Pic on left is from my last fitness modelling competition taken in 2011 and probably the leanest I have ever been. The pic on right is me at 16 months post baby and probably the most balanced yet strongest I have ever been!
I can’t even begin to explain how different my outlook is now in regards to my training and nutrition. I train less, I eat more, I don’t cut out ANY food groups and I actually feel like I have a life outside of the gym.
I feel like my training is much more structured now and I am feeling the strongest I have ever felt, I am also lifting heavier than I ever have before!
Back in my competing days I was training sometimes 2 x per day, I hardly had any rest days and I couldn’t get a training session done without using a pre workout.
I haven’t touched pre workouts since before I was pregnant and I don’t intend on using them again, I get my energy from the foods that I eat and the rest that I give my body.
I was also told to cut carbs by some of my coaches and back then I did what I was told even though it didn’t feel right at the time. It is crazy how far we can push our bodies, yes I was lean and did well at competing but I devoted my whole life to it and I didn’t listen to my body at the time- I was tired and burnt out!
Our bodies truly are amazing machines and you honestly get out what you put in. If you are stressed, tired, over training and under eating, can you imagine the stress all of that puts your body under?
My advice to anyone who is contemplating jumping up on stage is not to train because you want to compete, compete because you train! Might sound harsh but in all my years of experience in seeing girls blow out post comp it always comes back to one thing.. They aren’t training with sustainable lifelong goals in mind!
Choosing to compete is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly and it takes TIME to get ready for the stage. Jumping on stage isn’t going to solve any body image issues that you may already have, if anything it will escalate them. Disordered and emotional eating are the roll on effects of not doing the nutrition part of a prep properly and it is so sad that after the bikini is off is when the issues set in and escalate. Back in my day (sounding old😁😝) I competed for fun and social media sure wasn’t what it is today so I never had anyone to compare my own journey to. I believe these were some of the reasons I that I never really suffered after the bright lights were off. Sure I had my own personal struggles but it never escalated to the point where I binged or gained a tonne of weight. I do worry these days as the amount of girls competing has escalated to a ridiculous amount and the pressures on them to get super lean and then stay that way are huge.
Girls PLEASE before you think about competing understand the repercussions if you
a) rush your prep
b) diet incorrectly and cut out too many calories too soon
c) don’t do your research when you choosing a coach- just because someone has jumped on stage once or twice doesn’t qualify them to be prescribing meal plans- BE CAREFUL who you trust, it is your body and you are the one left to fix up your metabolism if it gets ruined in the process!
No matter what your goal is you want your body to run like a well oiled Lamborghini, not some beat up old car that has nothing left in the tank! I love that I can now share my knowledge with you ladies and share my bad experiences as well as the good ones. You can take it from someone who has been there and done that and now you don’t have to make the same mistakes that I have in the past. I was lucky in that I never blew out post comp or had any metabolic issues, I think that falling pregnant actually saved me and woke me up to what was truly important.
If you feel like any of this resonates with you and you need help to balance your hormones and gain more energy so that you can work towards the body that you desire, then get in touch or see my site, I have online programs to help you no matter what stage of life you are at.
Pre, during and post baby programs as well as a 6 week intense fat loss program, it is possible to get lean and keep your health at the same time!
Yours in health always!!
Justine xx