Helpful Tips To Get Started On Your Own Personal Weight Loss Challenge

You cannot out train a bad diet! Diet is over 80% of the equation for fat loss while exercise is 20% or less. Diet comes first and then the rest just falls into place. You have to get your eating under control to get the results you desire. If you want abs, crunches will not cut it alone. Eat right first and the abs will follow.

1. First thing every morning—drink 2 huge cups of water. This gets things moving and starts your day out right. I personally swear by this regimen.

2. Log your food. This helps hold you accountable from day one. Once you see the number of calories in a favorite food, you might think twice before eating it. For example, instead of the calories in a cookie, you can eat an entire plate of veggies dipped in salsa along with ½ cup of cottage cheese, or you could have an apple with 2 rice cakes and peanut butter

3. You should not LIVE TO EAT but instead EAT to LIVE.

4. Find a trainer to help keep you accountable. I found Julie Lohre online.

5. Get a Fitbit to keep your body moving. Don’t let your day be done until you have reached at least 10,000 (10k) steps. Park furthest out in the parking lot, walk the long way around the grocery store, take a walk during your lunch break. Do whatever you can to get those 10k steps in each day.

Final Thoughts

It’s now been 18 months since I started my body transformation journey. Since then I have been able to keep off the weight while building much more muscle. I could not have done it without my family and my gym, MVP in Rockford, Michigan. Julie Lohre has been a huge help during the building muscle / competition prep portion of my journey. She has shown me that building muscle and maintaining weight is NOT about NOT eating. It is about eating the correct proportions of protein, carbohydrates, and fat throughout the day.

What I love most about my transformation is SHARING my story. I believe God helped me on my journey so that I might inspire others to improve their lives. It took me 39 years for clean eating and working out to come together for me. If I can do it, I know you can too! So many people want to lose weight and get fit and healthy, but they don’t know how to start. You just need to wake up one day and make the decision to change your life. Once you do, you will find that you’ll NEVER want to turn back.

In my mid 30’s I started lifting weights seriously. Finally, I began to see the results I had always wanted. My shoulders began to fill out, my glutes became more rounded, and yes, I could see my abs! The next step was competition. I stepped on stage for the first time in 2009 and have been competing ever since. My best placing was at the 2014 Flex Lewis Classic where I placed 1st in the Open tall class and was the overall Masters champion.

I'm so honored to be in the No Nonsense magazine, I always look forward to receiving it in the mail. I read it cover to cover absorbing all I can from each issue! I love Beverly International products! UMP is awesome for muscle recovery and I love the taste! I also take Mass Aminos, Glutamine Select, Ultra 40, Creatine Select, and Quadracarn day in and day out to help me to continue to build lean muscle. When a show is approaching I add Lean Out and Density to increase fat loss and muscle density.

Tell Yourself You Can... And You Can

I meet women all the time who think that working out is not for them because they are 40 plus. I say NEVER put a limit on yourself! We are all capable of great things if we put our minds to
it! Your weight does not define you, your age does not define you, your economic status does not define you! We make what we want out of our lives and God has a plan for each of us. But, we must engage to our full potential. Tell yourself you CAN... and you CAN! Never speak negatively about yourself, positive words and thoughts only! It certainly can be a challenge as we age, our metabolism slows, while our work and family stresses seem to increase. Sure, there are road blocks, but that doesn't mean it's impossible! If this 43 year old Kentucky girl can do it, you can too! Just get up, get your mind right, set out a plan of action and then get to it! You will never be sorry for trying to improve your life, body and fitness level!

Growing up in small town West Virginia, fitness was not an important facet of my life. Although I enjoyed track and volleyball, church and school took precedent.

This changed when the youngest of my three children was diagnosed with a seizure disorder and mild autism.

To help combat the stress of my life’s constant uncertainty and changes... I joined a small gym.

The combination of weights and cardio gave me the stress relief I was looking for, and as an added benefit my body was beginning its transformation from “skinny fat” to “fit”. In 2008 I hired my first trainer, Joe Newland, at the local Rec Center. My progress accelerated under his expert guidance. Joe introduced me to my first Beverly International supplements. Adding Lean Out, Density, Glutamine Select and UMP to my nutrition program took my training and development to the next level.

