Dan & Katy's Fitness Challenge

They've been getting hot for summer, check them out now!

You've been listening to them go on about it for the last 12 weeks. We can now reveal who won!

Congratulations to Jen & Jeni on Team Katy, they've only gone and won the challenge - and a holiday to Ibiza, courtesy of USN.

They've been keeping us all up to date with blogs and vlogs find out how their journey went below.

Where it all started!

One week to go!

The End of the Challenge!

READ THE BLOGS HERE

Dan's Final Blog

THE FINISH LINE!!
 
So after twelve weeks intense workouts, a diet change and under the scrutiny of Mel from team USN my fitness challenge is finally over!  Twelve weeks ago I remember looking at before and after pictures from other aspiring fitness freaks while thinking ‘I’m never going to be in that shape in just three months’  So how did I do?
 
I’ll be honest, I’m not quite where I was hoping to be at the end of this challenge BUT I’m a lot further down the road toward reaching my goal. It’s extremely hard being able to dedicate a couple of hours a day, six days a week on doing all the workouts. Especially with a busy job and a young family. It’s not an excuse but my advice if you’re thinking of embarking on the challenge is to make sure it’s at the quietest time in your schedule possible!
 
Having said that I did manage to complete around 8 of the 12 weeks with full intensity. On the weeks where I struggled for time I tried to make up for it by sacrificing my cheat day and still eat healthily.  It must have worked because I hit my target weight with two weeks to spare, a sign of how committed USN were in getting me on the right programme for my body & lifestyle
 
I used a range of supplements along the way to help boost my body change, a mix of fat burners, amino acid drinks, meal replacement protein shakes and specially designed shakes for after your workout. These were all provided by USN and in all honesty I can say these were the best tasting shakes out of all the ones I’ve tried over the years.  They definitely helped the process and I used these supplements for around 10 out of the 12 weeks before they ran out.
 
What have I learnt: I can eat quite a lot of food, more than I thought. It’s just making sure it’s the right food, no more starving myself on salads.  I discovered it only takes around four weeks for people to start noticing a change, and coming from someone who (sob sob) doesn’t get many image compliments this was a HUGGGGE boost to my self-esteem.
 
So to sum up:  While I'm not 100% where I wanted to be by now, it has set me up to complete the challenge in my own time and has been a mahoosive kick start towards a body a 35 year old man can be proud of! It’s changed my life for the better, a sentence that I’m really proud to be able to say.
 
I was also very impressed with the other members of ‘Team Dan’. A big shout out to Luke & Hannah who both really got their teeth stuck into the challenge & seem delighted with the results.
 
Also a big shout to Ultimate Fitness Birmingham & Team Des for letting us use their gyms & facilities throughout the challenge.

Luke's Final Blog

Can't believe the challenge has ended!  The continuous monitoring of diet, following of exercise plans, and meeting up for gym sessions has now become a normal part of my daily routine, and I have to say, I'm going to miss it!  In the beginning I was a bit sceptical as to how much of a difference it would really make, I thought I already had a decent diet and I did a variety of training that I thought kept me in good shape.  But following Mel's diet and fitness plan was a whole new regime for me.  Starting the day with enough food to feed a family didn't seem normal and as I struggled to consume the volume of food/water that was on it I did wonder what the hell I was doing.  Strangely though I felt energised through the whole day and following the workouts I actually lost weight whilst gaining muscle... result!!
 
Individually for me it's changed my approach to diet and training.  I now make sure I drink lots of water, and I eat a lot in the morning to give me energy through the day so I don't have tired spells at work.  With training it's given me some new ideas and some new ways of doing weight training that will have a great effect on my body.
 
As a couple it’s meant we do more things together.  The fact our diet plans are similar (except I have more of everything!) means that we are preparing and eating meals at the same time most days.  With training Hannah will actually go to the gym now which was unheard of before, and she understands the physical & mental benefits so doesn't moan at me for wanting to go!  We sometimes train or do a class together as well!
 
