NJAPP- Guest Contributor Cintya Angotti

1st Time Bikini Body Competitor.

This STRONG woman took home some well-deserved trophies on September 24, 2016. Cintya received 3rd place in novice and 4th in her class. Cintya was coached by @karenyoakum_ifbbpro . I am so proud of this woman for turning her insecurity into a strength. 

NJAPP: Have you ever found yourself lost or not knowing what your purpose in life is?

Cintya: Yes, that was me after having my daughter. I had the healthiest and most precious little girl, a loving and supportive husband and family, but I found myself sad and depressed most days. Baby-blues? Postpartum depression? I'm not really sure what it was but I dealt with it on my own. I took it day by day. I was unhappy and I had no reason for it. I was blessed to have everything I ever dreamed of having. The perfect little family.

16 months after having my daughter, I decided I needed to focus my energy on something else besides my daughter and my husband. I needed to do something for MYSELF. I needed to feel like my old self. I needed to find myself again. Pregnancy wasn’t easy for me, mentally or physically. So I went on and hired a coach to help me transform and get me stage ready for my first ever bikini competition. After all, fitness has always been the thing that brought me sanity and mental clarity. Competing was one of the things on my bucket list and this was the perfect time to pursue it. I have always been into health and fitness but I just needed to be more disciplined with my diet and training. I just needed to commit. So 16 months postpartum I went for it.

NJAPP: Were you active or into fitness before you started preparing for your 1st competition?

Cintya: Yes, I was active before I started prepping for my show.  I was lifting weights and doing cardio but I wasn’t being consistent.

NJAPP: How were your eating habits pre-competition?

Cintya: I would have considered myself a healthy eater. I also ate healthy foods but in big quantities and some days I wouldn't eat enough. I wasn’t measuring my portions and often had too many cheat meals.

NJAPP: Can you give me an example of what you were eating pre-competition?

Cintya: Breakfast would consist of a protein shake (your typical protein, banana, peanut butter shake).

Lunch: A grilled chicken wrap

Dinner: Maybe a salad or greek yogurt with fruit and nuts for dinner.

NJAPP: Would you say you meal prepped a lot or went out to dinner mostly?

Cintya: I would go out for dinner a lot which just showed me that there wasn’t much consistency in my diet.

NJAPP: How long did it take you to prep for your first competition?

Cintya: It was a 12 week preparation (diet & fitness) period. I started cooking and measuring my food for every week for 12 weeks.  

NJAPP: How many times a day did you eat and work out? Did your diet and workouts change throughout your preparation for competition?

Cintya: I was eating 6 small meals throughout the day and I was working out 7 days a week. I was lifting weights for about an hour and a half, plus an additional hour of cardio. At the end of my prep, my cardio increased to 1 hr 45 min. My diet was personalized and it changed as I progressed. I was eating lean meats, complex carbohydrates and veggies. Chicken, tilapia, lean ground beef, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, brown rice, broccoli, green beans, brussels sprouts, spinach. Mostly any type of veggies I would eat.

NJAPP: Did you reach your goal? How did it feel to reach your goal?  

Cintya: I achieved my goal of getting into the best shape of my life and I showed it all off on stage. What a great feeling of accomplishment! Prepping for the show made me a stronger person in every aspect of my life and it brought back that confidence I was missing when I had the baby blues. I had my ups and downs like with everything else in life. I still managed to be the best mom and wife I could be while working on myself.

NJAPP: Once the competition was over did you just stop working out and eating those 6 meals a day?

Cintya: No, I definitely didn't do that. I was advised by my coach and had to reverse diet out of my show by slowly increasing my calories and still keeping my training consistent.

NJAPP: Are you still the same weight you completed at in September 2016?

Cintya: No, I have put some weight back on and I'm focusing on getting stronger and building some more muscle before I decide to compete again. I am being a lot more flexible with my diet now and enjoying more cheat meals with my family.

NJAPP: Anything else you want to tell me about your experience?

Cintya: Bodybuilding, training and fitness have become a huge part of my life but it still revolves around my faith and family.  I personally think a healthy lifestyle means maintaining balance and enjoying the journey in all facets and stages of life.