WIA-Thursday

It’s not Wednesday, but this is was I ate on Wednesday… and Monday, and Tuesday and today, and pretty much every day until after the show on Sunday.



Meal plan for the week

Meal 1: Egg whites, protein powder, oats and flax seeds microwave into a cookie/ cakey thingy, served with a side of aspagus and coconut butter.

Meal 2: Egg whites, protein powder, oats and flax seeds microwave into a cookie/ cakey thingy, served with a side of aspagus and coconut oil.

Meal 3: Tilapia, yams, and asparagus with coconut butter.

Meal 4: Tilapia, beans and coconut oil.

Meal 5: Chicken, yams, crushed almonds and green beans.

Meal 6: Egg whites, casein, almonds and green beans (not pictured).

So, that’s pretty much my food for the week. Not shown in the pictures is a grapefruit. One glorious sweet, but sour grapefruit a day.

This time around, my food options have been quite limited during peak week. That being said, it (a) makes things much easier (less to buy and less to plan) and (b) it has still been really tasty. The options still include choices for proteins (eggs, chicken and tilapia), starchy carbs (yams and oats) and fats (coconut oil/ butter, almonds and flax). No food group has been eliminated. I need a balance of each to stay strong and really build up the muscle in the next few days. When I can, I have been switching it up either by changing the combos or the way the food is prepared. Here are a couple more dishes of things I put together today.

 

Egg white frittata with flax seeds, yams and green beans

Tilapia, yams and green beans and coconut butter on top

 Tilapia, yams and green beans sauteed together with coconut butter on top

 Chicken, green beans tossed with toasted oats and almonds

Right now, I am right in the middle of peak week (and chugging water like nobody’s business). Yesterday was really the tipping point since it was my last day of work until after the show (yay!) and my training is done! After one last punishing leg, ab and cardio session last night, I’m done. All done. And to get it done, I really had to dig deep. I also had to use the glute kickback machine… and apparently I transported back to the 1980s.

Hopefully the machine works just as well even when I'm not wearing my bodysuit.

It was, mentally, one of the hardest workouts I have had to get through. It’s like that week before vacation at work when you don’t know how you’d make it through if you didn’t know you had a break coming up. I think between many early morning wake ups (even on the past few weekends), work, and other life things, I was just getting tired and overwhelmed. But from here on out, it’s all rest and relaxation - and posing practice!  

Only 3 more sleeps (and hopefully a couple more naps) until show day!! Whoo hoo! Let’s do this!!

K, time to go eat some more J

XOXO
J

Things I Thought I'd Never Say, Do or Hear

It’s the weekend (insert multiple smiley faces here). This weekend marks one week out from my next competition- the IDFA BC Classic on June 2. Here I am again facing peak week, excited to see what’s in store. So far, for my past two shows, things have been different each time. For the first show, I was given a pretty detailed list of food options for the week leading up to the show, with different things eliminated each day. For example, protein powder was dropped a few days before the show, then certain vegetables, then oats. On the day of the show, I was pretty much only eating yams, tilapia and asparagus, and an assortment of healthy fats (all of which I was still really enjoying). My water consumption also changed throughout the week and then was eventually cut off the day before the show. And training stopped four days before the show.

For the last show I did in May, my food options remained the same and my carbs and fats increased in the days leading up to the show. Weight training went right up to two days before the show, but cardio was cut almost at a week out. Who knows what it will be like this time? I’ve already been given a couple changes- one being cardio every day… and splitting cardio from weights… which means hitting the gym twice a day. I never thought I’d be doing that, but I am and I will. Let’s see what happens.

All these changes, trying new things and learning as a go has been interesting. Without even realizing it, I’ve been taking little steps, tweaking things here and there, which has slowly, but surely, led to a major lifestyle change. Sometimes, I’ll do or say something, catch myself, and realize how far I’ve come (or how crazy I’ve gotten). For example, in one of my last posts, I mentioned that after taking a bite of chocolate backstage at the NPAA show I said, “Oh my god! I forgot how good chocolate tasted!” Seriously, those words from my mouth?? I’m a chocolate-holic! Which, I thought I kept under wraps pretty good, but I guess the secret is out!

