Hello, it's Megan here. A few weeks back I shared with you my personal journey about finding a healthier, happier version of myself (you can catch up
here if you missed it.) The post was really just a way of keeping myself accountable because if I've told an entire audience about my healthy journey then I'd better bloody stick to it huh!
Anyway...not only did I receive some lovely encouragement from you all, I also received multiple private messages from friends saying how inspirational I was (Say What?!!) and that it was the kick up the bum they needed to start their own healthy journey. Wow. Just wow! I never thought that I would be an inspiration! I couldn't believe it! And boy does that spur me along even more to work harder at bootcamp and stick to my healthy eating goals.
So I thought if I could inspire others to look after themselves, imaging what my trainer and mate Becc Pritchard could do for you all! I decided to pick her brain and share it with you all here!
Ok Becc, tell us about yourself. Who are you and what do you
do?
I am 28, a happy wife and mum of two daughters (Charlie 5
and Rosie 3). I am a Crossfit Coach, Personal Trainer and run bootcamps on the
northside of Brisbane. I lost 50kgs in
2013 which lead to my career path. I love to cook (and eat even more so), lift
weights and hang out with my family, and eat (oops I may have said that twice).
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| Becc's always smiling! :) |
Who or what inspired you to start living a healthy/active
life?
I really just wanted to be able to keep up with my kids at
first. I was tired of feeling run down and wanted to change. At the time my Mum
was in 24hr care (sadly, she passed away in 2014) due to a motor neuron
disorder and given that she was only 49 I wanted to get healthy and give myself
the best chance of having more time with my daughters and family. It really
opened my eyes as to how fragile we can be and how easy it is to take our
bodies for granted. Once I started training and eating healthier I couldn't
stop. I felt so amazing and I could never imagine being that heavy again and
having lost 50kg, keeping it off and being told by those around me that I had
inspired them to become healthier made me consider studying to help others to
achieve the same outcome. It’s one of the best decisions I have ever made.
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| Becc's beautiful girls: Charlie (L) and Rosie (R) |
What’s a day in the life of a trainer like?
My hubby is a FIFO worker so for 2 weeks out of each month
It’s just me and the girls which means a lot of prep work.
4:30 – 8:30am – I rarely set an alarm, my girls are early
risers so my day starts before 6am most of the time. We have brekkie, I check
emails etc and squeeze in either a 10 minute ab workout or some stretching and
if it’s a school day we are dressed and out the door by 8:30. We are always out
and about so meals for the day are usually prepped the night before or in the
morning and Rosie comes with me everywhere if Luke is away at work.
8:30 – 11:30 - I
coach bootcamp and crossfit as well as
get my own training in.
11:30 – 2:30 – Back home so Rosie can have some quiet time
and if she naps or watches a movie this usually gives me a chance to get some
housework done or blog or do business planning otherwise we are on the swing,
having water fights with our dogs or building lego.
2:30 – 7:30 - School pick-up then its back to the gym to
coach Crossfit. The girls have dinner in the kids room and play while I teach.
7:30 – late - Get the
girls to bed then I get whatever work I need to get done and have some
down time. At the moment I'm enjoying a book called Daring and Disruptive by
Lisa Messenger – I rarely read anything other then books that inspire me in
either a personal or business capacity. I aim to get to bed by 10:30 but this
doesn't always happen.
What does a trainer eat?
Quite a lot, well this trainer does. I do a lot of weightlifting so it’s important
I get plenty of protein to help my muscles recover and grow. When I wake up I
start my day with Lemon or Apple Cider Vinegar in warm water to kick start my
digestion and a protein shake or a smoothie. Occasionally I will have scrambled
eggs (2 eggs, 2 whites and some greens that’s it.)
After coaching and my own training I will have a meal.
Chicken and salad or bolognese with sweet potato and zucchini noodles are my go-to but as long as I get some protein and veg I'm happy. Sometimes its
something delish from my local café over a coffee with a friend and whilst I
was strictly paleo during my weight loss, I am a bit more relaxed with it these
days as long as I know I will still feel great afterwards.
Around 2pm I will have another meal that’s slightly smaller
– lean meat and veg mostly.
If I'm really hungry I will have a protein shake before
coaching at 4:30pm. Or some almonds and a piece of fruit.
On nights that I coach, dinner is at about 8pm and what I
eat is different almost every day – grilled salmon and veg, quinoa with
chicken, veggie loaded stir fry are just a few faves. On really warm nights I might
even just have a smoothie or cold pressed juice.
