The World Of Figure Competition - One Mom's Journey Part I

I met Lei 14 years ago, when I had just moved into the area. She was a friendly, out-going gal and had definite ideas about what she wanted, in all situations! She and I did a few things together, like hiking up to a waterfall, going on a bike ride, doing a Hawaiian dance class together, and going out to lunch. She was born in Hawaii and is very proud of her ancestry. Every Sunday she brought the most beautiful bouquets of flowers to set on the podium at church. It was a really special touch. 

I knew her to be very active-- into physical fitness, running and weight training specifically. We were members of the same gym at one time. We worked out at different times but each of us pretty regularly.  Those were the days when I was fairly hard-core (for me!), doing yoga, dance, weights and cycling. Time has passed, and now I am doing great when I walk my dog a couple of miles and do some of my exercise CD's!

Lei, on the other hand, took physical fitness to a whole different level after I moved out of her neighborhood a few years back. Before I left, I remember her stating that she wanted to do something cool before she turned 50. She is now right around 50 and yeah boy, she is showing what 50 looks like!

Lei just competed in her first body-building show and
walked away with a 5th place trophy in True Novice Figure A. She also placed 8th in both Masters A and Figure A! That is crazy good for the first time!
Here is her story and proof that it's possible to do anything you want and age doesn't have to be a factor!

In 1987 Lei became interested in body-building. She felt especially weak one day, as she tried to move the bed in her dorm room, making a hole in the dry wall in the process. She wanted to get stronger, and thus weight lifting was what she was drawn to. Back in the 80's Cory Everson was very popular.
"I looked up to her, even though I never aspired to become a bodybuilder at that time.  I just wanted to become stronger and toned.  I continued to lift weights and run from that time forward.  Back in the `80's it was thought that a woman should not lift while pregnant because the blood would be diverted to the muscles instead of the baby.  We know better now. So I would take time off  of lifting when I was pregnant with my first two.  Later, I lifted and ran when I was pregnant with the last two."

Lei with two of her 4 children

Lei continued lifting weights, but never went heavy. She always felt that running was the gold standard for getting fit and toned. She continued with that routine for years--lifting light and running for miles daily. She was a member of a local gym and her girlfriend was her trainer. She noticed miner changes to her body, but nothing major. But, she says, "Deep in my soul I did want to become more muscular, but never quite knew how to pursue it. I love muscles on individuals, especially on women. I wanted defined muscles and to look like a bodybuilder."

Then in 2012 she saw an ad for a 90-day challenge.  Both she and her husband signed up as a couple.  Unfortunately the trainer did not know how to train individuals that already had a pretty good knowledge of weight training.  She did well with clients that were new to weight training.  Lei knew she needed to get to the next level  Her girlfriend referred her to a trainer that was an MMA fighter.  She started training with him and noticed a huge difference right away.  He was very knowledgeable and made her work hard.  She progressed under his tutelage, dropping body fat and weight. Her goal was to lose body fat, but she did not want to just become skinny or thin.

 "I didn't want to be a skinny fat.  I wanted muscles.  My trainer knew what I wanted and did things to help me achieve my goals.  When I grew enough that I could train on my own, I found that I plateaued. I stayed at this weight and body fat for about a year. It was a good weight, but I wanted more. I started subscribing to Hers Muscle & Fitness magazine.  I would follow their workouts and nutritional guidance.  I found some success."

But mainly her success was through having a personal trainer and nutritional coach. This was news to me because I really thought one could go the distance on their own, if they had the discipline and knowledge. Obviously, you need an expert to help you if you want to pursue the course of building lots of lean muscle. And that is what Lei found out. She says that even trainers have trainers because it's all about accountability and support.

 She chose someone she knew at a local gym, who had actually competed before in the Masters Division and placed. She felt like she would be a great fit with her objectives and personality. They met weekly and she gave her an individualized nutritional plan, tweaking it every week to help her meet her goals.  She was the one who said Lei should compete.  "When someone believes in you, it is hard to resist", she said. Truthfully, she DID want to compete.  That is why she chose her in the first place. So to have her say she should compete was motivating and what she wanted to hear.  

