I was a very active girl with a huge passion for dancing where I spent over 10 years of my life. I even ran my own dance studio for 4 years. I didn’t study well at school. I struggled a lot with symptoms of my thyroid disorder which was keeping me apart from good grades. Imagine studying having a chronic brain fog, lack of focus, feeling exhausted after taking a morning shower like you haven’t slept, chronic stomach discomfort due to constipation to name a few. But there is the full list of the most common symptoms for Hashimoto’s if you are curious to take a look at:
- – Fatigue
- – Feeling cold
- – Constipation
- – Facial swelling
- – Gallstones
- – Dry, cold, yellowish, and thickened skin
- – Decreased sweat glands
- – Hair loss and dry, brittle hair
- – Thin, frail nails
- – Voice hoarseness
- – Fluid retention (edema)
- – Sudden weight gain
- – High cholesterol
- – Stiff and tender joints, particularly in the hands, feet, and knees
- – Bradycardia (low heart rate)
- – Bigger muscles due to connective tissue infiltration
- – Slower and shallower breathing
- – Anemia
- – Loss of, or abnormal menstrual cycle, PCOS
- – Cognitive changes, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, and depression.
I fell in love with dancing at 12 years old watching 2 girls on stage performing the same choreography at the “day-time” party for teens. The spark was turned into a dancing fire for over 10 years. I quit my dancer’s-choreographer’s career at the age of 26 years. But I didn’t expect to have SO MUCH competition on stage during these fun years of dancing with myself! Any casting I have gone I was receiving the same feedback: “Your dancing skills are above and beyond, but we need skinny complexion dancers. You are out of the format”.
I have always been more muscular and bigger than other dancers. “YOU-ARE-OUT-OF-FORMAT” was taking my happiness and interest in life away. I needed to lose weight and dealing with Hashimoto’s wasn’t helping in this journey. If I couldn’t be a dancer, I have decided to open my own dance studio. We had 4 very fun years. I have fought almost to death for a chance to be on stage in the required physique…. To be Skinny… to be “a format”.
Many attempts have been made to lose weight. Nothing worked well either for a long term. I’ve tried weight loss pills, aerobics, lifting, buckwheat diet, juices, vegetarianism, low fat, low carb, extreme deficit, a ton of cardio, over training. I’ve made so many mistakes, I have learnt my lessons. I’m here to prevent people from making the same mistakes.
Once I got an argument with my dad and his words stubbed me in the head: “stop raping your metabolism! You will never be skinny!” and I just stopped eating for 6 months. I was only snacking sometimes 100 g of chicken breast, low fat cottage cheese or low fat seafood and fish. I lost almost 50 lbs., I lost my cycle for 8 months before I started HRT (hormone replacement therapy), I lost my friends, my boyfriend, I was living in “the weight loss prison”. Reviewing my poor labs with a physician she said that my body has too many abnormal micronutrient deficiencies that can lead to real death in the next 2 months. I didn’t refuse medical help.
I knew that nobody could help me manage my thyroid condition but myself. I put my maximum efforts to learn about body, nutrition and fitness from world’s champions and professionals in every location I have lived. My professional journey started in 2007 as a group training instructor. I have provided Aerobics and Step-aerobics classes, Cardio-Strength training, TRX, Zumba, Abs, Stretching, Spine Recovery classes, cycle, etc., besides yoga and Pilates. This is on my list to learn. I even got a chance to be a sub-instructor in CrossFit for a while. Not planning to get certified in this one. In 2012 I became a gym trainer along with group classes. I was doing personal training until 2020 when zoom took over during quarantine, my practices turned online. I got my first Nutrition Coach certification in 2019 but it feels like I have it for decades. Along with physical fitness I’m always curious to learn more and more about the super power of nutrition and mysteries of biochemistry. Becoming a functional nutritionist I have learnt (and keep learning) a wide spectrum of knowledge in health management on a biochemical level. Science is limitless and NO ONE knows everything. Nutrition has become my new passion with limitless possibilities to help myself, to help people and keep mastering my skills and knowledge. I practice what I preach. Bodybuilding along with functional nutrition gave the best aesthetic outcome in my experience of physique and general wellness.
A little story about how I ended up in the USA..
I moved to the US in 2016 from Kazakhstan. I had nothing but $200, my luggage and my ambitions. I was about to become homeless. I found an advertisement that a brand new gym hires for many positions: cleaners, trainers, managers, etc. I went for the interview and applied for everything. When I heard “you are hired”, I said that I don’t have a place to live and I have to move out from my apartment the same day. Owner of the business didn’t think for a long time and showed me a storage room to sleep nights for the moment to survive. There was 1 dusty bed for coaches to rest. Later a little teapot was brought there and a little fridge. He risked himself to help me out but asked to tell no one. It worked, I survived and kept being a coach. When I moved my luggage to the gym, I remember the first morning getting ready for work. I ate 2 dry tbsp of oats and drank cold water for breakfast (the teapot wasn’t there yet). Asked myself “What are you doing Anna?Why did you leave your friends and family?” I almost cried. My purposes were far away from giving up. I made it. For my first bodybuilding show in LA I was getting ready obviously by living in the gym, sleeping, and working there.
At the moment of writing this story I have 14 medals, 2 trophies, 9 shows behind.. Bodybuilding is fun and motivating for me, not a profession. I was placed 1st ten times (NPC, WFF, and Storm Shows), 2d two times NPC and Storm Show, once 3d IFBB, and once 4th in WFF World’s Championship.
I’m working with clients all over the world. Besides clients from Texas, Atlanta, California, North Carolina, New York, Washington. I also coached people from Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Spain, Mexico and Japan.
The most professionally challenging 2 cases I ever worked with -weight loss and recovery for people with organ transplants post surgeries. Everybody can lose weight if you are alive, you eat and breathe. At your own pace, at your own recovery rate, at your own effort. I have 1 video of a success story on my “dead” YouTube channel. lol.
Can I help everyone? I can’t. People who don’t look for ways to help themselves won’t get results even with the best coaches of this galaxy. Coach can’t diet and workout for people. But we can guide by giving a doable plan and alternatives. I can’t babysit people and beg for the check-ins. Clients MUST do their part to be successful. It’s TEAMwork.
