I have an amazing blog interview for you - if I do say so myself. I pride myself in asking the hard questions - not ones designed to prop up federations or sell supplements, I have no interest in that. I just want honest answers to the questions I want to know about. So here they are;

Part 1;

·         First Competition Season vs Second

·         Weight Gain Post Comp ..... Fuelled by Clean Eating ...shock/horror/gasp

·         A New Direction

·         The Dangers of Social Media 

Candice - IFBB Nationals/Amateur Olympia - 3rd Place Figure Novice Tall 

We know you just competed at the IFBB Competition in Qld two weeks ago – and you placed 3^rd which is fantastic – but let’s start at the start. I happen to know you had another competition season that didn’t end optimally. Tell us all about that.

My last prep was actually quite good, it was the aftermath that was the issue! My first prep (might be what you are referring to) was awful. I had a 'coach' who was a famous fitness model and is/was quite well known and had a cookie cutter food and exercise plan (unbeknownst to me, it was the exact same one she gave ALL of her competitors regardless of body composition etc). Needless to say, I wasn't lean enough. I did win that comp (fitness model INBA NT) however I think that was in large due to my stage presence. I jumped straight into another prep under a wonderful coach and got the conditioning I was after, but didn't place that time. 

The aftermath from that was a 17kg weight gain. Yep, 17kg. I ate, and ate and ate some more for good measure. 

With all of that in mind, why on earth did you decide to compete again?

Long story short - because I adore this sport. I really, really do. I love pushing myself, I love the dedication and commitment but most of all I love the people that this sport attracts. I love being surrounded by driven, strong, passionate people and this sport is full of them! I've often felt that I didn't fit in anywhere, but I've definitely found my niche now. 

Candice - Darwin INBA 2013 - 1st Place

Your first season was 2013 and you have only just competed again now in late 2015 – why the long wait?

Well...I've always wanted to be a figure girl. I needed to put on size, especially in my arms as they are overpowered by my lower body. Also, I wanted to make sure that when I started prepping I wasn't doing it purely to 'lose weight' and get lean. I wanted to make sure first that I got my eating under control and addressed the 'whys' of the eating instead of throwing myself into prep hoping that being forced to eat a certain way would fix all of that for me (because IT WON’T!). I started to get that sorted in about August 2014 with the help of some wonderful people and then felt ready to start prepping in about April 2015. 

Candice - Tropix INBA - No Placing

Before we move on, let's talk more about post comp. Acknowledging just how tough these questions are;

How is it possible to go from comp-lean to 17kg over that weight?

Well...A number of issues. This is why reverse dieting is so important! Isn't hindsight a wonderful thing!? After eating at a calorie deficit for a really long time during prep (and remember I did two preps back to back, so even longer than normal), the metabolism slows down. Post comp I didn't pay attention to reverse dieting and just went on with life as per usual despite all the warnings...I ate 'clean' but ate what I wanted, when I wanted, didn't really meal prep etc etc. It was also a big time of change for me - I finished uni, moved and got my first proper job, so I think my health was definitely pushed down the priority list. At the end of the day it was my own laziness and ignorance that got me there!

Candice - Post Comp

So what protocols did you try to follow? Why did/didn't they work?

I didn't really - I mean I tried to 'eat clean' as much as possible but I didn't pay attention to quantities at all. Just goes to show there can be too much of a good thing...too much food is still too much food whether it is chocolate or chicken and veg! 

When I got to my turning point moment I started on a recomposer program which I loved, but also still felt that it was too restrictive for an off season for me. For those that don't have experience with recomp it is a software program that is used by coaches. You basically eat the same foods every day for a week; progress is then measured via weight, skin folds and strength gains during training, and then food is adjusted accordingly. It’s a fabulous way to track progress, but I didn't want to feel like I was prepping during my off season...maybe I just wasn't ready? Who knows? I do love the idea of the program though.

