What a day, what a day! My kids go back to school on Monday, thank God! They are bored and tired of being home with me, and (I love them dearly) but they are driving me nuts! I think they need a break from each other too.....This happens every summer right before school starts again. My daughter is seven, and let me tell you, school shopping with a picky little girl is not fun! She has a great sense of style, but unfortunately she has the taste in clothes of a 15 year old :) She is trying very hard to grow up too fast. She is SO smart, I have to work very hard to stay one step ahead of her.
Training is going well, but I am having a hard time staying strict on my diet....I am getting all my good proteins in, but that's not the problem. The problem is the little nibbles I am taking between meals! Today I had a total craving for tootsie rolls. I gave in a little bit :) My weight is right where I want it though, I have put on a thin layer of fat since nationals, but nothing excessive. It's a big adjustment going from 5 1/2 % body fat, to about 8% now. I still look good to other people, but in my own mind I feel so BIG. It's such a mind game after competing. I am officially 12 weeks out from Fitness Nationals in November. I am starting back on the diet at 11 weeks out. That is where I started for Team U also. I still get 2 cheat meals a week on the diet so it's not that bad. I got an e-mail from Tanji today, she gave me some great pointers on my posing at Team U, and things I should change for Nationals. No matter how much you do this stuff, you can always improve and learn something! I love to teach posing to other competitors, but occassionally I need a check up too:) Till next time my friends, take care.
Love,

Tami

Hi everyone!!! Haven't written in a while.....so busy. I am now officially my daughter's soccer coach. We had our first team practice last night....I was clueless, but the girls didn't seem to notice :) Workouts are great, I'm starting to gear up mentally for training for Nationals in November. Dieting is another story. I am eating tons of clean proteins, but if I feel like eating some crackers, I eat crackers!!! I have deprived myself for too long, so I am eating little bits of cheat foods here and there until I have to really crack down for nationals. (My plan is to start getting really strict at about 10 weeks out- which is in 2 weeks). My bodyfat was so low for Team U, I looked cut but really flat and small. So my approach this time is to come in a little higher body fat and fuller muscles. We'll see how it goes. I am punishing my shoulders twice a week, which goes against all of my high intensity training principles, but everyone swears by it, so I am giving it a try:) I am off to the gym now, it's shoulder and chest day! I love this workout! Talk soon,

Tami

I have been SO busy lately!!! Not to mention sick....a lovely cold I have had since Sunday- I did not know the human body could make this much mucus!!?!! I sound like I am going to cough up a lung. To top it all off, I have agreed to be my daughters soccer coach! I went to coach's training tonight- I am so clueless! I never played soccer growing up ( I was a gymnast remember?) So I have no idea what they are talking about. I just listened as well as I could, and I figure I have to study the manual A LOT this weekend. I am now my daughter's hero for doing this, which makes it all worth it! Remember in grade school when your mom would come and have lunch with you? You felt like a rock star!!!! My rockstar status with my daughter will not be there many more years, so I am basking in the glory while I can. So now I balance work, working out, dieting, soccer coaching, routine work, being a good wife, keeping my house running properly, and hopefully a little quiet time for myself to cross stitch, and scrapbook occasionally. Two of my best friends are pregnant and due in March. So I have undertaken lofty baby projects I must have done before then!!! (I can't say what they are in case my buddies decide to read my journal:) Well, I must go drag my sick little butt to bed. Tomorrow is another busy day! No rest for the wicked, right? :) Till next time,

Tami

I lifted back and biceps yesterday, oh my!!!! I can barely touch my rear delts and upper lats....Oh how I love that feeling. You really know that you did something! I also went on a run last night for about an hour. My butt and thighs are sore from that too. I am really struggling with the whole change in training now that my contest is over..... I feel like I should be doing more, but at the same time dealing with the desire to eat a little junk food- and the guilt that comes after I do....The nightly running is helping me deal with the "feeling fat" too. I made cookies with my kids last night (after my run).....so much for self control- cookie dough is just too damn good! You know what happens when you tell yourself "I deserve this, I ran really hard tonight." So do I sound like I am rambling? I am. After a week or two, my eating becomes more regulated and I get more in control. As I see the weight coming back on, it forces me to start eating smarter. It is amazing how much of our emotions are tied to food.....When I am training, I get my good feelings and emotions from training and seeing the changes in my body- not from food. When the contest is over and I know I must give my body a rest from the strict dieting- food suddenly becomes very important in my life again. I'm always working to find that balance: where I feel I look pretty good, but I get to eat a few goodies here and there. Well, I must go cook dinner for the family......ha ha ha. I'll write soon.

