Vanessa Bartley wins her Figure Battle, December 2011

Vanessa 2006	If your goal is to lose weight and get healthy in 2012, and need some inspiration to get started then look no further than Vanessa Bartley. Once upon a time Vanessa was that girl who sat on the couch (and in bed) eating chips and drinking soft drinks, she was a heavy smoker and thought the gym was for posers. However she decided one day to get her act together and joined Jenny Craig and lost 10kg and became their spokesperson appearing in TV ad campaigns in the process!	Vanessa 2011
Since then she has made a journey into living healthy and has competed in many bodybuilding shows. Although she has achieved great success in her competitions Vanessa still thinks winning her battle with weight is her greatest achievement so far. Find out more about Vanessa and how she won the battle with the bulge in this interview!

Occupation: I own a Beauty Therapy business in Whangamta (Invigorate Health Body) Age: 39 Just

Family: I have 1 child who is 13 going on 18 and of course you know Jason

Height: 1.6m Contest Weight: 54kg Off season Weight: 58kg

Have you always been into fitness and exercise? What did you do before bodybuilding?

Hell no.... (I hope no one takes offence to that word) Smoked up a storm and drank like a fish! I hated gyms, I stereo typed everyone who ever went into gyms. I thought they were full of men who went to perve at women and women who thought they were god's gift to men. I think a lot of people have that perception. I talk to a lot of women in my job and they often tell me they have never set foot inside a gym for the same reasons I never did. I used to play a lot of squash, finally retiring my racket as a low B grade player. So I was reasonable fit (prior to having my daughter) but a little, ok maybe a lot heavier. I used to get terrible asthma, sometimes having to come off the court during a squash game to get some air into my lungs. But instead of giving up the fags, I would race outside after every match to full them full of smoke. The things we do!!!!

Hard to believe you were overweight. How heavy were you at your heaviest?
How long ago was that and how did you try to lose weight before bodybuilding became part of your life.

At my heaviest I was probably close to 70kg which for my frame was pretty big. I used to suffer terribly with lower back pain, and at least once every 6 months had to make a trip to the hospital to be put on a nebulizer, which is a machine designed to help you breath, I had terrible asthma.

I knew smoking didn't help But I kept smoking always saying "hey you got to die of something' as a smoker I was full of excuses. To be honest I was worried about gaining extra weight if I gave up smoking. This was probably when I was in my early 20's. So a while ago now. I lost weight around that time by going to Jenny Craig in Hamilton, I lost quite a bit of weight, I can't remember exactly how much, but I did not finish the programme completely. I did become a life member which helped me later on to get to where I am now. So this all happened well before I met Jason (Bart), he never knew me in those days. He was probably off playing rugby in Hong Kong, on his journey to be a fat man!

Both you and Jason were heavy back then, did you think you were that fat and unhealthy while you were in the moment?
Oh yes, who doesn't know what's good for them and what's not. We all know that if we eat that pie, or that bar of chocolate, sit on our backsides and think about going for a walk we will put on the weight. Unfortunately though, we convince ourselves its ok, we will make up for it tomorrow. But..... Tomorrow never comes, so we eat more and just get bigger. I remember one particular day not long after Jason and I met. It was raining and we decided to stay in bed all day watching Band of Brothers (Jason has the entire series on dvd), we pigged out on coke and chips & dip, all day. And I really mean we ate all day. The thought of it just churns my stomach now. Funny how life can change.

What was your images/thoughts about bodybuilding dieting and training vs what we actually do?

I went back on the Jenny Craig programme about 5 years ago and got down to 60kg.   After I lost my weight doing Jenny Craig I decided to become a Gym Instructor.

I worked at Baywave Mount Manuganui, which is a Les Mills Gym affiliated gym. I did this because it was a good way for me to stay fit and more importantly keep the weight off. So I started teaching Body Pump. I loved it.

From time to time I used to see this bodybuilding couple in the gym, he was really muscly and I thought she had an amazing figure.

I used to watch them training together and at certain times I would see them leaning down. Back then bodybuilding intrigued me. I wanted to get into it back then, but had no idea who to contact or what to do. My friends who used to come to my classes said I should look into it but it seemed more like a pie in the sky.

What inspired you to take the next step and take up bodybuilding diet and training? When did you start weight training for bodybuilding or have you always done it.

Other than teaching pump at the gym I did not do weights. I never went into the weights section of the gym. I enjoyed doing cardio and teaching pump, that was enough for me. I loved motivating the people in my class. A lot of the women in my classes saw me transform while I was on Jenny Craig so to them I was a ‘real person'. We all have part of our body we which were different, for me it was my legs, especially my knees. When I moved to Whangamata Jason used to get up most mornings and head to the gym. He has always lifted weights. I used to roll over and growl at him because he had woken me. I was becoming a slob again! And I hated it.

It was around this time I lost my grandmother. She died of cancer. She was a smoker like me and one of the last things she ever said to me was "oh ness I wish I had never smoked, I wish I could turn the clock back'. This played on my mind big time, still does. I didn't want my daughter to watch me die of any terminal illness, so I gave up smoking. And to be honest it was easy. I was ready. No one we knew smoked, I didn't smoke during the day because of my job. It was purely social for me. When I drank I smoked, but because I drank a lot I smoked a lot. Anyway, I gave up smoking, that's what changed things for me because when I stopped smoking I took up eating and I began to grow and grow and grow, I was getting fat again.

I then got talking to one of the ladies that worked out our local gym Bodywork. She had done a bodybuiling competition, she suggested I look at doing a competition. It would be a good distraction, and it would enable me to get my eating under control and lose some weight. It would also teach me how to change my eating habits.

