Stressing Out and Breaking Down

The weeks are FLYING by.

Some updates:

First, my teeny bikinis arrived Sunday. I ordered two to try on. They both showed up together in a box smaller than a VHS tape (remember those). I nearly died trying on the suits. How am I supposed to be on stage in one of these?

Teeny-tiny packages!

I took photos in them, and luckily I didn’t look half bad.

I returned the suits and purchased a custom ordered one (another panic moment … you mean I can’t return something?!) I’m excited to get it.

I also had my first bikini competition dream. I forgot to tan and I forgot hair and makeup and I ate bread right before I was supposed to go on stage! I woke up in a panic.

Luckily it was just a dream, and I am determined to get a lot of things I will need for the competition in the next week or so. Especially since I found out I have a final the morning before the competition. So rather than relaxing on Thursday and Friday, I will be a bit stressed (not good for the belly!)

In other news: my weigh number hasn’t changed (though I like to believe the fat has turned to muscle), and my numbers are barely changing, though I lost an inch from my waist, a bit from my hips and from my chest (… that isn’t so happy).

However …. I fit into my white jeans! I bought these jeans last year when I moved to Miami (what is living in MIA without white jeans?!). They were a bit tight, but on sale and I figured I’d drop the weight, especially since I was planning on working out really hard before my wedding last year.

But the weeks (and months) leading to the wedding were stressful and no weight was lost. My mom was visiting during that time and I put them on and she gave me the once over. She politely told me they were too tight, which she is never critical of my weight, so I knew it was bad.

I was inspired by Jordan and decided to try them on. And they fit! With some room! I was going to wear them to clinic, but we have the edge of Hurricane Irene slamming us with rain, so they will have to wait for another day.

Okay, back to training. My coach wants me to still build muscle.

You go girl, lifting that 2 lb weight.

While the last four weeks involved a lot of plyo-metrics, these next four she has me lifting with drop sets (or breakdown sets)… which are my favorite because it just makes sense.

If you don’t know what it is, you lift high and after the first two sets, you drop a weight. Then the last set a drop another. For example, say I do bicep curls with 20 lb. dumbbells. I do two sets with the 20 lbs. Set three I drop down to 15 lb. and set four I drop to 12 lbs.

Because of this, my workouts are actually shorter, but that gives me the opportunity to really push. Drop sets are great for building muscle. It makes the muscles wake up and say, “Holy crap!”

Food-wise, my coach cut all carbs minus my protein pancake in the morning. I immediately dropped bloat. … So maybe I have a intolerance.

Interestingly, I am blood type O, which tend to be the meat eaters. As a vegetarian (minus the fish, eggs and limited dairy), any carbs I eat tend to be starchy veggies. But O types should avoid grains and rather emphasize high protein foods, especially deep ocean fish. So maybe this eating for your blood type thing is on to something …

Saturday is six weeks out!!!

A Gallon and a Suit

It’s crazy to think in a few weeks I will be bearing it all (well, not ALL) on stage! Last Saturday was 8 weeks out.

I have completely cut out my sugar-free coffee creamer (which I probably wasn’t allowed in the first place, but with my 5:30a workouts and hour + commute, I needed to make sure I got caffeine in me).

I also attempted to drink a gallon of water a few days ago. I drink a lot of water daily (at the very least half a gallon), but I wanted to measure exactly how much I was drinking.

And holy hell, I don’t know how people do it.

When we first moved into our apartment a year ago, my husband ended up putting a large flat screen in our bedroom. My little flat screen no longer had a home, so my husband wanted to put it on the cabinet that sits across from the toilet in the bathroom. I vetoed that idea. … However, attempting to drink an entire gallon combined with the efficiency of my kidneys, the TV in the bathroom seems like a great idea now.

Anyways ….

It is time to order suits!!!! Even with my body looking better, it is still a daunting task.

Especially when the suits my trainer sent me to look at are upwards of $150. So I found a cheaper site that has in stock suits. Unfortunately the tops are measured for a “rounded B cup” which fortunately I am not. But I figure it would give me an idea of how they fit (I ordered two different cuts) and then I can send them back and order a customized suit (which is non-returnable).

And my dirty pirate-hooker shoes will come in a few days.

At least they don't have dollar slots ...

This weekend I plan on looking for some clip-in hair extensions and self-tanner to start my testing, so day of I can relax a bit (yeah right).

Too much?

I also have to register, which makes it 100% seriously real.

But I haven’t decided whether to register in only the novice category (which you can only do if it’s your first show, so of course) or the open bikini class as well.

My trainer says to do both, but I looked at last year’s novice winner and she was incredible, and while the bikini overall winner was slimmer I still don’t believe I have a snowball’s chance in hell to win the open category, so what’s the point?

