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NPC Bikini Prep

Bikini Prep: Trusting Yourself. Trusting the Process

April 23, 2015

#TheStruggleIsReal #JustSaying

Here it is roughly three weeks into April and I am just about ready to rethink my aspiration of becoming a NPC Bikini Competitor.

Some days I wake up and look in the mirror and feel like a freaking rock star. ~~Other~~ Most days I hate what the mirror says back to me and I want to eat one dozen glazed doughnuts and never step foot in the gym again!

The evidence is right here. I posted this to my FB wall last night…

But, I think I am finding my groove and hopefully by May I will have a plan that works for me nailed down. That will give me 12 weeks until show time!

I have to remind myself to trust the process, trust the work that I do each and every day… Just TRUST it!

We have all heard this before…

There’s no one size fits all… blah blah blah!

It sucks. Its true.

No one wants to hear it. I just want to search Pinterest find a plan and be done with it!

But actually there is beauty in taking the time to get to know my very own body and it has been time well spent.

It has taken me at least a month to try different ways of eating, different workout plans and splits, different approaches to cardio; LISS vs HIIT . . . How much cardio is enough etc etc.

It is also important to looks at what YOUR body needs. For example I have tooth pick calves, they need lots of work so I work them more often and with heavy weights. I have to be careful with my thighs because they are large already so I try to not go over board with exercises that focus on them (but I’m still trying to figure this out).

Guess what the best part is… as my body changes my needs will change and everything that I’ve learned over the past month will have to be adjusted.

Bodybuilding is an art-form for sure!

This is what I am doing now:

Training

(I will be posting a detailed version of my training and diet in the near future)

Monday:Upper Body & Cardio

Tuesday: Lower Body

I take a B.A.T (Buns Abs & Thighs) Class in the AM and I lift with hubby in the evenings

Wednesday: Cardio

Thursday: Upper & cardio

Friday: Lower & Cardio

Saturday: Off or Cardio

Sunday: Off

Diet. If you call it that…

I was trying to do a typically bodybuilding diet eat 6 times a day etc. etc. but it made me pudgy and fat. I was literally force feeding myself! So now my diet is..

Eat Clean – Eat Consciously – Eat More Protein… Period!

I am on day three of clean-ciously eating and already see results! They say Abs are made in the kitchen… I say they are made away from the kitchen when you aren’t stuffing your face constantly because some meal plan said you should 🙂

I do drink protein shakes… growing muscles need more than I was getting from my vegan-ish diet. I’ll share the powders I use below

I use rules from Bethenny Frankel’s book Naturally Thin: Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting
and they really help me so much.

She “tells” me how to eat what I already eat and not WHAT to eat. If someone tells me what to eat ill eat the opposite just because. Hell, I’m vegetarian and If i’m told I HAVE to eat veggies I’d probably eat meat…. it’s psychological for sure!

VainMommy’s Vegan Superfood Protein Shake

1 scoop NAKED PEA Protein
1 scoop NAKED RICE Protein
1 scoop Raw Organic Cacao Powder
( I use the scoop that come with the protein)
8 oz water

Blend blend blend. Add ice to a glass or bottle or just blend in right on into the shake. I put mine in my Contigo Water Bottle it keeps it cold for 18 hours!!

But it never lasts that long. We all know nothing is worse than lukewarm protein.

Why rice and pea protein? I read here that it is a vegans whey protein and whey is supposed to be the best at building muscle.

This is me after eating a plan NOT made specially for my body! I am so disappointed… I really thought that I looked good y’all. I was even smiling! SHM. I was bloated holding on to tons of water and just “fat” in my honest opinion. When I trusted myself during my transformation back in Dec I looked 100 times better than here!

SEE!

Progress pics are a must . . . unfortunately I choose to share mine with the world.

I keep you all updated and expect to see a progress pic on May 1st

You’re What We Call Skinny Fat…

April 3, 2015

That’s me. Skinny fat. I prefer to emphasize the word SKINNY!

