I’ve been doing the USN 12 Week Body and Lifestyle challenge as part of the Expresso Breakfast TV Show Celebrity Challenge. Watch Expresso every Monday – Friday on SABC 3 from 6-8am.

I can’t believe the challenge is almost over… I still have a lot of work to do in the next 3 weeks, but I am absolutely amazed at the results so far.

It has honestly changed my life. I don’t know how to explain it and perhaps you’ll only truly understand if you’ve been through something like this, but they weren’t kidding when they said it’s a Lifestyle Challenge.

I never used to be the girl who would wake up looking forward to gym. I certainly was not the girl who would feel guilty if I missed a session. I wasn’t the girl who said no to chocolate, who said no to bad foods or an extra piece of cake. Now, I think of all the hard work I’ve done training and eating right, do I really want to ruin it with a bad meal?

I also thought I knew what being healthy meant – eating correctly and exercising, right??

Sure… but there is so much more to it. Food I thought was healthy and food that actually is healthy are two very different things. I used to shy away from strength training because I didn’t want to be a beefcake. How wrong that thought process is… strength training is vital to build muscle mass and keep your body strong. As women, we don’t have the hormones or ability to naturally bulk up, so we’ll build muscle mass that is proportional for our body structure. Strength training has really toned my legs and my arms and the cardio is helping break down the fat.

It hasn’t just been physical, it’s been emotional and psychological too. I have learned so much about myself and grown my confidence levels in such a positive way that I’ve never felt better.

I am constantly on the go whether it’s to meetings, voice overs, functions, appearances or my radio shows; so I spend a lot of time in my car.

This is what my car looks like now: Tupperware with my chicken salad lunch, my supplements (either in the car or in my bag, when I’m traveling) and several bottles of water. A few weeks ago (9 to be exact), you would have seen a very different picture of: cold drink tins, packets of crisps and fast food/ drive through packets when that was so convenient being on the go all the time.

I still have a way to go and I honestly do look at those Before and After photos USN advertise and PANIC think: OMG, I don’t know if I’m going to look like that After photo. Crap! What if I don’t look that good?

BUT, when I think about how far I’ve come from where I started, I am thrilled already. I just have to keep going…

I think it’s also difficult because I don’t have a reference point. It’s not like I had a rocking body in the first place, then put on weight and now I’m trying to get it back to what it was. I’ve never been had a great, toned body, so I can’t imagine what I could possibly look like.

I just want to be the best, healthiest version of me. I am not aiming to look like a Victoria Secret model, I’m looking to be healthy, toned and fit.

The reality is, I’m close so if it doesn’t happen in exactly 12 weeks I’ll keep going and it will happen in week 13 or 14. All I know is this lifestyle isn’t just for 12 weeks, it’s forever and it feels healthy, good and energizing.

Expresso came to film the other day and I introduced them to my mom, Jenny and dad, Charles and my BFF Karolina Sky who have been so helpful, motivating and encouraging … See the video: