Body Transformation: Katelyn Miller Body Transformation

Lifestyle Prior To Change

Before I started training my diet was not strict. I was not worried about what I ate or how much I ate. I would eat tons of granola bars, Ramen noodles, soup, animal crackers, or whatever else the family had cooking for dinner. I would eat a lot of what I thought were “healthy” TV dinners and Lean Cuisines.

I hated eating breakfast so would skip it every morning until 11am and then have my first meal which was salad, soup, pizza, or a muffin, etc. I never ate fast food but would sometimes go 6 or 7 hours without eating because my classes conflicted with when I could eat, or I was just too lazy to make sure all of my food was packed the day before. I ate a ton of candy, and my coffee was always full of cream and sugar. I also ate a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches because they were easy and didn’t require a refrigerator.

What was your low point or turning point?

Having to deal constantly with others criticism about what I was eating and how I was eating was frustrating, even coming from my own family. I would hear about “all that protein is going to kill your kidneys” or “you're drinking too much water”, or the universal “you don’t need to eat like that, you need some meat on those bones.” I so badly wanted to say “duh! That’s what I am working on!”

I found that others will constantly try to bring you down because they know that they do not have the strength to keep to it themselves. I can remember one time in college where the cafeteria had told me I could no longer heat my food up in it because the broccoli and fish was nauseating to others, but that didn’t stop me. I ate my food cold then (I got used to it after a while).

Ordering healthy food at restaurants is always a challenge, and still is to this day. When I would order a healthy meal such as a chicken breast and a baked potato, I would specifically state that I did not want any butter on any of my food. Still, the waitress would bring it out with tons of grease and butter, and I would have to send it back and get the look from the waitress like “what’s the big deal, it's only a little butter and grease, what is wrong with you?”

Major Milestones

• First Major Milestone: October of 2009, the first day I had started, dealing with others constantly asking “why are you eating that” or “you're eating again?” I would constantly get the “that’s never going to last, you're going to quit in one week.”
• Second Milestone: October 19th, 2009. Making sure I packed 5 of my meals to take with me and eat during my college classes; and getting the stares when I opened my fish and broccoli meal during the middle of class because I eat every 3 to 4 hours.
• Third Milestone: March 27th, 2009. Competing in my first NPC figure show ever after only 5 months of training and dieting.
• Fourth Milestone: May 22nd, 2010, and June 12th. Stepping on stage again in a natural USBF show and NPC show, feeling set goals were once again reached.
• Fifth Milestone: August 23rd, 2010. Currently gaining my doctor of veterinary medicine degree but trying to make the gym every day. Making sure I eat all of my meals in one day is extremely difficult since my day consists of at least 8 hours of studying in medical school.
• When my transformation ended: NEVER, there is always room for improvement.

Katelyn Miller's Story

Since I can remember I have always been a well rounded athletic individual. I grew up as a child, showing horses on an equestrian farm trying out and testing every sport from soccer, basketball, softball, tennis, swimming, golf, horseback riding, cross country running, long distance running, hiking, bicycling, rugby, bowling, ice skating, pole vaulting, snowboarding, to luge sledding in hopes to find the perfect one that made me happy, one that fulfilled my competitive edge. Throughout grade school horse showing was my pride and joy the sport that made me whole.

The time, dedication, self motivation and eagerness to always improve drove me to a higher level of excitement than ever before. Every weekend (and sometimes even missing a few days of school here and there) you would find me traveling on the road with my mom and sister to horse shows throughout the New England region for the weekend. In 2005 I was ranked top 10 youth competitor in New York under the American Paint Horse Association and qualified to compete at the Worlds Paint Horse Show in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that same year.

I guess you could say my competitive spirit and high achievements both academically in school and physically came from my father who was always inspiring me to try new activities and sports. My life changes in the spring of 2006 when my father was in a fatal car accident leaving him crippled for the rest of his life. Since then most of the horses on my family’s equestrian farm, including the many I had shown in the previous years had to be sold to pay for my father’s medical bills. Since I no longer could afford to show horses like before, or even own one, here I was once again searching for that perfect sport.

Beginning in 2008, for the first time ever I stepped foot into my colleges fitness center. I can remember it like it was yesterday, looking around I could see the girls on the treadmills and feeling intimidated by the jocks weight lifting in the far corner. So I grabbed a health magazine nearby, hopped on the treadmill, and began my workout. As I slowly increased my speed and broke into a light jog I can remember staring at the front of the magazine with a fit and toned figure girl on the front of it drinking a protein shake, then I told myself “I want to be healthy, fit, and toned”.