Over the next few years I worked full time as a retail store manager and struggled through a painful divorce while raising my three children. The gym became a stress-free sanctuary for me. A couple of competitors there encouraged me to give competition a try. I competed in my first show in 2010. My first win as a Fit Body competitor was in 2012, and I eventually earned my INBF/WNBF pro card in the Fit Body division. My life was falling back into place. I met and married Todd, who is a main part of my support system. I am now focused and my next goal was to compete in the NPC Women’s Physique division. Although I had achieved a “lean” physique, I now had to add more lean mass. Todd and I devised a two-year plan to add needed size.
 

The challenge I faced was that it had become harder and harder to build muscle in the off season, and then holding on to it when dieting down for a show. Luckily, a simple recommendation from the Beverly Advisor Team solved my problem. I added Mass Aminos, Ultra 40, and Quadracarn, not only during the building phase, but also while cutting. Within two weeks I felt and saw a difference. My energy levels improved. I recovered from my workouts much quicker. And I attained a level of muscle fullness and hardness that I had never had before.

I felt confident as I stepped on stage for my first NPC Women’s Physique contest. I placed 2nd and was very happy with the progress I had made. My next competition was in the fall of 2015. I took 1st place in Class B in the Women’s Physique Open division at the West Virginia State/Mid Atlantic Grand Prix and 1st in the masters division.

Now, I’d like to share my nutrition, supplement, and training programs with you. Whether you wish to compete, or just add some lean, shapely muscle to your physique, I’m sure you’ll get great results like I did.

Presentation

Offseason I hit key poses between sets when my muscles are full. Closer to the show I have a designated session just for posing! This helps me feel confident and look polished on stage. Always smile and have fun! Remember how hard you worked for that moment on stage and take that time to shine!!

In Closing

I started my fitness journey as a "skinny fat" mother of three with zero weight training experience. When I walked into the gym for the first time in 2008; I was intimidated by the machines and wouldn't even go near the free weights. Some of you reading this may be in the exact situation I was in - nervous, scared, and clueless. If you are uncertain where to begin, do what I did - reach out for help and ask for guidance. Soon you’ll be as confident in the gym as anyone. If you are more advanced and perhaps considering a competition, there are no better competition plans than those you’ll find in Beverly’s No Nonsense magazine. Page through some back issues or visit the “Articles” section at Beverly International.com. Find someone who is similar to you and your goals and simply follow her plan. Or, I’d be honored if you follow the plans that I have laid out in this article. They’ve worked for me and very likely will work for you too.

As I grew older and my mom’s career became less intense, my life normalized. I participated in figure skating in middle school, but not much else in the way of exercise or sports. When I went to college at FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising), I did start working out again, but without my mom I was lost. I gravitated to the exercises that I was comfortable doing on my own, primarily cardio and abs. Believe it or not, after all the time I had spent in the gym with my mom, I was not confident enough in my own knowledge to train myself. I continued like this for years – trying to eat right through the week, but then binging on the weekends – lots of cardio, but hardly any weights.

By this time I had moved to Florida and found there was not much opportunity for fashion design or merchandising, so I jumped into real estate and have been part of the “At the Beach Team” for the past five years. My workouts were still going nowhere so I decided to set a big goal – to enter an NPC bikini competition. I knew I couldn’t do it on my own. Heck, I’d had zero results for years. So I reached out to my mom for help. What a difference her diets, workouts, and recommendation to get on Beverly International supplements made. It took almost a year of intense workouts, strict dieting, and targeted supplements, but I lost 25 lbs and won first in my class at the 2017 NPC Renegade Classic.

Presentation

Bikini posing has been one of the hardest things for me to master. It wasn’t enough to put in all the hard work and discipline it took to develop my body; I had to be able to display myself to my best advantage to the judges. After my first couple of shows I knew I needed help. I hired a professional coach to help and it made a world of difference.

Tips: Stand tall, lifting your chest, tighten the waist, breath shallow from the chest, walk slow.

