New Goals Put on Paper, FINALLY

After spending a weekend at the Olympia expo (something I've wanted to do for years) I have a new found motivation that is SO common after attending events like this. You are surrounded for a full weekend, by like minded fitness personalities who have worked HARD to get where they are. Some are just following fitness for fun and well being, others are making it a career. Most, like myself, are a little of both! I've been in a bit of a rut since my last competition. I've been staying on track with healthy eating and feeling GREAT, but I have not set any goals. This was a planned portion of time to "just be" as I call it!! So I've had my time to 'BE", but I think it's time to set some goals again....

If you haven't noticed already through your own experiences, it's super important to SHARE your goals with friends, family, social media. (whomever you choose) This keeps you accountable and subconsciously, helps you stay on track and keeps you motivated!!! I've shared my goals with my husband, but like usual, I also want to share with all of you!!! I will also share my progress as I go along. Results more than likely, won't be as dramatic as training for a competition post baby, but we'll soon find out I guess!! :)

September 25th-November 6th (6 Weeks Bulk)

I've been on a caloric deficit for a while. I find that my body and energy levels are just better this way. I've been slowly increasing my calories weekly over the past few weeks, and should be back up to where I want to be (SMALL caloric surplus) by next week. This will be around 2100-2250 Calories (that's where my surplus has been in the past anyway, we'll see when I get there!) I'm already starting to feel a little sluggish, and sleepy...hopefully my body adjusts soon, because I MISS feeling full of energy! There's no better feeling than a post nutritional cleansed body!

Over the summer I completed an AMAZING program, designed by one of my mentors IFBB Pro Ben Pakulski.www.mi40nation.com This is a muscle building program, however I completed it while in a caloric deficit. I saw amazing definition coming in compared to what I usually have!! I am going to start this up again (40 Day program) next week...this time while eating more food!!! Can't wait to see what kind of changes I see! I probably won't see more definition with the extra calories, but I hope to put on some lean mass, especially in the shoulders.

I've learnt over the past year, that I don't REALLY care that much about symmetry. HAHA For my body to look more shapely, I had been working toward growing my quads and hamstrings....did I achieve that, YES...am I happy about it..hmmmmm, actually NO! I don't like the way they look now even though I achieved exactly what I had set out to do! I'll keep em like this for a while, maybe I'll warm up to them, but in the meantime, I'm going with my heart!!! ;) SHOULDERS!!! I've always wanted my shoulders to be at a point that they look muscular thru my shirt, so that's my next goal! ;)

Here is a pic of my shoulder inspiration...well, not only shoulder inspiration, but WHOLE body inspiration.. My absolute favourite all time fitness model Jessie Hilgenberg. I KNOW myself, and my problem isn't sticking to a diet, it's EATING ENOUGH FOR LONG ENOUGH, to but on some muscle!

How am I going to achieve a fraction of this??? FREQUENCY!!! Any many many cycles of this same type of plan. If your trying to grow a specific body part, you have to do more than what you were doing before!! More time under tension, more load and work that part more often. Another lagging body part has always been my triceps, so I'm alternating shoulders and triceps all week, paired with one other body part. All in all, I'll be hitting every body part each week, but triceps and shoulders 3x! Along with eating more food of course, but more about that later.

To keep the fat gain to a minimum, and keep the blood flowing, and just because I've been enjoying it lately.....I'll be adding three days a week of cardio for 20 minutes. Nothing crazy, just easy steady state or intervals.

My marco breakdown during this time will more than likely stay at 40p/40c/20/f MAYBE 40/30/30 if I'm feeling soft. I find my body adjust quickly when I decrease carbs and increase healthy fats.

For now, I have this as a 6 week time period, but if I'm staying pretty lean, I will extend to 8 weeks, and decrease my cut to 4 weeks :)


Nov 7th-December 19th (6 Weeks Cut)

After completing my program, I'm going to start a 6 week cut...or shorter depending on how much body fat I pack on....the goal is to see my abs...I'm sure I will lose them throughout my 6 week "bulk", so I will cut until they are in sight again....I have not yet decided what program I will do for this, but more than likely one of the hybrid workouts we use for our Sisters in Shape 60 Day Challenges. They are KILLER!!! I will obviously share with you the changes I make as I make them!

Calories will be lowered gradually starting at 15xbodyweight, and never going below 10xbodyweight! I will more than likely be following a 40p/30c/30f split or what has worked great for me in the past has been 50/30/20. As your calories get lower and lower, protein becomes more important for more than one reason. Particularly for maintaing the muscle you worked so hard for, and keeping you satiated!

Notice that I have set pretty specific steps to achieve my ultimate goal of bigger shoulders. It's got a deadline, and I'll be measuring thru pictures, weight and mostly how my clothes feel....hopefully having tighter shirts ;) It's realistic...am I going to put on a huge amount??..probably not, it's not enough time, but progress is progress!! :) Once I hit my deadline, it's time to reassess, maybe I'll learn the same as I did with my legs, haha, that I liked them better before!! But that's a win too right, starting to appreciate what you had to begin with! ;)

Over the next 8-10 weeks, I will share with you my diet, macros and progress in case you want to learn thru my challenge!! :) I always love having others on the journey with me!

Have you noticed how I have this planned out??? YES, I have my cut ending right before xmas festivities...my calories will be increasing again, just on time, to not feel deprived over the holidays...yeah I know, BRILLIANT!

Are my only goals fitness related?? Absolutely not!! We have SO MUCH going on here in Calgary Alberta, and I'll give you some tidbits here and there!!! We have expanded mine and my husbands company, (working thru the growing pains as we speak)  I've been working hard on my coaching business and website, operationlean and I've also decided to go back to school!!! All the while my daughter had JUST become potty trained, and it seems like school is just around the corner!! ;) Holy moly, please slow time down! HAHA

Until next time my fitness friends!!!

Steph :)

Should YOU Intermittent Fast??

Unfortunately, my mind has been ingrained that my muscles have to be fed every three hours to avoid burning muscle for SO MANY years that I had been hesitant to try Intermittent Fasting despite the abundance of reasons I SHOULD be doing it!!!

