After the Competition

This is a good time to start thinking about what how I will eat and exercise after the competition. Getting ready for the competition is very similar to getting ready for are reunion, in that the goal is working towards a specific event for one specific day.

While my goal over the past 1 1/2 has been to just get into shape and be consistent, I can't lose sight of the fact that I am still working towards a goal on one specific day. If I hadn't had this competition coming up then I would be more relaxed about the process and progress on a daily or weekly basis. Here I am with about 2 1/2 more weeks to go until the competition and my nutrition program is pretty rigorous. The exercise program is too.

Envisioning my day to day lifestyle after the competition is important. I will not just allow myself to slip into old habits of not focusing on the quantity, the quality, and the frequency of food I ingest.

Instead I imagine myself eating pretty much the same way on a day to day basis, with the exception of eating the same foods as the family at dinner time. Also, I like the idea of sharing one meal more often with my family. If we go out to eat, I can share one meal with our two daughters. Nowadays, the quantity of food that is put on a plate at a restaurant is so out of proportion to what we need to eat that it would be very easy to share with them and save money. Kids usually are given the fattiest and most unhealthiest options anyway on a restaurant's menu that it will be an excellent choice to share.

I will continue to bring my own food whenever I go to our children's birthday party invites. Choosing smaller meals off the appetizer menu and varying the restaurants I eat at is important. Taste and variety are very important to feeling satiated.

On the other hand, exercise is equally as important. I'll probably maintain a 5 day a week exercise program with 2 days off consistently. Throughout most of the 4 months I have been taking only 1 day off per week. I'll continue kettlebell most definitely! It is by far the number one exercise program for building a strong core, developing lean muscle tone and definition, and doing it in a short amount of time.

I have my eye set on a possible second competition in December. We'll see how the first competition goes. If I enjoy it, I may do the December 4th competition. It will keep me focused and allow me to make some body changes that I couldn't have done in this competition. I'll also have to see whether or not I like the bikini competition. I had always had my mind set on the fitness or figure competition, so I'll just have to wait and see how this one goes.

I have reached my 110 lb goal!
Now, I'll just see if I can drop 1 1/2 lbs before October 30th. If I don't, I'm not really worried about it. If I do, it will be icing on the cake!

RsmKettleGirl@gmail.com