LAST DAY!

24 hours from now, this whole journey will be coming to an end!  I can't believe it!  I mean, in a way I can because this has been an emotional, up and down, crazy, awesome, unbelievable 6+ months.  I have learned so much more about fitness, nutrition, my will power, my frustrations, my cravings...myself...in these past few months.  And tomorrow, all of the hard work and sacrifice culminates!  I'm so excited!  I'm not really nervous yet, I'm just anxious to hit the stage all tanned and bedazzled and stripper-esque :)

For fun, I documented my competition prep day/beautifying day for you all :) Now, I don't look exactly "beautiful" in these pictures but getting beautiful was the goal for the day :)

First, I got up (at 3:00am because apparently I am now an insomniac who wakes up with a racing brain...) and made all of my meals for competition day.  I have a bag of dry foods (most of which are going to be consumed after the competition, like peanutbuttercuptrailmixomnomnomnom, cereal, granola etc.).  Then, I will have a bag of refrigerated food--some of this is for the competition and some of it is healthy, clean food for me to eat after that my mommy made me (thanks mama xoxoxo).  Here's a little view for you of what our dining room and fridge currently look like:

Table with our dry foods

We should own stock in Tupperware/Ziploc

Greg is a master fridge organizer...no space is ever wasted!

Then, my mom and I headed to the sauna.  My coach said to go in for 7 minutes, then come out for 3 and repeat that cycle 3 times.  It wasn't so bad, just, you know, hot.

Then,we headed to Target where I bought a pretty sweet nightgown that I could put on after my spray tan.  I also got an oversize hoodie so I could wear that to the competition tomorrow morning.  I heart Target, it's my happy place.

Then, off to the nail salon we went!  Of course there was an entire bridal party there, but there were lots of people working there so it didn't take too long.

Please notice that: a) I am in one of the most amazing massage chairs EVER and b) I am getting a manicure WHILE still soaking my feet from my pedicure...HEAVEN!  I felt like a princess (although unshowered and wearing my PJs).

Then, I had to snap back to reality for a second and I remembered Greg and I were moving out of our house in ONE week!  So, my mom and I went over to the new condo and took some measurements of the place.  We couldn't stay long because I had to get back to the house and eat, shower, and shave (E.S.S) before going tanning.  Here's a little sneak peak of our new living room!

The lovely bathroom wallpaper :)  At least there are his and her sinks!!

Then, back to competition world it was!  After a quick meal, I showered (my final shower until after the evening session tomorrow), shaved my...everything...and then quickly left to get my first coat of spray tan.
Here I am after my first coat of spray in my schweeeeet nightgown:

Yes, that's 6oz of fish I'm holding :)

My mom and I packed up some things at my house and then headed back to the tanner for my second and final coat of spray tan.  You'll have to wait for competition pictures to see just how freakishly dark I am right now ;)  But don't worry, I'm still wearing my nightgown!

Tomorrow morning, at 5am, I will get my hair and make up done and then we will head to Richmond.  Check in is at 10, athletes meeting is at noon, and the party gets started at 1:00.  Finals begin at 6:00 and then I get to eat and relax and breathe and feel a final, wonderful feeling of completion. 

All of you have been the best support group I could have ever asked for.  I feel as though I have truly done everything I possibly could to be successful tomorrow.  I know that without your constant encouragement I'm not sure I could've kept going.  Thank you, thank you, thank you, for your messages, cards, emails, texts, calls, words of encouragement, hugs, and understanding.  I will definitely put pictures and a new blog post up as soon as possible.  I won't be back in town until Sunday evening, but I will try to update Facebook if at all possible.

Thanks again!  Talk to you after I strut my tan, bedazzled, stripper heel self across that stage!  Here we go!!

Day 139: Beautifying and life in the FINAL stretch!