How important has been for you and Jason to go through the journey together? Could you have done it without him and vice versa?

Mmm tough question Lisa. Yes I think I could have. I am a very determined person. When I set myself a goal I follow it through. And I am a real perfectionist, so if something is important to me, I do it to the best of my ability. This is a good trait to have in my job, but in my personal life, it's tough because I have very high expectations of myself.

I have just asked Jason this question and he said "I would not have done it without you, it never would have entered my mind". When I decided I was going to do a comp Jason said oh well I might as well do it with you. And the rest as they say is history. Now we are a good team. I feel like we are that couple I used to watch in the gym in the Mount. People always say it must make it easier doing this together. And I guess to a certain extent it is, but it also isn't.

When we are dieting pre contest, we get grumpy, tired and our poor daughter has to put up with two people forgetting where they have put their stuff. It's always easier cooking meals for more than one person and we share the load really well. Jason will see I am tired one night so he will just get in the kitchen, prepare dinner, and lunch the next day, and I do the same on the days I can see his eyes hazing over. It's certainly easier than sitting at home at night with a partner scoffing on your favourite packet of Tim Tams!

What has bodybuilding taught you about eating, training and managing a healthy lifestyle?

That you should never eat to feel full. Food is about survival not satisfaction. Don't get me wrong, I love food, but the food I used to eat does not go in my mouth in great quantities anymore. I can't eat bread, I am completely gluten intolerant, I don't enjoy sugar, it gives me headaches, and I can't stand missing a morning at the gym.

How many years have you been competing? Your achievements?

I am my 3^rd year of training. I have had some good achievements and have been really pleased with all my results, especially this year. But to be totally honest my biggest achievement has not involved a bikini or tanning products. My biggest achievement has been losing weight, being happy in my skin and becoming a nonsmoker. I have given myself a higher chance of survival. That's my biggest achievement.

What's been your proudest moment in your contest career so far?

It's funny you should ask me this. I remember being on stage at the NABBA 2011 Nationals, I was on stage with women aged between 35 and 45 and I could hear these young kids yelling out to their mums and grandmothers telling them how fantastic they looked.

That was really humbling for me. I felt really proud to be up there. An women looking lean and muscular in the best condition of my life. And in reality we are wives, mothers, and grandmothers and although we do it for ourselves, it's a great feeling to hear our children tell us how proud of us they are. I love hearing the kids cheering for their mums on stage. When I hear my daughter, I feel extremely proud.

What was your typical day in your pre contest training and cardio programme? Can you give a sample week in your training?

At the moment our training is centered on growth so we are doing 3- 4 pyramid sets of low reps, as heavy as we can. I train with Jason every morning, we spot each other, so we are always challenging ourselves and pushing each other to get that last rep out. Our training programme is exactly the same.

Monday AM Chest & Biceps, Cardio PM

Tuesday Legs

Wednesday AM Cardio

Thursday AM Spin (I teach this class)

Friday AM Shoulders

Saturday AM Back, Triceps

Sunday REST

You're now just entering the ‘off season', how much weight will you let yourself put on to be comfy with?
And how will you maintain it.

For the last 2 years my off season weight has been around 60 - 62kg. I have not enjoyed being this weight, so I am maintaining my weight this year at 58kg. Which has actually been really easy. Tarren McCall does all our nutrition, and she is amazing. She has so much knowledge and she has some great recipes. So we have lots of options in our diet, and I think that's half the battle, because we have lots of options we never get sick of what we eat.

Obviously when we are heading into our pre-contest stage our nutrition changes and our calories start to drop but at the moment we are eating really well. My mother sees how often we eat and she can't believe we actually loose body fat eating that much food. I get really sick of people asking me (at least 10 times a day) are you eating normal yet. Body builders must get so sick of that question. They don't realize that what I am eating and have been eating is normal to me. Ok I don't eat bread, pizza, cakes, lollies, ice cream, or drink alcohol, in my off season I could have a few of these items but I choose not to, because they make me feel terrible.

Have you had a role model who's inspired you? Not really.

What's your ultimate goal in Bodybuilding? Just to keep doing this for as long as I can and to be the best I can be. I have had a really good year this year, I have enjoyed every show, and I can't wait till next year!

What advice would you give to women who want to compete?

Do it!!!!!... There are so many bodybuilders out there whose journey is just like mine, some journeys have bigger. I couldn't believe my eyes when Greg Mawson showed me his before photo. I think he looks amazing and knowing how hard it was for me makes me realize just how hard it was for him.

And there are so many body builders out there who have struggled with their weight, and if you asked each of those people what their highlight has been they would probably say educating themselves about food, learning about their bodies, and most importantly, how good the clean food makes them feel. People have this preconceived idea that body building is unhealthy.

My clients see me pre contest and some of my older clients worry about me (bless them) they worry I am too thin, they worry I am tired and looked weltered. But because I have such a good nutritionist and everything is balanced perfectly I had not had so much as a snivel for the last 3 years. I feel better than I ever felt and I will continue to live this way even when I am not competing anymore.

If anyone out there is thinking about doing something like this, find a good nutritionist. Ours is amazing. Tarren is super supportive, and her wealth of knowledge is invaluable. Once you have a good nutrionist on board, get a Personal Trainer, tell them what you want to do and ask them to put together a programme for you.

Circle a date on the Body Building calendar, and get to work. I remember the first day in the gym after we had decided on a date and got our programmes. I had to row for 5 mins as a warm up. I kid you not, I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest, I didn't think I was going to be able to do that row. But do you know what, I can row for 45 mins now - no worries.

Vanessa Bartley wins her Figure Battle, December 2011

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