1st Complete BFL Challenge to Start

So, I am completely thinking about this whole competition bug and I am loving it still. But I am still back and forth with which workouts to start and what competitions to try and enter and so forth. So my thoughts right now. Actually go through and complete my first BFL challenge and then go through there. I like before when I was thinking about competing, have quite a bit of bodyfat to lose and muscle to try and gain. The dates I am looking at would be hard for me to achieve what I want to achieve. So my goal dates are going to be in October at this point and I will plan for an earlier date depending on how my body listens to me and whether or not I can be stage ready prior to that. Money issues are also playing a major part, so right now a trainer is not an option and there are some money things that I didn't not take into account prior. So right now, my goal is to get money situations into order, try and start saving for my vaca to Okinawa to see my the first nephew ever :) and plus I have not been to see my family in forever (this time frame that I need to have my hours and work is right around the first couple of competitions), and work on my diet and my training. I figure if I can't even complete a full BFL for 14 wks, how can I expect to step on stage. I need consistency and a goal plan in mind :) ... I picked 14 instead of 12 wks, because well 14 wks falls onto my birthday...and I am going out and having something exciting to eat ;).... So time to take some initial photos, lol and see where it brings me.

DIET, DIET, AND MORE DIET

So I have been feeling pretty miserable over the last couple of weeks. My motivation has been down and I am desperately trying to build it back up. I really want to be able to compete in June without going completely crazy and am 25+wks out now. We all know that will go by quickly and have about 6 months time to get it together. The workouts have been going okay but I really need to increase intensity and really start adding some more cardio in there. I don't want to overdo it initially so am okay with adding little by little. My diet has been completely horrible though. I have gained instead of lost and am feeling like horrible crap. When I start to go on diet, I get crazy hunger pangs, and also feel like vomiting at the same time. I don't remember feeling this bad before when I was doing well. I look back at what I ate when I was losing and it was basically the same. So not sure what's going wrong. I am trying to tweak a few things today though, adding some ground turkey with seasoning in there to make some taco salads which I absolutely love. Will also be adding some of my thicker protein powders to make me feel fuller, maybe adding some oatmeal vs fruit in some instances to help with the fullness too. I really need to get this diet on track or I am going to go absolutely no where and never reach my goal. Excited though, because really good sale on chicken tomorrow and also on my steamed veggies. Ten bags for ten dollars, whoot whoot. Will be stocking up on those bad boys :) ... Gotta see how much room I have in my freezer now, lol. So starting today, I am totally trying to kill the diet. Have my ground turkey cooking and will be stopping in the a.m. at the grocery store when I get out of work :) ....

I have nixed going with a trainer and at this point will be doing my own workouts that I have gathered from various places. I tried contacting the person again, she wrote me back and said she would send registration instructions the next week and nothing. I don't like to wait forever for meal plans & training routines. I will figure this initial thing out on my own and when I get more dedicated and completely on board, I will find a trainer that works for me and go from there.

Trainer, yes thinking Trainer

So, this week has been a good week so far. Diet has been so so, which I really need to step up on, but the training itself with workouts & cardio have been great. One more day to go and I will have had everything in that needs to be in. I can't stop going to eventually needing a trainer though and looking at the prices of everyone, EXPENSIVE. I know I initially did not want to get one do to prices & not completing goals but I don't want to give myself the easy way out either. So I continue to go back to Cathy Savage Fitness. I liked the goals and plan that she had for summer camp, even though it was another goal I did not complete, the training plan was right in my alley. It's only $45 dollars a month with a membership fee but with my gym prices going down next month, it's what I need to do at this point. So my thoughts are going ahead with the plan to get them as my training support system. No more worries about what my plan is going to be and so forth. My competition dates I am looking at are still the end of June, beginning of July. I will look at comps before then depending on how my body behaves with me, lol. But I am definitely leaning towards those dates, gives me the time I need to get my body where it needs to be. I will officially be 28wks out as of this coming up Sunday, eek. I was looking at going to Okinawa in May but am thinking of August instead. Gives me time to save money and so forth. Lots to do this year and I am going to make the best of it :) ... The girl did finally e-mail me back from Cathysavagefitness. I did have to e-mail her again, but she didn't get my second e-mail, so that's cool. Feeling better about that. Not looking forward to money coming out the bank, but at least it will keep my sanity about making my own diet, training plan, etc. I will add in what needs to be added in, but I don't forsee many problems with that. So next week that will all be taken care of and the next goal and step will come into place :).

