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


My Fanpage - https://www.facebook.com/CourtneyPiercyModel?fref=ts
Instagram - @Courtney_piercy

Sinead at Naed nutrition - https://www.facebook.com/naednutrition?fref=ts

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

 

 

12 week countdown Part 1.

Part 1.

So the start of my prep started in about October but the countdown and depletion of certain foods started in January. Every plan is different and you have to find what works for you.. there’s lots of different plans out there and even I get very confused with it all but I’m more than happy with mine as at the end of the day I want my plan to help me live a clean & healthy lifestyle and for now this is what works for me.

Since I started and was on my way with my plans.. I never once cheated. I did exactly what my plan said. So was clean eating all week and was allowed 1 x cheat meal per week.. At the beginning I was still opting for a clean cheat so I would just make a homemade pizza and would have clean eating desserts. As the weeks went on there was more and more temptations or would be someone’s birthday then it was Christmas and New Year etc. so that’s when I decided to actually treat myself on cheat meals and have what everyone else was having on the special occasion or whatever it was I craving which is fine to do too. Nutrition was going well and I was really happy with my training  I would get up at 5.30am as my training sessions would take me approximately 2-2.5hrs to get through that’s doing a weight training and cardio straight after. I was training 5 times a week with 2 rest days, with one of those rest days normally being a walk with a friend on the coast. I trained really freekin hard therefore those rest days were much needed.

I didn’t tell many people I was doing the comp besides family and mentioned it only to a couple of my very close friends. The main reason for not blurting it out to the world was because I was nervous I wasn’t going to be able to do it and if I didn’t tell anyone then no one will be disappointed, and I didn’t want anyone’s opinions as I was doing this for me and people can very easily persuade you to do differently. In this time I had distanced myself a lot from my friends as I just wanted to focus on my plan & I struggled with the temptation of foods if I were to go out, so for me it was easier to have a night in and to be honest I preferred it as I was so exhausted most of the time from working so much, training, cooking my meals it takes so much out of you I can’t even explain. I also work weekends so is very hard for me to catch up with people, mind you it made staying on plan easier as when it comes to weekend it’s so easy to go off track on those social days.

*Just a little side note that I have learnt & for those people who do put off seeing their friends because of their specific meal plans I definitely recommend you explain what your plan is all about to your close friends as this is something that could hurt a friendship – you believing and thinking they don’t or wouldn’t understand isn’t fair on them as you haven’t given them a chance to understand. So instead of saying you can’t have this and that to them when they invite you out for lunch or dinner you need to tell them a bit more on what you can eat therefore they can get a better understanding in order for them to support you completely. You need to explain to them why you’re doing it and what’s involved then they’d understand and it won’t be a big issue for future.*

I was very good at staying on plan, eating accordingly and training was spot on never missed a session nor did I skip a minute of cardio or exercise. It was hard going but I just knew that I wanted it so bad and if I did exactly what they say then there’s no reason for me to not get that body I so badly wanted.

When cheat meal came around I was very specific in who I wanted to spend this time with as it was one night I didn’t have to think about what I was eating or what I was going to cook that sought of thing so most of the time I would spend it with my partner, my family or my very best friends. When my diet became very strict I was getting slightly more cravings so for cheat meal I indulged a lot and I could eat so much as my metabolism is so much faster then everyone else’s so I didn’t want to be out with people thinking I was such a pig haha. I had to be around people that knew what I was like & who liked to indulge with me. Although I was also a big secret eater.. so I would eat a cupcake or tim tams before I got home & not tell anyone so they didn’t think I was over eating on cheat meal although I was still eating a lot anyway I doubt that would make them think any differently lol – but it was just a weird habit I picked up. Even before comp I was a big chocoholic - I would eat family blocks of chocolate all to myself every day so going a plan was a big test for me so I think instead of eating chocolate every day I turned in to a bit of a binge eater during prep.. So cheat meal after 5pm I would eat sooo much food until I went to bed when it was as if I wasn’t going to be fed again. That is something I have struggled with is my binge eating on cheat meals but I have improved so much since those days which I’d love to go into more detail about in another blog update.

So throughout prep I felt really good about myself & I was loving my changes.. I took photos every 4 weeks to track my progress as you definitely can’t notice change yourself but when you look back at photos that’s when you go ‘wow I have changed’.

