Hi Victoria,

I am getting ready for a pageant in a few weeks (six to be exact) and I have this fat on my lower abs and I hate it.  I have been doing all kinds of exercises and dieting and I am mentally exhausted.  I have done everything and it’s still there. I want to win my competition and I will do anything. 

I totally understand your frustration.  When I was competing as a natural body builder, I had a celebrity fitness contract with Nike and I was getting ready to film a new workout series. I had a ton of pressure to look hot and be able to fulfill all my professional obligations at the same time.

Like you, no matter what I did I just couldn’t seem to get my lower belly flat.  I was so frustrated and like you Marina, I had a deadline of six weeks before I had to go onstage again in front of professional judges, family, friends and the worst critics of all, my peers. 

It’s amazing how your mind plays tricks on you when you compare yourself to others all the time.  Many times we don’t even see our strengths because we run around playing victim to every little thing that happens to us and that clouds our thinking. 

At any given time, regardless of the facts, our reality is formed from our weaknesses and is clouded by our limited view of things.  That’s what was happening to me.  I would look at the contestant lineups in magazines, past shows and videos I had purchased and feel hopeless.  In the beginning stages of my competition years, everyone, in my eyes anyway, looked awesome and unbeatable. 

As I began to compete and have successful experiences, I felt more confident about myself.  The more I competed, the better I felt about my performance and my body.  No one could beat me when it came to dancing, posing and charisma. I am blessed with the gift of being photogenic, because not everyone is.  But now being as ripped and shredded as a competitor needed to be was a different story.

I had trained so much that I was getting soft and not sleeping well which hindered my recovery and appearance.  I had come to a place where I had to stop everything and regroup.  I had to sit down write out a six-week dieting/training and living game plan with measurable checkpoints. It had to be one that prepared my body for my next show, provide me with great energy for my video shoot and celebrity appearance for Nike and give me energy and peace!

Marina, you have to do the same. Here you go…

Six-Week Body Restructuring Plan

• Get our your day planner
• Weigh and measure yourself
• Write out your desired goals, your ideal weight,
• Write our your diet one week at a time and keep a journal
• Plan your workouts.  Cardio five days per week. Stretching daily, Practice routine four times per week and every day the last week before the pageant.
• Sleep eight hours per night and drink a gallon of water per day.
• Do not eat carbs up to three hours before bedtime.
• Take control of your time.  Stop all unnecessary errands, distractions, energy zapping relationships and phone calls, emails, blackberry responses, etc.  STOP all communication that is unhealthy and drains you.
• Love connection. Communicate with God, mentors, friends and loved ones and coaches who make you feel powerful and connected to your goals and destiny.
• DO something that makes you happy and peaceful every day. I use affirmations, art, music, candles and soaking in my private tub!  You fill it in.

Real Focus

Once I had a plan, it was perfect. I went from zero peace and 100% frustration, to total power and greatness in three seconds without looking back. This has become one of my most liberating principles I learned from my agent. 

He taught me that if you look back at the darkness, you can’t see the beautiful light ahead.

Once I had a plan with checkpoints and definite action I was going to take, all I was doing was looking forward, strategizing, planning, building, and taking action. It was an exhilarating feeling.

If I started to fall back into my old routine and way of thinking and became disappointed in myself then I would study my diet, workouts and journal more.  Undoubtedly I would see the problem immediately and get back on track.

Look ahead Marina, everything is getting brighter by the second.  Clarity brings light and your plan will help you be able to stay focused.  When you are focused, your path will be illuminated and everything you need will appear.

You will be amazed how quickly you will have motivation to stay committed to your goal.  When you begin the seven-day diet menu planning like I teach you to do in my Quick Start Energy Program, you will see fat drop off your lower abs as well.

Body Restructuring

Also Marina, I learned that the main thing for visible abs is lowering your body fat.   On a female, your abs pop out at between 18-16% body fat and your lower abs look great after 12%. 

Your abs get indirectly trained through almost every other exercise you do.  Plus you need to check out my Ab Lab DVD.  It’s the science behind flat abs!!  I love that DVD. It is one of my top sellers across the GLOBE!!  I love getting emails from other countries when they get it. They always tell me how much they feel after they do it and want to know if it’s normal to feel that tight so fast.

By the way, I didn’t go into the science of lower abs verses midsection. And as far as 'lipo" goes, my answer is NO! You'l be out for 4 - 6 weeks, probably gain weight, potentially be left with a lumpy bumpy lower belly and gain new scars for the effort. When you train, diet correctly, drink water, rest and do my Ab Lab DVD, you will be sending me flowers to thank me for your new awesome body!

Marina, in life, the greatest journey always starts with one decision at a time.  Decide today to have fun competing.  Then decide to get your tools lined up.  Then decide to make your plan.  Do whatever it takes to be the best and take home the prize girlfriend.  Remember, no one cares who is third and no one remembers who was second!  GO for #1!  You can do it.