Not that you can tell by looking at my before photo, but all my teenage and adult life I had been a health and fitness fanatic. In all that time, however, I’d never been able to achieve the results I knew I was capable of.

I was a perfectionist - it was always all or nothing for me. There was no consistency, or patience, and therefore, I never achieved the results I craved. It wasn’t for lack of trying - I’d tried every diet in the book! I was always at the gym, and food was constantly on my mind. It took up so much of my headspace, that I often found it difficult to enjoy the other things life had to offer. This was extremely frustrating for me and over time, my effort and motivation dwindled until I became totally depressed and unhappy with the way I looked, and the way I felt. This had a snowball affect on all aspects of my life. Yo-yo dieting had finally taken it’s toll.

I was at the end of my tether, not only because I was unhappy with my body, but even more importantly, I was so fed up with feeling like a failure. My good intentions were never enough to see things through to the end. When the going got tough, I gave up! I sat down one day and took a good long hard look at myself. Finally, the pain I felt was too much - this was it, it was now, or it was never.

I balked at spending more money as I had already thrown away so much on fad diets and gimmicky exercise equipment. Yet the new diet and training information I had now discovered made complete sense. It was a revelation - and I knew if I didn't give it a shot I'd spend the rest of my life in a cocoon, unhappy with my apprearance, my self confidence shattered and missing out on life's amazing experiences. I didn't want that for my life.

So I bit the bullet and made the investment for both my mental and physical health. For the first time I felt a wave of excitement because this was different to anything I'd ever done before.After all, the definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results.

I knew before I even started, that this time WAS going to be different. This change of mindset was crucial – I eventually realized, that to succeed you must believe that you CAN, and that you WILL.

A12 Week Program

I made a promise to myself to give 100% to a 12 week training and nutrition program that I had devised for myself from new information I'd gathered from the internet. I purposely made no weight loss goals. My rules were simple, nothing more - nothing less.

If I made a mistake I would NOT feel guilty, or sorry for myself. I would NOT give up and go back to those familiar patterns that caused me so much pain. I would NOT try to make up for my mistakes (and begin the cycle of yo-yo dieting again) - I would simply ‘get over it’ and continue with my program.

I followed these simple but important rules, because this time I knew that if I failed again I would never forgive myself.

That I would always see myself as a failure - and I did not want that to happen. That was my compelling reason to stay focused and true to my word, for 12 short weeks.

True to my word, I completed my 12 week Challenge! Not without hitches and not without struggles (I was injured for 4 weeks!), but to follow through with my actions and achieve what I set out to was an amazing, empowering feeling! The changes I saw in my body were phenomenal. I discovered that with the right program, consistency, and patience, that anything was possible!!

My Whole Outlook Was Changed

My whole outlook on life changed. I became more outgoing and confident, more energized, more motivated, and much more at peace with myself.

The benefits kept rolling in. I won a monthly Body Blitz Challenge with Australian Women’s Fitness & Health magazine, and this fuelled my desire to achieve even more. I wanted to do the “ultimate” in bodysculpting - to get up on stage. For me, having trained for many years, it was the next step, and now that I could see what could be done with desire, focus and dedication, I wanted to see how far I could go. This was to be something completely foreign to me, being a very modest person who would not in a million years have believed I could get up on stage in front of hundreds of people, wearing nothing but a g-string bikini! That goes to show the new confidence and drive I derived from achieving my goals.

Caramel Icing on the Cappuccino Cheesecake!

I stepped on stage for the first time in April 2002, at 10% body fat. The feeling of being on stage was incredible and now I knew that I could do absolutely anything I put my mind to! The fact that I won my class was caramel icing on the cappuccino cheesecake that I enjoyed later that night!

Now, aside from keeping myself healthy and in shape, my other passion in life is helping other women and men meet their own physique transformation, weight loss and fitness goals. My website has grown from a hobby and favourite pastime, to an outstanding business where my staff and I have trained, coached and mentored many Body Transformation Contest winners.

I am actually thankful now for the initial hardships I experienced as it helped me related to those struggling with excess weight, stubborn body fat, body image and confidence issues. People like you perhaps.

As the creator and owner of this website, I am fortunate to witness truly amazing and inspiring transformations from clients all over the world on a regular basis - not just external transformations, but perhaps even more importantly, internal ones.

I Count My Blessings

Every day I count my blessings for what is truly a remarkable opportunity to touch people's lives in a way that will help them live a healthier and happier life. I receive daily emails from women experiencing the same issues I encountered – my own personal story is so familiar to their own. It astounds me how many women of today have disordered eating patterns and body image problems. Seeing my clients progress from tired, unhappy, overweight and often self-loathing people, to strong, healthy, confident and beautiful individuals (inside and out!), gives me tremendous satisfaction that I will be forever grateful. To know that I have touched and can touch my clients' lives in some small way is a remarkable feeling.

I have learned so much over the years, how different foods and training programs affect different people. It amazed me that minor changes could add up to major results. It could be as simple as eating the wrong type of food at the wrong time of day - or skimping on your most important meal of the day (hint - it's NOT breakfast).

I've done all the research, the trial and the error. I know what works, what doesn't and what is a complete waste of time and money.

You might be thinking that I had it easy. That's not true. I've also experienced many of the usual ups and downs that life brings. Divorce, illness, miscarriage, surgery, financial issues as well as pregnancy and childbirth at 42. Thanks to what I've learned and put into practice I've been able to deal with them all without resorting back to binge eating or becoming out of shape and unhappy with myself. Sure, I have my moments from time to time but I am so much more at at  ease around food. If I gain a few pounds I know exactly how to get rid of it. In fact this is probably the most significant positive outcome of the entire experience. I no longer worry about food, eating and gaining weight. Food is my friend. Unfortunately not many women can say that with honesty but you CAN if you follow my principles.

These days I have no reason to binge eat. I love the food I eat and the meals I create now. I never feel deprived. And that, ladies, is one of the secrets.

Making the decision to invest in a solid fat loss program was a life changing decision and without a doubt one of the best of my life. I look back and pinpoint this very decision as the turning point in my life. I was either going one way or the other. If you are 'on the edge' I hope that my story has helped you see that you are worth it and that things can change very quickly IF you take action. Don't wait for the best time, the perfect time - such a thing does not exist. The best and only time is NOW.

I know many of you relate to my before story, but it is my vision to help as many people as I can relate to my after story. You too can have a wonderfully abundant lifte - if not now, when?

Sue Heintze

Sue, aged 42, is a Fitness Professional and contributing writer to Australian Oxygen Magazine, Australian Women’s Health & Fitness magazine and Shape Magazine.