Well, we're 7 days out here and entering what is affectionately (or not!) referred to as "peak week". This is the week for last chance workouts, final diet tweaks, and the time to take care of any remaining beautification needs before hitting the stage.
I received my peak week diet and workout plan from my coach earlier this week and as expected there will be some major changes. Peak week is all about reducing and/or eliminating carbs and sodium, reducing fluid intake, and burning as many calories as possible under these diet restrictions (i.e. energy depletion) in order to tighten up as much as possible and avoid bloat for the show. The foods I will eat are no different from what I already eat except that my carbs will be decreased from 4 to 2 servings, fat reduced from 2 to 1 servings, and fruit reduced from 3 to 2 servings (No change in protein and veggies servings other than slightly smaller servings of protein which is now limited to only lean poultry and white fish). Now, before you say to yourself; "Oh, that's not so bad!", keep in mind that 1 serving on this plan is only 1/4 cup. I'm sure I'll get some flak for saying this but it's basically a structure eating disorder. Luckily, come Saturday night I will be able to indulge in a few goodies plus a healthy carb load for a few days before tapering it down again for my 2nd show, the OCB Spirit of America. I don't want to overwhelm myself too much right now though, especially with low-carb brain, so let's just tackle one show at a time. Overall, restrictive but doable.
Sidenote: Ever heard a pregnant lady describe her sudden cluelessness as "baby-brain"? Well, similarly to baby-brain, low-carb brain is the result of restricting carbs for so long that you become at times lethargic, exhausted, forgetful, paranoid, frustrated, and overly-emotional. I'm anticipating major issues with this come Wednesday as my peak week diet starts on Monday and by Wednesday I'm sure my body will be crying out for any form of carb within sight. Warning: Do not eat food near me this week or you may get hurt LOL
I was also given three new workouts to do Monday-Wednesday and then told not to workout at all on Thursday and Friday. The workouts however are increased cardio length from 30-45 minutes of high-intensity plus crazy weight training drills that I'm guessing are going to take another 90 minutes on top of that. I can tell you right now this is not going to happen. Even if I were eating like a normal person I would not have the energy to embark on this ridiculousness. My plan is to do cardio and weights Monday through Wednesday, focusing on my most doughy areas, cardio only on Thursday and then take Friday off to ensure that I am refreshed and not experiencing any muscle soreness on the stage. I continue to be very frustrated with the cookie-cutter approach of CSF and feel that it's always in my best interest to do what I feel is best for my body. I've come a long way taking this stance so I doubt it will hurt me now!
On another note, I purchased a digital body fat caliper this week as I haven't had any luck finding someone at World's to test me on a regular basis. I don't recall whether I mentioned this or not in an earlier post but I was tested back in January pre-vacation and came in at 19.5%. Then a month later someone else tested me and I was 15%. Standard bikini body fat percent is typically between 12-15% so my personal goal was to be at 12% for this show and if I didn't feel like I was tight enough on stage then I would strive for 11% for the SOA. I know testing yourself is not the most accurate way to measure so I did it 10x and took the average...which was 10%! Of course, they say body fat % can be off +/- 2% depending on who is testing and where on the body you pinch but even so, looks like I'm at my goal for the show! It's funny how even though my composition has changed so drastically, I have only dropped 4 pounds since I began to cut carbs back in November. While I do not wish to drop any more this week (other than the necessary tightening that comes with sodium/fluid reduction), I thought this pic was funny and would certainly love to get my remaining ass fat sucked out and injected into my boobs LOL!
Speaking of which, I think the one thing hurting my stage confidence right now is that based on the bikini girls who I know for sure are competing, I am the only girl who isn't either naturally well-endowed or who has implants. I know I shouldn't worry about such things but when you look at the national pros not one of them has small boobies. It's kind of hypocritical when you think about it though. I mean, it's supposed to be a "natural" show but since when is silicone natural?! Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against implants and I think most of the time they look fantastic. I just hope not having them doesn't doc me any points from a symmetry standpoint :/
Anyway, it's a gorgeous day here. Springtime is finally here! Unfortunately that also means that my seasonal allergies are starting to act up. Cue the watery eyes, runny nose, and itchy throat. I don't feel sick though which is a damn good thing! Many of the other competitors are battling colds right now. It's so hard to stay healthy when your calories are so drastically restricted. I've just been downing the Airborne, Emergen-c, green tea, and trying to get as much sleep as possible. I refuse to get sick. It simply will not happen. Saying it is makes it so.
It's kind of hard to believe that the day I have been training and dieting for for the past 3+ months is finally one week away. People keep asking me if I'm nervous. I don't even know anymore. I mean, yes I'm nervous. Okay, I'm scared shit-less. But I'm kind of okay with it at this point. I know I'm bringing my best physique to the stage and I've done as much to prepare as I possibly can so whatever happens happens. As long as I don't fall on stage I'll be happy. I've learned so much during this whole process about willpower, nutrition, training, and met so many great people, I wouldn't give this experience up for anything. Okay, starting to get emotional here...go away low-carb brain LOL! Really though, it's been an amazing learning experience and that's all I could ever ask for. It would be really nice to place though :)
In case I don't write again before the show, good luck to all the other competitors! May you all bring your best to the stage and stay healthy! 'Til next time Gym Rats, happy gymming!
