Currently, I am 18 days away from starting my NPC Bikini Competition training. As I get closer, I have started researching workout and eating plans. I have also tried to find motivation in stories from other women who were in my shoes, women who have made the path available for me to follow and succeed as well. During my searches, I have found some really amazing and inspiring stories! This one in particular really struck a cord with me. I was browsing through the web when I came across this story and I just had to stop and read it. Mainly because this woman literally was where I am and is where I want to be. It's so inspiring when you find someone who shows you that anything is possible. Here is a short part of her story...
Sami Imbriano went from 165lbs to 112lbs for her competition. In an article by www.trimmedandtone.com Sami dished out all the details of her journey.
"One day I was looking through some Facebook photos, cringing at how I looked and felt, and I knew I had to make a change if I wanted to feel any differently about myself. A few years later and I am absolutely hooked on gym life, love getting active both indoors and outdoors, and genuinely enjoy eating healthy, so much so that I now work for a large Australian active-wear brand, take group fitness classes and boot-camps part time, as well as mentoring a range of online clients as a Personal Trainer, where I offer customized training programs and nutritional guidelines."
A big thing that everyone wants to know is how long it takes to see results. I am always shocked by this question. For me it's less about seeing results and more about feeling better all around, which is why I decided to start working out. Here is Sami's response to the question, "it only took about four weeks for me to notice a signification difference in my appearance, as well as just generally feeling better from improving the quality of food I was eating."
A major part of training for a bikini competition is staying motivated and on track, no meal skipping or missing workouts, you have to be very disciplined. During her interview, Sami was asked how she stays motivated? To which she replied, "honestly, it was a challenge at times. Having a looming deadline definitely added a level of drive for me, but there were days that I really wanted a break from training, or just wanted to eat some bacon and eggs on toast instead of my comp-prep meals and sometimes I did just that! I found that if I stuck to my diet the majority of the item, I could manage to be slightly more relaxed on occasion - it kept me from going crazy living off chicken and greens 24/7!"
Her typical day of eating:
Breakfast - Oats, berries, almonds, or poached eggs on rye toast
Snack - Chobani yogurt with protein powder, or a protein shake
Lunch - Chicken, green vegetables, small serving of brown rice or sweet potato, avocado
Pre-Gym Snack - Rice cakes or fruit, with peanut butter and a little honey
Post Gym Snack - Protein Shake
Dinner - Meat and vegetables, herbal tea, and berries
Sami's workout plan includes:
2 x Upper Body weight training (back, arms, chest and shoulders)
2 x Lower Body weight training (glutes and hamstrings, quads)
2-3 x HIIT training (usually one short HIIT circuit, 1-2 body attack classes each week)
Just absolutely inspiring! I love reading these stories, such motivation and determination. I look forward to seeing my own changes. I am amazed at how much I have changed since we started working out in January. I now have 6 months to get ready for my very first competition and thanks to Sami's story, along with many others, I have more confidence than ever to reach my goal.
*Read Sami Imbriano's full story here!"
Follow Sami on Instagram @sami_rose_