Oh cheat day, how I miss thee...

I went almost 8 months without a single cheat meal or deviation from my contest prep diet, yet now after only 1 week without my beloved cheat day, I'm ready to rip someone's head off!  It's amazing how if you don't have something for a long period of time your body doesn't really miss it that much. Getting into a routine is tough at first, but once I do, I find comfort within that. The idea of getting up on stage when I'm not looking or feeling my best really freaks me out.  I've seen some competitors get up on that stage knowing that they should've stayed home and given themselves an extra couple of months on the diet, and I really don't want that to be me!

I must say that I have iron-clad willpower when it comes to my contest diet, but dieting for a photoshoot doesn't really have the same urgency as getting up on stage does.  I know that these pictures will last FOREVER and are important, but unlike the upcoming contests, it doesn't seem real to me.  But honestly, it would be hard to ever forgive myself if I ruined the opportunities that this shoot could bring.  Great pictures are not only awesome for my website, but a woman needs some Sponsors to afford this sport/ lifestyle!

I went to a store last weekend to look for some outfits for the shoot (bikinis, athletic wear, etc) and was totally bummed out when I went into the dressing room to try the stuff on.  The lighting was awful (at least I hope it was the lighting) and I could see every dimple and imperfection on my butt and thighs.  If you ever want to deflate a woman's ego just take her into that store!  Talk about a reality check.  That afternoon I decided it was time to change up my workouts and add back in that 2nd leg day that I had quickly eliminated after my last contest.

So this week has had some challenges, but I'm actually feeling comfortable getting into my old routine, even if it is sans cheat meal- at least for the next couple of weeks.  So as of today, I'm within 3 lbs of my contest weight which is a relief.  I've never been able to keep my weight off for this long after my contest season has ended (notice I've omitted the term "off-season"). But I will say that I'm looking forward to being done with this shoot so I can have some chips and salsa, or maybe some Chinese food, or maybe yogurt with toppings, or maybe....I could go on and on but I think I'll stop while I'm ahead.

Off-season? What's that?

I've been competing for a while now (going into my 5th season!) and every competitor looks forward to their "off-season".  It's usually a time for us to become more relaxed with our diets, cut back on the cardio (or sometimes eliminate it completely), and rest up for the next season of competitions.  The questions I get a lot from new clients/competitors are: When do I take my season? How much weight should I gain? Do I have to do cardio?  To answer that question I will say only this: What off-season? 

I used to be a firm believer in living it up in my off-season.  I loved eating those carb-filled meals and not having to do the stepmill for 45 minutes at a time, but I hated trying to get all that weight off when it was time to start dieting again.  That's when I decided to change my habits from the "gotta eat to grow" mentality to my stay lean and win reality!  I've found that having one afternoon a week to eat whatever I want while following my "competition diet" the rest of the week works really good for me.  It gives me something to look forward to and feels like a reward for eating the right foods all week.  

Since I started doing this last year, I found it much easier to keep the weight off, therefore making my dieting down phase a lot less intense.  I noticed that while I only gained 8 lbs last year in my off-season, I still looked bigger and more muscular than the year before- last year I competed at 106 lbs and this season I ended at 101 lbs. I've posted a comparison photo from my contests in 2010 (left) and 2011 (right). 

The biggest difference I see is in my hamstrings and glutes.  Like most women that's the hardest area for me to lean out, so seeing the difference just in that area alone is motivation enough for me to keep the fat off this season!  That, plus the photoshoots I'm scheduling through out the year...

In a little less than 3 weeks I have a photoshoot with a couple of girls from my Iron Addiction team down in LA.  So, I've cut out my cheat day to harden up for those pics.  Man, I really enjoy those Smash Burgers and Barbeque, but it'll be worth it to have some awesome pics :-)  Plus, it'll feel good to not have to lose 5 lbs of water (at least I hope it's just water) each week to maintain my weight!  You read that right, I actually put on about 5 lbs after my cheat day.  It makes me sick to know how quickly I can put weight on!  Weighing myself before and after that cheat day keeps me in check.  Lord knows that weight sure does creep up on ya!

Better check yo'self b4 you wreck yo'self!



Me with my family after I won my IFBB Pro Card at the USA's.



