Four Setbacks We Inflict on Ourselves

Set Backs we Inflict on Ourselves

  1. Not giving it 100 percent

Not giving workouts and diets a 100% effort is the number one set back we put on ourselves. We often find ourselves committing to diets and caving because we don’t want it bad enough or it gets hard.

News Flash- when it gets hard is when the magic happens.

Results take time. Don’t go to the gym and go through the motions. You must connect the muscle to your mind. Make a sincere effort with your form, increase your weight, and don’t let noise in your mind or emotions of the busy day distract you.

Make a lifestyle change; don’t tell yourself I am going to eat healthier. Don’t make excuses for yourself. Don’t think of it as a diet or missing out. Think of it as actively making choices for the body that you want.

  1. Self-Doubt

Do not be afraid of pushing it harder in the gym. Rid yourself of the word CAN’T.

Everyone starts somewhere. Push yourself to challenges you could never imagine being able to do. I am so guilty of this. I avoid pushups, pull-ups, dips, etc. because I have made up my mind that I will never be able to do them.

I slack with my ab exercises because I thought my body just would never have abs. The second I started really trying and believing in myself I saw results.

It is the challenges that are hardest to us that change us the most.

Ask yourself this: Why Not Me? What does anyone who is doing it have that I don’t have?

  1. Forgetting we are in Control

Diets are HARD. Cravings are real. But at the end of the day, you are the only one in control of what goes in your mouth.

If you tell yourself you will not eat certain things. It is up to you and you alone to not eat them.

When you cheat your diets and your workouts, you are ONLY cheating yourself. Skimping the last 10 min off your cardio, swinging through your reps with bad form, sneaking that cookie. Who are you lying to? Who cares? The only person you are hurting is YOU!

  1. Not making improvements/adjustments

Eating the same things every day. Not switching up workouts, increasing cardio, increasing weights, trying new things, etc.

YOU WILL PLATEAU.

You know how much effort you are putting in. Make an effort to make tomorrow better than yesterday.

Current Update

Hi Friends!

It’s been a long time since my last post unfortunately, but I’m back and going to make a sincere effort to keep my posts more consistent!

I just wanted to update everyone with my progress.

My last show was August 2014, Muscle Beach! After this show (My first ever) I gained 15 lbs in two weeks. 0_0 This was a result of the fact that I didn’t reverse diet out. I continued to consistently gain about 2 lbs a weeks until I reached an all time high for me (135 lbs at 5’2”). Then I plateaued.

I was a complete GLUTTON after my show. I was eating very few meals.. averaging 2 meals a day. They would be HUGE portions, often fast food, tons of dairy, always ending in excessive dessert. I was drinking coffee with cream and sugar (EVEN though I prefer black coffee). I was eating candy before bed just because I could. I wasn’t even enjoying my food anymore. I was drinking every opportunity I got.

I was unhappy with the mirror. My face and arms looked fat for the first time in my life. My only way to get back was to start another show prep.

So here I am 8 weeks out from my first show! I plan to do 3 back to back. May 2nd, May 16th, and May 23rd! yay!

I am back down to 118 lbs, and ideally plan to weigh about 110 at my show date. Last years show, I weighed 103 and felt too skinny.

Here are some pictures of my progress and my next post will shed some light on my current training schedule, cardio, and diet!

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Thanks for reading!

Choosing a Competition Bikini

Choosing a bikini is a very important part of preparing for a bikini competition. I would recommend allowing yourself at least 8 weeks before your show when placing an order for a bikini. Most of the time you will receive your bikini two and half weeks after you purchase it. However, I recommend leaving time to make sure it fits right, looks right in person, and in case anything else goes on you want to leave time to order a new one.

Cost of bikinis can range from $100 to $600 and sometimes more or less depending on crystals, seller, and connectors.

When I first saw the cost of bikinis I thought that it was an outrageous rip off. But realized soon after that it is actually reasonable. Even if you buy a plain bikini and add Swarovski crystals yourself, you will spend about the same because the crystals are very expensive. A pack of about 12 is five dollars. I needed like 20 packs to cover my bikini.

My three favorite sellers of bikinis are Kristal Bikinis, Ravish Sands, and Ingrid Romero Bikinis.

