This is me...


Seriously


June 2003 is when my own personal journey to transform my physique, my lifestyle, my business and take the stage as a fitness competitor began.


So this is my story.



I am 5'1 and in this picture I was about 20% body fat and 105 lbs. Now, please understand this is a healthy bodyfat and weight and by no means did I think I was fat or out of shape. These pictures are meant to illustrate exactly HOW much you can make changes to your body with the right nutrition, exercise, guidance and dedication to make things happen.




These pictures are also meant to show each of you that I am NORMAL and I started at the beginning just like each of you. My body composition changes did not happen overnight, my healthy eating habits did not come naturally (have I ever mentioned how long it took me to hop on the vegetable bandwagon?). First and foremost I have been my own test subject, I have also worked with coaches and teachers who have inspired me and have played a huge role in both my physical and mental transformation.



I will give you a snap shot of where I came from.



I was the girl who was active in dance when I was young and then hit highschool. Gym class was a joke... I hated it and took it because I thought it would be easy. I was the girl that would put the track pants on OVER my jeans partly because I was lazy and partly because they were too tight to get off.... hey what can I say I am a product of the 80's... tight jeans and bands with big hair were all the rage. My lack of participation and frequent trips to McDonalds during gym block almost resulted in a failing grade which would have prevented me from earning my high school diploma. Trust me, the irony of this is not lost on me.





Once out of school I did discover weight training and loved it but never REALLY applied anything or trained effectively... all I knew was that I loved being in the gym... sometimes.



Healthy eating... what was that? My mom did a great job cooking healthy meals but once I was out on my own I enjoyed the freedom of having ice cream for breakfast and have a vivid memory of cooking frozen corn in a fry pan. Yes, I was a true wonder in the kitchen. I was hooked on Dorito's, microwave popcorn and SLURPEE's and it was mandatory that an extra Slurpee be in the freezer at all times so I wouldn't have to get my lazy ass in the car to drive all the way to 7-11 (which by the way was a 5 min walk at the most). Of course I still needed to hit the 7-11 to pick up my cigarettes... yes my friends, I was also a smoker.




So that is me in a nut shell... its not pretty and to publish my truth for all to see on my blog was harder than I realized when I made the decision to share it. Who I am today is a direct result of where I started and the JOURNEY it took to get here... and my journey is still on going.




Today my weight floats around 106 to 110lbs and my body fat sits around 12 to 15%. You can see from the pictures on my website that my body composition today is dramatically different. I know everyone has heard, read or been told that weight training can change your body and I am living proof of this. Ladies do not be afraid to pick up a dumb bell weighing more than 5lbs BUT also understand that a change in eating habits is critical for success. Weight training and cardio alone WILL NOT give you a tight, toned and fit physique.







I am still learning, growing, changing and evolving... physically, mentally, personally and professionally but now my focus is on my family of clients who are embracing thier own journey and finding a healthy balance in my own life.









I hope this inspires something in each of you and that you realize that whatever your fitness goals may be including weight loss, muscle gain, muscle toning, improved athletic performance, injury re-hab or just learning how to finally get off the diet wagon and start eating and living healthy. It CAN be done.


Time will pass regardless of if you do something today or not...



So start something today, and tomorrow you will be one step closer to achieving your own transformation and creating your own story... and I hope you will share it with me!