A 29-year-old woman who once weighed as little as 39 kilos has revealed how she transformed her figure to become a bodybuilding champion – and why she has refused to give up the gym after becoming pregnant. In her early twenties Marika Magriplis, from Sydney, used to be too small for an Australian dress size six while working in a corporate job and living off a diet of convenience food including noodles and cheap burgers. Today - after overhauling her diet and lifestyle in 2010 - she’s just two weeks from giving birth to her first child and credits exercise and nutrient-rich meals with her 'having nothing to whinge about while pregnant’. ‘I don’t know if I’ve been lucky with my diet and lifestyle but I’ve got away with very minimal side effects with this pregnancy,’ Marika told Daily Mail Australia. Her feet ‘only swelled up once’ and instead of wishing to indulge in sweat treats her only craving has been ‘tuna with vinegar’. Scroll down for video . 'In the last week he has had another spurt... 22 days to go': Marika Magriplis, who is nine months pregnant (left), has credited working out (right) with keeping nasty pregnancy side effects at bay . The 29-year-old, a qualified personal trainer and competitive bodybuilder, ditched her unhealthy lifestyle in 2010 . Since 2012, when she first began competing in bodybuilding competitions around Australia, Marika has spent six days of the week weight training and eating a protein-rich diet. After becoming pregnant she adapted her training, with the help of experts, by reducing her weight sessions each trimester and including more calorie-dense foods into her diet to feed her growing bump. ‘My training became more about core strengthening than building,’ Marika said. ‘Maintaining my strength helped to take the load off. At one stage – about halfway through my pregnancy I had really bad back pain because I made the weights too light - my body needed the strength,’ she explained. However, now with just 14 days until her due date Marika has stopped weight-lifting altogether as she prepares to become a mum. Marika explained that she has kept up weights during pregnancy to maintain strength, not to build muscle like before . Marika's amazing transformation from a tiny 39 kilos to a strong bodybuilder came after she began lifting weights and learning about nutrition . ‘Physically I’ve made peace and listen to my body now and I’ve dropped back on the training side of things. Now it’s a about prenatal yoga and a lot of stretching and preparing the body for birth.’ Marika, who is now a qualified personal trainer, weighed 39 kilos in 2007 after graduating from uni. ‘I was tiny just through lack of knowledge… health wasn’t a priority it was just about making money,’ she explained. When she was competing as a bodybuilder before she was pregnant, Marika's daily diet would include: . Morning . An omelette with two whole eggs and three egg whites with cucumber or broccoli or green beans on the side. 'Its sounds odd for breakfast but it has everything you need, essential fats and fibre  from the veg and protein from the egg whites,' Marika said. Lunch . Fish or chicken, basically a lean white protein, with some salad and some nuts. Snack . Greek yoghurt (around 150 grams) with a handful of nuts and some protein powder. Dinner . White or sweet potato with meat and veg. 'I would have carbs after weight training. It breaks all the rules but if you think about your body as a machine, you need to refuel and  carbs work as energy. 'If you have fats in the morning, keeping them separately for different needs,' Marika explained. Exercise . Marika began weight training six days a week after hiring a coach to get her into shape for competitive bodybuilding. After weights she would have a banana and a protein shake. On day seven Marika would balance weights with a slow walk along the beaches near her home. This was her 'active recovery day'. Marika said one of her favourite core exercises before she was pregnant was 'hanging leg raises'. After she became pregnant with her first child, Marika took advice from her chiropractor, midwife and physio and adapted her workout routine and diet. Morning . Multi-grain bread, oats, or muesli with fruit. Or eggs on toast. Snack . Greek yoghurt and nuts. Or a nut and muesli bar when nauseous. 'I couldn’t even think about eating chicken and greens. The thought of it just made me want to throw up, it was a big adjustment,' Marika said. Lunch . Tuna as well as fresh fruit. Dinner . Similar to before pregnancy. 'I started to think cravings were a myth and I only had indigestion once in my whole pregnancy,' Marika said. 'I also alkalised my body with alkaline greens, that’s really important to help prevent acid reflux. 'Also fish oil capsules have helped with my brain function and baby's developing brain.' Exercise . 'I didn’t really change until the 10 week mark and then I really started to slow down a bit and reduced my weights to four days a week. 'The second trimester I did about three days a week of strength training then a walk or cycle on the other three days just because I felt better being active. 'In the third trimester I have tapered right back to two or three weight sessions a week up until the 36 week mark where I thought "OK I just cant’ do it any more". 'I had to find an alternative, with walking and prenatal yoga and walking in the lap pool.' ‘I was in advertising and marketing and worked in the corporate world for a good few years and then decided to transition into a personal trainer because I loved my fitness and wanted to combine my passion with work so I could be happy all the time,’ Marika said. The brunette had always been active and ran cross country at national level at school and struggled to gain weight. 'Maintaining my strength helped to take the load off,' says Marika who has a naturally small frame . Marika explained this photo was taken on 'one of leanest days' of her life while she was competing in bodybuilding . Marika said she has received a lot of criticism online from people who 'aren't educated around the topic' Marika began weight training six days a week after hiring a coach to get her into shape for competitive bodybuilding . ‘I didn’t feel womanly so I sort of talked to a girlfriend and made the move into the gym to get more toned. I felt skinny fat and she said “you just have to do some weights and you won’t be so skinny any more”,’ Marika recalled. Her friend was pregnant while they trained together and Marika was guided by a coach for her move into competitive body building. Her coach, John Davies, taught her to eat high-protein foods and carbohydrates as needed. The knowledge she learned then has helped her through her pregnancy. For example, while feeling nauseous in the first 12 weeks she would snack on a nut or muesli bar to give her strength. As she awaits the arrival of her baby boy, Marika’s midwife told her ‘being fit has helped you’. Marika's partner Luke Schembri is also a competitive bodybuilder. They had these portraits taken ahead of the arrival of their first child . Marika, from Sydney, is happy and healthy ahead of giving birth and feels no pressure to get straight back into competing after giving birth . But the fitness fanatic is not putting any pressure on herself to get back into competing shape any time soon, instead she’s planning to take her time and support her partner Luke Schembri – also a competitive bodybuilder – with his competitions. ‘There is a lot of stress on your body during birth and a lot of nurturing that needs to be done… it’s going to be a milk truck as well,’ she laughed. Marika said she has received a lot of criticism online from people who ‘aren’t educated around the topic and who feel entitled to an opinion’ but emphasised everyone should seek their own professional advice before attempting training. ‘A lot of people won’t know their body as well as I know my body and there were even times when I thought I was doing the right thing and found out I wasn’t,’ she said.
Marika Magriplis's midwife told her 'being fit has helped you'
The 29-year-old has been a competitive bodybuilder since 2012 . She took up weights after weighing in at just 39 kilos in 2009 . Overhauled her diet after living off convenience food . Throughout her pregnancy she has stayed active . Each trimester she has slowly reduced the amount of weights . Up until the 36 week mark she was lifting light weights at the gym . Two weeks before her due date she now attends prenatal yoga and walks . But credits maintaining her strength with her side effect free pregnancy . 'I started to think cravings were a myth and I only had indigestion once in my whole pregnancy,' Marika said .