TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM TESTIMONIALS

Our participants love our retreats so much that they want to tell you all about their transformations. Many of them will even be happy to chat to you about their experience. Register your interest to find out about our next retreat.

Helena Jovanoska

“My arm was twisted to do the Level Up program again, but I’m really glad that it was. There wasn’t much time between the last Level Up and this Level Up. I was convinced to do it, and I’m glad that I was. I initially got a message from you asking if I wanted to do the Level Up program again, and I was highly offended, thinking, "Oh, what? I didn’t do well enough in the first Level Up program, so I have to do it again?" Then I got a message from Jane, who said, "Do you want to do the Level Up program again?" I asked her if she was actually joking and then realised that she was dead serious. The more that I thought about it, and the more that she talked to me about it, the more I felt that this was a great opportunity to continue moving forward and upward, I suppose, on my journey.

The second time doing Level Up was definitely a different focus for me. I thought that I had learned all that I needed to know to be able to continue my health journey in a positive direction. But the focus for me the second time around was maybe refining and fine-tuning those skills that I had. One of the things that I realised after doing the second Level Up program was that, yes, I did learn a lot, but there’s always so much more to learn. There definitely was a slip, especially with nutrition, and this is the one thing that I realised doing the Level Up program a second time around.

When Jane and I did the first round of Level Up, we approached it as a lifestyle program, not just a "give it all you’ve got" for X amount of days or weeks, so that we could continue the program afterwards. I think that we did very well. However, for me, the nutrition part of it was really essential for me to get right to be able to continue with my journey. I realised that, whilst it was a lifestyle and I had made drastic changes to my nutrition, there were still things that were easily negated in everyday life. I think the second time around, the challenges for me were different.

One of the biggest takeaways for me was that you need a toolkit of strategies to be able to be successful. Sometimes you think one strategy is going to be enough, but you actually need a number of strategies because the one strategy won’t work all of the time. Building on the strategies and the skills was important for me.

I don’t think there was anything that surprised me about the program. What surprised me? I surprised myself. I surprised myself in that I didn’t think that I needed the program again. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the program refocuses and helps you find that clarity to move forward. I really loved doing the program the first time. The second time was amazing because I learned so much more about myself.

I knew that I could do hard things from the first program, but I think that really cemented that for me. It’s not about the roadblocks. It’s about moving forward. It’s about overcoming them and keeping on. I think that’s really important. My mindset had improved to the point where choosing the hard thing is not a hard thing, really. It’s the best thing. Sometimes you think, "Oh, I just can’t." But you know within yourself you can, and you do, and it feels great. That sense of accomplishment. That sense of, "Yeah, I really can do hard things."

Definitely the gut biome educational module was hugely beneficial for me. Thinking about the different chemicals that we need to feel good and to do things, and the way that the gut processes serotonin. It’s the education modules that are hugely beneficial, along with the nutrition and the exercise.

If you’ve done one round and you’re thinking about doing it again, I would absolutely, totally recommend you do it. As I said at the beginning, I felt like my arm was being twisted, but I’m so glad that I made the choice to do it again. Jane and I have talked about doing it yet again.

My health journey, I think, is a lot harder than what Jane’s is, I suppose, in terms of my weight. But the benefits that you get, not just from losing weight, are amazing.

So yes, absolutely. Do it. Do it. Do it.”

Jane Rubino

“Before the start of the program, my routine was quite jumbled. There wasn’t really any set routine that I felt was good for my health. I went to bed late and got up late, depending on what I was doing each day. My diet wasn’t exactly good either. I’d eat on the run or grab something quick and easy. Protein was quite limited, which was a real worry for me, but I was struggling to incorporate it into my diet. Being vegetarian made it feel a bit more difficult. I also wasn’t doing enough walking or additional exercise, such as mobility, stretching or balance work. Balance is an issue for me, so I knew I needed to focus on extra balance exercises. I wasn’t focusing on my health. I wasn’t focusing on me. Stress was also a big issue in my life before the program.

Emily encouraged me to do Level Up. She gives a lot of good advice and felt the program would benefit other aspects of my life, even though my intention was definitely not to lose weight because I didn’t need to. She was 100% right.

To be honest, the cost did concern me. I also had a lot of input from friends and family saying, “What a load of nonsense. What a waste of time. What are you doing? It doesn’t sound like your type of thing.” There was a lot of negative input and pressure not to do it. I began questioning myself and wondering whether I was doing the right thing. It was a big “what if” at the time. I thought to myself, worst-case scenario, it won’t be for me. It might not benefit or change my life, but at least it would give me something to do and a little bit of focus. I had the time, and it wasn’t going to be a negative experience. If anything, it could be positive. So I thought, “You know what? I’m just going to go for it.”

It’s hard to pick one pillar that shifted the most. I think mindset and nutrition, but really, I changed a lot. I found the workbook really helpful because it kept you on track. You could look back, see what you were doing and what you weren’t doing, and see the progress you’d made. It was good to have that visual to work with. All the videos were next level too. Doing it on my own, I probably never would’ve done it. Knowing other people were doing it too made a difference. A lot of people were focused on losing weight, but that also requires commitment and mindset. I may not have been trying to lose weight, but I was trying to get my mind back on track and become more proactive about my physical and mental health. Everybody was working on those things, regardless of whether weight loss was their goal, so I didn’t feel like I was on my own.

One of my biggest surprises was sticking to the protein side of things and getting some good tofu recipes from Emily. I’d never really factored tofu into my life before, even though I’m vegetarian. My diet had been very restricted and regimented for a long time, so changing it was a huge deal for me and wasn’t always easy. I had to push to make it work, but it did. I was really surprised because I didn’t think I’d be able to do it. The walking surprised me too. One week, I walked for seven hours and 50 minutes, and I thought, “That’s pretty cool.” There was a lot that I changed, and it made me feel really positive and proud.

The structured, proven plan was probably the most valuable part for me. I’m a big person for structure. The workbook, the check-ins and recording your wins at the end of the day were all very encouraging and important to me. I had lots of reminders stuck up around my kitchen. It might’ve been unnecessary, but it gave me that extra incentive and drive. I felt more positive each day, getting up and knowing I was going to do A, B, C and D. You had a plan and a goal, and that really helped. The videos were great too, not just the exercise and mobility videos, but also the meditation and the education around nutrition, stress and the other pillars. They were helpful, interesting and informative. The weekly Zoom meetings were also good because you knew there were other people doing what you were doing and going through the same things.

Since the program, I make sure I cook and eat decent food and have the right things in the kitchen. When I go shopping, I make sure I’m buying what’s important. I read labels now — that’s your fault, I think — and if I see something I don’t want in a product, I put it straight back. I want to get out and walk each day. I want to get outside in the morning, take in the light and get some fresh air into my lungs. Even though the program has finished, I still like to stretch first thing in the morning. I have a bit of a back problem, and stretching wakes my body up. Little things like that have become habits rather than things I feel I have to do. Drinking water has also become a habit. I wasn’t a big water drinker before, but now I have a permanent glass on my kitchen bench and two-litre bottles of water in the fridge. Most days, I drink between one and a half and two litres, and sometimes a little more.

The program definitely changed my energy levels, both physically and psychologically. There are still days when you don’t feel your best. That’s life. But overall, my energy has changed, along with my desire to make better choices, get up, keep moving and keep doing things.

Before Level Up, I felt stuck, emotionally and physically. I wanted to do more. I had all these things in my head that I wanted to change, but I didn’t know how to do it. I’d get up in the morning and say, “I’m going to make a change,” but there was no incentive, drive or passion, so it wouldn’t get done. Now there is drive. There is passion. I want to do this. This is important to me. This is for me, not for her, him or anyone else. This is for me, and I want to do it. That’s the biggest difference between Jane before Level Up and Jane after Level Up.

The final three days were great. I loved them. I really enjoyed the writing exercises. We had to write a letter about ourselves, and I typed mine up and kept it. Joining in, doing the strength exercises as a group and being part of the whole experience was really supportive.

The program has made me feel more confident that I can do these things if I really want to. Before, I was quite down on myself. I’m not as negative in my thinking now. We all have negative days, but generally, I think more positively. If I start thinking negatively, I’m better at pulling myself out of it. I enjoy doing things more. I enjoy my days more and look forward to things more.

What made Level Up different was the constant support and knowing there was someone there you could reach out to. There was a lot of variety and so many different things to help you. Even if you didn’t want to lose weight, like me, there was still support with nutrition, constant encouragement and the knowledge that other people were going through what you were going through. Even though you weren’t physically alongside them, you still felt like you were doing it together.

The structure was extremely well done, helpful and easy to work with. Some things were challenging, such as the walks, but you were guided through them. Knowing exactly what you had to do, receiving reminders through the app, ticking things off each day and recording your win made everything easier. It was a friendly, relaxed environment with no pressure. If you couldn’t do something, it didn’t matter. You got up the next day and tried again. The whole experience was 100% positive.

No matter whether you’re worried about doing it, concerned it’s not right for you, or unsure what you’ll get from it, I guarantee you’ll get something out of it. There’s something for everyone. No matter what your goal is or what you want to change in your life, there’s something in the program for you. It’s something you’ll never regret. You’ll always be happy you did it, and you’ll definitely get something out of it. There’s something for everybody.”

Jane Urquhart

“So, I had such a great time on the first program and I knew that it worked, that you got results. And I'd gone a long way from being… if you go by the BMI, obese to just overweight. And I'd been to see my doctor and you know the question I had for my doctor because lots of people talk about the BMI like it's not the most reliable, bit out of date, that sort of thing. And so I'd gone to my doctor and I'd said, "Look, really for my age and stage, what is my ideal weight?" And she told me and I thought, "All right, well, I've got, not as much weight to lose, but a bit to lose."

I found, I'd embedded lessons from the program, but I reckon I was still, you know, a bit inclined to bad habits and things. And I thought, I wonder what would happen if I did it a second time. And then I had this friend that I'd made in the first program, and she's on a much longer journey than me. She's got a lot more weight to lose, a lot longer way to go, and I've become really invested in her and I thought well it'd be a good idea to suggest it to her too and we could do it together. Anyway, the two things sort of added up to yeah why not? The program is honestly Rob, such good value. It's a no-brainer.

So it was different for me because I had different goals. A different goal. But I also thought it was the same principles applied, right? So the program's called Level Up. I sort of think of that as you're challenging yourself to go a step further and weirdly the first time has given me an appetite for doing that with myself in all sorts of small ways. But then in some bigger ways too, and so the program a second time was like another opportunity to lift the game on myself.

I also recognize, I mean it's clear to me doing it the second time, that the program evolves and is sort of a program of continuous improvement in how it's constructed and what it does for people. I see how it takes a lot of feedback from people and incorporates that and first time was great, don't get me wrong, but you appreciate that too.

So, I wouldn't say things had slipped. Maybe I had bounced a kilo or two. I just think that I had unfinished business in my own mindset and attitude. I'd say I came out of the first program totally sold on regular exercise. I achieved a goal of wanting to be an active person. But I think I felt that I could do more and I also felt that I was a long way yet from exercising more self-discipline in ways that I would like to do.

So I went to put sugar in my coffee this morning and I tasted it and I didn't like it! And I couldn't believe it. Because it's funny the little things that you hang on to. It's like, "Oh yeah, I'm off the program. I can have the sugar in my coffee, but you know what? I don't even need a lot. Like, I only need like a quarter teaspoon now." And then I have it and I'm like, "You know what? I don't actually like it anymore."

I don't know if that answers the question adequately, but I think you know there were some distinct mindset shifts this second time round, and I think more could come. In some ways the program and what you achieve just reflects how we are in life… you don't become a perfect person in one moment you know or change how you want to change in one moment, you evolve and develop. And a lot of it's to do with education.

And I have to say that a penny dropped for me this time around alcohol and my appreciation of what alcohol does for one of a better word, digestion. I had sort of conned myself into the idea that if you have a whiskey that's no carbs, so no problem, right? But in fact, when I did the research, I understood more that your body burns the alcohol first, that means it delays burning other things and so on and so forth. And so I guess I went deeper in understanding that sort of thing. And I guess another great thing about the program is that I've started to understand that it's kind of on me to do the learning.

So the first time I was going for the 10% because I knew that 10% wouldn't even get me where I needed to go. Right. So the program sets you a 5-10% body weight loss.. almost a commitment. If you do what we say you'll get there. And I made 10% and that was huge! That was, I don't know I can't remember, something like close to 10 kilos or whatever.

And the second time I had a very specific weight that I wanted to crack and that was because of the advice from my doctor. So I wouldn't say that I am someone who's absolutely obsessed with losing weight. The bigger goal of being a fit, healthy person who looks good for their age is more important to me.

So this time it was probably a around 5% is where I've hit. And that's fine with me. I think though there's still a little bit of work to do to get more into the middle of the range where I would like to be and to stay there. So I'm very mindful of that and thinking about that a lot. I should probably admit that Helena and I are already discussing doing it a third time!

So, I've mentioned already that alcohol for me landed differently, as in I finally worked out the reason why I should not be doing this. And I would certainly advocate that in the program with participants being very explicit about that, about how things work with alcohol and so on. And I'm sure has been covered and everything else, but people need to hear the same message 50 times, right? That landed differently for me.

I appreciated how the program could adapt to its participants. So, the fact that Helena and I could start from a higher level of exercise and still be challenged to increase it even more was great. Our final weekend, no, the final week we walked 60kms. And we're pretty proud of that. Pretty shattered by the end of that weekend, but you know, pretty proud of it.

And also pretty proud of being able to do the strength on top of some pretty long distances for us. We were doing 11 - 12 kilometres on each of the last few days. And I think what's different about us this time is that when given a choice, well, would you like to do some yoga or whatever or the exercises, we were unwilling to go for the easy option anymore. We know we can dig in. Helena often says, I can do difficult things. It's like her little mantra. And I think it's a thing that we've gained.

It's a no-brainer. It's was a no-brainer to do it the first time. It's a no-brainer to do it a second if you've got the appetite for it and the opportunity for it. I don't think it matters if you're someone who's looking to lose weight or if you're someone who's looking to just once a year, or twice a year make your personal health your priority.

When I think about this second session or second round, it was a round in which I finally dealt with a health issue that had been bugging me with my Achilles kept playing up. I made a number of important changes… like shoes that I wear, and things like that. And these are all investments in me, right? And for six weeks again, I was investing in me and prioritizing me doing these things.

And maybe that's one sort of light bulb that came in the first and has been reinforced is that, I recognize the value of doing that for other people in my family and around me. It's not a selfish thing to do. It's a benefit to everyone.

Yes. Yes. For the reasons I just explained which is that I think I recalled how I've now been training with TBFT for two years. I think two and a half years. And I started it when I was still working and I was working really hard in a very intense job and I knew I had to do something and so I signed up to it.

The offer from TBFT was too good to knock back, so I did it, but I wasn't fully there mentally. Like I turned up, but I often didn't, if work got in the way and the priorities were all in a jumble and all of that.

Over that two and a half years, aided by the Level Up, I have been getting really clear on why I'm doing it, what the benefits are, feeling the benefits, and all of that as I've gone along.

I went to play pickle ball and I had a friend come who doesn't exercise regularly, but is a very fit woman sort of mid 60s and she said to me, "It is obvious how fit you are." And then I've looked at other friends who've joined us and thought, "Oh my god, I'm worried for you. I'm worried that you are in your mid 60s and you can't do this."

But I can do it now. I can go and play a game of walking soccer or play pickle ball or whatever. I can play five games of pickle ball in a session on the back of each other. And it is a pretty intense exercise, but it's entirely doable now.

And that's the person I wanted to be. I wanted to have a framework to my life. I wanted to have the endorphins or whatever they call it that lift you up. I needed that help in my life. And I wanted to feel like I looked good. I don't need to look perfect, but I need to feel good.

