IT is one of the biggest fitness competitions in the world.

Now Southampton career woman Emma Apter, who one year ago lacked body confidence, has become one of the nation’s fittest women.

She was placed in the top five of both the bikini and fitness categories at WBFF Pro Am 2014 in London at the weekend.

As reported in last week’s Your Lifestyle 35-year-old Emma lost five dress sizes in just one year to be happy in her own skin for the first time in her life after losing more than three stone and transforming from a size 12 to a size 4/6.

Rather than make excuses, she wakes up at 4.30am to juggle a strict weight training regime and diet plan with personal trainer Tom Hibbert, of Winning Health Solutions in Shirley, Southampton, around commuting to London and a busy work schedule as a communications manager.

Emma, who in the lead up to the competition ate fish and greens six times a day to reach her competition weight of 7st 4lb for her 5ft 1 in frame, says: “I felt amazing and in better shape than the previous competition and I felt stunning in my new custom made bikini from La Diva Design. I felt a million dollars up there on stage.

“I can’t believe how I look on stage compared to a year ago – I am so happy with what I have achieved so far with Winning Health solutions and every week I see more improvements.”