My favourite supplement was the Chocolate Hardcore Whey that I take after training, I felt like it was having a really good effect and on the odd occasion when I missed taking it I really noticed the muscle soreness the next day.  I really think it was because of that that I was able to train at such a high intensity for 6 days a week.  Another great addition to our cupboard was the protein dessert, it replaced all the junk food that was there previously, and tasted really good as well, it was just like having a chocolate angel delight!!  I’ve never eaten chocolate before that was so good for you!!

I would definitely recommend the body makeover to others, although following a strict plan of dieting with supplements and training every day is tough, the benefits of having a healthy body and feeling better and more energetic through the day make it all worthwhile, and other people commenting that we look in much better shape definitely gave me the encouragement to keep going with it.
 
Thanks for all your help Mel.

Hannah's Final Blog

Although the challenge part of the body makeover has finished, for me it’s really kick started a new attitude to exercise and diet.  Before this I always thought the less I ate, the more weight I would lose.  When Mel gave me my diet plan I thought I was going to put weight on because although it was all healthy there seemed to be a lot of it.  It turns out I was wrong.  Eating the big breakfast stopped me craving chocolate all the time, I’ve even managed to stay away from my secret chocolate stash! Occasionally when I need something sweet in the evening the protein desserts are great, especially the chocolate one.  My first hurdle was actually walking through the gym doors, now I’m a regular gym goer it seems weird to think I was so scared that first time.
 
Individually for me it’s changed the way I think about protein and supplements, before I thought it was just for men, but now I have it in my porridge every morning and I feel so much better for it.  With the gym it’s made me feel more comfortable as I had never been before.  I would have felt lost but now I actually enjoy walking around and doing the exercises Mel has shown me.
 
As a couple I’ve enjoyed us going for runs together.  Also we have similar diet plans so it means Luke has got more involved in the kitchen and it’s not just me doing all of the cooking, about time he pulled his weight!
 
I’ve enjoyed learning about exercise and diet, and finally joining a gym.  I really liked the sessions at Des' gym, there really was no hiding place and Mel looked very pleased with herself when she finally made me sweat!
 
The vanilla Whey Protein was my favourite supplement, it tasted a bit like melted ice cream so I actually looked forward to having it after the workout.  For convenience the protein soups were great, I work away a lot meaning the soups were a lifesaver and stopped me from snacking on junk.
 
I would definitely recommend the USN body makeover challenge and supplements to everyone.  Although I haven’t lost weight as that wasn’t really my aim, my fitness levels have improved dramatically and it’s made me feel so much better and have a lot more energy.

Katy's Final Blog

So it’s the end of the 12 week challenge, though i don’t really feel like it’s the end, if that makes sense! I’ve learnt a lot about health and fitness over the last 3 months and feel that making the right choices what to eat and how to work out means it now comes as second nature to me to make the right choices.

My workouts were varied, from suicide squash, to tennis, circuits, sprints etc. Often they were outside which I love as I’m a massive hippy at heart, so if I can combine my love for nature with sport, then boom-ting!

It was great having my trainer Karl constantly at hand to ask about best food options etc, he was a great support and made the whole process a lot of fun. I think my downfall were the weekends, its hard turning your nose up to a bacon bap when your boyfriends cooking one for himself! I was also pretty poor at not drinking, I did cut down, though probably not as much as I needed to. Maybe that’s my next goal, another 12 weeks challenge free of alcohol! .... I will start when I get pregnant! ;)

Team Katy: Jen
Updated 14th April: So I am definitely team Katy’s weakest link!  I spent the first week waddling round like an elderly woman thanks to the exercises given to us by Karl (lunges are not my friends).  This caused a lot of amusement in my office as I eased myself in and out of chairs ridiculously slowly, at least the pain I was in meant I avoided the office cakes as walking to get one would have been too sore!  Week two and I was away for work in the US.  Amazingly I managed to be well behaved with the food.  The exercise didn’t go too well however as I managed to damage my toe quite badly with the trainers I was wearing (turns out you need to loosen them at the bottom when running), so I got in only one run but managed the daily exercises with a lot less waddling the following day.  Week three and I have the flu L (so I’m now talking like an elderly woman) this means I’m not allowed to exercise.
 
