Follow Natasha as she makes her WBFF DIVA BIKINI debut!!

The Bucket List....

In March 2016, I attended carnival in Trinidad. That was the first time I didn’t want to take a full length picture of myself because I was not pleased with how my body looked.  Now 2016 was also the year in which I was turning 40. I had set out in my mind that I was going to compose a list of 40 things to accomplish in 2016 to celebrate this milestone birthday.  One of those things was getting fit and being healthy. A dear friend took me to one of Malenna’s interest meetings and instantly I knew I wanted to get fit and healthy with her assistance.  One thing she did say was ‘I’m going to get you to compete.” My response was “Whatever.  I’m just here to get fit & healthy.”  Over the next few years it was a struggle and I found my weight & my drive to continue my journey waxed & waned.


Last April, I attended the Fitness Atlantic show and I sat in that audience looking at all those contestants on stage.   I turned to my friend & said ‘I’m competing next year.’  I ran up to Malenna and told her the news.  She put me on her calendar and the rest is history!!!!  This has been no easy journey but getting closer to the finish line, I can say it has been worth it!  The things that I will carry through beyond this journey are the importance of self-care and discipline.  I have put in the work, blood, lots of sweat and oh yes some tears so Fitness Atlantic here I come!!!

What I love most about fitness is that you don't compete with anyone else but yourself. You can always be better than you were yesterday. It teaches you patience and consistency and once you start seeing results, you get addicted. You want to get stronger, lift heavier, run faster, jump higher...or whatever your goal might be. Fitness is a way of life. You don’t always feel motivated, but once you push yourself and finish the work out you didn’t feel like doing, you feel accomplished and proud of yourself.

I have been active my whole life, but as I think back, I always did individual sports like dancing or snowboarding. I left my home country of the Czech Republic about 6 years ago, and didn’t really know which way my career would go. I feel like I tried everything. Then I found a book I purchased years ago when I was playing with the ideaof becoming a fitness trainer. I finally studied the book, passed the test and became certified. I quit my job and became a trainer for a local gym. When I look back, I see the huge growth I had been through as a trainer. I love my job. I love being independent and being my own boss. I love leading by example, educating my clients on a healthier lifestyle and helping them reach their goals. I used to work for David Barton Gym on the upper east side. After they shut their doors down, I started to work independently. I have a beautiful relationship with all of my clients and I love to hear their positive feedback and be part of the reason they feel healthier and stronger.

I decided to compete a couple years ago but felt it was not the right time, until January of this year. I knew the time was right and it’s either now or never. I jumped on and through some ups and downs I have loved the journey over all. It’s not easy but it is not impossible. I wanted to move higher as a trainer, get more experience, learn new stuff and also see, where I can take my body. So many times I felt like I am working against nature, gravity and common sense (lol) but it was worth it and I have learned so much on a physical and mental level. I decided to do my first show in Los Angeles as I felt like I can stay more motivated and I have been looking for any reason to go to LA to hug the palm trees! :) My big day is Saturday, April 7th!

Wish me luck! :)

Follow Layona's Health and Transformation Journey!

I am a 47 year old registered nurse from Brooklyn.

Four year ago, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, a smoker,  and developed Type II diabetes in which I had to give myself insulin injections twice a day.  After 6 months of this, I decided I needed to take control of my health.  

I found a nutrition class in my neighborhood and started working out at home, but it wasn't enough. I needed to surround myself with people who had already accomplished the weight loss. I began getting active on social media and was inspired by women who have walked in my shoes and gotten fit. Social media is also where I found Malenna Saunders, WBFF Pro Sheri Newton and the Elite Heat ladies.

Spending time with women that were already so beautiful and fit was intimidating at first, but due to the constant encouragement, and checkins from my teammates, I felt like I belonged.  My transformation is a work in progress but to date, I'm a non smoker, no longer taking insulin shots, lost 35lbs with a start of 300lbs, and is still working on getting off the high blood pressure medication.  By working out regularly and keeping a healthy diet, I hope to reach my ultimate goal of competing as a fit model competitor.