I do NOT have a naturally muscular body. The entire Mackid Clan has always worked EXTREMELY hard putting on QUALITY weight ;) This is why whenever I make it to say....hour 18 of a fast, I PANICK and sprint for the kitchen!! I just couldn't get out of my head, that I may burn the small small amount of muscle I've worked SO HARD for! HAHA

Surprisingly enough I don't find the fasts hard at all. I'm never really hungry, I just eat because I love it, and need it to fuel my workouts. Its my brain that made me fall short EVERY TIME!!!! Now that I'm not AS focused on muscle building, but rather maintenance and general health, it's been EASY!!!

Here is just a small list of the benefits of fasting....

Reduced:

-Blood Lipids (bad cholesterol decreases)
-Blood Pressure
-Inflammation
-Oxidative Stress
-Risk of Cancer

****When any of these levels are elevated, they cause stress on the body, and makes it VERY difficult for the body to release weight

Increased:

-Cellular Turnover/Repair (Recovery)
-Fat Burning (More of the fat burning happens at the end of the fast)
-Metabolic Rate (actually INCREASES at the end of the fast, stimulated by norepinephrine and epinephrine release)

Impoved:

-Appetite Control ( you'll learn the difference between HUNGER and CRAVINGS)
-Blood Sugar Control (body becomes more sensitive to insulin, VERY important for physique)
-Cardiovascular Function
-Effectiveness of Chemo Treatments
-Neurogenesis (protections against neurotoxins)

So why don't I do it more often....?? Well NOW I do, and I've never felt better!

Not only am I releasing weight, but I have a little more freedom in what I eat the rest of the week because of the calorie deficit created during the fast. Does this mean that the rest of your week is a free for all!!! Heck no!!! Keep it to a few healthy meals and a couple healthy snacks to see the BEST results. You can allow for more freedom once you have achieved your preset goals.....

Click link BELOW if you haven't already done so!!!:)

GOAL SETTING

Food prep has been so simple and it has left me more relaxed when it comes to what I'm putting into my body. Better yet, it has given me SO MUCH more quality time with my family!!!

WHAT IS IT EXACTLY??

Intermittent fasting is basically a predetermined stretch of time that you don't eat anything. You are giving your body a BREAK...Well, you're FASTING. This Break gives your liver some time to do things OTHER than assimilate the abundance of food we are always stuffing into our bodies. We technically fast every night while we sleep, but it's when we add the extra time to a fast that we see the benefits listed above...

When looking closely at the process, you could call it many other things as well....calorie cycling, reducing calorie intake, burning more than you are taking in, decreasing processed foods and chemicals, etc. There are many different ways to complete and intermittent fast, but this is the BEST method for me!

How do you get started???

First Watch this Video.....I guarantee you will relate!!

Now Check out this link....scroll down to the recommended 30 day system and you will find the most delicious and straight forward plan to your first month of Intermittent Fasting and Cleansing Experience. ALL BACKED by a money back guarantee! :) 

You have nothing to lose, except weight, Bloat, toxins, dull hair, sleepless nights and dry skin ;)

My Associate Website

Next?? Email me at operationlean@live.com to set up a time to chat!!! I can't wait to help you through this amazing process.

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Want to Learn More about IF and the MANY MANY ways you can approach it??

Intermittent Fasting With Precision Nutrition

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Carb Cycling-What is it and how does it work??

So you've heard all about it, but it sounds so confusing, where do you even start!!!???

I get questions about carb cycling ALL THE TIME...there are many different ways to plan a carb cycle, so like ALWAYS, it's about figuring out what works for you and your body....in this blog post, I'm going to tell When, Why and How I do my carb cycling...

I only follow a carb cycle when my calories are in a deficit, to lose that little extra bodyfat, that just doesn't seem to want to let go!!! Many follow when they are in a growth phase, to keep fat gains at bay, and others use this method all the time, just because it works well for them!!! It's up to you to decide how you want to use this method :)

So now to the why....the benefit of carb cycling is mostly, improved nutrient partitioning, (taking advantage of your body being more insulin sensitive on workout days) hormonal balance (balancing ghrelin and leptin levels which are effected by being in an energy deficit for too long) and hopefully improved performance in the gym while you are on a deficit in calories!

You will set your protein the same everyday..This will usually be set at 1-1.5g/lb bodyweight. Protein does become more important as a percentage of your daily macros, as your calorie intake goes down!!! Make sure you are getting that 1g/lb bodyweight to spare that hard earned muscle as much as possible.

The only two macros you adjust are your carbs and your fats....so here is an example....

for myself, my lagging body parts are my legs and my shoulders!!! So when I'm preparing a program for myself, I have those workouts at the beginning of my workout week!

Lets say my split is : Monday (quads), Tuesday (hams), Wednesday (shoulders and Calves), Thursday (Arms) Friday (Chest and Back) Sat (off), Sunday (off/active rest, exercise with the family)

ON LARGE (legs, chest, back) body parts days I'm going to pair with my HIGH carb days for extra fuel, and those extra carbs will be with my post workout nutrition, (shake and banana, or rice cakes, etc) and again in the whole food meal following my post workout meal. If I am having trouble sleeping, I find that carbs before bed can help too, so I may put some there depending on how I'm feeling..

ON SMALLER (arms, shoulders) body part days, and off days, I will pair with my LOW carb days :) All you have to do, is remove those carbs, added on your high carb days!....

So pair these together and you'll have: Monday (High), Tuesday (High), Wednesday (Low), Thursday (Low), Friday (High), Saturday (Low), Sunday (Low)

***NOTE: You can do this by keeping calories the same (replacing the high carb days with higher fat days) OR you can keep the Proteins and Fat's fairly consistent, and just manipulating your carb intake, which would cause a calorie cycle as well! I.E You would be left with Low Carb/Calorie days, and High Carb/Calorie days (this is great if you want a reprieve from being in a deficit all the time, and this works great for me!)

Some don't even worry about the body parts or days, and just do three days low, one high...and rotate.....some use low, med and high days, which I find to be WAY TOO MUCH planning and a chaotic meal prep. I'm not organized enough for that!

So how do you set this up??? Well, it definitely depends on what method you decide to use....calorie cycle, or just a carb cycle, but this is basically what I do!!!

