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Carolyn Pace

@carolynmich

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I almost kept this entire journey to myself.

January to October. Ten months of showing up, doing the work, and learning a lot about myself along the way.

I’ve kept most of this process private, but I’m proud of how far I’ve come, and I think it’s time to let you guys in on it.

This is just one chapter of the journey. We’re not done yet. by @carolynmich

👏👏👏👏
Repost from @carolynmich
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Are you acting on impulse?

We are almost through January and I’m sure many of you are in a diet or itching to get a head start before summer.

The photo on the left was one of the worst days of my life. I hated how I looked, and I felt like there was no hope left. The last thing I should be doing was going on another diet. I’m glad I didn’t.

Cut began on February 19, 2018
Reverse began on October 22, 2018
Cut began on October 7, 2019
Reverse began February 13, 2020
Cut started on September 4, 2020
Progress started December 2, 2020
Reverse started March 31, 2021
Cut started June 20, 2021
Reverse started September 29, 2021
Prep started December 22, 2021
First NPC show October 28, 2022
Health phase started November 7, 2022
Growth phase started January 12, 2023

Here is my history that brought me to where I am today. I didn’t start tracking until 2018. It is imperative to take note of your phases so decisions can be made objectively versus emotional impulses.

If you plan on dieting, ask yourself when was the last time you dieted? Less than three months ago? Then it’s probably not a good idea to jump into a diet.

Play the long game. Leave emotion out. Lean into your coach to be your guide, and you will get to where you want to be. by @carolynmich

it’s funny how you can spend so much time working toward something that you almost forget to stop and realize you’re actually there.

for most of this year, i’ve just focused on the day in front of me. follow the plan. train. eat the meals. make the adjustments. show up again tomorrow.

some days felt exciting. plenty of days just felt like another day of doing what needed to be done. and somehow, all of those ordinary days added up to this.

i’m grateful for my body and everything i’ve asked of it. grateful for my coach and everyone who has supported me through this.

grateful that i was able to chase a big goal without putting the rest of my life on hold. and most of all, grateful that i came back to bodybuilding because i genuinely wanted to.

not to prove anything. not to become the woman i was four years ago. but to see what the woman i am now could do.

four years away. 65 pounds down. one week out. and for once, i’m not looking ahead. i’m letting myself be proud of how far i’ve already come. by @carolynmich

i thought i’d be back on stage much sooner.

turns out, i had a lot more to build than a physique.

the last four years taught me that sometimes moving forward means letting go of the version of you that you thought you needed to get back to.

i worked on my health. my mindset. my career. my relationships. i found new things that challenged me and built a life i genuinely love outside of bodybuilding.

and when i finally decided to compete again, it wasn’t because i felt like i had something to prove.

i was ready.

this prep has been different because i’m different.

two weeks until i step on stage again.

not trying to become who i was in 2022.

just really excited to see what this version of me can do. by @carolynmich

not every plateau needs another calorie cut.

especially if you’re a woman who’s been training for years and still feels like you’re chasing the same physique.

you can keep getting smaller, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re building the shape you want.

sometimes the answer is more food, better training, and enough time outside a deficit to actually make progress.

this is why i believe in spending most of your time fueled, building a foundation, and using dieting phases strategically.

because the goal isn’t just to weigh less.

it’s to build a physique you’re proud of and a body that performs just as well as it looks.

are you currently building, maintaining, or cutting? by @carolynmich

no change in a year? it’s not effort.

a woman with years of training asked me to take her through a hamstring session. she wanted a different read on her own body, not a new program.

what we changed: slow eccentric, a different loading position, and a cue most people have never heard. the point was never more work. it was better information.

experience doesn’t mean you’ve seen everything. it means you know enough to ask the right question.

if your leg day has stopped changing your body, that’s the signal. by @carolynmich

you don’t need to start today.

and no, i’m not going to tell you that waiting until monday means you don’t want it badly enough.

sometimes you need a minute to get your head right. to make a plan you can actually follow. to decide what you’re willing to commit to.

the problem isn’t choosing monday.

it’s needing the conditions to be perfect before you’ll begin.

because there will always be a dinner out. a stressful week. a trip. a deadline. a reason this week isn’t ideal.

real progress comes from learning how to execute when life is still happening.

so if monday is your day, great.

use today to decide what monday actually looks like.

and then show up.

what have you been telling yourself you’ll start “monday”? by @carolynmich

if your leg day hasn’t changed your body in a year, the problem isn’t effort.

a woman with years of training asked me to take her through a hamstring session. she wanted a different read on her own body, not a new program.

what we changed: slow eccentric, a different loading position, and a cue most people have never heard. the point was never more work. it was better information.

experience doesn’t mean you’ve seen everything. it means you know enough to ask the right question.

if your leg day has stopped changing your body, that’s the signal.

#womenover35 #bodybuilding #legday #onlinecoach #healthfirst by @carolynmich

This is what I hope more women experience through this journey.

It might start with wanting to change how you look, but somewhere along the way, it becomes about so much more.

Keeping promises to yourself. Showing up when it’s hard. Discovering what you’re capable of when you commit to something bigger than your comfort zone.

The physical transformation is one part of it. The person you become along the way is another.

And that’s what makes this journey so worth it.

#onlinecoach #womenover35 #competitionprep #transformation #npcbikini by @carolynmich

you won’t always have proof that it’s working.

sometimes you’re doing everything you’re supposed to do, showing up consistently, making the uncomfortable choices, and still wondering if you’re actually getting anywhere.

that’s the part no one really talks about.

the results usually come after the decision. The confidence comes after you’ve kept the promise to yourself. the evidence comes after you’ve spent months becoming someone you once only imagined being.

sometimes the only thing you have in the beginning is the decision to keep showing up.

believe in the version of you that hasn’t arrived yet.

she’s being built in everything you’re doing today.

@paceperformancecoach

#womenover35 #bodybuilding #onlinecoach #womenshealth by @carolynmich

staying lean doesn’t require living small. i proved that four years away from stage. train hard. eat well. actually live. the restriction cycle is the lie.

#womenover35 #bodybuilding #womenshealth #onlinecoach by @carolynmich

you do not need to work harder. you need to work smarter.

everyone at this age is grinding like they’re 22. more volume. more intensity. more pain. and your body is telling you it’s too much. recovery matters now. your joints matter. your hormones matter. eating to support the work matters.

i’m not training harder at 34 than i was at 24. i’m training differently. smarter programming. intentional range of motion. better recovery. that’s the difference between exhausted and stage-ready.

if you’ve been killing yourself trying to “work harder” and going nowhere, it’s not you. the approach is wrong.

dm “ready” and let’s build something that actually works for your body right now.

#womenshealth #bodybuilding #training #onlinecoach by @carolynmich