BodyBlitz Challenge Measurements Before After Height: 178 cm Height: 178 cm Weight: 85.1 kg Weight: 76.2 kg Chest: 98 cm Chest: 92 cm Waist: 101 cm Waist: 81 cm Calves: 39 cm Calves: 38 cm Arms: 31.5 cm Arms: 31 cm Thighs: 54.5 cm Thighs: 52 cm

I had attempted the 12-week challenge a few times in the past, with some success, but I was never happy enough with the results. My motivation would run out and bad eating habits or skipping workouts would plague me, but I decided that this time, motivated by turning 35, and with a health scare in the family, it was time to turn my life around and get healthier and fitter once and for all.

And if I needed any further motivation, just looking at the before photos — and my girlfriend’s helpful prodding telling me it was time to diet — was all the motivation I needed. The first step, and possibly the hardest, was to eliminate all junk food and alcohol from my diet, with the exclusion of one cheat meal a week. Planning my meals was a challenge as I have two jobs, which have me working seven days a week. Both jobs have different hours and responsibilities, making it hard to eat at a set time each day. So pre-making meals, and timing them the best I could was critical, as I believe diet is more than 60 per cent of the reason I had so much success.

The training and cardio side of things were much easier to work out — after all I have a collection of Iron Man magazines that goes back eight years, so reading through all of them helped me work out a good plan, as well as reading how past 12-week challenge participants found their own success. Their stories helped to motivate me to keep up with the challenge. I found myself reading their stories daily, over and over again to keep my motivation high.

I must thank my girlfriend Merrilyn who kept me motivated by encouraging me every step of the way and supporting me, and making me train or stay consistent with my diet even when I didn’t want to. Often Merrilyn and her 6-year-old son Joshua would do the cardio with me, so the challenge was a very positive thing for all of us.

Two events happened during the challenge — Easter and my 35th birthday. I decided to push through and not allow myself to cheat or treat myself on either of these occasions; I still have Easter eggs in the cupboard and I never did get a birthday cake. But having said that, now that I am fitter and healthier the thought of chocolate or cake — or even alcohol — isn’t as appealing as it once was. Now they are saved just for moderation; the healthy lifestyle that I have started is one that I am sure I will continue. I want to continue to set myself challenges and push myself further and further.

This first 12 weeks has been a great journey; a real sense of achievement and success comes with every kilo of weight lost, and every extra rep or increase in weight you can lift at the gym, or every extra mile you run. The challenge has helped in so many ways. I’m fitter, I’m healthier, I have lots more energy, I’m more confident; and I’m a much happier person. To anyone who is thinking about doing the challenge or has been putting it off, you need to commit to it; 12 weeks isn’t really a long time and if you commit to it, the great rewards will be yours. IM