P.S. I am a Fighter #duh

So if you are keeping up with me and 'Thyroid-gate' you know I have been dealing with some terribly interesting health issues. I previously shared with you that about 3 weeks after Nationals last year I found out my thyroid was extremely low functioning and my body was cannibalizing muscle instead of using fat as an energy source. Well additional testing showed I had no/extremely low hormone production (estrogen, progesterone, prenegalone what's that?!), no adrenal gland function, plus the recent discovery that I'm hypoglycemic and well, yea... I'm a mess! I was fighting constant fatigue and the loss of energy or WANT to work-out plus onset weight gain! This caused me to sink into this bubble of anxiety and depression! Yuck!

Even though I could still pack a class FULL and had a full roster of clients, I just didn't feel "good enough".  I was comparing myself to other competitors or trainers who kept their svelte figure year round, judging myself for my suddenly robust shape. It didn't matter to me that I was still strong as hell or fast or had amazing endurance or that my body had just gone rogue! I wasn't a size I liked.

Really Tristan, Really? You f*#$i&G HYPOCRITE!

Despite my loved ones reassuring me that it didn't matter, that my work for others spoke for itself, to ME it did matter! I knew If I had seen me 2 months post contest I would have thought WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO HER?! Sad face. As a relatively introspective individual I know others weren't constant judging me but as long as I was judging myself it felt like the whole world was as well.

For someone who leads a ridiculously clean lifestyle and loves fitness I was at a loss as to why or how this had "happened" to me. Well, after seeking professional help and taking a $1000 worth of (additional) blood-work and discovering all these other things that were going on with me aside from the whole Thyroid thing, it became perfectly clear by combing through my family medical history, that I was genetically predisposed to ALL of the things I had been diagnosed with, they had just hit my body all at the same time! Yes these things had been aggrivated and magnified by my extreme training and dieting but it was not the cause of them. It wasn't that competing had "done" this to me, it was that through pushing my body to the absolute limit during the same three years that my body was going through a very big change, I had created a perfect storm in my body ( a shit storm more like)! Welcome to your early 30's Tristan. Gee, thanks.

So I got to work right away. Not only did I continue to work with an amazing homeopathic Doctor but I sought out someone I trust to oversee my road back to training and to help control my low blood sugar issues. I got to work healing my body with supplements ranging from selenium to Guggul! I cut my working out down to lifting weights 2-3x a week and cardio 2-3x a week. Was I going to lose weight on this regimen? Hell no! But the plan was to improve my health, not get my tiny ass back.

R.I.P. Tiny Ass.

I'm currently into the middle of my 5th month post-contest and diagnosis. My energy has increased dramatically. I have my strength back and I'm back to bodybuilding, actively putting on muscle while healing my body through food and supplementation. I look forward to competing again and am thankful to have learned why this happened and not have to blame it on my passion.

I've ALWAYS been on the other side of this. I've always had to use my brain and my experience to heal others... high blood pressure, hypothyroidism, severe spinal injuries, you name it! That's why when I get someone who merely wants to lose weight or "get toned" it's a cake walk! Being on this side of things has sunk me deeper into my passion for helping and healing others. It has forced me to further not only my education (studying this stuff is a full time job in its own!) but deepen my compassion for my clients who lose control of their own bodies. This sucks. It is hard, but there is hope in the science it takes to heal thyself.
God doesn't give us anything we can't handle.
Everything happens for a reason.
I'm on my way. I still have a lot to learn as far as "loving myself" no matter what size 'Lulu's I'm in, but as a woman that may be something I'm dealing with for quite some time. The point is the Universe keeps sending me the same message over and over again: I AM A FIGHTER INSIDE AND OUT AND NO MATTER WHAT THE OBSTACLE, I WILL FIGURE OUT A WAY TO POWER THROUGH IT. This realization is a gift. Fighting is exhausting but I'd rather be a fighter then a 'Taker' OR a 'sit-around-and-wait-er'! Wouldn't you?

Don't lose hope in your own journey. Create a plan to get yourself where you want to be. Create a team of loved ones and professionals who will help you hit all all your goals. You hire someone to do your taxes or handle your money, why wouldn't you hire someone to handle your body?