So yeah, it's a no-brainer.”

Jennie Johnson

“The things I started to avoid and had become a rut for me prior to the program were excuses became permissions to stop doing things. My knee… I have lots of issues with, and also my eating was quite random and ad hoc because I wasn't putting enough effort or priority into me and making sure that I was addressing these issues. So it became a matter of enough's enough and that's why I joined the program.

It had come time in my own self-realization that being the age I was pre-retirement and I have quite heavy activities involved in my job. It's quite physical, and I really love my job. So it was coming to a point pre-retirement. Do I go into retirement broken and not able to enjoy it? Or do the activities and hobbies that I find joy out of because life stops or do I continue to do my job because I'm physically able to do it and then also when retirement comes I'm physically able and also wanting to do the activities and hobbies that I quite find rewarding and enjoyable for me.

My hesitancy and with regards to joining the program, and I hesitate there because I have a long relationship with Rob and he has continuously said please please come and join and I've always hesitated. It was almost like no that's something I'll have to put me first. I'm making me a priority and it just somehow just didn't sit right. And obviously I wasn't ready. But I do wish I had have done it much much earlier. Coz I'd be just fabulous right now if I had have. But it got to the point where I just needed to do something to shift myself out of a really horrible rut of life, through work and life balance. There was no balance. In fact, it wasn't rewarding at all. So enough's enough and I made the investment on me. So, it wasn't about time or money. It was making me a priority and investing in me because if you don't, you just hide yourself away in the shadows. And I didn't want to be in the shadows anymore.

I will be quite honest. I thought I knew it all. But what this program brought together for me was the five pillars or foundation around health and well-being. It just helped me put into practice and be adoptable in practice what I already knew. But the one thing that absolutely was a tectonic shift for me was mindset. Having the right mindset set in place and having that epiphany about everything I knew but could never put into practice or make it stick. The five pillars, plus particularly the mindset, all my research and knowledge which was always there in the background but never being able to put into practice. Suddenly with the right mindset it just all clicked for me and I am now out the other side and I have no intention of going back to the old version of me. This is the new version of me.

By having the structured framework and the professional support, and then the participation of all the group, what it provides you is nourishment of yes, you are doing the right thing and everyone else is on the same page as you. So somehow that galvanizes even more your own participation cos you're keen to help support others and it's reciprocal. it comes back to you and you actually then get that support. Emily and Rob, I can't I can't thank them enough for the support during the framework because it's just helped me put all the chess pieces on the board, and now I have that helicopter view of the board and now I'm able to, with the right strategies and toolkits in place, be able to maintain my chess game and still make valuable gains and continue the journey that I've started. It's a huge investment and it is a journey. It's not over at the end of the six weeks. But what you get to take away is your own little toolkit to help you be, and continue to be successful in your own health.

I thought, "Oh, I know all this stuff and really will it work for me?" The surprise was being open and honest with myself. and that came through the mindset challenges and yeah I I suspect that that's the the key takeaway for me is the tectonic shift in my own mindset especially at this later age of my life. It's hard to change but I have and I'm grateful for that.

What worked well on the program was…. EVERYTHING. And I know that would disappoint Rob cos he wants me to nail in on one thing, but it's the whole broad church holistic adoption that helps you succeed. But if I had to nail in on one thing, it was the nutrition side. Yeah. Cos it showed me the terrible habits I had towards nutrition and what clean eating is, and how your body responds to clean eating was amazing.

Making choices for eating is a big takeaway for me. I am thankful that I've kicked the sugar habit. Because only now on the other side do I realize the impact physically it has on me.

And second to that is the you don't realize that you're happy until one day you think, "Oh, wow. The reflection of when you go for a walk in the morning is a big one for me. It's now a habit and taking that moment just to reflect on the environment you're in or the surroundings. And you're just happy and you don't realize it, that happiness was missing, or the small moments of joy until one day you go, "Ah, okay. I'm happier now. My mood has shifted at the end of the program to now just being happier, a happier person. I put it down to the clean eating and the the physical impact that happens to you from not eating well.

Everything. My mood is much better. I'm happier and I find moments of joy much easier now. Walking, I've rediscovered my love of bushwalking, which I always thoroughly enjoyed in my early chapters of my life, but I had always tucked it away as I'll never do that again because of my physical aches and osteoarthritis in my knee. But with the physical work that I did and also the cleaner eating and the weight loss that all came rapid around that, bushwalking now is back on my agenda and it's now definitely on my horizon of doing bushwalks again. And I'm wrapped. I'm very happy about that.

Pre workout, I was a misery guts. had no life balance between work and home and was living in the shadows. Post workout Jenny is happier, more determined, much more awareness of nutrition and movement and just overall has a better general health approach and decision making that comes with that. so I'm no longer in the shadows and now I'm in the sunlight. I'm getting a tan!

Doing the virtual workshop. Mind you, I'm envious of the ladies that did get to go away to Byron Bay. However, personal choice. It required a lot of discipline to disconnect out of the home environment and then to connect into a bubble to allow you to maximize what you needed to closely knit together - what you've learned over the six weeks in a very personal interactive session. Even though we're all online, we were all prepared to show our vulnerability, and engagement to the content. It's all about you and what you're prepared to put into it. And I guarantee you, if you're prepared to invest in you, the wealth of knowledge and self-realization you'll get out the other side is immeasurable. I can't emphasize that enough, Rob.

I broke a hoodoo that had been for 12 plus years to do with my weight. I finally broke the barrier and I'm at a weight that I haven't seen for a long, long time. And even though it wasn't my main goal, I was still quite pleasantly chuffed that I got there. But my biggest win is my dog is happy cos he lost weight and he thoroughly loves our new habit of having morning walks.

I am one of those guilty parties where I have tried everything fad over my 30 to 40 years of you shouldn't be that size, you need to lose weight, my doctor's telling me you're in the wrong BMI, etc. hearing it constantly through social media and the like reinforcing the negative of what you already know doesn't help you. So you always go in with a negative “will this work this time”. Nothing else has worked. You start to question yourself about your own discipline and commitment and you're not worth it.

The difference is by taking a a very holistic view of you in a health program is where you succeed. Having just very blanket it's your eating that's wrong or you're not sleeping well cos you need a breathing machine or something. That's the reason why. It's only when you take a big step back and you get that complete holistic view that each of those elements suddenly in step start to sink in and synchronise you to be a better version of yourself at the end of the six week program.

I wanted you to know that where I started, like close to 20 years ago, to where I am now. Yes. This is the new version of me.

My net result of the six week program is 9.02%. Don't forget the 0.02%! It's all important! But I will admit it's not that number that I'm most impressed with, but I am thankful that it does reflect the hard work that I put in.

If you are hesitant and still sitting on the fence with regards to - is this the right thing for me, my question to you in return is are you worth it? Are you worth prioritising your health, your well-being, and achieving the goals that you want in life?

I don't want you to underestimate the importance of you and your health and coming out the other side of a six week program is a huge investment. I won't deny it, but it is worth it. What you get to take away as life skills and practices to adopt, you won't regret it.

I took time off work because I needed to prioritise me and the investment that I was prepared to make with Rob and Emily as my support team and I have zero regrets. In fact, I can't thank them enough.

So, that would be my advice for you to sit down and maybe write out what you want to achieve, then reflect, is the investment worth it? But I guarantee you it is.”

Jubilee Nicodemus

“Low energy, probably because of perimenopause, was something I’d started to notice. I was feeling a little bit heavier, not as lean, and just felt like a little bit of fat was creeping in. Before Level Up, that’s probably what I was seeking to achieve — just a little bit of change in body composition.

When I heard about Level Up, I was pretty sure it was something I wanted to do. For me, it was more about the learning experience and the journey rather than just the end result. It seemed like a new challenge. I guess my only doubt was whether the program was going to help me shift the scales a little bit. But that wasn’t a major doubt. It was more about wanting to achieve something at the end of it, while also going on the journey and learning some new things about nutrition, fitness and shifts in mindset. I think the build-up towards walking was something I probably wasn’t doing enough of before. I would walk, but not walk with purpose, so to speak. Consumption of water was another one. Those were the two main takeaways for me from before and after the program.

Weekly check-ins were a great idea. The content of the meetings was really relevant to all levels of fitness and all levels of mindset. There were good reminders for people who are already mindful and self-aware, but also a very good soft start for those who are not really in touch with their mindsets or their bodies. Working with your mindset is something people need to reach out for and understand that it’s the right time for them, rather than it suddenly appearing on a screen and becoming very confrontational. I think you kept it very accessible to all levels. Even I found good reminders, especially around neuroplasticity, which is something I’ve worked on a lot myself, and screen time. And of course, I’ll keep saying drinking water, because that was one of my biggest takeaways from everything.

I’m not a morning person, so I did start waking up and being eager to go out for a walk. That pleasantly surprised me, that I took that on. When you’re doing something like this, a bit of structure is always good. In the past, I’ve done nutrition and training programs, but there’s never been a targeted mindset incorporated into it. I think working with mindset, as well as nutrition and fitness, is very important. That’s something that’s very beneficial for people who are going into this for the first, second or third time. In the past, I’ve done programs like this, but then I tailored my own mindset rituals. Having this prescribed within a program really helps with making it fully rounded. It’s not just about the fitness and the nutrition. It’s going a bit deeper. It’s a very well laid out program, for sure.

I have noticed clothes are fitting a little bit better. Getting the morning walks in, despite the fact that it’s winter and I’m not a winter person, and feeling excited about going for a walk on a very misty morning just because I’ve started enjoying it — that’s been a big shift. The program was good timing for me because it encouraged me to start walking more. I’m enjoying the longer walks. For instance, I did an hour and a half today.

Level Up is a fully rounded program, especially because it incorporates the mindset and the Win the Day. It’s not just about the physical outcome. It’s also about the mental outcomes and seeing the shift there. Other programs I’ve done have been straightforward exercise, fitness, gym work, nutrition and macro counting. Then the mindset has been all up to me. In this program, it’s all tailored into one. I also think the program is very accessible for all levels of mindset and fitness. That’s a good thing for everyone, because there’s a bit to learn at all levels.

I actually told someone in the gym yesterday. She was asking me what it was like and I said, “Yeah, absolutely do it.” It’s accessible time-wise, it’s accessible financially, and it really is a well-rounded program. I absolutely would sell it to anyone who asked me whether they should do it. Totally. Two hundred percent.”

Karyn Coen

“Before Level Up, I was a regular at TBFT as part of my gym and doing exercise on a regular basis. I've had quite a few ups and downs with my health journey. My exercise changed quite frequently and as a consequence, I'd ended up putting on a lot of weight because of medication and lack of exercise. So it's something I'd heard about quite a few times at the gym and Emily, my trainer, encouraged it greatly to say how good that would be for me. So, it took me probably at least 12 months of hearing about Level Up to even decide that I would do it. It wasn't necessarily I was finding it hard. I just felt I needed time to prepare my body, let my body come to its time, natural time, to sort of be able to take it in. And so yeah, that's why I'm doing Level Up now.

My main reason for doing Level Up was I really wanted to lose some weight that I'd gained due to medication. And I didn't seem to know quite how to do that. I'd been able to lose a couple of kilos here and there, but never kept going. Never been able to just keep riding through it. So, I think when it came up this year, it was just like maybe this will be the thing. Maybe this will be the thing that steps me over that line to make those changes that I knew, my body needed.

My biggest fear starting level up was walking because I really wasn't doing much walking. I have seratic arthritis in my toes and my joints, but mainly my toes. And so walking, one of my problems with walking is that I would be very sore afterwards. So, committing to knowing that I was going to have to do a lot of walking, that was my biggest fear. And it's the biggest thing that I've overcome because I actually did seven and a half hours walking last week. So I'm pretty proud of that bit.

So yeah, just a trigger to start a change. I just needed something. And I'm one of those people who's a bit of a goody two shoes. If I'm told to do something, I'll do it. If I'm told to be this way, I'll do it. So I knew once id committed that it would be fine. It was just that deciding that now was the right time.

With the level up program, we've had so much information given to us and it's given in a way that we can learn what we need at each point, but also how important each section is. So the pillars of success are amazing because you really do need to put all of them into place. Your nutrition, your exercise, your water. My biggest thing I think that has impacted me the most is I wasn't a water drinker and now I am. So that's probably been the thing that was probably one of the easiest things to implement and probably implemented on day one. And you know if you have to say yes I had two litres today to Rob you had to drink two litres. So yeah, that was probably my biggest thing for me. That was the biggest change that I felt for up from day one.

The accountability of being part of the Level Up team is amazing. Well, the community is amazing and the fact we're all in it together is great. But I think like I said before, I'm a bit of a goody two shoes. So, you know, if I say I'll do something, I always do it. So, I found the accountability great because I just knew I wasn't going to break that rule. I wasn't going to miss that thing. So, yes, if that wasn't there, if I was just ticking it myself, you could go, "Oh, I could do two more days before I tick that box or something, you know." So, whereas having the group and being accountable, having someone know at the end of the week, they're looking at it and saying, "Oh, did you really do all those things?" And so I think that's the thing that I found the biggest help.

I think my biggest surprise doing the level up has been, like I said before, the walking. I wasn't walking because I was fearful of being in pain, fearful of making my body ache more. And the fact that it hasn't and the fact that I actually liked it and I even noticed in the last week of the of the program, as I was walking, I go, "Oh, next week I could go that way, or next time I'll go up the hill rather than down the hill or around that way." And so coming up with walks, which I haven't done for a long time. I used to do it a lot, but that sort of planning next week, looking forward to that walk or whatever, that was what Yeah, that was probably the big thing that surprised me.

I think yes, having people around that are the same age and going through the same things and talking about it all really helps. My group at the gym are asking me questions about it. So, I've ended up talking to them a lot about what I'm doing in Level Up and I think quite a few of them are interested in it because of that. So, I think we're all a bit the same, you know, oh, what did you think? Would you do it? I need someone to personally recommend it. We're not very brave at just diving in ourselves. So, yeah, I think yes, having people around that are the same age and going through the same things and talking about it all really helps.

Level up has given me a big change in the scales. Very happy about that. However, I feel there's so many other things. I'm more conscious of what I'm eating, where it's come from, how much I eat, when I eat. I'm not hungry like I used to be. I used to find, you know, we talked this morning during a walk about a 3pm slump sort of thing. I don't get that. I just find, oh, now it's dinner time. So, that's been quite interesting. I love I've always eaten fresh meat and veggies and things. So, I love eating like that. And it's not being hungry has been quite surprising. Fitting into clothes that you haven't worn for a while or buying new clothes or things like that, especially with a change of season, that's been really cool. I feel much happier in myself. I feel I look better. Don't know whether anyone else does, but I feel I do. And so I quite like that. So that's my thing, is I feel happier and much healthier.

I think one of the big benefits of the Level Up program and all the walking is the time to think and clear your mind, clear your head, go through things that you might have stressed about in the past. I think that that time you give yourself to exercise where so you're physically doing something really good, but the time that you have free to think is really helpful.

Final three days in Byron's been amazing. The weather's been beautiful. We have had rain, but it's been beautiful. The exercise has all been achievable. There's a lot. It's full on, but it's all achievable. It's not outside of what you think you could do. It's been great catching up with other people, seeing how they've shared on the journey. The workshops that we've done, you know, we sit there and someone says something and you go, "Oh, yeah, that's me, too." So, it's all very connective with that. So, yes, and the food's been amazing. Haleigh’s an amazing cook.

My favourite win I think, or the one thing that I'm probably the most proud of is we had to do a minimum two hour walk as a length of walk one week and I actually did it twice that week and that surprised me because of my fear of the walking but also that I did it and I wanted to do a second one. So that was my biggest milestone.

