Biggest Tips I Discovered on My Figure Competition Journey
1) Trust the Process- I have heard this line so many times from different people along my journey. It is practically the body building mantra. I hated the saying at first, because I am stubborn and like to do things my own way. But really in order to see your body change . . . . . well you have to do something different. Often times, people fall into the trap of doing the same exercises and diet that was effective in the past or for somebody else, and fail to get the different results they want. A lot of the times it takes putting trust in yourself, but also in other people who are experts. This of course involves weeding out the BS. But honestly, I am glad I had a team of experts behind me. They key is knowing how to distinguish good and bad trainers, nutritionist, doctors etc. But bottom line is challenge yourself and step outside the box. People will hate, but who cares!
2) Water is Everything- The body needs water to do its essential processes and burn fat. I didn’t realize how much I deprived my body of water until I challenged myself to drink much more than I was accustomed to. Honestly, I hate drinking 1-2 gallons of water per day. It takes dedication and several more trips to the bathroom. And while there are no real validated studies that prove you need to drink more than 8 glasses of water per day, I definitely saw changes in my midline after increasing my water intake. You may feel a little heavier temporarily, but overall you achieve a less bloated look.
3) Consistency is Key- successful people are consistent in anything that they do, no matter the goal. Changing your body is no different. The small steps become one big progression forward. Each week I saw changes – whether it was a few pounds or new line of definition. I looked forward to the end of each week because I knew the 7/7 days I put in work had to inevitably culminate into something. There is no such thing as work without progress. Energy and effort just don’t work that way.
4) Read your Labels- When you are trying to tone your body, you will need to follow some sort of a restricted diet. However, I am a big fan of living in balance and finding a medium. Even when I deviated from my diet, I learned to read labels so that I never went overboard from what my daily nutritional intake was supposed to be. I know many can be skeptical of the food industry, but overall reading labels empowered me to make decisions about my eating when I went out grocery shopping. Most franchise eateries and restaurants have a nutrition menu. Look at it! There are so many food items and meals that people think are healthy, but contain numerous amounts of sodium, carbohydrates, and bad fats. Don’t be lazy, be informed.
5) Have Tunnel vision- The biggest goals you accomplish will require sacrifice and blocking some people out. If you are trying to lose weight, but still hanging around friends who drink beer and eat pizza every other day, achieving your goals will be almost impossible. Surround yourself with like minded people. Your goal may seem like it will take a long time, but when you focus and do one solid thing to achieve your goal each day- your new figure and time to shine will arrive in no time.
It’s never too late to start getting to know your body and finessing your fitness plan. If you enjoyed this blog post, make sure to sign up for my FIT.FOCUS.FINESSE series to stay up to date on the best fitness tips to achieve your goals. Also when you sign up, you get a free consultation call from me!