Category: Bikini Contest Prep

Follow my journey and transformation to my bikini competition. I will include my workouts, meal plans, secrets and supplementation.

How to Pick a Competition Bikini

On By Bikini Competitor TracyHIn backstage, beauty, Bikini competitor secrets, Bikini Contest Prep, bikini team, competition bikinis, competition update, Competitor secrets, HOW TO, shop it up, showtime

Bikini Competitions are the “new wedding”!!   I spent more time selecting all my suits than I actually did selecting my wedding gown 20 years ago.   If you are new to competing, it might seem overwhelming.  Have no fear!! This is the fun part!

What kind of suit do I need for my bikini competition?
If you are doing bikini, the suit you will buy will be like these!

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You can see that suits come in all colors and styles.
They are two pieces and have connectors . Most girls have their suits custom made but many designers have ready to go designs available. They come in all price ranges.

If you are FIGURE, your suit will look like this.
coach j
Figure suits are connected and cross in the back. . This girl looks awesome.
If you are a figure girls, this is the suit you will buy. It can be blingy, very blingy, plain, OMG or in between.

You need to know!
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this is from Kata Stage Apparel
The bottom cut of your suit will depend on the federation you compete in.
You will check with your coach or federation guidelines on their website  for more details. NPC will be a much smaller cut.
Many natural federation like NANBF require the moderate back.
Origninally,  it was said tht UFE bottoms should cover 30 percent of the glute, although they recently posted you could use pro or standard back.
If you are doing shows in different federations, you can order two bottoms with your top.

Wait: my husband said the bottoms are too small. That happens a lot. The bottoms are very small to show off your glutes. You will use Bikini Bite to secure it down. It will look amazing.  If your bottoms are very large you will not be able to show the judges your best package. No thongs though!!

Can I buy one at Walmart?
Sure. If you want to wear off the rack that’s up to you.  We’ve seen a few ladies do that.
I’d never recommend it, but it’s your show. If you have the package and presentation to pull it off, why not.  If your federation has rules, please abide by them.

When do I order?
Typically, suits are ordered 8 weeks out from your show. Some designers require more time because of stoning or volume of work load during the show season. You will find that info on their website.  If you need it, many designers have a ‘quick ship’ or quick turnaround for an additional charge.

What color should I pick? I don’t know? I don’t know.. what do the judges like?
Do they like girls in red suits?  

Good gravy!!  Calm down.  Pick the suit YOU like. What color do YOU feel amazing in?
You are judged on total package. If you feel like Queen Bey in in your suit then you will give them all the sass. If you pick a color you aren’t feeling, it will show!!  I want you to love your suit.

Things I’ve learned.. Jewel tones look brighter on smaller frames and athletes with dark hair and skin.  We had a lovely athlete who was had a bit of a darker complextion and brunette hair. She chose cranberry and she just got lost on the stage. We put her in yellow next time and she just shone bright.

I like to google for athletes who resemble my skin and hair.  It’s nice to see some red heads in something other than green.  I have done every color out there.

On another note: Stop with the “do the judges like brown hair, short hair, tattoos, red suits.. mentality.  Stop it. This imaginary group of people who work up in a shitty mood or great mood or just got off a plan are real people who are rushed to look at 100’s of physiques and score them subjectively.  One judge said he hated red suits because his ex wife wore those in shows.  Some judges are obsessed with blondes.  Some hate redheads.
There’s’ no  criteria for our sport. I said it out loud. It’s one of the biggest complaints.
So here’s what you do, bring your best package and look exactly like YOU want to. Show them you are amazing and engaging in your favorite suit and that you are a winner.

I’m so excited, I want to order it now.
Please don’t. We have seen time and time again that jumping the gun will bite you in the booty. If you are 8 weeks out the designer will know how to cut it for show. Most ladies who pulled the trigger early had to have their bottoms remade because they looked like a diaper. You have no idea how tiny you will be at show. They won’t fit until right before your show.

Ack. there is a sale and I want it.
You could pay your designer for your suit and place the order 8 weeks out.

Where will I find designers/suits to look at?I love Instagram! If you look for #competitionbikinis, #competitionsuits, you will find some amazing designers!
Google will give you some great results too, but you’ll miss out on some of the newer designers. I say.. use IG!

Glamfitbikini’s has the coolest IG page on the planet. @Glamfitbikini
They get big ups for color coding their entire feed. They are in Australia but ship to the US.
glamfit

Katkinis has some beautiful suits!

The connectors!!
 Another cool designer is @Bikini_voronina_Official

 

 

How much should I spend?
I bought my first suits from RavishSands.com. They are amazing to work with. There are so many price points when you are selecting your suits. Pricing can depend on amount of stones, upgrades in stone colors and connector choices. You can spend as much as you want!

