconds at the point of contraction. I've never tried this method of training before, but let me tell ya, I LIKE it!! I could feel the blood pooling in my muscle as I got further and further into my sets (some were 25 reps, which took FOREVER!) and then as soon as I released........ *SWOOOOSH* Out ran the blood back into my limbs. I felt light-headed a couple times when it was a big body part, like legs, and so much blood ran into them all at once. The workouts take roughly the same amount of time, despite the fact that I'm only doing 2 sets of things, but they're definitely still as intense.

Speaking of workouts, I've gotta go do some fasted morning cardio; the sooner I do it, the sooner I can eat breakfast :P

Progress Pics: 7/14 Days!!

2011-10-22T06:43:00.000-07:00

It's Peak Week, baby! The week where all the hard work REALLY starts to show. Water depletion, sodium manipulation, carb loading, tanning.... all in a last-minute effort to make the muscle as obvious as possible without deflating it.

I'll try to post pictures every day to track the physical changes. Here's today's, at 1 week out:

8/15 Days Out!

2011-10-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

Alright, new diet started today. Here's what we've got:

Meal 1 - Fibre One, Egg whites, and Coffee

Got me some paprika on my eggs, stevia and cinnamon on my Fibre 1, and nothing in the coffee ;)

Meal 2 - Veal, Quinoa puffs, and Cucumber

I hadn't had veal in forever! The quinoa puffs are in a cup because we ran out of bowls :P

Meal 3 - Tilapia and green veggies

Some day soon I'll be able to put BUTTER on my brussels sprouts..... yummy!

Meal 4 - Veal, Cucumber, and Asparagus

This is why I usually use small plates - the veal looks so tiny here and it makes me hungry just looking at it :(

Meal 5 - Tilapia and Macadamia Nut Oil

Yup, straight oil. It's actually not as bad as you'd think lol.

According to my calculations, it's about 985 calories; 50% Protein, 21% Carbs, 29% Fats. Aside from a multi-vitamin, all my other crazy vitamins are gone, which should make it much easier to remember what to take when! lol

Workouts stay the same except that I'm doing two sets of everything as opposed to the regular 4, 5, 10, etc.

In other news, I went shopping yesterday for some stage bling (earrings, bracelet, and ring.... no necklace though, as it covers too much of the chest). I'll say it now: being picky AND cheap make for difficult shopping! If it was the right colour, then it wasn't the right metal; if it was the right design, then it wasn't the right price. I had this idea in my head of exactly what I wanted and was so frustrated that I just couldn't find it. In the end I bought a couple different options; the good thing about doing two shows is that I can try both! Most importantly though, they're things I'd wear even after the show, so it doesn't feel as though I've just thrown away my money. Dang, competing is expensive! Why don't the guys have to shell out this much money??

9/16 Days Out!

2011-10-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

I don't know what came over me this morning, but I was a cardio FIEND this morning! Maybe it's because I slept well, or because I've been "regular" this whole week (BIG smiles!!!), or because I've dropped 1.5lbs in 2 days, or the fact that I'm mere days away from starting Peak Week.... no matter. There've been some noticeable changes in my body this week, and that makes me happy. That makes me energized!

I think the biggest changes started happening for me a couple weeks ago when I made the decision to change my attitude. I was discouraged for quite a while that I wouldn't be coming in as lean as I was last year (I'm sure you're sick of me complaining about that by now). But, when I met with Jay over Thanksgiving break he was very confident that we could make it work, and said that he actually thought I was too little last year. Then John rationalized that I would still gain valuable experience by going through the motions of competing (water depletion, tanning, learning what and when to eat, being on-stage, perfecting my "look", etc.). So I decided that I DO deserve to be up on that stage just as much as anybody else, because I HAVE been working my butt off for this. I may not be shredded, but I still look gooooood! I didn't win last year, so I'm purposely bringing a curvier, more muscular, sexier package to the stage this year and we'll see if the judges like this look better.

I've found that ever since I started thinking that way, my energy has been higher and my focus has been more intense. You hear all the time that this is a mental sport, and I really couldn't agree more. So needless to say I am getting PUMPED for these shows!!!

10 (and 17) Days Out!

2011-10-19T19:50:00.000-07:00

My trainer planted a seed in my head this morning that has been growing and growing all day. Now, it's fully blossomed - there are some leaves, and fruit, and even some squirrels in there..... yup, the idea is a full out plan now.

The IDFA is having another competition in Toronto the week following mine. My trainer suggested I think about entering it as well as the Ottawa show, so I am going to do it!

Two shows, two weeks. I know it's nothing out of the ordinary for many competitors, but it's a bit intimidating for me. Especially since I was all gung ho on being allowed to "eat" again lol. Oh well, what's one more week at this point, right?

The advantages are obvious: you're already in great condition, you've already got your suit (and are probably still tanned), you've gotten a bit of practice and feedback from the judges from the first show and then have a week to fine-tune your physique/performance for the next one. It's not uncommon for people to do even better at their second show because their bodies are primed for it.

The negatives, for me, are mostly monetary: travel, accommodation, entry fees, hair and makeup, etc. But, we'll make it work :)

Oh dear. What am I getting myself into? This is going to get interesting, so stay tuned!

All-Access (Closet) Pass

2011-10-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, real quick post today, but I just had to share my excitement. I tried on my "goal" or "landmark" pants today for the first time in 6 weeks and....... they fit! Hallelujah!! In fact, all of my clothes are fitting perfectly now :D I can't even tell you how great it feels to have my entire closet back.

I bought these pants fresh out of university when I had about 10lbs less muscle on me. More muscle, less fat, same pants.... still fit with no muffin top.

You know, it's little things like that that keep my motivation up week by week. I had an awesome cardio workout after that little boost, and I'm about to go walk my dog in my new (old) pants. Nice!

Checklist

2011-10-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

I was going through the list of things I have to do for the show today, and realized that I'm surprisingly on top of things!

-Posing suits: check! Received my fitness suit today so I can start practicing in both :)
-Shoes: check! Re-using the ones from last year. Yay for saving money, plus, they're already broken in!
-Tan: check! Ordered it last night and it should arrive by the end of the week.
-Hair and makeup: check! Appointments have been made and "looks" have been chosen
-Organize my cheering squad: check! Sent out and posted all the details so people will know what's going on, and have started organizing an after party. Woohoo!
-Buy "extras": still have to collect all my supplies (sponges, cups, gloves, Q-tips) and accessories (earrings, bracelet)
-Mani/pedi: will be doing that myself the day before, so check!
- Pack show bags: to be done next week after "extras" are collected
-Whiten teeth: dang, gotta get on that ASAP
-Registration: will be done day of the show

Have I missed anything?

IDFA Ottawa-Gatineau Classic

2011-10-15T21:26:00.000-07:00

For anybody in the Ottawa/Montreal/Toronto area who is interested in seeing me compete, here is a link to the show I'll be entering.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=168425083191237

Date: Saturday, October 29th 2011
Time: 5:00pm
Location: Museum of Civilizations, Gatineau, QC
Price: $45
Tickets: 819-776-7000 or you can buy them in person at the Box Office

Progress: 2 weeks out

2011-10-15T06:35:00.000-07:00

Holy shiza! Is it just 2 weeks away already? Why did I ever complain about 10 or even 17 weeks being too long a wait?

Here are the progress pictures from today. As a bonus, I've also decided to let you all see my finished Figure posing suit! I'm so happy with it. I think the colours look great on me, and it's very unique. It's been a lot of fun to have an idea and see it come to life. Thanks to my sisters who helped me brainstorm designs, and Joan who made it happen :D

I am, however, going to keep my Fitness suit a secret. Hey, I've gotta keep ya coming back somehow!

My Sleep Cycle and Me

2011-10-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

I have a sister who used to fall asleep at exactly noon, every day, no fail, no matter what she was doing. We always loved hearing the story about how one time we were in a fancy dining room for lunch. The clock struck noon, and with nobody there to catch her head..... *SPLAT!* down she went, face first right into her food.

*******************************************

Some of you may recall that after coming back from vacation, I wanted to start waking up at 6am to see the sun rise. While I have had quite a few successful early morning wake ups recently, I've also been paying closer attention to my body's natural rhythm and sleep cycles.

I've always known that I'm a nigh hawk. Since I can remember, I've always preferred to stay up late than to wake up early. Don't get me wrong - I love the sun rise, and am totally able to wake up at insanely early hours with an annoying abundance of energy. But give me the night.

What I was never really sure of, however, was how much sleep I needed. I've always had jobs or classes to get to, work to be done, people to see, etc., such that I would run on pure adrenaline some days. Only recently have I had the time and complete freedom of schedule to really get in tune with my sleep needs.

I've realized that if I have no alarm set and no obligations in the morning, my body will wake up at 9:30am almost to the minute. I can get up as early as 8am without trouble, but any earlier than that and I'm a little bit groggy (though still cheerful.... ;D) I've learned that with no constraints on my bedtime, I naturally get tired around 11pm, and fall asleep between 12 and 1am. I can crawl into bed as early as 10:30pm, but any earlier than that and I'll be tossing and turning rather than sleeping. 8.5 - 9 hours of sleep is ideal; at 7 hours I'm functional; anything less than 6 (or more than 10) hurts me.

So that's all well and good, but what does that mean? Well, it makes scheduling a heck of a lot faster and easier! Everything from social activities, to gym times, to meal times can be based off this information. It also means that when I do finally start to work again, I'll have a better idea of what kind of work hours I'm looking for (yes, I do believe that people have a right to be picky when it comes to finding a job that works with their schedules, and not the other way around. "Work to live, don't live to work" is my motto). But most importantly, I've found that working with, rather than against, my body's natural rhythm has helped me to maximize my energy, translating into better workouts, less severe hunger, improved mood and mental clarity, and all that other good stuff that comes from getting a good night's sleep!

Well that's my little blurb for the day. As I'm writing this I'm getting tired, and realize it's 11pm. I think I'll start getting ready for bed now. Goodnight!

Second Wind

2011-10-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

How many of you have dragged yourselves to the gym, kicking and screaming, promising to make it a "quick and easy" workout.... only to get a second wind and push yourself even harder than before?

That's the kind of day I had today!

Leg days have this weird way of playing tricks with my mind. I always go in totally dreading how much it's going to hurt and resenting how hard it's going to be. I moan and groan through the first few sets but then once I get into it, I'm FLYING. All of a sudden I'm dripping sweat, my heart is pounding, and I'm smiling from ear to ear because I know it's been the best workout all week.

Today I did a total of 458 squats and leg presses. No, that's not a typo. And yes, I'm beaming as I write it :D I had to count twice to make sure:

Squats = 10 sets of 10 reps
Leg Press = 9 x 12
Single Leg Press = 10 x 25

Oh, and of course there were multiple sets of leg curls, extensions, and calf raises too.... not to brag or anything ;)

Yup, pretty soon my legs are going to look like

<----------------THIS----------------->

Did I say "soon"? Ok, it's probably more like "eventually". But I'm well on my way, and I'm feeling pretty darn good about it.

Post-Comp "Wish List"

2011-09-25T17:32:00.000-07:00

I made a deal with myself that instead of cheating on my diet during this prep, I would write down the name/type of food I was craving and wait until after the show to eat it.

I had this same approach last year, and while it did work to help keep my mind off food cravings, I also went a little too crazy by eating about 80% of my "wish list" food within the first 3 weeks of being off the diet. Not only that, but a lot of the food I'd written down was real junk food. Needless to say, I ballooned!

What was strange was that I haven't been a big junk food eater in years. Oh sure, I indulge occasionally, but ever since I've learned about the effects of food on our bodies, I've cut out deep fried and greasy food completely, made the permanent switch to whole wheat everything, reduced the amount of packaged food I buy and eat by about 75%, and cut back on sweets as much as possible (not sure if I ever could give up chocolate). And yet, there I was chowing down on all that stuff (and then some) at least once per day. It was weird, and now that I think of it, it was painful too.

This time my cravings are still indulgent (by a dieter's standards) but are much simpler and healthier. My "Wish List" for post-comp foods are:

Honey. Honey in tea, on cereal, with peanut butter, in baked foods....

Kashi Go Lean protein cereal, with almond milk and strawberries.

Dried dates. Oooh, my local HFS (health food store) has the freshest, softest, most delicious dates I've ever had. I could eat a whole handful, but I'd be happy with even just one.

A really awesome trail mix. I make THE BEST trail mix you've ever tried. Seriously, I'm not being modest here. Partially because I'm not afraid to mix textures and tastes. I love going to the bulk section of the HFS and getting a little bit of everything then mixing it all up. Some yogurt almonds, dried cherries and papaya, coffee beans, cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, and maybe some of that Kashi cereal.

A sandwich with swiss cheese, ham, lettuce, tomato, spicy mayo, mustard (surprise me), spicy eggplant, bell peppers, and grilled zucchini on a 9 grain bun, grilled. Yummmmm.

Sushi. But that's a given.

One of my classic B.A.S's (Big A** Salad). I have all but given up on ordering salads from restaurants because they're always so boring! "Oh, some iceberg lettuce..... how creative. And cucumbers, that's a first. And what's this? A soggy tomato? Lovely." YUCK! And you want me to pay $15 for that? I have a "kitchen sink" approach to building salads that involves using whatever leftovers I can find in the fridge, again combining different flavors such as sweet, spicy, and salty, and making sure to incorporate an ingredient from every color of the rainbow. The end result is beautiful, and always delicious.

This soup (Oh She Glows): Creamy tomato, onion and garlic coconut

Veggie burger (Oh She Glows). Yes, I do usually love me a big beefy burger, but lately my diet consists mostly of meat and very few vegetables. The result is an undeniable NEED for GREEN!

And of course, it just wouldn't be me if I wasn't craving something sweet. Believe it or not, I've been searching high and low for a dessert that really speaks to me (I'm a sugar ADDICT!) and have come up short. The only one that has kind of appealed to me has been this one.

White chocolate sweet potato cake (Martha Stewart)

I've also got about 3 issues of Clean Eating Magazine stockpiled and earmarked, ready to go for when I'm done.

35 Days, 35 days, 35 days......

I need to do a WORKOUT post!

2011-09-23T21:08:00.000-07:00

I realized today that I haven't done a post about my workouts for quite a while now! Sometimes it seems like I get so caught up in the bells and whistles of this competition that I lose sight of my roots: working out.

A few people have approached me lately and told me they wish they had my determination and drive. While I am definitely flattered by this, I also can't take too much credit because honestly, I love going to the gym - I love going to play with the "big boys" in the weight section, and actually knowing what I'm doing; I like trying new techniques and equipment; I like lifting weights and see them become progressively heavier; and with the exception of heavy leg days, I generally look forward to working out. So to go every day is really not a big deal to me, just as going to work at a job you love isn't difficult for you either!

So with that in mind, here's a rundown on what I've been doing at the gym lately:
NOTE:
Db = Dumbbell
Sets x Reps (ex. 3x12 means 3 sets of 12 reps)
Failure = can't do any more!

Day 1 - Legs
Squat 10X10
Leg press 5x12-15
Leg curls 5x12-15
One legged press 5x25-50
Calf raises 5x15-25
Shock set
Leg press 4x failure (65-75 % max strength)
Leg curls 2x failure
Leg extensions 2x failure
Calf raises 2x failure

Day 2 - Chest
Bench press 10x10
Db incline press 6x6 (heavy)
Incline flys 5x5 (heavy)
Incline db curls 4x12-15
Concentration curls 3x15-25
Machine preacher curls 3x12-15
Shock set
Standing hammer curls with EZ bar 3x21
Lying leg raises 4x failure
Crunches 4x failure

Day 3 - Abs
Crunches 4x failure
Rope crunches 4x failure

Day 4 - Metabolic Workout
*Complete 20 reps each for 1 Giant set, rest, and repeat for 5 sets.
*Warmup: 10 minutes skipping
Lat pull down
Cable row
Leg press
Leg extension
Shoulder press
Side lateral raise
Pushups
Hamstring curl
Hanging leg raise
Weighted ab crunch
Skipping (3 min)

Day 5 - Shoulders
Db shoulder press 10x10
Db side laterals 6x6 (heavy)
Front db laterals 5x12-15
Db side laterals 4x12-15
Upright rows 6x6 (heavy)
Tricep push downs 4x12-15
U-handle reverse push downs 4x12-15
Db close grip press 4x failure (heavy)

Day 6 - Back
Bent over rows 10x10
Straight bar pull-overs 6x6
Dumbbell rows 6x6
Cable rows 4x12-15
Hammer high rows 4x12-15
Shock set
Bent over rows 2x failure
Rope crunches 5x failure

Day 7 - 35 min cardio

Day 8 - Metabolic Workout

Day 9 - Rest

*60 minutes cardio every morning on an empty stomach
*40 minutes cardio following each workout
*Yoga 1x per week
*Stretching every day 10-15 minutes

So there you have it - that's what my body's been doing the past few weeks, and will be doing for a couple weeks to come.

I hope you're all having as much FUN (yes, I said FUN!) with your fitness :)

Progress: 5 weeks out!

2011-09-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

I've got lots and lots of pictures for you today!!! First up, progress pictures for this week:

No baby oil this week. I hadn't eaten breakfast yet by this point, and I was too hungry to bother mucking around with the stuff. My tan is also fading.... so sad :( I've decided not to do the tanning beds before the show because, frankly, I don't have the money for it lol. But I'm also hoping that the Pro Tan will be enough. Seems silly to risk cancer for something I can fix with an extra coat of paint!

Next, I thought I'd re-take my posing pictures. Jason and I went through my poses a couple days ago via FaceTime (like Skype), and made some ~~changes~~ improvements. It's still a work in progress (gotta loosen up those hands a bit), but I think it's looking better already! Though, being in better "posing attire" helps ;)

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

I didn't post a Front Pose picture before, but trust me, this is an improvement!

You can't see it here, but I was SWEATING going through these poses. My back has been so stiff this week from all of the twisting and unnatural contorting. But, the more it hurts now, the less it'll hurt later! I've made a mental note to spend more time doing spinal twists and stretches every day.

My diet changed, starting today. It's essentially the same as my previous diet, just a little less of everything (calories decreased from about 1,400 to 1,100). I'm also making a mental note to drink A LOT more water - no empty water glasses!

Aside from that, things are going well. I still haven't figured out the digestion thing, but I've resigned myself to just dealing with it for whatever time is remaining. This weekend is my University's homecoming, and while I won't be able to partake in any of the drinking of beer and eating of poutine (classic college combo), I'm very excited to go "home" and see everybody.

Does running around after drunken friends count as cardio??

Fighting "The Bloat"

2011-09-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

I know I've complained about this before, but sadly I haven't seen the end of my bowel movement troubles.

I'm not sure what's wrong. What I believe to be some of the possible causes are:
-lack of fibre
-lack of oils
-problem with the supplements
-coffee turning on me
-other

I get tons of sleep and drink ridiculous amounts of water, so I've ruled those out. I've also ruled out any sensitivities to food, as it's mostly just meat, vegetables, and oats at this point, and I've never had issues with any of that.

What I do know is this: it feels awful :( I'm not sleeping at night because I'm so uncomfortable; my skin is breaking out; I have constant gas which seems to get worse in the evenings; I get horrible horrible acid reflux during my afternoon workout and cardio; I just feel generally sluggish and yucky.

I hate for this to be a "downer" of a post, but this is the issue I've been living with lately and it's kind of getting me down. I wonder if a lack of bowel movements hinders weight loss....? I mean, you can't lose weight if you're not drinking enough fluids to wash it out, so can't the same be true for #2? Either way, having all those toxins sitting and stewing in your system for days on end CAN'T be good for you.

The real problem is that, being only 6 weeks from the show, I can't manipulate my diet to find and fix the problem. I'd tried taking Metamucil but that backfired BADLY and just made things 5x worse. I suppose I could drink Senna tea, but I like to stay away from laxatives if I can; call me crazy, but I believe I'm entitled to natural bowel movements, darn it!

So where does that leave me?

Well, I'm still including ground flaxseed in my morning oat bran. I'd read somewhere that you should pour boiling water over the flaxseed, let it sit for 20 minutes, strain off the flax, then mix in Apple Cider Vinegar with the flax liquid. Apart from that, I can try cutting out my coffee, doing some yoga poses that help with digestion, look up some accupressure points, or try changing my supplement brands.

I know you're all DYING to know how this story ends for me, so I'll be sure to keep you posted with this developing issue lol. Yes yes, you're welcome :)

6 Weeks Out!

2011-09-16T09:04:00.000-07:00

Omigosh, is it really only 6 weeks away already? And it's mid-September? And I have to dig out my mittens?? Wowza... that was fast.

Alright, here's what we've got for today:

September 16th, 2011, 126.5lbs

I have to be super super super strict from here on out. In the words of my trainer: "If it's not on your meal plan, it doesn't go in your mouth!" Can't get much more clear than that, eh? ;)

I've been trying to decide whether or not I should do the tanning bed thing in preparation for this show. I've never been one to use them (the risk of cancer just doesn't seem worth it!) but I'm wondering if it'll make a difference on-stage. And isn't it something I can fix with an extra layer of Pro Tan? Anyone with insight into this, please feel welcome to share your knowledge!!

Posing Suit Brainstorm

2011-09-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

I had my first appointment with Joan of Daydreams Fitness Wear today to design my posing suits :) I have worked with Joan three times now, and both times before this she would ask me "do you have anything in mind for your suits?" and I would reply "uh, no.... whatever you think is good?" Well, third time's a charm I guess, because I went in today with not only some ideas but some sketches of suits I'd conjured up (with the help of my talented and creative sisters). I had two themes: volcano and tree.

Me, contemplating the sun rise over Haleakela (dormant volcano) in Maui

My sister, Rachel, and I got matching tree tattoos while in BC

I was so inspired by the volcano we visited in Hawaii that I just had to incorporate it somehow into this competition. And of course, being the tree-hugging fanatic that I am, I also wanted to include them too. My sisters and I brainstormed ideas while we were on vacation. Here's the culmination of what we came up with:

You can't see it here, but I actually even went over some of these images with glitter glue!! John said I looked like a kid doing art homework.

Some of these colors are a bit more vibrant than is intended, but I had limited crayons :)

So many options.....

.....it's like picking a favorite dessert: Impossible!

I've decided to wear my hair red for the show so I used autumnal colors for the trees; that way my hair will match both suits.

Now, I'm not going to tell you which two we decided to go with (1 figure, 1 fitness model), but I can assure you they're going to look original and AMAZING! Joan is a talented lady. I'm so excited to see my brainchildren materialize :)

For any newbies out there who are trying to decide whether to order your suits online or get them custom made, I highly recommend the latter. Assuming your suit-maker is someone as awesome as Joan, the prices will be more than comparable (I've seen used suits online go for $900. I can tell you right now that I've paid less than half of that.). You will also ensure a perfect fit for your body - considerations being made for your "strong" and "weak" body parts. And finally, you will have some creative input into the design of the suit you will need to ROCK onstage. I believe that it's easier to feel confident (and thus exude more confidence) when you really love what you're wearing.

Anyone who's interested in checking out Joan's work, follow the link to her website and Facebook page below. I promise you will not be disappointed!

Website ----> http://daydreamsfitnesswear.com/Site_2/Home.html
Facebook ---->https://www.facebook.com/pages/Daydreams-Fitness-Wear-and-Bikinis/112010875486952?ref=ts

My next fitting is in two weeks; stay tuned for a (possible) sneak peak!

Hi Mom!

2011-09-13T18:40:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give a quick shout-out to my mom, who has just recently started reading my blog. Love you!

Hi Mom!

What a Poser

2011-09-12T16:34:00.000-07:00

Since I'm a mere 46 days away from the competition, I decided to start practicing my posing today. Now, admittedly, I generally strike a pose or two in the mirror every day in the bathroom mirror (admit it, you do too!) but these sessions are a little bit more structured than that ;) My gym has a big yoga studio with great lighting that is seldom occupied, so I like to make use of that following my workouts when my muscles are pumped up and sweaty!

Last year I only learned the poses about 5 weeks out and only really started practicing them seriously at the 3 week mark. I thought that my posing on show day was fine. Sidenote: it seemed CRAZY to me how many girls had not only not practiced their poses at all, but didn't even know which poses they were expected to do! Honestly, if you're going to spend 12+ weeks training and dieting, you can spend at least 10 minutes looking up the federation's posing requirements. Sheesh! Anyways, I was happy enough with my posing, but there's always room for improvement, which is why I'm starting to practice 7 weeks out this time.

I'm starting with 2x 10 minute sessions and will increase the time by a few minutes weekly. I go through all of the mandatory poses for both the figure and fitness model class twice, then go back to those poses I felt were weak, paying special attention to my Relaxed pose, as this is the one I'll spend the most time in on-stage. I'll start preparing my T-walk in a few weeks.

Here are the poses I'll be doing (with the exception of the Front pose, which was just too embarrassingly bad to post!). The front, back, and relaxed pose are the same for both categories (although the judges want you to flex a bit less for the fitness model, as they're supposed to be a bit smoother in appearance), so the only really major difference between the two is in the Side pose (notice arms are flared out to make the upper body look bigger!).

Relaxed: Gotta bring my left shoulder down a bit (that's always a problem for me) and flex my abs some more.

Fitness Model Side: looks pretty good, I think :)

Back: Could be flexing my calves and flaring my lats a bit more, but overall it's ok.

Figure Side: Gotta bring the left shoulder down so that it's a downward slope from right to left.

I'm meeting with my trainer on Thanksgiving weekend to go over my poses and stage presence, at which point I'm sure he'll make quite a few changes and tweaks (everybody's posing looks a little bit different in order to enhance one's individual strengths and minimize weaknesses), but by starting now I'll at least have built up my stamina.

Honestly, you'd be amazed at how difficult posing is. Try contorting your body into the most uncomfortable position imaginable, flex every single muscle in your body, and hold that for 3 minutes straight. Do that 4-12 more times. Feeling winded yet? I swear, it's a workout in and of itself. And if your body's not used to it, you can have serious cramping and fatigue on-stage (especially when you throw in carb and water depletion). So, the earlier I start the better prepared my muscles will be for the big day :)

7 weeks out

2011-09-11T05:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been a while since I've posted progress pics. What can I say - I got busy vacationing!

Feedback from my trainer was that my back, quads, and abs are looking good, but hamstrings and gluteus need work (story of my LIFE!). New workout program starts in the next couple days, and new diet by end of next week.

In general I guess I'm pretty happy. Lol wow, can't contain that excitement, eh? Ok, I feel GREAT about all my new muscle, I'm happy with how my body is taking shape, and I'm confident that my presentation will be better this year (hair, makeup, suit, tan). But I'd really really like to super lean, like, yesterday! I'm anxious that I'm running out of time. Trainer seems to think it's possible, and I have absolute faith in his expertise, but I worry.....

Guess I've gotta just dig deep and work hard for the next 7 weeks! Worse comes to worst, I'll delay 'til spring and will be that much better prepared for it :)

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Landmark

2011-09-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

I had a great moment of realization and reflection this morning. I went for a run (my leg is on the mend, so I'm running for longer periods these days) and had to stop around 45 minutes (rounded out my 60 minutes on the stationary bike at home). But I didn't stop because my heart couldn't take it, or my body was too weak - I had to stop because I'm trying to be cautious with my leg and not push it too much.

Anyways, this is big because it was only 4 years ago that I could barely make it around a basketball court without feeling exhausted and winded. I remember when I first started running (if you can even call it that), my then boyfriend had told me that if I did any less than 20 minutes, there was no point at all to cardio (of course, that turned out to be not entirely true as even a bit of cardio is better than none at all!). I remember being completely devastated because at the time I could barely manage 5 minutes, and scared because I could not comprehend how ANYBODY could run for any longer than that. However, it did put things into perspective for me, and gave me a goal to work towards.

For the next few years I slowly built up my endurance, one minute at a time. I ran for only 5 minutes until I felt comfortable enough to increase my time to 6. Then 7. Then 10. Sometimes it took days, sometimes it took months.

