Getting OFF the cakes and pies wagon!

Yes, i have had my fill of these since Christmas. These items are quite tasty "at the moment of the act", but i'm sure not doing my body a favor. Christmas was great, love the family gatherings and FOOD. I got some new workout stuff that i will be styling out. I'm a Nike girl so i got some new goods. It will be some great motivation to get slimmer and really look nice in the yoga pants :D Since my lax days of eating, i have not been very energetic out of the gym, but i have had some killer workouts at the gym after taking my supps of course. Heck, i even managed to hit some new PRs :D Haven't missed a day training despite the craziness and in laws in town.

Yesterday i was doing pretty good with eating clean again up until we decided to go watch the UFC fight at Hooters with my sis and her husband. I couldn't pass up the wings and then i got some drinks in addition to that. I had 3 Corona Lights, i was feeling great though since i don't usually drink. It was a great fight by the way :) I'm getting into it. Then today, well i am out of chicken and just everything, even eggs so i didn't have too many options today. It didn't go very well and was just feeling down today so i didn't really care too much. Tomorrow is back on the plan though, i can't keep on like this. New Years Day is one more that i will have to deal with and know i will be having a few drinks then. Now i just feel BLOATED (freaking PMS to top it off!) and may have gained a few pounds that i WILL lose SOON. I will really tighten up after the New Years and get back to a leaner me while adding mass. I am going to go back to writing weekly specific goals like i used to when i was really on a roll on the weight loss wagon. I think it really helped me a great deal. My mind works better with specifics and details instead of vague/broad goals. 26 weeks out to the NGA show that i plan on doing on June 27th!! Even less to finish building and then begin the cutting. EEKK!!! FOCUS SANDRA, FOCUS!!

Christmas is ALMOST here!

I'm excited about this time of the year :) My kids are super excited and so am I. I like the family gatherings, but i really don't like being surrounded by all that food!! Especially DRESSING and DESSERTS. I am going to splurge a bit and enjoy it with my family.

My workouts have been ON POINT and feeling sore almost all the time. Eating hasn't been 100%, but it hasn't been horrible. The weekends out shopping is where it has got me like this weekend. I ended up doing extra cardio today along with my chest/back workout. Also meeting more fitness minded folks at the gym helps to stay motivated and push a little harder. So this week i'm going to switch around the workouts so i can still get ALL of them in since i know i won't be going into the gym on Thursday and don't know what we are doing exactly on Christmas Eve. I get quite bitchy if i miss a workout. Somethings i need to work on:

1. Stop taking BITES of stuff!! Haven't done this yet today.
2. Get enough REST.
3. Limit extra exercises to prevent overtraining.
4. Do my best during the holidays, but not use it as an excuse to cheat!! VERY IMPORTANT ONE HERE!
   

As far as home life, not much going on. Well, i'm still in the process of teaching my oldest daughter how to drive. EESSH, i pray for patience on this one cause she scares me sometimes and drives like granny clampits, wish is fine in a way, but she needs to really find that middle ground. She REALLY wants to get it right, but needs to pay a little more attention on simple stuff. I met her boyfriends mom this weekend too and her boyfriend (which is really respectful and nice) joined us to do a little Christmas shopping while my husband stayed home. He made it clear to me before i left to not leave them alone not even a second no matter what. TYPICAL dad right?? LOL. I trust my daughter to an extent and she is really not like that, but i do have my limits. All in all, the weekend went great with him. So weird though to see my daughter with a BOYFRIEND like that. Her first "serious" one. Her little sisters were just finding things to embarass her by, kids! Oh crap, i just rambled on! Just wanted to keep it more interesting :D

EFFEN COOKIES!!

Today was pretty crummy for me. Started this morning hitting my dang head on my car and it was pretty much from there. I got to go to my daughters Christmas party, but i had to park a bit far because their parking lot is not that big. Old school literally. Got to the party and they had some veggies with dressing and of course all kinds of cookies and cupcakes. I did have a few bites of the cookies and some of the carrots with dressing. Bites of the cookie is better than having the whole thing i thought. Then i got out of there. I had a hair appointment at 1 to get my highlights touched up. Well here we go again, something messed up with my bank so i had to straighten that out while at the salon. WTF?? Black cloud trying to stay over my head..lol. Later i got home and my neighbor drops off some cookies with my daughter (i was upstairs) and a Christmas card. OH MAN, what is up with the cookies today?? LOL. Well, it was sweet of her to think about us and do something like that. I did try some of them though, there were those kisses cookies in there and some other kinds. Like the freaking devil!

I felt kind of down today and said EFF IT. My husband and I usually go out for dinner at Texas Roadhouse, well i wanted some dayum ribs and i got them (those things just fall off the bone! DELISH!). I didn't have any of the bread though or any other carbs. Had plain veggies and a Caesar salad with no croutons. So yeah, that was my day pretty much. Tomorrow is the shoulders workout and will get in my cardio like i always do. Got to move on and not dwell on the mess ups. Its Christmas for crying out loud!

Going to start a CUT style diet soon...

Some of you know that i have joined Team Scivation for my training and bulking. Well, i'm getting near the 140s and i just can't do it anymore! I am supposed to be gaining weight on the lean mass diet they have me on, well the person i get in touch with is Derek and i expressed my concerns with me to see if he could put me on a different style diet so i could not gain anymore weight, but still gain lean mass somehow. He recommended i start the CHA diet. Its a low carber and i'm allowed a cheat meal once a week. Now i have read how others have gotten some pretty amazing results on this plan so i'm going to give it a show. Its going to be different, i don't get all those carbs i currently get and my cals are going from 2500 to 1600, but i don't count calories, just pretty much use the exchange system and get in all my servings. High fat, high protein diet. I have to go get a few things from the store before i get started. I'm going to be ready. I also let Derek know of my plans to compete in June and he said if i stick with him, we would be following a similar diet for the comp. Yes, they also do comp diets :D Not 100% convinced i will be doing the comp prep with them though, i was thinking about someone like Layne Norton, i have been speaking with his wife and others he trains to get a little more insight and to see if he is a fit for me. I have time to shop around though. Going to update my stats tomorrow and take new progress pics, not expecting big changes. I have gained 2.5 pounds on the lean mass diet which i have been on 5 weeks now. I don't think all that is muscle. I wasn't able to take my BF readings when i first started, but Derek mentioned how i did look leaner than when i started so that is a PLUS.

Today was shoulders/core workout and it went pretty good. Feeling a little depressed this evening and all i want to do is sleep for some reason. Must be the holiday blues. Thanks for reading my ramblings! Sorry i haven't updated my blog in awhile!

TAGGED by Tracy :)

So i was tagged by her and have to name 6 things that make me happy. Well, we are pretty similar, guess that is what being a figure competitor will do :)

1. Natural Peanut Butter (i like the crunchy) & SF Polaners Grape Jelly sandwich or Mex chicken pita pizza, these are TIED.

2. Cute workout clothes

3. New jeans THAT FIT!

4. Being at the gym.

5. To surprise the guys at the gym with my hard core self...lol. Yeah, i can roll foolios!

6. Seeing my body keep changing and gaining MORE muscle :D

new hair cut!

Yep, i chopped it off! I was tired of the same look and decided it was time for a change. I had 6.5 inches cut off. IT will grow back though, i know i will miss it, but oh well! I will have to learn how to style it my way. The stylists can't really do my hair. I had to come home and adjust before going out for sushi night :P What do you all think?