After this I started researching IIFYM (gasp!!) and after many discussions with Kirsten and lots and lots of reading and podcasts I decided to give it a crack...and it worked! For those who don't know IIFYM is a method of food tracking/dieting whereby you set yourself targets for protein, carbs and fats and you must hit these every day, eating foods of your choice and keeping track of it in an app such as my fitness pal. I managed to increase my food up to about 2300 calories (which was important for me at this time as I was almost feeling ready to start prepping again) and lose a few kilos in the process. It gave me control back over my food, but also allowed me enough flexibility to eat out when I wanted to (which I really love). 

So are you trying to tell us that 'Clean Eating' still had you putting on excess weight?? Gasp…horror.

Yes...

And did you try IIFYM in it's raw form - that is, eating whatever, whenever as long as it fitted your macros? 

Yeah I did. I don't generally eat junk food anyway, but when I did I made sure it fit the numbers required for the day.

What was the result of following it that way?

Over the course of a few months I got my calories up to about 2300 and managed to drop 4kg meaning I started my prep at 70kg. Getting calories up was really important to me - I could have lost more weight but decided that it was more important to get my calories up as high as possible whilst maintaining weight before prep started. 

Did you ever try IIFYM with modifications or changes to the method?

Once I started prep I used this method for the first few months. We quickly realised that I needed to spread my calories more evenly throughout the day and pay more attention to the types of foods I was eating. I did get a little bit carried away with the whole 'eat whatever you like as long as it fits' mentality and ate a lot of foods I wouldn't normally eat just because I could! 

How did you feel about yourself through the weight gain?

Awful. Horrible. Embarrassed. I don't think I looked 'overweight' but I was incredibly unhappy and uncomfortable.  I didn't look like someone that trained. 

What did you think of the competition world while this was going on?

I still loved it. I became very interested in the different athletes and their 'methods' and had started doing a lot of reading of blogs and listening to podcasts about nutrition, training styles etc. I couldn't help but feel a little jealous of those that seemed to be able to maintain a rocking' bod with seemingly little effort year round. This is where social media got a bit dangerous for me...Easy to forget that people aren't always honest!

What was the turning point if there was one?

I was in hospital for an operation and had to do the dreaded weigh in - something I had avoided for a long time! And the scales hit 74kg...Not too long after that was the WFF Universe Titles where I was immersed in the world again after such a long break and I knew it was time to get my shit together. 

And let's touch on social media - you and I talked quite often about the girls that put up posts of "shredding" while eating 2000 cals plus a day. Hell, some even ate that and did no cardio and still claimed to shred down. What's your thoughts on those posts?

Ahhh. I'm not sure. I don't like to think that people blatantly lie about things. I'm sure they do, but I will give them benefit of the doubt. I just know that what they were claiming was working miracles for them definitely was not working for me, which made me a little mad...How come I wasn't shredded on 2000 a day, let alone the no cardio part!? Haha. It's all relative, and it’s hard to be rational and reasonable during prep sometimes. 

You touched on social media being a little dangerous for you. Tell us more. 

Incredibly. There was even a point throughout my prep that I was banned from it for two weeks. Two whole weeks! But, I spent way too much time looking at my competition, comparing photos, looking at their food and training...ridiculous stuff!! I was constantly doubting myself, comparing myself and talking myself out of competing purely because of a few well posed photos and posts. 

What would you suggest for others who get their training, advice, self-esteem and everything else from Facebook?

Don't get me wrong I think it is a wonderful tool when used in the right way. It gives us so much access to health and fitness information and 'gurus' that even our freaky little sport has become more mainstream, but I think information on there needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Absorb the information, research the theories yourself and don't get stuck on the 'right' and 'wrong' ways to lose weight or train or grow muscle. There isn't a right and wrong. There isn't a quick fix or a magic fat burning pill or powder. Those abs on the girl advertising all of the above are probably there because she has just competed and is still hungry and has a wicked spray tan and/or is in exceptional gym bathroom lighting. For most of us, all that will work is CONSISTENCY, hard work, consistency, consistency and a little more consistency. 

Part II is coming soon - more questions - more honesty.....

