Cassie's Figure Competition Journal

[cassiegose]

Hello All!

Most of you already know me... for those that don't shoot me a message an introduce yourself so I can meet ya!

Many of you know that I am in the process of training for my first figure competition. This is something that I decided to do in April of this year, and with the help of Boopster, Bossman, and some other friends, I am on my way towards meeting my goal of competing in a figure competition. By the way, thank you SO MUCH bossman and boopster for all of your help!

A member of the site recently suggested that I start a journal to keep everybody posted on how I'm doing as I get closer and closer to the show. At first I wasn't sure if I wanted to do the whole journal thing, but the member who suggested it (it was Nokie if youre wondering :D ) said that it would be motivating to hear about me working towards my goals. My ulimate reason for being on this site is to help motivate others and to help you all meet your goals. So, I decided that if simply posting updates of my progress could provide some extra motivation then i'm all for it. I honestly don't expect you guys to care whats going on with me on a day to day basis... but if youre ever wondering i'll try to keep this thread updated regularly.

If anybody has questions, feel free to ask. As always, I'm happy to help!

Cassie

PS: To message me please go to my profile, then send a message through there.

[cassiegose]

So today I finally figured out what competition I will be doing. There are several coming up in my area this fall and I was having a hard time figuring out exactly which one I wanted to do. I was planning on just playing it by ear and picking the show as I get closer... however today I decided that I just need to pick a show so I have an exact date that I am aiming for. This will also FORCE me to be extra strict with my diet as I now know that I HAVE to be ready by a certain date. Soo my competition will be held on October 3rd.... In other words 85 days... or about 12 weeks.

For those of you who don't know what a figure competition is.. you basically diet like a maniac (eating lots of food... but ONLY clean food.. no junk) and train until you feel like your limbs are going to fall off in an effort to maintain muscle while losing body fat. Its kind of a guessing game at first to get the nutrition stuff figured out as I really had to experiment until I could find what works best for my body.. in fact i'm still experimenting. The training is a little more straightforward, however its still a challenge to figure out what reps and sets work best, as well as what exercises, and what programs. This has definitely been a learning experience for me!

Since I started training and dieting I have noticed some great changes to my body. I wish I had taken measurements before starting but I didn't so can't give any exact figures. I can say that I have gone down atleast one pant size, and should be down another pant size by the end of the month. I have lost 10 pounds on the scale... but haven't had body fat measured so i'm not sure how many pounds of fat I've lost and how many pounds of muscle i've gained. I really should have done a better job of tracking these things! This weekend I'm going to try to have my body fat measured so I can give exact measurements next week and update from there. :)

[Nokie173]

YAY Cassie!!!!!

I can totally see you’re dedication I’m glad you took your busy time posting this up for us!
Unfortunately, I do not have any professional advice to give you besides cheering you on!

YOU GO GIRL……!!!

[oscarmadison]

I am here for support, picture taking and any measurements necessary

Regards,
Oscar

[Boopster]

Girl.....I know exactly what your going through. I also know that you are going to absolutely fabulous and keep thinking positive thoughts. These last 12 weeks are the roughest as you begin the "leaning out" process. But all your hard work will pay off and you as well as all of us here are supporting you 150%. This will be a test of your endurance, will power, and willingness to try something new. Who knows what your future may hold, you may be the next Mari Kudla??? I admire you and all that your doing. From the great advice you give our fellow posters to the accomplishments you are making and will continue to make in the future. You will always have my deepest respect and friendship for years to come. Go get em' girl! Your already a winner in my eyes!

[cassiegose]

Michele... Girl youre the best!!! Thank you again for ALL of your help! I honestly don't know how I'd be doing this without you! Oh... and know that youre helping to inspire me every day as I have your suit sitting in a place where I HAVE to look at it about 5 times a day. Its keeping me motivated. :)

[Boss Man]

I could probably chime in at this point and say to those not nexessarily familiar, it is not just about eating clean, but about going one step further.

