BBR Success Story - Nola Weston
with Lisa O’Neill
Ever since Janette Thompson’s story set souls alight, we have been inundated with requests for her bestie’s story. Nola Weston, 55, is just as inspiring with her own story, coming to Bodies by Ryan with a desire to make change, when nothing else seemed to work.
She followed her bestie Janette through the doors of BBR and discovered the combination of strength, nutrition (including the winning formula of double breakfast!) and friends were the answer to the results she’d been seeking. Nola achieved her ideal body weight (and then some) with an abundance of healthy food and shed the ‘starving’ mentality that dogged her in the past.
The results Nola has achieved and the joy she’s done it with is the ultimate dose of inspiration…
Please tell us about your health and fitness history prior to BBR...
Over the years I have always exercised and have kept fit and healthy. I must have tried every conceivable fad diet that’s came along and mostly starved myself to maintain my weight over the years. I hit menopause and no matter how little I ate or how much I exercised I just kept gaining on the scales and around my mid-section. I was my heaviest ever in 2021. That’s when I decided that I needed a reset.
Who or what prompted you to sign up to BBR and why was it the right time for you to join?
So, firstly, a bit of history about Janette and I . . . we met about 15 years ago when she joined our running group. We have covered many k’s with our group, running and laughing together around the Cottesloe area, come rain, hail or shine and we still do. We’ve trekked up to Everest Base Camp together. She was my knight in shining armour when I got sick with cancer in 2018. I think together we make a great team and we don’t let much deter us.
I was nervous about joining a gym and picking up a weight, so big thanks to Janette for allowing me to join in with her PT sessions in the beginning with Gene as I wanted to learn good form and technique prior to joining the classes.
The 6-week challenge was a perfect start. I booked my Dexa Scan prior to starting the challenge, as I wanted a base to measure my progress. That’s when it hit hard that I had a lot of work to get my health and fitness back. The results of the Dexa were really confronting.
How hard was it in the early days? What challenged you the most?
I found it hard in the beginning with my first class being HIIT and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to laugh or cry but definitely there was no time to talk as all my effort was going into just trying to breath and make it to the end. I found the strength gym to be the most challenging as I was so out of my comfort zone and all I kept on thinking was thank god this gym has no mirrors.
Were there any changes you made that were enjoyable or easy straight away?
I really enjoyed the Challenge and it has taught me a whole new way of looking at nutrition using macros rather than focusing solely on calories in. This has been an enjoyable change as I am now eating soooo much more and I love the simplicity of my plan. Also, I got to eat two breakfasts and that has always been my favourite meal of the day. What diet allows that, I ask?! Ryan’s knowledge on the area of health and fitness is incredible and his passion and energy is contagious. I wanted to achieve and do well, and following the plan 100% was challenging at times, but rewarding as I was getting really good results.
How long did it take for you to feel changes?
Once in the groove of the challenge, I noticed the changes within the first few weeks. My energy levels increased, I was toning up nicely and that really motivated me to keep going. Doing the challenge with Janette most certainly helped as we could #STTFP together, talk about it obsessively and when out socialising #sayno to the chocolate being offered and laugh about it.
Please tell us about the changes you've experienced - weight loss, muscle gain, training gains, mindset shifts and lifestyle…
Slowly but surely, I have been getting leaner and stronger, and my fitness level has greatly improved. I will be forever grateful to the instructors at BBR for taking the time to correct my form and for encouraging me to up my weights and keep me motivated during the classes.
If you’ve had a Dexa Scan can please share any results you are comfortable with!
I would highly recommend a Dexa scan before and after a Challenge. As confronting as the first scan was, to see the results made me feel really proud and made the effort worthwhile. Overall, my visceral fat decreased by 64%, my body fat dropped from 39.1% to 28.9%, I increased my lean muscle mass by 1.5kg and lost a total fat mass of 9.2 kg - all in a calorie deficit. I will book another Dexa Scan later in the year as it’s a good way to keep me on track.
How are you maintaining everything now?! You are looking amazing!
When the Challenge finished, I kept going with my food plan until I achieved my goal weight and a little bit more. Since then, I have slowly increased my calories, based on the Dexa Scan recommendations, and maintained my workout schedule with the hope of continuing to increase my muscle mass without the scales changing. I read that it’s good to maintain your new weight for a period as your body remembers it’s heaviest weight - so I suppose I’ve been focusing on helping it forget!
What do you love most about your new health and fitness routine?
I still manage to fit in my walks and runs outside of my HIIT and Strength classes and I use this time to listen to podcasts with the aim of learning and gaining more knowledge about everything that BBR has instilled in me. I feel like I have kicked a lot of old habits and made some positive shifts to my lifestyle.
Do you have any upcoming goals you're now working on?
I’m very grateful for being shown a healthy balance with my exercise and eating. ‘Good food is fuel for the soul’ is the way I look at it now. Moving forward my goal is to start venturing back to my Ottolenghi cook books, brushing off the dust, and to adapt some of his recipes to suit my new learned appreciation of macros.
Any final words to share?
I love being part of the BBR family and have met some lovely people. I’m blown away at everyone’s transformations and also of the dedicated people attending the classes on such regular bases. So well done to everyone.
I am so excited to see what the future brings and what I can accomplish. Never say no to a Challenge.
FAST FIVE!
Fave HIIT/Strength station?
Lunges
Least fave?
Sissy squats - The only enjoyment with them is watching Justine do them!!
Fave café and your order there?
Stand’ In Room - Soy decaf mocha
Fave cheat meal out?
Shorehouse
Fave holiday destination?
New Zealand