With Sheri's help, I feel I will reach my goal. I hope to inspire others to take control of your health. I feel this especially for people in the medical profession, doctors, nurses, etc who should lead by example.  My brother has also been inspired to proceed with his own transformation with Sheri's help.

I would like to thank my family, friends and my Elite Heat sisters for all their encouragement and support!

Follow Dani as she makes her WBFF Diva Fit Model Debut!

Reflections of a Competitor...

I have always been a competitor. As far back as I can remember, I have always loved a challenge.  It is motivation for me.  My parents always encouraged me and my siblings to push and rise to a challenge. As an athlete, fast pitch softball was my sport of choice from 7^th grade through college and that satisfied my need for competition. In college, I chose to study nutrition as I have always had an interest in health, and wellness. One of my professors made a comment one day in class that impacted me.  She said, “No one would take a Nutritionist seriously if they don’t look the part. Your appearance is your biggest marketing tool in this field. Do you look like what you teach?” No matter how shallow that may have come across to some, and feelings it may have hurt in class that day…It stuck with me and I have always striven to find ways to “maintain my marketer”. Not solely for business purposes, but so my clients would listen and be open to what recommendations I had to offer to help them.

After college, I tried various types of activities to challenge me. I stayed in the gym, looked into various sports leagues and fun ways to keep me active and eventually taught pole fitness classes. Once in my career as a maternal and child health nutritionist, life took over. Life happened, stress increased and metabolism decreased.   I saw changes in my body that I have always prided for ”looking the same way in clothes as it did out of them”.  Up to this point, I never really had an issue with my weight or eating well, and took extra liberties with food because of it.  The truth is, clothes can hide a lot. I felt weighed down. While others thought I looked good, I hold myself to my own standard, a critical one…and I was not happy with what I saw. 

In 2008, my friend Ron invited me down to Trinidad and Tobago for Carnival.  It opened my eyes to this amazing celebration of life, energy and beauty.  Bikini’s and Beads….which is NOT what Carnival is all about, but a segment of costumes that I adore. They allow me to feel sexy, free and confident.  These are areas that have for some time made me anxious.  Since discovering Carnival, it has been my annual therapy. An extra benefit is that it pushes me to stay fit because when carnival comes around, you want to fit into whatever costume you choose. Which, will most likely be smaller and skimpier than the one you wore the previous year.  It forces you to be comfortable in your skin…something I have not always been.

I was introduced to my sorority sister and coach Malenna by my friend Sharilyn who had competed previously and was treating her Carnival 2015 preparation as a competition prep.  What an excellent idea!  I began to work with Malenna through online coaching and saw changes in my body I had not seen in years of working with personal trainer’s standing right next to me.  During this time, I branched out as a Nutrition Consultant with NutriDS, LLC, got a website and began to ponder ways to market myself outside of maternal and child health.  While following Malenna’s program I started playing with the idea of competing due to another friend’s encouragement. Gabbie had also competed and looked amazing. After Carnival I decided to go for it.

  I attended my first fitness competition, Fitness Atlantic in 2015 to get an idea of what to expect.  My stomach was in knots watching these women of various ages and from different walks of life that had prepared for differing lengths of time, strut with confidence across this stage, opening themselves up to judgement on their appearance. It takes a lot of nerve and every one of them deserve applause!  When I saw Malenna’s team “The Elite Heat” on stage, their ease and confidence just stood out.  2 of the team members won their pro-cards that night.  I was sold.

I did not know what I was in for….definitely under estimated the toughness of this task.  This journey has been full of highs and lows, self-doubt, lots of faith, tears, frustration, breakthroughs, breakdowns, cravings, boring meals, research, observation, comparisons, shaky moments, lots of sweat, LOTS of laundry, compliments/criticisms, patience, get off your ass-ness (lol) and learning to “Trust the Process”. I am proud that even in my weakest moments, I was able to keep my corny sense of humor. 

Choices that supported my goals had to be made on a daily basis. Prepping meals multiple times a week to not be swayed at work by doughnuts, chips, pizza, etc.  I chose to miss out on social events where I knew I would be tempted to eat and drink things that would not help achieve my goal.  That is not to say that I did not fall short at times.  Being located in Connecticut, I drove at least 4 hours a weekend for this.