Two years later, I hit the 20 minute mark - what a great feeling that was! I set a new goal for myself to get to 30 minutes. When I hit 30, I tried for 40. And then, when I finally got to 40 minutes of non-stop running, I discovered that I was in good enough shape to continue running for as long as I needed to. It's like, once you hit your stride, it's easy to just keep going. My only concern now is keeping my legs injury-free.

I'm still a little bit slow; I'm sure my "running" pace is a runner's jog lol. So now that I've worked my way up to the time that I want, perhaps it's time to start working on the speed that I want. I wonder how much faster I can get in 4 years.....

When I came back from my run, there was a couple entering the building. They were winded and sweating, talking about how tough their 15 minute walk had been, but smiling because apparently this had been a great accomplishment for them. I smiled back; everyone's gotta start somewhere!

Travel + Yoga

2011-09-03T22:25:00.000-07:00

So you may recall that I was going on vacation with my family at the end of August. Well, I'm back now and it was WONDERFUL! I had no idea Hawaii was so diverse in landscape! And BC, wow, I kinda want to live there now.

More details about my trip in future posts, but for now I wanted to share some yoga pictures my sisters and I took while vacationing. I have the most beautiful sisters, and we were in the most beautiful places. I think you'll agree that these pictures are total eye candy - enjoy!

Tree pose

Namaste

Meditation

Mountain pose

Warrior Two

Dancer pose

Twisting Prayer pose

Seated spinal twist

Shoulder stand

Sun salutation

Star pose

Revolved Triangle pose

Bridge pose

Crow pose

Lying spinal twist

Upward Dog

Downward Dog

Pigeon pose

Child's pose

Progress Pics: 11 weeks out

2011-08-15T05:25:00.000-07:00

Today marks 11 weeks out, and I finally feel like I'm making steady, significant progress. I actually feel as though I'll not only be ready in time, but will actually be able to bring a better package to the stage this year.

For the select few of you who've been reading my blog since January, you may recall that I had attempted a contest prep this past winter and had posted comparison pictures of myself at 11 weeks then as well.

Below are three sets of pictures (I can't add captions without screwing up the format, so this'll have to do). All three were taken at 11 weeks out; the first was taken today (08/15/11, 124lbs), the second was this winter (03/01/11, 125lbs), and the third was last year (08/16/10, 119lbs).

It's so interesting to see the changes in my body through each contest prep. For example, I am roughly the same weight today as I was in March, yet my composition is so obviously different. I was technically leaner by this point last year (or at least, weighed less), but my conditioning is better this time around, and I've clearly put on a few good pounds of muscle. There are a few things I think this can be attributed to:

1) After the show in October I made a big effort to gain some muscle mass. I lifted heavy and ate a lot (ok, maybe ate a bit too much. Who knew gaining the weight back would be so easy?!). And while yes, I did put on too much fat, I know I made some good muscular gains as well, especially in my quads.

2) The workouts Jay has me doing are much more intense than the ones I was doing last year and winter; I'm lifting heavier and incorporating more shock techniques (supersets, drop sets, rest-pause, negatives, etc.). I'm doing more than double the cardio this time around, and of course the concern is always that doing too much will result in muscle loss. But that doesn't seem to be a problem.

3) All of the supplements! I didn't take things like Creatine or BCAA's last year and I'm beginning to believe that those money suckers really do work.....

So all-in-all, I'm not sure if it's because I've put on more muscle, or because I'm holding on to muscle better, but I'm feeling much more solid this time. The other day I was doing something and randomly ran my hand along my tricep - it wasn't even flexed and it felt super hard! I was so excited I made Tanya touch it too haha. I can already tell that my legs are going to look better, which just makes me smile :D

On another note, I'm going to Hawaii and BC for almost two weeks starting this Saturday with my mom and sisters :) I know it's going to be challenging to get all of my workouts in (particularly the cardio), so I'm going to really kick things into high gear this week in anticipation of that. Plus, an extra pound of fat loss would be nice for the beach ;)

Thankful For the Support

2011-08-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

I've been reading some other competitors' blogs recently, and it seems that a great majority - especially of first-time competitors - face some very harsh criticisms, doubts, and general bad attitudes towards what they are doing. People tell them it's vain to do this, or they'll never succeed because of so-and-so (breasts too small, weigh too much, too short, etc.), or that it's a waste of time.

Now admittedly, many of my friends and family were surprised when I first told them I was interested in entering fitness competitions. Some were concerned that I had ambitions of getting big and ripped like professional female bodybuilders. Some had concerns about the diet being so restrictive. And some were worried that I was taking on too much.

But all asked questions, and kept an open mind. And after answering their questions and addressing their concerns, I'm happy to say that every single person in my life has supported me through this journey.

Nobody has ever told me I can't do it..... nobody would ever dare ;)

Maybe it's because I've always surrounded myself with people with "Can Do" attitudes; complainers, blamers, nay-sayers, doubters, lazy-butts, and pessimists have no space in my life. I'd rather be around those who are ever changing, always looking for the next challenge, aspiring, goal-setting, overcoming, and broadening their interests. Not everybody wants to be a rockstar, but they all have a drive to always improve something in their lives - to never be stagnant.

Maybe it's because they know there's no changing my mind. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. They see how much I want this and how much I love it, and while they maybe don't understand or share in my figure pro ambitions, they do respect my personal space enough not to rain on my parade.

Either way, I am thankful. I'm thankful that my family understands that while we're on vacation, I need to make time to work out. I'm thankful that my friends do whatever they can to accommodate my diet when we visit. I'm thankful that my boyfriend doesn't laugh when I practice my poses in our bathroom mirror. And I'm thankful for all of the positive messages, comments, emails, and words of encouragement that I've received through this blog. Even without all that, I would and could do this all on my own. But my goodness, how much easier and more pleasant this process is when you have a great support!

To all you competitors out there who either don't have the luxury of a support system, or who face those ugly criticisms from people who cannot and will not ever understand our life, our dreams, and our passion..... screw the nay-sayers! Know that there's a whole world of people out there who DO understand and who DO support you, and we think you're doing GREAT!!

"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

"A great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."

-Walter Bagehot

Tess and Tanya Date Day Extraordinaire

2011-08-11T22:14:00.000-07:00

Today my oldest and bestest friend came over for a full day of fun :D Tanya and I love doing lots of the same things - cooking, eating, walking, shopping, dancing, laughing, eating, getting dolled up, watching tv, doing yoga, eating..... and when you pack all of those activities into the same day, well, that's what we call a "Tess and Tanya Date Day Extraordinaire"!

She arrived early this morning (after I'd done my A.M. cardio, of course) and we headed right off to Forrest Yoga.

Off I go!

We then headed to the mall and the market to do some shopping for necessities:

Makeup.....

What do you think? This lipstick is called Lady Danger by MAC.

.... and food! Thankfully I live just steps away from the Ottawa Byward Market. The vendors are out all year, changing their products seasonally. Both Tanya and I love to poke around and see what's out, and we're never disappointed.

The Ottawa Byward Market

Beautiful sight

We picked up some fish for dinner....

.... and stopped in at the bakery too. Don't worry, I didn't indulge. But do you see what I had to contend with??

After we got back it was time for Cardio Round 2 for me, so out I went, and I dragged my dog, Zuhri, with me.

Don't be fooled by his innocent puppy eyes. This dog comes up to my waist, weighs 100lbs (of pure muscle), and has the stamina of a horse. He kept up juuuuuuust fine.

Zuhri, post-run. What a wuss.

At this point I desperately needed a little rest, so we did our nails and sipped tea :D

Not long after though we were right back at 'er, cooking dinner for the boys (her hubby Dave, and John).

Oh, look who's up and begging. Always hungry, that one. Takes after mamma!

Even company eats healthy at Chez Tess! Straight from the pages of Clean Eating Magazine: Tilapia on a bed of greens with blueberries, garlic, and dill. We served this up with some sweet potato fries. I skipped the blueberries and fries, but it was still delicious! See, simple is beautiful, not boring!

After dinner we wound down with a game of Phase 10, and some home-made Chocolate Banana Bread. Again, from the pages of Clean Eating magazine.

This luscious cake was made with applesauce, ground flaxseed, gluten-free flour, honey (no refined sugar), and egg whites. If you wanted a completely refined-sugar free version, you could use carob chips instead of chocolate chips, or omit altogether. I'm told it was very moist, and was apparently delicious since this is all that remains!!

And that's the kind of day it's been. Miss you already hun xoxo

These blue and yellow purple pills

2011-08-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

I am a walking pharmacy.

Seriously, what do you need - vitamins? Energy boosters? Sleeping aids? Allergy pills? Hormone therapy?

My one-stop-supplement-shop. This is also my motivational wall. Trophies, bikini, and pics (with notes and scribbles on areas of improvement) from last comp.

The breakfast club

Sometimes I feel as though I could make an entire meal out of all my pills and supplements!

Now, I shouldn't complain because each and every supplement has a purpose and a place in my program. Vitamins keep me healthy; BCAA's help my body recover after workouts; Melatonin gives me the most lovely sleeps; and Metamucil keeps me regular!

But honestly, I can hardly wait for the day where all of my vitamins, minerals, and anything else my body needs comes from traditional, plain old, whole, natural (maybe organic), delicious FOOD!

Pain in the a**

2011-08-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

..... literally!!

Well, I've come to the end of my butt-kicking two week program. I knew within the first 2 exercises on the first day that it was going to be a rough couple of weeks. I've experienced stiffness, soreness, tightness, fatigue, discomfort, and any other pain-related synonym in my legs and gluteus, but in a sick way, I've been loving it. As much as I complain about being sore and stiff, I would rather feel that than nothing at all, because then I know that I've worked hard and results are just around the corner. Mind you, if you were to ask me how I was feeling halfway through one of these workouts, I would probably give you a glare, flare of the nostrils, and walk away murmuring curses.

Here's what I've been doing to my legs the past two weeks:

Day 1
-Weighted Hip Thrusts (to fatigue)
-Forward Falls (to fatigue)
-Single Leg Press (20 reps per leg)
-Cable Kickback (20 reps per leg)

Day 2
-Squats (15 reps)
-Hamstring Curls (20 reps)
-Lunges (20 reps per leg)
-Weighted Hip Thrusts (to fatigue)
-Cable Kickbacks (20 reps per leg)

After both days are done, take a rest day (my "rest days" generally involve lots of walking and Hot Yoga), then start cycle anew.

**Sidenote: The only problem with these workout-related posts is that I don't have many pictures to show you! I can't very well bring a camera into the gym with me, and even if I did it wouldn't be a pretty sight! So I've attached links to videos wherever possible**

Weighted Hip Thrusts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ-42ZrzmrE

Forward Falls

I'd never done these before so went ahead and Googled them. Don't be fooled - they're much much much harder than they look. Especially after doing hip thrusts! Follow the link for an informative video http://freefitnessvideos.com/exercise_detail.php?exerciseID=118

Single Leg Press

I did this on the Incline Leg Press machine

Cable Kickback

Can also be done kneeling (with non-working leg) on a bench placed in front of the machine.

So the end of this workout phase comes with both open arms and sore legs. Though something tells me we're not done abusing them quite yet ;)

Progress pics: 12 weeks out

2011-08-08T10:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, 12 weeks out. Now the fun really begins! I'm still only seeing slight changes in my body week-to-week, but I'm getting more comments/compliments from people (at the gym mostly) than usual, so I take that to mean I'm progressing.

August 8th, 12 weeks out, 125 lbs.

Booya, look at that smooth booty!

I have to admit that losing weight is kind of bittersweet. On the one hand, I love being leaner and more cut, having all my clothes fit again, and like seeing that cellulite slowly melt away. On the other hand, I hate losing some of my "curves". I really do love my booty when it's a bit bigger. And it's totally unfair that I lose weight in my chest too. I mean come on, I'm already a AA for cryin' out loud! How is it possible to get even smaller than that?? Well, I'm not sure how it happens, but it does. So that sucks too.

Random story: I had the worst dream last night that I was two weeks away from the competition and still hadn't organized my posing suits! I was happy to wake up and realize I in fact still have 12 weeks, but it did make me think that I should probably get on that ASAP.

Wanted: New Music!

2011-08-03T20:59:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before that a good playlist is KEY to getting me through a workout. The last couple weeks I've been getting pretty bored of my music, and even when I add any new songs, the excitement wears off quickly as I listen to them repeatedly just for a change in musical scenery. Yup, 4 hours of daily exercise will do that!

If anybody out there has any recommendations for good music I could add, both my workouts and my sanity would be thankful!!

In the meantime, I thought I'd share some of my "Power Songs" - the ones that get me revved up, no fail, every single time. Heck, maybe you'll find something to help spice up your own collection :) Yes, I'm a pretty mainstream kind of gal, so for all you hipster/alternative people.... don't judge!

Avril Lavigne - Smile, What the Hell
Britney Spears - Til the World Ends (current #1)
Chris Brown - Yeah 3x
Katy Perry - Firework, E.T.
Kelly Clarkson - My Life Would Suck Without You
Linkin Park - Breaking the Habit (all-time favourite!), Catalyst, Bleed It Out, Waiting For the End, Blackout, In Pieces
Lady Gaga - Highway Unicorn, Edge of Glory
The Saturdays - One Shot, Wordshaker, Work
Cobra Starship - You Make Me Feel
My Chemical Romance - Sing, Black Parade, The Sharpest Lives
Kelly Rowland - Commander
Usher - More
Rage Against the Machine - Killing In the Name, Testify
Korn - Get Up
Nightwish - Bye Bye Beautiful, Master Passion Greed, Amaranth, 7 Days To the Wolves
Nicki Minaj - Super Bass

Of course, there's a whole other playlist to help me unwind after I've gotten myself pumped up. But that's for another day and another post ;)

New program

2011-07-28T05:49:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! Yesterday I started a whole new diet, workout, and supplementation plan.

During my last contest prep, I changed diets every month or so, and my workouts only changed 3 times in total; Jason has already changed my diet 5 times, and workouts 4 times. His theory is that the body is constantly changing, and we need to adapt our strategy based on how it's doing each week. This is just fine by me! I love the change as it keeps things fresh both physically and mentally.

