ALISON LEWIS

I have always been an active person and love to exercise. I'm at my gym 5 days a week from 5.30am to 6.45am doing a mixture of weights and cardio, including classes. My 'problem' and what ultimately led me to taking part in and completing the Body Blitz is that my body did not reflect my daily level of activity, it did not accurately reflect the person I believed myself to be. I had looked the same for years - not particularly fat, not skinny and certainly not fit. I knew I was fit, I knew I was strong and I wanted so desperately to look it.

Like so many of us out there my nutrition was letting me down BIG TIME. Not only was I bingeing on lollies, chocolate, biscuits and chips, but I was also drinking way too much alcohol and way too often. Having recently being diagnosed as having a form of depression, I was hiding behind the haze of food and wine and pretending I was Ok.

My days started out well, the endorphin rush I’d get from exercise would carry me through until after lunch but then I’d hit that 3pm slump, the kids would start to get ratty (as they do at that time of day) and everything would just feel too hard. Reaching for sugar and alcohol became a daily habit and one that I would punish myself for with constant negative self talk. I got so down on myself that I stopped going to the gym, my favourite place to go for ‘me’ time. Getting out of bed was a struggle in itself and getting to the gym was out of the question. I did not want to talk to anyone; I did not know how to pretend I was ok anymore.

In four weeks I gained nearly 10kgs through zero exercise and constant bingeing and drinking. Something had to give. I had trained with Hilde of Get Active Online before and really appreciated the way she puts together a program and is available everyday of the 12 weeks via email for support and questions. She lives and breathes the healthy lifestyle that I so desperately wanted for myself. Last time I pulled out of my program, as unknown to me at the time, I was about to experience my first (and worst) depressive episode and could not motivate myself to continue.

Maybe it was the new medication ‘kicking in’ or maybe it was just my time but after four weeks of what I would describe now as hell, I made the decision to stop the vicious cycle. I contacted Hilde, told her everything and signed up for her Full Support Program. I needed something more though, I was afraid I would fail again. I asked Hilde if I could be a guest on her Blog and update her readers each week with how I was going. She agreed, but warned me that this commitment had to be honoured no matter how good or bad each week had been. This accountability turned out to be one of the most crucial parts of my success as I knew others would be watching how I was going and I did not want to let them, Hilde or myself down.

I was so motivated. I got my journal out and started recording my food and training everyday. I looked forward to going to the gym each morning and each session trying to improve on the last. Hilde had me doing a mixture of HIIT, steady state cardio and resistance training – I loved every bit of it. She and I knew that it was going to be a huge challenge for me to break my dependency on sugar and wine. I went cold turkey regarding alcohol and am so pleased to be able to say that over the 12 weeks I controlled my intake and drank only on occasion. I was eating 5-6 times a day and looked forward to planning each day’s meals. I kept things very simple and repetitive for the first few weeks, only allowing treats on occasion as I was terrified of slipping up.

My weight did not drop as quickly as I assumed it would. This discouraged me but I kept on going. Hilde reminded me that I was making changes on the inside and that soon they would show on the outside. Sure enough she was right. I could see my hard work and discipline was paying off and this just motivated me more. I felt unstoppable. Then around week 5 I made the terrible error of not taking enough food with me to work. I arrived home ravenous and ate whatever I could get my hands on. I ate biscuits and chocolate and regretted every moment of it but couldn’t stop. I feared I had messed up and that just like last time, would not be completing this 12 week challenge.

I pulled myself together and checked my emails. One of the girls following my progress on Hilde’s’ blog had written to tell me how she loved reading my updates and wished me every success for my challenge. This was all I needed to stop the eating, take a deep breath and close the cupboard. I then emailed Hilde, told her what I’d done and she, as she always does, said exactly what I needed to hear and that was the end of it.

Throughout my challenge I weighed myself weekly and took my measurements fortnightly. I have learnt that measurements speak much louder than the scales when it comes to results as I want my body to be tightening up and gaining muscle while it drops fat and the scales don’t reflect this so well sometimes.

I trained 6 days a week and ate clean the majority of the time. I learnt so much about myself during the last 12 weeks and was even able to come off one of the medications I was taking for my depression. I am really proud of myself for this as it was hard but I persevered and I credit this to my increased mental strength and improved attitude to life in general.

I have developed a much more positive self talk during the last 12 weeks. I was able to shift the focus from losing fat, to gaining a healthy mindset and approach to all aspects of my life. I didn’t want to just end this challenge at my goal weight of 52kg, but rather with a healthier body and a happier mind. I feel that by taking this step back and looking at the bigger picture, I have achieved so much more than I initially set out to do.

Everyday in my journal I not only record my daily food and exercise details but I write out my mini goals for the next day, some positive affirmations and lists of things I am grateful for. I found that as the weeks went by I wanted to be grateful for the big and little things that happened each day, the people in my life and also wanted to say kind things to myself. I found myself wanting to rewrite my goals and set bigger and more exciting challenges as my confidence grew.

I would like to thank Hilde for just being the exact right person for me at the exact right time in my life. I want to thank her online community for their support and holding me accountable. Not too many people in my life know I was completing the Body Blitz as I am quite a private person but my partner, close friends and family are always a constant support to me and I could not have turned things around without them. I would also like to thank my gym community. I am a member of Planet Fitness in Newcastle, and without the motivation of my friends and the incredible instructors and staff, I would not love my training nearly as much!

EMAIL : hilde@getactiveonline.com

Posted By Hilde on Friday 7th October 2011 @ 18:02:32

Updated : Friday 9th December 2011 @ 19:12:58 | Words : 1334 | Views : 392 | Comments : 6

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1).

Great work Alison, you should be very proud of your achievement.

Cheers

Magda (a previous client of Hilde's)

EMAIL : magdaw@bigpond.com

Posted By Magda on Friday 7th October 2011 @ 20:31:03

2).

Ali, you looking GREAT!! Well done, you are truly an inspiration.

Posted By Lianne Lee on Saturday 8th October 2011 @ 10:46:00

3).

Thank you Magda and Lianne for your comments. I feel super proud of myself and excited about the future - I am writing my goals for the next 12 weeks now! :) Ali

EMAIL : alirae77@live.com.au

Posted By Alison Lewis on Saturday 8th October 2011 @ 15:17:24

4).

Well done Ali, you have inspired me to give it another go. It was good to read your progress and realize that I am not alone in my struggles and you can achieve even if you are not perfect!! You look great and more importantly you sound like you feel great.

EMAIL : Mastroianni5@bigpond.com.au

Posted By Linda on Thursday 13th October 2011 @ 08:01:58

5).

Well done Ali! You look fantastic! I am about to start my 3rd 12 week program with Hilde this Monday. Unfortunately I gave up on the challenge and myself all to early before. Your story really struck a cord with me as I too have struggled with depression for sometime now and have used food (sometimes in excess and sometimes by restriction) and alcohol to cope. Reading your story has helped me believe that this time it can be different for me and that I too can be a success story.

Wish me luck.

Casey

Posted By cma4978 on Friday 9th December 2011 @ 13:59:15

6).

Hi Casey,
Thankyou so much for your really great comments. I still struggle every now and then with the food and alcohol 'demons' but because I know I can do it now, it is easier every time to overcome it.
Hilde is the best person to guide you through this. Trust her 100% and do your best everyday and you'll be the next success story we're all writing congrats messages to.
Go for it :) Ali

Posted By Ali Lewis on Friday 9th December 2011 @ 19:12:58