Brandy Segura was born in Charleston, South Carolina and is the youngest of three children. She is very much her father’s daughter (an Engineer) in terms of her personality and am a type A, introvert with a strong inner drive for success. She loved sports, especially soccer, which she played from the age of eight through her first year in college. At the age of 14, she was diagnosed with a heart murmur and symptomatic PVCs that often affected her during physical activity. This experience, along with the diagnosis of cancer in a family member initiated her interest in pursuing medicine as a career. From that moment, she had dreamed and planned on being a Surgeon and pursued this goal relentlessly. She attended both college and Medical School at UCLA earning her BS in Neuroscience and her Medical Degree. She entered her Surgical training program at UC Davis and began what she thought was her one true passion and life long career.
As a surgery intern she excelled but found working condition non conducive to her inherent nature, she decided that surgery was not worth compromising the kind of person that she knew she was and that she wanted to be. At that point she quit her Surgical program and entered Radiology training, her second medical field interest. She continued her training until the birth of her second child at which time she decided to become a stay-at-home mom in order to care for her children. Again, she thought that she was beginning what would be the rest of my life, the role as a homemaker.
She first became interested in competing in 2012 when she was tired of carrying her post baby weight and unhappy with her body. Though she considered herself fit growing up, once she entered Medical School, her health and fitness were her last priority. She gained weight, became deconditioned, and packed on pregnancy pounds. After the birth of her second child in 2009, she weighed 170+ pounds, had quit practicing medicine, and was unhappy.
One day, she picked up a Muscle and Fitness Hers magazine, saw the pictures of the bikini competitors and a story about a mother who had undergone a physical transformation and began to compete. She had no idea that the fitness industry and competitions even existed. As a driven, goal-oriented person, she saw this as a challenge for myself, and one that she was determined to do herself within a year. She decided right then and there that she was done being overweight and set a goal of competing in a bikini competition within one year.
On her birthday, May 7, 2012 she created a Facebook page and announced her goal to friends and family so that she could both inspire them to take the journey with her and to keep herself accountable. She began reading as much as she could about eating healthy and the proper diet and training to lose weight and build muscle. In the beginning she wasn’t educated on nutrition labels and her only educator on “healthy” food was that from media and advertising. It wasn’t until she began researching and educating herself on nutrition and the impacts of foods on our bodies that she realized that so many “healthy” or “diet” foods were not truly “healthy” at all. There were so many fillers, sugars, and processed ingredients in these products. Although she was a Medical Doctor, nutrition was not a subject that she was extensively trained on.
Once she educated herself on proper nutrition and began eating a healthier diet, the changes in her body became apparent very quickly. Combined with strength training, her body completely transformed. As changes in her physique occurred, her desire to succeed and push even harder was fueled. She was able to obtain a stage-ready physique only six months later and competed in her first NPC competition, October 13, 2012 where she placed second!
She was hooked with the rush of competing on stage and the strength and power she felt being in competition shape. She also formed lifelong friendships with other competitors and teammates who understood her new lifestyle and the stresses that competitors often face. She is proud to say that fitness and competing has not only became her lifestyle but also her passion!
She is now a National level competitor and she is competing to earn her Pro card. She is now over 35 and will be able to compete in both the open and Masters divisions, giving her hopefully a greater edge on getting that card! While she is determined to go the farthest she can in this sport, it has become so much more to her than just winning and getting trophies.
She has learned a new way of living that has been carried over to her family. Her husband and she now actually enjoy clean eating and being on a meal plan! They train together every morning and are teaching their kids the importance of being a healthy and fit person. Her life has completely changed and she couldn’t be happier.
She is currently an Oddo’s Angel trained athlete, National level Bikini Competitor, and regional NPC Judge. She blog for BeautyFit.com and is a contributing writer for Bodybuilding.com , and has been featured on Muscle&FitnessHers.com, Question Nutrition Blog, and on RxMuscle.com. Her transformation has also been awarded Female Transformation of the Year 2013, on bodybuilding.com.
Now that she has transformed her life, it is her goal to help everyone that she can and to be a source of inspiration, as well as information. She knows first-hand how difficult it can be to start living a healthy and fit lifestyle without the right information. In order to provide the best strength training services, She is now a NASM certified Personal Trainer. Having gone through medical training and learning about the human body, clinical training, and medical research, she is able to sift through training protocols and supplement product information and know which ones will help build the physique that clients are aiming for.
She wants to reach more people and can inspire and motivate them. She want to spread her journey and transformation with the world and to show people what is possible. She truly believe that it is never too late to change and to be what you want to be. She has come to realize that no success or failure defines her, no man or woman can make or break her, and her age does not limit her. She is who and what she choose to be. If she can do this, so can you.