Keep pushing,
Your Trainer Tristan
xo 

"Wow! She got BIG!" Confessions of Post-Contest Weight Gain (and Metobolic Damage)

My body is betraying me.
I am Tom Cruise in 'Mission Impossible' and my body is that chick he thought was on his side but then tries to kill him.
When I came off my last competition in November I was determined to only gain the appropriate amount of weight: 10-15 lbs, the fat I needed to maintain my monthly cycle and not feel like a crazy person. I knew I wasn't going to have 6-pack for a while but 'saddlebags': No f-ing way!

Two days after my competition I was back in the gym, running and lifting and instead of binging 24/7 I ate one larger meal a day but stuck with healthy choices. When I got home, already feeling restless, I set a new goal of running my first half-marathon and began an intense lifting schedule with some new workout partners, determined to put some muscle on while I was "off".  Around Christmas my life was bombarded with cookies and cakes and I did indulge but I actually felt more balanced then I had in the last 3 years. I was getting that "oh you've gained weight" look from people but I kept hearing myself say "Yea, I feel like I am more balanced now then ever before!" Because truthfully my MIND was in the game! But something wasn't sitting right despite all of my "balanced" actions.

I began feeling more and more depressed. I kept gaining weight.
So of course I did what any girl does when her life feels off and died my hair bright red (Didn't really help matters, lasted about 2 weeks). My scalp was dry and flaky as was the rest of my skin. I felt lethargic but no more so then I had been when competing. No matter how much I dialed in my macros, how many miles I ran, or many times I hit the weights it was almost as if someone was blowing air into my lower stomach, ass and upper thighs. I was hard as a rock but with this puffy layer all over my body! And sex drive... what's that?

Something was wrong with me (YOU DON'T SAY?).  I had sort of felt this at the beginning of the year before my first competition and in the middle of the year when I took a 6 week brake but I had chocked it up to "not working hard enough" and spent 11 months killing myself to get into shape before every competition. I always refused to believe, even when I STRONGLY suspected, that anything was wrong with me internally. I was an athlete! I was more fit then anyone I know! Me? Naaaaaah WORK HARDER HALLER!   
I went to get my blood drawn and waited with baited breath for 5 days to get the results...
I knew it was my Thyroid because I deal with this on a daily basis with clients (and My Mother has thyroid issues as well and I know that there is genetic linkage) and while I wanted to be diagnosed with something so I could have ANSWERS, the idea of being on medication for the rest of my life does not sit well with me. I also knew that metabolic damage was very common amongst competitors and for the amount of competing I did over the last 3 years I should expect some recourse. Sad face.

In short, according to the results: My thyroid function is as low as you can get WITHOUT being considered hypo. I'm just extremely low functioning. As someone who was high-functioning before, this sucks balls, but also answers a lot of questions (stay positive Haller).
Also my body is showing something that they only see in elderly people. Basically I'm not shedding a certain nutrient/cell and my body is using my muscles for fuel (YES, I'm sure all this running is really helping THAT problem. Sigh).
WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE ME, YOU ASK?
So I'm not going to necessarily be at my ideal body weight or composition for a while.
Whatever! My main focus is on my health! I can still run circles and out lift you! JUST TRY ME!
AND because I'm technically on the low end of "normal" I can't get medicated to fix this problem immediately. This journey might be a long one. WHATEVER! THIS IS MY JOB. I'LL FIGURE THIS OUT AND BE BETTER BECAUSE OF IT!
The Endocrinologist confirmed that, in general, it takes at least 90 days for your body to regulate and return to normal (whatever that is for you). On February 23 it will have been 90 days since I competed. So until then I've put myself on a full Thyroid holistic supplement program (that I've designed myself), cut my workouts down so that my body won't calibrate to the higher expenditure and can use this time to actually recover as much as possible, and am working on loving myself no matter what my size is (as long as I'm fit and inspiring others to get fit, it's ok if I'm not a Size 2 for a few months of my life. Get over it Haller.)

