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Out How You Can Build Muscle & Lose Fat By Eating Plants
“There is no quick fix, there is no magic pill or shake. Mindset
is everything. Once you change your mind, you change your life.”
Name: Stefanie Dawn
Occupation: CEO of Lifestyle Doyenne
City/State/Country: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Age: 29
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 145lbs
Training: Bikini competition
Website: stefaniedawn.com
IG: @msstefaniedawn
Twitter: @boombshellmafia
Q: Who had to most positive influence on you growing up as a
child and why?
I come from a family of extremely hard workers and entrepreneurs
who are super supportive and encouraging. Without them, I wouldn’t be
the person I am today!
Q: What is Bombshell Mafia?
When I was 19 years old I opened a small boutique salon called
Bombshells Beauty Bar (“Bombshell” was a nickname I had in high school because
I had no qualms about showing up in red lips and Marilyn monroe-esque platinum
hair). I had the salon for eight years, and I was extremely busy and it
quickly became well known for creating amazing hair.
About five years into that business, I knew I wanted to expand
outside the salon, and do more than just hair. I wanted to run a larger company
and take the Bombshell name bigger. I bought the domain name for Bombshell
Mafia and got back to work in the salon because it was getting busier by the
week.
About two years later, I started to get really burnt out
from doing so much hair. I was loosing my passion for it. Long story
short, I decided to sell my home, my business, my assets…everything to move to
California to start fresh and focus on building Bombshell Mafia. It never
happened, I stayed in Calgary.
“I tried to work in a few different salons, but my passion
still wasn’t there. Things just were not clicking for me. I was in a funk. This
is when I decided to hire a business coach and really start to focus in on what
I wanted to do, and how I was going to grow a business out of the hair
industry.”
During
this time at the salon, I had also lost over 90lbs., competed in two bikini competitions and went back to school
for my holistic nutrition certification, and took up a
hobby of self -improvement. With the help of my coach we sat down and created a
concept and programs to help other women become the best versions of
themselves.
Everything was there, we just needed a name. I was searching
through my old emails and BombshellMafia.com came up and we both decided that
it was the perfect embodiment for everything I had visions of doing and
creating. Now Bombshell Mafia is up and running and the main focus of my life.
You can check it out at www.bombshellmafia.com
Q: I recently saw your pictures of your recent bikini
competition where you placed 5th. Walk us through the transformation over
the past year (mind, body, and soul) and what you did differently with
training and diet.
After going through a lot of changes and trying to settle and
restart my life over again, I have to admit I got really depressed. I kept
trying and trying to prep for another show and I couldn’t follow through. When
I had competed the last few times, it was a STRUGGLE. It took me three years to
get back to the stage.
After
that show in 2012, I started training with a well-known fitness competition “team” and
developed an unhealthy mentality, including extreme eating and body image
issues. When I just couldn’t keep up and perform anymore, I sought out help in
other places. I hired other coaches. Failed. I fell off every wagon I was ever
on. I remember just being so mad at myself.
I just didn’t like this person I was anymore. I decided to prep
one last time just over a year ago. I was really going to DO IT this time.
One night, I felt all these old issues coming back. I vividly
remember going to bed teary eyed praying to God to give me the strength and
tools I needed to change my life, and help change the lives of others. That
morning I woke up and went to pack my food for the day as usual, except as I
went to grab my baggies of Mrs. Dash covered tilapia and chicken and I just
couldn’t do it.
I was completely repulsed. This is the day my life really
started to change, because my new coach wouldn’t change my program to accommodate
no meat, and no one I knew really seemed to know what to do.
“This started my
journey into vegetarian bodybuilding (eventually going vegan). I started to do my own research and go back to
everything I learned in holistic nutrition and get away from all the ‘bro
science’ I had subjected myself to.”
I started reading books like “80/10/10”, “The Starch Solution”,
and “The Vegan Guide to the Galaxy”. I realized that there was actually a
huge community of support I could tap into.
“After fully switching
over to a plant-based
diet, I started to
feel incredible. I had an abundance of energy and strength for my workouts, I
woke up in a fabulous mood, and I was starting to enjoy food.”
I
was enjoying my life and was overjoyed to learn the impact my new vegan lifestyle had on the animals and
environment. I found an amazing coach via Facebook in Australia who helped
me fine tune my macros and teach me more about flexible high carb vegan dieting for competition.
I was loving life, getting lean and was ready to kick some ass and take some
names.
After
finishing my eight -week program with her, I knew I wanted to compete. I
knew I wanted to do it as a vegan bodybuilder, and it was time to make moves.
I competed in the NPC, and hired a coach with a team well-known
for winning physiques. He was the only person out of five teams I
contacted who would take me on as a vegan.
His diet was the complete opposite of what I had known and loved
veganism.
“It was a low carb, high-fat, moderate protein diet. I modified a lot of things based on my own
biofeedback, but I was committed.
I learned what my body needs, what it responds to best, and when
to push and pull. This was a huge eye opener for me.”
