D to the power of four
Do you want to change your shape and health?
Flight Lieutenant Rachel Pyle says it’s about setting goals.

My sample daily diet My sample training week MEAL 1: egg white omelette with vegies, porridge MEAL 2: tuna can and salad with flaxseed oil dressing MEAL 3: grilled chicken, sweet potato and green vegies MEAL 4: low-fat cottage cheese, fruit and nuts MEAL 5: steak, fish or chicken with stir-fry vegies MEAL 6: protein shake Drink three-to-four litres of water a day MONDAY: upper-body weights TUESDAY: cardio WEDNESDAY: lower-body weights THURSDAY: cardio FRIDAY: upper-body weights SATURDAY: cardio SUNDAY: rest (following weeks 2 x lower-body weights, 1 x upper-body weights) * Photos by CPL Aaron Pyle and Devon Baskerville

ARE you the next ADF Bodybuilding or Figure Champion? The answer is you can be.

Maybe this isn’t for you, and all you want is to just tone up for summer, or get fit and healthy to keep up with the kids, or be able to run your 2.4km physical fitness test in a particular time, or just feel better about your body and health?

No matter what shape you are currently in, this is all achievable.

All you need to do is follow the four Ds:

DESIRE

What do you dream to be? What shape do you want to be in? You need to set a strong goal – it needs to be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.

We all want to get fit or lose weight, but you need to put a date on it and state what action steps you are going to take to achieve it, for example: “By Christmas, I will have been eating six healthy meals a day and working out six times a week so I can feel great fitting into size-10 clothes.”

Your goal may only be to get out once a week – just set a goal that is achievable for you.

This desire through setting a strong goal is what creates sharp focus that keeps you on track even when you have moments of doubt.

It also keeps you focused when the first two or three week novelty of your program wears off.

DETERMINATION

We face challenges and obstacles everyday in our lives. Equally, losing weight and getting fit isn’t easy or everyone would do it.

Always remember your goal and imagine how different your life will be when you achieve it.

Don’t give up at the first hardship, as you can overcome it. Trials and temptations will come along – that’s life.

Be determined not to let them sway you from your goal, but, if they do, don’t blow it, just adjust your day and get right back on track. That in itself is an awesome accomplishment.

Don’t forget to set small goals along the way and celebrate achieving them. An example would be, if you complete all your workouts for the week then reward your success with a massage.

Remember, it’s not just about how far you are yet to travel to achieve your goal. Pause and think occasionally about how far you have come.

DISCIPLINE

In the military, we are familiar with this word but it has never been more relevant than when combined with another D word – diet. Common sense, moderation and consistency are the foundations of a fit body and healthy nutrition.

Preparing food does take time, but I believe it is far easier to put in an hour in the kitchen, chopping food, than having to run an extra two hours a week from over-indulging. In fact, diet is so crucial that I would sacrifice one of my training sessions a week to invest that hour in food preparation as this will help you get your results.

When not competing, I also allow myself one free meal a week, where I will eat out or maybe eat dessert or have a glass or two of wine with dinner.

But, if I over-indulge at all, I follow a motto from Fitness International Champion, Jen Hendershott – “If you play hard, you pay hard” – and that means an extra workout session.

DEDICATION

Put your all into achieving your goal. Dedication helps keep you focused on your goal and filters out doubt and fear about whether you can see it through.

You need to stick to your nutritional plan and do resistance training with weights and cardiovascular exercise every week to reach your goal.

If you follow the four Ds – desire, determination, discipline and dedication – you will succeed in reaching your health and fitness goal.

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‘You can do it too’

I never set out to compete in a bodybuilding competition. In fact if anyone had told me back in January that I would be up on a stage in a bikini, I would have laughed out loud.

I was just “normal” – I tried to eat well and exercised when I could fit it into my busy life. But, although I went for low-fat foods, I’d often eat the same size meal as my husband and relaxing meant sitting in front of the TV.

I started my fitness and healthy nutrition regime to ease a medical condition. Even though a specialist told me that I would always struggle with my weight and was lucky I wasn’t larger.

I had read fitness challenge success stories for years but never attempted one, as it was just never “the right time”. The real reason was that deep down I didn’t believe I could change the body shape I’d been born with.

Being fit, healthy and happy, knowing I can achieve anything I set my mind to, is now “normal”.

My new lease on life and health has also given me a healthier attitude and confidence in everything I do. I never dreamed it would lead me to competing in a tough sport like bodysculpting.

Competing in my first bodybuilding and figure competition this year was not about winning. To be able to get up on stage was more about improving my self-confidence and the empowerment of achieving goals.

Everyone who competed this year had an incredible journey to get there.

Most hadn’t been fit all their lives; this competition was just the successful peak of their own story.

I hope my story may be the last little nudge that someone else needs to stop thinking about or planning to start a fitness regime and to take action. You don’t have to be perfectly organised, you just need to start and learn as you go, and the results will follow.

You can do it too

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