 

A crossword someone at work put together.
The clue for 5 Down: Chocolateholic, but you would never know it.
The answer: Jen 

 

Other things I have started doing that I never thought I would is lugging all my workout gear to work every day so I can hit the gym on the way home and waking up early on the weekends (and enjoying it!) to get to the gym. Here are some other examples of things I never thought I would say, do or hear:

1. Me: “Mmmm, that bowl of peppers and cucumbers is making my mouth water.” Ha ha ha. Seriously, who says this?? But I did and it does. Now even the thought of biting into a nice crisp and crunchy veggie just makes my mouth water. It’s like nature’s candy :)

2. Me: “No thanks, I’m good” said to a bowl full of Purdy’s chocolates at Easter- and I actually felt fine about it. It would have been easy enough to sneak one, but I know from my past behavior one would have definitely led to two, which would have led to three, which would have led to the whole bowl. I’m an addict. I can’t stop. I know that. Thank god I never did drugs. I seriously believe I would have had a problem.

3. Me: “Hmmm, when was my last rest day?” I have caught myself wondering this out loud. Rest days are extremely important in any training schedule, especially when you are trying to build muscle. Your muscle actually grows when it’s repairing itself, which means it needs rest (and fuel) to do so. It’s not that I don’t want rest days (I love having that little extra time), it’s just that I get into my routine (work, gym, eat, sleep) and forget to stop. It’s just become habit and I have to remind myself to stop and schedule in the rest days. If I don’t think about it, I will just keep going.

4. Me, at the gym: “I’m at the end of the weight rack… I can’t go heavier.” First, let me qualify this statement by saying (a) I go to an all ladies gym, and (b) that gym is in White Rock. The average age at the gym is probably about 65. It’s not like I’m maxing out at Gold’s or something. As I have progressed in my training, and started lifting heavier, I have reached the end of the barbell weight rack though. Well it may be a bit of a milestone, it’s also been a bit of an annoyance because I have had to figure out alternatives, which usually requires me to run to opposite sides of the gym to get in everything I need. Ugh. #weightliftingproblems  

5. Me: “Wow, that Facebook post/ quote/ picture really speaks to me. I want to share.” Ha ha ha. This one gets me every time. In general, I don’t post too much on Facebook (I mainly use it to stalk/ snoop on people- don’t judge, I know you do too) and I am certainly not one to post motivational quotes or share other people’s posts, and used to be annoyed at all the cheesy, clichéd sayings and pictures that would fill up my feed. However, since embarking on this fitness journey, I find myself really inspired by these quotes. All of the sudden they make sense to me. I get it… and I feel the urge to share it. Wha??? What’s happened to me? Where did my cynical, sarcastic self go?? Wait until I start making up my own quotes. Oh god! Here’s a couple samples of ones I like and have the urge to share…

 

 

6. My husband: “I started cleaning up the house and the realized, most the mess is yours.” Ha. Yeah, there’s a first time for everything. To say my priorities have changed is an understatement. As I wrote about in a previous post, as things get more intense or closer to a show, other things start to slide- and tidiness is one of those things. For the most part, I can keep up, but lately there have been times when I just need to let some expectations and chores go, and do my best not to let it bother me. This next week will be a bit of a challenge, but so far so good. At last count, there are only 8 yogurt containers in the recycling box waiting to go down, so we’re not at the critical tipping point- yet.

7. Being called an “athlete.” This one is a mind bender. I have never considered myself athletic or fit. As a kid, I wasn’t active (and had no desire to be) and didn’t play sports (I just didn’t get them). Sure, I took dance lessons, and they were fun (mainly for the cool music and fun costumes), but I never, ever considered myself sporty. Even as an adult, I have shied away from playing any sort of sport- competitive or not. No co-ed softball, no beach volleyball, nothing. Since I have started competing however, I have realized that, yes, I am an athlete (although, that took attending my first pre-show “Athletes’ Meeting,” but now I get it). I have a coach and I have team mates. This is a sport. I train and I compete. I am an athlete.  

So, who knows what I might say or do next? Maybe start eating only organic (something that I don’t quite buy into at this point)? Maybe I will start going to the gym 3 times a day (highly unlikely and completely unnecessary)? Or maybe I will start eating red meat (this would astound my friends and family)? If I start eating meat, you’ll know this $#!T is real!