When I'm wanting to lose, I first set my calories to 12xBW(bodyweight) and NEVER go below 10XBW (I just find the cravings get the best of me, and I get too cranky on less that that, not to mention, it's not healthy.) Bring on the Intermittent Fasting Critics now ;) I just can't do it! HAHA

Then I set my High Carb days to 40/40/20 (P,C,F)
and I set my   Low Carb days to 40/20/40  (P,C,F)

If you want to Calorie cycle as well, you would just have to adjust the macros, to fit the daily calories! I really do feel that this easiest for planning, prep and organization in general.

Lastly, with ANYTHING physique related....just get started with a method, and adjust based on results! (outcome based decision making) If you aren't seeing the progress that you want, first be honest with yourself about whether you are following the plan close enough, if so, you will have to re-evaluate and adjust something :)

NOW GO GET YOUR CARB CYCLING ON!!!

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A Lemon/day keeps the Dr. Away??

This past year I have been promoting starting your day with a litre of water with the juice of a FULL fresh lemon!!! More than once a day if you're up for it!! :) Why do I suggest doing this?? Well, there are LOTS of great reasons!

1. Lemon is and anti-septic
2. It's an internal cleanser, and helps prevent disease
3. Helps with digestion, heartburn and bloating
4. Helps eliminate waste more effectively and controls loose stools and/or constipation
5. It's AMAZING at stimulating the liver

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY it's one of the most ALKALINE foods around, and keeping your body alkaline is SUPER important.

Things that cause high amounts of acid in the body are stress, detox, exercise, metabolic rate and digestion, growth and repair, immune system functions, and inflammation...what does this make you think of???

YEEEESSSSSS, people like you and me who are working HARD on our bodies and expecting to see changes! BUT, if we don't counteract these acids by helping our body get back into PH balance, it will cause poor recovery, inflammation, and often results in disease....not to mention, we won't be seeing much progress!!!

So why do I suggest LEMON?....because it's one of the BEST sources of alkaline food and gives you the biggest bang for your buck....AND it's SO EASY to add to your diet!

I know, this sounds counterproductive when you think of a lemon as being an acid. But what makes a food alkaline, isn't the way it tastes or what form it takes outside of the body. What matters is how it acts/reacts once digested in the intestine. At that point lemon takes an alkaline state :)

What to look for at the grocer?? Pick a lemon that feels heavy for it's size! (these are known to be higher in mineral content)

What is the point of fish oils??

Fish oils have pretty much become the new superfood it seems, but why are they important and why do pretty much EVERYONE suggest adding them to your daily diet??

MOST Fatty Acids can be synthesized by the body, BUT ALA (Omega 3) and Linoleic Acid (Omega 6) which are both polyunsaturated can only be obtained by the diet...ALA can be found in sources like flax, walnuts, etc. Omega 6's such as DHA and EPA are found in sources like algae and Fish Oils.

Fish oils keep the cells fluid, and helps increase Insulin Sensitivity by increasing insulin receptors in the blood! We all know that insulin sensitivity is important when it comes to maintaining a lean body composition! (when we are insulin sensitive our carbohydrate i.e gyclogen stores, go 10-15 % to our liver and 85% to our muscle VS if we are insulin resistant 10-15% goes to the liver and 85% goes to fat stores!) This being said, there are still a HOST of other benefits, including, helping with cardio function, nervous system function, and immune health. They encourage you to use your own fat stores as energy, increase leptin levels, help with recovery and reduce chronic inflammation! They SERIOUSLY ARE a SUPERFOOD!

I would normally take my fish oils in the morning in the evening. In general, if you are going to take them with a meal, try and take them with a protein/fat meal.

3-15grams/day is a general guideline for intake. (OR 1.5g/%BF, if you know it) It's highly unlikely that you will take too much, but they ARE a natural blood thinner, so if you take too much you may get a nosebleed!!!

When you are looking at the label on your fish oils, look for oils that have a higher ratio of EPA:DHA (EPA for inflammation, DHA for Brain Function) also look for the fish sources to be SMALL fish, i.e. sardines, which tend to be lower in mercury.

What I've been eating recently!! (BUILDING PHASE)

Hello Bloggers!! LONG TIME NO SEE!!! My blog has been falling too the way side the past while, but I've got a goal for the new year to get it more consistent!! :)

I've had a lot of questions as of late on my Facebook page www.facebook.com/operationcompetitionlean about what a typical day of food is looking like for me.  It's about time I take the time to share!!! It's hard, because my diet can change week to week depending on my progress! 

Before I go into my daily plan at the moment :

I can't express enough how important results based decision making is! If you are eating a certain way, trying to achieve a change, and nothing is happening, GUESS WHAT!!? Something has to change! You can't keep doing the same thing and expect anything to change. AND you have to be consistent. If you aren't being consistent, what are you going to change right??

Being in a building mode right now, I HAVE been seeing changes every week. I've been putting on weight slowly which is exactly what I want...therefore, my diet and supplement routine has remained the same for a while. I have to add, that I HAVE put on some fat too. (as much as I hate doing it) It is VERY hard to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. You can try, but I can almost guarantee that it will be such a long process that you'll lose momentum, and that in the end you'll just be spinning your wheels. I know now that I can lose fat, so I'm losing my inhibitions and just giving this building phase everything I've got, and I'll worry about the fat later ;)

Now for the diet:

I'm following a 40/40/20 split (Pro, Carb, Fat) and I'm keeping most of my carb meals after my workouts. I also have my last carb meal before bed to help with sleep! I have a macro breakdown for each and every meal, so calories don't matter as much as meeting those guidelines. HOWEVER, for those of you that must know, when I put everything into my fitness pal (my user name is smackid if you want to follow me) I'm usually in and around 2100-2300 calories /day. My weight gain is levelling off right now, so I'm thinking of upping the calories again!

I have a pre, peri and post workout nutrition protocol. This is eliminated on non workout days, which creates a bit of a calorie cycle. i.e I consume more calories on workout days than I do on rest days. If I workout 2x in a day....very seldom, but sometimes....then I double the workout nutrition meals. Each workout gets that fuel.

So here it goes!!! 

