Jelena Dokic’s amazing transformation.
THE TENNIS CHAMPION OPENS UP ABOUT HER INCREDIBLE WEIGHT-LOSS JOURNEY
I’VE LOST 31 KILOS!
She first burst onto the scene as a qualifier in the 1999 Wimbledon tournament, knocking out the then-world No. 1, Martina Hingis. Fast-forward three short years and Jelena Dokic reached the quarter-finals of the French Open, which catapulted her to the world’s No. 4 tennis player.
But after unexpected injuries prematurely ended her career in 2014, the Croatian-born player was left unemployed, insecure, and asking herself the question: “what next?”.
“Because I retired so suddenly I felt that my career didn’t have a conclusion,” she tells New Idea. “That was really hard for me. It was a scary four years afterwards as I was finding myself. I tried a lot of different things, some I was good at, some I wasn’t, some I liked, some I didn’t.”
Just as she had to figure out what to do with her career after tennis, the 36-year-old also faced a real upheaval when it came to how to exercise and what to eat.
After more than 15 years of being guided by professional coaches and nutritionists
– and training for many hours every day – learning to look after herself proved to be a steep learning curve.
“Just going back into normal life transitioning from being an athlete was a struggle,” she admits. “Because it was such a different lifestyle compared to what I was used to, I didn’t know anything else.”
Feeling ‘lost’ and unconfident, Jelena’s weight post-retirement ballooned through emotional eating and a lack of structure. At her heaviest she weighed 120kg. Enter Jenny Craig.
Approached to become the brand’s newest celebrity ambassador, Jelena agreed to follow its Rapid Results program with the aim of reducing her 99kg weight by 33kg in just six months.
“I had never done a meal plan before,” she says of her introduction to the program. “But I loved it straight away. Just the fact that everything was planned out for me: the portions, the meals. And there was no prep time!”
Fast-forward six months and Jelena’s progress speaks for itself – indeed, her before and after photos are incredible.
“I’ve lost 31.4 kilos since joining Jenny Craig 11 months ago,” says the athlete, smiling. “And I’m the lightest I’ve been in a decade. I really do feel so much more confident in my own skin, which is a really nice and powerful feeling.
“Not only that, strong in myself that I can physically do things that I wasn’t able to do for a long time. I never thought in a little over 12 months, I would be where I am.
“I worked hard for it, day in and day out.
It has its challenging moments, but it is so rewarding and now I want to empower others to do the same.”
Jelena has had an unwavering source of support throughout the weight-loss journey: boyfriend of 16 years, Serbian-born, Tin Bikic.
Though now settled in Melbourne, the pair endured a long-distance relationship for years, and Jelena is in no doubt that if it wasn’t for his support she wouldn’t be here.
Last year on their 15-year anniversary she took to Instagram to praise him, captioning a picture with: “You saved me and my life and I would definitely not be on this earth today if it wasn’t for you.”
“He definitely supports me,” she says. “He’s always been there for me. I’ve been there for him, though he’s probably been there for me more than I have for him!”
Infused with confidence, the go-getter is focusing on what’s next, and at the top of her long-term goals is starting a family.
“We’re not working on it right now, but it’s definitely in the future,” the former champion reveals.
“Whether that’s in five months, or five years, I don’t know, but it’s not right now. It’s very important for me. When that time comes, I want to be the best mum I can be, and to be ready for that.”
Clearly the 36-year-old’s weight loss journey has helped her lay the foundations for a new life – a life that has allowed the former tennis champion to be the happiest she’s ever been.
“I’ve battled a lot of things,” Jelena admits. “For me, it’s about just going into a new day and trying to enjoy it.
“I’ve learned a lot about myself and have gone through a lot, but right now I’m in the best place I’ve ever been in.”
Following the birth of her fourth child, Bec Jackson couldn’t have imagined she’d be slipping into her first ever bikini. But now, the 40-year-old is heading into summer with a wardrobe full of them – and the confidence to match.
It wasn’t an easy road, though, explains the psychologist, who was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries (PCOS) as a teenager. “Having PCOS made it difficult to stay at a healthy BMI without putting in a lot of effort, which usually meant 1200-calorie diets and excessive cardio. It was never sustainable,” Bec tells New Idea.
“As a result of the PCOS, along with three miscarriages and a perforated uterus in 2016 (my IUD migrated through the wall of my uterus), my hormones were a mess. I was losing and gaining weight as a result and finding it difficult to achieve a healthy balance.”
Towards the end of her fourth pregnancy in 2017, Bec stumbled across the Healthy Mummy 28 Day Challenge; and, at seven weeks postpartum, she signed up. “I weighed 89.5kg,” she tells New Idea. “I’d put on about 16kg in pregnancy. I didn’t feel great, but I had just had a baby, so I knew it would take time.”
One thing that surprised Bec at the beginning of her journey was learning she needed to eat more, not less, to get in shape.
“My food was always pretty healthy, but I didn’t understand the concept of the basal metabolic rate
(BMR),” she says, referring to a formula which determines how many calories an individual’s body needs to function. “If anything, I was actually under-eating when I’d tried to lose weight in the past, as I’d always stuck to 1200 calories a day.”
Bec was astonished when, after calculating her personal BMR, it was recommended that she double her food intake.
“I was sceptical. But the Healthy Mummy meal plans educate you on how to make up those 2400 calories with healthy and nutritious food.”
Bec also got active, initially walking with the pram whenever she had time, doing the exercises in the Healthy Mummy program, and fitting in incidental exercise, such as playing in the park with the kids.
“When I hit the six-month mark, I was feeling so fit and confident that I joined an F45 gym so I could exercise with a group and push my fitness further. I found that by focusing on fitness, rather than weight loss, I was much more motivated and much less hard on myself.” Her strategy paid off.
“In my first year with Healthy
Mummy, I lost 27kg and have maintained that for another 10 months now. I reduced my body fat from 43 per cent to 21 per cent and went from a size 14 to size 8. My muscle mass has increased, and my chronological age has gone from 43 two years ago to 37 now. I turned 40 this year – I’m literally ageing in reverse!” Bec gushes.
It was these incredible results that earned Bec the title of Healthy Mummy Weight Loss Mum of the Year – and saw her step into her first ever two-piece. “I’d never worn a bikini before. But I was invited to do a swimwear shoot as part of the makeover prize, so I thought, ‘Why not?’ Now I own a few and will be sporting them this summer for sure,” she says.
But while Bec loved seeing her incredible physical transformation, other changes were even more rewarding.
“Mentally, I feel strong, self-disciplined and proud. My body confidence and
“MY CHRONOLOGICAL AGE HAS GONE FROM 43 TO 37 − I’M LITERALLY AGEING IN REVERSE!”
satisfaction are linked to the pride I feel in growing and feeding four babies, and all that I’m now able to do,” she shares.
“I have competed in two obstacle races, I’m doing Spartan in October, I’ve run several 10km fun runs and am working up to a half marathon in 2020. I can keep up with the kids and am more active with them every day. I love that we have a healthy lifestyle that includes our whole family, and my children don’t have to see Mum ‘dieting’.”
As a psychologist, Bec has seen many other women benefit from embracing a similar holistic approach to health and wellbeing.
“It’s not about being skinny or conforming to societal expectations; it’s about being the best and healthiest version of yourself you can be. And that’s empowering!”