With time it will come

Why must patience be the inevitable virtue that we endlessly encounter? I can recall a car ride with my mom when I was 16, we were picking out a pair of reading glasses. I was so anxious to take the new lenses home with me that day, however I had to wait. My mother matronly consoled me with a conversation on patience. Perhaps the infamous cliche of a quote was also used, 'good things come to those who wait'. I waited and eventually I got my new glasses. With time, I gradually stopped using the frames...and I couldn't tell you where they are today.

The above paragraph sums things up for me (us) perfectly. We all want everything, NOW. We are a society fed off of high-speed communication, steered by instant gratification and driven by materials...Why was it so neccessary for me to obtain a pair of glasses that I no longer even care about? Let me put it into retrospective for you.

I spent so much time slaving away on a cardio machine that I began to lose a connection with the real world. When I say 'real' I mean people who aren't obsessed with petty competitions, people who don't waste time and money on such a insignificant event. There are so many amazing talents that I have, that I let go of...so that I MIGHT win. Even if I did 'win', was it worth it? The average contest prep is outrageously expensive, allow me to break it down for you:
Trainer: $1500-$2000
Shoes: $65
Suit: $300-$500
Obnoxious Tan: $90
Jewelry:$40
Entry Fees: $100
Registry Card: $100
Hotel: $150 per night
Flight: $350
And that is for ONE competition. Looking back now, sometimes I want to vomit at the money I wasted. Although, I did make money doing photoshoots which often times paid for my hotel or flight.

Let's redirect our focus back to patience. I began my offseason with 5 one-hour sessions of cardio a week. That is far too much for an offseason. With time, I inevitably gained weight...so naturally, I increased cardio. I was at one point, doing 1:45 minutes of cardio a day 5 days a week.......IN MY OFF SEASON! Now that is plain ridiculous. Despite that amount of cardio, I continued to gain weight. Eventually, my weight plateaued. It took about 5 full months for my weight to 'max out'. In October, November and December I took off from cardio-just not completely. Mentally I could not handle the idea of not doing cardio when I saw myself getting bigger by the day. How big you ask? :) (Of course you want to know, I just won't specifically disclose that information.) I gained 24lbs (34 if you count from being completely dehydrated)which may not sound like much...but for the effort I put forth I should be about 15lbs lighter right now.

It has now been 9 full months of living and eating like a real human being. I began leisurely running 4-5x a week recently and can already tell my thighs have slimmed down. I am continuing to lift heavy 4-5x a week and I know.....that with time-it will come. :)