In some ways, I cannot believe that in ONE week, from this moment, I will be in the Henrico Theater, tanned and bedazzled, getting ready to strut my stuff on stage.  ONE week?!  Holy Moly!  This final week comes with some final tweakings--most of which to make me presentable on stage.  I had my hair cut and highlighted this past week.  Today, I'm having my make-up professionally done and then I'm going to have professional pictures taken in Charlottesville!!  I'm excited to document this process that I've been through.  The make-up artist is also going to teach me how to put on my make-up for the competition day.  This week I'll be whitening my teeth, waxing...certain places..., tanning a couple more times in the bed and then spray tanning twice on Friday.  I'll also get my nails done, not sure if I'm going to do both mani/pedi or just a pedi at the salon.

In between all of this beautifying, I also have this little thing called a JOB.  I have to go to a class one afternoon this week after I teach and Thursday is Back-to-School Night where we meet all the families, so I'll be at school until almost 9:00pm that night...Like I said before, things like this remind me that there is so much more than just this competition and life has to go on!

My workouts and diet will change this week, not exactly sure how yet, but I think I'll be "drying" out/carb depleting for at least some of the days this week.  One of my loyal readers (Hi Emily!) suggested I give you all a sample of what I'm currently eating and I thought that was a great idea!  Here is what I have eaten for the past 2 weeks: 
3 egg whites before I lift (if I lift in the morning)
meal 1: about 24g protein shake with 2 Tbs. cream of rice
meal 2: 2 oz. chicken, 2 oz. steak and 8 asparagus
meal 3: 2 cups of yellow/green/white veggies
meal 4: 3 oz. tuna with 8 asparagus and 1 Tbs. onions
meal 5: 1/3 cup quinoa (like rice), 4 oz. tilapia (or cod or flounder) and 40g red peppers
meal 6: 3 oz. tuna with 1 cup broccoli
**go back to gym after this meal**
meal 7: 1/2 cup brown rice, 4 oz. fish, and 1.5 oz (or 1/4 cup) pineapple
meal 8: 4 or 5 egg whites with 1 cup yellow/green/white veggies
-I can have 4 oz chicken later if I'm hungry, which I almost always am :)  So, what do you think??

I sent my coach some pictures today so he can give me my final week's diet (including the day of the show) so here they are.  My hair is wet because I had just taken a shower AND I'm in my bathing suit because the altered suit and my 2-piece suit STILL aren't here...argh!!  Current weight: 114.0, have officially lost 30 pounds!  Here are the pics, hopefully I can show you all the professional pics soon :) xoxo

Day 135: Priorities and Control

I have realized that one thing I do love about this whole process is that I have control over so many aspects of it.  I can control what I put in my mouth.  I can control how hard I work at the gym.  I can control my schedule (most of the time) to make sure I'm eating and working out at the most opportune times.  I never really realized how much I like being in control...maybe that's why I became a teacher :)  I think as I worry about what will come after the competition, I become more controlling in other areas of my life.  For example, I have become obsessed with keeping my car and room clean lately...because it's something I have complete control over.  I have a box of books in my backseat and it's driving me BANANAS!  I had never really been like that before.  I like to know that there are certain, predicatable things that I can control.  Some of this new controlling-ness, I think, comes from my fear that I will lose control after the competition.  Right now everything is so specific, timed, and laid out.  Eat, sleep, workout, eat, eat, eat, eat, workout, prepare food, sleep.  I know the exact foods I'm supposed to eat, at the exact times, in the exact portions.  It will be so odd to not have that routine and exactness that I have to follow each day and that scares me a little.  I'm going to do a whole post on the question I get asked the most, "What are your plans for after the competition..."  Will write that soon.

I have also realized, in the past 2-3 weeks, that this competition seemed like the end-all-be-all of my life for the whole summer.  Not much else was as important and it always took priority.  And then...my 20 fifth graders walked into my life :)  And I remembered I have one of the most exhausting professions that there ever was.  And my students deserve a teacher who is fully committed to them.  I have quickly realized that, while I'm SO close to finishing this competition prep process, it unfortunately cannot be my only priority like it was all summer.  Other things have to take priority as well.  This realization has actually been a good thing for me because it has made me realize that regardless of what happens at the competition, life will, indeed, go on.  While I've put in more than a ton of effort to get where I am now, and this is extremely important to me, I know that I will be OK no matter what--and other things in life will continue to go 'round :)

Those are my grand thoughts for the night :)  Will update on plans for after the competition, my beautifying process for the competition :), my photo shoot on Saturday!!  And will post pics as soon as my tailored suits arrive!!  11 DAYS LEFT!!!!!!!!!!

xoxo

Day 129: Is it over yet?!