Her initial twelve weeks went from 26.3% body fat and 130.3 lbs. to 19.1% bf and 119.0 lbs. Of course she was dedicated to the nutritional plan and never deviated.  "I continued following my nutritional program even though I stopped meeting with Maria.  I knew the NPC (National Physique Committee) was having a show in March 2015; I had attended the show in Oct 2014 per Maria, just to see what goes on at competition.  I really liked the show.  I also knew that I needed 12 weeks to prep for a show, so I contacted Maria in December and told her I wanted to compete. "

 









Lei started her transformation Dec 18th.  "I was happy that I maintained my body fat and weight at 119 lb. and 19% Body Fat. This made it easier to train, because I was already pretty lean, muscular, and conditioned. I got down to 111.1 lbs and 12.1% bf.  This is important to record because in the future, we will know where I need to get to to be competition ready.  My biggest inspiration is IFBB Pro, Erin Stern.  I love her philosophy and she is so down-to-earth.  Besides, she works hard and I love her physique." 

Not all Lei's family was supportive at first.  Her oldest son was from the start.  Then her youngest son quickly became supportive. Her daughter struggled a little, then got on board.  Her husband had issues through the training, all the way to the competition.  "I don't believe he really was fully invested until the night of competition.  But when I started getting praise and congratulations from people, he changed his mind!"  

Since this was her first time competing, Lei and her trainer didn't know what body fat % she could get down to and be lean, but not too lean.  So Maria, her trainer, wanted to see how close to 8 or 10% she could get.  During peak week, the last week she got down to 12.1%  So that is now her base line.  They felt that if she got any leaner, she would look skeletal.  Everyone is so different, and someone can get to 8% and be good.  "My body was good at 12%  So in the future that is my goal."  The BMI is really just a calculation based on a persons height and weight.  It is not a measurement.  One focuses on body fat.  The weight will come off and is not as important as the % of fat.  "I gained 2.69 lbs of lean mass (muscle) and lost a total of 18.1 lbs.  I lost a total of 14.2% bf and 17.5 inches off my body.  I am so pleased with my results!!! I could not believe the numbers.  Every week I would drop.  Sometimes I gained, but it was oz. not lbs. and less than 1%! Then the next week, I would drop what I gained and more.  I would often forget what the numbers really were.  I was so stoked. "

Some people would be amazed at just seeing themselves transform into a lean, athletic speciman. But that wasn't enough for Lei. She had come this far and now it was time to compete! 

Check Part II of Lei's personal journey into the world of Figure Modeling Competition! 

Crazy Enough To Succeed + #MyPostMonday The Week's Best Original Content

Someone has said that "you should aim so high that others will think you're crazy." That describes my friend, Lei, exactly. I think back through our 15+ year friendship and she was just like me in so many ways. We both liked to go to the gym and work out. She ran, I biked, and we both liked to hike. And so it was, until she decided that being status quo wasn't enough for her. She wanted to create something more than the fitness she had already achieved. Mind you, if 80% of women had achieved what Lei had already achieved, they would be very happy. But Lei is different, she wanted to be part of the top 2%.  And so with trainers who saw her drive and potential, she set out to do just that! There were plenty of doubters around, those who thought she was absolutely nuts and narcissistic to go to the gym for periods of 3 hours a day at times.  But those labels would be wrong--she is a driven perfectionist and she shattered the glass ceiling that says women, let alone women over 50, shouldn't presume to achieve such a toned and sculpted body and then compete with it. And why not? Men do it and it is admired. Why shouldn't women do it too?  Of course we have seen a huge surge in female body building and figure competing especially within the last 5 years or so, thanks to gals like Lei.

