Body Transformation: Primed And Pretty!

Why I Decided To Transform

I always spent a lot of time in the gym doing challenging workouts, but couldn't get the results I wanted. I was proud that my fitness levels were above average, but my body didn't show it and I didn't have the diet to match my physical efforts.

This year, a friend of mine brought up the idea of competing. That's when I decided to make a change for the better. I went from eating out most of the time, late nights, and happy hours, to cooking, being active, and focusing on training.

How I Accomplished My Goals

Being a former personal trainer and having a degree in Exercise Science made me familiar with physical fitness, but I didn't learn much about nutrition. I started working with a former bikini competitor and fitness coach who implemented a nutrition and workout plan for me. I cut everything out of my life that may have deterred me from achieving my goals, including the happy hours and late nights with friends.

I did two workouts a day, most days of the week, in addition to a strict diet. It was a lot of hard work, but after a few weeks I started to see results. It wasn't easy. Some weeks I lost a few pounds, and other weeks I didn't lose any. There were a few weeks that I actually gained weight. I kept my faith no matter what. I learned to disregard the scale.

My clothes were getting smaller and smaller. On days when I thought about giving up, I reached out to people around me who also live a healthy lifestyle. One of my favorite quotes is to, "Surround yourself with positive people who believe in you and inspire you."

My main inspiration came from the people who were motivated by my efforts. I started writing a blog at the beginning of my journey that got a lot of hits. People from everywhere reached out and told me how I inspired them to change their lifestyle and strive for higher goals. If I gave up, I would not only be letting myself down, but I would be letting everyone else down too.

Having a positive impact on others is very motivating and inspiring. It's the main reason I love fitness. Be inspired and you can be inspiring. I've never felt so good in my life. After four months of training, I entered an NPC bikini competition and placed in the top five out of 30 competitors. My efforts paid off. I was happy to step foot on stage. Placing top five was the icing on the cake.

Supplements That Helped Me Through The Journey

When you put your body through intense training, it's necessary to include a few items that help with recovery. I use branched chained amino acids. I'm on a very restricted diet, so I take plenty of vitamins to make up for the nutrients I lack during competition prep. I drink protein before bed in the off-season.

Diet Plan That Guided My Transformation

My diet changed weekly based on my goals and how far out I am from the competition but a sample of my diet looks like this.

Note: 1 gallon of water a day.

Training Regimen That Kept Me On Track

My workouts change weekly based on my progression and goals. This is a workout about 13 weeks out from a competition. The exercises are high repetition to lean up and build strength. I always do weights in the morning and cardio in the evenings.

I do 40 minutes of cardio, six days a week consisting of interval hills on the treadmill, two HIIT sprint sessions on the treadmill, and endurance pace on the StepMill with a heart rate should around 75 percent.

I teach cycling one day a week that I use as cardio. Taking a cardio based group fitness class is a great workout and a lot of fun.

What Aspect Challenged Me The Most

The most challenging part of my transformation was changing my lifestyle while my friends and everyone around me continued to live the same way. Lots of people were very supportive of the change, but plenty of haters were not fans of my sudden absence at bars and the happy hour scene.

At first, I was annoyed that so called "friends" wouldn't support my new goal, but once I started training and changing my diet it started to impact others around me in a positive way. Friends and family members started telling me about their goals and how they were striving to reach them.

People went from saying, "Why are you doing that?" to "How did you do that?" I wake up every morning with an indescribable feeling of positivity and excitement. I found purpose by doing my best every day in hopes that it will influence others to do the same.

My Future Fitness Plans

I'm currently training for my next competition, Texas State, in October, which is a national qualifier. This is my first year as a competitor, but eventually I hope to obtain my pro card, reach out to people, and encourage them to live a life of health and happiness.

Suggestions For Aspiring Transformers

Nutrition is the biggest aspect to live a healthy lifestyle. We are human and all have good and bad days. Don't let bad days turn into weeks or months. Always remember, you can't train a bad diet. The competition is with yourself.

There will always be someone who has strengths in areas that you are weaker in. Constantly comparing yourself to someone else is discouraging. Strive to be a better you than you were the day before.

How Bodybuilding.com Helped Me Reach My Goals

Bodybuilding.com is full of useful information in every aspect of health and fitness. It has articles on competing, supplements, forums on training, or nutrition information. I can find anything fitness related that I want to read about. I'm inspired by the sense of community Bodybuilding.com has. There are so many people living a fit and healthy lifestyle like me who push their limits to achieve goals.

I love reading about other amazing transformations. It takes a lot of work to change your lifestyle for the better, but the results are priceless. There's no pill or prescription in this world that gives you the hard-earned feeling of accomplishment.

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