Dec. 15, 2010

Last week was really great - I lost 4 pounds... but haven't lost anything else since! I know I just have to take my own advice that I always give my students - be patient and keep being clean, but it's sooooo hard! I have eaten totally clean for 2 weeks now (except for one cheat meal for each week) and I don't feel there has been enough change compared to other times I've shaped up. I keep thinking I should maybe get even stricter (like less peanut butter, cheese, honey, etc.), but when I do that I tend to fall off the wagon more frequently with bigger badder cheats. I will keep going like this and see if it will pay off in the end (I'm sure it will!) I have upper my workouts lately (as I was feeling a little slack throughout the time I had that bad cough) and yesterday I think I did the hardest workout in my life!!! Me and my gym pals did a Crossfit inspired 50-rep workout and I can barely move anything today! It feels good. Because of this I am taking today as a rest day.

Here's the workout if any of you guys wanna try it out:

50 of each:
- box jump
- jump pull-ups
- kettlebell swings
- walking lunges
- hanging knees-to-elbows
- medicine ball throw with squat
- skipping (double unders)
- burpees
- sit-ups
- back extensions

try it - you'll like it

Dec. 8, 2010

So, I had a goal to lose 5 pounds this past week as it was my first week of really cleaning up my eating for the whole week and weekend (not just the week, then go crazy all weekend which is what I've been doing lately)... I ended up losing 4 pounds which is close enough for me to be happy.  I really feel terrific for doing this and already notice my body tightening up a bit more because of my consistent clean eating for just a week and a bit now!  I have marked what goal weight I want to be each week on my calendar to keep me on point to reach my various goals.  I also write down everything I eat, input it into fitday.com, then record my calories, carbs, fat, protein grams & percents, plus what workout(s) I do on each day on my calendar.  Speaking of workouts... I have been missing my early morning workouts a lot lately because my schedule has been different and I've been up later lately as we look for a house.  But, I have been teaching lots of workout classes and actually trying to push myself to take part through the whole workout and not just watch my students when I get tired.  It has been an eye-opener for me to feel how very sore I make people (ha ha - evil laugh!) - let me tell you after Pure Sweat on Monday and my noon-time workout class yesterday, this morning I could barely get outta bed!  I'm so sore and in so many great places like my butt and my abs! yay!  I always walk to work and all over pushing my son in a stroller, but lately I've been trying to push myself to walk faster so it's a real workout for me!

Dec. 1, 2010

Been really healthy this week so far - yay!  I have made the commitment to have a bare belly in every bellydance class I teach from now on... many reasons... main one being it forces me to stay clean with the eating as I don't want to expose my belly if it's all fat.  Right now it is a little chubby, but the fact that I'll stay accountable and make a change to it every week is what is keeping it bare and helping me through this uncomfortable phase!  Also, of course when teaching belly rolls, pops, etc. it's much easier to demonstrate things when students can actually see what your belly is doing!  So, I came out last night and told all my students that's how it would be from now on to keep me strict with my healthy eating!

November 29, 2010

When people get busy and stressed out, clean eating often goes out the door.  I am almost always busy and/or stressed, so I thought I'd share one of my secrets for eating clean on the run!  Eating clean takes lots of prep and planning, right?  Well, usually yes, but if you're in a bind and you haven't packed your whole day of healthy meals and snacks, it can be as quick and easy as popping into Starbucks and getting a bunch of good stuff!  People generally don't think Starbucks could possibly be the answer - they're thinking about all the creamy fatty drinks, muffins, and my weakness- butter tarts (they are awesome there!)... but if you look past that, you'll find pretty good choices for meals at Starbucks!  Almost every Saturday (my very busiest day) I rely on them for my meals... let me break it down for y'all...

8am - Reduced-Fat Turkey Bacon with Egg Whites on English Muffin & Green Tea

Calories 320, Fat 7g, Carbs 43g, Protein 18g


11am - Strawberry & Blueberry Yogurt Parfait
Calories 300, Fat 3.5g, Carbs 60g, Protein 7g

2pm - Egg White, Spinach & Feta Wrap
Calories 280, Fat 10g, Carbs 33g, Protein 18g

5pm - Chicken on Flatbread with Hummus Artisan Snack Plate
Calories 250, Fat 9g, Carbs 27g, Protein 17g

TOTAL 1110 calories, Fat 29.5g, Carbs 159g, Protein 55g

I would normally try to have a good dinner of mostly veggies and protein at home around 8pm after a day like this so I could boost my protein up and keep the fat and carbs lower.  There are many other healthy options at Starbucks - these are just my faves!  Check out http://www.starbucks.com and click on menu at the top for more nutritional info on their stuff!  So, no excuses!  Don't choose the donut and creamy coffee concoction - go for the egg white/spinach. feta wrap with a refresh tea instead!  NO EXCUSES!

