Doing a morning check in with myself :) The picture on the right is from last November. The pic on the left is this morning. There is an approx 15lb difference between the two. I like to share current photos, not just one’s when I am stage “ready" I used a competition photo for comparison purposes only, but I’m not speaking to competitors here 🙂 It is my off season. I  purposely gain slowly and carefully, eating in a surplus so I could add more muscle and have a fuller look when I cut. When I am in a surplus, I don’t eat just anything and everything, I eat in a way that supports not just my overall, but my hormonal health too; I gain weight evenly. Ladies over 40 (I’m almost 49) if you notice that you are holding or gaining more weight  in your midsection, particularly in your lower abdomen and lower back, your hormones have a lot to do with that and it can be a sign of hormonal imbalance. Your nutrition and lifestyle contribute to this. Be sure to get plenty of heart healthy fa...