This one is mineeeeeeeeeee!
This one is mineeeeeeeeeee!

I’ve had suits that were very blingy but this year I went with the stretchy sequins !I bought my suit this year from a picture I saw on IG! @crystallinibikini/   I paid $180 for it and it’s  my favorite suit! I actually felt that the stretchy sequin fabric was a better fit for my implants! I had some trouble with my stoned suits coming up .  I love the connectors. Sequins looked great on stage too!

You can also buy plain suits and stone them yourself if you are up to the challenge!!

MuscleDazzle.com
My new obsession this year is Muscle Dazzle. I saw a girl at my last show with a fantastic suit from them. It came in a pretty sleeper box! Their prices are fantastic!

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Can I borrow or rent or buy a gently used suit?
Sure. Facebook has a great group of ladies on the
Figure/physique, bikini competitors ‘buy and sell’ board.
TameeMarie.com rents her suits out as well. They go fast though. You should watch her FB page too.

Does color/style matter to judges?
Tamee Marie her self told me that blondes in pink suits is cliche.  I don’t know. I’ve been to lots of shows and the ONE thing I do know is.. the total package matters. If you pick a suit that makes you feel awesome, look awesome and you rock it, that counts for a lot.  I love blingy suits on stage, the lights make them look amazing but I’ve also seen girls with plain suits win.  Oddly, a girl won in bikini wearing a figure suit at one show. I don’t even know how that worked out, but my guess is ‘suits’ aren’t the thing that makes the judges pick you over another girl.

Suit designers I like
RavishSands.com
They are very very good! This year, they remade my old suit bottoms to fit the federation I was competing in. I sent them the bottoms and they had them back promptly! Great customer service too. I have had amazing luck with them.

Crystallini Bikini (Ellen is your girl).

I got my suit! It doesn’t fit!
If  you are a girl who has to lean out for stage, your suit may not fit until the last week. If you try it on 3 weeks out and you still have work to do, try not to panic. It will fit! The designers are good at their job!

I wish you much luck!!

xoxo

Moving from IIFYM into Intuitive Dieting part 1:

On By Bikini Competitor TracyHIn bikini competition secrets, Bikini Contest Prep, bikini team, Clean Recipes, competition update, Competitor secrets, flex, Flexible Dieting, food prep, macro counting, macros, Motivation, off season, Prepping not starving

me
Progressions through my journey. I’m getting better every year.

It’s been a while since I posted an update on my training/dieting.   I finished my show season in June and have reversed dieted back up to over 2000 calories a day.  I will not have another bikini competition until I take the stage at UFE Mayhem 2019.

I am training for plenty of pole show cases, and two competitions in 2019.

So let me back track a bit.  I want to show you a progression of my flexible dieting journey. Part two will explain my current use of IIFYM for my competition.

Binge/Restrict 2012
I spent the bulk of my life in a binge restrict pattern.  I was knee deep in the Tosca Reno EAT CLEAN movement but  never measured servings. I refused to eat sugar because it was the devil (according to the Skinny Bitches movement). I was deep in orthorexia but still binged until I made myself sick.   Cookies, cakes, whole pies, then returned to a restricted plan with full intentions of redeeming myself. I know   I choose to compete in a competition partially because I knew I could lock myself down to get rid of these binges. This is the first time I admitted that.

When I began my competition journey in  late 2012, I was basically starving myself.  Nutrition was tough for me because of my patterns of binging. ;(
This is how I looked on my first day of bikini competition training.   Yes.. I was lifting, doing massive cardio but not getting enough nutrition to fuel the work I was doing.  My coach told me “you are starving”. I agree.

 

 

 


Bro plan: Restrict. 2013/2014
I started immediately on low carb bro plan but.. I also started eating more protein and I began to look better. My nutrition was improving too because I was consistently eating 12 cups of spinach each day. My vitamins were on point and I was fueling my workouts.
I was focused and did well until I binged out. I had terrible derails that lasted for days.
My coach told me 8 weeks out from my first show, that one more derail would keep me off stage. Well. I handled that just fine. Placed 2nd and ate an entire pound of birthday cake fudge in the car on the way to the restaurant.

I had no reverse diets either. It was a hot mess.  I did Bro hard core off and on.
I got very sick from the lack of nutrition my coaches gave me. I resorted back to my binges in the off season and then I would grab my old show diets and use those. It makes me so sad to say that. I never fixed one thing. I only proved to myself that I had an iron will until I fell apart and that was NOT going to be ok for me any longer.

