| AND
THEN THERE WERE TWO ! |
THE 2002 BODY BLITZ GRAND CHAMPIONS
After
the first successful year of the Body Blitz challenge,
the team at Ironman and Women’s Fitness &
Health magazines knew the 2002 competition was going
to be even bigger – how big we couldn’t
comprehend. Hundreds of entries came across the desk
all with unbelievable transformations. One month the
competition was so tough we had to concede and publish
two winners. So when it came down to choosing the
final two it wasn’t easy. It was native Islander
William Matai and Financial Analyst Mandi Tomic who
stood out to claim the champions trophies –
not to mention winning the admiration of family, friends
and readers. Here are their remarkable stories.
OVERCOMING
THE ODDS
Mandi Tomic
Mandi Tomic has conquered a problem that many people
never overcome. An addiction. Whether it’s alcohol,
drugs, or in Mandi’s case food, when something
brings you so much pleasure sometimes you just can’t
break the habit. This was the reality of Mandi’s
life for almost ten years. Whenever she faced a personal
or professional hardship in her life, food was the
one thing she turned to, to bring her temporary happiness.
Now the Body Blitz Grand Champion for 2002 has overcome
her addiction and is looking to use her motivation
to inspire others.
Just over 30 years ago, Mandi’s mother Kathy gave
birth to a beautiful 11.5 pound baby. Being a chubby
baby, Mandi was on the back foot from the beginning.
During her teenage years Mandi retained this weight
and found it difficult to lose the puppy fat. It’s
not surprising then that she has always had an issue
when it came to her size. Whether she was picked on
by school kids as a teenager or when later in life she
couldn’t wear the clothes she wanted to, these
harsh school yard years seemed to stay with her forever.
Mandi isn’t the first to suffer from childhood
self doubt. When victimised people reach their 20s,
that doubt feeds off the negativity and grows stronger.
Career choices, illnesses, family issues, financial
responsibilities and new relationships become battles
which you’re forced to deal with the best you
can. During this time Mandi had to deal with a string
of failed relationships creating a pattern of self-doubt
which many women find reflect in their own lives. You
meet a perfect guy, get excited, something goes wrong
and it doesn’t work out. Depressed and unfulfilled,
refuge is usually sought in certain substances –
drugs, alcohol, exercise or food.
“I
turned to food and I really believe a lot of women will
be able to relate to this,” she explains. “You’re
sitting in front of the TV upset and depressed stuffing
down chocolate and you’re hoping the food can
take the pain away. Food makes you happy for an hour
or two, but then you’re stuck with the extra kilos.
And it wasn’t just the failed relationships, when
something went bad in my life or whenever I was down,
food was my comfort. Some people turn to drugs and alcohol,
my drug of choice was food.”
| TYPICAL
DAILY DIET |
Breakfast (7.00am)
• Tin of Tuna
•
1 x egg
• Apple
•
Small handful peanuts
Snack (10.00am)
• Protein shake with water,
•
Olive oil and lecithin
Lunch (12.30pm)
• Breast of Chicken
• 2
cups of vegetables
• Small handful
peanuts
• Slice of cheese
or olive oil and lecithin
• Wheatgerm
Snack 2 (2.30pm)
• Protein shake with water
•
Olive oil and lecithin
Dinner (7.00pm)
• Mince meat patty
• 2 cups
steamed vegetables
• Olive oil
• Small handful peanuts |
|
Mandi had become sick and tired of her yo-yo dieting
life. For a couple of weeks she’d live normally,
then during the next few weeks she pigged out, this
was followed by weeks of strict dieting – all
of which got her nowhere. She realised this behaviour
had to stop, as it was running her into the ground.
Having asked herself these soul bearing questions and
confronting herself, she summoned the strength inside
and decided to make herself the focus. Mandi had to
take responsibility for her own actions, she had to
become self-sufficient and not let any guy or situation
overpower her and lead her to binge eating.
“I had the choice to keep living life miserably
or change my entire lifestyle and outlook on life, and
that was the big motivator.”
