There's more to strength than the physical

As a mother, I don't promote being thin to my daughter. Muscle is where it's at and whenever I can, I express how having muscle can be feminine and women/females can be strong outside and in.

I love training. In the past week, I've had two separate people at the gym ask me, "you're still here?" But strength training extends beyond the gym, beyond the physical. It's a mental commitment combined with a courage to push yourself and face insecurities, fears, and doubts. Why? Because we can and we want to be better versions of ourselves.

Being an athlete is not easy. UFE's (Ultimate Fitness Events) #I'mnoteveryone slogan and how true is that? It's the constant challenges, both physical and mental, that make the process rewarding at the end of a competition because despite the odds, you did it!

And this applies for non athletes as well.

It's a decision. As Yoda says, "do or do not; there is no try". It's a commitment. You fall; get back up. A mistake is only a mistake if you don't learn from it. Give yourself permission to learn the lesson and try again. You are worth it.

To be human is to make mistakes. To be strong is to be relentless despite the odds.

Although I will be honoured to share the stage with my fellow, fierce competitors at UFE's Halloween Mayhem, and if I qualify, the World Championships, I want to slam every fear, insecurity, and obstacle in my personal challenger, aka the old me. And I will win because I have become stronger inside and out. I know the old me quite well and I'm going to take her down.

I know I am not alone. There are countless strong women out there and I'm proud to be one of them.

If you do not feel strong, you can be but it might require some professional guidance. Allow me to help you build your strength. You are stronger than you think.

After all, we're strong women!

Facing your fears through a fitness competition

Yes, even Psychotherapists have to face their fears. The thought of wearing a bikini in public is something I dread. The thought of parading on stage wearing a very small bikini in front of an audience and being judged by a panel of strangers has the appeal of a root canal. Some people love the spotlight but I am not one of those people.

So one might ask why I would even consider the goal of entering a figure competition.   Last year, I entered a 90 day Transformation Challenge at my gym and I won. Then Christmas came, and like many holidays in the past, I gained much of the weight back. I needed a new goal, a more aggressive goal and entering a competition seemed like a good idea at the time.  I have never been an athlete so when I found out that fitness competitors were referred to as athletes, I thought this is the closest I'll ever be to becoming an athlete.  I registered for the UFE Spring Bash show, which is this Saturday, April 5th, as well as the UFE Revolution in Cobourg on April 26th, but UFE has many other shows which can be located at http://ufeshows.com/. By registering for 2 shows, I made it official and I became committed to taking on this new venture.


Then I got a lovely dose of reality. Even though I hired a very experienced and great trainer at Elite Fitness Training Systems, who helped designed all my workout programs and meal plans, I did not anticipate the mental challenges throughout this process. My professional training in psychotherapy certainly came in handy.

Plus I had a plan. I was going to do a practice show, especially since this will be my first time competing. I would learn what to expect, learn from my mistakes, meet some cool people, and try to have fun through this root canal experience. Then I would do my 'real' competition and feel more prepared. That was the theory behind my decision but, in practice and now just 2 days leading up to my practice show, I neglected to think of how I would feel not looking my best in front of an audience and a panel of judges. Was I really ready to do this? One is never truly ready for a root canal are they? I reminded myself of my goal and why I was doing this. I want to confront some fears and test myself.  In essence, I was counselling the counsellor/myself. If this was easy, everybody would be doing it. This isn't just a physical challenge; it's a mental challenge as well.

Is it time for you? Do you have any fears to address or goals you would like to achieve but are facing roadblocks? Whether you are having challenges getting through a competition, creating goals, facing fears, or addressing unresolved issues, contact me and let's deal with them head on.

Take it from a Psychotherapist who knows. Sometimes a helping hand is all that is needed.