Each meal has 25grams of Protein, and the Carbs and Fat Vary depending on the meal. Each meal has two cups of veggies added! (usually green beans or broccoli steamed) Throughout the day I have 2 greens drinks, sometimes more. And my day starts off with a full lemon in a litre of water.

Meal 1 (Protein and Fat) Meat and Nuts Breakfast-Ground turkey, one full egg, 1/4 an avocado

Pre Workout Nutrition: 2 tsp of Coconut Oil, Coffee

Post Workout Nutrition : (Protein and Fast Digesting Carb) Protein Shake and Banana, Rice Cakes

Post Workout MEAL (Protein and Slow Digesting Carb) Egg whites and Oatmeal with Fruit)

Meal 2 (Protein and Carbs) Large salad, spinach, romaine, sautéed peppers,onions and mushrooms       and 4oz Chicken, dressing is usually balsamic vinegar...with rice, yams or rice cakes

Meal 3 (Protein and Fat) 3oz beef with veggies, OR 4oz chicken and celery with 1TBSP of almond butter with veggies

Meal 4 (Protein and Fat) same as meal 3

Bedtime Meal (Protein, Fat and some Carbs) Usually greek yogurt with Almond Butter, Cocoa and some sweetener OR Cottage Cheese blended with the same mix ins ( I probably shouldn't be having dairy at all, but this is how I deal with my sweet cravings!!)

Sorry I'm not better at taking pics, but you get the idea! ;)

When I start a cutting phase, I will post that diet as well!!! Please comment below or on my Facebook   page if you have any questions...if you are thinking it, then someone else will be too. Please share, the more people I can reach the better, but I need your help to do so! ;)

Adventures in Competing-Month1 Week 4 (fitting it all into your lifestyle)

So here is Week 4!!! I have started a cardio plan already since I have to give myself more time to lean out this time :( I HATE cardio, but it's gotta be done, and before you know it, the big day will be here and I'll be able to slowly wean myself off again! HAHA It's a bit of give and take when it comes to competition prep...you're not gonna love every aspect and that's why not EVERYONE is doing it! It takes a lot of focus, and yes, sometimes sacrifice!!! In my opinion though, it gives back 10fold! The experience is amazing, the friendships are inspiring, and what can I say, the whole process pushes you farther than you ever though possible which is AWESOME knowledge to have about yourself!

Whatever you put your mind to, if you stay focused, have a great plan AND hopefully support, you WILL accomplish! :)

Diet starts tomorrow for me, so we'll be talking about that a little more in upcoming episodes! I'm also going to be starting to take progress pics again. I'm scared to see what I look like now as compared to my last competition....but hopefully I managed to put on a LITTLE muscle mass. My measurements are saying, YES, I have!!! :) I've gained 4 lbs since my last competition, which isn't too shabby!!

So here it is!!! Week 4 :)

Adventures in Competing Month 1 Week 3-Exercise

Welcome to week 3 everyone!!! So far so good on the prep!!! This past couple of weeks have been amazing and really scary for me at the same time! I'm a typical female who HATES seeing the scale go up!!! It has been my goal to put on some lean mass in this last month before I start cutting 8 weeks out and I'm achieving it!!! I was super bummed when I saw the scale going up even though that was my goal......but when I got the calipers out and I was still measuring the same I was SUPER stoked!!! This is just what I want!!! Proof that you really have to let that number on the scale go!! I KNOW I KNOW, it's so hard to do!!! ;)

I hope you guys are really enjoying the other girls vlogs so far! I know I am!!! :) Erica is a little behind but will be posting two this week and I will link you to them here! She took some video at the gym so I'm excited to see what she came up with!!!!

Here's my exercise vlog for this week

He is a link to Rose's vlog this week....Coming Soon




Here is a link to Erica's vlog this week....Coming Soon!!!


Enjoy all the new info, and please share and comment if you have anything to add!!!

Steph :)

Adventures in Competing! Month 1 Week 2 (Nutrition)

Here's Month 1 Week 2 of MY episodes in "Adventures in Competing"!!! This week I discuss some of my current nutrition :) Everything I'm doing all in one episode would be WAY TOO long, so you'll have to wait till next month week 2 for the rest of the deets!! ;) I was also taking a road trip in the Semi-Truck and talk about how I stayed on tract!!! Make sure to check out Erica and Rose's blogs as well!!!

Next week I'll be discussing my workouts for this month and last....and maybe a little about what I'm doing for workout supplementation if there's time!! ;) I hope you enjoy!! Please share and comment!!!

Adventures in Competing Vlog #1 12 Weeks Out

Hey all!!! So I know I have been a little quiet lately, but I'm ready to start prep for my next competition, and that means MORE BLOGGING!!! Woop Woop!! I'm currently 12 Weeks out from UFE Halloween Mayhem in Hamilton Ontario. It's October 26th, 2013 :)

This competition will be a lot more fun for me, as I'm going to be entering along side a couple other girls from "sisters in shape"www.sisinshape.com. It's the first time out of three competitions that I won't basically be alone back stage :) I'm seeing it as more of a "girls weekend" rather than a huge competition! Myself and about 10 others are also doing a photoshoot with Paul Buceta www.paulbuceta.com the day before the competition which will be a BLAST!!!!

I'm going to be staying in a surplus (nutrition wise) for another 4 weeks as a last effort to build some muscle...then I will start to lean out at 8 weeks out!!! Wish me luck!!!

ANYWAY....for the next 12 weeks, myself, Erica Willick and Rose Blackman from sisters in shape, will be doing weekly vlogs about our prep!!! We'd LOVE for you all to follow our journey describing our plans....and notice how different each of us prepare!!! I'm aiming to have each vlog up before Wednesday of each week!! If you don't see it here, check it out on my facebook page www.facebook.com/operationcompetitionlean

Here is my first VLOG, I hope you enjoy!!!

Protein Mug Cake

Protein Mug Cake...there are tonnes of versions of this out there, but this is mine, and I love it!!!

1 scoop Casein powder (any flavour)
1 egg white
1Tbsp Cocoa Powder
1Tbsp Coconut Flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Stevia to taste (I like mine really sweet 
1/3 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk ( you can use any flavor but I like mine really chocolaty!!! I also like mine gooey so if you like your cake "cakier" then you could use 1/4 cup of milk

Mix all the ingredients (should be a thick batter) and place in a lightly sprayed(cooking spray) coffee cup. Microwave for 30-45 seconds and the batter should fall right out onto your plate 

I've also made this recipe with PB2 and it turns out great, but you will need a little more almond milk. The batter should be a pretty thick consistency!!!