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Jan 2013 and June 2014.  I began IIFYM post show Nanbf  in July 2014.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.  I asked my coach during 2014 prep for swaps and was told I wouldn’t look right on stage if I swapped out my protein or carbs.  I don’t believe that is true.  I was going to make this happen and end this nightmare of binge/restrict.  I fired her and  began this part of my journey.

I want to say to you, if you are still with me.. all of the things I experienced above made me a better athlete and a better coach.  I’m not mad about this journey. I’m here to learn and grow.  I’m leaving behind those old ideas and people who won’t use science!!

IIFYM: The First year with IIFYM was interesting. I set a goal to learn to find out what triggered me and my binges. I found out!!! Then I fixed it. Sometimes it was baby steps but it was information.  I still believed in ‘clean’ food but I added in small sugar treats until I started to get mad when my veggies got in the way of my snacks. 😦  Read more about that here
I worked very hard my first year to decrease binges by eating foods that made me happy.
I still believed some food was “bad”. I made huge strides in my physique and my happiness. I would go 6 months without a binge.  This was great.  Here’s how that looked.  I had almost 18 months between shows and I prepped myself for UFE Halloween Mayhem 2015.  I did not binge in prep. I did however have 2 months post show that I lost my way. I’m just being honest.  I pulled it together and set new goals for 2016.
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IIFYM Flexible Prep: 2016
For my second full year of IIFYM I wanted to take my nutrition to the next level. I had done so well curtailing my binges and I was very confident in my ability to master flexible dieting.  I paid mind to eating food that made my body run great, I focused on my fruits and veggies and variety.  I began to let go of the “bad ” food concept and allowed myself to eat foods that were previously off limits.  Amazingly, I didn’t get fat, I didn’t lose my way. I began to understand that I could fuse lots of great food into my plan as long as I was eating my daily nutrition requirements!!  YESSS.

That journey was seriously incredible. I focused in on micro nutrition as well as my macros. I began to understand more about my body than I had ever dreamed. I wanted to know!!  Yes… old habits die hard. I still found myself wanting to have treats (albeit “clean”) to help me stay out of that binge territory. I know what works for me!!  I made it work. I want to show you this picture because this was all about fueling for my build from just doing a basic cookie cutter bro plan. Yes.. time had passed but let’s be honest.. I started this at 47 so three years isn’t’ that long.

booty
Eat lift slay for a booty. I ate more carbs than ever!

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Halloween Mayhem October 2016 I became a UFE Elite Athlete. I loved my package and I loved my prep. It was an amazing learning experience.  I ate so many amazing foods in my prep and came in with my favorite package!!

2017
I competed right away again in June of 2017 and I loved my package but this prep was harder on my body and I had to dig deeper to get lean enough.  I basically did 42 weeks of prep in 1 year.  I would never do that again!! That’s not what my body wants at all.
It was still a great prep and I ate beautifully as I got ready for stage.
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After Fury in June 2017 my next step was to reverse diet and then begin my training for the Pole Sport Organization Gateway competition in December.

Intuitive dieting: What is it?
The goal of our team with clients is to teach them the progression of flexible dieting so they can learn to be truly flexible.  That means they can begin to use their knowledge to eat for their goals without being tied to a scale and tracker. This comes with time and practice.

To be effective a client  would understand and manage your macros in their head.  I know I have to reach 150-180g P each day. I need 25g min of fiber and 500g veggies min. I know my minimum fat intake should be about 40g so I just eat and add this in my head. I’m using visuals and my scale as well as nutritional information on lables.

When would a person use this?  I started using intuitive dieting loosely post show 2017.  It was magical. I was spot on because, trust me.. I’ve seen 5 ounces of chicken breast more than I’d like to admit.  I often use it when I”m traveling or eating out. Most restaurants have nutrition on their websites.  It’s handy!

Who should use this?  Only people who have a clear understanding of their body, macros and feel committed to hitting all their micros/macros!!

Do you do it daily?  Maybe..  I might do it on a day then use my tracker.  I started gingerly and progressed.  I’m very tied to MYNETDIARY tracker.  It’s a safety blanket for me. However.. being able to start this process is a huge step for me.

Here I go!!  Part two is here.

What does it cost to compete in a bikini competition?

On By Bikini Competitor TracyHIn bikini competition secrets, Bikini competitor secrets, Bikini Contest Prep, coaching, competition bikinis, competition update, HOW TO, showtime, stage makeup, Supplements

If you are contemplating a journey to the stage, my goal here today is help you navigate the cost of competing!

First of all, I believe that if you are reading this, you have been in the process of searching. You’ve been looking at Instagram and seeing all the gorgeous competitors.  You’ve thought about bikinis and maybe you don’t actually know where to start for this process!  So let’s make a plan.

