Inspiration

There are so many people, events, things, and words that inspire me every day to get up, push harder, follow through with my commitments, and "shoot for the stars".  Here are a few:

-My boyfriend (John): First of all, John is drop-dead sexy.  People are always asking him if he's a bodybuilder (he's not); he's big and muscular and in my opinion, has built a perfectly balanced physique for himself.  We met at the gym, and he's been distracting me there ever since!  Any time I watch him do a bicep curl, or lat pulldown, or heavy squat.... it makes my heart flutter!!  Just being with a man who is that incredibly hot and fit makes me want to be the best I can be too; I don't want to be that couple where one person is so much better looking than the other that people ask "how did SHE get HIM?!"  My man works hard for his body, so deserves to have the best by his side.  But more than that, John has managed to truly find a balance in his life that allows him to stay within a few pounds of his ideal weight year-round.  When he finds he's putting on a bit more weight than he'd like, he ups his cardio or cuts down on his snacking.  If he discovers he's lost too much weight, he ups his intensity at the gym, cuts back on cardio, and eats a bit more.  Simple.  I'm still in the process of figuring out my ideal balance, but I hope to someday be where he is now.

-My family: (Sisters) Not only do I have a good looking boyfriend, but I have the most gorgeous sisters you have ever seen..... 5 of them!  Although I'll admit we got pretty lucky genetically, we're also not immune to weight-gain or health problems, just like everybody else.  So we're all pretty diligent about maintaining our health by eating well (not much junk in the house growing up) and staying active in ways that are unique to each of us.  However, as with any family with sibblings close in age, there's a bit of competitiveness between us! I remember several karate tournaments growing up where we were each others greatest competition.  Now, we still race to see who can get to 17% bodyfat fastest, who can do the most pushups or chin-ups, or who has the best flexibility.  Nothing beats sibling rivalry as a motivator!  (Mom) My mom was diagnosed with severe scoliosis at the age of 12.  Doctors told her she'd never have children, and she had 5.  Not only that, but she has managed to stay within 10lbs of her pre-baby weight ever since then, despite being very restricted in her movement.  She walks a lot, lifts weights, does gardening, and generally just keeps busy.  My mom is living proof that nobody needs to be a victim of their circumstance, and that the body is capable of doing outstanding things if you treat it well.  People tell me often that I look just like her, and I can only hope that continues to be true as I get older.  (Dad) There is a history of heart problems on my dad's side of the family. He passed away this November at the young age of 61 due to complications during his second open-heart surgery. Every time I run, I do it for him. Because he always wanted to, but couldn't, and because I know he would want me to do everything in my power to avoid putting my kids through what my sisters and I went through. Love you dad.

-My friend (Jess): Jess is like a sister to me.  And just as my sisters and I are, Jess and I have always been a bit competitive.  Which is tricky, because we have very different body types (she's lean and petite, I'm more muscular and curvy),  are on opposite sides of the fitness equation (her: cardio, me: weights), and have totally different diets (she's been a vegetarian for several years now, and I eat 5-6 servings of meat per day).  Even still, we push one another constantly to be the best each other can be.  We both love to run, do hot yoga, and be outdoors.  We also share alot of recipes since we both love to cook, try new dishes, and use lots of fruits and vegetables in our diets. 


-Robyn Stone: This woman LIVES for competition.  She puts 120% into her workouts every single time, follows her diet to a tea, and is one of the nicest people I've met.  She recently earned her Pro card, and is actually the one who encouraged me to contact Pro Revolution.  I can only hope to follow a similar path as she has.


-Fitness Models: Jamie Eason, Alicia Marie, Emily Stirling, Natalie Waples, Erin Stern... to name a few. Sure, some people hit the genetic jackpot. Some people get lucky breaks in their careers. But in the end, they all did it on their own. They came into this world with the same set of tools as everybody else, and blazed their own way through it. Nobody ate, or trained, or posed for them. And if they can do it, I can do it! It drives me absolutely crazy to see girls who are 5 years younger than me attaining goals that I'm just getting started on. I hate feeling as though I've wasted part of my life, and I'm determined to make it up to myself!  And whenever I'm tempted to skip a workout, or cheat on my diet, I ask myself: "what would Emily Stirling do?".