I'm confident that if I stay the course, when I get new labs done in 30 days I will see definite improvements and be back on my way to the high end of "Normal".
As somebody who both competes and trains competitors I think the main message I want to get across here is LISTEN TO YOUR BODY AND IF SOMETHING SEEMS OFF, INVESTIGATE!
And Secondly, while metabolic damage is extremely common post competition it doesn't have to be this way especially if you do your diligence and have a post-comp plan. Don't just sign up with your coach or trainer up to the date of your competition. Sign up for a few weeks after so you can control your body and mind after (because your mind alone will give you permission to do some crazy $h!7 post contest!).

When it comes to my clients who want to compete I treat their bodies better then I treat my own by far. It's sad but true. I put my kid-gloves on and make sure they are getting as much food as humanly possible, getting their cheat meals and re-feeds in, and doing as little cardio as possible to healthfully reach their goal. When I'm in contest prep I will cry every day sometimes because of how challenging it is or how tired I am or how hungry I am, my only escape being when I am training my clients and I get to focus on their goals instead of my own. I feel why my prep is so hard is in part, because like most successful competitors who are NOT naturally lean muscular people, I have to beat myself up to hit my goal.
We are our own worst enemy.
I am very conscious of EXACTLY what my competitor is up to because it's my worst fear that I will cause anyones body unneeded duress. But this is what competing is: welcoming stress into your life and into your body for 12 - 16 weeks! 
However, I strongly believe that if you reverse diet slowly enough, with the guidance of a good coach, you will never have to deal with these things. I've seen this work successfully many times but YOU HAVE TO STAY THE COURSE AND TRUST THE PROCESS MUCH LIKE YOU DID WHEN YOU WERE PRE-CONTEST.

Unfortunately, it is also my experience that the people who are most drawn to competing are people like me. We are naturally VERY curvy girls who have to work exceptionally hard to get their body to "stage standards". Because of this it's sooo important that the person you chose to work with has every intention to not just take you to the stage but to help you COME BACK DOWN after the bright lights and spray tan fades away.
My mistake was doing too much too fast and pushing my body past the point of healthy (3 years of competing with very few brakes will do this to you. I fell in love with competing and challenging my body on an almost inhuman level. My bad).
I might spend the rest of my life searching for my purple Unicorn (a.k.a balance) but I hope I'm inspiring others to do the same instead of seeing this strange ideal of perfection. We need to seek optimal health, not a # on a scale or a certain pant size. That will come!!!
I also hope you continue to follow me as we figure this out together. Next post I'm sure I'll be bringing you good news about how I healed my thyroid holistically!
Thoughts become things and anything worth having is worth fighting for.

We are in this together,
All my love
Your Trainer T

I'M A HUGE FAILURE & I'M COOL WITH IT

The story of the butterfly

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole.
Then it stopped, as if it couldn't go further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon. The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch it, expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge and expand enough to support the body, Neither happened! In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around. It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand:
The restricting cocoon and the struggle required by the butterfly to get through the opening was a way of forcing the fluid from the body into the wings so that it would be ready for flight once that was achieved. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us. We will not be as strong as we could have been and we would never fly.

As many of you know I recently got back from competing in Fort Lauderdale at an NPC National Competition. This was my one and only chance for this whole year of achieving PRO status and accomplishing my goal of joining the IFBB. 

At this particular competition I had 2 in 38 chances of achieving this. 

I didn't even make top 10. This was quite the blow because two weeks previously I had won first place at the NPC Iron Games in Culver City, a goal I had spent a year trying to accomplish.

This year I did 5 Figure competitions in 9 months. That's 11 months of prep. This is almost unheard of. But you haven't seen 'determined' until you've seen me! If nothing else, Ive got that market cornered! What happens when you want something SOOO bad and it just doesn't happen?

Well prepare yourself for the worlds biggest emotional roller-coaster of your life! One minute I'm so depressed I don't even know what to do with myself! The next minute I'm angry! Clearly THOSE JUDGES weren't looking at me! WTF!?! 

Sad again: I'm not good enough. 

Mad again: I just wasted all that time and money! 

Guilty: Sorry Babe, I'm soo terribly sorry I let you down!  

