SPRING!

Found this on apartment therapy. Thought it was cool enough to share with ya'll.

Spring trends for your wardrobe and your home

Colorblocking

 Mixed Prints (can't go wrong with Caitlin Wilson's fabrics)

 Neon- Why am I loving neon so much?!! An 80's trend I never thought would come back

 Pastels

 Tangerine.. obsessed beyond reason.. especially with various shades like this

optimistic

So now that I'm no longer eating super clean, and I've backed off on intensive exercise for now, my body feels disgusting. I'm not kidding, I feel swollen and flabby and I am terrified of losing everything I worked hard for. I feel guilty if I eat something that's been off limits for the past couple months. And it's only been a couple days! I'm still trying to figure out the middle ground so I can stay in shape and I'm still optimistic that I will, I just have anxiety about the whole thing, and I've heard that this is normal post-competition.

Anyways, I just ran across this article on Muscle & Fitness Hers and it really motivated me and reminded me that it's OK to not be perfect all the time. 

Maybe it'll help you ladies too who are struggling with this!

 Building a Better Body Image

Felicia shares her tips on how to connect with your self confidence

What constitutes a great body? Is it being lean and tone? Or is it being healthy from the inside out not really putting emphasis on weight or bodyfat, etc.? For me, in the beginning of my career I would put so much emphasis on being lean and tone that I would go to extremes to get there. I was so focused on my weight and bodyfat that it took over my mind and created unhealthy habits. We all want a great body and we all want to feel healthy, and today that is what I am trying to focus on. I try to focus now on my psychological health and, in turn, that will help my physical health. When you constantly beat yourself up over calories, become obsessed with body image it starts to affect your self confidence leading to depression, binge eating and being unmotivated to bring yourself out of it.

Here are some tips that I try to stick to and I tell a lot of my clients at AZ Pro Physiques, my personal training studio in AZ.

Connect with your self confidence:

1. Make health and fitness, rather than body aesthetics, your goal. Think “Strong is the New Sexy”!

2. When negativity creeps in, shift your perception. Journal or write. This has helped me tremendously because when I write, it puts things in perspective for me and allows me to challenge my self critical thinking.

3. Appreciate your body for what it is capable of today, and strive for better fitness and strength in the future.

4. List all your successes, big and small. Being mindful of personal victory, even if it is just showing up to the gym for the first time or getting a walk in after dinner, will give you more confidence to keep on going.

5. Show your confidence, even if you don’t feel it. Smiling and projecting a positive vibe can affect your brain over time and boost your mood.

6. If you're not committed to loving your body right at this moment, commit to respecting it. Eat healthy nutritious foods, because I always tell myself that I only get my body once and I must respect it.

As long as you are alive, you’ve got the body to thank for every heartbeat, every breath, every step … each and every single day!

She's amazing.. would definitely put me to shame! Maybe I'll get there one day ;)

competition continued

Here's another batch of last Saturday night... and then I'm done posting pictures of myself half-naked. Okay?

 These were the girls I lost to... sad day. But they look freaking amazing! That blonde girl on the end is 4'10"!! I happen to think she's even shorter than that.... I looked HUGE next to her.

 A better family pic after the show =) Sporting our t-shirts from our awesome friends and sponsors, Mixers Nutrition.

My wonderful sister who took most of these photos =)

 My trainer Brian- who helped get me here! No way I could have done it without him!

 Aaron's mom happened to pop into town that afternoon, so she got to the show, and wrestle with Carter ;)

My awesome friend Megan who glammed me up and made me look pretty... at 6:30 in the morning, and then rushed up to SLC to touch up my make-up pre-show. She rocks

Yay for a crazy muscular trophy with big boobs!

I just have to say I have freaking awesome friends. I had several that showed up to cheer me on at the show and that was awesome (especially since tix were expensive!!) I had so much support and encouragement through this whole thing, and even from people I rarely know. A man came up to me after the morning pre-judge to wish me luck for the night show, and that I was his and his daughter's favorite. =) I thought, well even if the judges don't like me, at least a few people do! lol
It does feel good to have accomplished a life-long goal like this, and lots of people are asking, "so, are you gonna do another one?" I'm totally on the fence. I want to be done, and be able to relax a little but then a part of me thinks, well I'm already disciplined, I know what I need to improve on, and I've already got the suit and other stuff, I might as well attempt another show and redeem myself!
I had a long weekend of eating crap food, which just does not even do it for me... so I'm back to eating clean and working out.
We're moving to Houston in less than 2 weeks so I'll have to scope it out out there.
Anyways THANK YOU for those who have followed along during this process and have written such nice comments both on here and facebook. It really motivated me and kept me going!!!

Competition Recap

Well I did it! Those were some of the most nerve-racking moments of my life but I definitely learned a lot from this competition. I didn't do as well as I hoped so that's a big disappointment. The girls I was up against looked amazing and I can't argue my placement. IF I do this in the future, I've learned I really gotta work on a few things- my posing, getting a little leaner still, my tan coulda been darker still (although I felt so ridiculously dark), and who knows what else. But I don't want to get down, thinking of what could have been. I worked hard and this is my best I've looked so I'm still happy about this accomplishment. Checking off figure competition from my bucket list!

I'm still gathering pictures from the people who took some for me, so for now here's some shots from the day:

This was after the pre-judge.. I got to go eat some "real" food but tried not to overdo it with heavy or high-sodium crap. Still had the night show to be ready for!

Aaron was a great support the whole day.. it was exhausting for both of us!