Surprisingly, the hardest part to swallow has been opinions. I was told before I began to listen to your coach.  Everyone is going to have something to say, different philosophies, different ideas of what you should look like, but you have to stay the course.  THAT WAS THE TRUTH and it caused for a lot of frustrating days for me.  Days I would stare at myself in the mirror.  You have no idea what your body will do or how it will react to things. What works for some, may not work for all.  It is a lot of trial and error.  Working in a health care setting, I was looking at and counseling on Body Mass Index’s (BMI) and Body Fat charts on a daily basis.  I was forced to throw the idea of that out the window because in this sport, NO ONE CARES. Those numbers means NOTHING on the stage. What matters is the package you present.  As much as I teach “the scale is the devil” and not to allow what it says to weigh so heavy on your shoulders, it took a long time for me to walk that talk.  Acceptance of this has helped improved my counseling and my clients love me for it.  There was so much I did not understand as Sports Nutrition is a different monster than Maternal and Child Nutrition, that I even took a Sports Nutrition course.  It helped my sanity.

As I approach my debut as a WBFF Fit Model competitor, I’m excited, nervous, proud and stronger mentally than when I began this journey.  Competing requires sacrifice and is a team effort. I couldn’t have done this alone. I thank you all for your support, encouragement and a listening ear when all I could talk about was competing.

As challenging as it has been, I have learned so much about myself and I am already proud of me.  I feel like I have done what many others have opinions about but will never do. As I approach my 40’s,  I am the fittest I have been since my 20’s.

 

Thank you to my family, LPTS, Shorblu, Malenna and The Elite Heat, Crystal Marcus and YUMA AND my support system near and far!

It’s me against me.  I’m ready for the stage!

Kyedi's Journey to NPC Easterns

Two Steps Forward,..Two Steps Back

It is one year later, and I am competing in the NPC Figure Division for the second time.  In the Brooklyn, I placed fifth in both novice and open, which is considered to be a great start.  Of course, with the help of crtiques, there is always room for improvement.  After the show, I did put on a substantial amount of weight. (40lbs to be exact) due to reintroducing certain foods back into my diet too quickly and some food sensitivities.  I never thought I would put the weight back on especially knowing where I had originally started 10 years ago, close to 300 lbs.  

Somone said to me your “Your off season diet determines your prep when you’re on season”.  It's definitely a lifestyle , not a phase.  This prep was tougher than the first in regards to my diet, which was more restricted, since I had a lot of weight to lose.  It's ok, even though this prep is for my upcoming show, it helped me to get back into shape. Not only did my weight come down, my conditioning and muscularity improved during this process.  My total weight loss to date is 130lbs. 

There are times in life when you have to take two steps back to take one step forward.  I had to go back to the drawing board with both my food and workouts.  With the help of various people I was able to establish a new foundation to get my butt back into shape. I also had to factor in school because it was my graduation year, and my son's graduation year.  During this time, I was able to start my prep and see results instantly.  Once the school year was over I was able to focus on prepping for my next show.  

I am fortunate to have the support of my family and friends through this journey because there are some people that wal this path alone.  A great support system is much needed and appreciated.  the critiques and honesty of the people who have been with me on this second journey to stage is 

greatly appreciated.  It’s not easy as a single parent to balance work, home and school.  If you want something bad enough, you would make every effort to make time for it and get it.  I love to train and compete.  I love the way it makes me feel and look. It feels good when people tell you that you inspire them, especially once they learn of your story which I do not have a problem sharing.  I am proud of what has been accomplished and able to compete once again in the NPC Easterns

We are so proud of this girl. Please show your support via message, comment or attendance at Kyedi's first nationals appearance. 

Follow Tiffany as she makes her WBFF Diva Bikini DEBUT!!!

My journey to the stage is a funny one. I look back and think, "How did I get here?".  It seems it was always in the cards for me....