Day 4 of Lean Mass Diet 2500

So good so far, i am liking the variety i am getting in this diet although sometimes the meals are overwhelming with the amounts of stuff i have to eat to grow. I feel like such a fatty. I was getting in a good bit before, but i was eating too much at night time which was not cool. No wonder i was gaining weight, sheesh. I knew it was time to do something about the bulk and have assistance in doing it the right way. I have been reading others experiences while using the Scivation plans and decided to give it a try. Thanks Derek! I am hoping maybe my bf will come down a little, i don’t really know what it is right now. I just ordered some of the Accumeasure digital calipers that test 3 sites as that one was recommended to me. Just ordered my Scivation supps yesterday so i’m ready to get the mass building started! I already feel stronger in the gym and having almost every other day off from the gym is just WEIRD to me. I was lifting 5xs a week back to back, probably a reason my muscles aren’t growing the right way cause they don’t have enough recovery time. I have to do this right if i want some good gains. Also the workouts are shorter which is cool with me. Each week the reps/sets change so it will vary and my body will keep guessing. Now if i can get over this sinus infection i would be all good. Napped most of the day and got all my macros in so i’m good. I want to wake up right tomorrow to go do my leg workout. Big ass breakfast first and then 1-2 hours later the gym. hehe. Dang, i even passed up a sushi invite today cause i want to stay faithful to the plan. I am allowed ONE cheat meal a week so i will wait then to be bad

To go under the knife or not??

So i have really been thinking about it MORE lately and i really want to get a tummy tuck done. I have lost a good bit of weight and got down to really low body fats and STILL have the nasty loose skin and the horrible stretch marks. SO NOT FAIR! I feel like its going to be a roadblock in my journey into figure competitions and bodybuilding (hoping to do crossovers soon, yes lots of work to do). I have already had one consultation and the surgeon said i was a good candidate. I still haven’t made the decision as i wanted to hold out and see if my skin would go back, but i seriously doubt it. I have done my research on how long it takes and on tummy tucks and i’m one of those rare cases where the skin doesn’t go back. I think this also impedes my abs from coming out too. I want to feel comfortable in my skin and the tummy is NOT HELPING. Having 4 kids and yo yo dieting most of my life has completely destroyed my midsection. So you may think that its not that bad as per my pictures, but you see i’m flexing and not moving around much. My sister even noticed it. It really puts a downer on me even when i try not to focus on it. I also feel a bit of discrimination towards it when doing my competitions. The tanner doesn’t really help neither nor the Dermablend (actually makes them appear worse). I have tried a few things to soften and fade my stretch marks, but nothing. I have tried the Jean Wu method, Vitamin K, Trilastin (went through 2 tubes of this stuff), aloe vera, and cocoa butter. No luck, these battle scars are really engraved. I have brought it up to my husband of how i really want the tummy tuck, not only will it rid me of most of the stretch marks, but it will rid me of the nasty loose skin. He even mentioned how i am almost perfect EXCEPT for the tummy I almost cried on that and just want to cry thinking about this. I have gotten some mean comments about them before too Not cool, i say if you don’t like what you see, you can kiss my a$$! Now the only way i would get the funds to cover this operation would be out of my 401k, i would really hate to do this, but i’m getting really desperate! Not only because of competing, but when i go to the beach, i don’t want to be thinking about who is looking at my stretch marks/loose skin crap and how i have to bend over to pick up stuff. It just SUCKS!! I deserve to be happier with myself. I have yet to bring up my plan to my husband. I have a feeling he will not be 100% up for it. He is not the one that is dealing with the issue. Its been 2 years now that i have gotten my body to a stable weight and bodyfat and i know the skin and stretch marks are not going anywhere. Does anyone know if this will cause issues with me competing in judging? I mean will it count against me? I have a very valid reason. What are your thoughts on this? Sorry to ramble on, but this has really been on my mind. I want to continue competing, but would like to take care of this issue first as i think my chances of building a better physique will be higher. Yes, i know about the scar from hip to hip, but i would rather have that then all the stretch marks that plague my stomach I know there are people that are all against surgeries and what not, but i really think some of them would really love to get some procedures done themselves. I say don't down the ones that go through it if they really need it. Offer positive advice if you don't agree with it i say.

Bulking mode!!

I haven't blogged in awhile and have just been relaxing. Well, not really just taking a break from the internet and training hard at the gym. I'm so determined to build more muscles. I just started a new shoulder routine and going to start working them 2xs a week (posted starting point, will post again after done with 8 weeks of training, already 1 week in). I'm going to have to rearrange my lifting plan a bit to give the shoulder workout some days in between to let them recover properly. I'm thinking 2-3 days in between. I took some starter pics of the shoulders (8 week program) and can't wait to see what happens!! My sister is doing the same program too. I am getting my strength back in the gym and i LOVE it!

On another note, i was cleaning out my closets this weekend and found that i STILL had some size 14 and size large work outfits that i was still holding on for some reason? What the hell, i'm DONE being the fat girl! I'm going to list some stuff on Ebay, i got a good bit of stuff that i could get some cash back on. I have my old size large X-Men Storm costume that i just posted and got a few more of the girls that are in great condition. Its just money laying around, you wouldn 't believe it would sell, but it does. My closet is kind of empty now...lol. I have more workout clothes than anything, speaking of which i need to get some workout pants since the seasons are about to change. Heck, i still had some bigger workout clothes that were stashed away, time to get them out of my house!

The other day while at the gym, I was showing my picture in the 2 piece that was taken by a photographer to a few people at the gym including one of the owners. Well, when i was about to leave, he asks me if i could bring in a picture of me like the one i had so he could display it with some other competitors on his display table. I was flattered! I got one and going to take it to him when i drop off my daughter. Maybe they will be nice and give me a free t shirt or something :P Funny, now my oldest daughter Karina is interested in doing bodybuilding after watching my show. There was a young bodybuilder there that inspired her. She asked me if i could find a beginner program for her so she can start working out. She has already started doing a little bit on her own and people at school are starting to notice. She has big legs too and already starting to build as well as her triceps :D I TOTALLY support it if she wants to get into it as long as it doesn't affect her school work. I would be so proud of her! I told her to find out about it first really good before she commits to it and take her time. There is a lot more she could research. Oh i had one of my daughters turn 12 this past Friday. See the pic :) My girls are growing up so fast! Yes, i had a small slice of that delicious Publix cake! Hmmmm, buttercream frosting chocolate cake, who could resist!

The bulking. Well, last week as pretty much semi clean and now i'm trying to get a little better with the eating cause i hate the way my midsection is and the weight gain. I know the scale sucks right about now and most of it could be water retention and what not, but it sucks. The midsection is so weird after doing a show. Mine is really flat on the bottom and in the middle, it looks like i have a tire or something...lol. Not so bad in the mornings, just during the day. I have been drinking lots of water, at least a gallon to help with it, but Amy/my trainer said it will take about 1 month for my body to go back to *normal*. I would like to stay within 125-130 range with around 15% BF offseason so i don't have to bust my butt when i do a few shows early next year. Thats sounds about right? I still want to be able to build, a trainer at my gym tells his girlfriend (figure competitor) that she has to eat big if she wants to continue gaining muscle. I think he believes in dirty bulking which does work for some i guess. I don't think that would work for me though, i would just get fat. I either lose weight fast or gain weight fast...NOT FAIR! I do like the fact that i have a little bit of freedom now though and don't have to think about food constantly. If i want to go out, i don't have to freak out if i forgot a meal and all that. I missed outside food! I'm so bad, i haven't went to Pizza Hut yet and that was something i was really craving towards the end of my comp prep. Just afraid of what it will do to my body, i think i will have to make a stop there this week though to get it out of my system. I'm so crazy, i have started to track my calories again already cause if i don't get an idea of where i'm at, the pounds are going to start creeping up on me. I need some structure and don't want to be guessing. Well, thats about all i got right now. Just enjoying life a little more since i don't have to be so strict witht the diet and all. I'm still a total gym rat though :P No overtraining for me though. Train smarter, not harder as my friends tell me.

