Soma Superstar: Laura Varney

Entrepreneur & National Bikini Competitor

When you came to Soma Fitness what was your fitness goal?
I wanted to compete as a body builder in the bikini division. I went to a retreat one weekend to learn more about it, and Summer was one of the IFBB pro girls at the retreat. I loved her energy and felt really comfortable with her.

What is your profession? How did you manage daily life with the program?
When I first started with Soma Fitness, I was doing PR and Marketing in house for a jewelry designer. Most of my work was done at a computer, in an office with coworkers who LOVED to order takeout and bring tempting treats into the office. When I started the program, one of my biggest milestones was being able to see a huge platter of chocolate chip cookies (I have a major sweet tooth) and say to myself, “I’m gonna take a little walk around the block instead of indulging.” Learning that self control was an awesome feeling.

Now I own my own online shop where I sell women’s fitness apparel (www.peachpopfashion.com), so I work from home. In some ways it’s easier because I make my own schedule, so I can workout when I want, but it’s still so important to meal prep so I get the right food in at the right times.<br.

What was your athletic/fitness background before Soma?
I’ve always been pretty active and was working out about 4 times/week when I started the program – cardio kickboxing, tennis, beach runs, etc. I wasn’t necessarily scared of lifting weights, I just wasn’t really lifting heavy or targeting one muscle group at a time.

What was most surprising about working with Soma? Or if you worked with another trainer in the past how was working with Summer different?
Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition. I’ve always considered myself a healthy eater. Yogurt or toast with almond butter in the morning, fruit, sandwiches with whole wheat bread, salads, veggies with hummus and dark chocolate were my staples. I read magazines like Women’s Health that told me those were the things I should be eating. The problem is all of our bodies are not created equally. Turns out dairy and gluten make me super bloated and give me a stomach ache, but I had adapted and was just tolerating the feeling. I learned how drastic altering my diet could change the way my body reacted to my workouts. What’s the point in busting your ass every day at the gym if your diet isn’t allowing you to see the results you want??

I also love the personal touch I get with Soma. Talking to Summer on a regular basis gives me the extra push I need at times to conquer that early morning cardio or stay on track with my diet. I’ve become very aware of what food feels good in my body and what doesn’t . When my body isn’t reacting the way it should, we switch up something in the diet – I’m still always surprised to see how one small change can make me feel so different!

What was the most challenging part of working with Soma?
At first the most challenging part was time management. Having a full time job, working out twice a day, meal prepping and attempting to sleep took some getting used to. Now I know how to prioritize my time and what works best for me. It’s not the same for everyone. It takes some trial and error, but once you get the hang of it, it feels great!

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about doing a program or competing in a fitness competition?
Fitness competition:
1.) Organize. Take a look at your life and your schedule and find out when you can fit in workouts to maximize your time and when you can meal prep.
2.) Be prepared to leave some of your social life behind. When you’re working out twice a day, working, meal prepping, keeping up with your errands, etc. AND trying to sleep, socializing sometimes moves towards the bottom of the ladder. However, it’s still important to fit it in when you can for your own sanity.
3.) If you want to do it, dive in! Commit 100% and you can make it happen. After all, we have just as many hours in the day as Beyonce. And it will feel so good when you’ve accomplished your goal!

Soma Superstar: Jessica Lewis

Carnival Queen

When you came to Soma Fitness what was your fitness goal?
My goal was very specific. I was preparing for a trip to Trinidad Carnival and didn’t want to look rolly in my costume! I didn’t care as much about the scale, but more so I wanted my body toned and to drop major inches overall. I also wanted to turn over that leaf for the last time and adopt a healthier lifestyle once and for all.

