3 & 2 Week Out Progress Pics

Well I did promise I would post up my pics after my comp from Week 5 to 1 Week Out and here they are!!!!  

It also goes to show how much different you can look with changes in lighting or photo angles!!! 

I only ever measured my progress with the pics done in my Livingroom irrespective of shit lighting... The fact my picture angles were consistant, the lighting was the same everytime and my posing was the same! Which is the basis of a good comparison!!! (I won't show u those poses as I look like a zombie!)

7 Days Out

Where has the time gone? 7 Days Out already!!!

So today I started front loading my carbs... This is what I did last time and adjusted accordingly.

The plan of action is to carb up today, reduce them tomorrow, observe Tuesday (takes 2 days for change to impact me) hopefully maintain macros and then carb up again slowly towards end of the week!

On Friday I decided to be super organised!  

➡️ All my foods selected and purchased for this week taking into account any tweaks that should be made

➡️ Clothes for next weekend laid out and a checklist made!

➡️ All items such as accessories / make up etc purchased!

➡️ hair extensions topped up

➡️ hair cut and coloured

All I have this week to do is

Monday - Sun Bed

Tuesday - Waxing

Thursday - Nails & Sun Bed

Friday - Start of Tanning Up

Saturday - UKBFF Posing Workshop oh and another coat of tan!

Sunday - Another coat of tan in morning and it's "SHOW DAY"

I am feeling confident today after a good few compliments today from people I bumped into the exhibition... Already this evening am noticing the effects of my carb load!!!  

Whoooooo buzzing!

Scottish Fitness Nutrition Exhibition #SFN

Today my sister Shaz and I headed for a road trip to Glasgow to attend SFN Exhibition.  

It's the first fitness exhibition of it's size in Scotland.  Although nowhere on the scale of Body Power, I reckon this event shall shall get bigger each year!

There wasn't as much exhibitors there as I thought there would be however all the big brand name were with some fantastic savings!

I have every faith that next years exhibition if it goes ahead shall attract more exhibitors - Especially based on the publicity this weekend via social networks!

The down side to this weekend was seeing my FB littered with alot of negative comments over the exhibition being small (as mentioned above come on it's the 1st year! Start small get big) and some of the companies that were exhibiting selling "useless" products... I agree completely however any person with sense can surely see it's a gimic! And anyone taken in by it clearly needs there mental sanity questioned!!! 

I am more disgraced over the people writing the negative comments as oppose to the content, these people are PT's / people well know in the fitness industry....  

Whilst training to do my Level 2/3 PT course nearly every page on my course work is about positivity and inspiring.,. Where is the positivity in condemning an exhibition which is in it's 1st year and where nearly everyone worked for free that day and put in so much hard work to make it what it was?  

Although for me there wasn't much to see, the people I spoke to today was amazing everyone was so friendly, positive, happy and interested! That's what it should be all about!!! And that's what made the journey and the exhibition worth while!

In regards to comp prep which I noticed a lot of negativity towards based on the seminar speakers.... Well each seminar I attended they started off saying "this is what I did, this is what works for me, it may or may not work for you" .... Or there is no study to back this up this is my opinion.... Etc etc

In this industry everyone has an opinion, everyone has a way that worked for them.... What works for one doesn't for another and as Jamie Alderton mentioned there isn't a piece of paper written for a comp diet everyone can follow... Everyone's bodies are different!!!

Super inspired by everyone I met today, and although sometimes it's overwhelming where you are in a room full of opinions and their own ideas with conflicting information to digest, you do really have just to remember that you need to listen to your own body and make alterations and work to a programme suited to you! Don't let someone with an opinion change your opinion do what you believe in! 

Lots of note taken today to digest and understand!

Oh Afew pics from this weekend! 

Quinoa Prawn & Spinach Soup

Feelings fuller without compromising your portion size can be tricky! But the great thing about quinoa is you get so much for very little macros!

Ingredients

100g Spinach

1 Vegetable Stock Cube

1 Fish Stock Cube

200g Quinoa

1 tea spoon ginger

2 tea spoons chilli flakes

1 tablespoon fish sauce

5 Spring onions finely chopped

200g cooked and peeler prawns 

1. In 1 pan cook 200g of Quinoa in vegetable stock cube.

2.  In another pan bring to the boil 600ml of water (please add more water if you want a thinner soup!), add in the ginger,  chili flakes and fish stock, and cook for a minute or two until the stock has dissolved.

3.  Add in the fish sauce, spring onions and prawns. Cook for a few minutes until the noodles and prawns are cooked through. Add more water if necessary

4. Add in the Quinoa 

5.  Add in the Spinach and squeeze half lime juice and simmer on low heat for around 5 minutes!

Macros based on my chosen products were 

Posing Practice

My posing I feel has greatly improved which has improved my confidence immensely!

Using the advice I got from Lynn Carmichael back in March I started posing quite early on in this prep and posing twice a week using the mirror.  Once I was happy with using the mirror / closing my eyes and memorising the feeling of the poses, I started posing with my eyes closed Infront of the mirror then once in the pose opening to see if my pose was correct.  