2nd figure comp experience

Hi everyone. Thanks SO MUCH for ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT!! YOU ALL ROCK!! xo!

I just got back in earlier today from TN and really tired! I got some napping in. I have been enjoying some good food and drinking plenty of water to flush all the junk out. I already feel kind of sick

Well, i didn't place in my class yesterday unfortunately, but i feel great though. I know i did better this time around and brought a better package.

The judges were looking for a more muscular look it seemed at this show. The overall winner used to be a bodybuilder not too long ago and now doing figure competitions. She had huge shoulders too which i lack. Anyways, the experience was great.

This was the first time this show was done and it was well organized to be a first show. All the staff was pretty friendly and i got a lot of free goodies at during the Expo.

There were 9 competitors in my class, i was placed in the short class which was kind of weird. Pretty much anyone 5'4" and below (i was just right under 5'4") were in this class. They were awarding trophies to the top 5 in each class.

The other classes were much smaller so everyone in those pretty much went home with a trophy. I felt very confident in my posing especially at the night show. I pretty much followed everything my trainer told me to do until after the night show.

I was a little surprised that i wasn't called in the top 5, but then again i was glad it was over with and ready to eat and drink. SO THIRSTY! I was also surprised that they didn't really judge or count off for bad posing and smiling cause i saw that happening a good bit in my class.

Some of these girls have competed before in other TN shows and i believe there were like 1 or 2 new competitors in this class. They all looked pretty good though, but i have to tell you that some really needed to work on that backside...lol.

Lots of jiggle backstage. Yikes! Anyways, i will continue training and focusing on building mass during the fall and winter seasons. I want to do another show sometime early next year if and when i feel that my upper body and backside have improved some.

Those are going to be my focus areas. I went to the judges for feedback after the show and spoke to 2 of the judges. They said that the only thing is that i needed to lose more water next time so i will come in tighter.

Basically they were saying i was holding water in my hams and all and should start cutting the water out starting Wednesday or something like that. They said i should have experimented with this as different bodies respond differently.

I told my trainer about this and she totally disagrees. She stated that figure girls cut water out by Friday and not sooner since figure is FIGURE and not bodybuilding (more dry look). They also said that my tan needs to be DARKER.

Ay ya ya, i thought it was pretty dark as i got spray tanned at the show and had a good dark base tan to start with. UGH! We got further into detail with the judges and asked what exactly are they looking for and if they are still going for a softer figure look.

He said that is what they are being told to look for and that the shoulders should not look like cannon balls and the separation should not be there. They want a feminine look with softer lines and the judge was even drawing what they are looking for which was TOTALLY contradicting what they chose in this show.

I even spoke up and said, "But the girl that placed high in my class and overall had exactly what you say that you are not looking for (girl in the red with big shoulders)". He states that he can not comment or dispute with me on that and had a funny look on his face. Hmmmmm.

Whatever! I know i did good and worked very hard to where i'm at now. I already talked to my trainer about my future plans and plan on getting back in the gym this week for some light cardio & lifting.

Next week i will take off from the gym as she recommended. I will still be focusing on building my shoulders a bit and working on my hamstrings and glutes. Watch out cause i'm NOT done! Oh, i got a picture with Guntar Schlierkamp that my sister took.

I will have to get it from her and post it. What a hunk!

Here is a link to more photos of the show on my photobucket account.

http://s21.photobucket.com/...show/?start=all

2 weeks out from 2nd figure comp and feelings

Will i make it?? This was the question last time too around this time. These final weeks are GRUESOME!! I'm ready to have some off time and will not diet around summer next year. Its too hard on me and takes some what of a toll on the family. My husband has really annoyed me today and blaming everything on my diet. He does nothing every weekend (he has like tons of things to do on his agenda) and he just expects me to be happy with that?? NOT! Of course you are really going to hear it since i'm carb depleted fool! LOL. I would be mad at him even if i wasn't dieting. he just really makes me mad with this kind of crap! Threatning me how he won't buy my foods anymore and i really doubt he will make it to this show. This really sucks without the support of your supposed loved one. I do everything pretty much around here that i need to do and take care of my girls so i don't know what the big deal is about. Yes, its an expensive hobby, but its not all year round. He has expenses too with his truck stuff and what not. I just feel really unappreciated right now and wish he would be more understanding. Then my sister tells me that she doesn't know if she is going to be able to make it to my show neither. WTH? I would love to have her there, i know its not required for her though. Hey, at least Beka and Carla (stinkerstink) and MissDonnaLee from tracker confirmed they would be there. Oh yeah, my oldest daughter is going to be there for me of course. She is pretty much the only one i can count on. I keep asking myself lately if this is really worth the sacrifices and if i should just quit now especially with my husband whining about it. I just want to knock him out sometimes with his rude azz comments. I really have to bite my tongue on some stuff. Ok, enough about the ranting. I just really needed to let that out. Anyways, here are my 2 weeks out progress pictures and the link to the show i am planning to do: http://www.easttnsportsexpo.com/bodybuilding.php

Cool that they have a spray tanning booth there and i thought i would mention it to my husband, but he was complaining about the cost. He complained about applying it last time and what a pain it is. I did my lower body, he only did the back...wtf?? Men are such crybabies! He better be glad i'm not still fat and uncaring about my health. I guess i look alright to be 2 weeks out. I want that pooch gone already! The water deplete should fix that though. I really need to get finishing up that one piece this weekend. Alright, thanks for listening :)

100% day!! ROCK ON!

WOW, i'm really proud of myself for sticking to my guns so to speak today and yesterday wasn't so bad neither with the eating. I got to work on my back posing a bit and will do more full posing practice tonight before my bath. I want to polish my posing and be READY for that stage! I took a few back shots today and i'm liking the thickness i'm seeing! Posing needs improvement and i don't know what is up with the crooked stuff. Still WAY better than last comp prep. My upper body has improved and it really shows on these pictures. When i pose, i feel like my upper body doesn't look that much different. Tomorrow another week of hellacious double cardios and workouts. God give me strength! I know i can't do anything without Him :) I pray for strength everyday and pray that i can continue to be a great mother and wife even with all of this going on. Its that balance game that we have to figure out. Today is a rest day and thats how i'm going to keep it. My muscles need that rest and recovery, last time i overdid it on workouts. This time its different, even though last time i didn't do double cardios, i feel like i'm doing A LOT better this time. 3 more weeks TILL MY TROPHY AND PIZZA!!! My oldest daughter is already asking me what kind of candy i want after my competition as she will have it ready for me like last time. Oh, what a treat!! I swear last time i ate like 3 in a row. HAHA!

