I’m 51, carrying some extra weight, trying to get rid of some injuries that have stayed too long like a houseguest who overstayed their welcome, and on a hormone roller coaster that’s deposited some rolls around my belly and has my emotions jumping around in an award-winning performance of Dr. Jekyll & Mrs. Hyde.
So, obviously, like any sane woman would do, I’m participating in my first bikini competition.
Yes, I said “bikini” followed by the word “competition.”
20 weeks from today, to be exact.
November 17th. Of this year. 2018.
Why, you ask? You’re not the only one.
First of all, for fun. A friend asked if I wanted to do it and I said, “Sure, why not?” I have been known to do things without thinking them fully through.
Secondly, other friends said they wanted to do it, too. What’s more fun than to be working toward a common goal with friends? Wine? Well, okay, you got me there.
But, “friends with common goals” is a very close second. We get together one day a week to train with a trainer who is also a bikini competitor. More on this later, but one day a week does not a bikini body make.
After our first training session, I couldn’t sit down or roll over for three days. Although, I could still shake on command. I just knew my butt was going to slide back up to the top of my hamstrings and I wouldn’t be too far off from walking that competition stage. I took my “before” pics after that first session, and was shocked and stunned at how far down my legs my butt had slid. It’s not fair to be that sore and have my butt spread out evenly between my waist and knees.
Finally, my biggest reason is to hold myself accountable. For the past couple of years, I’ve floundered a bit. Some personal struggles, relationships, depression and minor injuries, to name a few, really took hold of me. While, as a health coach, I coached others to improve their diet and health, I didn’t fully practice what I preached. I began to feel like an imposter.
I decided I wanted to make my journey public, to help keep me on track and to inspire others to get out of their comfort zone and do something that scares them. I’m not saying everyone should do a bikini competition, but I do think everyone should find something that takes you out of your comfort zone so you can grow!
Ultimately though, I’m going on this journey for me. Not to win. Not to be skinny. Not to show off in a bikini. Not for anyone else’s approval.
I’m doing this because I want to be healthy and fit. I want to commit to something for myself and follow through. I want to believe in myself. I want to grow.
I have a feeling that I’m going to learn a lot along the way, not just about health, fitness and how to bedazzle my homemade competition bikini. But, about myself.
So, how do you prepare for a bikini competition??? I’m not 100% sure!
I do know I’ll be focusing on my diet and workouts. For my diet, I’m starting at 1600 calories a day, trying to hit my macros of 40% carbs, 30% fat and 30% protein. I’m taking added sugar out of my diet. I’m doing this because sugar is a trigger for me to binge. I’m also trying to reduce inflammation in my body and, for me, eliminating added sugar is my first step.
I’ll be doing a lot of weight-bearing workouts with lots of squats, deadlifts, lunges and other moves to target my glutes to get my butt to move back up into position! I’ll also be working to whittle down my waist and stomach and tone my lats.
Many bikini competitors compete at around 100 pounds. The last time I was anywhere near that number, I was 23 and had just gotten braces and couldn’t eat for a couple of weeks. If you stood close to me, my ribs could have poked you in the eye. So, that weight may not work for me.
I’ll have to learn how to walk in high heels, how to pose, how to evenly spray tan (I’ll be searching for non-toxic, of course) and how to make my own bikini!
I’ll be documenting each week with lots of dietary landmines ahead – today (date night), July 4th, my birthday, my boyfriend’s birthday, summer, camping and vacation, my mom’s birthday, Halloween and every day in between!
20 weeks from today, I’ll share my before (yikes!) and after photos.
Come follow me on my bikini competition journey!
Here’s to bedazzled bikinis and shattered comfort zones!
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