If any of you reading this have ever dieted for a prolonged period of time (for me it was 8 months) you will understand my feelings over the last couple of weeks.  As a competitor, I dieted for 8 long months to get to the pinnacle of my conditioning.  I normally give myself 4 months so that I can get there in a heathly way and this season I ended up needing to tweak some things to get my conditioning perfect for the USA's.  While it really paid off in a big way, I now am sitting here with a sort lost feeling.  It's difficult to describe, but when you put all of your energy into something and seek perfection from it, the result can be bitter sweet.  I exceeded my own expectations this year by getting my IFBB pro card, and now I want to gear up for the 2012 season...but transitioning into my "off-season" is a little scary for me. 



My goal is to stay within 5 lbs of my competition weight- (and bummer for me) that includes water weight gain that you get immediately afterwards.  If I can stay right where I am now, I'll be fine.  I've decided to help me stay motivated I'm going to schedule a couple of photoshoots for Sept/Oct/Nov time frame.  I won't know when my first pro show will be until October so I figure having someone take photos of me in tiny outfits before then will surely keep me in shape!  It really can be hard to keep yourself in check when you don't have something coming up for a while.  It's so easy to have your slip ups and not really worry about them until you get on the scale and you're 10 lbs up!  I've decided that I'm not gonna let that happen to me this year.  Here's my game plan:



1. Eat clean all week long.  Basically I'll stay on my competition diet during the week and then have one day (Saturday) to eat pretty much whatever I want for 1/2 day. 

2. Keep up my cardio, but less than competition season.  This is more for the mental aspect of it than anything.  Cardio keeps my mind in check and just makes me feel good :-)

3. Schedule photo shoots farther out from contest to keep my motivation to stay in shape.  Shoots are easy right after contest because you're already in shape...its the ones set farther out that keep your eating in check!

4. Only eat cheat meals that are really "worth it".  I'm not gonna just eat crap because I can.  I'm working hard for those meals so they better be the most amazing things I've ever tasted! 

5. Weigh myself every week whether I want to or not.  I need the accountability and it'll help me to control myself on my cheat meal days.  It's amazing how many foods you start to crave after you've had a "taste".  Sugar and fats really are addictive- that's I leave them out completely during my competition prep.  I rather not even have the temptation!

So this weekend after my cheat day, I actually weighed myself for the first time since contest.  I haven't had that much anxiety in a long time.  But thankfully, I'm staying within 5 lbs of my contest day weight still.  It's like I have to re-train my brain after every competition season.  In my head I know it's not healthy to keep really low body fat all year round, but my ego wants to...Therin lies the issue. 

OMG, I won!....Now what?

Last month seemed like a huge whirlwind.  I had 3 contests in July and looking back it all seems like a blur.  The first contest of the month was the San Jose show where I placed first in my class in figure and bodybuilding.  Then it was on to the natural IFPA show in Sacramento.  I placed 2nd there again to Chrissy Z. but I was happy nonetheless because I'd shown up in great condition.  I had a hard time this season with bloating the day of the show.  For some reason I kept retaining a lot of water throughout the day and by the time I went on stage I felt like a bloated mess and my suit was tight!  Talk about frustrating.  But thank God that my hubby is a genius and he came up with a perfect peaking plan for my last show in Vegas- the NPC USA's. 

The USA's was really important show to me for a couple of reasons.  The first being that I was ready to move away from the figure division and into either the new NPC physique division or natural bodybuilding.  I was tired of "the heels" and not getting to really flex my muscles.  The second reason is that I knew I needed to make a choice between the IFPA or the NPC as they had sent out letters to some fellow competitors warning them that they needed to compete in either one or the other division.   So in my head I was already debating on which organization I should choose.  I knew that if I won my class at the USA's and earned my pro card in the IFBB that the decision would be so much easier for me.

I went into the USA's without any expectations.  I just focused on nailing my poses, making eye contact with the judges, and tried to keep my nerves in check.  There was a huge crowd there and it included my parents from Oklahoma as well as my sister and her boyfriend from Texas, so the pressure was on!  I wanted to do well for myself but also for my husband who had put up with me for all those months while I was dieting and kept tweaking my diet and workouts until I hit my perfect peak.  I went into that show without any bloating, Liquid Sunrayz gave me the perfect color, and Saleyla had fixed my suit for me last minute while in Vegas.  Everything was working out for the best and it all fell into place when I was moved to the center during the first callouts. 

