Progress Update

Its been about 3 months now since starting with my coach Summer Bernard from Team peach, therefore I wanted to share with you all my progress and my off season body. Off season to me means time to grow and build muscle ready for my comp to come in October IFBB and November Amateur Olympia.

So at the moment Summer’s plan for me is to work on building muscle and increasing my macros so by the time comp prep comes around I have a lot of macros to play with. Which means now I can maintain my weight but slowly increase my daily intake of macros this way I won’t run out of space to make cuts when it comes to crunch timeJ

I’m a very focused person and have stuck to my plan extremely well.. I’ve been spot on with it all since I’ve started with very minimal days off plan. so I am really finding Macros is working for me extremely well, with not much intent to binge at all. I’ve gone weeks without feeling the need of a big treat meal so this is definitely a big thing for me. Although Easter I definitely relaxed on diet and didn’t track but I did train super hard  J

Now for my photos I feel this to me is a healthy body. I feel good, I don’t feel deprived and I have the strength and energy to increase my muscle mass. I definitely don’t feel I look my best but at the same time I don’t not like how I look. I think we all want to look a little leaner and improve in certain areas but it’s all in time. At the moment I’m eating a lot of food to what I’m use too - good thing of course. What I struggle with at the moment is wanting to look a little leaner but I know in order for me to be a fierce competitor I need to make some serious changes and improve my muscle size first and maintaining this weight is what’s needed. Healthy and happy J

In regards to my progress pics. I’m actually not one for selfies.. I never take any. And it frustrates me and I’m sure summer as I swear there’s always a reason for me to not send my progress pics. Not intentionally of course but I just never take selfies. It’s hard for me to get good comparison pics as I don’t have a full length mirror at home. I also have a lot of thoughts that run through my mind when I am about to take my progress pics - I don’t feel my skinniest today, I don’t have a tan on, I have just eaten so can’t take it now, I feel bloated, the lighting isn’t right, I can’t get my pose right I seriously think of all of this before I take my photo and let me tell you this isn’t a quick selfie this is probably my 30^th pic.. I want it to be perfect. I know I shouldn’t be like that but I can’t help it, so in future I’m going to just take it even when I don’t feel my best and send them to Summer. Even my not so good shots so she gets the right idea.. photo’s can be so deceiving.
It’s a shame I don’t have the same background, outfit and poses to compare perfectly but this is as good as I could get and any progress photo is better than none.

So for these past 3 months I have been training heavy to increase my size.
My photos attached don’t have filters on, haven’t been edited only cropped, I have eaten beforehand but not trained so no pump going on here haha.
 I feel I have increased my shoulders size quite noticeably and of course my arms are a lot more toned and defined. Even surprised with my stomach, which I feel has gotten flatter. I’ve always struggled with getting a flat stomach so for me this is a big thing and I like that there is a slight definition with my abs too. yay – we can’t have everything so this is one thing that I feel is my weakness.
My glute’s are a lot peachier too and noticeable more tonedJ
I’m useless at doing a back pose I haven’t learnt how to tense my back muscles so excuse the non existence there. I do have a great back I just don’t know how to show it lol.
but there’s a few changes and I’m sure you will all notice different ones on me too. I think from now until my next progress pics it’ll be even better.. I have my fiancé in with me at the gym now so that way he will help spot me when I go heavy. That way I can always push myself a lot more knowing he’s there to help push me.

This pic taken January 2015 (nike shorts & crop)

These pics taken April 2015 (black bikini)

 Overall a great 3months with team peach and my coach Summer Bernard.

Next phase is for me to get through my Bali holiday without my usual over the top binges like my last two trips.. I believe I’ve come a long way since then so I hope I don’t fall back into old habits.. Wish me luck!!! Bali on Tuesday eeppp!

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Team Peach

 As some of you may know I am now a part of TEAM PEACH where Summer Bernard IFBB PRO has taken me under her wing and is coaching me on training and nutrition.

There is so many different ways to eat and train out there that I felt I wanted to explore more about different training techniques and eating approaches.

I loved my previous nutritionist Sinead and trainer Seaneen so much and would still recommend them to this day. So this transition was more about me growing and learning new things. Like I said there’s so many varieties for eating and training and I feel its important to me to see what else is out there and keep an open mind. I love trying and learning new things and I felt it was time to be a part of something new and see what else works well for me.

I decided to contact Summer as I watched many of her video blogs and one stuck with me after I watched it that made me really feel like I knew I would  be in the best hands .. (Video attached below) You need to be able to really understand the background of your coach to make sure it’s what’s suited to you and when I watched her video it struck a chord with me so I decided to research more about Summer's training and nutrition approach.

 After learning all about summer and meeting with her to discuss my needs and wants out of training & nutrition I decided straight away that I wanted to be a part of Team Peach. Everything she was about was exactly what wanted in a coach.

I’ve now been with Summer for a couple of months and so far I’m really loving the plan she has given me and it has proven to work well with my body. I do believe in trying different things to see what works for you.. I would never criticize or question anyone’s training or nutrition as what works for me may not work for others but it’s all about trial and error and a learning experience. I’ve again gained more knowledge with Summer’s plan and I’m finding this is really working for me. I enjoy training and I have noticed great change within the short time I’ve been with her.

