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We all need to learn to Pivot daily. How many times has your plans not gone, well, as planned?

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Going into this bikini world I had no idea what I was getting into. I had my ideas and opinions of this sport and for the most they were negative. I decided to give this a try so that I could learn more about it, experience it and be more fearless. There is nothing scarier in my eyes than being in a sparkly thong bikini in front of people on stage.
What I did first was hire a coach, but I didn’t want just any ole’ coach. Research and reviews were my best friend. There are so many horror stories of girls hiring bad coaches and basically ruining their physiological state. That was not going to happen to me! I found my coach through hours of rifling through Instagram and found a Registered Dietitian named Dylan Bair. I have been with him this entire time and could not be happier. I think that the coach makes the difference in whether you are healthy and happy during this process.
We got started in January, 2019. I was also in school at the time while prepping which I do not recommend. This was a lot of stress to put my body through and I wish I had waited. In true Emilee form I love to put too much on my plate and see what happens.
So, what is life like as a bikini competitor? Life as a bikini competitor is measuring every. Single. Thing. You eat. I am not joking. Down to the single blueberry. You have a complete record of your food. If you go over the measurement you have to record it. If you miss a meal you have to record it. Every thing you eat and drink is recorded. Speaking of drinking, I was drinking up to 2 gallons of water a day. This means peeing every hour or 45 minutes. There were sooo many days where I peed outside and now this has become a weird norm for me. (I know I am disgusting.)
Then there is the training. To me this is the easiest part about Prep. I love working out. I always have. I was training 6 days a week lifting weights. Most girls hire the coach to write their workouts but since I am a personal trainer, I get to write my own which I prefer any ways. Everyday I wake up at 5 am eat a rice cake, get my water together for the morning and head to the gym for 2 hours! I am there everyday for 2 hours because that is what it takes. I was required to do cardio which by the end got up to 45 minutes 5 times per week.
The hardest part about being a bikini competitor is people don’t understand and you miss out on a lot. Over those 27 weeks I never went out to eat, my husband and I never had date nights, if I went to any events I had to bring my own food. People also have a lot to comment about what you are doing. They think I am crazy and say things like “but you’re already skinny”. This was hard and thankfully I have killer will power and discipline that helped me get through those tough times.
Life as a bikini competitor is sacrifice, discipline and consistency. You have to want it. You have to be willing to give a lot for it. It is hard work. It’s different than just working hard in the gym. It’s hard work when it is 7:30 pm at night you’re exhausted and upset from your last organic chemistry exam and you just want to shove peanut butter in your face until the cows come home, hard freakin work. This becomes your whole world because nothing else can fit in to this kind of madness.
In the end, its super rewarding and you come out stronger than you ever thought you could ever be. If you are interested in becoming a bikini competitor just ask yourself how much and what are you willing to sacrifice and then go from there. If you decide to do this, check out my workouts and I cannot wait to see you in your sparkling bikini strutting your stuff.

Some Days my mind feels so crazy. I feel overwhelmed, my mind space is constantly crowded, and I have no sense of clarity whatsoever. That’s when I need to reset. I want to feel like myself and clear my mind.There are days I want to lay in my room and do nothing and I turn on my relaxing playlist. For me, this refreshes my mind, clears it of all the craziness I dealt with during the day. I can listen to songs I don’t even know but are chill and relaxing. These songs help me get back to myself. We live in world of constant chaos. A million stimuli in our faces all day. Whether it’s the 10 different places you have to drive to, traffic, or dealing with difficult people, it can be incredibly exhausting. It can drive you to the point of mental breakdown I know it does for me. Having a playlist that releases all that tension from your brain can make a huge difference. One of the most stressful times in my life was when I was taking classes spring semester 2018. I thought I was actually turning into a walking, overwhelmed zombie. But, I would listen to my playlist I could remain calm.

These playlists can alleviate stress from your life, clear your brain and bring you back to what is important in life. I recommend finding one that works for you. These are some of my favorite playlists created by Spotify:

• Piano in the Background
• Relax & Unwind
• Soak up the sun
• Focus Now

Depending on which mood I am in, that is the one I pick.

Go find your chill zone! Your mind will thank you for it!

