The Wonder Vegan Blog

It's been a week since competition weekend. I've been enjoying some sweet treats, but I've been enjoying Fall-inspired proats even more! Raw Cranberries, Bob's Red Mill Old Fashioned Oats, Cinnamon, Pink Lady Apples, Banana, Garden Of Life Raw Vanilla Protein Powder, Black Coffee  A lot of people call this time of year "off season" from competing. While participating in multiple competitions this year didn't start off as my goal, I find myself daydreaming of doing another one in the next few months. I don't know if that will happen, but one thing I do know is, this girl needs to decide on another goal! Even though I have kind of enjoyed not following a meal plan...I honestly miss it. I don't feel burned out or as though I need a break from anything related to how my prep was designed. I was lucky enough to have a coach who's plans can actually be slightly adjusted to fit into a realistic healthy lifestyle. If you're intereste

Be Your Best Self!

Deciding what to eat can feel difficult after competing. We are on a high from all the fun and adrenaline of being on stage and looking our best. We can trick ourselves into thinking that we can eat everything in sight and maintain our lean, muscular physique. So how do we prevent unnecessary weight gain after a competition?  1. Accept That You WILL Gain Some Weight After Competing. Looking stage ready all year round isn't realistic. Many competitors get attached to the image of how they look on stage, and think that if they don't look like that all the time, they might as well give up all together on maintaining their health and fitness. This all-or-nothing thinking can be our worst enemy.  2. Make a Vision Board. Or, write down your post-competiton macro or food goals, as well as a 4 week workout/exercise routine to help you stay focused and realistic after a show. If we looked stage ready 365 days a year, what would our purpose for competing and prepping really

If you follow @thewondervegan on Instagram, then you already know all about competition day! I didn't want to rush posting here and leave anything out. The Battle at the Border NPC Competition would start at noon. But competitors start their day much earlier than that. Waking up at 6am to start getting ready for a comp is considered sleeping in, and it was much needed extra rest. By the time this morning comes, you likely already have your first coat of spray tan applied and hair washed. So the morning begins with a flurry of finalizing your spray tan and glamming yourself up with hair and makeup. While competing is in fact about your physical fitness, make no mistake that the "glam" is very important! Don't skimp on making yourself stage-ready...those bright lights are unforgiving. Post-second coat of spray tan and makeup application Once you've got your glam, its time to head to the venue and attend any athletes meetings that may be happening.

One day out!  Today is probably my favorite day of Peak Week! I'm feeling great, lean, and obnoxiously tan.  The nails are done and glammed.  I am officially registered and ready to rock and roll! (Go Number 4! Go Number 4!) And the best part... Eating carbs and rice cakes and peanut butter! This helps our muscles pop while we steadily dry and lean out for stage presence.  Peanut butter is my weakness. And it was fabulous.  I really do love the day before competition day. It's typically a very task-heavy day, with having to make sure everything you need to bring is ready, traveling to get your tan, register for the show, etc. But it's also so enjoyable, because you're checking each task off the list and one step closer to celebrating all of your hard work by stepping on stage! I can't wait to share tomorrow's adventures with you all.  Dreaming of the stage, -The Wonder Vegan

And Then There Was Glam. It's all pretty ironic really. Many people state they aren't interested in doing bikini competitions because they appear sexualized. Glam is a huge aspect of the competition, yet it's not glamorous at all. Let me explain.  First, let's talk tans. Competition spray tans aren't the same as getting your typical tanning salon or home done spray. The competition tan is darker, thicker, smellier, and most of the time a 2 day process. The first coat is typically applied on the Friday before the show, by a professional with a hand-held sprayer, and then the process is repeated Saturday morning. You might be wondering if you really have to be in your birthday suit for some random person to spray your every nook and cranny, paying special attention to those butt creases. Yes... So glamorous right ?! Because the spray tan is a 2 day process, you generally go about 2 days without showering by the time it's all said and done...which woul

What to do when you sleep through your cardio session 3 days out from a show:  That's what I was planning to write about today... But as my feet pressed the pedals of the elliptical tonight, making up for my missed AM cardio, the tvs mounted in front of the cardio machines began go play a news story that shook me.  Disturbing footage of a mother and father holding their lifeless toddler played out on the tv screen. The boy had stopped breathing and they weren't sure why. A police officer then came into the frame and began CPR on this small body of a boy. The look in the parents faces as they thought their son was dead... made me feel So. Damn. Lucky. Lucky to be on this elliptical. Lucky to be working towards my goals. Lucky to be sore, tired, and overworked at times. The desperate plea in the parents eyes for their son to have life...It gave me goosebumps and snapped me into a grateful perspective. I don't want to look at my health as a "have to" or b

Mindset. That's the tough part. It isn't the actual workouts, or meal prepping, or any of the physical acts that make competing "hard."  It's the mindset. The self-talk.   I walked in to the gym at 5am today, a reel of motivating, positive self talk spinning through my head. What immediately followed, however, wasn't so encouraging. I started judging myself for mentally talking myself up so freely. The reel that began to play instead was an imaginary list of what I thought most people would want say to me if they could hear my excitement and optimism. It went something like this:          Be realistic. There's no way you're the best, so why are you even expecting to have a good experience? Other people surely have been training longer than you. Your excitement is stupid and naive.  Now, let me clarify that I don't actually believe that negative self-talk. But that's exactly why it struck me so deeply- I don't believe it, ye

It's finally here. The week of the NPC bikini competition I've been training for all summer. Many competitors think of "Peak Week" as the most important week of prepping for a competition. I like to think it's more like the 5 minute cool-down of the hour-long run on a treadmill...you feel exhausted on one hand, but have a giddiness of seeing the endpoint and accomplishment of the work you've put in.   So what is "Peak Week," anyways?  Simply put, it's the Monday through Friday leading up to your competition where you get to see how good you are (or aren't) at not losing your shit. But really, many people do lose their shit. You envision your goal during months of training and all of a sudden it's in arms reach. Your nutrition, training, and schedule during Peak Week are specifically dialed in to make you look your best on stage. There is no room for error if you want to do your best, and the pressure can get in your head.