Joyful: Hey I made it this far! That's an accomplishment! 

Downright bitter: What does she have that I don't aside from a massive amount of steroids!??! 

Elated: Look at all these beautiful athletes and I am a class with them! HOly crap, that's COOL! I'm soo lucky to be here.  

Depressed Again: Where's the red wine and peanut butter at?

told you

These last two competitions of the year were no more difficult then any other prep this year but I struggled BIG TIME! What a lot of you don't know was that 9 weeks before IRON GAMES I quit. then after 3 days of "qutting" I started back up again. I was making really great progress, not talking about my prep with anyone really, and feeling proud of myself for giving it another shot when BAM! 3 weeks before the IRON GAMES I QUIT AGAIN (like 'chocolate meltdown' QUIT). One night at around 10pm I hopped off that stair stepper, my t-shirt soaked thru, and walked right across the street to the CVS where I grabbed the most decadent chocolate bar I could find and went to town! My boyfriend ran after me but he was too late and when he tried to talk me out of my hysteria I snarled at him with the fury of a Mama Lioness protecting her cubs! "I'm thru!" I shouted through my tears! "I'm done! I quit! This is bullshit!" and I cried all the way home, eating my chocolate, and feeling like a complete failure.

Let's call it how it is: I'm a Quitter. 

BUT I'm also a Fighter. AND FIGHTERS DON'T STAY QUIT FOR LONG. 

The very next day I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and I got right back on my plan! I was determined to see this thing thru even if it killed ME! 

Ironically, the ONLY competition (out of the 10 I've competed in) that I just couldn't stop QUITTING, (that terrified me) was THE ONE I WON FIRST PLACE in as a NPC FIGURE COMPETITOR.

Let that be a lesson to you. It sure is to me.

Right now I'm trying to figure out what's next. I have a lot of things in my personal and professional life that need tending to. BUT when it comes to that PRO STATUS I'm like a dog with a bone. SO 2013 wasn't my year but hey, it's all good, lucky for me GOD makes more years! I may not be a butterfly YET but don't worry about me! I'm in this cocoon for a reason and WHEN I DO EMERGE I WILL BLOW THE DOORS OFF THE IFBB! I'm still cooking. 

I'm still GROWING

In more ways then one ;)

Keep fighting, your dreams are in your heart for a reason. 

All my Love, Your Trainer & fellow GymKitten,

Tristan

*photo cred ISSAC HINDS

Mind Over Matter (yea, as if that were just sooo easy RiGHT?!?)

"Instead of thinking outside of the box, get rid of the box."

                                                  - Deepak Chopra
I recently read an article featured in The Huffington Post about how once babies learn to crawl or take their first steps they develop a fear of heights. Before they gain mobility they are virtually fearless. This fear and/or awareness sets in even if no injury occurs.

This got me thinking...

How else do we limit ourselves simply in fear of something happening to us instead of having actual reason or experience to keep ourselves from a certain experience?

In my line of work (Rocket Science. I kid, I kid) Immediately upon meeting people (potential clients) they like to tell me all the things they won't do, don't do, or can't do. Usually this list is so ridiculous I often have to work really hard to keep from rolling my eyes and ask "yea, and hows that been working for you?"

Whether we realize it or not we all have this 'breakdown' of who we are in our heads that we have built up over years of both negative and positive experiences. This list is initially compiled to keep us safe but as we grow older this list doesn't keep us safe, it holds us back!
Worried face.
This list of what and who we are (and that's just how it is.) grows and grows and the older we become, the more we learn, and the more we learn ways to reinforce these beliefs. We don't argue with it or try to change it. In fact, in most cases we work around these things, hoping that our efforts will yield the same and/or better results had we not had this self-imposed "limitation".
I'm not just talking about limitations that relate to physical fitness either! Some of my favorites include:
"I'm not a good dancer."
"I can't/don't run."
"Sweets are my weakness."
"I don't get along with other women."
"I'm only compatible with ________ type of men."
"I'm a smoker."
"My feet/knees are too wide/too flat/too narrow/too fat to jump."
"I'm Polish/Virgo/Jewish so I'm slow-moving by nature."
"I'm too old for this."
"I don't have time to ________."
"I don't have the money to_________."
(After the end of all of these you might as well also put "so I'll remain miserable because that's easier than changing.")

