“Becoming a mom is hard, especially when your little ones want you and only you. Don't be hard on yourself. Take your time.” —Margarita Vailas
For many busy mothers, the challenge of balancing career, family responsibilities, and personal health goals can seem insurmountable. Between shuttling kids to activities, long workdays, and endless household tasks, finding even an hour for exercise often falls by the wayside. However, with a growth mindset and support system in place, women can successfully weave fitness into their lives despite full plates.
In this episode, we are joined by Margarita Vailas. As a mother of two balancing a career in film, Margarita knows the challenges of prepping for a competition. But Margarita proves it's possible with grit and a positive mindset.
Hop in as Margarita offers insightful perspectives on balancing fitness goals with family responsibilities, the mental and physical challenges of competing, the importance of support systems, managing expectations, why patience is crucial achieving gradual progress, and making health and wellness as a priority.
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Episode Highlights:
01:54 Balancing Responsibilities and Fitness Goals
03:49 Mental and Physical Preparation for Competitions
06:00 The Role of Patience
07:57 The Struggle with Feeling Ready
Sherrie Kapach: Welcome to Beyond The Prep. I'm your host, Sherrie Kapach. I'd like to welcome Margarita today. She's competing this afternoon.
Welcome, thank you for taking some time quickly here and coming out. So tell me a little bit about yourself.
Margarita Vailas: I'm a busy mom of two boys. I love the gym. I've been working out since I was like 15, I think, I discovered the gym so young. But then, I didn't discover the bodybuilding world until I was in my 20's. I don't think I knew what it was really, and then someone challenged me. I love to travel. I love to take my family traveling with me. I work in film as a makeup artist.
Sherrie Kapach: So someone challenged you. Tell me a little bit more about that.
Margarita Vailas: I think that's when I discovered bodybuilding. Because I loved going to the gym, there was never, like if you asked me to go there, yeah, let's go. But then I have cousins here in Saskatchewan who did it and I was like, oh, that's so cool. And then they're like, let's all do one together as a cousin's like reunite thing. And I was like, let's do it. And as soon as I got into it, my mindset was just stuck. I love the whole process of it. I love the prepping. Obviously, it was really hard the first time around. It's funny because I competed 10 years ago when I was a full meat eater. And now, I'm a full vegan. So it's different in that aspect as well. I found it very difficult then, and I also didn't have a family. I was alone and this time full family has its major challenges, but I also found it a little bit easier being a vegan. I don't know if I could just stomach the food a little bit easier.
Sherrie Kapach: Interesting.
Margarita Vailas: I found it interesting too. And I thought it would be hard. I just kept saying, no. This is amazing.
Sherrie Kapach: So yeah, yeah. So you have children now. How has it been in prep and getting ready?
Margarita Vailas: Yeah, it's really hard, more timewise because it takes so much time being at the gym and my kids are little. They're only 2 and 4 so they're definitely needy and want mom. But I wake up at 4:00 naturally. Thank goodness, I am a morning person so it works. We work crazy wild hours all the time. I'm kind of used to it, but then I almost find it harder working and working out because we work like 15 hour days and then I still have to somehow fit it in. But yeah, it's hard. But with kids it is okay. They're understanding. Obviously, they're little and they don't really get it. But I'm trying to get them used to it. We have a home gym and okay, they're boys. They're like, I'm gonna be a strong man. So maybe they'll get into it. I don't know.
Sherrie Kapach: Yeah. Yeah. So with that with having little kids and then following your foods, do you find it hard when they're like, or do they pretty much follow what you eat?
Margarita Vailas: Yes. But my stuff, we have to skip the sauces, all these extra things and whatever. But for them, I try to make it a little bit more fun. But typically the same thing, like they're such good actors. I am not the mom that will make a few different meals for each person, and my husband thankfully also likes following his stuff. He's never competed. Not yet anyway, but he's very supportive and would even prep my crew for me if I needed them. Yeah, so we try to make the kids eat similar, but just kind of make it more fun.
Sherrie Kapach: So the last time you said it's been 10 years, so what's been the difference in that? Did you find that when you were younger that it was easier?
