For years I have battled with weight and body image issues. I have lost weight, through really low calorie restricted diets and lots of cardio, and not a lot of weight training and have always put the weight back on through bingeing. My body has been in a state of starvation.

Food has always been my problem as I have always been into some type of sport or keeping active. My issues with food started when I was a teenager, going on starvation diets, exercising like crazy, having no energy and not a nice person to be around. I was never a big person, but I had a distorted body image and thought I needed to lose weight so my relationship with food became VERY UP AND DOWN.

I started bingeing...

Later on in life at about 18 years of age, I started bingeing. This is when I started to put on weight. I would bloat up for a few months then starting restricting food again and exercising like crazy, lose weight and then start bingeing again. This cycle went on for years. Until I came across Ideal bodies Online. My brother and sister-in-law were doing programs from Sue and I thought that it sounded really good so I eventually contacted Kristin as Sue was preparing for a comp in 2008 and Kristin was helpful.

It took until 2009 February to finally get started but since I did I have not looked back. Do not get me wrong I have had my fair share of ups and downs while on the program and quite a few meltdowns, but you always have to forgive yourself and get back up and dust yourself off and keep soldiering on.

My feedback coach Hilary was always there for me. She was a wonderful support as well as Kristin. They both put things into perspective. The best accomplishment at the end of it was getting my photos taken and being able to look at them and realize the hard work you have put in.

My tips for success.

• Nothing tastes as good as being lean feels (this is a fight sometimes but when you win the feeling is unexplainable)!
• Forgive yourself if you fall off the wagon and get back straight on it and aim for it to happen less and less.
• Patience and persistence. Nothing is fixed overnight.
• Stick to the program. Little extras here and there do not help.
• Enjoy getting up early to do your cardio.
• Prepare your food the night before or a few days in advance.
• Measure your fat allowance out for a week at a time, as sometimes you may put in an extra scoop or overfill the teaspoon of nut paste. Trust me this easily happens.
• Think positive and have affirmations that you write out daily.
• Appreciate yourself and be proud of what you have achieved and have another goal to aim for at the end of your program.
• Train hard and complete all of your allocated exercise for the week.

There will always be days when you wake up and feel like you cannot do this anymore, but just take one meal, one exercise session at a time and tomorrow will be a better day.

I would just like to thank Kristin, Hillary and Sue for their patience and support. They are a wonderful team and I am very proud to be a success story! At the moment I am embarking on another program to achieve more things and to be a hot bride.