My love for fitness and health is undeniable. I want to embed myself in every aspect of it. One day while working out with my trainer, the subject of bodybuilding was touched on. I had always found it very exciting to watch, and part of me always wanted to give it a try, but I allowed my fear of not being able to physically take my body to that level stop me from trying. I asked my trainer that day if he felt as though I could do it. I asked if I had what it took to become a figure competitor. His exact words to me were, “Of course you can do it. You have it in you to be great.” Because of his belief in my ability, I found a nutritionist coach to guide me on my journey to compete. I am proud to say that on October 14, 2017 I made my debut as an NPC figure competitor. This is the new and enhanced me, but it wasn’t always like this.
I grew up in a small town in Alabama. My parents started my siblings and I out at a very early age in sporting activities which I continued well into high school. Track and field was my sport. After graduating high school, I took a few years off and joined the workforce where I became less active and developed very bad eating habits. Before I knew it, I was 300 lbs. With this drastic weight gain, my health also began to take a turn for the worst. I developed high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and was borderline diabetic. The day my physician prescribed blood pressure meds to me he said, “Fareeda, you cannot live with your blood pressure this elevated. You are putting yourself at risk for a heart attack or a stroke. You are too young to have this happen to you.” I was 22 years old.
Read the rest of her story in the fall 2018 issue of FitNFabs.
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