Any thoughts?

Early Bird

Believe or not, this sleepy-Sally has been getting up the past few days to work out at 5:45 a.m.

My commute is a 3 minutes walk to the condo gym … I still believe people that get up, get dressed, and drive to the gym to make their 5:45 a.m. spin class are INSANE. You will NEVER find me doing that.

Even more interesting: this 5:30 a.m. wake up call has come out of laziness.

My school program usually gives August off. But I wanted to take a class a year early (so, this September), so I have to make up the class I would have had this September this month (… are you following?).

The class runs until 2 p.m., but with my hour return-commute and a usual errand or two on the way home, I know I will not want to start a work out around 4 or 5 p.m., the time when my work out usually ends (I’m about my routine, and I don’t do well with interruptions or changes).

So, I decided to try the early morning thing, and I actually really enjoy it. I don’t have to compete for the machines, I can turn on my CMT music vids or the news or anything not ESPN and I can jump around doing my plyos without crazy stares (and if I’m lifting really heavy, have the occasional grunt or loud sigh ... yes, I turned into a gym-douche.)

While I feel good this week, I’m really bummed that my numbers haven’t changed. Physically, my body is visually changing.

I lost a little off my hips and waist and my Roo-pouch is sloooooooowly shrinking, but being 8-weeks out, I’m nervous I won’t be ready.

Thankfully, the class I have to take this summer is Asian Bodyworks, so after my morning workouts, I get to do some serious stretching and Tai Chi (a little core work as I maintain some balance) as well as get massaged three days a week.

Hopefully my coach is more positive about my progress than I am. And since I haven’t done this before, I’m assuming my diet will change come the last few weeks, and make me more lean (currently, she wanted to me put on muscles … they are little, but they are there) … and possibly banish that pouch for good?

On a side note, early morning I start the day with a protein pancake. It's my favorite meal of the day (I've always been a breakfast person).

Many of you fitness comps have tried this before, but for those of you who haven't or don't eat breakfast, first, shame on you, and second, this is super easy, super quick and a great way to get enough protein in your diet ... especially for you lettuce-munching dieters.

Research has shown that those who eat a protein-heavy breakfast maintain a greater sensation of fullness throughout the day than when protein in eaten later in the day. Protein energy outlasts that of carbs, and it eating a protein breakfast jumpstarts your metabolism. Protein in the morning has been shown to benefit attention span and retention, too. And watch the "protein" shakes and bars ... it's frustrating but a lot of them are no better than a Snickers bar or a milkshake (read the labels!!!!)

YUM YUM!

Here is the recipe:

1/2 c. Old Fashioned Oats (uncooked)

4 egg whites

1 scoop protein powder of your choice (I really like it with chocolate)

Mix together and pour into skillet, and cooked like a skillet.

You could probably add a fruit to it too (some berries and apple?!)

I use a sugar-free syrup. I don't like artificial anything in my non-competition life, so choose whatever syrup you want, but measure out ONE serving (read the label).

Enjoy!!!!

Nap time?

This past week was a bad week. I wrote in my other blog about my funk, and that translated into my diet last week.

Snaps first: I am proud of myself for not eating ALL my feelings. In the past, I would have driven straight to the nearest drive-thru and order myself a large serving of fries or pop open a carton of Ben and Jerry’s, and not stop until I saw the bottom.

Rather, I ate an extra serving of sugar-free, fat free Jell-O, and I partook in the bread basket at the restaurant my husband took me too.

For shame I know, especially since there are really no excuses while in competition-mode. But I was on the verge of insanity and exhausted.

That’s another thing. I have been utterly exhausted. The exhaustion began three weeks before I started training. By the time I began training, I was feeling a lot more energenetic. And up until last week, I was good.

After my husband’s birthday a few weeks back, I HAD to take a long nap. I had to get up to study for a quiz, otherwise I probably would have slept all until Monday morning. A couple days later, I was napping again. I ended up getting it together, but this past weekend, I couldn’t get off the couch, or ground, or bed … depending on where I ended up.

It was nap, get up and walk a few feet, lay down and nap again. I wasn’t dizzy or sick; just exhausted.

I was so frustrated that I spent a majority of the short weekend I was able to have with my husband asleep. Finally, on Sunday night, I propped myself up at the kitchen table, knowing that as long as I was sitting in the hard wooden chair, I would not fall sleep.

I don’t know if I was fighting something, or it’s a symptom of the “funk.”

Regardless, I didn’t miss a workout and I’m right back at the week, complete with three clinical make-up days and a final. Let’s just hope my energy can make me a bit more peppy and less stressed since I’m only 9 weeks out!