One thing I have learned is to trust the process I use to think oh god I look the same still nothings changing but when you revert back to photos and measurements it keeps you focused and on track.. Even the 2 weeks leading up to comp I was getting worried I wasn’t lean enough but I would keep that thought in my head trust the process – and I did.. Did exactly what I was supposed to do and the plans worked you just have to be patient and don’t lose sight of it.. Always believe in yourself, your plan and the people who will get you there, it all comes together in the end.

It also got to me that people didn’t notice my changes at the beginning, no one was really commenting on my shape besides of course my trainer & nutritionist (always keeping me positive J) and a few people at the gym but I was wanting my family and friends to notice but they never really did.. when I think about it now I think they probably did but I was perhaps wanting more from them or more of a dramatic reaction or something – but really I see them all the time so I guess they wouldn’t notice.. I didn’t think like that at the time but it also wasn’t a massive issue. I did get the girls at work always commenting on my appearance though which meant so much to me.. they’re the most supportive people and I feel very lucky to work with so many amazing and supportive girls.

So I’m sure you all wondering what it’s like being on a comp plan.. For me I went with a nutritionist that had my best interests at heart.. I said I wanted a healthier lifestyle, I’m not one for too much strictness as I like to be able to enjoy life and the varieties of food as of course you want to look good at all times and still be able to enjoy food so my nutritionist at Naed Nutrition was perfect for me.. flexible and a lot of variety making sure I don’t get any metabolic damage as what some plans can do to people when they’re extremely strict and girls don’t reverse diet back after comp. My health means more to me than winning a comp but I believed I could still be a strong competitor even without an extreme diet like some girls do have. If I wanted it that bad I would get it through a well-balanced diet and training hard. I also wanted to do everything naturally I am a very anxious person and a lot of things set my anxiety off so anything different, caffeine, medications, drinks so many things so throughout my prep the only supplements I took were BCA’s, L-glutamine & protein powder after my workout. It just goes to show with determination & hard work you can still be a fierce competitor.

 You have to really think why you want to compete and I didn’t want to get caught up on all the seriousness and competitiveness but I did want to be a part of such a great event and to be on stage showing off all the hard work I done.. It’s a very empowering feeling.

At the beginning I must admit I was chasing that feeling of winning. I hadn’t had that feeling before.. you know that feeling when they announce a winner and it’s your name they call and you are so shocked you cry and your stomach turns because you can’t believe it’s actually you. I wanted that feeling, I had seen so many videos whether it be people winning, a surprise party for them, soldiers coming home and surprising there family it was just that feeling I was desperately wanting & I thought if I were to win I would get that feeling.. But I learnt throughout the journey what feeling I was really longing for..

 I found at the end of the day what interest me more and what I wanted to do was to do it for myself but I’m also that person that wants to do this as a lifestyle and I want to use my experience to help inspire and motivate other people as that means so much more to me and that way I can continue that good feeling and shared happiness with everyone.

During prep I must admit there were a lot of hard times.. I felt I basically did this prep on my own, of course I had support but its up to me to get myself there.. I didn’t actually have someone close enough to me to ask questions and make sure I was on the right track, yes I had my trainer and nutritionist but I felt I needed someone else who had been through it so I could relate to them and what they went through to make sure it was normal.. So all the hard times I got threw by myself not knowing if it was normal or not. I remember a lot of crying.. I would sit in my room and cry because I had no energy to cook my dinner, I would sit in my car just to have a few minutes to be by myself, I would go to bed so early because I was so emotional and the amount of times I wanted to give up because it felt all too hard. I was soo moody I remember I went into work one day & I love my job but when I got there I saw soo many customers waiting to be served and I just turned around and walked off .. I wasn’t in the mood to be busy and I instantly was pissed off so I had to chill out for a bit until it had died down before I could serve.. was very strange, also there was this one time at work I felt so out of it and sick that I started crying.. I had no idea why I was crying and I was shaking so much, lucky the girls on the counter next to me sat me down and looked after me.. apparently I was having a sugar come down as I had a cheat meal the night before and obviously my body wasn’t responding very well to it and by lunch I was crashing so the girls gave me a lolly snake to help my sugar levels and I was fine after a while but gosh there were so many funny things like that but not as bad that I would think I just wish I knew if it was all normal.. Now I know it all was normal because this time round I’m in prep with a friend whose first time it is and she asks me the exact questions I wanted to ask someone.. Its sooo much better going through this with someone else this time around makes things just that little bit easier.

