Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below 
Well I have been around these parts for quite some time now (I think its now been about five years as a matter of fact) and Elite Fitness was my original home forum that I ever even posted on when I began my journey into the fitness/bodybuilding life style.
I mean I grew up very athletic all throughout my life, but I ALSO grew up quite a bit on the chunky side as well. It was about my sophomore year in college that I started to change that a bit. For me it was a simple decision. As a child and a teenager I was always very heavy. I played soccer from the time I was 5, and loved all outdoor activity but I had the appetite to back it up. After school I would watch TV for hours and eat junk food before going to play outside. Once I hit middle school and high school I became very active in just about every sport but I was still quite heavy. I was about 170-180 lbs and a size 13-14 in womens from the time I was in 8th grade to my sophomore year in college! I was very worried about my physical condition and weight. I needed to do something!
During the next few months, I watched my diet. I started bringing all my food and snacks to work, I swapped all the soda I was drinking for water and started walking every morning or evening. My weight slowly began to drop and my energy level began to increase. Within a few months, I was feeling great about myself and I finally joined a gym. Over the next couple years I continued to gain muscle mass while reducing my body fat percentage. It was about a year later that I became a trainer and group fitness (spin instructor). Then about a year after that I went to a friends figure competition, and a few people told me that I looked like I could compete someday. (this was actually not long after I started posting here) I found that amusing as no way did I want to be up on stage in front of bunch of people in a 1 and 2 piece suit! But less then a year later, there I was! I did my first show about 10 months later, and I was hooked from the moment I stepped on stage. I went on to do two more figure shows over the next year before making the switch to bodybuilding to finish the competition season, and I was able to finish the season with a win! Then last year all I wound up doing was a smaller local show in the late summer as I had a lot of hurdles get in the way of other shows that I had wanted to do, and this year I took OFF completely because there were/are other areas of my life I needed to focus on. I am still VERY VERY active in the workout and diet lifestyle though, and still eat very clean about 95% of the time and keep myself in good shape!
Anyways, I know some of you know me, but just wanted to give a quick intro for some of the newer faces around here too! I am attaching a little slide of a few pics I had put together too... just to show what can be done with some hard work, diet and training!!
I mean I grew up very athletic all throughout my life, but I ALSO grew up quite a bit on the chunky side as well. It was about my sophomore year in college that I started to change that a bit. For me it was a simple decision. As a child and a teenager I was always very heavy. I played soccer from the time I was 5, and loved all outdoor activity but I had the appetite to back it up. After school I would watch TV for hours and eat junk food before going to play outside. Once I hit middle school and high school I became very active in just about every sport but I was still quite heavy. I was about 170-180 lbs and a size 13-14 in womens from the time I was in 8th grade to my sophomore year in college! I was very worried about my physical condition and weight. I needed to do something!
During the next few months, I watched my diet. I started bringing all my food and snacks to work, I swapped all the soda I was drinking for water and started walking every morning or evening. My weight slowly began to drop and my energy level began to increase. Within a few months, I was feeling great about myself and I finally joined a gym. Over the next couple years I continued to gain muscle mass while reducing my body fat percentage. It was about a year later that I became a trainer and group fitness (spin instructor). Then about a year after that I went to a friends figure competition, and a few people told me that I looked like I could compete someday. (this was actually not long after I started posting here) I found that amusing as no way did I want to be up on stage in front of bunch of people in a 1 and 2 piece suit! But less then a year later, there I was! I did my first show about 10 months later, and I was hooked from the moment I stepped on stage. I went on to do two more figure shows over the next year before making the switch to bodybuilding to finish the competition season, and I was able to finish the season with a win! Then last year all I wound up doing was a smaller local show in the late summer as I had a lot of hurdles get in the way of other shows that I had wanted to do, and this year I took OFF completely because there were/are other areas of my life I needed to focus on. I am still VERY VERY active in the workout and diet lifestyle though, and still eat very clean about 95% of the time and keep myself in good shape!
Anyways, I know some of you know me, but just wanted to give a quick intro for some of the newer faces around here too! I am attaching a little slide of a few pics I had put together too... just to show what can be done with some hard work, diet and training!!
That is really awesome. I admire you ladies that compete. I've been talking to some of the competitors at my gym and it takes a lot of work and dedication. I gotta tell ya, the result is beautiful.
