Post Comp Recap!!

Hi beauties!

It’s been just over 2 weeks since the SAF and Physique Canada shows, and since i’ve taken this time to relax and breathe a little i’m feeling ready to tell you all about my first bikini competition.

First things first, I had a truly amazing time–who knew it would be so fun!? I met some incredible ladies back stage, and cannot wait to compete with them again. Yes, you heard me right, I will definitely be competing again. Having time off for my mental and physical health has been GREATLY appreciated, but i’m ready to get back into the game and see what this body of mine can do.

On the day of my show I was so nervous. My palms were sweaty, my legs shook, and my heart was racing. As I stood on stage behind the curtain able to see the girls ahead of me go out and do their thing I had a brief moment of panic when I thought…
What if i’m the ONLY girl in the history of competing who slips, falls, and ends up kicking a shoe into the crowd…
luckily I didn’t have time to dwell on that thought for long because it was now MY turn–#83. The moment my number and name were called out and I made that first step out onto the stage something inside of me came to life.
GIRL YOU GOT THIS! STRUT YOUR STUFF….POP YOUR BOOTY! SMILE! BE DRAMATIC. SMILE MORE. POP MORE. GO! GO! GO!

…so strut, pop, smile, and flirt I did. Thanks inner diva.

The photo above is the top 8 from the SAF fitness model division. I found out later that I placed 5th and know that if I work a little harder and come in better conditioned for my next show I have a shot at the top 3. I won’t lie and pretend i’m satisfied with 5th place–sure i’m proud of myself for getting there, but I know I can do better and I have my eye on first place.

3rd Place!

Physique Canada show in the evening was a little harder for me as I was feeling the affects of not drinking water all day. I was actually really tired and almost didn’t do the show, but after talking to a few of the girls i’d met backstage decided to stick it out. I’m so glad that I stayed. I placed 3rd in my division of Tier 3 (novice) and am able to compete in Tier 2 next time around. The next show is in October and I am toying with the idea of competing to see if I can make top 3 again and move up to compete as a Tier 1 (elite) athlete next summer. No decisions have been made yet, but I am thinking about it.

So that brings us to the dreaded post show blues. As much as I prepared myself mentally for what would happen post show, I have to admit I wasn’t quite ready for the cravings, the insane water weight gain, and the ‘bingey’ thoughts that dragged on for a week. My tan was splotchy, my body looked super soft, and on top of everything I accidentally ate gluten and have been suffering ever since BUT I pushed through the tough part and I feel ready to do it again.

Keep an eye out for a more detailed update on how i’ve felt during the course of the past 2 weeks, and how i’ve handled it. It hasn’t always been easy, i’ve cheated a little more than I should have, went off plan a few times and have felt guilty but i’ve learned some important lessons and now that I know what to expect and how I react to certain things, I will be better prepared for next time. It’s been a learning experience and I have had to remind myself more than once that I will not walk around looking the way I looked on stage. Funny thing is, the moment I came to terms with that everything else fell into place and I became excited to do another show.

Speaking of which, I have decided to do another show on September 19th. It is just under 12 weeks away and since I plan to bring a leaner better conditioned package to stage there will be some adjustments but overall i’m very excited to start up again.

to stay up to date with my journey to the UFE stage, check back regularly with my blog as well as add me on my other social media sites.
Instagram: regarae
Twitter: spinbikequeen
Snapchat: regarae
Youtube: COMING SOON!!

1 Day Out!

THE BIG DAY IS TOMORROW!!

Caps Lock pretty much sums up my life right now. I’m excited, nervous, and probably yelling a little.

My day has been a little hectic which is why i’m so glad I have most things figured out for tomorrow already because to be quite frank, I am running around unorganized today finalizing things and I don’t like that. If you know me at all, you know that chaos upsets me to my core. I don’t need everything planned down to the letter but I do require some sense of order and feeling unprepared just makes me more nervous. You’d think I would be more organized but I was so tired the past few days that I just kind of let things go.

I’ve packed my suitcase but have a few last minute items to add. My hair is air drying–I’ll diffuse it soon but it’s raining so I want to handle it as little as possible as the humidty will frizz it up and i’d like it to remain in tact until tomorrow when I tease the hell out of it.

I am staying at the hotel across from the venue tonight with 3 other ladies who will be competing tomorrow. So eventually I need to haul my sweet ass, my food, my weights, costumes, and other goodies over there. It wouldn’t be so bad really if it wasn’t pouring rain today and RULE #1 of spray tans = don’t get that shizz wet.

I wrote the first part of this post a few hours ago so i’m now back at home with my spray tan on and getting ready to head up to the hotel. I have my mani and pedi finished, my hair is still untouched but I think i’ll just leave it do it’s thing today to maintain the most curls as possible. I am going to have to go back to see Cherry tomorrow because I splashed nail polish remover on my wrist ALREADY and effed up my tan. Haha. Typical.

