LESSONS I'VE LEARNT PART 4

LESSONS ABOUT MYSELF

Lesson 1: The key to success is held in your mind.

Its one thing to have the training programs, the nutrition plans, the supplement advice etc but the TRUE key to success is your mind and your belief in yourself. There were so many times that I fell off my nutrition plan and ate really badly but each and every time I picked myself up and got back on track and moved forward again. On many nights I went to sleep meditating and affirming to myself that I could do this. That I would succeed. I had decades of bad eating habits haunting me and they're very hard to shake but I proved that if you stick with something long enough and with a quiet determination to achieve then you will.

Lesson 2: I love the "structure" of this sport.

Being an "ex-aerobics-instructor" I've enjoyed exercise since my mid 20s but I've really enjoyed taking it to the next level where each and every weights session really mattered and cardio had a specific purpose and therefore had to be tailored accordingly.

As hard as the nutrition plan was at times, there were just as many times when I knew that the way I was eating was contributing by more than 50% to my success. Just recently I was talking to one of my work colleagues about this last phase of the prep and I said "Comp standard bodies dont happen from a bowl of cereal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and a nice lasagne for dinner". He well understood where I was coming from.

Lesson 3: Getting the right information and support is very important.

This is my thank you to Josh Dickinson from Physique Essentials.

When I was becoming interested in competing I started quietly looking around at options for trainers. For me, an on-line trainer was ideal as I knew I'd find it impossible to commit regular blocks of time to face-to-face sessions.

I was really impressed with the results Josh had achieved with previous clients like Deb, Alicia and Lia (and these were just a few). When we spoke on the phone he was friendly, genuine and understanding of my situation (work full-time, family commitments, need to train at home etc) and I could tell that he'd tailor everything to suit me instead of making me suit "his approach".

And he delivered!!! We massaged my plans over and over so they worked for me but were still going to get the required results. There were many times when he was really tough (and I sooked about it LOL) but he needed to be and for that I'm grateful. Having said that he always gave praise when it was due and that often lifted me up and kept me going.

He taught me so much about this sport, how people perceive it, what it means to commit to it etc and I continue to admire his passion for it. He has a wealth of experience and knowledge and he's really happy to share it. What more could you ask for??

Josh, you took a 40 years + working wife and mother with an incredibly busy and full life but with weight/eating issues galore and turned her into a figure competitor.

THANK YOU. YOU ARE A TRUE CHAMPION.

Magda

Will post more later guys.