Transformation Tuesday: Transparency at its finest.

 

Even though I wasn't at all "overweight", I was still considered 'skinny fat' and stored it in all the wrong places. After having two children, I bounced back each time pretty easy because I nursed both but, I still wasn't happy with my body. Coming from a dance background and being fit throughout high school, my confidence after baby #2 weakened and I realized I had to do something about it. 

In 2010, a year after my second child was born I decided to get a gym membership and go full force. Still, my nutrition wasn't on point and even though I worked out, I wasn't seeing the results I knew my body was capable of.
I started following my dad in his juicing and healthy eats, to find that nutrition did play a major key in my fitness and health results. I juiced daily and began seeing weight loss, however, I was also losing muscle. Don't get me wrong, juicing is awesome for weight loss and provides so many health benefits, (I still juice to this day) but when you want to gain more, you need more than just juice. 

In 2013, daddy was diagnosed with Stage IV Lymphoma and was given only so many days to live -- in which I went into a major depression state leaving my body weak and vulnerable. I was not only working full time, but I was in grad school full time having only a year left trying to take care of my kids and family all together, not having time for myself, spiritually. At this point my body was screaming for something. I wouldn't say my faith weakened but I will say I was full of questions. Questions I already knew answers to. Questions my dad told me never to ask because of our strong faith. That everything happens for a reason and trust in the process. I was just human. I was just a daughter missing her daddy. 

This is when I got in touch with a high school friend who had recently received her procard in bodybuilding and asked her what it took to get to where she was -- fit and healthy. She pointed me in the right direction and after I graduated in 2014 I decided "this is it!" I had to do something for myself, for my health and for my confidence. Everything seemed to be falling into place, one by one.

Now at this point in time, I was by no means in a healthy state; physically or mentally. I had just lost my dad a year before deciding to go into bodybuilding and found myself unhealthy inside and out. My faith at this point, was what kept me going. When you lose someone so close to you in an instant, it takes a major toll on you overall. My dad was my best friend, my role model and because of it, I knew he would want me to do what was best for my family, so I couldn't give up. That wasn't an option. I had two littles looking up to me as their mommy and knew God was waiting for me to take that next step. 

I met the most amazing trainer and nutritionist who gave me the option of changing my life for the better and getting in the best shape of my life. I kid you not, when I walked in, I had no idea what I was getting myself into and in that moment, I decided to start a new journey to a better me. It wasn't easy and there were times I felt like giving up-- psssshh, my trainer even thought I was going to give up, but he believed in me and I believed in myself, so I kept going strong despite every difficulty and persevered through. 

In May 2015, I competed in my first show and walked out with more knowledge and determination of being a better me. That following July, I competed in my second show and placed third in my category. It was surreal. I was gradually growing to a better me. My confidence increased and I was in the best shape, physically and mentally, of my life. Two months later, I competed in my last show of the year and surprisingly took first place in bikini and first place in model. God knows how far I've come, what I had to endure during the process and how bad I wanted to make my daddy proud. I am currently off season and preparing for May 2016 Musclemania Fitness Universe show and my love of bodybuilding and nutrition has become a lifestyle. We must have perseverance, but above all, we must find the confidence within ourselves to know we are gifted for something and to have the courage and confidence to push through and attain it. This speaks volumes about ourselves. It takes courage and confidence to commit to goals, to get back up after you've fallen and to do things others may think are out of the ordinary. This was my transformation and I'm still striving to be better.

'So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.' -Hebrews 10:35