This interview is part of the Real Talk Real Women interview series, where we bring you the life-changing, heart-warming and inspirational stories behind the most successful women in health and fitness. Make sure to follow us on Instagram for the latest interviews! For this installment, we are joined by Brittany Noelle.
Let’s start off with a general introduction. How would you describe yourself, what are you all about and how did you get involved in health and fitness?
I was a track & field athlete since the age of 8 and ran all throughout college. I fell in love with weightlifting while in college and became a fitness professional once I graduated from UCLA. I've competed and won titles in the bikini categories of both Fitness America and WBFF. I'm all about living a healthy lifestyle that you can sustain. I love helping people transform their lives and become the best versions of themselves. I'm all about fitness that fits you!
Where does your motivation come from?
A lot of my motivation actually comes from my followers. I see all of the inspiring things that they do and it inspires me to want to do the things that I see on their pages. Also, I love all the positive feedback that I get from my followers and seeing that really motivates me to keep doing what I'm doing. Plus I just really like working out and doing physically active things!
As you decided to make a career out of your passion - what were your biggest stumbling blocks along the way?
I was a premed student in college and had every intention of becoming a physical therapist. I really wanted to help people prevent and treat the injuries that they had. After college I wanted to take a year off from school before I applied to physical therapy graduate school. I ended up becoming a personal trainer during that year and I really loved it.
I struggled with the idea of going back to school. Ultimately, I decided that I really loved training people and wanted to stick with it and try to build my own fitness brand. The first couple of years were difficult because I didn't really know what type of trainer I was and I wasn't sure where I wanted to take my career. It also took me a while to build up my social media following. Once I got more confident with my training abilities and got a handle on social media, it was all uphill from there!
What’s your perspective on the importance of self-care?
You can't take care of others unless you take care of yourself. You only have one body and it's important that you take care of it. Regeneration is just as important as your workouts and nutrition. Therefore, I make sure that myself and my clients take the rest that we need. I also get massages and see my chiropractor regularly to keep my body working to the best of its abilities.
What are some of the biggest misconceptions about women lifting weight?
Women think that if they lift heavy that they're going to get bulky. They don't realize that it's actually really hard for bodybuilders to get that bulky. I lift really heavy and I'm very strong but not bulky. So I like to use myself as an example to women who are afraid to lift a little heavier.
Many young women who want to lose weight believe that not eating is the way to do it, without realising the consequences of that kind of behavior.
Why do you think this is and what’s your perspective on educating society on healthy nutrition habits?
I think young women feel the pressures from many different media sources to be skinny or very lean. They don't realize that many celebrities that they see in magazines or even Instafamous women have had their bodies altered in photos. Also, some of the people that they idolize don't have healthy eating habits. I think it would help young women to learn more about healthy eating habits, nutrition, and proper workout techniques. These things will help them to gain a more positive body image and realistic expectations for how they should look.
What are the most unexpected lessons you’ve learned on your health and fitness journey this far?
Your body is constantly changing. Things that might have worked for you five years ago might not work for you anymore. You have to listen to your body as you grow and as you mature and adjust your eating and workout habits accordingly.
What do you do to maintain balance in your life?
I make sure to schedule plenty of time to hang out with my friends and family. They keep me grounded and give me a good break from work. I also think meditation is important. I like to take a few minutes out of my day to gather my thoughts and reflect on things that are happening.
How do you stay productive?
I think the better question is how do I not stay productive? LOL. I always have every minute of my schedule planned out. My meetings, workouts, clients, social media time, break time, everything! Without everything laid out in a daily schedule, I would get nothing done haha.
Can you give a breakdown of your current diet, training and supplementation regimen and the thinking behind it?
My current diet is based on my lifestyle and what I like to do. Most days I eat protein and vegetables for lunch and dinner and either oatmeal or almond butter between two whole-grain waffles in the morning. However, if I have a craving for something sweet or fatty like a slice of pizza or a cookie then I will eat it. I think that it's better to eat what you are craving in a small portion instead of trying to avoid the craving by eating something else. More than likely, you're still going to end up eating what you were craving but now you're going to have added more calories from eating the other "healthy" things.
I also drink a lot of water throughout the day. I try not to keep sugary beverages in my house. I do drink coffee in the morning and enjoy a drink or two when out with friends every so often. My rule is that I need to earn my carbs and alcohol. Meaning, workout that day if I plan to eat "fun" foods or drink. It's unrealistic for me to think that I'm going to live my life without eating sugar, bad fats, or drinking alcohol, there are things that I enjoy and I wouldn't have a joyful life if I deprive myself of those things. It's all about moderation and portion control. I also work out a lot to offset the extra calories.
I supplement with organic protein from Ultrashakes. I also take probiotics and multivitamins. Occasionally I will use BCAAs to help recover if I'm training particularly hard because I have a competition or photo shoot coming up.
I work out five times a week. Two leg days, to upper body days, and full body workout day. I'm very into lifting heavy because I'm always trying to get stronger. I usually do 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps. I create my own work out plans and switch them up every six weeks. I also do some form of cardio 5x a week. It's a mixture of steady-state cardio and interval training cardio. I switch it up between sprinting, stairmaster, rowing, and biking. I also run on a track 2x a week and swim once a week in the summer months.
If you could only choose one thing, what would you tell your younger self?
You're already great, people just don't know it yet!
What are your biggest life goals?
I want to get married, have kids, and have people all around the world know who I am and what my fitness brand is all about. I also plan to start my own lifestyle brand that will include different items related to health and fitness.
Where can people go to learn more about you online?
Stay tuned for the next interview of Real Talk Real Women!