Decided I want to compete but some potential problems.
joybedford
Posts: 1,680 Member
Hi I would love to compete in a bikini competition or body fitness but have a few worries about this. I am 44 years old and currently weigh 158 lbs. I have a online bikini coach. My issues are I have had 3 children the first weighed 9lb 7 and then I had twins who had a combined weight of 14lb 4, so my ab muscles are wrecked. I also have severe thread veins on my legs is it possible to compete with these. Also money is tight and I have little support from my husband, is it easy to get sponsorship as financially I couldn't afford it myself. Also time, those with children how do you commit to the prep. My boys have autism /ADHD so need lots of support and my daughter dances 4 days a week and is a cheerleader for our local basketball team so this takes up most weekends. I also work full time (shift work) as a midwife. Want to do this for me but not sure if I can. Any advice appreciated.
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I replied to you on my thread that you commented on.
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Also the expense aspect....here's a breakdown I blogged about the expenses for my first competition...as you can see I did a lot of the stuff myself to help on costs, like make-up..that can run 100-300 dollars just to have your it done for ONE DAY!!! I also found an opportunity to work for the tanning company to get my $110 tan done for free, but I had to work for it and take time away from my family. I did my own hair, nails and toes, but again if you have someone else do it that's another huge expense. Let's not forget the monthly training fees, the extra food and supplements....OH and the gas $ and possible hotel stay if you compete somewhere not close to home!
1st bikini comp costs
Wanted to keep track somewhere of all the $ spent on this first competition.
NPC Card: $100
Show registration fee: $50
Shoes: $43 (Bling: FREE, already had some)
Bikini: $280 (and I got a PLAIN suit with NO bling on it)
Jewelry: $42 (2 bracelets and earrings)
Track suit: $30 (Screen printing of the Fit & Psyched training team logo: FREE)
Tanning: FREE! ($110 value for free for working with the tanning company the night before as a helper)
Brow Wax: $20
Nails/Toes: FREE (Gonna do them myself)
Makeup: FREE (Gonna do it myself)
Show Day Hair: FREE (Gonna do it myself)
Hair Color & trim: $126 (got a refund check from insurance and sold a coach bag to pay for this)
Keratin Treatment: $150
Hotel Room: FREE! (sister in law had Marriott points she used for it)
Total was about $841...but that's not counting the $150 for training and all the frikken food and supplements!!!!
P.S. My husband is having a COW...haha
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Thanks for answering only just seen this. I am signing up with a trainer who specialises in bikini competitions after my holiday but not sure I will ever compete just want to see how close I can get to that bikini body. Also not sure I ever want to be that thin I think body fitness might be more me but we will see how it goes. Currently I weigh far too much 157lbs so it's hard to see what I could achieve.0
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joybedford wrote: »Thanks for answering only just seen this. I am signing up with a trainer who specialises in bikini competitions after my holiday but not sure I will ever compete just want to see how close I can get to that bikini body. Also not sure I ever want to be that thin I think body fitness might be more me but we will see how it goes. Currently I weigh far too much 157lbs so it's hard to see what I could achieve.
Sweet! I just warn you, if your coach requests of you, hours of cardio, cutting out most carbs, and super low calories, RUN away quickly. My body is in such shock right now that it responds to nothing and the rebound weight will not come off. I'm going for blood work as soon as my yearly appointment time approaches in October to see what is going on and hopefully be able to reverse this damage.0 -
Sh0ewh0re7_BlingItOn wrote: »Sweet! I just warn you, if your coach requests of you, hours of cardio, cutting out most carbs, and super low calories, RUN away quickly. My body is in such shock right now that it responds to nothing and the rebound weight will not come off. I'm going for blood work as soon as my yearly appointment time approaches in October to see what is going on and hopefully be able to reverse this damage.
I'm really curious to know what your diet plan was when you "put your body in shock" I'd just love to compare it to my diet plan currently from my trainer. I AM doing a lot of cardio - but I've only got two months to prepare for a comp and need to lose roughly 20-30lbs.
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Thanks for the warning I don't have time for hours of cardio anyway and so far she seems to be working with me around my lifestyle and working around my health problems. I will be cautious though.0
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If you can't make the weight , don't starve yourself like alot of them do. You can always use you weight to your advantage and do Fitness. You get toned and still look sexy. That's what I do. And I get to EAT. I do little cardiovascular but I weight train hard. You can do it. For sponsorship write to female fitness magazines and ask them to put an article out so companies can read it and decide whether to sponsor you. Or just do " Go Fund". Don't ever give up your dreams. Keep pushing it will happen.