I'll give you a little sneak peak of the diet:

Meal 1 - Egg whites & oat bran

And of course, black coffee. Always coffee.....

Meal 2 - Chicken & puffed quinoa

I can't believe I'd never heard of puffed quinoa before! What a great breakfast cereal or baking tool it would make. I had mine with some cinnamon and water.

Meal 3 - Tilapia & sweet potatoes

Do you like how I put everyhing on small plates to make it look bigger?

Meal 4 - Chicken & asparagus

Oops, almost didn't make it in time! That little splotch is mustard.

Meal 5 - Tilapia, green beans, and cucumber

Plus one huge glass of Perrier

Meal 6 - Egg whites & avocado

With some salt, pepper, chili flakes, and cilantro

The workouts are full-body, but with an obvious and intentional focus on my legs (specifically, my hamstrings and glutes - they need some work!!). 2 days on/1 day off. More on this once I've done each workout.

Supplements are mostly the same as before, but with the addition of DIM (diindolylmethane) which, according to the internet, aids in immune system functions, has possible linkages to cancer prevention, and improves metabolism. Should be interesting.

Happy Thursday everyone.... almost the long weekend!

In my kitchen

2011-07-27T05:55:00.000-07:00

John and I have always been thankful that we have very similar eating habits. Outside of dieting, we both eat fairly clean about 80% of the time, and are perfectly able to enjoy food in its simplest form (S&P can go a long way). However, we also both have adventurous palates and will try anything once... or twice, just in case ;) I love to cook and try new recipes, and he's a willing Guinea pig!

Here's a look at what we keep in our kitchen.....

Berries, salsa, rice, and tupperware full of pre-cooked meat. Though usually the entire top shelf is stacked with tupperware. I wonder where all the meat is......

..... ah, that explains it. Fish, chicken, and turkey bacon waiting to be cooked. Sidenote: Turkey bacon is sooooo good! I can't understand why anybody would use the regular stuff. 35 calories per piece vs. 115? No-brainer there.

Water, juice, and EGGS!! Omg, we'll easily go through all these eggs in just a matter of days. Even our dog gets in on the action by polishing off our leftover yolks.

Lots of vegetables. Broccoli, lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, asparagus, peppers, onion, and carrots are the staples. Guest appearances by beans, brussels sprouts, eggplant, tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, and fiddle-heads.

A couple fruits, oils, and vinegars. Usually there are a few sweet potatoes kicking around the counter-tops as well.

Whole wheat bread, nuts (again, we could go through these nuts in a week) and OATS! You remember I told you I love oatmeal? John loves it just as much as I do. We had to start buying our oatmeal, nuts, and eggs at Costco because we were going through so much lol.

We also buy most of our meat at Costco. Salmon, chicken, ground turkey, and tilapia. Yes, those are some frozen bananas in the corner, just waiting to be turned into "ice cream" or banana bread.

Lots and lots of tea, coffee, and some baking staples. Hey, just because I can't eat the baked goods doesn't mean I don't like to make them!

Beans, soups, grains, spices, nut butters, dried fruit, and canned vegetables.

And finally, the "junk" cabinet: popcorn, cereal, crackers, whole wheat tortilla chips, granola and protein bars. Told you we don't eat much junk!

Well, I'm off to the grocery store. That fridge is looking pretty bare.

Craving Du Jour

2011-07-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

Now, I know this is a fitness blog, and I should only be putting out healthy, diet-friendly recipes..... but sometimes your brain and stomach just want sugar. Crappy, junky, fatty, SUGAR. Stupid me went looking at pictures of desserts this morning and now they're all I can think about. These were only a few of the images that got my stomach rumbling:

Special K cookies

Belgian chocolate brownies

Cake, oreos, and brownie batter

Lemon cookies

Some kind of delicious layered pancakes. Gluten-free, but still sinful!

Peanut butter cups.... my all-time favourite!

Protein bars like I've never seen before. I question how much protein is really in these things.

Pumpkin cinnamon roll

S'mores

Cheesecake somethingorother

I feel fatter just looking at them. But in all honesty, I will probably try at least 3 of them within the first few days after the competition. 95 days, 95 days, 95 days.....

Progress pics: 14 weeks out

2011-07-25T07:22:00.000-07:00

Oops, last week I said I was 16 weeks out, but was in fact 15 weeks.

Here's my pic from this morning:

14 weeks, 126 lbs

For fun, I thought I'd also post a picture of me at 14 weeks out this time last year.

July 26th 2010. 14 weeks out, 122.5 lbs

Although I was nearly 4 lbs lighter then, I have more muscle and less fat this time around (look at those hips and upper legs!). With the help of a body fat test, I estimate that I've put on about 5 lbs of muscle in the last year, which hopefully will translate well on-stage :)

In other news, (DISCLAIMER! If you are squeamish about bodily functions or are one of those guys who still believes women don't poop, stop reading now!!) I've been taking Metamucil the last few weeks to help me, er, get things moving again (going from 25+ grams of fibre per day to less than half that does have its consequences) but I've also been getting horrible acid reflux in the evenings! I'm wondering if the two are correlated, or if it's just an unfortunate coincidence. Has anybody out there ever taken a fibre supplement? What do you recommend?

Also, I've been getting up much earlier the last few days, and I'm happy to report it's going well! I'd almost forgotten how much I enjoy mornings :)

Burn, baby, burn!

2011-07-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

It seems to me there are two kinds of exhaustion: The kind where you're attempting to lift a heavy weight and your muscle just doesn't seem to want to do it, and the kind where you've done so many reps your muscles start to burn. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the former; I get discouraged because my mind wants to push through but my body doesn't feel strong enough to do it. I relish, however, in the latter of the two. There's nothing more satisfying than finishing a set and feeling like your body's on fire. I understand that both of these evils are necessary in a progressive program (can't get stronger if you don't lift heavier!), but I just enjoy those burning workouts so much more and feel so accomplished when I've finished them.

Which is why I've been loving my workouts this past week! Jason has me doing a high-rep approach, and lemme tell you, my body hasn't been this sore in ages!! Generally one would start with a compound movement then finish with isolation exercises in order to save the strength of the smaller muscle. This program has me doing the opposite.

Using Chest as an example, a typical workout looks like this:
4 sets x 30 reps (Pec Dec)
4 sets x 20 reps (Decline dumbbell flyes)
4 sets x 10 reps (Incline dumbbell flyes)
4 sets x 5 reps (Bench Press)

I'd never done 30 reps of anything (except for abs) before, and I'll tell ya, 30 reps of any exercise will make even 5 lbs feels like lead!!

So now I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that my pictures will reflect how my body feels this week - tight, hot, and AMAZING!

Childhood Obesity - Intervention Necessary?

2011-07-22T21:12:00.000-07:00

I read an article today about how children who are dangerously (like, life-threateningly) obese should be temporarily removed from the care of their parents. Personally, I agree.

What do you think?

/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/new-health/andre-picard/when-a-childs-obesity-is-life-threatening-we-should-intervene/article2104131/page1/

Schedule affecting training?

2011-07-21T18:51:00.000-07:00

I had another one of those days today where I was just not motivated to work out. Correction: I wasn't unmotivated, I just plain wasn't in the mood! I barely made it through my morning cardio and begrudgingly finished my leg workout. I can barely remember my afternoon cardio, except that I couldn't wait for it to end.

Instead of finishing my workout with my regular stretching, I decided to do a little mental check-in. I went to the yoga room in the gym, shut the lights, and layed on the cool, bare floor (there's a heat wave going through Ottawa right now and lemme tell ya, that floor felt divine!). I did a full-body scan: Am I tired? No, I slept 8 hours last night. Am I exhausted from the workout? No, the leg workout was actually pretty awesome! Am I hungry? Trick question. Am I achy? Only in my arms, but that shouldn't have affected this workout. Am I dizzy, nauseous, gassy, or dehydrated? No, no, no, and no. Ok, with that out of the way, I turned inwards: Am I sad? No. Feeling weak? No. Self-conscious? Definitely no.... I'm lookin' gooooood these days!! Am I stressed? YES! There it is! But why?

I accidentally slept in a whole hour this morning, and I had alot to get done today. I watched the clock through my entire AM cardio, knowing I was running late. I rushed through my breakfast (the meal I generally eat very slowly on account of me loving breakfast soooo much!), shot out a couple emails, ate again, then went straight to the gym. I generally like to take at least 5 hours between workouts (enough time for 3 meals and a shower), and today I only got about 3 (I was meeting a friend later on, which is why the time crunch). Not only is that alot of activity to fit into a couple hours, but I also HATE being rushed; I get antsy and frustrated, and once I'm in that mood it all seems to go even more downhill. Time pressure has a weird way of messing with my head.

I realized that I've been feeling like that alot lately, which is surprising because I'm currently unemployed!! I like to get up late, but I also like to hit the gym early, before the 4pm rush hits. So what to do?

I'm going to try and start waking up several hours earlier. My body's natural rhythm is to go to sleep at 1am and wake up at 10am. 9 hours of sleep, to the minute, no fail. However, having worked at a government job for the last few years, I'd also gotten used to waking up as early as 4:30am. With that in mind, I'm going to aim to rise at 6am for the next little while. That'll give me plenty of time between workouts, will allow me to get to the gym early, and will even mean I can catch part of the sunrise :) We'll see if this solves the problem of the stress.

It's nearing 10pm so I guess I should turn in. The only thing that sucks about waking up early, is going to bed early.... it may be a rough morning tomorrow :S

6 Calorie-Free Ways to Liven Up Your Oatmeal

2011-07-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

I love oatmeal. Even without the diet, I usually eat it 5/7 days per week. I love the texture, the warmth, the versatility, the nutritional content, I love the.... erm... regularity it provides my body. During non-contest prep months, I can easily add some honey, fruit, nuts, or yogurt to my bowl to change things up now and then (Sidenote: my favourite mix of all time is a bit of milk, cinnamon, chopped almonds, and stewed prunes..... yummmm!!!). But these days, I need to be a bit more creative so I can keep to my calorie count. For anyone else in the same boat, or just looking to liven things up in the breakfast category, here are a couple ideas:

1a. Tea bags - When your water starts boiling, throw a tea bag in there for just a few minutes before adding your oats. It gives a subtle flavour. My favourite is Chai.

1b. And for that matter, why not try coffee? I know, I know... sounds crazy. Just try it. Add a bit to your oatmeal after it's done cooking.

2. Sweetener - Ever heard of Stevia? Dieters have been using aspartame-based sugar substitutes like Equal and Sweet 'n Low for years, but we all know how sketchy those chemicals can be. Personally, I find that if I use more than 2 packs of those sweeteners in a day, my stomach feels weird. Stevia is the perfect solution here! It's plant based, totally natural, and calorie-free! It does have a different taste than regular sugar, so takes some getting used to. But otherwise, it's a no-brainer for the health-conscious dieter :)

3. Spices - Pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and allspice all work nicely.

4. Extracts - All kinds of them! Banana, almond, vanilla, coconut, peppermint, orange, rum..... just add a few drops of one, or mix a few to make a new taste! How about banana-rum oatmeal?

5. Change your oats - When you think of oatmeal, you probably think of the regular old-fashioned instant ones, like in the Quaker packages, right? But there's a whole other world of oats out there! Try rolled oats (similar to instant, but heartier), steel cut oats, and oat bran. Or, if you want to get even more adventurous, why not try other breakfast grains like quinoa, Red River, cream of wheat, or even wild/brown/arborio/long grain rice?

6. Pre-toasting - You know how nuts taste really great when you toast them? Same concept here. Bake your oats for a couple minutes until golden (not burnt) before cooking as usual. I've only tried this a couple times, and I like it best when I've cooked most of the oatmeal regularly, then topped it with some toasted oats.

Enjoy!!

My morning oat bran (1/4 cup, extra runny) with cinnamon, stevia, and vanilla.

Progress pics: 16 weeks out

2011-07-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been officially training for 7 weeks now so it's probably time I posted some progress pics!!

My heaviest weight was 140lbs, but I managed to lose 2lbs before starting on with Pro Revolution (www.prorevolution.com) on May 23rd.

Here is me at 23 weeks out, and 138 lbs

22 weeks out and 135 lbs

21 weeks, 133 lbs

19 weeks and still 133 lbs

18 weeks, 130 lbs

17 weeks, 128 lbs

Today, at 16 weeks and 127 lbs

So 11 lbs in 8 weeks..... not too shabby. I'd like some more, but I have to keep reminding myself that 11 lbs on a fit and small frame (I'm 5'4") is still significant. Already my abs are looking much better than last year (I only started seeing them at 10 weeks out), and apparently my photo-taking skills have greatly improved since May lol. I've also learned that applying some baby oil before taking my pics helps me to see the definition in my muscles better, much like on-stage ;) Can't wait to see what the next couple weeks bring!

Learning the biz - IDFA Ottawa show

2011-07-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

When it comes to fitness competitions, I've seen the production from the spectator side, and from the competitor side. But I wanted more than that - I wanted the full experience. So I decided to volunteer for the IDFA Ottawa show yesterday so that I could see things from the organizer's side of things.

I arrived just after 8am and hit the ground running. I was in charge of the registration booth, which meant setting it all up, making sure all the competitor information packages were complete, then greeting the athletes and assigning them their numbers, etc. I've always considered myself a bubbly, friendly person, so I enjoyed this part of the day as it allowed me to interact with the athletes. And I like to think they appreciated getting a big smile to start off their long grueling day!

In the evening I was asked to be the "corral" person, meaning I would be the one down in the trenches with the athletes, calling out their categories, rounding people up, and making sure everybody got to the stage on-time.

Let me tell you, it was chaos back there!! Tanning product, hairspray, and Pam created a permanent haze in the change rooms. Competitors were pumping up with their coaches in any open space they could find. Girls were running around topless and getting their bottoms slathered with bikini bite by strangers, and the guys.... well, the guys were doing that too lol.

