The aftermath...

Well it certainly has been too long between posts. It seems like my life has been a bit of a carnival ride for the last couple of weeks and i feel like i have finally hung up my fairy floss and got off the roller coaster.
Lots has been happening - good, bad and ugly. No one ever prepares you for the aftermath of a figure comp. Im sure there were knowledgable people telling me, perhaps even warning me, about the affects of post comp struggles and what was to ensue. However perhaps its just one of those things that you cant ever really prepare for and thus just have to experience and figure out, for the most part, by yourself.
I have experienced the joys of getting up on stage in top condition, the exhilaration of completing a personal goal, the highs of being part of a somewhat misunderstood industry and sport. And then i have experienced the heartbreak of losing my comp figure merely days after i stepped up on stage (a figure people that was completley unrealistic to keep); the confusion of somewhat disordered eatng and the mental angst of finding myself without structure and nothing to strive for anymore.
Geez. Sounds like im ready to hang myself. But Im just trying to highlight the highs and lows of sometimes doing this kind of extreme sport.
It has now taken me 3 weeks to get my head around my new physique, to stop eating everything that i pass by and feel like having, and get myself back into regular exercise and eating patterns. I have finally, after a long 21 days, finally found my balance.
So that brings me to my next bit of news. I have decided not to compete in the october comps this year. I had my plan from my wonderful coaches all ready to go. I had done all my shopping and worked out my schedule. I was ready to start the craziness. And then D day was upon me. i woke up on the morning i was due to start comp prep and knew i just didnt want to do it. I had spoken to Corina the week before and I had mentioned to her that surely i could start my cardio prep at 1hr a day and build up on that, as i didnt have nearly as much weight to lose as last time.
However, the moment she told me that no i still had to do 2hrs of cardio a day and then 3hrs towards the end - i think i lost my mind! It was at that moment i lost my momentum. 3hrs of cardio a day plus weights. Ummmm NO! So that was it, decision made. I broke the news to my coaches a couple of days ago - and although im sure their disappointed they totally understand why i need a break.
Sooooo i needed a new goal, a new challenge. Im just that kind of person. I think at this stage my goal is to run the 1/2 marathon in october. i have always loved running and i feel this would be a good challenge for me to aim for.
So with more balance in all areas of my life, off i start on my new challenge...watch this space people!
xxoo

Food food glorious food...oh bugger im fat again

Well what an interesting week post comp it has been. Only one week has felt like an entire month. And this is why. I have not touched one vegetable, stepped on my treadmill, lifted a weight, or checked my watch to have my next meal. I have been a complete sloth. And can i say, this has not come guilt free. there have been times in this last week i have thought to myself, gosh, better get my arse moving again, and then i have stuck my hand in the m&m packet and carried on watching The real housewives of NYC.
So, where has this left me? Ummm with a bloated tummy, fluid retention and an extra 5kgs on the scale ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Well if you don't laugh, you will cry. I know i know, i couldnt keep my 49kg frame without sacrificing my sanity for much longer - but gee, really? 5kgs? Yes a lot of that is water but im not going to kid myself - i have been stuffing my face for 8 days straight now AND not exercising. Its a receipe for disaster - i only have myself to blame. So, that being said, its time to reel it on in again. Decisions have been made.
Now that i have consumed enough sugar to feed a small country, i feel ready to get back onto a plan, and actually 3 days after my comp i decided i was going to compete inthe october comps!
Tomorrow i start my prep. I will be approx 12 weeks out tomorrow and im hoping that this prep will be a whole lot easier considering that i dont have as much weight to lose. I started 16 weeks out last comp at 65kgs. This time round i will be starting 12 weeks out at 55kgs. Ahhh big difference. Glenn has said he would like me to be at the same comp weight of 49kgs but with an extra 5kgs of pure muscle. I like the sound of that. i had to lean down so much last comp that i just didnt have enough time to build the level of muscle i would have liked. So this time round its heavy heavy lifting and hopefully a lot less cardio.
I did a grocery shop today - im finally over my aversion to brocolli - and have just finished cooking my food for the week. Im excited to get moving again, this has taught me that i love exercise a lot more than i love jelly beans. Go figure.
So i have decided to put a (much better) plan in place after this comp in october. I am a qualified sports nutritionist, who thought i had the knowledege to get myself into an eating plan soon after comp - i was wrong. I need specific help from a pro to ease myself back into 'normal' eating after this comp so i dont make the same mistakes. I have contacted a well known coach and competitor who will do me a post comp plan. Im excited about this because it will give me the direction i need to help stop the infamous post comp binge!
So life after a comp is well, pretty ordinary! Dont get me wrong i love my life, but preparing for a comp is such a thrill and there is an exhilaration thats hard to describe. So for now, im happy to keep competing and bettering my physique.
Well people, here i go again............... enjoy the journey!
xxoo

Figure athlete reporting in!

