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“Exercise comes first for me. It’s like an investment: you pay yourself first, or there is nothing left over at the end of the day.”

Patti is 42. She and her husband Laurie have two children. Drew is 15, and daughter Sarah is 13. As she has gotten older, Patti has learned to train a little “smarter” and has become aware of her limitations. She tried to plan for long-term goals, rather than just “running the race.”

Patti was a chubby kid. Although she played sports in school, ran road races, and took part in martial arts, she always struggled with eating and her weight. When asked about her struggles, now she says that making fitness a part of everyday life has given her the gift of well-being, “I think that if you use your body well, there’s a better chance you’ll be in a better physical place as you get older. I notice that I just feel better physically and mentally when I exercise regularly.”

Bodybuilding has only been a part of Patti’s life for the last six years. While at the gym one day, a trainer approached Patti and asked if she had ever competed. At that point, Patti was only using weights as an “afterthought” to her exercise routine. It didn’t take long for Patti to ask herself “why not?” The next day she called the trainer and set up a program to get ready for a contest in Rhode Island (where Patti and her family were living at the time) that spring, a mere six months away! That was 2004, and Patti now says, “I just keep looking forward to the next competition!”

Patti’s mantra is “Exercise comes first for me. It’s like an investment: you pay yourself first, or there is nothing left over at the end of the day.” When her scheduling gets difficult, she tries to plan ahead and take note of potential roadblocks that could interfere with her fitness plan. She has learned to cut herself some slack when necessary, and often a busy day at work means that’s her “off” day for lifting. To accommodate family life, Patti tries to include the kids for some of it, like a run with her son or taking their bikes to return movies to the store.

When asked what is the toughest part of keeping your fitness goals, Patti answers easily: “Juggling family/work/training has been the toughest part.” The opportunity to exceed her personal bests is what keeps her going day in and day out. Patti says, “You learn very quickly that the sport is extremely subjective, and if you call it a success or failure based on how you “place,” you will always be disappointed. As long as you’re where you want/plan to be on contest day, you’ve won.”

We asked Patti, what do her friends, family, and husband think of all this? Patti is quick to say that most people have no idea of what is involved over the final 12-week journey leading up to a competition. “A lot of people have misconceptions of a bodybuilder; they only know what they see in magazines. Some of what is portrayed in the media is unreachable as it may not be “natural (i.e., drug-free).” The majority of people who are close to Patti know and understand how strongly she feels about being natural and only supporting drug-tested shows. As for her family, they have accepted that this is what she does. “It’s a large part of my life.” The family is a big help, and they do what they can to facilitate with food preparation and exercise needs.

Patti can honestly say that she is still learning and hopes to get better at streamlining the contest preparations so that they interfere less and less with family life. For her, it is easier to stay within certain parameters year round, rather than fluctuate too much. Throughout the years, Patti has learned what it takes to get to the contest stage, so if she feels she needs to get back on track during the off-season, she has a little talk with herself and sets some small tangible goals. It could be as simple as “enough with the peanut butter, Patti!”

Future goals for Patti include a contest in November and a 10K race in May with her son. She plans to take the winter off from competition to add some muscle.

Last, but not least, we asked Patti, if she could give advice to another person who was struggling with their fitness, what would that advice include? Patti says that it is extremely important to be clear in your own mind about your goals: make small milestones count. Losing 50 pounds is monumental; losing five pounds is doable. The next step is to make that time every day for you. Doug Bueckert has been training Patti for two years. People always ask her why she needs a trainer if she already knows what to do at the gym. Patti’s answer is simple: “He is my feedback. He is objective when I am too full of myself or too down on myself. He also makes me aware of how hard I can push. Working on my own doesn’t make me reach for that next level. If you are not always improving, then you will quickly become bored and drop your fitness plans.”