In this post:

10 week post show update

• Progress
• Workouts
• Diet
• Diary of weeks 1-4

and finally, Post Show Diet Mistakes

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10 Week Post Show Update

Today will be nearly 10 weeks since my last competition and 15 weeks since my first of the season (Fall 2016). I cannot tell you how nice it is to take a break from counting macros and not feeling guilty about missing a day in the gym. I SO LOVE to maintain this body composition where my body doesn’t think I am dying. fo riz.

Let’s not forget how nice it is to not be dealing with digestive ailments that had manifested as a result of stress from dieting, workouts and life as well as not thinking dark and negative thoughts in a constant state of irritability.

So I think it is safe to say, I am in a really HAPPY place right now. Geez, after ready that intro I wonder why the hell we compete. Okay, I know why. It’s a HUGE challenge and test of will which translates into super giant accomplishment with immortalizing hot bod pics. 😀

I have been toying with the idea of competing again in the Fall having been so close to taking first and getting a pro card in natural federations and having done well in the NPC show having qualified for nationals taking 1st and 2nd places. I mean, getting this sword at the Western MI Championships was da bomb!

But, is it really worth dieting down again to get on stage and be judged by a subjective panel? Criteria is adhered to of course but here are my issues as I have stated in previous blog post updates that included judges feedback.

For a bikini girl, I know I have enough muscle. I could have fuller glutes but the hammies and calves are on par. My upper body is pretty muscular but the issue of a short torso and square body type  does not help me against those that have a natural hour glass figure.

It is WAY too hard to keep doing this when I know that even if I did get a bikini pro card this year, I realistically don’t think I would do well in the pro arena. Top spots will always be taken by the genetically elite.  It happened to Nicole Wilkins this past year taking 4th for lack of the tiny waist. It happens to Kai Green every single year because Phil Heath is genetically elite.

I am not being negative here, I am being realistic in my goals. I am pretty darn competitive and when I put this much money and effort into this sport at this point knowing where I stand I need to make a new plan.

Here’s is what I am thinking:

1. Build like a beast for the next 2-3 years and take a crack at killing it in figure.

Why you ask after I had just rambled on about being all square? Well, in figure, I can at least build the muscle to create the X factor more so in bikini. Last year I lost 1st at MN Mayhem because I was too muscular. You can hear it from the head judge himself on the podcast review. Check that out here: Show Day. Heather is the ultimate ultimate competitor.

Although, my shoulder issues prevent me from lifting upper body for about 3 months every year when I beast mode it lifting volumes for hypertrophy! Ugh. I am on an upper body hiatus right now due to a shoulder impingement from lifting. I have structural degeneration as a result of a car accident 20 years ago which puts my skeletal structure in wonky positions.

2. Power lift

Doing something that rewards on merit with clearly defined rules to win can be a lot easier to handle mentally. And the idea of lifting heavy shit is just bad ass. I LOVE IT! AND, not lifting all the volumes for hypertrophy may be better  to prevent my on going shoulder issues.

3. Not compete in anything at all and just enjoy the fit chick lifestyle.

Fo riz people. Why I gotta be all crazy. I need to just chill!

Anyhoo… onto post show diet mistakes…a few of which I totally did this year :/

Post Show Progress

There is a 10 pound difference between these photos and I really like where I am at. My current body weight is a set point where I can easily maintain it by not doing any sort of macro counting what so ever. Now, I do eat a whole food, low sugar diet higher if fat than most bodybuilding fit chicks would normally.

Diet

My height: 5’6″ tall, 141 lb

Macros are mostly:

• moderate protein (100-120g)
• moderate carbs (100-150g )
• higher fat (100+ grams)

It’s how I naturally eat.

I didn’t really do any reverse dieting. I ate a carb and sugar  heavy diet the first week after my last show because the hotel we stayed at for a week after had way too many yummy goodies around. Regardless, I ate til I was full and called it good. No bingeing. Then I made sure to eat a more whole food diet and my body naturally came up to its current set point 3 weeks post show.

Reverse dieting  is essential for those that dieted super harsh into their show to have some sort of buffer between a slow metabolism and ramping it up so that you can reach your set point and not go over. The issue people run into is post show bingeing for not just a day but for weeks after gaining more weight than when they even started prep with no hopes of turning around to diet it off because their metabolism isn’t used to handling the caloric intake.

Workouts

For the past 8 weeks, workouts have been a 3-4x per week occurrence. Good lawd I have been getting so much stuff done in my free time since I am not doing cardio + 6 days of lifting. My body is so much happier for it right now. I am 36 and lifting that hard that frequently was really taking its toll.

Starting this week I will be lifting 5 days per week with a glute and shoulder focus. I need to build more round glutes and shoulder caps. My shoulders are srsly the bane of my existence… I can work those suckers like crazy and they might think about growing… just maybe if I am lucky.