Gym Membership:02

I’m assuming you have one. You need one.  Cost  will depend on your area. If you need to train at 3:30am  because that’s when you can do it.. get a 24 hour one!!
I own a gym. I have two other gym memberships too. One is the biggest gym in STL and the other is a 24 hour one. I need to train when I can!!
$35+ per month.

Coaching:

jules
I love being a coach!!  My girl Julia and her hardware!!

I fully believe that ALL first time athletes need a competition coach.

I don’t believe all competition coaches are good or qualified. I believe that YOU must interview your potential coach and get as much information as YOU can about what your coach will do for you.  If your coach only gives workouts, no support, no information, no posing, nothing but a cookie cutter diet and that’s ok with you.. you can find so many  who will take your money.

Your coach might be online, or in your area.   Decide which you prefer!!  If you  have actual personal training time with your coach, you are going to pay a lot hourly.
I charge $75 per hour for privates.  Some charge more!!

Please do your research and learn as much as you can about how your competition experience will be. 

Finances: Many coaches make you sign a full year contract that includes off season and prep. You can pay anywhere from $150 monthly to several hundred dollars a month.
Phone calls from the best coaches can be up to $600! I know because I requested one!!

Some coaches will require you to pay in full ahead of time for your prep.  That  could run you $600 or more.

Coaching is generally non refundable and non transferable.  If you don’t keep your end of the bargain, you can be dropped for non compliance.   This may upset some people but if a client is not ready for stage because they are not following their plan, that falls on the client. As a Client  it’s YOUR job to hire the best person then follow through.

Perspective:
Our  bikini team offers a  monthly package of $175 on an auto bill.   We require our clients to stay with the team for at least one month past their show so we can help them reverse diet.

You can find us at SLEEKBIKINITEAM.COM

You may also find coaches who will do monthly payments as well.

I found a coach who is super cheap!!
You probably found a coach who hands out cookie cutter diets and workout plans. 
I want to stress to you.. Find the right person and pay them to help YOU.  

ADVICE: if you see any ads that say “I can take anyone to stage in 12 weeks” 
Run away.  Trust me, every client is different!  I’ve seen this so often and it’s a low calorie, low carb,restricted plan.  Find someone who is a good fit for YOU.  Did I stress this enough?  

Do you need more help choosing a coach?  Look here!

POSING

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Karina posed with our Skype posing coach and it was a game changer. 

  Please do not over look posing.  Please do not useYouTube videos to learn to pose.  Please pay the right person to give YOU the best presentation.  If your posing coach gives everyone the same routine, that’s a bad thing!!   Posing coaches with “signature” styles make it obvious to judges who posed the athlete.   The better choice is to find a posing coach who will teach YOU how you look your best.   They will teach you how to
create a presentation for the federation you want to compete and they will be vested in your progress!!  You can look to some amazing Skype coaches as well as local ones.  Please do your homework.  Posing will cost $40-60 per hour.

Do not make the mistake of skimping on your presentation. Hire someone who will be truthful and honest and help you win.

If your posing coach has no idea what to give you for your federation, find someone else!  Don’t waste your money.  Your posing coach should pose your early and then tweak you again when you are stage lean. Things a look different when you are stage lean!!

Do not wait! If you made the decision to compete, hire a coach  right away!

Supplements:

Prosculpt is my thing
Just a smattering of my supplements.

  The basic supplements you may be using  for bikini are Whey protein (or the equivalent), BCAAs,  Pre-workout, multi vitamin, fish oil etc.
I know, I know.. you might know someone who did it without any sups. That’s awesome but most of us will be taking at least a protein supplement.  My first coach had me on a vitamin regiment that was about $200 a month and I purchased from her friend. ASK questions before you sign up!!

Items like Whey will range from about $30-50 a tub.  Shopping places like Amazon, Body building.com and local stores, you can get rewards, points or sales.  Basic supplements will cost $100 a month give or take.

Food:
food

If you are eating Bro (turkey chicken or fish and veggies) your grocery bill is going to be spent on all of that!!  Walmart, Costco, Sams, these are great places to stock up!
If you are IIFYM you can have more choices but you can still stock up!!   Depending on prices in your area, you will spend a good amount on food. Athletes pretty much eat all the time.   I spend about $175 a week on my prep food.

 

Bikini:

crystilini
This one is mineeeeeeeeeee! It was $185 from Crystallini Bikini

Stage Bikini’s come in all price ranges!!  If you want to have   super blingy suit you can spend as much as you want!!  My first two suits from Ravish Sands were $650 each.   I have gone to sequin suits now because I can compete in more than one in my show.  I love them. They are fantastic on stage!  I paid between $150 -$185 for my sequin suits.
Plain suits can be purchased too. Most sites have plain ones for sale so you can really choose one based on your budget.  If you are so inclined, you can purchase your own crystals and bling your own.