I'm 5'11" with an athletic build.  The athletic build is really accredited to my "Johnson shoulders"  Everyone in my family has them. Like we never needed shoulder pads!  I was a competitive cheerleader in high school.  We were required to run a mile, lift and fly girls in the air and get though a three minute routine with a smile.  Don't get me wrong.  I considered myself an athlete as a cheerleader because all of those things were hard, challenging, and took team work to accomplish.  But I kept getting pegged for this 'athlete' who played some kind of ball, swam or ran some kind of race. The truth was, that I hated gym class and really hated when they would make us go to the weight room.  My idea of fit was on some kind of cardio machine or in cheer practice. A girl had no business being in the weight room.  It didn't help either when I entered college that I was the manager on the girls' basketball team.  People still think I played on the team. Clearly they didn't attend any games.

A few years later, I was living in Brooklyn and joined a gym.  Fitness had always been in my life.  As a kid, my mother was a jazzercise queen.  So, it was natural to join a gym and get back on the elliptical, take some dance classes and lose some weight.  I had gained a few pounds during my transition from the quiet suburbs of NJ to the hustle and bustle of Brooklyn, and the abundance of fast food places open after 9PM!!!  That's where I discovered pole fitness. After months and months of practice, I was able to lift myself up in the air and do 'tricks' while I was up there.  I was addicted. It had become my adult cheerleading.  I had completely forgotten about losing weight and just focused on sticking the next 'trick'.  Before I knew it, my athletic build was showing up even more and I could do pushups and pull ups with ease.  I was getting stopped on the train with people asking me how I got my arms so toned  The faces when I told the what I was doing was hilarious.

I was amazed how stron I was getting , how much I loved my new body with muscle tone and wanted to get stronger, but just didn't know how.  I heard it over and over again to get in the weight room.  But that place was just not a place I saw many women. I didn't like the idea of being in that area with a bunch of dudes who would probably be looking at  like why is she here.  In reality, I would be looking at myself asking 'why are you here?  You have no clue what you are doing'

I continued to take bootcamp classes where the free weights were bright colors and I had an instructor tell me what to do.  I loved it all so much that it grew into me teaching not only conditioning classes, but also pole classes.

I was teaching 4-6 times a week and really loving every moment of it. As an instructor you don't realize how much you influence people's lives.  I had many students come to me and tell me how grateful they were for the words I said in class or pushing them to their limit, only for them to exceed what they thought they could do.  This in turn made me think about my limits.  How could I push Tiffany above and beyond what she thought she could do

Luckily, I ran into a friend/coworker at the pole studio and I noticed her dramatic weight loss and muscle gain. I asked her immediately ' What are you doing? What is your secret?' You look amazing.

She told me she was competing. I naturally thought she meant pole. Instructors at the studio are always competing. She told me about a bikini competition.  We had a pretty lengthy discussion about the process and what she was doing and when it was, I was so intrigued.  I went on to teach class and she said if I was interested to let her know.  Weeks had gone by and I thought maybe this was the challenge I was looking for? Maybe I can set this goal to one day hit the stage, and work really hard and 'leave it all on the floor' as we would say in cheerleading.

My first bootcamp with Malenna had transpired shortly after.  And after the first class, I knew she would be a great coach.  I started with her transformation programs to get me into the groove adn told her I was interested in competing in the future, but not right now. I had just gotten engaged and now it was about being fit for the wedding, but after the wedding I was super serious about this bikini competition thing.



A week after my wedding, I emailed Malenna and told her 2015 was the year I was going to do this. Set a goal, work hard, and 'leave it on the floor'. I knew a few things about this journey from the start.
1. Getting my husband on board was going to be a challenge .  2. I would have to tackle that weight room I had been ignoring since high school. 3. It would be both challenging mentally and physcially 4. with God all things are possible.

This Journey
I can say that after 6 weeks of nagging my husband to compete, he finally said 'yes'  After a few more weeks, he finally asked the details of what it all entails, showing his undivided attention and full support of my competition.  I am happy to say I now help out guys in the weight room. HA!  I feel very comfortable asking to use a machine or jump in on sets.  I am well respected in any gym I set foot in, and even get called a 'beast' with some of the crazy things my coach has me doing.  The weight training has actually empowered me not only as a woman, but as a human.  I will never set limits on my capabilities. I also know life hands us these huge challenges and honestly if I can give up cheese and bread, life's challenges are a piece of cake...had to give that up too!

