Monique Cormier, who has overcome obesity and severe depression en route to becoming a world class amateur bodybuilder, joins Dave [ ... ]
Spotlight On NPC Bikini Competitor: Nancy Kim
Category you compete in: bikini
Date of birth: 5/19/73
Hometown: Palatine, IL
Career: Food & Nutrition consultant, personal trainer, mom of 2, published commercial/lifestyle model and nutrition contributor for BeautyLook magazine . I’m a jack of all trades
What is your favorite contest prep recipe?
Chocolate Protein Pancakes, perfect for before or after workout or when I crave something sweet. It’s a cross between a pancake and a brownie
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
3 egg whites
¼ c. oatmeal, ground or ¼ c oat flour
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 pkt. Truvia (or 2 pkts depending on how sweet you want it)
¼ tsp. baking powder
Combine all ingredients together. Heat non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. Place batter on skillet. Cook 2-3 min until batter bubbles, flip over and cook additional 2-3 min until cooked through.
Makes 1 serving.
This recipe is so versatile, I make a pumpkin version too using vanilla protein powder, ¼ cup mashed pumpkin and 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice and omitting cocoa powder. You can also make banana-walnut version using vanilla protein powder, 1 banana mashed and 2 Tbsp. chopped walnuts and omitting cocoa powder.
What part of your physique are you currently working on? Glutes and abs. Being Asian I have the typical flat booty. Working on getting a bubble-butt. After having kids, my abs do not look as tight as I want them to be even though they’re flat. Because of extra loose skin from pregnancy and weight loss, I’m trying to build thick muscles on my abs to fill out some of the loose skin.
Name one piece of nutrition/fitness advice that has stuck with you. Abs are made in the kitchen. I used to think I can eat anything I wanted as long as I worked-out to burn it off. I sometimes did 2-3 hours of cardio after eating huge meals. Didn’t realize when you work out, healthy eating becomes more important. Even after losing 42 lbs, my abs looked a little blabby and I contemplated laser/surgery to flatten my abs. When I was training with Nicole Moneer, she advised against it and told me to keep working out and eat clean. After 10 week, she was right. I got my wish of having flat abs after 2 kids.
If you could compete in one other event (FBB, physique, figure, fitness, bikini) which would it be and why? Figure, I love seeing muscle definition and it’s still feminine. I would love to do figure but getting much more difficult to put on muscle as I get older.
Why NPC: It’s one of th
e oldest and most recognized federation and attracts top competitors.
What do you like best about competing? I love the mental and physical challenge. Since I’m a goal-oriented person, it gives me something to look forward to and pushes me to improve with each show. Looking back at pictures from my first show, I can definitely see how much my body has improved after 6 weeks. It’s nice to see the results of hard work and determination.
What are your goals for the future? Short-term goal is to be a nationally ranked competitor. Long-term goals are to be a sponsored athlete, earn my pro-card and be a nutrition/fitness/recipe contributor for fitness magazines and websites.
Competition history: Ottawa March 30, 2013; Illinois-State May 11, 2013; Grand Prix Rockford May 18, 2013
Next competition: Jr. Nationals Chicago June 14-15; Masters Nationals Pittsburgh July 19-20
Hobbies: Cooking, fashion and shopping. Being a food & nutrition consultant, my life revolves around food. I love to experiment with new recipes and new products. I’ve auditioned for cooking shows and my recipes have been featured in magazines and newspapers. I am a fashionista at heart. I know how to sew and sometimes design my own clothes or transform some of my old clothes to look more modern. I spend more time in gym-clothes than career wear now so I’ve been trying to come up with some cute gym fashion. Girl’s gotta still look cute while working out : )
What is the biggest lesson you have learned over the years when it comes to competing? Keep blinders on. Don’t compare yourself to other women or you’ll start feeling insecure about yourself. Do your best and work on becoming a better version of yourself rather than trying to be better than someone else. Each woman has their own personal reason for competing and not everyone’s goal is to place in the top or become a pro. At my first competition, I was a nervous wreck after seeing all the beautiful young women that were competing. I kept doubting myself and wondered what I got myself into and even thought about backing out. After getting an encouraging text from Nicole Moneer, I calmed my nerves and focused on myself and tried my best. It said regardless of where I place, I should be very proud of my transformation journey. The glory of the trophy only last a couple of hours, but achieving my goals and the sense of accomplishment lasts a lifetime. My goal for my first show was to cross off my bucket list o wanting to compete, it didn’t matter to me where I placed. It marked the end of my weight-loss transformation. After my first competition, I had so much fun that I wanted to do it again and keep going as long as I can.
What is your favorite contest prep supplement?
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey Protein. Love the taste and it’s lower in calories and carbs compared to some of the other protein powders out there. Mixes very well too.
Favorite Quote:
“Dream, Believe and Achieve”
If you want to succeed in something, it all starts with your mind. You first have to dream and think about your goal. You really have to believe you can achieve your goal and think of steps that will get you there. Physical transformation starts in your mind. Your body achieves what the mind believes and your desire to change must be greater than your excuses. If you can control your mind, you’re more than half way there.
When I signed up for Lifetime Fitness 90 Day Fitness Challenge, I kept telling myself I could do it and imagined myself being healthy and fit. I ended up losing 42 lbs. in 24 weeks, won three challenges (Two 90 Day Fitness Challenge and a transformation challenge). I became a personal trainer and started competing at 40 years old.
My goal is to earn my pro card, but since there isn’t many masters divisions at the national level, I will be competing against women 10-15 years younger than me. It motivates me to workout harder than everyone else. As I get older, I’m learning that age is just a number and you can accomplish whatever you put your mind to.
I am a goal-driven person so I’ll do whatever it takes to accomplish my goals. It may take me a while but as long as I don’t give up, I will get there.
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