This was comparison posing in the morning during pre-judge. You can't see much, but I'm the one in front. I came to the conclusion that the judges were looking for much smaller, tighter and leaner than I was. Maybe I was just too muscular, who knows. I'll be interested to see if I can get ahold of my scores somehow. 

This was taken after the night show.

So these were NOT the girls I was up against. Sandy, in the middle, was the lady who helped us all with posing, and I happened to be the only figure girl in the picture.. the rest are bikini. So that's why I'm the muscular one of the bunch!

( I would be the 2nd on the left FYI)

The tall blonde on my right in the hot pink bikini won the OVERALL bikini out of 60-something girls! She looked amazing.

I don't do this kind of posing for figure lol... but they wanted this shot so whatever!

Here's me with my boys! I was sooo ready to just get outta there and go EAT!

 And here it is... a big old burger from Red Robin =)

I binged pretty much all weekend, but they say to get back to healthy habits after 24 hours so you don't gain all the weight back. So tomorrow I'm getting back in control (within reason) and hoping to keep this body as long as it'll let me!

More pics coming =)

GAME ON

Well, this is it!

Rundown of the past day or so:

Exfoliating
Shaving
TAN
Errands
Squaring away nutrition
   CARB loading... yeah 2000 calories is a freaking LOT when you've been eating around 1000 for the past couple weeks
Dehydrating... I'm thirsty =(
Salt Lake to register for the show
Make-up run-through
Freaking out!


OK I'm kind of freaking out, yes. This week has been nuts. Family drama... then my great-grandma passed away at the ripe old age of 105!!! It's a good thing since she is reunited with her husband, it's just really sad I have to miss her funeral, as it is tomorrow.

But I managed to squeeze in a movie last night..

Yeah you know I'm imagining I'm Katniss, fighting to the death tomorrow at my competition.

OK not really...

But of course, awesome movie. GO.

Here's my awesome friend Megan practicing my "look" for the show. We're all joking that prep for this is pretty much as extensive as a wedding! And just about as expensive too... 

Some random good news: I've been stumped about my weight not changing much during this whole training, and I didn't think I really lost inches either. Til I went capri pants shopping today... and bought 0's. I don't look that small, I don't feel that small. I'm just kinda shocked to be honest. But yay!

AND I have to do a post about my awesome trainer Brian who pretty much made this magic happen:

He pretty much transformed me from a 125-pound blob to a 115-pound lean machine! They say when you're a personal trainer, you're also a shrink, listening to everyone's complaints and drama and emotional crises. True story! 

 If you want some extra boost to get in shape, are just starting out or wanting to embark on a crazy adventure such as competing, Brian is your man! He's got a gym in Orem called Strive Fitness.

Here's his rates!

You know I'm a trainer right? Certification's expired but that's what I have my degree in, but I've just learned that there is STILL much to learn! Personal trainers push you in ways you never think to push yourself, and you see results you never imagined you could have.

They are worth the money!

I love Sponsors!!

Alright, throughout my training process, I've had A LOT of expenses. More than I had anticipated! So I am soooo grateful to those who have offered discounts and "hook-ups" to get me looking good for this show!

For the competition, I have to get a crazy dark spray tan, and my awesome friend Krysten recommended the salon she works at. If you're local, I definitely encourage you to check it out, in Orem by 1600 North.

The salon is by my house so it was very convenient for me. I still need to get my fingernails done, but Krysten did my toes for me yesterday, and they have never looked so pretty!

Totally recommend her next time you need a mani/pedi/acrylics, etc!! So ask for Krysten Knight =)

Also at Evolution, I had a tan run-through to see how dark we need to go for Friday night. I feel like I'm sooo dark, but I'm going to have to go darker still!

Merisa did my tan and she is AWESOME. She'll be doing it for the show so I'll of course post those pictures this weekend =)

 Here's some of my posing practice from today. I'm down to 11% body fat! The lighting doesn't make me look as dark... and my muscles apparently are "flat." I'm a bit carb-depleted so they're not as pronounced I guess. BUT I'm carb-loading tomorrow and finally get to eat some more!

My eyes are shut. Really attractive. And I'm really not posing that well... but you get the idea!

And I'm a beast. This is a bodybuilding pose that I am NOT doing for the show. Just flexing for fun. Cuz that's what I do...

Anyhow, this is mostly how I'll be looking on stage on Saturday. Just darker, shinier, tighter and dry. And with nice hair and make-up. So maybe I won't look anything like this...

Stay tuned!

Only 5 MORE DAYS!

Well, man what a weekend! I really struggled last week mentally with everything. Getting in my cardio was so hard and eating right was a challenge and I got super discouraged BUT after taking a break yesterday, I feel SOOOO much better. I woke up today, just pumped and ready to push it these last few days!

That's right!

I had a freaking awesome workout this morning and I'm excited to just get ready for this weekend!

Here's the details on the show:

If you're local, come check it out!! If this is  hard to read or if you want more details, the website is http://www.npcutah.com/

Here's my only recent shot. My last intense training session with my PT, Brian. He worked me and I needed it! I had no idea what my back looks like...and now I do! Hopefully it works to my advantage for the show. Now it's mostly cardio from here on out and strictly sticking to my diet.

I've been frustrated feeling like my body has not been responding well to stripping fat and weight, but turns out there is a method to my trainer's madness! The measurements today are down, so I am more than happy!

Weight: 114

Body Fat: 11.75%

pinchy pinch

I get festive every year on St Patricks Day.. no I'm not Irish, I just really like green =)