Once I arrived home, I went about the business of preparing my meals for the day and attempting to stay positive. Unfortunately my positive thoughts failed me because right in the middle of measuring out the 4oz portions of grilled chicken breast, the tears started flowing. The inevitable feeling of "I'm-not-making-progress-so-I-am-frustrated-and-should-just-give-up-and-throw-in-the-towel" had made is arrival to this prep. Who was I kidding??? Truth be told, I was tired. After a very long and emotionally exhausting week at work, coupled with the probable mid-cycle hormone surge I was experiencing, I just didn't have the psychological energy to be my own cheerleader. Unfortunately, when it comes to competing, we cannot always count on our friends and loved ones to have the right words as well. Although they mean well and really do care, no competitor wants to hear, "You are pushing yourself too hard. You need to take a day off. I keep telling you that this isn't healthy."
Yes, I do push myself, and the ability push past emotional and psychological moments of weakness is what builds the character to be a champion. I do listen to my body and give it rest when necessary, however my current slump had very little to do with physical exhaustion and over training as much as it did the psychological games the the mind plays on every competitor. It is very true that "the body doesn't go where the mind doesn't push it". The mind and our thought process has such a huge impact on how we see ourselves in our journey, and ultimately on how motivated we are to push through to achieving the ultimate goal. Positive thoughts yield positive results. If you think you can't, you probably won't.
So, how did I dry up those tears and get back of track? Hah!!! In true form I pulled on my big girl panties, showed up for my training session, and gave it EVERYTHING I had. The sheer act of walking through the gym doors lifted my spirits. The negative thoughts began to disappear with the burn and pain that accompanied every grueling rep. Tapping into the mind-muscle connection and "seeing" my growth and progress propelled me above any thought that I should give up. It felt good to release all those self-defeating thoughts and leave them on the gym floor (with my sweat) where they belonged.
This morning I took my progress pictures. The first pictures were taken at he beginning of February when I started a plan to put a little muscle on before beginning to "cut" for competition. The middle pictures were taken at the 11-12 week out point. The last pictures are from today at 9 weeks out. I have been on my new plan for one week, and had some minor changes in my update from Kim Oddo this morning. My next set of pictures will be in a few days when I send an update to him.
The value in keeping update pictures is that you have a better gave of your progress. The scale only tells half the story, and unfortunately half the time it tells all out lies. The scale has no gage for muscle gain/fat loss and merely reflects a weight that compromises them both. If you are attempting to build/maintain muscle, which is more dense than fat, it is likely that there will not be huge changes on the scale. But your eyes and the fit of your clothing give a more realistic feedback of what is going on. Our goal with this prep was to put on a little size and maintain it as I lean out. So, although I would like to be stage ready, lean and tight RIGHT NOW, that is not the plan. If I want a different outcome (fuller physique) I can't keep doing the same things.
FITfully Yours,
Shyrlena
Thank you so much for reading my blog. Please leave your comments and thoughts. I enjoy sharing my journey and would love to hear about yours.
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