GROWTH PHASE PROGRESS

Helllllllooooo everyone!!! How have your past couple of weeks gone? Mine, I've got to say have been very productive....I've updated my website, finished all my reading for my first mid term (have some loose ends to study still) and planned my meals for the last week and this week, and had many many KICK ARSE workouts!!! You've gotta love EXTRA clean food when it gives you energy results in the gym!!

So here is my update!! If you ready my last post, you know that I'm re-starting my favourite program MI40X , and it's going WAY BETTER than it did the first time. This is a MUSCLE BUILDING program, but the first time around I was in a caloric deficit because I was slowly increasing my calories after my competition...THIS time I'm following the meal plan guidelines as well, in a caloric surplus and hoping for some lean mass gains over the next 40 days of HARD WORK!!!

Love Warming up with my girls!! Do you look fwd to seeing certain people at the gym?? That's what gets me there on days that I just "don't want to"

The first week I planned 2050 Calories daily with 40%p/20%c/40$f. This is a great breakdown for me right now, 1. Because I LOOOOVE fats
and            2. Because I feel that I have become somewhat insulin resistant (carbs react by making me                  feel bloated, sluggish and I lose mental focus.)
                  3. Because the addition of extra fats keeps me feeling more satiated throughout the whole     day, no energy slumps.

My program was 6 days/week. Body part type split, with extra shoulder sessions over other body parts. One the 7 day (my day off) I ate an additional 600 Calories in Carbohydrates...you can say a cheat meal, or treat, however I ALWAYS choose healthy low glycemic foods!

My diet was uploaded on my newly updated website OPERATIONLEAN for any of you to download and use yourselves. I have yet to upload my next meal plan, but I will be adding it soon!!! Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss any new diet updates!!! There's going to be LOTS of FREE meal plans and workouts added in the near future!! I just have to find some time to write them!!! For now, I'll just share mine :)

Here is one of my FAVORITE recipes for hitting my fat intake....this was added to my meal plan this week.

DECADENT CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

It's made with coconut oil, PB2, cocoa and stevia to taste!!! SO EASY...if you need even MORE fats, you can use natural peanut butter instead of the PB2 :) Just finished a couple before I started writing this post!!! So delicious!

I was also doing warmups on the bike, and two higher intensity cardio sessions to keep the fat gain at bay and get the blood flowing.

Week 1 Results : Other than the fact that I felt great over my first week, I didn't gain any weight :( I WANT to be gaining a little bit of weight, sooooo

Changes for this week:
1. Increased my calories to 2200 with the same macro breakdown.
2. Kept my warmups daily, but eliminated my cardio sessions.
3. I have to do better with my water intake...it's starting to get chilly here in Calgary, so I'm not craving it like I normally do in the summer. This Hydrate Bottle is helping me get back on track!!!

Want your own Hydrate Water Bottle?? Be sure to check them out on Facebook!! HYDR-8 WATER BOTTLES

At this point I'm really happy with my diet. I don't have any cravings and I'm satisfied throughout the whole day! I always have a yummy meal to look fwd to, so I see no need to change much there. I do have to be expending fewer calories though, as I'm not seeing a weight gain. This is why I eliminated some cardio! I guess I have more time to study now ;)

Here are some things to keep in mind when working toward your own goals :
1. Make sure you have a way to track progress, so you know when to make changes.
2. EVERYONE is different, and there are NO COOKIE CUTTER ways to do things. It's about trial and error. If your results aren't what you want, something has to change
3. If you are wanting to gain, and you don't, you either have to BURN FEWER Calories, or EAT MORE Calories, it's as simple as that!!! The challenge comes from consistency. If you aren't consistent, you will have no idea what to change. AND patience. You may be lucky and hit the nail on the head the first week...you may continue to see progress for weeks (more common for people new to exercise and good nutrition) BUT
4. You will EVENTUALLY hit a plateau and need to use outcome based decision making to change things, and BUST THRU it!!