All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2016 Women Fitness
Brandy Segura is a doctor, fitness competitor, fitness model, personal trainer, sponsored athlete and fitness writer takes us to amazing journey of transformation of her life. She is in conversation with 
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You at the age of 14 was diagnosed with a heart murmur and symptomatic PVCs that often affected you during physical activity. This experience, along with the diagnosis of cancer in a family member initiated your interest in pursuing medicine as a career. You earned BS in Neuroscience and Medical Degree. You changed your career to being a Fitness competitor and stood second in NPC competition on October 13, 2012. Tell us about your journey at becoming a professional Fitness/ Bikini competitor and what factors you consider were responsible that made you achieve that?
Ms. Brandy Segura: I never would have imagined that my career would take such a turn and that I’d now be fitness competitor, fitness model, personal trainer, sponsored athlete, fitness writer and all of the other amazing opportunities that have come into my life. My journey started with the simple desire to lose weight, to be comfortable in my own skin, to gain my self-confidence back, and to find an outlet for my energy. However, once I got started in fitness, I became enthralled with all aspects of it, including the goal to
compete.
After the first time I stepped on stage, I was hooked and my natural drive for success and ability to achieve any goal I set within my sights took over. My background as a physician and experience with science and research definitely gave me an edge in obtaining some know-how in terms of nutrition and training, the confidence to trust what data revealed, and eventually, the sought-after skills as a writer. None of this would have been possible if it weren’t for my underlying ability to motivate myself and to seek out success.
It is those inherent talents that are most responsible for all of my achievements in life.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You gained weight post pregnancy, after the birth of your second child in 2009. You weighed 170+ pounds but there you transformed into a Fitness Model and a Bikini competitor and you were later awarded “2013 Female Transformation of the Year”. Tell us about your post pregnancy fitness regime and how this miraculous transformation took place?
Ms. Brandy Segura: Like most people who start out wanting to lose weight and to eat healthier, I had many misconceptions about what that truly entailed and the most effective methods. I started my regime with basically running, running, running! When the results stalled, I turned to the Internet and scoured information about fitness and training. That’s when I found Bodybuilding.com and Jamie Eason’s Live Fit Trainer. It was so easy to simply follow the training and diet and to not have to either come up with my own on my limited experience or to have to second guess whether the plan would work or not. I saw results and followed it, it was a no-brainer and that’s what gave me the confidence to keep going. As I followed that plan, I continued to teach myself by reading everything I could because I knew that I also needed to be self-sufficient.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Share your exercise routine that you do to maintain such a bikini perfect physique?
Ms. Brandy Segura: My routine changes throughout the year based on what point I am in the competition season. Right now, I’m off-season and am trying to put on more muscle and minimize re-gaining fat. At this point, I perform cardio 5 days a week utilizing fasted high intensity interval training (HIIT) and steady state cardio. For HIIT, I prefer incline sprints on a treadmill while my steady state cardio consists of treadmill running or a Cybex Arc Trainer. The main reason I choose these is because of the convenience of doing them in my home before my kids get up for school.
For weight training, I also train 5 days a week with a split body program. My glutes are one muscle I am targeting to grow so I train them four times a week using a mixture of heavy weights, light weights, and band work. Two of these days, I also train legs. My deltoids and abdominal muscles are also weak points and I train them two and three times a week, respectively. Chest, back, and arms I only train once a week. My routine changes frequently as I incorporate a mixture of exercises and techniques to keep the muscle activated so that it doesn’t acclimate to the exercise or the weight that I’m using.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: What is your diet? Do you take a particular fixed regulated diet comprising of nutrients and vitamins to keep you in perfect health?
Ms. Brandy Segura: My diet in the off-season is still mainly comprised of non-processed foods although I do allow myself two meals a week that are higher in calories and carbohydrates. I also listen to my body and for signals that are telling me that it needs more. My daily diet is not stringently regulated and I follow more of an “if it fits your macros” type of diet. I do typically prefer the same food every day, which makes it easier but when I do want some variety, I allow myself that and adjust as needed. I aim for a colorful variety of proteins and vegetables to not only keep my diet interesting but also to ensure that I am getting the full complement of nutrients and vitamins. I also supplement with a quality multivitamin and fruit and greens formula.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: What is your motivation to take a multi-faceted personality of a Fitness Model, National Fitness Competitor, Doctor, Personal Trainer, NPC Judge, and a Mother?
Ms. Brandy Segura: My main motivation for being whom and what I am now is that I am interested in many things, both mental and physical. I enjoy pushing myself to my limits both physically and intellectually. I’ve never placed constraints upon what I could be or do and enjoy the fact that I could be two, very different things all within the span of 24 hours. The variety and ever changing nature of this industry holds my interest and the fact that I can continue to improve only fuels my fire even more.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have glowing skin and gorgeous hairs. Do you take some kind of skin treatment to keep it young and glowing and secondly what you do to your hairs to make them look so stunning?
