Ep 271 – From Dream to Reality: Shireen’s Bodybuilding Journey

Shireen joins Ben and Giacomo to share her journey from going vegan for her health to discovering bodybuilding and eventually stepping onstage for her first competition. She talks about her lifelong interest in athletics, cosplay, and superheroes, and how building confidence through fitness eventually helped her believe she could pursue bodybuilding.

Shireen and Giacomo discuss how their coaching relationship evolved from helping her understand training and nutrition to preparing for the bodybuilding stage. They dive into the realities of contest prep, including the physical and psychological challenges of getting extremely lean, the lessons Shireen learned about hormones and recovery, and why stage conditioning isn’t a sustainable year-round state.

Finally, Shireen reflects on the deeper impact bodybuilding has had on her confidence, discipline, gratitude, and perspective on life. She shares her experience competing, navigating post-show recovery, and why she’s now embracing an improvement season before eventually stepping onstage again.

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TRANSCRIPT

Ben (00:00)
Hello, everyone, and welcome back to another episode of Vegan Proteins Muscles by Brussels Radio. Today I am joined by Giacomo and Giacomo’s client, Shireen. So, Shireen, welcome to the show. And today we’re going to be talking about her journey in competing, in bodybuilding, making it to the stage. And just we’re going to get to learn more about Shireen in general. We’ve gotten some good feedback on kind of the client.

Focused episodes where we have one of the clients on with their coach and they talk through kind of the process of them starting together and just learning about them and their journey. And I think it just helps to to feel more relatable. We’re seeing, you know, a case study kind of in action here, and you might be able to pick up some things yourself that you can relate to and ask questions. And if you like this sort of episode, please definitely let us know down below in the comments or send us a DM. You know that those are open anytime.

Before we get into the main questions for the day, let’s open it up with some chit chat. And I don’t have any fun questions other than, you know, how’s everyone’s day going? how’s their week going? But Giacomo, maybe you have some some more fun questions that you can think of that we can open today with.

Giacomo (01:03)
I so I usually go bright with my colors. You went black. You were you were classic with that. Usually the last couple colors I painted my nails were gray or yellow. And I got to paint my nails with my niece and nephew too,

Shireen (01:14)
Okay.

Giacomo (01:14)
because they got a little jealous. Like I I can’t have all the fun, right? But black is a good choice. I like that.

Ben (01:19)
Well, thank you. I I got when we were in San Diego, I just got back from a vacation. my girlfriend Dana and her mom are going for pedicures and she wanted me to come along and so I said, Okay, why not? I’ve never I’ve never done that before. I’ve never had a pedicure or a manicure. And I got my first of each of those and she said, I’ll marry you if you paint your black your nails black. And I said, Okay, I’ll paint my

Shireen (01:38)
Huh?

Ben (01:39)
nails black. In in jest, of course. but I said, Why not? Let’s see what it looks like. I don’t I don’t have any I don’t have any

issues with that. I don’t have any hold ups with that. So I said, let’s try it out. And here we are. So I’ll probably just let it, you know, keep it on till it chips or whatever. and other than that, I had a a great vacation out in San Diego. Giacomo, have you been to San Diego before, Shireen? Have either of you guys been?

Shireen (01:59)
So I’m actually from California. I’m in New England now, but I am originally from Southern California and I have been to San Diego. Legoland is really, really fun. but gosh, it’s been a long time. It’s been a while. So I bet it was beautiful. I know it’s really, really hot out there right now. I still have family out there. But yeah, I should make a reunion trip one of these days.

Ben (02:20)
It was the food there was fantastic. It was like everywhere we went, even if it wasn’t a vegan place, there were vegan options. We went to the farmers market and there were vegan options everywhere. we got some like mushroom empanadas, those were really good. we went to all these different coffee shops and they all had lots of options there. So yeah, it was just it was great. there was so much to to explore out in nature and everywhere we went we had options, even like we were

Gonna go and w watch this like antique car show one day and we’re gonna see what food was around. And then there was a, you know, it’s really hot out, it’d be nice to have some ice cream. there’s a gelato place downtown. they have like twenty vegan options. stuff like that. That was just kind of a nice, pleasant surprise. I will say it is nice to be home and it is nice to be in my routine, which is a nice part that I like about travel, is missing kind of the

the basics because it becomes a little bit monotonous after some time, but then you go away from it and you realize, okay, this actually makes me feel good. I like doing this. I want to get back to that. so I’m I I said to my girlfriend, I was like, I’m looking forward to going home and eating protein and going to the gym again. So that was that was how we ended the trip. But it was it was good. It was like the perfect amount of time. Like we probably wouldn’t have wanted to stay longer, but it was just

Shireen (03:31)
That’s awesome. Yeah, great vegan food scene out there.

Ben (03:34)
Excellent.

Giacomo (03:34)
I still have flashbacks of going to California while I was on prep and thinking about when and where I’m gonna get my steps in, what I’m gonna be having when we go out to eat or whatever, and all of the stuff that we did because we’re we throw big events and we’re bringing a whole bunch of samples to pass out for vegan strong and setting up all logistics. But when you care about something and you want to do it, you find a way no matter what you’re set up with, travel and everything that comes along with it. And

The West Coast is fun. We’re going there again, if any of you are y’all are listening and you wanna hang out, we’ll be at the Anaheim Fit Expo. We’re going to do a couple of food demos. James Wilkes will be there from the Game Changers. He’s doing a presentation as well alongside us. And also Noah from Veg Pranure. And then we’re gonna table on Saturday and Sunday on the twenty ninth and thirtieth. And if any of y’all are around on a Monday, we’re gonna hang out and take an extra day and get together with as many of our people as possible. So maybe we’ll see you out there. You can if

Find me. I mean 917-533-5623. Go ahead and look at it on the transcript. That’s my number. Text me. Call me. You have my address. You can knock my door. I don’t care. Like if you want to reach me, you’ll be able to reach me. Just find a way. I’ll make it easy for you. But but yeah, we’d love to hang out. Absolutely. That would be really, really cool. But I don’t know. I mean, I I could do this all day long, but you that you’re gonna have to reel me in at some point and get us to actually talk about what we’re actually talking about. So please, because we missed you, because it was Dani and I before on the last episode, and we’re like, where’s Ben?

We’re just talking about nothing and nonsense. We we need we need some order over here.

Ben (05:01)
I think it’ll be good to have an episode throw back to the OG podcast days when it was just you and Dani in the podcast studio. I’m sure that brought up some memories. So people people will get a little taste of that in the upcoming episodes of the podcast. It might already be out by the time that this one comes out. I’m not exactly sure. But yeah, let’s let’s get into the the the meat and potatoes, so to speak, the vegan meat and potatoes for today. And that is talking about Shireen,

you and your journey. So I think a great place for us to start would be just letting the audience know a little bit about you. I guess it could be like your your elevator pitch, what you tell people when they ask, hey, you know, who who is who is Shireen? so let’s start there and then I can get more specific.

Shireen (05:47)
Yeah, this is awesome. So I just realized driving driving home this morning from getting a coffee that it has been 10 years since I’ve been vegan. so that’s really cool. we hit our first decade. And so I’ve been, I was telling Giacomo the other day that, and he asked me, How long have you been weight training? and

Very, very inconsistent over the years, but I would say in terms of bodybuilding, it’s just been a little over a year now. but I think the interest has been there probably for at least 15 years. so I’ve always wanted to be an athlete. I did play soccer growing up, and also was a swimmer. And I think the athleticism was always there. It’s just, you know, we didn’t stick with anything really long enough to

To really develop that potential and that skill to dance too as a little girl. So I’ve always dreamt of being an athlete, but for some reason it didn’t hit me until you know I was in my mid-30s. So here we are. and I think the main the main thing is in terms of bodybuilding, it’s it’s funny. So 10 years ago, I was in my gynecologist’s office and you know, he asked me what’s up, and I was like, you know what? I want I think I want to be a bodybuilder. And his response was.

