Not so very long ago, Karen Preston, of Coalville, was on the foothills of middle age, overweight and unfit. Now, at the age of 47, she has won the top female abs accolade at the Leicester Charity Bodybuilding Show. She tells Cheslyn Baker how she did it …
If anyone had told me three years ago I would be in a bodybuilding competition wearing a teeny bikini at the age of nearly 48, I would have thought they were mad. And yet, surrounded by a host of younger ladies in the toned figure class, that is what has happened, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Three years ago, at 5ft 4ins, I was a size 16-18. I was unhealthy and frumpy with a rapidly growing middle-aged spread. I was cross that I had let myself go and unable to stick to a diet.
My confidence was rock bottom and every day I would promise myself I would start yet another diet tomorrow. I had yo-yo dieted for years.
Becoming frightened about the real prospect of health problems such as diabetes, I joined yet another gym; I started at Leicester’s U Fit Studio on their ‘fit into your jeans challenge’.
The coaches educated me about healthy nutrition and I soon got back my love of weight training which I had abandoned years before. I fit into my size 10 jeans very quickly and then a size eight within a year.
Last December I moved to Generation Fitness Gym in Coalville, which was much closer to home, and started training with personal trainer/ massage therapist, Aaron Lee, of Unique Performance.
I really enjoyed the motivating and upbeat body-building environment and got on brilliantly with Aaron, whose training and nutritional programme meant I gained muscle and strength.
A few people even suggested I should enter a body-building competition and I shrugged it off, but eventually I started to wonder.
While visiting my son in Australia, I suddenly thought why not? Goals and challenges have become something I love and I saw this as a sort of a celebration of my achievements.
My husband and son have always been very supportive of me, for which I am thankful.
Once I got back home I told Aaron straight away because I thought if I did I wouldn’t be able to back out! He encouraged me to go for it and set about finding a competition.
I chose Leicester Charity BodyBuilding Show because its charitable status appealed to me, so I could meet my goal and help raise money at the same time.
My personal goal was simple – to enjoy the experience, feel proud and confident and know that I had given the challenging preparation 100 per cent commitment.
Aaron prepped me for stage, ensuring that both physical and mental health was paramount in a challenging process that many people find difficult. I met my goal feeling really good, happy and healthy. I didn’t get in the top three in my class but that had never been my focus.
However, I was absolutely delighted to receive a special award for best abs across all females in all categories.
Initially, I was really worried about what people would think of a middle-aged wife, mother and step-grandma entering a bodybuilding competition.
I needn’t have worried. I have been overwhelmed with the support received and was surrounded by family and friends on the day.
All my fellow competitors were really lovely and many of us have kept in touch and become friends, which was an unexpected added bonus.
I was also surprised by a vast amount of women who approached or messaged me afterwards to offer congratulations and say how much I had inspired them to take control of their own health and weight issues.
If I can inspire just one person to improve their health it makes me very happy.
More than 300 people attended the show, which raised £3,450 for Help for Heroes, Down’s Syndrome, Cerebra and Leicester Children’s Air Ambulance, so it was a huge success all round.
My personal journey to losing weight and becoming fit also led me to me to reevaluate my life. Before joining UFit, I was an adult education officer for Leicestershire County Council and then an office co-ordinator at Loughborough College.
I left over a year ago and, after a break, started teaching pilates again, choosing the Hermitage FM Cafe, Coalville, as my venue. I had taught pilates before and decided to return to it to promote healthy lifestyles to others.
I decided to run small groups with only six people per class, to ensure students get individual attention rather than larger less personal classes.
Courses in nutrition helped me expand my business to include personalised weight loss coaching using my experiences.
Inspire Pilates and Weight Loss Coaching has been operating for almost 12 months and I feel privileged that I can teach, mentor, inspire and motivate others.
I truly believe it is possible to achieve anything you wish so long as you put your mind to it and believe in yourself.
Entering competitions is not for everyone but exercise and good nutrition vastly improves your physical and mental health, confidence and outlook. It is a myth that you have to starve yourself to look good in a bikini. If you get the training and nutrition right you can eat lots of good quality food – my friends are amazed with the amount I eat.
I am extremely disciplined during competition preparation but don’t find it difficult as my personal goals keep me strong and focused and I love my healthy lifestyle and how it makes me feel. During the off-season my diet will be similar but a little more relaxed, with some different foods and the occasional treat.
The only question is: what now?
Courtesy of: Leicester Mercury