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 😔

Under or Over???

For most women who train or have lost weight there comes a time that breast augmentation (BA) may cross their mind.

For me this happened a year ago, after witnessing my chest decrease from a 36GG to a 32C within 2 years and now in the past year to a 28B.  

I constantly stuff my bra and gym tops to "enhance" something that isn't there.  One of my male friends said I was committing fraud! 😂

I guess when you think about it I am already fake because my so called "assets" are enhanced with chicken fillets the only difference being they sit externally to my body as oppose to being internal!

The past few months after competing enlargement has played on my mind a lot, if anything to the point I think about it daily.

My issue with the surgery is recovery, and which option is best under or over?!  I know I want surgery but which option is best for me?

I don't like to rush into anything like this... It took me 12 years to get my rhinoplasty!!! However I don't plan to spend 12 years thinking about this!!! 

I have researched a number of forum boards and read countless amounts of posts from females regarding their experiences, I have found very limited amounts of information from girls who lift writing about their experiences but what I have found has been very informative.

Originally I felt under the muscle would be the way to go but this past week all I have read is about the long recovery period, the pain from being under the muscle due to it being tight from training... Which has made me side towards over the muscle. 

However my friend Stacey made a valid point don't just go with over because recovery is quicker, your stuck with them for at least 10 years so you go with what suits you.

I guess when you compete you always have to have a plan, and because I am still undecided what to train for next year it's making planning harder to contend with.  My focus is my next 2 comps in September once I have competed I would hope that it clears my head and makes me focus more on next years goals and where my surgery is ideally fitted into that.

If anyone has some useful sites or links with info please post your comments below!!!

6 Weeks Out

🙈 Okay so I mis counted somewhere along the lines and I am infact 6 weeks out as of yesterday!!!

Last week was awful for me, not only was it time of the month but I had a lot of self doubt issues if competing in September was a sensible decision or not.  

I did a lot of mirror watching and I felt tighter! Then on Saturday I depleted water, messed around with sodium.... the outcome was I looked shit.... I felt shit and my mind was completely scrambled.

After some conversations with several very supportive friends I got into a better mindset, and woke up this morning determined to do this! 

Sometimes words from the right people is all you need to push and give the confidence you need.  I am so lucky to have some very supportive people round me and most importantly "honest" people.

Oh here's this weeks progress pics 🙈hate them! Bring on next weeks pics!!!

SFN Exhibition

2014 marks the first Sports Fitness & Nutrition exhibition in Scotland.  If you haven't already for your tickets you can get 10% off at the tills by using my discount code!!!

The Female Ab Obsession

I have been wanting to blog in regards to this topic for a while, the female obsession of abs! 

One of my goals during my fitness journey was to achieve the "6 pack" however it became very clear this wouldn't happen for me.

I follow a lot of people on Instagram, and my pet hate is girls who post ‘Daily Ab Progress’ pictures, in different lighting, angles or times of the day.  I really don't understand the point in this? And your not showing a true representation against the photo you took the day before or the day before that?

Unlike men, women have many contributing factors that can effect "ab definition".  Genetically most women don’t develop a 6 pack as it requires a very low body fat percentage to show a level of definition.  The typical very lean women will develop 3 vertical lines of definition running down the middle and both sides of their stomach – this is the general equivalent of a 6 pack for a female.

Factors going against us obtaining a defined gridded 6 pack are:-

·         Your menstrual cycle starts around one week pre period, then you have the bloat on the week of your period, and for some the bloat can remain for a further week after your period

·         Women naturally have more body fat percentage than men due to our ability to produce another life.

·         We hold more body fat in our tummy area

·         Food sources effect women and men differently

·         Metabolic rate or previous metabolic damage.

There is no quick or easy way to get abs, it’s a hard slog of ‘smart’ training, reducing weight and body fat, cutting out junk food and booze COMPLETLEY! A change in diet and good nutrition plays a crucial role in obtaining abs for a female.

Contrary to popular belief Ab Workouts 7 days a week or 200 crunches per night does not get you a Six Pack!

On top of this once you do achieve your desired ‘abs’ you must then sustain this lifestyle that got you there in the first place!!!

I have learned to deal with fact that my top 2 abs pop all the time, my middle 2 abs appear in the morning until around lunchtime, and my bottom 2 abs I don’t think they exist!  I have never seen them, and the lowest body fat I have been to date is 10.2% and even then my middle 2 weren’t permanently out.

SUPER JELOUS of any female that does obtain a 6 pack (my sister is living proof this can happen and hers popped out at 12% Body fat!).. And worse still post baby those bloody abs are back and popping better than mine are right now! And am current sitting at 10.5%, 8 weeks out from competing!

Come on ladies, progress pictures need to show a true representation! If you want to share your "ab progress", show a true representation take the pics using same lighting, camera, position, time of day, once a week and make reference to any fluctuations / changes in diet, menstrual cycle, macros, cardio impact etc that week!  Make your progress pics valid!