Ms. Brandy Segura: I wish I could give you some wonderful secret treatment but the truth is, I don’t do that much and am still surprised whenever I’m told that I have great skin! I have always been diligent about putting on sunscreen on my face and didn’t wear much facial make up when growing up. I never wear excessive, heavy make-up but when I do for an event, I always wash the make-up off before going to bed. Otherwise, eating a healthy, more natural and varied diet definitely helps my skin and hair.
My hair, being naturally curly, is also naturally dry and over the years I’ve experimented with conditioners and products. A quality conditioner and hair mask can do wonders and I find that my hair responds well to the Redken All-Soft brand. I often leave a bit in overnight to keep it moisturized. But I do have one secret regarding my hair…I use extensions for competitions and photo-shoots for added length and volume. Add in some shine-spray or gloss and anyone can have gorgeous looking hair!
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Fitness modeling is about bold photo shoots. What advice you wish to give to the women of today to be body confident in order to do such bold modeling?
Ms. Brandy Segura: My first photo shoot was difficult because of that very reason and the fact that I was in a bit of shock regarding that fact that I was actually having a fitness photo shoot. Me? Preparation by looking at the photos and poses that other models used and trying to imitate those and see how I looked helped calm my nerves and gave me some confidence. During the photoshoot, the best piece of advice I could give is to try not to think too much, to relax, and to be in the moment. We all have that alter-ego side so, go ahead and let her out! A great photographer can also lead you if needed and a relaxed, natural state will let your personality out and that leads to great photos.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: How did you feel before and after standing 2nd position in Bikini 35+ Class D at 2013 IFBB North America?
Ms. Brandy Segura: Before the competition, I felt confident that I was bringing in a good physique and that I had a great look but I never expected much more than first call-outs.
You never know who will show up and what condition they will be in so I never allow myself to get too excited and just let my physique show and see where it lands me. However, after placing 2nd I had to take a step back because I came so close to earning my Pro Card. I think there was at that time, a doubt that I could actually be the top spot and because of that I had those moments during my prep when I took that nibble of food that wasn’t on my plan and when I didn’t give 100% during a training session.
That was hard to swallow because what if I had done things differently? I was fine with the standings because I knew that I hadn’t given 100% to everything and didn’t deserve first place. The fact that I came so close was a bit of a reality check and I now know that when everything falls into place and I am able to stand up there having given 100%, it could be enough, and I could be successful. I have what it takes and my moment will come.
Brandy Segura on WomenFitness: Womenfitness.net is a great resource for women of all ages and abilities. The articles and information on the site are both comprehensive and informative. It’s a great site to visit to get new ideas, to find information on many issues concerning women, and to stay up to date on the newest health findings and training techniques. It’s an all-encompassing site and I highly recommend it. |
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Elaborate on your personalized concept of “Fitness Programs” you offer online and offline?
Ms. Brandy Segura: The services I offer are truly customized training and nutrition programs that take your current physique, diet, training, and goals in mind to create a new training and nutrition plan to help your achieve your goals. The program is altered as needed to keep you progressing and to finally reach your goal. In addition, I’m available via email for any questions or concerns that arise, even if it’s simply for advice and a pep talk. My main concern is the success of my clients and to help them achieve the lifestyle change that will get them the physique they want. In addition, I also have one-time non-customized plans that are the same training and nutrition methods and plans that I used to get my greatest results.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: How has the ‘NASM Certified Personal Trainer’ certification helped you in achieving your goals as a Personal Trainer and helping with the personalized needs of your clients?
Ms. Namita Nayyar: What you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and message for its visitors?
Ms. Brandy Segura:Womenfitness.net is a great resource for women of all ages and abilities. The articles and information on the site are both comprehensive and informative. It’s a great site to visit to get new ideas, to find information on many issues concerning women, and to stay up to date on the newest health findings and training techniques. It’s an all-encompassing site and I highly recommend it. To anyone visiting the site and reading my interview I’d like to tell them to remember that you have the ability to be everything you’ve ever imagined yourself to be, to believe in yourself, to chase your goals, and to help others achieve their goals too. Their inspiration is your motivation and together, we are even greater!
To know more about Brandy Segura, check her out at: http://drbrandyfit.com
To know latest about Brandy Segura: Check out on her social networks:
https://www.facebook.com/DrBrandySegura
https://twitter.com/BrandySegura
http://instagram.com/drbsegura
Women Fitness Team thanks Brandy Segura for giving her valuable time for this interview and quenching the thirst of her fans to know more about her and made this interview happen.
All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2016 Women Fitness