Jun 26, 2020
In this episode, host Celeste
Rains-Turk speaks with Reijuana (Rei Rei) Harley, research analyst,
posing expert, and lifestyle coach who quickly rose to the IFBB
division. After winning overall at her first show in 2017, Reijuana
catapulted to the top of the division at Nationals in Miami one
year later.
Reijuana opens up to listeners about her impressive work experience
while finishing her master's degree in Industrial Organizational
Psychology. During her first national show prep, she was working
two full-time jobs, a remote internship, with multiple research
obligations but continued to place an emphasis on her goals in
bodybuilding. She explains that her often mentally exhausting court
cases and client load has shown her the importance of taking
recovery days, commitment, and prioritizing efficiently.
Celeste and Reijuana discuss time management, mindfulness, and the
importance of
preparation for success. She explains that bringing extra jewelry,
an additional pair of high-heels, and an emergency meal allows for
time to enjoy show day without stressed-induced anxiety. Reijuana
explains that understanding your limitations and not continuously
“filling your plate back up” is necessary to set healthy
boundaries.
Reijuana inspires listeners about her previous destructive
lifestyle and how bodybuilding gave her the strength she needed to
better herself. She explains that a scary situation at a party made
her value the company she surrounds herself with. In addition to
also surviving an abusive relationship, Reijuana explains to
Celeste about her previous binge-eating disorder and how she used
to take sleeping pills to avoid eating.
Reijuana explains how post-show blues left her fearing weight gain,
wearing baggy
clothes, and guilt with eating. She explains that finding her why
with competing allowed her to embrace weight gain and love her body
in all forms. She also ditched the “all or nothing” mentality and
embraces living a balanced lifestyle for mental wellness. Reijuana
transformed her mindset of seeing food as “good” or “bad” to food
for fuel. Her newfound focus on health, in addition to her
intrinsic discipline, was key to her climbing the ranks to the IFBB
division.
Finally, Reijuana gives her best tips to first time competitors and
bikini competitors on their road to pro.
Reijuana is the epitome of beauty and brains! Her transformation
from party girl to
IFBB bikini Pro and realistic approach to a healthy lifestyle
creates an episode you do not want to miss!
CONNECT WITH REI REI:
https://www.instagram.com/reijuana_ifbbpro/
https://linktr.ee/reireibikini
CONNECT WITH
CELESTE:
www.celestial.fit
instagram.com/celestial_fit
EPISODE TIME STAMPS:
[1:45] Reijuana’s pre-stage ritual
[3:30] Reijuana’s education/work experience
[9:49] Making mental health a priority in her high-stress job
[12:00] The beginning of Reijuana’s bodybuilding career
[16:48] Reijuana’s tips to celeste about managing bodybuilding/job
and school obligations
[20:07] Rei Rei gives stress management tips
[27:20] Reijuana’s daily routine/lifestyle and posing
business/career
[31:12] Life of partying and drugs before bodybuilding/ Reijuana’s
wake up call
[35:08] Surviving an abusive relationship
[37:20] Transition from cheerleading to weight lifting
[39:34] Reijuanas past of binge eating disorder/taking
pills/overtraining
[45:10] Changing your body mindset/trying to fit in
[50:24] How Reijuana improved her relationship with food
[54:22] Post-prep blues/How to enjoy the holidays/social gatherings
with food
[1:10:23] Pressure of being stage lean/embracing weight gain
[1:14:02] Promotion of weight loss on social media/Ditching to
value of the scale
[1:22:00] Preparing for her Pro debut
[1:27:06] Reijuana’s best advice to competitors/road to
pro