Little Background...

So I've been meaning to touch base on my back ground. I don't want to just list shows and dates and be boring so I'll do my quickest, best recap :)

IN a nut shell it goes like this...

Teen MOM settles down to married life and motherhood, embraces all the responsibilities that comes with it, and finds that through turmoil sometimes come the most beautiful blessings!

At 20, I entered my first figure competition. With my 2 year old and hubby's support it was my little way to gain back some sense of self, confidence, and a good challenge. I was HOOKED!

WNBF pro card at 20... FAME/WNSO pro card at 22... starting personal training and teaching group exercise in there, with some of the best in the area... I am truly blessed to have had certain people fall into my life.

2005 after I won my pro card with Fame, we decided it was time to focus on building this little family of ours. Timed it perfectly, finished competing, went on vacation and starting trying, first try and BAM THERE'S TWO in there! lol

We went through what can only be described as a TERROR of a pregnancy, with life threatening complications... our babies are literally medical miracles, that have had articles written on them AND been on the news. And once again learned through turmoil sometimes comes the most beautiful blessings!!

8 Months after delivering my miracle babies, I was BACK ON STAGE and won the overall at the Natural Northeast and received my Body Language Natural Physiques Pro card. At that time I wanted a new challenge, and decided it was time to move onto the National Physique Committee (NPC). I qualified for Nationals in 07 and took some time off to really embrace the importance of SOLID OFF SEASONS, DC HEAVY TRAINING, and was on my way to my first National Stage in 08. Three weeks out, with some health problems and personal problems, I never made my way there...

That hit was a HUGE blow to my mentality, self esteem, and just my flow of a healthy lifestyle. I have NEVER EVER backed out of a show, its just not my style, I like to see things through. Even the show I won the overall after the boys were born, I was violently vomiting two days before I walked on stage, and I wouldn't quit. So if you can imagine backing out of my first national show 3 weeks out didn't sit well with me. I honestly thought I'd never be back to feeling like myself, but I was wrong! Maybe someday I'll delve more into what that encompassed but honestly that material is TRULY book worthy!!

In any case I do have my spark back, I do have my energy back, and I do have my life back! And once again I LEARN... come on say it with me... THROUGH TERRIBLE TURMOIL COMES THE BEST BLESSINGS!!

Now with healthy almost four year old identical twins, a beautiful 10 year old princess, and a SUPPORTIVE hubby, I am back to not missing a beat!
With chaperoning, PTO, class mother, dance, play dates, doctors appointments, cleaning, cooking, working ... I TRULY practice what I preach. I 100% believe this lifestyle or A FOCUS on healthy living in GENERAL will bring you a better quality of life. YOU look good you feel good, and when you feel good YOU LOOK GOOD!

All in Balance FAMILY FIRST, FITNESS/(maybe competing if it fits) NEXT, and then FUN!!!

So with that little wrap up... what's to come for me? Have I picked a show? Am I in the off season? Who am I working with? These are questions I get often. And my awnser... I literally have to take it week by week! I will update as I know ;) this week I am "dieting" I hate using that word because if you eat healthy 80% of the time it may just mean manipulating macros, carb timing, or slightly adjusting calories and food choices. I hate using the D word because of the negative connotation it brings, so unnecessary.

So these are my terms :

• trying to get leaner AKA dieting "cleaning it up"
• trying to gain Muscle AKA bulking (but that's a CLEAN bulk... no rolls)
• floating... lol this is my favorite (not really) its that period right before you may be dieting and right at the end of a solid offseason its that point where you indulge and nibble here and there, you're maintaining but have no pull in one direction of the other... also known as the "fluffy stage" lol I unfortunately have been in that phase far too long!
• and then of course there's prepping if you here me say that it is GAME ON! full prep mode for a competition!

This week my focus in family is... SPRING CLEANING... been going through the kids clothes and hope to do that more this week and clean, we will be moving soon so the less I have to move the better!

This week my fitness focus is DIET, getting in all my food... sound crazy right? Diet to most means cutting calories right? Well yes, but it also means revving your metabolism with the proper amount of calories and often to fuel your body, fuel your workouts and your muscle... and when you're very busy sometimes its hard to get all your food in. Skipping meals are counter productive to my goals, so I need to be better about getting it all in. I'm also fighting allergies (or maybe dare I say a cold :() and have no taste buds so I'm literally eating for sport... gotta do it though I know what my body needs!

Another little update... Remember that show I won the overall in 07 The Natural Northeast... well I've been invited to judge! There is IMO no better way to prepare yourself to get back up there than to see and hear what goes on in a judging pit. It's a subjective, controversial sport and my thoughts... if you can't handle the heat, get out of the kitchen! Judging for me allows me to open up to a whole other side of the sport, it gives me more knowledge and experience in the sport, and most of all I love doing it!

So anyone attending or competing please come and say HI and we'll grab some pics together!! Good luck to all those competing and REMEMBER this is YOUR STORY this is YOUR JOURNEY, ENJOY IT! Very few people choose to put their bodies and minds through what you do, so that alone should make you feel like a winner!! Blah Blah I know right? We all compete to win! But NO ONE can take away your experience... with or without a trophy, its important to remember that! Next blog I'll post pics and criteria breakdowns, its a good way to mentally prepare for what the judges are looking for.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week and the New Englanders are outside at some point enjoying this weather!! It's gonna be 90 degrees in BOSTON TODAY!!!

**This Picture was with Hubby after winning the Overall at the Show I'll be judging Saturday... I can honestly say it's probably one of my proudest moments in fitness to date because 1. they boys were babies and not even sleeping through the night yet! 2. I had the stomach bug a day a half before and 3. I hadn't been on stage in two years and I just felt like a million bucks up there!!



And this is the show flyer for Saturday: See everyone there!!