Nutrition is also very different. Summers approach is flexible dieting,. Which is counting your Macros (IIFYM.) A lot of you know from previous blog posts that I was a terrible binge eater. So I would eat clean all week and then one night I would go very over the top and eat everything in sight.
With Summer's plan I eat according to my macros. I am given a target of how much fat carbs and protein to eat for the day and I must hit that exactly. So it’s a lot of planning and weighing things out – pretty much to the gram but this means I can be flexible with the type of food I eat.  I know this not may suit everyone but it works for me and I’m happy to do it. I do recommended this for comp prep I must say.. Maybe not every day people but still it just shows you can eat what you want in moderation. Sometimes I even guestimate so if I knew I was going out for dinner that night I would keep my meals quite low in calories and save some extra for dinner. So I feel this for me is still being flexible and not over indulging at dinner. Some of you may ask why do I do that and are thinking why don’t I just relax and eat whatever - but for me I like to know that I can have this food without feeling so guilty. it’s always a mind game with me as if I do eat bad I end up feeling really guilty about it, and sometimes If I don’t track how I’m going I just throw it all out the window and eat whatever – which still happens now but I’m trying hard to reduce how often because when I do that I end up feeling sick for days and extremely bloated. Even those moment when people offer me to have some chocolate or lollies or something and I constantly say no but what they don’t know is that I’m not saying no because ‘I’m on a diet’ I say no because I know me and I know if I have one I’ll eat the whole freekin packet so for me it’s best to say no thank you and avoid that situation of eating it all.

I am fairly new to macros so I don’t know everything and won’t be able to answer all the questions as I’m still learning myself but for me macros has let me enjoy the foods I am craving and I get a lot of variety which i love. I don’t find I am binge eating like I use too.. This would be because I have a great balance with my food now.. I definitely eat healthy but some days I really crave that ice-cream so I would make sure I leave room in my macros to allow me some for that day. My meals are different every day and I can enjoy some delicious meals every single day. I always make sure I have meals that I look forward to eating. So this way I don’t feel deprived of anything, therefore it doesn’t create that need for me to binge.

I’m sure most people would be surprised with the amount of food I eat if I were to show or tell you, and this is from building up my metabolism so that I can maintain a healthy body year round with a great amount of calories so I’m never going under the required daily intake. Summer really looks after us as she’s been through a tough time herself when she first started competing with being on low calorie diets with hours of cardio so with Summer's bad experience she has turned it into a positive and learnt from her experience and is now making sure it doesn’t happen to us girls..

For those considering competing or those who have competed and want to try a different approach if you really struggled with your last one I highly recommend Summer's approach for it.. One thing I love about competing is also the support network. My last prep I had a great relationship with my trainer and nutritionist – that’s what you want a good support network. I was thrilled to know that this also is the same with Summer.. I love the group of girls Summer has on board with Team Peach I can’t even explain how supportive and insightful they all are. We help each other along so well. This makes competing so worth it – the people you meet along the way.

If there is anyone considering a new trainer or nutritionist I would be happy to chat to you more in depth about it and that way we can see if it’ll work for you. Or you can contact summer directly to get a proper over view on what she’s all about. Don’t ever hesitate if you’re considering a change make it happen.

So after saying all this I’m very excited to announce I will be working towards competing in October along with Team Peach coach Summer Bernard. After watching the Arnolds I feel have a long way to go as those girls are outstanding but I trust in myself and my coach to get me to the high standard that both I want and IFBB federation want. I have so much determination that I know October comp I’m going to come at it fighting! I know I’m going to be a fierce competitor and I’m excited for a new journey to the stage.
Would love everyone’s support along the way and of course to those girls wanting to compete in October too ill be there for you and supporting you right back. I will forever encourage and help anyone out that needs support along the way.
And for any of you who do IIFYM then you can follow me  on the app 'My Fitness Pal' and check out the meals I'm eating daily that way we can get different meal ideas :)  Courtney_piercy


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Search for Summer Bernard IFBB pro for all her video blogs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cyw_gcedzA

Post Comp feels..

So IFBB comp was 3 weeks ago & the post comp blues is what a lot of us experience. I’m sure you all know us who compete we’ve been eating very healthy and clean for weeks on end. I depleted earlier then everyone as I was trying to get myself looking good for a photo shoot with Charlie Suriano who was shooting mine and Emma’s Fitsister’s photo shoot together. So I didn’t have a cheat meal for weeks and weeks and cut out certain foods very early.
This is why after the comp all we want is all the food. We want Nutella we want cake we want hot chips we want whatever is bad for you we want to eat it. Now I feel like my post comp was a little harder for myself as I was off to Bali the very next day with my partner.. I did this last year after comp.. We went straight to Bali the next day. I like to be able to just get out of Perth and relax properly, not have to go the gym, not eat according to plan and just spend time with my fiancé who I hadn’t really spent any time with.

I was so excited to go to Bali as that meant I could eat everything I was craving from the last time I went to Bali.. this was pretty dangerous for me as I knew I had been eating clean for so long I need to be careful and introduce foods slowly like salt, sugar, carbs etc. otherwise you can do some damage to your metabolism and you will start to get a few problems.
Somehow this didn’t stop me yet it was always in the back of my mind and I knew what I was eating was wrong but I couldn’t supress the feeling to eat everything.

So I don’t know who wants to read everything I ate on a daily basis whilst I was in Bali - keeping in mind I’m there for 8 days so I pretty much ate this every day. But for anyone who does and want to compare to what they ate to make them feel better then I say go for it as you’ll realise how good you actually were compared to me lol.. I’m embarrassed to say how much I ate and I haven’t told anyone even my nutritionist because I was so embarrassed.. but im ready to share it all with you as hopefully itll make others feel better about themselves haha.

So I’m sitting on the plane ready to take off and start my holiday in Bali and I think to myself I’m hungry and what have I brought with me .. well everything I didn’t eat straight after comp – I didn’t go on stage till 11.30 at night which was seriously a nightmare so you can imagine after I came off stage everyone wanted to go home because it was so late, so I had no one to properly enjoy a post comp cheat meal with and by that time you can’t fit much in before bed.. Although I did try my best lol. Was mostly chocolate and of course a slice of this amazing 5 layer cake my partners dad made especially for me to eat ;P

 

 

So back to me sitting on the plane ready for take-off I whip out some Kingston biscuits – my ultimate favourite food and start eating them.. I ate the whole packet in seconds.. Now I’m still hungry so I open my other biscuits – start eating them. I did this for the whole flight I had biscuits, oreos, chocolate, pringles and whatever else. I just kept eating I don’t think I had a breath.. My partner just looks at me like you’re going to make yourself sick and I’m like nah I’m fine.