I initially set this goal to challenge myself, which I did. What I didn't expect were the extra things that came along with this journey 1. A greater understanding of self worth and self love. 2. The woman's body is incredible and to love it during every stage and change (6 pack rolls, 6 pack abs, pre/post baby body) 3. if you give it your all, you will always win 4. the new friendships of 3 amazing ladies who have shared this journey with me 5. I am and will always be an athlete. 6. My love and admiration for my coach. She is one incredible woman. 7. An even stronger belief that with God all things are possible.

I set a goal...I worked hard...and on April 11th, I'll leave it on the floor....

Photo Credit SXF Photography

Follow Kiya as she makes her WBFF Diva Bikini DEBUT!!!

Throughout my adolescence, I was always active in extra-curricular activities such as sports, theatre, and dance, to name a few. As I became an adult, I wanted to 'be healthy' so I joined a gym near my job and started taking classes, as I didn't want to be that person attempting to use the free weights.  I made sure I got a weight class or two in during the week and not just cardio dance classes.  My weight would fluctuate between 5-10 pounds at any given time and getting to my 'dream weight' always seemed so far away.

I found out about The Elite Heat through my boyfriend's cousin, Daphne. She had recently competed in Fitness Atlantic (2014) and her body looked amazing.  I thought to myself "Wow, she looks great. I need to get my body like that."  A few months passed an she posted about having an informational workshop in July for people interested in competing.  At the time, I thought there would be a slight possibility I may go on stage, but I wanted to see what the Elite Heat was all about.

I subsequently attended the formal workshop with the other potential competitors and current Elite Heat members.  I got a more in depth perspective on the world of bodybuilding.  I still wasn't 100% sure about competing, but it increased my interest even more.  The next weekend was the WBFF NYC show in Manhattan, so I talked my friend into going with me and we attended the preliminary morning show.  There were 5 women from the Elite Heat competing in the show, and I needed to see for myself what competing was all about.  Once I saw the show, I was sold on what my next step would be..competing in my first fitness show! I didn't know much about the show, but I knew the federation was for me.  The glitz, glam and pageantry of the WBFF had me sold!

During and after the show, I saw the comraderie of the Elite Heat team and thought that was something I wanted to be a part of. I officially started my preparatin and training in August and it was definitely a shock to my system because of all the foods I couldn't eat and getting used to my new workout regiment.  However, I stuck with it, and completed a 24 day cleanse and I lost 7lbs.  I was losing weight, however, I cannot continue to eal all the foods I like forever. I slowly re-introduced those foods in to my system in hopes of a happy medium.








Speed up to three months and Thanksgiving, and I partook in my last 'unhealthy' meal knowing that the following week, I would officially begin my competition diet and workout plan for my competition in April.  Being 18 weeks out seemed so far away, and I was down a total of 12 lbs since I had started. Looking at pictures of some of my Elite Heat members, I was still in disbelief about how I would become show ready with a toned body in only 5 months.  My family thought I was crazy for doing a competition .  I started to to see my body change, and wanted to continue my journey.  Now I stand 30 lbs lighter, and I feel the best about myself in a very long time.  With 4 days left until my first competition, I cannot wait to make my debut at FITNESS ATLANTIC on April 11th!!!

Go April Inferno!!

Follow Jasmine as she makes her WBFF Diva Bikini Debut

All in the family

Every since I was a little girl, I was athletic and an entertainer.   Almost every sport you can think of I've done it. Swimming, tae kwon do, basketball, softball, cheer leading, gymnastics, dance.. you name it. I never purposely tried to stay in shape and I also never watched what I ate.  It's just how my body developed over the years.

When I was in high school and in college, I used to be very self conscious of my build. I was skinny with a very large upper body. My arms were always so muscular and my back always very broad. On the bottom, I was the total opposite. Chicken legs with zero curves. I used to joke around and say I was built like a 12 year old boy. Being so aware of my  disproportionate attributes I used to limit myself when it came to my clothing. Tube tops were always out of the question, along with quarter sleeve shirts that made my biceps bulge out of my shirt. My friends didn't help either, constantly reminding me how "brolic" I looked on a daily basis. I used to just say I was born like this because there was really no explanation as to why my upper body had developed in this way.