Suits are ordered 8 weeks out.
Do you need more info on choosing a suit?

Rental: Of course you can rent or buy second hard also!!  Facebook has several groups for reselling!
elliebrookshoe
Stage shoes :  Most of us will wear the basic style 5 inch clear heel from Ellie “Brooke”.  This shoe is amazing. It fits great. Easy to walk in too!   You can get them on Amazon for about $30.  Of course you can choose your own shoe style and bling.  Price range is up to you!!
Advice: Buy two pairs.   I’ve seen girls blow out a pair of heels backstage and hobble out. I’m an over thinker.

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Jewelry:  We love our bling!!  I have a huge collection of stage jewelry that I’ve accumulated.  Let me tell you a secret.. don’t spend a fortune!  It gets janky from the tan and it can get lost.  I’ve been at so many shows where someone broke an earring or needed a bracelet and someone gave them their extras.

I purchase my jewelry locally at the import stores. They have huge selections and I got 10 pieces for about $70!!   Amazon has blingy jewelry and you can search IG for the high end suppliers to competitors.  I find it’s not worth the expense because backstage is very chaotic. I’ve lost plenty of things!!  Save your good jewelry for date night!!

Tan
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This is where you do NOT want to skimp!!  Please hear me on this.  You have trained and dieted for months so do whatever it takes to bring your best package to stage. You will tan with your backstage tanner.  Don’t go to the local tan company and try them out.  Your stage tan is unique!!  It does not have DHA so it will wash off and you do NOT want to look green on stage!!  Your tan will be $100-$200 and you will receive touch ups all day backstage. You should have your tanner providing you with gloss and glue too!   The tanning backstage is generally wonderful!

Hair/Makeup: Someone posted “Do judges like you better if you have long hair, dark hair, extensions. Are you dinged for bangs?  ”

Ok listen to me now.. you are in a subjective sport.  You may find a judge that likes blondes better than redheads. You have one who loves girls in blue suits but hates red because his ex wife wore red.  So the only thing you can do is bring your best package.  The overall package will win. If you want extensions and you love your look, do it.  If you rock a look that isn’t at all you, it will show!   Be the best version of YOU and rock it like you are Beyonce.

Get your nails done with Gel so the tan will not stain it.  That’s an additional 30-40 dollars and remember you need to do your toes in Gel too.  The top coat is fine.
hair
Hair:/makeup: Can you do your own stage hair?  If you are good at it.. awesome. I can’t. I’m far to hungry and emotional to do anything day of show.  I use my own hair and makeup artists.

Backstage will have some options for hair and makeup.  Do your research!!  If you are comfortable without a trial run, they will be a great resource for you and they will most likely touch you up during the day. That will be  about $100 each for Hair/Makeup
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Private Artists:  Search Facebook Makeup artists group and find the best one for you.   You will have to pay travel for some artists but if you work with them ahead of time, you can show them the look you want.  I’ve paid $180 for makeup with travel.

Do I recommend it. Yes I do.  I need 3 hours to get my look together. That’s just me.
photopic
Doing your own makeup: I set out to do my own makeup. I took lessons from an artist. That cost me about $100 per lesson.  I purchased a rolling makeup kit and about $650 worth of the right color cosmetics for stage.  I ended up paying an artists simply because I ‘m too low carb to do much day of show.   Some ladies are skilled.  Here’s more on makeup if you want to try to do your own.

Other expenses: 
Federation Card : $60-$100
Price per category you compete in
Example: Bikini open  $60+ and Bikini  Novice  $60+
Fee to register for the show  $75 +
Hotel  and other travel expenses TBD
Photography varies by photographer!!!  Backstage photography is worth it!!
At UFE I paid $75 for 10 pics. Stage pictures were about $200.
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Photoshoots: As you are stage lean, you will book your own photoshoot!!  This is well worth it!! We shoot in every competition season!!  You can do your research on quality photographers who shoot fitness.  Prices will vary in your area.

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Karina always had bomb shoots around her shows!  LOVE this.

I know you are working hard. I hope this helps! I wish you so much luck on your plan!
Baby Iggy has no knowledge of competition costs but he supports our desire to shine.
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Fit Girl Food Hacks

On By Bikini Competitor TracyHIn bikini competition secrets, Bikini competitor secrets, Bikini Contest Prep, dessert, fat loss, flex, Flexible Dieting, food prep, HOW TO, IIFYM, macro counting, macros

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I’m going right in and tell you a few hacks that can save your life. Ok.. probably not really but you may like them.

