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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Intermittent Fasting With Precision Nutrition

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Post Competition Reflection

Wow, what a week, what a prep!!! Now that it's all over, I don't even know where to start. New goals, relief, confusion, success, disappointment, excitement, etc, are flooding my brain, and I don't really know what to do with it all??!

To be honest, ever since my last competition in October of last year, I had planned on competing ONE MORE TIME, before planning on expanding family. I stuck with my plan and my training, despite, never being quite as motivated as I was last year. I always want to see improvements, but my HEART wasn't in competition prep this time around!! :(

I took the judges notes (build shoulders, and bum, to make the appearance of a smaller waist) and more volume in my hair to heart, and worked my ARSE off all winter trying to put on as much mass as possible!! Doing all of this in such a short time period, DEFINITELY added to my fat mass as well! Even though I was meeting my goals, I have NEVER been so down and out. I REALLY don't like the growing phase, and was beginning to wonder why I was doing all of this, what am I REALLY achieving??

About two months ago, after putting on a whopping 9 lbs of muscle in 7ish months but struggling to get the added fat off, I looked back at progress pics leading up to my October show. I couldn't BELIEVE how amazing I looked!!! Why had I not been happy with my physique in that show?? Was it because I didn't place as well as I would have liked?? Is it because I DID want to be more muscular?? Was it because the judges had a different idea of what I should look like than I did?? I really haven't pinpointed my feelings on this, but I know I would give pretty much anything just to look like that three week out picture again!!! I wish I had appreciated it when I had it! I basically improved my body all winter, just to look like someone else wants me to look. This is one of those important things to understand when you are going into a prep for competition. Use it as a goal to get your physique where YOU want it to be, to get yourself out of your comfort zone, to make new amazing friends, to inspire others and much much more. Don't get caught up in how you place. I think the the first time around, theres so much excitement and learning going on, you just want to get thru it, but as you become more experienced, you put that added pressure on yourself to place, and it takes the FUN out of it!

Am I proud of my achievements?? ABSOLUTELY, I worked REALLY hard, and made HUGE gains. I learned a tonne about my body through ups and downs with hormones, ups and downs with alkalinity, ups and downs with energy levels, ups and downs with sleep quality etc!! If I hadn't gone through this journey, I wouldn't know how to fuel myself to feel INCREDIBLE!!!
Not to mention, this journey has made me some of the BEST friends anyone could ask for!!! It's really incredible how many people I have met through social media (some I have FINALLY met in person) that I feel an amazing connection to! I've been able to do photo shoots, with amazing photographers, have had pictures and articles published in magazines, attended amazing camps and SO MUCH MORE!!! An actual trophy and pro card is such a small part of the experience, and I really have cherished every part of it!!!

So what now???

It's time to re-evaluate what I really want. I've got to make a new vision board and create new realistic, timely goals....and obviously fitness will always be part of this journey. I'm planning on completing MI40X, concentrating on CEP training. (more blogs coming on this) http://www.mi40x.com and focusing on slow and steady improvements!! I know now, that I like to be lean...I'm not sacrificing leanness to grow. Realistically, I won't get much bigger taking this approach, and that's ok! If I EVER hit the stage again, it's not going to be until I look like a different person. (watch me get the itch again before the end of summer! HAHA) If it doesn't happen, that is ok. Hopefully I will be INSPIRED by a new program like I was by Ben's last program http://www.hypertrophymax.com/welcome-offer.php (only comes out twice a year, so keep your eyes peeled!!!) This is where I learned pretty much everything new this past year! It's incredible and well worth the investment!

When it comes to diet, I plan on taking the "flexible dieting" approach. If I need to get lean, I know how to do it, but I'm happy with how I am now, and want to enjoy family outings, ditch the tupperware and baggies, and not worry about nutrient timing or missing meals. Flexible dieting is BASICALLY IIFYM (if it fits your macros) but I find most IIFYM camps thrive on how much crap they can put in their bodies while still meeting their macros. Feeling GOOD is important to me, so I WON'T be taking that approach...still good healthy, alkaline forming foods, that fuel your body, and prevent disease! Here is a pic of the food I ate the day after my competition.

THIS is flexible dieting for me, everything was healthy, I didn't feel deprived at all (quite the contrary actually, my tastebuds were in heaven!!!)

