As the first born of an immigrant family, I had to take on many responsibilities at an early age. After graduating high school, I moved out on my own. My parents could not afford to help pay my college tuition, so I had to work three part time jobs, in addition to attending college at LIU full time. I began my day as a medical receptionist. By noon I was headed to classes for the bulk of the afternoon. Later, I would start my second shift as a lab assistant working 8pm-12am. When the weekend finally came I would take advantage of my mornings to catch up on life and would later go to work my shift as a bartender at a catering hall.
This chaotic phase of my life is where I had put on the most weight. All-nighters were part of my daily routine and running to class and work were my only source or cardio. This frenzied agenda and living on my own left me with little to no time to prepare my own meals. It was this lack of time that made me develop unhealthy eating habits at all times of the day and night. I had never thought of myself as "fat" but I was very displeased with how I felt and looked in the mirror.
After graduating with a BS in Biomedical Technology, I acquired a full time position as a Clinical Laboratory Technologist and was able to ditch all of my part time gigs. I decided to take control of my weight issues and signed up to a gym. With the extra time, I attempted to work out and eat healthier. At first I had no idea what I was doing. I felt intimidated by the weight room and all the machines I didn’t even know how to use. I did cardio a few times a week but I never saw a real difference in the mirror. The scale didn’t seem to change much either and it was discouraging.
In my attempt to get ready for summer, I hired a trainer at my new gym. Even though he has taught me about the gym equipment and how to properly use it, my understanding about proper nutrition was still lacking. I had grown frustrated at the hours spent at the gym, with little results to show for it. So I decided to buy a general meal guide from a guy who looked like he knew what he was doing on social media. Here I got a glimpse of what clean eating really looked like. I lost 6 pounds, summer came and went, and I found myself slipping back into my old unhealthy habits. I blamed yet another fitness failure on being “too busy” after starting graduate school in the fall of 2013. I kept making excuses for myself which led to self-pity rants and thoughts full of resentment. I had put in so much work and somehow I had messed it all up, again. At this point I was desperate; I had already spent so much money, time, and effort and somehow was back to where I had started. I knew I had to change something in my life if I wanted to succeed. It was at that point that I started doing research on macros, clean nutrition, meal plans and weight lifting.
Soon after, while hopelessly looking through fitness posts on Instagram, I came across a familiar face who had undergone an unbelievable transformation. I was so inspired by her change that I immediately contacted her to see how she had done it. This is when I was introduced to the different fitness federations and committed to compete with The WBFF. I had already tried
everything and felt this was my last chance and only hope. For me this was all or nothing, there was no turning back.
I hired a coach and purchased a custom nutritional plan tailored to my dietary needs. This plan came with an exercise regimen and I with all this I began my bikini show prep. I was still working and going to school, this time for my MS in Clinical Laboratory Sciences. I had to temporarily distance myself from family, friends, and food as I had learned to love it. I had put the word out to everyone and with that committed to reinventing myself with the WBFF April 2014 show as my goal.
At first, I would train at the gym about four times a week doing cardio and weight training. I dedicate about eight hours a week to food shopping and meal prepping. There were times where I had to go to the gym at 2 a.m. because I was stuck cooking my meals for the next day or because I had to finish a paper for class. Yet, I knew how badly I wanted this and understood that in order to reach my goals I had to set priorities and cut the excuses.
With every week that I would send check in photos to my coach, I could see myself changing. I slowly regained confidence and control over what I put in my body. My relationships grew stronger with those who understood and supported my journey. The process of getting to where I needed to be for the show was life altering. I had made new like-minded friends. People who didn’t appreciate my new lifestyle had now started to support me; my partner, friends, and family were all part of this process. I felt like I was a magnet of positive energy picking up and helping others along the way. The happier I felt about what I was doing, the more I progressed and continued to see results.
After stepping on stage for the first time in April of 2014, I knew immediately that I’d want to do it again. I had placed top five in my first show of almost 50 girls. I did not go into the show expecting to place, I just wanted to do achieve the physique of my dreams. After an overwhelming response from those I inspired with my transformation, I understood that my journey was so much more than just about losing weight. Later in July, I competed again and earned my Pro Status with The WBFF as a “WBFF Pro Diva Bikini Model”. I remember just standing on stage in disbelief, reflecting on my personal growth and how essentially; I had recreated myself.
I can’t imagine what my life would be like now had I not decided to change my life forever. I remember still how unhappy I was before I adopted this new lifestyle. I feel it’s important to let people know that they too have the power to change. I’d like to serve as living proof that hard work does pay off and that you can transform your body without the need of surgeries or “magic diet pills”. It is by striving to be a better version of myself every day that I am able to stay motivated.
Life doesn’t change by chance, it changes by choice; the choices you make to better yourself. Life is what YOU make of it, not what it makes of you. No one is perfect and it is for this reason that I will always be a work in progress. My focus now is to keep inspiring and provide hope to those who like me; felt lost in their struggle to succeed. So I share my story with you today in hopes of inspiring you to reach your goals no matter what they may be.