It took months of planning before jetsetting fashion designer Nairana Ormsby had the time to commit to the 12-week BodyBlitz challenge. Having discovered how to manage her health with an ever-changing lifestyle, she’s determined to keep going.
Looking back over my 12-week journey, I have to slightly giggle at myself. I have gone from being a jetsetter to a goal setter and taken back control of my health, and it feels absolutely invigorating!
I decided to enter the BodyBlitz challenge three months before I actually began. I work for an overseas company and run my own fashion label, which means a lot of my life is spent travelling and rarely staying in the same place longer than six weeks. I am also a mother of two beautiful daughters aged eight and 11, so trying to maintain a balance between work and family can be very interesting at times to say the least!
The fashion industry is very much about how you look. While it wasn’t a major contributor for my decision to undertake the challenge, I do feel from working in the industry there is a certain image to uphold. You become a very instrumental marketing tool when selling your product to the world as everybody wants to know the designer behind the collections. At the end of the day, in a cutthroat industry and all comes down to look.
Over the past few years, I managed to balloon out to become the heaviest I had ever been. It bothered me that my health and fitness was deteriorating due to the excess weight I was carrying. Any type of exercise during this period was very minimal and I knew I was not doing enough to sustain the eating and quite often bad eating. I felt this did not set a good example for my daughters.
My attitude before the challenge was always to prioritise ‘the good life’, but that was before the good life started to show on my hips! I would often wine and dine and just enjoy myself, but when I look back I see I was only neglecting myself. I have now learnt how to fuel my body and give it exactly what it needs in order to run at its best. It now really is the good life, full of healthy food and great workouts.
A good portion of my time spent away for work was going to be spent in Indonesia, so I enlisted the expertise of an amazing personal trainer by the name of Komang Arnawa. During the whole process he has been my strength and educator. I have learnt a wealth of knowledge not only from having him train me in exercise, but also about nutrition and mindset. I found having a personal trainer kept me more accountable and pushed me further than I could do myself. I would highly recommend finding a knowledgeable trainer that can assist you on your fitness journey.
Exercise routine
Monday: Strength training, one-hour moderate walk
Tuesday: Kickboxing session, one-hour moderate walk
Wednesday: Strength training, HIIT Session
Thursday: Kickboxing, one-hour moderate walk
Friday: Strength training, one-hour moderate walk
Saturday: One-hour cardio
Sunday: Rest
I would wake up at 4.45am each morning to make it to my training session and be back in time for my household to wake up. This meant my new regime wouldn’t get in the way of family and work. In the evenings I would disappear for an hour to do my cardio, but my family was so supportive and could only see the gains I was making by reclaiming my health and fitness. My daughters soon became my food critics. Any time they saw me thinking about eating something questionable, they would instantly question if it was part of my healthy eating plan. I was extremely regimented with my food as I had heard somewhere that abs are made in the kitchen, and I wanted abs! I ensured that each meal was carefully planned and in consultation with my trainer. I would report to him each day what I ate and how it made me feel. Through this I was learning how to understand the macronutrients of food and what worked for my body type.
Meal plan
Breakfast: 3-egg omelette with onion, capsicum and spinach
Snack: Green tea, half a cup quinoa or brown rice
Lunch: Chicken breast with avocado and a small salad
Snack: Protein shake
Dinner: Fresh fish with avocado, grated carrot and radish.
+ 3.5 litres of water daily and a protein shake pre-workout
During the challenge, I maintained my motivation by surrounding myself with people and literature that served my purpose. I ensured that every night before going to sleep I would study and read anything fitness and health related for at least 30 minutes so it would continue to keep my drive and motivation each day. This included everything health-related, from food to exercise and stories of everyday people and their own pursuits for a healthy, fit lifestyle. I found seeing other people’s remarkable transformations through social media a very useful motivational tool.
I owe my gratitude to my trainer, but also to my two daughters, who have cheered and coached me along the way. These two little girls are my strength and I know I have now set them a great example. I will never revert to lazy, horrible habits again; this is a lifelong lifestyle change!