Also I just want to touch on if you are in comp prep I definitely recommend you not tell anyone about your training or food plan I remember a few competitors who had done it before and other people that knew someone who had done comps would ask me what my plan was like and I ended up telling them as to me I felt like they had done prep before so I kinda wanted that confirmation I was doing it right.. but when I told them I swear they all said ‘ahhh why are you doing that’,’ you shouldn’t be eating that’ ‘oh why are you training that way’ - it was because they didn’t do it so to them mine was wrong?.. this got to me soo much.. it was such a negative energy towards me and it effected my training and eating.. one day my angel of a trainer Seaneen had come in at the right time.. I couldn’t train properly as I had this going over in my head that I was doing it all wrong I was actually borderline about to cry during training but Seaneen sat with me and explained that people will try and knock you down and that they’re only saying its wrong because it’s not what they did but truthfully not everyone’s plan is the same.. and why should it be were all different body shapes so you have to remember trust your plan and by telling people your plan it’s only going to make it harder for you and more stressful on yourself as you’re going to get different versions on what’s right and wrong then you lose your focus from thinking about what everyone’s said. So save yourself the stress and do your own thing there’s no need to get any ones input you don’t need negativity. Trust your trainer and your nutritionist at all times this is about you and your journey. I am very thankful for the advice Seaneen gave me that day.

So after a lot of hard times there were a lot of good times like the feeling of knowing how hard you’ve worked and how much I have learnt about nutrition training and soooo much about myself.. I didn’t realise how strong of a person I was and how much determination was in me until I done something like this.. I actually really loved training eating well and having something to look forward too.. I’v said previously that at first I was in it to win it but after a few weeks in you realise it isn’t about winning it’s about the journey along the way..

I got very ill very close to comp I think I was about 5weeks out and I was out of action for about a week so no training and I couldn’t eat a thing on my plan only dry foods. It broke my heart as I was thinking ‘please no this is my first comp and I want to do it so bad i just want to be better’. I didn’t care if I were to win I just wanted to be a part of it and be on stage for myself. My trainer Seaneen and nutritionist Sinead reassured me that although I was sick to not stress and get back on plan when I’m recovered (it felt like I was never getting better lol) but I did finally get better I eased back into it slowly and just kept my focus.

Then a week later I’m sick again. So I’m 4 weeks away which is a massive deal and I’m sick! I went to the doctors and she said she was pretty sure I had appendicitis now OH MY F******  GOD!!! Excuse my curse word but I literally felt like the world was against me. I remember driving home just crying my eyes out I just wanted to curl up in a ball and sleep I was heartbroken to think that’s what I have as we all know this means surgery asap. So I had to wait till the next day to find out my results and as much as I tried to stay positive I just kept thinking “please no.. I’ve worked so hard for it all to just be over in a split second”.. I tried to think as positively as possible but I must say google wasn’t helping me – never look to google to make you better, it makes everything 10x worse haha.

The next day came around and I go see my doctor and she lets me know “I DON’T have appendicitis” oh my god the joy!! Apparently it was from the virus I had that was obviously lingering around but other than that I’m good. Now after hearing that I had more fight in me then I ever have had before I was like “Yess nothing will stop me now” and I would train soo hard because I wanted it that much more.. I had been imagining going on stage for weeks.. Every time I drove down the freeway (not sure why it was the freeway but it was lol) and I would have this feeling overcome me that would make me shiver because I was soo excited about being in the comp.. I still get it now thinking about my next comp I get butterflies and a big smile across my face because it makes me so happy.

Search for a Trainer and Nutritionist

Getting started is very daunting and so I want to take you back to the very start back before I even went to the gym.

