Friday, August 21, 2009

Less than 24 Hours to Go....

The day of reckoning is approaching! And I say, BRING IT. I've done the work and then some for this show, and I am welcoming the critical eye of the judges. I can go into this show saying there is nothing I'd change, do differently, or wish I'd done. I didn't cheat or slack. I think my body shows that. I have more recent pics, but I've decided to keep it under wraps until show time. And I am so excited that I will have friends in the audience rooting me on, as well as friends backstage to enjoy the experience with me!

So much to do today....shower, start painting on tan, get my bag together, cook chicken....the list goes on! My parents come in this evening to help with watching Kenden, and I know he'll be so excited about that. So, more to come...the saga continues...and I hope to have some awesome updates after tomorrow evening! xoxo

Saturday, August 15, 2009

One Week Out...

I think the title says enough! I am nervous, excited, etc, etc, etc...the list goes on! I am so looking forward to being in front of a home-town crowd for sure. It is like I'll have family there! I feel like everything is falling into place, and I am so thankful. God has kept me so healthy through this whole process. No colds (well one small one that I snapped out of in 2 days), no injuries, kept my family healthy so I could train. I am so blessed and thankful. And now, I wait....watch out....cuz I'm bringin' it this time.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Sharing the "Fatty" Pictures...

I thought I would share my progress pics from this season. I sort of decided at the last minute to do a show, then they changed the show date on me, and I quickly realized that I was going to have to kick things into high gear in order to be ready for a different show. I typically take 16-20 weeks to get ready for a show. I have to have that kind of time because of my PCOS. The Polycystic Ovaries cause a slew of problems, mainly being very insulin resistant, making me carb sensitive. As you can see, through a LOT of hard work with limited time, I have come down quite a bit, and I am even smaller and tighter now than in the 2 weeks out pics. Where there is a will, there is a way....

Front shot at approximately 13 weeks....

Front shot 2 weeks out....


Side Shot at approximately 13 weeks out...ugh...

Side shot 2 weeks out....


And the rear (aka HOT MESS) shot at about 13 weeks out...and 148 pounds

This was roughly a week ago....so approximately 2 weeks out....

Thursday, August 13, 2009

9 Days and Counting....

Oh boy....countdown is officially on!! 9 days left until the 2009 Lenda Murray Bodybuilding, Figure, & Bikini Championships!! I don't know how I pulled it off, but I am going to be ready! Okay, I do know how I did it...CRAZY hard work. In about 12 weeks, I have dropped 20 pounds, and I look totally different. I am very happy with how I look right now, I just have to keep up the momentum! Stay tuned....should be a fun ride!

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Time to "Fess" Up and Put it Out There...

Yes, my plan is to compete....in 5 weeks to be exact. Lenda Murray is holding her annual show here in Norfolk, VA, and I have decided to do that show on August 22nd. As much as I am looking forward to it, I am scared to death as well. I really let myself get sloppy this winter and I have had to work overtime to get even remotely back into shape. I had a minor meltdown Tuesday when I had to take pics for Michele. Things just aren't happening fast enough for me, and I am worried I won't be ready. I will say that if I am not 110% ready, I will not step on stage. Not worth it. I am trying not to think that way, but it is hard when I see all the hard work I am doing, and not much happening. After talking with Michele, I am going to keep plugging away and make a last minute decision to do the show or not.

In the meantime, I am trying to get in to see my Family Practitioner to speak with him about some treatment for my Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. PCOS ovaries are very insulin resistant, and I am hoping he'll be willing to let me try Metformin. There is no way I should have to work as hard as I am to only "maintain" my condition. Very frustrating.

All this being said, I am excited about the show...i am excited about the prospect of being in my hometown in front of my friends and family! And I am excited about being back in shape again. That is most important of all to me. Even if I don't walk on stage, I have my body back the way I like it!! YAY!!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

I Plead the 5th....

Okay, so once again, it has been a LONG while since I have posted to this site. I was in limbo for a while, not knowing if I wanted to compete this year, or ever again. I sort of had a lot of feelings going on....not knowing if competing was for me, not feeling motivated, and the desire to have another baby was there, nagging me to death as well. I know I sort of went through a "funk", for lack of a better word. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do...lots of praying and soul searching. I hated what was happening to me (feeling down, getting out of shape), but I lacked motivation and just felt down.

Without going into a lot of gory details, I will cut to the chase. I found out over the winter that I have PCOS, or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. You can google it for yourself, but just as a somewhat *brief* description, my ovaries produce too much testosterone, which makes all my other hormones out of whack. I don't ovulate normally because of the cysts that cover my ovaries, so it makes it hard to get pregnant. I also tend to have a hard time losing weight (good Lord, I wish I'd known this a LONG time ago, as dieting for shows was always so darn frustrating), and I am carb sensitive. I could go on, but I won't....

So here I am...I am pleading the 5th as to whether I am competing this year (since I know having a baby is going to be hard for me). There are 2 national qualifier shows coming up here in this area, so the opportunity is there. I am avoiding confirming whether I am diving off into diet land for several reasons, the main one of which is that I feel like I am over-scrutinized when I am dieting by folks at my gym. Too many cooks in the kitchen. The only chef I need in my kitchen right now is...well there are 2 of them....My trainer Michele Ralabate and my husband Jeff. I am dieting and training and feel like my head is in the game more than I have ever felt in the past. It is a good feeling to be "myself" again. So, as I have said in the past...to be continued...

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Latest and Greatest...

Well, as you can see, it has been awhile since I've posted to this site. Obviously, I decided to take a break from competing this year. I worked hard and enjoyed training for Jr. Nationals, and have enjoyed the rest of the summer NOT stressing over a show! Honestly, I am not sure where I stand as far as future shows go. I have enjoyed competing in the past, but haven't decided whether the stress is worth it. That being said, I am happy to be in great shape and be a mom to my super kid, and I am happy enough with that!

I want to take a quick minute and remember a wonderful man who expedited the 2 national level shows I competed in, as well as countless others. Steve Stone was at the Olympia this past weekend, doing what he loved backstage (making sure all competitors have what they need and are where they need to be), and right there, backstage, he had a DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis~a blood clot that broke loose), and died backstage. I want to say that this was a wonderful man and I am happy that I had the distinct pleasure of being backstage with him 2 times. He ran things back there the way they needed to be run, and made each one of us feel like a "pro", and set us at ease. I know if I do any further national shows, backstage won't be the same without Steve Stone and that reassuring smile of his. He was only 51 years old.