Healthy - and buffed!

Thomas Boyes says when he began the journey towards a healthier lifestyle he didn't imagine it would lead to him winning a body-building competition.

In late July Thomas travelled to Auckland to compete in the National Amateur Body Building Association Auckland Championships. - Winning the Junior Men's under 23 category was a real surprise, he says, given the talent present.

Four months ago he made the decision to live a healthier lifestyle through diet and exercise. With encouragement from a friend he decided to begin training for the body-building competition, something he had experienced two years ago but not done since.

"We essentially made a bet that we had to both compete in the competition or there would be some serious consequences."

Thomas says getting ready for the competition took a lot of work, including going to the gym five to six days a week. "You have to work on toning every part of your body as well as cardio workouts four times a week."

And it is just as important to be eating right. "I got a lot of information about diet from my nutritionist who has in the past competed in body-building competitions."

This included Thomas preparing all his meals for the next day the night before.

His hard work paid off on competition day as not only did he come first in his section, he was awarded Best Male Performance.

"I am so happy with my results, I had a huge amount of support from friends and family to celebrate with."

Thomas is now back in training mode as he prepares for the national championships in October.