I have a mental strength when I put my mind to something. I don’t deny this. I like to think it’s my inner strength. It’s been called other names in the past though;

-         Obsessive – just can’t seem to let that shit go!

-         Compulsive – how will I sleep if I don’t just do it??!

-         Dogged – is there really such a colour as grey?

-         Maniacal – there are many ways to skin a cat and I like to put a few together sometimes.

-         One-eyed – there is grey. Dark grey or light grey. Nothing in between.

-         Even … gulp .. a zealot – ouchie – that one hurts just a tad!

I have an update on me. I’m not nearly as much of any of those things as I used to be. But I do retain just a bit of each of them, that’s undeniable. And I won’t even apologise for it. I’d rather have an opinion and give it a good crack, then be a cream shade of vanilla and not bother to get passionate about something.

Once I decided to give bodybuilding a crack, on 1 January 2012, I threw myself into head-first. Those around me at the time are probably smiling about now. You see, from that point on, I just had a one-track mind and pretty much every move I made was to get one step closer to that goal. And I won. I won my class and I won the Overall title that year. I have no regrets, but I would do it differently if I knew what I now know.

Of all the lessons I have learned, the methods and techniques I have picked up and the tips I have up my sleeve, the best one I have is to never call my way the only way. Never ever. It has been hard when I’ve learned something new and it works almost immediately and I feel like I can save the world with this little titbit - so hard not to announce it in such a way as to be a smidgin condescending, a little bit smug and oozing a little slice of mentalness.

It hasn’t always been my fault though. People desperately looking for weight-loss are pretty easy to impress upon. More than easy – they tend to want to jump into anything that promises the world. In fact, the crazier and more ‘hard-core’ the better. Why simply eat less shit and up the ante on exercise, when you can pay one of Michelle Bridge’s office girls to write you a personalised (snort!) program with exactly what to eat and when, matched with over-the-top cardio on 6 days, with a special “Super Saturday” extra-long session for good measure. Michelle and her wallet wins every time.

The other thing I can say about myself these days is that I am truly grateful for my career that runs alongside my training. I was chatting with a beautiful lady at the gym today and it dawned on me that so many girls (not so many guys that I know of), get a taste of bodybuilding and next minute they are focused purely on how to immerse themselves in that world from morning til night. Suddenly they are studying their Cert III & IV and surprisingly pushing their professions/careers/jobs to the side and pursuing a life as a trainer/coach – and it feels like they think the total immersion in all-things-and-people-gym makes them a more dedicated/pure/hard-core trainer. I wish them well. As for me, I went the other way. I was a PT when I first started out and I quickly returned to the career that I love, and I love it all the more as a perfect contrast to training. I love every day of my job and I am sincerely grateful that I am there and thriving in a career that will keep me very comfortably into my retirement (which is still a bloody long way away for your information!!). Something that personal training will not achieve for about 99% of people. And to be honest, pt’ing is bloody hard work!! It’s like being a life-coach without the training and it doesn’t pay particularly well, has no super attached and, here’s the real kicker, can be fairly unforgiving as we get older and don’t wish to be our own walking training advertisement. All things to consider before re-locating from the 'office' to the gym.

Onto exciting stuff. This new trainer of mine, she writes a brutal program. I’m flogged at the end of every workout and, just quietly, there is one in there that plays with my mind when I know it’s scheduled for the day. The scheduled split is different from what I have ever done and there is a combination of styles within one workout which is quite exciting. There are changes happening and that’s pretty exciting.

I also have a nutritionist looking after me and that’s a first. I struggle to trust myself with food sometimes so it’s even harder to trust someone else. But I am and it’s paying off. I have the type of personality that likes to do everything very correctly so following her plan is no exception. It helps that it includes hummus and strawberries and eggs and rice cakes and berries and porridge and quinoa and chickpeas and meat ….. all the usuals but some great combinations and a very user-friendly format.

I’m still looking at Season A, 2016. I need to seriously practise more posing so I can lose the 1980’s robot dance moves, or maybe I’ll keep them in there and go for the sympathy vote!