I received my peak week diet and workout plan from my coach earlier this week and as expected there will be some major changes. Peak week is all about reducing and/or eliminating carbs and sodium, reducing fluid intake, and burning as many calories as possible under these diet restrictions (i.e. energy depletion) in order to tighten up as much as possible and avoid bloat for the show. The foods I will eat are no different from what I already eat except that my carbs will be decreased from 4 to 2 servings, fat reduced from 2 to 1 servings, and fruit reduced from 3 to 2 servings (No change in protein and veggies servings other than slightly smaller servings of protein which is now limited to only lean poultry and white fish). Now, before you say to yourself; "Oh, that's not so bad!", keep in mind that 1 serving on this plan is only 1/4 cup. I'm sure I'll get some flak for saying this but it's basically a structure eating disorder. Luckily, come Saturday night I will be able to indulge in a few goodies plus a healthy carb load for a few days before tapering it down again for my 2nd show, the OCB Spirit of America. I don't want to overwhelm myself too much right now though, especially with low-carb brain, so let's just tackle one show at a time. Overall, restrictive but doable.
Sidenote: Ever heard a pregnant lady describe her sudden cluelessness as "baby-brain"? Well, similarly to baby-brain, low-carb brain is the result of restricting carbs for so long that you become at times lethargic, exhausted, forgetful, paranoid, frustrated, and overly-emotional. I'm anticipating major issues with this come Wednesday as my peak week diet starts on Monday and by Wednesday I'm sure my body will be crying out for any form of carb within sight. Warning: Do not eat food near me this week or you may get hurt LOL
I was also given three new workouts to do Monday-Wednesday and then told not to workout at all on Thursday and Friday. The workouts however are increased cardio length from 30-45 minutes of high-intensity plus crazy weight training drills that I'm guessing are going to take another 90 minutes on top of that. I can tell you right now this is not going to happen. Even if I were eating like a normal person I would not have the energy to embark on this ridiculousness. My plan is to do cardio and weights Monday through Wednesday, focusing on my most doughy areas, cardio only on Thursday and then take Friday off to ensure that I am refreshed and not experiencing any muscle soreness on the stage. I continue to be very frustrated with the cookie-cutter approach of CSF and feel that it's always in my best interest to do what I feel is best for my body. I've come a long way taking this stance so I doubt it will hurt me now!
On another note, I purchased a digital body fat caliper this week as I haven't had any luck finding someone at World's to test me on a regular basis. I don't recall whether I mentioned this or not in an earlier post but I was tested back in January pre-vacation and came in at 19.5%. Then a month later someone else tested me and I was 15%. Standard bikini body fat percent is typically between 12-15% so my personal goal was to be at 12% for this show and if I didn't feel like I was tight enough on stage then I would strive for 11% for the SOA. I know testing yourself is not the most accurate way to measure so I did it 10x and took the average...which was 10%! Of course, they say body fat % can be off +/- 2% depending on who is testing and where on the body you pinch but even so, looks like I'm at my goal for the show! It's funny how even though my composition has changed so drastically, I have only dropped 4 pounds since I began to cut carbs back in November. While I do not wish to drop any more this week (other than the necessary tightening that comes with sodium/fluid reduction), I thought this pic was funny and would certainly love to get my remaining ass fat sucked out and injected into my boobs LOL!
Anyway, it's a gorgeous day here. Springtime is finally here! Unfortunately that also means that my seasonal allergies are starting to act up. Cue the watery eyes, runny nose, and itchy throat. I don't feel sick though which is a damn good thing! Many of the other competitors are battling colds right now. It's so hard to stay healthy when your calories are so drastically restricted. I've just been downing the Airborne, Emergen-c, green tea, and trying to get as much sleep as possible. I refuse to get sick. It simply will not happen. Saying it is makes it so.
It's kind of hard to believe that the day I have been training and dieting for for the past 3+ months is finally one week away. People keep asking me if I'm nervous. I don't even know anymore. I mean, yes I'm nervous. Okay, I'm scared shit-less. But I'm kind of okay with it at this point. I know I'm bringing my best physique to the stage and I've done as much to prepare as I possibly can so whatever happens happens. As long as I don't fall on stage I'll be happy. I've learned so much during this whole process about willpower, nutrition, training, and met so many great people, I wouldn't give this experience up for anything. Okay, starting to get emotional here...go away low-carb brain LOL! Really though, it's been an amazing learning experience and that's all I could ever ask for. It would be really nice to place though :)
In case I don't write again before the show, good luck to all the other competitors! May you all bring your best to the stage and stay healthy! 'Til next time Gym Rats, happy gymming!
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