 

 

 

 

Nov. 24, 2010

Hello!

I haven't posted for a while here!  I've been really busy trying to find a house, working hard, and spending time with my son.  I am re-committing to consistently eating clean (no slacking on the weekends) and hardcore workouts!  I have a cold right now so I am taking some rest time today, but still eating totally clean to try to replenish my body with the best fuel!  Tomorrow I hope to be back 100% to the gym!  I have decided I will be competing in April at UFE, so I will be focusing on that NOW!  Talk soon!

Sept. 25, 2010

OK, so I have been pretty easygoing with the workouts this week... only one early morning all week, so today (Saturday) I decided I'll be back onto the crazy early morning workouts again!  Got up early and did a good 45 minutes of hard cardio this morning while I did my laundry and read the new FLEX magazine.  Now I'm on the computer checkinh out all the Olympia coverage on bodybuilding.com - awesome, they have tons of videos of the whole event.  Last night was the big ladies night - fitness, figure, bikini and female bodybuilding so it's all the totally inspiring stuff cause I definitely want to be competing there next September!!!  What a way to start my day - so many awesome bodies - WOW!  Got my eye on the prize and nothing is gonna stop me! I've also got some short term goals like trying to look in decent shape for the a few big dance shows I have coming up (one I heard I'll have to be wearing a samba costume in - oy!)  Here we go!!!!!

September 23, 2010

Well, it's been a while since I posted here!  My whole summer has been very busy, I've kept up with my wicked-fun workouts,but have been very off-and-on with the clean eating.  I was trying to learn to be a more regular person, not a competitor always training for a competition.  It was hard!!!  Although I have now decided on some fitness competition goals for 2011, I have made a commitment to myself to do it in a more long-term, healthy way this time.  My first competition will be UFE's Spring Bash on April 9, so I have about 6 months till then to lose about 20 pounds which I think is a good goal for me!  I really want to stick around my competition look (within 5 - 7 pounds) year-round.  I am giving up competing in the figure category all together and will only be competing in Fitness Model and Bikini categories so it's not such a big ripped look and will be more maintainable for me!  Most of all I really want to look fit year-round for my life in general!  Really dissapointed that I'm not at Olympia this weekend and I have made a commitment to be competing there next year!!! I promise to post more regularly here to keep you all posted on how it's going for me!

Thurs. August 26, 2010

Hey!!!!!

It's been a while since I posted here!  A lot has happened and I wanna update you all first... SOOOOO, I have decided to take some time off from competing in fitness and figure competitions.  I was prepping for one in June and it just was not feeling right.  I think I've screwed up my metabolism and mind a bit from doing too many in too short a time as well as not maintaining my weight throughout... I tend to lose quick for a competition, then gain it all back right after.  This is definitely not a healthy practise I know, so I have decided to take at least 6 months off from competing and work towards a more healthy and balanced lifestyle.  So far it has been ok, but I feel I let myself off the hook a whole lot when I don't have a scary deadline like a competition looming, so I have put on a bit of chub.  I am now working at losing that chub slowly and consistently by exercising (though not 3 times a day anymore) and eating right (my biggest challenge)!  I have come to the realization that I really just need to take my own advice that I give clients/students who want to make lasting changes to their body and life!  Summer has been awesome and I've been filling my life with other things to fill the void that competing left... playing with my son more, planning my dance and fitness classes, performing with my dance troupes, writing articles, working on a new site for my studio, and more!  I plan to keep you all posted on how my journey goes.  Someone said something wise to me when I said I'm trying to be LESS goal oriented in terms of competing (like not having a date for an upcoming competition so I don't have a bad type of pressure), and he said you just need to have a longer-term goal - like competing in a year and start working slowly towards it now (not a month before the competition how I tend to!)  I will keep this in mind as I set goals for myself and really stop procrastinating! You too?