And, I haven’t been able to really lift a lot of upper body these past few months due to a minor shoulder impingement which I am predisposed to from injuries I sustained in a car accident 20 years ago. But, I will be back in the game reving it up starting this week.

Post Show Journals Entries

Week 1 post show:

I am a bottomless pit. I can somehow  eat an entire box of Hostess Ho Hos and still be hungry! The biggest issue I have right now is that I am totally out of my element. We paired this show with my husbands work trip so we are in a hotel for a week.

This hotel, unfortunately, has the best breakfasts every morning. Usually hotel continental breakfasts are less than stellar with their weird instant scrambled eggs, cereals, bread products and yogurt. But oh not this one. This has some amazing pastries, fresh cut fruit and parfaits, a nice spread of breakfast meats, and my favorite… every topping you could possibly need for the tasty Belgian waffles I made a few times.

Oh man, I also had a few beers at our friends house who own Brewery Vivant.  He served me this Stone Fruit Sour beer with all locally sourced fruits… gawd in was SO good. I have not had a beer in about a good 2 years. So worth it.

Not to mention they lived right near the best donut shop in town- D’arts Donuts. So of course we had to stop there.

Yes, I totally indulged, but I didn’t binge. That is one key factor. I ate until I was full… but, being full took a whole lot more than usual that is for sure.

Week 2 Post Show

Finally we are home. Back to normal. I started a keto diet and have been consuming about 2500 cals, up from a contest prep diet of about 1500-1600 cals. I am no stranger to the keto diet and have done it many times in the past. It give me some nice guidelines  to stick to without having to track macros so closely and worry about excessive weight gain bringing cals up more quickly.

I keep my protein around 100 grams to start and may raise it later, keep carbs under 40 grams and then fill in the rest with fat. The problem I ran into this time around is that I did NOT in an way shape or form have the mental capacity to even stick to any sort of diet. I was just tired and drained. My issues sticking to this diet right now are these:

1: I found myself taking in extra calories of keto diet friendly foods than I should just to try and stave off the carb cravings I was having. An example of my fav breakfast and snacks.. I at hoards of avocado and cashews.

2: Many keto recipes have a lot of dairy in them. Much like these super yummy keto cheesecakes…But, too much dairy in my diet and I feel like crud and makes my face all hot and flush. That leaves me with meat, nuts and veggies… fine.

3: Reversing in general is hard as shit and if I had to stick to that contest prep diet for one more second, I would have failed anyway… and that week of waffles and donuts would have just continued. I needed some clear guidelines and the no sugar, high fat approach usually works well for me.

After a week of this true keto shit, I decided to go back to my transitional diet… 120 fat, 100 carbs, 120 protein.

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I decided to buy some Jet Fuel. A fat burning appetite suppressant to give er a whirl. I don’t usually but this stuff but a client of mine liked it so I thought I would give it a try and fuck, I took 1/3 dose in the AM and a full dose with lunch and FUCK, that full dose was a but much for me…. the caffeine affects me like crazy and I def was not hungry or craving anything at all. Daym!

3 weeks post show

I am following simple diet rules… no refined sugar, no wheat, dairy (maybe some raw milk cheese every once in a blue moon). Minimal grains- I might have oatmeal or rice.

 

I have been making this paleo sandwich bread in one of my favorite cookbooks by Danielle Walker called Against All Grain. My kids LOVE this bread cuz its just super good.

Again, I am enjoying not counting macros. I just need a break from being super strict taking all that time to count macros. I can maintain my weight with intense exercise, and the following the rules above.

I started utilizing exogenous ketones in the AM before I workout and I have got to tell you, these things on a low carb or keto diet and especially fasting are amaze balls! Gawd, my body feels really good, not hungry, not cravings and I swear I can to until 4 pm without eating… I don’t usually but there were days where I had to remind myself to eat something at some point.

I have been pretty strict about my diet and workouts for the last 4 years day in and day out…. just. need. a. break.

I also just sat down to decipher the 23andme genetic test I did a year ago. I found out a ton of neat info about my heritage as well as the risks I have to certain diseases or cancers. It was acutally like reading a blueprint to my Mom as she is dealing with half of the things I am at risk for. Super interesting and really gives me the added motivation to take steps to prevent issues like glaucoma or psoriasis and stroke.

3.5 week post show

My body is SO happy right now. I feel so good to be rested and well fed. OMG. I appreciate every damn meal I eat. Every meal.

Here is the issue I have now.  I will be up late working on clients plans or my blog stuff and I will get hungry and just start snacking. the problem with this is that I have already consumed enough calories for the day and if I was in bed sleeping like I should be, I wouldn’t be taking in the extra cals.

Eating before bed isn’t a problem unless you have already eaten all your calories for the day. The problem for most people is that you sit down to watch tv and out of boredom or whatever late at night, you eat crappy snack stuff. Who is snacking on carrots while watching the latest episode of The Young Pope?

4 weeks post how

going for the visual diary….