This is a little #ThrowbackThursday mixed with a #TransformationTuesday post for ya’ll and a little bit of my first competition prep story. From the day I began prep to 8 weeks later competing in my first NPC bikini competiton in Golden, CO. There is more between these three pictures than a difference in physique. In the first picture, I was eating whatever I wanted and working out minimally…my mindset just wasn’t in it and I wasn’t happy. I actually had the intention to compete earlier in the year and actually started show prep for an August show. Not even 6 weeks into my prep I ended up pulling out of the show because I didn’t feel like I was changing. I would cry on the way home from the gym because I didn’t feel like I was progressing and I was stressed out all day every day, pushing myself to the absolute limits and my body hated me for it. I knew I was in no right-mind to compete.
In March of last year, I had made a promise to myself that I was going to compete in 2015, but had pushed it back and made excuses until it was almost too late. I ended up going to the August show as a spectator (the show I was supposed to compete in originally), and it fired me up so much to finally just do it that I signed with a new coach the very next day.
The day I signed, I was 9 weeks out from the last competition of the year and let me tell you it was a hustle from the day 1.
8 weeks out from the show I found out I was hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) which slowed my progress down even more. I had to eat more carbs than a normal prep diet would allow and drink twice as much water and do twice as much cardio as anyone else on my team.
But I worked my ass off day in and day out and “trusted the process” (which you hear like 134952859 times a day from everyone when you’re on prep”)- I was a full time student and worked two part-time jobs and still found a way to make it to the gym twice a day for my lifts and cardio sessions.
I finally competed after a long (yet short) prep, drug-free, completely natural and I was so proud of myself (I have THE biggest stage fright)…I definitely could have benefited from going through a longer prep because I wasn’t as lean as I could’ve or should’ve been, but you live and you learn. And I just wanted the courage to be able to step on stage regardless. The one real goal that I set for myself was just to get through my posing routine without tripping! HA. Mission accomplished. I felt really confident and good about myself and though I know I could have looked better, I truly have not worked harder or put more effort into anything in my life and for that I am really happy.
Though there are sometimes I wish I would have given myself more time to prep, I learned a lot along the journey and I can’t wait to step on stage again and apply it. This is my motivation to be better than myself. I will beat this girl in 2016.
What are your 2016 fitness goals??
You can do it! Just never give up!
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