STARBUCKS double shot:
Ask for either a dopio or Quad (4 shots omg) over coffee ice.
Add either Sugar free vanilla syrup or a splenda packet.
Add either coconut milk or almond milk or skim.
BOOM.. The drink that keeps giving.  The coffee ice is like “second drink”

Muscle Eggs
productspyramid
Muscle Eggs is super popular among the fit girl set. I liked it when I purchased it. But.. I had a couple issues.  First of all.. the containers are huge and barely fit in my fridge. I had to keep the other ones frozen and that was tough because of all the halo top in my freezer. No room.  So there is that.

They are pricey which is fine because they taste great.. but I got bored!

Hack. I made my own.
Start at Costco or Sams and buy pourable egg whites by the case. They are between 6-8 bucks for a whole case of 6 boxes.  That’s a lot of egg whites.
You can use any sugar free coffee syrup for and mix with your whites.  You will have lots of flavor choices and won’t be stuck with one gallon of the same.
torani.jpg

torani2

You can drink Muscle Eggs and you can also drink pourable whites with coffee syrup.  You can mix them  into your protein shake to make it creamy. You can make pancakes or mug cakes too. You can go to MuscleEggs.com and use their recipes with your own concoctions!!

You can search for “Sugar Free Coffee syrup” and get lots of options.
You can also find them at stores like
Bed Bath And Beyond
Home Goods
Marshals
TJ Maxx
World Market always has a good selection.
Amazon is for sure going to have what you want!

Party time:
Order this and never look back.
Jordan’s Skinny Mixes are Zero macros. That’s P:-0  C0 F0
They are great! They are fun and exciting!  So if you have to be Faux Drinking, you can make this happen with club soda and some garnishes!  Take the macros for your hooch but at least you will be feeling sassy!
jordan
You can search Jordan’s Skinny Mixers online to find them.
Bed Bath And Beyond has lots of amazing Jordan’s Skinny products

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Baby Iggy is not on macros but he’s super happy!!
❤ 

IIFYM 101: How to Get Protein like a boss

On By Bikini Competitor TracyHIn Bikini Contest Prep, Clean Recipes, coaching, fat loss, flex, Flexible Dieting, food prep, Health and fitness information, HOW TO, IIFYM, macro counting, macros, meal prep, Prepping not starving

protein1

If you are just begining your IIFYM/Flexible Dieting Journey you may be surprised to see how much protein you are going to need to eat each day.  In fact, most of my new clients come to me eating very little protein so it looks daunting to try to hit those protein goals!

The question I get the most is “How can I hit my protein goals with out going over fats and carbs?”

Protein is very important to our physique goals!!  We need protein to build muscle and we all know that muscle is the fountain of youth!  In a fat loss plan, we eat protein to help us maintain the muscle we have!!   Protein also helps you feel full!!

Protein 101: Basic Sources
Meat Lean cuts to keep fat down. Skinless white meat is lower in fat.
Chicken
Turkey
Pork
Beef
Fish
Other Seafood (shrimp, scallops)
Dairy
Milk, Chocolate milk (great post workout)
Sour cream
Greek Yogurt
Cheese
Laughing cow cheese is fun!
Cottage cheese (add to your pancakes to add a fluffy texture)
Greek Yogurt Cream Cheese
Halo top Ice cream (I had to add that)
Eggs
Egg whites (buy the pour-able kind)

Legumes
Beans and legumes have some protein but the carb profile is higher, but if you can make it fit.. could be an option.

Whey
Whey protein or Isolate : you can cook with this!!
Lenny and Larry’s cookies (low protein profile but worthy)
Kodiak protein pancake mix (Target)
Protein Bars like Quest or B-Up bars (check your local Supplement store for variety)
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Peach Protein Cupcakes with Raspberry Lemon icing.. I tossed this in for you just for fun. Here’s that recipe.  P:11 C:11 F2 for each cuppie.

Protip: Aim for protein first, Carbs second and fats last.
If you aim for hitting your protein goals first, you won’t be left at the end of the day with 120g to eat!!  
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Protein hack: You could split your protein goals up by meal. 
Mary Jo has 160g protein per day. She likes to eat 5 meals a day.  Each meal could contain 32g protein per meal.
100g of shrimp is 28g of protein!!

Hidden protein

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Many foods you enjoy each day will have protein in them!!  These amounts will help get you to your goals. Track that food!!  Let’s see whatcha got!!

“I don’t like eggs or egg whites.”
Ok.. I hear you. I don’t care for egg whites on their own either, but I do love Crepes, Pancakes and French toast which are all made with egg whites /egg.
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This is my Birthday Cake  crepe. The recipe is here
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Here’s a Banana Protein Pancake!!!
Protein pudding is boss.. This is at Walmart,  Sup stores, Amazon.
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Oh Hey.. let’s make Fish Tacos!  The shells are La Tiara (4 carbs per taco shell)
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Hack:  Start tracking your normal eating.  Look at it like a puzzle. Are you lacking in protein but way over in fatty/carby foods?  Let’s start working on ways to tweak your normal eating!
How can you add more protein in and hit your other macros on point?

