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Wardrobe Issues

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Have you ever had a moment when you looked at all of your clothing and thought, “I don’t feel like wearing any of these things!”, and wished that a wardrobe fairy would alight upon your shoulder and grant your wish for a whole new wardrobe? Well, I have had that feeling repeatedly over the last few months, and I cannot figure out why I am experiencing such a feeling. As a result, I have been itching to switch things up, and add some color and flair.

The main challenge I face when it comes to adding wardrobe items is the fact that I can’t stand shopping. My eyes glaze over within about 15 minutes of being in a mall or shopping area. I will NEVER understand the rush that many women get from bouncing into a store, trying on mountains of clothing, spending their hard-earned money (or their husband’s or boyfriend’s, as the case may be), then moving on to the next store to repeat the process. No thank you!

Online shopping has been a welcome alternative to walking into brick and mortar stores for me. It is quick, relatively painless, and many companies make returns and exchanges easy. Even so, I still have a problem spending money on clothing, because clothing never holds much value. I know that the markup on clothing is astronomical, and I also know that reselling items yields almost no return on the initial investment.

However, I also know that flattering, comfortable, and stylish clothing can boost a person’s spirits and confidence. Though I go through all of my belongings several times a year and get rid of things which are threadbare or damaged, or which don’t fit me correctly, I still have this feeling that I need a change. Perhaps a few new tops would do the trick, since some of the tops in my closet have been a part of my life for close to two decades. I look at them now and think, what the hell am I doing, keeping these things?

It doesn’t help that my body has been shifting ever so slightly, but enough that my clothing fits differently. I am essentially the same size, but I know that age-related muscle loss is occurring, which makes me very upset. Another curious thing which happened recently is that I am suddenly cold in cold weather. I had spent a good year in the grip of night sweats and hot flashes, and grew accustomed to always running hot. I could go out in 35 degrees Fahrenheit weather without a coat and be fine. That has all come to a screeching halt, which I welcome, but the problem is that I got rid of most of the sweaters I had!

Is this a mid-life crisis? Maybe. Whatever it is that I am going through, I had to figure something out to keep me from tearing my hair out in frustration.

My solution: I purchased some new, inexpensive dresses, tops, sweaters and leggings, and said goodbye to some clothing items that just HAD to go in the give-away pile. I have been trying to assemble new outfits so that I present different looks which still reflect my personality. It has been fun looking at the new styles!

My Hair Care Routine

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Corrected Stacey bikini LHGFX

I get a lot of questions about my hair, so I am using this post to provide information about my hair and how I take care of it.

Q: Is that ALL your hair?
A: Yes, every bit of it. I have NO extensions. There was only one time I ever had extensions in my hair, and it was for a video and photo shoot I did in the summer of 2014:
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Q: Is your hair more Japanese in texture, or more Caucasian?
A: I have mutt hair, with some blonde strands, but the overall texture of my hair pulls more to my Japanese heritage, a darker brown, thick, and relatively shiny. I have very little hair loss when I brush my hair, and am very thankful for that! My hair is even thicker in my forties than it was when I was younger, a trait which I attribute to a high protein diet and biotin supplements.

Q: I see some red highlights in your hair. Are those natural?
A: I naturally have a lot of red in my hair, but I try to tone it down because when I go out in the sun too much, the natural reds in my hair begin to look very brassy. I really don’t like that look at all. When I was a kid, my hair was very red, and I almost looked like a carrot-top!

Q: Do you have grey hairs?
A: I definitely have some grey hair, and started getting them when I was 33 years old. So I have to cover them with root touch-up every couple of weeks. I am a long way from being completely grey, but I am fighting every last grey hair kicking and screaming!

Q: How often do you wash your hair?
A: I wash my hair twice a week, using shampoo and conditioner by Pureology. I towel dry my hair, then let it air dry. I spent about a year blow drying and flat ironing it because my hair suddenly got very wavy, and I really couldn’t stand it! However, the texture once again is changing, and has almost completely reverted back to its natural straight state, so I pretty much just leave it alone. Once my hair is almost completely dry, I apply about a quarter-sized dollop of hair oil to the ends and distribute.

