Irma - mother of four reclaims her body

Irma felt a growing frustration due to the fact that she wanted to lose weight to look and feel better, but never could. “After having four children my body was weak, especially my abs, and I was totally out of shape,” explains Irma. “I was also tired of feeling uncomfortable in my own skin and the fact that my old clothes no longer fit me drove me crazy. It was then, at the age of 35, that I was hit with the harsh realisation that I can't eat what I please and expect to lose weight. The problem I faced was that I didn't know how to start taking control of my circumstances.”

Following a great deal of introspection Irma realised that she firstly needed to find a balance in life that worked for her and her circumstances. “I knew that I needed to work on the outside to really feel content on the inside. My mind was always busy thinking about how I could lose weight and look good, I just lacked the knowledge and direction required to get me on the road to a new body,” she says.

It was then that Irma's husband came home and suggested that she enter the USN/94.7 12 week lifestyle challenge. “I remember being very excited at the prospect as this was my opportunity to start something, learn more and find the motivation I needed to change my body. I felt that this challenge was the perfect platform to prove to myself that I can have a stunning, strong and healthy body, but I never thought that I was going to get chosen as the winner.”

Armed with a training and eating programme, as well as a supplement plan from USN, Irma made the commitment and began the 12 week challenge. “It felt good to finally have some direction and a plan thanks to the team at USN,” continues Irma.

Irma recalls that at the start of the challenge she was too exited to think straight. “However, I soon realised that to feel good physically a person has to work hard and, just like any challenge in life, you have to plan, dedicate yourself and establish a good support structure to help you along the way.”

The exercise programme that Irma received from USN included five weight training sessions a week, which we were all followed by a cardio session. “Due to my very busy schedule and lifestyle I couldn't do it all in the morning, so I started training twice a day. I chose to train on my own by as I thought this would prove to the USN team and to other mothers and ladies who don’t train that transforming your body can be achieved by simply following a good programme.”

According to Irma, the biggest challenge she faced during the 12 weeks was learning how to eat clean, healthy food six times a day. “This was a massive lifestyle change for me and I had to create a balanced, healthy menu that was both functional and easy to follow. USN made this quite easy with the diet they recommended and their supplement range, which really helped the process.”

Irma's favourite healthy dishes
Breakfast: 100% Whey Protein, skim milk and banana smoothy
Lunch: Baked egg and avo on rye toast
Dinner: Fillet steak, mash and fresh steamed veggies.
Snacks: USN Protein Bar

Irma's supplement stack
USN Phedra-Cut Ultra XT
USN Phedra-Cut Ultra Stimulant Free
USN CLA
USN 100% Whey Protein shake
USN multivitamin pack

During the challenge Irma says she discovered a lot about herself, specifically her strengths and weaknesses. “I achieved goals that I never knew were possible, which really gives you the motivation to continue creating a new, healthy lifestyle.” Irma also discovered that she responds better to longer duration cardio, such as 7km runs or 40 minute spinning classes. “They delivered better results than doing short cardio sessions, which also motivated me to take up running.” Since completing the challenge Irma has continued with her gym training, but has started running more. “I now run about 30km per week and have set myself the goal of running a 21.1km race in the near future.”