One more week.....

One week out.... and my new suit....

Front Pose

Back Pose

Model Pose

I feel pretty good.  In fact I feel REALLY good this time around.  I can't wait to talk more about what I have done differently this prep than I did last prep (and basically ANY prep).  It will have to wait until after the show though because it is going to require some thinking and right now... I am not too great at thinking.  My carbs are SUPER low... and my brain function is well... not that great!  Just ask my friends.  I have had a few of those "holy crap what are you talking about" moments at work this week when it was obvious what they were talking about to everyone in the room, except me.  I just can't keep up ha ha ha!  Anyway, I am so excited for the competition.  I really want to place well.  Actually scratch that... I want to WIN!  

Its almost my favorite time of prep.  The time when its a little like Christmas morning each day you see something new... a little leaner, a new muscle pop, etc... I love it.  I can't wait to see what I get come October 13th.  Can't wait to smell the Pro-tan, get all gussied up in my hooker heels and WAY too much makeup, ha ha ha... oh man lets do this!!!!

8... going on 16

My daughter is 8... going on 16 and we have quite a few talks that I leave the room thinking where in the world did she come from??!!??  Since I am competing again I have noticed her little comments concerning me in a bikini, etc.... I get it, it's weird, maybe even a little bit embarrassing for her but I feel like maybe she doesn't fully understand what it is I am doing.  So a couple of weeks ago I sat her down after she had made a few snotty comments to me about competing and had a chat with her.  I explained to her that me competing is in no way something I do to be inappropriate or immodest.  I don't do it so that I can prance around in the tiniest bikini (gah!!!) I can find and get hooted and hollered at.  My friends and family will tell you that I despise wearing bathing suits on any other given day.  I explained to her that for me competing is a sport, a hobby.  I set a goal, and I work REALLY hard to achieve it.  I told her that she should be proud of me for working so hard, not embarrassed.  I had her sit down and look at some pictures from past competitions with me.  I explained to her what the judges are looking at, what they are looking for and what I work so hard for.  I think it helped because last week when my friends were over for dinner I was saying something like "Oh, don't listen to me I'm just a mom" to my son when she piped in and said very proudly "you're not JUST a mom, you're a bikini model!".  LOL!

My suit is finished, and I am SO pleased with it.  I think it is absolutely stunning!  I spent Saturday working on it with my sister.  I finally sent in my registration papers... which means I am officially stepping on stage Oct 13th!  Eeeeks!  I never feel like it is really real until I mail the registration papers in.  I will post pictures of my suit this week!  Love this part of it, getting close to peak week!  Whoop!

TWO....

Well... here it is about two weeks out from my next competition.  TWO WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!  I am getting really excited.  I feel like I am making good progress and I am really enjoying the program I have been using.

Here are my progress pics at 3-ish weeks.  Be nice.  I'm whiter than snot.  I should have gotten a little tan before this event took place but eh... here I am!  The photographer was my daughter (hubby of course is out of town, next time they will be better pics), who was TOTALLY disgusted with me and that is apparent in the fact that every picture is blurry.  I blame her, wanting to get the heck out of there... and at the same time I don't blame the poor kid!  I feel like things are going well.  I don't want to get too much into my diet right now because I am taking a completely different approach this time around then I have ever used and I am sort of "testing" it out.  I will talk about it more after the show when I can really see if it was beneficial to me and my placing is good.  I am hoping that by taking this route my post show will not be nearly as rough.  Only time will tell but so far... so good!  Obviously I have some tightening up to do... some leaning to do but a lot of that happens in the last couple of weeks so I feel and HOPE that I am on track and will come in looking better than ever.

For this show I have a new suit... which isn't quite finished yet but I think it is going to be gorgeous.  It's a bright blue, and was made by a local competitor Heidi Patterson of Lucky Buuns Bikinis.  She was able to get this made pretty fast and on not a lot of notice (thank you Heidi).  I opted to stone it myself (wish me luck) so when it is finished I will post pictures!

PHEW!!!!!

My plan of getting pictures taken this weekend didn't happen.  I do have a good reason though.  I weighed in and was down 2 pounds... YAY, then the next day up 4... WHAT?!? On top of that I have been nauseous for days, tired (exhausted), bloated, crampy, GRUMPIER than anyone should ever be allowed to be (sorry family), emotional, and extremely clumsy.  I knocked down a banana display at the grocery store, still don't have a clue how or what happened and while trying to fix my mess just kept making it worse, then I immediately dropped my wallet at the checkout stand where money, cards, coins just went flying everywhere.  That was almost enough to bring me to tears.  I started doubting myself for the first time in this whole process.  Feeling very unprepared and so not ready to be on stage in 4 weeks.  So I did what anyone in my shoes would have done, I took a pregnancy test. Yes I did... and guess what?!?!?!?!