I met with a local NPC Bikini Competition Prep Coach/Trainer earlier this week and stood before him in heels, booty shorts, as he called them and a sports bra. Because I don’t currently own a bikini…go figure?!

He told me the I have great “potential” to be a bikini competitor, I have great bone structure BUT I’m what they call skinny fat and they would need to get a lot of muscle on my body before I could hit the stage in August.

No offense was taken at all. Because, it’s true!

I am skinny fat… and I’ll take that because my entire life (from my perspective) I’ve been FAT FAT! so SKINNY FAT is progress in my opinion! He also informed me of his pricing for competition prep.

$600 for three months: a training plan and nutrition plan.

I believe that I will forego that path currently. There is so much FREE information online that I am going to try my best to piece together a plan that will be effective for me … physically and financially.

I will be attending his posing workshops though. Posing is a big deal and I will not pass on his expertise in that area as well as competition day support. I will feel so much better having someone there who knows what the heck is going on!

I will be posting before pictures at the beginning of April.

Currently I am trying to nail down a training plan and figure out what my diet will be. “Diet” has always been tricky for me because I have the tendency to get a bit obsessive when it comes to counting calories carbs etc and I hope I can somehow avoid that all together.

We shall see!

Center Stage: The Trouble Saying Yes Is Getting Me Into

March 13, 2015

It’s 2015. Well into 2015. My new year resolution was to simply say YES.
Say yes to life, to opportunities that come my way, say yes to my scary dreams and aspirations, say yes to the little voice that says “just try it Raivon, you know you want too.”

And guess what, this is one new year resolution that I’ve stuck with. So far 😉

I’ve always thought that I was shy and maybe even had a touch social anxiety, but I’m finding that I really crave the spot light. Or should I say I thrive and come alive in the spot light.

The majority of my life I have been hiding in fear of myself, fear of the judgment of others, fear of failure etc etc.

Since becoming a mom my fear factor has slowly fallen away. I attribute that to postpartum depression. When we go to the pits of hell with whatever struggle we face. We come back stronger with a totally different perspective on life. Don’t you agree?

I came back fearless and honestly craving that rush that saying yes to life gives.

So what “trouble” has saying yes gotten me into?

A friend suggested that I audition for the Listen To Your Mother Show {tickets on sale now! Follow the link} It’s a show of live readings from moms that is held around mothers day. When she said “you’d be great for this” I thought “oh crap!” Because I knew I was going to have to say yes. I owed it to my self!

I wrote my essay in one sitting. Signed up to audition. Auditioned. And about a week later I received the most exciting email of my life.

I … me … Raivon was cast with 12 other fantastic women! Many who are published authors {there are no coincidences ;)}

The best part is… I am not nervous. I feel like I am living the life that I was made to live. It feels like something I am supposed to do and I am honored to do!

Now for the BIGGEST trouble YES is about to get me into.

Late last year while participating in a 12 week transformation I shared that I used to obsess over fitness models and competitors. The thirst was real {did I use that that correctly? LOL} Well now I have a crazy urge to quench that thirst and become a NPC Bikini Competitor.

Crazy I know.

But it just feels like its something I have to do! I have to say YES! There is a competition here in the Atlanta area 4 days after my 30th birthday. And… I — think — Ima — do it ….

Y’all, I don’t even own a swim suit…

I have always been my own source of pain. I’ve allowed my body (image) to tear me down, lock me in and cause me to miss out on life.

In my 30th year I’m going to change ALL of that! I am going to boldly be Ravion, love Raivon, share Raivon with not only the world but with myself.

I’m taking me back!

Living a life in fear gets pretty confusing, it’s been like living with a stranger.

So for all of you who know me, I have not lost my mind … I’ve simply found myself.

I plan to document my journey to becoming a NPC Bikini Competitor so stay tuned!

I still can’t believe it!

Say YES y’all!!