3 weeks out and trying the different suggested poses :P

Well, these pics are looking a little better. The back pose is still a bitch! Working on that! I'm practicing almost everyday now. 3 MORE WEEKS!!! Yesterday i weighed in at 123.5lbs, but this morning i weighed in at 126lbs (few cheats yesterday...opps!). I had to help my dad out with some stuff and had lunch with him. He INSISTED i eat something and after i kindly said no, he still ordered me something. I love my dad to bits, but dang! He says he likes to see people eat and that i could use a few pounds...lol. Gotta love him. I even told him that i already ate something and still. I have to meet up with him again so i gotta think of what to do. I may just be polite and order a small salad or something before he orders me something. I'm too close to let all this hard work go to waste although i think i will be alright. So i may look a little carbed up or pudgy due to yesterday's slip ups. After lunch i was a craving fool and gave into my evil food demons on somethings. WTF?? Alright, workouts are going good, haven't missed one yet! I'm about to eat some breakfast and head out to the gym. LATERS!

4 weeks out comparison pics from last show to now!

So i was curious to see how much i have changed since this time around on my first comp. I would have thought to be the same, but i have improved not only with a bit more muscle, but the posing is better. Yes, i still have to work on it cause its still OFF. Freaking back pose is my arch enemy :P I like the cut of my new suit especially on the back. I think it flatters me better. Did i say that right? hehe. What do you think? I'm so ready to build up my shoulders for next year!

CONFESSIONS and stressing! 4 weeks out though!

YAY!! blogger is working now for me :D It was having some issues, my comp journal was lost and i couldn't post to it for some reason...ok here goes:

Been super busy lately and stressing! My daughters are about to go back to school and i'm trying to make sure they are ready as far as school supplies and clothes. They are pretty much set except for those list of things they will need when they get to school. You know, the final list of supplies :P Also finding out recently that i'm doing my 2nd figure comp alone and my sister will not be on the stage with me was a real downer. I know i can do this, i have done it alone for my first time. I know my sister will be there in the audience, but i was really hoping to share all the moments with her and the pigging out afterwards...hahaha!! You know how all that goes, freaking thirsty AND hungry! I am so looking forward to the peanut butter balls when carbing up the day of and the nice foods/candies after my comp. Tastes SOOOO rewarding after being done with the stage and all the thrills :D I have it in my mind that i really want to win this show, but i feel like its not going to happen because of the lack of size in my arms. I really need to stop thinking like that, because the judges may be looking for something different anyways and who knows, i may be lucky and the competition might not be that bad. Thinking WINNER WINNER, PIZZA DINNER...heheh, i know shut up with the pizza already! HA! Man, it would be nice to go home with one of those sword trophies. I called the lady over the show to get a little more info and she said that the overall winners and something like that get swords, HOW COOL! Just taking a trophy home is nice though :)

So like the weekends are the worst for me and knowing that i only have 4 weeks left is kind of driving me crazy. I just got my diet this past Friday and starting it tomorrow. Less complex carbs and some other changes, BUT I still get to have my lean steak..YAY! My diet has really changed since last time as i leaned out TOO fast and lost muscle. I do get the double whammy cardio this time around for some reason, but only totaling 1 hour a day. Only moderate cardio and my trainer told me specifically what to do for cardio so i won't be overdoing it. She already got onto me for running and doing the cardio classes...LOL. Love this woman, she believes in tough love for sure. I'm just hard headed and if details or explanations aren't given as to why and how, i tend to do it MY way. She asked that i get my bodyfat checked again so i will have to get on that this week. I also have to get my plain one piece ordered this week and a few more stones, that is really stressing me. I started going to the tanning bed this week too, just signed up for a month. I'm not a tanner so this is going to be interesting, i just don't want to be the lightest chick up there on stage like i was last time. My face is a little burnt from the 2 sessions of tanning so far though...OUCH!

Now, i got to control the evil snacking i have been doing lately, especially when the weekends come around and I'm bored to death. Sometimes i don't even give it a second thought, i have just been reaching for some club crackers thinking to myself "oh, 2 or 3 won't hurt, it will probably help me"...you know those mind games we play with ourselves. Then the peanuts...oh the peanuts! Lately since my hubby cooked up a bunch of boiled spicy peanuts (love these) i have been reaching for some of these and not taking my flaxseed cause heck they are both good fats right? I feel like i shouldn't be doing this, but i am still making progress so my mind says what the heck. I keep telling myself, oh once i get to 2-3 weeks out i will be 100%...I NEED TO BE 100% NOW DAMNIT!! Someone kick my butt already :P Oh yeah, Fridays we have been going out for dinner to eat at the steakhouse (using my steak meal here) and i have the side caesar salad with no crotons, but those stupid peanuts too that they have there...those peanuts call my name! EVIL! I have the 8oz sirloin (only supposed to be 5oz, but i'm freaking HUNGRY!) with a bit of the steak sauce and a plain sweet potato with cinnamon since they don't have brown rice, i just feel like it keeps me sane and a dinner date with my husband because i so miss going out with him to eat. We used to go out all the time on the weekends. Geez, i feel like i don't have a life sometimes! Alright, end of vent and confessions.

Almost 7 weeks out…tick tock!!

Oh yeah, its getting close! GASP! I’m feeling really good about my prep this time. I’m training WAY HARDER in the gym and doing different stuff. I feel so much more motivated in the gym too. What a world of difference it makes! I just don’t like it when people or in my way and just chit chatting, man get the F out my way! yeah, i get really hard core when i get in my ZONE. Hey, my competition probably isn’t slowing down so i gotta give it my all and that is what i plan to keep on doing to the FINISH LINE!

The diet is pretty good right now and i feel like my energy isn’t too bad YET. The water intake is A CHALLENGE. Workouts don’t suffer too much as long as i eat all of my meals and supplement right. Now that i take CEE consistently, i can tell it REALLY helps in my workouts. The diet gets so BORING and thank goodness my trainer was nice enough to allow a cheat meal this last weekend, oh yeah it was SUSHI!! It was YUMMO and it was a bit extended I had some mexican chips with salsa…BAD SANDRA!! Oh well, one little mishap is not going to stop me in my tracks. I don’t quit so easily. When i start something, I INTEND to finish it. Taking some progress pics tomorrow, hopefully the cheats didn’t do any harm. I don’t really think so because i still feel leaner day by day. I am getting my body fat measured again tomorrow. Just curious to see where it is since my diet has changed recently and then the cheat meal. Here i come TN!!!

10 weeks out!! YEAH BABY!!

Yep, already 10 weeks out! Technically speaking, i’m a little less Tomorrow it will be 9.5 weeks out. My diet has changed this week so I’m feeling more carb deprived. I will get through this though, i think an authorized cheat meal is in store I got my body fat reading today and it has come down some, YESSSS!!! I’m sitting at 13.22% from 14.81% just 2 weeks ago. My weight is about 129.5lbs right now. My last comp, i was about 119lbs when i reached 13% body fat I would think that 8% would be good for my body at comp time (please oh please abs!). Hopefully i won’t come in too hard…haha..YEAH RIGHT, like thats going to happen! Dang, i got some headaches right now! SHEESH! Drinking all this water, i need to invest in some toilet paper…hehe. Does going to the potty a zillion times a day count as cardio?? IT SHOULD!!! Still doing cardio once a week now, i REALLY don’t miss doing cardio, but sometimes i throw in some jump roping at the end of my leg workouts..i’m an animal at the gym REPRESENT!! Alright, enough rambling from my carb deprived flat muscle self!! SSHHOOOOOO!!!!

PEE PEE HEAD!!!

