Monday, October 21, 2013

Figure Posing Suits, Fuel in Fabric

by Kris Pitcher

It was a dark weekday morning and I was getting ready for work. My regular morning routine was moving along smoothly. Cardio, check. Shake, check. Coffee, CHECK! Shower, check.

Then I paused, got my posing suit...AND PUT. IT. ON. Now, you might ask yourself, "So what?" Well, the so what is, it's off season. And who would put herself through that. First of all, and this might be too much information, but I can't remember the last time I had time to shave my legs.

Second of all, there's the whole being 10 pounds over contest weight looking all pudgy. There's that. Then there's, and I've lost count, then there's being so white you can literally see my vascular system. So, there's all of that. Plus, I'm on a time crunch in the morning.

But with all of that, at 6:00 am I decided to put on my posing suit. Guess what? It didn't look half bad. It actually went on without any struggle. I actually filled the cups WITHOUT padding. That won't happen come contest time.

There I stood in my front pose. I did my quarter turn, not horrible. Hmm? Four months post contest and I'm holding my weight at ten over...and this doesn't look completely horrible. OK - I thought, I better get to work.

No, literally, I needed to get myself to work! But figuratively (oh, that's a good one!), figuratively I was re-energized to continue working hard on my off season. It was the fuel I needed mentally to eat clean, do my cardio and lift heavy.

Later that week my husband remarked about my strength in the gym. I'm at my strongest, and I want to put it to good use. There is only so much time to make gains, and I don't want to miss any of it. I'm motivated. Motivated by a tiny bit of fabric. If you struggle off season, find your fuel...and get to work!

Friday, October 18, 2013

Intuitive Dieting and Contest Prep, Listening to Your Body

by Kris Pitcher

I'm not quite sure how this is going to go. You might want to sit down. Or you might want to make sure you're not drinking anything that's going to feel really, really, bad coming out your nose. I just never know. But today's topic is...listening to your body.

Many people, no one's being called out here, use the method of "listening to my body" as they diet or prep for a show. Now, I'm no genius but the voice inside MY head will not get me stage ready.

The voice in my head, my intuition, never once said, "Hey! It's 4:25 am, let's get up and do cardio!" She never once said that. Thanks a lot intuition. She would say, "Shhh! Girl, you need your rest! It is cozy in here...stay in bed!"

What is this listening to your body? My body says I need more carbs. What!? My body said do less cardio. Really?! If this works for people they are a special breed. And I'm not doggin' on them. I am calling myself out on this one. Intuition.

My intuition would say, "Of course cinnamon Pop Tarts don't go with wine! They go with vodka-7!" If I listened to the voice in my head I would still be sitting on the couch eating bowls of cereal and never make it to the gym. Intuition. She's a fatty...

I need a plan. I need structure. Intuition is second guessing. I need a guide. I need someone with objective eyes. Intuition? What my body says? My body says I look fat 2 weeks out from a show. She's a liar.

So, if listening to your body is getting you the results you want, great for you. If you are beginning to wonder about that approach...you might want to start listening to someone else. Successful weight management, or contest prep, doesn't happen by accident or intuition. It happens by absolute plan. Stick to it!

Friday, October 11, 2013

I May Go Totally Nude

by Kris Pitcher

It started with a week of rebelling against my mascara. Now, my eyelashes are blond and you CANNOT see them without mascara. But I figured, what the heck.

I wondered if anyone would notice. "Do you feel alright?" "You must have a migraine?" "Should I turn out the lights on my way out?" Nothing. Nada. Zip. I don't think even my husband noticed. Although to his credit and my good fortune...he thinks I'm beautiful with my crazy hair and slobbery face first thing in the morning.

So, then I pushed the envelope. The next week I skipped my eyeliner. No comment. Nothing. This week, beginning Tuesday (and I did have a headache) all I did was put on my Oil of Olay, and my BB cream.

Wednesday I went all out...just the BB cream. GASP! Ok, I did dawn my favorite mac lipstick. But in my attempt to simplify my morning I skipped out on the blush, the eye shadow, liner, mascara? And so far, no one's asked if I'm having a crisis.

Frankly, I don't think anyone looks up from their phone long enough to even notice. My facebook profile picture is still the same, so who would ever know!

What could be the next step? Going totally nude?! I'll be ready for Paris in just my lipstick in no time flat! Seriously, I don't know what all the primping is about, no one seems to care? My little experiment with make up has been eye opening - or not if you really missed the liner...but you get the idea.