In this pic I drizzled some sugar free chocolate syrup, but I have also used yogurt...I loved the hot cake with the cool yogurt! Delish!!! 

I got my original recipe for this from Muffin Top-Less, check out her page for TONNES of great recipes!! 

First Fitness Competition Recap! :)

Sorry for the delay on my recap!!! I've been waiting to get some pictures to share along with my blog!! :) I'm still waiting...so I think I'll just go ahead an post before too much time goes by!

Well deserved treat
at our favorite restaurant!

Now that I've been able to add cottage cheese and greek yogurt back into my diet, and replaced fish with chicken, I'm a SUPER happy camper....and it's SO NICE to not have to hold my breath while peeing anymore! HAHA (if you've ever eaten large amounts of asparagus, you'll know what I mean!)....I've had a couple weeks on a more lax diet, but still super clean. No need to get those sugar cravings back after taking so long to kick them to the curb! I had a giant AUCE sushi meal after my competition, and headed to the grocery store after to get more clean food and start prepping for the following week! One free meal was certainly enough for me! Now, I'm three weeks out POSSIBLY, from my next competition. I haven't signed up yet, but I'm 99.99% sure I'm going to go ahead with it! If money wasn't a factor, I would be going full steam ahead! I loved the experience and I'm DEFINITELY hooked.

Peak Week went really well for me, but I THINK it could have gone better. Now to figure out how to change it up for the next one!!! I did two days of low carb, with High Water intake, Followed by two days of high carb paired with low water intake before the competition. The day of, I really didn't have any water...I didn't want to have to pee once I had my suit and tan all done anyway! HAHA On the day of the competition, water depleted and all, I was 110lbs...Monday morning after water and cheats I was 111.8 and now, a week later I was 113, now this morning back to 11.8. I'm pretty happy with the minimal rebound! I thought it would be much worse! This is what makes me thing I could have done better with my depletion. I figured I would lose a lot more than two lbs of water??! Who knows I guess! :)

The entire week was SO BUSY! Getting the last workouts in, posing practice, fitting cardio in between hair, nails, and tan...and all those things you need to do, but have to wait till the last minute to do it, like hair, makeup and touch ups! It kinda leaves you in limbo, like the calm before the storm, and there isn't anything you can do to make it easier! My husband was out of town for work so I was doing all this with a 10mth old in tow, which is always fun!!! I was SO LUCKY to have a good friend arrive on the Thursday from my hometown to watch the competition! She was SO HELPFUL watching Haley while I had my tanning appts and athletes meeting, practiced my posing, etc! THANKYOU CHANTALE!!!!

Athlete's meeting, number 76!! Woop Woop

Hair and Makeup Complete!

My biggest stress was the tan! ARGH I'm not looking forward to doing this part again! I had to get one tan on Friday, and another on Saturday! After the Saturday tan, I wasn't allowed to shower again, and I was TOTALLY stressed out about messing it up, getting it wet, etc. The following morning my husband and I were up at 4am putting the dream tan (kinda like thick tan color paint) on top...deciding whether to wear the suit, and cover it in saran wrap, putting on the tan and waiting for the suit till later...etc seemed like the biggest decision ever! I decided to wear my suit, and won't do that again! I don't think!?? LOL We just finished on time for my hair and makeup artist to arrive. (she did an AMAZING JOB, I was SO happy with her work https://www.facebook.com/ArtistryByBobi  No time to eat..ARGH again! HAHA, Should have woke earlier!

I got to the show, what I thought was early, but the rooms provided to prepare were already PACKED! The girls were awesome though, and made room for me immediately. I was still stressed about my tan, and that went tenfold when I put the muscle sheen on! It seemed to smudge my tan so I stopped after one leg and was worried that it would show when I was on stage but it didn't! Thank goodness!! I don't think I'd use the muscle sheen again, but we'll see I guess! I expected to feel like I was sitting backstage for hours, twiddling my thumbs waiting to get on stage but that was SO NOT the case! The organization was impeccable and since I was in two categories (bikini model and fitness model) I was basically called up to get in lineups backstage within 30 minutes of arriving!!!  We were standing in our lineups for a long time in our heels though. Now that I know how long we were waiting in line, I'd leave the shoes off for a while! Once I was off stage from the first category, I got straight into lineups for the next category! It was total amazing craziness!! HAHA I was running back and forth to my change room to stuff sweet potatoes down the shoot when I could, but I'll have to have a better plan in place next time for meals so my muscles are looking as full as possible! I don't know if this is why so many fitness competitors bring junk food to snack on as their carbs, but it makes total sense to me now!! There just wasn't time to have carb meals at this event. I would have been much better off to grab a couple handfuls of ju-jubes and enjoy them while standing in line rather than stuffing my face! HAHA

My mirror Buddies

First Time on Stage

In regard to the competition, it went awesome! I felt fairly relaxed until I had to walk pass that curtain, at which point I started shaking like a leaf!! (apparently that wasn't visible from the audience either, but I find that hard to believe) There were 12 girls in fitness class and 14 in bikini so we got a LOT of time on stage :) After all the concern of not achieving the amount of muscle I had wanted, I ended up placing second in the fitness model category which was awesome!!!!! The stage was smaller than I expected so I had to do a lot of improvisation at the last minute, but everything worked out in the long run, and I had a blast!!! I wasn't thinking straight when I went up for bikini, and rather than relaxing, I was flexed the whole time, which I think hurt my placing! I ended up with 7th place in Bikini Model.

2nd Place!! With Papa and Baby Haley, Love you guys!

What's next....well, that's for another post because this one has been getting a little longer than I like!!! I'll be writing up my goals for the summer and fall soon, and will definitely be sharing with you all!

Thankyou again for all the support, I couldn't have stayed as focused without feeling accountable to all of you! ;) YOU ROCK!!!!