XOXO

Jen

This. Is. It. Peak Week, Show Prep and Post-Show Treats

This is it. Peak week has flown by— fast! I can’t believe that it’s only one more sleep away. While there were some modifications with my training and diet, they probably weren’t what you’d expect (I was surprised!) and they weren’t that bad. Training wise, the only changes were no more cardio after Tuesday (whoo hoo!) and reordering the days of my workouts, all of which resulted in a final legs and abs workout Friday morning. Easy peasy. Knowing it was the final workout, I curled, squatted, and pressed the $#!% out of my legs- and it felt good.

Food plan wise, there were very minimal changes to my diet. The biggest difference was the INCREASE in my calories consumed (mainly carbs and fats). An increase!! And, not just once, but twice. Of course, this wasn’t a dramatic addition, and pretty much amounted to an extra wedge of yam, but still, more is more and I’ll take it. The only other alterations I have made have been keeping food choices simple (think yams, tilapia, and asparagus), balancing every meal (with carbs, fats and protein) and making a real effort to eat every 2 hours (to keep that metabolism up). I have also been super diligent about keeping hydrated.

While I am keeping my food choices simple (which mainly just helps me plan, buy and prep what I need), I am also trying to be creative where I can and using the healthy fats to switch things up. Here’s what I have been able to come up with so far:

For my Friday workout:

Pre-workout: Oats, protein powder and egg white pancake

Post-workout: Oat, yam, egg, spinach and protein powder pancake topped with coconut oil (this, was delicious!)

Other meals throughout the day:

 

Yam and egg white pancake with green beans and chili flakes topped with avocado (again, delicious!)

Spinach and cucumber salad with tilapia and hemp hearts and Udo’s oil dressing

Egg whites with asparagus and yams, topped with coconut butter (which is seriously amazing)

 Pretty much, everything since then has been some sort of combination of the core foods: yams, tilapia and asparagus with different healthy fats (I have many to choose from- avocado, almonds, hemp hearts, Udo’s oil, coconut butter… the list just keeps on going and each can be used to add such a different twist to the dish).

Today was the NPAA Athletes meeting. 

 

It’s an opportunity for all the athletes competing in the show to check-in (I’m #9!), get more detailed information about the show and pick up some cool swag. For me, it was also an opportunity to meet up with the other girls on the team competing in the show.

I’m so excited to be sharing this experience with these amazing ladies. Seriously, to be standing on stage next to each of them is such an honour. I can’t wait.

At the meeting today, I also learned more about the NPAA (Natural Physiques and Athletics Association). What a great organization! I am so happy I decided to compete in this show. Not only did they create an association with an all-natural and holistic approach to competing and healthy living, but Kevin and Wendy are very just endearing individuals. You could tell they really care about the athletes and creating an enjoyable experience for everyone. I am really looking forward to the show tomorrow, and am even excited for my husband and sister who will be watching as it seems there are even some special treats in store for the audience! NPAA has really created such a positive and warm environment to compete in.      

After the meeting, we had some extra time, so the Mr. and I headed over the Steveston for some lunch and just to spend some time together. What a beautiful day down at the water and what a great opportunity to sit back and enjoy some quality time together. Things have been pretty intense and busy lately, so having this break was nice J

Then it was on to tanning. After going through all of this (the training, the sweating, the check in pictures, and now the tanning) I have no modesty left. Hahaha. I can assure you that every square inch, every square inch, of my body was sprayed (my coach even had to left up my bum cheeks to get under there!). The colour is ridiculous (too ridiculous for pictures), but does look good and does make the muscles pop just that much more. I also know that once on stage and under all the lights it won’t look as crazy. In person though, it’s crazy. I’ve already smudged my chest a bit (stupid seat belt) and sleeping tonight should be interesting. Hahaha. These are the things that make me step back and laugh. Never, in a million years did I think this is something I would be a part of, not that there is anything wrong with it, just not something I’d be doing. These are also the things that make me realize how far I have come and how much I love what I am doing.

I know tomorrow will be a blur. Early morning wakeup call (hair starts at 5:00 am!) and show starts at 9:00am. Once the show starts everything will move quickly… and then it’ll be done… and then it will be time for a treat J Ah, yes, the post-show treat. This is the carrot at the end of the stick that keeps you on track when you wanna fall off. Clearly, for those that know me well, my treat will be chocolate. The last show I had a box of Purdy’s chocolate, and they were delightful!

