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I was overweight during primary school, a child from a family of big eaters. During the holiday before starting high school, I had a growth spurt, swam and walked, and stopped eating lollies. Through high school I maintained a healthy weight, eating boarding school food and taking part in school sports. But at university, student habits and no sporting activity meant that the weight crawled on with each passing year, and I carried the bad habits and weight with me when I started my first job in 2000. I gained more weight after settling into a long term relationship and marriage… ‘Contentment weight gain’.
I lost 35kg in 2005 by going on a very restrictive eating plan (with no exercise). I ate food that I didn’t particularly like because I thought it was a good “diet food”. When I got to my goal weight, my first thought was: “Okay. I’m at goal. Now I don’t have to worry any more. Pass the chips.” I very quickly put 10kg back on in the year that followed by eating all the foods I’d been “deprived” of. We started the process of emigrating to NZ in September 2006. Stress lead to emotional and mindless eating. By December 2007, I had gained back ALL of the weight I’d lost.
In August 2008, I decided that I’d had enough. Losing weight isn’t easy; it takes loads of discipline and grit and determination. But I had never realised that maintenance would require even more commitment. I came to the realisation that I needed to find a way to live and move and eat for the rest of my life: I had to make a lifestyle change, not go on yet another diet.
Healthy eating and exercise isn’t a destination, it’s a lifelong journey.
I implemented a less restrictive eating plan and a gentle exercise plan and lost 20kg by mid-2009. I took a six month maintenance period to prove to myself that I could maintain. In January 2010, I added in more vigorous exercise (Zumba!) and weight training. I reached my goal in August 2010 with a total loss of 40kg.
Losing 40kg (the second time around) and keeping it off:
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