I don’t even think he really said anything. It was just like, hmm, cool, yeah. And it’s like, you know, people they hear bodybuilding and they they put you on a pedestal because it’s it’s hard work, you know. it’s it takes a lot. So I think he was just like, Yeah, you know, you’re healthy enough, you’re young, do it, cool. but you know, to take it to actually do it is another thing. so here we are again, ten years later, and I did the thing. What inspired it, I would say, is

as silly as this sounds, video games and wanting to be a superhero, Wonder Woman, video game vixen. That’s kind of what inspired the whole thing for me. cosplay. I that honestly, bodybuilding has given me the confidence to get into that whole little world. And now we’re doing like cosplay modeling and going to conventions and doing all kinds of cool stuff. So in a nutshell, I would say that’s that’s kinda

My history in terms of sports, fitness and what inspired me to get into

Ben (07:54)
Super comprehensive. I have a lot of directions that I feel like I could go with this. you know, talking about how you went vegan and why, you know, asking you more about you know, okay, you’ve had this goal of being a bodybuilder for so long. When did it kind of when did the the switch flip and that became like a reality for you? you know, talking about I love the the video game, what you mentioned, like trying to, you know, being like characters that you see in the video game.

It’s kind of funny. Sometimes I I think of this like analogy of you know, ph physique, sports or, you know, our our body composition journeys. And it is almost kind of like a video game and where you’re kind of leveling up and as you go it gets harder and it gets harder. to a certain extent, you know, because you’re getting closer to that, you know, genetic ceiling and you can’t build muscle as fast anymore and the progress comes slower, but it’s you know, it’s rewarding and you’re learning about yourself you know, the whole time. And it’s really about the, you know, when you think about video games, it’s never about

Of course it it’s like you get that accomplishment from beating the final boss or, you know, completing all the quests or whatever it is, but it’s really about the process of going through that and exploring it and the journey that comes along with that. so I think that’s a really kind of neat avenue for us to talk about. But I think maybe let’s start with, you know, since it’s the furthest back potentially, let’s start with going vegan and and why why was that was a change you made and how you kind of got there.

Shireen (09:11)
Absolutely. So yeah. I would say it was I was in my twenties. and I was in college and I felt really, really sick. I had high cholesterol. I was treading pre-diabetic territory. I had a lot of a myriad of hormone issues. and I just remember feeling very, very sick. interestingly though, I had grown up with a lot of vegetarian friends.

and so there’s always been a part of me that’s resonated with a plant based lifestyle. and I’ve always loved animals. So naturally that it all just came together at one point. But I think when I finally went vegan, was when I really felt like I needed help, health wise, physically. I wanted to feel home in my body. and I had tried a bunch of different things with to no avail, I had no success.

Just felt sicker. So one day I decided to embrace a Whole Foods plant-based lifestyle, and that did absolute wonders for me. I would say, within the first month, I had like, I don’t know what it was, but I had all these warts. Like, I think I was 26 years old, and I had all these warts on my localized in one area of my wrist. And I remember thinking, I I was so embarrassed to go out that I would wear even in the hot mid

Midsummer, I would cover my wrists just because it was so embarrassing, clustered together. So I remember the first the one of the first things I noticed going vegan was they disappeared. In such a short period of time, all those warts had just cleared up. And I remember thinking like a double taking, like one day it just happened. My digestion improved, I had a lot of digestive issues too.

Not to get graphic here, but my a big thing that I also that goes along with my bodybuilding journey is hormones. Like hormone th that stuff cleared up and and got better. and it just absolutely I was amazed. I thought wow, this is magic, you know. just to to see those things happening in such a short window of time, I just it’s incredible. It’s incredible. so really I would say the biggest

influence was health. and seeing those changes happen so quickly was absolutely motivating and and magical for me. later down the line when I educated myself more on veganism and activism, environmentalism, that all kind of it it all made sense. it’s just a beautiful lifestyle. and yeah, you kind of feel empowered when you get all these amazing things that kind of go together. it’s great. I would never I would

Wouldn’t change it for the world.

Ben (11:35)
Giacomo, you wanna jump in here?

Giacomo (11:37)
As far as how so you’re definitely filling in some of the pieces for me because when we work together, my my focus is on how to on where we’re going and how to get you to your goal and meaning where you’re at. So there are some things that I remember

Came from, but some things are I’m hearing now for the first time. So it’s kind of it’s cool to see how getting into a plant-based diet for health-based reasons got you to a place where you were you had the confidence to do what you wanted to do because you realized, like, hey, I have control over my body, I have control over my health. And I guess the one thing that I want to say though is to make sure that we is the word panacea the right word to use, like or cure all. I don’t know, I don’t know how I want to want to word this. I’m not always the most articulate person, but

Basically, people come to veganism for a cure. They come to a plant-based diet for a solution, an answer. And I I just want to make sure for the listeners, it worked out for you. It it doesn’t it doesn’t work out that way a hundred percent of the time either, right? Because I feel like we wind up getting people out with the picket signs being like, y’all vegans are saying that this is working for everyone, or we get other people who adopt a plant-based, a hundred percent plant-based diet, and then they realize that.

Whatever they came here for, like it’s not gonna reverse their disease or get them healthier. But but in a lot of but you you should see some your health markers improve. You should be able to be healthier and and for you it sounds like it was a complete one eighty, like everything improves, which is pretty cool.

Shireen (12:58)
It’s amazing. It’s still I’m very it’s something I’m very, very passionate about. And I did actually inspire my mom to do the same. And, you know, she’s also a living success story, and she was she had hypothyroidism and was able to lower her dose to a very minimal amount, which is fantastic. So that’s probably also a good example of like she wasn’t able to completely reverse it.

but drastically lowered the dosage, which is still huge success.

Ben (13:25)
I think at the at the very least it gives people options, right? Because if you’ve been struggling and you don’t know where to go and you’ve you know, you’ve tried other dietary approaches, you’ve tried maybe some combination of medication and you’re you’re not improving, hey, try, you know, try a plant-based diet. You know, try even maybe leaning into more of a whole foods plant-based diet. See if that works for you. Maybe that maybe that does, maybe that doesn’t. Maybe you know, a a vegan diet that has, you know, that’s mostly Whole Foods, but you’re incorporating maybe some slightly more processed foods like

you know, seitan, mock meats, it’s you protein powder, that sort of thing to help you hit your protein goals. Hey, that’s a lot of what we talk about with the the folks that we work with is like you know, it can it can be a combination of approaches and you have to kind of experiment and see what works for you. And it’s a journey and it’s a process and also it can evolve and you know change over time. I know for myself, there’s been so many different things that I’ve tried and experimented within the framework of being vegan or being plant-based, ways of eating, you know.

number of meals per day, when I’m eating those meals, what I’m eating, you know, it changes with the time of year. It changes on what food I have available with what I’m living. So all that to say that it doesn’t have to look one way, but it it is something to try and it’s it’s a tool for people to have. And I think that’s the important thing is not saying that, you know, this is absolutely going to be the solution for you. But it’s worked for so many people and there’s so many success stories and people who have improved their health and have just seen a lot of benefits. So

it’s kind of a case of, you know, why why not give it a try? And it’s always kind of funny to me when you know, just people have misconceptions or they think you can’t be healthy, you know, eating a vegan diet or you’re gonna be malnourished. Or it’s like I think back to some of the misconceptions that I had when I wasn’t educated, you know, on this and now understanding that I was just so wrong about so many of these things. you know, thinking that vegans were weak and, you know, I had all those misconceptions myself. So I think it’s you know, a lot of us

you know, maybe are similar in that way. It’s like we you know, you don’t know until you know and then once you know you can, you know, make make some changes if that’s something that you want to do.

