A GREAT e-mail

I'd wanted to share this wonderful e-mail
correspondence with all of you...

Jennifer wrote:
Michelle,

After receiving my latest issue of Oxygen Mag, I was
surfing the web and decided to see what inspirational
stories the on-line version of oxygen
had to offer and low and behold I have found your web
site. I'm totally and completely amazed at your body.
In fact, I'm so amazed that I can't stop talking about
your web site. I've told everyone at work who needs
a little more inspiration to log on and check your
site out.

I have two questions for you. I read that you have a
nutrition andfitness background, how did you take your
unfit after pregnancy body andturn it into a sold muscle
machine? I guess my question is for a
motivation factor, what was the breaking point in
which you said this time I'm really gonna do it? And my second
question is, is it possible to discuss a sample menu when you are
preparing for a contest? I'm really curious what a typical diet
day is and a contest diet day is for you? I'm sure with four
very active young children your diet might not
be as clean as you'd like it to be.

I've recently within the last year have left the
corporate world, went back to school to earn my teaching degree
(after earning my bachelor's)
and went back to waiting tables at night. I saw
your fee for on-line training and really I just don't have that
flexible of an income to join. I work out with my husband and
pushes me hard but sometimes he
just doesn't understand what it means to be a woman.
If you know what Imean. That's why I love your web site!

Thanks for your inspiration and motivation.
Train hard,

Jennifer

"Be the change you want to see in the world"
Ghandi

I responded:
Jennifer,
Thanks so much for your GREAT e-mail!  I really love
your enthusiasm.

To answer your questions:

The point at which I decided I was going to prove you
can be buff after having children came when I looked
in the mirror and I didn't recognize the person
staring back at me.  I was very unhappy with what I
saw and how I felt.
In October of 2003, I decided to start training for my
first contest and competed in March of 2004.  So after
only 6 months of intense training, I won the my first
two NPC figure titles only 13 months after I had my
3rd and 4th children by c-section.  I honestly admit
that my body was not "super solid" at that point, but
I continued to work hard and shortly won 3 more titles
that year.

As far as diet is concerned, you are right it is not
super clean.  I don't have time to plan everything
out, so I eat the best I can.  The biggest concern for
me is to get my protein and veggies in daily.  If I do
that on a consistant basis, I see huge results.  Also
learning to time my meals for workout performance has
been key.  My diet varies a lot from day to day and I
change my focus every couple weeks, so it is hard for
me to give you a typical day's menu.  But when I am
trying to lean up for a contest/photoshoot my ratios
are basically 30Carb/40protein/30fat.

I am glad to hear that you enjoy lifting with your
husband.  Relish that time together and continue to
challenge yourself.  Please join the Team BuffMother!
Yahoo! group so that we can stay in touch.  There are
a ton of wonderful inspirational women there who are
always willing to help you get Buff!

Have a great night,
Your new friend,
Michelle