4 Weeks Out!! It's ON!!

This past week, I kept the same plan as last week. Low Carb all week 40/20/40 with a high carb day near the end of the week 20/75/5. I added a couple hundred calories more than my carb up day last week (I took a pic pre and post carb, but really didn't see much of a change) Hmmmm, not sure what to do about this??? I was drinking about a gallon and a half a day of water, and still exercising with weights 5 days/week. I've been doing minimal reps, as HEAVY as I can, trying to preserve as much muscle as possible. I completed a couple of days of steady state cardio for 30 minutes, with no knee problems so it may be time to step this up!!! Results this week are............................

I practiced posing three times this week, for about 25-30 minutes, and it's coming together. I still think I look funny, but it's coming together. I've found a little posing help at a local private gym. I had a 30 minute session on Saturday with a few other girls. It was a little scattered since we were all competing in different federations and categories, but it was still nice just to get up in the bathing suit in front of a few other people!! I better get used to it, because in 4 weeks, I'm going to be in front of 500 people!!! (the tickets are almost sold out!) Strangers I'm ok with, but it's the friends and family that make me nervous ;)

Speaking of posing!! I saw my suit today!!! WOHOO!! It's pretty! Looks very ICY ;) (that's the hint for now) I think she was hoping to send it home with me today, but the bottoms are HUGE, so I'm going to pick it up on Thursday :) I'm a little concerned....I asked for her to be SURE to cover my abnormally long bumb crack.(hahaha, yeah, long bumb crack, it's really weird! I feel like it's half way up my back! LOL)..and to have enough coverage in the front to cover my c-section scar. Well....it's REALLY close..if I cover my crack, I can see my scar...if I cover my scar, I can see my crack...haha. We'll see when it fits properly, but she may have more work on her hands!! I REALLY hope I look better with a tan! ;)

If you follow my facebook page, I wasn't feeling to confident at the beginning of this past week! Time is going SO FAST, and I wasn't feeling as if there was any chance I'd be ready on time. After meeting with the posing coach this weekend I feel a lot more confident! She gave me a good pep talk and it was just what I needed. I'm still thinking about maybe doing bikini model AND fitness model categories just for more experience on stage (EVEN though at the beginning of this week I was feeling so down I had decided against it...lol) I'll see how I lean out over the next couple of weeks. It's one thing to get more time on stage, and it's another to completely embarrass myself right?? I'm definitely going back and forth on this decision on a daily basis. Thank goodness I can leave that second registration till last minute!!

ANYWAY, these past few weeks, these pics have been more of accountability pics rather than progress pics! I'm not much change if anything at all, but I'm keeping at it!!! This week, I'm going to be adding in cardio to see if things speed up a bit!! I have a bootcamp planned for Monday and Saturday, and hopefully I'll be able to make it to a couple spin classes in between. (easier on my knees) Adding the little cardio I have recently, has made me feel a lot better (I like getting a little sweat on) But I also don't want to be in toooo much of a deficit, so I'm going to add back a little in my diet. I'm addition to a few more carbs, I'm also adding some fish to change it up a bit!!

Here are the progress pics for this week...I'm debating this being the last pictures I post till the end so I can really concentrate on my training and diet,....and hopefully have a REALLY good progress pic to show after a few week ;) and in my suit!!! I'm still deciding on that too!

 

FEM Camp Recap

Well, After all the pics I posted on my facebook page, I figured I should really let you all know more about what was experienced at the FEM camp weekend!!! :) www.femcamp.net or check out www.facebook.com/MonicaFEMCamp

I was originally planning on attending the Camp in Kelowna since it's so much closer to my hometown of Calgary. However my husband had something going on that weekend so I was going to have to be home for my daughter. I wanted to attend bad enough that I purchased a ticket all the way to Toronto which added a LOT of cost to the weekend! I had to fly in the day before, and out the morning after because of flight times, which made the hotel stay a lot more $ too.....this all being said, I STILL think it was worth the money!! I had so much fun, made so many friends and left feeling better about my stage presence, happy that I got myself out of my comfort zone, and had a rejuvinated desire to kick this competition in the arse! HAHA

I was SUPER excited to meet one of my Idols and the presenter of the camp Monica Brant! What she has done in this industry is incredible. I loved it when she got off topic because it meant that we were hearing another amazing story about putting yourself out there and making opportunities HAPPEN for yourself rather than waiting for something great to come to you! She's been SO successful in life, and she deserves it. The positive vibe she puts out, and paying it forward results in greatness.

I'm not gonna lie, the highlight of my trip was FINALLY getting to meet Erica Willick of www.facebook.com/sistersinshape. When I originally set my goal of competing after my daughter was born, this was the page that gave me the information I needed to get started! We've been supporting each other for about 8 months now, and when my motivation is dwindling she always has the best advice! It was like we knew each other forever and I was so happy to finally get to meet her and some of the other Sisters in Shape Team as well!

The energy in the room at checkin day one was contagious. I could tell my the enthusiasm of everyone in attendance that it was going to be a great weekend! My first though looking around is HOLY CRAP I'm in over my head! These girls were in serious shape!!! But that's the great thing about this camp! Because it's put on by THE Monica Brant, you assume it's just for the hardcore fitness competitors!! This is SO not the case! There is something for everyone :) There's modifications for exercises, and even though you may not be interested in posing practice, you can't imagine how strutting your stuff, getting yourself out of your comfort zone and looking sexy can improve your self esteem! All the while having a room full of AMAZING personalities cheering you on and having a blast...priceless.

We started off with a lower body workout! Broken into groups we went through circuits of exercises that weren't so common. We learned lots of different things that I can now throw into my repertoire to change things up now and then! Some of the exercises I may not do if there are too many people at the gym (if you know what I mean) but I felt sore the next day and that is awesome!!! The afternoon was spent on Posing practice and this is one of the things I was most looking forward to! I've been practicing a lot in my heels, but I need to get myself in front of an audience and REALLY do it up! I learned that my POSING itself is OK, it's my T-Walk that needs a lot of work. I knew before that SOMETHING was wrong with my walk but couldn't pinpoint it!? I laughed when Monica grabbed me and says "SOMETHINGS Wrong here" LOL me replying "I KNOW RIGHT!!!?" Now I know what's wrong and just have to put it to practice! That in itself was worth the trip!

Day two was and upper body workout followed by a bootcamp style workout, followed by more posing and T-Walk Practice. I was spent after that!!!! We had three hours in the afternoon off to get a spray tan done for the next day's photoshoot with Paul Buceta. www.paulbuceta.com (Oxygen Magazine Photographer) I was surprised when people started seeing my photos not knowing, how many said it could be a cover for Oxygen! HAHA He definitely has a certain style! :)

Saturday Evening was probably the most motivating part of the weekend for me! It was a night of presentations from Monica Brant, telling us about her time in the industry. Followed by a talk with Oxygen Editor .......Crocker, talking about how to get your photo's into their magazine, and other opportunities with their magazine.  Next was Two Chicks and some Lipstick https://www.facebook.com/twochicksandsomelipstick talking about Makeup for photoshoots and competition! We ended with Erica Willick (www.sisinshape.com ) who gave a presentation about how she got her break into the industry. Some being in the right place at the right time, followed by a lot of work and perseverance. ALL in all a VERY motivational and educational evening. I left that night with ALL SORTS of ideas and motivation in my head! Now I just have to put it all into motion! HAHA

Of course, I think the last day was what ALL of us were looking forward to the most. After all the hard work, dieting, focus and dedication, we were finally able to get our pics taken by a well renowned photographer and have our "moment in the limelight" shall we say! I think Paul was surprised how many of us there were, but even by the end of the day, he still had a positive attitude and was still giving each and every one of us the same attention as he was at the beginning of the day....just with a few more bandaids on his fingers....HAHA You know you've taken a lot of pictures WHEN right!? LOL We got beautified by hair and makeup artists, picked out our outfits, and waited our turn. I just LOVED watching each and every girl had a totally DIFFERENT, but BEAUTIFUL look. It all went by way too fast! :) I don't see myself ever standing out surrounded by the girls that were there, but it sure was fun to be a model for a day :)

Just before I left for this trip, I did find out that they are going to be having a FEM Camp in Calgary this Fall August 9-11 with another fantastic fitness photographer David Ford. I will be attending FOR SURE!!! One of the most exciting parts of the weekend for me was being asked to be the FEM Camp Ambassador for Calgary!!! One of the perks of my recent involvement with Social Media! :) Thankyou #mompowerteam for that!!! :)

All in all, the weekend was WELL worth the investment. I met AMAZING friends I'll have for life, I have a rejuvenated motivation, the desire to create opportunity for myself, and I just feel proud of myself! Thankyou Monica Brant  monicabrant.com, @MonicaFEMCamp, and Lynda Thoresen https://www.facebook.com/lynda.cromartythoresen, @FEMCampLynda for putting together such an organized F(un)E(ducational)M(motivational) Camp!! It will always be a fond memory! :)

5 Weeks Out!!!

Sorry for not posting pics and progress for 6 Weeks out, but it was such a whirlwind with the FEM Camp weekend, that I didn't really have a super consistent diet and exercise regime going. I did eat perfectly clean and workout, but it wasn't my normal planned schedule! FEM Camp was a blast by the way, I will write a blog about it later this week with some pics. I'm really happy with my photoshoot pics, but I have to admit, I'm a little too critical of myself and I still have a lot of work to do re: appreciating how far I've come! Instead of looking at the pics and thinking wow, I just had a baby, and look how great I look.....my first thought was, "OH NO, I'm no where near ready to compete!" I was picking away at the few body parts that I'm still not happy with instead of loving this body I haven't seen since highschool! When you're surrounded by SO MANY beautiful, inspirational, fit women, it's hard not to feel like you have a lot more work to do. By the end of the weekend though, I had a rejuvenated energy in my being to go hard till the end, and I can't wait to get on stage! I've made so many new fitness friends who are cheering me on too, which is GREAT!!

SO, for the past two weeks I've been steadily losing weight and BF. Things are going great, and I have been able to add cardio VIA Walking on and Incline of 12 at a rate of 3.0 for 30minutes, or walking on the stair mill for 20-30 minutes without my knees causing my any problems. Come Saturday this week, (so two more days before progress pics) I had already lost 1.4lbs, so I think I will cut down on that cardio anyway! I have still been working out 5 days/week HEAVY HEAVY, adding little bits of Cardio and practicing posing in my heels whenever the small gym with mirrors is available!!! In the next few weeks, I'll try to get my husband to take a video of me so I can REALLY see how I look!! :) I've been eating LOW carb (high fat and protein) all week and carb loading on the weekend. While I was at FEM Camp I ate high carb on the weekend, but I don't think I ate enough calories to make a difference, so this week I upped the calories on my carb load day and.....still not enough!!! Good think I started this trial and error early!!! I'll try some more calories next weekend!!.I've been drinking lots of water as usual :)

Here are my pics for this week!! (It has become evident to me after FEM Camp that I look MUCH better in proper lighting and in heels but I'll keep taking pics like this so it's easy to compare up to the end.)

Since I'm still seeing progress, I'm not going to change anything for this week, but I AM planning to do a trial peak week at three weeks out to see how my body reacts to what I have planned....since I'm competing in Bikini, I don't think I have to worry too too much about PEAKING per se, (I'm not supposed to be TOO lean) but I have registered for Fitness Model too just for more experience on stage. I don't think I'll be ready for that at all, (lack of muscle build in the off season) but why not right? I'm there anyway, may as well rock the stage twice!!!! LOL

Keep it healthy this week ladies and gentlemen!! :)

7 Weeks out, and Prep for Photoshoot next week!

This week, I did low carb Monday-Saturday and included a high carb and higher calorie day on Sunday. Last week pictures were looking so flat that I was hoping the carb load on Sunday would make for better pics this week, and it appears it worked!! I am much happier with these pics...progress is still humming along! I'm still panicked that I won't get lean enough on time, but I'm continuing to go strong! My knees have been treating me pretty good this week during cardio, and long as I keep it really low impact, so I'll continue with that next week too! I've been working so hard in the gym, I've had a couple of "why am I doing this again?" moments...but there have been more good days than bad! I'm determined to stay motivated!

