We are one month into Belle's training and I couldn't be happier with her results.  She wanted to train for a competition to push herself to not only get in the best shape possible, but also as an overall confidence boost. She told me her abs would be her challenge because that is where she carries her weight, but I wasn't concerned. She is committed and they don't come more enthusiastic than Belle. I refer to her as the gym cheerleader :) Now, I am not saying there haven't been a few  moments when a pep talk was needed, but she is a champ and the pictures say it all. I can't wait to see her progress over the next two months. 

I waited a little over a week to write a roundup post about Nicole's competition. I wanted to provide not only details on the event but what happened afterwards .

As most of you saw on social media the competition was great. Nicole ended up winning 1st in her age division and 3rd in overall. Not too shabby for her first competition :) I couldn't have been more proud of her hard work and commitment and it was so nice to see all of the support she received from everyone. I have to say our Flywheel Family is definitely there for you when you need them!!

After Nicole received her trophies, ate her lemon bars and drank some wine, among other things, the "postpartum" depression hit. It sounds strange that anyone would feel that way especially after a successful show but it happens to most competitors. Instead of being able to relax and chow down, you feel lost without the structure and focus.  Now don't get me wrong with time you get back to feeling normal but it is an often unexpected part of the process.

After a few "what do I eat today " texts from Nicole.  I realized she was hooked.. It took all of one day for her to decide she wants to go at it again. Not only her but  Kate Lahl and Belle Piansay will be training with me for upcoming competitions. Sooo....here we go again! The more the merrier stay tuned.

Nicole: Suit is ordered👙👙😁 26 days away!!! Body is progressing!!! Once again Colette Marcinkowski Kuhnsman kicked my booty this am!!! This is not easy but if you are dedicated and want a challenge you should definitely do this!! I have learned things about myself I never would have learned. I have gained new relationships and got rid of bad relationships! You really find out who's your rock during something like this !!! Feeling happy, motivated and scared, and will keep on kicking ass. This is a new lifestyle!!

Couldn't sleep💤💤💤 4 weeks away from stepping foot on stage under hundreds of lights💪🏼👙💪🏼👙my nerves are getting to me!!😝😝😝guess I have to work them off!

Nicole: What an amazing day spent watching hundreds of men and women step foot on stage in the smallest amounts of clothing to show off all their hard work!!! This by far has to be the most challenging thing any human could possibly take on,between diet, exercise, tears, mood swings, body changes and figuring out what suit you should sport under all those bright lights! 
August 6th only four weeks away .........Bring it on 👙👙👙👙👙👙👙👙👙👙 Thank you Colette for taking me through this journey 😘😘😘

Colette: Nicole Is doing great. She started posing practice two weeks ago and is getting used to the moves and the high heels :) Took her to another clients show so she could start to get comfortable. Shows tend to be very motivating. She is ready for another diet adjustment. Due to her naturally high metabolism she gets more calories than most competitors would at this stage. My focus is to keep muscle on her and make sure she feels good and stays healthy! As you saw above she just ordered her suit. Now to schedule makeup and tanning. Then food, weights, sleep, repeat!!

Colette: Got Nicole and Kate in for Bikini Posing Practice with Stella. Kate's show is this weekend so she is doing a final run through while Nicole is having her first practice. Now it's getting real! They are going to have muscles that are sore that they didn't even know existed. Standing still with all your muscles tight  and sucked in is much more challenging then it looks if done correctly :)

Nicole: ​ Nervous but it definitely made me excited for the final result of my new body !!! Looking forward to bringing out a spicy Diva on stage and I will definitely be all smiles that day!!!!!😘👙

Colette: We are at day 12. Nicole had to face one of the toughest challenges when training. No, I'm not talking about in the gym. I am referring to socializing when training. The first time out is always the most  difficult. This is where temptation is at it's highest . Everyone is having a cocktail or hors d'oeuvres. In this case we were at a birthday celebration so it can be difficult when you feel like you are the only one not joining in on the fun.  And there is always the well meaning person who tells you that one drink or small snack can't possibly make a difference. So what is the strategy? Come armed by eating some protein before you go out so that food is not so tempting. And always have something in your hand, a club soda with lime works well. Remember why you are doing this and that the abs that are starting to pop out will make you feel better than any cocktail.

Now that the food is becoming routine and she is comfortable with the exercises, it's time to just  hunker down and work hard. You may hear her complaining about muscle soreness this week :) Stay tuned!

Colette: As I noted last post we had increased Nicole's calories, so she is feeling good and strong! Important because now that she is getting comfortable with the exercises and has mastered her form with weights -   time to go beast mode!!! :)

Day 6....... Ummmm lets just say I got my butt  kicked  this morning I'm still shaking... Diet is cool but challenging!  Food prep takes a bit of planning but manageable.

Colette: I had to make a few additions to Nicole's diet today and actually add some more calories  - nice to have such a great metabolism. The change in exercises even with an increase in calories to what she was eating before  wasn't enough so we added more food .  She is around 2200 kcal now and the focus is on adding muscle. So  she is spending more time lifting; low reps and heavy wt with great form. She is also eating good quality food, lots of  greens , veggies, yams, fish, lean chicken and turkey a few protein shakes and fiber! She is so committed, love it!! In case you couldn't tell it was glute and leg day  -  Ouch !! :)

Colette:
We took her before pictures today as she got used to the eating plan. There were a couple of additional runs to the store to get all of the ingredients then some time for food prep.  Since she teaches FlyWheel she is definitely getting in a lot of cardio but it is a lot of the same cardio. So we are changing that up and adding a challenging weight training program More details to come. Nicole's areas of concern are her stomach and overall muscle mass. She an ectomorph so we are going to really focus on building some size. It's a process but we will definitely make some changes in the next few months.