That was just the start of me over indulging. When I go to Bali I always and I mean always have banana pancakes for breakfast so its breakfast time and I order 2 banana pancakes (quite big) and some toast. I ate all of it of course followed by a strawberry milkshake or their specialty milkshake – like a tim tam milkshake:/. Afterwards I was like I’m still hungry – so I made a mental note to order more next time.
my usual breakfast consisted of having 2-3 banana pancakes, peanut butter on toast, donuts or banana bread or whatever the buffet sweets were that day, bircher muesli, and whatever else I could eat without looking to greedy.. Although that is seriously greedy I totally would have eaten more if I didn’t get looks or my partner looking at me going WTF Courtney lol.
Not even an hour or so later I’m hungry again.. I want Oreos, chocolate and tim tams because Bali do special Oreos flavours and same with tim tams and of course we all know Cadbury chocolate there just tastes better so I would get all of that and eat it whilst I tried to get some rays.

Lunch time!! I’m having a jaffle – I haven’t eaten bread for months so I want a jaffle and I want mei goring or nasi-goreng to go with it. I always had more than one meal at any given time of the day just because it was cheap and I wanted options.

Afternoon tea would consist of me eating more food that wasn’t good for me like the left over chocolate I found in my carryon luggage like Reese’s peanut butter chocolate and left over biscuits.

Dinner time – oh this is time to eat all the food, I want bread, entrée, main and don’t forget I want dessert. gosh I ate so much I became that person who you give your left overs too when your full. My partner couldn’t finish his and he’s a big build yet here he is passing his food to me to finish.. SCORE!

So I ate like this every single day but obviously different food and when I felt like there was a tincey bit of room in my tummy to eat then I would. So I loved eating all this food but the bad thing that came with that was after every single thing I ate I would bloat.. my stomach was literally pregnant looking and I had tummy pains so bad I would go to bed and feel like my stomach was going to burst.. I even took all the medication I was allowed to help it feel better but I don’t think anything could help me I was that bad. But what do I do I wake up the next day and do it all again..

After comp prep most people indulge for about 2 days or so. I know most people stay on plan pretty well after that – nothing like my 8day binge that’s for sure, and I’m sure they’d only have little indulgers here and there and takes them about 2 weeks to get back on plan, some people probably even take longer like a month to actually get back into proper routine. It is extremely hard to stay on plan as we are so use to being so disciplined and so strict for months and now don’t have a comp or anything to look - I guess ‘conditioned’ for so we let ourselves go.. Which in a way is good as it’s normal to have a few treats here and there but we all struggle with getting back on the wagon. We must give ourselves a goal even if it’s not competing you need to keep going because technically you should want to be living a clean and healthy lifestyle in general even if you aren’t competing.

When I got back from Bali I knew I put on weight and was a bit self-conscious on how I looked and what people would think. So the next day after I was back home I went straight to the gym.. I wanted my routine back as I wanted to get rid of all this holiday weight and I also missed the way all my healthy food made me feel.  I actually felt a bit embarrassed going to the gym as I was so puffy and bloated from the flight and from all the food I consumed whilst I was away. but I thought no if I want to get my body back into shape and to feel better I’ve got to start today – no matter how upset I am about how I look or how hard it’s going to be I’ve just got to start and I know within a week or two I would be happy I pushed on.
It took me about 1.5  weeks for my bloating and stomach pains to subside. I ate according to plan and I didn’t even want to binge or eat chocolate as I felt so sick of it. Seems I definitely ate enough bad food in Bali to put me off for a while.
 
So it’s now been a few weeks post comp and Bali & I’ve noticed I’ve been struggling to introduce new food. After Bali I was so set on staying on plan as I wanted my body back to normal as soon as possible. And when I met with my nutritionist Sinead at Naed Nutrition she asked how I was going with new plan and that’s when it clicked – I hadn’t actually introduced much of the new food, and I feel I didn’t because I was so caught up on getting my body back I was nervous to take on this new food as I wasn’t sure what it’ll do to my body. It’s funny how we get so disciplined with our plans that having something new like a piece of fruit and nuts or greek yoghurt was such an issue for me.. I wanted to be lean again or at least back to my normal self so I thought not having that type of food will help me get there faster. Sinead re-assured me that it’s ok to have this new food and it’s not going to be a big issue. She said I need to enjoy food and has made me a goal to come up with at least one new recipe each week and experiment with food more.. I need to realise I’m off season now and it’s important to have flexibility with diet and enjoy it all.
I definitely didn’t realise I was doing it so I’m so glad I had her to talk to as small things like that is what she picks up and keeps me on the right track.

I’m back to a flexible diet after seeing Sinead. It’s so nice to not have to think so much about food all the time and I’ve just been enjoying food a lot more now. I have been staying on plan but sometimes have a little leniency here and there or I have plenty of bad days too, like I made some lemon bliss balls. I just wanted to have 2 after dinner but then greedy me kicked in and I think to myself well technically I can have 4 because I’ve made them so small – so I go get another 2. I still want more so I’m like ok I’ll just have 2 more than normal so now I’m at 6. oh you know what I’m just going to have a couple more seeing as though I’m not in comp prep atm – I then end up having 10 before I realise I was about to go back for even more so I got up and threw the rest in the bin before I ate all 20 of them lol.. funny how in our mind we try and make excuses as to why we should have more and then by the time you’ve finished the whole batch of lemon bliss balls or jar of honey or whatever it is you let yourself eat its then you realise and think ahh what have I done. I think this is something I need to work on – I know I can’t ever just have one of something so now I try not to have any at all as I know I’ll finish the batch – might try freezing my batch of bliss balls next time so I don’t eat them all at once lol.

