Oh my Gosh I am 18 Days Out!!!!!
What have I learned throughout this process....
1. Get ready for your pee to change as often as your mood. And when you are happily munching on your asparagus your pee is getting ready to treat you with an unhappy surprise! Just going to warn those who pee in the shower that you might gas yourself with the horrid smell of asparagus pee... not to mention it might be sightly green. Taking your vitamins will also have a color effect... neon yellow but thank God it doesn't smell.
2. Your protein farts are enough to even gross you out... Don't really need to say much here but if you fart in the car and your 6 year old says out of no where it smells like a rotten egg... quickly blame your fart on her before shame sets in... she will most likely defend her dignity in which case you will need to take the blame... but ya... don't do it at work either ha ha.
3. You know that happy little voice inside your head that you hear when you are reading or need someone to talk to... ya... you guys are friends until competition prep... then that voice turns into the devil and says some pretty uninspiring things to you. During prep you and your subconscious are NOT friends any more. It will tell you that you can't do it, that you wont be ready in time, that you look fat, that one bite wont kill you... hey what about one more bite of that cake it wont count...not cool. To get over the messed up messages your new NOT friend will tell you is to tell yourself (out loud) that you can do it, you will be ready and no thank you I will not eat that cake.
4. You might cry a little, you might cry a lot. I know I did. I have had a few moments of utter break down... thanks to my not so nice subconscious... I have struggled with my image my entire life... I've learned a lot about my self and what I can handle. When I couldn't figure out posing when I thought I would be a natural... I bawled my eyes out, When my amazing best friend gave me $100 to put toward my competition I called her and bawled my eyes out, When the diet got tough and I reached that make it or break it point.... I bawled my eyes out, When I was so tired but still needed to wake up and do cardio... I bawled my eyes out... but I dry those puppies... suck it up and get back to work! <- that is what is important.
5. Forget the life you had... you now have a new one. One that is basically work, workout, eat, sleep every day. I now see why everyone said your social life goes bye bye once you start prep. My social life was a majority of social drinking events... which I can no longer partake. I do show up when I can and I still leave my house to go somewhere besides the gym every now and again but I am looking forward to the freedom after prep.
6. Your friends at work (and in general) will start to ask you for fitness advice. They see what you are doing and that it's working. This is the perfect opportunity to motivate, motivate, motivate!!! My number one goal throughout this whole prep was to make sure that I was motivating others to become fit, wither they want to compete or just get in shape... always share the fitness! Some will take what you say with a grain of salt... in fact most people who ask me what I am doing will zone out after I tell them all the work I put in... but there is a chance that one person, maybe two will get pumped and make a lifestyle change!
7. Prepare to make some gym friends :-) I would officially call myself a gym rat... all the trainers, employees and fellow gym rats at my gym now know me by face and name. The coolest part about this is you get to see people transform and make new friends! I have made several new connections at my gym just by being there every day! I love it :)
8. You will experience what being Hangry is all about... refer back to #4 because sometimes you are hungry, stressed, frustrated, happy, hungry, hungry... all the time! I love love love love food! Even though I'm not actually hungry for food... I get Hangry for some Sushi or cake or anything smothered in delicious!
9. If you plan on traveling... prepare to plan like you do for a wedding. Everything needs to be in order! All your food, your sports bra, gym shoes, SOCKS!! (always forgetting my socks) everything needs to be planned out... you will get crazy looks but being prepared is the #1 key to success!
10. All you will think, breath, and talk about will be contest prep. People naturally talk about themselves and their lives... but when competition prep consumes everything you do what is there to talk about... uh my dog threw up on the carpet last night.... or I got a new Personal Record at the gym last night!! I'm sure you will come up with some other exciting topics but this will probably be the majority :)
**Bonus**
11. Contest prep will have it's ups and it will have it's downs... but the one thing you have to keep in mind is your WHY. When you want to give up or give in remember why you started in the first place. This has kept me going from the beginning. What you are going through is not easy... but continue to challenge yourself everyday you will be so glad you did. Not a single con of competition prep would or has made me regret my decision to compete. I am healthier that I have ever been in my life, I have beautiful toned muscles, and I have a whole new outlook on life and have goals that will take me far!
What are some of the things no one told you about contest prep? I would love to hear your thoughts! Were your's the same as mine?
I wish you the best of luck with your contest prep!!
xoxo Kaila
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