 

For this show, I have a little stockpile of chocolate I have collected since Christmas and will definitely be breaking into that stash. And for dinner, I have made reservations at one of my all-time favorite White Rock restaurants, Cielos, and will be eating like a queen. Another round of bruschetta, anyone?

It’s been interesting this time around. I can honestly say that throughout my whole prep I was never really tempted by anything and never had any strong cravings. I had my eye on the prize and was able to shut out everything else. Sure, there were times it was tricky to stick to it (like family gatherings or birthday dinners) but mostly because of the social awkwardness of it, not because of the the temptation. The only time I found myself wistfully staring at something was at Easter dinner. My mom puts together an amazing spread with all the dishes and her stuffing is the best, hands down, the best. That was the only moment I really felt like I was missing out on something, but she promised to make me a full dinner post-show J Problem solved. Now, however, so close to the end, is when it gets a little bit tougher. Those post show treats are so close, I can taste it… and it makes me want more. LOL. See, that’s my problem. I won’t be able to have just one. Like last time, it’ll be the whole box. Hahaha. But each piece will be deliciously deserved. I’ll be sure to post pics.

XOXO

Jen

WIAW and Final Prep Push

It’s What IAte Wednesday! Yay! Well, actually, yesterday was Wednesday. Today is Thursday.I just didn’t have the time to post this sooner. Yesterday was also May 1,which, was also my 3^rd wedding anniversary. Here’s one of my favoritepictures from 3 years ago:  

 

I ammarried to one of the most supportive and understanding partners. I am truly blessedto have such an amazing person in my corner, cheering me on as I go. Love youBryan!

Okay,enough with the mushy crap, let’s eat! Here’s what was on the menu for meyesterday:

 

Here is asdescription of each (from left to right, top to bottom):

• M1: Oatmealand flax seed with eggs and strawberry chia “jam” topped with melted coconutoil
• M2: Yam andoat “pancake” (it kinda fell apart in the pan so I just stuffed it all into acontainer) with egg whites and broccoli.
• M3: Spinachsalad topped with tilapia and veggies with an Udo’s oil dressing
• M4: Broccolisalad with tilapia, avocado and almonds
• M5:Chicken, yams (sautéed in coconut oil- yummy!), broccoli and asparagus
• M6: Frozenstrawberries blended with chocolate casein- like ice cream!

*I also had2 of my pre-workout muffins on the way to the gym (which falls between Meals 4and 5).  

In my lastpost, I mentioned that my food options will slowly be limited up until theshow. This does not mean I am eating less (as you can see). In fact, yesterdayI was told to INCREASE what I was eating. I actually had to add MORE calories(in the form of carbs) to my meals. That was a pleasant surprise, but makessense. The idea is for me to look healthy with full, strong muscles on Sunday.Not skinny and depleted. I know there are many theories/ methods/ plans/approaches people follow in their final week of prep (or even for their wholecompetition prep- like only eating broccoli and fish for 12 weeks, which by theway, just blows my mind- who could do that? Why would you want to?) and I amfortunate to have a coach that believes in eating and proper nutrition. Yes, ifyou saw me eating just one of my meals you may think it’s just a small servingor not enough to fill me up, but I am also eating 7 times through out the day (roughlyevery 2 hours). This is key to increasing your metabolism and feeding yourmuscles. You will also notice that pretty much each meal contains some protein,carbs and healthy fats. Again, balance and nutrients from various sources arekey to nourishing your body. Plus, they all taste delicious J (Seriously, if you have never triedcoconut oil or butter, try it- it tastes amazing and I am not even a bigcoconut fan).

The rest ofmy prep is also going well. Three more sleeps to go (actually, it’s more like2.5 since I will be getting up sooooo early on Sunday)! Only 2 more workoutsleft (one upper body and one lower body), no more cardio (whoo hoo!), allappointments are booked, and the weekend schedule is set.  Cray, cray!

I alsowanted to give a shout out to my coach, Fatima Leite Kusch, who has beennominated for the Coach of the Year Award to be presented at the NPAA show onSunday.

