AGE 27 HEIGHT 5'7" WEIGHT 138 lbs BODY FAT 25% |
AGE 28 HEIGHT 5'7" WEIGHT 115 lbs BODY FAT 16% |
My journey to fitness has been a long adventure. I played competitive soccer from age 5-18. There was never an off-season for me. If I wasn't in school, I was usually on the field playing soccer.
Growing up, I can't recall a single time when I worried about my weight, body, or fitness level. I knew nothing about nutrition. I was raised on fast food. My family ate fast food every day and that's what I became accustomed to and considered normal. Prepared dinners were seen as special occasions in my house.
When I left for college, I was in for a big surprise. My body wasn't prepared for the absence of soccer. It didn't help that I partied until the late hours of the night and ate whatever I wanted.
I didn't know how to exercise. I was used to soccer practice and never learned anything else. Without soccer in my life, my diet and sedentary lifestyle caused big changes for my body.
I become really self-conscious about my body as a junior in college. I remember coming home on Christmas break and getting different reactions from my friends and family when they saw me. I knew I needed to change my lifestyle.
After Christmas vacation, I went back to school and worked out in my apartment complex fitness center. I only knew how to run on the treadmill, so that's what I did. I saw a little bit of weight loss, but not much.
One year ago, I started to focus on weightlifting to get my body back on track. I started Jamie Eason's 12-Week LiveFit trainer in September 2011 and it changed my life. I didn't know anything about weightlifting, but I dove in head first and absolutely fell in love. I finished the 12-week plan and saw great results, which made me take fitness to the next level.
I found an online fitness team and joined the "Lifestyle" plan with no intentions to compete. I listened in on weekly team phone calls and went through provided workouts. I started eating 5-6 clean meals per day and it was very hard for me. The nutrition was a shock to my body and I only ate 1-2 cheat meals per week.
I used my blog as a tool to keep me accountable. Allowing others to know what I'm up to holds me accountable. Having a coach to check-in with is great for me also.
I continued training and learning more about competing. I watched other girls accomplish great feats and couldn't picture myself being in their shoes. When my body started to plateau and my motivation level was low, I needed something to push me further. I decided to step way out of my comfort zone and set a date for my first competition.
It's been six months since joining the fitness team and I just competed in my first Fitness America Bikini competition at the Midwest Championships and did great. I was more than thrilled when they called my name for third place in my class.
I learned lots about myself during contest prep and was shocked at the mental and physical strength I had. I'm not sure if I will compete again in future, but there's always a chance.
Now I help girls learn about fitness and nutrition through online personal training/coaching. I started my coaching program in October 2012 and already have girls from three different countries on my program. Helping other people reach their fitness potential is my true passion. I want to help girls around the world reach their goals and dreams like I have. With time and dedication, no goal is unobtainable.
Nutrition has always been my biggest challenge. Eating clean is very new to me and I always crave pizza and Mexican food. I had to find ways to make clean versions of these foods to keep me satisfied.
I'm not sure if I'll ever do another competition, but my fitness journey is just beginning. I want to continue challenging my body and watching the transformation. Seeing my body change is extremely motivating.
I'll use my blog to educate and inspire others around the world. I want to continue coaching other girls to reach their fitness goals.
- Take progress pictures. There's nothing more motivating than seeing progress.
- If you cheat on nutrition or miss the gym, don't get unmotivated. Bounce back the next day.
- Find people with similar interests to talk about your goals and progress.
- Start a blog. It was one of the best decisions I made. It held me accountable and inspired many.
- Small goals lead to larger ones. It's fun checking goals off a list.
- Train hard and eat clean.
Bodybuilding.com is where my fitness journey started. It led me to Jamie Eason's LiveFit program and I haven't looked back. I go to Bodybuilding.com for exercise ideas and to read the forums. It helped me reach others with similar interests and I've made several friends on BodySpace.