Build Your Own Body E-Book

Kelly Donegan

• Herausgeber: Gill Books
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 275

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

ARE YOU GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE BODY YOU WANT – OR ARE YOU GOING TO BUILD IT?Build Your Own Body is a revolutionary new book that shows you how to take control once and for all and create the body you want.Kelly Donegan is a competitive bodybuilder, so she understands the importance of looking good in a bikini – but she wasn't always this way. While suffering from crippling depression, Kelly turned to fitness and instantly found her saviour and a source of empowerment. Now she is passionate about sharing the benefits with you.First, Build Your Own Body will teach you everything you need to know about to start your fitness journey: the right routine, the best food, step-by-step exercises and the supplements that can help. Second, choose your Build Your Own Body plan: bigger bum? Flatter stomach? Quick fix? Fat loss? Healthy mind? Third, get building.So are you ready to join the strong revolution and take back control of your life, your mind and your body?IF YOU WANT IT, YOU HAVE TO BUILD IT.

Leseprobe

CONTENTS

Cover

Title Page

Strong is the new skinny

Acknowledgements

Foreword by Calin Brehaita

Introduction

My story

Let’s start at the beginning

The reality TV years

The turning point

Where I’m at now

Your body image does not define you

What I’ve learned and what I hope you’ll learn too

Fitness and you

PART 01: THE BASICS

Chapter 01: Start

The basics

How to get started

Chapter 02: Learn

The language of fitness

Understand your body

How to make long-term change

Chapter 03: Mind

The benefits of fitness for mental health

How to have a healthier brain

Get motivated!

The power of willpower

Find confidence through fitness

Chapter 04: Food

You are not fat – you have fat

Eat real food

Food is fuel

Food is your friend

What are the benefits of a good diet?

How to break the binge–purge cycle

Food intolerances

Food myths

Grocery shop for success

How to make good choices when eating out

Chapter 05: Supplements

Why take supplements?

How to get started with supplements

Supplement myths

Functions and benefits of supplements

Chapter 06: Exercise

Exercise is what causes real change

Be smart about your body

What is exercise?

What are the benefits of exercise?

What happens to your body when you exercise?

How long does it take to see results from exercise?

Exercise essentials

Exercise, weightlifting and muscle myths

Strength training and cardio

The two types of weightlifting movements

The importance of warming up

Technique

What not to do when you exercise

Turn your weaknesses into a strength

Conclusion

PART 02: THE PLANS

Chapter 07: Workouts

Muscle groups

Glutes

Hamstrings

Quads

Calves

Abs

Biceps and triceps

Shoulders

Chest

Back

Cardio training

Plyometrics

Resistance training

How to read an exercise plan

A note on the plans

A plan for the total newbie

Take it to the next level

Curve nation

The booty builder

Tone that bod

Six pack dreamin’

Healthy mind

The long-termer

Holiday emergency

Chapter 08: Diets

Diet plans: The good, the bad and the ugly

Diet plans are not one-size-fits-all

How to spice up your diet plan

How to use cheat meals and rewards

How to determine your diet plan

Hydration

Nutritional values

What not to eat

A note on the plans

The balance plan

Muscle builder

Healthy mind

The fat burner

Functional eating

Carb cycling and carb manipulation

Chapter 09: Commit

Your Fitness Diary

Further Reading

Cookbooks and books about food

Exercise, weight loss and muscle-building books

Other books worth checking out

Podcasts

Websites

Copyright

About the Author

About Gill Books

“CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE AND CHANGE YOUR BODY.”

STRONG IS THE NEW SKINNY

STRONG IS THE NEW SKINNY IS SO MUCH MORE THAN A PHRASE OR AN IDEA. IT’S A REVOLUTION.

It means throwing away all the old stereotypes and pressures around what the female body should look like. It’s about building a body that you want. You make the rules and you set the standards.

It’s time to stop idealising an unrealistic body image and to stop comparing your physical beauty to other women. Size zero, thigh gaps, a skin-and-bones physique and weakness are out. Strong, powerful, hardworking and healthy are in.

This revolution means embracing the power of weightlifting and exercise. In this world you won’t be judged on your looks or your body, but you will be judged on your efforts and your ability to persevere in the face of difficulty. Strong isn’t a luxury just for men any more. It’s time for women to be strong too, both physically and mentally, to get healthy and to kick ass in the gym. The rewards will be an improved body and mind.