Whilst this is my general day to day, every now and then I
will eat Krispy Kremes or Pizza and wash it down with a cider. Not my proudest
moments I’ll admit, but I believe in being transparent as a trainer and every
now and then eating for the mental pleasure of it can be good for the soul
…don’t do this everyday though or if you have a strict weight loss goal in
place!
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| What a transformation! |
What do you feed fussy kids? Got any tips for us?
My girls can be so fussy at times. I use my much loved
Thermomix (you can use your blender or food processor) to add loads of veggies
like spinach, spiralina etc in smoothies with cacao, almond milk and berries. Or
I blitz spinach, carrot, zucchini, mushrooms etc into sauces to eat over veggie
noodles. My girls get most of their veggies this way and I think it’s
great. Fritters are another great way to
hide veggies. I'm lucky my girls love grilled salmon and broccoli but if that
fails I mash up sweet potato with tuna, peas and egg and turn it into patties, which I bake. They love getting involved too and I feel they are more likely to
eat it if they have a sense of pride in the creation of it. Try not to stress
about it too much!
Life’s pretty chaotic as a mum so how do you find time to
work out?
I schedule it. Working at a gym helps given that I have
complete access and can train any time I am free but sometimes life gets in the
way! The great thing about exercising is that you can get the same results from
a 5 minute workout that you can from an hour depending on the goal and
intensity. There are also plenty of things you can do at home with little or no
equipment and somedays it’s a 10 minute ab workout and that’s it. Other days I
can do 2 x 1 hour sessions and a run. Aim to schedule it first and foremost but
if something throws that out the window do what you can…just keep moving!
What’s your favourite quote?
I'm a bit of a quote junkie so I may tell you a different
one if you asked me again tomorrow but this is one that has stuck with me for a
while….
“Remember: success does not lead to happiness – it’s the
other way round. Greater happiness leads to greater success and creating
greater happiness is a lot simpler, a lot easier, and a lot more accessible
then most people think! – Jeff Olsen
What made you decide to become a trainer?
When I began exercising I found it so exhilarating to see
the success in others. Yeah it was great when I lost weight or hit a PR I was
aiming for but to see someone else achieve it as well and have them share that
with you is an honour. I would have friends that I had trained with tell me
that because they knew I was going to be at the gym that it made them want to
come and train too and that’s amazing, right? To hear that you made someone
want to improve because they saw how happy it made you when you improved
yourself is just the most thrillingly happy thing I could ever hear, so
naturally, I took the steps to turn that into a career. No way did I think it
was going to happen as quickly as it did but I couldn't be happier.
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| Becc motivating her client |
What motivates you?
- Other people’s achievements.
- The way training makes me feel.
- A Badass song with a heavy guitar riff.
- The memory of how I felt before I
discovered this healthy lifestyle and never wanting to be that way again.
What can’t you live without?
- My hubby, kids and dogs
- The occasional dumpling
- A
kettlebell – and not necessarily in that order ;-)
What does Becc do in her down time?
- Cook.
- Ride my motorbike.
- Go paddle boarding.
- Play Go Fish
(it’s my daughters new found fave so we play LOTS of go fish)
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| She also enters comps like 'Tough Mudder' for fun! |
What are your favourite workout tracks?
- Metallica – Master of Puppets
- Guns n Roses – Night Train
- Pantera – Walk
- I Love it – Icona Pop
- Push It – Salt 'n' Pepper
What can I say? I'm a hard core rock chick who likes to
dance like a girl and smile when I run every now and then.
What would you say to someone
considering a ‘health kick’ as part of a new year’s resolution?
There’s no need to wait for a new year! Every waking moment
is a chance to feel better so get on it! But if the new year is what you need
to convince yourself to make it happen…….go for it! Make small changes everyday
– it’s more sustainable and they will add up to big results in the long run!
What are your top tips for staying on track and not losing
focus?
SET GOALS! I think we all say it but actually writing it
down, everywhere and reminding yourself of it everyday is key. You are
limitless, really you are! You just have to convince your mind to believe it
and the rest of you will make it happen!
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| Another amazing 'before and after' shot! |
What’s in store for Becc for 2016?...and beyond?
Hopefully greatness!! Haha….seriously though, lots more
blogging and meeting more and more amazingly inspiring people. I plan on doing more work with kids in 2016
which is exciting, more study as I never want to stop learning and continuing
to help others reach there goals no matter how epic they are. Having fun with my family along the way is a given.
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Becc has committed to blogging everyday in 2016 so keep in touch with her for endless motivation and inspiration! Links below x
Instagram: @beccfit
Email: beccfit@getfit.com