My first show bikini was from Kristal Bikinis. The color was powder blue and the price was $175. Then I spent an extra $120 on crystals from A.C. Moore and bedazzles it more. This was the end result:

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Ravish sands has very high quality bikinis as well and many pro bikini athletes wear these.

I like Ingrid Romero bikinis because they are unique.

I received my Kristal bikini in 2 weeks from purchase. She was very prompt with my emails. I paid through pay pal. I gave my bra size and waist measurements.

Choosing a color is very hard for me. I really love reds, blues, and pinks. I have heard that judges favor red. What it comes down to is what you love in the end. Choose a color that compliments your hair, skin, and eye color. Ask your friends, family, whoever for their opinion, but in the end your must love it!

Dealing With The “Nay-sayers” of Competing & Staying True to Your Goals

This topic is crucial to recognize when you chose to compete in a bikini competition. THERE WILL BE NEGATIVE OPINIONS ABOUT YOU.

Bikini competitions are relatively new and many people are ignorant. The NPC Bikini division wasn’t developed until 2009. This is the first year that the Olympia is on TV. There is little understanding for female bodybuilding. Bikini was introduced to appeal to the girl who wishes to look less muscular and more feminine. There is a focus on beauty and stage presence as much as there is on physique. For that reason, the bikini division has a lot of backlash and many think that it is not a serious category.

What people don’t understand is that it is just as difficult to achieve. There is just as much hard work put into it and it is just as admirable of an achievement. The difference is the end goal of what you want your body to look like.

There are still weeks of meal prep, hours a day in the gym, emotional and financial struggle involved.

While training for my first competition, I experienced first hand how much people will criticize what you are doing. I don’t know if this is because it is a “bikini competition” or simply because you are doing something extreme that draws attention.

While many people don’t intend to be criticizing you, it is easy to let these remarks get to you.

Here are some of the comments I can remember:

While sitting at a family party, everyone is eating lasagna and mashed potatoes and other delicious foods. I am eating grilled chicken and asparagus out of Tupperware. I am offered some food and I politely decline. “Jenny can’t eat she’s competing to look hotter than other girls in a bikini.” It was after that comment that I thought to myself, “what am I doing?” I was NOT enjoying my food. He was right. It was all to look better than other girls in a bikini on stage. How shallow and pathetic is that? I was missing out on good food and times with family. But I knew that wasn’t my purpose and I shook it off and kept eating.

Explaining to the woman I babysit for that I would be competing again. She says, “Oh, Jenny! I only feel comfortable telling you this because I love you. You were too extreme! Your body doesn’t like that! I wanted to shove a cheeseburger down your throat and tell you to be happy! Don’t do this to yourself again.” This time I could only laugh to myself. What does this woman know about my body? In fact, I was very happy during training. I had more energy and felt healthier than ever before in my life.

Other people would tell me that my face looked so much better “fuller”. Some would tell me that the whole thing was “sexist”. People would say that I looked too thin.

There were times that I would question my reasons for competing. I would wonder if I was seeking attention. I would wonder if it was unhealthy and I was obsessed.

Here is the quote that I use to keep me focused:

“It’s not about a trophy, a placing, or a prize. It’s about setting goals and surpassing them. It’s about discipline, dedication, willpower, reaching deep down and finding strength that you didn’t even know you had. It’s about structure and putting in work and following the plan. It’s science and I’m a living experiment. It’s about being better than my former “best” and proving to myself that I can achieve this. That’s why I do it & that’s what it’s all about.”

I saw this quote on Instagram from another bikini competitor and couldn’t think of anything better to describe what I do and why I do it.

This next competition I will focus on this message. There are two ways of competing. You can tell people. I do this because it holds you more accountable to your actions. Or you can stay private. This is good because you avoid discouragement from these comments. Both take strength. Choose what is best for you.

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What it means to be “Skinny-Fat”

What It Means to be Skinny-Fat

If you follow fitness accounts on Instagram, chances are you’ve heard the term “Skinny-fat”.

This is a term that I had no IDEA what it meant when I first heard it, but now that I have an understanding of it, I couldn’t relate to it more.

I have never been technically overweight in my life. I don’t come from an overweight family, I have always been participating in sports, however I have indulged in an unhealthy relationship with food.

