45 year old Karen Lewis's 12 week Transformation

Start Date Sept 1, 2008
Finish Date Sunday Nov 23, 2008

Weight lost: 8.5kg

Cm's lost: 58.5cm

I was pretty fit around 40-42 years old. I was doing novice triathlons, running and swimming regularly with a group and feeling in pretty good shape.

After I separated from my husband of 17 years 3.5 years ago (age 42), my life had an enormous turn around.

Apart from the emotional trauma and stress of leaving, from a fitness point of view no longer could I go to the gym in the day with my friends as I had a fulltime job. I could not attend my triathlon training group, by jumping in the car at 5.30am and heading off for a swim, cycle or a run with the group. I was now a single parent.

I attempted at one stage and got a treadmill, but I was not really in the right head space, so it stood there as a climbing frame for my daughter to play on! I also attempted a couple of other ‘transformation challenges’…..to no avail….

So………all in all my weight started to creep up and my fitness level declined, slowly but surely! It was awful, I felt fat, unhealthy and really unattractive.

I had also changed from hairdressing where I was standing and moving around all day to a job where I was sitting all day…a job I love... food and wine events!!!

I had been buying a subscription for WH&F magazine for years now. Every month it would arrive and every month I would be totally in awe and inspired by the women who had completed a 12 week transformation and who looked sensational!

In the last 12 -18 months I had signed up for 2 fitness plans, (NOT Ideal Bodies Online) but again, I really was not in the right place to do it and perhaps now I have completed an Ideal Bodies Online program, the ones I had chosen didn’t deliver.

Finally, I had had enough!

I made a decision……… I was going to “give 100% to myself” the months of September, October and November to really and truly focus on getting the best body I possibly could!

I had been on the Ideal Bodies Online website loads of times before and felt a little intimidated as everyone looked so good! I thought it maybe wasn’t for me because they were ‘real bodybuilding people” WELL…………….I could not have been further from the truth, from the moment I emailed Sue from IBO, she was fantastic, so supportive and really positive, without being too over the top. A REAL person, and what I liked was she had walked the walk herself…..not just talked the talk! Her photos are on the before and afters as well!!!!! 

I felt as if I had “found a safe and nurturing place that I could do this with real support and advice”.

You know with most plans you sign up, they send out the stuff, then they churn out these auto generated bulk emails and plans, saying they are personalised.

Well Ideal Bodies Online is NOTHING like these at all.

Sue and Kristin pride themselves on ‘your plan’ being just that “YOUR PLAN”.

I told my partner, I was going to do it, no mid week drinking, no big heavy pasta meals, whatever the programme said I was going to do it!!!  I was ready to do whatever it took to get myself in shape (although I had told him at least 10 times before and never saw it through, so he probably thought “yeah, yeah Karen, sure you will”. I was 45 and I knew that if I wanted to do it I could, and I needed to act now…… although I felt I would need some help.

So I rang my sister Mandi and said ‘how about we do this together?” she has two young girls and a husband that works away at times so she cannot always get out. So I made her an offer: “I will give you my cross trainer, as I can now get out and run when my daughter is at ballet etc”…… so Mandi checked it out on the body blitz website and we both signed up and very nervously sent in our ‘before pics”!!!! EEEEEEEK hopefully no one was laughing!!

We were both really nervous as we are from a ‘party piglet family”!!!  We all love to catch up with each other and have a few drinks and some laughs…. And we worried that it would be too restrictive……… but we were SO ready!

I received my first 4 week plan with loads and loads of info!! It was overwhelming at first, but once I went on the member’s forum, I could see this worked!!! The girls on there asked and answered all the questions and it was so helpful.

The first thing I saw and printed off was from Sue, it was titled “where to start” (or something similar) Sue had posted on there a checklist saying how she manages to do it, it was invaluable to me……really great stuff.

At end of Week 3 I got very sick with a severe throat virus. I had to rest and could not do any exercise for about 8-10 days. It really put me behind 2 weeks by the time I got back in top form. I kept up with the food side of things, but I was totally drained afterwards. As soon as I was well again I started back slowly but surely!

To be honest, I took photos at the end of Week 8 as I was really feeling great and was so sure you would see a difference in a photo! How wrong was I!!!!  I was devastated! I hardly looked any different! There were subtle changes, but my expectations were much higher!!!  My feedback coach assured me to just keep going and my hard work would show at the end.

So I did. I tried to get rid of the pictures from my head….and I kept going as I was……I think I was even more determined!!

Well ……we did it!!!! Both my sister and I… and we completed it!! Our family were really supportive, behind us 100%. Our other sister is a fitness buff and was really influential on us both too. Our partners were fantastic helping us all the way; I feel this made a huge difference in Mandi and I completing the challenge with so much success.

For me, I think the 5-6 small meals throughout the day that was advised and the programme I received has really given my metabolism the kick start it needed. I have loads more energy and feel better in myself.

12 weeks later Mandi and I are both absolutely thrilled with our new shapes! We both feel we now have a new ‘way of life’. I still have new goals I have set myself, and will keep on going. I did all my exercise by myself; I am not a member of a gym and only have a small set of dumbbell weights, a bench and a fitball…. And a West Highland Terrier puppy, who loves the beach!

Oh …..I could not have done it without my ipod…...that’s for sure!!

Sample of weekly Exercise

Monday:         am - 30 mins stair climb 

                         pm – Chest, back, shoulders and abs -  dumbbell weight session

Tuesday:        am – 45 min run/jog

Wednesday:  pm – Legs, arms, abs – dumbbell weight session

Thursday:      am: 1 hour beach power walk

Friday:            am – 45 min run/jog

                        pm – Chest, back, shoulders, abs dumbbell weight session

Sunday -        am – 45 min run/jog

Sample of daily nutrition:

Meal 1: Pancakes with Oats, cottage cheese and egg whites topped with sugar free maple syrup (absolutely delicious!)

Meal 2: Low carb protein bar

Meal 3: Chicken breast with dry roasted sweet potato and salad, almonds

Meal 4: omelette or protein shake if out and about.

Meal 5: Fresh Salmon,  lemon juice, black pepper, and salad of fresh grated beetroot and carrot, avocado, cherry toms.

Meal 6 : Diet jelly if I was needing a sweet fix!

Lots of water all through the day: at least 2 L.

I always had 1 skinny flat white coffee a day and I did have a cheat meal every week with some wine….. :)

Finally I would like to say that this is now more than a physical change, this has really empowered me, giving me more strength and determination in my life. I feel as a woman and an individual, it has increased my sense of self-worth and I will never doubt myself again.

I also feel that when we (women) read the transformations in the magazine, we tend to doubt that we can ever achieve it, but WE ALL CAN!!!

It has helped me in many more ways, I am more organised in other aspects of my life. My 10 year old daughter says “Mum I am so proud of you being so committed to this……You don’t have a roly poly belly any more!!!” Hmmmm…

So cute!!

Best,
Karen Lewis

Favourite recipe:

Tasmanian Salmon on a bed of Rocket

Fresh Salmon steaks marinated in the Pataks Tandoori marinade (IBO kosher!)

Salad of:

• Fresh rocket leaves
• Baby spinach leaves
• Cherry tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Red onion
• Capsicum green and red
• Toasted almonds (only a couple crushed up)
• ¼ avocado
• Light dressing of lemon juice and a tiny splash olive oil, Maldon sea salt and black pepper

Grill the salmon on foil, for 6 mins, then turn and do other side, and serve on the bed of salad with a dollop of skinny Tzaztiki and horseradish… DELICIOUS!!!