This Isn’t a Bikini Prep Body And I’m More Than Okay With That! Why coaches don’t need to live in extremes to lead women into real, sustainable change.

Written By Tracy Normandeau

The Pressure to Look “Stage Lean” as a Coach

Let’s be honest: there’s an unspoken expectation in the fitness world that if you’re a coach, you should walk around looking like a competition athlete 24/7. Shredded. Tight. No loose skin. No softness. Basically “bikini prep ready” at all times.

And for a long time, I felt that pressure too.

After competing, lifting, owning a gym, and spending over 20 years in the fitness space, I know what the stage-ready version of my body looks like. I also know what it takes to keep it there and what it costs in stress, time, energy, and mental pressure.

But here’s something many women don’t realize:

You can be a damn good coach without living inside an extreme version of yourself.

In fact, I’d argue that I’m a better coach because I don’t.

This Is My Real-Life Body

Today, I filmed a simple B-roll clip in a bikini. Not a prep-stage bikini. Just me. Turning around. Raw, real, unfiltered.

And the truth is:
This isn’t a bikini prep body anymore… and I’m totally okay with that.

No, I’m not as lean as I was on stage. Yes, I have looser skin now. I have softness. I have curves. I have a lifestyle that includes treats, date nights, and actually enjoying the moment without obsessing over every gram of food.

But I also have:

  • A strong, healthy, functional body

  • A better relationship with food

  • Less stress

  • Slowly improving sleep

  • A life with no restrictions

  • Confidence that isn’t tied to a number on the scale

  • Almost 60 days free from alcohol (a huge personal win)

This body is mine.
It’s lived in.
It’s capable.
It’s confident.

And it reflects the exact lifestyle I teach: consistency without extremes, balance without punishment, and results without losing yourself.

The Difference Between Stage Lean and Life Lean

Let me break it down honestly:

Stage lean is a moment.
Life lean is a lifestyle.

Stage lean requires:

  • Saying no to almost everything

  • Tracking with zero deviation

  • Low body fat that feels terrible long-term

  • Hair thinning, low energy, hormonal stress

  • Obsession disguised as discipline

There is a time and place for that version of you — but it’s not sustainable, and it’s not even healthy to maintain.

Life lean is different:

  • You track most of the time, not all of the time

  • You say yes to living your life

  • You include treats without guilt

  • You prioritize sleep, stress, and health

  • You build habits instead of relying on punishment

  • You allow your body to change with the seasons of your life

Life lean creates results that last.
And that’s the version I want women — especially moms — to see and feel possible.

Because most of my clients aren’t trying to step on stage.
They’re trying to get through the day without feeling exhausted and burnt out.
They’re trying to feel good in their clothes.
They’re trying to stop giving everything to everyone else and leaving nothing for themselves.

Stage lean doesn’t teach that.
Life lean does.

Why Real Bodies Matter in Coaching

There’s this idea floating around social media that if a coach doesn’t look like a fitness model 24/7, they can’t help you get results.
That couldn’t be farther from the truth.

In reality, real-life bodies:

  • Teach compassion

  • Show flexibility

  • Prove sustainability

  • Build confidence

  • Inspire women who don’t want extremes

  • Represent what balance actually looks like

My clients don’t need me shredded.
They need me healthy.
They need me grounded.
They need me relatable.
They need me to model what living looks like — not what starving for a stage looks like.

I’d rather be the coach who shows you it’s possible to stay strong, confident, and consistent without losing your life to the process.

Choosing Confidence Over Perfection

So yes this isn’t a bikini prep body.
It’s a real-life, mom-life, business-owner, 20-years-in-the-game body.

A body that’s been through competition, pregnancy, injury, trauma, growth, healing, and everything in between.

A body that works for me not against me.

A body I take care of without obsession.
A body I fuel.
A body I move.
A body I respect.
A body I’m proud of.

If you’re tired of the pressure to be perfect…
If you’re done with restrictive diets…
If you want to feel confident without living in extremes…

You’re not alone — and you absolutely don’t need a “prep body” to feel powerful in your skin.

Tracy Normandeau
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