Giacomo (15:26)
But my assumption

Shireen (15:26)
It’s true.

Giacomo (15:27)
here sorry, go ahead, Shireen.

Shireen (15:28)
I’m sorry. No, I was just it at this time you’re make you reminded me that I remember the year that I that I started incorporating all these meals and these changes and I was living with my parents still and you know, you always wanna get your the people you love their approval and that can be kind of challenging when they themselves don’t understand it or but it was really cool ’cause I remember my dad

What he was saying when I told him, I was like, Yeah, what do you what do you think about this? ‘Cause I’m feeling great and I’m seeing a lot of cool changes happening. And he’s like, you know what? I say try it because it’s he’s like, What’s the worst that could happen when you’re you’re eating vegetables and fruits and vegetables? And I’m I I loved that response. I was like, Yeah. Like that was so encouraging. And it meant a lot coming from my father, you know, who eats differently but but still

you know, showed his support and that’s important.

Giacomo (16:19)
How quickly did your family become inspired? Your mom specifically, right? ‘Cause she made some dietary changes right away. It almost sounds like right away.

Shireen (16:26)
It was right away. It’s my mom and I are very close. I could argue that she’s my best friend. And so having had exposure to vegetarianism and veganism, you know, previously earlier in life and coming back to it, and I think she she herself was kind of going through some stuff health wise. And I think she was like, you know what, what the heck? I I wanna do this with you.

I’m tired of feeling I’m sick of being sick, you know? so I think that it was just like a what the hell moment and let’s do it together. And lo and behold, it’s it’s I feel like a lot of us could argue that we feel more inspired and motivated to do something when we have that level of support, you know, a coach, friend, family member, partner. A lot of I mean, even now, like it’s without my husband’s support, I feel like I

probably would not have gotten as far as I did. so I feel like having that level of support, you know, whoever it may be, is is pinnacle, you know. so yeah, I think we kind of kept each other going and we even like still send each other food pictures and stuff. Like we live in different states, but we we talk pretty much every day that I’m off and we send each other this is what I ate today. And it’s fun.

Giacomo (17:36)
I know the conversation about cosplay and modeling, I feel like that is something you wanted for a very long time, since maybe since you were even a kid, just the idea of it. And then that manifested into reality when you were a you know, when you were probably, I don’t know, five, ten years ago or whatever. But the whole bodybuilding thing, was that like when did when was that seed planted? I know our our aha moment when you decided when you we met at a fit expo and you were like

Okay, so there’s a way to do this and I and I’m gonna immerse myself in all of it, the coach, the everything. But how long had you wanted it before then and when was that seed planted as far as bodybuilding was concerned?

Shireen (18:14)
Yeah, I apologize. I realized when I was kind of going through with my introduction that I was kind of all over the place and I apologize in advance. but yeah, you know what? It’s it’s like now that I’m thinking about it, it’s one of those things where I think all along it’s something that I’ve wanted, but you almost put it in the back of your head because you don’t have I keep thinking confidence. Confidence keeps popping up. Like I feel like that was really the the thing that I needed.

to realize that, this is something we could do. I mean, it anybody can do it. You don’t need to be you don’t need to have a certain body type or whatever to cosplay. And that’s the beauty beautiful thing about it. But, you know, it’s it was just an extra layer, that I you know, an extra challenge. And, you know, when you think of of cosplay, you think of like all the superheroes and like God, I I want that. I want to embody that. And I think really,

It’s something I’ve always wanted. I specifically remember a time I was just telling somebody this yesterday that I remember I think, gosh, I think I was maybe twelve years old. And we went out somewhere, and I remember a friend of my mom’s, they were talking, and she was showing a photo or like a portfolio of some costumes that her her daughter had made. And I remember in particular, it was like Star Wars themed.

there were like corsets and they had like fan-based fan-based fan takes on the outfits, you know, like a fan interpretation, which is so common these days. But and I loved that. I remember looking at that, I was mesmerized. I thought that was the coolest thing. and so I around that time I remember trying to like take you know, I didn’t have a sewing machine, I didn’t know how to sew, but it’s you take

what you have and you try to work around it and just turning pieces of clothing or costumes that I had and trying to turn it into something else was kind of an art in itself. so that I could argue has has been a thing for a very, very long time. when I realized and connected it with the bodybuilding, I I’m trying to think, gosh, I think back in the day when when I was talking to my doctor, like I want to do bodybuilding. It’s

It’s just always been there, but you you don’t like I don’t know. I I always thought like I I’m not ready. I’m not ready for that yet because I I’m not performing or I’m not looking a certain way and and that’s very unfortunate because I want people to I think really what you need is the confidence and the belief that you can do this. and that really is I I the more I think about it, the more I talk about it, I realize that’s really what it what kicked it off for me.

because I had tried on Instagram and many times before to to do this type of thing. given my my fitness and nutrition stuff were not where they’re at now. but you know, we had tried to to do this kind of thing many times before, and it just it didn’t happen. But I think it was just me not believing in myself and thinking that I wasn’t ready to do it, you know? and

In terms of coaching and and bodybuilding, having my husband there, it we got married. I made a video recently showing off vegan proteins and me and my husband just made the decision together to get healthier and to get fit. And without his support and obviously I’m more established now as an adult, working adult. it it just the timing, I guess, was right. so yeah, it’s it’s always been there.

But I guess you could argue that I just wasn’t ready for it mentally until I realized like, I can do this. I’m the it made me feel confident to to be able to be consistent in habits and to enjoy what you’re doing. it all comes together. I think true confidence comes from being sure of yourself and knowing that like, yeah, I did myself good today. I exercised, I ate and I have support and people who love me and they support what I do and what I love doing.

Giacomo (21:57)
What were your expectations versus your reality when you were like, Okay, I don’t know what’s gonna happen right now, but I know that I feel like a coach is going to be what I need. To me, when I think of a coach, remember the first time I signed up, I’m like, okay, I’m gonna get the macros, I’m gonna get the program, and I’m gonna have the plan. And I just need someone to tell me what to do. And and these are the things I need to do to change my body. I’m gonna eat a certain way, I’m gonna train a certain way, and then keep getting this programming. And there’ll be a person that’s gonna be doing it.

For me, offloading some my thinking and also supporting me. But I had no no I no preconceived notions or ideas about what that person would be for me and how it would impact me in terms of mindset and all that stuff. But I mean, like, that was me. and but I’m curious to know like what you thought and what you had hoped for going into working with a coach and then how did that evolve over time as far as

how you felt about coaching and what you were asking for out of your coach.

Shireen (22:53)
Yeah, so so John and I, my husband, we had leading up to our our wedding ceremony, we had tried to do it on our own. you know, we were members, Muscles by Brussels members, and we tried to do the formulations, we have the book. and while we did have good results in the beginning, it just was like that extra layer of like, you know, I I really would like someone to to educate me on.

you know, why am I do I was still very lost in terms of like what I should be training. And you know, it’s I would say that like coaching is so important when it comes to you want s you want to have that faith in somebody who can point you in the right direction. They can tell you, okay, well if this is what you’re going for, this is what you need to train. And it’s just I I had no idea what I was doing. And that is a huge reason for my inconsistencies in training over the years.