Let me tell you something else: gathering a group of people who are tired, hungry, water-depleted, and hyped up on sugar (and in some cases, alcohol) is NOT EASY; they're basically just very tanned posing zombies by that point. There were always last-minute makeup touch-ups to be done, shoes going missing, outfits needing quick changing and adjusting, and people were scattered throughout the building's hallways/change rooms/wash rooms/stage/auditorium, all of which contributed further to the difficulty of rounding people up.

But let me tell you one more thing: I had so much fun! I loved being right in the centre of all the excitement, getting to see seasoned pro's going through their rituals, and novices learning their way for the first time. It's so inspiring to hear the stories of women who'd had children, gained weight, then worked so hard to get back in shape. Or the men who have been painstakingly perfecting their physiques for years. I loved that almost everybody there was so happy and friendly. I loved seeing girls make new friends through this common experience, despite being one another's "competition". The more I'm exposed to the bodybuilding industry, the more I see that it's a tight-knit group of people who truly are all committed to elevating everyone around them.

Yesterday gave me almost a second wind in terms of contest prep. Not that I've been slowing down too much over the last few weeks, but it was a great reminder of why I do hour upon hour of cardio every day, why I pass up social gatherings in favour of getting a good night's sleep, and why I cannot eat a cheeseburger for another 3.5 months when I'll be the one going out for a post-competition celebration meal!

Congrats to all the competitors! Next time we meet though, it'll be on-stage ;)

Daily Creation: Fruit cobbler oatmeal

2011-07-15T09:55:00.000-07:00

After staying up all night last night to watch the new Harry Potter movie, I decided to put my sleeplessness to good use and make John some breakfast. I had some extra steel cut oats kicking around and wanted to use them up. I cooked them as usual (I like to make 'em thick, so cooked for about 40 minutes, adding water every now and then) then added the following:
-Peaches, coarsely chopped
-Blackberries, whole
-Nutmeg and Cinnamon
-Honey, just a drizzle
-Raisins
-and my secret ingredients: Triple Berry jam, Apple jelly, and Coconut butter (a couple teaspoons of each)

I've found that the jam adds flavour and sweetness without the bulk of actual fruit or the extra water of juice, and the coconut butter (sheer genius) made it incredibly creamy. Plus, John loves coconut, so I try to incorporate it whenever I can :) The cinnamon and nutmeg gave it that "cobbler" flavour. You could also add nuts if you so wanted, and I think dried dates would have been amaaaaazing. I served it up with some boiled eggs to round out a complete meal.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to eat a bowl of this along with him.... I taste-tested it along the way, and got the fervent nod of approval from John afterwards. I also forgot to take pics, so I guess I'll just have to make it again in 16 weeks so I can both eat it, and post it!

Craving Du Jour

2011-07-13T20:23:00.000-07:00

1) John's chicken wings. He doesn't batter or fry them, he just slow-cooks them for a couple hours then bakes them for a couple more. The result is a crispy yet juicy, flavourful little nugget of chicken that falls off the bone, relaxes in your mouth, then satisfies your most primal need for meat.

2) Bread and cheese. A whole loaf of french bread in one hand, and a chunk of provolone in the other. Maybe some full red wine to wash it down. Yes, I'm French.

3) A banana, please.

Security in Fitness

2011-07-12T05:08:00.000-07:00

Blame it on the years of karate, or on having a protective-dad-of-six-daughters, but when out and about I am constantly trying to find escape routes and weapons. This is especially true if I'm walking home alone at night, as I'm still slightly afraid of the dark :P I check my shadows, search the area for weapons, look around for other people, and think of where I could run to if I were to be attacked. Paranoid? Sure. But a single gal has got to protect herself!

In times like these, I am always comforted in knowing that my body will do whatever I ask of it, when I ask. I can go from standing still to a full sprint in seconds, keep that pace for 4 minutes, then jog for another 60. I have strength to lift a heavy object and throw or swing it. I'm agile enough to maneuver around objects or people. And my flexibility allows me to kick someone roughly my height directly in the head. These are things about my body that are a given, and I know I can rely on.

This is one of the many benefits of being in-shape: confidence in your body's abilities. And if there's any one good reason I can think of for someone to become physically active, or to push through to that next level of fitness, it would be for their safety.

Train hard, eat well.

Tess

iPod/Nike love

2011-05-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and Ottawa's running culture is out in full force, either training for the Ottawa Race Weekend on May 28th/29th, or just for the joy of being able to run along the Rideau Canal again.

I'm slowly (excruciatingly slow) building myself back up to running 10k again and while I was rummaging through some of my old run stuff, I found this little treasure (see below). I'd forgotten how totally in love I am with the iPod/Nike's running tool. And no, this is not a paid product placement lol. I started using this last year when I first got into running and am putting it to use once again.

What it is is a two-part device. Part 1 is a sensor that attaches to your shoe laces and registers every step you take. Part 2 is a receiver that plugs into your iPod, which interprets the data, then displays your run information on your iPod screen.

You can program it to track your run by distance, time, or calories burned depending on your goal. When I was race training, I used the distance setting so I could first map out a route (it'll let you know when you've reached your desired distance), then track my progress accordingly. It also calculates your total time as well as average MPH, so I would aim to run faster and faster for each given 10k run. Now, my goals have shifted to burning calories. I've been doing 45 minutes of cardio 5x per week, so I use the time setting to track the time elapsed. I can then increase my intensity by trying to increase the distance covered in those 45 minutes.

I love that it monitors milestones like "5 minutes" or "1 km" elapsed, or "half-way point". And if you've had an especially good run, a recording of Lance Armstrong or another famous athlete will come on and tell you "Good job!". At any point, you can check your average pace, time, and distance elapsed. And if you happen to stop running for more than a minute (say you're stuck at a red light), it'll automatically pause the workout for you until it senses you've started running again.

Drawbacks: I've found that the distance measurer can be a little bit off, but I'm sure it was built for an "average" sized person with an "average" stride (I have short little legs). I also found the calorie counter to be a bit off, but I never really trust machines to tell me how many calories I've burned anyways. If anything, I use it to compare one workout to the next, but never as an accurate measure of my caloric expenditure. It's also inconvenient to flip through music (which I do constantly!) while it's in action, so build yourself a good playlist and just let it go.

Happy running!

Reaching my weight (gain) limit

2011-05-04T19:08:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok. I admit I got a little side-tracked there for a while. After deciding not to do the show in May, I went a little crazy with the food, and a little lazy with the workouts. Now, I'm not someone who can go on an all-out fast-food binge-fest for days at a time, but I'll stop monitoring my portion sizes, and throw in some unhealthy meals a couple times per week. I'll never stop going to the gym or doing activity altogether, but I'll scale it back to the bare minimum (2-3 days cardio, 2 workouts). While I may not be eating as poorly as some people, and still working out more than most, it's all relative. Eating desserts 3x a week is more than I'm used to, and 2 weight workouts per week is less than half of what I've been doing for the last 3 years. As an inevitable result, my body has rebounded..... hard! I gained back all the weight I'd lost for the comp, and then added an EXTRA 10LBS! Granted, some of that will be muscle (I've been lifting fairly heavy for the last 6 months), but not 10lbs worth :S

I'm a very self-motivated person when it comes to my health, but I think even the best of us lose our focus or drive (our mojo) every once in a while. I'm not going to look at this as a failure, but rather as a lesson to be learned for next time: go easy on the sweets, keep food simple, and don't neglect the cardio.

So now, the party is over. I feel great (lots of energy, good sex drive, confident, and I've finally got clevage!), but none of my pants are fitting, and it's getting a little frustrating! lol There has to be a point where you say to yourself "alright, that's enough" and make the decision to either stop gaining, or start losing, and I've reached my limit. I feel that any weight gained beyond this will put undue stress onto my body, and will start to make me look chubby (can't have that!). As extra incentive, John and I are going on a cruise in 6 weeks and I want to look GOOOOOD in those Facebook pictures! Therefore, I'm back to eating clean (like, super clean. I mean, no-milk-in-my-coffee-clean) and working out twice per day.

Let's see how much I can get accomplished in the next 6 weeks, shall we? :D Here is a pic of me, taken yesterday, at 140lbs. I'm hoping to get down to at least 130lbs by June 11. Check back next week for progress pics!

Metabolic Cooking

2011-03-30T10:19:00.000-07:00

My nutritionist Dave (and his lovely co-conspirator, Karine) will be releasing their new cookbook in a few days. It's called Metabolic Cooking. I was fortunate enough to be a test subject for their new recipes, and they asked me to do a testimonial for them. Obviously, I was happy to oblige! They did help me lose 30lbs after all! lol You can view my testimonial here:
http://metaboliccooking.com/tess.php

And if you're looking for some healthy tips and recipes* that will help get you in killer shape, I highly recommend you view the rest of their site:
www.metaboliccooking.com

*recipes will be posted after the book is released

Steady State vs HIIT cardio

2011-03-24T17:07:00.000-07:00

In the 80s it became a widely popular concept to do long cardio sessions at moderate intensity, which was thought to be the "fat burning zone". The idea was that the longer one was in the "fat burning zone", the more fat they would lose.

As the occasional sighting of that god-awful big-haired perm will prove, some people are still stuck in the 80s. While there are many benefits to doing long steady-state cardio (it'll still burn calories, and it'll improve your endurance), science is finding more and more evidence to support the High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) techniques for maximum fat loss.

Here is the reasoning: Our bodies are extremely efficient at conserving energy, and are always in search of ways to do so. When you do cardio at the same pace for a given amount of time (say, 15-45 minutes), the body starts to adapt and finds the easiest way to keep on doing that activity while expending the least amount of energy. This means that while you are still burning calories, it is no longer the maximum amount you could be burning. With HIIT however, the idea is to switch up the intensity of your cardio (either through speed, incline, or resistance) every couple of minutes. This keeps your body guessing, and by doing that, you force it to work extremely hard in order to keep up with the changes you're throwing at at. Not only that, but your body will continue burning fat for hours after you're finished, due to increased EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption), which is higher with HIIT than it is with steady-state. One of the benefits of HIIT is that they are usually relatively short sessions. You can burn the same number of calories doing 15 minutes of HIIT as you can in 30 minutes doing steady state cardio. For many people, the time aspect alone is a great enough motivator to switch to intervals!

Now, this is not to say that steady-state is bad! As I mentioned, there are still many benefits to doing this, and if you're an endurance runner/athlete, you have to incorporate it into your training. But if we're talking about fat loss, then the surest way to get the most bang for your buck is to use HIIT.

You can do HIIT anywhere, any time, using any equipment. If you're an outdoor runner, incorporate some sprints into your workouts, or pick a hilly route. If you run on the treadmill, play with the incline or speed (or both) on your machine. If you use the stationary bike or elliptical, change up the resistance. You can also play with the rest:work ratio. In my example, the ratio is 4:1, but as you get fitter you could start doing 2:1, or even 1:1. There are many different types of HIIT training, and I encourage you to look up some sample programs on the internet or in magazines; there are lots to choose from.

Example of HIIT (using running):
5 min - warmup
2 min - run at moderate pace
30 sec - sprint with all you've got!
*repeat 4-6 times
5 min - cooldown

If you've never tried HIIT, then I wouldn't recommend switching your steady-state for it altogether. Try incorporating it into your program once a week, and work your way up to 3-4 days. And don't start with long sessions either - they're meant to be short! 15 minutes (not including warmup or cooldown) is plenty for a beginner! Try it today!

Good Food, Good Friends

2011-03-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

Behold, the Thai Spicy Pork Soup from Clean Eating Magazine. Ingredients include mushrooms, onion, tomatoes, low-sodium chicken broth, coconut milk, jalapeno peppers, cilantro, ginger, pork, buckwheat noodles, and slices of lime for garnish. It was a little sweet, but overall very satisfying :)

In other news, this weekend John and I went to Montreal to celebrate the birthday of one of my dearest friends (the birthday boy is the one in the middle). Just a little taste of my "outside life" lol. And below that are pictures of the breakfast I had on Friday morning; the sweet potato dish from Oh She Glows

I gotta feelin' that today's gonna be a good day...

2011-03-18T06:55:00.000-07:00

What a great day so far! I woke up a bit earlier than I have been lately so I could go downstairs and get my third workout of the week in before I leave for Montreal for the weekend. Sometimes when I travel I bring my gym stuff and will either go for a run, or find a gym nearby to work out at. But I knew this weekend I would be in no mood to exercise, so I figured I'd better get it all in now!

It is so handy having a little gym in one's apartment complex! Especially one that opens at 5am. And they recently added a bunch of free weights, so now I can always get in a half decent workout when I'm in a pinch (like today).

I kicked off my workout with 30 minutes of cardio, keeping my HR between 140-170 bpm. I then dove straight into the weights for a full-body workout. I'd done my upper body one day this week, and legs on the other day, so a full-body seemed like a good way to keep the balance. Alot of people only do 1 leg workout in a week because there aren't as many muscles to train. Or because their legs don't need alot of work. But I try to aim for 2 each week because my legs are my trouble spots :S It may take me a while, but I am bound and determined to someday get my legs to look like this:

Emily Stirling.... drool. Some of the best legs in the biz, if you ask me.

Now where was I? Oh yes, full-body workout. I didn't really have a plan going into this workout. My chest, quads, hams, and core were still a bit sore from earlier in the week, so I knew I'd be focussing on other body parts more. I also know that I'll be wearing a shoulder/back/arm-bearing top tonight at the club, so wanted to target those spots as well. I did 4 supersets of back and shoulder exercises (2 exercises each); 4 supersets of plie squats, adductor (what, lifts?), and calf raises; and 3 supersets of tricep pushups, hammer curls, calf presses, and crunches.

My muscles were nice and warm and tight after this! I definitely worked up an appetite for breakfast. And it just so happened that last night I had prepared an amazing breakfast for John and me. I knew I'd be starving when I got in, so it was something that just needed to be re-heated. John was kind enough to scramble up some egg whites to go with this otherwise vegetarian dish: http://ohsheglows.com/2011/02/22/sweet-potato-oatmeal-breakfast-casserole/

Oh.My.Gosh. Like having dessert for breakfast. This is definitely a must-try.

