Fat 2 Fit!
Written By:
Debra L. Ricci
National Level Top 10 Figure Competitor
NESTA Certified Fitness Nutrition Consultant
ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer
At age 21 my weight caught up to me. Age 21 that is when life and the good times begin, so they say. I was always very active during my childhood years, right up until about the time i turned 15. My activity of choice was roller skating, I learned to roller skate at age 3 and it became all that I wanted to do in my free time. The roller skating rink was where all my friends were, so of course that was where i wanted to be! Then i turned 15 and became "too cool" for roller skating; now I wanted to hang out at the malls, play in arcades, and eat in the food courts. I was not worried about my my weight at that time; all I cared about was fitting in and being "cool" so that the other teenagers my age would want to hang out with me. I was not fat growing up at all, I was always tiny because little did I know, roller skating is an amazing cardiovascular activity, so that is probably why i stayed so petite and thin. Then all of a sudden it caught up to me. Turning 21 was a milestone and a celebration because that makes you legally able to buy and drink alcohol and get into the bars and clubs! I did the partying and the clubbing thing for a while until I started seeing pictures of myself with my friends. That was an eye opener in itself. I said to myself "Wow I have gained a lot of weight, why is this happening?" I was sort of in denial, then came to my senses gave myself a reality check and knew I had to change my eating habits and get back to being physically active or it was going to get worse.
Christmas 2003 my cousin Toni was home from college break and I was driving her to the airport and so we had about an hour drive before arriving at the airport, I knew that she was taking a nutrition class in college, and she was working out herself and losing weight. I asked her a few questions in regards to what she was learning in her nutrition class. I expressed to her that i needed to change my eating habits because I had come to the realization that I was overweight for my height. I am 4'11" and at that time I was weighting about 150lbs, enough to make me unhappy in my own skin. Toni listened as i confided in her, then she pulled out an old receipt that she had in her purse (this was the only form of paper we could find), and on the back of this receipt she listed a few items to buy at the grocery store and a few basic exercises for me to do at the gym. She said to me "Just try it, do not give up, it will take a couple weeks for you and for your body to adjust to this new routine, but you can do it, I know you can."
Weeks went by and I was still sticking to the plan. 6 months goes by and I am still working out consistently and eating right. At the time I was living at home with my Mom and Step Dad, and I was buying my own food at the grocery store, and not eating the meals that my Mother would make. A few family members often made little negative comments here and there because they did not understand why I was doing what I was doing; they thought I looked just fine. I had to deal with hearing the negative comments but did my best to not allow the negative comments to interrupt my focus. There were days when I would be in the gym twice a day, only because I felt like the gym was a place I could go to clear my mind, and completely shut out all of the bad, negative energy that was surrounding me. As time went by the gym was a place I looked forward going to, I would actually get excited to go! Of course as more time went on, people started noticing that I was losing weight, that I was happier, and almost always walking around with a smile on my face. The compliments that i received made me feel amazing! It confirmed that what i was doing was really working because people were noticing! The compliments gave me fuel to keep pushing. Every time I got a compliment from someone all I wanted to do was run straight back to the gym and get back work!
Over the course of 2 years I managed to lose a total of 50lbs on my own without the help of a personal trainer or nutritionist. I wanted to take full credit for my success, and also doing it on my own it taught me a lot about fitness and nutrition. Soon after I had others asking me " What are you doing, how did you lose so much weight, What are your secrets?" My response was always the same " I am eating right and working out. I am not taking any magic pills, or drinking any magic shakes, because there aren't any." You can not take something and sit on your butt and expect to see results. A lot of people want fast, instant results, but most don't want to put in the work or sacrifice anything to obtain the results. Nothing beats hard work, dedication, discipline and self-control. I will admit i was that girl who was afraid of lifting weights. For 2 years all i did in the gym was cardio. I would use every piece of cardio equipment in the gym and that would be my workout. Then one day I got over my fears of lifting weights. My fears were typical coming from a woman who wasn't educated enough in the area of weight training, I thought I was going to get big like a man. After doing my research and taking the time to educate myself on how weight training can be extremely beneficial for a woman, that is when my love for weight lifting took off! Now I can't keep my hands off the weights. Weight training makes me feel powerful, and beautiful! What most women don't' realize is, weight training builds muscle, muscle burns fat, and you can not possibly get "big like a man" without the use of anabolic steroids. If a woman is eating clean and healthy and working out between 5-6 days a week with weight training, indicates that less cardio needs to be done, and the more toned and firm your body is going to look.
