terry

Female

27

Virginia, United States

physical therapist

Jan, 2007

I've always been active since grade school. i played volleyball all through high school and for a portion of my college career. it was pretty easy to stay in shape when you're required to practice 3-6x's a week and lift weights 2-3x's per week. During grad school, i separated from sports and exercise due to my busy schedule. all i had time for was studying and the little sleep i got!! before you know it, you're snacking on 2 or 3 krispy kreme donuts during study breaks and taking late nite runs to mcdonalds :( i had no meal plan...i would pick up candy bars to keep me going. After college, things didn't get any better...studying for the physical therapy boards meant yet again, sleeping and studying. So my cycle of poor eating began. The turning point... After a grueling 3 months of studying and passing (yay!!!) the boards, i became a staff therapist at an outpatient clinic. I would train my patients everyday and advise them on how to return to better health and maintain it. Doing this day after day, i realized that i was a complete hypocrite! i knew at that point that i wanted to do something about my fitness. i couldn't ask my patients to do 10-15 minute exercises at home when i was doing zero minutes myself because 'i didn't have the time'. it was time to change. so i joined the local gym for a 1 month membership and i've been hooked ever since!!

i love the feeling after an awesome workout. it's definitely a natural high!! even though DOMS can be painful at times, i really love the afterburn. it makes me feel like i'm pushing my body to the max

looking at the fitness competitors and models in magazines. they are the epitome of true beauty. a perfect balance between strength and femininity.