Well in response to all of these things I say: SAY'S WHO?
The honest answer is: Say's YOU
        and what the hell do you know anyway?

 (I have a couple of these myself by the way... I have a slow metabolism. I'm not good at math. I'll make a horrible Wife/Mother. I'm selfish. I'm a bad cook. I associate love with food. I'm a loner. It's a script I'm not quite proud of but in the interest of being honest with my audience...)

Where did all this start? BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY when will this tape stop playing?
We are brought up being told: You can be whatever you want to be! Just do X, Y, & Z and you WILL get there. Something happens along the way though... student loans, kids, a job we don't get, etc. so we turn down a different path telling ourselves : "It just isn't my time."

BUT I ASK YOU: Isn't this just another one of those self-imposed limitations: "It just isn't my time."? 

Phooey! 

My challenge to you this week is EVERY time you tell yourself what you AREN'T
or DON'T do
or CAN'T AFFORD 
you then ask yourself if that's really true
or: Is this Aren't/Can't/Don't something you are just hanging on to because the idea that YOU are more powerful and capable of doing anything you want and accomplishing everything you want is just too much for you to handle? 

This limitation is in your head! Nothing is reality unless you BELIEVE it is! 
Can you digest that whatever limitation you have was placed on you BY YOU?!

End. Of. Story.
You are in charge.

Again, pretty heavy stuff here I know. But in my opinion life is too short to not take responsibility and own who you are!
I mean, take a good hard look at WHO YOU REALLY ARE and if you don't like it change it ALREADY and kick that non-running,
                                slow-meatbolism'd,
                                       bad dancer OUT of YOUR LIFE!

LOSE the weight!
Get healthy!
Make the time!
Go back to school!
Save up for that trip!

You'll never know unless you try

Mind over matter, right?
Dooo work!
We are in this together
xoxo
T

How To Make CARDIO your B****

We all hate cardio and if you don't you might be doing something wrong. We do cardio because not only is it great for our none-athstetic health goals but when done correctly, we get results: lose weight, get faster, etc.

There is a common idea is that if you bust your ass doing cardio for a long enough amount of time you will lose weight which I guess can be true when you are really new to working out and doing any sort of activity puts your body into shock and magical things start happening, but what if you have already been working on your fitness for a while? Does longer or more of still yield the same results like it did in the beginning?

Nope. The rules of the game have changed sweetheart. Get with it.  

If doing the same thing day in and day out gave everyone an awesome bod then Sally, who you see religiously on that stepmill every time you are in boxing, would have lost that weight by now RigHt?!?!  Or I mean, we would have seen some change in her physique, right?!?!
But nope, her body looks exactly the same as it did 6 months ago.
Sad face.
If I'm annoyed watching Sally do the same thing every day and her body is not changing I can only imagine how Sally must feel! It's not that Sally isn't working hard because she feels like she is! It's more that Sally has built up a tolerance to her particular workout. When she first started out on that stepmill it was new and exciting to her and what's more, it sucked! It was hard! Her heart rate skyrocketed and she was reminded what hard work felt like! But Sally's body, built to adapt/evolve/and strengthen got used to that stairclimber rather quickly and now Sally is wondering why she is working hard but nothing is happening. Sally thinks she is working harder than she actually is.

How can Sally stop the insanity? She can either use a heart-rate monitor to make sure she is woking at 75-80% capacity OR do my little trick... What I'm talking about is setting a caloric goal on your machine! Easy-peasy!
It's not about steps taken (kiss my ass 10,000 steps a day!)
It's not about keeping your heart rate in it's "fat-burning zone"! Poppycock!
For all you GymKitten's out there, if you want to loose weight, it's all about calories in vs calories out and what's more, it's about how many calories you burn (max that you can manage) in the shortest amount of time. I'm talking about intensity here Kittens! 

