Do you have what it takes to be a bikini competitor?

What inspired you to prepare for a bikini competition? 

I have always wanted to compete but never believed that I could mostly because of fear.  I was afraid that I couldn’t put the time and effort.  I was afraid I was too old.  I was afraid of failure. Fearing failure was the biggest one. Then I got diagnosed with an incurable disorder called Meniere's Disorder January 2015, of which I was living with it for 3 years prior. In the summer of 2015, I had a really bad attack that lasted 6 weeks and I often thought of suicide.  It took me the entire year to figure out my triggers so that the attacks would not be so bad. Fast forward to summer 2016, I went on a religious retreat for women with my best friend and it changed my life.  When I got back, I called Andy the same week.  I had a conversation on the phone with him about my disorder and I booked my first consultation with him.  He did his assessment and then we sat down to talk about what I want to accomplish.  As soon as we sat down he said, "I looked into your disorder and I see that stress is a huge factor".  To me, that fact that he did any research at all, meant he will pay attention to my limitations because at that time I felt like I had a lot.  I didn't even see the program, didn't ask questions, I just told him, "Where do I sign?"  We didn’t even talk about me competing until a few sessions and he asked me, “what is your dream?”.  I said, “to compete one day.”  After about a month of training with him, he asked me to send him a picture.  His exact text when he received the picture was; “okay! You can def compete!  Another thing: no more I hate my body nonsense! Positive Vibe from now on!” I thought he was nuts, certifiably nuts! I have multiple text asking him, “Are you sure?”.   I am pretty sure it annoyed him but he would never say it.  Having him believe I could was a start but I still had not decided because I knew it would take work and dedication on my part but it would also mean that my family would have to make a lot of sacrifices so I can spend the time at the gym. I set up a family meeting with my men and we discussed about me wanting to competing.  I listened to their concerns about me getting dizzy at the gym and they listened to what I want to accomplish.  In the end, I had their full support.  When my mind was made up so I got to work.  I couldn’t let fear or this disorder run my life.  I was done being afraid.  Everything was in place, I have a coach that believes in me, my family has my back and my faith in God has never been stronger, I literally had no excuse.  I knew nothing was going to hold me back so I was all in. 

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What were some of your struggles during contest preparation? What was your  low point or turning point? 

Oh boy, lol.....  

I found everything was a struggle in the beginning.  I always felt sore from the workouts. I couldn't finish any of the food I was supposed to eat.  I was always so tired because I was always so sore.  I couldn’t take any caffeine since it is a trigger to my disorder.  It was hard to workout without the extra kick of energy.  I couldn't take glutamin because it was also another trigger.  I just had to deal with the soreness on top of soreness.  I felt like there was just nowhere I could find a little bit of relief.  I get dizzy spells during workouts sometimes but I just sit and wait for the storm to pass.  If I ever fell, I just get back up.  It was as simple as that.   Once my body adjusted to the workout, the food and all the water I had to drink, I started to see results and that was my first turning point.  The second turning point was that I started to believe in myself.  Andy always said, “This journey will teach you so much about yourself.  It isn’t just a physical transformation.”  Again, he is right.  I started to feel confident in my decisions I was making about my life, my body and my goals.  There was definitely no turning back. I cheated on my fears, broke up with my doubts, got engaged to my faith & now I'm marrying my dreams.

What is your life like now that you’ve made a transformation? 

The biggest impact I wanted to make is to show my boys that giving up is never an option.  I wanted to teach them that life is hard but you never give up.  You have to be happy with the choices you make.  I wanted to teach them resiliency and have a stronger faith in God’s plan for our lives.  My son came up to me just this morning and said, “Mamma, if you don’t know it yet, I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you.  You never give up and you always fight to stay healthy.  I can’t wait to see you compete and kick butt.”  To me, no physical transformation is worth more than that feeling of knowing that I am doing my job as a mother.   

What motivates you to keep going and push harder? 

I have an amazing support system with my family.  I have a group chat with the girls in my family, my sister and my nieces.  My husband who has taken the roll of being a mom and dad to our boys.  They all push me to keep going specially on the days that I want to just give up.  It motivates me to look back at where I was in the beginning to now, physically and mentally.  In the gym, the thought of someone else working harder than me to be on that stage, definitely helps me to do my last reps.  I leave nothing in the tank when I leave the gym.  I don’t ever leave the gym regretting that I worked harder.  All I know is that when I get on that stage, I will have no regrets of eating better or working harder.  I have given my all and the rest is up to the judges. 

What is your next goal? Where do you see yourself this time next year? 

My goal is to compete in figure.  I like the look of figure and I like the grit of the workout. 

What is your current training philosophy? 

Be better that I was yesterday.  I always strive for progress whether mentally or physically.  I never take my time in the gym for granted.  There isn’t enough hours in the day to do everything I need to do 

What are your favorite exercises? 

Any exercises having to do with SHOULDERS! I really look forward to working on them. 

What was the most challenging thing you found about your competition diet? 

At the beginning I couldn’t even finish the 3rd meal and now I would beg Andy for more food.  Answer is always, “no, soon” ;-/ Sometimes I have cravings of a pregnant lady and it drives me nuts.  Family gathering is always hard too.   

What are your best 3 tips for someone looking to reach their goal physiques? 

There will be obstacles.  There will be doubters.  There will be mistakes made but put your head down and do the work and success in inevitable.  Find a coach that will understand you and listen.  Surround yourself with people who will support you and let go of the ones that won’t. 

Favorite quote? 

I have so many that motivate me but here are a couple: 

“Get the inside right.  The outside will fall into place.” - Eckhard Tolle 

“Most importantly, your mental fortitude, staying focus and just getting used to being uncomfortable, and being confident in your own skin.  Those are the most important gains, physical changes is a guarantee.” – Andy Ho 

Favorite form of Cardio? 

Stairmaster for sure.  It’s just because it breaks down the time for me.  I can do any cardio for 2 minutes at a time.  I break things down in my head when I do reps too.  If I have 15 reps I break it down 3 times.  I can do anything to 5, lol.  It helps me. 

Supplements taking during contest prep: 

Fish Oil, Multi-vitamin, Magnesium, Vitamin D, BCAA and Protein Powder. 

How many meals do you eat? 

I currently eat 6 meals a day. 

What’s your workout routine like?  

HARD just like how I like it.  If I'm not sore for a few days, I get pretty disappointed with myself.  I work out with Andy twice a week so it's guaranteed soreness.