Chicken Soup for the Figure Soul

I competed in my second show! Yay! And I did better than my first show! Double yay!!!

I felt more confident this go-around, even though my hubby said he could see me shaking from the audience, which isn't a good thing when you're being judged. But oh well. Get on stage in a bikini and a Doritos-tan and try not to shake.

Speaking of tan, I had a much better one this time too. I used Aglow Tanning at the recommendation of my trainer and they did an amazing job with my hair, makeup, and tan. I felt like a princess...in a rhinestone bikini and 5" heels.

After this show, we hit up the Cheesecake Factory. I went straight to the pasta page on the menu. It was delicious, and yet after months of eating food with very little oil and no pasta, my stomach wasn't too happy with me. Or so I thought.

We went to Denny's the next morning. But as much as my mind wanted to eat, my tummy couldn't finish. By the time we got in the car I was aching all over. I was thinking it was maybe a result of dehydration (when you're used to 1+ gallons of water a day cutting that down for the show is rough). We had a two hour drive home, and it was a really good thing my hubby was driving, because I apparently fell asleep for most of it. And then when I got home (at 3pm in the afternoon) I went straight to bed. And stayed there for the next two days with a fever and chills and all that good stuff.

So though I had plans to eat every recipe I'd saved to Pinterest, all I ate for 2 days was chicken noodle soup. Holy sodium. I ended up at urgent care and diagnosed with a nasty virus that is going around (and has taken out everyone at work). I am just now feeling normal. It also made me WEAK. I'm just now getting back to lifting what I was before the show, and even then it's a struggle.

So that was my "cheat week." Lots of sleep and soup and now I'm back on a maintenance diet and lots of water and Vitamin C...and in about 4 weeks I'll be back on a contest prep plan.

Stay healthy, my friends!

Figuratively Speaking...

...it's showtime again!

Amazing, how slowly the time will pass when all you want is Peanut M&Ms...yet how quickly time passes when you have to get on stage in a bikini again! Eek!

Building a competitive physique takes time; lots of steady, small consistent improvements that pretty much go unnoticed on a day to day basis.

I'm freaking out about getting on stage again. But excited too - it's not the big unknown anymore.

That said, I was getting cold feet tonight. Not feeling ready. Feeling tired and thirsty and nervous.

Then Erin Stern (who is one of the top figure competitors in the world) posted her own before and after photos. It took her 8 years to get there; I shouldn't feel bad about not getting there in 3 months.

So I took some photos in my suit. (I'm not going to post them because I'm so pale I'll blind you. I definitely need like 3 coats of spray tan, as horrible as that whole tanning process is.) I then cropped them next to the photos from my last show.

Miracle of miracles....I'm no longer a "pear!" I am now in size small on the top AND the bottom! I'm down another ten lbs from the last show (I'm a little worried bc my suit bottoms are a little big now but better than too small...thank goodness for Bikini Bite). I can do shoulder presses with 30 lb dumbbells, which is double what I was doing in November. And I know the spray tan makes a world of difference too...so I can't wait to see these show pictures.

And I am so appreciative of all the support from my friends and family and my amazing trainer Patricia. :) Especially to my hubby who has tolerated the smell of fish cooking every week and my recent lack of time for housework. I owe him a trip to Texas Roadhouse.

So however this competition goes, I feel like I already won something. :)

And I intend to keep on going and keep on getting better- next show is in July! And I want a trophy! (But first I'll make time for some Peanut M&Ms).

One day, one decision at a time...go figure. :P