It's a wrap!

Hard to believe that after 18 weeks of prep, the show is here and gone....

The party got started pretty much from the moment Rosie got to my place on Thursday night and didn't end til we crashed last night. This weekend couldn't have been more perfect...Everything went smoothly, all according to plan..even a 5hr trip that ended up taking over 8hr was a blast. I wasn't stressed, nervous or anxious...this is what I do, this is what I love.

I followed the boss's plan to a T and it paid off, I brought MY best yet to the stage. From all the work in the gym, in the kitchen..to my hair, make up, tan and suit...the whole package I presented, I was proud of. I stood in a line up of figure women whom I respect and admire...I more than held my own, I placed 4th...4th in a Pro Show! That blows my mind..still. The competition was a tough one...The judges worked us HARD and to be real, posing practice was the one place I really lacked in my prep so it kicked my ass being up there as long as I was. I was sweating...literally dripping in sweat and I started to fade and tremble a bit, but I left it all on that stage...in that moment, it all came to fruition.

While I stood on the stage, was presented with my medal..It was a team effort in EVERY single way. I am blessed to be surrounded by some of the most amazing people I have ever met. While it's impossible to thank every single person who had a hand in my success, I do need to give my heart felt thanks to a few special ones:

*My coach, trainer and friend Joe Franco. He has been the guidance and the brains behind my off season of growth and without him I wouldn't be the competitor that I am today. The respect and admiration I have for him is unmatched. The family that is Team Franco Bodybuilding all played a key role in my stepping on stage...from Anthony and Lisa's help at posing classes to all of my team mates, whether we were 'competing' against each other or cheering from the sidelines..It was a group effort. It was a honor to prep WITH you all..to share the stage with my coach/mentor and team mates is a feeling that I will cherish.

*Mike Carrubba and everyone at Champion Nutrition. Without a shadow of a doubt, it was your support and faith in me that made this all possible...I can say with all my heart that I never would have taken the stage without having you in my corner. The package that I brought to the stage was Champion made!

*Rosie Valdez...my best friend, my sister, my wife...whatever way you slice it, you are my soul mate. This was OUR journey. We walked from 2010, through the roller coaster of 2011 and it all culminated to this moment. Through all the tears, laughter and pure, raw vulnerability..there isn't another person in the world that I would want to share this moment with. Thank you for all that you do, for everything you have brought into my life. I absolutely fuckin love you to bits <3

*To my family..those by blood and those by choice...Thank you all for being there, not just when I'm riding high, but through every low, you all helped pick me up and brush me off. My right and left arms..Rosie and Beckie..When I felt the air being sucked out of me, you gave me your breath to keep moving forward. Fiorani, I wouldn't have kept my sanity without you..For every text message, to food porn and straight up retardedness, it was an absolute blast sharing this experience with you. I am overwhelmed by everyone that came out to share this weekend with me...Jim, Joey, Saxton, Linds, Lance, Katie...those of you who couldn't make it, but I felt your love from afar..Chris, Theresa, Jaclyn, Kevin, Herb, D..From the calls and texts, PM's etc...You were all a part of this moment.

Thank you ALL for following along on the crazy train with me....
This is just the beginning!

2 Days...DEEP BREATHS!

2 Days from now, it will all be said and done...and I for one, CAN'T FUCKIN WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did my morning check in with Joe, sent the shitty pics over to him (yeah, that's my attitude at this point) and we continued forth with the plan for the day. A slight tweak to my macros..Bumped up my carbs and dropped protein and fats a bit. Overall, about 30g Fat, 160g Carbs and 120g Protein. Lemme tell ya, I am starving!!!!! My head is all over the place that in prepping my meals, I only broke my macros up into 5 meals instead of 6...Wow, was I pissed when I realized that! Anywho, cut back on my salt a bit today and dropped ALL sweeteners...No Walden farms, no crystal light...but I did give in and have some gum tonight. It's chew gum or my own arm at this point, I figure gum was the better option. I'm still feeling "eh" about my physique but a nice pump up workout in the gym was just what I needed...I was full, hard and vascular..Slap on some tanner and lets do this shit!!!!

