Body Transformation: Fitness Manager

AGE 27 HEIGHT 5'3" WEIGHT 156 lbs BODY FAT 29%	AGE 27 HEIGHT 5'3" WEIGHT 115 lbs BODY FAT 14%

On October 1, 2011, I embarked on a journey that changed my life. As a former athlete and fitness professional, I lost myself and who I was. Eating and going out on the weekends fulfilled that emptiness. I was embarrassed to tell people I managed a gym because I was so unfit and heavy. I decided to find and love myself again.

Fortunately, I wasn't alone. My good friend Julia Berman decided to do it with me. She was on a similar journey and her support helped me achieve my goal. I started training and dieting by reading countless articles on Bodybuilding.com and made small changes each month and set small goals. I lost more than 40 pounds 10 months and set a goal in August 2012 to compete in my first INBA bikini competition.

When I first told people I was competing, they thought I was crazy. Nobody thought it was possible. My body changed by the month as I stuck to my diet and training 100 percent. I wanted to prove to myself and others that I could do it. My lifestyle changed completely. I stopped my bad eating habits and weekend partying. I hung out with friends and family who were very positive. I lost friends (very hard) who couldn't understand why I did it.

My life is very different now. I'm so happy. For the first time in 28 years, I love myself. People around me say that I glow. When you're happy with yourself, people notice that. I never want to go back to the way I was, but I don't regret anything from the past. Now, when people ask me what I do for a living, I say I manage a fitness center with pride.

In April 2012, I joined 3D Muscle Journey and was paired with an amazing coach, Alberto Nunez. Alberto designed a custom nutrition and training plan based on my goals. He transformed my body in 16 weeks and got me stage ready for my first INBA Bikini Diva competition on August 4, 2012. He and Julia provided the supported I needed to stay focused.

About nine weeks into my prep I had a major mental down. I literally laid in bed all day crying. The dieting and workouts took a mental toll on me. I looked at pictures of myself from Day 1 in October 1, 2011, and decided to get tough and keep going.

From that day, every time I doubted myself I looked at that picture. I carry it with me everywhere as a reminder. I woke up the next morning with a whole new attitude. I finally believed in myself; the first time I felt that sensation in years.

The biggest challenge was the social aspect. Being a self proclaimed "party girl" had to change fast. I was used to eating out with friends during the week and partying on the weekends. I couldn't live that lifestyle, so I isolated myself. I had a goal and stuck with it. I missed lots of events because of it, but I had to stay away from my old habits.

If I did go out to eat with friends, I either ate before or brought my food with me. Going to bars and clubs on the weekends changed to movie nights. It was a huge 360 for me. I learned to balance social life with training, but it took a longtime for me to enter a club or bar without ordering a drink. My drink of choice is now blue dolphin, aka water.

On October 6, 2012, I competed in my first NPC Bikini competition in San Francisco. Next year, my goal is to gain enough muscle to compete in figure. Once you get a taste of competitions, it's addicting. No words can describe the rush.

Bodybuilding.com was my number one resource during my journey and will continue to be. I read countless articles about workouts, nutrition, and supplementation.

It has everything I need. I buy my supplements from Bodybuilding.com. The transformations stories really motivated me. When I first started, I told myself I wanted to be one of those transformation stories, and 10 months later here I am.