| Featured Body Transformation Christina Marie Borges  BASIC STATS Name: Christina Marie Borges Age: 25 Location: Brooklyn, CT Height: 5'6" Weight Before/After: 143lbs. Before /133lbs. After Body Fat % Before/After: 21% Before / 16% After Years Involved In Fitness: 11 Favorite Bodyparts: Quads/Arms Favorite Exercises: Stiff Leg Deadlifts/Bicep curls Favorite Supplements: VPX Zero Carb PP, BCAA, Pro biotic Acidophilus INTERVIEW 1) Can you tell The M.F.I.C members a little bit about yourself? Since the age of 14 I ran everyday after school. In 1999 at the age of 17 years old I started weight training. I loved being in the gym, it made me feel good, helped relieve stress, and transformed my physique. So I figured why not take it to another level? In 2005 I competed in my first figure competition. I placed 5th out of my class. In 2006 I entered 2 more. Placing 1st of my class and 7th in an NPC competition. My last competition was in June 2007 and I placed 2nd out of my class, which was the hardest for me to prepare for. Something was holding me back. My energy wasn't the same. I felt I had taken my body to the extreme to prepare my body for the stage. I knew something wasn't right. In 2008 I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and Diverticulitis. 2) What were your initial motivations for transforming your body? Prior to being diagnosed I gained 13 lbs and was now at 143. I was miserable, it just wasn't me. I was frustrated because I thought I was doing everything right. Once I was diagnosed I started following a gluten and dairy free diet and the weight just started melting away. 3) How long have you been on your program for and what kind of success have you experienced so far? The change in my life started in June 2008. In the last 3 months I've seen the most results with diet alone. I eat every 3-4 hours. My meals are mostly protein and fat. My carbs come from fruits, vegetables, sweet potatoes, and rice. Living gluten free can be a challenge, especially at social events and restaurants. But you can do it; it's a lifestyle, not a diet. Along with diet I workout 6 days a week. I do about 30-60 minutes of cardio a day and 4 days a week of weight training which is a split routine, which I will get into more detail if you read on;) 4) How has this success changed your day-to-day life for the better? For me being in shape is a huge part of my life. Not only does it make me confident; it's about feeling good and living healthy. It's about waking up everyday feeling good about who I am and what I've achieved and done to get there. Being in shape is not easy; it takes a strong minded, determined, and dedicated person to do so. 5) Did you experience any setbacks along the way? If so, what were they and how did you get past them? Yes, when I was working out everyday and dieting and still gaining weight. I wanted to give up. I knew something wasn't right. I pushed to find a good doctor to find out what was going on with my body. As soon as I was diagnosed with something I was somewhat relieved. Of course I'd rather not have any illness, but to know there was something setting me back and diet was the cure, had my mind at ease. 6) What type of training plan has worked best for you? My body naturally holds onto fat in the glutes and legs. I have to do cardio 6 days a week. I like to keep it at a low intensity for 30-60 minutes. For me the elliptical and treadmill set at an incline works best. I do a 4 day weight training split. It looks like this: Day 1: Back/Biceps/Abs/Cardio Back *Standing lateral pull down wide 3*15 reps *Standing DB reverse flies 3*15 reps *Bent over BB row 3*15 *Seated row close grip 3*15 reps *Seated lateral pulldown wide grip 3*15 reps Biceps Abs Cardio 10 minute full body stretch Calves Abs Quads/Hamstring Cardio 10 minute full body stretch
Triceps Abs Cardio 10 minute full body stretch Calves Abs I live a gluten free and dairy free lifestyle. I eat 5 meals a day every 3-4 hours. Mostly protein and fat. Carbs source comes from mostly fruits, vegetables, sweet potatoes, and rice. I make sure to also take 2 servings of Flax seed oil a day. Even though I keep my diet free of dairy I still eat 0% Organic Plain yogurt. It contains good bacteria and sits well with me.
1) Be consistent. It takes at least 12 weeks to really see results from a program
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