Good luck with your goals this week, and I will chat with you soon!!!

"you can't do what you've always done and expect a different outcome"

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.

*Please share this with people you think could benefit.

** Please Subscribe to my blog so you don't miss out on future additions!!! :)

***Thankyou so much for following and your support!! I appreciate each and every one of you!

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

Intermittent Fasting With Precision Nutrition

Have you found my other social media channels??

OperationLean's Website

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Youtube

What is Alkalinity, and why is it Important to Understand??

On my Facebook page a few days ago, I posted about my problems with alkalinity, and parts of how it's affecting me, and PART of how I'm dealing with it. It stirred up a lot more interest than I expected so I decided to write a blog post about it!! I could go in MANY different directions with this, but I'll try to keep it as short as possible and simple ;)

Alkalinity is important for EVERYONE, but most important for the extremely active, and the extremely sick population (this is because the stresses both have on their body are actually quite similar)

Pretty much EVERYTHING our body does to live daily causes acid. In order to dispose of these acids, we need buffers from minerals and electrolytes. These acids need to be neutralized so they can be removed thru sweat, urine and stool. If we go long periods without neutralizing these acids, it causes breakdown of protein, DNA, causes the body to slow down and even TURN OFF cellular functions (metabolic rate, detoxification, and exercise performance) What does this cause.....well all those things that I mentioned in my Facebook post!!! Plateau in weight loss, hormone imbalances, sore joints because of inflammation, irritability because of poor sleep, body holding onto water in the wrong area's of the cell (making you look bloated) etc!!! If it gets bad enough for long enough, it will even lead to serious illness, cancer and disease!!!

What Causes Acid in our System:

*Stress
*Detoxification
*Metabolic Rate and Digestion
*Cell Growth and Repair
*Immune System
*Inflammation

As you can imagine...a person who is working out intensely, or VERY sick will be dealing with all these examples on a daily basis....so if we don't buffer these acids somehow, our bodies will run into a wall.

How can we buffer or REMOVE lactic Acid?

*Non-Starchy nutrient dense vegetables or GREENS-the customary 5 servings of vegetables a day isn't enough, we need upwards of 13-20 servings
*Limit Foods that cause acidity in the body, and eat more alkaline foods (chart below)

*minerals (magnesium, multi-vitamins)
*electrolytes (GOOD QUALITY)
*Sodium Bicarbonate
*potassium Bicarbonate is the best source (found in baking soda)

******I just bought a very expensive supplement after shipping and Customs from the US....consisting of Sodium and potassium bicarbonate ONLY. Hopefully this will help my cause!!! If any Canadians know of a similar supplement in Canada, PLEASE post below!!!

*Cleanses and DETOXES can be a great way to kickstart your progress and get your levels back to normal quickly!!!
*Change your workout volume from Hypertrophy workouts to low rep STRENGTH workouts, and to not work the lactic acid systems

If proper foods and supplements aren't getting your levels back to normal, you may have to tailor back your workouts and give your body time to get back to balance. The more you workout, the more acid you create, so if you just CAN'T keep up, you may need some time off (whence me cutting down my volume, and cardio performed till I get this under control)

How do you perform a simple cheap acidity test at home ?

You will need
*PH litmus papers from a health food store (rip off 7 strips)
*Distilled water
*A real lemon

***Do in the morning before eating or having any coffee!!

Your BASELINE
This number will represent your body at homeostasis...you haven't worked out recently, are rested and have had lots of time to buffer acid. If you AREN'T a 7-8pH it could mean you are deficient in acid buffers. If it IS a 7-8, is still doesn't mean you are great at buffering acid, it just means that given enough time your body can get to a good level

Minutes 1-5 -
These are the important numbers...and will show you how you buffer acid in the body, and how quickly. The lemon water will bring pH down to a 5...acid buffers in your saliva SHOULD bring the acid level in your mouth back to a 7-8 within those 5 minutes....

