MY BLOGS

Coffee Addict
-Lorraine DePass
There are few more acceptable addictions in this world than to be addicted to coffee. The lines at any Starbucks attest...

Bird in a Cage
-Lorraine DePass
And Treetop is no pushover. In the past five years, he has had 2 prior roommates which tried their best to befriend him. You would them skootching...

On Being A Woman
-Lorraine DePass
It is not easy to explain to (ordinary) people why you would want to undergo a 3-4 month diet just for a T-shirt and a trophy...

Why I Compete?
-Lorraine DePass
For years I have told people that I’ll do most anything for a T-shirt or a trophy. That certainly was true when I did the Moms Rock 5K run or...

Why Workout?
-Lorraine DePass
I know I said it before, but this might be my last year. And as I look into my future all I see is an abyss of nothingness. Why work out?...
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Aged (Like a fine wine)
-Lorraine DePass
It took me five months to recuperate from hernia surgery last year. I’ve had to change my grip due to an unexplainable sprain in my left...

Diets. Diets. Diets
-Lorraine DePass
I am fascinated nowadays at the proliferation of different diets that are out there. There seems to be no end to people with the magic formula that will lead to eternal thinness...
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Self-Affirmation
-Lorraine DePass
I am not a self-conscious teenager. I am an accomplished woman at the end of her middle age. And still, sometimes I find myself sinking into self-loathing.

Girl Power
-Lorraine DePass
I entered the gym, heading straight into the deepest part. Past the treadmills and steppers, the aerobics room, and the weight machines. Back to the free weights area...

Control Over Chaos
-Lorraine DePass
I am sure that there are many compelling reasons why someone decides to train for a bodybuilding competition. But I can only tell you what made me decide to return after a 19 years absence from the..
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Fear of Bikini
-Lorraine DePass
If I am totally honest, I have to admit that I have used bodybuilding shows like other women use weddings and reunions. You know, the event that propels you to amp up...

Not A Body Builder
-Lorraine DePass
You know you are not a body builder even you are constantly going to the gym but you do the following....
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Manual Vs. Automatic
-Lorraine DePass
My first car was a blue rust-bucket with a manual transmission. I can’t even tell you what the make of that car was. I’m pretty sure it was a No Name car brand.

Defining Femininity
-Lorraine DePass
My first car was a blue rust-bucket with a manual transmission. I can’t even tell you what the make of that car was. I’m pretty sure it was a No Name car brand.

Pressure Valve
-Lorraine DePass
That means that I have the responsibilities of being a doctor and the responsibilities of being a business owner. And that can be stressful. Every medical magazine I get for the past few years...

Natty
-Lorraine DePass
Full disclosure. I will admit that I smoked marijuana twice, a fact that shames me to this day. Prior to that first time, I was proud to say that I had never used any drugs.

The Tyranny of the Scale
-Lorraine DePass
It’s Monday morning and the alarm goes off. My eyes squeeze shut as I realize it’s time for the weekly weigh-in. So tempting to sink back into oblivion. Pretend it’s still Sunday and I can lay ...

Trimester of Training
-Lorraine DePass
Having been pregnant twice, I am well versed in the three trimesters of pregnancy. And having entered 30+ competitions in the past 30+ years, I am also quite knowledgeable in...

No Weigh-In Required
-Lorraine DePass
Competition prep can be hard for a female athlete because the changes to the body are so incrementally small. It is hard to remain focused and motivated when each day is composed of 16-18 hours..

Dinner at Cuban Restaurant
-Lorraine DePass
First round of drinks for the table. Mojito. Sangria. Corona with a lime wedge. Rum & coke.
For me: Unsweetened ice tea.
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Gum Math
-Lorraine DePass
I chew gum all prep long because it satisfies my desire to chew. I break the stick in half and chew it until the burst of sweet is gone and then I throw it away...

Things that Don't Love You
-Lorraine DePass
Restaurants – They don’t care about your health. They don’t want you to live long. They just want you to live long enough to come back. If you are eating out, you are guaranteed.

That First Cheat Meal
-Lorraine DePass
What do competitors dream of during all those weeks of strict dieting? What do they obsess about after weeks of deprivation?
During the 2022 PA Classic in Allentown, PA..

Overly Dramatic
-Lorraine DePass
I am overly dramatic.
I am not an addict. But I imagine an affinity to all addicts. I know the torture of wanting what you can’t..

Escape from Fat Camp
-Lorraine DePass
Is it just me? Right after finishing a 12-16 week strict diet - the minute I get off stage – I feel like I’ve escaped from fat camp. Or from the Gulaag. Or from jail...

Golden Period
-Lorraine DePass
If you compete, you know the golden period. It’s the period right after your competition when you still look really good but you also feel really good. Because you’re not thinking about...
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An Inspirational Story from Kendra
-Kendra Scribner
When I started I was 300lbs (5’10”), with a newborn baby, and I had just gained 100lbs during pregnancy...
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Anarchy, then order
-Lorraine DePass
There are flashpoints of anarchy in my everyday. Waves of disorder before the order flows back. When I cook, every ingredient, every pot, every measuring spoon ends up scattered on the counter.

Melissa Perseverance Story
-Melissa
When I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in June 2013, I was confused, angry and in disbelief. Growing up, I had been an athlete. I ran track for over 12 years