Q: What did your meal plan (include vegan supplements) look like
leading up to the Pro show?
I started off high carb with a ratio of 70/20/10 (CARB/PRO/FAT)
and ended up being somewhere around 25/35/40 when I switched coaches. I started
with zero supplements, and ended up having to incorporate B12, BCAAs,
glutamine, and electrolytes over the last 3 months.
My average day consisted of:
·
Oats
with a scoop of protein powder
·
Green veggies with tofu or black bean burger
·
Avocados
·
Pinto beans
·
Spoonfuls of peanut butter
·
2 more protein shakes
Q: Best advice you ever received for bodybuilding?
Be consistent and persistent and go hard for yourself. No one
will do the work for you. It is absolutely up to you, to make up your mind and
execute your goals.
Q: What uncommon activity do you schedule into your daily
routine?
Every night before bed I do 30 mins of personal development. I
really feel like this needs to be a not-so-uncommon activity for everyone.
“I listen to audio books, watch speakers on YouTube, read, and
soak in juicy jewels and golden nuggets to get me set up for the next day.”
This also helps keep me fresh and sharp to be able to share and
pass this on to others when I know they need some extra encouragement in their
lives.
Q: What has been the hardest obstacle for you to overcome in
your life?
When I was younger I was overweight, I looked like a boy, I had
horrible teeth and was bullied fairly often. I grew up, and was still
bullied. I have heard horrible gossip and have been the subject of rumors and
stories. Women can be such bitches, and men can really do some damage if they
want to.
“One of the biggest obstacles I have dealt with, and have to
STILL regularly work on, is my own value as woman and being strong and
unwavering in who I am. Not letting people’s opinions sway or change me.”
In hindsight, most of the struggle in my life stemmed from not
listening to my inner voice and letting to many outer voices in.
Q: What was the hardest part of going plant-based? What helped
you overcome the obstacles?
For me, going plant based was a “light switch” type effect. For
a while, I even tried to eat meat, fish, or dairy, and I just couldn’t do it.
It felt so unnatural.
“At first it was difficult to go out with friends, but now I
love the challenge and my friends have become curious about my lifestyle.”
A
lot of them actually enjoy the veggie spots and have adapted more meatless meals into their lives. Knowing others
are watching me, and my choices, and the positive effect it had on my life,
makes any obstacle worth it a million times over.
Q: What misconceptions about vegetarianism did you have at first
that are now shattered?
I didn’t think I was going to survive. Literally. I thought I
was going to have to live a straight up granola life wearing parachute pants
and be malnourished. Not only I am surviving, I am truly thriving for the first
time in my life, and I’ve actually started to enjoy cooking.
I must say, it turns out I’m quite the vegan chef! And it turns
out parachute pants are pretty damn comfortable after yoga class.
Q: Talk about plant-based protein and your favorite sources?
What advice would you give someone struggling with the protein concept?
My favorite sources of plant protein are tempeh, tofu, beans,
and seiten. I also like to include bean or spelt pastas.
“I feel so much better when I don’t focus on protein intake, but
adequate calorie intake and nutritional density. If you don’t think you can
perform or build muscle without high protein, try high carb for a few months.”
You’ll be hooked on that carb train right to “Gainsville” and
you won’t look back. Don’t be afraid to try something new and challenge what
you think you know.
Q: What’s next for you, what new goals do you have for
yourself (doesn’t have to be bodybuilding related)?
In two weeks, I have one more Bikini competition here in
Canada, and then I have decided to take a year off to build some muscle. I
will continue to experiment with my diet and training to prepare for next
season. It’s important to keep integrity within myself and only build up from
here.
I’d also like to go full-time with Bombshell Mafia and help
create strong minds and healthy bodies all over the world. I want to help a lot
of women who are struggling like I did know that more is possible for their
lives.
For
more ideas about nutrition for bikini competition, watch this video - Full Day of Eating- ON PREP! IFBB BIKINI
DIET
Author
Bio:
Chris
Willitts (creator of V3), is the founder and owner of Vegetarian Bodybuilding.
V3 Vegetarian
Bodybuilding System is a mixture of science and author’s advice, providing users with optimal diet and
exercise. This system is designed for vegans and vegetarians only.
A
lot of research has been put in this program. Furthermore, a lot of
professional bodybuilders and athletes tried and tested the program, praising
its progressiveness and efficiency.
The
program is about taking control of your own body and health according to your
potential and needs. And worry not; you’ll get plenty of proteins with this
system. It will boost you with energy, and you’ll feel just a strong as any
carnivore would (perhaps even stronger, depending on how much you invest in
your exercise). It avoids vitamins deficiency and provides you with a lot of
proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Instead
of saying things like “I think a plant-based diet is good for athletes and
bodybuilders,” the V3 Vegetarian
Bodybuilding System claims “I know a plant-based diet is good for
athletes and bodybuilders, and I have results to prove it.”
To
find out more, visit the website at V3 Bodybuilding –
Nutrition for Bikini Competition