It was as if a switch in Mandi’s body had been
turned on. No more would she allow the outside pressures
of the world to control her, she was in control herself.
Not only did she want to prove to herself she could
commit to the Body Blitz challenge, she wanted to show
to everyone else she had wiped the slate of the last
10 years clean. Soon they would see the new and improved
Mandi, a woman with focus, determination and commitment.
“I thought
to myself this isn’t the way to live life. I
was successful in my work, so what was driving me
to this yo-yo dieting and why was I overweight?”
Looking back over the last six months, if there was
a weight loss group called ‘commitment’
Mandi would be the poster girl. After successfully completing
the Body Blitz challenge, then becoming a monthly winner,
Mandi increased her training regimen. When she began
the challenge she did it in the knowledge that she wasn’t
going to put in a 100 per cent effort for 12 weeks only
to put the weight back on a few months later. She made
a life altering commitment.
“When I
finished the actual 12 weeks I kept training and it
wasn’t long before I had actually increased my
program. I was so determined to just keep improving
my body. I had been very consistent throughout my training
and I think that is the whole point of a challenge like
this. Anyone can lose weight if they set their mind
to it, but losing weight and keeping it off is a whole
other challenge,” she explains.
When I rang Mandi to tell her she was our Grand Champion
we first chatted about how her training was going. She
was so enthusiastic about where her training had taken
her and what she had achieved, even after the 12 week
period, she forgot to ask me why I was originally calling.
Despite this, when I finally did tell her, she was lost
for words.
“Are you serious?!?”
she asked. Then the phone went silent...
She couldn’t believe it. Mandi thought she’d
placed top three and although she believed she was in
with a winning chance, there were a couple of others
whom she thought could have pipped her at the post.
“I thought I was in with a chance and
I really set out to be Grand Champion. I put a lot of
effort into the after shots, I went to a professional
photographer, bought a new bikini and put on the fake
tan. I thought if I don’t get to be Grand Champion
it’s no big drama because I’m really training
for myself, but I thought I would give it my best shot.”
Fast forward a few months and Mandi is finally in the
make-up chair ready to grace the cover of her first
magazine. As make-up artist Trudy Joyce worked away
I asked Mandi whom she thought had a shot at the title.
“Definitely Sue Gilman, she looked fantastic...
and Katie Towers. The photos of her on a treadmill proved
she was in really good shape.”
After an hour getting her make-up and hair done it was
time for Mandi to show us what she could do in front
of the camera. To the delight of photographer Charlie
Suriano and myself, Mandi was a natural.
“I
didn’t realise how much was involved in actually
getting the right shot, but it was a lot of fun. I was
so excited about the day and it really lived up to my
expectations,” she said of her first studio cover
shoot.
“I wanted
the holiday to be somewhere that I had never been
before. I was debating between America and Thailand.
I decided on Club Med Phuket because there would be
people my age.”
|
All
in just 12 Weeks... |
| |
BEFORE |
AFTER |
Weight
Chest
Biceps
Hips
Calves
Upper Thigh
Waist |
78kg
98cm
33cm
106cm
40cm
68cm
81cm |
64kg
90cm
28.5cm
96cm
36cm
59.5cm
71cm |
|
Mandi and I then discussed how she would like to portray
her exercise program to the readers. Over the next year
Mandi wants to help women who have suffered the same
sort of problems when it comes to overindulgence in
food. She believes that if she had a role model to look
up to who had experienced the same things, it would
have been easier to do something about her problems
sooner. We shot detailed upper body and lower body workouts,
and throughout the day while Mandi snacked healthily
and regularly, she explained the principles of Jay Robb’s
Fat Burning Diet
“I’ve been on
his diet since the challenge and I just love what it
does for me. I have a constant flow of energy and my
digestive system is great as well. Since the 12 weeks
the only thing I have changed is that I eat a little
more now because I’m lifting heaver weights and
I’m hungrier. I still follow the same principles,
but instead of eating 50 grams of pasta I will eat 100.
