Sara Jane, adopting a health-focused lifestyle

It wasn’t until she walked into a personal training school and saw all the fit, strong and toned women lifting weights and eating healthfully that she decided something had to change. The first step in the right direction came when she decided to sign up for a personal training course. Each day of the course was made up of four hours of theory work, an hour where she got to train members of the public, and two hours where all Sara had to focus on was her own training. It was through this course that she learnt how to work out properly, help others with their training and, most importantly, how to improve her level of fitness.

When it came to her diet Sara removed all processed foods and, instead of eating two large meals a day, she started eating 5-6 smaller meals over the course of a day. For Sara the hardest part of her transformation was not having that slice of cake for breakfast every day. “It sounds silly, but when I was out of shape that was my breakfast. My body was addicted to sugar. It took a while for my body to start craving clean foods, but in the end it was worth it.” Along with eating clean Sara started doing weight training for strength, and high intensity training (HIT) for cardio. These changes alone helped her to drop almost 13.6kg the healthy way.

Sara’s biggest help and support throughout her transformation has been her husband, who is also a personal trainer. He guided her through the years and taught her all types of training techniques. Recently she has also been working with Monica Brant, who is guiding her and helping her take her fitness to that next level.

Throughout her transformation Sara says the most important thing she learnt was that women should lift weights. “Many women avoid lifting weights because they’re scared they’ll end up with too much muscle. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Lifting weights helps to burn more fat, even at rest, and adds a firm shape to your body.”

Sara believes that, because she has undergone a body transformation, she is now able to relate more with the majority of her client’s struggles. “It helps me as a personal trainer to know how someone feels emotionally, mentally and physically.” Going through a body transformation has also increased Sara’s
mental strength, and left her feeling so much stronger emotionally. “There’s something about lifting weights and gaining control over your active life that helps you in other areas as well. Maybe it’s because we gain more belief in ourselves as losing weight and finding fitness is a life-changing experience. Granted, some days are hard, and others are easy. The best thing to do is just keep pushing through. Don’t wait until you have reached a final goal; celebrate the little ones along the way.”

Fast Facts:
Favourite health food dish: Quinoa patties.
Favourite exercise: HIT Tabata training.
Must-use supplements: Amino acids and L-glutamine for recovery.
Top diet tip: Stop eating processed foods. They are loaded with chemicals that can cause disease, and are stored as fat. Drink lots of water, eat small meals throughout the day and have fun creating clean snacks!

Stats:
Weight before: 60kg
Body fat % before: 23%
After weight: 47kg
Body fat % after: 15%
Age: 31
Marital status: Married
Career: Personal trainer and fitness writer