Moving Forward: Not Back to the Pre-Baby Body

ADRIENNE
AGE 34, MAJOR IN ACTIVE DUTY ARMY, MOTHER

After the birth of her first child, Adrienne’s body bounced right back. When she had her daughter 5 years later, she discovered that she wouldn’t have the same experience the second time around.

“I was always into weight lifting, so I was familiar with exercising. However, my body wasn’t where I wanted it to be. I spent a few years on a roller coaster ride of 'on the wagon, off the wagon.' For a few months, I would do well and even lose a few pounds. Eventually, I would plateau and regain whatever I had lost." Adrienne experimented with various programs, hoping one would ultimately be her answer to achieving the “pre-baby body” she desperately sought to regain.

When Adrienne moved to Maryland, she met Valerie Solomon who lived across the street. “I watched her compete, would see her stage photos and think ‘I’d love to do that someday, but I could never look like that’.”

Toward the end of 2016, Adrienne and her husband turned their garage into a home gym, their first step what would end up being a life-transforming year. “I lost 15lbs. I joined Valerie’s Fit Mom Challenge in February 2017. I changed my nutritional plan by incorporating Isagenix products into my lifestyle. It was the jumpstart my body had needed and at this point… I began to seriously explore competing. I had talked about it long enough. Now, I was ready.”

In June, Adrienne started working with Val and online training and began her journey to the stage. In October, Adrienne stepped on stage as a Figure competitor. “I was nervous and it was scary… but it was so fun. Stepping onto stage after this 4-year journey… it didn’t matter the outcome. I was already a winner.”

Along with Coach Val, Adrienne’s biggest fans were right in the audience on competition day: her husband and kids.

“Having a good support system at home is so important. My husband wasn’t competing, yet he still ate how I ate. He was very cognizant and supportive of the process. There’s a video from the competition where you can literally hear the genuine happiness in his voice as he’s cheering me on.”

And it wasn’t just Adrienne’s husband who was so proud of her. “One of my favorite parts of the whole day had to be my 4-year old daughter telling me that she wanted to be strong like me when she gets bigger.”

Originally, Adrienne intended to work with Val only for the duration of competition prep. “After my competition, I decided to continue on as a lifestyle because of the community of women. We have the same goals. It’s also great to have a relationship with your
trainer and have their continuous support, without needing to see them every day.“

Adrienne’s Journey With Online Training Extends Beyond Just Her Physical Transformation.

“I didn’t realize until recently that it wasn’t so much my body that needed to be transformed, but rather my mind. I spent four years so worried about regaining my ‘pre-baby body’; I finally realized that body doesn’t exist anymore. I mean… You carried a human!

I was so tied up in that image of a “pre-baby body” that I didn’t noticed the inner transformation that was happening. Sometimes we are so fixated on changing the outside, we don’t realize how it’s more the internal struggles we’re having that cause us to be unhappy or unsatisfied with ourselves. 

After having my 2nd child, I lacked self-love. I had gained more weight with my second pregnancy, and I became so horrible toward myself. We tell people to be kind to one another... but, we aren’t kind to ourselves.

My body is 10 times better now than before I had kids. And I’m well aware I’ll regain some weight post show… but I am at peace with that. I feel so good on the inside, I’m more equipped to handle what changes on the outside.”

So, what is Adrienne’s advice for women who struggle with trying to regain their pre-baby bodies?

“Never make your goal to get your ‘pre-baby body’ back. Don’t make your goal to be the person you were before you had a baby. You’ll never be that person again. In one of my exercise classes, the instructor tells us, “You’re so much bigger than a smaller pair of pants.” That one sentence equates to my four-year journey. Set new goals. Never say you can’t do something …
because you ABSOLUTELY can.”

Contact Coach Valerie Solomon here to inquire about online training

or

visit this page to learn about Val’s Gals Online Training group.

Fitness Competition Mindset: Finding Self Love & Sustainability

Looking at Adrienne’s physique, the outside person would simply see a strong athletic female. This figure competitor had an amazing physical transformation that ultimately led her to the stage last fall. With so much success that comes with such accomplishments, you’d think the pride would carry on forever… but once a competitor steps off stage and returns to more their everyday fit lifestyle (necessary for health), very often are mental battles that accompany that change.

“For a while after competing last fall, I stayed very positive in terms of watching my body change. I was proud of how I reverse dieted afterward to maintain a certain level of leanness while allowing my body the opportunity for new muscle growth. While I love the shredded lean look that the sport of bodybuilding creates… and while you wish it would last… you know it can’t.”

Around Christmas, Adrienne had surgery that required some down time. “I put everything on hold to give my body time to recover and heal… and that’s when the struggle began. I discovered that if I’m not enforcing a regular exercise routine, I’m not enforcing diet either. It’s a double edge sword.”

After several weeks, Adrienne was cleared to begin exercising again. “While I was finding my routine again, I was also left with the feeling of, 'Oh my God, what did I do?' I became very hard on myself and the transformation of my physique during that time.

Everything I Had Told Others About Self Love…Went Out The Window.”

While Adrienne had great support from family and her coach… she lacked that former sense of pride and confidence she once had. “Personal opinions are so much worse than how others view us.” As females, we put so much pressure on ourselves that “how far we’ve come” can become overshadowed by “how far we have to go.”  With a less than favorable view of her off season body, this figure competitor found herself struggling with thoughts of “I want to compete again but… What if I don’t exceed my own expectations? What if my physique isn’t better than last time? I’m 35… when does my time run out?”

Her struggles led to a conversation with her coach. Val said “You have a daughter. We’re not in this sport to make ourselves crazy. Competing should fit into a small part of your lifestyle. A sustainable lifestyle is what we should strive for. Find your everyday fit.” Those words resonated on a deeper level for Adrienne, reminding her of how far she’s come over the last few years and validating her REAL goal. “Val snapped me back into reality. I had struggled after having my daughter.

My Sustainability Is Finally Solid. And My Inner Transformation Was Larger Than Any Physical Transformation.”

Beyond just what this lifestyle means to her personally, Adrienne hopes it will create a positive impact in her daughter’s life.

“I want to be a good example for my daughter. I don’t want her to ever feel defined by anything she sees. I want her to look in the mirror and feel confident. There’s so much pressure put on girls today… even more than when I was a kid. I want her to feel proud of who she is.”

What began as a simple conversation between Adrienne and her coach led to a deeper reflection and a shifted mindset. "Goals change. My body represents two sets of goals. Looking at my competition photos, that was one goal. To step on stage, and be lean enough to compete. Today’s photos are a different set of goals: To build mass and take a bigger, better, stronger package to the next show. I have a path of where I want to go in terms of competing. As a goal-oriented person, having something on the calendar keeps me motivated. But on that same token, I want to enter my next competition prep with a positive mindset, love myself through the process and ENJOY the process.”

“Sometimes you can’t always see the fruits of your labor…” says Adrienne, which can undoubtedly lead to feelings of self-doubt on whether you’re making progress toward your goals. But during those times, it's essential to reflect on our WHY, celebrate successes, remember the struggles you’ve overcome and embrace where you are at that moment.  

While Adrienne plans to compete again once her military family has settled from a cross country move this summer, she’s learning to feel proud of her everyday fit physique. Adrienne has a deeper appreciation of what this journey has offered, in terms of perspective.  

“A Sustainable Lifestyle Is Most Important To Me. I Have Come To That Place Where I UNFORGIVABLY Know Who I Am. That’s One Of My Greatest Victories In Life.”

Contact Coach Valerie Solomon here to inquire about online training

or

visit this page to learn about Val’s Gals Online Training group.