Getting strong doesn’t mean getting bulky, and it certainly doesn’t mean becoming masculine. The modern weightlifting woman looks sexier than ever and has a renewed self-confidence.

So are you ready to join the strong revolution and take back control of your life, your mind and your body?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Most books tend to end with thank yous, but for me this book has to start with them because I wouldn’t be the person I am without all of these people and I certainly wouldn’t be writing this inspirational book.

Firstly, thank you to Gill Books for believing in me and for giving me a new platform to share my knowledge and my story. It’s probably the most exciting and meaningful yes of my career and has reaffirmed my belief in never giving up. For those who think the big yes will never come, don’t quit because the right one will work out for you, usually when you least expect it. Thanks to the wonderful team at Gill Books I worked with on Build Your Own Body. They supported me from day one and made the experience so unbelievably special. Thank you to Nicki, Ruth, Kristin, Emma and Teresa.

To my mam, Susan, who I know deep down has always been my biggest fan, thank you for supporting me and keeping me grounded. I can’t imagine it’s easy having a daughter like me, who seems to pick the most unusual and risky routes in life, so for being the most wonderful, caring, selfless, patient woman on the planet, thank you. Thank you to my dad, John, who inspires me to work hard on a daily basis and who reminds me to never forget to just be silly and to laugh no matter what age you are. Thank you both for being amazing parents. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without your love, support and craziness.

To my sister Mollie and my brother Craig, who bring laughter and madness into my life, who don’t take any rubbish from me and always find new and creative ways to annoy me. I am so lucky that I can call my brother and sister best friends, so thank you.

To my best friend, Grace, there aren’t enough pages in this book to fit all the reasons why I need to thank you. You have been my rock, my shoulder to cry on and my solace in my saddest days. I am forever grateful for your friendship, your love and your kindness. I am truly blessed that I get to call you my best friend.

To my coach, Calin, thank you for helping me discover my inner athlete, for pushing me to be my best and for being my teacher.

To all of my family and friends, thank you for everything. I am fortunate to have so many wonderful people in my life who have been there for me.

To my dog, Tyson, who kept me company every day while I was writing this book and for proving that sometimes all a girl needs is her dog.

This may seem a little strange (but hey, my book was always going to be somewhat abnormal), but I want to say a big thank you to the universe for all of the tough times, the sad days, the dark days, the times I wanted to quit, the times that tested me, the past people in my life and for all the nos I’ve received over the years. Positive life situations are important and exciting, but it’s the negative times that build character, that push you to dig deep and to keep fighting. I have discovered just how strong I am as a result of all of these things and they are an important part of my journey. They say that life deals you the cards that it thinks you can handle and that the hard times allow you to discover your inner warrior, so I have to be grateful and acknowledge them. My past has made me who I am today.

FOREWORD

I have over two decades of experience working in the world of fitness and bodybuilding. My career started in my home country of Romania, where I studied sports management and physical education before becoming a PE teacher. My passion for bodybuilding started many years ago, before making Ireland my home.

I have trained many clients and athletes over the years and pride myself on helping them through my own experience and knowledge. Five years ago I launched my own nutrition company and created Team Titan Ireland, a group of select men and women who compete at national and international level in a range of bodybuilding categories under my supervision and guidance. Kelly is a part of this team, but before that she was a friend, one who has gone on to become one of the most important athletes on our team.

Kelly always makes it her business to support her fellow teammates. She constantly inspires and motivates others and is a dream athlete to work with.

She is the epitome of hard work and dedication. She sticks to every challenge that she faces as a competitive bodybuilder, whether it’s diet or training. She is always trying to learn new ways to improve or push herself and to take her body to the next level.

There are no airs or graces to this girl, just hard work and focus. She has totally embraced the world of fitness and bodybuilding since we started in 2013. Her ambition to inspire others continues to impress me, and her sharp mind for business and her creativity will see this lady gain huge success. She has a bright future ahead of her in the world of fitness and I am looking forward to watching her journey.

I recommend this book to anyone looking to be inspired and who wants to get fit. Kelly has made it happen for herself time and time again – she has transformed her own body from skinny to strong. She knows what she is talking about because she puts it into practice every day.

– Calin Brehaita, owner of Titan Nutrition Ireland and International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) professional judge.