I'm going to continue to change lives with the sisters in shape 60 day challenges, where our ladies have created AMAZING friendships, while achieving incredible results, and learning the tools needed to change their lives. http://smackid.wix.com/operationlean to sign up!!! Next challenge will be starting SEPTEMBER 1!! We have sold out every challenge, so get yourself on the list now!!!  :)

I will also still be doing one on one training, whether it be training for a competition, or wanting more guidance in changing your lifestyle, I can help get you there!!! :)
I KNOW how amazing the experience of competing is, and I understand the excitement. I don't regret anything I learned from the experience!!! Just KNOW, that I do take the healthy approach to training, and you will have to give yourself 16 weeks at least. Slow and steady wins this race!!! ;)

I want to do more things non-fitness related that I used to enjoy so much....like photography!!! :) Maybe fitness photography??? LOL Anyone willing to be my fitness model to start my portfolio??
Contact me if you are in the Calgary area and are interested steph.laurendeau@sisinshape.com

I want to expand my business....so if you are a trainer, who has clients ROCKING it in the gym, but LOSING it in the kitchen, please contact me @steph.laurendeau@sisinshape.com I want to create a group of trainers working together to help our clients to remain more compliant with their diets!!!

I have SO MUCH more to talk about fitness and nutrition related, so I have set a goal to produce at least on great article/blog per month. This is realistic, and if I can do more, I most certainly will!

Most importantly, I'm looking fwd to concentrating on something OTHER than myself for a while. I plan on being a better wife, mom and friend. Competing is a very selfish sport, while being a great role model, especially near the end, you can't help but be looking out for number one WAY TOO MUCH to feel good about yourself.

Until next time all you wonderful people! Keep exercising and eating healthy!! Feel free to message me anytime either at my email, here in the comments, or on my Facebook page!!! I love hearing from you guy!! :)

~Steph

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!!!

Lots more blogs coming up this summer, make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out!!!!

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Do you need a simple way to fit all the perfect nutrition into your BUSY day???

email me about busy meal planning made healthy and simple : steph.laurendeau@sisinshape.com

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10 Weeks Out of UFE Vengence in Calgary

WOW,  has it EVER been a long time since I've blogged!! I find it easy to talk talk talk when it comes to competition prep. Seriously, everyday is a new challenge and experience. The off season though, it pretty darned boring! I was finding it really hard to think of anything good to say! HAHA

During my time off I've started an AWESOME 60 day challenge with my Sisters in Shape.

The first group through is just finishing up, and it went AMAZING!! What a great group! :) Many are continuing on with us for more amazing workouts, meal planning, education and support on making health part of your everyday lifestyle!!! If you want to check out the details, head on over here :)    

OPERATIONLEAN



I've spent November till now DESPERATELY trying to put on some muscle for this next competition in May. The judges notes from my last competition stated that I could use more size in my shoulders and legs, to make the appearance of a smaller waist. I KNEW I needed a smaller waist! I always struggle with that area. Since it was a much shorter timeline that I would have liked, I did a fairly aggressive building phase, and had to let go of staying lean!! Wow, do I ever have a hard time with this phase!!! I like being lean, hence my blog name ;)

This was in NO WAY an unhealthy REBOUND that you hear of with fitness competitors. It was planned and controlled. I had a lofty goal of putting on 7 Lbs of muscle, and I've already put on more than 8!!! YAY....this is the time that I wish THIS photo wasn't accurate....HAHA,

Do you think 8 lbs over my whole body will look ANY different?? I'm thinking not really, but I HOPE SO!!! I've been working REALLY hard, and even though I was able to eat a tonne of food, it was all still very clean! I didn't throw in the towel and eat junk.....

So, I'm now starting my lean out phase and have started a carb cycle. Low days are 1700 calories and high days are 1900...my days off are 2000 or 2400 depending on how I feel. If I feel like my workouts are getting weaker, I take in 2400 and HIGH Carb. If my workouts are feeling strong, I do 2000 calories and Low Carb. I have also added a couple of 10 minute HITT sessions and one 20 minute HIIT session with longer rest periods of course, otherwise there's NO WAY I'd be able to compete 20 minutes of HIIT! HAHA

My pictures at this point of prep compared to last prep are looking pretty soft, which kinda psyches me out!! HAHA, but I looked like a stick on stage last time, so maybe it'll be better if I don't get quite as lean this time! LOL And geeze I still have 10 weeks! I know now, that for me LOSING is the easy part...putting on muscle is my new challenge for sure!!!