Q: Do you use any special hair treatments?
A: If time allows, I will do a ten minute hair mask once a week or so.

That Doesn’t Look Like Me!

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How do you react when you see images, or film or video footage of yourself, in which you don’t look like yourself? I have had this happen to me, and it rattles me every time. Most of the time it can be attributed to bad lighting or camera angles, while at other times, the makeup and hair are so off-kilter that you end up looking incredibly strange or unattractive as a result.

The most recent situation I found myself in was with headshots I had taken two weeks ago. I trusted the process and didn’t think of questioning the photographer’s abilities or asking to see the viewfinder. I wish I had. If I had seen what was being captured, I would have cut the shoot short and left graciously. Instead, I went through the entire shoot, gathered my things, and headed over to a CVS to look at the images and print out some proofs.

The instant I saw the first image, I was stunned. Who was that wide-nosed, unattractive woman staring back at me? It honestly didn’t even look like me. My face looked FAT, there were wrinkles on my face in weird places, and I just did NOT look good at all. The lighting was terrible, the backdrops looked cheap and bad, and even the poses which I was put in looked awkward. The images were so awful that I didn’t even keep the proofs or the disk. Why would I, when the images almost made my stomach turn? Yes, they really were that awful.

So what do you do if you see images which you don’t like? Well, if the images were shot for a paid assignment, or if you did TFCD, then you can’t really do anything. As a matter of fact, you should never second guess the makeup artist, wardrobe stylist, or photographer/videographer unless you see something glaringly wrong with the setup. I have shot commercials and photos which I absolutely HATE, but I can’t do a darned thing about them because I signed away any rights to the images.

However, for headshots, there is never an obligation to use any images you don’t like, especially if they are unflattering and do not portray you the way you really look. You are paying for a service in which the images are supposed to present you in the best way possible. Would you really want to use headshots you hate and which make you look like someone else?

Thankfully, I was able to shoot more headshots three days later with another photographer who got some incredible images. The image below is the main image which I will use from that particular shoot, but there were so many outstanding images from that shoot that it was difficult narrowing down our top choices. That’s a good problem to have!

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STACEY NAITO – IFBB Bikini Superstar (Interview)

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Please check out the great interview which Christian Duque from Strength Addicts hosted, and in which I am the featured guest! We talked about a lot of topics, and I covered a lot of ground on my background, my contest journey, and my philosophy on training, diet and competing. Check it out and please LIKE and SHARE! Thank you so much!

Pushing Through – Dealing With Troubling Times

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Life is not about how hard you can hit, but how much you can get hit & still keep moving forward. -Rocky Balboa
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It is commonplace these days to hear people say that times are tough, and indeed they are. Truth is, there will ALWAYS be something we will be forced to contend with. At times those challenges can be so trying that they threaten to break our spirit and obscure the light at the end of the tunnel. However, it is imperative to push through those trials and tribulations while remembering what our goals are.

Your goals may be long term and centered around a career aspiration or the pursuit of an avocation for which you have great passion. Perhaps you have a weight loss goal or want to improve your general health. Or maybe you compete and are chasing after that elusive Pro Card or Olympia qualification. Chances are that any challenges which hit unexpectedly have no direct correlation to these goals, so why allow them to push you off course? You may get knocked around a bit, but the important thing is to get back in line with that prize you have set before you.

It always amazes me to hear patients and clients describe how they abandoned their meal plans and exercise regimens, and thus their fitness and health goals, when they were forced to deal with stressful life events such as divorce, legal issues, job loss, or family illness. What goes through my mind when I hear such things is that these people are doing themselves a disservice by dropping a regular regimen which has immense long term payoffs. A thread of stability is established when there is consistency with food intake and exercise which can actually lessen the impact of life stressors. Energy levels are boosted, depression is minimized, and an individual can assert his or her own personal needs in the face of adversity.

So if tough times are getting you down, remember to put the oxygen mask on your own face and take care of your own needs. Those who persevere will be rewarded after the storm passes. Hang in there!

You Got This!

