In the Land of the Dutch

I am writing to you today from Amsterdam, Nederlands. It has been a whirlwind week here visiting my family, including my 20-year-old daughter, Kiersten. The camera crews joined us for a couple of days as we toured around Leiden, the city where my daughter is going to school. It's been wonderful to speak Dutch again and walk and bike everywhere. Bob and I have found a place to weight train, but eating clean is difficult over here. Cheese and beer abound in the Dutchland. Hopefully all the walking will make up for it! My mother, Tina, is also accompanying us so we've spent a lot of time visiting her cousins, sisters, and brothers in Delft. It's been a great escape, and one I haven't taken in years. I'll be home on Tuesday to prepare for my next competition. Stay tuned!

Good Morning and Good Feeling

Hello Ladies.

Can I start by saying how much I appreciate each of you? When I was on stage I kept reminding myself that I was doing this for you - for the women who want to but think they can't. I feel this responsibility tremendously and encourage you all to dig deep. Take a chance and discover something new about yourselves. For the next round I can help by posting more details about my preparation. So let's plan a date for that. I will start preparations on October 1st.

Why am I starting contest prep one week from now? That is why I am blogging now. Today I Have a photo shoot with the coolest girls from the pages of Oxygen. Ohmmiigggod! I am totally pumped to be with these beauties. When that is finished I toss my suitcases in the car and head for the airport. Robert, my mom and I are off to Holland to visit my girl - Kiersten. The TV crew is in tow for a few days only. I planned to go this week because I will be able to relax my eating a little and then begin again the strict contest prep for Round 2.

That being said, I will leave a few blogs for you and am off now to get ready. (It's 5:30 am by the way!)

Okay gotta go eat some oatmeal with hemp and fix my hair.

Love and kisses to you all!

This is going to be a fabulous day for each and every one of us.

Cheers and keep it tight!

Tosca

Tosca competed! She did it again!

Well here they are! The pictures to show that I got up there and did it again! I placed third in the Masters category. Now I want you to remember something. I had only 6 weeks to get ready. This is not really enough time to prepare adequately for a contest. So going forward for the next contest which is November 22nd, I will be focussing on developing more cuts in my physique and building my shoulders so I can create a wider V-taper. I have a blocky waist so any extra width I can get up there is beneficial to my overall look. Also, just so you know, I was the oldest competitor in my category by ten years.

The day was long and exciting. There were highs and lows. The high was placing third and the next best high was the mouthful of red wine I shared with my fellow competitors back stage. My gal pal and makeup artist Franca was a gem because she took care of me all day. My face and hair looked great thanks to her. Berns did a wonderful job of my suits - all blinged out I was!!!

Can't wait to do it again in eight weeks. I promise to work hard and come in tighter next time.

All my thanks to you for supporting me through this contest.

Stick with me for round 2.

Love and hugs,

Tosca

One day before contest!!!!!!!

It is finally here! The day before contest and I am still standing. Who knew?

This has been a challenging week, no doubt about it. Today is a day all about the final contest prep I need to do for tomorrow.

Here is what those details are:

1. Sodium deplete
2. Pro-Tan the body at least 3 times
3. Final approval of sports outfit which I have not seen.
4. One hour practice session - how to walk on stage.
5. Pack contest suitcase.
6. Pack contest day food.
7. Register for contest.
8. Attend athlete's meeting.
9. Approve makeup look for tomorrow.
10. Other miscellaneous details I can't think of now.


I will try to post pics as I go along today and tomorrw.

Wish me luck!
Tosca

Three Days to Contest! Still here!

Hi Everyone!

Finally got some photos for your inspection. Remember some important details about these shots:

1. I am not "dried out" yet but will be by Saturday.

2. I have no color yet. I will start the painting process Thursday night. Color makes a BIG difference!

3. I am not wearing my contest suit - that is going to be a surprise.

Okay now that we have those things out of the way I can talk to you about how I am doing. I ate carbs for the first time at 1:00pm today. They were the first carbs I have eaten since 2:00 pm Monday. I feel 1000x better. This morning I did my cardio and I honestly felt as if my legs were made of concrete. No matter what I did I could not drum up enough energy to really sprint out.

Okay, no more complaining. We are on the way. Something really exciting is happening. People are sending me notes of encouragement. Thank you everyone! Please send as many notes of encouragement as you want! I accept love at any time.

Enough talk, here come the pictures......

This is my side shot. Color is still to come.

Front shot with a camera man behind me. He looks great!

And finally, my abs. I may actually have some decent definition by contest date. Yippeee!!