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Sh0ewh0re7_BlingItOn wrote: »joybedford wrote: »Thanks for answering only just seen this. I am signing up with a trainer who specialises in bikini competitions after my holiday but not sure I will ever compete just want to see how close I can get to that bikini body. Also not sure I ever want to be that thin I think body fitness might be more me but we will see how it goes. Currently I weigh far too much 157lbs so it's hard to see what I could achieve.
Sweet! I just warn you, if your coach requests of you, hours of cardio, cutting out most carbs, and super low calories, RUN away quickly. My body is in such shock right now that it responds to nothing and the rebound weight will not come off. I'm going for blood work as soon as my yearly appointment time approaches in October to see what is going on and hopefully be able to reverse this damage.
OMG I SECOND THIS!!!! My body was destroyed in my first season because of a trainer that took $700 off me to put me through endless hours of cardio on top of weight training, then dropping my carbs!!!! Got me so skinny
second comp season was awesome ate well..cardio only 2 days a week for 20min!!! But my body was still recovering from the season before and now 4 years on I still have issues caused by the first season but they are nearly under control 
it's been a long road to reverse the damage done!! 0 -
If you can see my MFP pics the green bikini is my second season!!! The blue bikini was first season the pic of the abs was 7 weeks out
already that lean and they told me I needed to be leaner than that!!! 1 -
candersen12 wrote: »Sh0ewh0re7_BlingItOn wrote: »Sweet! I just warn you, if your coach requests of you, hours of cardio, cutting out most carbs, and super low calories, RUN away quickly. My body is in such shock right now that it responds to nothing and the rebound weight will not come off. I'm going for blood work as soon as my yearly appointment time approaches in October to see what is going on and hopefully be able to reverse this damage.
I'm really curious to know what your diet plan was when you "put your body in shock" I'd just love to compare it to my diet plan currently from my trainer. I AM doing a lot of cardio - but I've only got two months to prepare for a comp and need to lose roughly 20-30lbs.
Calories below 12-1400 depending on your height is TOO LOW. More than an hour of cardio a day is excessive. If you have 30lbs to lose, you might want to aim for a show 6 months out so you come in looking a lot better than depleted, skinny, and with a shot metabolism.
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Hi thanks for the advice. My coach has me on 1600 calories a day I am 5 feet 3 1/2. I am strength train 5 days a week, legs,shoulders/abs,back/biceps,chest/triceps and legs again. I am doing 1 hour cardio 4 times a week, sometimes less, well usually less (I have a busy life). I am losing weight at a rate of 1.5lbs per week sometimes less. I have not booked a show and I have no intention of doing so yet. I am 2 days high carb 5 days moderate carb. So far loving training and diet it doesn't feel hard and I can see changes in my body. I have lost 8 lbs in 6 weeks so not super fast by any means. I feel healthier and my hair and skin look better. So far so good.0
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summerkissed wrote: »Sh0ewh0re7_BlingItOn wrote: »joybedford wrote: »Thanks for answering only just seen this. I am signing up with a trainer who specialises in bikini competitions after my holiday but not sure I will ever compete just want to see how close I can get to that bikini body. Also not sure I ever want to be that thin I think body fitness might be more me but we will see how it goes. Currently I weigh far too much 157lbs so it's hard to see what I could achieve.
Sweet! I just warn you, if your coach requests of you, hours of cardio, cutting out most carbs, and super low calories, RUN away quickly. My body is in such shock right now that it responds to nothing and the rebound weight will not come off. I'm going for blood work as soon as my yearly appointment time approaches in October to see what is going on and hopefully be able to reverse this damage.
OMG I SECOND THIS!!!! My body was destroyed in my first season because of a trainer that took $700 off me to put me through endless hours of cardio on top of weight training, then dropping my carbs!!!! Got me so skinny second comp season was awesome ate well..cardio only 2 days a week for 20min!!! But my body was still recovering from the season before and now 4 years on I still have issues caused by the first season but they are nearly under control it's been a long road to reverse the damage done!!
Way third this - do your research before picking a "coach" online!!!!0 -
candersen12 wrote: »Sh0ewh0re7_BlingItOn wrote: »Sweet! I just warn you, if your coach requests of you, hours of cardio, cutting out most carbs, and super low calories, RUN away quickly. My body is in such shock right now that it responds to nothing and the rebound weight will not come off. I'm going for blood work as soon as my yearly appointment time approaches in October to see what is going on and hopefully be able to reverse this damage.