SO

1. Swish some distilled water around in your mouth. After a few seconds, take your BASELINE reading. (compare colour with the chart that will come with the strips)

2. Pour a little more distilled water into a glass, and squeeze a good amount of lemon into the glass...drink, and take your START LEVEL. This should be a 5.

3. Every Minute there after (for 5 minutes), take another reading and record.

If your baseline was a 7-8 and you get back to there after 5 minutes, you're GOLD, good work!!! :)
If your baseline was a 7-8 and you only get back to a six, you have some work to do
If your baseline was a 6 and you may or may not get back to 6...like I was, YOU HAVE LOTS of work to do!! HAHA

YOU should be doing the cleanse and detox with me starting on May 26th...message me for details on this challenge, and I will send you the supplement info, and cost! Even the testers who don't make it back to 7-8 completely will benefit from this process!!!

Here is a link to a supplement vlog I did, describing what I use to keep myself functioning properly! If you go to the last few minutes, I show some of the products used in the cleanse..(I would HIGHLY recommend getting the Product B as well)..there will also be a Facebook group for support through the tough days!!! I know you will love it as much as I did! :) Let me know if you want more information, and I will get you set up!!! OperationLean

Product Website

In the meantime, if you don't get enough vegetables, get yourself some powdered greens and start on that supplementation right away, and drink lots and lots of water, include electrolytes post workout as well. This should start you in the right direction!

I hope this was helpful, if you have any more questions, post in the comments and I will try to answer everything!! :)

Want to learn MORE!!!? Make sure to subscribe to this blog so you don't miss out on future posts!!! There should be many more to come this summer!

Follow me on Facebook : www.facebook.com/operationcompetitionlean
Twitter and Instagram : @operationlean
Check out my services and challenges : http://smackid.wix.com/operationlean

What to look for in a Protein Powder??

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen!!! I went to a conference last weekend and I learned A LOT!! You know me and the science of insulin resistance, cortisol, alkalinity and controlling inflammation!! BUT that tends to be WAY MORE complicated than most even want to THINK about! ;)

ANYWAY, I learnt some stuff to look for when purchasing protein powders!!! This was asked on my Facebook page www.facebook.com/operationcompetitionlean the other day and it's pretty much the MOST IMPORTANT meal post exercise, so it's really important to choose the highest quality shake as possible! Just in case you didn't see the post I'm talking about I'll start from square one, and add it what I learnt ;)

1. The best whey is whey CONCENTRATE. (it has less protein, BUT has all sorts of enzymes and nutrient transporters that the others don't, so you will ABSORB more and it helps with the immune system.) Isolate is the next best thing because of it's high protein content, but won't help with immunity.....this is ok, as long as the rest of your diet is clean and supports immunity! In most of your cases, that is a yes! :)

2. Look for GRASS FED New Zealand Whey. If it doesn't say grass fed, it isn't!!! Supplement companies WILL advertise this! If it says grass fed, finished organic grain, it ISN'T the same quality! Companies do this so they can get away with saying it's a high quality grass fed and they put the rest in fine print...ARGH!!! MARKETING!!!!!! The reason this is such a good source is that it has the HIGHEST content of the BCAA's our bodies need for growth and repair....and you know me and BCAA's!!! HAHA


3. If you are looking at a protein powder that has 20 grams of protein and the first ingredient is whey concentrate, ( a complete protein, meaning your body can use it for growth and repair) but lower down on the list you see pea protein or soy protein (which are incomplete proteins), this isn't good, and the company is using those as cheap fillers. Because WHEY is a complete protein, they can advertise their product as complete, HOWEVER only 50% or so, of it IS complete. Therefore in reality you are only getting about 10 grams of protein you can use....not worth your money!!!

4. I've never even seen it, but Goats Milk Protein is pretty good. It just has 50 % less BCAA's than Grass Fed New Zealand Whey.