I still struggle a bit at the moment to introduce other foods into my diet because I’m not sure how much it will affect me but I’m taking it a step at a time and seeing how I go. I feel I’m finding balance now so I’m feeling much happier.
I always said from the very start of this journey it’s not all about competing for me it’s more about having a cleaner & healthier lifestyle so Sinead has made sure I have made some goals for next year so I stay focused and have something to look forward to. I think that’s one important lesson to be learnt after comp.. If you have just finished comp season and struggling with getting back on plan. Think of your next goal.. Whether that be another comp, wanting to just live a healthier lifestyle, personal goals and life plans – it doesn’t have to be comp related or eating related as long as you have a goal you will stay on track. As when you think you have nothing to look forward to you will stay in that negative headspace.. So if this is you at the moment think of your next goal.. It took me a while to think of mine but now I’ve got them I’m very excited for the future & I feel it’s helping me stay on plan.

I’d be interested to know what everyone else’s post comp was like for them.. so leave a comment for others to read will be a great insight or even give me a msg on my facebook fan page.. Even those struggling as I’m more than happy to help you get back on track.

I have also attached an amazing article that helped me with this post comp feeling.. It’s so insightful and helpful I found myself going yes that’s me to pretty much all of it so have a read ---->http://www.cutandjacked.com/Competition-pre-vs-post-show-finding-balance


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19 days till IFBB comp

So somehow I haven’t had a spare minute to update everyone on my comp prep. It’s crazy how little time I have atm. So right now I’m 19 days away from my IFBB comp and I must say my whole prep so far has been great. This will be my 2^nd time competing and I feel much better about it. I feel like my mind is stronger this time round, I know what to expect, I have a team of girls going through this with me and I’m even closer to my trainer and nutritionist so am opening up a lot more.. Therefore this prep has been great as I’ve felt so happy and healthy and found more of a balance then my last. Not to say it’s been perfect or easier it’s just been better - as my mind and body feels healthier and not under as much stress. With my first comp it’s very nerve wracking - all the worrying and making sure you’re doing it right and making sure your where you’re supposed to be. The first time is a lot of worry and stress as you’ve never experienced it before so you don’t know what to expect. Whereas now I know what’s normal so I don’t worry as much.

In saying all this I have just had a hard week and yesterday I was so close to breaking. I’m lucky I have an amazing support network to help me through this as it could turn quite bad quite quickly if I didn’t have them. I knew these next few weeks were going to be hard on my body and I tried really hard to make sure I didn’t give in to all the stresses and take it a day at a time. I have controlled my stress very well and still in the process of staying calm to get through these next few weeks.

When you’re so close to comp you start second guessing everything.. Am I eating the right food in this point of time? Is my training right? Should I do extra? Am I lean enough? Anything that anyone says will get to you. So I had this problem yesterday I was so tired I was walking on the treadmill thinking to myself I wonder if I could sleep and walk and the same time, so I was closing my eyes as I walked as I was so tired, I was just so out of it. I was also getting a twitch on my lip and one of my eyes was swollen – I get this from stress.. gahh!! So because I was so tired I start stressing about all the things I need to do after my workout, my week ahead and then I just started to think about my food. Maybe I need more carbs because I’m so tired.. so I wonder if I should alter my food? I almost cried I was just overwhelmed with everything. Last prep I would have cried about a gazillion times.. This prep I haven’t cried surprisingly and I didn’t want to start. So I thought before I get myself all upset to talk with my trainer and my nutritionist. Of course they put it all in perspective for me. Sometimes I just need that reassurance to get me through and to talk it out instead of creating scenarios in my head. And of course I had my fitsister Emma by my side helping me through, encouraging me and keeping me focused. My little angels. I think at the end of prep it’s very easy to lose focus as we are so exhausted from months and months of training and eating so clean.. but we need to just hang in there and keep pushing on. We will make it. we all are in it together and I’ve found the body building community is where the best support and best friends are found.

I had a big week of work last week in which has caused my exhaustion. I would be able to get through a week like that normally but because my hours have got upped so they’re not my normal hours and I’m in depletion my body wasn’t happy using extra energy that I didn’t really have so I felt so tired and exhausted. My week last week consisted of me waking up at 4.30am and getting home on some days at 8pm so would need to cook my dinner then go straight to bed. Talk about no time for social life or my fiancé. So of course I work weekends so my next day off isn’t until tomorrow but I have training in the morning and appointments all day then food prep so does that really count as a day off.? Then I finally get this Saturday off although I should be at work.. But I thought I won’t push my body to do it because I’m clearly not coping as it is and I need to get some energy back as I’ve got another 9 days of work in a row to come after Sunday that I need to prepare for and do that week all over again.  So you can see my mind works ahead of time and I start stressing about the lack of time I have.

What I must remember is this is only temporary.. I’m only doing these hours at the moment because there isn’t anyone else on counter, my training is upped because I’m close to comp and I have to have my meals prepped as there is no room to stuff this up so close to comp. So it’s only for what 19days I can do this!!! I have taken 4 days off before comp too as I know I won’t be much help those last few days at work as I’ll be quite depleted by then so have taken annual leave to relax and enjoy the last week of comp.

 
I have been coping with stress a lot better than I ever have.. I took up yoga a few weeks back and my god now I know what all the hype was about. It helps my mind relax as I think my mind goes a mile a minute and never calms down haha so yoga has been great for that and of course to stretch my muscles from all my heavy training.  It really relaxes your mind and body for a complete rest. Us who compete, or are mums or anyone in general you don’t realise how important “you time” really is.. you know you need your own time when you think oh my god I just want to shut the door and be by myself but in order to get complete mind and body relaxation this is when yoga is perfect so I highly recommend it.

