This post was supposed to be about chicken. My plan was to make the best pre-contest competitor chicken recipe that I would love and love and love and be more than happy to share- but it isn’t. Or wasn’t. I mean I did make chicken this weekend, and I took photos and everything- but the recipe was in no ways amazing. No ways. So I’m not sharing it. I didn’t start a blog just to post any recipe that I used, just for the sake of posting.
So I’m writing this post to share an update.
It’s been a little challenging keeping up with a food blog lately because I’ve actually been doing everything I can to keep my mind off food. I’ve been dieting since January, and I have to say, especially now that I’m less than 2 weeks out from my show, my food is really not exciting nor share-worthy.
It’s not bad by any means- I’ve seen some horror stories of what many competitors have to eat before their contests- and I’ve definitely had my share of the broccoli, oatmeal and chicken breast diet, which isn’t the basis of my diet now thank God- but it is still a diet/meal plan/ whathaveyou that I have not deviated from and that I have made the choice to stick to. So, it goes without saying that of course there are cravings and hunger and all those not so fun things, but the less I think about them, the better, and so I choose not to. In case you are wondering, my diet looks pretty much the same as it did at the beginning of my prep- lots of protein (chicken breast, egg whites, mackerel, protein powder), lots of veggies, some healthy fats (fish oil, coconut milk, whole eggs, nuts) and some carbs (kabocha, fruit and peanut flour), just the portions are smaller.
At this point I’m feeling really excited for the show. It will be my first time competing in the bikini division, and this is actually the division I’m better suited for (as I don’t carry much muscle, despite trying my hardest) and will be where I continue to compete from now on. This show will be my last planned figure division entry- I really don’t have enough muscle to compete in this category, but over here in Korea, the girls are pretty small, so I don’t feel too out of place entering it. (Actually I managed to snag the 4th place trophy out of about 15 girls last year, so the judges seemed to think I fit in okay.) But back home, I won’t enter figure. Personally, I think figure girls look amazing, and as much as I wish I looked like them- I don’t. And actually the bikini division girls are starting to carry a lot more muscle, so even in this category I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me. Which is something I look forward to.
I’ve had a wonderful prep experience this time around, and although I’ve been challenged by the circuits and workouts, I don’t feel like it took over my life, nor have I had to do 3 hours of cardio a day- which really who has time for? So I look forward to continuing this journey after the competition.
I’ve already been asked by a friend about my plans post-contest- what am I going to pig out on? And this is really something that I want to address. I’ve read tons of stories about the post-contest bingeing that occurs and have definitely witnessed it first hand. My very first show, in Fort St John, had a competitor buffet at the end of it. There was absolutely nothing healthy at the buffet- pizza, creamy pasta, lasagna, cheese this, sauce-covered that, and an entire table of chocolate bars, candies, cheesecakes, donuts etc- and everyone was encouraged to go nuts. Yes of course I think it’s okay to indulge, but as a person who’s struggled with eating disorders, anorexia and bingeing, this is not something I want to set myself up for.
So many competitors focus only on the day of, and don’t think about the after. But I’ve learned that I do want to focus on the after. I care about what I look like after. I care about my body enough to know how it will react to a post-contest binge. I care about my long term health. I’m already stressing my body enough as it is, why swing the other way and cause even more stress?
So yes, post show I do plan on having a “cheat meal”, and yes I will be packing along a great big pile of kabocha to eat after the show, but then it will be right back on with my post-contest meal plan and training. This is a lifestyle right?
Wish me luck! I can’t wait!