Not to mention I never feel guilty eating chocolate
and pizza once a week.”
Mandi had already planned a special ‘pizza’
night with friends after her long day shooting. But
that wasn’t the only excitement she had on her
mind. A dedicated and organised person Mandi had already
planned and booked her Body Blitz Grand Champions prize
– a week at Phuket’s Club Med.
“I wanted the holiday to be somewhere that I had
never been before. I was debating between America and
Thailand. I decided on Club Med Phuket because there
would be people my age – it’s a relaxing
week away and everything is catered for.”
| TYPICAL
WEEK EXERCISE |
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday |
–
75 mins cardio
– 50 mins
weights
– 30 mins cardio
& 30 mins weights
–
60 mins cardio
– 35 mins
weights
– 50 mins weights
– Day off |
|
| Rules
- NOT TO BREAK |
• Decaffeinated
coffee throughout day
• If hungry
snack of egg
or piece of cheese
• No alcohol
except for free meal
• No dairy
– except for free meal
|
| Daily
Supplements |
• 2 calcium
• 1 chromium piccolinate
•
1 multi-vitamin
• Protein powder
|
|
“Getting in shape is
not about the number on the scales, it’s not
about the typical commercial diets and seeing the
numbers drop, it’s about fat loss not weight
loss, and developing quality lean muscle.
When asked of her plans for the next few weeks, Mandi
laughs and mentions the dreaded three letter word...
“EAT”. And why not? She’s done the
hard work, she earned the holiday, she deserves it.
But just because she is taking a holiday, she won’t
falter on her training program.
“I really
do want to keep active and I’ll definitely spend
some time in the gym. I also want to try my hand at
other sports like surfing, windsurfing and golf. I’ve
never played golf before so I would like to try different
sports.”
As a typical woman who would walk to the ends of the
earth when it comes to shopping, buying new clothes
is a definite priority in Mandi’s holiday plans,
but she laughs at this and points out the fact it will
include a lot of walking. Now a toned and sleek size
10, shopping is one of Mandi’s true pleasures.
Anyone who loses a lot of weight gains more confidence
and she explains, simply being able to shop and buy
great clothes that fit well is worth all the hardships
and sacrifices training and diet entail.
Despite her growing confidence, Mandi has also found
she has become very disciplined not only in regards
to her physique, but also in other aspects of her life.
She’s found a new passion in her work as a financial
analyst and relationships with family and friends have
become stronger – she’s really seen a fantastic
flow on effect.
As the 2003 Body Blitz champion, Mandi has no doubt
in her mind what she wants to bring to the title. She
loves the fact that when she’s asked about her
diet, she can inform people knowledgeably about not
only what works, but also what will be best for them
personally. She wants to get across the point that it’s
not simply about losing weight, it’s about reducing
your body fat.
“Getting in shape is
not about the number on the scales, it’s not about
the typical commercial diets and seeing the numbers
drop, it’s about fat loss not weight loss, and
developing quality lean muscle. It’s about bringing
your body to its best condition and constantly burning
fat. I lost the weight for the challenge and now months
down the track I have maintained it, and that’s
so important.”
Now she looks fantastic in whatever she wears and in
whatever she does. One part of the day she really enjoyed
was the fashion shoot at the beach.
“I loved
the dress shots at the beach so I can show everyone
that I do work out, go to the gym, follow a strict diet,
but I’m still a normal person and enjoying my
life – I’m just diligent and disciplined.
I still have a treat here and there and a few drinks
on the weekend, but basically I have incorporated the
training and eating as part of my new and better life.”
With only one day of work under her belt as the 2003
Body Blitz Grand Champion Mandi Tomic proved she was
the perfect candidate for the role and will continue
to be an active role model and inspiration to all those
who wish to follow a similar path.
 BREAKING
ALL BARRIERS William Matai
Obese. Tired. Lacking energy. Depressed.