Here are the progress pics!!! AHHHH, be gentle! ;) I swear I'm chubbier this week than I was last! HAHA, but the callipers say otherwise! Bring on the FUN, I love the lean out phase...other than cardio ;) Man, I can't wait to get my tan on! (sorry I forgot to pull the curtain, kinda distracting!)

5 Weeks out from UFE Halloween Mayhem

I gotta say, this prep has been a lot harder than my first and I'm trying to pinpoint the reasons why?? I've come up with a few ideas....

1. The first one had a lot of excitement and uncertainty behind it. I didn't have any idea what to expect, I didn't have any expectations of myself other than to get on stage and I was just excited that I had FINALLY followed thru with one of my bucket list items!!! Now that that initial excitement is out of the way, I'm finding that I'm a lot tougher on myself. I don't have that EXCUSE, that its just my first time. I expect myself to do well which isn't the way I should go into it. I should still be viewing it as wanting to do better than my last time competing...NOT competing with others. It's when I start to feel competitive that all the fun is taken out of the event!

2. When I started prepping for my first competition I had a LOT of room for improvement! I had just recovered from a C-Section and had a lot of weight to lose!! I found my motivation was fuelled by seeing so much change week to week! The more weight you have to lose to begin with the more changes you'll see! So now, I only gained 5Lbs back after my last competition (hopefully a couple of those is lean mass after all this work!) and it's been REALLY hard to see the changes! When you only have 5 lbs-10Lbs to lose instead of 30-40, it just doesn't seem like you're making any progress and that makes it hard to stay motivated!

This being said, I'm really excited/and worried about doing my first OUT OF TOWN competition. Getting everything organized (tan/makeup/food prep/travel/accomodations/etc) is a lot more stressful! I'm so glad that I will have local friends there to spend the weekend with! It's going to be so much fun, and that's is what is keeping me going on the rough days!

This week I'm starting a carb/calorie cycle. I started tuesday with a low day, today was med, thurs and fri are going to be low, and Saturday high....I will decide from there what to do based on results. I woke up this morning with a nice defined six pack after my low day....which really fuelled my workout today! I just love to see how much change a day can make, and to see my abs come in is my ABsolute favourite! ;) I don't usually do the cycling, so hopefully it will shock my system into doing something amazing!! HAHA

I promise I will get more pictures up soon. I have a horrible replacement phone since my last one died...it takes blurry pictures so my social media has been suffering :( I also have a new MAC so I don't have the programs that I used to use for my collages, but I'm working on it! I want to see if there has been changes over the past month, so I HAVE to get organized here soon! If you have any suggestions on programs that I can make collages with AND add text that would be awesome! (You can post here or on my facebook page) I can't seem to find anything that will do both.

It's been a few weeks since I have done a blog, so I will insert my last few vlogs here too just in case you missed them!

WEEK 6 (Diet and Supplements)

WEEK 7 (Training, Fridge and Freezer)

WEEK 8 (Competing Lifestyle)

One MAJOR motivation I've had this past week was meeting with Melissa Leigh Morrisson (WBFF Pro) for help with my posing! I left with blisters and made many more from practicing throughout the week, but I feel so much better and she left me feeling excited and motivated for my time on stage again! :) I highly recommend investing in some help when it comes to stage presence. I didn't the first time, and really didn't feel confident on stage. I'm sure I'll feel like a shaking leaf again this time, but I do feel better prepared! Now I just have to make the extra time to practice, practice, practice!

Hopefully this week will bring great progress that I can share with you next week!!


Steph :)

Week 5 of Adventures in Competing-How to select which show you want to do!!!

So here is my week 5 vlog on Youtube!!! This past week I had a LOT of trouble with energy and motivation! I think I threw too much at myself all at once! I chat about that a little in my vlog as well! To re-energize myself, I had a mega treat meal on Saturday! Myself, Husband and BABY went to AUCE Sushi and I TOTALLY refuelled! :) I was feeling much better when Monday came around and I'm ready to get back at it!!!!!

