Weight loss: 21kg
Tell us about life before joining jenny craig
I am so blessed to be the mum of a beautiful daughter, the wife of an extremely supportive and loving husband, and the daughter of the most amazing parents. I have a great, rewarding job as a teacher and have the most wonderful friends! But something was missing, I had lost my self confidence and I’d lost my self esteem. I’d been doing everything for everyone else and I needed to do something for myself for a change. Before I joined Jenny Craig I thought that I was really happy and I thought that life was great, but since having lost 21 kilos, I feel amazing and I realized how much better life is now.
I was unhappy on the inside, I felt uncomfortable and I was embarrassed to have let myself go. I LOVE photos – I drive people crazy taking photos of each and every little event! But at that time in my life, I was refusing to be in photos.
What was your ‘AHA’ moment?
My crunch point came when I was looking to share some photos of our daughter, my husband and myself from the day that our daughter had won a very prestigious Australia Day Award, and I was nowhere to be seen….It was as though I didn’t exist.
The very next day, I bit the bullet and called my local Jenny Craig centre at Hervey Bay. It was one of the hardest calls I’d ever made, but I will be forever grateful to my fabulous Personal Coach, Barb, for answering my call that day. She instantly made me feel at ease and comfortable with my decision. We made my first appointment for later that week, and the rest is history!
What was your first visit like?
On my initial visit, I shared so much with Barb (I still tell her everything)! I was putting myself high in my list of priorities. I had a goal weight in mind as I knew where I felt best weight-wise, but I was not going to set a date. This was to be a forever journey for me, and I didn’t want my mind to believe that there was an end date. I weighed in that day at 80.6kg. I set my goal at 60kg, so I knew that I had a long road ahead.
How was the Jenny Craig journey for you?
From the very first day, I was determined to do everything properly. I was going to follow this program perfectly! I bought a microwave for my classroom to eliminate the excuse of “no time” to go to the staff room to heat my meals, I meal planned for my family to match what I would be eating and I committed to sharing my weekly weigh in figures with my best friend. In fact, I told everyone what I was doing – I believed in myself and I made myself the priority that my beautiful family always believed that I was.
The weight started coming off….each and every week that I weighed in, the number on the scales went down. By the time I turned 41 in July of this year, I had lost about 15kg. I was so determined that this time, I was going to be on top of my weight forever. This wasn’t a quick fix, this was forever.
The weight started coming off….each and every week that I weighed in, the number on the scales went down.
Do you have a favourite item from the Jenny Craig menu?
I love that the Jenny food was food that I ate in my normal life. I loved that it was portion controlled, but it was still really delicious. My favourite was the beef pasty. I love to add veggies to it and have it on a cold night.
How has Jenny Craig changed your life?
In 6 months, I reclaimed my life. It sounds incredibly corny, but I really do feel like a new woman! I am no longer just existing and celebrating the achievements of my little family, but am now LIVING and celebrating the achievements of all of us! I can’t even begin to fully express how much my life has changed (read improved) this year. I have always loved clothes and now I can actually wear anything that I choose! I no longer feel the need to hide from photos or to edit them within an inch of believability – I am keen to be in front of the camera!
I really do feel like a new woman
I would like to think that I have always been a great mum, wife, daughter, friend and teacher, but I KNOW that I am now. I’m happy… It’s that simple! I want/need to share this message with everyone, and I wish everyone who feels uncomfortable with their weight the same opportunity. It has changed my life and I couldn’t be more grateful.
Tell us about your Personal Coach
My Personal Coach was fantastic. She was my biggest supporter. Always cheered me on, kept me going, kept me motivated. She was just wonderful. I have the most amazing relationship with my Personal Coach. She has become a friend through this whole process and she’s looked after me the whole way. She kept me honest, on track and accountable.
What is the best thing about Jenny Craig?
The best thing about being on Jenny Craig is how you feel. Right from the first moment I started to feel really confident because the weight started coming off, straight away. It kept me motivated. I felt encouraged by my Personal Coach. I felt encouraged by my family and my friends who could see how much better I was feeling. I just, I felt amazing the whole time.
How do you feel now?
Since losing the weight on Jenny Craig I feel amazing. I’m so confident and self-assured. I’m the best version of myself that I can possibly be. I’m a great mum. I’m a great wife. I’m a great daughter, friend and teacher. Now, when I see friends and family who haven’t seen me for quite some time, they’re so surprised they can’t believe the change in me. Not only physically, but also within myself. My teaching partner also joined Jenny Craig and went on to lose a lot of weight because she saw how great I was feeling and what I’d done.
For anyone thinking about joining Jenny, Craig, I’d say pick up the phone and call now. It has changed my life and I couldn’t be more grateful.
