From cutting out fast food to exercising in her local park: The simple steps taken by a young woman as she transformed from overweight teen to ripped bodybuilding champion

A young woman has made an extraordinary transformation from unhealthy and overweight to strutting her stuff in a body builder's competition after looking at herself in the mirror and being shocked at her reflection. 

It took five years for Tamara Newbery, 23, to reach the stage, but in that time she dropped 30 kilograms and gained a lot of confidence.

Tamara was 87.5 kilograms when she started her journey to a healthier self, she told Daily Mail Australia it started with walks in the park.

Tamara Newbery shed more than a third of her body weight after at 18, left, she realised she was overweight - she recently competed in her first body building competition, right

Tamara is now more confident in herself and says she will never put the weight back on

She works out at the gym six days a week for up to an hour and a half at a time

'It started off really basic,' Tamara said. 

'After a while I started using the exercise equipment in the park and then I joined a gym and started seeing personal trainers.

'I started off with cardio but then I fell in love with weights.' 

She moved from her childhood home in Maryborough to the Sunshine Coast three years into her journey. 

When she started at her new gym her personal trainer spoke to her about competitions and helped her with her diet.

'Now I eat a lot of green vegetables and pair that with lean meat like steak, salmon or tuna,' she said. 

'I still let myself have treats but have stopped eating processed foods and concentrate on eating clean.' 

It took five years for her to lose the weight and enter her first body building competition

Tamara pictured here trying pole dancing for fitness part-way through her weight loss journey

She has developed a good squatting technique and can now lift 90 kilograms 

Her weight loss journey started with walks around the park before escalating to personal training

The old Tamara wouldn't think twice about ordering takeaway food.

'I would eat whatever I felt like and I wouldn't think about portion size or if I should eat some salad.'

Tamara who weighed 57 kilograms when she appeared on stage at a recent body building competition said she trained extensively for 16 weeks prior to the competition. 

'I had to be 100 per cent dedicated in the lead-up to the competition,' she said. 

'I had to be on top of my nutrition and exercise and make sacrifices along the way to get there.'

She was praised for her upper body during the body building competition after receiving a call out by the judges

A blend of weight exercises, left, and cardio exercises, right, have transformed her

She is now in a happy place and is proud of how far she has come since starting out in 2011

And even though she didn't place she received a special mention from the judges. 'It was all worth it as soon as you hop on stage you are just in the moment and can let your hair down – it is so much fun.'

And she got to eat a delicious cheat meal afterwards. 'When I got off stage I had a doughnut.

'I never eat doughnuts but for some reason I craved one the whole time I was in training.

'Then my friends and family and trainers who were there on the night went and got burgers for dinner.'

Following her competition Tamara ate a donut and a burger as she allows herself to have treats as part of a balanced diet

She now picks her meals based on their nutrition and limits processed foods

Before her weight-loss journey began she would eat out often and not think about portion size

She hopes to go on stage again even though the 16 weeks before the competition were hard 

Tamara wants to do more competitions in the future. In the meantime she heads to the gym six days a week for up to an hour and a half to continue to improve. 

'There are always new goals,' she said. 

'I love weights because you are always striving to lift more and can see where you are improving.

'I currently deadlift about 110 kilograms, can bench 72.5 kilograms and have done a 95 kilogram squat but generally hit the 70-75 kilogram mark.'

The self-confessed fitness addict says anyone can lose weight and become healthier versions of themselves like she has. 

'You won't regret it, you just have to take that first step and make a start.

'If you don't think you can do it by yourself then talk to a friend or if you have a gym membership talk to someone there.

'After all for me it did just start with walking around the park.'

The young woman says anyone can achieve their fitness goals but they have to make the start

Pictured here with her brother Dylan part way through her fitness journey

Tamara at her 21st birthday after losing some of the weight she had let pile on in her teen years