VITAL STATS:
Name Belinda GreeneHome Berowra, NSW
Age 28
Height 154cm
WEIGHT BEFORE: 72 KG
WEIGHT AFTER: 52 KG
The gain Belinda Greene was in a rut. At 26, she suffered low self-esteem, the “ups and downs of relationships”, and after commuting an hour every day to a desk job in Sydney, lacked the energy to exercise. Greene, no longer the 18-year-old who could eat what she wanted and sit on 50-something kilos, had peaked at 72kg. “Because I’m 154cm, this weight made me feel like a chubber,” she says. “I treated knock-backs in life with food, but my metabolism had caught up with me.”
The change “I couldn’t stand looking at myself in the mirror. I was almost size 16 and couldn’t buy what I wanted off the rack. I got puffed going up even a small flight of stairs,” says Greene. “I tried every fad diet, over-the-counter weight-loss pills, programs... you can spend a lot of cash on weight loss without realising.” After a string of failures, she enlisted a team of experts, including fitness champion Mel Zimmerman*.
The life The first time Greene trained with Mel and her body-sculpting crew, she nearly threw up. “My legs cramped, I fell over, but I kept going. And kept going. And kept going.” She also consulted a naturopath for dietary advice, but the most significant help came from hypnotherapist Mark Stephens**, who she met through Zimmerman. You can listen to Stephens’ Think Slim hypnotherapy recordings on MP4s in your own time. Greene admits she was sceptical, but she gave it a go. “He relaxes you so you go into hypnosis, then trains your mind to pick up better habits,” explains Greene. “After hearing him say, ‘Drink more water, drink more water, drink more water’ in my first listening session, I walked past a tap and, well, drank more water. I heard Mark’s catchphrases all the time.” Spooky.
The reward The combo of training, better nutrition and hypnotherapy got Greene to her goal of 52kg and size 8. “There is no quick fix. It’s all exercise, diet and attitude,” she says. Now she’s even considering body sculpting. “It’s a lot of hard work; it puts stress on the body. I might not achieve competition level next year, but maybe the year after that.” Her newfound strength also helped her cope when she lost her job in insurance due to the GFC earlier this year. Thankfully employed again, Greene is now inspiring others. “I train with my friends, and people who’ve seen me lose weight ask for tips and guidance with food or training,” she says. “I helped a [male] 150kg friend to reach 95kg. That is what really makes me happy.”
Belinda’s tips:
RECORD YOUR WORKOUTS “Write down exactly what you do on a calendar on your wall, nomatter how small. Helps you stay accountable.”
TREAT THE CAUSE, NOT JUST THE SYMPTOM “Seek counselling if you emotionally eat.”
FIND AN IDOL “I was inspired by Arnie. Seriously. He’s a machine, mentally and physically.
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