Tami

Hi all, I've just layed around most of the day today.....not feeling well. I spoke with my nutritionist today. We discussed the "plan" for nationals. He told me to take another week off from training....let my body rest. Then the plan is to start a "bulking" phase for about 4 weeks. I need to put on a few lbs of muscle in my upper body before Nationals in November. It is amazing how fast you can put on muscle if your diet is high enough in the proper calories. Since I was 5 1/2% bodyfat at Team U, he told me not to get above 9% during my bulking phase. I have to get my body used to a higher calorie intake again, so then it will drop fat properly when I start dropping my calories closer to contest. Gotta keep that metabolism burnin!!! I find this part of training so fascinating....nutrition really is 90% of contest prep! The training part comes so easy for me, I am totally addicted to working out. The diet is and always will be the hardest part. Well, the kids are wanting me to fix them something to eat....and I've got about 10 loads of laundry to do:) I'll write again soon.

Tami

Oh my God, my shoulders are sore!!! (And I love it!) I nearly had a panic attack today when I left the house.....I had forgotten my cooler of food. Then I realized I didn't have to take a cooler with me ANYWHERE! It is so fun to eat some junk food, but it makes me so anxious at the same time. You program your brain one way for so long, its hard to let it go. I took my kids to Dairy Queen today and we all had blizzards!! (Mine was Oreo if you want to know) The kids were so excited that mommy was eating real food. I don't have the heart to tell them that mommy is probably going to start dieting again soon for the next nationals......
Tomorrow is a work day. I am going to actually go to work and eat in the cafeteria tomorrow like a normal person. I'm only going to give myself 2 weeks off, and then it will be back to the grindstone. Well, time for bed, 5am comes way too early!!! Talk later.

Tami

I went to the gym and lifted HEAVY tonight!!!!! I miss it so much. When I get close to contest, I do more light weights/sculpting exercises. There is nothing like punishing your shoulders..... I came home with "ape arms" (you know when you can't lift them up from your sides anymore:) I've got a lot of work to do on my "caps." I get through the post contest blues by setting new goals for myself. This time, the goals are to: increase the fullness in my anterior and posterior delts, add more thickness to my upper back, add a little muscle to my calves, and bring out the divisions in my quads. Gee, does that sound like too much? We are always our own worst critics right? I am so pleased with the changes I have made in my physique since starting to work with my nutritionist Pete Grubbs.....I had the workouts pretty much figured out, but I was missing the nutrition part of the puzzle. I love being accountable to someone else where my diet is concerned....My plan for the next 2 weeks is to eat clean, but add in the cheat foods when I feel like it. As long as I am getting enough protein and good carbs, I won't worry about it for a little while. I was 5.5% body fat at Team U this weekend, so I need to put on a little fat for muscle building:) I am still unsure if I am going to Fitness Nationals in November, everyone is encouraging me to go, but it will come down to my finances, and whether my family gives me the ok. They come first no matter what. Well, I must go to bed, talk to all of you soon.

Tami

Hello everyone!!!! I don't know where to begin......I'll start with how I placed at Team Universe Nationals. I ended up in 6th place! I scored very well in the routine round, and not so well in the physique rounds....Those girls were BIG! I am very symmetrical, but I have a lot less muscle than most of the competitors on a national level. I scored 3rd in my routine round, which made me so happy, because quite frankly I wondered if the judges saw me at all..... I literally walked on stage in the physique rounds to find ALL of the judges looking at their score sheets. Not one made eye contact with me. It was very frustrating. The callouts before me were all girls who had been to national level contests at some point this year. I guess this is the part in my fitness career where I find out how political it can be at times....Oh well, I have to pay my dues just like all the other girls. Many fitness competitors have to compete at the national level a long time before achieving their pro cards. Anything worth having is worth working hard for. I had a great time in NY with my mom and husband. The 95 degree weather and 100% humidity were difficult at times, so I stayed in my air conditioned hotel room a lot before the contest. We did the whirlwind tour of Manhattan on Sunday and Monday. Times Square is incredible! Little Italy was so much fun on Saturday night (not to mention the food!) We had dinner with 3 of my fellow competitors (who are from the northwest), and laughed till we hurt! I have so much more I could write, but I must go do some cardio- so my body doesn't completely go nuts with all this real food..... I currently have 8 lbs of water retention at this time....holy crap! I am pounding the water like there is no tomorrow! I'll write again tonight and tell you all more. Talk soon,

Tami

Today has been SO hectic. I worked a 12 hours shift at the hospital, and then came home and cooked all of my food for the next 4 days in NY. Feeling tired and hungry today, but I am so excited to compete at Team U. I feel that I look the best I have ever looked, and that is always my number one goal: to improve on my physique for every contest I do. If I can do that, then I feel as though I have already won. I want to thank everyone for the wonderful feedback on my website. I am so proud of how it turned out. Simon at Fitnessmedias.com is a wonderful webdesigner. Well, it's time for some sleep, tomorrow is my "getting pretty day" (you know, hair, nails, waxing, etc....) I love this part of getting ready- now if I could only fit a massage in there somewhere. I will try to post something tomorrow, but if I don't- everyone think good thoughts for me on Friday and Saturday.....I will post the results on Tuesday after I get home.

Tami