Saturday, September 29, 2012

2 weeks out: AU NATURALE

The title of this post is a hint at what I'm changing about my diet for the last 2 weeks of prep before my first show! I've made the decision to cut out my beloved monster until i step off stage. Don't get me wrong, I will .. repeat WILL drink one AS SOON AS POSSIBLE after my show. I'm removing everything artificial from my diet to make sure there is NOTHING standing in the way of looking MY best on stage. Since I pretty much eat 100% natural otherwise, monster, flavored seltzer water, and sugarfree gum are the only vices I have. Oh, and my all-natural protein powder, but that has some shit in it. So I'm bidding good bye to it. I will chew gum to help hunger until a couple of days before the show. Sorry in advance for anything I might say/tweet/do in this process.....*mom*

I'm ALSO cutting out these artificial things in hopes that it will help my eczema to heal. Yes, I have a slight eczema problem, which I've done ENDLESS research about, seen dermos, been prescribed corticosteroid creams that i REFUSE to poison myself with. Lots of things contribute to flare-ups, but my issue is that it is on the right side of my FACE! It recently got SO bad because I cut my fish oil OUT of my diet because of the fat content. Okay, that wasn't smart, in hindsight. Removing omega 3 fatty acids from my diet caused everything to DRY out...making me realize that YES, it is true---fish oil works wonders. Not only did I reintroduce fish oil, I introduced flax oil, evening primrose oil, and biotin. Taking those EVERY DAY. only a teaspoon of each has definitely helped in just a couple of days! After my show, I will obviously increase the dosage without worrying about the fats I'm adding.
Here's a supplement plug: TAKE FISH OIL, PLEASE!!!! In the oil form if you can--I use Carlson's fish oil, in lemon or orange flavor. They actually taste good, and no "fish burp" after effect...yikes. Flax oil is another source of omegas. Evening primrose is specifically for help with skin repair! Biotin helps skin, hair, and nails, and is a capsule.

Anyway. 2 weeks, and my stage bikini is still digging in my hips, and I REFUSE to have a rhinestone muffin top on stage. So, I'm making a little alteration to my diet and cardio, just reducing my carbs by a little, eating asparagus and egg whites and chicken. Green beans after a workout. Also thinking about cutting oat bran and replacing it with canned pumpkin, for both carb reasons AND eczema. Grains might contribute to certain skin conditions, so going completely hypo-allergenic could definitely help! 

I will continue to do high intensity cardio, not chilling on the elliptical for 2 hours a day with no resistance. I do use the elliptical certain days, because it is no impact and enables me to get my sweat on and burn the extra calories. For the last 10 weeks, I've been focusing on making sure I get visibly LEANER, steadily. Now, I know I have to drop inches and pounds to look tight on stage in my suit. I'm ready, and I WILL be unstoppable for the next 2 weeks. I WILL go to sleep earlier to wake up early for cardio. I will not eat anything extra, besides what is ON my plan. 

No, I am NOT doing this for you. Not for NPC judges. This is for ME. I want to be PROUD the minute I wake up on show day with the package I am bringing. I am my own competition. There might be amazing, cut, lean, beautiful girls on stage competing against me. But after the show, I might not see them ever again. I don't CARE about them, or if they place better than me. It's about ME! My goal was not to be  115 pounds or 10% bodyfat or  to have 34 inch hips. My goal from the start was to look my best on stage. To be well conditioned and tight. Not to look starved and dieted and cardio-ed down. To look perfect in my suit. For the past months, I've been visualizing myself posing on stage, smiling, and confident with my physique. I know the feeling I need to have in order to get my abs looking flat and waist tiny on stage. I should feel depleted and emptied out, running on adrenaline from being on stage. I just lit a major fire under my own ass to hustle and kill it for the next 2 weeks so that I know I gave 100% effort. I want to be proud of the pictures that go up on the internet so that I can plaster them on every post and tweet I write. 

With all of this said, I'm off to do my Saturday workout. Tomorrow is my LAST rest day until the Friday before my show. Thats a LOT of gym time to make the most of. And believe me, i WILL make the most of every single gym session to look contest ready. 

OH, its national coffee day. DRINK UP!!!!! Enjoy some lo-carb monster for me too....

4 comments:

  1. You don't live in Florida, do you? One of the docs I work for is in the process of getting FDA approval for a cream that heals eczema - it works really well & if you're close by I could ship you some!!

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    1. I live in New York!! I have "atopic dermatitis" .. a form of eczema, and when it flares up..its awful. Thank you for your offer!! But maybe you could tell me what the active ingredients are so I could find something similar?

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  2. Ahh Liz I am so excited for you!!! I also take Carlson's fish oil and a biotin supplement... ironically called Hair, Skin & Nails! It's obvious how much hard work and dedication you put into this show. I am seriously stoked to see the outcome, and I am definitely not just saying that. :)

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    1. thank you SO much brittany :) Can't wait to share eveeeeeery thought about competing and the WHOLE process once my first show is over. I have so so so many things to say about it! thanks for writing your wonderful blogs. keep up your hard work, I LOVE your posts.

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