Every day at 6 am you would find me working out at the college gym, running, lifting weights, and then going to class. Even though I really had no idea what I was doing I felt self inspired to never quit. As the college semester drew to an end the gym was closing for the summer, I needed to think fast and find another gym to workout at. There was one I had in mind but I couldn’t afford it at the time, so I began saving my money. After a month of working I had saved enough to buy a three months membership.

I remember walking up to the front desk and taking out my wad of single dollar bills and some twenties from my pocket, crinkled but it was enough. I bought my membership that day and began my usual workout as before; running and then lifting. After two months of continuously working every day I bumped into a local figure competitor at the gym who asked me if I was training for anything and if I was interested in competing in a figure show one day. Thrilled at the new opportunity I began training with Amie Francisco and her boyfriend Nathan Steiger of Nate Built Specifx, both IFBB pro candidates.

Within five months I competed in my first NPC figure (Mr. and Miss Buffalo Bodybuilding and Figure Championships) show placing second in my height class. On May 22nd I competed again at a local USBF competition placing first in my open figure class and second in my novice figure class. On June 12th I competed at Rochester New York’s NPC bodybuilding and figure championships and placed 3rd in my height class. Since October of 2009, nine months later, and every day for two hours, you would find me at my second home working out at the gym and eating healthy.

How Katelyn Did It

Eating healthy, frequently, and clean, lifting heavy, and getting the right amount of cardio vascular exercise all while staying motivated is how I did it. As a college student I never spent my weekends downtown, partying, or drinking. I stayed focused at all times studying for medical school and trained in the gym.

I read tons of articles in health magazines constantly browsed the articles and forums. My brain was like a sponge to the fitness world (still is) and I wanted to soak up as much as I could. Having an inspirational training partner like Amie Francisco helped me reach my goals and push emotional downs. We helped spot each other at the gym when working out, spoke of encouraging words, and kept each other focused.

My plan of attack was that failure was never an option. There is no going back and no reason to once you start. We are a minority group taking pride in our health and physical appearance and should never be ashamed of it or embarrassed. I kept motivated by working out with two bodybuilders and others that had the same interest I did. I read magazines and watched tons of workout videos to get different ideas on exercises.

What was your training approach?

• Monday: Chest, biceps and abs.
• Tuesday: Quads, hamstrings and calves.
• Wednesday: Cardio either in the morning or afternoon 30-45 minutes on the treadmill, stair stepper, or elliptical.
• Thursday: Shoulders, triceps and abs (same as Mondays abs).
• Friday: same as Wednesday.
• Saturday: Back.
• Sunday: OFF.

What was your diet approach?

• Meal 1: 2 yolks, 3 egg whites, 1 piece of whole wheat toast, ½ cup Quaker instant oatmeal.
• Meal 2: 32g of Optimum Nutrition Natural Whey Protein - Chocolate, 2 capsules of Optimum Nutrition glutamine, 1 serving fruit.
• Meal 3: 4 oz. chicken, 1 serving vegetables, 5 oz. sweet potato.
• Meal 4: 4 oz. 97% lean ground beef, 4 oz. sweet potato, 1 piece of fruit.
• Meal 5: 1 scoop Platinum Hydrowhey, 2 capsules Optimum Nutrition glutamine.
• Meal 6: 80g white rice, 5 oz fish, 1 serving vegetables.
• Meal 7: 1 scoop Optimum Nutrition Casein shake.

What supplements did you use during your transformation?

Morning:

• Spring Valley products; 1 tablet each of vitamin C, calcium, fish oil, D-3, and a multivitamin.
• 2 capsules of Optimum Nutrition glutamine capsules.

Afternoon:

• 1 capsule of Spring Valley fish oil.
• 32g of Optimum Nutrition Natural Whey Protein - chocolate.
• 1 scoop post-workout Platinum Hydrowhey.

Night:

• 1 capsule of Spring Valley fish oil and calcium.
• 2 capsules of Optimum Nutrition glutamine capsules.
• 1 scoop Optimum Nutrition Casein shake.

What Is Your Life Like Now?

I am attending a veterinary college to gain my doctor of veterinary degree (DVM) and it is extremely difficult keeping up with working out, getting enough sleep, studying, and eating all of my meals on time and throughout the day. My day every morning begins at 6am and sometimes does not end until 10pm or later.

Having enough brain power to keep my grades up and physical energy to workout is a struggle but this is a path that I have chosen and I have always liked challenges. I have always had a dream of competing in figure competitions and being a veterinarian at the same time. I do not know of any individuals who are both, but I would like to be the first.

Any advice for others?

Everyone struggles at one point or another whether it may be emotionally or physically, but remember to stay focused and keep your goal in sight. Take before and after pictures so you can track your progress, you will be glad you did. If it was easy everyone would be doing it.