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| AGE 26 HEIGHT 5'7" WEIGHT 220 lbs WAIST 40" HIPS 47" THIGHS 28" |
AGE 27 HEIGHT 5'7" WEIGHT 140 lbs WAIST 27" HIPS 36" THIGHS 21.5" |
Why I Got Started
I have always loved the fitness industry. I have been training with my coach, Mike Davies for almost 7 years. He stood by me as I ventured through life from wrestling to Tae Kwon Do, to Powder Puff football. I travelled across the world and back, and no matter where I was, I would work with him to help me in any sport or just to stay physically fit!
I would travel down to Columbus, Ohio, for his infamous boot camps, and each time I would leave so inspired by the amateur and pro figure and fitness athletes that flooded the gym! When you are surrounded by the likes of Julie Palmer, Latisha Wilder, and Chastity Slone, your dream could only be to one day step on stage, those girls were so inspirational.
This dream stayed with me over the years, I trained hard, but with my travel and busy life style I never settled down in a nutrition plan, and tended to yo-yo diet. Years passed, and I settled down, got married and had my first son. My son and husband were the greatest blessings to me, but my pregnancy took its toll on my body.
I was a high risk pregnancy and put on bed rest for most of it, which left me snacking and picking at foods I shouldn't have. After my son was safely delivered I stepped on a scale to only realize, I had ballooned to 220 pounds! I wanted nothing more than to be in shape and a role model, for not only my son but others.
I wanted him to grow up active, with active and healthy parents. So I set my mind to not only getting in shape, but I set an aggressive goal on January 1st to compete just 10 months later! I reached out to my AMAZING coach Mike Davies again, and he said "Let's do it!" We had a plan, and slowly but steadily, the weight fell off!
I wanted my son to grow up active, with active and healthy parents.
How I Did It
With the guidance of my coach Mike Davies I had a healthy plan, and the support of my husband I was able to fit in my cardio and workouts. We made cooking and working out a family affair, a priority.
Not long after I started to train we actually found out my husband was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, which meant that a healthy lifestyle was even more important for him, and we committed to this together.
We set up a game plan, cooked on Sundays, and created a schedule each week so we were prepared. This was really important because I went back to work, full time as a traveling sales manager and had to pack my meals to eat in airports and in-between meetings.
Not to mention that I also volunteered within the community, am in school for holistic nutrition and am hosting a Natural Bodybuilding show in my home town this fall. You could say my plate is full!
My busy daily schedule meant my mornings would start early, so after I fed my son his 4 a.m. bottle, I packed my runners up and hit the gym.
In the afternoons I would take him with me for my 2nd cardio session. He loved the time in the gym day care, and I had some mommy time to work on my goal. It took patience and dedication.
It took patience and dedication
Mike warned me that the weight didn't go on overnight, so it wouldn't come off overnight. I had to stay true to the diet and what he asked me to do in the gym. And I did just that. In all the years I have trained with him, this was my heaviest weight, but because I was strict with his plan, I was seeing results right away!
The most important part was definitely my diet. I ate 6 small, measured meals, high in quality protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and drank 1.5 gallons of water per day. By June that year I was already down to 160 pounds!
Finally November rolled around and I flew out to step on stage in a foreign city more than 6 hours away from home, with my husband and 11-month old by my side. I got on stage at an amazing 135 pounds, and took 4th place!
It felt so amazing ... even more wonderful was looking out into the audience to my cheering squad - my two boys. Then just 2 weeks later I competed again. I have committed to this wonderful and rewarding lifestyle, and love how much energy I have now!
I got on stage at an amazing 135 pounds, and took 4th place!
Suggestions for Others
Since starting on this journey I have learned a lot about myself, what my perceived personal limits were and how to push myself past them. I learned how important it was to set a goal and stick to it. With any journey you have to have a goal in sight, a purpose for your process.
Whether it's fitting into your favorite pair of jeans again, or stepping on stage for the first time. Create your own purpose for making positive changes in your life and envision the process it will take to get your self there. Find a supportive and caring coach or trainer, and surround yourself with people who believe in you and want to see you succeed.
Like anything in life, be prepared. Make your meals the night before and have your gym bag at your door. Pre plan your workouts and schedule your day so the gym will fit in.
If I am feeling stressed out or wanting to step out on my nutrition plan I look deep within myself and remember there is a reason, a purpose, an intention and a desire to better myself. And to achieve what I want to achieve there is work to be done, focus required, dedication needed and a process to be in place.
Reminding yourself of this daily will prevent you from letting small things get in the way of achieving your goals!
Competition History:
- 2010 Ottawa Classic, Nov 6, 2010: 4th Place (Qualified for Provincials)
- 2010 London Championships, Nov 27, 2010: 6th Place
Photographic Credit:
Gord Weber, Gord Weber Photography