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In keeping with the fact that we are approaching the last NPC Pro Qualifier contest of the year in November, I figured it was a perfect time to talk about envisioning your goal, whether it be the attainment of a Pro Card or some other coveted prize. The key is to adopt the attitude that you have already reached your goal, because such an attitude carries immense power and forces you to adopt an “I won” attitude. I chased after a Pro Card for five years, and I honestly believed that it was only after I had adopted the attitude in 2013 that I already WAS a Pro that my energy truly changed.

Focus is not enough. In order to truly draw the proper energy, you need to envision already reaching your goal. You can always tell when a competitor is “on” because he or she will throw off sparks of “I got this” confidence. There is a glow about that person onstage which sets him or her apart from everyone else. It has less to do with a great suit or great posing (though those things help too) and everything to do with owning that “I won” attitude. I have seen it repeatedly and I also know I had that glow when I won my Pro Card.

So if you have been hitting the stage or the gym with a “Please pick me” attitude, you need to scrap that and truly own the attitude that you have already locked down the win. Even if you don’t nail down a Pro Card spot, you can take that attitude with you to future events and maximize your chances of getting high placings with your confidence.

Life Is Never Boring

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Any time I hear someone complain about how predictable, steady and boring life is, I chuckle, because I have never been able to make that statement about my own life. This doesn’t mean that my life is unstable, but that I have always had so much going on that there hasn’t been time for boredom to set in. I truly am CONSTANTLY doing something, and I have a habit of packing a lot into each day. I understand that some people are stuck in boring jobs, so I am thankful that I love being a physician, and love the environments in which I work. I am fortunate to be involved in pursuits which I am passionate about, and which give me an incredible sense of fulfillment. Whether I am doctoring, writing articles, modeling, doing booth work, creating nutrition and workout regimens, or working on business strategies or branding, so much is going on inside my head that I couldn’t possibly get bored.

I will admit that aspects of my regular daily routine could be seen by others as a bit dull, since I head to the gym around the same time, and I usually spend weeknights writing. However, I typically cram so much stuff in between those activities that I spend the entire day rushing around, trying to get it ALL done. The overachiever in me can’t seem to let go of the notion that the best days are the ones in which all the important items on the to do list are checked off. Even on the weekends, I spend the majority of my time trying to catch up on articles and plans which I wasn’t able to get to during the week.

Another feature of my life is that I wear so many hats that I have to constantly shift gears. Though it puts a lot of pressure on me, I prefer to have a lot of variety in my day, talking about medicine, fitness, skincare, nutrition, and business. My nerves can get pretty frazzled from the endless list of things to do, but I know I wouldn’t be able to deal with sitting around all day with nothing to do. I think partially because I have chosen a number of very interesting fields to pursue, and partially because I seem to attract a lot of movement and energy, circumstances also seem to keep me on my toes, and also keep boredom at bay. About 25 years ago, I remember someone telling me that I moved at a high “burn rate”, that my spirit had a lot of karmic energy which would attract lots of activity and movement. Despite its mystical tone, the statement struck me, and I can honestly say that it fits the cadence of my entire life.

If you find that you are bored with your life, it’s time to examine what might be holding you in a rut. Maybe you watch a lot of television. If so, turn off the television and read a good book. If it has been months or even years since you exercised, join a gym and commit to a regular workout schedule. Go out with friends. If you have pockets of time in which you are looking for things to do, try exploring your city or town by visiting other neighborhood stores, parks and restaurants. Cultivate a new hobby. Volunteer.

You can turn a boring life into a fulfilling, fun, exciting one by doing new things. Have fun!

Uncompromised

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Breaking stereotypes!

Breaking stereotypes!

I am always being challenged to pick one career that defines me, and it drives me nuts. When people find out that I am a medical doctor, they struggle with the stereotype of what they expect doctors to be like, in other words, very conservative in dress and demeanor, and without any flavor or personality. Well, I’ve got news for you. I will NEVER be a typical doctor. And please don’t doubt my credentials or schooling. I am NOT a nurse (not that there is anything wrong with this highly respected profession), I am a fully licensed and board certified physician.