WOW, i forgot how much water i had to drink and how many dang potty breaks i had to take! GEEZ!!! People better watch out when i really gotta go bad cause i will be like one of the Wayman brothers in the white chicks movie…hehehe!! You know almost knocking folks out da way and stuff! Drinking only a gallon a day right now and that will be upped closer to my show date though. Here we go!

OK, food is right on and i have been 100% with everything (I miss those Dove dark chocolate covered almonds though), although i think i have been cheating my body out of protein. I have been staying hungry, wtf?? I mean, i weighed stuff to be sure today and i was only off like 2-3oz (could make the world of difference i guess) so now i got it all right. No more guessing stuff! My strength hasn’t been affected too bad in the gym and i feel like the creatine (CEE) before the lifts are really helping with that and with the new higher lift numbers. Ok, so i’m still looking SOOOO FORWARD to a cheat meal! It revved up my metabolism on my last comp prep and i really want some PIZZA!! Dang, i just started cutting this past Sunday…hehe…yeah go ahead and call me a WIMP! BLAH! My body NEEDS FOOD!! Carbs especially! I either lose or gain weight fast depending on my diet and carb consumption, heck my trainer had to up my carbs a bit close to my show due to this little problem. Already down 2.5 lbs so far and i just started cutting diet on Sunday. I know that the first week is probably mostly water weight or sodium stuff going on.

Training is also going really good, my upper body is still kinda sucky though. I’m really pushing it though…I REALLY HATE WORKING CHEST THOUGH!! UGH!! Is it really necessary for a woman to work the chest really heavy? I just don’t get it. I feel like a man when i do bench presses…LOL. I can handle the cable chest presses though, yeah weird. Legs always seem to progress faster than anything, i love them! My upper body doesn’t love me, oh well with time! IN DUE TIME………..HURRY UP ALREADY!!! Thanks for reading my crazy bit of ranting blog

Spent most of my day at my daughters dance recital. It was awesome and i just them! I get so teary eyed when i see my daughters up on that stage! I know how hard they worked to get there and how it takes a lot of guts to get up on that stage! Its kind of similar to doing a figure competition if you think about it. They love to perform now and its become addictive! They are probably going to take a year off though. I tried to get as many great shots of them as i could with my sucky camera. I need a new one! Mine is just no good for indoors for things like this.

This weekend has been crappy as far as eating for me. TOM has came around...UGH! I have been having the munchies for some strange reason this weekend. 1 more week and then cutting starts! Oh, i miscalculated about cutting...i thought it was going to start at 11 weeks out, but it does actually start at 12 weeks out. I was never good at Math...hehe.

Workouts and little bits...

My dad's surgery went well, although he is already trying to be active when he should be resting!! He is very stubborn...lol.

I weighed in again (scale whore lately) and weighed 131.5 lbs. I knew i had some water weight going on from the weekend. I got an email from my trainer and she is going to have me start cutting at 11 weeks out instead of 12 weeks out. Gives me an extra week to bulk. Hope it helps!

Alright, here are my workouts that i haven't posted from Monday and Tuesday:

Monday:Back/Biceps

Warmup - 5 mins on stair master

Chin ups w/40lb assist - 3x10

Seated cable rows - 50x3x10

Lat pull downs - 60x2x10, 70x1x10

BB rows - 40x3x10

Reverse close grip pull downs - 70x3x10

Preacher curls - 40x3x10 superset to straight bar cable curls - 20x3x10

*Jump squats - 20x2

*Back extensions w/10lb plate - 32 reps


Tuesday: Hams/Calves

Warmup - 15 mins on stair master

Kneeling hamstring curls - 20x4x8

Freemotion (cable) hamstring curls - 17.5x2x8, 22.5x2x8

Stiff leg deadlifts - 60x5x8 (threw in an extra set)

Standing calve raises - 125x6x10 (threw in 2 extra sets)

Seated calve raises - 200x6x10 (threw in 2 extra sets)

Calve presses (leg press machine) - 225x6x10 (same here)

Free standing calve concentration isolations - 5x10

*Jump squats - 2x20, 2x10

Hammer strength ab machine w/20lbs - 1x20, 1x30

I'm feeling a lot stronger and upping the weights on pretty much everything. I stay sore!! Hope thats a good sign to see some gains. Now I'm pretty addicted on doing the jump squats (love seeing those quads pop when I'm up in the air), but wondering if doing them almost everyday is not such a good thing. I bumped up my bicep curls today as well and just LOVE working them!

Is it possible??

Training hard in the gym, eating enough to bulk up the muscles so they can grow. I want the muscles to grow BADLY, especially in my upper body. I'm already up 16 lbs since my last competiton which i hear is pretty normal. My mind is starting to play tricks on me though with this bulking. I am feeling a bit on the fat side. I don't like being in the 130s and feel at home in the 120s. I know it will be temporary though so i need to stay focused and think POSITIVELY throughout these last 2 weeks of bulking. Its not all clean, but i'm really trying. My trainer stated to go semi clean and she mentioned that on this time around she will throw in the carbs a bit earlier in the last weeks since she is getting to know my body. I'm wondering how my body will respond to the dieting this time around. I usually gain or lose pretty fast lately. Is it possible to gain a bit more muscle till my September show? I asked my trainer, she says probably not because my body is still recovering...hmmm. Thats kinda a downer! I have it in my mind that i am though. I'm lifting as heavy as i can and my upper body is really feeling it. Also a difference on this comp prep is that i will be using a local gym and not just working out at home. We will see :) Also i will have to find another one piece suit that will actually fit, the one i bought was more for someone weighing about 120-125 onstage. It was too big for me and the cut on the booty doesn't flatter me at all.

Bulking...let the muscles GROW!!

Thoughts!

So i know i haven't blogged in awhile. I have been sorting out my thoughts and feelings since my last comp on 5/10. I just made the decision on joining the gym last week as i believe this will help me to get training harder and get the muscles growing better of course if its paired with the proper nutrition. My plan right now is to track my foods in fitday and do a regular bulking plan. I found this great article on bodybuilding (I have been reading up articles a lot lately on building mass) and think its very informative for people looking to build mass:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/topicoftheweek97.htm

I also redid the body type test and it came out mesomorph, i'm thinking i'm more like a ecto meso since i have a mix of both of those.

This weekend will be a little off, i was planning on doing a cheat day, but since this is a holiday weekend its going to be cheat meals spread out. Not trying to obsess about it, but i need some kind of control by inputting my meals on non cheat days into fitday to see what is going to work on me and where i need to cut things out.

Future Shows

Well i have decided not to go for the Nationals show in November in Atlanta. My trainer said this is the time i need to take my physique to the next level. She recommended i bulk and shoot for the Arnold Amateur. She has me lifting weights 5 times a week (she is about to change up my weight workouts) and doing cardio 5 times a week (45 minute sessions) so that should help control the fat while building the lean mass that my frame really needs. The Arnold show is SUCH a big show! She says that the National shows are bigger and since there is a pro card on the table, its way more competitive. I just need to figure out how to cover the costs for the Arnold. I need to get busy finding sponsors for this, would help if i had some nice photos from a photo shoot. Crud, just means i will have to get more creative. If anyone thinks this is easy, you are wrong!! Takes a lot of dedication and hard work! PHEW!! My sister wants to do a show this year and wanted me to do the show with her, but i don't think that would be in my best interest. I discussed it with my trainer and she hasn't really said. She just knows that i need to build and need enough time to do that. She and I want to take my body to the next level (dang, another transformation?). I just love seeing the muscles grow though and i know it can happen. Heck, i built the muscle while losing fat while following Body for Life and doing Build the Fat, Feed the Muscle. I wasn't eating enough protein as I'm eating right now. I'm so freaking inpatient though! I want to see the growth NOW! I know its going to take about a few months to see some progress per the above article and the longer you bulk, the better results. I just DON'T want to get FAT again!! I don't mind going up in weight (no more than 135lbs though), just still being LEAN. Just sucks though with NPC, you pay for a membership for a year, but it runs out by calendar year (12/31/08) so i only am going to get one use out of it. I still haven't received my card in the mail yet, i signed up the day of the show along with others for it.

