Stats Before After Height 171cm 171cm Weight 73kg 63kg Chest 91cm 88cm Waist 75cm 63cm Hips 100cm 91.5cm Thighs 60cm 53cm Calves 38cm 38cm Arms 32cm 27.5cm

I couldn’t bear the thought of facing another winter in Melbourne, where I had gained an extra 10 kilos and spent the summer trying to lose it. With a holiday planned for Thailand at the end of October, I knew I hadn’t much time to get in shape – but this winter was going to be different.

After reading some of the life-changing stories in pervious Women's Health & Fitness magazines, I thought ‘if these woman can turn their life around, I could too’!

I wanted a lifestyle change, not a short-term fix. This included getting my diet on track and adding clothes for winter-warmth, not extra meat on my body.

I searched the Internet to find programs for inspiration and that's when I found Ideal Bodies online. I was able to see many before-and-after photos, and read success stories from people who followed previous programs and the results were amazing. I found the program that was right for me and signed up immediately – the better me was on its way!

The first few weeks were great. With the support of my partner, Dave, and my family and friends, I was cruising along. Doing everything as set out in my program, I wasn’t tempted by foods outside my guidelines. I was really enjoying it.

Yet in the fourth week I missed three days of training. This was due to my 12 hour shifts (sometimes more) at work each day, and the added stress at home of moving house. Doing what I always did, I turned to sugary comfort foods. By the fifth day of no training and eating the wrong foods, however, something different happened.

I emailed my support coach Hilary and told her what I had been doing. In the past, I would have kept it to myself (never wanting anyone to think I had failed). Hilary gave me words of support and told me to remember why I started this in the first place. So rather then give up, I headed to the gym and worked extra hard to get back on track with my food. Before I knew it, it was week 12, and for the first time in years, I was happy with the way I looked.

My partner loved the new me as well and not just because of the way I looked, but because I was happier within myself. I started wanting to go out during winter, rather then staying home on the weekends because my jeans were too tight.

I'm proud of what I achieved in the last 12 weeks. I'd tried lots of diets before but with the lifestyle I lead, I needed a designed program with the food I enjoyed. This was a hundred-times better than any previous program I’d tried before.

It taught me that things don't always go to plan (you can have bad days). After a bad day, you just need to get back on track as soon as possible – don’t quit.

The biggest help I can give anyone about to start a healthy lifestyle, is to plan your meals and snacks the night before (cooler bags are great for this). Therefore when you’re hungry, you don't have to think about what to eat or where to get it.

I still keep my snacks and lunch close by now. It saves me money and helps me keep on track with maintenance. I hope I too, can inspire someone to make the change for a healthier lifestyle, just like they did for me.