Guest blog by bikini competitor and bootcamper Izzi Wilson
When Derek told me he would like to share my transformation a million things flooded my mind. NONE OF THEM GOOD! 
I wasn’t impressed with my own transformation like I had been with all the other bootcamper’s amazing stories! And lets face it, the thought of putting my “before” pictures out there scared the shit out of me.
But hey, if just one person can relate to my transformation in anyway then why the hell not?
I never really considered myself “unhealthy”. From the time I turned 18 I was in the gym or “being active” at least four times a week.
But… a minimum of one meal a day came from fast food and I drank pretty regularly. It was okay though because I worked out. Right? Uhmm… NO!
I was what I now like to call “skinny fat”. I was never bigger than a size 7, but I had no muscle and felt like I was going to die if I ran more than 10 minutes!
This lifestyle continued until after my boyfriend, LiveFit head trainer Richard Berrian, and I moved in together.
So the drinking and constant fast food had stopped but with that, so did the gym.
Then came the “happy pounds”. Ya’ know, the few extra pounds everyone gains in the first few months of a new
relationship.
So here was my hot, trainer boyfriend with the perfect abs and then there was me, heavier
then I had ever been.
Although he loved the big booty, I was unhappy and uncomfortable with the way I looked.
Getting tired of hearing me complain, Richard, of course gave me suggestions of ways to eat better and recommended I try bootcamp.
My mind immediately went to August of 2014 when he took me to Sara and Klo-J’s bodybuilding competition; how incredibly intimidating!
Those were the kind of people that went to bootcamp!? No, I could never physically keep up with anyone like that.
So I made excuses and just blew it off. A few months and pounds later enough was enough.
I tried bootcamp for the first time. I went on a Friday night, a written workout, and dragged Richard’s little brother with me.
I can’t say I tried very hard, we actually kind of goofed off most of the time, but after seeing that it was not at
all what I expected I decided to keep going.
Before I knew it I was going regularly and actually enjoying it!
It got easier, and I got stronger.
One night Richard said to me “You know you could barely curl a 20lb barbell when you started bootcamp,
right?” Umm… okay? RUDE! But he then finished with “I watched you curl a 30lb barbell with no problem tonight”!
Now it seems silly and trivial, but I was proud of myself.
I was ready to take thing a step further in the right direction; I began meal prep shortly after.
Although I was excited to see results I had trouble sticking to my prep and would continually just say screw it and revert back to my old eating habits.
I wanted to achieve my goals but needed something that would force me to commit and give my 100% to.
So before I knew it I had commit myself to doing a bodybuilding show where I would compete in the bikini division.
I’ll spare you all the ugly details of my 21 week bikini prep, but I will tell you this, I would not trade the experience I had for the world!
It was definitely one of the hardest things I have ever done but also one of the most rewarding. 
I learned a lot about myself in that 21 week time span. Today I believe I am both physically and mentally stronger than before.
If it was not for the guidance of Richard, Derek, Sara, and Shelly as well as the constant support and encouraging words of our amazing LiveFit family, I would have never been able to get through it all.
A huge thank you, to you all!
With all of that said, my transformation is not yet over.
I’ve learned to “Trust The Process” and I do plan on returning to the stage again next year stronger and better than ever!