My plan for this week is the same as I've been doing the last couple of weeks! I'm going to be eating low carb till Saturday where I will start to introduce carbs back into my diet. This will HOPEFULLY fill out my muscles nicely by the time I have the photoshoot on Sunday. The beginning of the week, I'll be ingesting AT LEAST a gallon of water/day. Come saturday I'll be just drinking what I need, and after dinner on Saturday I'll just be sipping water when really needed! After tomorrow I won't be working legs for the rest of the week, it's said to retain water when you work legs...(I'll go easy on myself when we are doing legs at FEM Camp) I'm going to be going lighter on the weights, higher reps. Taking a bit of a break you could say.

There's lots to do this week!! I have to start making a diet plan so that I can prep all my food for the trip by Thursday. (I booked a hotel with a kitchen, so that's eased my mind a little about prep!) I have to pick out some outfits for the shoot, get a manicure and pedicure, figure out what I want to do with my hair, etc...I have no idea what I want to do there, I'm a ponytail girl! I have a spray tanned booked in Toronto to hopefully make those muscles pop a bit more too...not to mention hide my cellulite ;) I'm pretty darned EXCITED about FEM CAMP!! I wish it was closer to competition time so my body would have looked better, but what can ya do!!! I'm ACTUALLY getting to meet a few people there, that I have only chatted with so far through my page. They have helped me so much along the way! I can't wait! Oh, and I guess Monica Brant is kinda a big deal too ;) ;)

Anyway, I will be kinda MIA over the weekend, but will be taking LOTS of pictures to post when I get back!!! Wish my husband luck with the baby by himself for 4 days!!!! AHHHHHH LOL

8 Weeks Out

A week ago, I tried to incorporate cardio into my regime, and it didn't go well!! My knees were in agony after very simple steady state cardio :( So this week, I only managed to get two 15 minute cardio sessions in! To keep the downward trend going, I figured I had no choice but to lower my calories more which I didn't originally want to do!! The plan was to stick with this till I feel contest ready...hopefully early, and then just maintain till May. So this week I was eating 1200 calories (which is the absolute minimum I will go to) and low carb. I was doing a little bit of a carb cycle you could say! I'm had two high carb days, one for leg day, and one for back day. (These days I basically just added oatmeal in the morning and removed a serving of fat later on to compensate for it) You know you are eating clean when having a bowl of your once upon a time, everyday oatmeal is the best taste you could imagine for your tastebuds!! HAHA

I was originally planning on having a cheat meal or day, but I think I'm just going to put that off till after my photoshoot in a couple of weeks! The monday after my shoot I'll have a good cheat day, I PROMISE! LOL I thought the week was going well, but I'm really not happy with my pics as compared to the last few weeks :(

TOTALLY out of the blue I'm starting to see that my quads and abs have started to show.  I'm SUPER happy to see this happening FINALLY!!!! (this didn't seem to show up in my pics this week? I just look skinnier) My energy level has still be REALLY good considering the cut of calories!

I've REALLY started to focus on posing....10-15 minutes everyday...if I don't get my body where I want it to be, I will at least be ready for stage presence...I HOPE! As far as my body goes, I'm pretty sure I'll have no problem getting lean enough. My worry is, in order to get more defined I'll start to look too skinny because I didn't build enough muscle before starting the lean out process! :( I'm already excited for off season!! I can't wait to start building some beautiful muscles! ;)

I've had a little fun this week putting all my outfits aside for the photoshoot in Toronto. I want to have lots of options to choose from depending on how things go!! :)

Here are my progress pics for the week! Despite the big cut in calories, I didn't really lose anything. Not being able to add any cardio isn't helping any!!! To me, the pics appear to look better last week
 :( Makes me want to RUN back to what I was doing before!!! At least I know there has been a consistent trend of that working. I'm thinking I will stick with what I was doing before, until I'm not seeing any progress anymore. I will experiment with cutting calories and carb cycling after the photoshoot! I don't want to look flat for the pictures ;)

Until Next week my fit friends!

9 Weeks Out and WBFF Workshop

FINALLY, I saw some progress in the midsection in the pics today!! WOHOO! This week I was still eating 1600 Calories, but the changes I made nutritionally were, 2 Gallons of water a day and I removed complex carbs other than my oatmeal in the morning. All other carbs during the day came from my veggie intake. I also added 3x15 minute Steady State (SS) cardio sessions to test out my knees. Apparently, cardio still isn't working for me. I don't know what is wrong with my left knee, but I will have to go get it checked out soon! Since I won't be able to burn too many calories through cardio at this low impact, my goal of not going below a 1600 Calorie intake up to competition will have to be adjusted. Here is my progress pic for this week!!

This week, since there are only two weeks left till my photoshoot, I'm changing it up quite a bit! I'm going to be cutting calories, and doing a carb cycle. My high carb days will be the days before large muscle groups to fuel those workouts more (legs and back) I'm even cutting out oatmeal "Goodbye my LOVE" I started this on Sunday. Two days in, and so far so good. :) Other than that, I'm still doing my best to get 2 Gallons of water, lots of good rest, and I'll try to keep up with little bouts of cardio if my knees can handle it. It's hard enough to practice in these 5 inch heels as it is, I don't want to add a limp to my stage walk! HAHA

On Sunday I attended to WBFF Workshop for the June 29th Athletes. I'm not competing with this organization at this point in time, but you can never learn enough right!!!? I figured I'd attend and learn as much as I can for my posing, T-Walk, and marketing myself (if I decide to go in that direction one day) It was definitly worth my time! I learned quite a bit when it came to stage presentation, and got some more practice time. They snagged a picture that they posted on FB and I was pleasantly suprised how I'm looking. I know I shouldn't be comparing myself to others (I'm my only competition) but it's really hard to know where you stand when you're seeing everyone else posing, and not really able to see yourself!! (We weren't facing a mirror) When the workshop started and I looked around, I REALLY felt like I was in over my head, but once it was over I was feeling more confident.

I'm the girl in the top left, back row (blue top, black wunderunders)

This was also the first time I left my daughter for an afternoon with anyone other than her dad! The greatgrandparents came over to care for her and it went really well. I'm glad I finally caved! Maybe I won't be as tied down to home now that I know she's ok without us ;)

So until next week fellow aspiring fitness peeps!!! :)