I didn’t know what I was doing and why I was doing it. I just thought that, hey, I’m getting fit. I’m lifting weights. And I I did build muscle in certain areas. But like, you know, I think it was just because I was so new to the sport that like, you know, things kind of grew and I very I don’t know, I was just very inconsistent and I wanted s that level of support and that you know, that trust of somebody who could really

push me in the right direction, educate me on what I’m doing and why. I think I had a lot of practice over the years with the nutrition side of stuff, but even then I had learned so much and how nutrition, you know, in terms of when you start competing and you you understand like how like why you need carbs and what they do and how they appro you know they change your look. It’s just, it’s so fascinating. I have learned so, so much through you guys. so

Just I think I think what it is is just having somebody to educate me on what I’m doing and why and and I’ve gotten that and then some.

Ben (24:40)
Yeah, it’s it’s it’s such a different thing, like having a plan to follow and knowing why you’re doing the plan and having it be tailored to you. because I think when you know the why behind something, it just gives you more buy-in as opposed to like, okay, I’m doing this thing, I’m you know, I’m getting decent results, but I don’t really know why. And I don’t really know how to like make it better or improve my process so that I’m getting the the best results that I can be getting. And I think there’s also this like

this just underlying sense of doubt that you have in the back of your head where you’re like, Am I doing what I should be doing? Am I not? Am I doing a good job? Could I be, you know, leaving some, you know, some progress on the table, whatever it is, and just having somebody to give you the reassurance to look at, you know, what you’re doing and set it up for you in the way that’s gonna, you know, best best fit, you know, your specific circumstance, it’s just so valuable and feeling like you’re not wasting time because you can go by, you know, many years I’ve had it clients who, you know, who

I’m working with where it’s like they’ve been in the gym for a long time, but they don’t, you know, they’ve never really had a plan or they’ve kind of just gone in and done whatever. And I think, you know, that gets you to a certain point. But then if you want to keep going, whether that’s, you know, with your health or your body composition or whatever it is, you kind of need that extra guidance, that, you know, that extra pair of eyes. And like you were saying, somebody to, you know, help you understand why you’re doing these things and how to do them better so that you know.

Most people aren’t gonna work with a coach forever so that when they go out on their own, they’re able to, you know, then apply it to themselves. That’s why I think the educational aspect is so important. So it’s not just like you become reliant on your coach and really like there are people who work with us for long periods of time, but it’s not always because they’re reliant on us. It’s because it’s just like having that external perspective and that accountability and somebody to kind of keep you from making some of the mistakes that.

you might make if you didn’t have somebody kind of there with you. those are all really, really valuable things. Giacomo, I’d love to hear you know, your perspective here when you first started working with Shireen. you know, what what stood out to you? what, you know, what were you kind of thinking in terms of maybe, you know, the bodybuilding process, but also just like, you know, okay, strengths, you know, things for us to improve upon. You know, what was what was sta what was standing out to you? You’re laughing. You’ve got something in mind right now.

Giacomo (26:52)
Shireen you gave me whiplash so many times. yeah, because you have because well I was f I was like trying to think of a way to have to get you everything you wanted because you wanted cosplay, you wanted to to be better at that, you had your modeling, you had your bodybuilding, and there were a lot of ideas that you were throwing out there, and I don’t feel like the the plan was really set just yet, or the groundwork was set to to do all these things. And

you kept testing the waters and you’re like, I want to do this, I want to do that. And we’re like thinking of the time frame. And I was like, well, Shireen, there’s a certain amount of runway that we need for the bodybuilding stage. And here are some ways where cosplay and bodybuilding might oppose one another. And are there specific seasons that you want to do this and that? And then finally one at what at some point in time after you were like, I got goals because you had gotten the initially what you came here for in terms of getting leaner and getting consistent.

And and you had your other transformation, so to speak. And then all of a sudden you were like, I’m doing a bodybuilding. So I went to Dani. I’m like, Dani, Shireen just said she wants to do bodybuilding. And I’m confused. Should I tell her, should I give her like the pros and the cons of doing now? She’s like, She’s a grown-ass woman. She knows what she wants. Let her do bodybuilding. She said she wants to do it. She’s gonna do it. I’m like, and I got right back on onto the next message. And I’m like, all right, Shireen, we’re doing it now. Let’s do it. We’re gonna beeline it to the stage. We’re not gonna worry about

About the I feel like I’m yelling into the mic, but I’m just so this was such an exciting time for you. This it was a rush. It was a r it was a total rush because you had just gotten off of the Arnold Angel Competition Bikini stage, which was more performative than competitive. And before that you had gotten deeper into looking into building your portfolio and you were getting ready for some like cosplay things, and then you had just gotten a cosplay gig.

that for the calendar thing that you were doing at Arnold and then all of a sudden now you’re like, okay, and we’re gonna we’re not gonna do any like seasons here of improving or building or being in deficit. We’re gonna go right. And I was like, okay. And then and then you went there. So that was to me, it was like maybe the path was clear to you, but for me I was trying to figure a way to put it together. And then you were like, now we’re doing this. To me that was it was and you followed through. You you saw the whole thing through and you you blew my mind.

you you exceeded my wildest expectations as far as how far you were willing to take it. It was so exciting going through your season with.

Shireen (29:10)
I’m so glad to hear that. And I’m sorry. I know. That’s that’s one thing I I feel like I failed to mention is like I’m I’m kind of thinking now like what my my whole thought process was. But I’m I would argue that I’m very I’m I get very excited about something and it kinda goes back to what I was saying about confidence. So like I initially I think I got you know, I hired you as a coach to help me realize like what am I doing and why. And, you know, I I’m

off on a great start, but I’m not seeing the progress that I’d like to and I and I still don’t understand, you know, what I should be training, what I should be focusing on, et cetera. But I think getting into that, you know, helping me get fitter overall and helping me to get a certain look for for cosplay and whatnot, was initially why I hired a coach to understand what I was doing. And then, but there was still that

That curiosity in the back of my head, like, well, you know, maybe, maybe I’ll compete someday. And here we are. I mean, that so that plan changed, Giacomo, because I think I realized and I was like, wow, this is awesome. I I want to do this and I want to do this. And and obviously going back to you know, having that coach to to really help you understand why we have season building seasons, right?

I’m really I think I’m finally starting to realize that now. It’s like, okay, we can’t stay lean forever. You do have to go through the improvement season. And I’m actually loving that right now. I’m I’m really I’m falling in love with that. And it’s funny just kind of being, you know, in my head behind the scenes, seeing it unfold and like, you know, how your perspective changes with you know, just eat fueling and like seeing yourself in a in a different light and and so that’s really cool. But

But no, like understanding the process and I think it was just having seeing like, wow, I’m making so much progress in such a short period of time. I can do this. This is cool. You know, like I think it’s always been there. It’s just a matter of like, I think seeing those little wins happen, you know, unfold before your very eyes is just is rewarding and you it’s infectious and it makes you want to keep going. And yeah.

I really appreciate you for your patience and and just, you know, going along going with the flow as they say. And yeah, it’s thank you.

Ben (31:24)
It’s the, you know, it’s the confidence thing that stands out to me, like you were talking about with I think there’s some people who maybe they’re like really far off from their goal, but they just have this like super strong self-belief where they’re like, I know I can do it. Even if it takes me like one year, two years, five years, I know I can do it. And then there’s other folks like yourself, Shireen. I think I’m I’m, you know, I be I’m probably one of these people too, where I think I need to see like the stepwise pro, you know, progress and

gain a little bit of that confidence before I set these big goals because you know, there’s this, you know, I think partly I have this fear of letting myself down if I don’t get to that big goal. And so I need to kind of like hit these smaller milestones along the way to feel like I can continue setting goals that are a little bit higher. I think this is really common, honestly, where we get somebody who signs up with us and

Maybe they just wanna, you know, lose some weight or get into the gym for the first time. It’s, you know, things that we we know we’re gonna be able to help them, you know, achieve if they continue to show up for themselves. and then they get that and then they like, you know what? Like this is cool, but actually, I know I feel like I can now do I can do this and like this is my new goal. and I have hints of sometimes with clients too, where it’s like they’re kind of hinting at this big goal that they might want to achieve, whether that’s stepping on stage or doing something else, and you can kind of tell they’re like,

a little bit hesitant to mention it or a little bit scared or afraid because maybe it’s like by putting it out there it makes it a little bit more real. and then it’s like again this expectation to live up to or they’re just, you know, they’re not sure of themselves. But I think, you know, as you continue to develop these habits, develop these skills, you know, be able to adhere to them, to have success, to see the progress, to see the small wins, your confidence does continue to to build and it makes you realize what you think is possible. And I think that

you know, that’s maybe what you were getting at is I don’t

Shireen (33:07)
Yeah.

Ben (33:08)
know if there’s maybe when you signed up for coaching, I don’t even know if like bodybuilding was something that came up in the discussion or if that was kind of something that that came later on. And that’s at Giacomo, I think that’s maybe what you’re getting at where it was you

Giacomo (33:20)
Yeah.

Ben (33:20)
know, wow, I’m a surprise that you know, we’re jumping right into this this bodybuilding thing. But that’s how it happens for some people is like it’s something,

Shireen (33:26)
Mm-hmm.

Ben (33:27)
it’s a goal of theirs that they always have, but they just maybe aren’t ready to to share that with somebody because our

Our goals and our dreams and our beliefs are very personal thing to us because, you know, if if you share that with somebody and then they say, well, I don’t know about that, or yeah, I don’t think you can do that. Like, you know, there’s a there’s a risk or there’s a real possibility of people, you know, putting you down or, you know, not helping along that process of encouraging you. And I think it it takes somebody who you can build that trust with and you can be you know.

confident to confide in them and to share those, you know, those vulnerable things, those those big goals and those beliefs and somebody who’s gonna say, Yeah, let’s do it. I’ll help you. You know, let’s let’s figure out how we can get there.

Shireen (34:04)
Exactly. Well said. I a hundred percent agree with that. And I think that’s exactly what it was for me is because I had that, you know, I mentioned that I I’d wanted to get into bodybuilding before, but I felt like I was just so far out. and you know, then you’re worried about, you know, going back to family and and support of people worrying, like, that’s you sure about that? That’s gonna be really hard, or it’s really unhealthy, and it’s just, you know, you have

people in your life that, you know, with the best intentions, I think, but it can cloud your judgment and make you feel like, maybe this isn’t something I should do. But deep down it’s like, but I really wanna do that. I really wanna do that. And, you know, I just I wasn’t sure and I didn’t think I was ready. But that confidence and that that reassurance of like, wow, I’m making insane progress in such a short period of time was enough to, you know, to

to keep that going. And again thank you, Giacomo, for being so patient with me and and I’m really excited to see where we go along with this and yeah.

Giacomo (35:03)
I’m waiting for the next big idea that you throw at me where you where you’re like you’re like, Were you listening at all? I’ve been dropping these hints and saying it for three months

Shireen (35:11)
exactly.

Giacomo (35:12)
now. Can we do it? And I’m like, Yes, we’re in, we’re ready. Sometimes I try to I jump the gun and I meet someone where they’re at and there’s a feeling there and there’s a desire and I’m like, Let’s go. And then they and then there’s more of that stepwise process that needs to happen. So it’s really hard to that’s the other thing. It’s like

It it w wouldn’t it be ideal if on day one you could know exactly how you’re gonna do things with your coach. But there is that bond and it takes time to create it to understand how someone what’s some how you can best support someone, put it that way. And I think I feel like it also takes a little bit of time for that person, for that client, to understand what their process needs to look like for them to succeed. But all the while, of course, you’re getting results. So to me, there’s nothing to apologize for. That was honestly that

Particular moment right there, I feel like I’ll be chasing that moment, that feeling the rest of the time working with you or knowing you because that was the that was the catalyst, that was the change, that was like, okay, and we’re going for it. And now I feel like I have a better handle on how you like to do things. So I’m I’m ready. I’m ready for the next big thing, whatever it is. You you just throw it at me like, Okay, it’s gonna be this now. I’m gonna be becoming a professional skydiver. I’m like, Okay, I’m in. How are we gonna do this? I don’t know.

Shireen (36:24)
I mean it’s it’s so I I love it. I love I think also it’s just n feeling when you know, getting for us to know each other and and f seeing how you responded to my request and and and realizing like, he this this is possible. Cause I remember sending you a message and thinking about it constantly, ruminating, like, my gosh, maybe maybe it’s not my time, or maybe I’m not there yet, but you’re hoping like and it’s just every time you

It it I really lit up because every time you responded it was just like, Yeah, we can do this and and having that coach to really, you know, realize your goals and and help you believe that they’re absolutely achievable. I mean, the time it takes to get there, but even the process. It’s just it’s so encouraging and I really needed that, you know. And I I would definitely argue hands down like that this whole process has has literally made my dreams come true.

And I thank you for that.

Ben (37:19)
That’s that’s a that’s a statement right there. I love that. I want

Shireen (37:22)
Yeah.

Ben (37:24)
you know, I think there’s something about, especially, you know, a c the contest prep process and how how difficult it is that really brings together the coach and the and the client. I’ve seen this with the athletes that I’ve worked with, where it’s like you see people when they’re at their most vulnerable moments. you know, when you’re

You know, you’re on, you know, whatever it is, you’re on the verge of tears because you’re having a breakdown because, you know, you ate a couple hundred more calories or, you know, you missed your cardio or whatever it was. or, you know, something stressful happened. And you’re just in this, I think when you’re running on, you know, low energy, low food, you’re just more vulnerable emotionally, physically, in every sense. And so, you know, having that person to guide you through that process, I feel like I have gotten really close with the athletes that I’ve taken to stage.

because you’re having more in-depth conversations, they’re maybe opening up to you, you know, you’re ha you’re communicating more frequently, all of these things. and I think it’s just a really transformative process for most people who do decide to compete. And, you know, it it as coaches as well. I think it transforms the relationship that we we have with that person. So I’d love to know for both of you, for Shireen and for Giacomo, I’ll start with you, Shireen.

What do you feel like, okay, you decide to do this bodybuilding prep. What do you feel like is the, you know, what what are the things that change? You know, what maybe from a logistical side of things? what’s changing now that you’ve decided to do that that bodybuilding prep? what did you and what did you kind of learn about yourself through that process?

Shireen (38:51)
I’m so passionate about this. So yeah, it I guess you could say, you know, it probably comes to as no surprise that you know, I really and Giacomo tried to to basically not warn me necessarily, but like, you know, help me this these are what the expectations are, going through a prep. It’s not gonna be the same as like these little mini cuts, body recomps, etc. And yeah, I mean me, I think being so what’s the word? Just that excitement.