What is your profession? How did you manage daily life with the program?
When I started my Soma Fitness program I was working both a full time job M-F with an hour+ commute each way, and a part time job on the weekends. Spare time was nonexistent. Prep and planning was imperative. I would grocery shop on Saturday nights after work, prep/cook Sundays and Thursday nights, and simply made my workouts a priority even if that meant hitting the gym at 6am or 10pm. I just kept telling myself: your costume is already ordered and paid for so I had no choice now but to stay committed! To be honest, no matter how tired or stressed or overworked I was, the mental commitment made it manageable.

What was your athletic/fitness background before Soma?
I have a dance background, but no organized sports. I wasn’t completely unfit, but out of shape and overweight.

What was most surprising about working with Soma? Or if you worked with another trainer in the past how was working with Summer different?
I was most surprised by 2 things: how incredibly thorough the program is and how seamless it was to incorporate into my life. About 4 years ago I did Nutristem and lost 41 pounds. But as soon as I stopped the weight crept back up. I now realize that’s because it didn’t incorporate the knowledge about calories, macronutrients, effective workouts, and overall nutrition that the Soma Fitness does. Everything from the precise calorie calculations and meal plans to the customized workouts. I was so impressed by how detailed the entire program was. And because it all made ‘sense’ it has been easy for me to continue this lifestyle on my own. On my 12-week Soma program I lost 20 pounds.It’s been 5 months since my program ended and I’ve continued to loose an additional 25 pounds.

What was the most challenging part of working with Soma?
Ugghhhh, being patient! Even though I was losing weight and inches every week, I hated that this wasn’t going to be a quick fix, instant solution. It was the toughest about 4 weeks in when I broke down at the realization that I still had a long road ahead of me – that first month felt like an eternity! But I just kept on with it. I still have to remind myself to be patient, but it’s easier now that I’ve seen results. I look back at the past 7 months and can’t believe the changes in a relatively short amount of time.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about doing a program or competing in a fitness competition?
Trust Summer, the program, and the process. I’ve come to learn that whatever is really and truly important to you, you’ll make a priority. Just like we make our jobs or kids or significant other a priority, make this program and your health a priority as well. It’s as simple as that! The Soma program is already thought out for you, so what’s left for you to think about?!

Soma Superstar: Louisa Pillot

International DJ

When you came to Soma Fitness what was your fitness goal?
I had definitely plateaued in both performance and weight loss and was really unhappy with my body. I have struggled for a long time with disordered eating, restricting and exercise bulimia and I didn’t want to fall back into old patterns in order to lose weight. I saw my friend Izumi’s incredible transformation as she competed in her first NPC Bikini competition as coached by Summer and figured ‘why not ask for help from Soma?

What is your profession? How did you manage daily life with the program?
I am a touring DJ, producer and vocalist. I live in Paris, France.

What was your athletic/fitness background before Soma?
I am in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, and when I got sober, exercise became my drug of choice. I have competed in many half marathons and an ultra marathon, I am a certified spinning instructor, I work out as meditation and medication.

However, my body had adjusted to my way of training and I wanted to look and feel different. Soma was really helpful with this. Summer gave me a whole new set of tools and ever evolving body of knowledge to keep things fun and challenging.

What was most surprising about working with Soma? Or if you worked with another trainer in the past how was working with Summer different?
I had never worked remotely, so that was definitely different, but surprisingly not as hard as I thought it would be. Summer’s instructions were easy to follow and meal plans were clear and specific. The hardest thing for me was actually sticking to rest days in order to perform better. It feels counter-intuitive but really pays off.

 

What was the most challenging part of working with Soma?
We are dealing with a 9 hour time difference, so logistically, that can be tricky, but we always manage to get in touch eventually. On a personal level, I had a hard time setting aside old belief systems in order to be open minded enough to take direction. I also have a hard time being flexible – once I find a routine I am prone to sticking to it, so it was difficult for me to let go of this rigidity in order to keep things fresh for my brain and body in terms of both work-out and diet. However, I have to say, the flexibility pays off.