Hubby's feelings

He is feeling better about all this and sees that i'm serious about it. He was bragging today at our neighbors get together about my biceps and had me showing our neighbors (how embarrassing). They were surprised, but i bet they think we are a bit on the crazy side...hehe. They did mention how great i look and were congratulating me on the show. They were curious to know how it went and were asking questions. I love to motivate people to do better with their health. Now there were other neighbors there and the lady goes to the gym that Elsa and I signed up at. So we were just talking about the classes they offer there at the gym and she mentioned that she works out for 2 hours so SHE CAN EAT WHATEVER THE HELL SHE WANTS. OK, this really annoyed me, but i bit my tongue and didn't say anything. Why do people think this?? I was reading in Oxygen where it mentioned "No gym time can undo a Big Mac & fries". I just kinda looked at her funny. Then her husband was asking me how i trained and what i eat since he has been trying to do better with his fitness. She was just looking at me funny. I then asked her if she goes in the weight area to lift weights, she just gave me a crazy look and said "hell no!". LOL. She is really funny, but not very educated on somethings. I will try to help her out if she doesn't tell me off :P So yeah, thats all i have right now. Well, not really but i don't want to bore you all and it will give me more to write about in my future blogs :P Have a great weekend everyone!

slowly but surely.....

Feeling a bit better today. I started my day off with some oatmeal and a protein shake (out of egg whites). I missed oatmeal! I just hate the way the junk food makes you feel afterwards, a "crash and burn" effect. SUCKS!! Now i did have half of a Archway lemon cookie (man those things are good!) and some coffee with regular flavored creamer. Hey, better than krispy kreme doughnuts for breakfast. My face looks puffy, tummy is bloated and soft (abs are GONE), and my legs feel swollen, whats up with that?

I got back to working out yesterday, i did 20 minutes on the elliptical and did a dumbbell circuit on the upper body. Finally i managed to do 33 pushups (about killed me) for the Team Asylum challenge. I still have a 5k run to do though, my treadmill is blocked by my husbands ATV...ugh! He is out of town right now. It was a really good "at home" feeling after i worked out though. My upper body was burning afterwards and just feeling really pumped. Going to do cardio tonight too, i feel guilty because i had Pizza Hut for lunch. I need to start getting my meals in check and get some more protein in my body. Also want to purchase some primrose oil as its supposed to help stabilize blood sugar levels. I was not much of a candy person, but after the comp was over, i have been into some candy. I can tell i'm already getting burnt out on junk. I need to find another comp so i have a goal to work towards and something to keep me motivated to clean bulk. I was supposed to call my trainer yesterday, but didn't get a chance to. I feel kinda embarrassed because i feel like i have really been pigging out since the comp. I know we aren't supposed to have that body forever, but still geez! I feel all the crap going right to my stomach area and feeling the love handles coming back. OH HELL NO!!!!! Thats why i'm slowly getting back into workouts and eating clean. I don't want to look like the chick from a year ago. I am going out of town this weekend to help my in laws move into their new5 home so hubby wants to take me out to eat at a restaurant there before i go back to 100% clean bulk. Also don't want to ruin my metabolism by overdoing it on bingeing. Now i know what my fellow competitors that have competed are talking about following a competition. GEEZ! I found a great article on bodybuilding.com and reading up on it. Here are some tips they recommend to control bingeing after a contest:

Heed the ten (okay, eleven) following tips to avoid the harmful effects of binge eating after your latest contest win!

1. Your weight gain following a contest is primarily water - up to 90%. Drink lots of water!
   
   
2. Eat foods that are designed to provide stimulation to your diet, but limit the caloric intake.

o learn more. ]

3. Avoid binge eating for periods longer than 24 hours after your competition.
   
   
4. Return to your pre-contest meal plan as it was approximately four weeks out, as soon as possible.
   
   
5. Continue eating six to eight small meals per day, maintaining a high protein intake.
   
   
6. Get additional metabolic stimulation by engaging in cardio and sports activities that normally would have been avoided due to contest preparation.
   
   
7. Be conscious of making contact with family members or loved ones to establish a reduced need for "comfort foods."
   
   
8. Maintain a cardio base no less than 50% of your pre-contest levels.
   
   
9. Avoid post contest weight gain greater than 5 to 10 pounds for a female and 15 to 20 pounds for male.
   
   
10. Use supplements such as Oil of Evening Primrose* (500mg/100 pounds of bodyweight) for approximately 4 days post competition. EFA's such as those found in Oil of EP, and fish oils help to stabilize blood sugar levels.
    
    
11. Avoid drinking your calories. Especially avoid canned soft drinks - the sweetener of choice in canned soft drinks is high fructose corn syrup, which doesn't require insulin and is just automatically absorbed by your cells to manufacture fat quickly and store it.

*A side note on Evening Primrose Oil: this supplement not only detox's your liver and kidneys, but it results in clearing up of acne. It is a free fatty acid (containing 8-10% of gamma linolenic acid [GLA]), which has been shown to have several effects on smooth muscle contraction and detoxification.

Conclusion

There is nothing wrong with letting your hair down (if you still have some) following a contest. Being reasonable and using moderation are the keys associated with quick recovery and lay the groundwork for you to do your best at your next competition. Do not take pills to make up for poor eating habits (I can't emphasize this enough), and remember to say your prayers just to cover the rough edges!

Here is the link to the entire article if you are interested: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drryan30.htm

BLOATED, will be ready soon to start clean bulking!

Wow, i am so bloated that i look pregnant! My stomach is hard feeling. Don't laugh too hard! LOL. I have been a dang pig, no lie! So deprived for so long, i feel like i’m a feasting bear right now. I have had all kind of goodies. They taste good, but make me feel really crappy later on with that sluggish feeling. I already miss working out and have been looking at later shows trying to decide on one to do, but yet have a bit of time to bulk. Just how much time is enough to bulk to do another show this year? I want to keep my hourglass shape, but add mass, build the booty up, and build those shoulders up too. My metabolism has been fast throughout my comp prep, never did i think i would have a fast metabolism. I weighed about 113 lbs 1 day out (was expecting to weigh 120 lbs on stage) and weighed in this morning (yeah, already stepping on the scale cause i was curious!) and weighing in at 125 lbs. YIKES! I know its a lot of sodium/water bloat. Hoping i don’t do too much damage this week on my body fat. I know its going to go up, but i am wanting to maintain it around 15-17% while bulking. Once i get ready to step back on stage, i want to be around 9-10% body fat, but weighing more then the previous comp. So time to eat up on some good proteins and clean carbs! As long as I’m allowed some cheats, i think i will be fine. Let the journey continue!

My first NPC figure show experience and details

WOW, what an experience...one i will NEVER forget! You really have to have a lot of courage to get up on that stage, yet ANOTHER big goal accomplished in the books for Sandra! Family is proud and this is only the beginning of more shows to come! So this is how it went...

