Rebecca
In the Beginning
Question: What motivated you to Change?
I have always struggled with my weight,and for as long as I can remember, had a poor self image. I saw myself as fat and was constantly teased by people at school. Throughout the years I had tried just about every diet possible, weight watchers, atkins, cabbage soup, you name it, I tried it! My motivation to change this came from a couple of angles. The first were the scales, I jumped on and weighed in triple digits 103kg —I couldn’t believe I’d hit the hundreds. The second was something a good friend said, she said to me, “you don’t look comfortable in your own skin” and she hit the nail on the head, the third was my mum—she got sick and throughout that journey health become very important to me.
What was most challenging thing for you at the beginning?
Letting go of all the excuses…. I was king of excuses, it wasn’t my fault, I had a slow metabolism, it was my thyroid. I’d cry and complain that it was not fair, “why couldn’t I be one of those skinny girls who can eat whatever they want and not put on weight?”. I decided that no more would I allow myself any excuses, no whinging, I’m not one of “those girls” I’m me and I need to take charge! I was in control of this journey and I got myself here, nobody else except me. The other challenging thing was getting used to the diet, when Ben gave it to me I was like “WHAT—no carbs for dinner OMG, no spaghetti (my favourite), and no chocolate, or lollies… are you serious 
” But you know what, after a while I realised how 
much those things I thought were important actually were not. Plus my body started to thank me for not eating those foods, it feels so good by not eating those things.
On the Journey
What message impacted you the most on your journey?
One of the most important messages, that I still hold onto today, was what Ben said. It was during a period when I was working out nearly every day, and eating “relatively” well and not getting any results, I was getting so frustrated. I was ranting and raving about “putting in all this effort and what’s the point” or something to that effect and he said to me, “it’s time to give 100%”. Bec, you are giving 80%. 80% is good and it’s got you this far, but now you need to give 100%. He said, “if you think about it, that 20% isn’t going to be a big jump, it’s not hard, it’s easy, your 80% the way to 100, 20% is only a little jump, give the extra 20% you’ll see results…” and you know what, he was right! I gave the extra 20%, I worked that 20% harder at the gym, I didn’t miss a workout and kept 100% to my eating plan (no cheating) and went from no results, to a steady 1kg a week weight loss. I still remind myself of this every day.
What was your program?
Ben wrote me a very strict exercise and diet program. I was exercising every day and towards the end of the 
transformation sometimes two times a day. I used the upper/lower body split weights circuit and did the weights every day, coupled with cardio. The weights are important for consistent weight loss. My diet consisted of minimal carbs for lunch & dinner (ie, carbs from veggies only) and an increase in protein. I was amazed at how much the protein supplements helped. The protein kept me full and stopped me feeling the need to snack (I was a big snacker). I was also surprised by how much food I could eat… it wasn’t about starving myself, just making the right food selections.
How long did it take?
The whole journey (33kg) took me 2 years, however that is only because at times I’d take my foot of the peddle. At one point I lost 22 kilos in few months (1kg a week), however I’d hit winter & then miss workouts and then I’d plateau for a while. The most important thing was even during this time, I kept up the consistency. I never stopped working out, I tried to keep going, I never gave up. I probably dropped to about 70% or even 50% at times (hence not getting results), I kept going until Id complain of no results & Ben would give me the kick I needed and I was ready to push again, push to 100%. This stopped the transformation from being a “crash diet” where I’d start & give up, to a long term lifestyle change.
My Tips
What else is important for people to know?
Believe in yourself! Believe that you can! Do not treat yourself badly ! I used to look in the mirror and call myself things I’d never call my worst enemy. During my transformation when I’d look in the mirror (I wouldn’t look great yet), but I’d smile and say “your doing great, you’re a work in progress ”. Keep your mind in check & be kind to yourself—you’re a work in progress, an art work being sculpted :) lol.
Big Thanks! – a big thanks goes to Ben, he was instrumental during my transformation. Through my highs, lows (and big tantrums), he kept me honest the whole time, he pushed when I needed and stepped back when necessary. He wrote a fantastic program & helped motivate me. Having that kind of support is so important, he helped me transform myself into someone I am happy and comfortable with, someone I now like! Thanks Ben!
Feel free to ask my any questions during your journey, I’m happy to help—I’ve been there too! – Rebecca!