I think the difference with Level Up versus other programs is it's quite easy to implement. Like for myself, the meals weren't hugely different to what I was having. Yes, I needed to cut some things out or count some carbs or whatever I was doing, but it wasn't hugely different. So, it wasn't making a whole new lifestyle. It was just a simple change and then it was another simple change of adding water to your day every day. It was a simple change of adding some walking. So nothing was dramatic like from tomorrow this doesn't happen or something. It was just more of a yeah, I can do that. Yeah, I can do that. And I think that's the big difference for me.

I'm very happy I lost 10% of my body weight while I did the Level Up program. Bit surprised. I didn't know that I would get there. I'm very pleased that I am there. Of course there's always a little bit more to go, but feeling really proud of myself for doing that.

Just do it. There's so much to gain. There's knowledge. You learn so much, and there's people there to chat to, to talk to, and yeah, you learn so much and it works. It just works.”

Kate Madden

“Before the Level Up program, I’d noticed that since COVID — really since 2020 — I’d slowly and incrementally started gaining a lot of weight. When I got into the 90s, and even hit 100 kilos, I thought, “No, this has got to stop. I’ve got to do something.” I noticed I was incredibly sedentary, and I was desperately keen to get fit and healthy in preparation for my son’s wedding, but also so I could keep up with my grandson and the family in general.

I’ve been practising yoga for many years, and I started to notice I had a lot more tummy fat, which meant I couldn’t do the stretches as comfortably as I used to. In the past, I’d been able to comfortably hold a pose, but now I could really feel the discomfort. I felt puffy and I was retaining water. I just thought, “This has got to stop. I’ve got to do something. I’ve got to change something in my lifestyle and turn it around somehow.”

My husband was resistant at first, but I thought, “I’m going to do it anyway. I’ve got to keep healthy for the family, and I’m going to make a vote for myself in this instance.” Despite that initial resistance, mainly from my husband, the whole family got on board once I started. I’ve had tremendous support from everyone, and my husband is even thinking differently and eating differently now. He’s slowly coming along as well.

I managed to convince him to start coming on walks with me, so I’ve been slowly whittling away at his resistance — but also my own resistance. I got to the point where I thought, “I’m not having this. I’m actually going to do this because it’s important.” The other thing was, a friend of mine went on one of the medications for fat loss and was telling me how shocked they were by the cost. It was around $1,000 a month. I thought to myself, “I can either do something preventative now, which is going to cost me less, or I can end up on a lifetime of medication.”

I thought it was really good value for money, and really important to make that commitment to myself rather than ending up on medication for diabetes or fat management. I was also visiting Rob and Cara up in Cairns, and because they’re so outdoorsy — going to the beach every day, swimming in rivers — I really struggled to keep up. When I came back from that holiday, I literally had blisters on the bottom of my feet, and I made the decision: next time I go up to Cairns, I’m going to be able to keep up. I’m going to be fitter and stronger.

They were so happy for me to do that, because Cara’s parents are quite sedentary, and they could see I wanted to make a change. They couldn’t really do anything with them. They couldn’t go for walks on the beach or join in with activities, so Rob and Cara really appreciated my effort to do something about it and not end up the same way.

All of my children have been really encouraging of this journey, and they’re even getting pointers from me now, which is really good.

I’d have to say the mindset pillar was probably the catalyst for all the others. Once you’ve got your head straight, and once your mind is under control, you can achieve all the other outcomes you’re hoping for.

It truly is a combination of things, because you’re more clear-headed when you’re hydrated and eating well. You can make better decisions — or at least I could make better decisions for myself. I wasn’t craving anything, and I wasn’t getting those energy slumps. To overcome any internal resistance, mindset was the key catalyst. That aspect was vitally important for me. The mentoring, support, check-ins, and holding myself accountable were also really important.

I really need that social aspect. I was hesitant about going on hikes or longer walks on my own, but I overcame that and did it anyway. Now I’m encouraging others to come along with me. I really didn’t expect to lose any significant weight, but I feel like I pretty much achieved my goal, knowing that I can continue on. It’s not just a one-off. It’s about slowly but surely, incrementally changing habits and lifestyle choices.

I’m here for the long haul, and I’m committed to continuing on and reaching my goals. I really liked having a structured plan to follow, and I really appreciated the support and weekly check-ins. For some reason, I need to track things. I’m still tracking my steps now, and having those things built into the week really helped. The daily Win the Day booklet you gave us was very useful as well.

That was a really positive thing for me as well, because it kept me focused. Drinking water is non-negotiable now. I just do it. I’m going for a walk every day, and I’m trying to increase my step count and the amount of time I walk as well. No added sugar and far fewer carbs — those things are second nature to me now. I’ve definitely got much more energy. That’s one thing I noticed. I’m much more clear-headed, thinking more clearly, and not making as excuses as I once did. I think I got to the point where I just thought, “No, you’re doing this. No options.”

Pre-Level Up, I had the view that what I was eating and what I was doing physically didn’t really make that much difference. I didn’t completely believe that these little incremental changes would make such a significant difference on so many levels. It’s quite incredible, really. One part of me thought, “This program is set out like this for a reason. Obviously, you know what you’re doing.” But fundamentally, I still wasn’t completely convinced at the start. I thought, “I’ll give it a try. I’ll give it a go.” But I wasn’t convinced it would make any difference at all. And boy, was I wrong.

What I liked about the three-day virtual sessions was that they gave me a roadmap for the future — how to put goals in place and keep building from here. I’ve now got another goal for September, so a three-month goal, and I’m focused on embedding my values into what I’m doing and who I’m trying to become.

I really like the idea that this is a longer-term vision for my life, not just a flash-in-the-pan kind of thing. Emily was great and very encouraging, and everyone in the group was encouraging as well. We learnt from each other, which was amazing. I’m very proud that I stuck to the meal prepping and healthier eating, and definitely my movement as well. And that I kept going.

I also did strength training consistently. I think the way you do it — where you don’t calorie count, you carb count — made a lot of sense to me. It’s also about making sure that, at my age, I’m getting enough protein and fibre, which is what I need. For me, it’s the underlying health value of the program. It’s not only about weight loss — it’s about supporting my body properly and making better choices for my long-term health.

It’s not just about losing weight. It’s about a sustainable, consistent, no-frills approach, which I really appreciated. It’s also scientifically backed and research-backed, which I really liked too. I managed to lose 6.2% of my body fat, and I definitely lost centimetres around my waist. That’s one thing my husband was really happy about. He said, “You’re getting your figure back. I can see it.” My advice would be: just do it. JDI.

You’ll be surprised by what you achieve, and longer term, it’ll really benefit you. You guys are the best — so do it.”

Morgan De Man

“I was a very busy person. Very active, but always doing lots, doing something after work every day. Not much time. Weekends are filled up with sport and stuff. So, I was very busy but I was very active. So, I always felt like healthy in some sense but I always felt a little bit sluggish too and a little bit stuck as well. So, I was like, I'm eating pretty well, but then I was also getting lots of mood swings or like very high, very low, and a little bit erratic and getting frustrated quite easily. But coming down to just the busyness with everything, work and personal life and stuff like that. So, that was who I was before level up.

Having a wedding coming up definitely gives you something to think of. Not that I care about how I look, it's more about how I want to feel on the day and I want to feel my best and feel like, “yeah I'm really proud of who I am” and really excited to get into the next chapter. So, that was a big thing for me. The opportunity came up and I said, "This could be really good."

Not having a real idea about what it would consist of… but then once we had that first meeting, it actually really clarified a lot. And then every week as we did the program and things changed a little bit, but not much, I was like oh this is really easy and it's not that big of a life change but it makes a massive difference. Initially I was definitely doubtful about is this too much? Is it realistic or is it just really extreme? But no, it was actually very beneficial and I could see how even though the program's ending that it can continue for a longer term.

The honest answer… a trip to Byron Bay for me was the appeal of … we could do this thing and whatever happens happens, but then at the end I get to go and relax and retreat and feel my best for that weekend. That was definitely my first incentive for why I wanted to do it. But then also doing it with Karyn my mother in law to be, and doing it with someone made it feel more doable I suppose.

Definitely nutrition shifted a lot and the preparation came with nutrition. As I said, we ate pretty well, but the preparation tidied things up a lot more and cleaned it up and made us feel better, which then led to less stress as well. Getting better too with everything, not feeling so overwhelmed about making choices and being organized. But actually the program, it simplified things. So then I ate better and I was less stressed and then everything else was better too.

The accountability for me was really really great. I got to a point where I actually looked forward to Sundays. I was like, "Oh, what can I talk about this week with the check-ins and then I look forward to the feedback as well and hearing from you guys how things are going." Even though I knew I was on track and I was doing a great job. It's great to hear it as well, like we can all see, that you're doing a really great job as well. And the coaching and all the videos, all the messaging was really helpful too. Even though lots of it, I may have already known, but putting it all together and the reminders to do these things and think these things were really, really helpful and kind of like refreshed for me.

I'm surprised by how much of an impact it had on my emotions. Like, you think, oh, I'm going to feel better, you know, I'm going to look better. But actually my moods were a lot lot better. I was a lot more stable and dealing with stress was a lot more manageable for me which was really great. I think because I get so tense and so overwhelmed from busy days that then doing some walks or eating well I didn't have a massive jump in my mood where I’m up and then crash and burn. I didn't have that. I was a lot more stable there, which really, really surprising to me. And how easy it is to adjust to everyday life. How some changes have made a massive difference that can be really sustainable, too. That's surprised me a lot.

It definitely helped doing it with lots of other people because questions came up that you were thinking and everyone kind of had similar issues, and similar sorts of things arose and so it was great hearing different perspectives from them as well. and to be able to talk about things. Oh, how will this work in this situation and stuff? So, it actually made it way easier than if doing on your own and you had no one else to really talk to about it and understand you. So, that was very helpful.

The main thing for me, I've noticed my emotions are much more stable. For sure, that's a big one for me. I know thinking of food's much easier, too. I feel like I'm thinking of it a lot, but it's way easier. It's just simplified. I'm going to go and cut my veggies, prepare my yoghurt, have a breakfast, and there the next day is done. And so the next morning, you take away that decision fatigue because you already know it's already ready. It's easy. And just sticking to that routine is really easy. I have noticed clothes are feeling a lot more comfortable and I'm not feeling like I'm fidgeting as much, which has been really really great as well. And then things like ah I'll go for a long walk now and it will feel seamless rather than oh this is going to take so long. It's actually really nice to go and clear your head and go for that long walk for sure.

Confidence as well. I feel like I'm probably walking taller cos I'm probably a bit more clearheaded when I make my decisions and those sort of things. So, I'm definitely feeling more confident. More active and yeah, problems don't seem as big right now, which is really great, too.

The retreat's been really, really great and quite refreshing. The nutrition's been fantastic and iI was unsure if it'd be like really, oh, we're eating some really, really healthy, weird sort of food, those sort of things, like really, but no, it's been really normal foods. They've been like full of love and really delicious and easy. So, I've really enjoyed that. I've loved the activity. I've actually loved getting up early and going and doing those sort of things and feeling good about it. I love the long walks and the workouts. And I've also loved the yoga and the movement. The mobility stuff's been really really good to just focus on yourself but get that stretching in and feel better after all those sort of things. And then I've also liked the work shops because they've been really reflective. They've not just been like lecture style. They've been really reflective… actually me looking at how things have been and what's changed and how I'm feeling from things. So yeah, it's definitely been really beneficial coming up and feeling really reset and ready to get back home and like continue the journey I suppose cos for me it was more about how I'm feeling and those sort of things rather than the scales. So that was never something to fixate on, it was more the processes.

But I did go to get bathers yesterday and I got a smaller size than usual and it fit well and it felt really good just to go and say, "Hey, it's easier." So, that was really fun, exciting for me. And then getting some long walks ticked off. Like when I walked that long week for acceleration week, I was like, "Wow, I've done heaps of walking and I feel so good about it." It’s not drained me but actually I’m feeling like… my body feels great. My mind feels great from all this. So, that was a big win as well.

It's the way it's structured, but not too structured. You're able to adjust it to what best works for you because it looks at everything. It doesn't just say you need to do this or there's only one fast way. You can adjust your life to make it work, which has been really great. Also having lots of resources and the videos and the mobility workouts, having a whole range of resources made it really easy. Oh, I can just watch this, do this, and it really works. So, that's been different to other things which might be a bit more focused on I'll just eat this way or I'll just do your 10,000 steps. This has been very holistic.

I've lost almost 10 kilos, which has been really great. I feel impressed that it's actually happened. I was a bit sceptical that oh that's too much weight to lose that quickly. But I don't feel like it has been in a starve yourself sort of way. I feel like it's been in a really natural feed yourself way and feel good about it way too. So that's been really great for me as well.

You're only going to feel better for it and you'll surprise yourself with how much better you'll feel doing so.”

Nicchia Alvear

“I just wanted to make sure I hadn’t missed anything and keep continuing the good routine that I managed to build the first time. I wanted it all to flow so much better, with more preparation. I really felt that I couldn’t do it on my own. I needed the community helping me along the way, as well as the supervision and good advice as we go along.

The second time, I wanted to get everything right. I wanted to do it 100%. I was all in, and I wanted to get the food preparation, the measurements and the shopping down pat. I also wanted to enjoy the journey a lot more.

I wanted to be able to enjoy my wins with everyone. When I saw you guys at the end, walking together on the beach somewhere warm, I felt very proud of myself and the distances I’d been able to achieve. But being able to share that in person with the group is something I’ve missed so far, which I’ll definitely catch up on.

I was surprised by how much more I was able to get from listening to all the videos. Having access to them and being able to play them over and over was so good. I was really able to get as much from them as you’d put into them.

Getting the timing right for my walks helped me cement my morning routine, which I’ve been able to continue. I was doing it in the beginning, but it was more sporadic. This time, it’s become much more habitual.

I’ve also been able to enjoy the food more. Every time I listened to one of the videos, there was something more I could learn from it. It was brilliant.

It’ll be a real highlight of your life, I think. Just do it, because it’ll make you incredibly happy.

Definitely count me in. Put me in, coach.”

Samantha Pearce

“I think I started to avoid exercise more because my life was more sedentary and so going out was an effort and I guess when you do more you do something you want to do more. But when you're at home and you're not doing a whole lot, it just is so much harder and it's really comfortable. I mean, I was actually really comfortable. But I really felt disappointed in myself. I knew I wasn't moving and it's really hard when you're lying to yourself and you know you want more. So, it was probably more around that. I had also had a hip replacement about eight months before starting the program. And I started to really want to get out more. I just didn't know what was going to work really well for me because I knew I was not enough.

Look, my clothes weren't fitting. And I got to that point where I said, I'm not going to go up another size. And I think that really was the trigger. And then I mean Level Up, I'm a big believer in signs, so Level Up came up and I thought, "Yeah, this could be it for me."

No hesitation whatsoever. I saw the opportunity and I went for it. I knew it was the right time and if I wasn't going to do it now, I just wasn't going to get into that bigger size of pants. It had to be now and the decision was instant, and no regrets.

To be honest, I knew that I needed a team around me to support me. The program looked like it was sound. And I really like the thought of going to Byron Bay at the end of the program to celebrate. There was just this lovely goal at the end that I really wanted to work hard for. I thought this has got to be good.

I think it was the nutrition and the movement. I had tried in the past doing things on my own and maybe doing the nutrition. I knew I kind of was eating well, but I couldn't really get the exercise in. And if I did it, then I still wouldn't get any results. And there was not a lot of consistency. So, I don't think I was far off, but doesn't matter how far off I was, I was never going to get the same results as what you do when you put the five pillars together. It was just magical.

