Let’s Talk TRANSFORMATIONS!!!

Transformations are a HOT topic these days! 6 Week…8 Week…12 Week Transformations! We ALL want to SEE with our own eyes drastic changes that can be made that INSPIRE change within ourselves! I am a HUGE proponent of transformations (as long as they are legitimate), because they show REAL people, with REAL lives, who make REAL change!

Transformations often show the physical weight loss or muscle gain over a period of time. However, what it doesn’t show is the mental, emotional and psychological change that this person underwent. It is often that most people who undergo significant transformations, additionally experience serious mental and psychological changes…more often for the better!

So…on a personal level…I have been through a NUMBER of transformations in my life! To start, my original transformation was one from being SEVERELY unhealthy (physically, psychologically, emotionally) basically on ALL levels. If you’ve read earlier blog posts of mine, then you know more about these bod habits of mine. However, in 2009, my life changed and I chose to make better, healthy habits! It was at the time that I walked into a gym and found health and fitness for the FIRST time as an adult at the age of 32! I stepped on stage for the FIRST time in NPC Bikini in 2010 and later in 2011 gave birth to my daughter! I came back to competing in 2014 and later in 2016 had won a total of 15 Top 5 awards including the 2016 Governors Cup Novice Overall in Figure.

This is a “Transformation Tuesday” post that I have pondered sharing for a bit. But, honestly, I didn’t have the courage, as I have found that social media has been a bit harsh and critical lately! Often, we only post our “BEST” moments in fear of others judgments and critical statements! And being on social media has a way of, at times, of making you feel like you need to RISE to your VERY BEST all the time! There is something vulnerable in showing yourself at your worst moments!

Then, I thought…if I could learn something from this “transformation” or experience, then, just maybe, someone else could too! SO…here you go!  Here is a “POST-Show Transformation”…

The First shot is days before I stepped on stage at Nationals 2017. The middle is roughly 6 Weeks Post-Show. And the last is obviously a couple weeks ago!

To explain…when we compete, we treat our bodies with an IMMENSE amount of respect! We train ridiculously hard; eat only the cleanest food, drink more water than can be imagined and everything is a SCIENCE! It is timed perfectly and just for our bodies specifically!  And then we hit the stage! It’s the days after where for ME…everything goes down the tubes! There is something called REVERSE DIETING that I have yet to master!

After literally months (sometimes upward of 8 months straight) of respecting my body, I will throw everything out of the window and eat whatever I want for a couple weeks post-show! I STILL continue to train HARD and on schedule! However, this past show, you can visually SEE the effect of what it did to my body! I held about 10-13 extra pounds in water, mainly in lower abdominal bloat!

I actually thought something was medically wrong with me. I saw every doctor under the sun, had blood work done and suffered though many months of THIS! I had multiple people inquire and CONGRATULATE me on my pregnancy (which OBVIOUSLY was not the situation)!  I was DEVASTED!

So…when the doctors told me that they had no idea what was causing this lower abdominal bloat…I really only had one option, but to address it myself. SO, I removed any bloating vegetables from my diet and I STOPPED using all of my supplements: protein powder, fat burners, BCAAs, fish oil, ALL of it! I stopped EVERYTHING and started with a clean slate!

About a week later, I went to a bachelorette party for my cousin in Monterey, and I had the BEST massage! I spent the day drinking a TON of water, sweating in the sauna and just relaxing! It was WONDERFUL! Days after THAT…I started dropping water weight like CRAZY!!! It was insane! It DAWNED on me…RECOVERY, RECOVERY, RECOVERY!!

So, for my current prep, I’m OBSESSED with all types of recovery! From chiropractic…to massage therapy…to cryotherapy…to sweating in the sauna…to active release…to cupping (which I want to try)…to ALL kinds of foam/ball rolling! I ABOUT it ALL! I mean, it makes SENSE! When training SO HARD…you NEED to recover!

I hold regular inflammation, and all of these things help! They also assist in the prevention of injury! But…I have ALSO learned that I need to respect my body post-competition JUST as must as I do while prepping, so I can avoid feel like THIS again! It’s ALL a learning experience and NOW, hopefully, I learned what NOT to do!

So…keep sharing those transformations! I LOVE seeing them! They inspire ME! And…you never know who is reading your story and who your touching!