Interview with Fitness Competitor
Danyell Leavitt

I recently had the chance to interview fitness competitor Danyell Leavitt about her fitness career. She was kind enough to reveal a number of great fitness and fat loss tips that you can include in your own training and nutrition program.

Gregg: Danny, how did you get started in fitness?

Danny: I grew up climbing trees and doing gymnastics, so you can say I have been in fitness my whole life... but really, I started getting interested in college. I put on some weight and was trying to figure out how to get in shape.

I spoke to a nutritionist and realized that by eating every three hours and eating protein, my body started to change dramatically, without even changing my exercise routine.

I started doing aerial and circus work and just loved how I felt.

Also, being a performer, the way your body looks to the audience is very important, and I have always been attracted to the aesthetics of the human body and looking at "Before/After" pictures.

Gregg: One thing I'd like for you to address because I feel it's a big one with women, is weight training.

Even nowadays, a lot of women shy away from weight training because they don't want to look like Arnold.

If they train at all, it's with the tiny pink weights and they never even break a sweat.

You've developed a gorgeous, sexy, lean hard body and you couldn't have done it without weights.

What do you say to these women to get them to not just train with weights but train hard and make it an important part of their overall program?

Danny: This is a big one! I would train clients who were always concerned about getting "too big".

Luckily, I get a lot of compliments on my physique and once I convince women that I lift heavy weights and I'm not bulky, they tend to listen a little more.

The fact is; women's bodies are not made to put on huge bulky muscle so easily... in fact, ask any guy, its not that easy to "get big".

It is too simple to think that lifting heavy will cause you to get big, because how much and WHAT you eat is so much a factor.

Gregg: What advice would you give to someone who's brand-new to the fight to get and stay in shape and struggling to stick to a proper nutrition and exercise program?

Danny: I would tell them to make small changes daily and to read as much as they can about nutrition.

I would suggest to ask as many questions as they can about exercises and if its possible, hire a personal trainer for a few months to get you on the right path, at least to teach you enough exercises to do on your own.

Number one: have a GOAL and make a PLAN! Nothing just happens, you have to make it happen!

Gregg: What's the biggest mistake you made when you started and how did you correct it?

Danny: I think that I underestimated the impact that nutrition has on your body composition. I asked professionals how to eat and had to LISTEN.

The biggest mistakes I made in the gym were just being afraid to lift weights, being afraid to "do something wrong" or not knowing what exercises to do.

I started to read lots of fitness magazines, books and articles and asking trainers how to do them right.

Gregg: What do you think is the most important thing or skill you've learned with regard to health and fitness?

Danny: Health and fitness is a JOURNEY, its a daily decision, your body changes on a daily basis. You cannot decide to just "get in shape" and once you are there, thats it!

You have to maintain your fitness. There is no quick fix so I've learned to be patient and appreciate little bits of progress.

Gregg: What are some common pitfalls you feel people can stumble upon and how do you help them avoid these obstacles?

Danny: A common pitfall I see, is starting out Gung Ho! and then once you miss a day, you think "That's it" I'll never go back!

You can always go back. Sometimes after a show a take a complete week off and rest. Sometimes "life happens" and I don't make it to the gym as planned, but I get up the next day and do what I can. It isn't an all or nothing game.

One day at a time... Same with food. If you eat a slice of pie, ok, thats it, you don't have to eat 10 because you "already messed up" just make better choices the rest of the day. I know, its much easier said than done.

Gregg: Moving forward and knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently with your own journey, if anything?

Danny: Ha!! A lot of things. I wish I knew what I know now when I was in gymnastics as a teen. I think kids really don't know how to eat and it is our jobs to teach them proper nutrition and portions.

I think that the only way for me to really understand was to go through it though, so I guess I really wouldn't have changed anything.

Gregg: Do you feel that ongoing feedback and motivational tools would help in maintaining a fitness program? I always encourage my clients to take pictures periodically.

Danny: Oh wow, I was just going to mention pictures!

I started taking pictures as I was getting ready for my first show, and its amazing, because I wouldn't see changes on the scale or in the mirror, but I could hold the pictures side by side in my hands and really SEE that my body was changing. Its awesome to look back at those and see your progress.

One of my first clients lost over 45 pounds and 36 inches.. thats 3 FEET!! To be able to SEE that progress on paper is so crucial!

You don't know how you are doing unless you track it. The mirror lies!