At the end of the day I have had a great prep, I’m happy, healthy of course a little tired and exhausted but this is on my part for taking on so much work – I love my job and don’t want to let anyone down so I’m just trying to do the best I can and when I feel like it definitely is too much then I will do something about it but for now I feel I can push on. Just want my family, friends and of course my amazing fiancé to know to hang in there. I won’t be this time-poor forever, this grumpy, this tired, this anti-social and the list goes on for too much longer so I say just hang in there for me. Their support I’ll be forever grateful for because although I’m doing the comp it’s as though they all are as well.. They go through all this with me and affects them so much too in good ways and bad ways but it’s only these last couple of weeks that will be the struggle so support and motivation is definitely what’s needed.

Cannot wait to be reunited with everyone involved in IFBB and meet all the girls who are competing going to be one hell of a comp!!!

Power of the Mind

One thing I must start off with as I need to express to people - If you have a friend competing and doesn't place please reframe from saying things like "you so should of won" “next time you'll get it” "I don’t believe the girl who won should of" what you need to know & if you know them well enough is how hard they worked for it, the determination & the love for the sport.. that’s why we enter and we love to just show that anything is possible with the power of the mind. So make sure when they come of stage you realise they weren't up there just because they wanted to win.. They wanted this moment for probably soo many more other reasons and that’s what’s important. The girl who won would have worked her freekin ass off.. so bad mouthing her isn't going to make anything change or anyone else happier for that matter - be supportive & know we done this for us! We all deserve the same respect as we've all done our absolute best & couldn't be prouder. So be there for your friend and I’m sure the only words they are looking for from you is “I’m soo proud of you.” It’s all about them and know they've committed to this lifestyle for a very long time & this is when the support from family, friends & even strangers are there to appreciate everyone who walks on stage. It’s not easy & if it was everyone would be doing it. Everyone has had their own struggles and I bet if you asked anyone who has competed it would surprise you what they went through yet still made it to the stage!
 So please know all of us who compete "although it’s a competition" we don’t necessarily just have our eyes on winning and it isn't something you plan as you never know what judges are looking for on the day. Yes there is a certain criteria but as they state it depends who shows up on the day with girls with soft or hard physics to compare and every judges opinion is different as I’m sure the person next to you also has a different opinion to what you think on what they like.. We are all there for ourselves and love what we do.. So don’t always think we have to win or place to be happy as I’m sure if you speak to most people they were extremely happy just to make it to the stage! We all know we all would love to place & even better win but just know we are proud to even just be on stage and love people when the recognize & understand how much hard work goes into getting that body. We stand up there to help inspire people & we become stronger in both body and mind from the journey that we go through.

Competing is a power of the mind game. We go through so much. A lot of time, effort, money, stress goes into competing. Its something no one else can make us do we've got to be the ones to make it happen. The people who get on stage have the strongest mind set. I can’t even begin to explain how powerful our minds can be. We go through a lot of stress and I’m sure every one of us competitors have each wanted to give up. And some people do as it can take a lot out of you and can be extremely exhausting and lonely.  Our whole life can revolve around it. But even with everyday struggles and things that get thrown our way and we still keep pushing on now that’s power of the mind. Competing really tests your relationships, friendships and your strength. So if you want to compete you need to be emotionally ready.. If you have a lot going on in your life and everything is a bit messy then you may not enjoy the journey to the stage.


I love hearing personal experiences and journeys to the stage as I know everyone has a story & has had their own struggle. It can be so inspiring to listen to and also very informative as I’m sure not everyone has had a good experience and it’s important for people out there who are thinking of competing to know just so they have all the information to make a decision and to make sure they don’t go down that path. Its important to help others on their journey as I really don’t want any one competing to go down a hard road that could’ve been prevented. A lot of people who compete do one show and won’t do another for so many reasons and one being that they dieted so hard that they ruined their metabolism and that’s the last thing you want as honestly I feel people look to fitness models and competitor’s for inspiration and I’m sure the last thing we should portray is a bad lifestyle. For those who compete or are thinking about competing really think as to why you want to do it. Is it because you want to live a healthier lifestyle? If it is then stay on the natural path, see a nutritionist – look after your body, don’t take supplements you don’t need or don’t understand what they do. Don’t over train if your body is exhausted so take rest when your body needs it. I’m sure none of you want to ruin the metabolism you already have or have a massive blow out post comp.. So keep this in mind when you are competing.. stick to the reason as to why you started and don’t let anyone pursued you differently.

  I really want everyone to make sure when looking for a trainer and nutritionist that they have your best interests at heart, you need to tell them what you want. So ask yourself what would you like your trainer and nutritionist to be like? I must say I’m very lucky to of found such a great team – my nutritionist and trainer work closely together making sure every little detail is right with my training and eating so it all is on point. They both are so supportive with constant positive msgs and inspirational quotes. They seem to be like angels to me when I’m not feeling great. I would get a msg to see how I’m going or a msg of motivation and it’s just when I need it most. I can contact them when needed even if it’s something little like can I have peanut butter in my breakfast oats lol or when you say slow cardio do you mean level 6 on treadmill that sought of thing... So I always have that constant contact which keeps me on track and keeps me feeling like I have support the entire way. They both are so involved in my life that they’ve become great friends. I am truly grateful to have found my team so I hope when you’re looking for yours you keep in mind what it is you want in a trainer and nutritionist.

