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MOST Magazine Q: You%u2019ve gone from feeling insecure to becoming a global fitness champion. What were the biggest challenges you faced along the way, and how did you overcome them?A: My biggest challenge? Sticking to a super strict diet! (Haha!) I hate eating just broccoli, chicken, and rice. Honestly, I%u2019m still not great at being extremely strict. Everyone thinks I%u2019m super disciplined, but even leading up to my shows, I never had a day that was 100% on plan.I started experimenting%u2014finding how much flexibility I could have while still staying healthy. For me, it wasn%u2019t just about visible abs but about staying mindful of my choices and feeling more energetic.Another challenge was learning to put myself first. Saying %u201cno%u201d to others often means saying %u201cyes%u201d to yourself. And the funny thing is, when you do this, people begin to respect your time and energy more.Finally, believing in myself was a huge hurdle. Self-confidence doesn%u2019t come overnight. Strength training is magical for self-belief. Pushing through the pain during workouts taught me resilience. It showed me that once I mastered inflicting the right %u201cpain%u201d on myself, I became unstoppable%u2014no one else could hurt me as much as I could grow through my efforts.MOSTMAGAZINEExclusiveInterview@PAULA_DEN_BLANKENWWW.TEAMDENBLANKEN.COMMOST MAGAZINE - ISSUE 67 39