These photos are 1 week out from my next competition, the Lushka OBrien Classic on May 19th, 2012 in Mississauga. As you can see from the photos, I have put on a significant amount of muscle since my last competition a month ago. I’m really happy about this as I need to round out my shoulders and add some more mass to my thighs and glutes to create the illusion of an X shape in my body as I don’t naturally have a small waist. I am also sporting a bit more body fat in the abdominal area,but my coach is assuring me my abs are where they should be at this point, so I’m trying not to stress too much and learning to trust the process. Today is Sunday and I am leaving for Mississauga on Thursday night. I have already prepped all of my meals into little baggies and frozen them so I don’t have to worry about what to eat for my next meal. I had my bikini wax and NEETed the rest of my body yesterday. I spray tanned last time, but to save some cash (its getting really really expensive to compete in this many shows) I am going to try to do my own tan using JAN TANA. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t turn green or splotchy and that I can get dark enough. I will also be doing my own hair and makeup so I’m a bit nervous about that. I feel pretty confident in my posing and am wearing the same suit as last time so I’m not worried about how it will fit or whether it will ride up. I am going to try to add some bling to it though and hopefully that won’t have disastrous results. Again, keeping my fingers crossed on that one…it would suck to ruin a $200 suit. My goals for next weekend are to place top 5 in MASTER 35+ category in order to qualify for the regionals in the Toronto Pro Show being held on June 1-2 in Toronto. Will keep you posted on my progress!

• (1) 13 ounce can Thai coconut milk (the thick stuff)
• 1/2 cup sugar or 1/3 c honey or maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Stir together the milk, sugar, vanilla and salt.
2. Pour into ice cream machine and freeze according to machine directions.
3. When the machine is finished, scoop the ice cream into a freezer safe container
4. Stir in any add-ins you want (like chocolate chips, nuts, candy, etc).
5. Cover with lid and freeze for a few hours before serving. Enjoy!

*Recipe from ‘Coconut Milk and Dark Chocolate Toffee Ice Cream’ which was originally posted on http://barefeetinthekitchen.blogspot.ca.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 c quick cooking oats, ground
• 1 c egg whites
• 1/2 c 1% cottage cheese, blended till smooth
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 banana, mashed
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 c blueberries, blended till smooth

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Cook in skillet, using non-stick cooking spray.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2  c cooked brown rice
• 1 c leftover cooked chicken, cut into small pieces
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 c frozen peas, thawed
• 1/2 c frozen corn, thawed
• 4 tbsp grated carrots
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp Braggs soy sauce
• salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat oil and butter (or coconut oil) in a large pan over medium heat.
2. Add onion and celery and cook until translucent.
3. Add carrots, peas, corn, and rice.
4. Add eggs and soy sauce and mix well.
5. Add salt and pepper and cook 6 -8 more minutes or until eggs are no longer runny.

Here is my take on the whole process.

I find all the primping incredibly long and boring. MJ and I started getting ready for the competition around 9 pm the night before the show and didn’t stop until the show started at 5 pm the next day. Ok, we may have slept fitfully for a few hours in between, but it was still incredibly long and painful. The good thing is, we were so distracted by all the primping that I didn’t really have time to be nervous until about 30 minutes before heading out on stage.  Surprisingly, the nerves I experienced weren’t so much about being on stage in a teeny tiny bikini in front of a theatre full of people. What I was anxious about was not knowing in which direction to walk once I got on stage or where to stop or how to act once I got there. Luckily, all the show organizers were incredibly nice and helpful and pretty much hold your hand through the whole experience.

Understanding how the show works makes such a big difference. I’m really glad I decided to compete in a show early on as a trial run because I do feel like I now know what to expect next time, which should help with the nerves quite a bit.  And yes, I absolutely want to compete again. I loved it!

Here are a few things that stuck out in my mind about competing your first time…  When you first walk into the ladies changing room, its as intimidating as hell and you will likely ask yourself “What the hell am I doing here?”  All the competitors look so good! They’re all tanned, have professional looking hair and makeup, are sporting fit and lean bodies and amazing suits which are covered in all kinds of bling. WOW! I felt like tucking my tail between my legs and running all the way back home to Ottawa! Or hiding in my suitcase! Luckily, MJ was there to keep me grounded. Just remember, even though it may feel like you’re the only newbie, you’re not, and once you start talking to the other competitors, you’ll realize you’re not alone! Oh, and the few sips / glasses of red wine before heading out on stage helped me calm my nerves tremendously and took some of the jitters away. Plus, wine apparently brings out your vascularity, so most coaches allow it (true or not, I chose to believe it!).