Anyway folks, I am heading over to the hotel to watch the bikini and bikini elite shows tonight so i’m excited for that. As well, I have been selected as one of the award nominees for tonight’s Inspire award contest. I think they will read all 10 stories and then give awards to the top 3, exciting stuff. Either way, I have gotten my vegan fitness story out there and i’m proud of the hard work i’ve put into my physical and mental transformation.

Oh, and on the tan…I have to be honest with you..i’m digging it. Now time for homemade fries and then relaxation.

Please add me on Instagram @regarae if you want to stay up to date with how tomorrow goes. I will be uploading photos and videos of my day.

Well world, it’s time to go! In just 1 sleep I will be gracing my very first stage. Leggo!!

6 and 5 Days out!

Good evening donut lovers (you might as well get used to this title, as it’s what i’m calling you until I get a donut on Saturday night)!

My apologies for not checking in yesterday but I was really late finishing up all of my meal prep and chores yesterday and instead of staying up an extra 45 minutes to blog, I decided the responsible thing to do would be to go to bed. I was exhausted.
Yesterday looked like this:
7am wake up (coffee and relax)
9am GYM!! Pose. Train. Cardio.
12:30pm Food. Uh oh…i’m soo sleepy. Let me just lie on the sofa for 2 minutes before I start my meal prep Zzzzz…..
3:15pm Shit. I fell asleep…
4:30pm Back to the gym
6:30pm Meal prep for realzies….ugh why is this taking so long
10pm Bedtime
As you can see, blogging was just not going to happen.

So let’s talk beauty shall we?
Stepping on stage and bringing your best package involves more than just training and dieting for 8-16 weeks. It would be a shame to work so incredibly hard, only to have it go overlooked on stage because you don’t take the time to go a few extra steps to jazz up your already fantastic package. What am I talking about? I’m referring to hair, make up, your suit, jewelry, the tan, just everything extra that adds to your overall appearance but does not overpower you.

My tan is booked for early Friday afternoon. Let me stop you right there, yes, I realize i’m black…I still need a tan as the harsh stage lights will wash you out regardless. I cannot stress how important it is to prep your skin for a tan–i’ve never had one, but I know that dead skin will make it uneven and gross so i’ve started exfoliating with a sugar scrub.

My make up is booked for SUPER early Saturday morning with Taryn Miller (@tarynmakeup on IG) and she will make me look insane. Check out her work to see what i’m talking about. To prep my face i’ve been using extra moisturizing eye cream, exfoliating, paying extra attention to my black heads (ughhh) and Friday i’ll make sure my brows are freshly tweezed. What can I say, looking pretty takes work.

I pick up my bikini and theme wear tomorrow from the wonderful Joan at DayDreamsFitnessWear you cannot understand how excited I am to share photos in my suit. It fits like a glove and although it’s teeny tiny, I have worked hard to feel confident in it.

So what’s left?

-Manicure/Pedicure: I will be doing my own. I do not want acrylics but want to bring some drama to my look so i’ll use glue on nails, but I can remove them myself very easily within a few days. I’ll be sure to take extra nails and glue with me to the venue/hotel just in case they decide to be stupid and pop off.

-Jewelry: I picked up earrings, bracelets, borrowed a ring from a friend, and I feel like a real princess when I wear them all together. Loads of bling, yet isn’t overpowering to my tiny little wrists.

-Shoes: My clear heels have become my bestie. I will take band-aids with me just in case I get any blisters but I wear them every single day so i’m pretty comfortable with them.

These things may seem silly or trivial, but just like a chocolate cake is appealing and delicious without frosting, think about how much better it looks well displayed on a cute plate with frosting, and when you start adding sprinkles you’re just making it impossible to resist. See what I did there? Used yet another dessert in my post haha.

Off to bed. It’s a long day ahead and my 2nd last training day so I want to give my all.

Good night all.

–

8 Days Out!

Greetings friends and donut lovers! I went on an entirely crazy rant last night about donuts, when hilariously enough TODAY is national donut day. I hope you went out and had a donut or 3 today, unless you’re a week out from your comp like I am. In that case, I hope you averted your eyes from social media and ate your cucumbers sliced in circles with the centers removed while pretending they were a delicious baked treat.

Speaking of cucumbers, I’ve been meaning to share this snack tip with you–try sprinkling cinnamon on your cucumber slices for a sweet treat. Trust me, I know it sounds gross and like i’ve lost my mind, but it really is good. A friend of mine does it with stevia and cinnamon, but I personally dislike that stevia aftertaste so I skip it. However, if you enjoy stevia, feel free to add.

I haven’t really talked a ton each day about how i’ve felt, what i’ve done, etc so I am going to start doing that now. Just a little blurb each day i’d like to call Mind, Body, and Cravings.