When I got to 4/5 weeks out I rarely used the mirror only checking when I felt something felt different with the pose.  

Now I have reached 2 weeks out I am practicing holding my poses a lot longer than the 10-20 seconds I have been, instead it's 60s per quarter turn.   

It's so strange when I started practicing the bikini fitness quarter turns on of my side poses was weaker than the other.... Now it's my best side!!! Probably because I spent a lot of time trying to master it!!!

12 days out now, although am posing every day, I tend to do a 45minute posing session every 2nd day which is when I hold the poses for 60s, and then a quick 20 minute session on the alternative days.

Over the past 10 weeks I have been doing a lot of Pilates and I feel it has really helped with my posing and elognating the appearance of my muscles.  

2 Weeks Out

So here we are.... 2 weeks out 🙈 

This week I have been keeping food super clean after last weeks lapse, heads been down, training smashed (maybe on a few sessions iv even over done it!)... Thursday being one... Morning cardio, leg day and then step class with Laura!

Then came Saturday.... Emotional Breakdown... Tears and everything!!!! Big thanks to Andy for helping me through yesterday, a very emotional skype chat to say the least!!!  

So what happened?... I always find on an off day it's essential you review everything that happened and assess what was done differently?

1.  I did my weights in the morning after my breakfast.. Infact I enjoyed this change and I don't think it was to blame.

2.  Post workout I feel I didn't have enough carbs (downfall)

3. Four hours spent walking round the shops with money to splash and not seeing anything and generally turning my good mood into a bad one (downfall2)

4. 2 large Americanos and a stupid lunch of a quest bar and rice cakes (insulin spike downfall 3)

5.  Having snack 2 4 hours after lunch.... (Downfall 4)... Which resulted in me starving... Ratty and my snack 2 took too long to digest!!!

Then hello an emotional crying mess, but weirdly craving a turkey subway and cheese on toast?! wtf people who know me know I do not like soggy bread and am not even a fan of wager sandwich turkey yuk!  It's so weird I was craving this random shit because normally id crave chocolate?! So strange!!!

It's amazing how much good a good bubble can do to clear ur head... Along with some caring motivation, pep talk and help, a bubble bath, cheap gossip magazines, frozen yoghurt and a diet cherry coke can do! Most of all having a brill network of understanding sympathetic friends!!! 😘

Now the week ahead .... It's a busy one!!! I have to keep an eye on my sodium, water, be consistant with my food prep and workouts!!! 

I need to smash in plenty of posing practice, decide on my hair for the day, extensions topped up, hair cut and coloured, skin routine upped, and lots and lots of rest!!!!

Oh and I also have SFN next Sunday with my sister!!! For those of you who follow my sister on insta that's her 12 week plan complete and she looks amazing! Who would have thought she gave birth 19 weeks ago!!!  Give her a follow @shazney84 

It's Friiiiiday!!!

One more week to go before some small tweaks are made for peak week /prior to comp.

Although I feel abit tired I have to say I feel so much better for this comp than last time round... Maybe it is because I know more what to expect and understand my body even more.... Perhaps because I have had less personal issues going on this time? Either way I have enjoyed this prep a lot more and starting from a better foundation has slowed.

Although I have been having cravings I genuinely believe this is just down to knowing the end is almost in sight as oppose to actually wanting these treats!!!!

2 weeks to go!!!! 

Buzzing

It's so strange..... 3 weeks out from comp in May and I was a walking brain fried zombie! Zero motivation, hormonal, irritable and questioning if competing was worth it?

This time round everything has been a lot different.  I have had down days am not going to deny that but I would rather have some down days than down weeks.  I am sleeping better, I haven't done as much morning cardio as I was doing.

All in all I just feel so much better in this prep... Working from a better foundation has greatly improved how I have approached prep this time.

I am also loving going to gym at moment and dare I say it buzzing for comp!!!

EFN - Elite Fitness Network

As mentioned afew weeks back can't wait to share my photos from my last EFN shoot!

So chuffed I have been made the EFN Ambassador for the Northern Team.

Give EFN a follow on IG & FB!!!

Giant Peanut Butter Protein Cupcake

It serves 8... That's if you want to share it 😂😂😂

3 Weeks Out & I Passed!!

What a crazy week!!!

I have been really down with the mirror reflect most of the start of the week but put it down to water retention due to stress caused by work and cramming in studying for my exam yesterday.

My sugared cravings were unbelievable and I was baking my protein bread to assist curbing them.  On Wednesday I had a training course with work and the cravings got the better of me and I chomped on a chocolate Bar (yup am going to hell)... 2 hours later I realised my period had started!!!

I am mad because I genuinely never seen that coming, last month was so light I felt because  my body fat was reaching low levels that would be the last time I would see aunt flow until reverse dieting so I honestly never even tonight my cravings could have been down to that!  I wish i had discovered it was my period before chomping on the bar because then my sensible brain would have told my urges off 😂😂.... Ah what's done is done!  

As the week progressed the scale reading was getting better and I was getting leaner 🎉

I had my exam yesterday for my Level 2 Gym Instructor and I passed whoooo so happy! Now it's back to the books for studying for Level 3 Personal Trainer along with my nutrition! However am going to focus soely on my comp for the next 3 weeks! 

