Bikini Contest Prep (8 Weeks Out Recap)

This Saturday will be 7 weeks until my bikini contest.  Seven weeks sounds so much shorter than 8 weeks, less than 2 months away.  I'm getting a little freaked out because, up to now, I'm mostly just thinking day to day with my food and the training, not really focusing on having to get on stage at the end of this all and be judged.  The scariest part of this is the posing that's required at these bikini shows.  It's not traditional flexing, showing of biceps, but there is a certain way of standing and doing some turns to show off your body from every angle.  In the photo below, the girl in the middle is holding the best pose the way she is twisting her torso.

via IFBB News Online

This is a good example of the pose I'm learning.   This woman, Candice Conroy, placed 1st in the Pro Bikini Division at a 2013contest.  She's 5'2- short like me! :)

via IFBB News Online

I have a posing coach and we've worked together twice, 30 minutes each time.  I have two more sessions with her, unless I need more, which I probably will. The first time was basically awful, she said "I couldn't stand properly, couldn't twist, my middle was too thick, I needed to loosen up and get a massage, I should start tanning right away so I didn't look muddy with the fake tanning paint, my shoes were wrong, I wasn't wearing the right booty shorts, blah blah blah."  I was really discouraged and, due to schedule issues, I didn't go back for 3 weeks.  In her defense, she is very passionate about her sport and takes her career very seriously.  She wants the women she works with to be at the top of their game and to feel very confident when they get on stage.  

The second time (last Friday) was much better.  I had my clear 5-inch heels, the proper booty shorts, my waist had decreased, I put on self-tanner and I was able to hold a pose- albeit sweating my arse off and shaking a little.  It's actually really hard to contort your body this way when you're not used to it and just learning.  My coach snapped a pic when she thought I was holding the poses pretty well- you can see by the look on my face I'm just trying not to tip over.  These are just iPhone pics and I tried to spare you an up-close butt shot. ;)  These photos were taken on Friday, May 9, 2014.  Seeing myself from the back really surprised me (obviously, I never see that view) so I'm happy with the progress on my hamstrings and calves (but she pointed out my left hamstring is more developed than my right).  I had almost no leg muscle definition when I started.  Lunges, lunges, and more lunges.  I do them probably 5 days a week.  Walking lunges, in-place lunges, jumping lunges, lunges with weights, lunges without weights, side to side lunges . . . you get the idea. 

And, for comparison, here's where I started in February- the pic on the left below is me after my first week working out and eating better.  This is almost exactly 3 months' difference.  I hope this encourages you with what you can accomplish in a (relatively) short amount of time. 

I'm trying REALLY hard to be perfect with my food, but it's not the way I love to eat.  I want to eat chocolate everyday, just a small piece at least, but I don't.  I fight this daily, especially in the evening.  My protein shake is chocolate, so it'll have to do.  We are down to the nitty gritty, so everything counts.  And I want to finish strong.  I don't know that I'll ever do this again, so I want to do it well the first time!  

My meal plan is the same, except, I'm down from 1/2 cup of rice to 1/3 cup or from 5oz potato to 4oz.  

I can add seasonings like Mrs. Dash and I learned I could put all natural fruit spread on my pancakes (thank God because I pretty much hate them without peanut butter).  My big fail is my coffee creamer.  I admit to still using it a few times a week!  :(  I know I shouldn't, but damn.

Have a great weekend!