These were the words William Matai once used to describe
himself. It was less than a year ago that his self-esteem
was at rock bottom. On several occasions he’d
tried to get into shape but would end up in worse
shape than when he’d started. It got to the
stage where he had two options: make a definitive
change or continue on his downward spiral. Then when
all seemed lost he picked up a copy of Australian
Ironman, a move that proved to be his saviour.
Ironman provided William with two invaluable tools:
training and nutrition information and the phone ßnumber
for former Australian natural bodybuilding champion,
Brendan Field. It was around May 2002 when Brendan
received a call from a softly spoken man who needed
some supplementation advice. William was looking to
change his lifestyle and eating plan dramatically,
and believed with Brendan’s credentials he was
the man who could help him. Together they developed
a training and eating plan with the goal of changing
William’s life forever.
And it has. Since the day William took his before
photo to present day having now posed for the cover
of Australian Ironman, the 2002 Body Blitz Grand Champion
has lost an unbelievable 30 kilos.
William or ‘Willie’, as he is know to
his family and friends, is a kind, considerate family
man who puts others before himself. All his life his
number one priority has been his family – wife
Roberta and son Wilbert. But he knew that by taking
on a program he would have to sacrifice some aspects
of his personal life. It was a tough decision to make,
but one he was committed to. For so long he had been
unhappy carrying around excess weight – now
it was time to lose it.
Willie dug deep inside and confronted the things that
made him unhappy. After realising it was predominantly
being overweight and lacking energy he knew he had
to take responsibility and develop a program. This
program wasn’t going to be easy. It required
blood, sweat and tears. But Willie knew he had it
in him. He knew he could achieve his goals.
Yet, Willie didn’t want to turn his family’s
life upside down.
He never stopped his son eating junk food in front
of him. Whether Wilbert was munching on KFC’s
Popcorn chicken or chocolate Willie wanted his family
to maintain the same lifestyle that had made them
a happy family, although he admits he couldn’t
have achieved his success without Roberta’s
constant help and support.
“I couldn’t have done this challenge if
it wasn’t for my wife Roberta. Sometimes I would
try to get another hour’s sleep before I went
to work and when I would wake up my food and all my
powders and carbs were packed and ready to go.”
A kind hearted man, it was no wonder when the tables
were reversed and Willie needed support to achieve
his goals his family and friends stood firmly behind
him.
Despite the support, the challenge was still going
to be a tough one. Tipping the scales at almost 120
kilos, Willie knew he had his work cut out for him.
Although he had made the commitment to start losing
weight he had two major obstacles to overcome: Genetics
and a lack of faith.
Hailing from New Zealand and being of Islander heritage,
Willie was blessed with being born into a loving,
yet ‘big boned’ family who revel in family
feasts full of Islander food including steaks, roast
meats and coconut milk. It would be hard to leave
behind, but having committed to an eating and training
plan these gatherings would have to cease. He had
also lost faith in supplementation. He had tried lifting
weights before to grow muscles like ‘Arnie and
Lee Haney’ and had started taking supplements
to aid his progress, but he failed to get the correct
advice and what he was given didn’t work for
him.
“I had spent a lot of money on supplements that
didn’t work and I felt I was just wasting my
money. I was getting bloated and adding on kilos and
it was destroying my motivation.”
Willie is now a shadow of his former self.
“Thinking back to that day if someone had told
me I would have lost 26 kilos by the end of the Body
Blitz challenge I would have laughed. My self-esteem
was low when I met Brendan, but he said he could help
me with the training and nutrition and I thought if
someone showed me how to train properly I would be
keen, and that’s where it all began.”
Training six days a week, Willie would head to the
gym and do 30 minutes on the treadmill and then spend
an hour lifting weights working on one body part per
day. His diet consisted of six or seven small meals
a day without a day off.
“I never had a day off the diet and it was really
hard, especially in the first few weeks. I am really
used to my Island style of food, steaks and roast
meats every day. We have coconut cream on everything
which is a custom of ours and it’s so fattening,
so the first few weeks were a challenge.”
