605magazine.com (page 63)
muscles to repair and it’s also a nice mental break! Do you give yourself a cheat day? What is your favorite cheat meal? Yes! My approach to dieting is allowing grace and moderation. I grew up in a food-loving family where all our events rotated around food. Allowing cheat meals also re-sets the metabolism. During show prep time, I allow one cheat meal a week, but as it gets closer to the show I really have to buckle down and be diligent with my food. My favorite cheat meal is pizza and a Dairy Queen Blizzard. How do you stay so disciplined/motivated? What do you do if you ever have thoughts of getting off track from your routine? I really rely on my friends, husband and trainer to get real with me when I’m struggling. I have a good support system that I can turn to. Every single competitor goes through phases where you feel things are right on track - you see progress and it’s super easy to stay motivated. Then on the flip side, we go through times where we feel crummy. There have been a handful of times when I tell my husband I want to give up... I don’t want to keep eating the same foods over and over, I don’t want to go to the gym. But I’ve never given up What did you do when you found out about the Oxygen magazine feature? I was on the treadmill warming up for my workout and an e-mail popped up on my phone. I opened it up and it said they wanted to feature me in the Future of Fitness section. I cried right there in the gym and didn’t care who saw me. Any advice you have for someone who wants to start getting in better shape/health? Start small. Don’t think you have to change everything all at once or you’ll burn out quickly and get a negative mindset. Find something you enjoy doing, whether it be walking on the trails, doing hot yoga (one of my favorite workouts!) or joining a boot camp or class. You can also start making small changes to your diet. Making healthier substitutions little by little will have huge effects later on, and your body and taste preferences will change over time Blom says she couldn’t do it without her husband who cooks for her and supports her (they also work together at New York Life). She also noted trainer Amy Miller as well as her coach Tara Thatcher with Perfectly Prepared. For more info, visit her Facebook page: Amber Blom - Competitor and Fitness Model or follower her @AmberBlom1.