Well i did it! I finally realised my dream of becoming a Figure Athlete on Saturday night, and boy oh boy, what a buzz! It was everything and nothing i expected.
Where do i start...
The day began with what felt like xmas...steak and 60g of lollies for breakfast. I kid you not. The night before i realised very quickly that my carb load of white potatoe was bloating me. After sending an emergency text, with picture of said bloated belly, to my coaches, i got an emergency phonecall at 11pm telling me to STOPPPPPPPP the potato and move onto plan B...operation starburst rattlesnake lollies. So the day started off well and just continued to get better and better! I spent most of the morning chilling and getting 'glam' and that was due in large, to mrs makeup extrodinaire Kate! Wow, what an amazing job - thanku hon. Then before i knew it - me, hubby, glenn and corina were in the car headed to Glen Eira stadium. As we jostled our way through the hoards i realised it was going to be time for me to get out on stage with the other girls to open the show. So i threw on my sports wear and headed nervously out on stage with 30 odd other beautiful glamazons. Ummm, i was packin it! I was so nervous by this stage that i just wanted to get in the car and go home! Im not sure why - this was the moment i had been training for for 16 weeks!!! I needed to collect myself so i could show off all my hard work.
Fortunatly, a short stint sitting int he audience with hubby, support crew (thanks girls!!) and corina, settled my nerves, and then it was time...
Glenn and Corina bustled me backstage and into a sea of fake tan, fake hair, fake nails, lots of makeup, sparkling bikinis and a table loaded with every sugary delight you can think of. We were packed like sardines, it was hot (thankgod, because i was so sick of being freezing!)and everyone was madly applying their last coat of tan for the stage. So i stood still whilst glenn and corina squirted and rubbed handfuls of the so called 'dream' tan onto me, until i looked like a little golden emmy statue. All of a sudden, a very official looking person burst through the doors and yelled out 'Novice figure short, your up in 15 , we have moved your group forward'. What the?! There i was standing in my beautiful bikini - with less than half my tan applied. When i saw the panic in glenns eyes, i started to get nervous all over again. Needent have worried however, as what seemed like 30 seconds later the tall offical man wandered back in and told us we had more time due to lengthening the intermission. Phew!
So finally tanned up, olive oiled, and with a tim tam in the belly, i was ready. I began to move down the hallway and before i could say one final word to glenn or corina, i had found myself behind the curtain on stage with 5 other girls!
As the nervous tension grew, we all chatted mindlessly and practised our routines.
And of course - i was up first...there it was, my name being called out...
'And please welcome Lauren Badman, representing Unique Fitness Studio, from Tasmania'.... Ummmmm WTF??!! Tasmania?!! That really threw me! However off i treked in my stripper heels trying to look confident, not fall over and rememebr the poses.
On stage I felt nervous but strong but the minute they called forward 3 girls to compare i knew i had not placed and so i started to relax and just enjoyed it.
And then it was over - i had placed 4th, and for me, i felt like the may as well have called me first, i felt like a winner. It was a very strong lineup, and the girls that placed deserved too, like me, their journey had paid off.
So there you have it, i achieved something that seemed so impossible many months ago. I had transformed my body, learnt many nutritional lessons, learnt alot about myself and about who i can count on to support me (and who i cannot), and conquered some demons along the way...
Today i spent the day relaxing, reliving the special moments of saturday night and catching up with some blog girls...oh yes, and eating! My poor belly! My bestie left with her hubby after a chow down on some chocolate pizza on sunday, and so now im left with photos, a medal and many many memories...
Im so forever grateful to my coaches glenn and corina who, without them, this would not have been possible. Those guys along with ASN supported me the whole way. It goes without saying that the special man in my life who i adore is the reason i stepped up on that stage. And finally to Liz, kate, and jess who came to the show to yell and scream and cheer for me,you guys are the best. Thanku to all the other wonderful clients that called me, or left me gifts and cards or just thought about me on the day - it meant so much to have your support. Thanku to all the clients that came to the afterparty, what a great time!
A lot of people have been asking me...so now what Lauren? What happens now? Well, i have decided id like to do the October Melbourne Comp. Im off to chat to my coaches tomorrow about plans for this. Yes people, im addicted!
Ill leave you now with some pics...
Remember, train hard, eat clean and ANYTHING is possible xxoo

24 hour countdown

Well people, this is it. And im not referring to Michael Jacksons tour. In 24 hours i will be stepping up on stage to complete my journey and become a figure competitor. I have done a lot of reminising over the last couple of days...how did i get to be where i am? How did i do it, when on some days, i really felt like throwing in the towell? How have i coped mentally and emotionally and physically to get to this point? And the answer: Im not really sure. Somehow i tapped into unknown reserves of determination to see this through.
This process has not just been physical, but really emotional. I have learnt things about myself i never knew - fancy that! After 31 (nearly 32 people) years of being me, i didnt know all about me at all. These are some things i have learnt about Lauren Badman.
* I am more determined than i knew
* When i want to be, im highly focused.
* Im not as emotionally attached to food as i thought i was.
* I need motivated people around me
* I adore structure and follow direction well!
* Im not very moody when carb depleting!
* I am too sensitive to others comments (well ok i really did know this one about me already!)
Theres many more, i could be on here all night. But the point is this. Just when u think you know yourself, just challenge yourself and see what u find out - it may surprise u.
Im feeling emotional about this process being over. As hard as it has been, i have enjoyed the process and am worried i may feel lost without 'prepping' for something. Do other figure girls feel this way just before a comp or after? I mean, im going to do more comps, ive decided this already, who knows when, maybe soon or maybe next year. Undecided. But maybe without the structure i will struggle...
Im also feeling emotional because this is a chapter of my life that is nearly over. i wont ever have a FIRST comp to prep for. The first is always a bit special they say.
And im feeling emotional because i want to do everyone proud tomorrow. I dont want to let my coaches down, michael or my family down, clients of the studios or myself. No pressure!
So all in all im a bundle of nerves, excitement, fear, relief, exhaustion and an eerie calm that comes over me every so often...

