I was about 16 years old when I got involved in the fitness industry. I was always an athlete. A dancer, cheerleader, gymnast but I REALLY loved being a track sprinter, to be exact. But there was something that drew me into bodybuilding. There was always something so fascinating about the gym and transforming your body in WEEKS. I was always insecure about myself. I got picked on in high school, and I always vowed to myself the SECOND I graduated from West Islip High School, I would NEVER look back and that I would transform myself into a whole new person. When I found bodybuilding, it helped me with my depression. At a young age, I lost my best friend to suicide and it really changed me. She was always my biggest support system. That was why I got involved in fitness; it was my outlet.

SOME PEOPLE PARTY, SOME DO DRUGS, SOME DRINK TILL THEY ARE IN OBLIVION, BUT ME? I WANTED TO TRANSFORM MY MIND, MY EMOTIONS, MY BODY. PICKING UP A DUMBBELL NEVER FELT SO GOOD. IT WAS MY THERAPY.


From there, I did my first show and I LOVED it and decided to keep going and growing more with the sport. As years went on, my love for competing declined. I realized it wasn’t for me because of personal reasons, but what I DID realize was for me, was impacting hundreds of people and showing people that it’s okay to be you. I’m fun, I’m loud, I probably talk too much and I LOVE being a goof ball. If you follow me on social media, you know I’m notorious for my big ol’ pineapple bun, picking my favorite song, sipping my coffee, using a snap chat filter and singing like an idiot to start my day. Sending a message to people and telling them that being YOU, is the greatest gift you could give yourself and to others. It's important to love who you are and that’s what I’ve learned over the years: loving yourself, no matter what, no matter what happens. Fitness changed my life emotionally, mentally, and physically. It was the best thing that could have ever happened in my life and that’s the message I want to spread. I want to make a difference in this world.

I was always afraid to show my true self and it wasn’t until 2017 that I really decided to let those walls down and get more personal. When I was first public about my body dysmorphia, which I feel a LOT of people in the fitness industry have or are scared to talk about, the messages I got were just honestly so touching and it showed me not to care what others think and say, but to care about the people I COULD help and change. It’s not an easy process to go through but knowing that I’m helping and impacting other men and women, really gave me my calling. Having people message me on social media just saying thank you and that I give them hope, really changed my mindset to be better, to do better and to be better at helping people. Being a trainer, I get personal with my clients. I think it’s important to get to know people and WHY they are how they are and HOW I can help them change their life. Once you can figure out what got you to this place, that’s when you change your life. It’s all about your mindset and once I can get inside people’s heads and motivate them, it’s all uphill from there. What also motivates me, is me. If we’re being honest, I don’t like to settle. I always want to better myself as a person. It really took me a whole year to go from a miserable insecure girl, to a bad ass, independent, strong woman. But I couldn’t have done any of that without the people that motivate me.

instagram page: @lindseymariefit_

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