Friday 5/9 - Had my last "good" meal the night before the show accompanied by a glass of red wine. I didn't get to bed until around midnight as i was applying yet another coat of protan and finishing packing my things. I did 3 coats of Protan with one more to do in the morning. I could not use the Jantana i bought because my silly butt forgot to purchase the sponge applicators that go with it. Opps! I will save this for next time for sure, i felt the Pro tan did not get me dark enough.

Saturday 5/10 SHOW TIME - I set my alarm for 4am, but finally got up about 4:15am. I didn't really get enough sleep as i was anticipating the day of the comp and just the whole worrying process before any big event leaves me with a lack of sleep. Couldn't have any sleepy time tea or fluids as i was water depleting. I applied my final coat of Protan and then proceeded to apply my makeup and fix my hair, this time using a medium barrel curler instead of using the straightener for curling. I finally decided on going curly for the prejudging and straight for the night show. I was running short on time so my hair wasn't the greatest and the rest of the eye makeup was applied in the car. My sis, my oldest daughter Karina and I all rode together. Elsa was driving while i was applying my eye makeup and getting my meal in of steak, white rice, 1/2 banana, and 1/2 container of baby apple sauce. I did drink a bit of coffee before i left the house as i REALLY felt i needed it. So here we are off to Duluth, Ga for the show, we got a bit lost, but still made it close to the time indicated. I saw all the competitors waiting outside the arts center, then someone had come out saying that we were all at the wrong building and instructed us to go to the next door building. Good thing, cause some people like me were running a bit late...hehe. It was weird, everyone with their dark tan, heavy makeup, stained tanned shirts...quite a view. I felt a little awkward at first. Thinking to myself, wow i'm i up to their level? Am i capable of going forward with this? Am I CRAZY?? yeah, all the silly questions were running through my mind.

So I got dropped off at the front of the building as my sister and daughter left to go to Chick fil A (OH MY!) while i went through the competitors registration/meeting which started at around 8am. There were about 20 figure competitors and only like 4-5 of us were newbies, everyone else competed before and one of the girls is doing junior nationals in a few weeks so i guess this was just practice for her. Lots more guys than gals and they were in TIP TOP shape! I did run into one girl that recognized me from the figure workshop that i attended in February. She is 18 years old and has already competed before, but in a SNBF April show this year. Very sweet girl and it was nice to actually know someone there. She and this bodybuilder chick were like the only ones that would talk to me at first. I had some peanut butter balls that my trainer recommended i make and let me tell ya...OH MY GOD, THEY ARE AWESOME!! They are so scrumptious! I gave one to the sweet bodybuilder chick and the 18yr old chick. They were curious to know what they tasted like. Mostly everyone had granola, fruit, rice cakes or something of that nature (boring foods!). While waiting around, there were vendors setup so we checked them out. Finally the registration and all that was done and then we were informed that there would NOT be a NOVICE category, so they had put all the figure competitors in a OPEN category (National qualifier). All the figure ladies were measured by height, there were 4 in my height. I heard there was a big deal about the height being right last year so thats why they wanted to make sure all the ladies were checked this year. After the measuring, we had a chat with the promoters that gave us a run down of how the show would go and also "KEEP IT REAL" tips. They were pretty positive, yet very straight forward and to the point. I believe they said if you placed in the top 2 or something that you would be eligible for nationals or juniors. I am still learning about the stepping stones of these shows.

Anyways as time proceeded, they were about to start prejudging so we had to get our 2 pieces on. They did provide enough time for us, but all of the ladies had to share a bathroom with only a little bit of room. Talk about stuffy!!! GEEZ! It was crazy in there too at first! Everyone was helping each other with adjusting suits, applying bikini bite, posing oil, can i borrow this and that, do you have bobby pins and what not. Butts and boobs all over the place...lol. Needless to say, a lot of us were way too oiled up!! They called us backstage as they were about to start prejudging. I definitely did not forget my pump up bands, most of the girls didn't even bring anything to pump up with and wanted to borrow everyone else's stuff. OH LAWD! I was nice enough to share mine with a couple of girls for a bit. I was a pumping fool though cause i wanted to look my best up there under the lights. First up was the A class (short) and they were looking pretty good! Next up were the B class girls (5'4") which i was in, there were 4 of us in the group. Only one of the chicks in the class was talkative. 2 of them seemed to know each other and were friends, they only kept to their selves. They did switch us up in the lineup and had me in the center and then to the side. They compared 2 and 2. Pretty much all of the girls physiques looked alright to me, but i have to say it, the posing was so bad from some of the girls. I was surprised because most of these ladies have competed before. I know my posing wasn't perfect, but lets just say I'm glad i really practiced hard the last few weeks. I know i gave it my all and did MY personal best. After the figure ladies did their thing, the men were up and then we were up again, but this time in our one pieces. This time i felt just a bit more confident when i got up on that stage, also i think because the mommy marks (i really need to get over this if i want to keep competing) were covered up by the one piece helped. Everything my trainer told me to do for posing was running through my head and i did just that. I felt like a little robot up there in a way and just remembered what i did in practicing. This was my chance to show the judges not only my physique, but the total package (posing, makeup, hair, poise). We had to do our 3-4 individual poses first and then they would line us up tor comparison. My sister Elsa and my oldest daughter Karina were at prejudging and reminded me to SMILE! Most of the girls were shaking and some weren't smiling too much. I really had a hard time smiling really big up there, my smile was jittery and just kinda frozen. My legs didn't shake though, Elsa said she could see some legs shaking up on stage, but not mine thank God! I kept my eyes on the panel of judges and smiled away. I did see 2 specific judges that were talking to one another while looking at me, i wondered what they were saying. I was really hoping some good things! Made me feel good that they were acknowledging me though even though i didn't know what they were talking about. Elsa said she was trying to listen in to the judges, but couldn't hear a darn thing! LOL. While backstage, i did have some more peanut butter balls for carbing up, just a few sips of water. Prejudging was over, so time to get back to the hotel for a bit of a break while still staying off my feet. I was pretty much in contact with my trainer throughout prejudging. It really helped to talk to her and let her guide me through all of this.

So we arrive to the hotel, i just really want a bath! I forgot my hair clip in the car. TIP: Have a hair clip or tie backstage to use while waiting your turn to get on stage. This will prevent your hair from getting oily from the posing oil on your back. Only one girl had a tie in her hair and everyone else including me had grease bucket hair by the time the one piece round came up in prejudging. YUCK!! I had to wash my hair, there was no hope for it. I made sure to have a long sleeve shirt on and get some help washing my hair so i wouldn't ruin the tan. I was successful at it and got my hair nice and clean and OIL FREE! Time for the straight look! OK, seriously i wish i would have fixed my hair straight also for prejudging. It looked SO MUCH better and also my makeup was redone and looked A LOT better since i wasn't rushing like in the morning. TIP: Make sure you get enough rest at least 8 hours and wake up early enough to get everything done (makeup, tanning, bags, food, etc.) I did get some rest while at the hotel and i ate another meal along with a few sips of water. I was really thirsty though and just wanted to chug down some ice cold water, ay ay!! My trainer wanted to keep me dry. Stupid TOM was still lingering around although i thought it was over. UGH! I didn't really feel bloated though so that was cool. I was checking out all the pics my sis and daughter took while at prejudging. The really good clear pics were on my sisters camera, but she forgot her cord to her camera for uploading (special thing she gotta do with hers) so we couldn't upload those. I have yet to see those and curious what kind of shots she got.