Talk about an amazing feeling!  Hearing my name being called out for the 1st place trophy and IFBB pro card was surreal!  I can't even explain how I felt except that I wanted to cry and throw up all at the same time.  I went to IHOP after the contest and got my long awaited pancake platter and then realized that my off-season had just started....There aren't any pro shows for physique until next year...so now what?  I guess I'll just try not to get fat.

Trish's 2011 Competition Season- Sprint, woman, sprint!

Even though I've been dieting since the 2nd of January, I still feel like it's a sprint to the finish before a big show. My two biggest or most anticipated shows this year are the IFPA Pro in Sacramento 7/16/11 and the NPC USA's in Las Vegas 7/30/11. Having these contests fall within two weeks of each other is pretty stressful, but I'll finally get to have a cheat meal after the Vegas show! I try not to think about that because it seems so far away still, but I want pancakes!!!! Anyways, all I can say is that I'm glad I started dieting down so early this year. It's given me and my husband/ diet coach plenty of time to make the needed adjustments to my diet and cardio schedule. It's fascinating how much my body changes each year! It 's not just the outward physical appearance that changes, but also my reaction to food, cardio, sleep. stress, etc.

After the last contest I did at the end of May, I decided to kick up my cardio and my husband tweeked my diet a little to lean me out more. This year I wanted to get that "hard" look. My body loves to hold onto water, so getting rid of that excess has made all the difference in my appearance. I must say that going into this contest, I am in the best condition I've ever been able to achieve. I really wanted to have a great 2011 season & with 4 wins so far this year I'm definitely satisfied with my performance.

Last weekend I competed in the NPC San Jose Championships in both Bodybuilding and Figure . I actually placed first in my class in both categories! Talk about a shocker (especially with the bodybuilding)! Of course the girl that took the overall in bodybuilding was about 40 lbs heavier than me, so I really wasn't expecting to win the whole thing. Getting up on the bodybuilding stage after not having done it in 3 years was terrifying and exciting at the same time. I was so nervous trying to remember all of the tips and tricks I've been taught and actually remembering to flex my muscles (which I don't do in the NPC figure division). Wouldn't you know that when it came time to do my routine my music didn't work in their stereo (talk about my worst nightmare!)...So, I ran off the stage to get my back up copy while the other lightweight competitor did her routine. I gave my disk to the DJ and when that one didn't work either I could literally feel my stomach sink. The DJ let me look at a list of songs and thankfully he had the song This is why I'm Hot on his computer. I did my first routine in 2008 to that song so I told him to just play that one. Talk about nerve wracking! Anyways, I did it and thankfully didn't mess up or fall, etc....

While I had a bit of a technical challenge during the bodybuilding portion of the competition, it made me realize how much I miss doing the bodybuilding division. Figure is fun with the jewelry and glitzy suits, but I just love flexing my muscles and doing the routine portion. I'm really looking forward to competing at the USA's in the new Physique division. It think it's the best of both worlds- glitz without the shoes!

So we'll see what the future will hold for me after these two shows. I've got a big month ahead of me and will be sure to keep posting!

To carb or not to carb...

That is always the question!  Unfortunately in my case the answer is almost always NOT to carb, but every competitor is different.  We all process foods differently and my stubborn body just doesn't really seem to do much with carbs or fat except store them under my skin.  So this causes my poor husband to change my diet every so often to shock it into submission (as I like to call it).  I say my "poor" husband because once those necessary changes are made, my hormones seem to get completely out of wack and I become a complete Biatchhh.

It's absolutely insane how much food affects my mood, personality, and yes even my brain power.  I know that I'm lean enough to compete and have done well in my competitions so far this year, but I'm one of those people who want to take it further.  I want to challenge myself in new ways every chance I get.  So to switch things up a bit, I'm competing in both bodybuilding and figure at my competition on 7/9 in San Jose .  I'm really just doing the bodybuilding for fun because I miss flexing my muscles.  Believe me, I'm not naive to the fact that I'm a natural competitor who'll be trying to compete against women who may (or may not) have had some pharmaceutical help along the way, but it'll be fun nonetheless.  So, my point was that I want to get harder & a little leaner for my upcoming shows- San Jose bodybuilding show, the natural Pro figure show, and the national level Physique show in Vegas.  Needless to say I talked to my husband and after taking a good look at me he decided to go ahead and cycle my carbs a bit more drastically (at his own risk!). 

