Every time F45 announces the winners of their renowned eight week challenge, we’re blown away by the results they’ve achieved. And Alica Walker, their most recent female winner, is no different.
The 24-year-old, who trained at the Dromana studio in Victoria, lost a total of 11.1kgs and 9.3% body fat in the two month period. We chatted to her about what prompted her to take on the challenge and how she found the program.
First off, congratulations! How did you feel when you found out you won?
I was so shocked, so so shocked. I had no idea. Absolutely no idea that I would even have a chance of winning and then my trainer, Sam, messaged me saying ‘you can’t tell anyone yet but you’re in the top three worldwide’ and was like ‘oh my god’. And then everyone found out before I did, I checked my phone on my lunch break at work and it was like crazy messages and everything and I was like ‘oh my god I’ve won’.
What prompted you to take on the program?
I started studying at the start of the year and I used to train, I used to go to personal training twice a week but because I had to drop some shifts at work I stopped going and sort of stopped exercising and focused more on my studying than what I was eating. Then my best friend actually did the challenge before I did and did amazing, she did so well. I was like right, that’s it, I’m going to do it. It’s only eight weeks it’s fine I’ll do it.
How did you find the challenge, was it hard?
I’ve been on diets and things like that before, I’ve done little challenges here and there but never really stuck to anything. So it was more mentally challenging, everyone knows I’m doing this challenge so I have to stick to it.
So it was hard mentally, more than anything. The food was great so I wasn’t going hungry. I really enjoyed the exercise and getting fitter again and the variety of the classes. But definitely a huge mental struggle in the first couple of weeks, like when you’re trying to go out to dinner with friends and stick to the meal plan. But when I got past week four I was loving eating well and getting up in the morning to exercise it became more of an enjoyment.
What changes did you struggle with more, the eating or the exercising?
Eating well on the weekends. I used to pretty eat clean during the week but go out on the weekends and get takeaway on a Friday, Saturday night and go out for breakfast on Sundays. I think just the social eating was a big change for me because I used to go out and eat so often, whereas [during the challenge] I would eat first, then come and get a tea instead of going out for lunch.
How often did you train?
I was training about five times a week.
Was there anything additional you did to help achieve your results?
I was walking about three or four times a week and for the last two weeks of the challenge I was training a bit more maybe seven or eight times a week just because I knew it was coming to an end!
How did you feel after the challenge?
So good. I’m sleeping so much better, I’ve got so much more energy during the day, my skin is so much clearer and I just feel so much better about myself, not hating how I look anymore.
Did it help having friends do it with you?
Yeah two of my friends joined up to do it with me, one was at another studio but it was so helpful knowing that I could hang out with them on the weekends when everyone else was going out and even just having them to message knowing that they were going through the same thing helped heaps.
What’s your health and fitness routine like now?
I’ve still been training five times a week and I’ve started doing the new challenge but just not as strict, trying to find a healthy balance where i can eat well but also enjoy myself on the weekends and not restrict myself.
What would you tell others who might be considering signing up?
Just do it! It’s hard, it’s definitely hard. I’ve had a few people message me and I’ve said just do it, it’s only eight weeks and it goes so fast. Eight weeks is nothing out of your life when you have such good results at the end of it it makes you feel so much better it’s so worth it.
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