Beasting up to become a stage-worthy beauty

Now, before anyone starts worrying about my self-confidence because of how I phrased that title... Don't worry. It's taken a long time and I still have my shakey moments but on the whole, I'm pretty confident in my physical appearance and even my physique. That being said, my next challenge and goal for myself is going to require a level of confidence I haven't had to gather before. What started as a joke now has a workout schedule, meal plan, and timeline... That's right - I'm preparing for my first ever Physique Competition (assuming they hold it again next year - for now, I'm assuming they will!). Sparkly bikini has yet to be acquired.

Those who have known me for a long time can tell you that I'm not one for bikinis and when I do wear them (that's even only been the past few years!), I'm super conscious of how I move and I'm constantly adjusting my suit. Parading around on a stage in a show suit is going to be a whole new level outside of my comfort zone but hey, that's where amazing things happen!

As of yesterday, my accountability partner and I started a hybrid that he (I can't take credit here!) cleverly named "Bulk BeasT25". Anyone familiar with the Beachbody program line-up will quickly - and accurately - deduce that this will be a blend of the bulk cycle of Body Beast and workouts from ShaunT's (yes, of Insanity!) awesome program Focus T25. I'm also going to be cleaning up my eating habits and continuing one super healthy, nutrient rich, Shakeology per day (at least) ... and I should work on sleeping more regularly too because my body is going to need the recovery.

I'll log my progress, adjustments, and thoughts as we go through this and share it with you here. Feel free to ask questions and I'll be sure to cover them! Oh, and before you ask, yes - this will be all natural - no insulin, steroids, or other artificial performance enhancing drugs. No judgement but that's just not for me!

In order to show progress, I suppose we need to know my starting point, huh?

As of Sunday, October 20.
Weight: 176 lbs
Body Fat %: 27.6%
Waist:  34.75 inches
Chest: 40.75 inches
L Arm: 12 inches
R Arm: 12.25 inches
Hips: 42.25 inches
L Thigh: 24.5 inches
R Thigh: 24.5 inches

Starting pictures