My original plan after having our baby girl eight months ago was to start prepping 16 week out for the SAF Summer Spectacular held on June 16. I was eager to have my body back and return to the stage with a "better than ever" physique. For motivation, I would research competitions on Facebook and see women who had children six and nine months prior, competing with unbelievable results. My nutrition and weight training were flawless, which led to gains in size in my lower body as well as my shoulders, chest and back. However, the area that I have always struggled with and that comes in last is my abdominals. At one point when I was pregnant, I was 56 inches around and stopped measuring after that. YIKES!

Once I decide on a goal, I want to see results immediately. Unfortunately, my abdominal fat was reducing at a very slow rate, which greatly tested my patience. In order to be competition ready, I would have to dedicate a great deal of time to intense and extra cardio. Being a new mom, I felt that I could not properly prepare and be stage ready without taking time away from my daughter and feeling guilty. So I made the decision to postpone my "comeback" to the fall. I am happy with my decision as these precious times with my daughter are irreplaceable. Currently, I am training five to six days per week, eating clean, and cherishing each and every moment with my baby girl. My body fat is continuing to drop and I will be back and bringing my best physique to the stage in the fall. My lesson: Don’t compare your experience and timeline with someone else's and expect them to be identical. It is your body and your life. It will all come together when it feels right for you.

Whether it be your first or tenth SAF competition, I wish all of the athletes a phenomenal experience. On a side note, I wanted to wish Christy Wolfe, a fellow SAF Elite Pro and friend, a huge congratulations on the news of expecting their first child.

Keep striving and smiling,

Erin XO

Tweet