Kelowna Western Canadians Competition - 7 Weeks out!

So, the preparation for my first Men's Physique Competition in Kelowna is getting interesting, to say the least.  When I think of how much time Grace and I are putting into training and our meal planning, it makes my head spin.  One thing I have to say though, is  feel truly fortunate to be able to go through these stages of preparation and training with my best friend (my wife)!  From making sure we are awake at 5:00am every morning, so we can get in our morning coffee before hitting the gym as soon as it opens at 6:00am, to preparing meals for each other when we get rushed (almost every morning).  I still can't believe it though, Grace and I both had the chance to sleep in this weekend two days in a row!  Now, when I say sleep in, many of you will think I'm crazy when I tell you that we woke up at 6:00am.  Now, when it comes to our meal plan, you can not imagine how amazing Grace is with keeping our food on track with clean eating and sticking to our meal plan, but also making the food taste so good!  You should check out her recipes, I highly recommend them (be warned though, many that are posted are not competition meal plan approved).

We also have incredible support from friends, collegues and I would argue, the most dedicated Personal Trainers you could ever imagine.  Dean Brandt is always so accommodating to my needs and is willing to change his schedule around to fit in my training when something comes up to mess with my usual routine.  I have had a concern with my muscle development in my trouble area and last week while training with Dean, we really had a breakthrough, because he focussed on finding a solution right away.  With a few small tweeks to my form and exercises, I am already starting to see noticable changes in just over one week.  The picture below, is the last progress picture that I will post before the Kelowna competition (you have to keep some element of surprise).  I know, it is the dreaded bathroom mirror pic...

I think one of the most challenging parts of the entire process of preparing for this competition (for me at least), is getting out of my own head.  This might be a statement that some people would say, "Huh?"  I mean there are those days where I look at my progress and I am amazed at how far I have come since beginning this journey in August 2011, to where I am today.  But, then there are other days, when I start to think about the reality of this competition and start to doubt myself, or my readiness to step out on stage.  This is what I mean about getting out of my head.  I do feel confident about my progress and I feel that I am ready, or at least will be by the time May 19th arrives.  Grace definitely helps to keep me grounded and I hope she feels I do the same for her.

When it comes to following a strict meal plan for this preparation, lots of times people will say things like, "I couldn't eat like that!" or "Don't you miss eating regular food?"  The only thing I can really say, is that I don't treat this as a "diet" but rather a lifestyle.  Trust me, I did find it difficult to curb my cravings especially during the first month (sweets is my biggest craving).  Being a restaurant General Manager with so much amazing food surrounding me every day, does add to the challenge, but I've found dedication and not giving in to temptation to be the key to success.  I have found the longer I have stayed focussed on this way of eating, it does become easier to manage.  Cravings are still there from time to time, but you just have to take a moment to think, are you really willing to sacrifice your progress for a moment of indulgence?  It also gives us a chance to play around with recipes to find ways of taking some classic dishes and making them in a new way that is much healthier.

I am so excited for these next several weeks ahead.  I am sure as time passes and the date of stepping on stage gets closer, nerves will kick in stronger and things might get stressful, but with the support I have from family and friends, I am sure it will be just fine.  Thank you to all of you that have taken the time to read my thoughts and share in this experience.  I will do my best to keep you informed of my progress along the way, offer and tips and advice I can and hopefully be some form of inspiration for some people that are just getting started on (or thinking of starting) their own journey towards "Transforming Wellness".

Until next time friends, take care and live well!

Andrew
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