It is my pleasure to introduce Bek, a new friend of mine.
You heard a little bit about Bek in an eraly post, she was the young Mum in "Story one" in here.
I've seen Bek's transformation happen before my very eyes and am so very proud of her! I love having her in my classes and she inspires ME :) In fact that goes for all of my participants. Seeing you guys make the effort to get to class and push the way you do brings me JOY :)
I asked Bek if she would mind sharing her story with you all, including some amazing before and after photos. So have a read, have look, get inspired and MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!
Jen
xx
Over to you Bek...
I used to be one of those people we all hate... I could eat whatever I wanted and never put on a kilo...
Then real life got in the way... I was no longer out every night, going to the Freo pubs to check out the bands, and dancing nonstop for hours...
I was working in hospitality... terrible hours... working ‘til all hours after midnight, Getting Chef to make me a bowl pasta to take home for dinner (seriously, who eats dinner at 1 o’clock in the morning!) and then going straight to bed, getting up around noon, and thus definitely not eating properly...
When I met and married my husband I moved to cafes... Better hours...? I was working from 6am through to 3pm. I told myself I couldn’t eat that early in the morning and would grab some breakfast at work. Being a good Manager I always made sure that no matter how busy the Cafe was my team always had their breaks. I considered it bad management otherwise... It’s not their fault if I can’t manage their time appropriately. As a result I often never got a break. I used to survive on coffee (and lots of it!!) I thought my team were wonderful, they used to ensure that my coffee cup was always full.
The number of times I’d have to work 13 hour days (sick team members and unpredicted business in the cafe) meant my body was exhausted. When I got home I’d be absolutely famished!! I’d sit on the couch and gorge (there’s no other word for it) for hours. My body was desperate for nourishment!!!
I woke up one morning and looked in mirror... When did I get so fat??? I tried the Cohen diet (definitely not recommended!!!) and lost 30kgs... But it was all through pure starvation... It definitely doesn’t allow you eat properly... not enough protein and no carbs...I’m positive now that I not only burned through fat, but also a lot of muscle....
Needless to say, when I stopped the Cohen I very quickly put all the weight back on...
In January 2009 I had my gorgeous son. Before my pregnancy I was probably around 80 – 85kgs (scales weren’t my friend, so this is merely a guess). I jumped on the scales 2 weeks before he was born and was horrified to discover I weighed over 110kg (and you put on most weight in the last 2 weeks as baby begins to put on weight!!)
I walked out the hospital weighing 98kgs. Not bad to lose 15kgs in a week!!
I sat on this weight for 12 months. I was not a very happy person. I was miserable with myself and angry at the world. I used to be skinny (granted it was nearly a decade ago), not this fat unhappy person trudging through life.
I decided that, after seeing the photos of me at my son’s 1st Birthday Party (people managed to sneak a few of me) I had to do something. But this time I wanted to do it right.
I joined the local gym. Best decision I ever made (apart from marrying my husband and having my son!). I’d be so excited when I could walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes and then do the last minute at a run. I avoided the PT’s because I didn’t want to have my measurements taken... Those numbers scared me... (I now wish I had have had my BMI and BodyFat% taken back then, for comparison to now).
I’d hit the gym 4 days a week with a friend of mine and we’d Treadmill for 20 minutes and then Cross Trainer for 20 minutes. We even did a BodyPump class once a week. I remember commenting to my husband that I’d really like to do more, but we said we’d go together, and she was happy doing what we were doing...
Much as I love her, I was really happy when she started cancelling on our “gym dates”, I still went. In fact I started going 7 days a week. I did 2 Bodypump classes a week and spent at least an hour on Cardio on the other 5 days. I also started doing Meal Replacement Program just to give a little help in the weightloss department. I was losing an average of 2kgs a week.
I finally went to see a PT after a month and a half and got my measurements done. She wanted to do me up a weights program, but I wanted to just stick with the Cardio to burn off the fat and supplement it with BodyPump for some toning. She also suggested I keep a Food and Exercise Diary... Great for monitoring your net calorie intake.
In April I started doing RPM Classes on a Saturday morning... What a fantastic way to burn calories...In May 2010 I did my first big run... HBF Run For a Reason... 4.5km... OMG, I was gonna die... That’s such long way... I was so proud when I finished it... I even got to cross the finish line to Murphy’s Lore singing “Eye of the Tiger”... Talk about motivation.
My weight had just tipped the scales at around 70kgs... I was definitely on my way!!!
My next goal... The City to Surf 12km Run!!! What the hell... I was a runner in high school! I found myself spending most of my gym time on the treadmill, trying to build up my distance. Little did I realise I was actually doing interval training... Run for a km, walk for a minute, run for a km, walk for a minute.... The best way to burn fat!!!
Two weeks before the big run, being as nervous as I was, I had a chat to my brother in law (who does Triathalons and has also done the Busso Half Iron Man a few times) for a few tips on the run, which he’s done previously... He decided to take me on an 8km run near his place (Glen Forrest) to test my running legs. Let me just say that Glen Forrest is very hilly!!!! We had a fantastic run, I was able to keep up with him, I even kept the pace most of the time. He tricked me and we actually did a 10km run!!! He said I’d be fine!! If I could continue to talk throughout that whole run (except for up the massive incline) I could do the City to Surf no worries!!!
Two weeks later I did the City to Surf in 70 minutes 25 seconds!!!
We are now concentrating on getting BodyFat% from 26 to 23. My weight is something I am very happy with, I just need to build up some more muscle to “suck in all the extra skin” (It happens to be a lot of saggy skin when you lose nearly 40kgs!!!) I’m just ecstatic that I went from a size 18 to a size 8 in 10 months!!!
Just over a year since I started my weightloss journey and I’m still at my ideal weight. I now only go to the gym six days a week. People say I can cut that back, but I have to stay fully dedicated to my exercise regime lest the weight starts to creep back. I’m still doing my RPM class once a week, two BodyPump classes, one BodyStep class (I actually do RPM followed by BodyPump one day, and on another Step followed by Pump), one day of straight running (I aim for at least 8km), and two days of some very intensive weight training... I can now do 24 slow release chin-ups and pushups on my toes!!!! I never imagined that I could turn my life around (or more to the point, gain my life back) in such a short time... But with a bit of motivation and a lot of inspiration from my Group Fitness Instructors (insert” Jennifer Birkhead” here) and my PT I have not only achieved my ideal weight of 65kgs, but gone nearly 10kgs past that!!!
Everybody must have a goal... So here’s my next one...
In 2013 I am going to do the Bussellton Half Ironman!!! 1.9km swim, 90km bike ride and a 21km run!!!
I really hope that by sharing my weightloss and lifestyle change experience I can help others to believe they can do the same!!!
Thank you so much for sharing your story Bek, you are an inspiration, and you look AMAZING!!! Are you ready for the photos everyone?
Here you go....
