Liza Laura’s BodyBlog

Ok so I have long lurked and admired all you folks who keeep us all motivated and amused by your blogs, esp msfitness and dvness so I thought I’d give it a shot and maybe help motivate others in the process. 

I am a 44 year old gal who came to the figure party late but haven’t let that stop me!  I was always sorta athletic but never really into any particular sport - always kind of a loner I guess.  But the love of banging around weights has been the one constant.  I have always put on muscle very easily for a female and have the classic southern Italian tiny waist and big butt.  I have also always been the yo-yoer.  I can gain and lose weight fairly easily but always required some sort of motivation.  When my Mom died in December of 2003 I proceeded to drown my sorrows in food and inactivity.  Needless to say I became the heaviest I’d ever been (check out my before pic in my profile!)

So after seeing that dreaded pic and coming down with a severe case of gout I decided something needed to be done.  My mom wouldn’t be happy to see how I’d let myself go!  So I started training hard with the goal of getting into a bikini for a upcoming vacation.  I hired a trainer and he helped me shed about 25lbs.  Here is one of the keys for me and maybe you too - START OUT WITH SMALL ACHIEVABLE GOALS - mentally if I don’t see progress or get frustrated I am liable to give up so I need small quick goals to keep me motivated.

Anyhoo fast forward and achieving that goal led to me trying my hand at figure - small regional show, 1st place tall class and overall masters and I was hooked!  Two more national qualifiers, 3rd place and 4th place (not bad for an old gal)  and now I need to pic a national show.  I feel some pressure to do it soon (I sure ain’t getting any younger and it is hard competing against girls that could be my daughters) and yet I really don’t have time with my job, or funds with my recent move to travel much so that leaves the Team Universe in 12 weeks.  CAN I DO IT??  I had planned on doing the Arnold Amateur - got accepted and everything but couldn’t get my sh*t together - millions of excuses that I won’t bore you with!  (OK, One was the lack of a trainer but I finally found the one bodybulider on the east end of long island so I don’t have that one anymore - more on this in a seperate blog - I now live in the land of yoga and pilates and miss my friends of iron!!)

I have until the beginning of August to submit my application so I am going to give it my all and try and do this.  I am in good shape as far as muscles go but need to lose about 15lbs to be competitive.   I will post some progress pics soon and hope to see a bunch of you at the show - I hope to eat some pancakes aferwards with Vanessa!!  So for all you who think you’re too old - sorry you need to come up with a better excuse!