April??? Can I do April

So I keep going all over the place with when to do my first competition and needing to do so much. I still keep going back to April though. There is an OCB competition called Spirit of America that I really want to compete in to give me my first step. I no longer care about placings (I lie, I want to place well, but want to be prepared and look well more than anything and just get this competition thing started already) so I just want to go for it and if I am not even close to ready then I will just hold off until the June/July timeframe which is already what I am looking at. That gives me exactly 20wks to put something into works. I have decided to continue to look for my own info and plan my own training & diet. I hate waiting for things and am just going to continuously figure out what works for me. So that may bat against me with getting things done by April, but that's what is going to work for me.

Things, I have to lose about 2lbs per week to be contest ready by my goal time. I am no longer going to stress over this. I did last year and it did nothing but make things worse...At least this will be the beginning of the season and NOT the end, lol. So if I don't step on that stage, I will continue preparing until I hit it. I will hit that stage this year :) ...

So I have 20wks to get this started, need to figure out my first game plan...NOW ALREADY, LOL.

Thoughts, I was initially thinking of doing first cardio in am when I get out of work when I need to do double cardio...Thinking of switching to nighttime instead before I go to work. Boyfriend will wake my butt up for sure. Thank goodness for treadmill at home :) ...

Boyfriend needs to get me going already. He's a chef and gets laid off during the downseason because his restaurant closes, so HE HAS NO EXCUSES to be on my tail making sure I behave myself :) ...

Okay feeling much better and liking the idea of this goal :) ... Time to pull out my competition suit and smile again >.... Now to get the body moving and the diet going good and strong. Thanksgiving totally scrued me up. Here I go again. EXCUSES, EXCUSES, EXCUSES. need to have strong will :) ...

TRAINER IT IS

So after looking online for several hours as well as glancing through some magazines, I am leaning towards getting a trainer through Cathy Savage fitness. It will take the stress load off me considerably and well they are geared to get you to where you need to be. I am hoping that this will make a difference in where I need to be. Her summer program had killer workouts that looked awesome, so I am hoping that the same will come into play if I do end up joining. I just sent in my info & pics, so we will see what happens after that. I have a long way to go and it's been and up and down hill battle. The important thing is that I am still traveling and the car has not broke down, lol. Going to be interesting what the next year brings. I have changed my initial goal from June/July to October dates. I feel as though it will give me more time to get to where I need to be and less stress to get there. If I am ready timewise before then...I will look at prepping for a show. I want to look the best I can for a show though and have tons of stuff that I need to take care of first this year. There is an OCB comp in October that I can do as well as several NPC shows & so forth. Will be a very interesting year prep wise and I WILL BE where I need to be in that time frame.

Trainer or No Trainer

So my motivation to look at competing again has me questioning about whether I should get an online trainer again and what a good goal time wise would be for looking at a competition. I was thinking about going to try Cathy Savage fitness but not a 100% sure about it. It is only 45 a month with a $99 dollar sign on fee but my last two times I hired a trainer have been no good for me. Not on their part but mine instead. I started looking through a 100 articles online for different things and am starting to wonder if I should go that route to save on money costs. Btwn the gym membership and hiring an online trainer, that's money in the bank that could be going towards other things that I really need to put into perspective. My track record with completing things also has not been good and maybe I should look at hiring the online trainer thing as more of a reward in the end...Once I have met my goal and look at working towards another competition. So maybe I will hold off on NPC competitions until May but enter the OCB near my home since I have been able to see one of their shows & have an idea of what to expect. A lot to think about. In the meantime, it's time to continue looking at training plans to set up for myself during the next 7 months & GO EAT SOME TURKEY & STUFFING. IT IS THANKSGIVING AFTERALL :)....

Sore Bum Bum

So yesterday was Full Body Workout...Were doing Power 90 and we decided to go straight through to the second Cd after one wk, lol. Yeah it worked us. We did our run/walk afterwards or more like walk/run, lol. Today we did Tae-bo, start it up and let me just say my glutes & legs are killing me...It's been kind of interesting for me because my workout partner is truly a beginner & has helped me stay more motivated but helping to teach her things especially with form & so forth. Pushing her helps me to push myself, which is exactly where I need to be right now. I have been doing well with diet and today hit 163.0. I initally started this week at 165.2, last week at 165.8, but eventually ended up cheating at work, bad girl. So far, so good though and it will continue on to be a good week. I can feel that motivation factor kicking in and slowly developing a routine that is working for me. Having a workout partner is helping a 110%, keeping strict with my workouts and diet. And well the boyfriend factor, he will allow no slacking at any point, lol. If I do, I'll be more then a 100 bucks in the hole. But man, he went on a rant last week when I cheated, he's all the personal trainer I need, lol. So this second week is looking good so far, more to come :) ...