I'm really curious to know what your diet plan was when you "put your body in shock" I'd just love to compare it to my diet plan currently from my trainer. I AM doing a lot of cardio - but I've only got two months to prepare for a comp and need to lose roughly 20-30lbs.
Well, basically just fish and veggies from when I got to about 4 weeks out (with the occasional carb up day once a week or so)...and then continued that for the subsequent 16ish weeks (I did 4 shows in 4 months).0 -
Thanks for all you advice. I have a coach who I was very happy with but since Christmas I have struggled to stick to the plan. I have also had some illness and food intolerances which my coach is aware of. Yesterday my plan was updated and it is so repetitive I know I'll struggle to stick to it. Breakfast oats cooked in water with whey powder, blueberries, meal 2 almonds, next 3 meals are chicken, rice and veg. Everyday is the same. I have expressed my concern and been told to stick with it at least for a week. I know I am intolerant to gluten/dairy but don't understand why it needs to be so boring, I don't even like chicken. Would you suck it up or run a mile.0
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joybedford wrote: »Thanks for all you advice. I have a coach who I was very happy with but since Christmas I have struggled to stick to the plan. I have also had some illness and food intolerances which my coach is aware of. Yesterday my plan was updated and it is so repetitive I know I'll struggle to stick to it. Breakfast oats cooked in water with whey powder, blueberries, meal 2 almonds, next 3 meals are chicken, rice and veg. Everyday is the same. I have expressed my concern and been told to stick with it at least for a week. I know I am intolerant to gluten/dairy but don't understand why it needs to be so boring, I don't even like chicken. Would you suck it up or run a mile.
RUN A MILE!!!!! This is how I began my downwards spiral, I'm also gluten/lactose intolerant and it's no excuse for boring eating!!! Why would your trainer give you something you don't like????? That to me is a big WARNING SIGN!! There are plenty of yummy lean protein alternatives to chicken!! And lots of gluten free things for breaky that are delicious!!! Use almond/coconut milk in your oats instead of water to start with!! Water tastes so bland....repetitive boring eating is setting you up for binges because you are being deprived of so much good food!
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What I did after my initial mistakes is had a list of foods I loved and recipes I loved on the fridge with the macro break down.....so breakfast say one day I'd have 400 cals most from carbs I'd look at the frigde and easily see what fit and whatever took my fancy I'd grab or make.....same for lunch etc I never just ate chicken and broccoli for every meal, I even had a list of sweet treats I could grab so when those sweet cravings hit I could easily see what I could grab that would satisfy my cravings.....protein mug cakes where one of my favorites
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Thank you for your reply instinct is telling me to run but she is a nice girl and I guess I feel guilty but I feel like I am wasting my money. Another thing is I work out from home and she hasn't changed my workout plan since August saying it's difficult as I don't have enough equipment. I have everything apart from a treadmill and leg press machine.0
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joybedford wrote: »Thank you for your reply instinct is telling me to run but she is a nice girl and I guess I feel guilty but I feel like I am wasting my money. Another thing is I work out from home and she hasn't changed my workout plan since August saying it's difficult as I don't have enough equipment. I have everything apart from a treadmill and leg press machine.
Do not feel guilty. That girl is literally ripping you off. Seriously...do not continue using her services.0 -
joybedford wrote: »Thank you for your reply instinct is telling me to run but she is a nice girl and I guess I feel guilty but I feel like I am wasting my money. Another thing is I work out from home and she hasn't changed my workout plan since August saying it's difficult as I don't have enough equipment. I have everything apart from a treadmill and leg press machine.
I only have a power rack with pulleys, a bench and an Olympic bar......I can do hundreds of different exercises!!!0 -
My suggestion is to look in to a Drug tested comp. Look for organizations that require drug testing. you do not want to work really hard and be on stage with a bunch of women who look the way they do because they A take steroids or B are on Hormones ... Just my recommendation.
Also it is not necessary to be like everyone else. Be the best version of you ! This is all we all can do and never let go of a dream if it is a dream of yours ! I have done comps several actually - I am 5'6 and I started at a much higher weight and placed very well in all my comps because I work hard and I never really think of what other people do just myself. Good luck to you on your journey and remember u vs. u! good luck with your children as well! Sorry I know this is an old post... Hope you are well on your way to your dream by now... Jess
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