TIME A TICKING and we are off to the night show! I had to make it back by 6:15pm for the competitors meeting and recommended my sis and daughter get there early to get some good seats :P This time we were already in our 1 piece suits as they told us that they would end the show in our 2 pieces. Went through the meeting, carbed up some on backstage while pumping and here we go again! The music was louder this time, lights seemed to be a lot better and the excitement was in the air! You could hear all the family cheering on and really excited to see their loved ones on stage. A few of us were peeking out of the curtains to see if we could see our loved ones. My husband unfortunately did not make it out :( I had a feeling that would happen, but what am i to do. He is not handling all this too well, he knows i'm going to keep doing other shows though so he will have to compromise. He did try to stay in touch with my daughter to see how i was doing. I really liked the music they played while there, it was just right for my tastes. So here we are lining up again to hit that stage, feeling a bit more confident each time those heels hit the stage! Too bad i couldn't see my sis and daughter over the judges and lights. I kept hearing my name being called and kept wondering who it was as it didn't sound like my sis or daughter. I know that 3 friends were going to be there, but not for sure. Loved to hear the rooting so it made me feel more confident up there! Now if my husband was there, i think i would either feel more confident or more nervous depending on what mood he was in. Horrible, huh? Life. We stayed backstage until time to change out into the 2 pieces and get some trophies, while waiting we got to view the show from the sidelines and what a show!! LOTS of eye candy and just awed in amazement by all of the physiques from the guys! I mean the girls physiques were awesome, but you know i'm going to be looking harder at the men...hehe. I know my sister was going crazy out there! Geez, i will never forget the guy in the gold sparkly trunks performance! A lot of them did REALLY WELL and those muscles! There were 2 guest posers there that performed for the audience, i mean they got up close with all the flexing and stuff. Going around to different corners of the audience for an up close view. Funny, the women and men competitors were peeking through the curtains watching the posers show as well...haha!! It was awesome!

2 piece round coming up! So we get ready again in the restroom thats all congested and that the families had to use as well, they seriously need to get it together next time. They didn't even have weights or chairs backstage. Lots of ladies were complaining about that. Good thing i brought my pump up bands. Every time i would walk out of the bathroom onto backstage, i would catch a glimpse of my sis and daughter, what a great feeling knowing they were there supporting me 100%!! My daughter was really proud of me and told me that i was one of the prettiest competitors up there, that made my night! She told me this during the intermission break. So here we are lining up again, i was lucky enough for one of the bodybuilder women to point out to me that my back was a bit too oily (she was experienced) and offered to help pat some of it off. Thank goodness she caught that! You live and learn! Then another figure competitor got all paranoid and wondered if she was too oily too...lol. This time at the night show, i had my hair clip, yay!! No grease bucket hair!! The girls thought it was much cuter straight then curly :)

They called only the top 3 out of each class out for the 2 piece round and then distributed the trophies from 3rd place to 1st place. I heard my number and got 3rd place, i was happy i placed, but then again i was hoping to at least make it to 2nd place. I know i shouldn't think that way, but i worked SO HARD for this and thought that i would do better. I then remember how subjective the judges can be and all so i was just enjoying my moment! I DID THIS AND ROCKED THAT STAGE! I didn't back out and went ALL THE WAY BABY!! I was up against some experienced competitors so placing was great! This just gives me a way to come back stronger and with an overall better physique! The class before ours (Class A), my sis told me that the chick that got 3rd was smiling before she knew she got 3rd, once they announced it, she frowned and looked down like she was disappointed. I'm glad i didn't do that although i did get this something in me that was like "wtf, 3rd place thats it??" you know the ego, then the better part of you that reasons comes out and reminds you of what you have done and did to come this far. How hard i worked for this and got the chance to display my hard work on that stage. How happy my family that was in the crowd was for me and how they were more than willing to take pictures every chance they got! This was a big moment and you never know if you will have this moment again! Life is too short to deal with the "what ifs", so i'm glad i did this and its only the beginning of better things to come! Like i say in my blog, OUT with the NERVOUSNESS and time to shine!! Ok, something like that! You get the point! After the show was over, most of us went to the judges to get our critique. There were only like 2 of them there and they were short with us. There was a girl in front of me and i overheard one of the judges tell her how they were impressed with her stage presentation, but she needed to fill out as she was too thin. Then i ask what was the deal with me, he proceeds to say that it was the same thing he just told her for me too. I tried to get more information from him, because his answer just sounded really recycled to me. I asked if my symmetry was good, he said it was and that all i needed to work on was filling out. Hmmm, i didn't even try to ask the other judge what she thought, they both looked like they were having a bad night or something. Geez, thought i would get something in writing or some better feedback. I need to know the whole deal, geez! I was warned by someone who competed there before how that show was not that great and the people that run it are not that friendly. Well, now i see about the staff...not only the judges, but my sister was getting attitudes from the ticket attendant about her tickets. Then the whole crammed bathroom situation. Well, we did the best with what we had. Got to be friendly with some of the competitors, some were just not friendly. Oh well. I felt PROUD to carry my trophy and i got flowers from my daughter! I got to meet Mariah, her friend, and her husband Steve that video taped the show! How COOL!! I got to see 2 of my friends there as well. So cool, even though i was nervous stepping on that stage, i want to continue working on it and compete in other shows. I know it can only get better and gives me such a great sense of accomplishment! What a great goal, even though there are so many sacrifices behind it. The glory of being all polished up there and looking pretty yet strong is worth it!!

Show is over, girls are eating girl scout cookies! LOL, i'm ready to go as i'm thirsty as heck! Talked to my trainer and told her how it went, she was very proud of me! My sister had already bought me some of my favorite candy since she knew i forgot my candy at home. WHAT A LIFESAVER AND DOLL! I was like HELL YEAH!! HAHAHA!! Since it was late, we went to eat at Waffle House, i was missing some hashbrowns! I ordered a Coke with cherry flavoring, a water, Bacon cheeseburger DOUBLE plate with cheese and onions on the hashbrowns. You bet i tore all of that up! I was so tired though that i didn't get to fully enjoy it. I felt good though, i bet i told the waitress to for a refill on both drinks like 3 times. GOSH, i was thirsty! Went back to the hotel room and crashed out! It was awesome, so many emotions! Off to find my next show ;)

2 DAYS OUT!!! Progress pics before carb load

Hi everyone! 2 days out, yay!!! SO CLOSE and feeling competitive! The finish line is in view, time to rock it out and SHINE SHINE SHINE on that stage! Body fat is at 10.19% and my weight was 112 lbs this morning, yikes!! I know you are supposed to lose weight with the water depletion so its to be expected, will probably lose a bit more. Looking forward to sushi and red wine tonight! Tomorrow is even going to be better! LOVE MY TRAINER! Poor thing got hurt yesterday while talking to me on the phone about progress. 2 cars rear ended her and her neck is strained. She is disappointed, because she will have to cancel her chance at Nationals, she was just 6 weeks out. She also has a shoulder injury she is dealing with, but she wants to be totally there for me in these few days! She is awesome and i'm praying for her speedy recovery. She is stoked about my progress and says i'm right on que. She is happy with how my body looks and wants a win for me :) Alright, here are some progress pics that Elsa took of me before i had anything to eat or drink. No, i haven't started tanning, just the lighting makes me look darker. The tanning will commence tonight though.

Video blog - 2 days out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDNoe_hWt2M