I feel awesome and I just PR’d in a half marathon last week, so who am I to argue with that? I recently realized that this is the first time in my life I’ve changed my body for the better without starving myself, and I’m doing it on an intense touring schedule. No way I could have done that on my own.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about doing a program or competing in a fitness competition?
If your way isn’t working, why not give it a shot? Especially if you’re already fit, trying to overcome a plateau or just bored and burnt out and looking to make a change, this is a great and challenging experience, and the sisters of Soma are incredibly supportive, knowledgeable and a real pleasure to work with.

Follow Louisa on Instagram @louisahhh or on Tumblr http://louisahhh.tumblr.com/

TESTIMONIALS

First of all let me start by saying it has been a great pleasure working with such a dedicated nutrition specialist. In the past I’ve had trainers whose only tools were weights and cardio, however Summer White’s program brought something new to my training and weight loss experience that only a well-educated trainer could give me – which is a nutrition plan that was created for my individual goals and health issues. I had reached a plateau with my own diet plan and needed something different in my weight loss journey. Summer’s nutrition program and guidance was just what I needed to help me get to the next level and lose another 20 pounds! She was always available via calls or emails when I was confused about something or had questions. I really love how the diet changed from week to week and how it was structured in a way for me to understand the amount of food needed for each food category. There was a large variety of food, and a lot of food substitutions for those days that I wanted a change. With this program I was never hungry and often times had to set an alarm to remind myself that it was time to eat again. Because I have a full time job and workout two times a day, this program was really convenient for my busy lifestyle. Even when I was on vacation, and not able to stick to the whole program, I was still able to lose weight! This experience has given me a whole new outlook on diet and nutrition, and how having an excellent nutrition coach like Summer White can be life changing for someone like me that battles with health issues. I am truly happy with my results and the knowledge that I gained from this program, and I will never be coached by another trainer that is not educated in the science behind health and nutrition.

Summer is simply the best. She helped me fall in love with fitness and a healthy lifestyle. I was a skinny fat gal when we started working together. My body fat was about 21 percent. However, once we fixed my diet by introducing wonderful healthy and filling meals into my world EVERYTHING changed! My small, nonexistent muscles came out to play! At the end of my training program I was 14.5 percent body fat! And there was a huge difference in how I felt about myself and my body. The diet was the biggest and the most important missing component that I needed help with (of course training was as well). Previous to working with Summer, I wasn’t eating enough food and was eating the wrong foods at the wrong time. It was really nice to have a knowledgable nutritionist give me a foundation to start working towards a healthy lifestyle and the body that I have always dreamed of! Training wasn’t easy. I woke up at 5 a.m. for my training session, but it was worth all the tears and sweat! It was also fun and kept me busy, and challenged me on a daily basis. Now I am a regular at the gym and more self-aware of what I put into my body and do on a daily basis. Summer is smart and really knowledgeable and I would recommend her to anyone I know (and actually have)! If you are looking for a coach, and are ready for change, and are ready for this “life journey,” COMMIT and give her a call. You will not regret it!

I began working with Summer five months after giving birth to my son. Being on a regimen definitely made life easier as a new mother! It gave me hope that I could lose the weight and continue to live a healthy lifestyle for myself and my family. Summer’s professionalism, knowledge and considerate nature set her apart from the competition.  She provides meal plans with macronutrient breakdowns and actual meal ideas. She also provides an exchange list (which gives food options) to encourage eating that fits my individual preferences. She took the time to go over my plan and answer the many questions I had. In addition, Summer’s online training was far superior than other trainers I used in the past! She totally personalized my workouts to minimize my trouble areas and achieve overall muscle tone. My workouts included pictures, so I didn’t have to search the internet! She clearly explained how many repetitions, sets and rest time needed for each exercise. Even though my training was “virtual,” she truly pushed me and I received results I never dreamed of! Summer White is a very competent and compassionate nutritionist and personal trainer. I truly appreciate her realistic approach to weight loss and healthy living. I highly recommend her for all of your nutrition and training needs!

VIDEO TESTIMONIALS