A mother of two has shared how she lost nearly eight pounds of fat in eight weeks after struggling with poor fitness while on maternity leave — and how reducing her carbohydrate intake made an immediate difference.
Terri, from Port Macquarie, New South Wales, was stuck in a cycle of minimal exercise and “convenient” meals, so she decided to sign up for a fitness challenge BFT (Bodyfit training).
The 32-year-old prosthodontist signed up for the gym’s eight-week challenge designed by elite strength and conditioning coach Cameron Falloon, who was also Princess Diana’s personal trainer at the start of his career.
Structured in progressive blocks, the hybrid HIIT, cardio, and strength program is designed to help gym-goers avoid burnout and uses heart rate monitors to track members’ ability to meet class goals.
“That’s how often I drove around with the kids [aged one and three] asleep in the car wondering which drive-thru I could go through to grab a treat,” Terri told FEMAIL.
Previously: Mum of two Terri was stuck in a cycle of little exercise and buying convenience foods after the birth of her children, aged one and three
After: After an eight-week challenge at BFT, she lost eight pounds of body fat and has never felt better
‘After this challenge I learned that I actually didn’t need a treat anymore. When I meal prep, I would have a protein ball or a banana in the car instead.
“Another big disadvantage of young children is that you find yourself eating the leftovers off their plates. I think it made a huge difference when I stopped doing that.”
Terri said she was fully committed to the program from day one, following the prescribed meal plan perfectly and refusing to sneak in any snacks or extra snacks.
She gave up sugar and processed foods, and luckily had given up alcohol for over two years before having children, so it wasn’t a problem for her to cut the booze.
“I’ve been substituting other drinks to replace a latte since I don’t drink coffee and have also replaced red meat meals with fish or lentils instead,” she said.
Terri also downloaded the MyFitnessPal app and tracked her calories each day; she found she ate three times the recommended amount.
“As soon as I cut that out, the weight started to come off,” she said, adding that she also replaced her milk with soy.
She started the challenge at her local branch and while she started going once a day, six days a week, a few weeks later she started going twice a day.
Australian fitness coach Cameron Falloon (left of left) trained Princess Diana (right in 1995) in the last months of her life. He was then 24. He later founded BFT
‘Training consistently every day had a huge impact. Even if you’re sore from the workout or tired of a baby waking up every two hours at night, the most important thing was that I still came to the gym the next day,” she said.
“Had I taken that day off, I would have fallen back into my old mindset and lost motivation.”
Terri, who said she took part in the $69 a week challenge because she “thrives in competitive environments and likes to win,” opted to train early in the morning and late afternoon so her husband could watch the kids .
“He still had to travel a lot for work, so on those days I took the kids in the double stroller and just did my best while they screamed and threw food and all the fun things kids do,” she said. said.
Terri, who said she joined the challenge because she “thrives in competitive environments and likes to win,” opted to train early in the morning and late afternoon so her husband could watch the kids.
‘Training consistently every day had a huge impact. Even if you’re sore from the workout or tired of a baby waking up every two hours at night, the most important thing was that I still came to the gym the next day,” she said.
“Some days I would just stand in the corner and do lunges or squats with my son on my chest. You just do what you can, everything is already different from the nothing I did before.’
Terri did a body scan at the start of the challenge and couldn’t believe the results by the end of week eight.
While maintaining her skeletal muscle mass, she lost 7.9 pounds in a short period of time, which wiped out 8.7 percent of her total body fat percentage.
She encourages those who want to make a change to take a picture of themselves for inspiration.
“I found myself wanting to make a change when I looked at photos I had taken and realized I definitely didn’t look as good as I used to,” she said.
“It’s funny how you can look in a mirror and not even notice it because it’s becoming the norm, but the moment you see yourself in a picture, you realize you need to change. So get your picture taken! And decide if you’re happy with the way you look.’
The next challenge begins nationwide on Monday, June 5.