And, you know, it’s like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, we’re doing the thing, like, this is awesome. And then I think you won’t really know until you I mean, you don’t understand what you don’t know and you don’t know what you don’t understand. So having to go having gone through it this time, I was like, Wow, now I know what he means meant when he said that. And it’s i you really just so you have to go through it. You won’t really know until you go through it. But I learned a lot about how just

Being lean is not a sustainable thing. I understand now what you meant, Giacomo, where like you don’t want to go below a certain point because it’s going to affect your physiology and your hormones. And boy, did I really did it did that hit? and I think we’re s we’re still kind of going through the recovery process, but it’s just been very as tough as it is to experience on a physical level, it’s it’s also very mental. There are a lot of mental components that go along with it that you did warn me about.

and again, thank you for your support through the whole process. And it’s just it’s so fascinating to me. I do have a scientific background school-wise, and it’s just like I feel like I’ve learned more through my bodybuilding experience in some ways than than like just being being at the desk learning in a in a academic environment. It’s just it’s fascinating. You really you understand how nutrition like affects you mentally and physically and

what hormones do and the role of hormones and why it’s important to, you know, having muscle to help your blood sugar. And it’s just, it’s, it’s, it blows my mind every time I think about it. And it’s just you have these little aha moments of like, I’m experiencing this and this is like you make connections. And I think that is so cool. It’s so cool to be able to like, you know, you hear something from some source many times throughout your life if if you’re interested in this one thing. And it’s like,

Going through it, actually experiencing it, really it it’s just a whole nother level and it makes sense and you start to piece things together and it’s I just find that so cool. so yeah, I hope I I’m I’m so bad. I I tend to ramble and I apologize. if you need me to elaborate on anything, please.

Giacomo (41:15)
That’s a con no, that’s

how conversations are supposed to work. So and I’m not gonna answer

Shireen (41:20)
But

Giacomo (41:21)
Ben’s question so I’m gonna until he repeats it because I already forgot it. And the other thought that I

Shireen (41:25)
Sorry.

Giacomo (41:25)
just had was slipping. No, this is good. This is the way it should be. Perfect. But I feel like not I feel like I know that what you while it’s a much more extreme i

Outcome after a competition season as far as the recovery process goes and finding a way to balance out and how to do things in a sustainable manner after you’ve reached your goal. There there are some parallels, right? Because obviously everyone that’s listening here is is not a bodybuilder or interested in bodybuilding or even familiar with bodybuilding. However, I would imagine most people listening have a goal, right? And the hardest part for them is probably to reach their goal. But once they have the confidence to reach said goal and the the finish line is in sight.

it what what I think a lot of people don’t realize until they have some hindsight is it is what you do afterwards. It is it is the the game of mental chess afterwards that it that you want to avoid, I should say, by having a b better understanding of what it’s like to sustain your results and have a enjoyable process after you reach a goal. Because I feel like when you’re going for a goal

The idea is to be efficient, the idea is to focus on that outcome. The idea is to do what you need to do to get there, put the tools in place, worry about it later. But time and time and time again, in our eighteen plus years of doing this here, the hardest part is after the fact. And like you said, you don’t know what you don’t know. But if you have someone that goes through this day in and day out with their clients, the hope for us as coaches is that we’re able to better support you and we are able to show you where the blind spots may be ahead of time.

And then of course when we do go through it, that we are not only able to get you the results you want, you’re able to do this on your own. Like to me, the way that I look at coaching, to to Ben’s point earlier in the conversation, where it’s like we’re not looking to keep you here and have you rely on us, it’s quite the contrary. In my the way that I frame coaching in my mind is every single day that you work with someone, each day represents an opportunity to empower you that much more to be able to do it completely on your own in a better way.

the very next day. However, of course you can experience more growth and you could have someone in it with you and there are ways that a coach can challenge you to be better. But by all means, working with the coach gives you more autonomy, not the other way around. And I say I ha I literally say that to clients sometimes because I don’t want my clients to experience the fear of, well I got this with the coach and I did this with the coach. What if I can’t? It’s more it’s more a matter of, well

Do I wanna keep working with the coach or not right now? Do I what are my goals? Do I wanna experience more growth? Do I enjoy having that objective experience where someone else is in it with me? And Ben, what was your question? ‘Cause I again I still have no I no idea what it was.

Ben (44:01)
Well, I I’d like to hear maybe, you know, how you observed like Shireen throughout this process, like maybe how you felt she she grew throughout this. and then after that I want to kick it back to Shireen and just ask about that actual experience of stepping on stage and maybe going through the prep and then we can touch on maybe the the period afterwards after that. But yeah, Giacomo, let’s start with you and maybe some of the, you know, the growth or the changes that that you observed.

from the you know, the coaches seat over that process of the contest prep or even just working together, you know, as a whole from from the start up until now.

Giacomo (44:35)
Okay, well, I I think that Shireen knew what she wanted. I think she already had the confidence to go after it. I don’t think that she knew what the exp what that was gonna be like once she got what she wanted. And I feel like I feel like that was extremely empowering to you. And and I think you had a lot of questions after you got what you wanted as far as like what you were gonna do with it in terms of the modeling, the cosplay,

Shireen (44:57)
Mm-hmm.

Giacomo (44:58)
the bodybuilding, the all of that.

And I I think at the beginning you had that conversation with me more more from a place of uncertainty, like with like looking for some support and some friendship there, someone to talk through it with. Whereas now when you talk through that stuff, it’s coming from you. You already know what you’re thinking, what you want, what you’re gonna get out of it. It’s more a matter of going through it with me and sharing and and I’m and I’m here to support you as opposed to and talk through it with

Shireen (45:24)
Thank you.

Giacomo (45:25)
you as opposed to

think through it with you together if that makes any sense. I feel like your whole perspective has shifted in terms of how you go after things. And I I’m biased because I love bodybuilding. and obviously it’s what we it’s what we spent a chunk of our time together doing, but I’d like to think that you got some of that some of that confidence from realizing that you could do a really hard thing, basically. And I also think that

And this was this was a hope of mine from day one, but it was never a doubt of mine, put it that way. My hope was that whatever you got from this, no matter how hard it became, no matter what we did together, that this would be what you would be doing going forward. I don’t mean bodybuilding per se, I mean consistently work consistently being a person who focuses on their fitness and their health, no matter what. And I’d like to think that that is what you accomplish with your time here with me.

And I’m just grateful for being one of the stepping stones along the way as you continue to reach higher heights and continue to focus on becoming the best version of yourself tomorrow, and an even better version of yourself than you are today. So it’s it’s been nothing short of a pleasure working with you and seeing being a a fly in the wall for all of this, really.

Shireen (46:37)
I’m trying not to cry over here. thank you. No, that’s beautiful, Giacomo. Thank you. I would I would say yes, absolutely. I mean, understand having I and I think a lot of us also go approach bodybuilding because we do want

To know at the end of the day that we could do something that was extremely challenging and really put us to the test. that that’s definitely another aspect of it, for sure. and just relating it to you know, all these cosplay heroes or these these characters that you want to embody, it’s like, you know, they’re we look at them as like, wow, they can do anything. They’re Superman, Superwoman, you know, they they do what they set out to do and

So it’s like it all kind of goes together. It’s not just the physical, but it’s also like the mental and the willpower and the discipline. And they they carry out and do all the tasks that are expected of them. And I think that’s a another huge part of it. And the more I’m the more I dive deep into this this process, it’s like I realize that it’s yeah, that’s a huge point that I want to make. at the end of the day, it’s it’s I’ve realized that this, what this has done for me is far beyond the physical.