Throughout this experience, the hardest obstacle I had to face was changing my lifestyle. At heart I am a very big party girl. By the end of high school and all throughout college I had always enjoyed going to parties, drinking heavily and going out with my friends to clubs, restaurants, etc. This was something I thought no one was gonna take away from me. "I can't drink? That's not happening," were my exact thoughts the moment I considered competing. Today, I can assure you, that was the easiest part.

I was first introduced to the world of fitness by my sister. Having gained a lot of weight after the birth of my niece, my sister set forth on a whole new healthy lifestyle. A lifestyle that I used to make fun of every chance I got. She tried everything from diets, trainers, and workout plans. Nothing worked to its full potential. That is until she became a part of the Elite Heat. One day, right before my last semester of college I woke up and looked in the mirror, most likely after a night of partying. I looked at my side profile and was disgusted to see my belly going out further than my butt. Granted, I am very tiny so no, I didn't look I weighed 500 pounds but I most definitely didn't look good. I texted my sister right away and told her I needed to get back into shape. So intrigued by this lifestyle she was not hesitant to help. For about 3 months, November to January, I was eating very well, cut down on my partying and was working out on a daily basis. I was so happy with my results. Not a pound was lost but I became a leaner, stronger me.

After the holidays, I went back to school for my last semester at the end of January. Unfortunately due to my busy schedule I wasn't able to keep up with my healthy lifestyle anymore. It really is like a second job. But at least with this you get to look hot in the process. ;) My progress had not completely become undone but I was not where I wanted to be.

Through this time my sisters best friend and WBFF Diva Bikini Pro Laura Gutierrez was preparing for her first show. Prior to going  pro at her second competition, I became so infatuated with her transformation.  I just knew I had to get involved with this somehow. I had been informed about an informational session fitness coach Malenna Saunders was having for girls in Long Island and I made it a point to be there. I needed to see who was the woman responsible for these incredible changes behind Laura and my sister. Needless to say, the moment I met Malenna and the women on the team, I was sold.

Deciding to compete, my family supported me a great deal, but there were two people in particular.  My father, who competed in his earlier days and was ecstatic for me to continue his legacy.  Most importantly though, my sister. Without her November 8th, 2014 would just be another day. Her motivation and support is what has gotten me through what I can easily call, one of the hardest journeys of my life. Basically my second coach, she kept me in check every step of the way and never let me slip up. And when I did, she was always right there to kick me in the butt to pick me back up again. She's truly inspired me to be a better, healthier and stronger woman and for that I am eternally grateful. I just hope that one day I'm standing next to her on that competition stage. But shhh, don't tell her I said that.




3 months ago if you asked me why I wanted to compete my response would be along the lines of, "I don't know, I think I'd be good at it, plus, I want to look hot."Today, I've learned that this experience is so much more than just that. For me, it's about doing something no one thought I could. Being able to leave old habits that have always been a part of me, and most importantly finishing a journey knowing that I could have easily given up at any moment. Today, not only am I hotter than before, but I am stronger, leaner, healthier and better. From here the only place to go is up. The Elite Heat is taking over ;)

Kyedi in her First NPC Figure Competition this Weekend. Follow her story.....

How sweet it is...

My fitness journey begin nine years ago, during my pregnancy with my son Andrew.  I only gained thirty pounds. When he was about six months or so, I began to eat my way up to 295lbs. I learned this at my doctor’s appointment in the fall of 2005. I was fortunate not to have the health issues that normally accompany obesity but something had to be done. My weakness is sweets. I would eat sweets before I ate actual food. I did not want to change the way I ate, I was content. I did want to change how I look to be able to wear nice clothes and shop in the misses section where the cute little outfits would be. I tried diet pills, teas, shakes whatever but I didn’t stick with it and nothing seem to work so I gave up.

I used to be an assistant manager for a major retail company in Astoria, NY. The flaw to the store
was the stock room was downstairs. During the Christmas holiday we promote a sales associate to be a stock manager to oversee that shipment is received and processed. The person we promoted could not handle it. Even though I was 295lbs, I could still move around at a good pace, so myself and another manager split the responsibility. Up and the down the stairs I would go to ensure the merchandise was where it needed to be. I was doing this four times a week for about three hours. As the weeks went by I had become use to it and had more energy. I didn’t consider it exercise, just doing my job.


