Hey everyone!  So my first show was last weekend, and it was amazing!!  I placed 10th, and won best themewear.  It was so much fun!  I went over with some of the Team Hardbody girls on Friday night for registration, and for our tans.  That last week of show prep was the best part of the whole process!  We started with carb depletion and water loading, and then at the end cut our water, and carb loaded.  The effects it had on my body were mind blowing amazing!!  lol it was like being shrinkwrapped.  I was literally in the kitchen doing the dishes, then went upstairs to change and looked at myself and could not believe what was happening.  I ran downstairs to show my husband and started txting everyone cause it just was so crazy feeling and looking!  Definitely my favorite part of the whole thing and I can't wait to do it again.

So me and three of the girls travelled together, lots of pee stops from all the water!  We had a great time, hung out together at the hotel and relaxed/practiced posing and our themewear routines until it was time to get tanned!

The tan that you put on for a show is not at all what I expected.  It's a spray tan, but not like one you would get at a salon.  It's almost like a paint - makes you super dark and it will sort of rub off on your clothes and things if you aren't careful.  The day of our tan we have to be sure not to use any lotions, perfumes, deoderants, makeup... anything on our skin, and weeks leading up to it we prepared by exfoliating all over, waxing, and moisturizing every day.  For the tan we step into a big plastic area, totally naked, and they spray you!  It's like a paint almost - turns you super dark but will rub off sort of on your clothes and things if you are not careful.  You can't get it wet either, so we had to be very careful when brushing our teeth, or washing our hands, or even just using the bathroom. It makes you dark immediately too which is very cool!  

All day that day we had to eat only a small amount of protein and complex carbs every 2-3 hours.  It was not a lot of food and by the evening we were STARVING and sooo thirsty because we had also cut our water. We were going to get to carb load that night and all day the next day with rice cakes, nutella, and peanut butter and we couldn't wait!  lol when I ran into my coaches at the hotel the very first thing out of my mouth was a very wide-eyed "OMG WHEN DO WE GET NUTELLA????!!!"  They laughed, of course, as they had gone through this so many times themselves!  But, when we finally got to eat it, it was the most delicious thing in the whole wide world.  That first taste of sugar was unbelieveable.  Breakfast the next day was toast, bacon, and eggs, and a these awesome little mini cinnamon roll things that the hotel had.  It was a delicious day, but I was so dehydrated that I lost my voice, and my mouth was getting all cut up and sore from all the rice cakes.  (I think I went a little overboard on em ;) lol!)

After breakfast it was time to get ready for the morning show!  We felt and looked like barbie dolls - every detail taken care of.  Hair, makeup, lashes, nails, toes, tan, bling... I felt like a celebrity!  Backstage was so much fun.  Everyone was super nice and everyone shared their food and helped each other.  I was so nervous right up until that day and then its like all my nerves and self consciousness disappeared when it was time to go on stage!  Although after my themewear round, I did have a teeny freak out just from being overwhelmed with having done it.  It felt great.  
 
My sisters, Tiffany and Ella, Ella's husband Mark and Tiffany's boyfriend Brody, My husband Brad and our friend Tim, and a few other people who've been supporting/following my story came to watch.  The next morning we all went out for breakfast at Cora's, and Tiff, Ella, Mark, and Brody gave me a beautiful bracelet from Tiffany's as a gift for my accomplishment :)  

Thank's to them, to all the people who have followed me, messaged me, encouraged me, and who've shown their support and stayed my friend through all of this.  I love you all.  To my husband Brad, thanks for dealing with all of this and supporting me and being so proud of me, for showing my pictures off, lol AND for loving me always even when I didn't look the way I do today.  I couldn't have done any of this without you, I love you SO much xo

I've been staying on track and getting my workouts in, keeping my weight gain to a minimum and I've already decided on doing my next show in June!  My prep for this show will begin May 6th.  I will be continuing my training with my amazing coaches from Togetherfit (www.togetherfit.ca) Samantha Thorpe and Josh Rioux, and of course the wonderful TEAM HARDBODY!!  They have been amazingly helpful and wonderful from the very start and have taught me so much.  Turned me into a real athlete!  lol Thanks guys you are the best!