Head Down FOCUS

4 Weeks Out .... and 5000 hits!

Well I am officially 4 weeks out!

I haven't been posting much on here because I find myself just wanting to get my head down and keep myself to myself.  I have very limited patience to interact with anyone who doesn't understand what I am going through or has narrow minded comments to make on a subject they know nothing about.

Lucky for me I have a handful of close friends who understand what I am going through and are keeping me sane!  I also feel I need to give a mention to my friend Froggie (yup he likes Freddo Bars)!!! constantly full of praise and support with little knowledge on this field - he is just genuinely supportive because he knows this makes me happy regardless of any opinion he may have on the sport.

At the moment my toughest challenge is my mid section!!!!  it was a struggle to get lean the last time round in that area, and its proving just as equal a challenge again (even though a lot of people said it would be easier!).

 Food is pretty much basic and simple (although others may question how I can do that) - I actuallt don't mind eating copious amounts of chicken, turkey or broccoli.  I enjoy it... hands up I would like some BBQ Sauce smothered all over it, but hey I can incorporate that after comp! its not the end of the world!

Last week for me was a bit of a downer, my weight wasn't shifting and my mind was playing games with me.  At the start of the week I doubted if I could be ready for the comp on the 7th, some days I still feel like this but taking each day as it comes with the 21st of September being my main focus!

I have incorporated a mid week rest day now which is a Wednesday, and I felt so much better for it.  When you are holding down a demanding job, studying alongside training twice a day a mid week rest day lets you recharge your batteries! Although it means training across the weekend it doesn't actually bother me, I don't tend to do much when I get this close to comp anyway.

I spent my 1st Wednesday rest day doing abit of studying, having a long lie in and starting work at 9am!  I took my full hour for lunch again hitting the books.  I stayed back at work for a further hour after everyone left to hit the books once 

more, then I came home ran a bath and read Flex Magazine!  I also treated myself to a Hair Mask and Face pack.

Thursday mornings cardio saw me fully regenerated and raring to go with the cardio (well maybe not raring but I felt in a much better place).

Again I am not posting progress pictures leading up to the comp, but I will be sure to post them post comp or afew days before.

I did notice a difference with this weeks pictures, my obliques are much more visable along with my V.  Legs are feeling rock hard as well... my back well safe to say that is one area that I just have to maintain!!!!

I also just checked my view history on my blog and have hit over 5000 hits in just under 12 weeks!! with hits from America and UK!  Thank you so much x

The ARR Craib Lorry

The joys of getting closer to comp... It feels like an ARR Craib lorry has hit me front on.... Twice! 

I look like shit, I feel like shit, my brain is scrambled, I am moody, little patience, ratty, doubt & paranoia has well and truly set in.

Am having days where I wake up and ask if it's worth feeling like this? Am going to answer this 4 weeks on Sunday.

Come on only 4 weeks to go!!!! Snap out of it!!!

Peanut Butter Protein Bread

Okay so I wouldnt class this as bread... Infact it's an insult!!! This is defiantly cake!

I have shared this recipe afew months back but I finally think I have perfected the ingredients and quantities to a T! Not only that I have made it clean enough to be consumed in a bulk/reverse or cut!!

If your making this make sure you use the SAME product choices as me!!

1. All ingredients in a blender

2. Pour in cake tin

3. Bake for 30-40minutes at 160

4. leave to cool

5. Cut into 8 slices

5 Weeks Out

Last Re-Feed Day 🙈😭.  From now on Carb Cycling has been introduced for the remainder 5 weeks.  

The last few Sunday Re-Feeds I have felt very sleepy with the increased carbs and also felt my performance in the gym was abit sluggish.  One thing I do notice is I have to be more aware of carb consumption arounf the without parameter.  If I hit the gym any longer than 90 minutes after my pre workout meal I end up tired and my performance and alertness drastically decreases.  This happened today.

For the next 5 weeks my carbs shall be dispersed evenly across training days with different macros for non training day.

My posing is coming on, and 3 of my quarter turns I am happy with but one side still needs abit of work!  Practice makes perfect though!

My bikini also arrived last week fits amazing! So much better than my bikini for my last comp!

No progress pics being posted from is on... However I am still taking the photos and I will post them all the day before comp!

Oh my new favourite amazing desert..... 170g Fage 0% Yoghurt mixed with a Quest Cookie Dough Bar (cut the Quest bar into small cubes, microwave for 40-69s) stir into Fage 🙊🙈 #amazing

Statistics V Mirror

I have spoke about this so much... I am 4 weeks out today and the stats eg scales & InBody are giving me readings that make me doubt I am on point....even pictures I feel haven't been the best to reflect my true progress and how I feel.

I feel I look tighter than my last comp, my 4 abs have been visible for over a week now regardless what time of day it is.  I am either getting stronger or remaining with same weights in gym at either same reps or an additional 2 reps.  My digestive stat is back working, my measurements waist and hips are coming down, with all other areas remaining the same now for 3 weeks.

I think the mind games have well and truly hit me the past week now... Self doubt, paranoia, more down days than good - the joys of competing 😔