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

So, my eating has been clean and my workouts have been hardcore for the past two weeks which I'm proud of... BUT... I'm experiencing something very new and irritating - very very slow results :<  Usually as soon as I start eating right and cut the junk I see huge fat loss results right away, but this time I'm just not getting the rewards I want for all this hard work.  I only have three weeks until my competition and I'm so far from my goal for it.  Maybe this is the universe giving me a few hard lessons 1) don't procrastinate! 2) don't let yourself get so far out of competition shape ever - eat clean year round! 3) be more understanding that lots can be going on with people's bodies and not everyone loses weight the same way even if they're doing everything right, and 4) it's not always playing the blame game when you try to figure out other factors (other than diet) that could effect fat loss. 

So, I'm trying to stay positive through this difficult time and realize I'm learning and growing through this process!  I have tightened up my diet even more this week by cutting carbs further and adding a bit more cardio.  I'm trying to think that if I don't make my ultimat goal for Aug. 7, I want to know that I did EVERYTHING possible to try to get there - no regrets (other than starting too late I guess)!  A little worried that I'm overtraining and undereating and that could be the cause of slow results - hmmm.... what can I do at this point though? I'm not gonna sit around doing nothing and eating more!  I am trying to take naps so I get some rest that way!  I'll keep you posted!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

OK, this week's vlog is up:

and if you've watched that already, this might bore you a bit...

sooooooo, last week was a bit of a write-off (other than a learning experience for me I guess). Yes, my eating was all over the place... some days would be full of junk, others were totally clean - it really was a mess! Then around Thursday I started feeling a bit unwell... my tummy hurt (and instead of taking a cue from this and eating well, I convinced myself I NEEDED carby carbs to settle my stomach) and I was feeling really exhausted especially in the morning when I usually hop outta bed for a good workout. I think it turns into a vicious cycle when you get off your regular healthy routine and start feeling yucky and then wind up not feeling like doing healthy things. I also was very busy over the log weekend with dance performances at festivals, classes, rehearsals, reno work at the studio, plus a bit of hanging out with friends and family. I managed to dehydrate myself pretty bad due to long hours of work over the weekend... I was going 8 or 9 hours without food and little water (which is VERY unlike me!) and I knew something was very wrong when on Sunday afternoon I started feeling dizzy and shaky! I started cramming all sorts of fruits and glasses of water down my mouth and was feeling better, still a little nauseous, but much better after that!

So my weight has not changed - I'm at 157 pounds still, but I have made a promise to myself that I WILL get to 155 by this Saturday no matter what!!! I got up early today and did a killer lower body workout wit da boyz in the gym and followed it up with 30 minutes of cardio. Will run to the studio tonight to teach my classes.

Feeling so much better today!!!

June 29, 2010

One of my body transformation programs just ended (a few ladies from the business upstairs from my studio were doing a private 12-week program together, then at the end of that three of them continued on with me for an additional 8 weeks to get further to their ultimate goals.) I LOVE to witness the change people go through not just physically, but in all aspects of their life, when they do a program like this. Yes, tons of pounds and inches were lost (one superstar lost over 40 lbs!)but more importantly, I hope my programs show participants that they have the power to change anything in their lives if they really put their mind to it! I am always super-stoked by all my student's progress - it makes me get all goose-bumpy when I feel like I'm helping people make real positive changes in their lives and of course it also keeps me totally motivated seeing them all working so hard towards their goals and dreams - LOVE IT!!!  If you wanna make changes like I've talked about here and work towards your dream body this summer, I have a new 12-week body transformation program starting next Saturday, June 10 - check out www.flowfitness.ca for more info! Or check out my 4-week free online transformation site with forum at http://www.mayada.ca/4-weektransformation/online_4_week_body_transformation%20main.htm

I just made a new vlog! In it I discuss a bit about my weekend, the power of positive thinking, as well as give an at-home upper body workout for you all to try!