It was NEGATIVE.  Ha ha.  PHEW!  I have to admit I was a little nervous for a minute.  Then guess what happened... the very next day I started my period.  EARLY.  That explains a few things.  So... I will likely take some photos tonight.  I will have them up this week sometime.  I promise.  Now that I have shared way too much information I will leave you with these....

Errr... hi......

I'm not doing very well am I?

I promised progress photos at 6 weeks out, didn't I?

But somehow something got mixed up.  You see math was never my subject... and well that 6 weeks I thought I had turned into 5 weeks... and now I am inching closer to 4 weeks out.  FOUR.  F-O-U-R.  Oh. My. Gosh.

So here I sit... PROMISING to get some 4 week progress photos...

I am not very good at this.  BUT... I want to be better and that has to count for something right?!?

Things are going well though.  I am having my suit made as we speak.  I am about to start ordering tanning products, registering for the show and all that fun stuff.  I am feeling good about the progress I have made.  Of course I always feel it could be better.  I plan to start adding in a second cardio session next week.  I can't believe that last year the only prep I did was diet and cardio.  I didn't touch a dumbbell for over 3 months.  I just can't believe that.  This time around I am hitting the weights, feeling tighter, leaner and SO much better all around.  Such a completely different approach for me and I hope it pays off!  Photos this weekend.  Swear.

Just Peachy!

Thanks so much for the comments on my last post.  It's nice to know I've been missed... I need to be better at commenting on YOUR blogs... just know that I DO read them... even when I disappear!

I absolutely have to share this recipe with you all, especially because Janetha called me out on it ;)  I came home from work the other day to a few very ripe banana's and a few very ripe peaches.  The thought came to my head "banana peach bread" so I googled it, found this recipe and made it my own by changing it up.

My version

Perfectly Peachy Banana Muffins

2 C oat flour

1 C splenda (its all I had, I like ideal better)

1 tsp baking soda (I accidentally left this out but next time will add it)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp all spice

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/3 C unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp vanilla (I used vanilla bean paste)

2 small banana's, smooshed

2 small peaches, chopped

3 Tbsp cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 350

In large bowl mix the dry ingredients together.  In smaller bowl mix the wet ingredients together.  Make a well in the large bowl and add the wet ingredients to it.  I had to add a little bit of moisture at this point so I added a little milk until it was the consistency I wanted (it was still pretty thick though).  Fold in the chopped up peaches.  Put into muffin tins and top with cinnamon sugar.  Bake for about 25-30 minutes.  I got 12 our of this recipe.  My only regret was not making more.  By the time I wanted to take pictures there were only two left :(  Sooooo delish!

My model. He's mine, you can't have him..... or them, because I ate them all!

The muffins got rave reviews from all!  My husband and kids thought they were really good (and they don't always love my healthified recipes!).  The girls from work loved them too (thanks Janetha and Amanda).  Let me know if you make them and what your thoughts are.

8 weeks out

Every time I get on here to write a post (or read yours) I suddenly feel too overwhelmed to say much.  I figured that I better at least do a little update.  Things are going really well.  I am still planning on competing Oct. 13th (just under 8 weeks out).  I feel like I am on schedule and I am loving the program I have been using.  Lots of sprints which surprisingly, I am loving.  Back to lifting weights which I missed terribly through my last prep when all I did was cardio.  Last I checked I was down 10 lbs, I am not sure where I am at now.  Probably about the same.  I haven't noticed a big difference in the way my clothes fit.  They are a little looser but nothing crazy.  I would like to be down another 7 lbs by show day.  I have plenty of time lets just see if my body cooperates!  Yesterday I turned 29 again (hee hee) and it was a nice relaxing day at home with my loves.  Instead of cake we had some Sugar free, fat free pudding with a little fruit (and some whip cream of course).  It was perfect. A cheat without the guilt of a cheat.  I was surprised that no one complained about the missing birthday cake!

Last weekend I flew out to my old stomping grounds. My husband was in Southern California for two weeks for work, so during the weekend I flew out and we got to spend the entire weekend together... just us... NO KIDS... and guess what???  We didn't kill each other. In fact it was absolutely amazing.  We had the BEST time just being together.  I didn't want to leave.  I also got to see some of my old friends, and step foot in my old gym.  I miss it there.

Work has been great, home has been great, kids start school next week (which will be great!!!) and things are just... well... great!!!!  I will put some progress pics up soon. I wanted to do them at the even weeks out but haven't really been on top of things. I will start at 7 and post pics as I feel necessary!