Colleen accepts the makeover challenge

By Sarah Schwager
WINNER of the Star Makeover, Narre Warren South mother Colleen Tancredi, is pumped and ready to meet the challenges of the next 12 weeks.
Colleen, 35, says looking after her kids and a recent operation has seen her pile on weight she is now desperate to budge.
Thrilled to be chosen for the 12 week makeover, Colleen says she is prepared to work hard to drop her extra kilos.
“A lot of people don’t need that extra motivation, but right now I do so this is a good opportunity to tackle a few things,” she smiled.
“I got all the bad eating out of the way on the weekend and now I’m ready to start my new dieting and exercise regime.”
Colleen, 35, says she has always had weight issues and has trouble finding the motivation to eat right and exercise.
“I know what to eat to stay healthy but then I start to crave other foods like chocolate.
“Lately I’ve been overdoing it – a bit too much for a bit too long.”
Colleen is an athome mum and takes care of son Anthony, 5, daughter Rose, 3, and husband, David.
She said having young children also changed her diet.
“Anthony has got to have spaghetti bolognese and chicken schnitzel at least once a week,” she said.
Colleen says she had been doing well with her weight until a hernia operation last July.
“Leading up to and preceding the operation I stacked on a lot of weight.
“I wasn’t exercising and I was a bit depressed so I was eating more.”
She says now Anthony has started school and Rose is attending preschool, she has more time to herself.
“Anthony’s too old to put in a pram and so he tends to tire quickly when he’s walking.
“I feel selfish taking time out for myself to exercise.”
Colleen said her family and friends had been very supportive of her makeover.
“My husband, Dave, is looking forward to me becoming more active and healthy. He’s definitely enthused about it.
“He won’t dangle chocolate in front of me or anything.”
Colleen said she was excited about taking part in the makeover treatments, especially the chance to work with a personal trainer.
For the next 12 weeks Colleen will train twice a week with personal trainer and nutritionist Amanda Dean from Fitfa Life.
Colleen had her first training session earlier this week.
Amanda was full of praise for her new charge.
“I think she’s going to do really well,” Amanda said.
“Generally, with the first session people tend to struggle but her attitude was fabulous and she trained nice and hard.
“She made lots of funny noises but she got through it.”
Amanda said Colleen had completed 90 steps in three minutes, 43 situps in one minute and 10 full pushups in one minute.
She also tackled spinning and boxing and 50 situps with a medicine ball.
Colleen will have a threeday eating plan with recipes to follow and will be limited to 1400 calories on the other four days.
She will also fill out a training diary with everything she eats and drinks and will need to exercise each day she does not train.
Colleen said she was ready to work hard.
“I’m using this to motivate myself and get back to the way I was before,” she said. “To have my own personal trainer is a great thing. Amanda is so pumped and motivated she’ll go with me all the way.
“And all the other things along the way make it even more worthwhile.”
Colleen’s progress will be charted through the pages of the Gazette.