One of the other aspects that got me down this week were the progress pics I took on Friday! They were a month after my last pics, and I've been working my ARSE off since then! I've been eating in a calorie surplus and have been feeling great while doing my exercises. Looking at my quads while doing squats, I was SO IMPRESSED with the development I was seeing!! .....

This was until I saw my pics last week :( I don't see a change AT ALL and it really got me down :( I REALLY didn't want to share this pic with you all, but I figure, I shouldn't only be showing the successes...I should show the struggles too!!! So be kind ;)

ANYWAY, here is my vlog describing how I've decided so far which federations I wanted to compete with and why! I'm gonna keep on trucking....and I got some good advice from Erica Willick.....I have to pick a STRONG "WHY" for the reason I'm competing this time. It can't be to get my body back anymore because I've already surpassed that goal! I need a different motivation this time! Other than visiting with AMAZING friends in Ontario and wanting to look my best for that visit.....I'm not quite sure what my WHY is yet! I have to put my thinking cap on, HAHA

How to Eat Clean while on Vacation

Due to popular demand, I'm going to write a little bit about how I stay on track, with diet and exercise while on vacation. I DID do a video on this subject before I left on my current vacation this week, but it's part of a project I'm doing with a couple of other people (one that I'm pretty excited about, so keep your eyes peeled) and can't be uploaded till the beginning of August!!

So, I'll give you the plan I had for this vacation first followed by how I prepare for more strict vacations.  I was a little more lax planning for this vacation because I don't have a photoshoot or competition for a couple more weeks AND I'm staying with my parents, so have access to car and kitchen....then I will tell you how I planned for a trip where I had a photoshoot that weekend, and was staying in a hotel without a vehicle.

First and foremost I should say, if it's a VACATION and not business or a short getaway etc, don't stress too much about it!!! I'd bring some items for the flight/drive, but once you are there, enjoy yourself!!! Go out to eat, but just make the best choices you can. There are ALWAYS options, and don't be shy with your server. They are there to serve you, and should be responsive to requests to leave items off, or put dressings on the side etc.

So for this trip, I brought lots with me because I don't like to be cooking and running to the grocery store AS SOON as my parents pick us up from the airport!!! I want to be social for a few minutes at least! HAHA, JK.

Items that I packed:

1. Pre-portioned oatmeal- I measure into baggies exactly how I like it, with pb2, cocoa and sweetner already mixed in so I just have to dump into a bowl, and water and cook in the microwave. Since I don't want to be doing a lot of cooking, and I LOVE oatmeal, I don't do yams while I'm away and just eat extra oatmeal. Keep it simple!

NOTE: in the past when I've been in a hotel, I just brew coffee (without the coffee) so you end up with hot water, and either mix my oatmeal right in the pot, or in two seperate servings in the small mugs that they always have....I have also packed a couple glass tupperware containers that I use over and over. This way the container can be put in the microwave as well. ( usually you can get a microwave on request if they don't already have one in the room!)

2. I pack my liquid and powder stevia and PB2 so I don't have to buy more while away, or have to search for it!!!

3. For a last resort, grab and go, I pack QUEST protein Bars www.questnutrition.com PURE HEAVEN. Put in the microwave for 10 seconds before eating (if you have one around) and you won't miss dessert, I guarantee!!! I've found even gas stations turn a blind eye to using their microwave or hot water as long as you're buying gas or something ;)

4. Rice Cakes

5. Almond butter

6. I precook a bulk package of chicken breast and freeze. I freeze them so I can put them in my checked luggage without worrying about any leakage. By the time I make it to my destination they are pretty much thawed and ready to go. If you are going to be gone for a long time, separate into more than one bag so you can keep one if the fridge to thaw and put the others in the freezer to keep till needed.

7. Those tuna packets in the vacuum sealed bags work well also. You can usually find mustard and relish in airport and mall food courts. I use those condiments to mix into my tuna so it's not so bland.

8. Whey powder and shaker cup.

With all this packed, once we got to Winnipeg I was able to relax for a bit and didn't REALLY have to go for groceries for a day or so. When I did get to the store, I got cottage cheese, more chicken, some bulk bags of vegetables, egg whites etc. Everything I would normally eat at home!! :)

As for my workouts....I volunteer at the YMCA in Calgary (in the preschool dept) so this gives me a free membership :) It's a LOT easier to make it to they gym everyday while on vacay when it doesn't cost you 10$+ every visit!!! The YMCA also has free childcare up to 18 months, so even if my babies grandparents weren't able to watch her, I'd be able to bring her with me :) If your kids are older, there is always a drop in fee ( I know, that can add up!!!)