I'm a real people person and the level up program is really all about community and you never ever feel alone. No, it wasn't really like doing an exercise program where you thought really I've got to go and do that. you know, there were habits, on the app that you could click and it was really engaging, not just from the technology, but the systems, the people, the support. You didn't get lost. You were not a number. I felt that it was structured in a way that everybody was going to be successful and you were part of that community. And not only could you not let yourself down, but you wanted to make sure that you were in there with everybody else.

To be completely honest, and this is really hard to say, is that I had a belief that fat stuck to me and that I would never really be able to get down to my magical weight goal. I really felt that all the work I had put in on my own should have provided the results. But doing a level up program the weight just kept dropping off and you know I feel like it was tweaks. We talked about those five pillars and bringing it all together makes a huge difference and you're not putting as much energy into changing five different things. You're just bringing in what you already know and tweaking. So the energy that it takes was so much easier and I was really surprised that it is so easy.

What I really liked about the program is it was tailored for over 50s. So the program understands the unique challenges that both women and men go through. And that each of us whilst we all have similar things we're going through there are different things that are really particular even to myself. And I love that there were answers to all those challenges. There was not a challenge that I faced that there was not an answer or a solution. And you know there I really value the wealth of knowledge that was shared through the mentorship and education in the program.

I'm noticing that I'm getting my body back and it's not my body from 10 years ago. It's like my body from 20 years ago. So I'm loving that my clothes are fitting better. What else am I loving? I'm loving or noticing that I've actually got more energy. I was confusing positivity with energy before the program. And now I've got a real distinction between the positivity and the energy and having a teenage daughter at home. I found that I can work with her better when a challenge comes up. My mind has so much clarity and I can deal with situations much more easily. I go on walks. my brain's got time to decompress and I come up with great amazing creative ideas and I feel like life is more balanced and there's probably a little bit more happiness. I mean I'm a pretty positive person but you can always add a little bit more on top of that. So that I was really surprised at.

Confidence has really increased since completing the level up program. Given that I've now completed a goal I didn't think was possible really makes me think how many of my other goals I can now challenge and complete. So I think the confidence is definitely the winner here.

The Byron Bay retreat for me was all about payoff at the end. So if I was going to put the hard yards in, I wanted some sort of benefit or reward at the end. And it was just amazing. The food was absolutely delicious and very achievable to recreate at home, having access to the recipes, the education that has been layered and it doesn't feel like education. It's really life lessons as you're holidaying. I've loved the hiking. The environment is really relaxing and yet you're doing all this exercise. And I probably think one of the best things is that we start early and we look at our watch once we've finished most of our routine and it's like 10:30 or 11:30 and we think, "Wow, I've got the whole day ahead of me." And you know that's what I want to take home and just do my habit stacking and getting everything done in the morning so I've got a full day and I can live guilt free going forward.

Well the win I'm enjoying the most is exceeding my goal. I think that has just really boosted my confidence.

Milestones actually sticking to the program. I know that might sound funny to a lot of people, but the program like it was easy if you did what Rob said. And not only if you did what he said, but if you actually took another step further, which are really only suggestions, you got so much more. So whatever you put into the program, you'll get out. So if you really want to ramp it up, the sky's the limit. And I'm evidence that that is possible. And I was not necessarily a believer in myself, but am definitely a believer in the program.

Level Up is different to any other program or idea or technique that I've tried before. I love the systems. I love the processes. It's really hard to articulate, but my best version of saying why it works as opposed to other programs is that I just don't know how Rob puts everything together and it just works and the hours and the experience and the research that's gone into it. There's not one stone that hasn't been unturned. And also Rob is committed not only to the program, but he lives and breathes his own program. And if that's not a true testimonial, I don't know what is. So, he's a bright shining star. That reflects the quality of the program.

I lost in excess of 10, probably closer to 11% body fat. I'm ecstatic. I still can't believe that I achieved that weight loss, just the fact that I can fit into my clothes. I'm just grateful. I'm just grateful for the program, grateful for the people in the community, grateful for all the exercise and opening my eyes up to what I was really blinded by before. Life is exciting again!

The one thing that I would say is just do it. Just book it, commit, and go for it. You will not be disappointed. You'll find a new you.”

Toni Harmer

“Before Level Up I was feeling overweight, unfit, a little bit of pain in my hips and plantar fasciitis and heel pain. So I'd avoid walking too far doing the hard workouts and things like that. So one day I went to the doctor and I just didn't feel very well and she checked my blood pressure and I had really high blood pressure and she suggested that I should lose weight. So it really motivated me to join the level up program.

The cost is worth it for your health. So it did cross my mind. I initially did think it seemed a little bit expensive. I didn't know if I could commit the time to the program. But then because I really wanted to lose weight, feel healthier, learn how to eat healthy food, do more exercise, I thought it was really worth it. The main reason I wanted to take part in Level Up was to improve my health and just to be able to stay active and lose a bit of weight so I feel better.

Yeah. So, I really enjoyed learning about how to eat healthily. Counting the carbs, getting support through the meal plans, that all really helped. That probably resonated the most with me. But also, I enjoyed all the exercise programs and the meetings and being accountable. I think that was really helpful getting those weekly check-ins and everything worked together to make it successful for me.

Oh, yeah. because I'd tried dieting before and it's never worked because I've always had temptations. Whereas with the program you have the weekly meetings and you talk about what your plan is. You make time for doing meal planning, exercise planning, so it's all laid out. It's really easy to follow. And so that meant I was able to keep on track. And then I knew that I'd be doing the Sunday weigh in. So that would keep me accountable and I'd be meeting with people again the following week. And so doing the surveys was really helpful just to self-reflect and the win the day book as well just to record your wins. So it was part of the planning and the accountability absolutely made the difference for my success.

At first I thought that I'd be hungry all the time, but actually the program showed me that you can eat as much as you like, but of the right foods. And so I learned how to count the carbs and really focus on food that I really enjoy but makes me feel better. What surprised me the most was I wasn't getting the sugar cravings that I usually get. So, I always felt hungry and wanted that quick snack or reach for chocolate or biscuits or things like that. And during the program, I actually wasn't hungry at all. The food that we were eating was satisfying and I loved that. That surprised me the most.

In terms of the retreat, the retreat's been fantastic. I've enjoyed walking up to the lighthouse at Byron Bay. Meeting everyone, doing the workouts, feel really energized and it's a tropical paradise here. So you can't not like the retreat. The program's really good because you've got like-minded people doing the same journey at the same time and everyone's sharing what their experiences are and helpful tips along the way. So the other people in the program had really good advice around recipes or little tips and tricks to keep on track and I just found that part of the program really useful.

So I feel much more energized and lighter now. I find activities just walking or even running…. my flexibility improved. So everything's just feeling better physically. And then I had to buy a new belt because I couldn't fit into my old one. I've been able to fit better into clothes that I used to not be able to wear. I'm just feeling so much better in my skin.

Yeah, my family said my mood's improved and I've really just felt much more energized. I can concentrate better. I don't have the sugar cravings. It's actually taking less time now. Like I'm not spending as much time eating and meal prepping because I'm not eating as much. And so that's been really good. Yeah, I've loved the exercise and the walks always make me feel better and so I think all round everything’s improved.

So I've lost 8 or 9 kilos as part of the program. Reduced my measurements around my stomach. I’m really proud that I stuck to the food plan.

What I really appreciated about the Level Up program was Rob and Emily and the team were providing lots of useful resources. They made it really easy. If you follow the meal plans, the exercise program, the recipes, all the education that was provided, then it's basically a formula for success. And I I didn't realize how easy. I thought it was going to be really hard, but actually it was really easy to follow. And now I feel like if the weight starts creeping back on, I've got the tools that I'll be able to implement and just take the weight down again. So I just think the difference between this and something else is all the resources and the support and accountability.

So I lost 10% of my body weight in 6 weeks and I feel amazing for it.

You'll love it. you'll love the program. give it a go. It's worth every cent.”

Rita Turnbull

Congratulations Rita on the incredible transformation you’ve achieved through this program. Not only did you lose over 11 kilos, but your commitment to challenging yourself, embracing healthier habits, and building lasting confidence is truly inspiring.

“Because I'd been doing well in doing all the exercises and I just needed that extra challenge, and I did need to lose weight.

So, I think being accountable through the program would make me do stuff. Sometimes you think, I have other commitments, and then it was time to commit to me. There was doubt — would it fit in, would I be able with the kids?

100 percent, the time for me, it was a big decision, but I'm glad I made it. I think the biggest surprise was that I got off to a really good start and just kept doing it. I was surprised at how much more I was able to do when I challenged myself. I always have doubts — can I do that?

You want me to do what? But once I tried it and could do things, that was a really good and positive moment for me.

Okay, so there was the weight loss. At the start of the program, we were told we were aiming for 10%, and that was an incentive to aim for that, and I did that.

I got 10.84%, which was quite a decent number. Decent weight loss for me at the time. The program taught me so much more — learning all the health things, nutrition, special recipes, so that you can do the right thing. As the program grew, we were doing more exercise, more walking, and being committed to those things. It worked really well.

Pre-level up, I was probably a bit lazy and not doing much exercise, and obviously carrying weight from bad habits or lifestyle I had developed.

Post-level up, I'm a lot more encouraged to do more exercise and to keep up the fitness.

I'm cooking proper, fresh food, healthy meals. I'm making better choices when I go shopping and incorporating the whole program into my new way of life so that the new Rita is going to keep up all that good work, keep down the weight, and be a healthier, improved Rita.

There are lots of parts of the program that all incorporate into each other to make a total, holistic program.

The most important thing for me was the support — knowing that people really cared what we were all doing, and the support from the other participants as well.

The encouragement of taking me on their walks, where I might not have gone that far or that type of walk on my own, and being included in the group — that’s going to be an ongoing thing.

We've got our walking group and we'll be walking together and supporting each other as we go further along.

Other than the program, the workshops, even though it was virtual, gave us connection with the Zoom meetings. We were still supporting each other through it. I was doing it on my own, so it was a bit of a challenge too.

To go out and do the walks worked well as an alternative to being able to go to the real retreat. I would have loved to paddle with the dolphins, but I had commitments in Canberra, so I had to stay here. The virtual retreat was a good option.

I have a box that I've been putting clothes in that didn’t fit anymore or didn’t feel right, and I can now get into that box and took out a favourite T-shirt that I can now wear. That’s a good win. Just the fact that I lost the weight means I’m able to donate the bigger clothes, because my pants fall down. That’s a win.

At the start I wouldn’t have thought I’d do that. I thought I was aiming for the 10%, but I really wasn’t confident at that stage that I would do it.

Now I'm a lot more confident in knowing what I can do, and that I can achieve bigger challenges. It's good to step outside your comfort zone and do more.

And prove to yourself that you can do things. So, I would recommend it.”

Pam MacDonald

Congratulations Pam on embracing the Level Up journey with such determination. Not only did you lose over 8% of your body weight, but your ability to overcome doubts, build positive habits, and celebrate tangible wins like fitting back into your jeans is a powerful example of transformation.

“I decided to participate in the Level Up program in October 2005. I’d tried a few things on my own and nothing had stuck.

I thought, to get a different result, I need to do something different. I liked the look of the program.

It looked practical. It was over a six-week period with lots of support. I thought, now's the time to do it.

It's interesting thinking about signing up for these kinds of programs. People can put obstacles in their own way, thinking, oh, this is too expensive, it's going to take too much of my time, what happens about the other people I’m looking after? For me, it was none of those.

Time probably was a bit of a consideration, but I thought, how healthy is something that, once it goes, actually costs us a lot? It costs us money, it costs us time, and it costs us enjoyment in terms of being able to fit into those favourite jeans or do the things I want to do when I want to do them.

For me, the payoff was much bigger than any of the anticipations. Once I got into the routine and rhythm, the team made it really easy.

We had a good schedule that we adapted around my time commitments. By the end of it, I thought, I managed to do that, and it wasn't too hard — pretty cool.

Coming into a six-week program, there is a lot of information you can consume beforehand, so you think you know what to expect, but sometimes there are surprises.

I was surprised by the generosity of the information we were given. I was surprised by how easy some of the things were once I started doing them. I surprised myself with how easy it was to do what Rob calls habit-stacking — doing two things at once, with one being exercise.

I was also surprised by achieving just over 8% weight loss in six or seven weeks (we had a bonus week to start). That wasn’t the only reason I joined, but it was a really good achievement. I think that was possible through the combination of support, education, information, and the fact that you're not doing it on your own — you're doing it with a group.

Sometimes we get hung up on time, but the time will pass anyway, whether you do something or not.

When I started, I was probably feeling a bit disappointed in myself, not happy with myself. For the six weeks, I felt proud of myself. I reminded myself of the things I can do, how good it feels when I'm moving my body, eating good food, and how that becomes a snowball effect of positivity.

Those little things build up together. Rather than feeling like you're spiralling down, it turned into an upward spiral. I'm really looking forward to maintaining that momentum and consistency.

For me, the Level Up program was incredible in terms of the generosity of information. It wasn’t just a stack of information — you can go online and search things. What made this program powerful and effective was the sequencing of the information, the way it was presented, and the support.

At no point did I feel overwhelmed, and at no point did I feel dumb for not knowing this stuff. Some of the things I learned, I thought, I wish I’d known this 20 years ago. That was the best bit.

Others might say the group support was great. For me, I’m a happy, independent little critter, and that worked too. I was part of the group, but it was also about me making decisions and taking actions for myself. It was fantastic.

The Level Up program runs for six weeks, and sometimes you think six weeks is not a lot of time. But every single person who participated had wins and milestones they ticked off.

I know I did. One of the big wins for me was a pair of jeans I bought last year, thinking, I’ve put on a bit of weight, I need a bigger size. I didn’t try them on, but when I got home, they didn’t fit.

By the end of the Level Up program, today I’m sitting here wearing those jeans that I hadn’t been able to fit into for at least 12 months. I’ve been wearing them all day, and they’re comfortable. If that’s not a win, I don’t know what is.

I feel really proud of the results I achieved. I’m happy and excited because it’s the first step in the rest of my journey toward regaining my peak fitness. Six weeks, but it’s an absolute transformation.

When you’ve done a program like this, other people might say, oh, you went through it, you’ve done it, you’re different than me.

If anybody is watching this and thinking, I can’t do this, it’s not for me, I’ve failed everything else — what I would say is, if nothing changes, then nothing changes.

This is a fantastic program. It’s supportive, encouraging, and as hard as you choose to make it. There’s a phrase I heard a while ago: you need to choose your hard.

If you choose to do nothing, you’re choosing to continue living your life exactly the way it is. And that’s hard. Or you can choose to do something a little different over six weeks in the Level Up program and completely change your life.

Nicchia Alvear

Congratulations Nicchia on pushing through your challenges and rediscovering strength and movement. Your resilience in overcoming pain, building routines, and surprising yourself with progress is truly inspiring.

“I decided to take part in the program because I needed to do something. I wasn’t actually getting anywhere.

I didn’t think I was going to be strong enough to keep up. I was concerned about setting myself up for failure and disappointing everyone.

I worried about not being able to manage my time well enough to incorporate a new lifestyle, new plans.

I have to do all the exercises before work, otherwise I don’t get any time for me. During the program I actually went up from one kilo to two kilos, and at the end to three kilos. I thought, there’s no way I’m going to touch those three kilos.

I had trouble with my shoulders and wasn’t able to use them in the beginning. I had a lot of peripheral pain which comes from my neck and down my nervous system. I feel like I’ve been able to stretch my nerves out and strengthen my shoulders just enough to be able to do the complete movements.

Sometimes I have to drop it back down to the lowest weight if it gets a bit gnarly, but getting movement in my arms again was probably the biggest surprise.

