A little more about me,

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You want to know more if you got this far...

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Alifestyle expanded from an online only nutrition business,

to face to face small group personal training from 2016-2024, and

now back to online only again. It's my part time work but full time passion. 

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From an active upbringing, going for bike rides with my family, playing

representative basketball for Canberra through my teenage years, I left

home at 18 to join the Defence Force. I was suddenly faced with three

cooked meals a day, a very different menu to that at home.

I didn't realise it at the time, but suddenly these three cooked meals a day

AND snacks AND alcohol - I was overeating and not moving enough.

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                In just 4 short months I had piled on 16kg -

                my heaviest at 90kg.

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Over the next 5 years, I battled to lose this weight. I was always a "size 10" growing up, now I was struggling to be comfortable in a size 14, wearing over-sized clothing to cover up. I started low calorie diets (Michelle Bridges anyone?!) and tried to be consistently at the gym, spending hours on cardio equipment and being too afraid to step foot near the weights room.

 

I also thought that if I spent an hour on the treadmil, then I was allowed to consume those calories later that day- I'd treat myself. What turned out to be a viscous cycle.

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I then yo-yo dieted, I lost 12kg, then I got comfortable and began a spiral of eating and less moving, before I knew it I had nothing to 'work towards' and I gained weight again... all my hard work disappeared I was back at 83kg.

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This is when I knew enough was enough. 

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My initial inspiration was from a friend at work, who just started her preparation for her third body building competition in 'fitness' category. I thought she was crazy initially! But after time, I could see what she was doing was working... I wanted in.

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A month went on, I was finding this new way of eating (we'll call it flexible Paleo) satisfying but still not very maintainable. Whilst I was eating a lot of healthy meals, lots of vegetables and no processed carbohydrates, it was restrictive and didn't work for me. During this period I started lifting weights, and tracking each session, I finally found something which pushed me. I could see my own progress and it was very rewarding.

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I decided to stop following a "Paleo" style diet and decided to go back to basics with nutrition. I reset my lifestyle and stopped buying pre-packaged snacks at the grocery store and started making healthy alternative dishes, like vegetable lasagnas, banana muffins and home made dips (here started my recipe book!). I wanted everyone to know, you CAN have the delicious meals you love, but wanted a more macro friendly version (higher protein, moderate carbs and lower fat).

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It was then I decided to compete in my first every bodybuilding competition in Bikini division. 

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So I used Instagram to track my progress, I started posting my progress photos to keep myself accountable and keep myself motivated by checking every so often for changes in my body. 

I put myself through an initial strict phase, which meant everything was fresh, wholesome, nothing from a packet. I preach this on my clients - initially you've got to make some changes to kick start your good habits.

 

It was working! -  I never starved!

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6 months later (April 2014), I successfully stepped on stage and

competed in my first ever competition -15kg lighter and at 16% body

fat - I didn't win or place. But that didn't matter - my success was I did it

healthily - never ate less than 1500 calories a day

(stop doing 1200 calorie diets!).

 

I was very strict with my diet for 6 weeks during my 'cutting'

phase, however, I did ensure it fit with a lifestyle I wanted to have.

That lifestyle was training 5 or 6 days a week, drinking beers on the

weekend, eating homemade pizza, eating out with my partner, friends

and family, and even enjoying ice cream. I did all of that half way

through prep on an overseas holiday! 6 weeks out from comp.

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Post competition I knew I wanted to pursue something in the nutrition and

health industry. There were SO many women around me starving themselves

to achieve "skinny", I wanted to help people like you, because I was like you.

So I completed my a certificate in Advanced Certificate of Nutrition and

Weight loss Counselling, and started ALIFESTYLE. (Ali - Lifestyle)

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I have maintained this lifestyle for 12   years now.

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I eat a well balanced diet and continue weight training both in the gym

and through functional strength/conditioning style workouts, and most

recently joined in running journey after completing a sprint triathlon.

 

I believe a healthy diet consists of eating consistently well 80 percent

of the time and enjoying life the other 20 per cent of the time; eating

favorite foods and having beers of a weekend.

 

I have developed Alifestyle to help others, promote healthy recipes,

to show you to eat more not less, to promote a healthy relationship

with food and most importantly provide individual advice and support

to people like you.

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