Now, things are a little more complicated when you are travelling on your own, in a hotel and without a car. When I went to FEM Camp www.femcamp.com in the spring I had to be a little more organized, but it was a shorter trip, so also do-able!!! Since I was going back and forth to camp during the day, I had tupperware meals packed. I know I know, not everyone can do it, but I ate everything cold. Pretty much every meal was the same as I'm used to, but cold.

Since I didn't have a car to go to the grocery store I brought all the same things as above, and in addition:

1. I didn't want to bring cartons of egg whites, so I hard boiled a bunch of eggs and sealed them up really well so they wouldn't smell.

2. I had to purchase bulk bags of broccoli and spinach in advance and bring them with me.

3. I like to rotate my protein sources though, so I precook and freeze lean beef as well.

NOTE : A great extra to bring along would be the Jamie Eason-Middleton muffins that I have on this blog in the "what I eat" section. http://www.operationcompetitionlean.blogspot.ca/p/recipes.html (Scroll down to Turkey Meatloaf Muffins) They are just as good made without the oatmeal depending on what your macro demands are at the time.

I wasn't able to get cottage cheese or greek yogurt, but I don't usually eat dairy before a photoshoot anyway :)

I booked a hotel that had a kitchenette. They are VERY common now, and usually not any more expensive than hotels without!!!

In regard to exercise, I ALWAYS do my research on hotel gyms. I've almost never been unable to find a hotel with a fully equipped gym AND a kitchenette! Worst case scenario, strap on the runners and find a childrens park nearby and make something up on the fly!!!

You could always keep a MOST FIT STRAP in your bag for a bring anywhere workout!!! It doesn't even take up the space of your makeup kit in your bag and can be attached pretty much anywhere for a kick arse workout!!! http://www.most-fit.com ( I'll will be doing a blog on this strap very soon as well!

So there you have it!!! This is how I stay on track!!! I'm probably missing something!! I'll post in the comments if I think of anything else!!!

Please, If you have any other ideas that I can add to my repetoire or that you would like to share, that would be awesome!!! Either post on my Facebook page www.facebook.com/operationcompetitionlean OR right here. I'd love to hear some new tips to help me out!!!

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!!!!

FINAL WEEK!!

Well, this final week ha FINALLY arrived!!!! I CAN'T WAIT to get on stage....

This past week, I have been on track with diet, water, weights and cardio....I was dragging my arse a couple of the days, but for the most part, I was super motivated, and keeping my mind on the final goal. I even had two REALLY good cheat meals throughout the week so I haven't felt too deprived!!! I'm looking forward to nixing the fish....don't care to ever see it again...but other than that I'm enjoying everything! :) As I had posted on my page, I used my cheat meals this week to see how my body would react to a load up on carbs, and the results were super cool! Before the meal, I looked flat and average...30 minutes after, I could see my six pack no problem! It's really interesting to REALLY see how food affects you at this point! :) Since this is my first competition, I obviously won't be able to judge exactly how much and over how many meals would be best, but I know what I did made me look better, so that's a start!

Even though I'm happy with my progress, and I'm not having much trouble sticking to the EXTREMELY clean diet, I have definitely been cranky. I feel sorry for my husband, and I'm sure he'll be happy when I can get back to the way I was eating a month ago. Am I going to go back to eating like crap....HECK NO!!! At least we will be able to go out for dinner once in a while though. I know he really misses that.

Posing is going great....My Bikini T-Walk is looking much more energetic, and my lats are showing ALMOST every time for my fitness model posing! HAHA. I'm hoping for the best this week, and that by at least Wednesday they show up EVERYTIME!!!

This week is going to be super busy, hair needs to be dyed, extensions tightened, manicure and pedicure, the all important shaving/waxing...haha. Get my bag packed (dark clothing, sewing kit, dixiecups, bikinibite, muscle sheen, dreamtan, a pillow or something to sit on, towel, bikini, shoes and extra shoes, pastic gloves, clothes for afterwards, business cards if they are ready on time, ipod and headphones, camera, phone and charger, photoshoot clothing for the afternoon, FOOD!!....hmmm, that's all I can think of right now ;) All my appointments have been confirmed so that's ready to go!!!

