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Ms. Fit 2019
56 year-old Donita McGill
How did doing a competition stack up against what you thought it was in the beginning?
I knew that this competition was not going to be a typical Fitness Competition from the first MS Fit 2019 info evening. All the ladies had been working hard to improve their fitness, not just the physical but mental and emotional (and with this came a new-found confidence). Although signing up to do a Fitness Competition was the next level. In signing up we all had to get to a place where we overcame our insecurities and negative thoughts we carried around about ourselves. We signed up knowing we were going to have to wear two skimpy pieces of fabric showing our visible scars, those beautiful tracks on our bodies from motherhood, from battling that dreaded foe cancer, and all the bits that we fretted needed more work. That night we all looked at each other and said “Sister, if you are in, I am in…WE can do this!” Our tribe had formed, and we were all about lifting each other up.
In doing this competition…What did you learn about yourself?
Once I decided to do this competition I learned how much negative self-talk is constantly going on in my head.
It was LOUDLY telling me:
- I was insane
- It was just vanity,
- I was going to look ridiculous and embarrass myself
I let those conversations continue until I couldn’t breathe. It was the week before the competition when I finally had enough and said very loudly in my outside voice “SHUT THE f-bomb UP!”
Making the decision:
I was in a 14-year relationship that was ending and in the last 5 years of it I had gained about 27 lbs. of unhappy sad weight. I lost the 27lbs quite easily after the relationship ended but I was not a strong healthy fit. I was tired and weak. Once I made the decision to start working with a personal trainer I could not believe how addicted I became to that hour twice a week where it was me against me. And, it was this fierce me that triumphed. I don’t know where she came from, but I love her!
The nutrition piece:
The nutrition bit was a surprise. I never believed I would feel satisfied eating clean or lean. I thought it would feel regimented and be unattainable, but once I started just trying to eat better and think about what I was fueling my body with it became easy. I felt satisfied after I ate clean unlike I had before. I had more energy and the mental fog that I had been living with disappeared.
The self talk:
Like I said earlier, the negative self-talk was really crippling, and I was surprised at how much of it was happening daily (hourly). I knew that it would always be there, so I decided to let “negative me” say my piece and then just say,“OK thanks for sharing but that’s not the truth” and carry on. And, it’s working! I don’t pay as much attention to that voice as I used to.
What did your friends think about you entering a fitness competition?
When I told my 24 and 22-year-old sons that I signed up to do the MS Fit Competition and asked them if they thought I was crazy, they looked at me like I was crazy to even ask the question. They are fierce in their support of me. All my friends who I told were like “you go girl” & “you are going to kick ass”. My 77-year-old mother who was in the audience on the night of the competition was quite proud.
What are your goals now?
My goal is to take my fitness to the next level. I have been told by my trainer Broden he is going to have me lifting heavier weights and eating more fats and protein to gain more muscle. Who knows, there may be another competition. I do know that fitness will be my way of life going forward. I have never felt as strong and complete as I do now.
Final comments:
I encourage anyone out there right now who feels like:
- The color has faded from their world
- That being fit and in shape is only for the young
To commit to a least 6 months of working with a personal trainer; The right personal trainer will have your best interests at heart, will listen to what works and doesn’t work and will adjust your workouts accordingly week by week and will make the money part of the journey quite easy to bear, so easy that you will wonder why it took you so long! One on One Personal Fitness does this for me. Sandra and her team have helped me find my way back to me.