Other than that, I'm spending the night prepping all my meals for tomorrow and Saturday thru showtime! I'm also getting all my shit packed up for the trip..everything for tomorrow, plus show day. I am an over packer..always afraid of forgetting something...everything! Literally..between my kitchen, bathroom and spare bedroom...my house looks like a fuckin bomb went off. But, things are coming together and one way or another I will be ready.

Right now, I await my wife's arrival..or as most know her...Rosie <3 She's spending the night at my house, helping me get ready...a night full of grooming..oh joy! Tomorrow, I have a morning check in with Joe...a final cardio session...drop my babies off at my Momma's house and then on the road we will go! It's about a 5+hr drive, then I have check-in, tanning and my polygraph...so yeah, busy day to say the least.

So for now I say, thanks for following along..
For those of you making the trip...I'll see ya in Richmond!
And for everyone else on the crazy train, I promise a full recap when I return!

CHOO CHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3 is the magic number.....

 and hopefully I will magically get my shit together!

I did my daily morning check in with Joe, sent pics and some feed back on how I'm feeling. I really do hate the way I look first thing in the morning...and I'm not just talking the lack of make-up either! I feel flat, skinny etc..But, apparently that is a good thing LOL! I hit the gym for a light Chest/Delt and Tri workout...It was definitely a good morale booster. I had a solid pump, filled out, tightened/hardened up...but then I followed with a HIIT session and nearly threw up...I am just so over this cardio bullshit! So, as per the boss my nutrition/macros were the same as yesterday, I still salted my meals but I'm cutting back on my sweeteners/sugar free products and only having a small serving of dairy. Tomorrow, I'll be updating him again and kickin up the carbs a bit so let's see how that goes......

Other than that, I'm trying to get some sort of handle on all the shit I still have to do. Somehow between going to work, training and cardio..I still have to do my food shopping for the weekend, not pack yet, but get everything together...not to mention all the girly shit..nails, toes...blah! Doing it myself is definitely a money saver and I'm all about ghetto glam on a budget but UGH, I would so much rather go get it all taken care of...of course, not sure where I'd fit that into the schedule anyway. I have food prep and a TON of laundry that I need to do, good thing I'll be rockin old black clothes all weekend.

I really don't recall peak week ever being THIS hectic..Or, maybe it's just been that long since I've prepped...Eh, who can figure me out anyway. ((shrug))

Now, I'm off for some rest before another early yet busy day tomorrow!

T-minus 4 days!

Sometimes, I think this week is going by too slow...
Then, when I think of all the shit I still have to do, I feel like I don't have nearly enough time..I need more hours in my day! I'm just feeling all over the place...constantly running but not getting anywhere, oh well...I just have to relax and know it will all come together. ((If you know me, you know that was just me trying to convince myself LOL!)

Anywho....
I took a set of pics and set my info over to Joe. I was still not digging my look..SKINNY...YUCKY! but after breakfast and getting a nice pump during my workout, I was actually feeling pretty good about things...looked fuller/harder. I did a light back and bi workout, then followed it up with a half hour of steady state cardio.. My diet wasn't much different today, than yesterday..a bit lower in fat but carbs and protein were the same...still salting and chugging my water like a good girl. After sending my update to Joe, he did make some slight changes to the approach so I'll be updating him in the morning (again with the damn pictures!) and rolling from there.

And in not so shocking news....
I'm in full fuckin bitch mode today!
Seriously, everything and nothing is annoying me..For some reason people are mistaking my sarcasm for humor...No, I really think you're an idiot...I'm not being funny...Just GO AWAY! It's just one of those days where I am snappy for no reason and I'd much rather just be left alone.
(((and......breathe.....)))

Here's hoping for another good night of rest!
Til tomorrow.....

