Growing up as a chubby kid meant tattoo artist Danélle Breedt was always aware of her weight, but the NPL Body Rev Challenge 8.0 has inked a new chapter in her life.

While she has always loved being active, Danélle didn’t always look the part because she struggled to find balance in her life, as her passion for her career often consumes her.

“I am incredibly passionate about what I do. However, my obsession with creating can cause intense stress, burnout and depressive episodes that often result in binge and mindless eating.”

As a result, Danélle constantly felt uncomfortable and overweight. “My clothes wouldn’t feel or sit right, so I opted to just wear over-sized items, which made me feel even bigger.”

It was also exhausting putting so much effort into training but not seeing consistent and maintainable results.

“I didn’t stick to a balanced nutrition plan and never understood that discipline is the key to success. I kept making excuses and did not prioritise my health and long-term goals over momentary happiness.”

Personal stats

  • Age: 25
  • Lives: Randburg, Johannesburg
  • Career: Tattoo Artist
  • IG: @danni_thetattooist
  • Facebook: Danelle Snyman

Lifestyle overhaul 

Feeling incredibly overwhelmed, stressed and depressed, Danélle decided she needed to completely overhaul her lifestyle.

“I saw the NPL Body Rev Challenge and immediately thought that this was how I rebuild my life, mentally and physically, to become the person I want to be.”

Danélle always knew she had the potential to unlock a new, healthy, happy and focused version of herself; she just needed a structured approach and some accountability to build a sustainable active lifestyle while balancing her passion and time-consuming career.

“My husband held the same belief in me and encouraged me to enter the challenge, saying if there’s anyone who can win, it’s me. He encouraged me every step of the way.”

Structured approach

Danélle says NPL provided incredible meal plans that taught her how to eat correctly without restricting certain foods.

“I chose meals off the NPL diet plan that I could prepare in advance, and made my priority sticking to the plan. As I started eating more balanced meals, I had fewer cravings and binges.”

A day of eating for Danélle:

  • Breakfast: NPL Whey Slim with oats
  • Morning snack: NPL Diet Pro protein shake + 2 rice cakes with peanut butter
  • Lunch: Chicken wrap
  • Afternoon snack: NPL Diet Pro protein shake + 2 rice cakes with peanut butter
  • Dinner: Chicken or lean mince and basmati rice

After a few weeks, it became completely natural to have five meals a day, and this way of eating has become Danélle’s new lifestyle.

“The structure provided by the incredible meal plans and different options that NPL supplied took out all the guesswork and made the process easier.”

Ticking off targets

From a training perspective, Danélle focused on being more active by simply walking and lifting weights consistently.  “Dedication to the goal was more important than motivation for me.”

Danélle ensured she got 10,000 steps a day and stuck to the NPL cardio recommendation of three 30-minute cardio sessions a week.

She also modified the training plan as she loves leg day, following a 3-day lower body and 2-day upper body split.

“The exercise programs were so easy to follow and not overwhelming. I set daily and weekly goals to stick to the plan and checked them off on a calendar every night.”

Tattoo-artist-Danélle-Breedt-makes-her-mark-in-the-NPL-Body-Rev-Challenge_2
Supplements for success

The step-by-step guide to success provided by NPL also included a supplement plan, which told Danélle exactly what to take and when to support her training and diet.

Here daily supplement plan included:

Overcoming challenges

The process wasn’t without its challenges, explains Danélle, especially when the scale didn’t move between the third and fourth check-ins.

“It felt extremely demotivating, until I compared the check-in photos. At that moment I knew it was just a matter of trusting the process and the plan, because progress was not only defined by the scale.”

And her approach eventually paid off when Danélle was announced as the female winner in the NPL Body Rev Challenge 8.0.

It takes a village

While NPL provided a great platform, with all the tools and knowledge she needed, Danélle says the incredible support she got from her husband, friends and the other challenge participants helped her achieve her goal.

“I knew it would be a harder battle to win mentally than physically, but thankfully I had a lot of support when it got tough. Everyone was so involved in my well-being at every point of the challenge.”

Danélle says the online accountability community that NPL created for the challenge was a massive motivation.

“It was incredible to be part of the online community as contestants from all over were showing their progress and motivating each other. It was such a wholesome experience!”

Danélle is also thankful for online fitness and prep coach Simonne Paarman, who checked in on her weekly throughout the challenge and guided her through all the ups and downs.

Complete transformation

Completing the 12-week NPL Body Rev Challenge has transformed Danélle’s physical and mental health for the better and completely repaired her relationship with food.

“I am more confident and know how to apply balance to every aspect of my life. I no longer see exercise as a punishment, but a beautiful way to release stress and test myself, and ‘diet’ is not a negative word for me anymore. Food is fuel and the essential building blocks to a healthy body.”

More importantly, the process has shown her that you can achieve anything if you’re willing to work for it.

“And that’s the message I want others to get – you can also do it! It’s not the weight holding you back, you just don’t have a solid and sustainable plan. Take it day by day and you will see the results.”

Danélle says she is thankful for the journey as it pushed her out of her comfort zone. “As a result, I am now in a space where I feel in complete control of my time, my lifestyle and myself.”

Quick facts 

  • Favourite healthy dish: Chicken wrap
  • Favourite exercise: Bulgarian split squats – they burn but they work!
  • Must-use supplements: NPL Carni Lean 3000, NPL Thermo Cuts, NPL Night Time Burn, NPL Whey Slim Protein
  • Top diet tip: Get a plan and stick to it!
  • Next goal: Build more muscle