Your goal should be (*I do this) to burn as many calories in hundred(s) as minutes on the machine OR MORE! So if you are doing 35 minutes of cardio your goal should be to burn 350 calories.
How do you know that is what you are burning? You enter your weight into the machine BUT UNLESS you are a MALE of AVERAGE height/weight/stature the machine is not made for you and will LIE to you by approximately 50 calories!
Gasp.
You 'cheat' this by entering your weight - 5lbs = as close to real on that calorie counter as you are going to get!
So if you are 135, enter 130 and get to work!
The cool thing is that if you are watching your caloric intake (listen to your Nutritionist or Trainer for that info) and following this cardio formula you will burn the appropriate amount of calories and lose those lbs!
In turn, the number you enter into that machine will change as your weight changes (duh) and so will your effort, keeping your heart and body working and guessing and WORKING!!!

Some things to note:
Switch up your cardio. It is so easy for your body to adapt. I switch mine every few weeks or months. My general rule is if I'm ok with running, it's probably time for that stepmill again! If I'm ok with sprinting it's probably time to start upping my incline INSTEAD of my speed. If I am ok with running outdoors, its time to take it back inside and vise-versa. Whatever it is that sounds like work to me, I know WILL work because I will have to work harder doing it so that's what I do! If you only like the step mill, that's totally cool but you have to find new ways on that machine to challenge you. As I've said 1 million times before: your body is a magnificent, extroardinary machine and IT WANTS TO ADAPT.
IT should feel like work. If it's just so-so then guess what, your results will be just so-so. Sorry Sally.
Also, you should not be able to go for super long periods of time because it will be/should be/you are doing something wrong if it's not/ too hard to go at that intensity with that caloric goal per minute for longer then probably 45 minutes unless you are a machine! Plus, since your goal is to burn fat, you should know that research has shown it's better to break your cardio into two smaller pieces at higher intensity then go longer then 55-60 minutes at a less intense rate.
This is why I tell my boxing class not to do additional cardio after I have just kicked their butts in boxing. Hello?!? We just DID CARDIO for 50 minutes. If you can still get on a treadmill after that class, bottom-line: YOU DID NOT WORK HARD ENOUGH AND THAT JUST PISSES ME OFF but mainly (back to actual science:) FAT LOSS occurs through a process called lypolysis. Lypolysis occurs during periods when energy expenditure exceeds caloric intake and your body is working at what it considers "high-intensity". Through intervals and circuits this is easily accomplished within a 30-60 minute session and since it takes about 20 minutes for your body to get to that fat burning high-intensity place, when you do that bike/stepmill/treadmill after class you are not burning fat anymore (because you can't possibly cycle your body back to that high intensity/accelerated fat-burning zone). Yes, you will still burn calories (aka energy) but will you burn fat? 
The point of this whole post is this: Work Smarter! Work Harder! Not LONGER!!! And you will get better results!  

If you see Sally, tell her to subscribe to 'GymKitten'!

Eat.Sleep.Lift.Meow.
xoxo
T

"How do I get rid of this?" The lower-belly Conundrum

A lot of women come up to me, lift up their tops, pull the skin from their lower belly's and ask: "How do I get rid of this?"

I mean, if I had a dollar for every time a woman asked me this I'd have at least 43 dollars! ;)

**This post is intended for those of you are are leading healthy lives, have reached an ideal weight or body fat percentage but are still having trouble with their lower stomach. If this is you, READ ON!

If it's belly fat you are dealing with, keep going! If you keep working on your resistance training and diet and cardio and keep loosing those pounds properly you will get there. Hear me when I say THE ABS ARE THE LAST THING TO COME IN AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THEM YET IT JUST MEANS YOUR BODY FAT IS STILL TOO HIGH. QUIT BITCHING, STOP CHEATING, AND KEEP WORKING!

For everyone else, I think it's important to know the difference between "belly fat" (which you can rid through proper diet and exercise, see above) and "loose-skin" (usually associated with pregnancy or extreme/rapid weight loss) which cannot.

I know, I know, say it ain't true! But alas, it is!

If you can pull the skin away from your stomach and it doesn't bounce back (usually marked by stretch marks or 'tiger stripes') then chances are it's loose skin and and not belly fat!
Sad face?

