I found preparing meals the day before and the day eaten to be just as easy as preparing a week’s worth and a whole lot fresher! I learned that I am allergic to oats and grains, so I almost always turned to fruits and vegetables for my carbohydrates and foods with greater serving sizes like asparagus and tilapia work best towards the end, allowing you to eat more. I found fish oil and guacamole to be key fat sources because I would tend to want a whole can/jar when it came to nuts and butters. Between meals, I relied on the iced tea water mixes that are beneficial and taste great! I used tons of spices and seasonings, but my favorites were Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle and Weber Sweet’n Tangy BBQ.

I'll be the first to admit that my contest preparation was far from traditional in all sectors. However, I did stick to the commonly used treadmill and stationary bike as the contest approached. I was training twice a day doing a.m. long low intensity incline walking or resistance biking and p.m. short high intensity training post resistance workout usually with a jump rope and three longer sessions during the week usually with a power sled or the stairmaster. Below is an outline of my p.m. plyometric drill sequence (12 sets of 7 reps with 30-60 seconds rest):

I can’t emphasis enough how important it is to keep everything as measurable and simple as you can – so that you can monitor and make progressions while eliminating as much stress as possible! I applied this lesson later than I needed to and it is now top priority for me as I prepare for Jr. Nationals. My backside is top priority body part-wise because I have seen through contest photos that I need to get it matching my front! So don’t just take progression pictures, but analyze them (preferably with someone else) – and do this more frequently, as you change a lot at the last minute. Another weak point that I am working on and recommend is networking and utilizing your resources. The day of the show was so awesome mainly because I felt NORMAL! I realize the huge importance of surrounding yourself with fellow competitors that get the sport and live in it. I made tons of friends at the show, and I have joined tons of forums since then, posted a bodyblog, and actually used the website I originally designed during my contest preparation (http://www.feattocompete.blogspot.com). I suggest telling as many people as you can what you are into because not only are you inspiring others and yourself, but there is no pulling out when tons of people are routing for you! I had t-shirts made with local sponsoring businesses and wrote an article for our local Health & Fitness Magazine. Other motivational tools that I encourage and plan to use more of are motivational boards (with inspiring quotes, images, cards, personal goals, progress pictures, etc.), inspirational books (I would always read The Jesus Habits or 100 Women of the Bible during my low-intensity cardio), shows (I would pose to Joyce Meyer), and music (I would begin my day with Point of Grace and end it with a relaxation CD).

I also recommend seeking out professionals – no matter if you are one yourself! The Beverly Workshops I attended gave me trustworthy nutrition and training advice while covering everything that I needed to consider come show time. If you have never tried Beverly International, go for the Ultimate Muscle Protein. Everybody on this planet should be consuming high-quality protein shakes, and their Cookies and Crème tastes like an Oreo blizzard! Along with the supplements mentioned, I am a firm believer in Mass and Ultra 40, Muscle Synergy, Lean Out, and now Density. The Beverly staff taught me exactly how to pose, and I also used Julie Lohre’s video to practice call outs as the contest neared. Other than ordering my suits from Lidia Conti and my tanning spray from Elite Tan, I picked up everything else I needed locally and used things I already had. I got my jewelry from a local shop called Bridal World, a hair clip from JCPenney salon, and used a pair of old pageant shoes and body glue.

During this preparation, I saw how powerful the mind truly is. More than ever before, I was continuously making a special effort to avoid stress and see the absolute best in everything I faced. When you’re dieting down, you are so much more aware of your internal and external environment and how it is affected. I was continuously figuring out what was hindering and what was helping me to reach my goals as I rid myself of any hindrances. With all disruptions, ranging from a negative word or action towards me to a misbehaving student to getting the flu to insomnia, I had to immediately gain control of the situation and man up knowing that other girls in this competition were facing the same, and greater, obstructions and still training and dieting just as hard or harder than me!

This first competition has been the biggest physical, mental, and spiritual challenge that I have ever faced, yet it has also been a far greater reward. Nearly everyone I encountered during the day didn’t get what I was doing or why, but I leaned on that handful that did. I am forever grateful for the ones that realize what a huge personal achievement this was and for those that have served as a blueprint towards making it happen. Through this experience, I have learned that not every statement needs a response, and you can neither make nor expect the masses to get it. Always remember “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world," (1 John 4:4) and you can achieve big things!

Websites:

• http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/Autumntsk/
• http://www.feattocompete.blogspot.com