Throughout my mid-twenties I remained very active, worked out 5 days a week but i would occasionally go out with friends on the weekends and have some fun. Life does not have to stop just because you have made a few lifestyle changes, life is all about balance. It's not a bad thing to reward yourself with some fun, a cheat meal, or a cocktail here and there but its best to keep in mind that too much of anything is never good. Make wise choices and you will thank yourself later! However, it was not until i relocated myself from Maine to California when my fitness levels went above the norm. I think that it has a lot to do with the fact that the weather in California is usually always sunny and beautiful, so the fact that you have the option of putting on a bathing suit pretty much year round makes me want to stay in shape year round! April 2012 I set a goal to compete in my 1st NPC Figure Competition. I started an 18 week competition prep and stepped on stage in September 2012 and took 3rd place for my height class! Competition prep is a whole different ball game. There is so much time and energy that goes into it, making sure you're eating all your scheduled meals on time, to getting all your workouts in, and not trying to miss a workout. Everything you do is on a time schedule. I can honestly say that "i do not have much of a life when I am prepping for a show, but that is fine with me because that is my choice. "THINK IT....LOVE IT.....LIVE IT.....DO IT!! I had a goal to get my IFBB PRO card. After competing in my first show I got the bug and went on to compete in April 2013 and then stepped on a national level stage in July 2013 where I placed Top 10 in my height class. After July 2013 I became totally burnt out mentally and physically and decided it was time for a break from the stage. I went into my "off season." I had areas that needed improvement so I worked really hard, lifting as heavy as I could to improve on those weak areas. I was "off season" from August 2013 until February 2014. March 2014 came and that was when I started my contest prep and picked a show date for Summer 2014. I dieted down for 5 months and went from 26% body fat to 8% body fat.
I am not sure when the next time I will step on stage will be, but that doesn't change the fact that I am a FITNESS ADVOCATE!! I live and breath this lifestyle. For me, there is no such thing as an "off season" I am always on season, all year round. To me it's a lifestyle, not a season! I enjoy staying lean all the time because I know that if i want to jump into a show I wont need to prep for 12 weeks. I love to train and I love to see my results so I know how extremely important nutrition is, I eat very healthy 95% of the time and yes, I believe live is all about balance so I treat myself here and there! I train like a BADASS every day because I LOVE this lifestyle.
In closing if i can stress one thing, it is to not let others dictate your life. Do exactly what makes you happy! If YOU want something GO GET IT! Opportunity is not going to come knocking at your door, you must GET UP AND GO AFTER EVERYTHING YOU WANT! If you feel that you need the extra push from a skilled and knowledgeable individual find yourself a great role model or coach who can assist you with reaching your fitness and nutrition goals. With Self-Motivation, Dedication, and Determination there is NO room left for failure!
If i can be of any assistance to you please do not hesitate to contact me. You can contact me by filling out the "Contact" form under the "More" tab in the navigation panel or directly by email at: Riccifit@gmail.com Please feel free to "LIKE" my Facebook page at: RicciFit Online Fitness & Nutrition Coaching Services as well as FOLLOW ME on Instagram at: msiamfitess and on Twitter @MsIamFitness.