Years ago I did netball and personal training twice a week which I loved. I loved my trainer and we formed a very strong friendship, My partner and I were with her for 5 years. The only reason we stopped going was because she was having babies and she had a lot going on. I’m the type of person who is so loyal that I wouldn’t leave until I was pushed to or in some strange way the universe just pushes me to move on haha. Training was a mobile service so we would meet at our local oval to do boxing, circuit training cardio etc. I remember telling my partner I didn’t understand why I wasn’t losing weight I mean I eat healthy and train twice a week, play netball on Wednesdays and occasionally go for a run every now and then and sometimes I’d have a salad lol (in my head having gone for a run or eating a salad I think I’m going to wake up skinny) I was very uneducated and didn’t understand it all properly.(this is why there needs to be nutrition education in schools dam it haha – will get into why “eating healthy is so different to what we actually ‘think’ is healthy” another time)  So my partner was always telling me I needed to go to the gym to do weight training and my eating wasn’t right.. I would get so angry at him because I was so frustrated at the fact I didn’t understand what that meant and how do I learn to do that?

So once we finished with our trainer my partner Nathan said to join his gym.. I said no straight away. I didn’t really like gyms they intimidated me with all the beautiful girls and big muscley guys and then there was me who had no idea what I was doing. It took some time for me to come around and what got me to say yes was Nathan offering to pay for my membership and he would help train me.. bless him;) So I started going with Nathan – we would go at ‘off peak’ hours as it was cheaper and not many people were there at that time, was also flexible with the hours we both worked.. I was happy to go to healthy life gym as it was local, very friendly, not as busy as all the other gyms so I knew I wouldn’t bump into people I knew – as I’d hate for them to see me working out haha.  So Nathan taught me the basics at the gym and we always would go together, I never wanted to go without him as I didn’t really know what I was doing….. Until I got a job where I had to do different hours therefore we had to change to peak hours and meant I had to go by myself.

So I finally did go by myself but would do the same training as that’s what I was comfortable doing. I got to know the trainers there in time and in winter it gets pretty quiet with their clientele so one of the personal trainers offered to train me. I decided to do PT with him once a week then increased it to twice a week – worked out quite expensive for me as I don’t earn very much but I was committed and for some reason I relied on him each week.. He was a great personal trainer, he would push me really hard and I would still recommend him to this day. But I couldn’t afford to keep paying him and this was about the time I decided to get involved in training for a bikini comp. A few of the trainers at the gym was telling me to look into it and I mentioned to my trainer I wanted to train for it. He didn’t have experience in comp training but he told me he knew someone who could help him and he would work out my plan etc.

So he writes me up a plan, an example of a day is - Monday – squats and lunges,  leg extensions, leg curls etc. cardio 30 mins walk. > I wasn’t happy with it at all as it just didn’t seem to feel right, wasn’t hard enough, I didn’t really feel like he knew enough to get me to what I wanted to be as I had done all that type of training for approx. 1yr yet I still looked the same so how will this be any different. I was really stressed about it as I like having him train me but I just didn’t feel like he was the right trainer for a comp. He’s amazing at general personal training but I think I felt like I needed an experienced trainer in that field. I didn’t know how to tell him about it so I decided I wasn’t going to do the comp at all as it seemed all too hard.

Within this time I found my nutritionist, Sinead from Naed nutrition. She was recommended by the gym I went too. I had a consult with her and was ready for my nutrition plan.
So I must explain this which is a little bit embarrassing but I actually had never cooked before – never ever ever.. I could only do oven food and basics.. no clue on how to use a fry pan or how to steam anything. Yet here I am at the nutritionist wanting my meal plan for comps (god I bet your all thinking how the hell I made it to the stage lol)

So I took it home to Nathan and his family as I live with them and asked if they’d help me cook (I can’t even begin to explain how amazing his family is I love them to bits for everything they helped me with) So I don’t even think I listened when I saw my nutritionist Sinead, when I’m excited I seriously don’t take anything in. So I went home to start my prep – I look at my meal plan and I’m overwhelmed.. I have to eat so much food to what I’m use to and it said things for example; 100grams chicken 1 cup veg etc so I saw this 4 x a day 7 days a week. Automatically the ditz that I am I don’t think of salad so I decide to try and cook all this meat and veg all together all mashed up.. it looked like dog food.. took me hours and hours to make and I made pretty much the same thing for each meal: morning tea minced meat and veg, lunch minced chicken and veg, afternoon tea minced meat and veg, dinner fish and veg. Same thing different portion. I had nooooo idea what I was doing.. so I ate like this for a few days and I would cry myself to sleep because I felt so sick and full.  I just didn’t understand and I didn’t dare ask anyone as I felt it was up to me and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