The food was the bit that had me most worried as I’ve historically always been rubbish at giving up on food I love, luckily knowing that I would be letting down the team has kept me pretty honest.  During the day is the easy bit and I love that I am constantly snacking and never hungry, I don’t even mind taking the green tea and xedra-cut tablets (which seem to have worked wonders on my weightloss this week).  I’m even managing to eat breakfast on a weekend as I can grab one of the protein shakes when I’m running late (which is most weekends) to take with me as I walk the dog.  The evening is where it gets really difficult, especially when your other half tucks into some lovely smelling chips and you are faced with a bowl of soup!  All I can say is thank goodness for cheat night.  I spend my week planning how I’m going to misbehave on that evening!

All this hard work is paying off though, I’ve lost a phenomenal 3.9kg so far (far more than I expected).  I had a bit of a wobble in the first week when I gained 0.5kg despite best efforts but it has just got better each week since.  I’m so looking forward to seeing how I look at the end of the challenge.

Team Katy: Jeni
Updated 14th April: So, it's the start of week three - the hardest three weeks of my life!  We started with exercises on week one, and I can honestly say I've never felt such pain, and having something challenge every day walking so much.  I'm sure people must have thought I'd just got back from the wild west with  my walking "style".  One of the biggest challenges with the food, was trying to get it into my head that I was to eat MANY more times than I was used to.  This was a very bizarre concept to me!

With Jen having the flu this week, she has had to step down from training, so I got what seemed like Jen's share of the exercises - Thanks Karl!

When Karl handed out the Xedra-cut, I thought I'd be as high as a kite with the caffeine, but they didn't seem to have any effect like that.  The protein shakes are delicious.  They're always handy to have around the house for if you're short of time, but need a balanced meal.  

Week two and this week have been much better now my body has become accustomed to the exercises, so I can at least walk normally!  It's lots of hard work, and it's taking a lot of dedication, but we're doing it, and we're doing it well!!!! Go Team Katy!

Team Dan: Luke
Updated 14th April: After just 1 week of the new diet and fitness plan I'm already noticing big changes in both of us.  I work long hours and used to have tired spells, however now although I seem to be eating constantly I don't have tired spells and energy levels in both work and the gym are really good.  The new fitness plan has focused my training on specific muscle groups, its made a huge difference and although I get up each morning to a different body part aching I can already see a change.

I've been really impressed that Hannah has actually turned up to the gym, the first time she went she walked in, jumped on the nearest bike and then ran out again 30 mins later, however Mel finally managed to get her to lift some weights, and after a few sessions she actually looks like she's enjoying it, not to mention she was posing in front of the mirror  afterwards and we both thought we saw a muscle in her arm that actually twitched when she tensed it, early days but so far so good!!

Katy's Blog

Updated 28th May: I’m not going to lie, I ate and drank a fair bit on my holidays, you do though don’t you?! A nice glass of wine here, a cider in the sun there. But I counterbalanced this with surfing every day and a couple of jogs and bike rides, so all in all my week off wasn’t too bad for my USN challenge! Had my first training session after my hols on Wednesday, it was a nice sunny day in Bruton park, so got extra hot sprinting between cones and doing press ups on park benches. Did a big supermarket shop for fruit, veg, eggs, prawns and chicken at the start of the week, to load up on all things healthy. So all in all it's going ok, just need to keep this determination going!

Updated 22nd April: So previously I’ve told you all how I am pretty darn good at this fitness thing Monday to Friday, I train most days and eat healthily; it's just the weekends that let me down! So I decided to try and rectify the weekends slobber by booking in a training session with Karl on Saturday morning. I managed to persuad my lovely boyfriend William to come along for the ‘fun’ as I called it, however what neither of us had prepared for was a massive night out on the Friday. I awoke full of enthusiasm, I showered and changed into sports kit, filled up my water bottle and jumped into my trainers. This energy soon dwindled as my hangover set in. Karl had us both jumping on and off a park bench which made my head feel like it was rattling around inside my skull. I was tired and suddenly very hung over, after an hour of hell the session ended. However as we got home we realised we had locked ourselves out of the house. I think Karl would have been very proud of the gymnastics we then had to do to pull ourselves onto the roof and scramble through a small bathroom window!  In conclusion I can say with my hand on my heart I am NEVER training hung over again!!