I have spent a lot of my life drinking soda, eating icecream, drinking alcohol. Still, I never saw myself reach overweight. I have, however, been “skinny-fat”.

Skinny-fat refers to being out of shape. Usually it refers to someone with a small body frame. They may lack muscle tone and have a muffin top, or cellulite, or bit of a tummy. Usually their limbs are on the skinny side but nothing looks firm or toned.

Here are two examples of me when I am skinny-fat. I feel horrible in my own skin here. I am killing myself with cardio on a daily basis. I am drinking alcohol, eating large meals very spread apart with little to no nutritional value.

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Then there is me when I’m at my most ideal, yet unrealistic to maintain, stage weight. This is the result of weight training, extremely clean eating, and manipulating my water.

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So what does it look like when I eat relatively clean, drink plenty of water, lift weights, and do no cardio?

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This is balance. This is a cheat meal every 3 days. No cardio.

So you choose. Weights or cardio?

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Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water

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During competition prep, I drink 15 water bottles a day with lemon juice!

Never at any other time in my life did I have such clear, glowing skin. I swore my creases in my face were less visible, I had more energy, and felt cleansed.

Drinking lemon water has endless benefits:

clear skin, boosted immune system, natural energy, detoxes unwanted waste, cures throat infections, helps relieve respiratory problems, promotes weight loss, reduces fever

Being hydrated and drinking water in general is one of the best things you can do for your body. One tip for drinking more water: write down a schedule. One bottle with breakfast. One bottle before shower. One bottle before, after, and during workout. One bottle with each meal. One bottle before bed. One bottle every time you leave the house. These are just a few examples to make yourself more aware of when your drinking water!

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Best Advice I can give

DSCN0071Last spring, I set out with the biggest goal of my life. It sounds kind of cheesy but my biggest life goal or dream was to compete in a fitness competition. I could not imagine my body ever looking like that, and I was so passionate about fitness. After achieving this goal, I set bigger goals. 1. Compete in and WIN a bikini competition. 2. Become a certified personal trainer. 3. GO PRO!

I don’t know if I will ever reach my biggest goals, however it is extremely empowering to achieve a goal you set.

The one piece of advice I would offer to anyone in any position of their life is to believe in yourself. YES I KNOW. Cheesy. But it is so incredibly true. Trust the process of hard work. Set a goal and believe that you will reach it. The mind is a powerful tool. I cannot give any better advice than this.

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Why to Do Cardio and What are the Best Forms of Cardio

DSCN0048While I focus a lot of my blog posts on the benefits of strength training, cardio workouts definitely have their place in any healthy and fit person’s life.

Cardiovascular exercise is not only proven to improve your mood by releasing endorphins, it also reduces your appetite, strengthens your heart, lowers your blood pressure, and promotes weight loss.

So what kind of cardio do I recommend and how much should you do?

Well, how much you should do varies depending on your goal. If you are trying to build muscle mass you should not do hours of cardio on end.

I usually recommend 30-75 minutes of vigorous cardio to an athletic person.

What is vigorous cardio?

Stair-master, running FAST, playing basketball ball intensely, swimming laps, HIIT workouts (see previous post), boxing, or cycle classes.

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For moderate cardio you can do around two hours.

What do I consider moderate?

walking, jogging, elliptical, stationary bike, etc.

The important thing is to sweat and move! Always consult a doctor before beginning a new cardio routine.

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My Favorite Nutritional Smoothies

cakebatterblueberry shaake

Cake Batter Blue Berry Oatmeal Shake- Very filling and delicious. A Perfect breakfast option for leg day. Recipe: 1 scoop of Cellucor Cake Batter Whey Protein, a handful of blueberries, 1/3 cup oatmeal, almond milk & ice.

strawberry banana shake

Strawberry Banana Shake- Recipe- Banana, Almond milk, and strawberries with ice.

spinach smoothie

Paige Hathaway Inspired Veggie Smoothie- Recipe- Celery, Kale, Cucumber, Ginger, Lemon, (Apple) optional.

berry smoothie

Berry Spinach Smoothie- Black berries, Blueberries, Strawberries, Spinach, Water, & Ice.

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