And I find that so incredibly empowering. It’s it’s a l a lot of it has been mental, just confidence and knowing knowing that you can do something when you when you’re consistent, when you put your mind to it. Like anybody can do this. And that’s that’s so beautiful, you know. I would say, and and sometimes I get bashful sharing this, but in in all seriousness, I think going through my bodybuilding prep.

was a very spiritual experience. in a way it’s like I chose to do it it I feel like in I was I was very impatient and wanted to do bodybuilding like right away. But when I think back, I’m I’m very much into nature and I like to live in tune with the seasons. And so when I I look back and I think like wow I started my bodybuilding prep at the start of winter. And

I was going through a famine, you know, I was depleting myself and and trying to get lean and show off all the hard work that we had accomplished together. And at the deepest parts of my prep, for a moment, it like I had this aha moment. Like I was in the shower and my husband and I were were celebrating, I think, our anniversary or Valentine’s Day or something. I was in the shower and I start laughing. I started laughing and he he pokes his head and he’s like,

You okay? Like what’s going on? And was like, I don’t know why, but I just envisioned myself as like this this baby deer like coming out of like into springtime because my competition was like at the very start of spring. And it’s like I had just gone through this famine and now it’s like I’m feeling revitalized, like energy, energetic, and like that that adrenaline high of like wow, like I here I am. Like this is this is our moment to shine. And it’s like I know it sounds so cheesy, but

It made me realize like, wow, there’s a small I experienced a small fraction of like what the creatures out there in the wild here in New England and all over the place when we have harsh winters. It’s like I I got to experience a part of that. And that’s really it really helps you appreciate life, like the small things. Like an apple was the sweetest thing I had tasted, I think the entire prep. And that that was it’s kind of like it’s kind of a beautiful thing. Like

You know, this apple I’m re I appreciate every single bite and just you know, to have a to go to bed with like a full belly and to be to have a warm shower in the dead of winter was just I was so grateful for that. You know. So B I think it taught me to appreciate and prioritize things in my life.

Ben (50:10)
That is so beautiful. I love that. Yeah, I think I feel like I had those moments as well. definitely of just feeling this gratitude for yeah, the most basic things and also just like this gratitude for myself for like pushing myself to go through it and for proving to myself that I could do something hard and for showing up every single day. and you know, for the the people around me who, you know, contest prep is not a a solo endeavor, no matter how much you try to make it that.

And you it affects everyone around you, whether that’s the people you work with or your friends, your family. we all they all get a little piece of it. So it’s also like the gratitude for like, okay, the people around me kind of went through this too. and there’s a lot of that after the the competition on the show where it’s like giving back to some of those areas that maybe got put on the the back burner for a little bit, I think. So I’d love to hear about the actual show day itself and what that was like for you and then

what has been maybe the post kind of competition experience like for you? maybe some of the the ups and the downs because it can be a really tough time. I know it was for myself and it is for a lot of people who go through that. So I think it’s just it’s nice to to just hear, you know, what that whole experience can be like. And like Giacomo said, I think this is one of the aspects where it’s so important to have that person guiding you through it, especially afterwards, because

you know, you hear these stories about people who sign up with a coach and they, you know, they coach them to the competition and then basically, you know, it’s it’s a ghost mode after that for the next eight to twelve weeks and they’re on their own and you know, they’re you know, you gotta put back on some, you know, some weight and some body fat in order to be healthy again. And that could be really hard emotionally, physically, all of the things. so what’s what’s that experience been like for you?

Shireen (51:54)
Gosh, yeah. so show day itself was was a trip. It was so much fun. again, like it’s like t today’s the day. Like you get there and you’re experiencing for me in this case, I was experiencing all for the first time, and it’s like you’re so nervous because you don’t know what to expect. And Giacomo, bless his heart, was there for me the entire time. And he was like, Don’t worry, you got this, you know.

And I remember being so nervous for the prejudging and I thought, my gosh, I’m gonna mess up. my gosh, just don’t think about that. And I was trying to like, you know, do my little routine like while standing in line with a bunch of other girls behind me. And I’m like, just just breathe, you know? And and he definitely was was my pillar for that. So thank you. But the moment I think what was so cool was the moment we got up on that stage and it’s like with like just

With a flick of a you know, it it was crazy how instantaneous I went from being so incredibly nervous to the moment you’re you’re on stage, all these incredibly blinding lights are like in your face and you got a room full of people watching you and you’re practically naked at that point. It’s it’s crazy, but like it’s it’s like I transformed from from one extreme to the next and I felt so confident and it was like, you know, the moment we walked off stage to like allow the next class to go up, I was like

I wanna go back up there. one’s like, you know, and just I don’t know. It was it was cool. So again, that confidence. It’s like having gone through the process and realizing like, this is what it’s about. I’m gonna get back up on stage. that was that was so much fun. And it I can see now where it’s addicting to to wanna compete. But of course, I now also realize that it’s not something you can do one show after another after another after another.

definitely has to be planned out. There has to be they have to be close together. initially I you could Giacomo can confirm that I wanted to do one in April and March and then I wanted to do another one like around now, July, August. So definitely not not I could see now where that’s not an option. I mean maybe, but not as a first timer. It’s it’s very hard. in terms of coming out of that. Again, I didn’t I didn’t know what to expect. I think

I just remember thinking, I did two shows back to back, one month apart. And I remember thinking like, ugh, I I possibly was gonna squeeze in another, but I the tank was running low. And I, you know, it got to a point where I felt like, you know, work was I wasn’t really sleeping much, if I’m being honest. It was it’s hard to sleep when you’re that lean and you’re depleted. but also is just I was trying to grind I was doing I was grinding.

Trying to get all my cardio, my steps in. I worked three twelve hour shifts back to back and it’s exhausting, taxing on you. So I just I I had to pull the plug. Coming out of that, I was like, you know, I can eat again. This is exciting and you can, but it’s very hard.

I I think one of the things what’s what I’m thinking about right now is just hormonally what’s going on. And again, it’s it’s a very fascinating thing to experience. It’s a very physically uncomfortable thing to experience. I ended up losing my my menstrual cycle for one month. I did bounce back after that, so I felt like that was kind of proof that we were we were recovering fairly quickly. I did gain at the end of up until now, I’ve gained about 15 pounds back.

post show. And it might have I am at the top end of my weight where I wanna be right now. And, you know, I guess, you know, again, Giacomo, thank you for being so forgiving in that I I definitely I my body’s definitely trying to fight to be at this baseline. I can feel it. but you know, I think next time around it’ll be easier. We know what we’re getting into and we know what to expect coming out of it next time around. I understand what’s going on and it’s just there have been some really interesting things.

that have happened. of course getting your menstrual cycle back doesn’t mean it’s gonna be normal right away. I think there was so much hormone spillage because it’s almost like you’re going through puberty again. there were so many like I my calves were hurting. I thought I had Lyme disease. You know, it’s it’s a very common thing here in New England this time of year. And I thought like ’cause you get nerve pain that’s localized and it kind of traveled throughout your body. So I thought I was experiencing Lyme disease, but no, it was just

excess hormones like spilling into my limbs. That’s how much was coming back all at once. The bloating is intense. and yeah, you gotta you you realize it’s like, I can eat again, but there’s I understand why strategically we want to kind of increase that over you know, gradually as opposed to all at once, because you know, your body is just not used to that much food going in. your stomach has shrunk and it’s just you’re

You’re like there’s spillover. you know, glycogen, water, salt, everything is just, you know, it’s it’s been an experience and while it’s not the most comfortable and pleasant experience, it’s it’s been very enlightening and very something that I’ve learned and it’s it’s physiologically and biologically it’s very fascinating. it’s part of the prep, it’s part of the experience.