Got to go now. I have a date with a sweet potato!

Love and kisses,

Tosca

all done!

Five days to contest and hanging in there!

Good Morning All!

This is day 5. I am still here. I can even work my computer and cell phone still. All that on zero carbs. I keep reminding myself that lions and tigers only eat meat and they are fierce and powerful. Me too then!

I am not sure it is worth the trouble to post my eating. Basically carb depletion means eating no fruits, veggies or whole grains. I am down to eating 7 meals per day of tilapia. That is it. Wheat grass shots help keep the nutrients coming and my energy sticks around for a while but not long. Then I begin to feel like the world is spinning. At that point I down a spoonful or two of bee pollen.

The lower energy levels are why I do my cardio super early in the morning. I have already done my run and it will be legs shortly. By the way when I run my iPod is my pal. The music helps me push past just about anything. I love the tune, Hard Sun by Declan O'Rourke and Short Skirt Long Jacket by - well I don't actually know but it makes me run fast. And I love anything Santana. OOOOHHH the groove. Then there's Sexual Healing, uh-huh! And I love Prince. Purple Rain makes me feel fabulous. Melissa Etheridges' version of Janis Joplin's Little Piece of My Heart is unreal - the last 8 minutes of cardio are an all out sprint by now. I could go on ...

I will try to load up some pics today too.

PS. got my suit yesterday. It is unbelievably beautiful! Wow! Can't wait to wear it.

PS. Weighed in today ... I am currently at 140 pounds and 5"8". The good news is that I seem to be hanging on to muscle. I promise pics will come today.

See ya!
tos

Six Days to Contest!

Good Morning!

Today is six days out from contest. Let me just say, the hard part begins today. At noon I will start carb depleting and will continue to do so for the rest of the day today, all of Tuesday and Wednesday. It freaks me out a lot because I don't do well without carbs. I have planned to stay close to home and do little except what needs to be done to prepare for the contest. I can hardly think straight when I don't have carbs. Good thing it is just for a little bit and then I can carb load!!

Yesterday I trained hard - I did a long cardio session alternating sprints with fast walking. Then I trained traps, lats, calves and abs. Each day I am becoming more and more tired. But physique wise the cuts are coming and my upper abs are in. This may be the best my abs have ever looked. We will wait and see what the rest of the weeks' preparations bring.

Food yesterday and so far today:

Breakfast:

2/3 cup cooked large flake oats with 2 TBSP each bee pollen and flax seed

6 egg whites from hard boiled eggs

1000 ml water

6 ounces wheat grass

1 black coffee

fish oil supplement

(I ate this both yesterday and today)

Mid-Morning:

handful steamed green beans

4 egg whites
herbal tea

Lunch yesterday:

2 cups mixed salad greens

6 ounces poached salmon

pumpkin oil and lemon juice for dressing

Mid Afternoon:

1 apple

6 almonds

3 egg whites

black coffee

Dinner:

6 ounces grilled salmon

1/2 sweet potato

1 cup mixed steamed vegetables

500 ml water

herbal tea

Before Bed:

4 egg whites

500 ml water

This is Rachel underneath her Ikea desk using a screw driver to assemble it. Yes she is smiling - but really she was cursing. Ikea stuff is hard to put together! She eventually did get out from underneath her desk. It took us three days to put her furniture together!!! Fingers hurt!!

This is Rachel in her new apartment havign a piece of burnt garlic bread. Okay - she can have carbs. I can't! Wah-wah! See how much fun she is having!

This is a picture of me tyring to wrestle with a couch in Rachel's apartment in Portland. I am not winning! Not exactly my best angle but you get the idea!

I will stay in touch. Oh by the way, carb depletion starts in 1 hour and 45 minutes. Send hugs!

tosca

One week countdown is on!!!

Let me start by saying - "Aaaagggghghhhhh!!!"

I am so fed up with egg whites, chicken and egg whites. I am desperate for something with substance. I feel sorry for myself posting any of my food because it is so bland. I jazz up my eating by changing the room I am eating in! How sad is that???

Okay readers, we all knew it was going to be tough the last week, and I am on track for that. Last night I went to bed at 8:00 pm. Just like a little baby. But I had a great sleep and of course woke up ravenous.