To get in contact with my Nutritionist Sinead you can find details on her website www.naednutrition.com.au – give her an email and go from there. Let her know I recommended you :) Or to have a browse and see what Sinead is all about find her on facebook - https://m.facebook.com/naednutrition
or Instagram - http://instagram.com/naednutrition

And to get in contact with my trainer Seaneen you can contact her via email aesthetically.you@hotmail.com or find her on fb - https://www.facebook.com/seaneencopeland.fitnessjourney?fref=ts


Please leave a comment or get in contact with me via facebook or Instagram if there’s anything I can help with or if you have a story of your own about competing good or bad I would love to hear from you to create awareness..:)

Find me on Facebook - www.facebook.com/CourtneyPiercyModel
Find me on Instagram - www.instagram.com/courtney_piercy


Link below is an interesting insight on what some supplements and drug taking can do.

http://www.3news.co.nz/Bodybuilder-Justin-Rys-dying-for-a-good-body/tabid/1771/articleID/354783/Default.aspx

12 week countdown to IFBB comp October 2014

12 week countdown to IFBB comp October 2014

So this is the first week of the 12 week countdown till the IFBB comp in October. I have been on plan for a few months now so my diet doesn't just dramatically change all of a sudden as I've been eating on plan for sometime. The difference would be just cutting down some of my carbs. But for me my first week is a little different! I had to get my wisdom teeth out... Nooooooooo!
This was only organised 2 weeks ago and I needed all four out asap.. So I booked the next available hospital appointment and that was that. I couldn't wait any longer as they were giving me a bit of grief and I thought its best out now before comp prep but it just so happens its the starting week.. But I thought I'd be fine, thought I could organise all my meals for when I recovered so my healthy soups and smoothies.. But boy was I wrong..


What I found was that I was extremely exhausted going into my 12 week countdown and I feel that this moment where I had to get my wisdom teeth out came for a reason. If I didn't rest now then I think I would of hurt my body in the long run. You see I push myself to the limits I never know when to stop or rest and it wasn't until someone asked me that question "how are you coping with comp prep" and I said im doing extremely well.. I have more energy when I eat right and loving training etc. but when they asked me about surgery and how I felt about that I then said "oh I'm really looking forward to having time to rest." So somehow I've contradicted myself and wasn't aware until being asked that question to follow. I didn't realise that that's how exhausted I was. I was excited to have surgery because I could rest? For me that meant; no meal prepping no training no working no cleaning or washing I was like yes I can do absolutely nothing. You see in comp prep the only thing that goes on in your mind is training, meal prep, working and sleep. There's no extra room in your mind for flexibility.. No time to think about anything else. This may just be me though as I haven't yet learnt to balance everything in life.. I find I don't have time to myself to just think or to spend time with my partner, family or friends. When I really thought about it I may see them but im not really with it.. Im constantly trying to get on top of everything in life like my meals and cleaning etc. and once its done im exhausted yet I know I have to repeat it all again in just a few days. So its very exhausting to think about and don't have much time for anything else especially a social life. But this is what its all about.. Im doing it for me and only me and I enjoy it.. Just got to find a balance so this is something im still learning to find.

So for post surgery I wanted to be organised and I felt I could carry on eating well even if I couldn't eat my proper meals I could still eat my smoothies I made and soups. but in all honesty no matter how hard I tried I couldn't eat the food I made.. You know that feeling your body tells you when your unwell to eat dry foods that's how I felt.. My body telling me to not have to think about food just eat what your craving. I tried to drink my smoothies I made but they didn't taste good and I made them Quite thick so wasn't easy to go down. Same as my soups I didn't blend them enough so the chicken was quite chunky. I could of blended them up but Nathan's mum was working night shifts so I couldn't blend them until she woke which was at 4pm that day and its now 9.30am and I'm starving. So I decided to have jelly.. Jelly was so easy to eat as you don't have to chew whatsoever.. Same as yoghurt, ice cream and mousses. I ended up eating all that food in the end because I couldn't move my mouth its easy for them to melt on your tongue and swallow and it cooled my mouth down. I also wasn't feeling like any of my food I had pre made I just felt like I couldn't stomach it so that's why I thought I'd eat what I could manage.. I also had no energy, the pain killers made me so drowsy I couldn't be bothered to make meals either so whatever I had in the fridge I would eat..

I have to admit I felt like my body needed to eat this food as I was about to get quite strict these next 12 weeks and I think I should of relaxed a little bit on my diet before hand and enjoyed some social times with my partner family and friends before I got into this next prep but I didn't so now im thinking this is what these days off are for. For me to relax and get back to thinking like myself again before I get myself back into prep.. Its been 3days now of not staying on plan and do I feel guilty..? Yes of course! but there's something that separates me from other people who dwell on that guilt. I don't give up. I accept I've eaten bad but happy to keep going and get back into it as soon as im recovered. Don't get stuck in that guilty rut! These few days I have been in the headspace where I understood why people want to give up. You start thinking 'meh I've already eaten bad I'll just start on Monday and people just keep pushing back the start date of eating right. But what helps me was thinking - eat the food I need to eat for recovery and when im ready I'll get back into it. There's no giving up you just accept you've eaten that type of food and move on and go ok I had a bad day of eating but I'll be back on track tomorrow and you just keep going never give up. Even today I wanted to be back on plan but im still not 100% better as I can't eat certain food but I'm trying.. I've included some of my plan food back into my diet so im easing myself back into it so by Monday I should be 100% again.

 In my head im thinking I've already stuffed up my comp prep as everyone else is already on plan perfectly. Then I thought.. So what!! So what if they have had a better start there's no reason why I can't get back into next week even if I had a bad start.. Im doing it for me.. Nothing else matters. I have been on plan for months before hand and its only this week that I've had a set back but you know what I'm not going to dwell on that feeling im going to keep pushing on as this is something I love doing and I want to continue it forever. Its not a diet, its not a one time thing, its something I do daily its my lifestyle so I cant wait to get back to feeling myself again:)


Winners are not people who never fail but people who never quit!

