Nationals

Hi all!

Wow, I am still in awe of the amazing competition that showed up at Nationals! I saw so many women that I have looked up to and admired for so long. Women that I have seen grace the pages and covers of my favorite magazines were actually sharing the stage with me! This past weekend was an awesome experience and even though I did not place well at all in my division, I loved every minute of being there.

This time at one week out I was still too lean for where my trainer wanted me stepping on stage. She implemented another meal into my diet which consisted of ground turkey, whole wheat pasta and spaghetti sauce. I was now eating 7 meals a day! I was also up to 7.5 litres of water by Thursday and on Friday, instead of a maximum of 1 litre of water, I was allowed 4!

The week before the competition is what i'd like to call the primp and prep week! You finish off your last few workouts and your main focus is the beauty aspects. You've trained your ass off and put in all the hard work. All that is left to do is make sure your hair, nails, accessories match your physique! You can relax and reflect on all the hard work you've put in.

Brett and I were off to Saskatoon on Friday to get registered and checked in to the host hotel. I picked up my SABBA Track Suit and headed to the competitor meeting to find out how Saturday would all go down. Friday night I was to have Steak and Fries as my 5th meal.....Steak!!! I have not had red meat for 7-10 years (it's been so long i actually can't remember)! We did it up right and went to John's Prime Rib. Competing has definately implemented foods that I have not had in years. Fries, egg yolks, pasta, steak! I actually enjoyed the steak and the fries were ok this time too:)

Competition day was a bit longer this time. There were 174 athletes! I got to meet a lot of great girls backstage again and reconnect with my fellow Sask competitors from the previous shows. It's so nice to see everyone!

This being my first season competing, a big part of the challenge was learning about my body. Learning what type of diet works well for me and how my body reacts to different foods. Learning what type of training gets me results and how much cardio to be doing. And the most important lesson; learning what the judges want in a competitor! So after this year I know that my off season focus will be to put on size! I am so excited to officially have an off season and can't wait to see the results in the next few months.

I would consider my first year of competing a success. When I decided to start training for my very first show in January, I had no idea what the road ahead was going to entail. I have surpassed anything I could have ever imagined and am so proud of how far I have come! That being said, this past weekend showed me how far I have yet to go. In this sport, you can constantly learn and improve.

Check out some video from this past weekends evening show!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cCfdfVGBus

Also, now that I am officially in off season mode, I can cook my favorite protein cookies and enjoy them myself!!! I have included the recipe for you to enjoy as well!

Choco Cray Cray Protein Cookies!!
(Recipe yields 30 cookies)
1c oatmeal
1c wheat bran
2c protein powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp cinnamon
1c cottage cheese
1/2c honey
1c unsweetened apple sauce
1/4c egg whites
2tsp vanilla
2 squares semi sweet chocolate chips
Craisins
/Total calories per cookie = 98

Mix first 4 ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix the next 5 ingredients together. Combine dry and wet ingredients and add chocolate chips and craisins. Spoon mixture onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes or until desired cookie texture. Enjoy!


I am so excited to share the next few months with all of you and hope that you will follow my journey through the off season. This is just the beginning of great things to come!

See you in the gym!
Holly