Part 2 - A Decision is Made

I reported for duty on November 6, 2010 at the Ottawa Championships. It felt strange...but not foreign. I had declined a position on the judging panel because I wanted to absorb the new women's figure and bikini divisions which had been added during my absence. As a national level judge with the Canadian Bodybuilding Federation (CBBF), adapting to the changes would have been simple but I still felt a little nervous. My duties today were to assist the head judge and statistician.

The scent of oil products permeated the area and brought back memories. The competitors sported deep tans, their clothing hung off them, cheeks sunken, most seemed a little lost. For many, it was their first experience. Their senses were alert as they awaiting their turn for registration. it was immediately apparent that men's bodybuilding was still alive, though I noticed the absence of female bodybuilders. What I wasn't expecting was how beautiful the figure and bikini women looked. The main difference between figure and bikini is that the figure ladies display more muscle tone while the bikini ladies are sexier. As the figure women where called onto the stage, I watched in awe. This is what woman's bodybuilding was supposed to be. This is what it looked like when it all began. This was no freak show. When the older figure gals came out (they have over 35 and over 45 classes), all I could think was “I could so do this”.

Winning the 1982 Ottawa Bodybuilding Championships

Was I too old to compete? Could my joints handle the training? Can I lose the weight? All very good questions and the answer to each was “there's only one way to find out.” I'd just gotten through menopause, weighed my all-time heaviest after two years of eating burritos in Mexico, hadn't trained in years, battled arthritis and the aging process was not being kind to my skin. This would not be an easy task.

Off to the gym I went. The first item on the agenda was to get my weight down to feel better. I'd already starting working on that a few months earlier and what a frustrating time I was having. Measuring just over 5 feet with a tiny bone structure, my weight of 125 was heavy for me. It may not sound like much to you, but I it did to me and it's all about how we feel in our own body. I wanted to trim off about 20% of that weight. I caught myself in time before the scale climbed any higher. The problem many people have is that they realize they're gaining weight but procrastinate to do something about it. The weight slowly creeps up and before you know it you need a new wardrobe.

Losing weight should be done slowly if you plan to keep it off.  Your lifestyle has to change. Too many of us go on fad diets, lose the weight, return to old eating habits and put it right back on. The extra pounds didn't appear overnight and we shouldn't expect it to disappear any faster that the time it took to appear.

I started with baby steps. Every little bit of activity and everything I put in my mouth was going to count. I stopped using the dishwasher, parked further away from my destination, seasoned my popcorn with spices instead of butter, diluted my salad dressing with vinegar, drank water instead of pop. I  joined a gym and started working out with light weights. My strength had diminished and my joints were stiff. The first time I did free-weight squats, I could barely do it with just the bar (almost embarrassing for someone who used to be a champion bodybuilder). Eventually I was walking faster and longer and I could manage heavier weights in the gym.

Now that I'd seen the competition and it's inspired me to possibly compete in figure myself, I needed to bump up my program a notch. When I attended the show, my weight was sitting at 120. I still had a long way to go if I wanted to get it down to 105 which is what I estimated to be my ideal contest weight.

I did most of my training in the afternoons since I wasn't working at the time. I know what you're thinking. "Oh yeah well she had the time, I've got kids and a job". Well let me just say that if you really want to do something, you'll find the time. Go to the gym during your lunch break, take the kids to the park, go for a walk with the stroller...get a dog! In the evenings, I'd often go back to the gym to do some treadmill work. Better to watch 'Dancing with the Stars' there than from my couch.

Winning the 1985 Ontario Bodybuilding Championships

Ten months into my regime (five months since attending the Ottawa Championships), I'd lost 13 lbs, just 1.3 lbs per month. It was slow but sure. My body was getting toned and my muscles were taking shape. Since I'd been an athlete in my younger years, my body had muscle memory so I was developing faster than the average person. If you're just starting out for the first time, please have patience. Developing muscle tone takes time but it will happen. It's particularly difficult if you're a post-menopausal woman due to the hormonal changes. Have patience, keep going!

At this point, I'm still trying to visualize getting into good enough shape to deserve strutting on stage wearing next to nothing. One thing I did not want to do is make a fool of myself. If I didn't end up competing, at least I whipped myself into reasonable shape and I felt good.

3rd Place, 1985 Canadian Championships

It's Spring of 2011 and I nominate myself for a place on the judging panel for the upcoming Ottawa Classic. I'm accepted and report for duty again on April 30, 2011. It's an exciting day for me because I'm sitting with my piers from the old days, it's like I never left. The figure ladies once again took my breath away. After the evening finals, a bunch of us went for dinner downtown. I looked over at Ed who had no idea what had been on my mind and I say “I'm going to compete.” He couldn't have been more thrilled. Ed loved the fact that I was going to take on such a feat at over 50.

It was now time to bump it up another notch. After 26 years away from the stage, it was also time to decide when and where my comeback was going to happen..........