12 week Countdown Part 2.

PART 2

The final weeks of comp were coming 3 weeks to go and I was doing great I could feel how close it was so that’s when the excitement set it and the fun begins with picking up your bikini – which I was soooo excited about I loved my bikini by Claire skeet. She was amazing.. When I got there I was clueless as to what I wanted and she’s been doing this a long time so I had her decide for me. She would know better than anyone and we decided on Yellow. Yellow is my favourite colour as well as it reminds me of sunshine and smiles (silly I know but it did) after picking a comp bikini colour we all keep it a secret.. It’s kind of like that feeling I’m guessing when you get a wedding dress and you don’t want to show anyone until the day so everyone’s surprised hehe. And I loved going to posing practice and strutting around in my heels but I struggled at tensing my muscles and especially my back pose so this was what I am to work on this time round. Before comp I had watched Youtube videos and previous shows so I could prepare myself as much as possible. I saved videos on my phone and would watch them every night as I wondered what sought of presence I would have on stage, going over poses in my head and how I would walk.

It was also my birthday the week before comp which got to me a bit.. I haven’t had my birthday in Perth for the past 2 years due to me being away for work (modelling work which is fun but still I like my family time) and so I felt like I couldn’t celebrate it properly again for a 3^rd time.. Normally birthdays are food related outings so I decided to go to Rottnest with my fiancé to keep my mind of my meal plan. Was a fun day but somehow it’s not the same without cake lol.

When it got to the final week I didn’t even care about how bland the food was as I was that excited, and the water got up’d a lot so my water bottle became my baby it came everywhere with me – if I nipped up to the shop then realise I had forgotten my water bottle I automatically would go into "Im sooo thirsty" mode.– even now you won’t see me without my water bottle.

 Also in the final week diet I decided I’d try salmon. I didn’t like salmon but I thought I’d give it a go anyway. So I go to the shop and buy this massive bag of salmon and when I got home I tasted it and absolutely loved it, it was that ‘Its too good to be true’ moment so I ask my trainer about it as I was seeing her straight after buying it. She said what kind of salmon did you buy and I said “smoked Salmon” I know this must sound like I’m so stupid but I actually had no idea on the difference – like I said before I was new at this cooking and food thing lol and she said ‘Noo Courtney you can’t have smoked salmon its full of salt’. Oh my god what an idiot I felt like – I was stressed as well as I was like I hope I haven’t stuffed up my final week ahhhh and then to go out and buy more salmon when I just bought a whole bag of the wrong one and it costs a fortune gahhh. I also was a bit out of it that week perhaps from depletion of diet and excitement and a lot going on but I was doing strange things and forgetting things.. I lost my phone once – I couldn’t remember for the life of me where I had just put it so I got my partner to call it then hearing it inside the fridge lol.. Little things like that happened a bit.

The night before had come round.. I had all my meals packed for the night including my little treats for after the comp and my bags packed for Bali as me & my fiancé organised to fly to Bali for a holiday after comp.. Definitely a much needed getaway. But he booked the wrong flight time which was a 7am flight. My comp finished at 12 so I had nooooo sleep lol. Thanks Nate! But anyway it comes time to get Nathan to put my tan on.. NEVER EVER AGAIN he was the absolute worst lol. It was so uneven and I tried fixing it but I wasn’t any better but I thought I’d apply another layer in the morning anyway.. I applied another layer but it still wasn’t great. We can get marked down for a bad tan so when I got to my hair and makeup the gorgeous Lina Jade actually mentioned about my tan and she said I can’t let you leave with your tan like that so she sprayed me before I left.. I thank her a million times over – girls I say get it sprayed on – It’s easier & 10 x better at evening it out.. That tan does not spread evenly when using a mitt lol. So once I’m all done we make our way to the venue.

When I was on my way I was receiving a lot of msgs of support from everyone and I was excited to see my family and friends there later on that day and you know that feeling I was telling you about at the beginning I was so longing for? the butterflies in my stomach feeling.. Well I had that feeling a few times that day.. I was crying I was so overwhelmed with all the support from family friends and fans. My mum & her partner Darren came to my judging in the morning and a couple of my friends. I can’t express how much that meant to me.. People come for the night show as its all the glitz and glamour but the morning show is the pre judging and to have these people there for that meant so much to me.. It’s just as important as the night time show as technically that’s when they're actually judging you. So once I came off stage I couldn’t wait to see them and ask how I went. They were all so full of positivity and excitement they were so happy for me and they knew how much fun I was having.

Before I have mentioned I have very bad anxiety.. Doing this comp had actually helped me tremendously with it. Keeping focus and being busy is very important in managing anxiety and I must say I didn’t once have an anxiety attack. I had been seeing my psychologist on the lead up to comp as in the past when I was younger with some comps I would refuse to go as I felt so sick and would freak out and I didn’t want that to happen to me this time. So when I saw my psychologist I can’t even explain how much I learnt from seeing her.. The last time I saw her before the comp was to ask her how I could calm myself down before the show and how to be comfortable on stage. I can honestly say everything she said worked!! I’ve attached my video so you can see how much I enjoyed being on stage and how confident I felt. All the girls in the line-up before heading on stage were soo nervous and you could feel the tension and nerves but I wanted to be in control of how I felt so I was staying grounded and thinking to myself how much fun I was going to have on that stage. I was of course nervous but I learnt how to control my nerves and my thinking in order to go on stage and just shine! I seriously loved it on stage it was my very first time ever being on stage and I couldn’t wait to get back on their later that night! After the judging everyone went home or to lunch etc but me and my team stayed and we were practising on stage when no one was there helping each other with posing and walking, I wanted to feel as comfortable as possible on stage for night time show as it was going to be a massive show.