BYOB simply means build your own body, because the reality is that building your own body is simple – that is, of course, with the right information, plan, support and determination.

This book will help you get started. It will hopefully clear up the confusion surrounding getting fit, losing weight, lifting weights and putting on muscle. It will share some important theory and also give you useful tips to stay on track and help you build the body of your dreams, whatever that may be. Whether you want to drop a couple pounds ahead of your holidays or make long-term changes, this book will help you understand how to do it. It will teach you the language of fitness, give you the confidence to follow through with your goals and help you to understand why you are doing things rather than just telling you to do it. It will cover some basics of nutrition and supplements, exercise techniques, diet plans and everything in between. My hope is that after you’ve read this book, you’ll not only have confidence in yourself, but that you’ll also have confidence in fitness and in what it can do for you.

I also want you to use fitness as a tool for happiness and empowerment. It will help you say goodbye to the standards set by society. I want you to be strong, feel strong and radiate strong. This book will give you the information, the support and the motivation you need to get started, but you are going to have to do the work to take back control of your fitness regime and earn the body you have always wanted. BYOB is a book for strong women who want to train hard, get their hands dirty and who aren’t afraid to work up a sweat.

“DON’T WISH FOR YOUR DREAM BODY – WORK FOR IT.”

Over the last two years, I have learned so much about fitness and nutrition and now I want to help you to see just how easy and fun getting fit can be. During that time I have received endless emails, private messages and Instagram comments asking me my secrets and tips, but the truth is that there are no secrets to getting fit. It’s just hard work and dedication along with honest information, which is what I’m going to share with you here.

There is no limit to the amount of information you can learn about the body and how it works, how food reacts with your system and how exercise impacts on your health. I’m still learning as I go along, but I take a huge amount of pride in what I do know because I have put it into practice. I know how to get in shape because I’ve done it – and it has changed my life.

This isn’t a bikini bodybuilding manual, but it does incorporate some of the things I’ve learned from being a competitive bodybuilder, like the importance of having good information, a good plan and a good mental attitude. Being super fit isn’t just for fitness experts, athletes and professionals, and you don’t need to spend thousands on a dietician to understand how to have a healthy, balanced diet. Your results are 100% down to you. There is only so much a coach, a personal trainer or a nutritionist can do for you. Youhave to make it happen.

Are you ready?

MY STORY

I’m pinching myself to think that I can now call myself an author, a fitness motivator, a competitive bodybuilder who has represented her country, an online influencer with thousands of followers and a self-confident woman on a mission to build a fitness empire, one goal at a time.

But it wasn’t always this way. I’ve had to fight a lot of demons to be the Kelly Donegan I am today. In fact, writing this book has made me answer a lot of questions about myself and helped me come to terms with the hard times and the obstacles I have faced. I hope my honesty and my journey will resonate with you and that it will inspire you too to get fit and healthy.

If you follow me online, you may have already taken this journey with me. You might see me as the reality TV personality turned fitness badass, but there are so many more layers to my story and it goes much further back in time. I don’t even think my closest friends know just how low I was or how I feel about my past, because I’ve always been a pretty positive person who just sucks it up and gets on with things. My new calling in the world of fitness is only a result of hitting rock bottom and having to totally change my mindset. BYOB is a positive book about building the body of your dreams, about how amazing fitness can be and about the power of being healthy, but before I had the option to help you build your own body, I had to build myself back up from scratch.

“SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO HIT ROCK BOTTOM TO DISCOVER YOUR TRUE INNER STRENGTH.”

LET’S START AT THE BEGINNING

Let’s go back to the very beginning, to Kelly the diehard tomboy who loved being outside and playing football on my cul-de-sac with my neighbours, who had a flair for drawing and painting and who, bizarrely, collected rubber animals, from horses to tigers.

But as a young child I was also very quiet and had huge issues speaking in front of people. Anyone who knows me now will laugh at that, because today I love nothing more than speaking to a packed room and inspiring people. I struggled so much as a child that I had to attend special English classes with the foreign national students to help me build my confidence and improve my speaking skills.

Growing up, I was never the typical girly girl. Even as I got older, I preferred my Nintendo over the Tamagotchi, where I was master of games such as Super Mario World and Super Ghouls ‘n’ Ghosts (there’s some major nostalgia there for you, folks). I was also an enthusiastic Pokémon fan and I loved a Japanese anime show, Sailor Moon, and the Spice Girls – the only two things that reminded me that I was, in fact, a girl.