Ideas:
RippedRecipes.com will help you find some fun ideas that are NOT boring.

This Blog!!  Search Protein and you will see all my ideas!!

This is Roo Ferrigno. She is very sure of her protein intake and likes to judge mine.
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I know you are working hard! Don’t give up. If you need macros or help.. connect with me on
LearnIIFYM.com
t

Prepping Not Starving: Taco Tuesday

On By Bikini Competitor TracyHIn bikini competition secrets, Bikini competitor secrets, Bikini Contest Prep, bikini team, Clean Recipes, fat loss, fiber, flex, Flexible Dieting, food prep, Health and fitness information, macro counting, macros, meal prep, Prepping not starving, weight loss

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Our Team LOVES Taco Tuesday! Who doesn’t!!  IIFYM is bomb because you can make them fit your macros!!  Here are a few of our creations!  The tacos above are grilled chicken !taco1
Alicia scored this find at Trader Joes! 24g Protein!  Holla!
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Coach Michelle is on vacation and on prep. Her tacos are on point. That avocado!!  Avocados and that wrap have fiber. That’s about 20g fiber right there!  taco3
Ashley is about 4 weeks out from her show. This is her masterpiece!

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Coach Julia is 7 weeks from her show and this is her taco crunch wrap!
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Melissa is 7 weeks from her show. These are her shrimp tacos! I love the lime. taco5
These are mine. I am 13 weeks from stage. Each one of those shells is only 4 carbs. taco7
Jen nailed her macros while eating tacos out!  um.. yes please!!
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Holy Mama, sometimes you need a taco when you are out. The macros on the Taco Bell Chicken Soft Taco are sweet.

Hack: If you are craving Tacos, front load your tracker with your tacos early in the day and eat around them.

Here’s my 4g Carb Taco shells.

shell

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These are in the grocery store or order online. We buy 72 shells at a time!

Eat food that makes you happy!  #makeItFit

Prepping Not Starving: Pizza

On By Bikini Competitor TracyHIn bikini competition secrets, Bikini competitor secrets, Bikini Contest Prep, Clean Recipes, fiber, flex, Flexible Dieting, food prep, Health and fitness information, IIFYM, macro counting, macros, meal prep, pizza, Prepping not starving, weight loss

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Warning: These are actual pizzas made by our bikini team in PREP!!

One of the thing that has me completely over the moon is our team’s ability to create amazing food from prep ingredients.  They do it quickly and with flair.

There is no reason to eat plain when you are in a cut!  Creativity goes a long way and creates a sustainable plan!

The above pizza was made by our girl Ashely who is just 4 weeks out from her show.
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Here’s another one she did!

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Coach Michelle is 7 weeks out from her show and rocked this masterpiece.
Chicken, sundried tomatoes, onions, FF mozzarella, reduced fat feta and basil on a flat out.

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This is my SOB on a flat out. I toast my flat out before we bake the pizza.
Jimmy Dean Sausage crumbles, Onions and Louis Rich Turkey Bacon. Sauce Prego light smart red sauce from Walmart.

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Our Bikini Team Athlete, Tracy made this gem.
Pepperoni Pizza for Dinner! 🍕💪🏻Oh man… Winning! ❤️ 308 Calories / 4.5G Fat / 37 Carbs / 32 G Protein
Tomato Basil flat out Wrap
Turkey pepperoni
Marina Sauce
Fat Free shredded cheese
Bake at 425 for 10 minutes

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Melissa did a fun peperoni and sundried tomato version!  mmmmmm
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Debbie, who is 7 weeks out from her show  created this version of the white pizza!
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Tips: Pizza is an easy dinner and it has a secret bonus. Flat our or tortilla wraps have fiber.
There are lower carb wraps too.  You can create your own toppings from your prep food. You can load veggies if you are into that.  You can use full fat or non fat cheese depending on your macros.

You do NOT have to have 12 dry roasted almonds for your fats.  You can have other fats!
Cheese has protein.  Feta is a great choice too!  This is all about you.

Pro-tip: Build your pizza in your tracker in the morning so you can have exactly what you want. Then eat around it for the rest of the day. You can enjoy your evening meal hitting your macros and feeling super smart!

Hey.. if you want to learn more about IIFYM.. go to LEARNIIFYM.COM and let us teach you!
If you want to join our IIFYM bikini team.. we’d love to talk to you.

