Training Complete : PAX East

I made it to PAX East! Training is complete, I didn't get both costumes sorted out before the weekend, but I'm happy with how Knockout Lee Sin turned out! Thanks to GrrzMoore for sending the outfit, and my friend Lydia for some last moment alterations to get everything to fit!

So I'm still collecting photos of the the weekend. Personally I didn't take very many pictures. With the massive quantity of people, it felt like PAX was more about walking around and gaming rather than stopping people for pictures. I did get a few compliments which was encouraging.

I've posted the photos I have so far, but I hope to get some from my friend Dave who went to the event with me. He has been very supportive and provided much encouragement and insight while I was training. If you are interested in my pre-PAX mindset and goals [Check This Link Out], it was very much a challenge but I'm happy with the results. I intend on keeping up with the gym, just not 6 days a week. I'm hoping I retain my shape for a least a few months!

Now to provide some details into the end of training program! By cosplay day (March 10th) I had been tracking my meals and exercising for 103 days (with MyFitnessPal). Training 5-6 days a week with 2 push days, 2 pull days, and 2 core/cardio days. I tried to eat at least 2,200 calories a day and reduced my sodium the last month as well as carb cycling. Which I would not recommend to anyone for any longer than 4 weeks.

I had one cheat day, which was recommend to me by my trainer, to reset my body in a sense, there is an importance around cheat meals which I do not understand, and they depend on your overall goals. But I'm not a doctor. I can see how it can at least help the mental strain of eating clean for so long. With all of my dietary restrictions I found it difficult to grab any easy cheat meals, which works to my advantage in a way.

My body fat went from 19% on December 21st, 2016 to 9% on March 8th, 2017 (measured with a skin-fold caliper). I think a 10% cut in 3 months is pretty great! My weight started at 157 and ended up at 144. I managed to lose body fat while gaining muscle overall. Which, from what I've read and have heard, is one of the hardest things to do! It was a struggle the last month to maintain weight, my trainer and I were worried that if I lost any more weight I would lose muscle, which would make me look scrawny and unhealthy.

I hope to take my cosplay to DreamHack Austin (end of April 2017) as well as Colossalcon (June 2017). I'll see how well it can happen, if anything I think I could kick up my training for a month to tone up before each event. It was quite the mental and social drain, which I feel I can do but will need some time to recuperate before I subject myself to that again.

Overall PAX East was a great experience. I think I will attend another in the future, I'm not sure that I would cosplay for the event again, anime conventions are definitely more geared to the cosplay crowd.