The only major difference between me and any other young adult about to make the transition to the early teenage years was that I suffered from eczema and asthma. Being a wheezy, flaky, red and scaly child really wasn’t too much of an issue, even though there were days I couldn’t breathe or run fast enough and times when my skin was itchy and raw, but I was too busy pretending I was a horse to give a damn that I was different.

But between the ages of eight and 12, I became more aware of who was popular, who was pretty, who had nice things and who had interesting stories. I realised that there was nothing that special about me, except for being the girl who had a big horrible rash all over her face and body. It’s weird when you become aware of body image and feel the pressure even at such a young age. It sucks, actually. Obviously, what I thought about myself wasn’t true. Of course I was interesting; I just didn’t feel that way in comparison to the other girls in my class and year.

My feelings of inadequacy continued into secondary school, where the pressures of young womanhood become even more apparent. I was this dorky girl with dry, horrible skin everywhere, I didn’t have the latest clothes and I didn’t go to a hairdresser once a month for a half head of highlights like the rest of the popular girls did.

I still remember the first day of secondary school, when we were asked what we would like to be when we got older. I wrote down a vet, an artist or a model. At that time in my life I felt like I was an invisible, unimportant and utterly uninteresting nobody. But in my mind, a model was beautiful, popular and had this exciting, wonderful life – the exact opposite of me. I know this all sounds daft, but hey, I was 12 and silly, and that was my mindset. I wish I could take a time machine back to that girl and tell her to snap out of it and to realise that she was important, that she was hilarious and a talented young artist.

Unfortunately, my years of feeling invisible led me down the path that every parent hopes their teen bypasses (sorry, Mum and Dad!). Being popular and having a great social life became my priorities and the rest of my life suffered. I quickly made many friends. Every day was exciting, usually because I was in some kind of trouble. But even after my transition from dorky, boyish nobody to freedom-loving rebel, underneath it all I still felt like a fraud because deep down I knew I was just a fake. I wasn’t popular, I wasn’t cool. I was still the insecure girl covered in eczema.

I look back and wonder why I made life so complicated for myself. I probably caused many of my skin breakouts just from my own actions. The only thing that stopped me from plunging into total failure as a teenager was my commitment to extracurricular activities, which helped me look like I was still a normal member of society and a somewhat upstanding citizen and student. Since childhood I have dabbled in a colourful array of hobbies and interests, art being the only consistent one. I went from ballroom dancing to horse-riding enthusiast, tin whistle player extraordinaire and member of the secondary school trad band, right wing for the school hockey team and proud member of the school choir, singing as an alto (which means you actually sing like a man). I even managed to discover my inner leader as debs organiser. At least I can say I did something positive with my teenage years.

As a teenager, I was taller than most of the girls in my year and sported a size six body, but I had overwhelming insecurities: I had no curves, I had the flattest bum in existence and I had a minus A bra size. I could never just be content with what I had. I remember trying to go on a diet once that consisted of Cookie Crisp cereal, joining aerobics and also trying the starvation diet, which lasted about six hours. I wish someone had helped me understand myself a little better and had taught me about the importance of good food and exercise. Daily exercise and a healthy diet may have helped with the difficulties of being a teenager.

I survived school and the Leaving Certificate and somehow managed to get myself to art college. Art has always been one of my biggest passions and it was the only class I can say I was a straight A student in, so it seemed like the logical choice for college and the only option for my future. But I had no idea what I wanted from the world or what I wanted my career to be. I was still that same insecure girl who felt invisible. I still had the small dream of actually being somebody important and doing something unique, but I was still lost.

I found it very difficult to apply myself in college, and like most students I enjoyed the party scene a little too much. I may have been lost, but boy did I enjoy living the creative life of an art student addicted to techno music and wild parties. I was doing the typical student thing: college, partying and working two jobs, retail slave midweek and promo girl every weekend. I actually don’t know how I balanced so many things at once. But all the distraction of fun and mischief allowed me to become more confident and I even signed up for a beauty pageant. The original dorky kid in a beauty pageant – who would have ever imagined?