So anyway back to the training sides of things.  I decided to take a break from training with my trainer as I just wasn’t feeling confident with the plan so I told him I wasn’t doing the comp anymore so we stopped training.  There was a new lady who started working at our gym she was Irish and was the one who was giving my trainer advice but she wasn’t going to give him all the information as technically why would she? She wasn’t getting paid. But she approached me one day at the gym just seeing how training was going and I said I wasn’t going to do the comp as it was all too much and I wasn’t confident in the plan and was just over it, it felt all too hard. She was very supportive and said I should do it but I just wasn’t interested. A week or so later my trainer had put in his resignation so was no longer at the gym anymore..

 The Irish lady from the gym approached me again to see how I was and was talking to me about competing and I’m pretty sure this was when I broke down crying.. I was so upset.. This was also around the time I was struggling with the food. I gave up eating on plan as it caused me so much stress. I wanted to compete so badly but I felt nothing was going right I couldn’t find the right trainer I couldn’t understand the nutrition it was all too much.

So this lady sat me down and I can’t explain how amazing she was. She was very comforting and definitely put a positive spin on the situation making me want to compete all over again. She said I don’t need to spend all my money on a personal trainer if I want to do it that bad I can train myself, I can push myself and I will get there.. I had to be dedicated & committed to staying on plan therefore I’d get the results I was longing for.. This was when she says ‘she will train me’ Her name is Seaneen Copeland and till this day she still is my coach and someone who I adore so much.. (so much love for this lady) Seaneen had experience in comp plans, she competed herself and has so much to show for all her efforts within the body building community – I knew right then and there I was in the right hands!!

When I got my plan from Seaneen I looked at it and I swear I had tears of joy in my eyes I freekin loved the look of my new plan. It was all so detailed so I knew exactly what I had to do how many of what exercise and I just could not wait to show my partner when I got home. I really knew this was the right thing.. Couldn’t wipe the smile off my face!!

Seaneen mentioned I needed to go and see Sinead again regarding my nutrition seeing as though I had got it all wrong and I just didn’t understand. So I went back to see Sinead and she explained everything to me. I didn’t realise there was all this other info in my drop box like recipe ideas, having salad for morning tea and afternoon tea, tuna, all these things that were obviously so simple yet I didn’t even realise. Ahhh now I’m feeling back on plan. Slowly – and I mean slowly haha.. I got use to the plan and more confident in the kitchen with Nathan’s family helping me with each meal. I wasn’t great at meal prepping but I got through it at this beginning stage. I started prep early thank god. I started in October to get ready for a March comp so by the time January came around for the 12week countdown I got the hang of it and was confident in my planning. Ahhh it was all coming together.

So when I had my trainer and nutrition plan I decided to find out about what other girls competed and I wanted to chat to them about a few things.. I think because it was all so new to me I felt like I wanted to just talk to likeminded people. There were three girls that I still remember to this day that I can’t thank enough for actually supporting me, giving me advice and helping me throughout my prep. They were these little angels – they probably didn’t realise but I felt like If I needed help they would be there, I didn’t ask them but it was that security knowing some one cared. I had never met these girls yet they were so supportive, there isn’t many girls out there like that let me tell you. So from the bottom of my heart I thank these beauties for encouraging me and giving me the advice along the way.. so thankyou -  Jade Mead, Kimberly Shawcross and Katelyn Rabey. I have met these girls since and still have so much love for them. We will be competing in October this year together I cannot wait:)

So that was the beginning of a very exciting chapter of my journey to the stage.



Want to know more about my Trainer, Nutritionist and the girls I mentioned in this blog.. see their FB pages here -->


My trainer you can find her on Facebook add her: https://www.facebook.com/seaneencopeland.fitnessjourney?fref=ts

My nutritionist:
https://www.facebook.com/naednutrition?fref=ts

Emma Brown Fan Page:https://www.facebook.com/EmmaBrownModel?fref=ts

Katelyn Rabey Instagram - www.instagram.com/katelynrabey

Jade Mead Fan Page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jade-Mead/596822307000169?fref=ts

Kimberly Shawcross Fan Page:https://www.facebook.com/KimberlyShawcross1?fref=ts

Always Support the locals!!