My weekend in brief: Niagara Falls was great - so glad we weren't here for all the G20 stuff! I did stray a tiny bit from my clean eats, but nowhere near as bad as I usually would be on a weekend at the Falls or even a typical weekend here! There were no sugar binges or pizza or anything too crazy... I did have a burger at T.G.I.Fridays - yum! And I tried those Dippin Dots for the first time too! I feel a bit bloaty and gross now after that day, but it wasn't too severe! I do feel like I'm finding a lot more balance in my eating (not being way to severe and strict and not eating pure garbage) so that's exciting to me as I'm usually such an all-or-nothing type of gal!

here's a pic that made me happy:

This pic was from Friday (Brasil-Portugal soccer game)... And it is an action shot of me dancing samba... I was a little worried about seeing the dancing pics as even when you're pretty fit you can look rolly and fat in movement shots where you aren't pulling up, everything is all loose and jiggly, and crazy twisting motions in samba make it really bad sometimes... but none of them were terrible, and I can even see a bit of ab definition in this one (I know there is still a little belly, but seeing improvement for sure!)

YAY!

Talk soon!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

I was very good diet-wise and workout-wise yesterday probably a lot of my success was because I was very busy and stayed home working all day. Of course being in surrounded by healthy food is easier usually than being out in the real world with all sorts of tempting stuff everywhere. I actually didn't even get all my meals in yesterday cause I was so busy trying to get lots of work done on the computer! Plus I got 2 workouts in! My food stats for yesterday were 1098 calories - 29g fat (24%), 140g carbs (50%), 70g protein (26%). So, the calories and protein were a little low, but still ok!

This morning I knew my condo gym would be closed again so I got up early and was all ready to run and workout outside again, but when I got down, it was pouring! I thought about going out anyways or doing a stair workout, but instead came back up and got a lot of computer work done instead! I will hopefully be able to run to the studio and do a workout there before teaching my noon-time boot camp class.

Tomorrow I'm gonna be in a little samba bikini for the Brazil soccer game so that's my short-term goal to stay on track this week, plus this weekend we're going away to Niagara and I wanna rock my bikini at a waterpark while there! I find I really need to have weekly small goals like this to keep me going! My goal for next week is to start teaching all classes with a midriff-baring top (starting Monday) - this is really motivating to stay on track daily! As well as being great diet-wise, I think I'm gonna need a Mystic Tan too - lol!

Check out my latest vlog including a at-home workout you can do:

Monday, June 21, 2010

So it's the first official day of my free 4-week challenge! I just finished taping a little vlog for day one where I discuss my workouts planned for the day, a quick breakfast idea, and how I use tea to curb sweet/treat cravings throughout the day. Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcAJfasaOqk I'm so excited that a few of you are already on here with your starting point pics, and I expect a few more within the next few days. You can all tell your friends and family to do it with you (they can start anytime really, as long as we're all serious and committed to making a real difference and achieving all our goals!

So, today I will probably go shopping with my mom before my PURE SWEAT class at the studio... this is always a challenge for me... I find malls and being out with people really makes me wanna eat every bad food out there. It's day one of my new life so I'm sure I'll be fine, but I will be packing my tuna and chicken breasts to make sure I stay on track! I have decided to take the guess-work out and eat the same thing every day this week at the same time... here's what I'll be eating every day this week without fail:

egg whites & oatmeal

tuna with cucumber

broccoli & cottage cheese

chicken breast & rice cake with peanut butter

egg whites

I find this keeps me super-clean and I never talk myself into eating something I kinda shouldn't. There's no question about what you're eating next with this type of plan! And I'm going to try to get my whole day of meals prepped in the morning so it's just waiting there in the fridge for me! Try it out if you want!

4 WEEKS UNTIL IDFA COMPETITION!!! I need to lose 5 pounds per week for 4 weeks!!!

June 4, 2010

So, I'm back in training for my next competition (IDFA on July 17). I feel totally inspired and excited about bettering my body a lot from the last competition. I definitely wasn't in my best shape for May 15th, but I still wanted to get back in there and compete just to get back into competing as well as motivate me to do way better next time which it totally did! I have been experimenting a lot this week with various workouts and am planning a new plan of action in the gym that I will start this Monday. I have decided to stop weights (except for my problem areas like my butt and hamstrings) and do crazy intense workouts of plyometrics, intervals, lots of bodyweight stuff, etc. Only problem now with that is I have a bit of a shoulder injury so a lot of that stuff is out - guess I will be focussing alot on lower body stuff for the next few days (and hopefully it gets better quick!) Thanks for helping me win the Status Magazine fitness model online competition last month - that was incredible - woo-hoo! Now, vote for me in the FLEX Magazine Bikini Model Search online until June 15 at http://www.flexonline.com/flexmodelsearch/vote/ - I am in the middle of the page (Meagan H.), click on circle by my name, then scroll down to bottom of page and click vote! Thanks guys! I have so much more to write about, but I will save it for when I have a bit more time on my hands! Talk soon!

