Having been in the fitness industry as a personal trainer for a number of years, I’ve had my fair share of female clients. Unfortunately an overwhelming amount of them had a negative perception of their body image. As such many of them resorted to extreme measures such as dangerously low calorie restriction, excessive exercise, and often they set unrealistic fitness goals for themselves, which ultimately set them up for failure and disappointment when they didn’t hit their goals. Another constant battle I have is with mainstream perceptions of what is “healthy” and how to train, with many clients doing too much of one type of training (like cardio) and being afraid of other types of training (such as weight training.)

With all that in mind I wanted to shed light on these issues, but I needed help. Fortunately I happened to know just the right person, my good friend Elspeth Dana. El and I used to work together at a fitness facility, and she currently lives in Hawaii and is a bikini competitor. I caught up with Elspeth last week to talk to her about her own training and nutrition, to hopefully show women (and men!) what a truly healthy lifestyle is all about.

FIT: How long have you been exercising?

Elspeth: I’ve always enjoyed being active. I grew up playing sports, continuing through college, but my real passion for working out started about 2 years ago.

FIT: When did you get into competing?
Elspeth: My first show was in April of 2009 (and I’ve learned a lot since then!) It’s a lot harder than it looks to get on stage in a suit and heels! But mostly, I was really inspired at the level of fitness and the dedication towards living a healthy life from the other women competing.

FIT: How do you decide what to eat (do you count calories? do you count carbs/fats/proteins/sugars?)

Elspeth: I have Cathy Savage Fitness and their fabulous coaches to credit for much of this. I had NO idea what to eat when I began competing, but through their guidance I discovered I actually enjoyed meal planning, and found I kind of have a knack for it! I do not count calories, but I do count the amount of carbs/ fats/ proteins. I eat 5-6 small meals a day containing mainly lean proteins, complex carbs, and healthy fats. Each meal contains a protein and vegetable, and depending on the time of day, fruit, and starches.

FIT: So you would say having a coach is important?

Elspeth: Having a coach or trainer is extremely beneficial towards reaching your goals, whatever they may be. I have learned so much about eating healthy and proper workouts from my coach. It really helps to have a second person take a look at your lifestyle, and see how they can improve it. I found that it made me very accountable for my actions- just knowing that someone else is investing their time into me makes me work even harder. Having a coach has changed my life, and has even inspired me to get my own personal training license! So yes, I would say it is important!

FIT: Does your regular diet differ from when you have a competition coming up?

Elspeth: It differs slightly, but I do not completely cut out any food groups, even fruit. I do however, decrease my portion sizes as show time approaches. The week or so before I cut out seasonings and condiments. The key is to eat well year round, that way there’s no need for any extreme deprivation. Eating clean is a lifestyle, not a fad diet, that helps you maintain balance and a great physique year round.

FIT: Do you plan your meals ahead of time? If so how much preparation do you do? A day? A week? Any tips for our readers about this?

Elspeth: I can’t stress enough how critical planning meals is. I find that when people cheat on their diet, or eat bad food, it’s usually because they’re tired or don’t feel like cooking so they hit the drive through or vending machine. By packing your meal, you will already have your meal ready to eat so there would be no need to go and get anything else. I plan all of my meals, this is especially important if I’m at work or traveling. That’s why baking in bulk is so helpful. Take one day a week and prepare a large amount of food; (chicken, brown rice, veggies, oatmeal, etc…) so you’ll already have them cooked for the week. Pre pack your meals for the next day every night, so they’ll be no rush in the morning! Sounds easy, right?! Once you get in the rhythm of your new schedule, you’ll have more energy and will feel more efficient.

FIT: How much do you weigh?

Elspeth: I weigh between 103-108lbs depending on if I am trying to put on muscle, or if I am leaning out. In general though, I don’t weigh myself very often: I judge myself on how my clothes are fitting.

FIT: What type of exercise do you do?

Elspeth: For cardio I try to mix it up, always keeping my body guessing. Running sprints, (on the track or treadmill), intervals on the stair master, kickboxing, walking at an incline, and high intensity elliptical workouts are currently on my list of favorites to do. I also include one functional day that includes agility drills and other crazy moves the trainers from CSF have come up with!

FIT: So you don’t do any long distance cardio?

Elspeth: I don’t, in general, do much long distance.

FIT: Do you think interval training is better for burning fat?

Elspeth: I do feel that intervals are better for burning fat, in less time. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have 2-3 hours a day to do cardio! And if I can burn more calories in a shorter amount of time, just by increasing my intensity than that is what I would choose.

FIT: Do you weight train?

Elspeth: Yes! I used to dread it, but now I look forward to it. I love how it has completely changed my physique! I weight train 4 days a week, and how my workouts are stacked varies from month to month. In general I do a lot of supersets to keep my heart rate up throughout the workout, and I lift moderate- heavy. I also dedicate 1 day a week to a specialty weight workout- whether it be for shoulders, butt, abs…This workout is for whatever muscle group I feel needs a little “extra love” that week.

FIT: What would you say to other women who are afraid of getting “too big” through weight training? Do you think weight training helps keep you lean?
I said the same things when I started weight lifting! I’m a small girl, and I was so afraid I was going to bulk up like football player! Turns out I was wrong! Weight training has made me leaner, and has many other added benefits as well. Such as: improved posture, raised metabolism so you burn more calories in a day, and it strengthens the bones just to name a few!

FIT: That’s really great, is there anything else you’d like to add?

Elspeth: Stay positive. Your mind plays a huge role in your success of living a healthy lifestyle. Just always do your best, and you will have no regret. But keep in mind that your best will change from day to day; there will be good days and bad days. Don’t compare yourself to others, this is your journey. Focus on yourself and your own goals, and you will find success.

P.S. When i come home in the fall [to New Hampshire] I want to do one of your workouts with you!! They look CRAZY!

Elspeth is currently competing to become the next model on the cover of Status Magazine. You can vote for El by clicking here: http://www.statusfitnessmagazine.com/elspeth-dana-0

Photo credits: Rebekah Ide, Alida Farlaino Photography

For more pictures and information about Elspeth check out her blog! http://elspethfitness.blogspot.com/

Tags: Article, Healthy Eating, Interview