I was really surprised at the lengths of time I was able to go walking. That was a big win, a big eye opener, because now I know I can build on that.

I think the structure was really important, but also the content, the videos, the education. You’ve obviously spent a lot of time pulling it together, presenting it to us, and giving us access to multitask — like getting on the treadmill and watching our meetings on Wednesday nights.

Learning to habit-stack was really important for me.

Just being able to successfully set up a morning routine was a big achievement.”

Melisa Donaldson

Congratulations on rediscovering your smile and your sense of calm. Your journey back to yourself, grounded in strength, community, and joy, is a beautiful inspiration. Congratulations on losing 8.55% of your body weight, and gaining energy and vitality that you were looking for.

“I wanted to rediscover the person that I was. I had only just got into fitness in my 50s, and I was pretty proud of where I was when I was 50, 51 — and then I lost it.

I wanted to find that person again. I’ve never done anything like this for myself before. If it had been a friend or someone in my family, I would have said, “Go for it, you need this.” But to do it for myself — that was my big thing, getting over the fact and believing that I was worthy of this.

I looked at past testimonies and things from past groups, and I felt this would be very beneficial for me.

What surprised me the most was how calm I feel. It made me realise how uptight I had been. I don’t know how to explain it, but I feel calm, I feel fantastic. I didn’t think I’d feel that, but I do.

I feel more centred and grounded. Yes, very centred and grounded.

I lost 8.7% of my weight. My goal was just to lose 5%. Weight loss wasn’t my primary goal — I was slightly over the healthy weight range and wanted to get back into it. I thought 5% would make me happy, but getting near 10% was beyond what I thought realistic. I’m really, really happy.

Pre-Level Up, Melissa was very stressed. I had got myself into a bad place, and I knew it. Now I feel like I’ve found myself again.

I had lost my smile. And now I have my smile back. I know this works for me.

It works really well. I’d tried before, but I wasn’t in the right place to do it. This time, having the structure and the community made all the difference. We built a strong connection, and that’s been really valuable.

The three days on the retreat were amazing. I’m so happy I came. Going down to the beach, I rediscovered how much I love being in the water. Swimming has been amazing.

It’s been really relaxing these last three days. The strength workouts were good, but overall, it was very calming and restorative.

My biggest win has been finding myself again. I feel like I’m back to being able to do what I want with our first grandchild. I want to be physically capable and energetic — we’re going to be bike riding together and doing lots of things.

I think it’s amazing what you’ve done, Rob. To take an online program and build a whole community from it.

I’ve found my inner self again and I’m living according to the values I want to live by.

I feel exceptionally proud of myself and a lot more accepting of myself. This is the first time I’ve worn a sleeveless top in a very long time, and shorter pants that don’t come down past my knees.

I would say: do it. You deserve it. You are definitely worth it!”

Jane Urquhart

Congratulations on losing 10.27% of your body weight Jane. You have embraced this journey with such courage and openness. Your transformation — from stress and self-doubt to glowing confidence, community, and joy — is truly remarkable.

“I had seen testimonials online from my friend, and it always interested me in the idea of participating in something like this program.

A tipping point for me was that I had spent two years doing strength training with TBFT, and I trusted the organisation. I believed it was authentic and ethical, and I felt confident the program would genuinely deliver what it promised.

It had been a terrible year for me. I was already training with TBFT, and I reached out to you, Rob, saying I was interested but unsure if I could do it. Having a plan to work towards gave me something to look forward to in a really difficult year.

I retired in July, and I knew I was going to have a lot of spare time. Part of my interest in the program was that I was conscious some people feel very lost when they retire. I thought, how can I put some structure into my life? I confided in you that I wanted to be the sort of person who exercised every day.

I was very conscious that I had always put work first. Looking back now, I think I would approach things differently. I had always seen doing something like this as self-indulgent, but I don’t see it that way anymore.

I was most surprised at how ignorant I was about my own body, my stage of life, and nutrition. I consider myself well-educated, but I was stunned at how little I knew.

I expected that if I stuck to the rules, I would lose weight. What I didn’t expect was that my skin would improve, my hair would look better, that I would seem less grey to my husband, and that I would feel more youthful — more like my age, when I had started to feel like an old woman. Those incidental benefits were unexpected.

I’m thrilled to have achieved the weight loss I was aiming for. I’m thrilled it meets my doctor’s expectations. For me, the journey isn’t over — I’m still away from what I think might be my ideal weight, but the journey has been so good that I have no worries about continuing it.

Jane pre-Level Up was stressed, sad, tired, old beyond her years, and starting to stop doing things she once enjoyed. She stopped because she felt ashamed of how she looked, or too tired, or too old in her mindset.

Jane after the program jumps in a kayak and goes out on the ocean. She has a community of new friends she loves walking with, offering support to and receiving support from. Her husband says the change is remarkable — her skin glows, she’s happy.

I’ve lifted in a way I can’t really describe. Accountability is huge, and it helps set habits. That was what I was looking for. But the community was a surprise — a massive support. Not just the other people in the program, but also Rob and Emily, because there was always someone to go to, with regular feedback and encouragement.

The education was really important. Honestly, the whole thing was really good. Whether it was ideas about exercise or nutrition, it all worked together.

The end of the program, coming to Byron and being out in the sunshine, was a genuine uplifting experience at the end of a significant six weeks. I wouldn’t pick one thing — all the little bits worked together to bring success.

I was fortunate to be able to attend the three days away, and I loved it. It gave me something to work towards, and it came at the right time. Looking at my daily reflections, every day I was saying “engage actively.” The three days in Byron at the end of the program opened the opportunity to do that in spades.

I went from never walking the dog to walking 11 kilometres — my furthest distance so far. I discovered a whole new pleasure in walking and exploring places.

I expected nutrition to feel like deprivation, but there was nothing depriving about this way of eating. It’s a sustainable lifestyle approach.

The friends I’ve made have been really significant. I feel quietly happy, but not done. My life has changed.

I’ve never felt that before. With a six-week program and a retreat at the end, you might think it’s over. But I don’t feel that way at all. I feel like I’m having a great experience, and I want it to continue.

I would say: you will regret nothing. Grab it with both hands. You will feel younger, you will discover new friendships, you will find interests you didn’t know you had, and you will get a lot of pleasure out of it.”

 

Ingrid Salman

Congratulations Ingrid, on breaking free from old habits and proving to yourself that lasting change is possible. Your journey of weight loss, mindset shifts, and building sustainable routines is a powerful example of resilience. You lost 10% of your body weight, but gained so much confidence and health throughout our 6-week journey. Congratulations!

“I thought this program might really help. I was in a bit of a rut, and I hoped it could give me a better mindset, a better outlook, and maybe help me lose some weight in the process.

I felt like it was pretty expensive, and I wondered if I would commit, if I would see it through. I wasn’t sure, but I really wanted to do something. It came along at the right time, when I was thinking, I’ve got to do something. I was in a rut and couldn’t get out of it. Despite the cost and commitment, I thought I’d give it a try. My husband John was very supportive too, which helped.

I’m proud that I did it, that I got through it. Six weeks is a long time to commit to something. It surprised me that I did. I was concerned about the retreat at the end and what would be required, but I surprised myself by getting through it with flying colors.

I lost eight and a half kilos. I started at 85 and ended at 76.5 — that was 10%, which I was aiming for. That gave me so much incentive and momentum. The accountability and group mentality helped — we were all on the same page, everyone helping each other. You, Em, and Mitch were committed to us, and that really helped me get through it.

The meetings were important. Sometimes you might have gone downhill in your thinking, but the meetings brought you back. The surveys and everything else were good too.

Pre-Level Up, I was off the rails. I was eating constantly, waking up in the middle of the night and going to the kitchen to eat junk food. I felt trapped and couldn’t get out of the cycle.

During the program, I stopped that because I knew it wouldn’t help me achieve my goals. Now, post-Level Up, I don’t feel the need to do that anymore. If I’m hungry in the middle of the night, I just drink water and go back to sleep. I feel much better.

The structured plan was really good. The carb counters and tools helped me see what foods contained and eat accordingly. I hadn’t been conscious of that before, but it was very helpful.

The structure covered everything — emotional, physical — and that’s what made it a success. You looked at every aspect of our journey and helped us through every step. Your commitment to helping us was clear.

I’ve always been up and down with my weight, but I’ve never had that immersive effect before, where it covers everything. I feel differently this time, for the first time. That’s what encourages me to keep going.

Sharing my thoughts made me nervous, but the online retreat was good. The strength sessions with Emily were really enjoyable, and the workshop was good too. The sharing part became easy because the questions matched what was on my mind. I really liked the online retreat in the end.

My biggest win was the weight loss — that was the reason I joined. But other wins were the mindset changes. It gave me good habits, and I’ve taken them on board. I feel like I can stick to them long-term.

There will be times when I deviate, but my everyday routine will be what I’ve learned. I feel like I can keep going. This is only halfway through my journey, but I’ve got the momentum to continue. I’ll keep going as if I’m still in the program until I reach my goal weight, then move into maintenance.

I would say: do it. It’s an all-rounder. It’s not just about losing weight — it helps your mindset and outlook too. I thought I was making a mistake, spending money on something I couldn’t commit to. But I’ve enjoyed it, and I feel well equipped moving forward. I would do it again.”

Helena Jovanaska

WOW! A 10.56% weight loss (11.6kgs). Congratulations Helena on breaking through barriers and proving to yourself that lasting change is possible. Your journey from hesitation to confidence, with powerful wins in mindset and health, is truly inspiring.

“I wanted to take part in the program because I had seen your previous Level Up advertisements, and I really wanted a kick start.

Since I’ve been with TBFT, I’ve known that my life has improved, and hearing about the Level Up program was important to see if it could give me the boost I needed for lifelong change.

I had a lot of hesitation with the program. Financially, it’s always a big commitment. Having been on a weight loss journey my whole life, it felt like another expense, and you never really know what the result will be.

I had been interested in a previous Level Up program, but I knew I didn’t have the time to commit properly. This time, I was able to prioritize it, and that made all the difference. Even though I’m still full-time employed and sometimes struggled with time, it’s been worth it.

I even took two weeks of long service leave so I could be here in Byron Bay, and it’s been absolutely worth it.

The thing that surprised me most was learning about myself — discovering that I have the capability to shift my mindset. I’ve learned that I can do hard things, and I’ve really enjoyed connecting with other people in the group.

I now have a mantra: every day is a new day. I believe I won’t always get it right, but it’s okay — I can get back up and try again. It’s about the journey forward, not about being perfect all the time.

Weight has always been an issue for me, but I’ve lost 9.38% of my body weight since starting the program. Initially, when I joined TBFT, I was 120 kilos. This week, I broke the 100-kilo mark, which was my real goal. I feel successful, and the most exciting thing is that I know I’m still on this journey.

I’m looking forward to continuing to lose weight and becoming healthier.

During the program, I knew that if I missed a session, you would call me and re-energize me. Post-Level Up, Helena knows it’s about the habit. I don’t feel guilty about missing a session because I know I’ll pick it up again.

I don’t think there was one most valuable part of the program — it all worked together. The connection was huge: meeting like-minded women, organizing a walking group, having a buddy to exercise with. The information about sleep, gut health, mindset, and the five pillars all worked together.

The last three days on the retreat have been hard — intense but satisfying. After each strength workout or walk, I felt proud: “Yay, I’ve done it.” The workshop helped me reflect on where I’ve come from and where I want to go.

The in-person retreat has been magical. I came with two other girls from Canberra, and when I faced misfortune during the retreat, they were absolutely amazing and supportive — not just for my health and wellbeing, but my mental wellbeing too. I’m so grateful.

My biggest wins have been my shift in mindset and reflecting on how successful I’ve been. I used to be a black-and-white thinker, but now I know it’s okay to have ups and downs without letting the negatives outweigh the positives.

I feel amazing. I don’t care anymore about whether people are looking at me or what they think. Some people may have negative opinions, but that doesn’t matter. That’s not who I am anymore.

I know this is a journey, not a destination. I’m grateful to be in a headspace where I can be healthier and more productive.

A thousand percent — you’ve got to do the Level Up program. Even if you think you’re in a good place, or even if you think you’re in the worst place, the program gives you that boost and confidence. You’ve got to do it.”

Deb Elms

Congratulations on stepping out of your shell and embracing a whole new lifestyle Deb. Your transformation from hesitation to confidence, with powerful wins in health, mindset, and joy, is truly inspiring.

I was not feeling good about myself. I had felt good for quite a few years, but I thought, if I don’t do something, I’m just going to get worse and sink into a hole I won’t know how to get out of.

I was encouraged by the reviews online to attend this program, and I haven’t looked back. I did struggle to believe I would commit completely, knowing my past failures. Time was a factor because I still work full-time, but I managed to do it, and I feel very proud that I did.

The biggest surprise for me was knowing that I can still exercise. I’m not too old to commit to something like this.

The food was absolutely amazing. I thought it would be one of those diets where you can’t eat anything, but it wasn’t a diet — it was outstanding. It’s a lifestyle change, something you can carry for the rest of your life.

I lost roughly 6% of my body weight, which I find amazing because I could never do it by myself. I used to put weight on when I tried to diet. This program showed me that you can eat the foods you enjoy and still succeed.

Deb pre-Level Up was someone who would revert into her shell, not want to do anything, not want to go to the beach, not want to participate in activities with her grandchildren because she thought she was too old.

Deb now wants to walk every day, do mobility training every day, and be involved in things. She’s not scared to go to the beach. It’s a completely new me.

The best part of the program is the constant support from Rob and Emily. You’ve also got the group, where you can bounce things off each other. We’re all in the same boat, we all feel the same way, and you feel better knowing you’re not alone.

The icing on the cake was the three-day retreat in Byron Bay. It was unbelievable. The food Hayley prepared was delightful. The activities Rob organised — the walks, the kayaking — everything was amazing. I cannot fault one thing.

For me to keep up with everything was incredible. My highlight was climbing to the top of the Byron Bay lighthouse, which I thought I’d never be able to do. With a few stops along the way, I completed it. Then I went kayaking, totally out of my comfort zone, and it was amazing. I pushed myself, thinking, “You can do it. You’re not that old.” Rob’s gentle nudges helped me believe I could.

I’m very proud of myself. It’s an amazing program, something I’ll take with me for life.

The milestones I’ve taken away are consistency — every day, not giving up when I felt like I couldn’t be bothered. I never thought about skipping my strength sessions twice weekly or my daily walks with the dog. It’s something I want to keep doing.

It’s completely changed my mindset about how I want to live. This is how I want to live.

I feel like a new person. The old Deb has gone. I’ve never exercised in my life, but I’ve stuck to it and thoroughly enjoyed it. I look forward to my mobility sessions and strength sessions. I just love it. This is me.

Just do it. Don’t think it’s hype. It’s real, you get results, and you’ll have the time of your life. I can’t believe how good it was and how good it is.

I’ll definitely do the next one. Again — just do it.”

Anna Klose

Note: This is a written testimonial from Anna. No video available.

Congratulations Anna on proving to yourself that change is possible at any stage of life. You lost 7.16% of your body weight and gained the health reset you were looking for! Your courage to commit, embrace new habits, and rediscover joy in movement and community is truly inspiring. It was a pleasure having you on the program with us!

“I was not feeling that good about myself. I had felt good for quite a few years, and I thought, if I don’t do something, I’m just going to get worse and sink into a hole where I don’t know how to get out of.

I was encouraged by the reviews online to attend this program, and I haven’t looked back. I did struggle to think that I would commit myself completely to the program itself, knowing my past failures.

Time did come into effect because I still work full time. But I managed to do it, and feel very proud that I managed to do it.

I’m very proud that I did commit, and I did complete the course with good results. The biggest surprise for me was knowing that I can still exercise.