A huge project came my way recently, and I was selected for it, only to have the decision-maker flip out over my fitness and modeling images and reverse the decision. I was stunned and dejected, but after reflecting on the whole incident, I began to get angry. Part of the problem was that the decision-maker was a complete hypocrite, pretending to be squeaky clean, but who openly praised one of the dirtiest human beings to ever alight on the entertainment scene. To coin an analogy, at the root of this was a case of the bride being upstaged by another lady wearing white. Mind you, I never intentionally wore white, but hey, my doctor’s coat is white.

I am every bit as much about fitness as I am about medicine, and I shouldn’t have to choose one over the other. I am damned proud of what I have accomplished in fitness, especially because I took things to the next level in my forties, not when I was a young whipper-snapper. If people are confused by the sampler plate philosophy by which I live, too bad. Yes, I am a board certified physician AND a degreed fitness professional, IFBB Pro, certified nutrition coach, writer, sponsored athlete and contest prep coach. I know it’s unusual, but why is that so hard for people to grasp? I mean, here I am, doing all of that, sending a message to the world that no one should have to be one-dimensional and boring.
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I don’t hide from myself. I am honest. I have sass, and I speak my mind. I am proud of what I have achieved in my life, and I will NOT hide parts of myself which some overly judgmental people may have a problem with. I am NOT going to apologize for having a sense of humor, for using cuss words here and there (though I don’t use them while seeing patients). I am not going to paint a false picture of who I am. If you don’t like what I am doing, no worries. Move on.

If you find that you are compromising your own vision, dreams, or goals, perhaps you need to re-examine why you are allowing that to occur. If you subscribe to the no limits philosophy, then you would never even consider pulling the reins back. I will always encourage driven people to go for whatever they want, and if it doesn’t fit in with the conventions of one of their chosen careers or hobbies, even better. Break stereotypes and show people what you are made of! Don’t hide all the facets which make you who you are!

Acrylic Nails

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I never thought I would be the type of woman who would resort to the regular application of acrylic nails. However, I have spent the past six years living a lifestyle which requires that my nails look perfect all the time, so I truly have no choice but to cover them in acrylic. Though I was blessed with great hair and skin, my nails are paper thin and very weak, and getting them to grow evenly without major peeling and breakage is almost impossible. Besides, I kind of enjoy going in every two weeks and getting a pampering treatment. I say pampering lightly, though, since my nail technician almost always inflicts pain on me when I go to visit her. Grooming can be torture!

For those of you who don’t know how acrylic nails are applied, here is how it’s done. A nail technician mixes a liquid with a powder and brushes the mixture onto the nails, then allows the product to harden. Over time, the acrylic material grows out with your natural nails, requiring application of more acrylic substance in the empty area between the nail bed and the existing acrylic overlay. If you want to have acrylic nails removed, the technician usually soaks your nails in nail polish remover for easy removal, but my nail technician tugs and pries them off me with so much force that I often wince from the pain.

I also get gel overlay because my nails are truly that weak. Once acrylic is applied and is fully dry, the technician brushes on the gel, then the nails are placed
under ultraviolet (UV) light for a minute or two to harden the product. Though there has been some controversy over the UV exposure, the amount of exposure is so brief that it is almost negligible. But then again, there are risks associated with the application of acrylic to the nails, such as fungal infections and damage to the nail bed from trauma. If you have ever had acrylic nails and have had your entire nail lifted off the nail bed from trauma, or a break within the nail bed, you know how wickedly painful that can be!

Despite the fact that I believe the healthiest way to care for one’s nails is to leave them completely unadorned, I am forced to go to the other extreme with the interventions mentioned above, getting my nails covered in harsh chemicals every two weeks. Some ladies will take breaks from acrylics, but sadly, I am unable to do this. Even going for one or two days without acrylic on my nails is torturous, because my thin nails don’t allow me to navigate comfortably through my day to day tasks. It is literally painful for me to go sans acrylics.

Usually I will opt for a basic French tip look, but I wish I could do something more exotic! I have to make sure my nails are practical in length and shape, and they can’t look wild or garish when I have to see patients or do a basic fitness or swimsuit photo shoot. Check out these cool nail looks which I found online:

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