Angela Wilkinson's Wicked Transformation, November 2012

OCCUPATION: Mum to Ryan & Leighton
AGE: 33
HEIGHT: 160cm    CONTEST WEIGHT: 50kgs

How do you feel winning the Go Figure Transformation of the Year?
Winning the Go Figure Transformation award is a huge honour all the nominees are hardworking and deserving people so for people to vote for me is magnificent.  Although I have to say I hope I never get nominated for this again ha-ha

What was your weight at your heaviest? When was that and how did you feel at that weight?
I definitely know that at my utmost heaviest I was above 90kgs it was so frightening that I chose not to look at the scales at all costs as I had never ever been so heavy in my entire life.

When I had my oldest son Ryan my heaviest was 83kgs and I went back to the gym and managed to get back to what was my normal pre pregnancy weight which was between 70-75kgs.  You see for a height restricted person I’ve always been solidly and hardy built I will always remember in 3rd form I could volunteer to give blood because I was above 60kgs and in 5th form I came a splendid second to last in cross country because I walked lazily the whole way.

   
Now you hear stories about how your second baby is generally heavier than your first and its wise to exercise during pregnancy and eat well turns out this is very good advice and looking back I should have done just that but I didn’t I chose to sit around in my lazy boy and eat and had the mentality I’m eating for two when infact I was probably eating for 3 or 4 adult llamas ahaha.

But this pregnancy had an interesting twist to it my lovely boy Leighton liked to be a tad difficult and lay in my womb transverse which is horizontal so I had that wonderful stretching out the sides action and he was low so low in my belly and it had a fantastic and impressive droop to it

So I gave birth to Leighton on Boxing Day 2009 and he was deemed by the midwife as a good luck baby as I pushed him out complete still in the sac he was 8lb5 so yes bigger I was impressed the little sausage could turn south a few days before he was born he’s hardy and so am I.

So once I had Leighton I continued to not exercise for the next 8 months as I just concentrated on getting into baby routine. And breast feeding and as I was unable to breast feed Ryan this in itself was an accomplishment for me and I had a sense of achievement but guess what I’m getting bigger not smaller breast feeding makes you hungry but I was choosing wrong.

But spending all this time at home with just me and Leighton as Ryan was at preschool was lonely I wanted to meet other mums again so instead of a coffee group I rejoined Contours Manukau (now True women) as they had a baby sitting service.  From there I met Karen Shepherd who was from that point onward to be my trainer and she started me off with just a gentle and simple post natal getting back into fitness programme.

Also around this time I had a GP check up and unfortunately I got another fright my blood pressure was 140 over 104 and that’s very very hypertensive so I was told to get more active eat healthy and loose weight or else I would be put on hypertensive medication that I would be on for life.!

This was frightening not because of the high pressure but because cardiovascular disease runs in the family and I’m a mother of two boys.

This is called turning point and let’s get it on time where I am truly scared for myself and for my children’s future I knew I had to break a cycle but how.

So In my brain I instantly think if I build myself an indestructible suit of armour and create a life guide for my boys to follow then nothing can break us and nothing can harm us.  So instead of focusing on weight loss I changed my focus to getting as fit as humanly possible and to build a superior cardiovascular system and I want my boys to watch and be apart of the process.

So basically I start doing achievable 5km buggy walk events and doing les mills classes and boxing in the park I’d try pretty much try anything. And over time and a lot of pain and punishment and torture through Totara Park I start running  for me running is not natural well it is but it doesn’t feel it for me but I did it anyway because I felt I had to and so I entered a truckload of events so I’m always in goal mode.

Now this is a leap of faith for me remembering I have never done any of this before all of this is new experiences but I’m wanting to learn so I can help myself and that of my family.

So I make an appointment to see Tarren and she teaches me about going from 3 meals a day with bread and rice and pasta to none of those and increasing my meal volumes with veggies and chicken and fibrous carbs or oats and 6 meals and powdery stuff called protein powder and I’m thinking this women is craazzzzy.

 But I took her sheet up to pak n save and wombled through the doors to get what was instructed and I did as close to what I could to her sheeted menu and I did it even though I still had kids food everywhere to deal with and I’m a hardcore chocolate and sugar fanatic so this is a real challenge to me.

I start making my brain categorize food i.e.: that is for kids that is for me that is for Rusty Dog and like a robot that’s pretty much how I treat my training and my diet. Granted I’m not perfect and do things I shouldn’t but I am a human and not an actual robot.

What made you decide to compete in the Club Physical Champs on Sept 12?
Before too long we start talking about shows and a club show sounded like a good starting point for someone like me who has no bodybuilding experience has never been on stage and is new to posing and a little insecure about my body. 

So Tarren sends me to meet Naera Johnson who’ll be my posing coach and I was as UN coordinated as a 3 legged one eyed dog. Naera has the patience of a saint I hope she’ll be happy to coach me again I’ll prepare her for the mayhem in advance.

 

How did you and your family feel seeing you on stage in your new body?
So a miracle happens and somehow I pull it off and I’ve registered for my show and I’m going on stage and my family were there and my husband Scott took pictures and he cried like a sissy girl.   I told him to harden up, I’m a body builder now ha-ha and the kids they didn’t even recognise me they ran away from me.

And will I do another show well since then I’ve moved over to Fitness Plus and I’m being trained and looked after by fellow Holden Commodore enthusiast Darryl Payne (Dazza) the master blaster of pain infliction and we just hit it off immediately we’re a awesome team along with Aggie and Sonia so when “I get my Beef On” (the right type) I want to have a convoy of awesome Holden Commodores roll up to the show where all you’ll hear is V8 rumble in the car park YEAH!

Advice to other Mums to help them get on track to shaping their bodies?
And notes for new mums, get outside and exercise with your kids let them be apart of everything you do they will mimic. You should see Ryan’s Double Bicep strike Pose he’s awesome.

And when you’re in the gym throw the kitchen pinny in the bin its Monster Time and get your beast mode on and pump that iron and work that body leave your excuses at the door!

And my mum and dad and brother are seeing Tarren and my dad has now joined my gym Fitness Plus so hopefully no more heart attacks from him.  

You can change your stars you can change your life and that of your family you can change the world you live in SO LIVE IT ALREADY STOP READING GET OUTSIDE!!

Ang 'the Rocket' Wilkinson
November 2012