Check out my VLOG of of May 15th competition:

May 5, 2010

10 days from my next competition - IDFA's Novice Classic!!! I can't believe it! I was unsure of whether I should compete or not (even up until this past weekend) as I feel so far off from my real goal, but I think I need to get in there and just do it so I'm back in the world of fitness competitions again and I can just keep progressing with each show this spring/summer! I plan on doing one each month for the next little while and there will be improvements with each! SO the next 10 days will be ultra-intense with lots of cardio, weights, and of course a tight diet! I'll keep you posted on how it's going as I go!

April 16, 2010

I'm in the midst of a very very busy time, but thought I'd take a moment out to update my blog here! So, if you keep up with my new video blogs (check out the latest one at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Beoq7i-GVxg ), you know I'm prepping for IDFA's Novice Classic where I will be competing in the Fitness Model category instead of my usual (Figure)- it's almost 4 weeks away - wow! But, this and next week is full of prep for a non-fitness-related event that's coming up next week, and that is the International Bellydance Conference Canada! For non-bellydancers who are reading my blog - it's a huge bellydance event held for four days here in T.O. every two years that brings in bellydance stars from around the globe to teach workshops and perform, plus there are lectures, panel discussions, and so much more. I am deeply involved - I'll be performing a solo on Wednesday, two of my troupes are performing on various days, I'm speaking on a panel about bellydance and body image, my bellydance magazine has a table in the vendor's area, and of course I'm gonna try to take in as many workshops, lectures, and shows as I can! So, there's a lot of sewing, choreographing, practising, and getting promo material for MID-BITS Magazine (plus the actual new issue) together right now! Since I have very limited time in the day to really work on stuff cause I have a 1 1/2 year old running around and jumping off the couch, etc. I have decided some workouts may have to be sacrificed for some of the IBCC prep this week. It hurt a bit (cause I love to workout and don't feel right when I miss a morning workout), but this morning I got up at 4:30am and instead of happily heading out to workout, I stayed in and got down to choreographing my solo dance for Wednesday! I'm trying to look at it in this way... I know my body responds most strongly to eating totally clean (and working out is a small part of my fat-loss usually), so if I miss a few cardio sessions here or there over the next few days it will just make me stay even cleaner with the diet. I have been really great this week eating only lean protein (egg whites, chicken, protein shakes), a few veggies, and small amounts of fat (to make up for the oh-so-low carbs). I am 1 pound away from my big goal for tomorrow - so I know I will make it!!! Something else that's really been helping me stay on track with the diet is promising all my students that I'm back to sporting belly-baring tops for classes from now on (no excuses!) If I have to have my belly out there for everyone to see and me to see for hours in the mirror at the studio - if it looks great I feel proud of all my hard work and if it doesn't look so hot, it keeps me from eating bad when I get home at night. It also keeps me from eating bad stuff all day as I don't want a big bloated-looking belly in class! Plus this way I see my progress from week to week and hopefully my students can see what's possible if you clean up your diet and workout! Anyways, I'd better be getting back to choreographing or sewing or something now! Talk soon!

This past week or so has been so killer hardcore (which is great!!!) I've kept my eats clean, my workouts insane, and have been really proud of my efforts. Only problem is that I'm not seeing my progress visibly too quickly this time. Usually as soon as I clean up my diet I drop fat instantly... but not this time! I know I've been on-and-off a bit since January, but I'm so used to it being a little easier than it is this time... I don't know what's wrong, but I'm trying to take my own advice that I give my students about not worrying so much about what the scale says and judging more from how you look in the mirror each day or week. I also tell people that sometimes you reach a sticking point and you need to just be all the more stringent in your diet and keep on trucking and then all of a sudden big changes will happen if your patient! So, I'll be staying strong in my competition prep and waiting for some terrific results to show up soon I hope! I also just started Crossfit (aiming for 2 times/week) to mix up my training a bit, shock my body, as well as learning a whole new work-out mode! It's awesome and I love the feeling of being a beginner at something rather than the expert or teacher. That always humbles me, makes me work harder, and helps me better understand beginner students who come to me! So, my first competition of the season is in less than 4 weeks - UFE Spring Bash, too soon - getting a little worried about reaching my goal weight/look for that show, but staying positive as that's the only way to be! I'm also very excited to have made the decision to compete in IDFA's Novice Classic after that on May 15. I'll be competing in the Fitness Model Division and plan to be at my very best by then!

