Why I Chose to Compete, and Where It Has Taken Me Since..

My fitness journey, in a sense, began my senior year in high school. I attempted to do as much cardio as possible to look good for prom, but once that was over I had no care in the world. I actually gained the "Freshman 15" in just the summer between high school and my freshman year of college. Once I hit college, I realized I had let myself go an quickly returned to a cardio bunny, completing 45 minutes-an hour on the elliptical a day, but probably binge-drank all those calories back the next night.

It wasn't until I returned home from college that my, now husband, introduced me to the weight room for the first time; a whole new world to me.

Since my weight-lifting journey began 5 years ag, I've had my fair share of ups and downs. I suffered from a restrictive diet/binge eating cycle, that I thankfully have been past for over 1 year now. I also used to suffer from extremely low confidence in my physique. There are still certain individuals from my high school days whose comments about my physique are still crystal clear in my memory.

When I did become more interested in this industry, and everything it had to offer, I started following "fitspos" on Instagram. At the time, all of them were about competing. I never thought my body would be capable of achieving that level of conditioning. However, when my, now husband, proposed to me in Summer 2015, I knew I wanted to look banging on my wedding day, and I knew I had the fire inside me to make it happen! I prepped very similarly to what a contest prep consists of, in my opinion, and was so incredibly amazed to discover what I was capable of. I bulked that fall and winter, eating in a caloric surplus to put on muscle, then started cutting in February, slowly decreasing macros / increasing cardio as needed to reach a physique I felt truly confident in for my wedding in June 2016. I took no extremes to get to that point- although I did lose a total of 17lbs.

After that, I knew I had what it takes to complete a contest prep. I knew I had the drive to work, and discovered that I had the discipline to diet/say no to treats/ prioritize for this type of lifestyle. I wanted to prove that I too, just like all those fitspo girls, could do it. So I did it! I competed this past Spring and earned a nationally qualified title as an NPC bikini competitor. This itself is an amazing feeling..

But when I posted my story on my personal Facebook account I was blown away by the comments from my friends, family and peers. Many of them have told me I am an inspiration to them, and many have reached out to me for advice/to train with them/to help them with their nutrition, etc. There is no feeling like having others look up to you. And this has led me to where I'm at right now.

Driven by the hard work others have been putting in, with the nutrition & training content I have provided in my Facebook challenge group. Ecstatic by the personal messages from clients stating how much weight they've lost, how much more energized they feel, how off their nutritional conceptions were prior. These comments, seeing peoples' eyes open with the correct nutritional content given to them, that "aha" moment when people realize that it's not a diet, there is no restriction, but it is maintainable, and it can be made into a lifestyle; it gives me goosebumps! I have learned so much since I started my journey, and now that I am able to share that knowledge, I have found what I am truly passionate about. I've enrolled in a sports nutrition certification since, and will continue to educate myself to provide the best support, knowledge, and expertise I can to those wanting to create a healthier lifestyle too.