I did it!!!!!!

    I can't believe I did it!! I finally accomplished my goal of competing in a body competition!!! It was an incredible experience. I didn't place, but I have loved the whole experience so much. I've learned a lot about myself and I'm so glad that I pushed myself past my limits and out of my comfort zone.
    There were so many women there yesterday. 82 girls just doing bikini. All of them looked so good.  It was the biggest show they've ever had! I got there at 9:30 AM. Prejudging started at 9 but They start with the men and then there are a lot of classes to go onstage before they get to bikini. Since there were so many people there, I didn't end up onstage until about 4:30! I was so nervous all morning, I was tired and a little ornery, because I hadn't had any water. That morning I ate steak and a sweet potato. Then when I got to the show I ate half a grapefruit and some more steak. Tamara had me eating strawberries, rice cakes or reese's peanut butter cups about every 30 minutes depending on what my body needed. Those things made me feel AMAZING. They gave me so much energy and they pumped up my muscles. She also had me do a pump up workout to give all my muscles a little extra pump right before going onstage.
    By the time I got to my lineup I was feeling great. I had lots of energy and I was ready. I was soooo nervous in my lineup. I didn't know what to expect. But the second you walk out onto the stage, you don't feel as nervous. The lights are super bright and you can only see the judges. You're just doing what you've been practicing, without really having to think too much about it. I was sooo glad that I had so many posing sessions with Tamara Watt. Your walk and your posing make a huge difference in the way the judges look at you. When you've practiced it over and over again, you eventually can do it without thinking too much, and that's what makes you really look elegant and graceful and it will make you stand out.
    I competed in two classes. Natural bikini B, and novice. They divide the bikini classes by height. Then novice is obviously all the first-timers. I was amazed how great they all looked. You couldn't tell it was any of their first shows. When they bring you out onstage, you're all lined up at the back. Then they call you out individually. You walk up to the front of the stage and give your presentation. Front pose, back pose, side pose, and then walk back to your spot in the line up. Then you hold your pose in the lineup til everyone is finished. It is really really difficult. I can't imagine how hard it must be for the body builders to hold they're poses, flexing every part of their body for that long at a time. After everyone has done their individual presentation, they call about 5 or 6 people to the front of the stage. Then they compare you with each other. They like to have you turn so that they can see your different angles. It's usually a good sign if they call you out. Especially if they move you to the middle. It means they're comparing their favorites. I went onstage twice during prejudging. That got over at about 5. The real show was scheduled to start at 6 pm. The bikini girls are up first at night, so I didn't get much of a break. But I did get to eat a potato (yep, a REAL potato, not a sweet potato), it gave me a lot of energy. It was actually nice that they did it that way though, because then I was done early, and got to go see my friends and watch the rest of the show!!
    Even though I didn't place, I was so happy and proud of myself for doing it. It is a really scary thing to do. It takes a lot of hard work and determination. It's so scary to be out there in front of that many people, being compared to other women and judged on appearance. But to me, it's more than just the way you look. The whole experience has really made me work hard on being healthy and improving myself. I can't wait to compete again. I'm hoping to do the June show in Idaho (they're really expensive, so we will see).
     I'm so grateful for all the help I had and all the amazing people I've met and the support I've gotten. I've always been passionate about health and fitness, but this has just inspired me to go so much further with it. If you're thinking about competing, JUST DO IT. You have to just commit to it without thinking too much, and then everything will come together. It is SO hard. It's SO scary. But that's what makes it so satisfying and so worth it.

Start to finish. (well not FINISH...I am far from finished :-p). I weighed 114 in the first picture and 118 in the second. Shows that the number on the scale is not what counts!

Difference between my first posing session (4 weeks ago) to now! Thanks to Tamara Watt

pumping up backstage!

Those scary tents behind me... are the spray tan tents. A very awkward experience but I liked how mine turned out.  Martini Spray Tan

Thank goodness for bikini bite (gluing your suit to you so it doesn't budge)!

This wasn't my group, but they all look great!

Tamara Watt

My sweet mama has helped me with everything from buying and cooking my food, to pushing me to the gym when I don't feel like going. She was there all day with me yesterday and I was so glad to have her. I'm blessed to have a mom who supports my goals and shares a passion for health and fitness :)

My friend Krysta looked so good!! She took first place in bikini novice and overall bikini novice in her NGA show a few months ago!

My trainer, Keaton Hoskins. He's the reason I finally decided to just go for it and compete.

So proud of this hot mama for placing in figure!! She has 3 kids and one of them is 10 months old. WOW.

I just felt so little compared to these two haha 

I'm so thankful for the support from this sweet boy!

Tricky Jackson!

Enjoying a nice reese's peanut butter cup.

After. Lol.

It was so cool meeting IFBB pro bodybuilder, Tricky Jackson

This is the difference between 3 days. First one was taken Wednesday and second was taken Saturday. Water depletion and diet can change your body so much. (I mean, obviously don't deplete your water unless you're competing).

Finally. My BBQ chicken pizza.