-My coach: Jason Pilon of Pro Revolution (www.prorevolution.com).  This guy knows what he's doing!  I've seen his girls in action and they are consistently the best performing competitors on-stage.  I have absolute faith in his abilities, and I want to show him that I deserve my place on the pro-rev team.  

-My first coach: Dave Ruel, of The Muscle Cook and Anabolic Cooking.  Dave helped me lose over 30lbs for my first show and taught me how to do it in a healthy way.  Although he was always supportive, even on weeks I'd plateaud, I always dreaded telling him if I hadn't made much progress.... so much so that that's what kept me honest with my diet.


-Ex-boyfriend: I once dated someone who was really unsupportive of my dreams. He was unwilling to make the lifestyle adjustments to accommodate a competition diet, and didn't like the idea of me spending time away from him, even though he knew it was my dream to compete. Now, I like to imagine him seeing me on the cover of a magazine and thinking to himself  "Wow, I really underestimated her" and realizing that there was never any holding me back. Petty? Yes. But a great motivator? Absolutely!


-Compliments: Flattery, plain and simple, is the way to my heart.  I've always been someone who thrives on verbal recognition, so to have someone tell me I'm looking good just thrusts my drive into high gear.


-New Outfit: That old cliche about buying yourself a target outfit and working towards being able to wear it... totally works! I also love the feeling of wearing pants that I haven't worn since I was 18... that's a great feeling.

-People at the gym: I love seeing a gym full of people sweating hard to keep (or get) in shape.  Specifically, I love seeing women mixing with the men in the weights section of the gym.  It's so encouraging to know that even in these times of extreme obesity, there are still a group of us who value our health enough to devote hours a week to working out.  It gives me a sense of solidarity.


-The obese: I hope I don't offend anybody by saying this, but seeing someone who is overweight reminds me of why I do this.  I don't want to be part of that 60% statistic.  I love food too; I can be lazy too.  So sometimes I need to be reminded of what it takes - the effort, the work, the time and devotion - to stay healthy.  I believe what separates the fit from the obese is not genetics, or social conditions, or information (because we all know what we have to do!)..... it's having the willpower to say "no" to certain foods, putting the fork down, and getting up to move.  It's a constant battle, but it's one that has to be fought every single day.

-The formerly obese: Having said that, there is nobody I respect more than people who have defied circumstance, social marketing, and even themselves by losing sometimes hundreds of pounds.  It's hard enough for a young healthy person to lose 5lbs.... I can't even imagine the inner strength, determination, and energy it must require for once-unhealthy people to literally change their lives around.  Shows like The Biggest Loser make me cry every week!!


-Great music: A kick-ass playlist is so key to every good workout!  It ensures that any time I start to feel sluggish or lazy, I'm revitalized by music soon after.  I call them "Power Songs" - they're the ones that get you motivated no mater what.  For me, these songs may have inspirational lyrics, a strong beat, or are just plain fun.  


-My (future) career: I say "future" because it hasn't quite happened yet.  But I'm working on it!  And every time I lift a weight, every time I refuse a "treat", I remind myself that I'm doing this for my career.  God made me to walk this path, and I accepted to follow it.  This is therefore both fate and choice.  Reminding myself that what I'm doing is for a greater purpose helps me get over all the small obstacles.

-Going to the club: When I know I'll be going out on the weekend, I work extra hard during the week so I can look great in that hot LBD!  For some reason, I always imagine myself dancing while I'm doing cardio... makes it seem a bit more fun.

-Mentauring: I've been flattered and blessed to have been asked by a couple people to "show them the ropes" in the gym and in the kitchen.  Knowing somenoe is looking to me for inspiration and guidance makes me want to show them that it IS possible to change your body through challenging workings and consistent healthy diet.  I never want to fail for fear that it will flatten their own drive.  Not only that, but anyone who has ever discovered that by teaching others, you solidify your own knowledge, you'll understand what I mean when I say I have learned so much about health through these few mentauring experiences. It is so rewarding hearing that someone you've helped has made a positive change in their behaviours and attitudes.  In those moments, I know that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.