Kardena Takes 5th at Cal State Championship!
The morning of my figure fitness bikini competition I was so excited and nervous! If I didn’t mention it already, I did this competition on a 100% natural & vegan diet and lost 11 lbs. in 6 weeks… I wanted to get out there and show them what vegans can do and what we’re capable of with organic whole foods. Isn’t that totally awesome!?
After walking the “cat walk” in the pre-judging in the morning, I was chosen to come back out on stage again, Rock! So I was pretty certain I was in the top four-five. This competition, for me, was a chance to set the record straight and show everyone that vegans can compete at peak performance with other athletes. I can build lean muscle, lose weight, get fit, just like everybody else. It’s about doing the right things at the right time. You have to be educated on how to do it right! I competed in the bikini competition which is similar to the figure competition – just a little more feminine than the figure division. Actually, it was really funny, a lot of people thought I was doing the figure competition because of the amount of muscle I have.
In the evening judging of the championship I was awarded 5th place! I’m very excited that I placed. I did exactly what I set out to do – I reached my goal of coming home with a trophy, what a thrill! Now, I’m pre-qualified for nationals, so I’ll be going to Las Vegas for the USA’s in a couple of months and I’ll be training hard from now til the event in July. I will be doing another competition between now and the USA’s in July so this is a busy summer for me. What a great way to stay healthy during the summer party months!
I thought I’d share with you some amazing tools I used that helped me reach my goals.
1. Sign up!
This one single action was the most difficult part, now I was totally committed and there was only one direction to go. All the way! Registering made me get my butt in action and set up my plan for success or what you might call a timeline. It helped me to see my goal in the near future and see it as attainable! After I signed up I had all this energy and power welling up inside of me and I got very determined to reach my goal – I had to do it NOW and I couldn’t back out! You have that same power within you – release it!
2. Believe!
You really have to have a belief that you can do it. Believe that you can reach your goal, because you CAN. You have to smell it, taste it, visualize and feel it in every cell in your body. Get rid of all the self doubt and make up new positive thoughts about yourself – what you believe, you can achieve!
3. Make a schedule & stick to it
Put your action plan on the calendar and make it happen! Everyday I woke up at 4a.m. and worked out before I trained my clients at 6 a.m. which is completely outside what I thought I could ever do. It was not easy and mentally challenging but it was important for me to get my workout in before my first meal of the day.
Here’s another example, I was in Vegas on vacation for four days and on this particular day I needed to be at our annual family charity golf tournament at 6:30am (raises money for amputee golfers like my Uncle Jim). In my mind it was a must to get my workout in before golfing but the gym was closed, and running outside on the Vegas strip wasn’t an option.
Mark and I ran on the strip the day before around 8 a.m. and wow were we surprised to see fellow runners out enjoying the morning sun, I was so impressed and what a cool way to see the strip! Hello to the great gal we ran with on the strip from Wisconsin, 1 hour went by fast! We also ran by people stumbling to their hotel from being out all night and still drunk. This drunk person yelled out to us, “Your making me tired just watching you.”
Instead, I wrote myself a 1 hour workout the night before that I could do in my room, scheduled a wake up call with the hotel, woke up at 5 am and busted out my workout in our hotel room while my husband slept with a pillow over his head! Wow, I worked up a sweat and thanks Mark for supporting me.
After being in Vegas for 4 days I still lost 1.4 lbs! I kept my goals in mind and made it happen even with the inconvenient circumstances.
When you reach your goals and you look back you will be so proud and so thankful that you stuck to your plan and your vision and you made it happen.
Here are 3 easy steps to help you reach your goals whether it is weight loss, a bikini competition, or choosing a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle;
1st: set your goal – set a time, deadline, or register for an event.
2nd: have people around you who support and encourage you.
3rd: and most importantly be persistent, unstoppable, tenacious, relentless, and go after your goals…it’s so important! Be that person you envision yourself as and you will succeed.
I will see you next time!
Kardena Pauza,
Author of Easy Veggie Meal Plans
Wow – that is amazing. I’d certainly like to think about doing something like this one day. Any chance you’d let us in on your diet & exercise routine? Maybe a book / blog like “6 weeks to Competition shape” and tell us exactly what you ate & exercised like for those 6 weeks?