Imagine having a situation, where you could only eat about 2-3 Protein sources, virtually no Fat sources, like Oils, Seeds, Avocado, Flax, Nuts etc etc, and realistically about 3-4 types of Carb sources, not your usual 10-15, and I'm talking limited Veggies for example, not classing Veggies as 1 of the 3-4 Carb sources in this instance

Then you attempt to formulate this into a plan, and stick to it religiously every day for around 3-4 months.

Then you train like before, but you find your energy gets a little less, and your emotions might get a little bit tested, and then you end up in around 2 months out, doing 90-120 minutes of Cardio per day, as well as your 3-4 sessions, (maybe 5 if you do splits), of weekly weights.

That's a rough approximation of what Cassie will have / is having to do.

Plus the other issues, like knowing what to wear, finding time to practice moves, formulate routine etc etc, and you can begin to get some idea of the challenge ahead.

To me Cassie managing to do this, and walk off the stage with a placing, would be comparable to an athlete prepping for a major championships / Olympics, and competing right to the finish line, or the final throw or swimming stroke.

So I know Cassie that you do have what it takes to be a good Athlete. You do have the emotional and mental qualities to do this. The genetics and looks to fit into that world, and I know you can and will do this well, and hopefully perhaps do more than just one, and I do believe in you completely, and I will say what no doubt some others think, which is I'm very proud of your efforts, of course I'm right behind you, and I am in no doubt this is a good thing for you, and given some of your past issues in life, this would be a wonderful way to put those things to bed and prove nothing and nobody has any control over you, and that you're strong enough to do his, and do it well.

Hopefully this post puts the realities of what lies ahead for Cassie into perspective. It's not quite the same thing as training for a Javelin contest, or a 50M swim, or a 100M sprint, or anything like that, but it's a very hard process, where even little things on the day can mean the difference between 1st and 4th.

I've read enough before now to know, it's probably not been an easy thing for someone like Cassie, to get to this point, and another 3 months, will be VERY tough, expecially in the last 4 weeks, but if anyone can overcome some past issues and walk off that stage with a placing, I know someone like Cassie can, and I wouldn't compete, but my upmost respect and admiration is there, just like it was for Boopster, who by the way incase some are not aware, did a FANTASTIC job, and looked AMAZING, (what a wonderful rolemodel to her children, she proved to be), and no matter about the result, did herself proud, made people like me proud of her, and proved so much to herself and others.

Whatever result Cassie does get, I know she will still make people very proud of her, and I know plenty of people will be here for her, to help make the tough process a little easier .

GOOD LUCK misses, you are BRILLIANT, and you're going to look spectacular come October .

[SimplyBlessed]

Go Cassie Go!!! Don't forget to take lots of pictures of your progress on the way! We're all proud of you here already and can't wait to celebrate with you in October!

[cassiegose]

Hello everybody!

Happy Friday!

Thank you all for you kind words and positive thoughts. I'm very glad that i decided to post this journal as i'm beginning to see that you guys are actually going to awesome at keeping me motivated!

I stepped on the scale this morning and am down a pound this week (scale weight). I was also approached by a guy at the gym this morning who asked if i had been losing weight. Whoop! This man really made my day as i was about halfway through a grueling biceps/triceps session and was really dragging. His compliment perked me up a great deal.

Tomorrow I have my first posing practice with my coach Tami Ough (you can google her to find her page if your curious. Shes an amazing woman!). It should be interesting! I will be wearing 5 in heals for the competition so will actually start wearing the heals tomorrow for posing practice. Should be interesting... i've never worn 5 inch heals in my life. I start to have trouble with anything over 2 inches. I hope I don't break my ankle!

Yes, as bossman stated the diet for this contest is insanely strict. I was going to post an example of the diet that i've been on for the past month and half (and will be on for the next 3 months) but it lacks many vital foods that a person should normally be eating daily and i didn't want to give anybody the wrong idea and have them think that they are on the wrong track or something if they aren't following a diet like this. :) I will say that i'm eating so much chicken breast and eggs right now that I feel like I will be shaving feathers off of my arms by the time the competition rolls around. I don't mind chicken and eggs but goodness there is only so many ways you can cook the darn things!

