From about the age of 13 to 15, I dealt with body image issues. All I wanted was to weigh less than 100 pounds. I thought if I reached that goal I'd finally be happy.
I got my weight to 101 pounds and was so unhappy with the way I looked. I was a twig—and so weak!
I finally realized I loved the look of women with muscles, and I got with a personal trainer, Jessica Pauls, who ended up becoming one of my best friends.
I started eating a lot more food and traded the sissy weights for some big girl dumbbells! I now eat tons of protein and vegetables and lift as heavy as I can push myself.
I remember I was browsing the Internet one
day looking for a good place to buy supplements
and I stumbled across Bodybuilding.com.
They had me hooked from then on, and I set up my BodySpace account and began keeping track of all my progress.
To win my pro card would mean the world to me. I've dedicated countless hours to trying to reach my goal.
I live and breathe the figure lifestyle, and I will push myself as far as I have to so I can one day hold that pro card.
I feel like I do have an advantage because I have laid a decent foundation to build on as I mature. I am at a disadvantage onstage against the older women though, because I just don't have that muscle maturity they have—yet!
I put a lot of pressure on myself to keep up with the older women, and I don't use my age as an excuse.
It has definitely helped me keep myself in check as far as watching my body fat and lifting goals. I also love that there is a huge community of people that are interested in bodybuilding.
They always leave positive comments that really help reinforce me to keep pushing toward my goal.
I'd tell them to come watch my daily life and then reconsider their doubts. In high school I would wake up at 4 a.m. every day before school so I could get my first cardio session in, and then I would return to the gym as soon as school was out.
At the same time I maintained good grades and kept up with cooking and packing all my meals throughout the day. I've dedicated every waking moment to my goals. My age is just a number.
I really love the product review section because I'm able to go through there and see what supplements other BodySpace users have responded well to before I go and spend the money on a supplement I haven't tried. I also really enjoy going through the forum and reading the other people's posts. Some of them are really informative.
She has been behind me 100% and pushed me to keep going. I would never have gotten to where I am without her.
I make sure to set new goals to keep me focused and working toward something.
Especially after competitions, when I enter offseason, I need a structured plan of what I want to improve on so I don't just go through the motions in the gym.
The majority of my mistakes would have to be with cardio.
I thought I could get away with doing 20-30 minutes of cardio per day when getting ready for a show when really I need to be doing an hour or more each day.
Team Universe was a totally different experience because of the number and caliber of the competitors I was up against. I had 30 ladies in my one height class alone as opposed to three at Teen Nationals.
Every lady at Team Universe was amazing and in great condition, which was kind of intimidating, but I felt I held my ground fairly well for being only 18.
I felt my stage presentation might have been a tad off because I was so nervous going onstage, whereas at Teen Nationals I felt relaxed and on-target with my presentation and posing.
I absolutely love ABB Speed Stacks in Mango Peach flavor for a pre-workout and as far as protein goes I love the Isopure Cookies-n-Cream.
Most definitely nutrition and training. Sticking to a structured diet with lots of protein and moderate good carbs, combined with intense training, has helped me push my body farther than where an 18-year-old body normally is.
I believe supplementation isn't necessary but definitely helps get you to your goals faster, whether it be for muscle growth or fat loss.
Right now I mainly listen Eminem, Rihanna, Lil Wayne, and Linkin Park.
I would have to say with my boyfriend lounging by the pool, and then going out to dinner and a movie.
They should join right away because BodySpace is a great way to keep yourself accountable and meet other people who strive to reach the same goals as you.
I would like to say thank you for all the positive and reinforcing comments—and for everyone to keep their training intense and diet clean!
And yes, all the people who have sent me messages saying how I have inspired them really kept the fire lit under me all these years. That makes it all worth it.
I keep my training fairly static as far as weightlifting goes. My rep range stays between 10-15 reps most of the time. I'm working with a new trainer, Greg Hasberry, who has me doing more track-style workouts with plyometrics to keep my conditioning up and legs tight.
Maintaining a balance is one area I have trouble with. Sometimes I get so focused on where I'm going, I don't look around and enjoy where I am.
When it gets like this I'll usually take an off day and spend it with someone just relaxing and getting my mind out of the gym.
This is my first semester attending Auburn University to study nutrition and dietetics. My education is extremely important to me because I know it's one of the stepping stones to getting the job that I love.
In the future I want to help people live healthy balanced lives through clean eating.
I use my reading and writing skills to stay up to date on fitness articles and also stay organized and keep track of my progress and goals.
My favorite book would have to be The Count of Monte Cristo, because of the struggles the character endures and how he overcomes every obstacle that is thrown in his way.
http://imsolooney.wix.com/miriamlooney
bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/LooneyLifter/
I would just like to say thank you to my parents and my sister Kathryn for being so supportive of me and also to my boyfriend, Colt Greer, for being there for me through my 2012 competition season.