Now the food change happened at a manager’s holiday meeting in Soho. Our district manager would
buy healthy and not so healthy snacks for the meeting. We had some vegans in the group and they wanted to accommodate everyone. Well we ran out of the “good” stuff so I started snacking on the healthier snack which was trail mix. I liked it so much I looked for it when I went food shopping. I found it and began substituting it as snack. I didn’t eat much because I became full faster.

The increase in exercise happened when one of our sales associates said she was 60lbs heavier. I didn’t believe her, but she showed me pictures. I asked her how she lost it and she said she bought a stability ball and utilized the DVD that came with it and did the exercise every day. She also changed the way she ate. After work, I went to Modell’s picked up the set by Gaim and set out every afternoon after work to do it regardless of how I felt. I would pick up my son Andrew from school then exercise. I had to get him a ball to because he was like five years old at the time and would try to take mine. I started to read health magazines as well. As my energy progressed so did my DVD collection to challenge myself. My bedroom became my gym. The other manager I worked with was very health conscious, so she would give me pointers as well

That started in November, by March I went from 295lbs-245lbs. I went to put on my pants and they
fell to the floor. My next day off went shopping and I was on the borderline of plus size and misses. I
went from almost pushing a size 22 to a 14 in a matter of months, just exercising and changing my diet. I dropped another 10lbs and maintained between 235-245lbs for two years.  During this journey I met key people who motivated me to get where I’m at today. In 2009, my mom and I walked into the Budokan dojo to look into setting up Andrew for classes. Sensei Nardu Debrah asked if I was interested in trying out the Muay Thai class. Even though I said yes, I was nervous. I made it through and never looked back. I was addicted to class and I dropped to about 220lbs.

In 2011 I met a trainer named Justus through a mutual friend on Facebook.   He introduced me to weight training and still working with him to this day. It’s funny he showed me a picture of a female friend who did body building competitions and it didn’t appeal to me. I lived with the ignorance that women shouldn’t have so much muscle. As we know that perception has definitely changed. In 2012, a friend took me to a cardio class called Body by Denise. I fell in love with the class. The location was hard for me to get to, but when she changed location I made it my business to get in there. I would go to Lucille Roberts in the morning and her class at night. I was going between 215-220lbs. I said I want to be under 200, so I went for it and accomplished it. I was down dam near 100lbs overall.

When I started school I just went to BBD only. My friend Derrick he did weights only. I had an interest so he showed me how to do the exercise in the gym and it help give me a little more definition and we continued like that for about a year. He got me to the point that I could go in the gym and do it on my own. I continued with martial Arts, training with Justus every now and then and yoga. My body changed but not much I hit a serious plateau. I was between 185lbs-190lbs.

One year ago I was on break at work. I was walking and started thinking that I want to transform my
body. I want to see how far I could go. I walked back into work and met a client who just finished a
massage who turned out to be WBFF Pro Esther Lopez. We began having a conversation about how
massage and stretching is important to her telling me about her competing that weekend in Las Vegas.

I never heard of bikini competitions before. She gave me her coach’s name and her info. I emailed
her coach and I was on google looking up the information on competitions. It was so extensive but my interest kept me reading. I said I want to do that. I can do this. I didn’t know how or where to start but I was going to do it. I told my mom, she said ok.

Esther’s coach Malenna Saunders answered my email a few weeks later. We did an over the phone
interview then I emailed her my before pictures. She emailed back if you can do that you can do this.
She had some women from her team competing a few weeks from when we spoke on the phone and
she invited me to see a show. Best move ever, I loved every minute of it. It made me want to do it even more. Eager to learn more about the sport. The name of her team is Elite Heat. My group was Heat six.

