When I was a little girl, my mother used to take me to the gym during the summers after school, and I'd watch her work out through the nursery room window. I did this for years. Imagine my excitement when I was 12 and the gym owner declared "bring your daughter to the gym day". I even got to have my first energy shake and I remember the milk and orange flavor it had! Back then, there were time slots where no men were allowed to work out, so I never saw actual bodybuilders, just normal women in leotards and tights lifting dumbbells and doing calisthenics.

In high school, I signed up for weightlifting class every semester, even when it wasn't required. My 2nd semester lifting, the football players in my class discovered I could out lift the smaller guys on the team and they kinda dangled that in front of the smaller players' faces...that a girl could out lift them! That weightlifting class was nothing more than a primitive strength training class with very primitive strength training program that included only bench press, lat pulldowns, squats, clean & jerks and deadlifts. How coincidental...our football team never won a single game all the 4 years I was there.

After high school, I joined the Navy. I went through an intense 8 week basic training course and came out ripped like a figure competitor, with an astonishing 6 pack, teardrop quads and striated pecs. That 6 pack still haunts me today.

After the military, I went to college and studied medicine and exercise science, got my certification through the ACSM and started personal training immediately afterwards. A year later I moved to OC where I got hired by one of the most prestigous and upscale fitness centers in the world. The problem was back then was that I felt I wasn't taken seriously as a real fitness professional; as if the members thought I was hired because the managers thought I was cute and my smile would sell PT.

Instead of attracting clients with fitness goals, I attracted single middle aged men set on getting me on a date or in bed. Many times, I'd spend the entire training session dodging questions about what I did last night or who am I dating these days. And I got so discouraged; I stopped prospecting for new clients.

After surviving a weight loss challenge between the other trainers, I went from 155lbs to 130lbs and regained my old boot camp body. I noticed how the trainers who were bodybuilders were admired and highly sought after for training and I wondered if becoming a bodybuilder would help me. So I approached an IFBB pro who I worked with and told her about a local show I wanted to compete in. That was a very pivotal moment in my career, because I got to feel the full effect of someone's "low carb day".

She was 2 days out from a pro-show, easily irritated and when I told her I wanted to compete, she yelled at me telling me I was "scrawny" and that I needed to plan at least 5 months of training, not 5 weeks. And she'd help me if I was honestly serious, but she didn't think I was. Needless to say, I was turned off and decided that maybe Figure wasn't for me.

So I went online and researched to find if there was a show that suited my smaller build. That's when I stumbled upon Ms. Bikini America. 3 weeks later, I entered the Ms. Bikini Southern California regionals and took 2nd place in my category.

Although, I am very sure that IFBB pro did not mean to be so mean to me and I'm sure she'd like to take it back; that moment had to happen to me, or I wouldn't be where I am today. I use that moment as a driving force to compete. I tend to work harder if someone tells me I can't do it, or I am not good enough. I love showing people up and surprising them!

Believe it or not; I don't follow a plan or program. My schedule is so erratic and changes at the last second. But I make it a point to hit up every body part once a week. When I have the time, I will take on 4-5 exercises per body part, with the exception of chest because I have shoulder issues and all chest exercises aggravates my rotator cuff.

Each set I hit 15-25 reps with 30-60 rest depending on how easy the set was prior. I end each workout with an hour of moderate intensity cardio, a 2 mile jog or 30 minute intervals on the stair mill. When I'm trying to shed fat, I will do an hour of cardio in the morning, then my workout a tad later. On days off, I will jog 3-4 miles.

My diet is non traditional, as I have a blood sugar issue and going too low in carbs will ruin me for the rest of the day and sometimes on into the next day. On weekends when I work at the club, I will eat mostly cottage cheese; yogurt and fruit since we don't get breaks and most of the time, I only have 2 minutes to inhale my meals.

Breakfast:

* Protein Shake

* 1/4-1/2 Cup Of Powdered Oatmeal

* 1 Piece Of Fruit

Meal 2:

* 4 Oz Of Cold Water Fish

* 1 Piece Of Fruit

* 1 Cup Of Rice

Meal 3:

* Cottage Cheese

* 3 Oz Sweet Potato

* Salad Greens

Meal 4:

* Fish

* Rice

Meal 5:

* 4 Oz Beef

* Green Leafy Or Cruciferous Veggies

* 1 Cup Of Rice

Meal 6:

* Cottage Cheese

* 25 Grapes

Right now, I take Gamma-O, BSN NO Xplode & Syntha 6. Normally, I like to take Egg Whites International or Isopure RTDs (but I've no room in my fridge for that with 2 other roommates who eat healthy).

I also religiously take a multivitamin, iron/folate, Flaxseed oil capsules, calcium, sea water minerals, a probiotic and when I remember, PureForms's Power Green.

At night before bed, I take Valerian root, Tryptophan, Melatonin and Chromium.