Jason and Vanessa Bartley have been dieting for about 6 months and will have competed in 5 shows in that time. So far they've got under their belt the NABBA BOP, Wellington, Nationals, North Harbour and soon are off to the Phillipines for the Phil-Asia Unified show. Eventhough they're experienced athletes, its good to know they - well Jason aka Bart - still finds the dieting side of contest preparation a grind. Luckily he has a great imagination and channels his thoughts into imagining what food tastes like rather than indulging in the tasty treats. Bart has also channelled his thoughts onto the keyboard and has written what what's been going through his mind during these past months. Hopefully we'll have regular updates from Bart's Brain in the future. In the meantime, enjoy his tasty morsels..... |
It doesn't stop there though, not only does my reading become centred about cooking - or really, baking, but my TV viewing all of a sudden becomes 'MKR' - My Kitchen Rules centric. Cooking and baking programmes, and the Food Channel on Sky become my first ports of call while channel surfing. I am usually a tragic 'sports/history/discovery' surfer, but when the body is existing on fumes, I love to watch nice food! There's also another about a cake making shop run by some Italian types just before or after that programme - that rocked too, they would make some superb cakes, and cupcakes and all sorts of great looking food! It's a reflection on how bad this habit affects me that I actually watched episodes of MKR instead of rugby world cup matches. That would never have happened pre bodybuilding days! So while I read and watch and dream about all this lovely food, Vanessa on the other hand is more a woman of action, and the grateful recipient of her action is our daughter Renee, who close to competitions gets to eat some damn fine baking. But not only Renee, our neighbours find themselves with baking appearing on their doorsteps, and the farmer where Vanessa grazes her horse also gets to sample some delights! Not only is it the reading and watching though, I also wander down supermarket isles in a daze at times, wandering along among the biscuits looking lovingly at the Tim-Tams, Mallow-Puffs and Gingernuts. Well, not for me so much the Gingernuts, those are Ness’s vice, but like my White Chocolate, they have travelled far and wide and still survived – they’ve done the BOP, the Wellington and the National competitions and are still wrapped ready to go – perhaps they might sneak over to the Philippines with us, and not survive!
But it's the specials that I can never resist - the novelty bars, three for three dollars and the like. Hard to go past - although this season I have done well avoiding them, but Ness had a thing for Picnic bars for a short while, and she still has not eaten one post comp' and we have six left still (from nine, as they called my name long and loud)! But shopping without a list becomes harder and harder over that last couple of weeks as the carb depleted mind wanders into the world of treat foods, as opposed to the foods that are on the eating plan! ![]() ![]() All the pain and hunger was worth it for the condition Jason achieved. Congrats Bart on your awesome year! Good luck to Bart and Vanessa for the Phil-Asia Unified Champs in Phillipines 20 Oct 11 Jason Bartley Overall Athletic Champ NABBA Nationals 2011 For more of Jason's ramblings go to www.oversize.co.nz |