That was until she won a free entry into the Dubbo Chizen Health Club’s six-week weight loss challenge.

“My son turned four on the fourth of July so it was crunch time for me and it’s worked out well,” said Susan, who discovered she had won the prize on July 4.

Her friend Leanne White, along with couple Emma McDonald and Shaun Coyle, were also lucky winners in the challenge. All four will join Chizen’s Andrew McKay as he puts them on the path to fitness, health and weight loss.

“The hardest part is getting down to the gym; I have four children so co-ordinating the time is difficult,” Susan said.

The challengers are placed on a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet for the first two weeks.

“I’ve found the diet side of it quite good,” Susan said after the first week. Asked what the best part of the challenge had been so far she said: “The program is good because they are supporting you”. The most enjoyable aspect was doing it “with like-minded people”.

Susan has tried “heaps of times” to get fit in the last four years after developing somewhat of a junk food addiction.

“The hardest part is starting something; when you get here its ok. Starting it is the problem,” she said.

But it’s not hard to see the benefits after jumping that first hurdle.

After just one week Susan has dropped three kilograms.

“I don’t look any different but I feel better and I know I’m healthier,” she said.

The weight reduction comes after Chizen’s tailor-made exercise programs were sculpted to the needs of the challengers.

“They encourage you to mix it up,” Susan said, who splits her time at the Chizen Health Club between body pump sessions, cardiovascular exercise on the gym equipment and weights.

Encouraged to attend the gym three to four times a week, Susan will take a walk on the family farm when she can’t make it to Dubbo.

Emma is using dress sizes to measure her success and is hoping to lose three by the end of the challenge. Her partner Shaun Coyle wants to lose five kilos.

After week one the hardest part for the couple, hands down, has been the diet. The strict two-week food regime forbids the couple from soft drink and Emma’s three favourite foods - pasta, potato and corn.

Forgetting the negatives, Emma’s focusing on the best part of the challenge and that’s the hope that being part of a group in a challenge will make lasting differences to her eating choices.

After a week in the challenge Emma shed two kilograms, a pleasant surprise for the office administrator. “I was pretty surprised at losing two kilos, I’m happy with it,” she said.

Shaun says the best part of the challenge will be making on a recently lost bet. The bet put to Shaun was to run two-and-a-half kilometres, which unfortunately he couldn’t do.

“I’m finding the work-outs pretty good and I’m looking forward to being a bit healthier and a bit fitter,” he said.

Watch for next week’s Chizen Health Club weight loss challenge update as we introduce challenger Leanne White.