Go ahead...try to not sing along, dare ya!

5 Days to go....

Yep..Yep..Just 5 more days to go!

Today was my last leg workout. Nothing intense or heavy...lighter weight, as if I have any strength left anyway HA! and higher reps..worked in the 12-15 to 20 range. Extensions, leg press, leg curls, lunges...blah, blah...Overall a decent workout but nothing to get uber excited about..wrapped up my gym session with 40min of steady state cardio.

On the dieting front, things were much brighter today :) Yea, still not enough food to satisfy me but MORE than what I have had in a while..it was delicious! I'm still salting my meals and getting my water in, not as much as I think I should so I'm definitely going to put a little more focus on that tomorrow.

Macros:
40g Fat
130g Carb
130g Pro

Honesty, today was a down day. I really wasn't seeing anything worth getting excited about in the mirror. I actually felt skinny fat...yeah, I go from feeling like a skinny twig to feeling skinny fat...Try living in my head, I tell ya..it's frightening! Tomorrow I'll be checking in with Joe, sending pics etc so as much as I'm THRILLED about that (sarcasm much!?!) I'm looking forward to hopefully a little change in perspective.

Other than that, I've been a busy little bee getting things line up and organized for the weekend. The OCD freak of planning that I am is making my lists for what I need to do, when I need to do it, what I need to pack etc...It's enough to make my head spin, but things are rolling along and coming together.

For now, I'm looking forward to a good nights sleep and here's to waking up with a renewed mindset :)

6 Days.....

Today the mental roller coaster was a nutty one...I was VERY low, then I took an upswing!

I had to check in with Joe this morning after a few days on my final plan. My weight continues to drop and I was sitting at 109lbs this morning...WOAH! I sent him a round of quarter turns too and UGH, that damn near ruined my day. Again..I'm skinny and stringy...blah blah. I'm sure you're over hearing it, cause I'm over saying it! Overall, the boss says I'm in a good place and on the right track so to follow with the plan and check back on Tuesday...Yes, sir!

My plan for today was the same as yesterday..macros as well as training, or lack there of. I went to the gym for a HIIT session and a round of posing practice. After the gym, getting some errands done and an therapeutic 20min in the tanning bed, my upswing began and I was really feeling much better about myself. I was looking fuller and lean, veins were popping....now, if only I could figure a way to get a tanning bed backstage..just sayin' :)

In addition to all the gym, cardio and posing..of course, the tanning..I am getting all the girly shit taken care of as well.  Got my eyebrows did and finally got around to dying my hair...my bathroom and my skin is a mess but hey, this bitch is poor and I'm all about beauty on a budget LOL! Details like this make me wish I were a dude and could just shave my head...but then again, my head is WAY too huge for that!

CHEESE!

Ps: Tomorrow, I get carbs! Unfortunately it will NOT include dunking Oreo's in milk...whatever!

7 Days Out...

and let the mental mind-fuck continue........

Today was an "easy" day, if ya wanna call it that. I hit the gym for a HIIT session on the bike and put in some solid time working the heels..I know I'm depleted, blah blah...but I was just looking at myself and got so frustrated with how little and skinny I am...I look like a fuckin' twig :( I coulda threw my damn heel at the mirror! Yes, it was one of those kinda days..

My diet is very sad and leaves me hungry...SHOCKER! I slept in a bit this morning and was super busy running errands all day so overall, I wasn't toooooo preoccupied with my meals. Still salting each meal..had a wicked headache this morning as well..my body is like WTF!? I did struggle to get my water in today which is making me a bit nervous for my check in tomorrow..<biting nails>

Macros:
35g Fat
70g Carbs
130g Protein

 Random notes:
*Getting all the girly shit taken care of.
*Skin prep underway! Love LSR skin products..I would totally use their body butter year round.
*Got my huur cut...Relax before you bitches slit my throat! Just a trim and layers cleaned up...yes, it's still long...you can breathe.

Another short, but retardedly sweet post :))