The plan with diet and exercise this week isn't going to be too drastic. A little manipulation of water and carb levels, no hocus pocus!!! Monday and Tuesday will be the same diet as usual, Wednesday High Carb, Thursday Low carb, then I'll decide from there based on how I'm looking! :) Water will stay the same till the day before I think?? Ahhh, not too sure what to do really! LOL I'm happy with how I'm looking, so I don't think I'll change much. No point in coming in looking worse :) I'll be working out hard till Thursday and taking Friday and Saturday off to rest up....and as to not ruin my tan with sweat! Probably sit in the house on Saturday with the AC pumping since this warmer weather is bloating me! Me and heat DON'T MIX!!!

Here are the pics for this week!

2 Weeks Out

Hmmmm, I'm trying to think of what I have to say about this past week!!! Everything is still going to plan...I'm still getting leaner, the diet is still working, so I'm sticking with it!

Am I confident that I will be where I need to be in two weeks??? NOT AT ALL!!! What I do know, is that I've been doing everything in my power to bring my best package, I've stuck to my plan 100% (whether my plan was the best it could be I have no idea) and I think this week was the calm before the storm! I can also tell you, that I CAN'T WAIT to get fish OUT OF MY DIET for a while! Last week, I determined that my body doesn't like rice, so my carbs have only been oatmeal and sweet potatoes. My fats, avocado and coconut oil. Other than that, lots of spinach, cucumber and asparagus, which I think I mentioned last week. AND of course, 6 litres of water a day like usual...of course, I'm starting to get my daughters cold....any praying I catch it before it puts me out of commission! ARGH

This week, I spent some time getting in contact with tanning, hair and makeup etc, to confirm appointments....I also finally bit the bullet and paid for the crossover fee to FITNESS MODEL Category! I know my body isn't where it needs to be for this, but while I'm there, why not get more experience right??? Who know's what the future will bring and whether I'll get up there again! I may as well enjoy it while I'm there!

I got my 5 cardio sessions in, bootcamp style. I couldn't be more bored with regular cardio! I can't wait to get back to building phases so I don't have to do it anymore! HAHA

I've been practicing posing a lot, and my bikini T-Walk and posing are going great! I JUST recently started practicing Fitness Model Posing and was having a hard time finding my lats....but as of Monday, surprise surprise, they decided to show up!!! Now its a matter of getting them to appear EVERYTIME, so I don't end up on stage with nothing to show....for some reason, when they ARE flexed, and when I THINK they are flexed, feels the same?? I really think that stage presence and posing is the hardest part of this whole journey! I told my husband he should come early and get a seat right behind the judges, and bring with him our full length mirror so I can see myself! HAHAHAHAHA I've come a long way, because when I first put on these shoes I was in so much pain I thought there was NO WAY I'd be able to go through with it. Now I'm completely comfortable in them, and I THINK, looking pretty good! :)

As for next week, I'm going to be doing the same as this week...don't want to change anything too much at this point! Diet will be the same, workouts will be weights 4x/week and 5x/45 min Cardio sessions....This will be the plan for the beginning of the week anyway, and we'll see how it goes! Along with this, I will be doing lots of posing practice!!!

Next week, I'm also going to start putting a post competition plan on paper. I've been reading lots about reverse dieting, adding more carbs back to the diet slowly, and tapering off on cardio weekly as well. I'm going to be REALLY careful not to have a huge rebound. I don't think this will be too much of a problem since I'm still not craving anything unhealthy....but who knows! It's always good to have a plan on paper as to not leave anything to chance!

Up till now, I'm not stressing too much! I've done all I could, I'm proud of myself, and I'm excited to get up there! We'll see how this attitude changes as the big day gets nearer! :) I've been feeling kinda tired, and just dragged myself to the gym today....BUT I left with a whole bunch of motivation because I was pretty darned happy with how I looked :) once again, pics really suck...I'm excited to show you how I look all tanned up and in my show bikini. It's all coming together!.....

P.S Make sure you enter the MostFit Giveaway by visiting the post previous to this one!!! Who wouldn't want to be able to take their workouts ANYWHERE, ANYTIME!!!! :)

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!