So as the time went on we were all backstage getting ready for the night show.. Touching up our tans, getting our pump on and getting all our photos done it’s all so exciting!! I couldn’t wait for my family and friends to come and see me. Bikini girls were on stage quite late as there was soooooo many of us but finally our time came and I’m just soooooo excited they announce next on stage “Courtney Piercy” and just writing this now literally makes me get tears in my eyes and get the chills because all I heard was my name getting yelled and everyone clapping I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face!!You will see this in my face as I walk out in my video attached haha. I had sooo many people in the audience supporting me and I have to say it makes a massive difference. I had that feeling overcome me like omg these people are here for me.. I was really loving it and just was feeling so confident being up there I can’t even begin to explain how amazing it was. I had a few people mention to me how well I done and that I should place.. that made me really excited and was so nice to hear from people but I also felt like It didn’t matter if I did or didn’t as I was having such an amazing time. They then announce all the bikini girls on stage.. there’s so many of us we barely fit on stage lol. So up next is bikini novice short class. They ask if your number is called then please step back.. All I hear is ‘go Courtney’ soooo many people yelling out my name I was so nervous. So they announce the numbers and OH MY GOD number 65 please take a step back… oh my god oh my oh my god that’s me.. It means I placed I was sooooooo happy. They announce 3^rd place Shannell grant. Here I am again just freekin happy to of even stepped on stage little own place then to hear I’m either 2^nd or 1^st I was feeling so many emotions. Then they announced 2^nd place Courtney Piercy” I couldn’t believe it.. my eyes widened and my hands covered my face in shock.. I am sooo happy! So I hug the gorgeous Shannell and congratulate her and 1^st place went to the beautiful Simona. Sooo happy and excited I gave her a hug and congratulated her. We took our placing’s pic and off the stage we go.. I’m so excited I just kept mouthing thankyou thankyou to the judges. I came off stage and I saw my partner and I just start crying. I’m crying now just thinking about it - this was the moment I was longing for – yes the feeling of placing but more to the fact my partner was there with that face that says omg I’m so proud of you. I gave him a massive hug and he’s all like I told you I told you, you would place haha. Then I see all my family & friends run around back stage. I remember my dad saying to me omg I swear you didn’t look like that a week ago haha ‘I’m so proud of you, I want you to keep this up as I can see how happy it makes you and ill support you all the way” this was very special moment for me.. I can’t even explain how much that means to me coming from him.
My mum & her partner couldn’t make my night show for a certain reason and I fully understand I would have loved to have them there & they were quite upset they couldn’t make it. I was so grateful they were there for the pre judging though that also meant so much to me. My mum was getting all the updates from the night show from my sisters over the phone.. so she was there every step of the way.

 I then see all my sisters and my brother and they’re all so proud of me – it’s just that moment that gives you chills the way your family look at you when they’re so proud of you. I was just crying from all the love and support they gave me.  My friends pop round backstage to congratulate me and aww if you could see their faces too they were all as excited as I was!! I love how amazing friends are when they can feel what you feel.. I adore them all so much and  I thank every single one of you who were supporting me whether it be at the show or through msgs or social media It was that was the feeling I was longing for and to have them all a part of it was what I really wanted.

Thankyou to my fiancé, my family, my friends, my nutritionist, my trainer and of course to my fiancés mum & dad – you all were there for me from start to finish through some of the most hardest times I’ve ever had you all supported me no matter what you all knew how much it meant to me and every day you guys were there for me. These people dealt with my mood swings, my Hunger anger at times, my lack of energy, all my food taking up all the room in their fridge and freezer, me crying over food, its mostly all food related lol but when people believe in you and want you to succeed it’s the most amazing feeling so I thank them all for being such amazing human beings.

After the show everyone went home but I really wanted to stay and watch the rest of the show and support everyone else that took the stage. I had an early flight to catch but I didn’t care I was on such a high. After the show I got to meet so many of the people who motivate and inspire me. I managed to talk and get a photo with Danka O’mara, Larissa Reis & Tony Doherty.

Once everyone had finished on stage I was eager to talk with the judges to thank them & to also get some feedback. The three judges I got to speak to and get photos with are 3 very inspiring, motivating and empowering women they are people I look up to and admire. Amanda Doherty, Summer Bernard & Nina Silic. They are the most stunning and beautiful women on the inside and out and they gave me great feedback and I really enjoyed chatting to them.. Lucky I managed to get a photo too. I Have attached links to all the people mentioned in this blog so you too can follow their journey as they helped me so much.

Always support the locals :)

My fan page: https://www.facebook.com/CourtneyPiercyModel?ref=hl
Instagram - @courtney_piercy

My trainer: https://www.facebook.com/seaneencopeland.fitnessjourney?fref=ts
Instagram @seaneencopeland

My nutritionist: FB -https://www.facebook.com/naednutrition?fref=ts
Instagram - @naednutrition

Creative bikinis by Claire Skeet: FB - https://www.facebook.com/CreativeBikinis?fref=ts
Instagram @creativebikinis

Makeup, Hair & tanning by Lina Jade: FB - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ultimate-Beauty-By-Lina-Jade/156015817770365?fref=ts

Amanda Doherty – FB: https://www.facebook.com/amandadohertyfigurepro?fref=ts
Instagram @amandadoherty

Tony Doherty – Instagram @tonydohertyoz

Summer Bernard: FB - https://www.facebook.com/summer.bernard?fref=ts
Instagram @summerbernard

Nina Silic: FB - https://www.facebook.com/ninamuscleworx?fref=ts
Instagram @nini_bikini

Danka O’mara: Instagram @aussiefitnessprincess

Larissa Reis: FB - https://www.facebook.com/LarissaReisInc?fref=ts
Instagram @larssareis007