If your not already Follow me on Facebook & Instagram :)https://www.facebook.com/CourtneyPiercyModel?ref=hl

@Courtney_piercy

Why fitness modelling is for me

Welcome to my blog guys!! I've started up this blog so everyone interested in my journey can get a better understanding about my lifestyle as a fitness model and of course I’m blogging to help you guys too whether it be in fitness, health, motivation, life, beauty, modelling, clean eating recipes and anything else you guys would like to know. I’m here to help and inspire..
The point of my blog is so you guys can get a better understanding of who I am as a person.. I know you all may see what’s on facebook or Instagram but we all know we only share what we want people to see so of course life seems perfect haha.
But here I will be very honest and open for those who are interested and want an insight into my lifestyle.
 

I chose to do this lifestyle for many reasons; I have always been into sports when I was younger I cant even begin to explain how competitive I was.. I was extremely active and still am :)

I don’t drink alcohol and I’ts been that way for a few years (for many reasons) I may have one or half a drink once in a blue moon because I want too.. It’s normally when I’m in a comfortable environment and no ones told me to have a drink - if you tell me to have a drink or make a big deal that I don’t drink then I will most definitely not have one with you Haha.

 

Another few reasons as to why this lifestyle is for me is because I’m not too social.. mostly because I work 2 jobs and one being a makeup artist therefore I work all those hours people are social for;) and also have my modelling that I work on in my free time

 

One day I thought I wanted to do something different with modeling.. be apart of a new world and I remember my partner telling me years and years ago about fitness comps but this wasn’t big back then and I didn’t know how to start or know anyone who did it. But about 1.5-2years ago I was at the gym and a few people mentioned about competing although I said no at first it planted a seed in my mind.. Slowly more and more people mentioned it and so I started to think about it.. I noticed a small amount of girls in my facebook newsfeed who competed and also one of my best friends which made my final decision and go ‘yup’ this feels like something I’d be interested in. I didn’t want to copy and it could have come across that way but I thought No’ she’s inspired me and that is a different thing. I didn’t know that many girls who did it so I was like this is a great start for me.

I felt like this lifestyle suited me and was a sport I wanted to be a part of. I am passionate and dedicated in all aspects of my life and especially in health and fitness. I was ready to start researching and get myself started.

when I mentioned to my partner that I made up my mind I’m going to be doing it remembering he was one of the people who said I should.. he says to me ‘yeh you should but I don’t think you’ll be able to do the eating part that’s the hard part’ – he says this in a concerning matter not like I shouldn’t do it but never the less I was determined to prove to myself and him I can do anything if I put my mind to it.. so the journey began.. first up how to find a trainer and nutritionist to get me to the stage :)
 
 

A lot of you may look at fitness model pics or anyone in general for that matter and go ‘ahhh I want to do what they’re doing’ but if you really think about it, maybe you just admire their efforts and success. Sometimes I think that’s the confusion. I have looked at someone’s photos and thought that exact saying and I must admit I get jealous but in my mind I must think this is amazing for them – its not what I want for myself therefore I don’t dwell on that jealous feeling, I replace it with admiration. If you think about it have you always thought about doing what they're doing, is that what you feel suits you and your lifestyle, will doing this make you happy. If so then its a go ahead to follow your dream if its not then think about what interests you, what you love doing, what makes you happy and you will be at peace with that feeling of jealousy as you know its not for you. I look at people who go on international trips for a long period of time and I get extremely jealous - jealous at the fact that they can travel anywhere they want to go and not be anxious. I get bad anxiety just thinking of being away for that long, therefore its not for me and now iv found what it is that I love doing and am focused on doing what makes me happy J

These first few blog post will be just getting to know a little background about me.. so In my next blog I will cover how I got myself started, (and gosh that was a struggle) how different healthy eating actually is (I thought I was eating healthy but my was I in for an eye opener)and i'll touch on a few other things.

Once you know my background I’ll get into my daily blogs as I’m coming up to comp prep so this way I can blog about my days, insight to how I train - with some videos attached, what I’m eating, what I’m doing that day, my moods – and their going to be extreme coming up to prep haha, some recipes, tips and how I manage my anxiety and much more. Please feel free to comment or pm my fan page with topics that you would like me to talk about :)