Hi Everyone!

Sorry it's been so long since I've written!  Life has been more than crazy lately!  Greg and I are moving out of our current house in 2-3 weeks because our lease is up the weekend after the competition, so we're home hunting!  I started back to teaching last week, today was my second day with my 5th graders, so that's another huge change!  And, I am just, overall exhausted from life! 

My current schedule is to get up between 4:45 and 5:15 (depending on the cardio program), go to the gym, get ready for school (food is prepared the night before), teach from 8:30-3:10, work at school until about 4:00ish, back to the gym to lift and do more cardio, eat, prepare food for the next day, rinse, and repeat.  In between there, I'm trying to find time to tan, go to the grocery store numerous times a week, go see apartments, and maybe get some school work in there...oh and try to hang out with my friends and Greg :)  The only possible way that I am keeping up with this schedule is because I know there are only 2 weeks and 3 days left...the countdown has officially begun (OK, so it began a looooong time ago, but now it's serious business :) )

People keep asking me how I'm doing or how I'm feeling and really my answer depends on the A) the time of day or B) whether or not I've eaten recently.  Most of the time I feel alright.  Exhausted and lethargic some, but overall pretty good.  A lot of my troubles/negative moments are mental...I think that I think about the whole process too much and it starts to make me get negative about things.  I think things like, "Why am I doing this?  I can't wait to eat like a normal person.  I'm so hungry.  I don't want to go back to the gym..."  Once I get to the gym, I'm fine.  Once I realize I made it through another day doing the best I possibly could, I'm fine.  I would not say that I am currently enjoying this whole thing, but I really want to reach this goal that I set out to achieve.  What comes after this?  I have no idea.  What happens the day after?  I eat, that's all I know :)

I have to say, honestly, I am really excited to be done with this intense process.  I have learned a lot and I want to maintain certain aspects of all of this, but this intensity is not something I can sustain, and I wouldn't want to even if I could.  I can honestly say I don't think I'm as happy doing this as when I wasn't.  Maybe it's because I've done this for 20 weeks, which is longer than a lot of people.  Maybe it's because I have a lot going on in my life at the moment and it's just too much.  Maybe it's because I've attended a lot of events/gone out to restaurants a lot to watch people eat.  I don't know.  But I'm taking it day by day and I will reach this goal.  There's no turning back now!

So, I met with my posing coach on Saturday and it was the best session we ever had.  She helped me so much, gave me such great pointers, and gave me some more confidence that I definitely needed.  She did tell me I would probably be docked judging points for my lack of muscularity (we all knew that though, huh? :) ), but we both know I'm doing the best I can with this body and this diet!  That is the last time I will see my posing coach before the competition, which is scary, but she has helped me so much, I really do feel confident that I can handle this now.

Lastly...before the pictures :)...tanning...dun dun dun (I will have to do a whole post on this soon...lots of details to share).  So, I stopped by the air brush spray tanner and she sprayed me (I think about 2 weeks ago).  She was probably one of the nicest people I've ever met.  So sweet!  During and after the spray, we both quickly realized that a spray was not going to cover up my tan lines and something else needed to be done...I know, I know...I always said I would never get in a tanning bed, but it is really the only option.  I decided that after 6 months of hard work, I really don't want to let something as silly as tan lines prevent me from doing well in the competition.  I figure if I tan in moderation, all will be OK.  I've gone a couple times and it seems to be working slowly, so hopefully it will help blend my lines enough before I get my final competition color spray tan the Friday before the show.

It's approaching 9pm, which, you know what that means...MY BED!!!!  Ohhh how I love my bed :)  Here are my most recent pictures taken in the 1-piece suit I will be wearing in the competition (after it gets altered a little).  I should be receiving my altered 1-piece AND my 2-piece by early next week, so I will definitely put up some pictures then!  Thanks for the many kind words of encouragement and I hope you enjoy the pics :)