These jeans fit me in '08 during my
 1st contest prep.
I weigh more now than I did then!
.

I've gotta admit that I'm not "fun" right now.  It always takes my body about 2 weeks to adjust to even slight changes in diet.  So following this revised plan has been extra tough on me- especially mentally.  I get frustrated (like I'm sure all of you do) when I follow a program perfectly and then don't see the result right away.  It's our nature as humans (and Americans for that matter) to want immediate gratification.  It'll be 2 weeks on Tuesday that I've been following the new plan and I'm finally starting to see the fruits of my labor!  I see new veins and muscle definition as well as the hardness I've been working towards in my legs. 

Yesterday, after walking around like a zombie for a week, I decided to "flip the switch".  I get tired of people telling me how exhausted I look all the time so I decided that I'm done with that!  I'm going to go to bed at a decent hour, get my cardio and workouts in, and love every second of it!  I chose this lifestyle and I need to remind myself (maybe even daily) why I do it.  I do it because I love the challenge, I love stepping on that stage, and I love feeling like I've accomplished something that very few people are able to do.  But, in all honesty, I couldn't and probably wouldn't want to, if my husband wasn't behind me 100%.  His support is everything to me...the least deserves is for me to be nice to him!  I'm off to a good start today and tomorrow I'm going to make even better than today! :-)

Let the craziness subside...for now.

What an insane couple of weeks I've had!  Between my own competitions and my clients' contests, I feel like I haven't even taken a deep breath in the last few weeks!  Our team's had 3 contests in the past 3 weeks, 2 of which were out of town.  But I must say that both our company Iron Addiction and I are off to a really good start this year.  All of our competitors have placed in the top 5 in each contest and a few even placed first.  I feel like such a proud mama watching them on stage :-)

As for myself, I've done 2 contests so far- the Contra Costa May 7th and the Cal State May 29th (both were NPC contests)  and I placed first in figure A in both.  I'm off to a great start this season and am getting revved up for the next ones now: the San Jose- July 9th (NPC), the IFPA Pro USA in Sac July 16th, and the NPC USA's in Vegas July 29th.  After that?  I have no idea really.  I'm really waiting to see how I do in these next big contests.  It's almost like my recent contests were just warm-ups for the "big ones".  I know that I need to get a little tighter and leaner for these next shows, so that's where my focus is going to be for these next few weeks.

I have a lot going on right now, but I feel really good about the upcoming contests and the decisions I've been making concerning my future competition plans. I've decided to switch over to the NPC Physique division at the USA's this year.  It took some serious soul searching, but I'm excited about making the change.  I've missed being able to really flex my muscles!  Since Physique is pretty similar to "regular bodybuilding", I figured I'd go ahead and compete in both the bodybuilding and figure divisions at the NPC San Jose show in July.  Those girls are going to out-weigh me by about 25 lbs, but  I really just want to do it for fun. I miss the performance aspect of bodybuilding- doing that routine was my favorite part!  The figure stage walk just isn't the same high as the one you get from bodybuilding.  I also think it'll help me to condition for the 30 minutes we'll be on stage in the IFPA show....

 

I've come to a couple of realizations over the last few weeks of watching my team compete.  First of all, I absolutely LOVE this sport!  It doesn't matter what side I'm on- whether be coach or competitor, I know that I'll always want to be involved in competing in one way or another. Secondly, I realized that I've been taking it too seriously and putting way too much pressure on myself to win and set the perfect example for my clients.  It really can be challenging sometimes, especially when I'm having a bad day, to keep up that image of  "Mrs. Iron Addict".   Everyday I train these awesome competitors and then I go home to my coach/trainer/husband extraordinaire at night.  I feel like not only do I need to succeed for my clients but I don't ever want to let my husband down.  He works his butt off so that I can get on stage in new blinged out suits, purchase the best supplements, and I can't forget about all of the entry fees, videos, pictures, photo shoots, and so on...

It's not everyday that I feel like hitting the gym hard and staying on my strict diet (of which I've been on since Jan 2nd by the way...but who's keeping track), but I'm going to do it simply because I love that stage and the feeling I get from being up there.  There really is nothing like it in the world and I keep competing because of that enjoyment.  Once that joy is gone, then I'll take a break. But until then...ya'll better watch out if you see my name on that competitor list :-)