Hear Jodie's Interview

Biography:

To say that the 12 Week Challenge was the best thing I have ever done would probably be an understatement. I decided to take on the Body Blitz Challenge to see if I could not only transform my body but also more importantly transform my health, well-being and attitude.  So for me this challenge was not only an external transformation but also an internal one.

I have always been an “every now and then” exerciser, with no plan or routine, I just exercised when I felt like it or could fit it in. Needless to say, I didn’t see any results, and that was disheartening. My diet was also very similar, starting a new diet every few weeks only to fall off track and revert back to old habits of take-away and fast food when it all got too hard. I probably have tried most of the diets going around, with not much success. It became a vicious cycle of losing a couple of kilograms only to put it back on again a few weeks later. All this yo-yo dieting wasn’t doing my health or metabolism any favours and I became extremely tired all the time and had little energy. I became too lethargic to exercise, and because I was not exercising I had even less energy. I was sleeping 12 hours a night and even more on weekends. Some days I really struggled to get out of bed. My diet became even worse because I couldn’t be bothered preparing home cooked meals - I would just grab whatever fast food was available, I really didn’t care.

It suddenly dawned on me that my weight was creeping up to nearly 68kg - none of my clothes were fitting me any more. I decided I had to do something - I couldn’t go on living this way. I visited a naturopath and one of the most valuable bits of advice she gave was that I needed to develop some more muscle to increase my metabolism. I did some research on the internet about muscle building. I wasn’t sure what to expect and was a bit frightened that I would end up looking like the female version of Arnold Schwarzenegger. I stumbled across a number of sites but it was Sue Heintze’s website (http://www.idealbodiesonline.com/) that really stood out.  It was so informative and I could relate to Sue’s own story.  I worked up the courage to email Sue to see if she could help.  I recieved an immediate response and was starting a fitness and nutrition program within days.  Sue developed a program that was tailored to my lifestyle and goals.

Throughout my challenge and beyond I have learnt so much from Sue.  Her advice was invaluable and she was always available to provide me support and motivation.  Throughout my 12 weeks I had many obstacles that I could have used as excuses to give up, including work conferences, long days at work, as well as the stress of studying part-time.  However, with Sue’s assistance I didn’t allow these things to get in my way, I was going to succeed, and with a little planning these obstacles just turned out to be slight bumps in the road.  I never lost sight of that end goal.

I have so much more energy these days and I now find time to do so many more things.  I think the most important thing that I learnt from the whole experience is that it is a lifetime commitment - if I don’t find the time to look after me I won’t have any time because I will be too tired to do anything. I know it sounds cliché but it is so true, the challenge has changed my life.  All the things I learnt in those 12 weeks have now become lifetime habits.  It is hard to see living my life any other way now.

JODIE’S TOP 5 TIPS FOR SUCCESS

1. The most important part of the journey is the destination, so set goals - know where you are heading.  Make sure you have an end goal that is measureable, it can be a end goal weight, bodyfat %, loss of centimetres, number of exercise minutes, anything that is meaningful and measureable.  Also make sure you set mini-goals along the way, this helps to keep your focus as you chip away at the end goal.
2. Reward yourself for your hard work.  As you achieve your mini-goals reward yourself, you have worked hard you deserve it! Rewards can include little things like purchasing your favourite fitness magazine or booking yourself in for a massage or manicure.  Have a big reward waiting for yourself once you complete your challenge - celebrate you have made it.  Your end reward could be your After photo session, including having your hair, make up and tan done.  Time to celebrate your success and hard work!
3. Planning is crucial to success.  Plan your meals and workouts.  Make sure you consider any special occasions throughout your 12 weeks and how to best handle these challenges.  I love the saying “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail!”.  I find it best to plan for the week, so Sunday is my planning day, which includes pre-cooking meals for the week.
4. Start a journal.  Write down everything you eat and the workouts you have completed.  Not only does writing it down in black and white help you to stay accountable, it helps to record your progress.
5. Finally, surround yourself with like-minded people.  Find people that support your goals and understand your challenge.  This could include hiring a personal trainer, finding a group of on-line friends or talking to people at your local gym.  One thing I didn’t expect from the challenge was the new friends I have made.  The challenge has had so many positive effects on my life – I highly recommend it to everyone.  Get out there, have a go!  What have you got to lose?

 JODIE’S FAVOURITE RECIPE – TUNA & SWEET POTATO PATTIES

My sweet potato and tuna patties are really simple. I tried other recipes but they always seemed to fall apart - so I made up my own.

1. One large sweet potato - peeled and cut. Boil and then mash. You need about 2 cups of potato.
2. Mix in one 425g tin of drained tuna in spring water, and a packet of Dutch Curry & Rice soup mix.
3. Add any herbs you feel like, ie parsley, basil etc. You can add grated carrot and onion if you wish. I let the mixture cool in the fridge for a while so the patties hold together better.   You can also add an egg white to the mixture, if you need them to stick together better.
4. Grill until cooked! I use a George Foreman grill and they work out great.  Makes about a dozen patties that can be eaten hot or cold.

You can read about Jodie's success in an article of Women's Fitness & Health Magazine here

Feel free to contact Jodie with your comments to idealbodjodie@yahoo.com.au

© Copyright 2005 IDEAL BODIES ONLINE.