Meet our monthly winner...

Stats Before After Height 164cm 164cm Calves 33cm 30cm Weight 63kg 56kg Arms 28cm 27cm Chest 97cm 92cm Waist 78cm 68cm Thighs 54cm 48cm Hips 103cm 95cm

Stacey’s story

I have finally made it. I have tried around four times to finish the 12-week challenge, but what I would do was go at 120 per cent in the first four weeks and then burn myself out. So this time I had a plan. It had taken me three days of planning before I started the challenge – I was going to war with myself. You see, I had been at war with myself nine years earlier losing a massive 45kgs in 14 months, so what I had to do for this challenge, was to be persistent, patient and stick to the plan. One thing I didn’t think of with my planning was I started just before the silly season, end of year parties, Christmas itself, my birthday, new years day, the list just went on. I put on 500g over Christmas but I didn’t let it discourage me. I was feeling totally different this time, I knew I would make it.

I would always read Women’s Health & Fitness and see the amazing transformations, I too wanted to look like that.

The main hurdles I had to overcome were lack of time, and having three great kids adds to a big load already. I work six days per week, so at the end of the day I would be exhausted, the last thing I wanted to do was to go to the gym for a workout. Over my Challenge I never missed one workout, If I had a lot of personal training sessions that day I would work in one of my cardio sessions in that time-frame, so that made all the difference.

As the weeks went by I grew stronger and stronger, not only in the body, but in my mind. If you put your mind to do anything you really can do it. It can be your biggest weapon or your biggest enemy. I really learnt so much about myself as I went along, and really identified my weaknesses and strengths. My husband and my daughter where my number one support, without them behind me I probably wouldn’t be writing this. When I didn’t feel like going out for a run, my 14-year-old daughter Olivia would come and run with me – she was the one that really helped me. I'm also a personal trainer so I wanted to know what it was like to do a 12-week challenge so I too, can help my clients and use my experience and mistakes that I made along the way.

What I have learnt about myself has been priceless, not only to feel energised and proud of myself for what I have accomplished, but for the strength that I have found in myself. This has made me such a better personal trainer to continue changing people’s lives for the better. Where I am now, I am thinking of it like a baseball game – at first base I lost 45kgs, at second base I completed a 12-week Challenge, at third base I will get bigger, stronger and leaner, and for the home run, I will be the best I can be! c