We started and finished out a program together to see if this was the right fit for us. The major change that happened with my body was due to the major change that happened with my diet. Going from a size 10 to a size 6 in a matter of weeks is motivation enough to keep my eyes on the prize. I am grateful to have family friends (old & new) who are very supportive in my life. I get the occasionally your too skinny or don’t lose any more weight before we lose you, but that has not and will not stop me from attaining my goals. During this experience not only has my body changed, but the mentally has as well. Many people say I inspire them, but they don’t realize they inspire me with their words and actions. The Universe has brought some amazing people into my life to help me become the person I am supposed to be

Follow Mary as she makes her WBFF Diva Bikini Debut!!

A 'Classic' ...

Mary's first show

In the last year since my debut on the fitness competition stage, I have continued to dedicate my time to improving my physique.  The experience a year ago was so exciting, that doing it again was absolutely a must for me.

Mary and her daughter Ayana

Competition preparation does come with its' challenges and at times, I've questioned why I am doing it.  The doubts usually come right around the time I wish I could have pizza and a glass of wine.  It's those momentary lapses that make me more committed to my goal, overcoming those hills and valleys are what count.  It's not just that moment on stage that does it for me, although it's pretty awesome.  It's the fact that I have worked so hard on my physique and presentation to be able to grace the stage with so many others that have done the same.  The sacrifices that come with being a part of the fitness competition world like dietary changes, limited social life, hours in the gym, muscle soreness, and those
occasional mood changes, are the things that give me that proud feeling. The whole process doesn't sound pretty, but you get to showcase all that hard work in front of an audience of strangers, family, friends, and of course, the judges.  I count my blessings every day. The average woman my age (40+) is not putting her body through such rigors.





The reality is that more women my age are just getting into fitness to help alleviate or reverse some lifestyle related issue.  I made a decision a long time ago not to be a part of that statistic. Instead, I would rather be am inspiration or motivation to others.  "If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem" So, as I prepare for my second show, I welcome all the challenges and I am grateful for all the support from my family, Coach Malenna and my team, the Elite Heat.

Come July 26th, I am gonna bring it!!

Laura - WBFF Diva Bikini Competitor

   







After stepping on stage for the first time this past spring, I knew that I wanted to do it again! It's an incredible feeling being on that stage. Months of sweat, pain and tears all building up to that moment where no matter what happened or how you placed, you felt victorious. Victorious,  because you knew only a select few had the courage and discipline to do what you had just accomplished.  
     
Placing top  5 in my first show was a total shock for me. Initially, I wasn't even expecting to place. I simply wanted to do something I'd never had the backbone to do before.  I had a new outlook on life. I was determined because I knew that after this metamorphosis, anything was possible. From then on I saw opportunity in every obstacle.
     
After an overwhelming response from those I inspired with my transformation, I understood that my journey was about so much more than just losing weight. No one is perfect and it is for this reason that I will always be a work in progress. My journey now is to keep inspiring and giving hope to those who like me had no direction and felt lost in their struggle to succeed.
        

Although my show preparation is similar to my last, I was presented with new mental and physical feats. Right after the show, I literally could not stop eating! Don't get me wrong I was still training and making healthier choices. Yet, I was so happy to not have to log my meals and finally be able to have some forbidden carbs! I was happy that I finally got a chance to get away with my love and just relax. I stayed active while I was away but came back tired and sluggish.  
          
Mentally, I was not ready. I was not ready to give up my quest bars and my rice and beans. I was not ready to put my body through endless hours of cardio and lifting. However, I also wasn't ready to undo all I've worked for and give up on my goals. Six pounds and a few stomachaches later I got over it and I began to put in the work. 
     
 I began to reflect on my life and how unhappy I was before this new lifestyle. I thought of how incredibly supportive my boyfriend, friends, and family were and still are. I thought of all the people that look up to me. Then I thought, a year ago I would've never even dreamed that I'd be where I am today.  
        
Life is about finding that balance. Life is what YOU make of it, not what it makes of you. I understood that it didn't matter how far I had to go. What mattered was how far I had come. Right there and then I knew this is who I was and wanted to be. What I've learned and who I've become is my prize. 
     
The hardships that we encounter may break or make you. Yet, whatever happens we must get up, learn from it, and move forward. Not wanting to regress is what motivates me everyday. To be better than I was before and the best ME I can be  +today; that is my goal.  Hardwork pays off and I'm so ready to hit that WBFF stage one more time!! I can't wait to see you there!