I’m not too old to commit to something like this. The food is absolutely amazing. I thought it would be one of those diets where you can’t eat anything.

The food was absolutely outstanding. It’s not a diet. It’s just a lifestyle change and it’s something that you can carry to the end of your lifetime, to be honest.

I lost roughly 6% of my body weight, which I find to be very amazing because I could never do it by myself.

I would tend to put weight on when I tried to diet. It’s just lifestyle and it’s the training of Rob and Emily that got me to where I am, to be honest — to show me that you can eat things that you want to eat and not put weight on.

Deb pre-Level Up was someone who would revert into her shell and not want to do anything, not want to go to the beach, not want to participate in any activities with my grandchildren because I thought that it was something I couldn’t do and I was too old.

Deb, at the moment, wants to walk every day, wants to do her mobility training every day, just wants to be involved in things, not scared to go to the beach. It’s a completely new me, as per my feelings.

I’m going to cry. The best part of the program is you’ve got the constant support from Robert and Emily.

You’ve also got the group where you can bounce things off each other. We’re all in the same boat. We all feel the same way.

You just feel better once you’ve got it out there — knowing that other people are feeling the same way, and you’re not alone out there.

The icing on the cake, if I can say that, is the last three-day retreat in Byron Bay. It was unbelievable.

The food that Hayley gave us was delightful. The activities that Rob had put together — the walks, the kayaking, everything.

I cannot fault one thing that we did. For me to keep up with every one of them was just amazing.

My highlight for the three days was climbing up to the top of the Byron Bay lighthouse, which I thought I would never be able to do. With a few stops on the way, I managed to complete it.

Then I went kayaking, which was another thing totally out of my comfort zone. It was amazing. I just pushed myself to do it, thinking, “No, you can do it. You’re not that old, you can do it.”

That was a lot to do with Rob giving me that gentle little nudge every now and then.

I think that I can do it. I’m very proud of myself. Amazing, amazing program. It’s something that I’ll take away with me for the rest of my life, to be honest.

My milestones from this program are that I’ve been consistent every day, never giving up when I felt like I couldn’t be bothered.

I didn’t even think about not doing my strength sessions twice weekly, walking, walking the dog every morning. It’s just something that I want to keep doing.

It’s completely changed my mindset on how I want to live, and this is how I want to live.

I feel like a new person, to be honest. The old Deb has gone and I just feel like a new person.

I don’t want to sound cliché, but this program has been amazing. For me, someone who has never exercised in my life, I have stuck to it and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I look forward to doing my mobility sessions, my strength sessions. I just love it, to be honest. This is me.

Just do it. Don’t think, “Oh yeah, it’s just hype.” It is real, you do get results, and you will have the time of your life.

I can’t believe how good it was and how good it is. I’m definitely doing the next one.

Again — just do it.”

Toni Geyer

Toni joined the program to finally prioritise herself, and it became a turning point. With 9.5 kgs lost, a huge boost in energy, and a major mindset shift, she’s now confidently making time for movement, strength, and her own well-being—proving that real change starts with choosing you.

" I started the Level Up program because I needed to do something for me. I had focused on kids, parents, and my husband, and it was my time. It looked like the perfect program because I could do it at home, on my own time.

I was very nervous about taking part. I had no self-confidence in my ability to control weight loss or exercise regularly. I needed direction, and I was unsure if I’d get that from the program, but I did. It was fantastic.

The gorgeous weather was one of the main reasons for doing it. This was my reward for completing the retreat and the program. I enjoyed the walking and doing strength work in the mornings. I absolutely loved the kayaking—it took me back to my childhood.

I lost almost nine kilos. Before, I often felt sick in my gut and would reward myself with lollies after work. Now, I go to the shops and reward myself with celery, which I love munching on the way home.

I have so much more energy. I can get out of bed and go for a walk, and I come home from work and go for a walk. My animals love that part too. I’ve lived in Goulburn for 28 years and to go out half an hour from home and do a bushwalk I hadn’t done since my kids were little was amazing. I did it by myself, which I thought was very brave. I also went swimming at Goulburn Pool for the first time since my kids were little, which was wonderful.

I fully recommend the Level Up program. When I talked about weight loss with doctors or dieticians, they just said cut calories without telling me how. The Level Up program was clear—cut carbs—and gave me numbers to work with, which was really good. The list of carbohydrates in foods was helpful too. Dieticians might say potatoes or pasta are okay but it’s what you put on them. I haven’t had pasta, potato, or rice, and I feel so much better.

The weight loss was a bonus. The real bonuses were the exercise and getting muscle definition—I think I have muscle definition now.

Mentally, the program made me focus on me. After the first week, my mental health and mindset changed, and it became easier to continue.

The mindset shift made me more aware of what I’m doing—looking at my day and thinking, I can go for a walk now or exercise now. Being dropped off in town with three hours before work and not going to a cafe for coffee but going to the pool and reading a book was wonderful.”

Tina Taylor

Tina used the program as a fresh kickstart after several attempts to get fitter and lose weight. With strong support and a focus on both exercise and nutrition, she’s lost over 10kgs boosted her fitness, and transformed everyday activities—turning long walks into regular, manageable routines with renewed confidence.

" I’ve been trying to get fitter and lose weight. I thought this was my chance because I’d been trying for a couple of years and hadn’t been able to lose any. I thought this was my chance to do a kickstart and try that because I’d tried other kickstarts that didn’t work. I’d sort of failed on all my other attempts. I thought maybe this time I could do it, and if there was some help rather than trying on my own, it would be good to give it a go.

I lost 8.75 kilos, so I’m pretty happy with that. It’s really just a kickstart, and I’m going to keep going. I was surprised that with the low-carb foods, I was actually eating more food but still losing weight. I think it’s the exercise and food combined that did it. Every time I’ve done it before, I haven’t done as much exercise as we had to do. I feel heaps better in myself and am able to do exercises a lot better. I can feel I’ve gotten a lot fitter during these six or seven weeks.

I think you need the support and help, like the weekly catch-ups. Rob would call me individually every time I got worried I couldn’t do it. There’s heaps of support, and it really works. I’d say go for it and give it a go. The treats are fantastic. It helped me stay more positive instead of thinking I failed. It gave me more determination because I knew it was working.

The daily win really helped me do a lot of self-reflection and stay positive. I’ve had really good days and no bad days while on the program. Before, 4K was a really long walk for me, and now it’s my regular walk. Five Ks is my mini walk. My daughter laughed and said, “Your short walks are 4.5 Ks?” I said yes. That was really good because before I was struggling to do about 5Ks. Today, we did 9Ks a couple of times, and I sit around 7Ks, which I can do more comfortably.

I’ve really come a long way with walking. With CrossFit exercises I couldn’t do before, I can now actually do some. Some I still struggle with, but others I’ve gotten a lot better at. I can feel myself being a lot fitter.”

Tracey Tyler

Tracey has completed the program three times, and each experience has offered something unique. This time, it was a deeper mental shift that stood out—bringing renewed determination, a stronger sense of self-belief, and a reminder that there’s always something new to gain, no matter where you're at in the journey.

“I was looking for another reset of my health. It was a personal thing. Every time I've done the Level Up Program, there's been a different outcome. It's not so much physical outcomes but mental ones. The first time I did it, I did it with Gary, so that was a good thing to do together. I learned certain things, and the next time I really enjoyed it more and felt I got more out of it.

This time there was a lot of introspective work I did when walking and thinking. On the third time around, I got more out of it on a deeper mental level.

Before Level Up, I was giving up on things a bit. It wouldn't take much for me to give up on something. This time, I was a lot more persistent because I knew there would be a good outcome. Post-retreat, I feel very capable and determined.

That’s the big difference. I’ve got the health benefits too—the physical and mental well-being side—but I’ve also looked at my personality and my belief in myself has been reinforced.

Of course, I’d recommend it. There’s so much to gain and many different stages of Level Up. Some people will get more out of it for weight loss and fitness; others will get more out of it emotionally or spiritually. You get a combination of bits and pieces depending on your gaps, and the Level Up Retreat will help with those areas. I definitely recommend it."

Rebecca Hopper

This program gave Rebecca the push and accountability she needed to finally tackle goals she’d struggled with for years. With strong support, clear nutrition guidance, and daily intention-setting, she gained not only physical results but a renewed focus and pride in herself—showing that success comes from commitment and planning.

" When we first talked about the program, it seemed like something I needed to give me a push forward and be more accountable. I didn’t really know what to expect and didn’t expect it to be so intense. The support throughout the whole challenge was really strong and that was one of the best parts. It kept me very accountable — it wasn’t just, “off you go, let us know how it goes.” It was more like, “no, you need to do this this week.”

I had a goal of losing seven to ten percent of my body weight, which I’d never achieved before. It’s always on my list every year, but it never happens. I realised that nothing changes if nothing changes, so something had to give. I was a bit unsure at first because I didn’t know each week would get more challenging, but by week three or four, I understood and got on board.

The support from Emily, you, and Hayley was amazing. The nutrition info was especially helpful — I didn’t realise how many carbs were hidden in foods or how my little treats were undoing everything.

One thing that really clicked was setting a daily intention and committing to it. Without that focus, it was wishy-washy. I now make my health a priority over everything else. Socialising used to be a roadblock with lunches and dinners, so I decided to get a grip on that for the next four months and find ways to stay social without always eating.

Now I feel stronger and proud of myself. Writing down my wins each day — workouts, walks — makes me feel good because I don’t want to be disappointed in myself. I also know I need to reward myself, so I’m prioritising infrared sauna, massages every few weeks, swimming, and walking outside — even if I’m still getting used to doing it on my own.

I definitely recommend the program. You learn a lot about nutrition and what it takes to reach your goals, but also a lot about yourself. I loved the “I am” statements and have them printed on my fridge because they were powerful reminders. Scheduling my workouts and commitments on my phone calendar helps me stay on track, even factoring in travel time — without that, nothing would happen.” 

Michael Pinkpank

Michael came into the program feeling stuck physically and mentally, but with strong support and practical tools, he achieved a weight loss of over 10 kilos—and gained a brighter outlook on life. His experience shows that meaningful change is possible when you commit fully and connect with others along the way.

"Before Level Up, I was really stuck physically and mentally. I was going backwards with weight and mental health, like being stuck in groundhog day. I needed a shot in the arm to get out of that, and the program really helped lift me out.

I lost over 10 kilos, the first sustained weight loss I’ve had. I shifted the dial and now have methods to continue. Mentally, it changed my days, gave me something to do and people to talk to, shifting my mind. Tomorrow isn’t necessarily the same as today anymore.

I was hesitant at first but got past it quickly. The eating plans looked difficult, but once I got into it, it wasn’t a problem. I demonstrated to myself how to get rid of weight that crept on and am on the right trajectory.

Meeting people online and in real life helped, especially after COVID lockdowns when social contact was limited. Just being with others, even without socialising, is good. I’m glad Irma reached out to join a walk early on, which helped me get moving.

I’m out of that rut in many ways. Previous advice felt out of reach, but now it seems possible. Losing 10 kilos means I can move easier, and it will get easier. The connection with people has helped too.

I’d recommend Level Up to others. I’d tell them not to worry about changing everything overnight. It’s as radical as you want. Don’t be scared — give it a go. Put in what you can because those who go all in get the most out.”

Kate Stobie

Kate joined the program to reset and reinforce healthy habits she’d let slide, finding that the group support and nature walks rekindled her motivation. With practical nutrition guidance and ongoing encouragement, she regained her passion for fitness and mindful eating, setting sustainable habits that fit her lifestyle.

"Mostly, I wanted to reset or bring in the information I learned last year to really compound it again this year because I’d sort of dropped off track a bit. It was really good knowing that when you’re with a group, it helps motivate you to push yourself instead of doing it by yourself. It was to make that knowledge a lot more sound and embedded in my mind.

Having Irma and Michael close so we could catch up regularly and continue regular walks is wonderful. The company and camaraderie make it a lot better. I managed to get back up into a step where I can continue moving forward. The retreat helped me get back on track to move forward.

Getting back out into the bush and nature again, which I’ve always loved but dropped off, reminded me how invigorating it is and great for the mind and fitness. It motivates me again and drops off worries and other daily life stresses.

Even though I don’t like cooking much, I found the cooking sessions and meal plans better. I’d have a couple of meals each week, then cook larger amounts for extras. That was more invigorating than last year. It brings back the passion that gets lost in life stuff.

The support and knowledge in the meetings were really good. There was stuff I was aware of but forgot, so revisiting it was important. There’s so much support from you, Emily, and Hayley in cooking. The weekly feedback was valuable because sometimes you think you didn’t do well, but you can break it down clearly and get succinct advice.

This program is wholesome, giving skills and knowledge to improve food and fitness holistically for sustainable gains, unlike short diets. It helps with weight loss and fitness and embeds knowledge that makes following it easier. Carb awareness has been huge for me.

Despite setbacks during the program, since finishing I’ve gone off the rails but the cravings are gone, and I feel lighter without bloating or puffiness. That feeling makes me want to keep the momentum going.

Many people walk around without knowing they feel better after changes. Once you try this and feel better, you have something to compare it to. In younger days, I was fitness conscious with ballet, running, and army routines, but the last 10-15 years life distractions moved me off track. The retreat reinvigorated me and got me back on track. Not everyone needs to do it every year, but the initial program gives solid knowledge and support to keep going.

I’m doing daily meditation, some mindfulness pauses, and more walking, aiming to get back to cross-country skiing, which requires walking to prepare. Carb consciousness is really big now, and I’m making more spice blends without processed sauces full of preservatives.”

Irma Goothius

Irma joined the program with a real desire to take control of her health without relying more on medication. Thanks to the low-carb way of eating, regular exercise, and amazing support from the group, she lowered her blood sugar levels, stopped feeling hungry all the time, boosted her energy, and even got off her medication. Now she feels confident and empowered to keep living a healthier, happier life.

"I’ve got a strong family history of insulin-dependent diabetes — mum, dad, grandma, sisters, aunties. I’ve always been aware of the risks. I work in intensive care and see what diabetes can do to the body, which made me determined to avoid that outcome.

Six months ago, my endocrinologist told me I was on the max dose of Metformin, a blood sugar medication, and suggested I start a weight loss drug, but I didn’t want that after reading about side effects. That motivated me to join this program.

Since starting, I’ve slowly weaned off my medication, and for the last eight days, I’ve been off completely — which is incredible. Before the program, I was sluggish and constantly hungry, which annoyed me. A few weeks in, I started checking blood sugar more and saw nighttime levels drop below ten for the first time in probably three years. I felt more energetic, and hunger pains almost disappeared. Occasionally, when I exercised more, I’d get a bit hungry late in the day, but nothing like before.

Three of us formed a walking group and will keep it going. I feel like I have the tools to keep this lifestyle. I know there will be hard times, but I’m determined and will remind myself of how far I’ve come. I’m grateful for the support and meeting others who share the same goals — it’s broadened my friendships.

I’ve lost some weight — more than 5% — but that wasn’t my main goal. I hesitated about joining because of costs and travel, but the online format suited me. I considered the in-person retreat and think it looks fun, maybe next time.

What surprised me was how much I learned — not just about exercise, but food, mindset, sleep, and stress management. I’m applying this knowledge at work and sharing it with colleagues, which feels great.

The individual support after weekly surveys helped when I doubted myself. Hearing from others in the walking group made me realize I wasn’t alone, and the encouragement helped me shift to a more positive mindset.

I’ve recommended this program to women I’ve worked with who had similar doubts, telling them to do it with support — they’ll feel the difference quickly.”

Helen Delany

After 18 months of training, Helen was ready to take things up a notch — and Level Up delivered! She dropped 10.92% of her body weight, cracked the carb confusion, built new healthy habits, and rediscovered her love of walking (audiobook in hand!). Now she’s feeling stronger, clearer, and more motivated than ever to keep going!

