Before and after photos of Jodie Marquardt. Credit: @jodiemarq/Mercury Press/MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA
- It’s hard to believe this Australian mom ever looked any different when she took to the stage in a skin-tight bikini that showed off her ripped physique.
- Jodie Marquardt, 46, was on the verge of type 2 diabetes and weighed 102kg at her peak, prompting her to start exercising.
- He is now a bodybuilder and couldn’t be happier with his progress.
Jodie Marquardt, 46, has made an incredible change in her weight. Starting with daily walks, the financial advisor continued to push herself out of her comfort zone and even took to the stage in September 2021.
From Townsville, Australia, Jodie now looks ‘ten years younger’ and weighs 51kg from 102kg.
“I never thought I would enter a bodybuilding competition in my life,” she says.
“But after reaching my goal weight, which was 25 pounds in nine months by eating fresh, healthy foods, daily walks, and working out at the gym, I decided to push myself even harder.”
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Jodie before losing weight. All photos mediadrumimages.com/@rin_rapunzel/Magazine Features
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People say that the transformation has taken ten years off his appearance, but more importantly, he also feels 10 years younger.
“I have so much more energy and I’m eager to get out of my comfort zone,” she says.
He had tried many fad diets before, but this time he was serious because his health was at stake.
“I decided to take a different approach by changing one habit at a time and then moving on to the next area instead of changing everything at once and giving up when it got too hard,” he says.
“So instead of junk food every day, I cut back to two days a week, and it slowly brought me down to zero.”
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“I started walking every day, initially only 2 km, which left me sweaty. I knew the path to better health would be difficult, but I was determined to do it.”
In November 2019, Jodie underwent a breast reduction and lift along with the removal of her stomach skin.
Jodie then came across a bodybuilding competition on social media that motivated her to ‘refine’ her physique.
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In January 2020, Jodie began preparing for the competition and within months she had chiseled abs.
“I used to be curvy and busty, and I wore a J-cup bra at my heaviest,” she says.
“It’s amazing how much more mobile I am without the bigger bust and stomach, little things, like being able to tie my shoelaces. It’s a constant pleasure to be able to move freely and feel comfortable in my own skin.”
“The training for the competition was intense, consisting of an hour of cardio early every morning, followed by two hours of weight training after work for five days a week,” he says.
Despite not participating in the ICN Tropix competition, Jodie remains positive and plans to compete again.
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“I am very proud of what I have achieved; The best thing is the change of mentality. I approach things with positivity by stopping and dealing with setbacks instead of opening a bag of chips,” she says.
“Even on cheat days, I choose healthier entrees like steak and salad over KFC takeout. I hope my story highlights the fact that anything is possible.”
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CREDIT: @jodiemarq/Mercury Press/Magazine Features
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