Q & A: Tania Susack – 1st in Women’s Transformation

Please give us a short history of your journey to health and fitness before the challenge.

Have gone from thin to overweight a few times since my twenties. Stress eating, and sitting behind a PC without any exercise are my usual issue. Got healthy in my late 30s then decided to have my 1st and only baby at age 39, 1 month before my 40th. The stress of the NICU for a month and just being a new mom sent me backward. At my heaviest weight, some health issues followed, and I had my gallbladder removed and I had high Cholesterol.

What prompted you to join the Sleekgeek Transformation Challenge?

My mom and I had a 1-month weight loss competition between the 2 of us, before a family vacation. Made me realize how much a competitive environment helped keep me focused. Found Sleekgeek online. No idea what to expect. Signed up. And once I saw the FB clubhouse I made my first introductory post. Decided to just throw myself out there. Little did I know that it would be that post that was going to lead to me reconnecting with my childhood friend that I had not seen or spoken to since primary school. My buddy in the challenge and now hopefully lifelong friend.

Give us a quick overview of the nutrition and eating plan that you followed during the challenge.

I was unable to follow an eating plan directly. Had to pick and choose elements and take guidance more than exact plans. I have specific ‘no go’ foods due to my cholesterol. Foods that cause me issues due to the lack of a gallbladder. Plus a gluten intolerance that I’ve had since I was 30. I did learn, thanks to the macros, etc, just how important protein is, so started including a lot more protein into my diet. Protein really assists in stopping cravings. Lots of tinned tuna, fresh vegetables, beans, lentils, pork fillet, and chicken breasts. Followed an intermittent fasting routine which meant no food after 8 pm which also greatly assisted in stopping my nighttime TV snacking.

Give us a quick overview of the training and exercise plan that you followed during the challenge.

Another merge of various bits and pieces. Largely followed a HIIT routine found online. Merged that with Team Challenges that I saw posted by Sleekgeek so each week it would change up and stay interesting. Started off with just moving being a challenge. It was ok if it took me longer to complete x reps, so long as I tried. Then built onto that each week pushing harder and faster. I have limited time each day so as part of my ‘No Excuses’ rule, I found myself squeezing in smaller workouts when I could rather than just not doing anything because ‘there is not enough time’. Burpees in the am, lunchtime HIIT, evening burpees, or 20min cardio in front of the tv became a standard. I thought the ’50 burpees a day’ challenge was ridiculous but figured I’d give it a go anyways. Turns out they are magic. By the end, I was up to 200 burpees a day. They are a great way to start and end my day.

If you could give 3 pieces of advice to future challengers, what would they be?

1. Don’t be shy. Share your journey with the group. It’s a great way to self-reflect. Reminds you that it’s ok to have a bad day and not give up. No one is perfect – we are all in this together. People are very supportive.
2. It’s ok if you cannot do everything. Do what you can and build from there. Just get moving. Find things you enjoy and make you feel good. No one is going to judge you if you cannot do a perfect pushup. Do 5 half pushups and then add some extra of something you can do.
3. Nutrition really is a large part of weight loss. Without good nutrition, you’ll lack the energy to move, and end up with those binge cravings. Fuel your body well and you’ll feel the difference. Make the Calories that you choose count.

Why should people enter the challenge?

Support. It doesn’t matter who you are, doing it alone is really really hard. I understand that the Teams can help a lot. Personally, I am not a team person. I know the team really helped my friend and buddy in the challenge. I found that the FB community made me feel like I was part of the larger SG community and for me, that was enough.