Hi Meredith,
It’s a fun experience. That’s a great idea on the 6 weeks to competition shape. I will look into doing this!
Kar
Congratulations, Kardena!!!!!
You look amazing! What an inspiration…
I was vegetarian for a year, then recently vegan about 2 mos. ago. I was sad, thinking that I might not be able to build enough muscle for shapely arms & legs and help metabolize some of this 35 lbs. of fat I need to shed. At least without lots of supplements that I can’t afford. That is, until I realized Craig Ballantine was having success in this area, which, thankfully led me to you.
Should I be getting my workout in first thing in the morning before the first meal? Some folks say it doesn’t really matter, and some say it is really important. Sometimes, all the info can get really confusing!
Also, in your things vegetarians should watch out for, you scared me about easily overdoing the fats. But then, in the sample meal plans and on your videos, you use lots of it. When I look at the cals on the flax, coconut, nut butters, etc…, I find myself sort of scared to eat! I want this fat off of my body so badly, it dominates my thoughts for the day. I’m 48 years old, with a 6 yr. old son, and I’m trapped in a sick body.
I must say that just on day 4 of attempting to follow your suggested meal plans, (and that cayenne pepper tea) I feel much more energetic and healthy.
I’m trying to find a way to purchase your program with more vegan recipes, as I’m not sure how to safely convert the dairy & eggs so that I still achieve my goals.
Thank you so much for sharing what you know!
Hi Tina,
That’s awesome you are feeling better just after 4 days of following the meal plan! Craig is a true representation of what you can do and maintain on a veggie diet.
Getting your workout in sometime during the day is what is most important. moving your body= energy burned= fat loss. There may be more optimal times of the day but for what your goals are right now, do it at a time that works for you.
About the fat content- I here people freak out about eating fat or too much fat, etc. We have been programmed to believe that it’s bad. It’s a myth
Remember, the type of fat is important, not just how much. The fats I recommend are all healthy and are utilized in the body for tons of functions. Processed fats, trans fats, and highly heated fats do not digest well in the body and create toxins that the body stores as fat. You can still overeat fats, don’t get me wrong however my plan is balanced well.
Keep with the plan and don’t be afraid of fat.
Kardena
Impressive. Congrats!
With that mental attitude, combined with what you already do, you´ll reach whatever goal you set for yourself!
Much Respect,
Thomas
Thank Thomas!
Gotta have a recipe for success!
Congratulations Kardena on achieving your goals!!!! You look amazing!
Thanks Angela!
Congratulations! Thank you for sharing your journey with us. It’s been such an inspiration and support for my own.
Well done Kardena. You look hot!!
Thanks for the blog; my health has really improved.
Hey Nick,
Thanks, I was very diligent with my program. So glad to hear your health has improved. Being healthy is the foundation to a fulfilled and happy life.
Thanks for sharing.
Kardena
WOW Kardena, you are truly unstopable!!!! I am really trying to be 100% vegetarian, it is difficult when your family is not! You are so inspiring, my concern is gaining weight without the animal “protein” in my diet. I looked my best while following a typical bodybuilding diet (lots of meat) a couple of years ago. I am not sure what to use to amp up my protein, or if cutting calories would be enough to get that toned healthy look. Any advice on how to lean out while staying toned would be greatly appreciated, I do short intense cardio/strength workouts most days. Thank you, I love your blog! Great recipes!
Hi Wendy,
Thanks for the nice words. I wouldn’t be concerned about gaining weight. It’s a matter of eating the right foods at the right time. Vegetarian diets contain plant based proteins which are easier to digest. Trimming up is a combination of yes working out and diet. That’s why I created easyveggiemealplans.com so you and others can eat a healthy balanced vegetarian diet while losing weight. Diet is a huge part of losing weight. Check it out!
Keep up the great workouts!
Hi Kardena! You are an inspiration! I would love to compete one day and would like to know what an example of your diet looks like. Did you up your protein intake? Did you change your exercise routine as well? I also would love to prove 1 day that even an individual on a vegetarian diet, can be toned, ripped & win at a fitness competition!
P.S. Your blogs & recipes are he best! 🙂