Protein shakes are an easy way to get the fuel your body needs. Whether you’ve just finished a workout, are in a time crunch, or need a quick late night snack. Protein shakes are perfect for all of those situations. They can hold you over until your next meal and help  with muscle development. But, it’s important to know that shakes are a great addition to your diet,they should never be a replacement for the protein your body needs.

Let’s recap on what protein is exactly. Protein is the macronutrient that your body uses to build muscle, repair cells, and do most of the cellular processes in your body. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein a.k.a they are what makes up the strands of protein that you are consuming. When you drink protein, your body breaks down the strands of protein into those amino acids to use for whatever the body may need. Maybe some cells need to be repaired, maybe your workout signaled that there needed to be muscle built. Those amino acids are doing all of that work. Whatever amino acids are not used are exited from the body. You do not store protein and should only be taking the recommended amount which is 10-35% of your daily calories.

When purchasing a protein powder I highly recommend doing your research. There are soo many brands out there claiming to be the best.For me, I always look at the ingredients and the protein content to carbohydrate content. I am drinking a protein shake for the protein not the carbohydrates. A good example of this would be Trusupps, Vanilla Creme, it has 20 grams of protein and only 2 grams of carbohydrates. It’s perfect! I also recommend looking into if there are a lot of added sugars and fillers in the product. Research will always do you wonders!

The decision on whether not to have a protein shake lies solely on how your schedule, workout intensity, and eating habits are laid out. If you are noticing that you do not eat enough high quality protein sources throughout the day then maybe a shake will help you reach your protein goals. If you notice that you really just cannot eat breakfast in the morning but you can get a shake down then maybe you could add a shake in. Ultimately, you want to get your protein sources from whole, natural foods. Protein shakes are highly processed and it is much easier on your stomach to eat actual food. So figure out what works best for you!

I know for most people creating a goal is easy. We all have dreams and aspirations. Things we want to accomplish, see and experience. We want to have the body we have always wanted or be the fittest we have ever been. We can create these goals all freakin day. That is the fun and easy part. I mean I have 2 different vision boards in my room with all of the goals I want to accomplish.

The part we all have trouble with is following through with those goals. The long term. The not looking back and realizing we never got to the point we wanted to be at. I wanted to give you my top 5 tips to following through with a goal and completely making it happen.

1. Write it down. I am going to say it again, WRITE IT DOWN!! Whenever I write something down it brings it into a reality. I see it on that piece of paper and I make up in my head that there is no way I want to look at that piece of paper again without accomplishing that goal. This gives yourself accountability. This says its out there and I can see it all the time. It also allows you to really think about this goal and make sure it is what you want. You may write it down and realize that it is not truly what you want.
2. Set a deadline. If you set a deadline you will have it in the front of your mind. If there is a date for something coming up, I work ten times harder to make that thing happen. And this isn’t like when you are in school and you wait to the last second to do the project. This is I have 10 weeks until my big race. I have to run every week leading up to that race. This is going to give you motivation and commitment to make that goal happen.
3. Tell people about your goal. If this is a fitness goal you will be so surprised by the amount of people who want to support you. Then you also have the pressure of others believing in you to make that goal happen. We are more inclined to do something if we believe we are going to let the ones we care about down. I know it sounds bad but it is true. We already know we can let ourselves down and move on. That is part of the reason you cannot complete a goal in the first place. The people you tell will give you the push to keep working towards what you what.
4. Let’s be realistic people. Do not set yourself up for unrealistic expectations. If you have never ran a mile before do not expect to run a half marathon in 4 weeks. You are going to let yourself down because you were not realistic. Know what you what to achieve and make it happen with small steps. When we have unrealistic expectations we are setting ourselves up for failure. When I decided I was going to run my first half marathon, I started out with only running 1 mile and added onto that mile over a 10 week period to get where I wanted to be. Allow yourself to be successful.
5. Your why! This is the most important one out of all of five. If you do not know your why. If you do not have a burning passion inside of why you want this goal to happen. You will not accomplish it. We try to use external factors to accomplish our goals but without that internal monologue, without that passion and determination to do something, it will not happen. Your why is what is going to get you through those hard days. Your why is going to get you up at 5 in the morning to go do that workout you don’t want to do. The why is the fuel that pumps through your veins and gets that goal accomplish. You have to know this.

Use these tips and let’s make these goals happen!