A NEW mum from Clifton Springs has won her first bodybuilding competition six months after giving birth.
Susannah Gattellaro, 31, started working on her post-baby body two weeks after welcoming little Allira on April 1, and now Ms Gattellaro and her rock hard abs will represent the country.
From morning cardio to full-time work and evening weights sessions, her baby never left her side.
“Once I got the all clear from my doctor, I started training,” Ms Gattellaro said.
“We just got into a routine, luckily she was a good baby. She was up at 6am, I’d give her bottle then we’d go outside to our little home gym and she’d settle next to me on the treadmill.
“If she wasn’t settled or upset, my training stopped immediately. My daughter came first.”
Ms Gattellaro had planned to enter the Nabba/WFF Federation competition last year but fell pregnant and said she gained 22kg.
Working in the fitness industry at Ryrie St shop AWA Fitness, she said she did feel pressure to maintain a toned physique, but her main motivation was wanting to be a good role model for her daughter.
A strict high-protein, low-carb diet, lots of water and perseverance saw Ms Gattellaro lose 14kg and reduce her body fat percentage from 26 to 10.9 between April 30 and last Wednesday.
“Not everyone would agree with it, but at the end of the day it’s my life goal,” she said.
“The competition itself was so nerve wracking, just seeing all these other beautiful, fit women.
“I had to remind myself that at the end of the day I’ve just had a baby, whatever happens, happens. Winning was just the icing on the cake.”
After winning the over-30s bikini category of the weekend competition, she’s now off to the Australian Titles in Melbourne in two weeks, with a view to represent the nation in South Africa.
Courtesy of: Geelong Advertiser