Conclusion

Although I watched my mom do it for years, I never realized how much work it took to transform one’s body. Having competed three times now I'm addicted to the process and love the results! My favorite thing is making improvements from show to show. A big plus is the increased confidence that my more muscular shape has given me. I can’t wait to continue to work on my body and get on stage again! One other thing I learned is you need a strong support system to help you get through the contest prep grind. I can't thank my mom and fiancé enough for putting up with me during the toughest times!

I have always enjoyed physical activity and competitive sports. I started playing T-Ball at age 5 and played catcher throughout my childhood. Once in Junior High, I participated in volleyball, basketball, cross-country, track & field, and cheerleading. I continued to participate in volleyball and cheerleading throughout high school, where I graduated in the top of my class at Permian High School in Odessa, TX.

After high school, my activity level began to slow down. The environment and relationships I developed at this time had a negative impact on both my physical and emotional wellbeing. I was living a harmful lifestyle indulging in alcohol and drugs. My life had become filled with toxic relationships, chronic stress, anxiety, and depression. My weight ballooned up by 35 pounds. During my junior year of college I was prescribed Xanax and anti-depressants.

It was in August of 2013, after a night of excessive partying, that I began making a turn for the better. I realized that I was in an unhappy relationship, not just with those around me, but with myself. I began changing my diet, eliminating processed carbohydrates and sugar and eating smaller, more frequent meals. I started working out with the Insanity program in my kitchen in the mornings before classes or work. Despite the physical improvements I had made, I was still lacking in how to properly diet and train for the goals I wanted to achieve. I had become skinny, but with little to no muscle tone and was unsure of how to take my physique to the next level.

I began working on my certification as a Personal Trainer. In February of 2014, I began working at a local gym here in Odessa. I felt blessed having the opportunity to help others improve their daily lives with physical fitness. Slowly, I began building a client base for my personal training services while still attending college and working as a server at Saltgrass Steakhouse. I realized that helping others had become my passion and when my client base became large enough, I quit my serving job and decided to focus all of my efforts on personal training and graduating from college.

Working within the Odessa fitness industry introduced me to many people with similar interests and goals regarding health and fitness. One of those people was Clint Gillispie. We began working together at Anytime Fitness in July of 2016, where I oversaw the personal training program at the club. A year later, I became co-owner, with Clint, of Anytime Fitness Odessa. Our business partnership eventually turned into a romantic relationship and we became inseparable. We began working together on developing our PT program and opening additional Anytime Fitness locations in the Permian Basin. This loving and healthy relationship has been such a blessing! It was at Anytime Fitness that I was introduced to Beverly International products. Clint, along with his father, had both been long time advocates and users of Beverly products.

After graduating from college in May 2017, I decided to compete in my first bikini contest. Clint and I sat down and put together a regimen that I would follow all the way up to my first show in November of 2017. (For a look at my exact programs, see the diets, supplements, and training sections of this article). It was also at this time that we reached out to Julie Lohre to help me with my bikini prep. She provided me with an incredible amount of advice and inspiration leading up to show day. I competed at the Lackland Classic in San Antonio, TX where I placed first in the Class D Novice and fourth in the Class D Open. After the show, I realized that I was hooked and that the bodybuilding lifestyle was something that helps me cope with life’s challenges and allows me to focus all of my energy on something that is positive and fulfilling. I competed in my second show in June of 2018 at the Dallas Europa Games where I placed third in Open Bikini Class D. Despite finishing third, it was gratifying to see the improvements that I made in such a short amount of time. I have no doubt that my gains and improvements would have been severely limited without the use of Beverly International supplements.

Final Thoughts

No one can stop you from becoming your best self and having the life you want but you. Your self-worth begins inside you. I believe the mind and body are intrinsically connected and that positive thoughts and actions influence your physical, spiritual and emotional health. Beverly International athletes prove that your goals can be achieved with consistent exercise, training, a healthy diet and quality supplements. Nobody can teach you to have discipline and will power. That is something only you can create.