Gregg: If you were to advise a close friend or family member how to follow in your fitness footsteps, what would youtell them?

Danny: I would probably have them start with two things: start eating every three hours and start doing some sort of cardio every day.

That alone will get the ball rolling. Then I would gradually add progressions as they become ready for that.

Gregg: The most common excuse I hear from people who don't eat right or train is that they don't have the time.

Danny: Let me tell you this; right now I have two jobs, I am planning a wedding and training for a national competition.

I still have to sleep, make all my meals, feed my dogs, answer emails, pay my bills, run errands, and a whole slew of things... you just MAKE time.

Guess what?! I don't watch TV. I don't go out drinking. I don't do a lot of things that waste my time... you have to decide what you are willing to give up.

Sometimes I have to give up an hour of sleep, sometimes two. You just do what you do because its what you WANT.

You can't just say "I wish I had that body" because you can, but you have to put in the same amount of work!

So, just do it! NO EXCUSES! (Editor's note: I LOVE this since I end all my newsletters with No BS, No Excuses!)

Gregg:What advice do you have for people who use 'lack of time' as an excuse to eat poorly and avoid exercise?

What's a typical day for you when it comes to training and nutrition? How are you able to consistently fit them into your busy schedule?

Danny: Lack of time is an easy excuse, because it seems so true! I always feel rushed, I'm always running late, always have to be somewhere, sometime, no time to eat, blah blah blah.

I get up. I eat breakfast. I have a little bit different work schedule than most, I work in the evenings, so I go to the gym, then I get home and cook my meals for the day, pack them all into their separate tupperware containers and take a shower and head to work.

I also pack extra protein powders, shakes or packets of tuna or yogurt, JUST IN CASE, I need something quick and on the fly.

You may be in a meeting or something, but you can always take a quick break, go eat a protein bar out in the hall and come back and no one knows the better, and it keeps your metabolism revved up and keeps you from getting hungry and cranky.

It didn't happen over night. It took awhile to be as consistent as I am. The key is to keep trying new things, until you find what works for you.

Gregg: What do you think are the keys to becoming successful, whether it's competing or just losing 15 pounds?

Danny: The number one key to becoming successful at anything is to have a GOAL.

I think success must be measured by whether you have achieved what you set out to achieve. If you want to lose 10 pounds, you make a plan, change your diet etc.

You lose the 10 pounds, then you are successful. If you want to earn $100, you set the time frame, what you are going to do to earn it, when you have your money you are successful.

If you find a $100 bill on the ground, you are not successful, you are just lucky! Success comes from setting a goal and then creating a plan to achieve it.

Gregg: What's one of the things you find most challenging about what you do?

Danny: I think that finding motivation everyday for myself is hard. I also think its hard to see others so unhappy with how they look and feel, and they feel so helpless, but all the keys are there, if they would just search and believe.

Gregg: What advice can you give to people who struggle with motivation and don't have some sort of deadline, such as a photo shoot or competition, that they can use as motivation to help keep them on track?

Danny: Make a deadline for yourself if thats what you need!

Find a 5k race and run it!

Get a trainer who makes you pay way too much to stay in bed! Whatever!

Create small little goals for yourself along the way, then one day you may find that a photo shoot or competition isn't too far off for your next goal! Everyone struggles with motivation.. again.. NO EXCUSES!

Gregg: You won first place in your class in only your 3rd figure show. First, congratulations! Second, what are your future plans? What do you want to accomplish moving forward?

Danny: Well, my next plan was to compete at the National Level and see how I would do. I just did my first national show this weekend and placed 8th out of 26 in my class and 205 girls in the whole show!!

My next goal is to keep moving up and to earn my pro card. I would like to qualify for 2009 Olympia, so I guess I gotta turn pro in 2008. :) Last year, my goal was just to WORK at the Olympia Expo.. which I believe is in the making.. so now, I want to COMPETE in the Olympia.

I know that if I stick to it, it will happen. My goals are not a matter of IF but WHEN.

When people look at me, they think "Oh she doesn't need to exercise, she's already in shape" or they think that I'm naturally small... it is quite the contrary.

I worked very hard to get to where I am and I have been in their shoes.

I have been unhappy, crying in the dressing room, feeling fat, being fat, all of the crap that women do. I just decided to be proactive.

Just realize that everything you do, every day is a choice.

Now it's your time to choose!

Gregg: