In this episode, host Celeste Rains-Turk interviews IFBB bikini pro, Valerie Lusvardi who went pro in 2018 at Masters Nationals and is a wife, mother of three, and an online coach.    Valerie talks about how important words of affirmation, mindset, and visualization are to her. She uses training as an outlet and it helped her fight through postpartum depression. Mental health is something that is important to Valerie and she is committed to maintaining a good mindset.    Valerie shares her approach to food and how she maintains a balance while also doing her best to support her body’s function. She speaks about dinner date nights with her husband, body image during improvement season diet, and flexible dieting VS IIFYM.    Stress is something Valerie has experienced and being a coach, she can use her experiences to help her clients when they are going through similar struggles. Keeping an open line of communication with her clients is a priority. She wants her clients to feel that they can let their guards down and be vulnerable in their journey.   Valerie also provides insight into keeping your liver healthy, using food to nourish your body, and how she approaches her training since embarking on her journey and evolving as a coach. Valerie reminisces about her experiences competing in Puerto Rico along with Robyn Maher and Sarah Devore. She recommends that all competitors should have the experience of a destination show!    Celeste wraps up the show like any other by asking Valerie what her advice would be for a first time competitor and a competitor whose goal is to go pro.  CONNECT WITH VALERIE:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vavoomvscfit/ All Links: https://lnk.bio/vavoomvscfit CONNECT WITH CELESTE:https://instagram.com/celestial_fit www.celestial.fit EPISODE TIME STAMPS 1:45 Pre-show rituals  2:35 Visualization 6:40 Pro card win experience  9:49 Doing your own hair and make up for a show  12:58 Life before competing  14:33 Sales for Rich Dad Poor Dad 16:31 Fitness lifestyle inspired by postpartum depression  18:35 Ways to focus on mental health 19:54 Ways to reduce stress and committing to doing them 24:08 How competing has impacted marriage  26:45 Eating - specifically on date nights  30:10 Struggles with seeing body changes post show and in improvement season  34:36 The importance of improvement season  39:50 Different factors in losing weight 43:25 Liver support  45:53 Flexible dieting VS IIFYM 48:19 Mindset about food 50:21 Favorite/strange prep food  51:37 Overcoming stressful times  54:17 Applying self experiences to clients  58:03 How to deal with resistance from clients  59:06 Open communication with clients  1:04:24 Growth through bodybuilding 1:06:51 Competing in Puerto Rico  1:13:42 Advice for someone who has never competed before but wants to  1:14:57 Advice for an amateur who wants to go pro  1:15:48 Where you can connect with Valerie Lusvardi    For more information and to support the podcast visit: www.celestial.fit/podcast