"Thank you for such an encouraging and helpful site. I've yet to find a website with such great articles on fitness- just what I've been looking for. I'm a 28 year old mother of two, and I just began lifting weights and cleaning up my diet. I have seen great results already, and thank YOU for being a motivating factor. When I see pictures of women (like yourself) in fitness competitions, I know that I really, really want to look like that! I look forward to the journey and hard work ahead. Thanks Again!" -- via email "Kristin, I've finally found a great website for women in the fitness world. You are exactly right about most women in the weight room. They are afraid to lift heavy and think if they starve themselves they are doing the right thing... And, they will not stay off of the scales. I have a few female clients whom I have talked to until I've been blue in the face, and they still won't listen to me! Men are easier to train because they will do what you tell them and they are the ones getting results. I like your website!" -- via email

STATS NAME: Kristin Reisinger BIRTHDATE: October 8 HAIR: brown EYES: brown/green HEIGHT: 5'5" WEIGHT: 116-118 lbs (contest) 128 lbs (off-season) JUST FOR FUN: snowboarding, rock climbing, playing guitar, surfing, traveling EDUCATION: BSc. - Music + Film Production, University of Miami MSc. - Exercise Physiology + Nutrition, Columbia University, 2005 Dietetic Internship Program - Columbia University, 2004 COMPETITIONS: Galaxy North American 2000, Dallas, TX Galaxy North American 2001, Phoenix, AZ NPC Physique 2003 Figure Championship, Kenilworth, NJ - 5th place Tall NPC Figure National Championships 2003, New York, NY Brooklyn Half-Marathon 2004, Brooklyn, NY - 02:13:48 PRESENTATIONS/PAST EVENTS: May 2, 2005 - Mother of PreSchoolers (MOPS) - Science of Successful Weight Loss and Workout Moves that Work - Princeton, NJ July 27, 2006 - Sodexho Clinical Update Seminar - Topics and Opportunities in Sports Nutrition for Registered Dietitians - Allentown, PA November 20, 2006 - ADP - Can I Still Drink Orange Juice? - Diabetes Management and Prevention - Jersey City, NJ January 24, 2007 - ADP - Multiple Metabolic Syndrome - Lifestyle Changes for Prevention - Jersey City, NJ February 26, 2007 - Christ Hospital - Fitness and Nutrition Overview - Jersey City, NJ QUOTES/BLURBS/PUBLISHED WORKS: Oxygen Magazine (March 2006) - Qualified Queens of the 2005 Charlotte Pro Fitness Magazine Online - 6 Smarts Snacks For After Your Workout Men's Health Online - Get Your Girl To Slim Down JC Downtown Magazine - New Year, New You Good Housekeeping - The Only Leg Exercise You Need BIO I began my career in fitness in the beginning of 1998 being fed up with my 150lb and quite out of shape body. I was always tired and didn't know why. I hated it. I heard about a certain Physique Transformation Challenge popular back then and decided to give it a try. In 14 weeks I transformed my body from its initial sedentary state into a 125lbs and 16% body fat machine. I looked and felt a million times better. Needless to say, I was hooked. I gave up my career in media to pursue a career in health and fitness because I wanted to help others help themselves through fitness and nutrition in the same way I had done for myself. I was certified as an ACE Personal Trainer but soon decided I wanted further to my education in nutrition. I applied to Teachers College, Columbia University in New York City for their Master of Science/Registered Dietitian program in Applied Physiology and Nutrition, was accepted and began in the Fall of 1999. At this point I knew I also wanted to compete but wasn't quite sure which show to begin with. Fitness America was too pageant-y for my blood, fitness shows involved too much gymnastics and dance and bodybuilding was out of the question. I happened upon the Galaxy event in a magazine and knew right away that this was the competition for me. Miss America meets American Gladiators... excellent! In the spring of 2000 I attended a training camp in St. Petersburg, Florida to learn exactly what the competition entailed. One month later I began training for the August 2000 Galaxy North American with the amazing and inspiring Chris Faildo in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was those three months of intense training under his supervision that I learned everything I needed to know about fitness training, nutrition and competition. We incorporated the Parrillo principles of dieting for competition into the program and I stick to these basic principles religiously to this day for competition. We also incorporated weight training, plyometrics, sprinting and endless aerobic acitivity into the program. He has been the biggest influence in my fitness career to date. After my first competition experience I came back to New York City to complete my Master's degree and to continue pursuing my career in fitness. I have been freelance writing in health and fitness for four years now in which I explore special topics specific to the nutritional and supplemental needs of female athletes. I also do personal nutritional consulting and training. I am currently competing my Master's thesis in order to graduate in May 2004 and in the winter of 2004 I will be eligible to sit for the Registered Dietitian liscensing exam. I am also planning to take on the NPC Figure division, once again, in 2004 as well as develop this site into a hub of up-to-date information on nutrition, health and wellness in the upcoming year!