"After 18 months training with TBFT, I thought I was ready to take part in the Level Up program. I had achieved a lot of goals within that time, but I just could not lose that last little bit of weight I really wanted to shift. Also, I wanted the challenge to know that I can do it, and do it with a group of like-minded people, which was really important.

I wasn’t nervous because I had already built-up trust with TBFT. They’re just amazing to work with. For those who might be nervous, everyone puts everyone at ease. We’re a diverse group from all walks of life, and it’s very cohesive, which is lovely.

What really surprised me was when we started the education about food, especially carbohydrates. I learned that foods I thought weren’t high in carbs actually were. It was eye-opening—I realized I had been doing it wrong for years. But I ended up really enjoying it. It wasn’t a chore.

Before, I probably drank wine a lot of nights, not every night, but quite often. COVID really affected me. When I was younger, I was fairly good at exercise and keeping my weight under control, but once I hit menopause, the weight slowly crept on. It’s hard to shift once you hit menopause.

Also, I joined TBFT because I hurt my shoulder and realized how weak my upper body was, which I’d never experienced before. During the Level Up program, I lost 10% of my body weight, which was exactly what I wanted.

I’m motivated to lose a few more kilos and will stick with what I’m doing now. My biggest wins have been getting consistent with walking, exercising, and getting up early in the morning to do these things. It’s given me motivation to stick with it and not give up.

Mentally, any exercise is good, and this program helped me discover new ways to enjoy it. For example, I now love audiobooks. I don’t like walking alone because it’s boring, so I get my headphones, go to a nice spot, and enjoy a 5K walk while listening. I walk longer because I want to find out what happens next.

I highly recommend this program to anyone thinking about it. You’re in safe hands with Rob and TBFT. They make you feel very safe no matter who you are or what you do. It’s a safe space, and I highly recommend just doing it.”

Gary Tyler

Gary jumped back into the Level Up Program for a second round — this time focusing on rebuilding fitness after surgery. With daily tracking, expert support, and his wife Tracey by his side, he found fresh motivation, crushed personal goals, and proved to himself that it’s never too late to start again and feel stronger than ever!

"The success of the first time I did the program weighed heavily on my decision to do it again. I find I’m more motivated when I’m with a group or working with my wife on the same project. She wanted to do it, so it didn’t take much to convince me it was time to take it up again.

Sometimes you lose track of what you were doing before, and I thought I needed to be recalibrated. It was good to revisit what we were doing and calibrate our dieting together. It’s been really good for both my wife and me. We were doing five or six weeks leading up to it online, so it didn’t really matter to me. By the sixth week, it would have been nice to catch up with people, but since we were still seeing them online, it didn’t matter I wasn’t there face to face.

Most of the time is spent online checking in and monitoring progress. We had a little piece of paper in the bathroom to record our weight regularly. We’ll probably keep that going, not every day, but at regular intervals, which I think is important.

What I’ve found is that you can blow out easily if you don’t keep tabs on things, especially at our age. Once you stop working, you stop exercising or using your body as much. When I was working, I would do 10 to 15,000 steps just by being at work. When you retire, you can’t guarantee that, so you’re automatically behind on exercise.

For me, it was about trying to increase exercise and get into a routine. The program motivated me to do the exercise and meet goals, which might sound corny, but it worked for me. I was challenging myself, not others. The first time I did it, I lost more weight, but this time I achieved greater fitness.

Before, I was agile and could run anywhere. This time, I was recovering from an operation, starting from zero with back pain. I took my first walk during the course, so it was a big step up for me.

You’re working with people who have knowledge of this situation, like you and your team, who know what to do to improve fitness and weight loss. Having experts around was good. Also, having accountability was good for me. Some don’t like accountability, but I found it motivating, not threatening.

The encouragement from everyone was another factor. Everyone was positive and supportive, which is something you lose contact with over time. All of us were trying to improve our fitness and health. I thought I was more independent before and could do it myself, but as you get older, you need assistance.

There are many solutions out there on the internet, advertising, and exercise machines, but this program strips it back to the simplest, most likely solution to achieve success. It really does work. I understood the logic behind it.”

Deborah Blake

Deborah loved Level Up so much she came back for round two — and this time, she nailed new habits like daily walks and better sleep while still dropping 5 kilos! She’s proof that the program’s support keeps you motivated and making real, lasting changes every time.

"I decided to do Level Up for a second time because I really enjoyed it and got so much out of the first time. I wanted to concentrate on other aspects of my fitness and health and get that extra support.

Last time, my main priority was to become more active and stay active. I wasn’t really focusing on my weight because I thought it was okay, but I ended up losing 10% of my weight. After losing that, I realized I had been carrying around weight I didn’t need, which made me feel fantastic.

This time, I concentrated on setting some habits that I couldn’t before, like drinking 750ml of water in the morning, which is now just part of my routine. I go for at least a half-hour to an hour walk, usually in the afternoon because mornings are too cold. My eating habits are on the right track, and I’ve also focused on sleep, mindset, stress, and ways to improve those.

Last time, I lost more than 10%, and this time I’m tracking around 6%. I’m under 70kg for the first time in many years. I have a performance uniform from 2015 that was tight before, and last month when I performed in it, it fit much better.

I would definitely recommend the program to anyone who wants to lose weight, be more active, eat better, or just feel better in themselves. It’s about feeling good within yourself physically and mentally."

Note: Deborah lost 5kgs in this round (8.03%), and 10.12% in the first round. She is now at her goal weight and has strategies in place to maintain her weight and prevent the yearly holiday weight creep.

Viqui Gras

Congrats Viqui! This program is for anyone wanting to feel better about themselves and their health. Not everyone has a weight loss goal, but like Viqui discovered, stepping outside your comfort zone can lead to feeling stronger, more positive, more energised—and sometimes even losing a few unexpected kilos along the way!

“I guess what I wanted to do was push myself a little bit further. I was already doing exercise quite a lot, and when I saw that it was quite holistic—just including diet and everything—I thought, oh, maybe that’s the way to go and push myself.

Obviously, the treat of going to Varandai was a big thing to make me decide. I was a bit doubtful because I didn’t know exactly whether it would suit my needs—especially since I didn’t really need to lose a lot of weight; that wasn’t my focus.

So I had a chat with Rob about it, and I just focused on more than weight priority—more like my general well-being and just feeling well. What surprised me most was that I’ve actually lost 4 kilos, which I never thought I could lose. I feel really strong and healthy. The result has been that I have pushed myself, and it’s shaped me a little bit for the future. I think I’ll continue doing what we’ve been doing—walking more and eating low‑carb—and that was a bit of a surprise, actually.

It’s been great to incorporate those walks because walking in nature is really helping me feel more positive about everything that’s happening in my life at the moment. Just walking and being in nature—it’s been really good. Pre‑program, it was same old, same old, no changes—so a bit stagnant with my health. Whereas now I feel more excited about the journey.

I would definitely recommend the program. It’s not the usual just training. The program is a very holistic one where they look at health from all perspectives, and that’s what really makes the difference.

Just having the chance to share three days of the experience with other people is a real bonus. You discover some really nice relationships and friendships. So I would definitely recommend it.”

Deb Morland

For Deb it was all about making time for herself and setting boundaries in order to achieve her health goals. Deb has successfully maintained a positive attitude towards her health and fitness goals. She regularly stays active and enjoys creating the meals she loved during the retreat. She built incredible momentum across the retreat week where she was able to 100% focus on herself!

"The biggest two or three things that I've gotten out of the program would be taking the time to assess what my goals are, what my purpose is, why I'm even committing to it and what I want to get out of it. This helped me to plan - and I kept coming back to it when things weren't going potentially 100% how I wanted it to look like.

A reset - just correcting some habits that I've fallen back into, getting back into, getting my eating back on track and just committing to daily exercise.

Before the program life was pretty hectic, so making a decision to drop a job and making myself a priority meant that it was a whole reset for myself. Focusing on my boundaries and what I want to achieve and not what everyone else wants me to help them to achieve. 

Going forward, being able to know what's been working, and remembering to reset, to go back to that, change my way of thinking, and see everything as an opportunity not a challenge. 

I love that we can see the bright colorful healthy stuff is choice. I've loved getting to know everyone, Emily, Rob and the whole group of women! Seeing that we've all got stuff that we bring through and sharing stories. Everyone else's stories helps you to know that you're not alone, we all experience similar things.

I've loved the mediation under the stars, I could not fault that - setting us up for a nice restful night's sleep. 

Surprisingly my percentage of weight loss was 8.7%!

(Note: Deb actually achieved a 10.02% weight loss upon final weigh in taken after this video was recorded).

Kerstin Massen

Kerstin was doing our Transformation Program for the second time. She loved every minute of it. She had a wonderful time participating and appreciated how the activities were paced to accommodate different fitness levels. She plans to come back again next year!

"A great benefit of the program was that I have lost weight. Now having done the program last year and this year, I'm back on track and will continue to stay with the healthy eating and exercise and keep going.

I had done the retreat last year. I was committed to it and doing quite well, and the circumstances of my family threw a spanner in the works, and I went off track. So when it was coming up again this year, I decided to do it again and get back on track, so I can continue to live a healthier lifestyle and lose more weight.

I loved the social connections and the food. The food preparation is great because then you learn recipes, how easy it can be and it's not really tiresome having to prepare the food and that it can be quite easy.

And also the social connections! We're all the same age-ish we've all realized that we've got the same issues. Just the comradery of being able to talk about the challenges we've had, and getting on track, and what brought us here, and motivate each other. That is a really really big highlight!

I would definitely do this again next year. Everything about the retreat was great, being the time of year, the fresh air, going for the walks (unfortunately due to an injury I haven't been able to do this year), but I'll definitely be back next year and enjoy everything about the retreat.

Tracey Tyler

Tracey was undertaking the Level Up Transformation Program with us for the second time. One of the things she gained from her second experience was the meaningful connections with the other women who were completing the program. She is eager to join us a third time. With a different headspace on this Program Tracey was able to achieve things she didn't think possible and was so very proud of herself at the end of the experience. 

"The key benefits from the program have been for me: mental health; my attitude to things; I feel a lot happier, a lot more peaceful and a lot more settled.

The pre-program started a bit hard, then it became a bit easier, and then the next layer was added. I felt a sense of accomplishment at the end of the pre-program and felt quite proud of what I had done.

And being here with all the other ladies, there has been a lot of bonding going on. There has been getting to know people really well on walks. Chatting about our situations at home and our past experiences. I'm sure I've made some lifelong friends out of this, and it's been a great thing!

I did the program last year, but I was in a different headspace. So last year after the retreat I kept moving forward. I addressed the problems that I recognized I had. And when I did the program this year I was coming at it from a different direction, and I wanted to have another experience with the program from that perspective. I've had a few health challenges on the way. I think I have got my ducks lined up in a row now. I know what I need to do. The pre-program has redirected me, reinforced what I have to do, and I've just gone with it. The retreat itself has consolidated everything for me, and it's been such a joyous experience!

I've loved getting out and doing the hikes. Last year I felt a bit physically challenged, but this year because I've been more vigilant at sticking to the pre-program, I felt more capable of doing the hikes. I've enjoyed the hikes. I've loved being out in nature, and the companionship on the hikes. 

The food has been amazing, even though I've been eating that type of food in the pre-program, you've been able to give other meal options and add more variety on top of what I've been eating at home. So that's been great!

And the support! There's been great support from yourself and Emily, and there's been great support from the group. We've realized we've got similar backgrounds. Some similar experiences. Our outlook might be different on how we view things, but the support has been amazing. 

Yve Holmes

Yve had eyes on the prize the entire 6 weeks of our journey together. She did everything that was asked for her and never took a short cut. She followed everything to the letter and was rewarded with a 13% weight loss! She was able to completely conquer her goals, get her mojo back through her rediscovery for her passion of the outdoors and was an inspiration to all those around her! Well done Yve - you earned it!

"The thing that I've gained from the Level Up program and the retreat is firstly, my mental health. Even through a lot of the program is focused on losing 5-10% of your body weight, that wasn't up there for me, it was more about my mental health. I feel that eating the good food has totally changed where my thoughts are at.

The other thing which I've mentioned before is I feel like you have given me permission to go for a walk. That's encouraged me to get out amongst nature a lot more. And instead of saying "I can't, I've got housework to do" or "I can't, I've got shopping to do", yes I can! I can go for a bushwalk, and this is me time. And everyone can find that time.

I feel before this program my alcohol intake was excessive. It probably has been throughout my life. It was easy, the culture is alcohol related, so to have a wine or whiskey is the norm here. That can escalate and that can creep up on you very quickly. I wasn't getting hangovers or headaches; I was functioning quite well on a lot of alcohol. It was quite a shock to find out that part of the program was about decreasing alcohol and I thought I can't do this. I thought I needed the alcohol to function. No, I don't! The food, the exercise, getting out in nature. I've surprised myself that since the start of the pre-program I haven't touched a sip of alcohol and I'm quite proud of that! 

While away for the retreat I was able to switch off and having someone else to organize everything. I haven't had to think about what I am I going to shop for, what am I going to eat, what am I going to have. That's been absolutely amazing to have meals shopped for, prepared, and even though we are helping, it's predominantly you sorting the menus out. So that has been fantastic.

Even so far as having the organization of the walks. I don't need to think "Where is this walk going to take me?", I just blindly followed Rob and Emily. So that was amazing to actually switch off and not even think about those sort of things so I can totally focus on meditation, strength work out, yoga, walking. I can totally focus on me without even having to worry about what I'm going to eat.

The other thing that has been amazing, is that I'm not a social person but the girls that have been here have just been fantastic and doing those planned sessions - we have done an awful lot of mobility and stretching. It was everything that was in the pre-program but life got in the way a bit so I couldn't do the mobility because I had to go food shopping, and I couldn't do a stretch class because of this excuse - whereas this retreat it has been amazing because at this time we are doing this, and we go off and do it. And it's not compulsory, if you want to do it, you do it! If you don't, you don't. But why come here if you're not going to give 100%?

Although the percentage weight loss wasn't the big focus for me, I hit the ground running. I had the mindset during the last retreat, that I want to do the next retreat, so I had that mindset that this was going to happen. So when I came to your studio at the start, I listened to Emily's suggestion of emptying out your pantry and doing the shopping literally that day. So I did that. I think I've been lucky because I started a year ago in my mind, and having focused on exactly what you've told us to do, and I've literally followed that to the letter, that I've lost 12% of my total body weight, which is AMAZING!

Note: This video was filmed before participants completed their final weigh in. Yve finished the program with 13% weight loss. She received a cash back reward for this achievement.

Margaret Raglus

Margaret was a unique participant in our program having recently had a fall and some challenges walking. With our guidance and encouragement and the support of the whole crew she regained confidence of being able to move again. Rediscovering the joy of moving and hiking and her ability to feel good in her body when exercising was all life changing for Margaet. Margaret was incredible proud and amazed by her percentage of weight loss.

"The greatest benefit is confidence in myself to be able to walk again without falling over. Also the importance of drinking far more water than I ever thought was necessary. And the mindfulness. My mind has been my own worst blockage, and I'm on that journey of unblocking that mind of mine to be more positive about what I can do.

Before the program I was a more negative unhealthier person. Now post program I have a better understanding of the future, health wise. As I've said before, I've gone into this not as a short-term game, I've gone into this as a long-term behavioral thing. And while I have a long way to go, I've made inroads on improving my health, my mindfulness and my mobility.

The things I've enjoyed most about these 5 days away are learning that the Margaret in my head is not alone. There are other ladies that feel exactly the same as me. And feeling supported that we're all in our dark moments, we're all thinking the same thing. Learning that its ok - and we're all on the same journey. Learning the wonderful different menu options that you've provided us with. 