Prepping Not Starving: Quik Trip Egg bowl hack

On By Bikini Competitor TracyHIn bikini competition secrets, Bikini competitor secrets, Bikini Contest Prep, bikini team, bro swaps, Clean Recipes, Competitor secrets, Flexible Dieting, food prep, IIFYM, macro counting, macros, meal prep, Prepping not starving, weight loss

breakfast-bowl
If Quik Trip is local to you, you might have seen this egg bowl in their stores. I had the chance to taste it last fall and it was insane.  I know a lot of restaurants serve this as well.

Last night, we recreated this masterpiece for my  prep macros. I have no pic, because I ate it up. But it looked much like the above one so go with that.

bowl

1/2 cup Jimmy Dean Turkey sausage Crumbles
1 whole egg
1/2 cup whites
1 slice Kraft Fat Free Singles
onions

In the pan with cooking spray, heat your onions first.
Next add the crumbles until they are hot.
Eggs go next
Put the cheese on top and put a lid on it so it melts.

You can modify anything here just adjust your macros.
If you take out the whole egg  you can take off  5g Fat. I use an omega egg so
that’s a good way to get my EFAs. If you have the fat, get some real cheddar!
It’s so good!

BRO ALERT:  If your coach has locked you down to Bro-city, you can still rock this meal.
Use cooked ground turkey and seasonings instead of your sausage.

Wish I’d saved room for Buttered Toast!

Hey.. do you need help with IIFYM? Check us out at LearnIIFYM.com

Prepping not starving: The Monte Cristo Sandwich

On By Bikini Competitor TracyHIn bikini competition secrets, Bikini competitor secrets, Bikini Contest Prep, bikini team, Clean Recipes, Flexible Dieting, food prep, IIFYM, macro counting, macros, meal prep, Prepping not starving, weight loss

montecristo

The mister has been binge watching “Top Chef” so my prep has gone to level 3000.
This sandwich is the bomb and the macros are fierce!  Seriously, you can use whatever you want to make your own to fit your macros but this was one I had for Brekkie!! It’s a good pre workout too.

2 slices 97/3 Ham
1 slices FF turkey
100 calorie english muffin
1 slice FF cheese

1/2 egg whites
Splash of vanilla

Mix egg whites and vanilla together
beat it until it is frothy

Drop the muffins into the mixture and let it soak up the eggs.
Fry the bacon and turkey in a pan with some cooking spray.
Remove from the pan.

Put the muffins in the pan and pour the rest of the mixture on top.
Flip them over then put the turkey and ham and cheese on the muffin.
Close it like a sandwich. cover the pan so the cheese melts.
Serve with syrup and jelly or powdered sugar if you have the carbs.

Your macros will vary but you can make it fit, even with some


I know you are working hard on your prep!! Keep going!
t

20 weeks out

On By Bikini Competitor TracyHIn bikini competition secrets, Bikini Contest Prep, competition update, Flexible Dieting, macro counting, macros

Just an update for my competition/fascia blaster journey!
Since I changed my show date from October to June, I’m having a “HOLY WOW”
moment.

Last week was the worst week I’ve probably had in decades. Our little Kitty went missing on Christmas and we found her last week. She had passed away outside.  She was only 2 and was my heart.  I was a wreck. I got so many grey hairs.

I also dislocated my sacrum on NYE when I slipped on some beer at the Kid Rock concert.
So I was in terrible pain. I’m thankful my chiropractor got me on the right track. My workouts were minimal though because she asked me to not lift very heavy. I couldn’t pole at all.  Tough week.  I don’t like to whine, but it was bad.

My food was good  though. Oddly.
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IGGY!!
PREP
20 weeks out now and I’m feeling much better. We adopted a new baby kitten and he is wonderful.  My back is really feeling better too so I’m mentally and physically ready to start my prep with focus so I bring home a Pro Card for the Team!

Changes: Because I’m working with my Fascia Blaster and I’m working hard to fix my fascia and alignment issues I have made serious changes to my plan!

I have been blasting and got some insane results on my inner thighs. I’m still working hard on the rest but I’m seeing progress.

I have taken my workouts to zero impact. No unilateral movements, running, jumping, plyo, box jumps, back flips, burpees, NONE.  I do my cardio exactly as Ashley Black told me to. I’m training so much less overall than before and getting progress.  So we will see how I start looking now that I’m back on a cut.

The video above is the Pit Shark Squat.  I don’t use a bar on my back anymore so this one really gets it done for me.  I normally do over 200 pounds with this, but I’m still on lighter weights.  I really feel this in my glutes.  There are ways to do a Pit squat with benches and a Kettle bell. You can see that on Youtube. I just love this piece. Lucky for me , my gym has it!

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Show date is UFE Fury, Chicago June 3!!
Good luck with your show too!