What a way to kick off an amazing weekend! I can't wait to see what the rest of the day has in store :)

Le Sick Le Sucks!

2011-03-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

I woke up today with that familiar feeling: a tingle in my throat felt when I swallow which is always always my first indication of a cold/sickness/infection coming on.

My sensei always told me that the best thing to do to a cold is to sweat it out.... so sweat I do. Upon my realization, I headed straight downstairs for some cardio.

Exercise is fantastic for the immune system. Going to a gym can be risky because of all the germs floating around (seriously, how often do you think those dumbbells get cleaned?). But I personally found a marked difference in the number of times I got sick in a year when I started exercising. I used to get sick maybe 5-6 times, and now that number is down to 2-3 (one summer, and one winter cold).

If nothing else, it usually helps to clear the sinuses and headache, and distract your body from those muscle aches and pains. I've known a few people who claim that the workouts they do when they're sick are amongst the best workouts they have. You just push yourself a little bit harder to kick the hell out of that cold!!

So we'll see. I took some Vitamin C today, hit the gym after work, ate at least 8 servings of fruit and vegetables, and made sure to get some sunlight. I don't expect to cure this cold altogether, but hopefully all these efforts will help to minimize the damage.

All charged up

2011-03-13T19:18:00.000-07:00

It's always amazing to me how quickly the body falls out of shape, but then how quickly it gets back into things again too.

I had my first real workout yesterday after a week-long hiatus (I did a couple hot yoga classes, but that was about it). I took the week off because I had been working out like a crazy person for 7 weeks straight, and my leg was starting to hurt just to walk on it! If that's not a clear indication to slow down, I'm not sure what is.

As luxurious as taking a week off from the gym sounds, by the end I was definitely ready to get back into things. My back was hurting from all the inactivity, I was bloated (nothing aids digestion quite as effectively as cardio), and my metabolism slowed right down. And do you ever notice that you want to eat crappier food when you're not working out? I'm fairly cautious about what I eat both before and right after a workout, so without that there to moderate my eating, things can unravel quickly!

Anyways, I always like to ease back into things after I've taken a break - even if it's just been a week. So I did 20 minutes on the bike, a full-body workout with moderate weights, 25 minutes on the elliptical, then finished up with some stretching. It. Felt. Great! Can't wait to get back into the gym with a new routine and some fresh muscles :)

Seafood Corn Chowder

2011-03-09T18:38:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned that I love Clean Eating Magazine? I was craving seafood, but wanted something more exciting than baked tilapia (I'm all tilapia-d out!) so turned to my favourite recipe resource for help. I was not disappointed by this recipe. Not pictured are the little corn muffins I made to accompany the meal. John usually assumes the role of corn-bread maker, being that he is from the south (Florida). But today I gave it a shot, and added some jalapeno peppers, corn (you'd think corn break already includes this, but it does not), and grated cheese. Turned out perfectly!

Before: Hopefully the print is large/clear enough to read.

After: I added cheese to my finished product :P

In other news, I got a massage today for the first time in years, and man did it feel good. Alot of athletes incorporate massage therapy into their training/recovery plan, and I can certainly see why. I just got a regular deep tissue swedish massage today, but I think I'd like to try acupuncture/massage the next time. Does anybody have any experiences with acupuncture they'd like to share?

Pancake Tuesday

2011-03-08T19:51:00.000-08:00

Sometimes being a Catholic has its advantages! Every year before lent, we have one last day of gluttony - one last hoorah, before the 40 days of sacrifice begin. Pancake Tuesday (or, Mardi Gras as the french would say, meaning Fat Tuesday) is that day, and it is today! Growing up my mom always made crepes for dinner on Pancake Tuesday, usually with some chicken and mushroom soup for sauce (you'd be surprised at all the things she could use mushroom soup on! lol) So this year I decided to try something similar. For an appetizer, I made crepes stuffed with smoked salmon, capers, red onion, and dill cream cheese. Yumm!!!! Then for the main course I stuffed the crepes with chicken, mushrooms, onion, bacon (I know, I know), peas, asparagus, and broccoli, and topped it all off with mushroom Alfredo sauce. Double yumm!!! Though I have to name the salmon crepe tonight's winner. Sorry, no pics :( Mom also used to make dessert crepes stuffed with fruit, drizzled with either chocolate or maple syrop. But by the time I was done with all those savoury crepes today, I didn't have any more room for dessert!

It's traditional during lent to give something up for 40 days, though some people like to start something instead. Some examples of giving something up include: restricting tv watching, no alcohol, no cursing; examples of starting something include: starting to run, paying someone a compliment every day, and getting 8hrs of sleep every night.

I decided to do both this year. For lent, I will give up all refined sugars, and will start to name one thing I like about myself every day.

Today, my positive thing is my nails. Lol, it may sound silly, but I really like the shape of my nails! They suit the shape of my fingers perfectly. My mom used to make me cut them to play the piano, and I always hated doing it. So now they are long, strong, and feminine and are currently painted aquamarine.

First week off the diet

2011-03-06T18:29:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to lie and say that I haven't been indulging in some crappy food this week, but I've also had some really delicious meals too. Here's a recap:

Thursday Dinner
While perusing the prepared food section of the Health Food Store I discovered one of their newest items - a Vegan Brown Rice Sandwich. Basically, it's a regular tofu sandwich with brown sticky rice for a bun. I thought it was a bit bland so added a bit of roasted red pepper mustard, but on the whole, the sandwich had a really cool texture, and was very filling! Also pictured is a side of curried peas and collard greens.

Friday Breakfast
Also from the Health Food Store were these Spelt wraps, which I used to create a Breakfast Burrito (egg whites, peppers, onion, garlic, black beans, and salsa). Now, I really enjoyed the taste of the spelt, but I found once I warmed it up it fell apart really easily. I gave it another go today with a cold wrap, and it held together much better.

Saturday Lunch
Apparently I've been on a collard kick this week, because for lunch yesterday I tried one of Clean Eating Magazine's newest recipes: Spicy Collard Chips. Wash and cut 1 bunch collard greens into 2" pieces. Mix them up with 1tbs lemon juice, sea salt, 2tbs olive oil, pinch cayenne pepper, and 1/4c grated parmesan. Spread in a single layer on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, and bake at 300 F for about 18 minutes, until crispy. They were AMAZING! I highly recommend this recipe to anyone who wants the chip taste without the calories. Definitely a must try. Also pictured is a small (dinner roll) ham sandwich with hummus, cheese, and veggies.

Yup, meals like these don't make me miss the diet AT ALL!

Re-assess, Regroup, Refocus

2011-03-03T14:04:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: This is a long one!

In my last post I mentioned that I'd been having some trouble getting into the swing of things this time around. This has been bothering me for quite a while now. It's been a real internal struggle because on the one hand: I'm not a quitter. I can be passionately, stubbornly devoted to projects, people/relationships, and ideas.... as long as I deem them to be valuable, special, or important to me. And that last part is really the key here. Because on the other hand: I can also be blunt, cold, and indifferent towards things I don't care to do, and have left jobs, school, and even some people with little more than a nod goodbye. So a part of me has been saying "Nobody is FORCING you to do this. You can stop any time you want - it won't be the end of the world" and another part has been saying "You have to finish what you started. You promised yourself you would do this. Just suck it up and get to work!"

The real "Aha" moment came when a good friend of mine, Leslie (who is a personal trainer, marathon runner, figure competitor, volleyball coach, and I'm sure much much more) told me to ask myself "How badly do I want to do this competition; how dedicated am I?" And if the answers aren't "REALLY BADLY" and "110%", then I should not do it.

The very nature of this sport demands 100% commitment All. The. Time. Bodybuilding is a science, and if all of the components (training, nutrition and rest) are not combined exactly right, it will show. If you are on-stage with another girl who looks almost identical to you, but whose lats are just slightly bigger, or who is just a bit leaner than you are.... judges can see that. Those extra reps that she did but you didn't do; the constant dips into peanut butter that you indulged in but she didn't...... will not go unnoticed. There is no such thing as "luck" in this sport. I'm sure most of you reading this will think this is crazy person talk and say that I'm an extremist lol. But go read one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's books, and you will soon see that this is just the tip of the iceberg haha.

I digress. I realized that I have not been fully committed to the process. The fact that I was even considering quitting serves as evidence of this. Sure, we all have moments of questioning, but not once in my last contest prep did I ever consider not finishing. And that's the difference.   So I've made the decision not to do the UFE on May 14th. Instead, I'll be competing in the IDFA/SAF show here in Ottawa on July 16th. So I'm not so much "quitting" as I am just pushing things back.

I'm on strict instruction by Dave to stay at 125lbs until the end of April, when I will start dieting again. This will give me roughly two months to rest up, re-fuel my body, and refocus my mind to prepare for the contest prep. I think my biggest problem this time around has been lack of motivation. And not that all the reasons listed on my "Inspiration" page aren't enough.... but last time, I was out to prove something; I was out to prove to myself and to others that I could do this. Now, I already know I can do it - I have the trophies to prove it! So I'm really going to have to look inwards and ask myself why I want to do it again, what I have to gain from another competition, and what I'm doing this for. Then, I've just got to hold on to whatever those reasons are and let them carry me through until July.

My dad once told me that sometimes it can take more strength to stop doing something, than it does to start or continue doing it. I hope I haven't let anybody down in making this decision. But I'm fully confident that for me, it was the right decision to make.

So onwards and upwards to IDFA on July 16th! I'll continue posting even during my "down time" because, surprisingly, it's just as difficult to maintain one's weight as it is to lose it! This will also give me an opportunity to share some of my more creative workouts and meals with you all :)

11 weeks out

2011-03-01T06:35:00.000-08:00

Oops, so much for weekly updates. It's been tough getting going this time around, and to be honest, my weight hasn't changed that much in the last few weeks. This is me today at 125lbs ----------------->

Honestly, I'm getting frustrated and a little discouraged. I'm seeing progress (about 1lb per week) but when I compare where I am now to where I was at this point last time, I'm behind by about 7lbs :S

<----------This was me in August at 11 weeks out

Part of me wants to just give up; I'm mentally drained. But, I know there's still time, and if I can lose 2lbs per week from here on out, I'll be plenty ready by show day. So, I guess I've just gotta dig deep, be completely 110% perfect on my diet, and keep working hard.

Last summer when I had days like these, I would go for a walk in the park, hug a tree (yes, I hug trees), and ask the Earth Mother for strength. This time though, I'm lucky enough to have an extra special person up there looking out for me..... my dad. So dad, if you're listening, I could really use one of your pep talks right about now. You know, the ones where you tell me you're proud of me regardless, and you know I have what it takes to succeed. The one where you tell me I need to buckle down and just do it.

Oh, and dad? Can I have some money?

Banana Split Breakfast

2011-02-27T17:08:00.000-08:00

Yes, you heard right. I had a banana split for breakfast. And yes, you're right again... there is a catch lol.

Banana Split. Unapologetically delicious, and dieter approved :)

Let me lay the groundwork: For breakfast, I am allowed egg whites, veggies, and 1 fruit of my choice. For my AM snack, I am allowed 1 scoop of protein powder. Now, I'm not sure I'm technically allowed to combine meals, but on the weekends my days are so much shorter than they are during the week (due to the fact that I sleep in a good 5 hours longer than usual) that often I end up eating two of my meals at the same time so I can "catch up". And most often, those two meals end up being the first two of the day.

My friend Jess (of "The Montreal Veggie") introduced me to banana ice cream about a year ago and I haven't looked back since. My boyfriend John is lactose-intolerant, and I try to watch what I eat even when I'm not dieting, so banana ice cream was (and apparently still is) a perfect solution to our ice cream cravings.

Here's what you do:
You know those bananas that have gone brown that you usually either throw away or freeze for baking? But sometimes when you put you put them in the freezer, you forget about them for months?? Well take a couple of those suckers out of the freezer and let them thaw just enough so that their skins soften up again. Peel said bananas. Throw them into a blender, and puree until smooth (1-2 minutes, scraping the sides of the blender every once in a while). And VOILA! It's as easy as that! I've gotten into the habit of pre-peeling my bananas before I freeze them, because I find the frozen peeling to be very, er, uncomfortable for my delicate fingers lol. Honestly, you will NOT notice the difference between this and regular ice cream. It even passed the boyfriend test (on several boyfriends, might I add). And consider: 1 banana is about the equivalent of 1 serving of ice cream, but saves you at least 150 calories!!

But that's not all I did to this breakfast treat. Oh no. That was just step 1. Step 2 was the topping! I recently discovered that if you mix chocolate whey protein powder with some stevia and just a bit of water (as opposed to the usual 8oz), it has the same consistency and taste (well, to me anyways) as chocolate syrop. So, I whipped up a batch of syrop, and drizzled this on top of my ice cream.

And there you have it. A totally clean, but completely decadent Banana Split Breakfast.

Emotions getting the best of me

2011-02-25T16:05:00.000-08:00

I made a realization this morning. I was plugging away at my cardio on the bike, giving it a half-hearted effort, and I knew full well that I was capable of pushing more. I asked myself why it is that some mornings I give it 110%, while other mornings I'm just there to get to that 45:00 minute mark. I did a full-body scan: are my legs sore from my workout? No, I haven't had a tough leg day yet this week. Am I extremely tired? No, I got 7hrs sleep. Am I starving? Not especially. Am I too warm/cold? Nope. Insufficient warmup time? No again. With all the physical questions answered, I turned inwards: Do I feel strong and powerful? No. Am I sad and discouraged? Yes. Aha! There it is.