We're in a wonderful environment - the weather has been perfect for hiking up and down, and I can do it! I haven't fallen over and damaged any part of my body.

My percentage weight loss - I'm absolutely blown away with the 5.3%, because in all honesty I didn't think I'd get there with my lack of confidence in moving and not having anyone at home to walk with me. So I am quietly chuffed that I have achieved 5.3% and I plan in the next few months to improve that.

When are we going to book the next one? I have a list of friends who want to join me! I'm looking forward to next year wherever it may be!"

Kate Stobie

Kate has had amazing success on this program and has used the transformation program to get back her mojo and energy. This has been a great reset for Kate and she can now go out and about doing what she loves! She has found a way to keep a regular health and fitness routine that fits comfortably with her lifestyle and has a new perspective on her goals!

Kate had lots to say about the benefits of the transformation program!

"The knowledge of the food, better food choices and the prepping and the planning, which I am going to continue. I didn't do so great at the start, but it's given me more variety, because I was just getting so bored with food. It's also allowed me to feel the benefits of the food regarding my energy, just how I feel in myself, just so much better.

Also doing the pre-program, the benefits of doing all that and then coming to the retreat, it's just nailed it! If you just had a week, it wouldn't be enough. But it's nailed all the benefits of what you've done in the pre-program and then you've actually put it into place at the retreat and really got the benefit of that 4-6 week pre-program. If you hadn't have had that you wouldn't have taken away as much. So it's actually laid the foundations and the retreat has topped it off.

Years of nursing and covid and looking after the family had me severely fatigued and burnt out. I had lost my mojo. I've also had huge motivation and been a fitness fanatic - I lost it all. Now, after doing the pre-program and the retreat plus all our exercise sessions, has really brought my motivation back, my energy back, I've got my mojo back. It has allowed me to feel the strength and more mobility to be able to go back out and do what I love doing.

What I loved about the retreat? One: The social connection. Two, the fact that we are all on the same page, and being with like-minded people, we are not alone, trying to do this on our own. Three, I've really noticed the fitness, mobility and the strength and I've really pushed myself again, and I've felt all that benefit of the pre-program.

My percentage weight loss during the pre-program and the retreat was 7.5%. I'm absolutely wrapped! Because I've tried stuff before on my own, and I've always either given up, let myself down. And I've actually felt useless that I can't do this, and I've actually finally done it! So it feels great!"

Deborah Blake

Deborah not only lost 9% of her body weight, which was an amazing result, but she gained so much from the structure, accountability and support of the coaches and other participants. She exceeded her own expectations of what she could achieve and is now thriving in life as she carries on with her improved health habits!

"The greatest things I've gotten from the program is accountability, because that's made me be very particular about what I was doing. My number one priority was to be active. So the accountability also helped because I decided I was going to walk  more, and then when the program started you guys were giving us a schedule of walking and for how long, so I was able to easily put that into what I was already doing. But it made me accountable because some mornings I didn't feel like doing it.

My neighbors and my husband have gotten into it too because they've become my walking buddies and they make sure that I do it, so it's a nice connection as well as the accountability.

The other thing is drinking water, I was hopeless at drinking water...It's now no problem at all and I suddenly feel fantastic, as I didn't realize how having that much water and walking, and then adding in the diet you've put us on would make me feel.

So my first priority was activity. And if I lost 5-7% weight I was going to be extremely happy, and I've lost more, so I'm ecstatic!

The problem is I was at a desk job, so I needed to do more. I was putting on weight, I was getting enough exercise, and I certainly wasn't eating properly. During the program I lost a lot more weight than I thought was even possible. I had a hip replacement in 2019, and the surgeon said to me "Deborah I've done a fantastic job on you, make sure you don't put on any weight, that way the hip will last longer". Now everything is working so much better and I'm feeling so much better. It's a totally different Deborah.

It's been really supportive to be in a group of women that are similar age, we have similar issues, concerns, desires and working out strategies with them of how we're going to move forward with our positive aging and achieve what we want to achieve as we do get older. I didn't think I'd get as much out of being in the group that I have. The group dynamic as we are walking and talking, there is no way that I was going to stop.

The second thing is the support of Rob and Emily, how you've put the program together and the little goals that you've given us along the way have been significant because I've achieved most of the goals which I would not have expected.

I've lost close to 9%. It makes me feel so fantastic. I have to admit that with the diet, I didn't do the intermittent fasting, and mostly kept to the middle zone, so I never felt hungry. I can't believe that I actually lost that weight. I was expecting to lose between 5 and 7%, so to lose 9% that's fantastic!"

Note: This video was filmed before participants completed their final weigh in. Deborah finished the program with 10.12% weight loss. She received a cashback reward for this achievement.

Neriman Kara

Neriman had already made amazing progress with us before taking part in our very first Level Up Transformation Program. She had already lost 15kg prior to our program, and then lost another 5 during her time with us. She was so excited to use this program to get her to her next weight loss goal.

"I was on a bit of a journey...For me it was about how I can embed what I had already discovered and close the gap in the knowledge areas. It was aligned to what I was already doing. It was also a 6 week program that would drive me to do a little bit more exercise than normal."

"Going into the pre-program I thought there wasn't a lot I could learn that I hadn't already figured out, but honestly, I found it so beneficial. Even the food component, having the food list, and looking at holistically in terms of sleep, and stress. And all the other elements that make up the program."

"I joined every single education session and found that every single time it was reinforcing what I was already doing, but covering all the gaps that I perhaps wasn't aware of."

"Coming into the program I was a little apprehensive on whether I could keep up. And I set myself a hard task...I've proven myself wrong. I've loved every bit of it and was able to keep up with the boys!"

"The every day benefits for me from the program is being mindful of everything. From food choices, to water intake, to activity, to going to bed early. It's really making sure that's top of mind."

"It's given me my self-confidence back. I now focus on the activities I can do and all the clothes I can wear."

"It doesn't matter if, you can or can't do it. If you've got the right mindset, you just need to trust the program."

Matt Vella

Matt had been training at TBFT for a few years and decided to take part in our first Transformation Program. He had such a wonderful time that he still can't stop talking about the benefits of the program. He lost over 10% of his body weight while on the program, so we were so happy to give him his $500 cash back reward.

"Before I started this program, I was exercising quite regularly, and had tried for many years to lose weight. I had lost a little bit of weight, but at the same time my eating had become worse, so I hadn't lost a lot of weight and was feeling quite disappointed with my lack of progress."

"I thought the work was going to be done while we were away. But what I learned is that all the work was done in the pre-program. So much education. So much effort. So much intensity. And so much amazing results during that pre-program. That the week away was really just the icing on the cake."

"One of the things I've struggled with was accountability. Over the program it was first about being accountable to you, but certainly over the 5 or 6 weeks I have taken that on myself. So I'm very confident I can maintain that accountability. Because I have systems in place. And now with zero effort I can keep on track and maintain accountability." 

"The week away was the icing on the cake and where the education and implementation of the education came together. The food and the variety has been amazing. The facilities, the company and the conversations all amazing. Conversations have been focused around health so it's been concentrated. I've made friendships that will continue beyond the retreat."

"The biggest positive for me has been the education. To help me understand what I've been doing wrong for 25 years. The really good thing for me is the education has been around things that I'm very confident I can continue with ongoing."

Gina Mammone

Gina has been on a really big weight-loss journey while at TBFT (lost 30kg+), and took part in the Transformation Program to help accelerate her progress.

"I was at a time when I needed another challenge. I wanted something to push me up another level."

"The fact that we got to do it with other people, similar ages, similar motivation, similar values, made me feel much more comfortable about it, because I'd been doing everything on my own before then."

"The pre-program gave me information, it gave me the format and did make me more accountable to others. It was easier than I thought it was going to be. I didn't find it daunting."

"The week away at the retreat, I've been able to meet similar people. Similar ages, who set goals, achieve them, but are also challenged by similar things in life. This was really significant to me. I got a lot out of the other people. Participation in the food, and the exercises, the walking and the weight training. It was fun, we were all very different but similar as well." 

"The weight loss has been significant, but I'm also getting that shape again."

"I feel much more alive. I don't feel hungry very often. The intermittent fasting has been a good learning experience. And I'll take that with me."

"I'd say to people who are wanting to do this, is to invest in yourself! It's a huge investment into your long-term future. And to grab it with every ounce of your body. Every ounce of your mind. Spend some time on yourself. It's never too late to start."

Kerstin Masson

Kerstin has lost 6.5kg over the time she's been on the program, is physically better at tennis now, and is feeling physically more fit and healthy. 

"I had started taking medication for migraines and had put on a lot of weight. I was feeling frumpy, unfit, unhealthy. I really wanted to lose weight to feel fit and healthy again."

"I was apprehensive at first because of my workload and wasn't sure if I could take the time off. Originally, I said 'no' but then I made the commitment, and with your help I was going to manage to attend while enabling me to work when I needed to as well."

"Having the Trainerize app and being accountable, having all the information on there, helped me be focused, and helped me start getting fit and losing the weight."

"It's been the best experience I've had. I've loved every minute of it - the walking, back to nature all the time, challenging myself on the walks, the canoeing and the food has been amazing. It's been the best week, and the best people here as well."

"I love the accountability - what I don't do is recorded, what I do is recorded and that makes me accountable, and you guys look at it. That was really important to me."

"You weren't pushed to do things that you weren't physically able to do. Every person was treated as an individual based on their abilities. You weren't forced to do anything because you were here to enjoy it as well. You were challenged and it was really rewarding when you succeeded in those challenges.

"Do it! Do it! Do it! It's been the best thing, and I'll definitely be back for the next one."

Anthony Tyson

Anthony lost over 10% of his body weight on this program so we were so happy to give him his $500 cash back reward. Before the program he could never get it all together regarding nutrition and exercise and was the same weight for 6 or 7 years. He needed to learn what to do, and how to do it.

"For me it was all about the knowledge of the program. The fact that it was an all-encompassing program education piece." 

"The pre-program was fantastic, the sheets of the food gave us a clear guide of what you can and can't eat. There was a wide variety on there. I found it easy to adapt from that point, to set up my food structure." 

"I now know what to do to be able to stay like this. And if by chance I happen to fall back a bit, I know how to get back. The knowledge is the biggest thing for me. I know what to do and how to do it now. I can adopt it easier."

"I'm sleeping better, I'm less stressed at work, I'm more measured, and I'm more in controI. I just feel 100% better. I can do more in the gym than I've ever been able to do. I can run faster. I'm just better in every way. I'm recovering quicker. I feel the best I've felt in 10 years!"

"If you want to commit to a change, this is the program for you. It's transformative, it will change your life. It's changed mine".

 

Gary Tyler

Gary has lost about 7% of his body weight, and feels like he can continue on with this way of life without too much trouble. He has embedded some great habits and has a sensible plan of how to move forward towards better health. He was a novice to both good nutrition and exercise, but came with a great attitude and consequently got so much out of this program.

"I was aware I needed to lose weight, but didn't know how to go about it. I had no plan."

"My wife talked me into it. She didn't want to do it alone. I'm really pleased with how it's gone".

"The pre-program was great as it gave me an insight of what to expect. You can't make a switch over night. It has to be a staged process. It is as much about knowledge as it is about physical activity. I learned a lot during the pre-program so I was well equipped when it came to the retreat."

"I thought it was useful to be able to work out and record it. I could actually see the incremental changes. I could see the weight changes, and my fitness rising." 

"So my wife talked me into it, but I was just as enthusiastic as her in the end."

"You learn in the education sessions, but you also learn through other people. It makes you feel better. I learned that losing weight is not linear, it goes up and down, but it's the trend that you need to look at."

"I didn't come into this program with any experience in gym work. So just learning how to do exercise safely and effectively was a big takeaway."

"It's a really good feeling when you set out to do something and you achieve it. I didn't have lofty ideals or think I was going to lose a certain amount of weight. I didn't set goals that were too demanding, but the most positive thing for me was that I could do it. I didn't think I'd be able to do half the things."

"My sleep patterns have improved and my hydration. I've made drinking water part of my habits. My water bottle is an extension of myself now, which has made a huge difference in my health and sleeping patterns."

"I've learned a lot more about myself and my body, than I had before." 

"My wife said to me ''give it a go, don't be cynical". You hear a lot of things about different programs, but I found this program to be a lot of fun, educational, and over the whole time I was doing it, I was moving towards a positive goal, and the skills and knowledge that I've taken have been very useful."

Tracey Tyler

Tracey joined our Transformation Program to reset her lifestyle, and to reverse her recent weight gain and declining health. Through the pre-program preparation, she established new habits and mentally prepared herself. During the retreat, she enjoyed tasty food, tried new things, reconnected with nature, and experienced a mindset shift, prioritizing internal health. Feeling happier and lighter, Tracey now values nourishing food and meaningful experiences.

"Before the program started I was the heaviest I had been in my life. Not even when I was 9 months pregnant. And health-wise I was on a downwards trajectory. I didn't feel healthy even though I was doing some training."

"I saw my health declining and saw my husbands' health declining. So I thought this was an opportunity to reset. I knew there were things I should have been doing, but I wasn't doing them. Time to take our health in our hands and move forward."

"I felt the pre-program was absolutely vital, it gave me time to think about what I should be doing and put new habits in place. To prepare myself on a physical and mental level."

"The food has been awesome. It's been great to have fresh food, been great to participate. I've tried things I wouldn't normally try. I've liked that."

"The activity has been great. I haven't been looking at my weight loss as much as reconnecting with nature and just getting out and about and doing things you wouldn't normally do."

"It's been good to see people open up about themselves and you find a connection there. The group has been great."

"The greatest positive for me has been a mindset shift. I started the program with a weight loss focus, but I'm ending the program with a focus on internal health. And I know that if I nurture myself with the right food, and give myself the right experiences with nature, it's better for my mental wellbeing and spiritual wellbeing. And if I get these things right, the rest will follow."

"I think I'm happier. I feel lighter. I don't know whether that is a mental cloud lifting, or if my physical health is improving. I just feel better in so many spaces. If I tried to look at this as just about weight loss and physical ability, then that's restricting the benefits I'm making. I've had a mind shift around that. I've appreciated just going on a walk and appreciating what I see. I feel that the food I'm eating is the best food I can be putting into my body, and my body will respond to that."

"Do it, you have nothing to lose, but so much to gain. Just do it!"

Kelly Sharples

Kelly joined our Transformation Program with the goal of giving herself a health re-boot. She got that plus more! She connected with like-minded, similar aged peers and soaked up valuable knowledge. She did her thing at her own pace and found her groove through cooking up healthy meals, finding inner peace with meditation, and taking care of herself. 

"Before I started the program I was at a bit of a stand-still. I'd lost 14kg, then I gained 3 back. I just needed a reboot for my mental health, to get back on track and consider adding more exercise in my weekly schedule."

"The education side and listening to a lot of the stuff you spoke about. I was a little familiar with. But then there were bits that were really beneficial."

"For me coming away has been good from a perspective that I have actually had to relax a little bit. I didn't have all these things going on in my life. The food has been brilliant, and I've made some really nice friends and connections. Getting to know you two trainers has been great."

"The positive I've taken out of this experience is that I can go at my own pace, not feel guilty about it and not feel that I have to keep up with everyone."

"I'm looking forward to establishing some of these recipes and things I've been learning with my family. Just to know that I can cook healthy for the whole family, and that it can be enjoyable. I don't have to feel like I always have to be in a rush for it. This was the most beneficial part for me, the food prep, because that was what I needed to reboot."

"The health and mindset benefits that I've noticed, is that I have been taking time to do some meditation. Focus on breathing, focus on trying to repair myself."