I have always been an active person who loves to exercise. I go to my gym five days a week from 5.30am to 6.45am, doing a mixture of weights, cardio and classes. My ‘problem’, and what ultimately led me to take part in the Body Blitz challenge, is that my body did not reflect my daily level of activity. It did not accurately reflect the person I believed myself to be. I knew I was fit, I knew I was strong and I wanted so desperately to look it.
Like so many of us out there, my nutrition was letting me down, big time. Not only was I bingeing on lollies, chocolate, biscuits and chips, but I was also drinking way too much alcohol. Recently diagnosed with a form of depression, I was hiding behind the haze of food and wine and pretending I was okay.

My days started out well, the endorphin rush I’d get from exercise would carry me through until after lunch. Then I would hit that 3pm slump, the kids would start to get ratty (as kids do) and everything would just feel too hard. I got so down on myself that I stopped going to the gym, my favourite place to go for ‘me’ time. Getting out of bed was a struggle in itself and getting to the gym was out of the question. I did not want to talk to anyone. I did not know how to pretend I was ok anymore.

In four weeks I gained nearly 10kg through zero exercise and constant bingeing and drinking. Something had to give. I had trained with Hilde of Get Active Online before and really appreciated the way she puts together a program and is available every day of the 12 weeks, via email, for support.

I contacted Hilde, told her everything and signed up for her Full Support Program. I needed something more, though. I asked Hilde if I could be a guest on her blog and update her readers each week with how I was going. She agreed, but warned me that this commitment had to be honoured, no matter how good or bad each week had been. This accountability turned out to be one of the most crucial parts of my success. I knew others would be watching how I was going and I did not want to let them, Hilde or myself down.

I was so motivated. I got my journal out and started recording my food and training every day. I looked forward to going to the gym each morning and every session trying to improve on the last. Hilde had me doing a mixture of HIIT, steady state cardio and resistance training. I loved every bit of it! I was eating five to six times a day and looked forward to planning my meals each day.

I trained six days a week and ate clean the majority of the time. I learnt so much about myself during the last 12 weeks and was even able to come off one of the medications I was taking for my depression. I am really proud of myself for this. It was hard but I persevered and I credit this to my increased mental strength and improved attitude to life in general.

I have developed a much more positive attitude during the last 12 weeks. I was able to shift my focus from simply losing fat to gaining a healthy mindset and approach to all aspects of my life. I didn’t want to just end this challenge at my goal weight of 52kg but rather, with a healthier body and a happier mind. I feel that by taking this step back and looking at the bigger picture I have achieved so much more than I initially set out to.

I would like to thank Hilde for being exactly the right person for me at exactly the right time in my life. I want to thank her online community for their support and holding me accountable. Not too many people in my life know I was completing the BodyBlitz as I am quite a private person, but my partner, close friends and family are always a constant support to me and I could not have turned things around without them. I would also like to thank my gym community. Without the motivation of my friends and the incredible instructors and staff at my gym in Newscastle, I would not love my training nearly as much! c