My Next Steps!!!

This is going to be a no picture kind of blog... I have a lot to say!

First, if you don't know already, I am planning on doing a bikini fitness competition before I turn 32 (8/22/17). This blog is to answer some questions, to fill you in, and mostly for me to get all my thoughts together in one place.

This is a VERY exciting time in my life and this next step is a huge one for me, so forgive me if this blog jumps around or you get lost. My brain is going 90 to nothing and I am just so darn excited!!!

Why?

The #1 question I get from people when I tell them about my dream of stepping on stage and competing is, WHY? I was always known as the fat funny friend. I hid behind my weight and made excuses for why I kept packing on the pounds. Then I lost it and felt great. Then I gained it back after surgery and depression. Then I lost it again and felt even better the 2nd time. Then I lost our baby and went through depression and another pregnancy (Dax) and gained it back again. Then I lost it again and this third time is going to be the last time. I guess my answer to why I want to compete is because I want it to be the icing on the cake. I want it to be the big finale to the firework shows that has been my weight loss journey. I want it to be the part in my story that people hear about it and think "Whoa, if she can do that, I can do it." Stepping on stage for me is confirmation that I made it! Yes I know that once I step on stage all my problems will still be waiting for me when I get off the stage. Yes I know that I will still have  to work hard on maintaining my weight loss and I wont be able to just binge eat all the time. It isn't an answer to my "problems" it is a reward for all my hard work and success and it is a stage (literally and figuratively) that I can get up and say LOOK WHAT I HAVE DONE... even if it is just me I am saying it to!!!

My Trainer - I have been looking on google and everywhere else I can think of to find a trainer and I have been asking around for about the last 6 months or so. I haven't found much of anything I like. I didn't want an online trainer, who was out of state or could never meet with me in person. I wanted someone I can meet with at least once a week that will help me with my form, help keep me on track and be a rock I can lean on when I am ready to give up. I wanted someone with knowledge of shows and who can help point me in the right direction. I am going into this blindly and I didn't want the blind leading the blind. My trainer, Lo, hooked me up with this girl who has now competed 3 times and is in the Fort Worth area. From there, she gave me her trainers information and I contacted him. I did some snooping on his page and realized this is what he does... he sends people to shows and they come back with trophies!! He sent 6 people to a show this last weekend and they came back with a total of 10 trophies!!! We sat up a meeting to sit down and talk and go from there. The meeting was yesterday and it was amazingly! I was nervous going into it but when I met him, Chandler, I felt as ease and knew that I was right where I needed to be.

We sat there and talked about my journey, he told me about his back ground (which is in nutrition and working with people with eating problems... depression eating being one, umm hello!!!), he talked to me about shows and what my goals and timeline was, then he got me all signed up and squared away for the next 16 weeks!!

The plan - The gym he works for (BodyShop Training Center) is hosting a 16 week challenge that starts next week. The buy in is $299 which includes 16 weeks of online training and he is writing me a nutrition plan. It also includes 2 sessions with the  trainer of your choice or 2 weeks free of group training (I am choosing 1 on 1 training). And they also have 1 on 1 packages with training starting at only $90 for 3 sessions per week. I am going to use the online training for the first 16 weeks and meet with Chandler every Thursday at noon to work on my form and make sure I am on track with where I need to be with my training. I didn't want online training solely, so meeting with him once a week is the best of both worlds. As my competition gets closer and closer, I will meet with him more each week and do less of the online trainings.

Dates?! - So when is my competition? We are shooting for one the weekend of August 18-20, 2017! Yes I know that is a year away and hearing it being a year away kind of put a blah taste in my mouth but I am trusting Chandler. He said he would not put me on stage until I am stage ready and confident, he said one year is going to be the time frame to get me to my goal.... it isn't a quick fix! I did ask him if he would tell me in the spring if I am close to getting on stage because my initial goal was to get on in May... he said we will talk about it in April and see where I am but for me to shoot for August. Trust the process... Trust the trainer.... TRUST!

Why Bikini - I didn't know what category to compete in. It is all a bit overwhelming when you start to research it. Chandler asked me what I wanted to work for and my answer was "to step on stage"... haha! So he suggest bikini. He said that it is an "easier" process and I wouldn't have to bulk as much as I would for the other categories. That it would give me time to really get comfortable with stepping on stage and competing and if I wanted to change after my first competition then we could, but that he likes to start newbies out in the bikini category... so why bikini? Because I am TRUSTING Chandler and his knowledge about competitions.

This summer has been a rollercoaster for me. I hit 178 on Dax's 1st birthday (June 14) and from there I kind of started to maintain. My body maintains really well at 185-190. That is when I can eat crap, kind of so so workout and not really gain. So after we got back from vacation (early July) my body jumped from 178 to about 192! I have been maintain in that 185-190ish weight range for the entire summer... until the past few weeks. I have been pigging out and skipping the gym more and more... oops! This morning I was 197! Scary to see it going up. I hate admitting this to you but this is real life. When you start slacking on your foods and skipping your workouts, you start to gain the weight back. Sucks! So this whole starting to train for competition couldn't have come at a better time in my life. I need this fuel to light my fire again. I am ready to give it 100% and really kick some major ass. Tonight I am going to sit down and write out my grocery list, shop tomorrow and prep Sunday. Monday it is on like donkey kong!!!

I will try and blog each week of the 16 weeks and let you know how I am doing, how the works are, what my food plans are looking like and everything else! Thank you for all the love and support you guys have given me, I appreciate it more than you will ever know.

Oh and if you invite me out to eat and I turn you down or bring my own food, please don't get upset with me... I have goals!!! BIG BIG GOALS!!!!

Happy Friday!!!