This morning i weighed in at...wait for it...51kgs! By stage time i should be 49-50kgs. My bikini is fitting great and im very brown from 3 spray tans! My bag is all ready to go for tomorrow and im practising my posing every chance i get. Im as ready as i will ever be.

I want to give a shout out to a few people:

1. Glenn and Corina my ASN coaches: You guys are amazing! You have supported me, guided me and taught me all the way through this process. You never gave up on me and have been there for me at the drop of a hat. I couldnt have done this without you guys, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I hope to make you proud tomorrow.

2. My family: Even though you cant be there tomorrow i know you will be thinking of me. Thank u for your words of wisdom and suppport. I love you all.

3. Kate T: You have always been an amzing person and friend. Thank you for always making me laugh, when sometimes i want to cry, and for believing in me, even on the days i dodnt believe in myself. Your a star!

4. My blog girls: All the girls that have left me comments over the months and cheered me on from cyber space - thanku! A particular thanku to Leisl who called me tonight to wish me luck with my comp - thanku your such a sweetie! The bodybuilding community is a tight nit one with loads of support, and you all have shown me that and i hope to repay the favour once you all start competing in sept and october.

5. My hubby: Saved the best for last! Thanku for being my rock, my best friend, and biggest cheer squad. In your eyes i know i can never fail. You have put up with a lot over the months and tomorrow i know u will be screaming for me the loudest. I love u.

So thats it people, sorry about the long post! Im off to get some sleep but will be posting pictuires next week and will be updating u all on how it goes. Keep everything crossed for me.

Here i go......................................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
xxooo

7 days until cake... not steak!

Well the title says it all really. My husband actually came up with this one the other night and said i should use as my blog title...so done! Thanks Mick!
Before i get onto comp related 'stuff' i just wanted to take a moment to thank all the people who emailed me, messaged me, rang me and came and saw me in person, to give their condolences regarding maddy. You all have been part of her life in one way or another and im so very grateful you all knew her as i did - a beautiful, wonderful and loyal dog. She is missed but will always be in our hearts. A particular thanku to Lisa who brought me the most beautiful bunch of flowers, a smile and a hug...its because of people like Lisa that I was able to mend my broken heart a little and forge forwards. So thanku...
OK comp prep is in its final days. Id love to be estatic, however my diet of steak/chicken, sweet potatoe and brocolli is hindering somewhat my will to live! I do think this week will be the longest i have ever experienced. Its a gruelling end to a long 15 weeks and saturday just cannot come fast enough... im ready for some CAKE!!! Actually im ready for anything that has a little bit of flavour. As ive now had to say goodbye to my friend, black coffee and my life line 'jols', im really starting to hurt, become foggy and a tad moody. I have a carb load on friday (which sounds exciting, but actually isnt at all) and then saturday its show time!
I picked up my bikini yesterday - and it fits yaaa! I was having panics about it not being right, but helen the bikini lady is magic, trully magic. She told me she uses the force...hmmmm, i beleieve her.
I also had measurements take today and all is better than good. Im sitting now at
54kgs, which if u think sounds tiny - it is. I am constantly frozen due to lack of body fat and keep getting bruises because i keep bumping into things (i think im wider than i really am at present lol!). All girths have dropped but i didnt check my body fat, but it must be below 10% because 3 weeks ago when we checked i was at 10.5%.
So this week sees me finally getting rid of most of my workouts, cardio has dropped as has my weights program, and by wed i dont have anything to do except practise posing. i just simply wouldnt have the energy for anything else anyway. Im off to register for the comp with Glenn on wednesday and thennt he rest of the week is getting glamourised! I have tans, haor and nails all booked in, so im excited to have some pampering.
Not much else to report really, now just going through the motions and ready for it to be over. I have enjoyed the process of comp prepping, and i will do more comps this year, but it is hard bloody work and yes, im ready for it to be done with! Im ready to go out for coffee with my hubby again, to have meals with friends and not panic about eating every 2 friggin hours! Im ready to have 4hrs back in my day where i dont have to exercise, and im ready to wear clothes that arent gym gear! So all in all im ready for saturday. I have worked hard for this, and im ready to get on stage and show my hard work.
I will probably do one more update before the comp on saturday so keep an eye out..but if not, ill see you on the other side of the competition!
xxoo