Eight years ago my relationship with my husband broke down and having been with him for 17 years, I emotionally and physically took it hard. My family and friends around me saw a vibrant, successful woman turn into a depleted person with no real sense of worth. I was fortunate enough not to have had children and made a conscious decision to be completely selfish and take time out for me and embarked on a journey to restart my life here in Australia - damn I should have written 'Eat, Pray, Love'.
When I arrived I weighed about 60kg but looked old, ill and withdrawn. Since resettling in this beautiful country in 2003, I found myself living life's roller-coaster and trying to fill the hole in my heart with too much glutinous behaviour and always making an excuse as to why I wasn't fit - I'm too busy at work, I don't have time to fit the gym in, I cant get up early to exercise, my social commitments are far too important, I needed to be the life and soul of the party, and the last one home and of course the usual thought of "I'm just too tired" (which quite often resulted in bags of chips watching trash TV). What was I thinking? On reflection I just wasn't ready.
Last year I turned 39 and something clicked inside of me. I was away on a holiday in Hawaii and just thought I can't do this to myself anymore. I can't devalue myself and I need to make ME the number ONE priority in my life. If I can do that with my career, why can't I apply that logic to ME the person? Breakthrough! I was finally out of denial, finally allowing my brain to accept that I was nearly a size 18 and finally acknowledging that my life evolved around a big void of unhappiness, which was fulfilled by emotional eating. Is this what my life had become? The thought of not wanting to be fit, fabulous and 40 in 2011 was enough of a push to make an appointment with Jenny Craig.
The last 9 months with Jenny Craig has been both challenging and exhilarating at the same time. My consultant has been along side me every step of the way and has probably got to know me more than she thought she would! I decided the best way to set myself up for success was to treat Jenny Craig and the transformation of me like a project. Mini milestones were put in place and successes were acknowledged. It hasn't been plain sailing and issues have come up that could have resulted in me giving in. At the early stages of the program I was hit with glandular fever but I managed to remain focused and resilient with the determination to succeed.
I am now at my goal weight and am the same size as when I first arrived in Australia. I am fitter, healthier and happier than I can remember and am now a size 8 to 10 - me a 10, somebody pinch me!! I have a fantastic trainer and thankfully absolutely love exercising and embarked on my first fun run this May!
Jenny Craig is still by my side and has shown me how much only ME is stopping ME from changing; and that glutinous behaviour has been my emotional downfall that has truly hindered the return of that vibrant successful woman who now has the world as her oyster!!
Thanks Jenny!
- Lisa
* Results not typical