Lorraine
Before I got in touch with Mirella, I had been travelling for some months and had done very little in the way of exercise, had been eating and drinking whatever and whenever I wanted. When I returned I was eager to get back into shape, but during my time away I had already decided that I wanted to do raise the bar with regards my fitness, and enter a Bikini Fitness Competition. This seemed incredibly far fetched given my starting point, so much so that I chose not to share this with anyone at first. But it was something I had wanted to do for a while, and for the first time in my mind it felt like the right time to do something about it. The first thing I did was get in touch with MIrella, and arranged to meet face to face to discuss. I chose Mirella not only because I had been her client in the past, but also because Mirella had had first hand experience of the process having been through and placed in competitions herself, and also had a successful track record in coaching others in competitions. Further, I wanted to go to someone I could trust, who I knew would honestly tell me if it was realistic, or if it was something I wasn’t quite ready for.
When I came away from meeting with Mirella, having agreed to enter a competition 6 months later, I knew I’d made the right choice and was already starting to reap the benefits. I had had so many doubts, but by having the opportunity to find out what i needed to know about the process, and Mirella telling me that she believed it was a realistic goal, suddenly there was a change in my own mindset. The self doubt gave way to positivity, and that in itself was very powerful.
When my training and nutrition plan were dropped in my shared Dropbox folder, I was really excited to get started. The nutrition plan detailed the macros / kcals I had to adhere to each day, and there were examples of meal plans and pointers on how to put my own meal plans together. I must admit, meeting my macros each day was probably the trickiest, most frustrating part of the process, but Mirella was on hand with information and support to help me through this.
The training programmes were varied, progressive and (mostly!) enjoyable 🙂 and produced tangible results. One memorable moment for me 3 months in, was when I managed to do pull ups unassisted! Having never attempted any since I had failed to get even close to one right at the very beginning, I was curious to see if I had gained enough strength to do at least one without bands. Imagine my surprise when I smashed out 3 sets – 7, 5 and 5. I was ecstatic to say the least! Smashing those mini goals along the way provided a great incentive to keep going, and was proof right there that the training plans Mirella provided were doing their job.
Regular check ins with Mirella provided an opportunity for feedback and support where required, as well as accountability which I believe is vital to help you achieve your goals and get results, it was for me anyway. With Mirella’s coaching, not only did I manage to step on stage and enter the Miami Pro Bikini Over 35s, but I placed 2nd and won my Pro Card. There was my dream realised, and exceeded right there! Along this 6 month journey with MIrella’s support and guidance I have not only achieved my fitness goal and dream, I have learned a lot along the way which I’m able to continue to apply.
Committing to entering this competition was a huge investment in time, effort and not least money, therefore I needed to be sure I had a coach that was trustworthy and knowledgeable to guide me through the process to help me reach my goal. Choosing Mirella was a no brainer, and she didn’t disappoint.