This is what’s been going on with me since my last update:
- I’m comfortably in my “off” season. My coaching with Layne has ended (although I’ll likely work with him again once my real contest prep begins at 12 weeks out), and I feel like I’ve put on some decent muscle mass.
- I went to Germany and, in addition to my new muscle mass, also put on a bit of fat mass as well (but nothing my contest prep can’t handle!).
- I made it to the finals for the Status Cover Model Search! Thanks for everyone who voted for me during November, I had enough votes that the editors were able to choose me to advance! (Even though I didn’t place in the Top 5 that month)
- I had my first re-feed on Friday, and I plan on continuing to use those at least until my contest prep begins. Basically, a re-feed is a carb load. This is generally done alongside with a drastic increase in overall calories (double your average daily calories) and a reduction of fats (as little as possible). For my first re-feed, I just adjusted my macronutrient intake to include more carbs and less fat, but this week, I might adjust my overall caloric intake as well (just a little). There is a science behind re-feeds (just google “re-feed” or “leptin”), but eating that much does take some getting used to!
Additionally, I had some blood taken on Saturday, so I could get an idea of where my health is at. The results were (as I expected) all normal! I usually get my bloodwork done once a year just to make sure everything is where it should be—health trumps everything else!
Yesterday, I had my much-anticipated body composition test at the university. I got hydrostatically weighed! Basically, I sat on a chair suspended from the ceiling, immersed in a big tub (thankfully, the water was nice and warm!) with a weight belt on my lap, and exhaled all the air in my lungs! First, they measured my lung capacity by having me take a deep breath and then exhale all the air in my lungs three times (so they could get an accurate reading—I was very consistent!) and then moved me into the tub. The first time I was dunked (they lowered me, sitting on the chair, into the tub), I kind of panicked (I think my mistake was also closing my eyes—hello, claustrophobia! No light and no air?! Plus, maybe I wasn’t sure I could trust the experimenter yet?), but after one practice round, I was ready! We did six readings (so getting dunked, exhaling every bit of air, and then waiting 5 seconds to get raised out of the tub again). They do up to 10, but since I was exactly the same every time, they were confident that the results were accurate. Hydrostatic weighing is one of the most exact measurements of body fat, and I really wanted to know exactly how much fat is on my body and how much is lean body mass (or “fat-free mass”! I figure this will be especially useful during contest prep, so I’ll know how much fat I should lose to be within the 10-15% that bikini competitors usually have.
Anyway, after I got changed, I got my results: 13.8% body fat! That was much lower than I had been expecting, especially since I feel much “fluffier” now than I did a few months ago! It also made me wonder how low my body fat was in October, since I weighed more than 10 pounds less than I do now (I assume I’ve put on some muscle since then, but still!). I want to get my body fat measured again in three months and then again in June. I’m interested to see how my body composition changes!
I’m looking forward to seeing the package I bring to the stage this time around! With some new muscle mass (and hopefully, since I have less body fat to lose this time, I’ll be able to keep most of it), my body will look different, and I feel I learned a lot from last time. I’ll pay more attention to the “beauty” side of competing (I’ll get spray tanned and get my hair and makeup professionally done—one of the criticisms from last time was that my lashes were too big!), and I’ll get more help with my posing. I think I’ll also compete in the Diva Fitness Model category for the WBFF show (in addition to the Diva Bikini Model category), so that will be a whole new realm in itself!
I’m attaching a blog post I posted on my Bodyspace. Bodyspace is an awesome place to track your progress and find inspiration from others. If anyone is looking for a workout program for the new year, Bodybuilding.com has TONS of FREE (!!) programs aimed at a variety of goals (sorry if I sound like a bad infomercial, but it’s really a fantastic resource!). They also have a 12-week transformation challenge (you can enter until January 31!) with a huge grand prize! Definitely worth checking out!
I hope you’re all enjoying a wonderful start to 2013! It’s going to be the best year yet, I can feel it!