5. AND of course when we get to sucralose and aceslufame K-it's best to avoid this because of alkalinity. It's PH is neutral in the mouth, but it's VERY acidic once broken down in the intestine. This kills off the good bacteria (flora) in your stomach, leading to inflammation and poor recovery....try to look for natural sweeteners, like stevia

ANYWAY, that was long and convoluted, but I thought it was really interesting stuff, and I know I've wasted money in my day on crap and false advertising!!!

When it comes to baking snacks and such, I wouldn't worry about it too much, just find something that tastes good! But when it comes to post workout nutrition you want it to work FOR you and your growth and repair! That's the time to pick the best sources possible!!! :)
Still don't know where to start?? Email me at steph.laurendeau@sisinshape.com for more information on what I've been using! It's changing my body, giving me energy and making me feel phenomenal!!!

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 :)

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!!!

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!!!! :)

Most Fit Suspention Strap Giveaway!!

This giveaway is with MostFit Suspention Straps and www.AndrewGavigan.com MostFit is one of the first sponsors of the #mompowerteam weekend coming up in October, and we CAN'T WAIT to have this strap with us so we can get our WORKOUT ON pretty much ANYWHERE!!!

The strap can be used by anyone, anytime, anywhere! It is designed to strengthen your core, while improving balance, flexibility and total body strength and it easily mounts in any doorway, and to most heavy workout machines, furniture and stationary structures.

I can't wait to get mine and start trying out the MULTIPLE new exercises you can do with this convenient apparatus!!:)

#GIVEAWAY, #MOMPOWERTEAM

Start Collecting Entries Below!!! You can return and get additional entries everyday by posting to your twitter accounts :)

GOOD LUCK!!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

3 Weeks Out!

Last week went REALLY well. I still don't notice the changes in pictures, but I definitely see changes in the mirror. I weigh in on Monday, and by Friday I had already lost 1.6Lbs. The my diet was 6 meals a day..a small amount of carbs in my first three meals (I workout in the morning) and only veggies with my protein for my last three meals. One evening meal had avacado added, and my morning oatmeal had a TBSP of coconut oil. Veggies consisted of cucumber, asparagus and spinach. I replaced chicken with white fish and flank steak. My calories have also been increased to 1750/day. By Friday, I had lost enough.  I've also been in a deficit for a LONG LONG time, so I had a great cheat meal Saturday night! :) Hubby, baby and I went to our favorite all you can eat sushi restaurant for dinner. My husband was pretty happy about this. He's SUPER supportive of my goals, but it has sucked for him that I won't go out to eat as frequently :) We used to do that ALL THE TIME!! In addition to all of these changes, I started adding cardio to my regime, and my knees are actually feeling OK!!! I did three bootcamps, and 2 Steady state cardio sessions for the week. It's nice to sweat again, even though I HATE cardio. LOL

I've been working hard on posing. My Bikini T-Walk posing is looking good, but I have to work on ENERGY!! I think it will be better with music, so I'm trying to track down what songs they are going to be using....no response yet. For fun, and extra experience on stage, I've been debating all along to enter the fitness model category as well. I'm having a lot of trouble learning how to flex and do their manadory poses though!! Just last night, I FINALLY figured out how to get my lats to flex....but now I have to do it without a mirror. To me, it doesn't feel any different, so I may be on stage, not flexed at all, and not even know it! HAHA....This entry is still up in the air.

I DID pick up my suit this week! It looks great in my opinion, still a little snug. I can get alterations at anytime though, which is the great part about hiring a local suit maker. All I had asked her was that my abnormally long bum crack be covered, and that my c-section scar be covered. I was a little worried that it may look funny but the bottoms are perfect and everything is covered! Maybe at the beginning of PEAK WEEK, I'll give you a sneak peak ;) It's nothing crazy! Simple and feminine. I may bling it up myself for my next competition.

As for next week, it's simple! I'm sticking to the plan! :) Here are my pics from this week!

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! :)