In 2022, I was miserable.

As a non-exerciser, I would groan when I had to walk anywhere. I loved Cheezels, burgers and French fries. Still, I always yearned to look better.

The turning point came when my best friend’s mother-in-law had surgery, spent two weeks in hospital, and never regained the strength to recover. She eventually died.

Her death scared me. I went to my doctor and stepped on the scales. I was told that at 74kg, I was in the obese range for my height. I’d been gaining about a kilo a year for 15 years, and if I kept going at that pace, I’d be 85kg by the time I was 55.

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Then he said something that lit a fire under me: ‘You should enrol in exercise classes at an aged care home, just so you can maintain the ability to get in and out of chairs.’

I was only 46, but if I carried on the way I was going, that could be my future: being so out of shape, I needed to practise getting out of a chair. I refused to accept it.

Around this time, a few important things happened.

I read a book by the Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen – it was ridiculously silly, don’t judge me – but for some reason, the way she talked about discipline really spoke to me. I realised I’d been a passenger in my own life, not the driver.

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Then my husband wanted a new big TV, and we spoke about the cost.

Coincidentally, that same day, I learned about a fitness program called Ultimate Performance: a 12-week program with an assigned personal trainer.

Due to our household budget, my husband had a choice: buy his fancy television or invest in his wife’s new body. He chose wisely – it’s why we’ve been happily married for almost 22 years.

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I knew I couldn’t do it alone – that’s why I needed Ultimate Performance. I’d tried and failed to lose weight before. I’d starve myself or work out like crazy for about two weeks before falling off the wagon completely.

I wanted accountability – a program I could commit to. And it was important to feel the pinch of paying for something I didn’t want to go to waste.

My trainer, Maria, was amazing. She didn’t just track my food and steps – she taught me how to do each exercise properly, correcting my form until it became second nature.

And she pushed me hard, constantly showing me that the ‘limits’ I’d set in my mind weren’t my body’s limits at all – they were just mental walls I could smash through.

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Accountability meant texting her photos of every meal before I ate it, tracking my food, learning about macros. Every week, she went through my meals, my steps, my alcohol intake – and my results.

The program taught me the power of tiny choices. I realised that a squirt of mayonnaise on chicken schnitzel was basically the equivalent to a small bag of chips.

Maria taught me to treat macros like a bank account: spend wisely, save for the big treats. After 12 weeks, something clicked. My goal? To be strong and fit into old age – and yes, to look hot too.

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I’m 49 now and weigh 61kg. I have loads of lean muscle and a flat stomach. Abs really are made in the kitchen!

As we age, especially in perimenopause, protein becomes non-negotiable. Eat the protein first and you’re not as hungry for the carbs, sugar, and snacks.

I used to squeeze into a size 16. Now I can fit into my 20-year-old daughter’s size 8 clothes! I ran a marathon – and smiled the entire way round!

These are my six non-negotiable rules I live by:

1. 10,000 steps a day

I needed to break 40-plus years of lazy habits.

I listened to Chrissie Swan’s podcast in which she claimed she lost weight by walking everywhere. So I promised myself sneakers would always be on my feet – office outfits included. I got off the bus early, walked from the train station, hit 10,000 steps every day. Was it obsessive? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely.

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2. Strength training

I did gym-based strength training with trainers. I wanted their help because I was terrified of injury and had never lifted a weight in my life.

My trainers made sure I was safe and positioned right, and maximised my results.

3. Stretching for 10 minutes a day

I added this only this year.

Stretching feels like a gift to my body after workouts – loosening tight hip flexors, calves and Achilles. Running can be punishing; stretching feels nurturing.

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4. Sleep 7–8 hours

I am absolutely militant about sleep.

I have a routine I can take anywhere. Bed by 10:30 pm, lights out by 11 pm. I use a silk eye mask and Ozlo sleepbuds that play white noise or a guided meditation. They sit flat in my ears so I can sleep on my side.

Husband comes to bed late? Kids come home? Dog barks? Neighbours noisy? I don’t hear a thing.

Even on planes, the second the mask goes on and the sound starts, my body knows exactly what to do. I’m onto my third pair of those earbuds because they are that good.

I lay out my workout clothes the night before so I go to sleep ready to start the new day with movement.

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5. Rest one day a week

Weekdays are for workouts; weekends are for long walks or literally doing nothing.

I catch up on missed steps if needed.

6. Less screen time

This is the hardest battle every day. I use an app called BePresent that hides apps and forces a pause before opening them.

I’ve also added phone automations to short-circuit the fun.

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It’s not perfect – I still scroll and shop – but it’s a work in progress.

My 2026 goal: use my phone only for things that actually feed me.

My diet

My diet is centred around protein – and I make sure to include treats, as long as they are accounted for in my daily calorie and protein allowances.

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At the start, tracking was annoying, so I rotated meals I loved. For social events, I’d have a protein shake beforehand so I wasn’t starving and could make better choices.

Three years in, I don’t track any – I just know what to eat.

No food is bad food. You just have to balance it – like a bank account.

As for working out, I train first thing every weekday morning and get it done before the day explodes and I’ve got a million excuses. Exercising early means I didn’t have to juggle it with anything else.

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• As told to Natalie Reilly