Updated 7th April: The last 2 weeks of my fitness regime have gone ‘fairly’ well. I’m eating correctly in the week and have been exercising regularly. My personal trainer has set me daily challenges such as press ups, sit ups etc which I am to do throughout the day. My usual Grand Design watching afternoons are now spent firming up my belly! The weekends are a slight problem with me as I like to spend them eating and drinking whatever I can get my hands on! So I’m trying to pick healthier options and get in some biking or running where poss. Still enjoying a few wines at the weekend though... Sorry Karl!

Dan's Blog

Updated 28th May: I think the hardest part of this USN 12 week body transformation challenge has been keeping disciplined during Bank Holiday Weekends.  So this has not been helped by the fact we’ve had THREE in just 6 weeks!  I work Bank Holidays DJ’ing and hosting while you bunch are on the pop but I normally like to get involved  - just to keep myself on a level with you lot ;) So I’ve probably had my worst week so far in terms of training. I missed a couple of days through a combination of tiredness, lack of time and laziness. It wasn’t all bad news though,  I managed to stay away from the crisps and sweets in the Green Room backstage at Pride while everyone munched away. I also sacrificed my cheat day in order to make up for it, but it’s time to step up another gear now I’m into the final month. After the changes I noticed in my body after a few weeks, I seemed to have hit a plateau a bit now so that’s my signal to push it up a notch. I’ll report back!

Updated 22nd April: So I’m nearly a month into the 12 week challenge to transform my body for the summer.  At the end of training session with Mel from USN earlier this week it was the dreaded ‘weigh in & measurement’ update.  Turns out I’m on track to complete something for the first time in my life, 2kgs lighter & 4cm trimmer around my waist isn’t a bad start I’ve been told.  Still can’t see my abs though, I blame the chunk of chocolate I inhaled on my cheat day last Sunday.
 
I was joined in training last week by Luke who is one half of ‘Team Dan’. Luke & his girlfriend Hannah are taking on Katy's team. The winners get a free trip to show off their new bodies in Ibiza. Luke is basically a taller & better looking version of me so my aim is to be like him at the end of the 12 weeks now!
 
I’ve been taking various supplements from USN, the first week was quite intensive but for the most part it's just been protein shakes before & after training alongside a very healthy diet.  My initial feelings of hunger have now been replaced with energy now that my bloody sugar levels have balanced out. I’ve had no sugar or fizzy drinks for three weeks & don’t miss it anymore.
 
I still ache, and the training is still hard. I often remind myself I could take it easier but that would be pointless in the long run.
 
Nine weeks to go!

Updated 7th April: How long does it take to get a new body? Just 12 weeks I was told by the guys at USN, that’s not so bad I thought, my route to Adonis proportions only works out to 86 days. They gave me some nutrition supplements, told me what to eat, when to eat it and how many chews I needed to do with each mouthful.
 
So after two weeks how do I feel? Achey, broken and mentally scarred! I won’t lie, my body knows new depths of soreness and the thought of another two days before I can have a cheat meal and a day off is just cruel. Even my keyboard looks like a hamburger right now. (Edible keyboards, now there’s an idea for Dragons Den!)
 
So why am I doing it? Well here’s the weirdest part of it all. Apart from all the aching, the clicky bones, a fridge devoid of beer & my non existent social life – I FEEL PRETTY DAMN RUDDY GOOD
 
My energy is through the roof, I’m actually getting stuff done in the afternoon instead of sitting on my sofa in my pants watching Sky Sports News and sucking all the chocolate off a packet of jaffa cakes.  Now while that seems like fun (and it is), it wasn’t doing much for my efforts to get my thirty something waistline resembling a washboard.
 
So do I have a washboard stomach yet? No.
 
But my belt has been loosened by a buckle and that’s a start.
 
I’d love to stay and write some more but I’ve got posing to practice for when/if I’m shredded for summer!