NPC Contest Prep - 11 Week Recap, 15 to Go!

Well hello there! Let's go ahead and start things off with some stats:

Current body fat:15.5% (I was nearly 26% this time last year!!)

Goal body fat (by 11/7/15): Somewhere around 12-13%

Bust: 32 inches (down from 33)

Waist: 25 inches (down from 27.5)

Hips: 33 inches (down from 36.5)

Some recent PRs worth noting: 115lb back squat/320 leg press/65lb preacher curls

Yay to getting stronger and leaner!!


My leg workout today:
4x12, no supersets:

• squats - bar, medium stance
• inverted leg presses - wide stance
• squats - bar, close stance
• hamstring curls - seated, two legs
• squats - bar, wide stance
• straight leg deadlits - dumb bell, single leg
• 15 minutes stairmill. Don't hold on!!

In an effort to shake things up, let's try a different format. Here are some highs and lows of my training last week:

Highs

• Training with Coach Steve on Tuesday. He pushed me harder than I would have ever pushed myself on bis and shoulders. When I started curling the 55lb bar for 12 reps, I literally caught myself mustering "I can't..." and stopped myself. He retorted "Yes you can" - and guess what?! He was right. I could. And I did. If there is one piece of advice I can give ANYONE - regardless of where you are on your fitness journey it is: ELIMINATE SELF DOUBT. Don't you dare say "I can't" - because chances are, you can. Our bodies are so strong. We are so capable. Push yourself. Challenge yourself. You'll be amazed. I promise.
• Putting on a suit and getting on stage. The same day Steve and I worked out, I put on a suit that I haven't had the courage to wear in years (literally). And guess what?! It was too big! More than that, standing on stage under those spotlights, I finally felt fairly confident. I definitely have work to do, as you'll see from this shot. Where is my neck?! Posing needs to be refined and of course I will need to lean out before the show (no makeup, filters or photoshop in the photo below so don't judge!) - but all in all, I feel great. He even mentioned signing me up for another show earlier than Music City Muscle, depending on my progress over the next few weeks. 
  
• Finding out I may be featured on Bodybuilding.com under their female transformation stories. Y'all wouldn't believe my "before" bikini pictures. Holy skinny fat. More to come on this in the next few weeks...
• Discovering FuelUp. This is so clutch, especially considering I have a work trip coming up in two weeks. Meals custom made based on your macros and dietary restrictions. Love!
• Planning my December vacation! I'm getting SO excited to get away. 
• Getting back into hot yoga. I took a 90 minute class on Sunday and it felt UH-MAZING to stretch out my chronically sore muscles. 

Lows

• My cheat meal from hell. I used to love Antico - the best pizza in Atlanta, in my opinion. Well, Saturday I took advantage of a cheat meal and ate a few slices of their veggie pizza followed by a super small cup of coffee gelato. It all tasted SO good going down. In fact, I'm pretty sure I moaned my way through most of it. HOWEVER - I was literally up all night, staring back at my dinner in the toilet (sorry if that was TMI). I couldn't believe I was up hurling so violently. Sunday morning I woke up and text my coaches asking what I could do to ease my poor tummy. And just like that, they took my cheats away. I think my body is so used to clean eats now that grease and dairy just aren't digesting well. It's amazing what 11 weeks of clean eating can do to our digestive systems. Anytime I crave pizza or ice cream, I'll reply Saturday evening and reach for the chicken and veggies, thank you very much.
• My progress pictures today. I sent them in to Steve this morning and felt a bit down after looking at them. I'm definitely retaining water (yay PMS!) - and I just still struggle with seeing progress in my lower abs and hips, although my measurements above don't lie. What gets me through difficult moments is hearing him tell me "slow and steady wins the race here." And he's right. People don't fall out of shape in a day, nor do we get in shape in a day. It's an evolution and a process of being consistent and determined. Chin up buttercup :)

Something fun to try: I've started a new nightly routine of practicing gratitude! Life can get hectic and we can easily lose sight of the positive things that transpire throughout the day. Each night before bed, I now write down 3 things I'm grateful for and 3 good things that happened that day. It sort of helps keep me in a positive place - and ensures I close my eyes at the end of each day with a smile on my face. Try it!

XO,

Jenn