Stay Healthy Fit n Sexy,
Yours Truly,
Debra Ricci
CEO / Founder of RicciFit - BORN 2B FIT
NESTA Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach
ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer
National Level Figure Competitor
mailto:riccifit@gmail.com
Written By:
Debra L. Ricci
National Level Top 10 Figure Competitor
NESTA Certified Fitness Nutrition Consultant
ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer
At age 21 my weight caught up to me. Age 21 that is when life and the good times begin, so they say. I was always very active during my childhood years, right up until about the time i turned 15. My activity of choice was roller skating, I learned to roller skate at age 3 and it became all that I wanted to do in my free time. The roller skating rink was where all my friends were, so of course that was where i wanted to be! Then i turned 15 and became "too cool" for roller skating; now I wanted to hang out at the malls, play in arcades, and eat in the food courts. I was not worried about my my weight at that time; all I cared about was fitting in and being "cool" so that the other teenagers my age would want to hang out with me. I was not fat growing up at all, I was always tiny because little did I know, roller skating is an amazing cardiovascular activity, so that is probably why i stayed so petite and thin. Then all of a sudden it caught up to me. Turning 21 was a milestone and a celebration because that makes you legally able to buy and drink alcohol and get into the bars and clubs! I did the partying and the clubbing thing for a while until I started seeing pictures of myself with my friends. That was an eye opener in itself. I said to myself "Wow I have gained a lot of weight, why is this happening?" I was sort of in denial, then came to my senses gave myself a reality check and knew I had to change my eating habits and get back to being physically active or it was going to get worse.
Christmas 2003 my cousin Toni was home from college break and I was driving her to the airport and so we had about an hour drive before arriving at the airport, I knew that she was taking a nutrition class in college, and she was working out herself and losing weight. I asked her a few questions in regards to what she was learning in her nutrition class. I expressed to her that i needed to change my eating habits because I had come to the realization that I was overweight for my height. I am 4'11" and at that time I was weighting about 150lbs, enough to make me unhappy in my own skin. Toni listened as i confided in her, then she pulled out an old receipt that she had in her purse (this was the only form of paper we could find), and on the back of this receipt she listed a few items to buy at the grocery store and a few basic exercises for me to do at the gym. She said to me "Just try it, do not give up, it will take a couple weeks for you and for your body to adjust to this new routine, but you can do it, I know you can."
Weeks went by and I was still sticking to the plan. 6 months goes by and I am still working out consistently and eating right. At the time I was living at home with my Mom and Step Dad, and I was buying my own food at the grocery store, and not eating the meals that my Mother would make. A few family members often made little negative comments here and there because they did not understand why I was doing what I was doing; they thought I looked just fine. I had to deal with hearing the negative comments but did my best to not allow the negative comments to interrupt my focus. There were days when I would be in the gym twice a day, only because I felt like the gym was a place I could go to clear my mind, and completely shut out all of the bad, negative energy that was surrounding me. As time went by the gym was a place I looked forward going to, I would actually get excited to go! Of course as more time went on, people started noticing that I was losing weight, that I was happier, and almost always walking around with a smile on my face. The compliments that i received made me feel amazing! It confirmed that what i was doing was really working because people were noticing! The compliments gave me fuel to keep pushing. Every time I got a compliment from someone all I wanted to do was run straight back to the gym and get back work!
Over the course of 2 years I managed to lose a total of 50lbs on my own without the help of a personal trainer or nutritionist. I wanted to take full credit for my success, and also doing it on my own it taught me a lot about fitness and nutrition. Soon after I had others asking me " What are you doing, how did you lose so much weight, What are your secrets?" My response was always the same " I am eating right and working out. I am not taking any magic pills, or drinking any magic shakes, because there aren't any." You can not take something and sit on your butt and expect to see results. A lot of people want fast, instant results, but most don't want to put in the work or sacrifice anything to obtain the results. Nothing beats hard work, dedication, discipline and self-control. I will admit i was that girl who was afraid of lifting weights. For 2 years all i did in the gym was cardio. I would use every piece of cardio equipment in the gym and that would be my workout. Then one day I got over my fears of lifting weights. My fears were typical coming from a woman who wasn't educated enough in the area of weight training, I thought I was going to get big like a man. After doing my research and taking the time to educate myself on how weight training can be extremely beneficial for a woman, that is when my love for weight lifting took off! Now I can't keep my hands off the weights. Weight training makes me feel powerful, and beautiful! What most women don't' realize is, weight training builds muscle, muscle burns fat, and you can not possibly get "big like a man" without the use of anabolic steroids. If a woman is eating clean and healthy and working out between 5-6 days a week with weight training, indicates that less cardio needs to be done, and the more toned and firm your body is going to look.