Image: Alex Barnedt

Now we're on the other side of the 5 years when she first started her journey and has since achieved some amazing things. Her last competition was at FitCon in Utah in April 2017. She placed 1st in Masters, 2nd in Open, and even more impressive, became Nationally Qualified for the 2nd time! Do you think you've got what it takes to become a Nationally Qualified Figure Competitor? Read Lei's story Part I and Part II to see exactly how she got where she is today.

With these impressive qualifications behind her, she is now more than qualified to teach others the formulas to her success and now takes a limited number of clients. I enlisted her nutritional knowledge and she gave me a great paleo high protein meal plan to help me lose a really tough couple of pounds!

This website uses affiliate and non-affiliate links for reference purposes. Thanks for visiting!

But that is only one dimension of multi-faceted Lei. She was born in Hawaii and with a name like Lei, it seems like destiny that she would indeed own her own lei business called 'Lei Of Aloha.' She is skilled at making a variety of different kinds of leis for all occasions. They are keepsakes for the lucky recipient. She will be traveling to many different trade shows during the coming year, but she also takes special orders. She is as driven with her lei business as she is with her figure competing. It's just who she is. Contact her on Instagram and receive a 15% discount when you mention A GAL NEEDS...

Not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur. It takes incredible drive and willpower and an innate belief in yourself that will drown out the ever-present naysayers. But I'm happy to say that I know one, and she is a steel magnolia who just happens to make leis out of them too!

 Today is "My Post Monday!" It's all about original content from bloggers who care to share what is on their minds--from Crafts to Camping, Wellness to Wealth, Fashion to Food, and whatever else is on the brain!  I  open up with a post of my own and then follow it up with a linky of the week's top original blog posts! It's all about what the writer thinks, believes, and knows--in other words, they are active, writing blogs. If I happen to find a great original, non-sponsored post, I'll link it up and share it with you here and on Twitter via the #MyPostMonday hashtag!  I can miss some amazing posts, but I don't want to!  So, in addition, if you'd like to link up yourself, you can do that too!  I'll visit your site, comment, promote and publicize! (Affiliate links welcome!)   

2 Fabulous Anti-Aging Supplements From NeoCell #Review

This blog uses both affiliate and non-affiliate links for reference purpose. This is a partnered post!

 Recently I read a couple of articles about wrinkle prevention because I don't like those tell-tale signs of the aging process any more than you do!  Sure, I earned the ones I've got...but let's be honest, I'd rather earn things like the 'Good Mom Award' and have wonderful kids to show for it,  the 'Good Wife Award' and have a happy husband, the 'Good Daughter Award' and have proud parents or the 'Good Deed Award' and just have inner happiness radiating from my face...  I really don't need wrinkles as my trophy for all of those things, that is if I can help it! 

I guess a lot of women feel the same way because there are surely a lot of articles about how to keep wrinkles away and here are some of the tips I've run across multiple times - moisturize daily, use retinol products, use sunscreen, don't smoke, do drink water, don't sleep on your face, eat whole foods, be happy.  I think all of those are fairly obvious by now! 

But one thing I don't hear much about is the fact that the glue that holds the face and body together is collagen and that it naturally depletes at the rate of 1.5% each year after the age of 25.  "As this collagen production slows, the collagen fibers in the body become brittle and begin to break down, resulting in many of the signs of aging, such as loose, flaccid skin, wrinkles, ligament and tendon injuries and osteoarthritis."  So basically, you can employ all of the wrinkle-prevention tactics you please, but if your collagen levels are low, you won't get the results you want!

 That is why I was so thrilled to get a chance to review and tell you about the wonderful products at NeoCell!. NeoCell was founded by Al Quadri, a lifelong scientist and inventor.  At one point, he underwent major heart surgery and was having a difficult time recovering.  He learned of  the integral role collagen plays in the healing and regenerative process of tissue and muscle mass and decided to incorporate it in his healing process.  He had amazing results and because of  it, established NeoCell.  Now NeoCell is the number one collagen brand in the world and has been developing and manufacturing all natural, premium anti-aging formulas for over 20 years.