And it really helps you understand why why this, you know, and I try to educate people like, you know, people I know at work who’ve watched me go through this process. You can’t be dare I say, I don’t want to say skinny ’cause that’s not right, but you don’t want to be lean. This is not a look. I try to emphasize that to all the women who have been cheering me on on the sidelines. You cannot be this all year long. There’s no way. No way. You don’t wanna be. and there’s work to be done. So but

No, it’s it’s been tough mentally, you know, I think, without really understanding all that’s there’s a lot of like, you know, am I gaining weight too fast? But it it’s not true weight that you’re gaining initially all at once. It’s like I was saying, like glycogen and water. It’s just your body was so depleted. So everything coming flooding it all at once, it’s like, you know, there’s gonna be a your body’s gonna respond about it and it doesn’t know what to do with it right away. so

is just learning all that, experiencing that and being patient with yourself and having that coach, that that pillar to re to lie you know, to lead on is has been so helpful in in coming out

Ben (57:47)
Yeah.

Shireen (57:48)
of competition season.

Ben (57:49)
I think you have to have a lot of self compassion, a lot of self empathy to understand you’re not going to be perfect. You’re going to have times where you eat too much and you feel a little bit sick. you there’s all these strange, like you were saying, a lot of stuff tied to hormones. You’re during prep, like often your nails don’t go as fast, your hair can start falling out, all these strange things that you would never expect that start to then normalize again, kind of post show. Not to mention, of course,

Your hunger might be actually driven up from where it was during your prep because your body almost kind of gets used to not eating as much, and then you’re eating more again and it just wants more and more and more. You’re thinking about

Shireen (58:20)
Yeah.

Ben (58:21)
food all the time. that was the hardest for me, even more than like the actual hunger itself was just the food noise. and that can be a really massive thing. If when you put on body fat, like you inevitably do, because your hormones are so out of whack, you’re gonna store it in weird places. You typically wouldn’t store it.

Probably going to store it more abdominally. It’s not going to be so fun. It’s like, I’m leaning my, you know, my limbs, but you know, I’ve got you know, I’ve got like a you know, a little bit of a gut now. Like, what’s going on with that? It all, you know, it’s all part of the process. It normalizes over time as you kind of get back to that healthy weight. And that’s that’s why it’s important, you know, to get back to that that healthy weight so that you can give yourself time to get these things back to normal and to start to feel like yourself again. Cause I think you can almost start to feel like a different person if you really try to stay in that.

you know, that that danger zone for too long. And I like you said it’s important to understand that this is temporary. This is for a certain look. It’s not meant to be sustainable. And if you try to sustain that for too long, I would rather somebody gain the weight back a little bit more quickly than they, you know, maybe it feels best for them or what would be, you know, optimal or ideal on paper than to stay lean for too long and kind of stay in that zone where they’re still struggling. It’s almost like they’re still in prep, but prep is over. And that’s

Something that a lot of people struggle with. it’s like you’re gonna struggle no matter what, but I think getting back to that place of health and of just, yeah, just feeling a little bit more normal again, I think is important. And again, having somebody to kind of guide you through that process to say, this is normal, this is okay, this is what you can expect. you’re gonna, you know, maybe feel uncomfortable at times, you’re gonna feel like you messed up, like you’re a failure, all of these things. They’re they’re probably going to happen. but that’s why, you know, having that coach in your corner.

is just so I would say vital to to be able to preserve your mental health. Cause this is probably one of the most difficult times for that. Giacomo?

Shireen (1:00:07)
Absolutely.

Giacomo (1:00:08)
I agree. I feel like there are a few sports that can match bodybuilding when it comes to the psychological challenge, honestly.

Shireen (1:00:16)
Can I just say that I appreciate, you know, I appreciate you guys for what you do because you also highly emphasize like how important like physical health is, your physical health, your mental health. Cause, you know, I can’t speak for further coaches, but I’ve heard, you know, I I know other people who who have not had the same experience and they don’t they’re, you know, they’ve worked with coaches in the past who have not always had their best interests at heart. And and so that’s why

You know, I appreciate you guys for what you do because health is obviously of utmost importance and the most important thing to consider.

Ben (1:00:52)
Absolutely. Okay. I think we’ve covered most of what I wanted to cover. The last question that I have for you, Shireen, is what’s next? What’s like the the big goal or the focus? is it I know you mentioned kind of being in your improv Giacomo is is he’s got his head in his hands for the for the listeners. but I would love to know, you know, you mentioned kind of being in your improvement season and now kind of seeing the benefits of that and being really excited and enjoying this phase.

are you working on building towards eventually doing another competition or show? What’s kind of like, you know, the thing that is keeping you excited and motivated right now?

Shireen (1:01:24)
Yeah. I love that question. So it’s I would say coming out of it now, we are definitely going to embrace the improvement season. There’s a lot of you know, getting the judges’ feedback and and also just coming into this, I knew that I wasn’t at the level of muscularity to be my most competitive, but we still did great, which is awesome. Again, that encouragement to keep going. So I’ve decided to compete again in two years to really give myself that time to develop and

Yeah, we’re gonna if nothing, I mean we’re I and I’m not the most patient person, if you might if you could but this is it it it’s fine because this way we’re gonna bring a better package. And, you know, we already did well, so it could only get better from here. And and that’s it’s fine ’cause we have other things to focus on. You know, we’re doing modeling and and and and cosplay stuff. So that’s keeping me focused on that while we’re improving and

Hey, life is good.

Giacomo (1:02:18)
I’m ready for anything, Shireen. If all of a sudden we beeliner for twenty twenty seven, I w whatever you throw

Shireen (1:02:24)
Yeah.

Giacomo (1:02:24)
at me, we can do it.

Shireen (1:02:26)
We got this.

Giacomo (1:02:27)
Yes.

Ben (1:02:27)
That that’s cool. I think it’s it’s nice to have those big long term goals and then have things to kind of keep you focused along the way. It’s kind of reminds me of how, Giacomo, I know it was used to be kind of in vogue to like in your off season for bodybuilding, do some powerlifting just kind of to give you some like objective numbers. And that isn’t to say everyone has to, you know, be a power lifter, but just having something to kind of keep you going, whether that’s your strength in the gym and getting lifts up and and getting stronger and seeing the growth and in your muscles and having an objective way to to do that or

little hobbies or or side projects or things that maybe you kind of let go of during your prep that you can kind of get back to doing that can fill a little bit of that that space and that time because prep takes up it’s so time consuming that when it’s over, it can feel like, you know, things are almost like you’re there’s like this emptiness or this void. And so having

Shireen (1:03:15)
Yeah.

Ben (1:03:15)
other things that you can pour your time and energy into that are not necessarily just strictly bodybuilding or, you know, you’re doing your steps, you’re doing your cardio, you’re prepping your meals, et cetera.

Course there’s some you know, elements of that that have to remain, but with that more time and energy and you know, mental ability to be there, you you kind of have time to, you know, invest in in other things, which I think is a positive and something that should be embraced during your improvement season. You can go out to eat again, you can you know, just do things that you maybe didn’t have the, you know, mental bandwidth for prior. So it’s definitely a time to take advantage of that and

I look forward to to seeing your the rest of your journey, Shireen. And thank you everyone for listening to another episode of Vegan Proteins Muscles by Brussels Radio. if this conversation has sparked something in you and you’re interested in learning more about what we do, there will be a link down below. if you’re interested in getting some kind of help on your journey, you can fill out an application. We’ll get back to you within 24 hours. Coach at veganproteins.com is always the best place to reach us for any kind of questions.

and if you’re enjoying the podcast, please be sure to give us a five star rating or leave a review. share the the podcast on socials if you’re listening and and tag us and we’ll be sure to reshare. thank you everyone again for listening to this episode. We’d love to hear your feedback and we’ll catch you in the next one.