So here are the vittels for the last two days: (I ate the same on both days)

Breakfast: 2/3 cup large flake oatmeal cooked with water, 2 TBsp bee pollen, 2 TBSP flax seed
6 ounces wheat grass in 500 ml water
6 egg whites
black coffee
500 ml water

Mid Morning:
5 ounces white fish
1 cup steamed green beans
500 ml water
green tea

Lunch:
1/2 sweet potato
5 ounces white fish
1/2 cup green beans
1/2 cup asparagus
500 ml water

Mid Afternoon:
2 melba toasts
1 small apple
5 ounces grilled chicken
500 ml water

Dinner:
1 cup cooked spinach
6 ounces poached chicken breast
1/2 cup brown rice
1 small raw tomato

Before Bed: Food is now history!
I drink about 500 ml water with a calcium/magnesium supplement.

It has been a horrific week emotionally. Not only am I exhausted but emotionally drained. Leaving Rachel in Portland feels like I got punched in the stomach. As the plane rose in the air I saw Mt. Hood (which can be clearly seen from Rachel's apartment) becoming smaller in the distance and I decided right there that I hated Mt. Hood. I wondered why she had to go. Why I had to go. And then the breakdown that had not yet happened, happened. I cried for 2 hours. I am sure my seatmates thought someone in my family had died, I was crying so hard. Finally I fell asleep and then, as human nature would have it, a kind hand touched mine and asked if I was okay. That was the woman in seat 19D. She turned out to be an angel and let me talk out how I was feeling. Even the guy sitting between us piped in and shared some of his own difficult times. Those last three hours on the plane were not so bad and I thank 19D and 19F for their kindness.

Anyway I have been ridiculously tired and emotionally worn out. I will try to remember that everyone is healthy and well and that this is not the end of the world but ....

Got to go and train legs now.
Thinking of you all ...
Hope you will think of me too!
Tosca

Breakfast Television Video Link

If you'd like to check out a clip from my appearance on Breakfast Television today click here and select Cooking for Kids:

http://videotoronto.citytv.com/?fr_chl=d2410c2d5623c6a0df39f08bb9ad2e32976451fa

Comments?

Tosca's Pity Party

Hey everyone,

I really do apologize for my lack of entries this week. Between flying home from Portland, OR all day Tuesday and a photo shoot all day yesterday I have been swamped. A piece of advice for those of you out there thinking of competing: DO NOT do it when you have a lot of stuff going on in your life! Phewf! So here is a pity party I am throwing for myself... warning: WHINING ahead!

So my daughter is moved into her little apartment in Portland. Our hands are still hurting from Ikea furniture. I said my goodbyes and it was terrifically NOT fun. To make matters worse I left my reading glasses on the plane, which I just picked up from the optometrist. Is there a lost and found on American Airlines? I can't read my Blackberry (or anything for that matter) without them.

Thursday's photo shoot was excellent. I worked with Oxygen resident photog, Paul Buceta, and two of Oxygen's leading ladies, editor-in-chief extraordinaire, Stacy Kennedy, and art director extraordinaire, Stephanie Bratt, as well as a rocking design team. We got some great shots! Keep an eye out for them in Oxygen.

Today I was on Breakfast Television, which is a local morning TV program here in Toronto. Host Dina Pugliese and I had a great time. I hope some of you were able to catch. I've gotten quite a few emails in response to it, so I think it was well received, but you know I like feedback. Let me know what you thought.

So my 4am morning was followed by my TV spot and a full day at the office where I met with my Eat-Clean team. It was bittersweet because my daughter used to work there and I felt like there was a missing piece all day, but it was great to meet with my team, too. Sigh...

So the camera crews are packed up and I am in desperate need of sleep sleep sleep.

Until tomorrow...

Keep it clean!!

-Tosca

Where Have I Been?

Hey! Are you there?

I hope you haven't given up on me. I have been here in Portland with Rachel and her friend Robyn setting up her apartment. Her little place is so gorgeous. The view is of Mount Hood and if you look down you can see river. She does not have to walk far to get to school. We have been spending loads of time shopping to get her apartment looking like home. Ikea gets our vote for best prices but the putting together part is worse than doing plate loaded leg presses with 500 pounds! At least the leg presses come to an end. Just when you think you have got a piece of furniture together you find another thing to screw into place.

I take no credit for the furniture assembly however. Instead I did something even crazier. After spending most of the day Saturday purchasing goods for Rachel I caught a RedEye flight back to Toronto where I met up with Robert to attend the Canadian Film Festival BarBQ as Norman Jewison's guests. It was fun but how much fun can you have in the pouring rain? There were so many huge umbrellas it was hard to tell if there was a star underneath one or not. So we hung out with Norman had an espresso and then I had to catch a return flight for Portland. There are no direct flights so I flew via Houston and then to Portland. I am sick of planes and sick of flying.

