Amy Ashurst shares her remarkable BodyBlitz Story!

Stats Total lost Height 165cm Weight 10kg Chest 2cm Waist 5cm Calves 3cm Arms 2cm Thighs 6cm Hips 10cm

I completed my first BodyBlitz just over a year ago. I lost over 12kg and felt fabulous. It wasn’t just the compliments and being able to wear clothes I never could before that were fabulous, I was also finally feeling fit, something I had never felt. It left me feeling in control of my body and my life, I now knew that if I had a goal, I could get there. I knew it would be hard work, but I knew I could do it!

After finishing my challenge, I continued to train hard and maintain a healthy lifestyle. I continued to drop weight and lost another 5kg over the next few months. My goal over winter was to maintain this loss. This was really put to the test when my boyfriend popped the question! What followed was three months of champagne and indulgence with two engagement parties, overseas and interstate trips to visit and celebrate with family and friends.

While I kept up my training and improved my fitness during this time, a few nasty habits were starting to creep back into my life. I finished July feeling bloated and sick of indulging! It was at this point that I decided I needed to get strict with myself again, and as an added bit of motivation I decided to enter the BodyBlitz.

The first few weeks were definitely the easiest, I guess because I had been feeling so sick of partying it was nice to get back to clean eating! The rest of the challenge really lived up to its name. While results were happening, they were not as dramatic as the first time around. I got particularly frustrated with the scales. In the end, I just had to ignore what was happening on the scales and just concentrate on training hard and sticking to a clean eating plan! I think because this time around I had less to lose and because I was pretty conditioned to my weekly training schedule, I had to put a big effort into keeping my workouts fresh and varied. Luckily my gym launched a new timetable during this time, so I now had spin classes and cardio camp to keep things interesting.

My real problem area has always been my hips and thighs; they have plagued me all my life! Since the beginning of my first challenge it has always been my goal to get my hip measurement under 100cm. Today I can happily say I am here, and here to stay! A real highpoint was going into a shop where I previously couldn’t squeeze their biggest size 16, and easily fitting into my first pair of size 10 shorts!
The health and fitness benefits of doing this challenge are amazing, and it has truly changed me and my life. My only question is, where to now?

FIVE TIPS

1. Keep your food simple. If you try to ‘dress’ things up to make them more appetising, you are just adding unneccessary calories and sodium. It’s best to keep things as natural as possible, and your tastes will adapt.
   
2. Find exercise that you enjoy – it won’t be such a push to get yourself there every day. Group classes are great – you just turn up.
   
3. Don’t let little slip-ups lead to a massive slip all the way off! Don’t beat yourself up if you cheat, because you will just end up giving up. Get on with it and keep going!
   
4. If you start feeling like you are denying yourself, just focus on finishing as well as you can. After all, it’s only 12 weeks and that chocolate will still be there once you have finished.
   
5. It’s great if you can find a buddy to do the challenge with. You can compare notes and give each other moral support. You don’t even have to live it the same city – email a friend!