So much of training is mental and emotional. When I'm in a good mood, my energy and focus are through the roof! I feel accomplished, strong, sexy.... unstoppable. And when I'm feeling weak, unattractive and discouraged, my whole body shuts down. You'd expect it to be the other way around: if you're feeling fat and bloated, wouldn't you want to work that much harder to counteract it?   And yet the reverse is true to my diet! I don't tend to cheat or overeat when I'm sad - I cheat when I'm happy! I've never been one to comfort myself with food, but I do celebrate with it. If I'm in a good place mentally and physically (I've had a good week of clean eating and solid exercise, I'm feeling fit and firm, and I've been productive at work, or am having fun socially) then I somehow convince myself that a treat is deserved. After all, a small treat couldn't possibly derail my efforts after such a good week.... certainly I can afford it! (Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Tess)

I guess I already knew both of these things already. But the true epiphany was that I am at risk of falling off the bandwagon when I'm both happy AND sad.... kind of a double-whammy/lose-lose situation, eh? So, what to do about it? I'm an optimist by nature, which helps my workouts but hurts my diet, but I certainly don't intend to give that up for the sake of dieting! lol

I think the realization itself is half the battle. Just having an awareness of the problem gives me the tools to work on it. When I'm feeling down and lazy at the gym, I'll try to find something (a song, an image, a memory, a goal) to perk me up again. And when I'm feeling impervious, I'll self-medicate myself with a good dose of humility, and remind myself that there is always more work to be done.

Shaking things up a bit

2011-02-23T19:06:00.000-08:00

Just for the heck of it, I decided to change up my routine this week. I didn't just change a couple of exercises or play with the order though.... ooohh no. I'm talking completely different approach here.

Before: 5 day split, 2-3 body parts per day. Moderate weights. 8-12 reps. 30 sec - 1 min rest between sets.
Now: Full-body circuits. Bodyweight or light weights. 15-20 reps. No rest between exercises, 1 minute between circuits. Do this 3 times this week, alternating days. The other two workouts will be boxing and karate, where I'll practice drills, kata, and shadow boxing non-stop for 10 minutes, rest 3 mins, and repeat.

The circuit:
Step ups (quickly) x 60 secs
Burpees x 10 reps
High pull with resistance band x 10 reps
Mountain Climbers x 20 reps
Dips x 10-15 reps
Walking lunges with dumbbell curls x 20 reps with 12.5lb dumbbells
Single Hops x 20 per leg
Deadlift with dumbbell rows x 10-15 reps with 30 lbs dumbbells
Dynamic pushups
Jump squats x 20 reps
Cardio x 3 minutes on machine of choice
*After completing this 3 times, I finish up with some ab work.

I'll go back to my regular workouts next week, though more and more workouts will begin to look like this as I approach my competition date.

I feel it's important to do this every once in a while, not just for the sake of losing weight (circuits like these really tax your cardiovascular system, helping to burn fat very quickly!), but to work different muscles than you're used to. Usually I use alot of machines and free weights, and workouts are generally centered around isolation movements. And that's fine! It means I can focus on working every single muscle as much as I need to. But these circuits have me doing more functional and dynamic work. The exercises themselves are different, there's little to no equipment thus I'm using a greater range of motion, and there are alot of compound movements which really forces the body to work as a unit. So hopefully this'll give my system a nice little jolt!

The circuit today was brutal (it never fails: no matter how in-shape you think you are, Circuits.Will.Kill.You!!) but I felt so great and jelly-ish after lol. I'm looking forward to the karate training tomorrow :)

On the 9th day, she rested.... and it was good.

2011-02-22T13:55:00.000-08:00

Halfway through my 2^nd weekly leg workout yesterday, I hit a wall. My muscles, which were still sore from my heavy leg workout a couple days prior, couldn’t lift as much as usual, and were fatiguing quickly. My cardio was half-hearted as a result of my tired little legs, and I just couldn’t seem to clear my mind and focus.

The reason for this slowdown was immediately and clearly realized: I’d been going non-stop for 8 days straight. I don’t do cardio every single day, nor do I weight train every day. But this past week it just so happened that I did at least one of these activities every day.

Some people can get away with this; exercising in some capacity every day doesn’t seem to affect them as long as they vary the type of activities. Unfortunately, I’m not one of those people lol. At least once per week it’s important for me to take a whole day off of everything. Though I do have to be careful, because if I take more than one day off, I start to get lazy and lose interest in working out. Some people (**cough cough… JOHN**) crave the gym; they’re addicted to the endorphins, love the work, and can’t get enough of the pump. They get antsy if they can’t work out. Unfortunately, I’m not one of those people either haha. Don’t get me wrong, I love to move my body, and I can definitely feel it when I haven’t exercises in a couple of days: my back gets anxious (like a pent-up energy), my muscles get twitchy, I feel stiff, and tire easily. I am a gym rat in every sense of the word. But the difference is that if it was possible to look great without ever working out another day in my life…. I’d take the opportunity in a heartbeat. True addicts would keep going just for the love of it.

Long story short: I declare this day a rest day! And tomorrow: back to working my progressively smaller butt off!

Working up a sweat

2011-02-18T06:55:00.000-08:00

"Sweat once a day" is a simple, but effective way of communicating the recommended frequency and intensity of exercise we should all be doing.

But "Sweat three times a day" is the sentence that sums up my day yesterday! I started out with my regular morning cardio which ended up being super energetic. There were definitely some big sweat marks covering my tank top by the end.

Moksha Yoga in Ottawa

Next up was some hot yoga at lunch time. There's a studio close to my work, so it's relatively easy to pop over for a mid-day stretch. If only it didn't take 2 hours (between getting ready, the class itself, then showing off after), I'd do it every day. Now, I should point out that I'm someone who sweats very easily. I've heard that people who are in good shape sweat more because their bodies are efficient at cooling themselves off. I'm not sure if that's scientifically true (though it sounds rational enough), but I do know I had drenched my mat by the time I was done that class! lol

Last, but not least, was weight training at the gym. It was Chest/Tri/Bi day and I scorched the hell out of all of them. Giant sets of 3-4 exercises (x4 sets) for each body part, dropping the last set of each. I'm training them this way because I'm not devoting much time to any single one of these body parts, so I want to be as thorough and efficient as possible in the time I do give them. I finished off with cardio on the stair climber, then some stretching.

Needless to say I slept like a baby last night!

Burger and fries

2011-02-17T06:34:00.000-08:00

They say necessity is the mother of all invention. Well, I've been desperately seeking creative ways to cook my food lately, especially as the diet goes on and I find myself to have been eating the same lunch for 4 weeks straight! I came up with this dudesky one day while I was craving a burger and fries.

Instead of a bun, I used big lettuce leaves (there is a certain lettuce that's perfect for this, but I just used Boston lettuce). Instead of a burger pattie, I used my cooked chicken. Topped with pickles (not sure if those were allowed or not, but they're only 5 calories each, and I only used one), tomato, cucumber, onion, and mustard. I would have LOVED some roasted hot peppers and chipotle mayo but.... these are the sacrifices we make.

I have alot of trouble with Sweet Potato Fries, but these ones turned out alright. Though it was quite a lengthy process. After peeling and cutting them, I misted a parchment-lined baking sheet with Pam and spread them out in a single layer. Sprinkled with seasoning salt. Baked for 15 minutes at 250, flipping once. Increased heat to 400 and baked another 5-7 mins. It's a fine line between crispy and burnt, so I had to watch them carefully near the end.

I definitely gave myself a nice pat on the back after this one ;)

Not your ordinary diet food

2011-02-16T07:36:00.000-08:00

For my third meal of the day, I'm allowed: 4oz chicken, 2 cups veggies of my choice, and 1/3 cup quinoa or brown rice, OR 6oz sweet potato.

Below are two of the creations I came up with last week, with the help of some spices and herbs :)

Ragout: 1c crushed tomatoes, quinoa, chicken, 1c roasted eggplant, and Italian seasonings.

Thai Stirfry: chicken, quinoa, 1/2c each bell peppers, onion, bok choy and carrots, Thai seasonings, lime, chili flakes, garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds.

Hitting Plateaus

2011-02-15T12:39:00.000-08:00

It's bound to happen - you work your butt off, giving your workouts your all, and staying true to your diet. You lose lots of weight in the first couple weeks but then, your progress comes to a screeching halt. When this happens, it's frustrating, discouraging, and makes you want to just abandon the whole project. Of course there's a scientific reason for it, and you knew it was coming, but that doesn't help to take the sting out of seeing those unforgiving numbers.

That was me this morning.

Thankfully, I have an awesome nutritionist who always seems to get me out of my funk and bring me back to reality in surprisingly few words lol. He tells me "It happens. Keep working hard."

In addition to these words of wisdom, he often change up my diet too. There are two ways to deal with a plateau: increase your workout intensity, or change your diet. He likes to play with diet before increasing cardio or number of workouts. Think of it: it's much easier to cut 200 calories per day by decreasing your serving sizes than it is to find an extra 20 minutes to work out. Who has that kind of unlimited time? Not me! lol

So tomorrow I start Phase 2 of my diet. It's basically the same as before, but now I'll have a serving of fruit for breakfast and lunch instead of my usual oatmeal and rice. It's a shift from complex carbs to simpler carbs, as well as an overall decrease in calories. I'm excited to see what kind of effect this has on my body, and even more excited to eat FRUIT again!!! Anybody who knows me knows how much I love fresh fruits and vegetables, so I am going to take full advantage of this change to get some much-needed vitamins into my body, and flavours into my mouth!!

Plateaus can be frustrating, but they can also be an opportunity to change things up. I'm thinking: berries and banana tomorrow....

Celebrating small victories

2011-02-12T09:27:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling pretty darn happy with myself today :)

My first victory happened last night. After my little incident with the cupcakes last weekend, I had told myself that if I was going to have a cheat meal, it would NOT involve sugar. Sugar is like my kryptonite (spelling?) and it's best just to stay away from it. So last night I was rummaging through the cabinets, considering taking a cheat meal, and I found myself face to face with some Oreo cookies. Now, I don't usually go for processed cookies. I like soft, gooey, chewy ones, fresh from the oven if possible. However, Oreos are one of the exceptions; there's just nothing quite like them. So there I was, holding two of them in my hands thinking "these are going to be delicious" when I remembered my promise to myself and..... I put them down! Yup, I put those things back in their box, closed it up, and left those suckers behind. I was sooooo proud of myself!

My second small victory came this morning. This past week when I've done my morning cardio I've burned about 400 calories for 45 minutes of work. Today though I burned 500!! Now, I'm not saying that that's an accurate read on total calories burned, but relatively speaking, I definitely did better today than I have all week. Maybe it's because I slept for 10 hours last night. Maybe it's because I had a bit of extra caffeine before the workout. Maybe it's because I was listening to some great music. I don't know.

But I'll take those small victories wherever I can get them!!

Injury Deja Vu

2011-02-11T05:50:00.000-08:00

Last year I had signed up with my friend Jess to run our first 10k race together in the Ottawa Race weekend in May. I didn't love running, but wanted to see what all the hullaballoo was about. I began training a few months out, and actually fell in love with it within the first week lol. I started running almost every day! I was super confident in my abilities and thought I was well on my way to completing the 10k in 50mins..... until I fractured my leg. Simply put: I ran too much too soon. I was increasing my distance by 30% or more per week, when everybody (apparently) knows you should only increase by 10% weekly. The doctor told me it was a stress fracture and I should stay off it for at least 6 weeks, maybe longer, depending on how it felt. Come race time, it still wasn't completely healed so I opted to walk the 5k instead of running the 10k.

Fast forward to present day. I've been taking it super easy the last month or so, only running for 20-25 minutes at a time, and only a few times per week. I started getting that familiar feeling in my leg a few times, but dismissed it as "phantom pain". Well, this morning when I ran to catch the bus, there was definitely no mistaking it: that stupid injury is back.

The bad news is that I'm now restricted to just the bike and elliptical for all my cardio work which gets soooooo boring! Especially as it starts to get nicer out (it's gonna start happening!!!), it's going to be hard not going out for runs. I'm also an avid walker (love love LOVE to walk), which I'll have to cut back on, too.

The good news though is that the race isn't for another 15 weeks, so even if I take 7 or 8 weeks off, I could still make it in time. Heck, I'm pretty sure with the amount of cardio I'm doing on a daily basis right now (upward of 70mins) I could definitely FINISH the 10k no problem, though my time wouldn't be as good as I'd like.

So for now I'm going to keep off it completely for at least 6 weeks. I'll test it out at the beginning of April, and just go from there. Think healing thoughts toward my leg! lol

Best Post-Workout Shake Ever!

2011-02-10T07:42:00.000-08:00

Lately my 5th meal of the day (salmon and spinach) has been coinciding with my post-workout shake (whey and water). In an effort to "shake" things up a bit, and out of inspiration from Jess who is always raving about her Green Monsters (smoothies that have been turned green usually due to their use of spinach), I decided to experiment.

I don't have a fancy name for it yet (Green Gym Monster?), but I promise you this is delicious!

Ingredients:

1 scoop whey (I use either vanilla or cookies 'n cream)

1 cup chilled chai tea

2 hand fulls baby spinach

1/2 tsp stevia

1/2 cinnamon, nutmeg and/or pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Ice cubes if desired

Blend everything for a couple minutes (takes a while for the spinach to become smooth). This shake is both tasty and filling. Enjoy :)

Amaaazing Workout

2011-02-09T06:41:00.000-08:00

Wow, workout last night was sooooo good! It was one of those workouts that makes you wanna puke; it hurt so good.... in a Mellencamp way (Glee fans will get this reference lol).

I started a new program today where I'm doing Back & Shoulders together, twice a week. The first workout of the week I'll be using heavy weights, drop sets, and supersets, and focussing on combination movements. The second workout will be more of a "pump up" where I'll decrease my rest between sets, increase the reps, and focus on the smaller muscles with isolation movements. Last night was the first one, and Ho.Ly.Cow. It was a quick one because of the giant sets, but it was definitely intense. I've found that I've been kind of slacking in the intensity department lately (one of the drawbacks to not having a trainer to push you) but not this time - the workout was intense by its very nature.

Warm up: Lat pulldowns and Arnie Presses
Superset #1: Pullups, Shoulder Presses, T-bar Rows (3 sets; last was a drop set)
Superset #2: Reverse-grip Chinups, Upright Rows, Lateral Raises (3 sets; last was a drop set)
Superset #3: Low Cable Row, Reverse Dumbell Flyes, Hyperextensions (3 sets; last was a drop set)

I then hopped on an elliptical machine for my 25mins of cardio and again gave it everything I had (I think I freaked out the guy beside me with my heavy breathing and grunting lol).