Back in Portland now the day will be spent putting the final touches on Rachel's place. I plan to cook a Clean Eating meal for her to christen her pad and then tomorrow I fly home again. Needless to say it has been difficult to eat properly slash enough. I have been living on hard boiled eggs, poached chicken breasts, apples and oatmeal which I carry around with me and grab when I can.

I will post some pics tonight if you can come back to me. See you later!
Tosca

She Got It and I want it!

Hi All!!!

Today Kelsey-Lynn got her driver's license. I got up at 4:00 am this morning to drive her sister Rachel's little car to Belleville so she could do her road test in it. Rachel also gave Kelsey her car to drive - nice sis huh! She passed her test and I am totally beat. I am going to bed at 8:30 pm right after I post this.

By the way I had the worst cravings for Peanut Butter and Chocolate today. I think it was the exhaustion that set me off. I wanted to dig into the stuff in front of the TV while watching Oprah re-runs but I texted my pal Elaine Goodlad begging her for support. This is how it went:

T: Elaine I am craving PB and C big time.

E: Stop the madness!!! Pros don't eat peanut butter n choc!! Be the pro ... Be the pro!!!!

T: Just send me hugs then.

E: Hugs, hugs, hugs, hugs!

T: Muah, muah! (That's text spelling for kiss, kiss)

I walked away from temptation but I learned something today. Tiredness is not a good thing when you are dieting or ever really.

Food Today:

5:00 am oatmeal, plus flax plus bee pollen (you know the drill)
8 ounces wheat grass in 1 liter water
4 egg whites

8:00 am
3 egg whites
2 melba toast
500 ml water

11;00 am
6 ounces tilapia
1 raw small tomato
water, water, water

2;00 pm
6 ounces tilapia
handful raw beans
2 small baby potatoes
500 ml water

6:00
5 ounces chicken
steamed asparagus
1/2 sweet potato
fennel tea

before bed
fennel tea
6 ounces wheat grass
4 fish oil capsules
2 Tbsp rice bran oil

Must sleep!!

Oh by the way we trained legs yesterday (today is a rest day) and can I just say that I did 18 reps with 400 pounds and today my a@#$% hurts. I did the presses really deep so I hit the quads and the glutes. Yowch!

G'night folks.
My bed is calling me.
T

Gone so Long!!

AAaaggggghghghgh! Sorry! I have been busy getting yet one more daughter out of the door. We are down to three now - Chelsea, Bob and me. And some days the house just isn't big enough thanks to my nutty dieting habits. I was talking about my upcoming dinner with another competitor. I was planning a lovely meal of tilapia with asparagus and she was planning on eating the same thing! Then she wondered if we could somehow just put a couple of extra batteries in us for energy. Good idea! Energy is running low these days.

Okay no more complaining. I have been practicing my stage walk and turns in front of the mirror and anyone who would like to laugh themselves silly. The real scream is the mandatory Stripper Shoes figure competitors must wear. The idea is for the plastic, high heeled shoe to make the legs look tighter and for a long, uniterrupted lean look. Great idea but really nasty shoes.

I need to take some more body shots this weekend. So stay tuned.

Thought you might like to see some more fun family pics so here we go.

This would be Coach Robert and I at dinner in New York City. We took a short family trip with the girls as a last hurrah! No I am not having any wine. Not even a drop. Siggghhhh! I do love a good glass of red wine.

Here is the rest of the family. Look at those gorgeous daughters of mine! That is Rachel on the far left (the one studying Naturopathic Medicine in Portland), then Kelsey-Lynn (the ballet dancer at Quinte Ballet School of Canada), then Chelsea (attending Country Day School in grade 10) and the one in green is Kiersten (she is in Holland right now). What a lucky Mom I am!

And this is me saying "See you later!" after a wonderful few days in the Big Apple with my family. Actually I am racing away to sneak a meal!!! LOL!

My Eating for the Past Two Days: Same food each day.

Breakfast - 2/3 cup cooked oats, 2 tbsp flax, 2 tbsp bee pollen

500 ml water with 6 ounces wheat grass

6 egg whites

black coffee

Mid-Morning

2 tbsp bee pollen

4 egg whites

2 raw radishes

1 liter water

Lunch:

6 ounces tilapia

1/2 cup brown rice

10 spears steamed asparagus

mid day:

2 tbsp bee pollen

4 egg whites

4 fish oil capsules

2 tbsps rice bran oil

500 ml water

Dinner;

6 ounces tilapia

1/2 cup brown rice

10 spears asparagus

1 liter water

before bed:

5 egg whites

500 ml water

The body is starting to change for real now!

Wahoo!

Love you all!

Tosca