Hey you! It's not death! It's just some lose skin! Through diet and exercise this can be diminished to a certain extent but it will NEVER completely go away. So let's make peace with this. Please acknowledge the following:

This does not mean you were lazy during pregnancy! I have seen both women who gained 15lbs during pregnancy and women who gained 90lbs during pregnancy, those who ate clean and exercised regularly and those who did not and those who slathered on cocoa butter every day and those who did not, and IT DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

***IF YOU'RE GENETICALLY-DISPOSED TO YOUR SKIN REACTING THIS WAY, IT WILL!  Case and point: My Mom has some "interesting" veins so chances are, this is my future! Genetics do play a part whether we like it or not!
I'm not saying to give up! Obviously, if you are pregnant and planning on getting pregnant do your best to stay beyond hydrated, eat clean, do yoga, and stay moisturized, because you should be doing this anyway!
BUT if you are one of those women who have already given birth and is dealing with this issue don't beat yourself up about it! What the hell is that going to do for you?!?
I've seen soooooooo many women at competitions who are in crazy-awesome shape and they have that little bit of stretch marks and little bit of loose skin AND THEY WIN OVER GIRLS WHO DON'T HAVE IT!!!! Seriously! I can't make this ish up! So get over it! 

It's all about you making peace with your body, AND you focusing on what you DO have! And making everything the best that it can be. If you dwell on the negative or what you don't like about yourself you are simply giving yourself an excuse to not work and what's more, you are feeding that insecurity! Don't give some lose skin power over you! You've dealt with worse! It's ten times easier to give up because of one little issue then it is to keep working towards being your best self ! 

If you want to completely get rid of that loose skin on your belly then get really, really fit, grow some muscle, get your body to peak performance, THEN get a tummy-tuck. If spending $8-$10 grand to be rid of this problem is worth it to you, do it right! Set yourself up for success! Do the hard work first, then reward yourself with the surgery so that your results can be maintained. If not, don't be surprised when after the surgery you have a whole other slew of body issues and insecurities to deal with. Nothing worth having comes without sacrifice or hard work, even when you are paying for it! 

This loose skin is not just restricted to the tummy either, this just happens to be one of the more common places we focus on. As we age we lose elasticity and collagen production diminishes. Evidence of this shows up first in our upper arms, then elbows and then knees, as the skin begins to loosen and sag... The good news about these areas is that if you stay on top of your clean eating and resistance training you can avoid this is a big way! 

I personally would rather have a little loose skin and some stretch marks with a banging ass and some kick-ass shoulders than a tight tummy and a saggy bum! But that's just me.
What do you want?
What can you live with?
What is it worth to you?
Whatever it is, decide, commit, and BE HAPPY. Life is too short to be anything else!

Love yourself. I know it's hard and it takes practice not picking on yourself all the time but it's worth it to get to a place where simply by treating yourself right, you are teaching others how to!
Perpetuate love. Perpetuate self-care. Lead by example. And if all else fails, ACT AS IF until it becomes your reality. Affirmations really work! Don't get scared now...

Repeat after me:
"I love myself!"
"Through working toward my own goals I inspire others to do the same!"
"I am perfect!"
"I work every day to become my best self and see positive changes every day!" 
"I am in control!"
"I am strong!"
"I am fit, beautiful, and healthy!"
"I am a hot piece of ass!"
"Everyday I see myself getting closer and closer to my goal!"
"I am enjoying my journey as it unfolds before me!" 

Keep going! Nothing can stop us now!
xoxox,
T

SO You Want To Compete eh?

I've been getting a lot of inquiry's lately about training and competing for bikini and figure competitions so I'd like to take a little time to discuss how to decide if competing is right for you...

1. SHOULD I COMPETE?

First, there a few things you should ask yourself:
1. Do I love working out A LOT?
2. Do I love eating clean?
3. Am I willing to eat clean and follow a strict meal plan with no cheating (food or alcohol) for 10-14 weeks?
4. Am I willing to sacrifice my social life and other aspects of my personal life to devote the needed time to prep & train for competition?
5. Do I have the funds needed for coaching, suit, heels, make-up, tanning, on-site tanning, nails, supplements, hotel, etc.