Margarita Vailas: I mean, I feel mentally that it was harder than this time. I'm just more mentally prepared, and I don't know if it's because I've done a show. I definitely have more challenges now like a family, my crazy job and all that stuff, but I don't know why I just remember struggling a lot last time. I think it's because I've never done a show. I didn't know what to expect, but I had way less responsibilities. I think I have a normal 9:00 to 5:00 then to like these. But I just struggled a little bit more mentally, I guess, preparing because now that I think I know what's going on in a show.
Sherrie Kapach: You know what you've been into. So you got back into it now because your family said, let's all do together?
Margarita Vailas: They challenged me then, that was the challenge. They're like, let's do it again. But they kept saying it to me. I've always been a gym rat. And even with my first son, he was born in mid 2019. I would go to the gym with him up until he was born, basically. I was in good shape, but I was in good shape when my second son was born. He was born in 2021 when everything shut down for the pandemic. Everything was closed. I had no gym to go to so I gained a lot of weight. And I think this competition specifically has been more my, let's get back into shape. So I don't necessarily think I am fully prepared physically. But I had such a weight loss journey this year from losing the weight from my kids so I feel good. But I need to get my feet wet again because it's been so long. Because I kept saying, I want to do it again. And even then, I wanted to do it again. But I didn't know what I was waiting for.
Sherrie Kapach: So what would be the best advice for someone that's considering going into bodybuilding, or wants to try and compete, or whatever? From your experience, what kind of advice could you give them?
Margarita Vailas: I'm mostly going to speak to the moms because it's hard. And becoming a mom is hard especially when your little ones want you and only you. Don't be hard on yourself. Don't be hard on yourself. Take your time. I would honestly hire a coach. Even if you know exactly what you're doing, I feel the support is needed because they know what comes to the prep. And we're talking to people who haven't done this before. I think for them, for sure. Hire a coach. Have a plan. And if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. But go on stage for you. Don't go to the number one on your first show. Honestly, it's just such a fun atmosphere. It's a good goal to have if you know getting into shape is what you like or whatever. Know yourself. Be patient.
Sherrie Kapach: Stage is always there.
Margarita Vailas: But anyone can do it. And so the mental game. Your body will do what your brain tells it.
Sherrie Kapach: Absolutely. Oh, yeah. 90% mental.
Margarita Vailas: Maybe not at the same rate as someone else, but maybe faster. But never compare the end result.
Sherrie Kapach: Absolutely. So what was your biggest struggle with this?
Margarita Vailas: In the beginning, being quite heavier was hard. I was like, oh, my gosh, I'm not gonna be ready. I've never liked body shaming or whatever, but I just wanted to feel ready. I wanted to feel comfortable for myself. So for me, it was that stress of like, oh, my God, I've registered and I'm not ready. So I think that was my biggest struggle and stress. But I did find time to do it. I prioritize the gym and myself so I didn't find that really hard. But now it's just like, oh, my God, we made it.
Sherrie Kapach: How long did it take you when you decided, okay, I'm gonna do this. What was the timeframe?
Margarita Vailas: I decided to do it just before the new year. I actually registered for a different show that took place in June this past year. I was like, oh, my gosh, I'm not gonna make it. I'm not gonna be ready. And I wasn't ready. I didn't feel ready. I decided to actually postpone and do their next year's show. And that's why I found this one. We're here today to do this one because it gave me a little bit more time to prepare. But not having a good start was the hardest for me because it's been a huge weight loss journey. I think I'm down almost 50 pounds. It's been good. I feel amazing. It would have been good to start if I was going into it for the competitive thing, which maybe I will the next time. But this time, it's just been easy.
Sherrie Kapach: It's been a long time.
Margarita Vailas: I don't even know. Everyone always looks so amazing. So you're just like, oh, this is tough.
Sherrie Kapach: That's an amazing journey for sure. Well, on that note, I want to thank you for taking time out. I know you guys have really busy schedules. I want to wish you the best of luck on stage. I watch and see you, and good luck.