-Didn’t sleep well at all last night (around 3.5 hours) which left me feeling like a zombie this morning
-Energy was at an all time low, I felt nauseous and I had to fight back tears during my workout
-Talking to my friends, thinking about sleep on the weekend, and knowing i’m just over a week out helped perk me up and as the day went on, I started feeling better.
-Went back to the gym tonight for round 2. Not only did I survive, I killed it. My mind and heart were in my workout, so my body followed.
-Should I have listened to my body this morning and stayed in bed? To be honest, I’m not sure. I don’t think there’s a wrong or right answer. Staying in bed would not have meant I am not dedicated, but going doesn’t mean i’m obsessed either. The important thing for me is that I persevered and am able to end the day on a positive note.
-This evening I just really want a glass of red wine. The week has been especially trying on my mind and body and I would love to relax, put my feet up, and unwind with the familiar smooth sensation of a glass of shiraz washing over me. I opted for dandelion tea instead…not the same thing, but hey, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.
-I am currently snacking on roasted asparagus with a little bit of horseradish mustard. I love roasted asparagus and since giving up my beloved broccoli a week ago, I’ve begun to rely heavily on it for craving control.
I am now well hydrated, my post workout hunger has been satiated, and i’m almost finished my SAF Inspire entry. It’s been a long day–hell a long week, so i’m headed to bed. Here’s hoping tomorrow is a much easier day.

xo

9 days to go…

Holy SH*T Batman we’ve hit the single digits.

Tonight’s post is going to be a short one, but I’m still here to do my thing.

Ever have one of those days where you’re tired and don’t want to hit the gym. As a matter of fact, you can practically here Netflix calling you, but you skipped 3 other days this week too, so you force yourself to go and hope for the best. You get there and everyone is annoying you, but you finally get out to the weight room, turn on your iPod and the music is so freaking good that you end up KILLING your workout!? Ah yes, we’ve all been there i’m sure. Well that has been me all week.

On the other hand, have you ever had one of those days where you put on your MP3 player and skip virtually every song because you’re just not feeling them. And when you finally find a song you like, you play it on repeat 5 or 6 times because you know once you move on you’re going to have to spend the next 15 minutes skipping more of your playlist…and you just can’t get into your workouts? Yeah, been there too.

I realize strength should not come from your music, but it certainly plays a huge part in my mood and energy levels. I really need to update the music on my iPod but for whatever reason I keep putting it off, I have a feeling those peak week workouts are going to require some new music tho, so perhaps this weekend i’ll take care of business.

Some days I get so into my music that i’m practically dancing during sets–pretty sure the guys at the gym are so used to me being a spazz that they don’t even notice anymore. Music has also really helped me get into posing and my TWalk. Obviously I have no idea what song will be playing when I walk out on stage, but some songs really get the blood pumping and I can’t help but let my inner sexy diva out. So fingers crossed that the song that’s playing has a great beat that I can really work my magic to.

What type of music do you listen to? What gets you in the zone? My go to music is Rap, RnB and reggaeton. However, I periodically throw in a little rock, sometimes country, and when the mood arises, I have a special playlist full of Percy Sledge, Marvin Gaye, and Sam Cooke. My daddy would be so proud. 😉  Not sure how the guys at the gym would feel about the fact that i’m watching them squat from a corner in the gym listening to ‘Let’s get it on’ haha. I kid. Mostly. 😉 Let’s be honest, I save those thoughts for my girlfriends haha.

Okay. Focus. Tonight I set my iPod to random and here’s what I ended up listening to. I was totally feeling every single song.

1. All of me – John Legend (My warm up track)
2. Turn down for what – DJ Snake ft Lil Jon
3. ET – Katy Perry ft Kanye West
4. Only girl in the world – Rihanna
5. Soldier – Destiny’s child
6. 6 foot, 7 foot – Lil Wayne
7. We own it – 2 Chainz ft Wiz Khalifa
8. Highway to Hell – AC/DC
9. Eye of the Tiger -Survivor
10. Billy Jean – Micheal Jackson
11. Diamonds – Rihanna
12. Put on – Young Jeezy
13. What they want – Young Jeezy
14. Be Easy – Massari
15. Bailando – Enrique Eglesias ft Sean Paul
16. Temperature – Sean Paul
17. Down on me – Jeremih ft 50 cent
18. Shake it off – Taylor Swift

As I draft this post, I am singing along to Savage Garden and Coldplay. The same 2 songs on repeat actually. ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’ and ‘The Scientist’. Super random and I haven’t heard either in years, but I’m singing a long and feel so relaxed. What can I say, these used to be my jams. 😀

Feel free to give me music suggestions in the comments, as you can see–I need it.:D

Tomorrow is going to be a tough Shoulder workout. I have a feeling Young Jeezy and I are going to have a date. Good night all.

xo