If you answered "YES!" to those questions, competing may be right for you!
When I started 3 years ago, I did it BECAUSE IT SCARED ME, ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED ME! That's how I knew, I HAD to do it! Also, FITNESS is MY LIFE! I am impressed by competitors who are full time Mothers, Nurses, etc. Although I do find that most of us are in the fitness industry to begin with, lately I am seeing a ton of men and women become personal trainers after they start competing (which I find humorous because making a living in a competitive/over saturated field such as this is 10x HARDER then competing #kiddingnotkidding).  I digress...

2. WHO SHOULD I WORK WITH? 

You do not need to be a fitness professional to compete, and while there is plethora of information available to you online on how to train yourself and compete, I strongly recommend the counsel of someone who has competed & understands both the physical and mental process. PLEASE do not waist your $$$ and time on someone who has never competed or does not work with competitors on a regular basis! When you make your decision of who to be coached by, be honest with yourself! Ask yourself these questions...
The first & most important is: What is your goal? 
Do you just want to get one competition under your belt to see if you like it? Are you doing this to get it off your bucket list or to see if you can follow through with a nutrition/workout plan and achieve a goal? Or are you like me and aim to become an IFBB PRO?
                      What are your expectations? Can you workout on your own or do you need 1-on-1 sessions. Do you need to be able to text a question or call your coach at the press of a button or are you cool with sending an email and awaiting a response? Do you want to be associated with a competitive "team" and be coached by a professional who works with competitors 99% of the time or is this not really necessary for you and your goal and are more comfortable in a smaller competitive setting?
                       What works for you? Do you need loving support or tough love? Do you need to feel like your Coach believes in you and thinks butterflies come out of your butt or are you going to go hard, no matter what, knowing you'll prove it to them no matter what?!

I know for me, I can train like a BEAST on my own but I need ACCOUNTABILITY more then anything else! I need tough love! I want the truth because I want to win. I know a lot of people say they need this but then they turn into a sappy mess week 5! There's nothing wrong with this but take note! Again I say: BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF.
I also needed to respect my mentor/coach and believe undoubtedly that my coach could/would look at me objectively and not lie to me to spare my feelings but push me to be my very best. These are all things that work for me but I work with the opposite of this every day! Most people who choose to work with me are people who need to know they have me at the click of a button if need be or train with me instead of on their own because they know working with a personal trainer is the ONLY way to push themselves the way they need to be pushed! I respect this. "KNOw THY SelF!" Whatever (or whoever) it's going to take to get you where you need to be, do it! 

3. WHAT ARE THE 'UPSIDES' & 'DOWNSIDES' OF COMPETING...

On the negative... You will sacrifice a lot! You will go a little crazy! You might be a little hungry?! You will get in fights with your partner, sister, and cat! You will spend a lot of money and not get any of that money back. You will spend a lot of time at the gym, away from people you love and enjoy.

On the positive... you will have the hottest body of your life and you will feel what it is like to follow through and actually accomplish a goal.

On the negative... after you compete you might get a little depressed. For most of us (I'll refer to us as humans) unless you are making a career of this or your natural body type is: "I hate you",  It's practically impossible to maintain what you looked like on stage and even if you could you probably wouldn't want to! It takes a while for your brain and body to readjust to your life and for you to look at yourself and love your body without comparing it to your "stage-self".

On the positive... you are now a part of unique group/percentage of the population who compete in aesthetic competition a.k.a. bodybuilding... one of those most challenging sports in the world. Simply by competing you accomplish what most only dream of! What's more, you gain the belief in yourself that you can do anything!

On the negative... you don't always win. In fact, you might NEVER win. Sometimes you train your ass off and there were five people who were better then you in some aspect, end of story. You get nothing (but the satisfaction of competing and your epic cheat meal after)!

If you decide to compete, your #journeytothestage will be whatever it is you make it, but once you commit, COMMIT!
GO FOR IT. After all, What have you got to loose?

I hope this helped!
I'm aways here, keeping it cray-cray real for you ;-)
All my love, xoxo
T