If you are competing for the first time, I also highly recommend having someone you know in the crowd. Two of our friends from Ottawa (thanks Marie and Penny!) came to watch us and cheer us one and WOW, did it ever help my self-confidence on stage. Every time I heard them call my name or tell me to “Bring It” I would stand a little taller and a little prouder.  Plus, having a friendly face to look at in a crowd full of strangers and very, very solemn faced judges makes a HUGE difference. Which brings me to my next point. DO NOT expect the judges to smile at you, encourage you or even look at you. In fact, expect them to look bored, uninterested and possible even a little annoyed. I don’t know why, but maybe its some sort of “Judge training” they all receive. Its actually kind of funny once you get used to it and its in NO WAY an indication of how you are doing – Remember that!

In addition to being a bit thrown off by the straight-faced judges, expect to have a few awkward moments on stage as well – I did! A few times, when we were asked to move sideways (this happens quite frequently as they often need to correct where the competitors line up) I lost my balance and almost fell backward. I was also really surprised when my number got called out for the top five. I was a  bit flustered because I didn’t expect it since I didn’t make the first call out during the pre-judging. I wasn’t sure I had heard the right number and kept thinking maybe I had mistakenly walked out on stage. They kept calling other competitor’s numbers and I was sure I had gone out on stage by mistake and was feeling mortified, standing there with a frozen smile on my face! They did end up calling out my number and I realized I had actually taken third place in the novice fitness model category! I breathed a sigh of relief that I was meant to be there. One thing this taught me is KNOW your competitor number well so that when they call it, you know you are meant to be there! LOL.

In addition to third in the Novice Fitness Model category, I also placed first in the Novice Figure Division. Taking first place also won me free entry into the IDFA competition into the IDFA International Championships in Mississauga on July 21, 2012, so I’ll likely be competing at that event as well (see event info here: http://www.idfa.ca/events-schedule/2012-idfa-international-championships-amateur-pro). My friend MJ placed top three in two of her categories as well, so we each took home two trophies. And yes, I am still beaming with pride.

I’ve attached some photos that my friends took below – I will attach more once I receive them. Oh, and one more thing:

I definitely did not expect how sore I felt following the competition. Flexing and holding poses for up to 15 minutes at a time is not something I am used to and it can take a lot out of you. I was exhausted the entire week following the competition and to be honest, have not been able to fully get my mojo back. My motivation in the gym and in the kitchen has been lagging and I have not been able to get back onto my plan. Luckily, my coach emailed me a new workout and diet earlier this morning, so I hope that gives me the motivation I need as I am only 8 weeks out from my next competition. My goal is to put on about 5 more pounds of muscle mass before taking the stage next time, so I have my work cut out for me. Anyhow, I will keep you all posted! Wish me luck

• 1 c dry steel cut oats
• 4 c water
• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 medium banana, mashed
• 1 c blackberries
• 1-2 tsp coconut extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place steel cut oats and water in a pot and bring to boil.
2. Reduce heat and simmer about 25-30 minutes or until water has been absorbed and oats are soft.
3. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in protein powder, chia seeds, extract, bananas and blackberries.
5. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 c vanilla protein powder
• 3/4 c crunchy almond butter
• 1/4 c instant non fat dry milk powder
• 1/4 c maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp cinammon
• 1/2 tsp coconut extract
• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed (add 1 more if needed to achieve desired consistency)
• 1 tbsp ground almonds (add 1 more if needed to achieve desired consistency)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mix together all ingredients.
2. Roll into 1 inch balls.
3. If balls seem too sticky, add 1 tbsp flax seed and 1 tbsp ground almonds.
4. Place into fridge to chill for 30 minutes (or pop a few in your mouth right away like I did).

• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1/4 cup honey or agave nectar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp coconut extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place all ingredients into a blender (I used the large magic bullet container).
2. Blend 1-2 minutes.
3. Pour into ice cream maker for about 30 minutes (or just skip to the next step if you don’t have an ice cream maker).
4. Transfer into freezer for 2 hours to chill prior to serving.
5. Serve (if you did not use an ice cream maker you will need to thaw the ice cream prior to serving as it will be frozen solid. Therefore, I recommend you freeze in small batches – perfect for portion control anyway).
6. Enjoy!