12 Week "Get Fit For Summer" Transformation Challenge Winner
Julie followed the BMFC 12 Week Body Transformation Challenge Program. During that time, she has noticed huge improvements to her health and fitness. Especially her cardio fitness, core, upper body and leg strength. Julie's significant weight loss around her waist has now lowered her risk for cardio vascular disease, type II diabetes and a variety of cancers. Julie has lost 5.4% of her initial body weight, and there is evidence that her heart has become stronger and is pumping blood more efficiently, by her decrease in her resting heart rate.
1. Julie, tell us a little about you.
Hi, I'm Julie, 35 years old and have two wonderful girls, Eliza 16 months and Mia 2.5 years with my husband Rob. Rob and I have been together for 9 years and married for 6. We live in a rural city in South Australia and having both grown up in the country we are loving the lifestyle.
2. How long did it take you to put the weight on in the first place?
I have always been tall and although this helped, I have been overweight my whole life.
3. How did you feel about yourself?
I've always been very goal oriented and a high achiever and felt that I was a ‘failure' because I couldn't achieve and maintain a healthy weight. My self confidence was low and although I appeared confident to others, inside I felt pretty miserable about myself.
4. What have you tried in the past to lose weight / get fitter?
I started losing weight 10 years ago and before starting the BMFC 12 week challenge the first time (this is my second challenge) I had lost about 30kgs (and kept it off) but struggled to lose the last 10kgs. I did this through many ways – Herbalife (don't recommend this), Jenny Craig (didn't work for me), SureSlim (helped with about 10kgs), running, personal trainers, playing sport, nutritionist, Symply Too Good To Be True cookbooks, motivational books, food diary, training plans. I think I always underestimated the power of your mind and thinking in my efforts to lose weight – it is critical.
5. How important is good nutrition in getting fitter / losing weight?
Nutrition is SO important. I read a quote from Hayley Lewis saying that losing weight is 70% food and 30% exercise and I tend to agree. Fuelling your body with the right food is so important and no matter how much exercise you do, if you are destroying your efforts with poor food choices then you are unlikely to succeed (I learnt this the hard way!).
6. Julie's Sample Diet during the 12 weeks challenge
Breakfast: Weetbix, porridge or muesli
Lunch: Wrap or sandwich with chicken/ham/tuna/cheese and salad. Apple and coffee
Dinner: Lots of vegies and some protein ie stirfry, steak or fish and steamed vegies, baked chicken and steamed vegies
Any snacks were fruit, yoghurt, nuts and seeds or dried fruit – usually whatever I gave the girls as a snack, this helped me make healthy choices and be accountable (I'm very conscious of trying to help my girls learn how to make good food choices and the value of being healthy). Lots of water, limit of one coffee a day.
7. How would you describe your exercise program over the past 12 weeks?
Mon: Easy run 5/6kms for 30-40 mins
Tues: Body Pump 1 hr Body Balance 1 hr
Wed: Tennis 1hr
Thurs: Running speed or hills session 40 mins
Fri: Personal training session or cardio/SMASH sessions 1hr
Sat: Long run 10km/1hr
Sun: Rest day
8. How did BMFC help/support your efforts to get the weight off and increase in fitness?
BFMC offered support through forums and I found the assignments really useful to break through the mental barriers. There are so many ideas on the website for workouts (especially good for us time poor Mums), nutrition and mind. BMFC are very supportive, positive and practical.
9. What do you think the key to your success was during this 12 weeks?
A commitment to putting myself first. This was the hardest part. The visual reminders – my ‘Commit to be Fit' contract, photos of families on the beach, my training plan, ‘Daily Health & Fitness Lifestyle Tracker' were great in reminding me when the alarm goes off at 5:40am why I am doing this – for me. Thinking about how I feel when I don't train (slow, lethargic, big) and how good I feel when I do train (clear minded, fit, strong and great) is enough to get me out of bed every day. I set training plans for every 4-5 weeks and made sure that each session I tried something different – whether it was running further or faster, lifting heavier weights or trying something different. I now think of all the things I can do everyday (incidental included) that helps get some more exercise in. Using the Daily Health & Fitness Lifestyle Tracker was great to keep me accountable and identify emotional eating and areas for improvement. I created a strong support team who regularly checked in on how I was progressing and my rewards included things like personal training and massages to ensure they were helping me towards my goals.
10. How are you going to ensure you do not regain weight and lose fitness?
I am still losing weight! I am still using my personal trainer, and I'm still using my own training plans that I review every 4-6 weeks, I weigh myself once a week and I'm setting new goals for 2012 including running a half marathon. This is only the beginning!
Congratulations Julie!
Julie shows here that regular tracking really helped her to achieve her goals.
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