I am using two of their products and both of them are outstanding - 

 

1) Resveratrol Anti-Oxidant Capsules - Why is this so wonderful?  Because it is made from high quality grapes, grapeskin and grapeseed from France.  NeoCell uses French Muscadine grapes in their Resveratrol.  Often you will see a bottle in the health food stores with grapes on the label....but when you look at the ingredients you find the much cheaper Japanese Knotwood.  Actually the Japanese Knotwood can cause stomach cramps in some people.  I take 2 pills daily.  Some of the benefits of Resveratrol include:

• Helps prevent free radical damage to cells
• Helps support the immune system and liver functions
• A powerful antioxidant
• Promotes heart health

 2) Collagen +C Pomegranate Liquid - This is one of NeoCell's newest products and it is amazing!  It combines the best Collagen one can get along with other super anti-oxidants like pomegranate, green tea, elderberry and cranberry to bring you amazing health benefits! It is sweetened with Agave to produce a low glycemic effect.  Hyaluronic Acide is an essential part of the collagen composition, aiding in the absorption process.  Most companie make the hyaluronic acid in the lab.  NeoCell offers natural hyaluronic acid, even though it is 20 times more expensive.  Every batch of product is checked 8,000 times and exceeds government requirements.  NeoCell collagen absorbs within 20 minutes as a result!  I take 1 Tbsp. in the morning and 1 Tbsp. at night.  The taste is very fruity, Some benefits of Collagen +C Products include:

• Radiant and resilient skin
• Thicker hair and stronger nails
• Provides building blocks for collagen synthesis
• Healthy and strong ligaments and tendons
• Potent antioxidant

 
And here are some reviews I found on the IHerb site, Vitamin Shoppe, and Vitacost, where you can order NeoCell Products.  

"I've noticed my nails are stronger and my hair is growing rapidly and I attribute it to the use of this Neocell liquid. The only drawback is I have to visit my hairdresser more frequently for touchups! It's worth it for me though!"

___________

"I decided to try taking collagen to improve the appearance of my skin. I've had sensitive, acne-prone skin for years.

The directions say to take 3 tablets, 2x daily. I only take 3 a day, they last longer, and I noticed a huge difference within weeks. My skin was clear, smooth, and definitely more 'radiant' as it says on the bottle. I noticed a difference in the overall tone and texture of my face, (little to no redness, skin looked and felt tighter.) I received many compliments from family and friends who asked what I had done. I'd like to add that nothing changed in my routine, nor was I using any expensive skincare products. I've also had issues with breakouts on my shoulders and upper back, which cleared as well.

As soon as I stopped taking these, my skin would break out and revert back to a dull appearance."

_____________

 "I don't know why the makers would suggest a total of six tablets in a day and I don't know what would possess someone to take six of these tablets in one day. I only used one tablet per day and after two weeks I saw a difference in my face. It was tighter and smoother. After a month my waist slimmed and tighten and I actually had a slight six pack. My thighs and buttocks also tighten and became more "muscular." I use this product for three months and stopped because I started a vitamin regimen that has amino acids. However, I shouldn't have never stopped using it so I am back to using the rest of the bottle with one pill a day. I didn't see any difference in hair, nails, teeth, tendons, etc... even though I do have joint and bone problems from a terrible accident a few years ago. But I DO know that this works perfectly for my skin and muscles. It appears that it tightens and flattens out fat and makes your body "muscular." I will use the rest of the bottle and order some more and take it a little longer to see if it will benefit other parts of my body."

I know that nutrtional supplements take time to see marked improvement, but I am already seeing some benefits after just one week!  I feel like my skin immediately has improved and my weight has gone down by 3 lbs., which is great!  I also have a 2 1/2 year old knee injury that wouldn't heal, and I feel like it is getting better!  So I will definitely keep taking these supplements because I believe that beauty starts from the inside!  And combined with the things I mentioned in the beginning, like getting lots of sleep (one that I particularly like), I just might have discovered the real fountain of youth after all!