Health and Fitness saved me from destructive behaviors while helping me learn to love myself and others. It inspired me to live my purpose by helping others achieve their goals, while also pursuing my own. Establishing a healthier routine helped me manage my anxiety and depression symptoms. I was able to come off all of my medications and my mood and life improved significantly. Every once in a while, my anxiety will creep in, but the severity is nowhere near what it used to be. I love the life I live and I am proud of who I am. I’ve come so far!

I've been an athlete for most of my life. I ran track competitively throughout junior high, high school, and some college, specializing in the 55, 100, and 200 meter dashes, as well as running on the 4 x 400 meter relay team. I worked out occasionally during those years and was encouraged by a friend to compete. My response was, “no way”, and I tucked that thought deep in the back of my mind. I went on to earn my Bachelors of Science degree in Health Education and Promotion from Lehman College in 2005. Then life happened, marriage and children, and any remaining passion for fitness fell to the back burner.

What really prompted me to focus on my health

In 2010, I was incidentally diagnosed with hypertension and was placed on blood pressure medications due to increased weight gain, eating processed foods high in sodium, and stress. My readings ranged from 140/100 – 150/120 some days. Over the years, I made numerous attempts to get my health in order but everything I did was a short-term fix.

Fast forward to 2016, I set a goal of getting into the best shape of my life by 2018 and started to document my fitness journey on Instagram. That same year, I joined Bodybuilding.com and started to use their various workout programs and challenges, but still, I fell short and didn’t complete them. The consistency and drive was not there. Any thought of competing was a thing of the past, reserved for the young.

Journey to the stage

On January 8, 2018, I pushed the hard reset button and made a decision that I was going to compete in an NPC Figure show in the summer. I signed up for the Bodybuilding.com $50K, 12 week transformation challenge to see what results I could achieve on my own. Although I did not win the challenge, my transformation was phenomenal. At that point, I knew I was ready to take the next steps necessary in order to prepare me for the stage.

Through word of mouth, I contacted competition prep coach Steve Poynter who worked with me starting at 14 weeks out. He outlined my nutrition and training in detail and made adjustments where needed during my prep. Beverly supplements were an integral part of my regimen throughout my entire prep.

On July 7, 2018, I stepped on stage in the best shape of my entire life at the NPC Northeast Summer Classic show in White Plains, NY. I placed fifth in Novice and the 40 and Over Figure division.

My journey to the stage was not easy, like many, I experienced setbacks. I developed quadricep and bicep tendinitis, along with a condition called notalgia paresthetica on the right side of my mid-back which made it painful to open up my right lat. (Not a good thing for a Figure competitor.) Luckily, I was able to seek medical therapy in a timely fashion and learn how to work through and strengthen my injured areas.

Presentation Tips

As I will be preparing for my 2nd show this year, I emphasize “practice, practice, practice” no matter how seasoned you are. I continue to practice my posing for 15 to 20 minutes a day as posing is considered a huge component of overall stage presentation.

Helpful Tips

• Incorporate stretching before and after all training as it reduces risk of injury.  Invest in a stretching strap (it works wonders).

• Know your “why”? Why are you competing? Knowing your “why” will add depth, passion, and fuel your inner strength towards achieving your goals despite any obstacles that might stand in the way.

• Don’t compare yourself to other competitors. Always strive to be the best version of yourself and beat that person staring back at you in the mirror.

Closing Thoughts

At 42 years old, I finally reached my fitness goals and can now say that I am an NPC Figure competitor. This journey has been a life changing experience for me. I did what I thought was impossible. I learned a lot about myself, how my body responds to different types of foods, and learned who was really on my support team for the long haul. I’ve met amazing friends who supported my goals and gave me that mental push on days when I wanted to give up.

For anyone thinking about competing or even weight loss in general, know that it will take time, patience, and dedication, but you can do it if you put your mind to it. Results may not happen overnight; however, with the right guidance and support system by your side, anything is possible. I believe in you.