Signing upto train with Fatima has impacted my life in both predictable and unintendedways. With her coaching, I have taken my body and my mind waaaay past what I everthought was possible. I know that this would not have been possible without heror without the amazing team of ladies she has built. In both big and littleways Fatima and every girl on Team Blessed Bodies has helped me achieve my goalof competing- a goal that I was nervous even saying out loud before. I havechanged. I have become more confident, more passionate and more energetic inevery area of my life. I am so proud to be a part of Fatima’s team and can onlyaspire to give back everything that I have received from her and the team. Iknow my future is full of amazing opportunities and possibilities because ofher. As an athlete competing in the show on Sunday, I get my chance to shine onstage (and I can assure you that on Sunday, all the ladies from our team shine!).Fatima deserves that recognition too. She has undoubtedly worked tirelessly forand has earned, at least in my heart, the Coach of the Year Award. Seeing herwork acknowledge on Sunday by receiving the Award would feel like a win for theteam. My fingers are crossed for her!!

Here’s apic of me and Fati at the Bust A Move fundraiser (yeah, she's that awesome):

XOXO
Jen

 

Photo Shoot and Peak Week!

It’s peak week! Only seven more sleeps to the show. This is when everything starts to happen. Final appointments get booked, the day of schedule gets confirmed, food options start to get limited and every day my body changes. Everything starts to become a little leaner and a little tighter. Muscles start to pop and everything just starts to come together. Layer on a ridiculous dark (fake) tan and a teeny tiny sequin bikini, and that’s it- it’s show time!

Clearly, a lot is going on and this weekend has been super busy. Yesterday, I had my first real taste of what it is like to be a fitness model. An opportunity to shoot with TrendiCreative was presented itself and I took it J It was so much fun! It’s been really great to have something other than show prep to focus on over the past few weeks. Just having something else fun to focus on and train for takes off the pressure and reduces the enormity of the “show.” Much like a wedding, it’s easy to get so caught up on that one day. Having something else to divert some energy towards is a good thing.

Everything about the shoot went well. Throughout the morning I slowly transformed from 'morning Jen' to 'model Jen' with hair, makeup and fitness clothes.

In the sibling lottery, I have won big time! I have an incredibly talented younger sister and a little “big” brother who I am incredibly proud of. Both of them are the best (which clearly speaks to how awesome my parents are too J Yes, I am blessed). So, not only do I have these amazing people in my life, but my sister is a talented hair artist and owns her own salon (Salon Cordeiro- check it out!), so I pretty much get a life time pass on the free hair train. This has come in handy for numerous special events (like my wedding). My sister knows me, knows my hair, and knows how to make it look good. Here’s a selfie of how it turned out for the shoot:

  

On top of just doing my hair, my sister is also my go to style advisor. She has always had that natural ability to pull things together and know what looks good. I lack skill. Thankfully, she came to the rescue and helped me pick out some bright tops and bottoms for the shoot (and when I say, “She helped me pick out” I really mean, “She went out on her own and bought what I needed.” Ha ha ha.). Here’s what I was working with:

Once all pulled together, I got behind the camera and tapped into my inner Oxygen cover model (one can dream, right?). It was so much fun and time went by so fast! I got through a few different outfits, used a prop, and also took some creative shots. I cannot wait to see the proofs! Here are a few more pics from the day.

 

 

 

And, now with that all over, it’s time again to focus on the show. Having the shoot the week before the show got to be a bit overwhelming at times, but actually, mentally, was the best for me. Over the past week or so, with the show date looming, I began questioning my development and where I was at. It’s so easy to have this ideal in your head of what you think you should look like and then be disappointed when that’s not what you see in the mirror. I know how much hard work and time and energy I have been putting in, and sometimes it gets a little frustrating to not see what I want to see. What more do I have to do?!? But, two things happened this past week to shake that doubt out of me. One, was the photo shoot. Seeing my overall polished look in the pictures renewed my confidence. I have been working hard and it shows- in many ways! A year ago, I would not have had the body or the confidence or the support to be in front of the camera like that and now I feel (and look!) like I belong there. The other thing was a Facebook post by a team member. She shared two pictures of herself in competitions a few years apart and commented on how it takes time to grow and develop muscle. Yes, time! It’s not just dedication (which I’ve got), but time. And not just a few months, but years. I know the fitness models that I admire (like Jennifer Nicole Lee, Tania Antonio, Nathalia Melo and Andreia Brazier) have been working out for years, YEARS! Plus, it’s their jobs (my job requires me to sit at a desk for 8 hours a day). Ha ha ha. Having this new perspective and renewed confidence has made me so excited to compete next week. I will be bringing my best mind and body- and really, for me, that’s what this is all about.

XOXO
J