Bodybuilding: She missed out on Christmas, Easter and even her birthday, but Rebecca Smart is finally free to savour the foods she has craved for months.

Smart completed her lifelong goal of competing in a bodybuilding competition, when she stepped on stage at the Queensland Rookie Titles in Brisbane on Sunday.

The 43 year-old from Murgon received a call back in one of three sections, and although she did not leave with a placing, to Smart just getting on stage was the ultimate achievement.

"It is something I had always wanted to do since I was a teenager,” she said.

"But I had my own children and devoted my life to them. Then I got older and thought I'd do something for myself, so I decided in October (competing) was what I'd do.”

It was a long road for Smart, who was up at 4.30am each day to fit in an hour and a half in the gym before heading home to work as a full time, home daycare carer.

"The last month was the hardest, and was when I had the most struggle with food,” she said.

"I was on 1200 calories a day, limiting and weighing my food. It was hard going out and having to take my own food and not eat what everyone else was eating.

"I had to eat what I was told, but as the months went on I knew if I wanted that end result that's what I had to do.

"It was hard to deal with the peer pressure. People saying things like, 'Oh, just this once won't hurt,' but it does.”

By the time she stepped on stage, Smart had dropped 15.5kg and sat between 11-12% body fat. To put that into perspective, even super-fit female athletes sit around the 14-20% range, while the average is somewhere between 25-30%.

Bodybuilding is not your typical sport, and is often seen by outsiders as one reserved for the inherently vain or those with addictive personalities. But whether you agree with that assessment or not, Smart bucked the trend.

"People have asked me how I do it,” Smart said.

"I just embraced the atmosphere. I love the weights and the mental challenge of getting up at 4.30am every day. The experience was amazing, I was very happy with what I presented on stage.”

Up against seasoned competitors, the experience has left Smart wanting more, and she is already planning to return to the stage in the near future.

"This next week is just about enjoying the things I've missed out on, then after that I'll go back to my high protein (diet),” Smart said.

"I want to do more competitions. They suggest 18 months to two years off before you compete again, to get your body back to rebuilding muscle, so that's my goal.”

Smart trains at Body Fuel & Fitness Studio in Murgon, and it was owner Prue Collard who pushed her to pursue her dream.

"Prue has always been there for me to help along the way,” Smart said.

"We were just in conversation one day and I mentioned (competing) was something I wanted to do and she said, 'Do it, what's stopping you?'.

"That's where it started, knowing I had support right there in the gym.”

It is that support that Smart has tried to provide to others on their health and fitness journeys.

While she knows competing in bodybuilding competitions is not everyone's cup of tea, there will always be people in the gym struggling to meet their own fitness goals.

"People have that big picture of losing weight or getting fit but it's hard for people to stay there,” Smart said.

"When I see people coming regularly or upping their weights I do support them, because I know that it's a hard journey.

"Sometimes it might be those few words you say to someone that keeps them going.”

Collard said Smart's dedication had already rubbed off on other gym-goers.

"People said she couldn't do it and she did,” she said.

"I've had a lot of people want (to compete) but not put in the dedication that Bec has.

"She has inspired so many older women in the gym as well.”