THE REALITY TV YEARS

It felt unreal, considering my long-held dream of getting into modelling and proving to myself that I was in fact important. I was optimistic that they wouldn’t realise I was a total fraud and certainly not a quintessential beauty. Even though the pageant totally went against my true nature as a sports-loving tomboy, I got a lot out of the experience. My self-confidence was at an all-time high, and for the first time, life seemed pretty decent. I worked in some exciting modelling jobs, I got to be the glamorous girl and to the outside world my life seemed unbelievable. I even managed to find myself on a TV show watched by hundreds of thousands of Irish people.

Of course, when you get into this type of industry, the pressures include how slim you are, whether or not you have a thigh gap and a naturally big chest and how many followers you have on Twitter or Instagram – total toxic malarkey that can shatter your perception of what’s real and important. Oh, and don’t worry – my original low body confidence is still lurking in the shadows and I’m still the proud owner of a crusty skin condition.

For the first time I discovered what it’s like to be publicly criticised, but it was no skin off my nose because I was my own worst critic anyway. I have got remarks online discussing how big my nose is, how my teeth look like a bomb has gone off in my mouth and how my head looks like a melted welly boot. I think these kinds of statements are hysterical now, but back then they were a real punch in the gut.

People ask me all the time what it was like to be on a TV show. It was a totally surreal experience, filled with excitement and drama. By no means did I think I was a celebrity, but it did seem like everybody in Ireland knew who I was overnight. It all happened very fast and all anybody could talk about was this new TV show. It was very exciting to be a part of it. I felt like things in my life were going to get really exciting, both financially and personally.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Yes, I got a lot of publicity, but I wasn’t excited about the person that people saw. I also found myself with fewer opportunities than ever before. I was on a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs. I had lost a huge part of myself: that sporty, down-to-earth, funny, relaxed girl who I hadn’t appreciated in the past. I no longer had any hobbies or outlets to just vent. If only I’d had fitness back then.

In theory I got exactly what I wanted, but it didn’t translate into success, happiness or a comfortable life. Life was a mess. All my years of trying to be somebody else finally caught up with me and I was miserable. I found myself in a dark hole that only seemed to get deeper any time I tried to climb out of it. There was a period of time when I felt like I would wake up in the morning, open my eyes in bed, then I would blink and I was back in bed again, going to sleep.

I felt hopeless. I felt like a failure. I was shattered, both mentally and physically. I didn’t even care if I was alive. I saw people my age going off on holidays, with reliable careers and in happy relationships, but I had nothing. Every now and then I managed to drag myself out of the house, usually only to walk my dog with the odd flutter to an event or to see a friend. This was always a bad idea, because I’d have to pretend I was okay, that life was super. Yet again I was a fraud with a smile on my face and a pocketful of meaningless words to share with people who asked how I was or what I was up to.

I felt like life was beating me so hard that I didn’t have the energy to fight back. Every time I tried to take a step forward, I would get knocked back even harder. I felt hard done by and couldn’t comprehend why life was so difficult and challenging. It almost felt like the world had taken some personal vendetta out against me.

I eventually decided to let go of any aspect of my life that was negative or in any way toxic. That included anything that didn’t represent me in a good light, because the truth was that I was just a chilled out, artistic soul that needed balance. Being a glamour girl just wasn’t me.

All the years of being unhappy with myself caught up with me and I had to face it head on. It took a long time for me to realise that I had to do something, even though I was still depressed, low and lacking in confidence. I think the only thing that kept me from totally plummeting into suicidal thoughts was my weekly charity work with Dogs Aid Animal Rescue. It’s something I’m so grateful for and I genuinely encourage anyone who is struggling to do something for somebody else – in my case, it was fundraising for animals in need.

I also met some amazing people who offered me laughs and support at a time when I struggled to crack a smile. Just by doing something, things started to change a little and I found myself wanting to explore new avenues. Sure, I had all the time in the world because my life was fairly empty.

THE TURNING POINT

I decided I was going to start a fitness blog as an outlet for me to express myself and explore a new avenue. Before hitting my low point, I had found fitness quite interesting. As a tomboy at heart, it had always called to me. I knew very little about it but thought it was a pretty cool field, from exercise to organic food, physical challenges and six packs. Besides, I figured that things couldn’t get much worse for me, so I had nothing to lose by starting a blog.

I found myself getting excited about information and knowledge and I also really enjoyed sharing my thoughts with others. Women seemed to be responding too; after all, I still had a big following online thanks to my modelling and TV days. It was such a release after months and months of feeling bottled up and having no purpose. My blog covered topics like tips, food, exercise and interesting people in the fitness industry. The entire experience was so refreshing and gave me a reason to wake up in the morning, but I was still a long way from being the person I am today. The blog was just the start.