If my skin were in better shape, my pores smaller, I would go nude. That, or I may move to Paris!

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

I Woke Up Fat

by Kris Pitcher

The most unfortunate thing happened Monday morning. It was a shock really. I won't exactly blame it on the peanut butter bars my colleague brought to work last Thursday. Although they were gooey and warm when she arrived with them...

I couldn't possibly blame the Quarter Pounder with bacon I ate on Saturday. Never blame bacon. So when it happened on Monday morning I truly shouldn't have been in such shock. But. I. Was.

Monday morning, I woke up fat. It was an unfortunate realization. I didn't like it. It felt bad. Pudgy, it felt pudgy. And that's how it happens.

An extra bite here, and some snacks there. Sure, I've got a plan - which I'm eating. But things got all loosey-goosey. Yes, that is a technical term. Stress eating? Sure, some of that too. Now what?

Now I do what I'm supposed to do. Eat my plan. Just my plan. And no, the Quarter Pounder BLT isn't on the plan. It's a shame...

But we've got a plan here and it doesn't include losing 25 pounds once it's time to diet down. So, it's time to get real, and reel it in. I don't get to be a "regular" person. I get to be an offseason dieter. Peanut butter bars? Not for me.

If you wake up one morning and it happens to you - you wake up fat...well chances are you know what to do. Chances are you've gone all loosey-goosey. The reality is you don't get to eat the way society eats unless you want to look like everyone else. I don't. My goals don't include that.

Back to the plan. Let's see what we can do! Maybe it's time you get back to it too? I'll see you on the plan!

Friday, October 4, 2013

Clean Cheats, Fall's Hearty Eats

by Kris Pitcher

Fall is a great season. Almost as great a season as offseason. Now, my work mates are wide-eyed and open mouthed because they are actually seeing me eat.

I ate before...but I guess my multiple meals of precisely weighed protein didn't count in their eyes. Ironically, I'm still eating those measured meals. Maybe they don't see me bring my cooler in with me, every day.

Anyway, I'm having fun participating with them in the occasional potluck. Non-profits do potlucks real well. And yesterday I made one awesome stew. While it won't fit into your contest diet, it would be a good bump up meal. And I know there are plenty of you out there not dieting strictly.

Niku Jaga - Japanese Stew
  • 2 pounds stew meat
  • 1 c water
  • 1/2 c sake (you could substitute 1/4 c rice vinegar)
  • 1/4 c soy
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 lb baby carrots
  • 6 red potatoes cut
  • 1 white onion diced
You put everything in the crockpot on low and go to bed! It's like magic...you wake up wondering, "What is that amazing smell?" Then you remember you made soup in the night like a Ninja (my husband's analogy).

A hearty soup is great as the weather turns cold, and there's nothing better than throwing everything in your crockpot and having it cook itself. Serve it with a little bit of sticky rice, or a savory corn bread muffin. Feed a crowd, or just enjoy it on the couch under a blanket. It's a great clean eats meal!

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Your Placing and Your Coach

by Kris Pitcher

Most times I can just let things go. After a show, I actually heard someone say that if you're not happy with your placing, you should hire a different coach. I closed the page. I looked away. I diverted my attention. I let most of the day pass. But I can't let this one go.

A coach cannot get you a placing. The end. Period. You hire a coach to get you in the best shape of your life. Their job is to design a program to prepare you, to individualize your nutrition, make adjustments, to push you, to dial you in, to learn your body and to get you to peak at the very moment necessary to put you in front of the judges.

Your coach's job is to teach you to present yourself, to guide every detail, your posing, your hair, make-up, jewelry, tanning...the whole package. But to earn you a placing? Not even close.

Once you are up on stage it's all up to the judges. It's up to the athletes who showed up to stand next to you, it's up to the realities of your genetics, the work you did, your structure next to those around you. It's up to subjectivity of criteria seen through the individual and collective eyes of the judging panel. You can be the absolute best you there ever was...and you are guaranteed nothing.

You and your coach could have done everything exactly right, but someone else is simply better than you. Zip. Nada. Nothing. Placings? No guarantee. You have your head in the sand if you think your coach can get you that. Or if your understanding of why you hire a coach is to get you a placing, you've got it all wrong.

Your coach has lots of accountability's, responsibility's and liabilities...your placing is not one of them. And now, I'll let this one go.