Willie also had to increase his water intake. During
the first week he found it hard to drink even one
glass, but by the end he was drinking at least three
litres a day.
On a break from the photo shoot, Willie nibbled on
rice cakes proving his dedication to maintaining the
excellent results he achieved during the 12 weeks.
It was the perfect opportunity to ask him what it
meant to him to be on the cover of the magazine.
“I know I’m going to be a bit of a role
model not only to readers, but also to my family.
We have always been a pretty big family when it came
to weight and even before I lost the weight I was
relatively small compared to them. Getting into shape
is harder for us (Islanders), because we’re
naturally big.”
Willie has already started motivating his family.
His younger brother John has just come over for an
extended holiday and after seeing William in the magazine
he has begun training and has already lost five kilos.
“John is around 115 kilos so he is starting
from where I started from,” says Willie. “He
is my training partner until he goes back in a few
weeks and I’m really going to miss him.”
Training at the Clayton Fitness Centre with INBA Victorian
champion Fraser Te Hiko it seems the pair live and
breathe the sport. Fraser has also been an instrumental
part in Willie’s success, giving him advice,
support, motivation and most importantly, friendship.
And with the success that Willie’s been having
he’s keen to take his training to another level
and grace the stage.
“Over the last month or so the idea of competing
has come up in conversations. I was thinking about
the Muscle Mania but I’ve decided that I’m
still a little small and if I put in the effort to
compete I want to do well. I want to come in big,
strong and hard.”
With a successful and determined training history
now behind him, Willie believes it’s only time
before he takes to the stage.
“I believe competing is a great goal for Willie,”
says Brendan. “It’s good for him to assess
new goals and new aspirations. He achieved what he
set out to do with the Body Blitz challenge and competing
is the next step. I guess it’s ultimately up
to him, but definitely the end of the year is a realistic
goal.”
| WORKOUT
REGIME |
Day One – 30 minutes
of cardio and one hour weights (Arms)
Day Two – 30
minutes of cardio and one hour weights (Legs)
Day Three – 30 minutes of
cardio and one hour weights (Back)
Day Four – 30
minutes of cardio and one hour weights (Shoulders)
Day Five – 30
minutes of cardio and one hour weights (Arms)
Day Six –
30 minutes of cardio and one hour weights
(Legs)
Day Seven
– Day off
* Weights workout continued where left off.
Plus option of changing body part of training
day. |
|
| RULES
OVER THE 12 WEEKS |
• No cheating
on diet
• Drink three litres of
water a day
• Always keep focussed
and positive |
| OTHER
CARDIO ACTIVITIES |
William constantly tried
to keep as active as he could through the
week to burn extra body fat. His activities
included:
• Basketball
•
Rugby
• Tennis
• Table
tennis
• Volleyball
•
Squash |
|
Much like the Body Blitz competition, competing for
a title will provide a tough challenge. Willie works
night shift as a storeman and to stick to his goals
requires commitment. Usually he would work through
the night, get home at about 8:00am and get his son
Wilbert ready for school. He would then have something
small to eat and get a few hours sleep before hitting
the gym. William would be back by four for Wilbert,
get dinner ready and prepare his meals for the next
day. He would eat the majority of his meals throughout
the night.
When Willie began the challenge at 116 kilos he didn’t
really know what to expect. Initially he aimed to
get to 100 kilos, but reached this at the six week
mark. At the end of 12 weeks he tipped the scales
at 90 kilos and is now an amazing 86 kilos. Modest
and humble Willie admits with the right attitude and
support results like his can be achieved.
“If you have the desire to change and the discipline
to make changes in your life then you can do it. I
never thought I could and if I can - anyone can! You
just have to have the desire, the self-discipline
and self-motivation. Leave your KFC and Maccas and
follow a proper nutritional diet and good training
advice from professionals and you can succeed.”
And now with a new focus in life and greater motivation
there’s no doubt whatever challenge Willie undertakes,
he will succeed.
By Elisa Tubecki
|
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Copyright Blitz Publications