Throughout my mid-twenties I remained very active, worked out 5 days a week but i would occasionally go out with friends on the weekends and have some fun. Life does not have to stop just because you have made a few lifestyle changes, life is all about balance. It's not a bad thing to reward yourself with some fun, a cheat meal, or a cocktail here and there but its best to keep in mind that too much of anything is never good. Make wise choices and you will thank yourself later! However, it was not until i relocated myself from Maine to California when my fitness levels went above the norm. I think that it has a lot to do with the fact that the weather in California is usually always sunny and beautiful, so the fact that you have the option of putting on a bathing suit pretty much year round makes me want to stay in shape year round! April 2012 I set a goal to compete in my 1st NPC Figure Competition. I started an 18 week competition prep and stepped on stage in September 2012 and took 3rd place for my height class! Competition prep is a whole different ball game. There is so much time and energy that goes into it, making sure you're eating all your scheduled meals on time, to getting all your workouts in, and not trying to miss a workout. Everything you do is on a time schedule. I can honestly say that "i do not have much of a life when I am prepping for a show, but that is fine with me because that is my choice. "THINK IT....LOVE IT.....LIVE IT.....DO IT!! I had a goal to get my IFBB PRO card. After competing in my first show I got the bug and went on to compete in April 2013 and then stepped on a national level stage in July 2013 where I placed Top 10 in my height class. After July 2013 I became totally burnt out mentally and physically and decided it was time for a break from the stage. I went into my "off season." I had areas that needed improvement so I worked really hard, lifting as heavy as I could to improve on those weak areas. I was "off season" from August 2013 until February 2014. March 2014 came and that was when I started my contest prep and picked a show date for Summer 2014. I dieted down for 5 months and went from 26% body fat to 8% body fat.
I am not sure when the next time I will step on stage will be, but that doesn't change the fact that I am a FITNESS ADVOCATE!! I live and breath this lifestyle. For me, there is no such thing as an "off season" I am always on season, all year round. To me it's a lifestyle, not a season! I enjoy staying lean all the time because I know that if i want to jump into a show I wont need to prep for 12 weeks. I love to train and I love to see my results so I know how extremely important nutrition is, I eat very healthy 95% of the time and yes, I believe live is all about balance so I treat myself here and there! I train like a BADASS every day because I LOVE this lifestyle.
In closing if i can stress one thing, it is to not let others dictate your life. Do exactly what makes you happy! If YOU want something GO GET IT! Opportunity is not going to come knocking at your door, you must GET UP AND GO AFTER EVERYTHING YOU WANT! If you feel that you need the extra push from a skilled and knowledgeable individual find yourself a great role model or coach who can assist you with reaching your fitness and nutrition goals. With Self-Motivation, Dedication, and Determination there is NO room left for failure!
If i can be of any assistance to you please do not hesitate to contact me. You can contact me by filling out the "Contact" form under the "More" tab in the navigation panel or directly by email at: Riccifit@gmail.com Please feel free to "LIKE" my Facebook page at: RicciFit Online Fitness & Nutrition Coaching Services as well as FOLLOW ME on Instagram at: msiamfitess and on Twitter @MsIamFitness.
Stay Healthy Fit n Sexy,
Yours Truly,
Debra Ricci
CEO / Founder of RicciFit - BORN 2B FIT
NESTA Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach
ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer
National Level Figure Competitor
mailto:riccifit@gmail.com
I started my journey in 2002. Here you can see the results I made as the years went on. I didn't give up. "TRUST THE PROCESS" and KNOW that RESULTS take time. It won't be easy, but I promise you it WILL BE WORTH IT!!!
Left side: 2002 i was weighting in at 150lbs. 30% body fat.
Right side: 2013 weighting in at 103lbs. 7.5 % body fat.
Right side: 2013 weighting in at 103lbs. 7.5 % body fat.
NPC USAs in Las Vegas, NV.
July 2013
Placing: Top 10 - 10th Place.
July 2013
Placing: Top 10 - 10th Place.
"NPC Jon Lindsay's Grand Prix Los Angeles."
"NPC Jon Lindsay's Grand Prix Los Angeles."
"I don't stop when I'm tired, I stop when I'm done."
