1) Gives fitness goals a direction—a purpose. Working out with intention always makes working out a more enjoyable experience. It’s beyond fitting in your ‘skinny jeans’. I recommend at least 16 weeks of competition prep time. Competing gives you a goal and a time frame that can help break your long term goal up into smaller ones, making the whole process of changing your body a lot less intimidating.
2) Success is empowering. Remember success is completing prep 100%, stepping on stage feeling and looking more confident than ever. That’s the empowering piece. To know that you were tough mentally and physically. This journey I find is so empowering because it includes so many sacrifices that reinforces how important you really are. It reinforces how important and valuable your health, your dreams, and staying focused and committed to them really is. I believe this helps to build character and one’s own personal power. If you let it, the process will not only change your body, but your way of thinking, and essentially your world.
3) Fitness competitions help you stay fit all year around. There is a safe-way to stay ‘bikini fit’ 365 days a year. Perhaps not 100% stage ready, but 80-90% at any given time if you follow a healthy and sound program. This means that you will look phenomenal in a bikini/swimsuit no matter what time of year it is. I’m typically 3-10 pounds heavier off season or during times of building muscle.
4) Helps you learn what foods work best in your body. I'm carb and gluten sensitive like many. My hands and feet swell after a few bites of a delicious sandwich or tortilla chips. It’s best that I stick with a higher protein diet balanced by organic leafy green and non-starchy vegetables and healthy fats. Having rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, and beans, etc. is not only great sources of energy, but healthy, so I still incorporate them into my diet, just with less frequency and much smaller amounts. Eating a M.E.S.H.E.D. DIVA’s Diet will help teach you how to incorporate clean and organic nutrition into your lifestyle without starving. Staying clear of sugar, food additives, and artificial ingredients will help detoxify the body, making you much more aware of your food sensitivities, as well as which foods your body’s performance and composition see the best results with.
5) Helps you gain focus and stay organized in other areas of your life. Competition prep takes massive discipline in all areas of your life. You have to stay on schedule or you will miss your meals and workouts, which means you aren’t making the gains you need for competition day. You have to still balance your work, school, time, and your social life with friends and family, etc. Competition prep helps you stay disciplined.
6) It’s a great new Hobby, Passion, or Interest. Once we become adults sometimes it can be difficult to get involved in sports and activities that help us channel our energies positively. Competition prep gives me something fun and enjoyable to do every day. Enjoy the preparation journey as much as you enjoy the actual competition day. Get involved and meet new and amazing friends that love what you love. Fitness DIVAs rock!
7) The dreamer and princess in you. If you were a little girl like me that always wanted to do something like this, (dance, model, gymnastics, cheerleading, beauty pageants, etc) but didn’t have the chance...OR maybe you're the woman who has gotten to experience all that but misses using her gifts and pizzazz or needs a new challenge!
8) You learn confidence in your lifting techniques. You can get out there with the guys. In fact, you can smoke ‘em (many anyway) once you get in the groove. Sorry Fellas! Just because they're men doesn't make them automatic geniuses at lifting, so don't be intimidated. Please seek out a trainer when getting started no matter who or what sex or gender you are. It's a true investment if you look at it as one and treat it as a journey, rather than a race.
9) You gain confidence in your body. No doubt about it, when one begins seeing the positive and desired changes in their physique, especially those curves that bikini athletes are known for, one grows more confident in their body image. As you continue on in the sport (or with the exercises) you will increase your TLC hotness (toned, lean, and curvy)!!! It is important that you stay consistent in order to reap the full benefits. As with anything, practice makes perfect! With time, you'll love your body and what you see so much in the mirror that you just may throw away that scale for good!!!
2) Success is empowering. Remember success is completing prep 100%, stepping on stage feeling and looking more confident than ever. That’s the empowering piece. To know that you were tough mentally and physically. This journey I find is so empowering because it includes so many sacrifices that reinforces how important you really are. It reinforces how important and valuable your health, your dreams, and staying focused and committed to them really is. I believe this helps to build character and one’s own personal power. If you let it, the process will not only change your body, but your way of thinking, and essentially your world.
3) Fitness competitions help you stay fit all year around. There is a safe-way to stay ‘bikini fit’ 365 days a year. Perhaps not 100% stage ready, but 80-90% at any given time if you follow a healthy and sound program. This means that you will look phenomenal in a bikini/swimsuit no matter what time of year it is. I’m typically 3-10 pounds heavier off season or during times of building muscle.
4) Helps you learn what foods work best in your body. I'm carb and gluten sensitive like many. My hands and feet swell after a few bites of a delicious sandwich or tortilla chips. It’s best that I stick with a higher protein diet balanced by organic leafy green and non-starchy vegetables and healthy fats. Having rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, and beans, etc. is not only great sources of energy, but healthy, so I still incorporate them into my diet, just with less frequency and much smaller amounts. Eating a M.E.S.H.E.D. DIVA’s Diet will help teach you how to incorporate clean and organic nutrition into your lifestyle without starving. Staying clear of sugar, food additives, and artificial ingredients will help detoxify the body, making you much more aware of your food sensitivities, as well as which foods your body’s performance and composition see the best results with.
5) Helps you gain focus and stay organized in other areas of your life. Competition prep takes massive discipline in all areas of your life. You have to stay on schedule or you will miss your meals and workouts, which means you aren’t making the gains you need for competition day. You have to still balance your work, school, time, and your social life with friends and family, etc. Competition prep helps you stay disciplined.
6) It’s a great new Hobby, Passion, or Interest. Once we become adults sometimes it can be difficult to get involved in sports and activities that help us channel our energies positively. Competition prep gives me something fun and enjoyable to do every day. Enjoy the preparation journey as much as you enjoy the actual competition day. Get involved and meet new and amazing friends that love what you love. Fitness DIVAs rock!
7) The dreamer and princess in you. If you were a little girl like me that always wanted to do something like this, (dance, model, gymnastics, cheerleading, beauty pageants, etc) but didn’t have the chance...OR maybe you're the woman who has gotten to experience all that but misses using her gifts and pizzazz or needs a new challenge!
8) You learn confidence in your lifting techniques. You can get out there with the guys. In fact, you can smoke ‘em (many anyway) once you get in the groove. Sorry Fellas! Just because they're men doesn't make them automatic geniuses at lifting, so don't be intimidated. Please seek out a trainer when getting started no matter who or what sex or gender you are. It's a true investment if you look at it as one and treat it as a journey, rather than a race.
9) You gain confidence in your body. No doubt about it, when one begins seeing the positive and desired changes in their physique, especially those curves that bikini athletes are known for, one grows more confident in their body image. As you continue on in the sport (or with the exercises) you will increase your TLC hotness (toned, lean, and curvy)!!! It is important that you stay consistent in order to reap the full benefits. As with anything, practice makes perfect! With time, you'll love your body and what you see so much in the mirror that you just may throw away that scale for good!!!