I was always what I call skinny-fat. You know – low bodyweight, with a lot of flab and hardly any muscle. Like a lot of women, I was careful about what I ate, but my physique did not change. I spent a few years running. I did several 5k races and ran several times a week for exercise. I enjoyed it, but again, my physique did not change. I thought that lifting weights might be the answer, but I had no idea what to do in a weight room, so I didn’t pursue it.

In 2011 my husband deployed to Afghanistan. While deployed he lifted weights daily. He came home a year later completely transformed! He had gained a large amount of strength and muscle mass. Unfortunately, that quickly went away when he quit lifting and began running for almost 2 years. He lost muscle mass and became very thin. He wanted to regain the muscle he had while deployed so he joined a local gym. Each day after work he went to the gym. I began to miss him. He is a law enforcement officer and I recognized the great value in fitness for his career, so that we could spend more time together, I started going to the weight room with him. At first, I kind of hung out with him while he worked out. After a few days I decided to try the exercises that he was doing, albeit with lighter weights. I could tell that it was just what I needed and started noticing changes in my body. We both loved it and our gym dates became routine.

I am an all or nothing kind of gal, so I wanted to know everything about weight training. I took an ISSA course and became a Certified Personal trainer. Even after learning the correct way to weight train, I ran into a brick wall with my fitness goals. I’d made great progress, but now I was stuck in a plateau. I could not lose fat off my body. I tried several diets and eating plans, none worked so I knew it was time to get some nutrition guidance. I hired Hammer Fit Coaching led by IFBB Pro, Mark Hummel. This was a game changer! Three weeks after beginning a bikini prep meal plan I barely recognized my body! In July of 2017, after 3 months of being on Hammer Fit coaching plans, I decided to compete in the 2017 NPC Natural Indianapolis as a Bikini competitor. I won 1st place Novice, 1st place Masters, 1st place Open Bikini, and the overall Bikini title! All of a sudden I was instantly Nationally Qualified!! A short 8 months later, in July, 2018 I competed at the the NPC Teen, Collegiate, Masters Nationals in Pittsburgh. This was my second competition ever and I earned my IFBB Pro Card!

During my training for Nationals, I decided to leave my career after 15 years in Respiratory Therapy to open a fitness business. I had developed a passion for fitness and wanted to share it with others. I recall a day during my training where I caught a glimpse of myself in the gym mirror and could not believe what I was seeing. I barely recognized my own fit physique. It brought joyful tears to my eyes right there in the gym. I vowed to learn all I could about fitness, so I could help others experience the joy I felt in that moment. I saw a need to help people “find their fitness”. We all have a personal level of fitness and I want to empower and inspire people to achieve their highest personal level. To continue my knowledge base, I completed my certification as a Fitness Nutrition Coach through the ISSA.

I currently work as a personal trainer and nutrition coach for Westwood Fitness in Lima, Ohio. I also work as an online competition coach for Hammer Fit. It is an honor to work for the coaches who changed my life by coaching me from a recreational gym junkie to an IFBB pro in less than a year. I love coaching novice competitors! My big project right now is C323 Fitness, my virtual gym. While talking to people, I recognized a huge need to bring a gym to the people, not ask them to come to a brick and mortar gym. I believe in meeting people where they are at in their fitness journey. For many, that is in the comfort of their own home. Most people that I spoke with could not get to the gym for various reasons. They want fitness, but are limited by things like child care issues, shame due to their current lack of fitness, fear of judgement, lack of time, and lack of motivation. I created a solution to these issues by providing people with a gym that comes to them through Wi-Fi to their smartphone, personal computer, and tablet wherever and whenever they choose. C323 has a variety of recorded content for all fitness levels that can be accessed around the clock and live one on one personal training with a variety of highly motivated personal trainers from all over the country. There is something for everyone!

I am often asked about the name of the gym. C323 is short for Colossians 3:23; Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. I chose this scripture because as a business owner I am my own boss. I am the steward of the gym, but I work for Him to serve His creation. The members of my gym deserve my very best service!

Presentation Tips

In bikini, posing is very important. I practice it year-round. I highly recommend a posing coach who knows how to angle your body in the most flattering ways. Confidence is key! From the moment you step on stage you are being judged so make every step count. Show your personality and have fun!