Stats Before After Height 168cm 168cm Chest 112cm 89cm Waist 99.5cm 81.5cm Hips 119cm 103.5cm Thighs 69.5cm 56.5cm Calves 44cm 39cm Arms 35.5cm 30.5cm

When I was diagnosed with depression, my fitness decreased, my weight increased, and I had absolutely no motivation to exercise. The medication I was prescribed slowed my metabolism and increased my appetite. When my depression was under control I wanted to get fit and healthy again. To my disbelief, my doctor told me I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and I was classified as obese – news that shocked me. With heart disease being very prevalent in my family and my Dad having had a triple-bypass at only 44, I didn’t want to head down the same path. I’d been trying to lose weight for a while without much success, so I knew some drastic changes had to happen.

Over a couple of months I started making changes to my diet and began exercising again. I started buying Women’s Health & Fitness for inspiration, diet advice and exercise tips. Immediately, I was drawn to the BodyBlitz competition. I have always been quite competitive and I thought, what better way to push myself then to enter! I aimed to get my blood pressure, cholesterol and body fat percentage within a healthy range in the 12 weeks.

One of the biggest hurdles I had to overcome was not giving up after a few weeks. I constantly had to talk myself into exercising. Yet, after the first few weeks it became easier. I began enjoying exercise again, it just became part of my day. I started to lose weight and my body fat began decreasing – this motivated me to work even harder.

Half-way through my challenge I injured my knee running – but this didn’t stop me. After a week, I started using an elliptical machine instead, which was low-impact on my knees. Another hurdle I constantly had to overcome was not to eat the food my partner was eating.

He is lucky to be able to eat thousands of calories a day without putting on weight, and is always snacking on chocolates and takeaway. I overcame this by cooking or buying low-calorie or healthy versions of the same food. Some of the benefits I’ve noticed now are improved moods, better sleeping habits and how clear my skin looks. I always had a couple of spots, but all the healthy eating and exercise has done wonders!

I now fit into all my nice clothes and have the confidence to wear whatever I want.
Towards the end of my 12-week BodyBlitz Challenge, I had a check-up with my doctor. It made me extremely happy to know that my blood pressure, cholesterol and body fat percentage are down, and I’m now in the healthy category.