What I took away from my WBFF Bikini Competition Prep

by admin on Wed, 03/16/2016 - 4:36pm | 0 comments

 
Last weekend something happened that I have dreamed about for quite a while…I competed in the bikini division at the WBFF and won my class, which also had the added benefit of the fact that I was also awarded my WBFF pro card, which means that I will now compete in a new category with other WBFF pros.  My favorite part of signing up for a fitness competition is actually the training, and the entire process before the show because I work so much harder, and accomplish more than I can imagine when I have a clearly defined goal.  The best thing for me about this prep was the confidence that I now have in knowing what I need, and my ability to take better care of myself through the prep because I know that I am willing to give 100 percent, but simultaneously want to come out of the prep at the end feeling healthy and energized, not tired, drawn and ready to crash or binge.  
 
In previous competitions I have put forth a solid effort, but during this prep I pushed myself harder to get stronger and realized that to do so, I had to consistently get the rest I needed and feed my body to grow, recover and lose fat.  This may sound like basic stuff, but it can be hard to say no to friends when they are popping out for a visit on a work night.  Slowing down and taking the time that I needed to rest, and prep my food for the next day made me realize that I hadn’t really been taking the best care of myself before the prep.  It wasn’t bad, many people would have said that I was really healthy, but it may not have been as much as I could do for my body.  We only get one body right?  Why not treat it like gold instead of leaving it tired, dehydrated and hungry and expecting thrive?
 
I gave up drinking, which wasn’t too hard considering I only had 3- 4 drinks a week….but still, it’s different.  It took a few days to get used to going out with friends and having water with cranberry and lime as opposed to pinot grigio, but I started feeling so much better.  Sounder sleep, clearer skin and more energy and the  best part?  My stomach became noticeably flatter.  I started drinking a gallon of water a day.  This wasn’t easy at first, that’s a lot of water!  But my cravings became less, my lips didn’t require Chapstick anymore, I had more energy and my skin became so soft instead of dry.  I can honestly say there is no expensive cream that stands up to the benefits of drinking enough water.  SO few people seem to do it, but it’s a game changer.  
 
In my mind I had been getting 7-8 hours a night of sleep, but after I decided that a solid 8 per night was my goal I realized I had been living on about 6 a night.  It’s amazing what a difference it makes to get 8 hours.  It can be so hard to actually get this much sleep but the results are astounding.  Stronger at the gym, not as hungry, dare I say less moody?  Yes, that’s right…..sleep makes me happy!  Another benefit?  My face looked….soo much better!  When you sleep enough, the amount of makeup you need to look “pretty” is markedly less!
 
I tracked my nutrition with MyFitnessPal app and made sure to get a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, and between 2300-2500 calories on training days, about 1900 on rest days.  Every Saturday was cupcake day for me (my favorite!) and I had two or three even the week before the competition.  Basically I was pretty moderate, ate to get stronger, and dipped my calories lower about three weeks before the competition to lean out a little bit.  Because they were higher to start with, I didn’t have to go very low to get results.  I haven’t tracked my macros very often, but one thing that I noticed is that it takes a little more thought than I realized to get as much protein as I need to recompose my body, and tracking my protein is important if I want to keep my body lean and constantly improving.
 
Bret Contreras pushed me every step of the way to get stronger.  When I worked out with him in AZ he noticed the positive changes in my physique, but also pointed out the things that still needed improving.  The thing that stuck out in my mind more than anything else he said was to avoid complacency, and that I should not expect to lose strength at the end of my prep if I wanted to hand onto the hard earned muscle I had put on in earlier weeks.  He told me to fight through my workouts even when I felt tired so that I was still beating the weights that I had done the past week.  In the past I had just assumed that I would lose strength, which brought me into the gym with a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy that I would be weaker.  This time I challenged myself to beat my weights, and pushed myself to stay strong even into the last week.  Being accountable to someone (Bret) and reporting weights that were increasing, or at least staying the same felt great.  The thing that I loved about my prep the most was feeling like an athlete, and bringing the very best parts of myself….the tenacious part of my that doesn’t give up, and finds a way to be better and stronger (than myself) out everyday.  Bret trained me as an athlete, with respect, wisdom and humor, and it made the experience one that built me in so many ways beyond what the eye can see. I feel very fortunate that our paths have crossed, and look forward to putting all of the things he has taught me over the past few years into play this year.   When carried out in a tailored, strategic, intelligent way, a great contest prep can leave you stronger, healthier and ready to take on the world.  I’m looking forward to bringing everything I learned from this experience into my next prep, and into my daily life.  
 
One week after my competition I'm ready to begin a new plan to work on some things I'd like to improve, and keep the progress I've already made.  I gave myself two days off from meal prep after the plan, but because I haven't deprived myself I didn't feel the need to binge.  I still had steak at dinner and protein for breakfast, but added in cupcakes every day, and some other yummy things. Now I'm back on my delicous dinners out with friends focused on protein and veggies with complex carbs, and it's not a tough way to be:)  Taking care of your body AND having a fun life isn't an impossible feat:)
 
 
 
Stay healthy and beautiful!  xo,  Megan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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