Tiffany Lee

Hi Everyone! My name is Tiffany Burgess. I have always been into sports since I can remember.   My fitness journey begins in junior high where I made the varsity swim team my freshmen year with not even knowing much about swimming. I just tried out because my friend needed the support, and I ended up loving the sport. While I swam all year long for school, I joined the pole-vaulting team for track and field. I also played soccer since I was in grade school because my father coached several of my teams.  

 

I was an active runner, competed in several 5 and 10ks. I joined the military and continued distance running. I moved to Hawaii the summer of 2016 because I got accepted into a scholarship program where I went to school to get my bachelors and soon after Commission as an officer in the United States Coast Guard.

 

When I got to Hawaii, I joined the UFC gym out of Waikele. I only went to the gym really to do cardio. They had a 12-week transformation challenge for who can gain the leanest body mass and who can cut the most body fat. The transformation challenge was across all of Southern California and all of Oahu. I ran into a coach who taught me flexible dieting and resistance training. I ended up winning first place for the women’s in the 12-Week Body Transformation Challenge for the leanest body mass gained.

 

I was always extremely fit and athletic, but my coach got me from 110-112 lbs. to the last weigh in for the competition at 127 lbs., an average of 17 lbs. gained in 12 weeks. 17 lbs. was a lot considering I was only 100-110 lbs. from junior high in 2004 to 127 lbs. in 2017. I was a novice lifter, so I gained a considerable amount of muscle from the rapid increase in strength. Before I signed on with my first coach, I was never ate “healthy”, I just kind of ate what I wanted. But through my coach I learned flexible dieting and started at around 1,100 calories and ended at close to 3,000 calories, which is considerably a lot of calories for someone that barely ate. But I will NEVER turn down food. 

 

The transformation challenge was something that changed my life because I was able to learn about flexible dieting or "If It Fits Your Macros" that taught me to be aware of portion sizes and most importantly nutrition labels. My coach mentioned to me competing. I thought it was silly that people went on stage in bikinis and board shorts and presented their physique to judges. But 6 months later, I competed in my first NPC show placing 3rd in Novice and 4th in the Open Bikini class. I continued to compete in Hawaii shows for two years then finally competed on the Mainland where I finally landed 1st place in Open Bikini in 2020.

 

When I first moved to Hawaii, my scholarship was to complete my bachelor’s at Shidler’s College of Business for Finance but through those two years, I started another bachelor’s completing a couple classes towards Kinesiology and Nutrition. My personal experience for fitness inspired me to educate others in transforming their own lives. I coached and mentored individuals through the military to get them off weight probation. I also coached individuals losing up to 45 lbs. making huge lifestyle changes. Other coaching, I have done is for an individual starting at 151 lbs. at 21% bodyfat to 126 lbs. at 11.9% bodyfat placing first in Open Bikini class qualifying her for Nationals at her first NPC show.

 

I received my NASM CPT and a month later I graduated with a B.S. in Sports and Health Sciences with a minor in Nutrition and Wellness. I am currently working towards a Masters in Kinesiology, but I will be applying for Doctorates in Physical Therapy.

 

As we all know, even going to the gym has been very difficult. Gyms and Fitness chains around the world closed as a precautionary measure during the COVID-19 outbreak. Even though most and all facilities have temporarily shut down, I think it is important to keep encouraging each other to live healthy and fit lives. Even before this outbreak have you felt comfortable or never really had the time to go to a gym or fitness class, I am here to say WHY NOT START NOW.

 

We are under a lot of uncertainty and it has placed a lot of stress on us. Of course, if we start working out to include some sort of nutritional guidelines, we will get stronger or even leaner. For the future you, the physical changes encourage us, and we look good, but hold on, it isn’t just about looking good but feeling good as well.

 

While we encounter these stressful moments in our life, we should do something that can boost those feel-good hormones. Exercise increase endorphins that make us feel good. So, this just isn’t about everyone’s physical health but our mental health as well.

 

Join me in feeling strong and empowered fueling our bodies and mind! Lets change and evolve together!