I definitely felt that I'd left it all on the gym floor once I was done, and that's such a great feeling! There's no room for self-pity, or excuses, or doubt when you have workouts like that. It's such an empowering, character-building feeling. Like you're well on your way to achieving everything you want in life, and nothing can stop you!

Winter/Work Blues

2011-02-08T07:12:00.000-08:00

I've definitely fallen into that work rut this winter.... you know, the one where you sit at your desk ALL DAY and barely move. In the spring and summer (and early fall) I would go outside every day for a long walk at lunch. And because my office is in such a sweet location, I would sometimes do some tanning too!

But then the winter hit and it all went down the tubes. When lunch rolls around I look out the window and shudder at the thought of spending anything more than 5 minutes in that blistering cold. And on the days it's not -20, it's snowy and damp. Now, from what I understand about normal human behaviour, this is actually a quite normal reaction lol.

However, by not getting out for lunch, I now face the problem of sitting at my desk for 8 hours straight 5 days a week. Muscles get tense, back gets sore, eyes go wonky, laziness sets in, and the boredom-induced munchies come on in full force! Humans were not meant for this. Not only that, but all those calories I was burning by walking at lunch (I'm a fast walker, so it was up to about 150 calories per day) aren't getting worked off anymore.

So here is my solution. There are a few options open to me:
1) When I don't take a lunch, I can go home early and spend that extra hour doing something active at home. Be it swimming, a yoga class, or extra cardio. This isn't my favourite option because it means that I'm doing alot of activity in the morning, sitting for 8 hours, then doing a ton of activity again in the evening. I'm looking for something more balanced.
2) Go to hot yoga during lunch. There's a hot yoga studio close to where I work, so it'd be easy to go a few times per week. The only problem here is that yoga is friggin' expensive! This option will depend on money.
3) Suck it up and go for a walk. Bring extra socks and heavy mitts, and just get out there.
4) Do activity in 15 minute chunks throughout the day. There's a stairwell in my office that I could climb at lunch, and we have "quiet rooms" big enough to do some stretching and basic bodyweight exercises like squats, pushups, and crunches.

So I'm going to try to employ one of these alternative every day until it's nice enough to go out again.

Have I mentioned I can't wait for spring? lol

My name is Tess, and I am a chocoholic

2011-02-07T11:14:00.000-08:00

It never fails that as soon as I get into the sweet stuff, I get carried away. Sugar is definitely more than just a nice treat for me; it's an addiction. I wake up, go to sleep, and spend my whole day thinking about it. If there are sweets in a room, I can't focus on anything else. I try to justify breaking my diet for just a couple bites of whatever sugar I'm confronted with. Yup, sugar consumes my thoughts and rules my life. I'm a slave to my sweet tooth.

This week's cheat meal. I was totally powerless against them.

My favourites include peanut butter ice cream, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, Reeese's peanut butter cups, dark chocolate with nuts, cherry danishes, peanut M&M's, hot chocolate, honey on toast, straight pure maple syrop, and pecan pie.

For the longest time I didn't think it was really a problem. When I think of junk food, I think of chips and pizza and fries. All of those things, thankfully, have never been hard for me to turn down; I don't get cravings for salty or fried foods. I never considered sugar to be junk because it's "natural".... right? It's a commonly known fact that women love chocolate, and therefore it must be ok for me to eat it whenever, and in whatever quantities I like.

Of course, these are just the same types of justifications a smoker would make in order to keep on smoking. (Ok, maybe sweets aren't AS BAD as smoking, but the root problem is the same) The problem for me isn't so much that I eat them often (maybe once or twice a week). The problem is that I can't stop thinking about them, and then when I do finally cave in, I can't stop eating them!! It's like, once I get that sweet taste on my lips.... watch out!

So, what's a girl to do? Do you treat it like an addiction and never touch the stuff again? Do you ween yourself off or go cold-turkey? Do you switch to "natural", unprocessed sugars only? What about substitutes like Stevia? At least when I'm dieting it's a bit easier to keep things in check, because there's obviously no sugar allowed (except in cheat meals). But what about the other 8 months of the year?

I'm not really sure where I was going with all this lol. I think I just needed to get it all out in the open. Though if anybody knows of a nicotine patch-equivalent for chocoholics, or has any tricks they'd like to share, I'd be much obliged!

Yes, LEGS!

2011-02-04T05:28:00.000-08:00

Wow, amazing leg workout today! For the last month or so I've been employing the "pre-exhaust" theory for my legs (specifically, my glutes) and it's definitely been kicking my butt! (Pun definitely intended lol) Usually when you order a workout, you start with your biggest muscle groups then work your way to the smallest, to avoid fatiguing the smaller ones before you're done your workout. The Pre-Exhaust theory is that you do the reverse of this. The idea here is that you really torch the smaller muscle you're targeting, thereby creating greater gains in the end (the more you break it down, the more it has to repair itself. And of course we all know that the muscle grows when it repairs). Now, this isn't a technique beginners should use; it's more for intermediate-advanced level people. But I think it's a really great way to shake up your routine at the gym!

Here's a sample of what I've been doing:
Warmup squats with medium weight
Superset 1 cable kickbacks, weighted step-ups (alternate legs so you do both exercises with one leg, then move on to the other leg, and keep switching back-and-forth)
Superset 2 one-legged bridges on a bosu ball, lying abductor lifts, stationary lunges (alternating legs again)
Superset 3 hamstring curl, walking lunges
Finish with calves

If there are any trainers reading this blog, I'd be interested to get your feedback on this - what do you think?

New posing suits

2011-02-03T07:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went to see Joan of Daydreams Fitness Wear (located in Ottawa, ON) for a fitting of my two new posing suits. Joan designed my suit for the last comp and I was sooo happy with the end product - it fit beautifully and looked great. Joan is creative and fresh, is easy to work with and has very competitive pricing; I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a suit, especially people in the Ottawa-Gatineau area. I must not be the only person who feels this way either, since ALL of the girls in my fitness category were wearing her suits last time! Seriously, she is going to be the next big thing.... get her while she still has spots open!

Anyways, I was super excited to see what she'd come up with for me this time. We'd picked out some colours last month and bounced around a couple of ideas, but I didn't know what they would look like until I went down to her studio and saw this:

Sexy, right? Left is for figure (still needs rhinestones), right is for fitness. I wasn't sure if I wanted to share pics and spoil the surprise but.... I'm just too excited! haha Next time you see these suits they will be on ME, and believe it or not, they will look even BETTER!

A Day in the Life Of....

2011-02-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

For anyone curious as to the lifestyle, here is what a typical day looks like for me:

5:30am - Wake up, put on my runners, brush my teeth (can't stand doing cardio with plaque lol)
5:45 - 45 mins of cardio at moderate intensity (recumbent bike, elliptical, treadmill, or a run if it's nice out). Finish up with a bit of stretching
6:45 - Meal #1: plain oatmeal, egg white omelet with veggies, and water or green tea. While I make breakfast I'm also running around getting ready for work
7:30 - EAT said breakfast! Favourite meal of the day.
7:50 - Go to work for 8am. Savour life-saving coffee on bus
10:00 - Meal #2: whey protein and EFA's. Get up and stretch. Finish drinking 1L of water.
12:00 - Meal #3: chicken, veggies, and rice or sweet potatoes. 1L water.
12:30 - Either stretch or go for a walk
2:00 - Stretch again. By this time in the day, my back is getting very angry with me for having a desk job!
3:00 - Meal #4: tilapia, EFA's. 1L water.
4:00 - Done work! Jump on the bus and head straight to the gym.
4:30 - Weight training
5:30 - More cardio! 25 minutes of intervals following every weight session
6:00 - Stretch and drink post-workout shake.... feels so good :)
6:30 - Meal #5: salmon and spinach
7:30 - Walk the dog. By this time I'm starting to slow down and I'm wondering whether the dog really NEEDS to be walked. But, alas, he needs his exercise too.
8:00 - Meal #6: egg, tea. Prep lunch for tomorrow (cook meat, chop veggies, weigh and measure everything)
8:30- Veg in front of the boob tube.
10:30pm - Goodnight world!

As you can see, it's pretty regimented lol. I doubt everybody is as "scheduled" as this, but I find it helps me to make sure I'm doing everything I need to do.

Progress pics

2011-02-01T06:56:00.000-08:00

Talk about putting yourself out there....

I've decided to put up weekly pictures and measurements of myself to display my progress. Hopefully this will serve as extra incentive to follow my diet and workout plan as closely and perfectly as possible. Either that or it will scar me for life lol. Hoping for the former!

This is a pic of me today, at 15 weeks out and weighing 129lbs:

Now don't judge... it was early in the morning and I hadn't done my hair or makeup yet! I've lost 6lbs since I started 3 weeks ago.

This week's goal is to get down to 127!

Starting the week off right

2011-01-31T17:17:00.000-08:00

There's just something about Mondays that makes me not want to work out! Especially if I've had a busy weekend, I wake up Monday morning wanting to sleep in (or call in sick to work), and skip the gym altogether. That was definitely the case today as I woke up at 5:30 for my morning cardio: 45minutes at moderate intensity, 5 times per week. I'm lucky enough to have a small gym in my building, so it's actually not that difficult for me to just roll out of bed and jump on the recumbent bike. I generally start out with the recumbent to warm up (and wake up) then move to the treadmill or elliptical to kick up the intensity. So there I was, on the recumbent and feeling sorry for myself and wishing I was back in bed when one of my Power Songs (you know, those songs that get you motivated no matter what!) came on. It was "Work" by the Saturdays. It's about how if you want something, you have to work to get it. Which meant no more being lazy on the recumbent for Tess!

I'm happy to say that I finished my cardio with a HR of 150bpm, then went on to have an awesome back workout this afternoon.

There's just something about working out on Mondays that makes me feel so accomplished.

Hot Yoga Date

2011-01-30T18:11:00.000-08:00

Today one of my closest friends, Leslie, and I had a hot yoga date. I should definitely add Leslie to my "inspiration" page (mental note). She's a personal trainer, volleyball coach, is training for a marathon, has done a figure competition, is a hot yogi, and probably has done a bunch of other stuff I don't even know about - she's modest that way lol. Leslie is always on the go and is a very much a people person. She thrives on being active, and has found a way to incorporate social activity with physical activity. We should all take a page from her book!

Anyways, today we went to Bikram class at Rama Lotus (Ottawa, ON). The instructor wasn't my favourite ever (sounded like an auctioneer and it was hard to relax in his class), but I got a great stretch and sweat. I always feel so clean coming out of a class (even though I'm sweating like a hog!) I would love to be able to do yoga at least twice a week. I think the benefits to your body are amazing, and any athlete can find a style that compliments their training program. It's just so darn expensive though! Hopefully when I'm done paying off my trainer fees I'll be able to afford it :)

Well, another excellent weekend has come to a close. I'm going to sleep like a rock after that yoga today!

Cheat Day!!!

2011-01-30T07:40:00.000-08:00

Woohoo! It's finally cheat day! The last time I dieted I opted out of the cheat meal because a) I wasn't sure how it would affect my weight-loss, and b) because I didn't think I was up to it mentally. In my mind, cheats are actually harder to handle than none because once you get going, it can be hard to stop. It takes more willpower to stop eating that delicious chocolate or pizza than it does to just not touch it to begin with. But, by the same token, there were some events last time for which having a cheat would have made the events that much more fun and easy. For example, my best friend got married and instead of being able to eat the chicken like everybody else, I was a stubborn nob and brought my tilapia and asparagus haha. I've also heard that some people see better results with cheats due to the sudden influx of food.

So it's kind of an experiment lol. I have the cheats until 6 weeks out, which is 10 weeks from now. And if I find I'm not progressing as well as I'd like, I can always cut them out.

John took me out on a date today to lunch at Moxies and then the movies, so it was the perfect setting for a cheat lol. For lunch I had Szechwan green beans, then a salad of bocconcini and feta cheese, olives, mixed greens, and shrimp.

Doesn't sound like much of a cheat, you say? Well, it is when you follow it up with some popcorn and frozen yogurt at the movies!! It's now 6 hours later, and I'm still full lol. Stomach is not used to having that much food in it all at once anymore.

Awesome day all around - good entertainment, great company, and excellent FOOD! And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming of fish and broccoli lol.

Crack.... in stick form

2011-01-28T06:33:00.000-08:00

I have such a love-hate relationship with chewing gum. When I'm dieting, it's the perfect tool to keep my mouth busy and my mind off of food, and it supplies me with that sweet sugary taste I miss so much (I have a MAJOR sweet tooth!) But, there's a dark side to my chewing too. It wasn't uncommon for me to go through an entire pack in one day during my last contest prep. And I've found myself slowly falling into those same old habits again. For the average person, this might not actually seem like such a huge deal: it's just gum, after all! But consider: there are 5 calories per stick of gum x 15 pieces per pack = 75 calories per day. Again, that might not seem like alot to most people, but that's almost 10minutes of exercise needed to burn off the excess. And if left unchecked, I'm looking at approximately 2.5lbs (75 x 7 days x 16 weeks) gained over the course of my contest prep from chewing gum alone!

Yes, I'm aware that this is completely neurotic behaviour lol

So, I'm going to make a new rule for myself: chew gum only to freshen breath, or in desperate situations. Only one stick at a time. Each pack must last at least 4 days.

Here we go...

2011-01-27T10:58:00.000-08:00

Alright, first blog entry. Throughout my contest prep for my first show (IDFA Ottawa-Gatineau Classic, October 31st 2010) I kept a detailed journal of my thoughts, ambitions, struggles, notes, workouts, diets, schedule.... it was my life in a book. This time, I wanted to do something similar but make it a) more eco-friendly, and b) accessible. There are lots of people out there who are curious about the contest prep process - some of whom want to find out whether doing a competition is something they'd like to try, some who want to compare their experience with others, and some people who are just curious.

I've always found writing to be a therapeutic outlet - a way of sorting and making sense of my thoughts. I can't promise this will be terribly interesting to read, but it will definitely be lots of fun for me to write!

So cheers to me for putting up my first ever blog post - the first of many :)
Tess