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Created: Monday, 18 August 2014 21:08

The Nabba/Wff Pan Pacifics was my own personal goal for many reasons. It was something I needed to do for myself, by myself,  and I dont regret it for one minute. I was pretty indecisive about competing again at first, but by the time I had firmly made up my mind I had 12 weeks - or was it 10. As I said in a previous blog, I had jumped on my scales in January and I had hit 70kgs - just.  That was enough to give me a shock so I decided to do something about it. I felt good however, strong in the gym, and loads of energy. Sometimes I would put something on and it would be abit tight and I'd think, oh well muscle gained.  But things didnt really fit right.  

Me - January February 2014 - 69-70kgs  and in green 12 weeks out 68-69kgs 

I find competition training and prep pretty easy normally.  I do not have a problem with food. I normally do not crave things very often, other than the odd caramel slice which I love more than anything in this world as far as treats are concerned. I do love food but I love my clean food best.  I love to have lots of what I am allowed - uunmeasured and uncensored food !!. If I were to pig out I would throw another kumara in the microwave or throw another chicken breast in or have another bowl of oats and protein powder or rice and protein powder. If its protein I will have it..   I used to have Burger Fuel once a week when I would have half of the burger bun - normally chicken and avocado and 1 small bottle of wine. (yes didnt you know you can buy wine there)

I used to dread weekends sometimes cos I knew my partner would want to go out and eat bad, which I would do sometimes but usually I would try and use delay tactics or something.  However if I did participate I didnt feel the need to walk on the treadmill for 2 hours afterwards or beforehand to make up for it.  I'm not one of those people to do cardio becos of what I have eaten or for what I want to eat. I cardio cos I love it and I eat cos I love it - I just tend to eat the food which suits me - I do be naughty sometimes but not often as it  usually makes me feel sick for days if I do. Over the years my body has become very sensitive to many foods so I tend to stick to the same foods which fortunately for me my body loves. I now have a healthy respect for food, and I understand the good it can do for you and the damage it can do. Being newly single means I can eat what I want and that means clean most of the time.  That doesnt mean I didnt have post competition pig outs.  I did this time and they were super yummy but it was uncontrolled eating on the saturday night and controlled eating on the Sunday and I had a few meals out during the week which are just normal peoples meals - Nandos etc,  and even then my body struggled with having more volume of food in my tummy than the previous weeks or months leading to the event. 

Here is a brief breakdown of my 12 weeks prep.  You must realise though that I change things daily depending on how I feel and look. I have competed for over 20 years and know what to do with my body.  Some things have changed and as I am midway through menopause I did have to be aware that certain things I have done for contest prep may not work this time.  My abs werent half as good as they were the weeks leading up to the comp so I havent learnt that my body cant handle the carbs that I used to but I will learn from this and come into another contest with the abs spot on 

Week 12-8 

Weeks 12-8 I kept my runs down to 3 x 30 mins per week and started doing the stair master x 2-3 times per week which is an incredible machine Wolfs 24 Hour Gym, Henderson. 
 I used to go pretty hard out on the Stairmaster.  Level 12-15 adding different techniques to work the muscles, side steps, calf raise step ups, lean back away from the machine, standing upright, anything I could think of. I dont believe in doing it easy for a longer period.  Go hard for a shorter time is the way for me. 

I'm not listing my actual food on my blog as it wouldnt suit many of you but 12 weeks out from comp I was having 75 grams of carbs per day on average and I would throw in a higher carb day when I felt my body needed it or a higher fat day. Never both. 

8 weeks to go and 5.5 down from the start of my weight loss fad. 

At weeks 8-4 my carbs dropped down to 50 grams of carbs per day and my runs stepped up to 5 days per week with cycling 3-5 days per week. 

5 weeks out my weight fluctuated between 61-62 kgs 

4 weeks out 60.8kgs 

10 days to go 59-60kgs 

1 week out - Tired and depleted - still 59-61 kgs 

4-0 weeks till the comp  my carbs dropped to 25 grams and I did only 1-2 days of nil carbs.   I was running 5-6 days a week, for sometimes 50 mins and sometimes 30 mins. I would cycle almost every night so 7 days per week for 30 mins or 45 minutes depending on how long my run was.  The rest of my food didnt change really - I was on chicken breast mostly, the odd fish meal and still steak if I felt like it and I would snack on hard boiled eggs.  I was having protein pancakes most days for breakfast, and I didnt totally decarb on the final week. I was eating almonds,  perhaps 30 per day or adding flax seed oil which I love on my kumara with rock salt.  Thats basically the diet I used with small changes depending on how I was feeling or looking. Sometimes if I felt I was looking too skinny or felt to weak I would add more fats. So really I would do what I thought I had to do each day. One things for sure, I was ready early and I was able to fill my muscles out for the competiton so I didnt look skinny.  I was happy with my look and thats the main thing. 

Weight at the competition 62-63kgs.  

Post Comp Round-up 

Most people want to know what Naera and I have done after the competition. Well normally I would say that on the Sunday I would do some eating and some cardio as well.  However this year I did no cardio but I did some eating.  Naera and I went to the "McMansion" and my girlfriend Rachael made us a cheeseboard to die for and strawberry daiquiries which were gorgeous.  After that I took my son to Sals Pizza which had just opening in Henderson and I had two pieces of pizza and felt really sick when I went to bed.  
Just to let you know that after this competition I was physically drained. I seem to get like that after a competition. Ive missed many a banquet overseas after the worlds events etc cos Im absolutely buggered.  Call me a piker if you like lol.  But I like to think it is cos I give mentally and physically every day of the duration of prep and once it is stopped my body just gives up, mentally and physically. This time was no exception.  I had work as usual on Monday (I always tell my clients to take monday off work and enjoy it but dont do it myself)  and I was exhausted.  It took me the whole week to come right.  Some people say it is probably my age, as at 53, it has been 3 years since I competed. Well I dont feel 3 years older in my body but maybe it did take its toll - I dont know. Some of the days I felt so physically drained I would get in from work, quickly eat lunch,  set my alarm, get a nap in, then sleep walk to the wardrobe and drag my running shoes out and go for my run then get ready for evening work again. I used to come right physically about 4 or 5pm then have high energy all night -typical isnt it, but was like the walking dead in the morning.  Poor Neville, my training partner would be all hyped for training and he would almost have to prise me off Wolfs lounge suite to train. I trained with a coffee cup permanently beside me or  held to my lips. I should of just put it in a sipper bottle.  

Post contest week I trained very moderately for 3 sessions.  Well probably only 3 half pied training sessions cos I talked through most of it.  And I didnt run once in 9 days.  But I ran again yesterday, and today as well and it was awesome.. Plus  I trained with Neville this morning so getting back into it.  So the plan is back to training every morning at 7am and my run every afternoon, well 5-6 days of the week anyway. 

So guys, Im spending this week getting my site and the "Battle of the Bitches" page ready for my new "Bitches". How exciting.  Im looking forward to keeping you entertained.  Enjoy another picture from my silver shoot by Photoshoot by Peter and Rosemary Morris.  Not my typical shoot and definately not their either but we were happy with the prints we gained from it.  Train hard and most importantly aim for & live your dreams to fruition..  Luf and muscles - Jo 
Today 10 days after the competition - 64.5 kgs