My love for sports and weight training led me to a career in the health and fitness industry. I played sports in middle school, high school, and recreationally in college. I was able to stay in decent shape because I was so active. Yet after college, I became less and less active. There were fewer opportunities for recreational sports and I had never adopted a regular exercise regimen. So, I began to gain weight and get very out of shape. I ate out for lunch everyday with co-workers, which continued to add pounds. I ate out for dinner most days or ate convenient frozen & processed foods. As the number on the scale continued to rise, my self-image continued to fall.
One day after weighing at work I said, “Enough is enough.” I weighed more than I ever had in my life. That day in 1999, I stopped weighing and started walking everyday before work. It was time for me to make a change because I did not like the road I was headed down. I knew that only I could change myself and my destiny.
Even though I was walking and managing my weight, my eating habits were still very poor. I continued to eat out, order in, or eat frozen/boxed foods. I began experiencing health problems and extreme fatigue. In 2001, I began to lose more weight than normal. I lost my appetite and felt extremely weak most days. At times this would get better temporarily only to come back worse than before. I went to several doctors and had many tests but found no answers. Each doctor would tell me that I was completely healthy.
In an effort to feel normal I looked for ways to motivate myself to be more active hoping this would lead to more energy. For several years I barely had the energy to do my walking/cardio at low intensity. But I did it anyway. I did what I could but it was always a struggle and never without joint pain. I did research online about health problems related to fatigue and still found no answers. I desperately wanted to feel strong, vibrant, and healthy. I remembered how great I felt participating in sports & weight training in high school. This led me to research opportunities that would allow me to participate in some type of competitive activity. In 2005, I found an upcoming bodybuilding and fitness show in the Atlanta area. I decided to go and see what it was all about. While watching the figure and fitness competitors I said, “I could do that.” And that is just what I did. I found out that there was another show in the Atlanta area in October 2005 and I decided to enter. It was with a natural (drug-tested) organization.
At this first competition I was completely clueless. I didn’t know how to diet or train for a contest. I decided just a week before the contest to go through with it & enter. Surprisingly, I placed 3rd and I was hooked on competing. I competed again in March 2006 and won 1st place in the figure short class and won my pro card. This meant that I could now compete as a pro. While I did well in these first two competitions, my health problems were not going away. In fact, they were getting worse. Because I enjoyed competing and had my first pro competition coming up, I was much more motivated to find out what was wrong with my body once and for all. I believe that my desire to compete saved my life & certainly my health.
At this point my health was at an all-time low. I began losing even more weight; I was having stomach pains, night sweats, extremely high fevers, mouth sores, eye inflammation, abdominal bloating, along with leg, knee, & back pain. After consulting several more doctors & specialists, one doctor finally figured out what was wrong with my body. In June 2006, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. I didn’t even know what it was but I was glad to finally have an answer to my health mystery.. Crohn’s is a chronic, episodic, inflammatory disease of the digestive system that can cause stomach pain, fatigue, joint problems, etc.
Now that I finally knew what was wrong with my body, I spent many hours researching crohn’s disease. I began seeing a gastroenterologist and taking medications. Even though my crohn’s was very active, I decided to go ahead and compete in my first pro competition in July 2006. I just had to know what it would be like to compete at the next level. I looked horrible and felt horrible. My only goal was to make it across the stage. I finished next to last in the competition. But even that was better than I expected. More importantly, I made it across the stage & was even more determined to get healthy. I decided to wait at least a year before competing again to focus on getting as healthy as possible. After seeing the pros up close, I knew I had a long way to go. My goal now wasn’t to just make it across the stage but to win a pro title.
I began taking infusion treatments for Crohn’s along with other medicines. The medications certainly helped some of my symptoms but I still wasn’t getting WELL. Being frustrated with the short-term and potential long-term side effects of the medications, I decided to try some other alternatives. I began doing research on the effects of diet on the digestive system. I first tried cutting gluten out of my diet. This seemed to help. Over the next year with changes to my diet and remicade infusion treatments I began to get stronger and healthier. I did compete again in September 2007 in Kansas City. I was at my healthiest in a long time. I was very happy with how my body looked and felt. I did very well placing 7th in a very competitive pro line-up. Since then I have continued to change my diet and take remicade infusion treatments as needed. I now have the energy to lift weights and do cardio even during the strictest pre-contest dieting. I eat mostly whole foods, limit/avoid dairy and limit/avoid gluten. I also limit refined sugars. It is a process that I continue to work on. My competition diet actually helps me avoid processed foods and refined sugars.
After my competition in September 2007, I began working with a nutritionist who is also a bodybuilder. On March 22, 2008 I won my first pro title in Savannah, Georgia. The very next month, in April 2008, I won my second pro title (Ms. Universe Figure). Then in May of 2008 I placed second in the Northeast Pro Figure Classic in Boston. Later in November 2008, I competed in the World Championships and made the Top 5. My hope is to inspire others to improve their personal wellness & "GET IN THEIR BEST SHAPE EVER".
Professional Experience
Alli has been featured in Natural Bodybuilding & Fitness magazine (multiple issues). She is a Licensed Wellness Coach and Certified Personal Trainer. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology/Exercise Science and a Master’s in Public Administration. Alli is certified by the renowned American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and is a presenter for the ACSM Personal Trainer Certification Workshop. She is licensed thru Wellcoaches Corporation, the gold standard in the training and certifying of physical and mental health professionals as wellness coaches. Train with Alli and GET IN YOUR BEST SHAPE EVER!
Instead of protein shakes, Alli uses All Natural 100% Pure Liquid Egg Whites to get extra protein. "This product doesn't bother my digestive system & it is tasteless so I can mix it with anything".