Blogging was fun, but I was still missing something, even though I was closer than ever before. I had been aware of bodybuilding for quite some time before I took the plunge into it, but funnily enough, I really had zero interest in it. I couldn’t understand why anyone would go out of their way to get bigger and more muscular. Of course, this was before it was trendy for women to lift weights in Ireland.

After a couple months of blogging I started following some pretty badass women in the world of fitness, and guess what they were? Bodybuilders. But they weren’t the typical beefcake stereotypes that I had imagined. Instead, these superhero women were inspiring. They worked their butts off and had bodies to die for – not skinny, not frail, but strong, powerful and curvy.

I became totally obsessed with these athletes who defied all the stereotypes of what women should look like. In complete contrast to the typical media personalities on the covers of glossy magazines who made me look at my body and hate it, these women motivated me. Now, instead of seeing a celebrity on the cover of a magazine and presuming she had a dietician and a personal trainer or comparing myself to the girl who seems to be naturally gifted with a body from the gods, I was looking at women who were getting to the gym at 5am before work or college, preparing all their own food and working out like machines as well as balancing their everyday life. To me, this seemed so much more real and achievable. If these normal women were kicking ass, then why couldn’t I?

I decided to enter my first bodybuilding competition around November 2013 and was fortunate to already have access to a bodybuilding coach. A million thoughts were running through my mind before I even started training. I was worried about what people would think of me getting involved in bodybuilding because of the negative stereotypes associated with it. But regardless of the concerns, the worries and the pressure, I jumped head first into my new regime. I had 16 weeks to change my body and to showcase my work on stage. I was focused, I was ready and I was determined to take back my life, one training session at a time. Nothing was going to stop me from making this happen, even though I still found myself facing tough obstacles and I still suffered from a crippling lack of self-belief. I had no idea then that one little decision to try something new would change my life. All I wanted at the time was to show myself that I wasn’t weak and worthless.

What I discovered as each day passed was that lifting weights was truly empowering. I had never felt so amazing, both inside and out. Every single day, I could see my body changing and it was so exciting. I followed a strict regime, training first thing in the morning, followed by another weight-lifting session later in the evening. My nutrition plan was just as tough, with each meal timed precisely in the day. My entire life revolved around my bodybuilding plan and all I cared about was being successful. Little did I know that I was building myself back up without even realising it.

I was back to waking up early in the morning and I spent all my spare time researching the sport, nutrition and exercise techniques. It wasn’t just a case of following the plan set by my trainer.

I wanted to know as much about the process as possible. I wanted to know why I was doing certain things – I wanted to know the science and the theory. I have always learned so much better through action rather than just study, so all this new and exciting information was sinking in and it all made so much sense because I was putting it into practice on a daily basis.

But this was still my secret journey and challenge, although I did write about my daily progress and also my new passion for all things fitness on my blog. For the first time I felt like I was totally stripped back, that I was no longer a fraud. Anything I shared was raw and 100% real. I discussed my struggles, my workouts and my food, and the response blew my mind. People were so receptive to my journey and the information I was sharing, especially women. Some of my male audience took a dislike to my new strong, empowered self, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t trying to look good for some stranger behind a computer. I felt amazing and I no longer strived towards unrealistic body goals or image labels. Also, don’t forget that I was just coming out of an abysmal depression, so to be receiving encouraging words from strangers saying that I was inspiring them was really special, so a big thank you if you were one of those people who supported me between January and May 2014 – it meant a lot.

My body was changing significantly each day, and with each day I found myself reclaiming the remnants of my lost self. I even decided to return to study and I took a new business course. Things were starting to come around for me, and fitness was the catalyst. I was back doing things and planning for my future. I had a passion for the world and a renewed sense of self-belief.

Sixteen weeks later, after roughly 784 healthy meals, 150 protein shakes, 224 intense workouts, endless posing sessions and early nights, I found myself a day away from my goal. For weeks, people around me couldn’t understand why I would choose to do something so difficult and challenging, with so many sacrifices. But I had fallen in love with testing myself mentally and physically and that rush of exhilaration in knowing few could do it. My confidence was at an all-time high. I even made some new friends along the way.