Trish Comp prep, week 6- Come on scale, move!

Starting weight: 113, current weight 108.2

I feel like I’ve turned a corner this week. The last couple of weeks were rough to say the least, but this week has been much better. It’s nice not feeling like I’m ready to rip someone’s head off for no reason! Although I still haven’t seen the scale budge, I do feel and look different. If you’ve been reading my blogs, you’ve noticed that I take photos of myself every week. I figure that since the scale’s not doing much, it helps me to see some progress!

Taking pictures on a weekly or bi-weekly basis is a reliable way for me and my husband/coach to judge how I’m progressing in my dieting and workouts. Every month I’ll put those pictures side by side and evaluate if I’ll be ready for my contest in time, if I need to increase my cardio, change up my workout split, calories, etc.

When it comes to dieting down for a contest, I have a number in my head at which I think I should compete. Since I know what weight I competed at last year, I have this need to get back down there again. But, I have to keep reminding myself that as long as I’m losing body fat, it doesn’t really matter what the scale’s saying. I’m learning to pay attention to the details…seeing progression in photos, feeling my skin’s “thickness” (it’s definitely feeling thinner!), and also looking for new striations and increased vascularity (especially during my workouts).

I’ve actually read articles that discourage people from dressing to see their muscles during workouts! As a trainer & competitor, I think that it’s important to make the visual connection between mind and muscle. Watching my muscles contract helps me feel the flexion not only in gym but also up on stage where it really matters! Time to eat…

Trish's 2011 Comp Prep, week 5- Stay focused!

Bodybuilding and Figure competitions are one of the toughest sports around. I’ve trained for a triathlon before and played various sports, but I’ve never had to be as disciplined and as structured as I am with contest prep. As with any sport, the diet is key- whether it’s to fuel up for a race or to recover from workouts, it’s the diet that will make or break you. Last week was rough to say the least.

My calories are normal for a female my size, but I’ve had a really hard time watching my husband eat 5000+ calories a day. His cheat day is on Saturdays and not surprisingly, that’s the toughest day of the week for me. This Saturday I came home from training my clients to fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, then it was Chipotle for lunch (picture me there with my lunch bag in hand), then more cookies, and don’t forget about the chips or cereal, then Dickie’s BBQ, and finally frozen yogurt for dessert…Holy cow!

I never realized how tough it would be to have one person in the house that’s trying to lose weight; while the other’s trying to gain weight (I’ve never had that problem!). So I guess the point to my ranting is how do I stay focused? Bodybuilding is tough enough without fattening food being sat in front of my face, but where do I find the will power to stick to the diet and not give in to temptation?

Here’s a list of my top 5 distractions:

1. I look at my past competition photos and photos of people whose physiques I admire.
2. I clean up, organize, and keep myself busy to take my mind off of wanting to eat.
3. I shop! Buying clothes or searching online for something I want is always a great distraction.
4. I walk my dog around the neighborhood or just get my heart pumping a little (nothing strenuous  though  because I don’t want to over-train).
5. I curl up and read a book or magazine and sometimes will sip on a hot tea with calorie free sweetner to curb my appetite.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, spend some time trying different things to get your mind off of food and on to winning that trophy! It’s just like they say, out of sight, out of mind…

Trish's Comp prep #4- good days & bad days

Starting weight: 113, Current Weight: 107.4

I thought that I'd write about the struggles that I, as a competitor, go through in dieting for a contest. There are several phases in contest prep & right now I'm still in the 1st month or the "excitement phase" as I'd call it. My workouts are still going really good, I can see that I'm getting leaner, I just ordered my competition suit, and I'm ready for a fake tan!

It's in the excitement phase that I feel really motivated to lose the weight but it's also when my are hormones seem to start to acting up...

Then, I end up going to a restaurant with my husband & step kids (In-N-Out Burger, Chipotle, just to name a couple) and there I am, lunch bag in hand, watching them order things I could scarf down in minutes, and smelling the food that could easily sabbotage all of my hard work! It's on those days that I have the hardest time sticking to my meal plan. It has occured to me that my clients (especially the dieting competitors) probably feel the same way as I do. Now in my 4th competition season, I've found that being around food temptations doesn't bother me nearly as much as it used to, but it can still be a struggle. That's when I call on my support team for the extra motivation I need to get through the bad days.

My husband has been my biggest fan. He's not only my coach and trainer, he's the voice of reason when I need to hear one. One day last week, I was in a terrible mood. I didn't sleep well the night before and I was feeling really irritable and down on myself. After sending him a text that said something like "I'm grumpy :-(", he made a special picture for me. It had 4 of the top girls in the figure industry, on stage, looking their best, and it was titled "Come and Beat Me!". That was all I needed to turn my mood around. That picture is still hanging on my fridge & I use it as motivation to stay on top of my diet & workouts.

