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 By: Tiffany Forni
Woo hoo! I haven't dropped any weight but I have bought new smaller pants! I'm now a size 8 from a 10! Happy times! I'm also starting to see my abs again. I missed them. Being on this diet and workout schedule compared to the "off season" really shows me that since I did it once, I can do it again and still get great results. People have told me that it gets easier every time you compete because your body begins to recognize what you want it to do and it gets into fat burning mode faster. I'm starting to believe them. This week I will go over the same topics that I did at 14 weeks out.
The time between my 14 and 12 week mark seemed to fly by in an instant. There is a certain topic that I would like to write about to help show that competitors are somewhat normal people. On the 21st I found out that my best friend Zack died. I won't go into details but let me just say this... when you find out that someone close to you is gone forever it's not an easy thing to take. This is when having a good support system makes all the difference. The last thing I wanted to do when I heard the news was go to the grocery store, cook, put on a happy face and go to the gym and try to lift heavy things. The first week was a rough one. I couldn't stop crying and shaking whenever people would hug me and just looking at anything that reminded me of him made me fall apart all over again.
  Click Image To Enlarge.Tiffany Forni, 12 Weeks Out. Having the outlet of a blog helped me get my thoughts in order. I wrote a little about what I was going through on my BodyBlog. The support I got from friends and family, and even BodySpace buddies was incredible. One of my new friends Tina would call me up every day to check and see if I had packed my lunch box and done my cardio. Thank you Tina! Having a friend like that is so helpful. I can't let my life stop just so that I can cry about someone who is gone already. But I did allow myself a quick stop in a pub with a friend for a drink in memory of Zack. (I told my coach and he was ok with this. He was actually surprised I even asked). I've rambled to long. I just wanted to say that having a good support system can help you stick to your goals. When people care about you they'll remind you that there are things that you need to do to reach the goals you've set. Ok, back to the normal contest prep journal... My diet has changed minimally from the last time I wrote. The only difference now is that I've made the decision to cut out Splenda all together. I'm going to see if it makes me crave sugar less. I still eat every two to three hours. In the protein shakes I have they are lean. By lean I mean they have less than five grams of fat and less than 3 grams of sugar per 35 grams of protein. I'm drinking a gallon and a half of water each day now. I have not cut out the Crystal Light. Sometimes instead of the Crystal Light I use Xtend. Either one makes the water easier to drink.
The only thing I have changed is that I'm taking only 30 seconds to one minute between sets. This will help keep my heart rate up to burn more fat during my lifts. As I get leaner I become noticeably weaker so concentrating on form and my heart rate becomes my main focus rather than weight and rep range. The lifts and rep ranges have stayed the same.
I have changed up my cardio a bit. Every day I'm at the gym doing some form of cardio. If I could play my beloved rock band drums every day instead I would, but it's just not the same.
No changes in supplementation. Sometimes for a post-workout shake I will use a scoop of Optimum Nutrition's GlycoMaize in my protein shake immediately after lifting. This makes just about any protein taste better. (Yay Carbs!)
I don my four inch heels at least twice a week now for 30 minutes each time. Due to my new fascination with laser hair removal I'm not going to be able to tan much until four weeks out from my show. I get tan quick though, so this should help save my skin a bit of wear and tear. During this time I will keep moisturized with lotion and exfoliating so that my skin is nice when the time comes to get painted.
 Click Image To Enlarge.Tiffany Forni, 12 Weeks Out. Workout partners! I love taking people with me to the gym. One of the best ways for me to learn is to teach. Currently I'm bringing my friend Rosaline with me. I think she has caught the bug to compete also! (I'm just glad she's 5'10). So now I've got an awesome hardcore training partner who is dieting right along with me. She doesn't gossip at the gym and really concentrates on getting a good workout in. I can really appreciate working out with someone like that. She's also a great spotter.
This week I'm going to have to say that not being too hard on yourself is the way to go. When you're faced with certain situations that are completely beyond your control don't hate yourself for having that piece of pie or one comfort food. Consider it your cheat meal.
It's one hour, that's it. No cheating on this one. I go all out. Think nachos, an ice-cream sundae, and a cheeseburger. It wrecks me for at least a day after that but for about 20 minutes I'm as happy as two chickens.
Some women only wear their shoes on stage and it makes a huge difference in presentation when it looks like you're new to the world of four inch heels. I've found that those heels are so comfortable that I buy them in black as well so I can wear them out - it's handy for impromptu posing practice in bathrooms, windows, and anything shiny that you can see your whole body in. Oh, one more note about shoes. If you tell people that you're a figure competitor and you're on stage, the stores where you'd purchase these clear heels may give you the "Entertainer's Discount".
 Click Image To Enlarge.Tiffany Forni, 12 Weeks Out.
So that's that. Only 12 more weeks. I'm seeing progress and feeling good about being on track for my show. Although there have been challenges, I faced them head on and am mentally back in the game. See you in a week!
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