I'm taking a cue from my usual Wednesday mornings (I teach a 7am workout class at the studio, so I decide to be even crazier and get up at 4am so I can run or walk to College & Dovercourt to squeeze in a weight workout at the YMCA before I teach). I figure if I can do this every morning or at least maybe 3 or 4 a week, I can fit in even more workout time before my family wakes up. I usually go down for when my condo gym opens (5am), but I have a new plan for the next month (as I have to go to extreme measures to get ready in time for UFE Competition - April 10)! I got up at 4am this morning to get out and running, sprints, jumping, stairs, etc. outside until the gym opens at 5, then I do my normal weight workout, plus 40 - 60 minutes cardio in gym. And my plan is to get more cardio later in the day as well by either going back to the gym when Zak naps or running to/from studio on nights I teach (like tonight). I realize I will totally be over training, but I have to lose at least 20 pounds within about 4 weeks (5 lbs/week - eek!) now so whatever does it does it! Mainly I realize it will be my consistent clean eating , but I'm ready to do whatever I can to speed the process! Priorities have been elsewhere for the past few months, but I'm taking this time to re-focus on fitness! Once I've done this competition, I plan to have a competition each month so I don't yo-yo and just stay strong at anice fit feminine 130 pounds (which is totally realistic and not an unreasonable ideal I don't think). That's what I like about my switch from Figure to Bikini or Fitness Model category... it's a more natural shape that you can totally maintain year-round if you're fit and eat right. Insanity for a month, then just maintenance!

Oh my! It has been FOREVER since I last posted here! I have been really swamped lately with dance stuff! But one big dance project has just come to an end, and even though I do have another on the go to take it's place(as usual), I feel I will have to make a bit more time for fitness-related stuff as it's a huge priority to me! I have been keeping up with the hardcore workouts, but lately have been falling off the clean eating wagon every few days and I think it has a lot to do with stress and being too busy to really visualize and daydream about my fitness goals and dreams! I was planning on competing March 27 for Fitness Star, but it's too late now to get my body the way I want it to be for that, so I will prep just for UFE April 10th. Still a real stretch, but I feel I can do it as long as I stay totally strict and strong for this month leading up to it (and I think I need that stress to make me make these changes)! Then I plan on doing a comp on May 22, IDFA in July, Neutron in August, then the big finale of the Flex Bikini Model Search at Olympia in Vegas in September (if I can talk my husband into another trip!) I am very excited about bettering my body and presentation with each competition and photo shoot I do this spring/summer!

I plan on doing my early morning muscle and cardio workouts as well as an additional cardio later in the day, and I want to add crossfit once or twice a week to mix things up! The most important element will be my eating. This month will be lots of lean protein and very minimal carbs if I want to lose at least 5 pounds/week. Then I will alter things to incorporate more carbs once at my goal. I think having so many competitions (1 per month) will help me stay focused on my healthy eating and not yo-yo so much. I'll definitely keep you posted!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I started my new life/competition training this Monday and feel AWESOME so far!!! I ended up ordering a workout and nutrition plan from the totally awesome Mike Davies - http://www.mikedaviesfitness.com (who trains all my fave fitness stars). His plans are totally whipping my butt already, and I feel a lot more accountable knowing I have to send him progress pics each month. I'm so used to being the person who pushes other people, I felt I really needed someone to do the same to me so I could push myself ahead to the next level! I am totally determined to make 2010 a magical year for me in all aspects of life (especially in fitness). My first competition of the season is almost 11 weeks away and I have a whole lot of fat to lose! One of my fitness goals is to lean out and have a pleasing feminine fit figure (rather than my previous a bit bulkier figure look), so no more figure comps for me, I will be only competing in fitness model and bikini divisions from now on. I'm also looking forward to trying out different federations like Fitness Star and UFE this spring! SO much more to say, but am finding myself swamped with stuff to do lately and a crazy, running around baby to deal with at the same time, so gotta run for now!