8 Weeks Out and Making Hard decisions

Its crazy to think that in 8 weeks, I will be stepping on stage in heels and a blinged out bikini looking like nothing less than a Victoria's Secret model with muscles. Its crazy, also, to think that whether or not my physique is ready... I am stepping on stage. But also very exciting because I know my physique will be ready.

Sweeteners have started to bug. My stomach has been crampy during cardio; I was thinking that the crampiness was due to drinking water so close to cardio, but it really is the artificial sweeteners. Done deal. I've quit all sweeteners cold turkey. This includes anything with artificial sweetener: sugar-free syrups, stevia with erythritol, ALL GUM (Extra has aspartame in it...), and any and all drink additives (Mio, Crystal Light) I guess I'm going to have to fall in love with water. But with big changes, you have to have a plan. My plan?

• Tea in the morning because I just can't drink coffee with nothing in it.
• Look into liquid stevias.
• Water with lemon.
• And when my breath is bad, I'll just brush my teeth as I keep a toothbrush & toothpaste in my desk. :)

I have ZERO energy for cardio in the morning lately. But I consider just making it to cardio a success, even if my intensity is low. I'm also seriously foam rolling the lactic acid and heck out of my legs before and after every cardio sess. My lifts are fine. I mean, they aren't exciting... its a lot of high reps, lower weight to bring fullness to my muscles... but it gets mentally tiring. I'm getting through it without shortcuts. Winning!

Diet is fine... I'm finally eating a lot more fish, which no one is telling me to but I feel less over-full when I eat fish at night. I'm actually having a rough time eating cheat meals! Not so much the eating them, but planning them. Ugh! What a DUMB thing to be having a hard time with. I just can't make a stupid decision on what I want. And I'm one of those people that if I feel like I can't make a good decision, I just won't. In life and in food. And sadly, or not, the things I really want are just day to day stuff I miss... coffee with cream, milk, a sandwich, cereal, english muffins.

My suit is ALMOST done. I got a good amount of time to work on it last Sunday and the top almost done (still a couple of fine tuning things), but the bottoms still need a lot of some work. I definitely need more rhinestones. :) Check it! 

This WAS the other side... Not completely finished still. I got wrapped up in the side below..

My blingy bikini. Please remember its kind of being pressed flat, when it is worn it looks better.

PS-if anyone wants to buy this thing off of me after competition, email me. I think I'm only going to ask $100 for the whole thing completed!

My memory about everything is almost gone. SO much going on... I am feeling the need to justify myself before I tell you this story. Ahem:

Contest Prep Diet + No more coffee + No more sweeteners at all + No gum + a hard workout + trying to make dinner + Patrick talking to me = BATH FLOODING HOUSE

That's right kids. I'm so forgetsy right now, that I flooded my house. Normally, when I get home from the gym, I immediately start a bath while trying to get dinner cooking, then I jump in the bath, by the time I get out... Poof! Dinner ready! Yesterday, I got dinner going and Patrick started talking to me about a bunch of stuff that I felt needed a full focus attention. Not the staring into space and going, "sure babe...", "right", etc. Nope, this time I felt like I should really try to pay attention. But what does that do? Floods the bathroom, the master bedroom, and the laundry room. Cool. Note to self: when you're really tired, don't make MORE work for yourself. Got it.

Git It Girl (check her out! She's funny as hell!) mentioned she wants a beer post comp. Momma (figuratively) over here wants some DRANKS! It might be a party. We'll see. But in all fairness, I rarely drink and have turned down many, many, many a beer in the last 8 months. Even when I wasn't in contest prep, I wasn't drinking, and we spend time with friends a lot and there is always wine or beer. Suck. I have my alcohol consumption planned for the next year: Post-Comp in October and Christmas (and my wedding..). And that's it.

Is it time to start getting my tan on yet?! Please, Prep-Gods, let these next 8 weeks fly by!