What's your motivation? Who's your "go to person" for when you're feeling down? If you don't know, then you'd better take a step back & think through your competition season a little more. This sport is one of the hardest around- both physically & mentally. No matter how strong of a person you are, you're going to need someone to lean on. Notice I said someone, not something! Trainers, spouses, friends, and fellow competitors are examples of the typical support teams a competitor needs in his/her life. If you don't have anyone close to you to lean on, get on forums (bodybuilding.com, siouxcountry.com, and facebook to name a few) and find one!!! You'll be glad you did!

Trish 2011 Competition prep #3- posing suits

This past weekend it really hit me that competition season is getting close! I ordered a suit from my designer, Elite Stagewear, on Sunday. She designed the blinged out red suit I wore for the IFPA Pro Show in Sacramento in July & I got tons of compliments on it, so I decided to work with her again this year.

That purchase made me think about the importance of buying a great suit. Many competitors, especially starting out (myself included), tend to wait until the last minute or try and skimp on their suits because they are costly. A good quality suit will cost anywhere from $250-$1800 depending on the designer and the level of competition you're entering.

Just behind perfect posing & a great body, the suit we wear in figure is one of the most important ingredients to a solid win. If your suit doesn't fit, your physique won't look as good as possible- in fact it can become a distraction instead of an enhancement. It's important to get the help of an experienced competitor or suit designer that will help match the right fit to your body type. Getting up on stage in a suit that's too big in the bottoms will make your butt look huge on stage! And having one that's too small will create that awful muffin top & make you look bloated and unconditioned! I've been to several competitions where if a girl just had a more flattering suit (whether it's the cut or color), she could have won or placed much higher. How disappointing would that be?

Whereas bodybuilding is a more cut & dry sport, the judges are looking for the total package in figure. The suit isn't nearly as important in bodybuilding as it is in figure because they are just looking at your symmetry & muscularity. But in figure the judges want it all- symmetry, muscularity, femininity, poise, & beauty. That's right- hair, makeup, suit bling, shoes- it all matters and creates the ideal package.

Where do you begin???

I suggest starting to think about your suit early on in the season. Give yourself plenty of time to get the perfect one, find a local seamstress that can help you with alterations if needed, and don't skimp on the bling! There are several places to look for suits to help you pick the right one. If you're trying to decide what color or cut, check out www.musculardevelopment.com. They have tons of photos on their site of figure competitors & bodybuilders. See which colors and designs catch your eye. Find a girl with a similar body type, look at what type of cut she has, and how her suit fits. If you're on a budget and have some time before your show, check out www.divaexchange.com to get a used suit. I typically sell my suits on this website (after I've used them for a season) and put that money towards my new one. But be careful on this site as many girls have had their suits altered. So, get their measurements and make sure you're close to the same size! Lastly, ask around where other competitors get their suits made, call & talk to the designer to make sure you get along with her. I called a designer last season & realized during our conversation that she was NOT for me...

Questions or comments? Feel free to email or post!

Trish's 2011 competition prep #2

In training for competitions, one of the most important lessons I've learned is that patience really is a virtue. Whether dieting for a show or just to lose weight in general, the process can be seem like it takes forever! When we first start the diet or plan, we're excited and can't wait for the changes to occur & be visibly noticeable. Even at my level of fitness, I still am impatient & ready to see some changes- NOW!!!

Unfortunately that is not reality. The first week of my diet I lost all that water weight- about 4 lbs. That got me really motivated and excited to push myself in the gym, stay strict on my diet, and drink all my water. And this week, the scale only moved .2 lbs (yes you read that right)...yikes! I'm determined to go into the show in my best shape ever and I did worry (only for a moment) that at this rate I won't make it!

But today, I had to put myself in check. I reminded myself that losing fat, not muscle, is the most important thing- not how quickly I can make it happen. Chances are, the faster you're losing the weight, the more muscle you're losing in the process. That is not my goal at all. I want to maintain as much of my muscle as possible, so that when I take the stage (or even wear a tank top or swimsuit at the pool) that I don't look like I've been starving for 4 months! I don't want to be the sucked up chick on stage who looks like she's ready to pass out any second. I want my body to look hard & well conditioned & look like I was made for the sport!

Being patient can be really tough when you've got a goal that you're striving to reach. Whether you want to compete or to just look better, watching the scale slowly change can be torture! That's why I make sure to weigh myself only once per week. Water and food levels can make your weight fluctuate so much that daily weigh-ins can sabbotage your confidence and make you feel like you're spinning your wheels! Weighing once each week or two is a more accurate measurement of what you're body is doing and also holds you accountable for what you are eating and how hard you're working in the gym.