I am hoping to take progress pictures this weekend and will try to post them on my profile (if i feel like they are post-able).

Thank you again for your kind words and encouragment! You guys rock!

Cassie :)

[Boss Man]

I'm sure you'll have no trouble with the posing practice. Just keep that belief in yourself, and don't worry about anything at all. As long as you have the courage of your convictions to keep your head high, chin up and fear nothing about this process, you can and I'm in no doubt WILL, accomplish every little thing that is required.

You're doing a brilliant job of pushing through each day, we're all proud of you, and you will be absolutely fine throughout the entire coming 3 months. You've been here for plenty of people, so we will be here for you too.

I know you'll sometimes have one of those days, where you question your reasons for this and your sanity, but I know it's a small part of a big, bright picture, and I am sure you can go all the way.

Certainly feel free to vent your spleen at me sometimes when it feels a little too much .

GOOD LUCK again.

[MarielS76]

I just wanted to say that I have only been on this site for 2 days and Cassie, your info and your support has already made a HUGE difference for me, along with the other girls Nokie and Boopster.

So with that being said, if you are approching this with the same passion and willingness that you show when you help me, then you definitely have what it takes to make it.

Good luck girl.. one day at a time.

Mariel

[Boopster]

Posing is tough...no question about it. You can have the best body physique in the world but if you can't walk out on to that stage with confidence bursting through every pore and "strike that pose" that will catch the judges eyes...it will show...trust me. Be prepared for your back to ache, your calves to burn and every muscle in your body to be on fire. It is one of the most empowering things you will feel and, for me, one of the most challenging (other than giving birth)

The one thing you have to remember and is so vital to this process; you cannot, under any condition, compare yourself to the other women who compete with you. It's a mental state of mind you will put yourself into that will create the outcome of your experience. I met truly wonderful women who overcame many challenges in their life and may not have been the most physically fit people but had more style, grace and poise than others I have met. Then there's the flip side of the coin, the diehards, the women who were there to win and win only. Funny thing is they, didn't place so hot. Not all but some. I was told by many that how you place in figure is a crap shoot and the harsh reality is that's the truth. You don't really know if the panel of judges are looking for hard well defined bods or defined but still curvy and female. I went to a show where I felt the most beautfiul women with very good physiques should have placed much higher than they ended up, but the judges that day seemed to really like the bodybuilder type. Then I again I know nothng about judging so my perception could be way off.

When I competed, I had a very good friend ask me what place I would be content with. The first thing that came to my mind was "TOP 5". That's what I shot for and that's what I got. Determined and ready before I went on stage, I just kept telling myself, Top 5, you can do this.

Believe in everything your are capable of, how hard you have worked to get to this very point, and remember it's the journey that got you to this very point that matters, not really the place you fall into. There is no doubt in my mind that you will do great Cassie. You have nothing to prove to us. We already know you are a bright, talented woman who cares about others as well as those who surround you. As I said before, your already a winner in our eyes. These last few weeks will be a challenge, but this roller coaster ride will be one you will never ever forget. Enjoy the ride girl

[ironwill]

GO CASSIE!!!! GO CASSIE!!!! Your gonna ROCK!!!!!!

[Boss Man]

Yes, I've heard that about judging. I think it even goes as deep as changing what's wanted within organisations, not just different regs for different feds, so nobody knows for sure one time to the next ,even within the same organisation, what might happen.

[fitoverforty]

Cassie, you have been such a rolemodel, encourager, and motivator to so many here (including me!! ) and I know that what ever you set your mind on you will attain. You have already proven that you have determination, willpower, positive attitude and strength to push through any obstacles that come your way. You will do great! Like Boopster said...believe in yourself, carry yourself with confidence and know that you have a huge group of fans here that are cheering you on!!!

GO CASSIE!!!