Competition Primer (Part V) Between Shows

Competitors get a break between the pre-judging (morning) show and the Finals (night) show. The auditorium or facility will usually clear out and be locked up, so you need to take your belongings with you. Or, at least anything that you aren't too concerned about. 

You would never leave your suit, they are custom made and start at the low $300.00 and run into the thousands. And, although I would hate to think that a fellow competitor might take one, I just think you should never tempt fate.

I don't even take my suit off, just throw clothes on over it. The tightness of it will start wearing the tan away, and when you see a competitor close up at this time of day, they start to look pretty rough. The tan is wearing in places, make up is starting to cake, hands look dark and stained from the tan. They are tired and ready to be done.

It's fun to go out into the audience for a bit, and cheer on friends. Then off to eat! But don't pig out!

Although the judges have made their minds up at the pre-judging, if a competitor comes back for the night show and looks like hell- they can kiss their placing goodbye! I have seen some women come back with belly's so round and full they looked pregnant.

Most will go out to eat "real" food. And, what you eat will be dependent on how you look. You will need to learn how food affects your body to know, but let me tell you this now. When you diet down for a competition, and you have very little body fat, not much water and everything is painstakingly weighed and measured before you ingest it, every little thing you eat WILL make a difference. 

Don't blow all your hard work between shows. You only have a few more hours (well, OK, maybe 6 to 8) and then it's over. I have seen countless women break right here. Why?

Because we are all sitting in a restaurant with big cheeseburgers in front of us!

So, if you do not have super good willpower, then don't tempt fate. Have someone bring the right food to you if that works. Don't go to a restaurant. Do what you need to do.

Some will need to eat. Me? I get lean, I ate a cheeseburger in between shows. I think I had a couple fries, a few ounces of iced tea. That's it!

If you have a hotel room, take a nap. I took one outside one year, on the grass. That's how I met Mystra, another competitor. She also was hanging out and offered me half a grapefruit. It tasted wonderful! Just don't lay in the sun, it will melt the tan if you get all sweaty. And make sure you aren't near any sprinklers!

After the break, you have time to fix make up, hair, and the tanners will fix any blotches or marks just before you go out on stage again, so don't try to fix it yourself!

Take a deep breath, it's a long day, there is one more show to go!