Want a better way to tell if you're body is changing? Try some clothes that used to not fit very well or take pictures every month like I do. Those are the best ways to see the changes that are occuring with your body. The scale is not the only way to measure your success and this week's weigh in definitely proves that!

2011 Comp prep- entry #1

I can't believe that January is here already! It seems like yesterday that I competed in the IFPA Pro USA in Sacramento & placed second to a totally ripped Chrissy Z. I vowed after that competition that I'm going to tear up the 2011 stage! I let myself gain 25 lbs last year in 2009 & that was a terrible idea. Getting that weight off for the 2010 season was torture and made for some grueling cardio sessions.

So, this year I decided to stay within 10 lbs of my 103 lbs contest weight. I've sat comfortably at 110 lbs for my off season and was able to enjoy a cheat meal (well a cheat day really) once a week. I think having those cheat meals helped me to stick to my diet for those 5 months. Now that the "dieting down" process is upon me again, I must say that it feels much less daunting than it did last year!

My wonderful husband, Mike Wood, writes up all of my competition diets and really knows his stuff. He's planned my competition diets for each season I've competed- and this is going to be my 4th competitive season. It's amazing how much your body can change in such a short period of time! My first planned competition for the season will be the NPC Contra Costa, May 7, 2011 in Hayward, CA. I placed 2nd there last year & really want to take home the overall trophy this year.

I usually give myself a minimum of 4 months to get ready for a contest (this season I'm giving myself 5 months) with the expectation that I'll be ready early enough to start adding food back into my diet and play with the peaking strategies that Mike has in his head already.

So, starting off my competition diet on 1/2/11, I weighed 113.8 (I had one last hoorah before the cheat day went away). After having been on the diet now for 1 week, I'm down to 109.2 & I'm assuming that almost all of the lost weight was water. I'm sure the weight will start creeping off from here on out- which is a good thing!

I feel great this week and my workouts are going really good. I feel strong and hunger hasn't really set in yet. I lft heavy all the way up to contest to ensure muscle rentention and enhance my muscle definition. I'm determined to keep as much muscle on as possible!

I'll be writing a blog every few weeks- journaling my progress, giving tips and helpful hints, and uploading photos of my progression. So check back if you're interested!

Wondering if you should you compete?

I always used to look through magazines like Oxygen & Muscle & Fitness Hers & admire the women on those pages. I always wanted to look like them, but I had no idea what it would take to get there. The models in those magazines make it seem so effortless to look that way. Catch phrases like "Just workout 3 times a week for 6 weeks and get these abs!" lure us into thinking that it should be simple to achieve that fitness model look. I never thought about the fact that those models are paid to make themselves look like they stay that way all year round & are never hungry or grouchy...but that is not reality!

Granted, getting that look is attainable, but not necessarily sustainable for a long period of time. Our bodies need rest from the hardcore dieting & cardio sessions it takes to get that lean & ripped! Fitness models, figure, and bodybuilding competitors eat clean for months on end (no cheat meals at all!), they do hours upon hours of cardio, and train with an immense intensity in the gym 5-7 days a week for as long as they need to get their bodies sculpted to perfection.

So, why do people put themselves through all of this season after season?.......

The answer is simple- The Love of The Sport. There really is no feeling like the one you get when you're on stage presenting all of your hard work to crowds of cheering people. It makes every sacrifice you've made all season long seem validated.

But, how do you know if you should compete? There are several common factors in all of the competitors I have talked to on this subject and here are some questions you should ask yourself:

1. Are you a competitive person by nature? Does the thought of someone else putting in the work while you're watching TV get you moving?

2. Do you need a goal to motivate you to get in the best shape of your life?

3. Are you willing to sacrifice your social life in terms of eating out, drinking alcohol, and staying out late to attain your physical best?

4. Are you willing to put in all the hard work (dieting, training, posing conditioning, & cardio sessions) and still be sweet to & make time for your significant other, kids, family, and friends?

5. Lastly, does your family support you or do you have a support system in place? It's essential that you have encouragement from your loved ones & even your co-workers because temptation really is everywhere. One slip-up during your competition prep can set you back weeks!

If you answered yes to all the questions above, then the sport of bodybuilding & figure could be a perfect fit. Keep in mind that if you answered "maybe" or "no" to any of them, it would be in your best interest to wait & compete at a later date. This sport is gratifying & fun, but if your mind isn't there, then it will just end up being a miserable punishment for everyone involved!

For more advice, check out my other blogs.

Iron Addiction- your source for training, nutrition, & motivation!

http://www.ironaddiction.com/